*Author Note: I do not own 90210 or it's characters

"Hang on...You knew? You knew Brenda was here and you didn't say anything?"

"Okay, look. I only just found out a couple days ago." Steve said innocently.

"And she was here? At your house?! Man, I've talked to you at least three times in the past two days. AND we had lunch together yesterday. You didn't say a word!" Dylan's tone was agitated now. Why wouldn't he tell him something this big?

"She asked me not to. Besides, what would you have even done if I had told you she was here? What difference does it make?" Steve asked defensively.

"I don't know Steve, but maybe a heads up would have been less of a shock to my system!" Dylan challenged, but logically, he knew that Steve was right.

Janet looked uncomfortably between the two men, and excused herself to go check on Maddie. Dylan felt bad then for the exchange but he was struggling to keep up any sort of facade right now. He was so jittery and overwhelmed. Steve waited until Janet was out of the room before returning his attention to Dylan again.

"Look she wanted to be the one to tell everyone. And besides, why the hell would I tell you McKay? You've made it obvious over the years that Brenda was off limits for discussions."

Dylan shook his head frustrated and waved a hand out, "This is different." he argued.

"Different how exactly?" Steve questioned. "Ever since you got back to Beverly Hills, any time she has been brought up in conversation you just shut down. Getting all weirdly cold and depressed looking whenever her name is even mentioned."

Fuck he's right.

Dylan softened his face a little and ran his hands through his hair. He had to get himself in check. He was here trying to grill his friend about keeping this from him but the truth was he was just hurt. There was a time when he and Brenda would have been each other's first call. They were best friends. Family. It killed him that he had no idea about her life anymore. He knew it was his own fault, and he was really frustrated at himself, but taking it out on Steve wasn't helping anything. He let his head fall back and stared at the ceiling.

"You're right. Okay yeah, you're right. Sorry, man. I just...wish you'd told me, that's all. I mean, it's Brenda. It just has me spinning a little."

"Okayyy." Steve said slowly and nodded. "Can I ask you something?" He asked curiously.

Dylan breathed out, "Yeah."

Steve looked at him with a soft expression, "Why?"

"What? What do you mean why?"

"Why do you care so much? I mean...you left her right? You didn't want to be with her anymore?"

How much does he know?

Steve's tone wasn't accusing or offensive, he was being genuinely curious. "I know running into an ex is always awkward, but this..." Steve paused to motion his hand waving up and down in Dylan's direction, noting how affected he was, "...seems like maybe it goes beyond that?" Steve phrased it as a question, and looked at Dylan with raised eyebrows, waiting for an answer.

"Look I didn't just leave her, alright? It's much more complicated than that. And no offense Steve, but I'm not about to pour my heart out to you about my feelings in her old kitchen."

Dylan was back to frustration, more with himself than Steve. This is exactly what Dylan wanted to avoid. He didn't want anyone asking him questions. He didn't have answers. Only more questions of his own. But he was definitely not about to have this conversation. As much as he considered Steve a brother, his complicated feelings for the current situation were still too jumbled to make sense of anything anyway.

"Feelings? So wait...you're having feelings for Brenda again now?" He asked in a disbelieving tone.

Dylan immediately shook his head. "No! Steve, I didn't say that. That's not what this is. Besides, you know I don't talk about that stuff." Dylan warned.

Steve laughed, "And yet here you are giving me shit about not telling YOU something."

Steve shook his head frustrated now and took another sip of his beer, "Look, I'm not stupid. I know more than you think I do. About London, about you and Brenda. Hell about Kelly, Brandon, David, Donna, Valerie... I actually know more than most people think. You all are under the impression that since I'm not normally serious I don't pay attention, but I do." He paused briefly as if trying to think about what he wanted to say.

"McKay, I love you like a brother, you're my daughter's godfather. But I was not always there for Brenda. There was a time when a lot of us weren't. She never deserved that. I even told her once that I was Brandon's friend, not hers." Steve sighed as he remembered how ashamed he felt for that. "Point is, I didn't always pay attention, and because of that, I wasn't a very good friend, but things are different now, alright? One day I woke up and realized how important my friendships with you all are. I reached out to Brenda and worked hard to rebuild my friendship with her. And I won't have her doubt me or question my dedication again. I'm both of your friends, but if she wants me to keep a secret, then I will. I owe her that. You can be mad at me for it, but I won't apologize for keeping you in the dark, and I'm certainly not going to get involved in your feelings either. "

Dylan looked at his friend and nodded in silent understanding. "I get it, man. Listen, I didn't mean to get upset before, it really didn't have anything to do with you." He said honestly. Dylan respected Steve's loyalty to her, even if their renewed friendship was unexpected. He wanted to find out more about what Steve knew about him and Brenda and London, but he thought better of it.

"So, I guess that means giving me her number is out of the question then?" Dylan joked trying to lighten the mood. He needed to get back to calm cool and collected Dylan if he didn't want people asking any more questions he couldn't answer.

Steve put his hand on Dylans shoulder, "Definitely" he said with a smile.

There was a short moment of comfortable silence while they sipped their drinks. Then Dylan looked down at the counter, and finally said it out loud.

"She's engaged you know." Dylan said it as casually as he would give the weather. He kept his tone smooth but internally he hated that he gave life to the words.

Steve looked down uncomfortably before grabbing his beer and taking a sip. "Yeah. I know."

Dylan knew this was probably toeing the line of asking for too much but he thought he would give it a shot.

"Do you know anything about him?" He tried to play it cool.

Steve shot him a warning look, "McKay."

"I know. You're right." Dylan said defeated. "Just...tell me if she's happy."

Steve took a deep breath as if he was contemplating what to say next. "Yeah. Yeah man, she seems happy."

Dylan silently nodded and faked a smile. He wanted her to be happy right? She deserved that. So why the hell does this cause him so much misery? Fuck this sucks.

"You know...Brandon's here, too." Steve said nonchalantly as he chugged his beer.

Dylan looked wide-eyed for a minute. Then replied, "So is Val."

The men looked at each other and busted out laughing. What a fucking crazy week.

"You know what we need McKay? A guys night out. What are you doing tomorrow night?"

Dylan just smiled and nodded. Yeah. Maybe a night out to get his mind off everything would be good.

That night brought another nightmare, and more uncertainty. More confusion. More thoughts of Brenda. She was constantly in there now, like a fixture in his mind that refused to be moved.

Dylan got out of bed the next morning reeling from little to no sleep. He regretted agreeing to go out tonight almost immediately. He still hated crowds and the added annoyance of dealing with people wouldn't help his agitation. But he also knew that his every thought was surrounding her and the nightmares weren't going anywhere. He could only hope that a night of normal with the guys could help relieve some of the weight that had taken residence in his chest.

Brandon had agreed to join them on the guys night and Dylan was looking forward to seeing him again. But he had to wonder, if Brandon was going...would the other Walsh twin be around? He wasn't sure if he wanted her to be there, or if he didn't. Shit was too confusing right now. He couldn't sort through it or figure out what the hell he was feeling. Yes he loved her, a part of him knew he always would. But he left. She moved on, and Dylan at least tried to. His thoughts drifted while he drank his coffee.

When he first followed Brenda to London he didn't have a plan. He was drowning. He had just lost Toni after not even a full day as her husband and his heart was shattered. The heartache and grief of losing someone he loved consumed him. If Dylan was honest with himself, his life even before that was utter chaos. He was in pain, and he had been for years. It had been so long since Dylan felt safe, secure and happy. So long since he felt like everything was going to be okay. There was no thinking or planning involved, he just went to London. To her. To the one person that he knew could make him feel whole again. And he was right. From the moment he'd showed up on her front door, he really felt like things were turning around.

Flash

Dylan sat on the ground in front of her apartment door. He leaned back on it reading, trying to distract himself as he waited for her to arrive home. It had been six weeks since Toni's death and he had spent it running from everyone and everything. It took every ounce of strength he had not to lose himself in a bottle or get high and just let it all fall away. But he didn't. Instead he shut off his phone and tucked the world away, hiding alone with his pain. He had traveled a bit, running far from Beverly Hills and the memories it held. He ended up in London on a whim three days ago. He wanted to come to her immediately, knowing his instincts brought him here for a reason, but truthfully he was a mess. He wasn't ready for her to see him like that. But more than anything else, Dylan was terrified. He knew that she had the power to make him feel, and he had to prepare himself to be ready for that, or as ready as he could be when it came to letting in the storm of hurt he'd been pushing away. It had been raining every day since he arrived, like Mother Nature was taunting him, holding up a mirror to his inner sadness and reflecting it in the weather.

Dylan only just worked up the courage to finally come here today, and he'd almost left at least 3 times since sitting down. He had been waiting for over an hour, and he started to think that maybe this was a bad idea. He didn't even know where she was or when she might be coming back. He shook his head at himself and went back to reading. He decided to give it another 20 minutes and if she wasn't home by then, he would go back to his hotel and try again later. He began his attempt to read his book again, lacking the concentration it required to actually comprehend the story. At the almost twenty minute mark, Dylan sighed sadly and closed his book, preparing to leave. As he shoved the book in the backpack he'd carried around on his travels, he suddenly felt goosebumps spread on his arms. The air got thicker, and his breathing became shaky. He stopped and looked to his right, his heart lurching in his chest as his eyes landed on her. He hastily jumped to his feet and took a slow step in her direction.

Brenda stopped in her tracks, standing before him in shock. "Dyl...Dylan?" She whispered, as if she didn't believe it was really him. Dylan took another slow step toward her playing with his hands nervously, "Hey, Bren." He said softly. She was soaked from the constant downpour outside, but even through her rain streaked face he could see the tears that had begun falling on her cheeks. She began sobbing softly and closed the distance between them quickly, running into his arms. Dylan wrapped them around her without hesitation, holding her to him tightly. The moment she was in his arms again he felt a wave of relief wash over him, trying to cleanse him, trying to heal him. It was the first chink in the armor that he'd built around himself. Dylan tangled one hand in her hair, trying to pull her impossibly closer to him, breathing out a gentle sigh of contentment. He wasn't sure how long they stood outside her door embracing each other before he felt her body start to tremble. He finally found the will to break apart from her.

"Jesus, Bren you're shaking, you must be freezing. Let's get inside" He said as she nodded and turned to put the keys in her door. Dylan was feeling shaky himself, and it had nothing to do with the temperature. As they shuffled inside, Brenda turned back toward him, "I'm going to go put on some dry clothes, um, I'll be right back, okay?" Dylan smiled sweetly at her and nodded. While Brenda was gone Dylan walked around exploring her London flat. It wasn't big but it felt like her. It smelled like her. There were photos of Brenda and her new London friends all around and he smiled at how happy she looked in them. He took a step toward the stairs that led up to a loft but before he moved to go up, something shimmery caught his eye. He walked over to a lamp that was sitting on an end table near the couch and smiled as his eyes landed on one half of a heart pendant. His own heart began fluttering in his chest for the first time in ages, a foreign feeling of peace creeping into his veins. Brenda interrupted his thoughts.

"It was in my jewelry box until...Well when Brandon told me..." She stuttered and then sighed. "I've been thinking about you a lot. Having it nearby made me feel better. Like even though I didn't know where you were, having some small piece of you with me brought me comfort." She walked toward her couch and sat down, grabbing his hand to pull him down with her. He slowly sat down, her small hand in his bringing him the solace he had been longing for. "Dylan I've been so worried about you. I'm...I'm so sorry." She whispered. "God, I'm so sorry, Dylan." She brought her hand to his cheek and looked at him, her eyes glistening in the dim light of the room with unshed tears.

Dylan placed his hand on top of hers and stared at her. Those familiar blue gray eyes piercing through his every defense and cracking his heart wide open. "I know." His voice was strained as he tried to keep his composure. "I'm sorry. I had to disappear. I just couldn't...I...couldn't face..." And just like that, Dylan's walls of protection were torn down. One look at Brenda Walsh could still undo his entire being. He pulled her close, nestling his head into the bend of her neck as he broke down in her arms, cleansing himself of every tear he possibly had. Cleansing the marks on his soul from the life of pain and hurt that he'd endured over the last 6 weeks. Over the last few years. His body wracked with sobs as she held him close, crying with him, and whispering gentle words of reassurance in his ear. "It's okay. It's going to be okay, Dylan." "I'm here." "You're strong, and when you're not, I'll be here. I'll always be here."

He released every bit of hurt he could pull out of his heart that night. He eventually fell asleep against Brenda as she held him on her couch. He woke up the next morning with her arms still wrapped around him and he felt freer. Lighter. As he looked at her, Dylan was ignited with a spark of hope. Some rare feeling of happiness that he hadn't felt in what seemed like ages. Maybe the world wasn't ending. Maybe he would be okay after all.

Flash

The night they reunited in London was pivotal for him. She'd single-handedly stitched him back together without even trying. He spent 3 incredible years in London with her after that. Everything was perfect. He felt complete, full, and overwhelmingly happy. It felt right...Until it didn't anymore. Until he started to spiral again. Until his demons started creeping their way into the bed he shared with her and tainted their relationship in the form of nightmares and doubts. He was spinning fast and was dangerously close to taking her down with him. He tried to push past it, he tried to push all the worry and doubt aside and just be with her because that was what he wanted more than anything. But then that night...

Pain surged through Dylan's chest when the memory he pushed down more than any other tried to fight it's way to the surface. He squeezed his eyes shut and forced it away.

No. I left for a reason.

He couldn't go back. He wouldnt. He made a decision that night to let her go for her own good, and now he was questioning that because she was back just for a couple of weeks? No. Nothing has changed. Being near her was bringing up old feelings but it's still for the best. Soon she would go back to her life, and he would go back to pretending. He's always excelled at that. Dylan tried to put it all out of his mind as he got ready to go meet the guys.

It had been nearly 24 hours since she accidentally saw Dylan and she just couldn't shake him. The feeling of him next to her. The way she's drawn to him. His stupid sexy smirk. Ugh.

Brenda wasn't surprised. She knew she would always love him. She knew she would never just feel NOTHING when it came to Dylan McKay, no matter how much she wished she could. He was the love of her life. She openly admitted that fact. But she'd learned to live without him. She had a fiancé that she loved, and a life that she'd built for herself.

Nothing has changed. She told herself that she just wasn't prepared to see him yesterday. She was blindsided and left to deal with the tidal wave of emotions later.

Anger. Passion. Betrayal. Overwhelming love. Impossible heartbreak.

Her emotions were all over the place. The only thing she knew for sure was that no matter how hard she tried, even when she wanted to, she couldn't hate him. She never could no matter how he hurt her, or what he put her through. But she could shut him out.

Val had questioned Brenda several times since their accidental meeting. Each time, Brenda would roll her eyes and laugh, and say she was fine. She would say it's no big deal...that she expected this. She would say"Yes it was a shock initially but that's all. I'm ok. I've moved on, I'm happy."

Val was uncharacteristically letting her slide. Brenda wondered why. Wasn't Val the one that said she needed someone here to call her on her bullshit? Not that Brenda was purposefully lying, but what was she up to? Why wasn't she forcing Brenda to talk like she usually would? Whatever the reason was, she was grateful for it. She didnt want to talk or think about Dylan anymore. She wanted to put him back in the box and move on.

Brenda sighed loudly and walked over to her computer. It seemed pointless to try to hide her presence here anymore. After all, she'd already seen the one person she wanted to avoid the most.

Her parents knew. Steve and Janet. Dylan. And now with Brandon and Val here, too? Yep. The jig is definitely up.

She sat down at the office desk in her suite and opened the e-mail from David and Donna, searching for their phone number. Just as she was about to dial there was a knock at the door.

Brenda walked over to the door and opened it to see Val and Annie standing dressed to perfection in beautiful cocktail dresses.

"What's up ladies? Going to prom?" Brenda joked crossing her arms. She was unsurprised that the girls had already exchanged numbers and started their own friendship.

"Ha ha. Very funny. You know, I actually didn't go to my prom." Annie said with a slight frown plastered on her face.

Brenda thought back to her own prom...

"Yeah well, I wish I hadn't gone to mine." She said back. "Seriously, what are you ladies doing tonight?"

"Oh honey, I think you mean what are we doing tonight." Val said with a naughty smile.

Brenda laughed hesitantly, "Uh...I don't know, Val."

Val shook her head. "Nope. No way in hell, Bren. I gave you 24 hours of your pathetic "pretend you're fine" bullshit but now it's my turn. Get your fine ass dressed, we're going out tonight."

There she is, now I get it.

"Alright fine, but where are we going?"

Valerie flashed an evil smirk. "Well, you've heard all about the After Dark right? I think it's about time you've seen it for yourself."

Brenda huffed a little. What a great way to acidentally run into literally everyone.

"Ugh Valllll. I don't know if that's such a good idea." She said whiny. "I mean, don't you think that's the last place we should go if we are trying to stay low key?"

Val crossed her arms, "You mean as opposed to some random coffee shop in LA?" she asked sarcastically.

Good Point.

"Bren, come on, it'll be fine. It's the best club in town. You deserve some fun and damn it I look good. I miss it, Annie wants to go, and I'll be there the whole time."

Annie brought her hands to together as if she was pleading and made a sad face.

Brenda thought for a moment, and then decided that maybe this was a good opportunity to just rip the bandaid off. She'd been worrying so much about running into anyone that it was starting to cause her more stress. Maybe it was best to face everyone head on, get it over with, and move on.

"Okay, sure Val. But...I think it's time to tell Donna and...David." Brenda watched for any sign of Valerie's discomfort. She knew how she'd felt about David, and like her, Val would put on a tough front, and hide her real feelings.

"Wait, you want to invite the people you've been trying to avoid?" Val asked surprised, like she must be missing something.

"Yeah. It's just that I don't think I can hide out much longer, and well, I don't want them to find out from someone else." Brenda said carefully, searching her best friend's eyes.

Valerie looked at her for a long moment as if she was trying to read her, "Are you sure you want to do this, Bren?" she questioned with concern on her face.

Brenda smiled easily at her and nodded, "I'm sure, Val. It's time."

Val shrugged then nodded, "Fine. I get it. Do what you need to do, Bren. But, don't expect me to play nice. I'm here for you remember?"

Brenda laughed, "Maybe we could dial the protective sister thing down to a 5 or 6 today?" She said with a smile.

"Not a chance in hell." Val said sternly.

Brenda rolled her eyes playfully and then moved toward the phone. She quickly dialed the Silver's line but didn't receive an answer. Brenda left a message on the answering machine informing them that she was in town and going to the After Dark tonight. She invited them to meet her there if they could, and even told them to extend the invite to Kelly before hanging up. She wasn't sure if they would show, but she felt lighter knowing she wasn't keeping secrets about being here anymore. At least that was one thing off her mind.

Brenda wasn't overly happy about the possibility of running into Kelly, but she wouldn't be the petty person that purposefully left her out either. She hadn't spoken to her in years. Their friendship was already strained before she left Beverly Hills. After Kelly and Dylan...well...it was never the same. Brenda had tried to reconnect with her when she thought she might end up as her sister in law but after she and Brandon called off the wedding, they just didn't talk much anymore.

She'd had a missed call from Kelly when she'd moved to New York but never returned it. Brenda just never felt like that was a friendship she felt pulled to reconnect. With their history, and then for Dylan to go back to Kelly again after everything. Old wounds reopened and she just didn't want to face that pain anymore.

Was there still something going on with Kelly and Dylan now?

Ugh. Why does it matter? It doesn't matter.

She would be the bigger person. She would be gracious and poised and put everything behind her. Leave the past where it belongs like she'd been trying to do for years.

Brenda put everything out of her mind. She could do this. Get the big reunions over with, push through the next week, then her play would start and she could finally get back home. Back to Chace. Back to her life. She missed him. She missed her house. Her bed. Most of all she missed feeling like she had some sort of control over her life.

She started to get dressed in a black skater dress, until Val interjected.

"Oh no, Bren. You've got curves girl and we need to show them off." She reached for a fitted red cocktail dress that Annie had sneakily hidden behind the door. Brenda rolled her eyes and grabbed the dress from her, knowing Val wouldn't take no for an answer.

It was low-cut and accentuated her breasts and curves. It had shoestring straps, a cute tie in the middle of the neckline, and the length fell just above her knees. Brenda had to admit, it made her feel sexy. Not that she needed to dress up for anyone, but it was nice to feel good about herself after the whirlwind of the week. She styled her hair in loose curls, and finished the look with pretty red lips.

Annie looked incredible in a slinky black slip dress that made her red hair and green eyes stand out. Her fair skin was flawless. Val was adorned in a royal blue strapless body con dress, her striking blue eyes popped even more than usual and she looked amazing.

As they were getting ready to leave, Brenda got an uneasy feeling. Would Donna tell Dylan of their plans if they got her message? Would he be there? It's not like she could back out now. That would be too obvious, and as if Val would let her anyway. She would tell her to suck it up. Stick to your guns and stop letting others influence her decisions. Brenda took one last look in the mirror, Be stone, Brenda. You can do this. She sucked in a deep a breath and walked out of the bathroom.

"I'm ready, let's go."

Dylan drove to the Peach Pit where he was meeting the guys. He and Brandon were the first to arrive. He greeted him with a big smile.

"Hey B. Good to see you!" He gave him their handshake click that was customary of their friendship and then leaned in giving him a brotherly hug.

"D, it's been too long man. How are you?" Brandon asked as they broke apart.

"You know me Bran, getting by. What brings you back this way?" He asked as they took a seat at the corner table.

"Oh just visiting Jim and Cindy. My dad got early retirement so they decided to put down some roots here in Beverly Hills. It's weird actually, I always thought they would head back to Minnesota when that happened. I guess us predictable Walshes can still surprise you sometimes."

Understatement of the century.

Dylan chuckled a little then looked at Brandon with humor in his eyes, "Yeah I'll say. You know, I was surprised by another Walsh yesterday actually." He raised an eyebrow at his friend.

Brandon nodded slowly with a slight smirk on his face. "Uh yeah. Bren got here a few days before I did. She's here for-"

"A play, I know." Dylan finished casually.

"Yeah..." Brandon paused briefly before continuing. "Listen D. I know we have an unspoken rule to sort of tiptoe around the subject of my twin. But you should know that it wasn't her intention to just show up out of nowhere and blindside you. Her plan was actually to come quietly, finish the play, and get out. But, well, obviously that isn't going to happen."

Dylan let out a soft chuckle and nodded, "Yeah. Yeah it doesn't look like it."

Before they could continue their conversation Steve and David walked through the door of the Pit and a chorus of greetings rang out.

The guys had dinner while catching up and laughing. No one mentioned Brenda again or asked about her. Brandon caught them up on his life in Washington, and they effortlessly fell into their usual guy banter about sports and action films and things of the like. Dylan had to admit it was a welcome distraction. He was able to just be himself for a while and it made it easier to not be plagued by questions and confusion.

After they finished their meal, they made their way to the counter to pay. Dylan overheard Nat talking to Brandon, "Tell my Laverne she better pop in to see me before she heads back to New York."

Dylan immediately smiled remembering how adorable she was during her stint as Laverne. She threw herself into that character and he knew then she could dominate any role she was in, bring light to any dark room. Dylan brought himself back to reality. Snap out of it.

The guys headed into the After Dark. Dylan had of course secured them a table in the VIP section. It was a Friday night and it was still the hottest club in town so he wasn't surprised at the large crowd. He was surprised though to see Donna and Kelly walk in the door.

Dylan turned to Steve, "I thought you said guys only tonight?" He asked loudly over the music.

Steve looked at him confused as Dylan nodded in the direction of the girls. Brandon followed his gaze and Dylan noticed his friend's posture change as his eyes landed on Kelly. David jumped in a little uncomfortable.

"Oh uh, I thought you guys knew. Since Brandon was here and all." David cleared his throat a little then threw a quick glance at Dylan before looking down again, "Brenda called to say she was in town and told us she would be here. She invited me, Donna, and Kelly."

So she is coming.

Steve, David, and Brandon all looked at each other, then at Dylan. This is part of the reason why he always hated talking about Brenda with any of them, they always made things so weird. Then again, it wasn't exactly unwarranted given his past behavior. He worked to control his face and pushed the panic that had risen back down. This is fine. It's going to be fine. Nothing has changed.

Dylan just shrugged playing it cool like he always did, "What are you looking at me for? I already know Brenda's in town. It's fine, relax."

Why can't I relax? Jesus Dylan, relax.

Donna and Kelly approached the table and he was glad for the interruption to get the attention off him. Donna moved to sit on David's lap. Dylan noticed the tension between Brandon and Kelly. It had been years since they'd seen each other. The petty side of him was secretly glad he wasn't the only one facing the turmoil of complicated emotions.

"Brandon, hi." She said smiling sweetly as she stood awkwardly near the table.

"Hey, Kel. You look great. It's good to see you." Brandon said nicely. He hesitated for a moment, then reached over to pull her in for a one-armed hug.

Dylan, Steve, and David all exchanged glances. Jesus why did reunions in this group have to be so awkward? Oh yeah because everyone was either in love with each other or sleeping together at some point. Dylan rolled his eyes and chuckled to himself as everyone else gave their hugs and greetings.

"So, are you ladies hanging with us tonight?" Steve asked.

"No, actually, Val is in town too and she got us our own table, so you can still enjoy your guys night." Donna said.

Dylan clocked the surprised look on David's face, he obviously didn't know the part about Val being in town. Luckily Donna didn't notice as she was talking to Kelly, who everyone knew had a...complicated relationship with Val. It took about 20 minutes of catching up and joking about Brandon's dancing skills before the tension at the table lifted completely. Then Donna nudged Kelly as a song she liked came on.

"Alright well, we'll see you guys around here. We're going to go dance." Kelly said sweetly, then she turned her attention to Brandon, "Maybe after you've had a few drinks I can convince you to dance with me." She said flirty as she walked away.

Brandon raised his eyebrows and smirked as Steve punched him on the arm playfully while the rest of the guys chuckled. The flirting with Kelly and Brandon didn't bother Dylan. He knew how much she loved Brandon. He and Kelly worked all that shit out already so he wasn't surprised by the interaction. The guys were having a great time laughing and joking with each other like they always used to. Then Dylan suddenly stiffened.

He felt her before he saw her. He turned toward the door on instinct and a few seconds later he noticed four women coming through the entrance. Janet and Annie came in on the left, Valerie on the other side of them, and all the way to the right, was Brenda. Looking sinfully sexy in a tight red dress.

Dylan took a deep breath and tried not to let his facial expression betray how affected he was. Would she come over here? It's probably better if she doesn't.

Please come over here. God i'm fucking hopeless.

The four women made their way over to the table with Val in the lead, throwing a wink at Dylan.

She tells me no games, and yet she's making all the moves.

She walks up and tosses her clutch on the table, then places both hands on her hips.

Val flashes a grin at them.

"Hey gang. Miss me?"

Hehehehe all together at the After Dark? Who knows what mischief we'll get into ;) Drama drama drama. I also love the idea of Steve having a more serious side that we didn't get to see often enough. Establishing his and Dylan's foundation as well as his and Brenda's is pivotal for this story.

I have to apologize for taking so long to post this chapter. Im a photographer and fall season is CRAZY busy. To make up for it this one was extra long, and im posting another long chapter tonight!