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

Authors Note: I hinted at what was the song in the last chapter- see Patrick's comment. It was actually a song with originally a solo singer but Jewel and Kelly Clarkson version is the version I see for this story.

Foolish Games featuring Kelly Clarkson. Written and performed by Jewel Kilcher.
I own nothing. No ownership to the song at all.

Chapter Eighteen

"Bren. Baby, I'm-"

I cut him off I know he's finally come out of his anger but he needs to cool down and my sister doesn't need this shit. "Dylan enough! Go outside get some air." His face screams he doesn't want to comply, I soften my tone but it's still as commanding as it needs to be to let him know how serious I am. "Look if you can't give my sister space then go home. Casa Walsh as much as everyone might think it's their's this is always mine and Brenda's home. She never should be spoken to in that manner but especially not in her home."

"Brandon-"

I look back at my sister, "Brenda I love you but if you tell me you can fight your own battles then I'm going to have a tantrum like Dylan here just did. I know how strong you are but this whole crazy shit has gone on long enough." From Steve inviting the girls, to his bold reasoning that they all had claim to Casa Walsh even over Brenda's and Val's comfort, to Dylan speaking to her that way- it's clear that everyone thinks they have rights here that they don't have. "I'm saying today what needs to be made clear." I look back at our, well I guess my friends, "I care about you all you've been great friends to me but that doesn't give you rights here. This is my twin she comes first, she will always come first and I won't have her disrespected even by the guy who claims to love her more than anything. We have all been family but there are only two people in this room who are my actual family Brenda and Val. Any disrespect on them is a disrespect on me." I glare at Dylan, "even from my brother."

He nods his head once, he respects the line and knows he has crossed it too many times in the last few minutes. I turn to my sister, "your bandage needs to come off right?" She nods, I go and lean down next to her I can feel she doesn't want to be here. "Come on let me take you upstairs and I'll unwrap it." As I pick her up I look at Val, who immediately understands my subtle indication with my eyes. She gives me a wink and goes and collects Bren's envelopes and her bag. It's sad that I realise that in this room there are people who could justify looking in those envelopes because they think it would help her. Dylan wasn't one of them- he wouldn't cross that line, the other's though…

When I get upstairs to my room I put her on the bed and then begin to unwrap her ankle. The compression bandage should be keeping the swelling down but even I can tell the bandage has dug into her skin more than it has in the last twenty-four hours. My twin reads my face, "it's more swollen I stood on it by the door for too long and then didn't elevate it when I sat down- I didn't want to let them seem me as weak."

"No one could ever see you as weak."

"Daniella, well you remember me mentioning her as my dorm-mate at RADA for the summer and then most of the school year?" I nod, though I thought she went by Dani. "She knows me, she seen me at night when I replay my day."

I come and sit by her, "that replay where you question everything you said and did that day and beat yourself up over the littlest things, it has never made you weak it has made you more considerate than anyone I have ever met. It makes you see situations even when they're happening with more insight than most. It's how you can see when injustice's are happening or when people need help. It's how you were able to point out to me all through our lives when I wasn't being considerate of others emotions."

"It's why I'm hated. Why people think I'm bitchy and a nag."

"Those people and their opinions don't count, and I know as I have been one of those people too many times since Paris. They… we only say it because we know you are right and we would rather blame the messenger than hear the truth in the message." I squeeze her hand, "is that what happened with Danielle and Patrick?" I see her tighten up at that.

"No. They I thought I could trust, I thought they understood me." She shakes her head, "I didn't think they'd come here. Opening that door on them today I was right back in senior year… it does-"

I cut her off as I know she's about to close up on me, "Patrick and her were together?"

She laughs, "no she wishes. That, well I think it's another of her reasons for… but no there is lots of way's a best friend can hurt you or a guy you were trying to find a way to move on with." She stops and shakes her head and slips back on her Brenda character- well that's what Dylan has taken to calling it. "It's… they are irrelevant now. Thanks for downstairs it wasn't necessary as I know you love them they are your family now-"

"No they are my friends. My family would realise that you and me are a package deal, the way life intended."

"Hey what about me?"

I look over to our third musketeer- the honorary triplet. "You get lost on the way up here?" I give her a not so subtle look, those contracts better be untouched.

She rolls her eyes, "please I dropped them on your desk as you guy's came in. See?" She point's in the direction, okay she must have come in right behind us. "No I wasn't snooping but when Bren mentioned swelling well I just thought a bath with epsom salts could help." She looked uncertain if Bren would accept.

Bren looks over and nods her head, "yeah that would be great. Thank you."

Val is nervous, she was always her most comfortable when it was the three of us. With the way her and Bren are I can see she is now afraid to say the wrong thing. "Okay well Brandon there is a chair in there that you could bring Bren to." She looks then at her once identical twin- as kids they'd always dress the same to really make her our triplet. "If you need a hand getting in or out of the bath I could-"

"Thanks but as long as I have a chair close by, a towel and clothes I should be able to do the rest."

Bren wasn't being cold at all but you could hear the distance in how they communicate- the formality that was never there as kids or teenagers. "Okay I'll bring your bag in then, would you like the envelopes in there as well?"

I turn to my sister, "they'll be safe in here."

It's the first time since she's been back that she has shown any trust in me and even Val by extension, "okay leave them here then." I give her my big smile, it's the first step I've been trying so hard to make through my weeks of phone calls- trying to heal our relationship.

By the time Bren is situated in the bathroom with everything she'd need I find Val on her bed waiting for me. "Thank you for downstairs you didn't need to-"

"Val you've been our family since we were babies. We may not be blood but we are close to it. I'm sorry that I've let them treat you this way for so long. You came out here to recover after your Dad, and I just treated you like you simply moved schools. You were given no time to grieve or to adjust to moving away from your family. Kelly well she was with me, Mum and Dad when we got the call, she's a psych major, she has been the harshest out of all but she knows more than anyone else here why you left Buffalo. I'm sorry for letting her treat you that way for never properly questioning it."

"Yeah well she hated me from the start, though after what she did to Bren I wasn't a fan either."

I sit next to her and jokingly bump her shoulder, like I would do when we were kids. "Well you were close to me and my parents, Steve had an instant crush, and then Dylan." I clear my throat trying to figure out how to be truthful but respectful of my still lingering emotions, "Kelly struggles with sharing."

Both my sisters were never afraid to say it like it is, even when I didn't want to acknowledge it. "Well after working so hard to remove Brenda from everyone here she probably thought I was coming in to take everything she had just stolen away."

I run my hand through my hair, "I honestly don't know." And it was the truth I didn't know, she clearly had issues with my twin but was it a coincidence that she wanted everything the same as Bren, best friends liked similar things right? Dylan no longer saw it that way, his deep dive into the past saw Kelly as actively working to have Bren's life, her whole life; the family, the boyfriend, hell even at one stage the acting. Since he and I have been discussing it I've been wondering if I had simply declined in sophomore year rather than telling her I thought of her as a sister would she have still gone after Dylan. That though has led me to the uncomfortable question of whether it was ever about me or just about one us.

Dylan and her were a disaster, she could even see that but even before they ended we were bouncing towards each other, was I the second attempt at her getting Bren's life, Bren's role, Bren's position between Dylan and I? One of us guys needed to be the brother best friend, and the other the lover and partner. I look at how she was with Dylan last year, they were never close since I arrived, even when they were together they didn't talk he relied on Bren for that, but last year she's making him into this meaningful best friend since kids connection, making him her family.

I sigh and look at Val, "six months ago I wanted my life with her but I hear about how she treated Bren, I'm re-examining how she treated you, and I don't… I'm lost on who she is. What I am or was to her, if it meant what I thought it meant." I look at my honorary sister, "where does the mixed up teenager end and where does the woman begin?"

She pats my knee and then stands, "Brandon the teenager hides the mistakes the adult owns them and apologises to the people she wronged. Last time I checked your sister hasn't heard a peep of an apology, and up until a few weeks ago you and McKay were still letting her play you off each other for her affections. A woman who claims to choose herself to protect your friendship doesn't do that, she doesn't keep pulling the strings of her hooks making sure she still has you both to play with while she sleeps with another guy."

I stand and ask for the straight up clarification I know my sisters would only give me, "so she's still the teenager?"

"Hey many adults function with an adolescent brain, you've meet my mother right?"

It was her attempt at humour to lighten the mood but Val wasn't wrong, Abby had always been about herself regardless of who it hurt- even her daughter. I always found it weird how Mum and her were such good friends but then again Jackie was similar to Abby in many ways and Mum was great friends with her now. When we make it downstairs they are all in the kitchen. The conversation instantly stops as we enter, I look to Steve. "D outside?"

"Yeah we've left him too it. He doesn't ever act like that unless he's on something so we thought-"

I give him a look, Steve doesn't usually jump to addiction with Dylan, and he's seen him regularly over here in the last few weeks working hard on his program. He wouldn't make that leap by himself so I'm guessing this idea that Dylan must be on something has come from one of the three girls sharing the kitchen table with him. "Nah it's not substances running through his system it's just Bren, she always makes him lose his head. At Mel and Jackie's wedding he threw a bottle in anger at the wall while fighting with Dad over not being allowed to see her." The majority of the eyes around the table go large with the exception of one, she's finding the table surface extremely interesting. I ignore my instinct to soften the blow for her, it was time they all understood what Dylan's family has always known, McKay had a kryptonite and that was my twin.

Val jumps in understanding what I'm getting at, "and on their first date he threw a pot plant when Bren refused to put up with his shit and wanted to get a cab and leave. It's a good thing Bren can match and handle his fire, from what I saw today and understand of the past the two of them can be very Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton together."

I laugh that about sums them up, "she's the only one who ever could tame that side of Dylan." I nod to the door and Val gives me another wink, indicating she'll be fine here.

As Brandon moves outside to check on the other fool I go around the counter to make Bren a tea and me a coffee. I know we aren't okay but I also know that like Brandon said we are family and my girl will always be that, regardless of if we are close or not. My manors kick in and I look at the quiet table, "anyone want a tea or coffee?"

Steve scoffs- they aren't his preferred Saturday afternoon drink, Clare politely decline's, Donna gives a shy smile but shakes her head, and Kelly doesn't acknowledge me at all. Okay fuck that, in my home she can at least be polite. "Kelly would you like a tea or coffee?"

From my tone she knows that I'm suggesting her ignoring me is rude. She lifts her head at that, she clearly doesn't believe Brandon's rules apply to her, "no." I lift my eyebrow at her rude response, "thank you."

Oh give me strength, I can see from her face what's going on- how is she the hurt one here? "Kelly did you know the jerk Patrick or Danielle the roommate?"

She lifts her head back up to me, "no. She sometimes answered the phone when I've called Bren's dorm but that was it. Why?"

"Well I'm trying to figure out how you are trying to make this afternoon all about you."

"Val-"

"Steve stay out of this. Kelly is doing her woe's me pity party and I'm just trying to understand why this has anything to do with her."

"God you are such a bitch. Did you not hear what Dylan said in there about me being the easy way out? You don't think that hurts?"

I actually laugh, "you're upset because the guy you went after when he was desperately in love with your best friend and had been with her for nearly two year's, the guy who you would pop over to his house at the start of senior year and ask to go for a ride on his 'bike', the guy who according to Steve had marked his territory so well with Brenda on both the West Bev and CU campuses that every guy was too afraid to approach her, but he left you his girlfriend wide open for John Sears. You're upset that Dylan thinks that the girl who could betray her best friend and then feel justified to let said best friend comfort you while you mourn the loss of your summer cheat fest- your upset that he thinks you were easy?" I look at her like she is fucking delusional, "tell me Kelly how long did you wait to jump into bed with him when he 'chose' you by default? Did you at least make him buy you dinner first? Make him work for it, make it romantic with flowers and a luxury hotel room? I mean I'm sure you at least waited for him to tell you he loved you- right? Or that he was at least no longer in love with your ex-best friend?"

"Fuck you."

"Truth hurts Kelly, but hey if you are still trying so hard to be Bren then you better stop these poor princess routines- they aren't my girls style. If you really want to be Bren then try and capture the class and strength Brenda showed when she walked into your hospital room and told you she loved you, even after you had actively worked to undermine her relationship, lied to her face for months, even after you had accused her of liking that Jack was dead."

"I'm not trying to be Brenda."

I laugh again, "really? Would your psychology professors see it that way? May-"

"Val." I look up and see the woman in question standing in the doorway. Her eyes are a silent plea to drop it. I comply.

"Did the bath help the swelling?" She nod's. "I made you tea."

She use's her crutches to come over to the kitchen bench. "Thank you but got anything stronger?"

"I co-own a bar, of course I do."

"Great." She then looks over at the table and sees the uncertain faces, not knowing if they should leave or if finally Bren was going to hand them their ass', but my girl is full of class and simply smiles at our blonde roommate, "I'm thinking we listen to Very Necessary by Salt-N-Pepper and I make a shit load of Spanish Tapas while we drink away the afternoon, thoughts?"

His smile is massive and he immediately jumps up and walks to her giving her a hug, " Bren have I told you how much I love that you are home?"

I can see him approach and when he's close enough that I don't need to yell I ask, "she okay Jones?"

"Yeah she's in the bath. Her legs a little swollen."

My fist clench, I don't want her in pain. We are quiet for a few minutes after he sits down next to me but finally I break the silence, "I'm sorry."

"D it's not me you owe the apology to."

"Believe me I know. That song… did you know she could sing like that?" He shakes his head. I lean forward and focus on my clasped fingers, "it was beautiful and heartbreaking, and about that idiot."

"I don't know about that." I immediately raise my eye's to his, "her Semester showcase with Dani was in December. They weren't roommates by the spring showcase, and from what we know she was still hung up on you." He pauses considering his next words, "she said upstairs that she tried to move on with him, I don't think it was love on her side at least… look I don't know how much that song was about him or you but he obviously wasn't serious." I scrunch my brow in confusion, how does he know that? "She was depressed Dylan seeing a Counsellor, Roy knows every bit of our lives with her here in LA, your mother does too, but the guy she's seeing knows you only as my best friend, my brother."

I smile and finally get what my irrational jealous brain had not been comprehending, "she was never going to love him. She wasn't ever going to open up to him."

"Don't sound so pleased. You can still get hurt even without the love being there." He gives me a poignant look, I get the reference to my own life. "Anyway Patrick seems more like a nuisance than anything important. I'm more concerned about what Stuart wanted-"

"What?" Why is he bringing him up?

He looks at me as if I'm an idiot. "Her ex showing up in London, didn't you hear him say that to her?"

Oh shit that's right, "I was too busy categorising all the ways she stretches like a kitten when she wakes up. I hate that he knows that, that he watched her and took note, that he saw it enough to know-"

"D she's my twin sister, I don't want anyone to know that about her, and I don't want to know that about her."

I breathe out, I know it's irrational after everything I made her see between me and Kelly but I just hate that anyone has been close to her. How did she stay sane during senior and freshman year watching? Hearing about it and imagining it was already hard enough. I look around the garden trying to once again calm my anger, frustration, and jealousy. As I'm doing that my eyes stumble to the place I stood when feeling them first rush through my system, when he had danced with her. The engagement announcement later that night brought a whole other level to my emotions.

"She wasn't ever in love with Stuart, she told me on the way back from Palm Springs. She was-"

"Lonely and lost. He got her when she was vulnerable." I give her twin a look, "in hindsight he wasn't really her type."

"Was Patrick her type?"

"I don't know D, but however he hurt her it's bad enough that he's got no chance with her ever again."

"Do you think he did what I did?"

"No Bren said that's not what happened between the two or three of them. Though she thinks Dani may wish he wanted her." He sighs, "the envelopes. The settlement paperwork. Lawyer's. That's not about a guy cheating on a girl unless they were married-" I instantly stiffen, "and no she wouldn't rush to that again, and Roy and your mother would never have let her. No whatever happened I assume it has to with their career's and obviously what we walked in on."

"B I'm going to do what you just did to me in there, I'm going to tell you to back down. Your reporter is coming out but Bren doesn't want us to know about the legal stuff. As soon as she knew we were there she kicked them out, if she wanted us to know she'd tell us. I know you could probably piece it together but somethings telling me we have to respect her boundaries on this one."

At that he gives me an amused look, "oh now you want to respect her boundaries. Back in that living room was that you taking your own advice and respecting her boundaries?"

"No that was me fucking losing my head. I'm hoping that your sister's familiarity with it will hopefully ensure I haven't lost too much ground I had gained back. Though I've been sitting out here thinking it may have been worth it."

"D-"

"Brandon she engaged, she bit back. She didn't do that four weeks ago neither that night or at the studio. She didn't do it at our failed lunch at The Pit. It's the first time she has done it when she wasn't drunk."

"You are actually hopeful about that aren't you?"

"Remember when I had my surf accident and she refused to come in and see me, I called her stubborn to you and Cindy. You told her. She was at my door on my bed having a go at me kissing me in minutes. She bit back a few day's later when I kept making her get me stuff…" I laugh at the memory, "that bite back resulted in your dad kicking me out- if only he had stayed away on business for another hour." I ignore Brandon's groan and slap on the shoulder protesting the details, "remember when she bit back at Emily? We were together by the end of the week."

"D I don't think it's the same-"

"No but it's a start in the right direction. Trust me your sister is the only person who can make me lose my head and I'm the only person who she ever loses hers over. Since I chose and before she moved to London she only came close to doing it once, and that was when I tried to break up her engagement."

"D I hope for your sake you are right."

"B believe me I'm praying that I am."

When the music turns on I look at him and smile, "your sister is out of the bath and I'm guessing is about to start cooking."

We both stand and her twin groans, "and she is back avoiding talking to every one by blaring music through the house."

I chuckle and clap his back, "hey it at least keeps her in the room and is making her more comfortable. Now wish me luck I need to see if I can get her to let me stay."

As we get to the door he turns to me, "Jones I'd lose the smile. She may have bitten back but you broke your promise to her and told everyone you guy's slept together four weeks ago."

Oh fuck. I did do that.

Val had put the CD on that I had requested and was currently working on making sangria to go with the tapas. Steve had moved the stools around to the stove for me and had begun to get out everything I asked for as I was trying to be good and not move. It left me trapped for Kelly's approach.

"Hey. Do you want us to leave?"

I breathe easier, if that was her first question then I know she is being typical to form, she is obviously still not going to address our history. Thank god I could not handle another person trying to rewrite the past today. "What I said at the After Dark on Thursday still applies here okay. You guy's don't have to like her but it's her home she shouldn't be disrespected here."

"Yeah I think Brandon might actually kick us out today if he saw it happen."

She was trying for jokey but it wasn't exactly a funny situation so it fell a little flat, "yeah he might."

Kelly getting a little uncomfortable looks at the items on the counter, "do you need a hand?"

Cooking was my happy place and I didn't want to share it but I needed to give them something to do to get rid of this awkward energy in here. With Val making drinks and Steve being my apprentice there wasn't much left. "Sure it's going to take me a while to get the hot food organised and I found out last night Steve is a picker of the raw ingredients if given nothing to chew on. Can you make a veggie plate? If you cut them up I'll make a simple tzatziki to go with it. Hopefully, it will be enough for him to let me cook in peace."

She gives me a smile, "sure." And like that we were back to our normal weird friendship.

While I cut the potatoes I take some deep breaths, what I said to Roy weeks ago was still true. These people were in my brother's life forever if I wanted any type of relationship with him I had to accept their place in his life. He wasn't going to give them up but maybe from what I had seen earlier he may require them to now play nicely to both me and Val. It would be an improvement on freshman year at least, and from what I have heard sophomore for Val.

When the door opens I stay focused on my cutting but I'm hyper aware of where he is and freeze up when he starts to lean over my shoulder to speak softly in my ear over the music.

"That wasn't a natural disaster I caused but rather an atomic bomb. I'd ask to discuss it privately with you but I can tell from your body you don't want that. Though please know I'm sorry for what I said, how I spoke to you, for airing our personal business in front of others, for telling them about our night four weeks ago, for breaking so many promises by doing and saying all that. Baby you still are the only one who can make me lose my head, as soon as he said kitten I should have had Steve take me outside-"

My cell phone ringing thankfully interrupts what else he has to say.