Authors Note: I own nothing. No ownership rights to Beverly Hills 90210.

Chapter Fifty-Two: Our Family

As I move out of the fog of sleep I become aware of Dylan kissing my lower back. As far as I can tell he has no pattern to his movements or rational as to why some parts get a more intense worshiping than others, his lack of pattern is becoming his pattern. "Baby I thought you managed to kiss every inch last night, I'd hate to think you missed a spot considering I was so thorough in ensuring I neglected none of yours."

I feel his lips form a smile against my skin, "you were very diligent and it was immensely appreciated." He kisses up my back to my ear, "truly appreciated." He grazers his teeth down my ear lobe I arch a little, "but miss methodical I can assure you none of you was neglected last night either." His hands run up my arm, "now I plan on kissing every inch of you as often as I can so if you don't mind I need to get back to it."

"Oh well my apologies I didn't mean to distract you from your task."

As I'm rinsing out my conditioner Dylan speaks to me as he is drying off, "after breakfast what would you like to do today?"

"What time do we need to be back at the airport?"

"Two-thirty. I wanted to make sure we weren't away from the kids longer than twenty-four hours. I got us a late check out so we can use some of the facilities, go for a hike, a drive or go back to bed."

I laugh and turn off the water, "Baby your hopeful tone on one of them makes me feel like you have a preference?"

As I move to open the shower door he holds open my towel ready to wrap it around me. When I'm wrapped up and secure in his arms he kisses my nose, "well that is always my preference I'll never get my fill of us."

"You aren't disappointed though that we didn't-"

He gets a look of concern, "did I ever give you that impression?" I shake my head, "good. We have plenty of time for that a whole lifetime, I want us to both be completely ready and comfortable." He kisses my nose again and then reaches for another towel passing it to me for my hair, "and then there is the matter of whether you want to expand our family yet."

As I remove the excess water I move over to the vanity to grab a comb. "Not yet. Suzanne and Kevin being potentially dangerous and my estrangement from my parents, I don't want to go in to the next pregnancy with any stress it's already a risk of reoccurrence so I want our life as calm as possible."

Dylan moves to stand behind me and looks into my eyes through the mirror, "you know I'll move us away from it all if it's not, we can disappear to Paris or go hangout in mum's treehouse in Hawaii- she'd love that. I won't allow anything to risk you, I want you to be able to enjoy all future pregnancy's and feel excitement for the birth-"

"Excitement to meet our child absolutely, excitement for the pain- when you are holding my hand and I'm cussing at you for it I think you'll understand that excitement is not the dominant emotion in that moment."

He smiles, "who did you cuss at during Arthur's birth?"

"You just in my head. I was too afraid my last words could be a promise to never let you touch me again."

He moves in closer wrapping his arms around me, "thank god you didn't stick to that promise."

"I'm sure I'll vocalise it on the next one-"

"It won't be true though?" As he is speaking I can feel his arms tense.

"Absolutely true when I'm going through that pain but women instinctively normalise it afterwards, if we didn't the human race would have died out a long time ago."

He relaxes and starts playing with my newly combed hair as I finish moisturising my face and begin to moisture my arms. "Good then I look forward to the cuss words I'm sure you'll be very creative in how you deliver them."

"There is another thing I want before we try for another." It makes him look up from where he has intently been following the path of cream up my arms, "I'd like it to be legal."

"You want your proper name on the certificate?" I nod, "I want that too." He picks up my left hand and rubs my ring finger gently before letting it go so I can finish my arms, "so birth control? With you still nursing the doctor said there were limits to the type unless you want to go back to me using-"

"No."

He laughs at my speed, "no? That was very definitive Baby, care to explain?"

I turn around in his arms to look at him, "that's just a no."

He smiles and picks me up placing me on the vanity, "no? Absolutely no?" I nod he laughs again, "future Mrs McKay have I told you how much I enjoy the way you think?" He puts some of my moisturiser on his hands picks up my foot and begins to massage it gradually moving up my ankle to my calf.

My voice takes on a breathy quality to it, "no that wasn't the context of the compliments and praise you were handing out earlier." He gives me his sexy smile and slight bite of his lower lip, when he reaches my mid thigh in his massage there is a knock at the door.

He groans, "we are never staying in a hotel again. Too many interruptions."

We eventually manage to stay somewhat respectable long enough to check out and spend a couple of hours enjoying the coastline. When we get on the plane though Dylan has had his fill of that, our flight back to LA goes way too quickly for the both of us with neither of us taking note of the view out the window and both praising the genius who decided to have couch seating installed.

As our gate's open to our driveway it's clear from the car's that Sunday brunch has continued to be an all day event. Before Dylan opens our front door I stop him, "thank you. That was an incredible first date I loved every moment of it." I stand on my toe's and kiss his lips, " I loved the hotel," I kiss his cheek, "I loved the plane," I kiss his nose, "I loved the food," I kiss his other cheek, "I loved the spa, especially the spa," I kiss his chin, "I loved spending time with just you." I kiss his mouth, "I loved it all and I love you."

He kisses me passionately lifting me slightly off the ground, eventually he reluctantly pulls away and gives me a teasing smile, "was the front porch on purpose?"

"I was looking for the perfect moment and well you know how I like symmetry."

"I'm not stomping inside though and slamming the door, or leaving an answering machine message." I give a mock look of hurt, "did I ever tell you I kept that tape? The first time in over a decade someone had told me they loved me and meant it, the first and only person to ever tell me knowing all of me seeing the real me. It was so intense back then and I now look back and think our sixteen year old selves had no idea of the depth of our love; how it runs through every part of us, every microscopic part is infused with it."

I kiss him, "I'm sure you'll say the same when we are ninety that our nineteen year old selves had no idea at all."

"I know." He leans in and kisses me passionately again.

"Come on let's go inside and see how hyperactive our little love's are after a day with their uncles."

He groans, "if they are they are going to both be out of sorts all afternoon."

Hyperactive they were, Erica and Art were clearly buzzing from all the attention and constant excitement. Once both of them were greeted and Erica had run back to continue swimming with our Brother's and Art was secure in my arms I looked to Iris. She gave us both an apologetic look, "Nat and I did our best but Steve and Brandon together were playing it out for favourite uncle it was like that cartoon Erica likes the Tasmania devil one both were constantly spinning around getting into mischief trying to one up the other."

"They do get competitive. Thank you for taking care of them for us." I give her a sympathetic look Steve and Brandon when in a pissing contest were always hard to manage, the kids are a walk in the park in comparison.

"My pleasure Darling, I won't even ask if you had a good time you both are glowing; the positive energy off both of you is incredible." Her smile drops slightly, "I hate to ruin the moment but I answered the phone this morning after you both rang and well it was Cindy."

"Wow, Dad's been doing the phone calls not her. It's been radio silence from her."

"She spoke to Jackie heard about last week's dinner and that you were hopefully going to be given the all clear on Friday. She wanted to see if that happened, after the March bbq she said she was trying to keep her distance. She told me that she could see you were constantly getting unwell since you got home, she thought that her and your Dad's presence were exasperating the problem."

Dylan squeezes my shoulder obviously seeing the tension coming into my body, "do you believe her? Iris your radar is better than anyones is she just giving an excuse. Seven weeks away from her grandson at this age is huge and away from me."

"I think she understood that the situation was too much, whether she secretly hoped that you would see that Dylan was the problem when you were still getting sick and then come home to them with your tail between your legs or if she really thought that she was really just giving you time to get better before she tried again, either way she understood that the conflict between them and Dylan was effecting you and needed to be stopped."

"That's the thing there is no conflict between them unless it's them making it, Dylan doesn't hate them he was supportive of them in our lives. He rightly so is just not going to minimise his place his role in his and my family just so they can hold onto the illusion that I'm still their little girl." He wraps his arms around me and Art. "So besides excuses did she say anything else?"

"She wanted to speak to you, Jim was out playing golf with a client and she wanted to see if you had the all clear. I hope you don't mind I told her, as a Mother I'm sure-"

"I completely get it, you did the right thing."

"She wanted to know where you were I just said out and then she asked to speak to Dylan I told her you were out together, not that you were away for the night. I didn't want to share too much in case you were uncomfortable. We spoke a little and eventually she asked if you had really stopped being friends with the girls, she thinks that you are making your life too small of just Dylan and you. She had a slight note of concern when she spoke of that."

"What did you say?"

"That relationships should be positive and enrich your life, when they start to just drain it and the efforts to restore them go unreciprocated then it's time to let them go. I told her it took great strength to do that, wanting better for yourself. Cindy quickly understood you had my complete support she didn't mention it again. We spent the rest of the call with me giving some of the highlights of Art over the last few weeks."

"Do you think she'll ring again?" Dylan hold's me tighter.

"I guess the real question is do you want her to?"

"I can understand that lack of contact but some of her comments, I still… she thinks that she's allowed a commentary a say in my life, it's like she is constantly thinking I'm making irrational decisions. I've made a few in my time when I was in junior year and even some in senior year, but so has Brandon, Steve, Dylan, Kelly, David, Donna- we literally had to publicly protest her bad choices of drinking too many glasses of champagne before Prom. I'm still not sure why I've had to always be perfect to be accepted, why my virtue had to be above everyone else's. Since moving to Beverly Hills their elitism of having the squeaky clean MidWest moral virtues have always been placed on my shoulders to bear. Brandon can drink, gamble, sleep around and it's just him going through a phase, building character and learning lessons, but me all my growing up mistakes are seen as permanent personality flaws." I sigh, "do I want her to call? I don't know, I don't know if I want to be continually judged and seen as lacking." I squeeze one of Dylan's arms that is around me, "I'm going to watch Erica swim for a bit, she's going to have to be dropped home to her Mum's soon."

He kisses my head, "okay want me to take Art?"

"No he can come and watch the fun from under the umbrella with me."

I watch her walk out the door.

"Should I have not said anything?"

"No Mum you did the right thing, she knows she needs to figure out her relationship with her parents. She won't marry me until she has it sorted either way, and she doesn't want to fall pregnant until it brings her no more stress."

"You guy's seem liked you spoke and sorted out a lot this weekend."

"We just decided on something's about us as a couple, we discuss our family all the time but thing's about just us our relationship needed to be prioritised. Thank you for giving us the time."

"My pleasure Darling, I've so happy that it's all coming together for the both of you. Now if the other parts of your lives could just calm down. I want my daughter to have some much needed peace."

"I want that as well but she's rarely got it since moving to Beverly Hills. She's absolutely right everyone from her parents to even me at times have held her to a higher standard more than everyone else here. I think it's her thick skin, she doesn't cry and breakdown in public people don't have a lot of sympathy for her they don't see her as needing it."

"My wife will also say it has to do with her being strong enough to be able to admit and own her mistakes. Val says it frustrates people, blocks them in to feeling like they can't yell at her afterwards without looking petty." Brandon wrapped in his towel moves into the kitchen, "sorry to interrupt but everyone's thirsty I thought I'd grab some waters."

"Earlier I made a fresh pitcher of iced tea let me bring that out for everyone."

As Mum starts organising that Brandon looks at me, "Iris told me about Mum's call. I'm guessing that's the change in my sister in the last ten minutes?" I nod, "Dad went to see Nat." Shit. "Nat's cool and you know him, he respects my Dad as he's my Dad but he loves us he told him that The Peach Pit ownership was a private matter between him and his partners."

"What was he hoping for in seeing Nat?"

"Guilt him into convincing us to sell, Dad has finance lined up so Nat could solely own it again. Pay off the loan as a set percentage of profits."

"That's a good deal for Nat." I look at our partner sitting at the table by the pool laughing at Steve and Erica's game of catch in the pool. "Is he sure he doesn't want to take it?"

"Darling Nat see's you as his boy's his son's, it would be like him selling out his family. He wouldn't do that. Have you spoken to him about how he has felt about the partnership so far?" Both of us shake our heads, "he is less stressed, he knows you both love the place like he does. Brandon you have been respectful of his relationships with his suppliers but still managed to negotiate better deals and delivery times, along with doing the bulk of the administration work you doing the staff rostering has ensured he has more free time to have more of a life outside of the restaurant. Dylan you and Brenda both invited him into your home to take care of him, and then once he moved out you have made sure that he still feels like he is a much loved member a part of this family with your Sunday brunches and family dinners. He loves knowing that his family business is well protected by his family that he is apart of the family."

"So you're saying it's not a good deal for him?"

"Exactly Darling." Mum picks up the tray and moves to deliver the ice tea outside.

I turn to Brandon, "your parents-"

"I'm not sure they'll come around and realise what they are doing on their own."

"I was going to surprise Bren, your grandparents are flying out for opening night. I could move their tickets earlier but I don't want this with your parents interfering making her lose her focus before her first play."

"Funny you said that D, I've arranged for Val to fly in and surprise her for opening night."

"Well if we can hold off your parents till then then that weekend seems like it's going to be eventful for a lot of reasons." He nods in agreement but with a look of concern on his face this was impacting him as well. Understanding that I try and change the subject, "I'm booking tickets for the fourth in Minnesota want me to book your's?"

"Nope unlike you I can say no to my grandmother," I lift my eyebrow questioning the truth of that statement. "Fine I've managed to find a reason to immediately get off the phone every time she brings up the summer."

I laugh out loud, "that's what I thought. Your Grandma is a pint size power house saying no is almost impossible."

"Yep remind you of anyone?"

I smile, "I wouldn't ever refer to my girl as pint size."

"That's because you are scared to comment on her shortness like the rest of us." I touch the tip of my nose, he laughs, "that is everyone but Steve. He gets away with so much with her."

His frustration that his twin favours her other brother is clear. Chuckling at their relationship I lightly hit his shoulder, "come on green eyed monster let's go hang with our family."