Work Text:
Another Year Over A New One Just Begun
David
The Peach Pit After Dark felt more exciting than it usually did, maybe because David finally felt confident in who he was. He wasn’t the same guy who had struggled to run it years ago. Now he and Dylan were true partners when it came to the club. The two men moved around the room making sure everything was ready for their highly publicized New Year’s Eve event. David wiped down the bar for the third time while Dylan started emptying boxes of champagne flutes, “Tonight has to be perfect.” David finally said out loud. He needed to prove to himself that he could really do this.
Dylan shook his head fondly. “Silver, relax. It will be.”
“It's just—”
“You're worried about Felice,” he preceded him. “You're doing something good, David.”
David held up a finger. “Can you please not do that? You're sort of freaking me the hell out.”
Dylan chuckled. “Sort of?”
In response, David rolled his eyes. “You're so lucky my sister is crazy about you, dude.”
Dylan pretended to clutch at his chest. “Is this really all I am to you? That's cold.”
It was David's turn to shake his head. “You should look into acting.” Then quietly, “Thanks for putting this together so quickly, Dylan.”
Dylan let out a light laugh, “No problem, man.”
Before they could say anything else, Donna and Kelly came skipping in.
“Who’s ready to ring in the new year?” Donna exclaimed as she moved towards David and kissed him on the cheek. “I spoke to my mom earlier and she is absolutely coming.”
Her voice was a mix of happiness and relief, and it immediately helped put David more at ease.
“I’m so happy to hear that.” David remarked with a grin before kissing the top of her head.
“Sorry to interrupt you two love birds, but we have a lot more to do before we open tonight.” Dylan walked over to the bar and started cleaning up the boxes laid out across it.
Donna laughed lightly as she rolled her eyes, “Fine, let’s get to work.”
Kelly pretended to roll up her sleeves. “What can I help with? I did just manage to confirm Jackie is coming too. Erin was bummed she can't come though.”
David and Dylan practically chorused, “We'll see her soon.” Dylan added, “Kel, maybe, you could—pick up Iris and Erica?”
His sister pouted. “Why do you sound terrified? Your sister and I talk all the time.”
Dylan turned to her. “First, I don't pout. Ever. Second, I'm not worried about Erica.”
David laughed. “You scared, McKay?”
Dylan simply glared.
Kelly leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “I'm on it, Mush. They'll get here in one piece.”
As Kelly left, a satisfied smirk on her face and the keys to Dylan's car jangling in her fist, Donna and David looked at each other. Mush?
They were still setting up when Dylan muttered, “You know what, Silver? She's lucky I'm crazy about her.”
Donna enthusiastically chimed in, “Aw that’s so cute.” She looked over towards David, “We need to give you a cute nickname too!” She laughed.
David shook his head with a light giggle, “Sure, babe. Whatever you want!”
***
Erica
The last time Erica was in Beverly Hills she was living on the street so the thought of coming back was terrifying. Obviously there was no actual danger anymore, but that didn’t stop the nerves from taking over.
She stepped out of the car and closed the door behind her, taking a deep breath to steady herself.
“Come on, your brother can’t wait to see you!” Kelly smiled at Erica as she gently nudged her.
Erica walked into the After Dark following closely behind Kelly and Iris. She watched as everybody started to greet each other. As soon as she saw Dylan she already began to feel more at home.
He greeted her warmly. “Sis, it's great to finally get a look at you.” He wrapped an arm around her. Over her head, he said to Kelly, “I'm at three blondes running my life.”
She whispered, “Damn, you have it so bad.”
“Stop hogging her, then,” she heard Kelly pout. “Let her breathe. You look fantastic, Erica.”
“Thanks, Kelly.” Erica couldn't help herself; she blushed. She decided to skip more small talk. “So, who else is coming?”
“The usual gang. And our moms.”
Iris blinked. “Moms as in, plural?”
Even Erica could notice Kelly tense up. “Mine and Donna's. She's had a rough year.”
Erica looked at Iris and quirked an eyebrow in her direction. That's bound to be fun.
***
Iris
The only other mom Iris had ever truly gotten along with was Cindy, so the disappointment was palpable. She thought she could possibly get along with Jackie, but Felice had never really liked her or understood her. Honestly, it didn’t really matter to her. Iris was here for Dylan and Erica, and that’s all she truly cared about.
“We are going to have so much fun,” Iris enthused, partly to convince Erica and mostly to convince herself.
Erica was about to say something back when Steve’s younger brother walked over, “I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m Ryan.”
Erica extended a hand coyly. “Erica. And I'm not sure; I would've remembered.”
Iris blinked as her focus reassessed itself. It felt like she had seen this exact scene before.
She was so absorbed in tracking their exchanges Dylan leaning her way almost had her leap out of her skin. “What are you staring at so intensely? Auras?”
Iris playfully pushed him, but then whispered very seriously, “Your sister is being hit on by Steve’s brother!” She paused for a moment, studying Ryan. “Although it does seem like he has a good aura…”
Dylan had already checked out of their conversation and was making a beeline toward Ryan. Iris didn’t see a lot of Dylan and Erica together, but it was clear from this interaction that Dylan would do anything for her.
He would shrug it off if Iris ever mentioned out loud, but she consistently felt prouder and prouder of her son.
“Hey, Iris,” Kelly beckoned her over rather warmly from the other side of the room where Felice seemed to only be half listening to Jackie. “You haven’t said hi to my mom or Felice yet, have you? I gotta run because my sister is running late.”
Sister? Wasn’t she a very young girl? Dylan might have mentioned her here and there, but her name and face were escaping her at the moment. Iris shook herself. “You know what, Kelly? I think we haven’t crossed paths since the children were, well—children.”
Kelly laughed lightly as she hurried away from the mom group, “Well now is the perfect time to catch up!” She was almost out of ear shot by the last couple of words of her sentence. Great.
Iris cautiously approached the women with a fake smile plastered across her face, “Felice, Dylan told me about your husband. I’m so sorry.” She gently sat down in between the two of them and silently wished Cindy was there with them.
Felice's response sounded just a few inches away from empty. “Thank you, Mrs. McKay.”
Iris had to do her best not to shudder. Neither Dylan nor Erica had dared bring up Jack in years. Except a very curt update, that was. She tried to cover her reaction with a chuckle. “Please,” she said, looking at her hands. “You make it sound like I'm Dylan's grandmother.”
It’s been years since Iris had actually interacted with Felice but even she could tell that she was not handling John’s death well. “Just trying to be polite.” Felice replied, quietly. Almost as if she was annoyed by her presence.
“Are you still in Hawaii?” Jackie questioned, clearly trying to distract Iris from the attitude that Felice was replying with.
“Yes,” Iris said a bit quickly. “I think Dylan will probably suggest a trip to Kelly one of these days. As far as he’s told me, she would surely enjoy it.”
Jackie’s face tightened. A quieter reaction, but a stark one nonetheless.
“I’m sure,” she agreed pointedly.
To Iris, it felt like they were both dreading this conversation. “Kelly mentioned she was picking up a sister?”
“Oh yeah, you have been gone for a while. Bill has another daughter, she’s a little younger than Kelly.” Iris felt a rush of nostalgia from her own past with Jack. Obviously at first a secret love child was not the news she wanted to hear, but she’s grown to really love Erica as a daughter.
“I didn’t know,” She wasn’t sure if she should be embarrassed about bringing her up.
Jackie must have seen the concern on her face because she answered almost instantly. “I’ve known for years so it’s not brand new information. She’s a really good kid despite her father.” She laughed a little, but you could tell there was some damage still there that Bill left.
Unexpectedly, Felice jumped in. “I think I’ve got both of you severely beat there. Joh—” she caught herself and gulped. Iris’s throat burned in reflex. “My husband had a child with my sister, but it wasn’t a secret at all.”
Iris had to restrain herself from laughing. “Wait, wasn't that the girl my son—and I’m quoting him here, used as a band-aid? God, the word really is tiny.”
Jackie blinked. Felice’s lip quivered. “What? Might have taken a while, but he does tell me things.”
Iris paused for a moment as both Jackie and Felice just stared at her. She almost immediately regretted her words. She was never any good at this sort of thing. “Well he did say that the two of them had some sort of hashing out and they seemed to have worked it out.”
Jackie and Felice nodded, but you could see Felice wanted to be anywhere but there. She never had a very good poker face. Iris couldn’t help but feel like she should’ve followed Dylan when he went to check on Erica.
***
Joy
She would never tell Kelly as much, but she was feeling nervous. She'd felt calmer the first time she reached out.
Her sister had sounded so chipper on the phone when she'd called to invite her to this impromptu get together. The last time that happened, once Joy got into the picture it all went to hell, to put it politely.
“Here we are,” Kelly thrilled, dragging Joy back to the end of December. She was practically bouncing on her feet even in heels.
I could never.
They walked into the After Dark which was now pumping with music and so crowded you could hardly move. She tried to look around the room to find Kelly’s friends she met at the graduation party their father threw for her, but everything felt so overwhelming.
The music was so loud any other noise flattened into some sort of buzzing.
It felt so disorienting, she completely missed the man moving away from the huge group of people Joy was still trying to reconnect to the list of names tucked away in her mind.
“Hey, you made it.”
Joy realized it was Dylan McKay simply because she caught her sister's smile stretching so much she worried her face might crack out of the corner of her eye. He extended a hand. “Dylan McKay. You must be—”
“Joy Taylor.” She shook it. “It's nice to finally see why my sister constantly looks like she's hyped up on sugar.”
Kelly’s face blushed as Dylan playfully began teasing her, “Oh is that so?” Joy felt a bit of comfort watching the two of them interact. It felt normal. Something she never really expected considering their father figure.
“Joy, don’t feed his ego,” Kelly laughed as she joked right back. The rest of her friends must have noticed she was there because before she could say anything else everybody swarmed her with greetings and hugs. Kelly wasn’t kidding when she said they were her chosen family.
Everyone demanded a hug. Even Brandon, despite their last awkward meeting.
When Dylan's sister approached her she almost turned to Kelly. This is a prank. You're trying to be funny, aren't you?
She caught her and Dylan smiling softly, as though they'd just put down some kind of weight.
“Don't mind them,” Erica said, shaking her head at them. “They have some sort of Eldest Children Who Are Ridiculously In Love alternative to the Morse code.”
Joy laughed. “Catch me up on that one?”
She felt someone tap her on the shoulder away from Erica. “She will. After you say hi to me.”
That voice did tug at something in her brain, and she almost jumped at him when a name popped into her head.
“Ryan Sanders,” she breathed, “Kelly kept this one quiet, the sneak.”
“Kelly, you never told your sister that I was coming?” Ryan looked at Kelly with fake disappointment. He was older now but he was still the sweet and dorky kid that followed her around the entire graduation party.
Joy shook her head with a laugh as she looked over to Kelly. She clearly enjoyed being around Ryan, probably because she was so close to his brother Steve. Dylan on the other hand had this odd look on his face. Almost like he was mad to see Ryan there. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it until she saw Ryan and Erica making eyes at each other. Oh.
Kelly shook her head at her. Don’t mind him. She bumped her shoulder against his. “So,” she leaned towards him, and Joy thought she should look away now. “Wanna dance?”
***
Donna
The party had gone off without a hitch so far. Even considering things with her mom and Iris had gotten off on a foot buried in frost.
At least she's picking a fight out of the house.
She tried to catch her husband's attention over the assorted party ruckus.
He saw her, grinned and made his way to the DJ booth. The music cut off, but before the silence could drown the club, his voice crackled into the mic. “Everyone make your way to the dance floor, please. Don, come join me up here will ya?”
Donna felt herself getting more nervous with each step she took. She wasn’t sure how her mom would take the news. She had planned on telling her privately earlier, but she’s been so impossible to get in touch with.
This announcement was life changing for them and being able to share it publicly with everybody they cared about was a true dream come true. That’s what she needed to focus on.
She finally reached David and grabbed his hand. She was already starting to show and the dress she bought for New Year’s Eve was her favorite of the maternity purchases she and Kelly bought. This is it. The big reveal.
“Hi everyone,” Donna said with a big smile, in an almost whisper. “We got some really big news today and we wanted to share it with all of you.” She felt all eyes on her, anticipating her every word. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now all Donna wanted to do was run in the opposite direction.
She almost ran for it. She could visualize herself, even with the shortest possible heel.
David seemed to read it on her face because he squeezed her hand so tight the noise squeaked into the microphone.
She turned away to clear her throat quietly.
“As you all know,” David began, grinning again, “Donna and I have recently found out we're expecting our first baby and today we were told—” he paused to drum away with his free hand.
She snorted before taking back over. “—that we're having a girl.”
She barely heard herself among the cheers.
All of their friends and family crowded around her and David, supplying them with congratulations and hugs. She was trying to thank as many people as she could. Over the crowd she noticed a familiar face walking in. The pure look of confusion coming across her face. Why was Matt here?
Gina must have seen her confusion because she grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the group. She assumed it was something that Felice said, because honestly she was always saying something inappropriate.
“I am so happy for you and David, but I think I have something I have to tell you quickly.” Gina was looking around and looked completely panicked. What the hell.
“Okay….” Donna said with more of a question in her tone than anything else.
“I was hooking up with Matt for a few months after your wedding.” Gina spit out her words as she looked back towards Matt again, “And now he’s here for some reason.”
Donna blinked. And blinked. And blinked. It felt like her brain had melted. “You were doing what with who? When?” Her voice lowered. “Just so I'm clear you do mean Matt as in Kelly's ex, right?”
Gina rolled her eyes but nodded. “Oh, quick,” she hissed, “he's coming this way.”
***
Matt
He caught Gina ducking and he had to hold himself back from grinning, his ears almost burning with everyone else's stupor as they recognized him.
Once he was close enough he said, “Donna, it's a pleasure to see you. I heard congratulations are in order. I have to apologize again for running out of the wedding so fast.”
There was a gleam in her eyes. “Thank you,” she told him, “and don't you stress about that.” Her brow furrowed. “Don't you have a newborn on the other side of the country? What are you doing here today of all days?”
There's no way she doesn't know, then. And if she knows— trial by fire it is.
“I’m assuming you know why I’m here.” His eyes drifted towards Gina.
Gina looked frozen in time. Her eyes focused more on the floor beneath her than anything he was saying.
Donna nodded her head, “Apparently you two…” She pointed between the two of them and whispered, “were together.”
Matt interrupted her as he turned towards Gina, “Can we talk? I tried calling a couple of times but couldn’t get through.” He felt everybody’s judging eyes around them. He probably shouldn’t have done this at a New Year’s Eve party with his ex-fiancé, but he knew the only way to get her back was a grand gesture. So here it goes.
After all, he had been on the other side of this particular kind of show for like a year.
Gina lifted her head but still tried to avoid his gaze. “Yeah, we can just—not here.”
She led him back outside by preceding him. She was acting like looking at him would make him disappear.
***
Gina
Gina didn’t plan on actually falling for Matt. They had one drunken hook up after Donna’s wedding and that was supposed to be it. The next month the two of them snuck around just as friends. Or at least that’s what she told herself, but once he broke up with her for Julianne she realized she had somehow fallen and didn’t even realize it.
She snapped back into reality when she finally made eye contact with Matt and he was looking at her like she was the only person in the world. Wow.
“I’m sorry, Gina. Really I am. I thought that I needed to be with Julianne to honor my brother,” He paused for a second while he reached for her hand, “but I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Not for one day.”
He's really going in for the kill, huh.
She tried not to blush. It was good to hear, she couldn't exactly deny that. And yet—she was torn between believing him completely and fear. Pure unadulterated fear.
So she did the most un-Gina thing she could think of; she kept her mouth shut.
“I know it feels like I'm… flip-flopping, but I swear I'll do right by you and by Tricia because both things are possible. And I'll prove it to you. I just gotta start somewhere, if you let me. So the question is,” his hand reached out to gently graze her cheek with the pad of his thumb. Even with the mild California winter, it felt hot against the outside air. She thought she might combust from it. “Will you let me?”
***
Valerie
Valerie spent the last year of her life going to therapy and working on being a better version of herself, but sometimes old habits died hard indeed. She couldn’t help herself from sneaking outside to see what Gina and Matt were talking about. They didn’t work together any more, obviously, so why would they be all huddled up whispering in the middle of a New Year’s Eve party.
The air flushed against her cheek as she quietly closed the door behind her. There was clearly a lot more going on between the two of them than anybody knew.
“Matt, I want to. I’m just…scared.” Gina seemed like she had to force the words out.
What the hell is going on out here?
Valerie watched as Matt pushed a strand of Gina’s hair behind her ear. “Gina, I’ve fallen in love with you.”
Oh. My. God.
She ducked away as fast as she could. She even held the door to avoid it slamming. She couldn’t, however, hold the tiniest comment to herself. “Things around here really don’t ever change.”
Clare caught her at the exact second she started moving back inside the club. “Who was that exactly?”
***
Dylan
“Kelly’s ex-fiancé,” Val announced with just a little too much excitement in her voice for his liking. He was already frustrated that Matt was somehow back in their lives. The only relief he had was that he didn’t seem to be back for Kelly.
Clare’s confusion was palpable as she looked back towards the door clearly trying to process the events of that night.
“Val, do we really want to start the new year stirring up trouble?” Dylan asked in a tone that let her know he was not playing around with her. Not about Matt at least.
“Oh, it’s just for fun. Don’t you want to know what those two are up to out there?” Val questioned with a big smirk and a raise of her left brow.
“Not even a little bit,” Kelly finally chimed in as she wrapped her arm around his waist. At least she didn’t seem to be too phased by Matt’s random return to Beverly Hills.
Val ignored them both. “Has to sting, the whole not being the reason behind a grand gesture, huh, Kel?”
Kel shrugged, and the tip of her shoulder bumped into his as her face settled into the crook of his neck. “Not really. I mean, would I have called this? Not in a million years, but maybe we should have,” she considered, smirking. “Remember the ring incident?”
Clare looked from Kelly back to Dylan clearly expecting an explanation on the ring incident. He couldn’t help but chuckle a little before explaining, “I had to help finance Matt’s engagement ring for Kelly.” It almost seemed even more absurd as the words came out of his mouth.
Kelly laughed uncontrollably as she buried her head in his chest. She almost couldn’t hear Clare’s comment over the combination of his heart beating and her laughter, “I have missed a lot of really weird stuff…”
Still laughing, Kelly clarified, “Gina asked him for the money. And then he found out about the ring and shrugged it off. More or less.”
“I did not. But if you consider the entire marriage idea was basically me putting my foot in my mouth, I deserved that one. And watching this, I guess.”
Kelly's eyebrow basically jumped into her hair line. “Putting your foot in your mouth,” she repeated, sounding like she'd caught him stealing her marshmallows.
(For the record: It had happened and he'd survived just because she had feelings for him)
She leaned towards Clare and explained, “He means to say he showed up at my other wedding, memorized the whole outfit—”
“And hairdo; I'm meticulous,” he piped in, trying his best to go for the humor before anything else.
She ignored him, save for a glare and jabbing a finger into his side. “—but only told me two years later at Janet and Steve's wedding, sending me into a tailspin, because I thought he was going to ask, but he didn't.”
“Correction,” he swept a hair string behind her ear, going so close he almost forgot they weren't alone and did something a little rougher. Again. Whoops. “I would have, Matt just beat me to it.”
***
Brandon
Brandon was listening to the group reminisce about their past, but every other word he kept thinking back to that kiss with Andrea. Maybe it was because Kelly and Dylan started off their relationship in high school too. When he thought of high school he always thought of Andrea. Most likely he was losing focus because every time they had both been single at the same time they shared an impulsive kiss that threw their rhythm out of sync.
He realized that they were talking about him and he let out a light chuckle. His relationship with Kelly seemed so long ago that Dylan showing up there almost feels like another lifetime.
Val was gobbling up every detail, though.
In fact it was her hand waving insistently in front of his face that yanked him back into the club. “Wait a second here, Romeo. Why isn’t Brandon blowing up at this?” She whirred on him, eyes widening to a comical degree. “You knew?”
Brandon didn’t really move, except for a one-shouldered shrug. “It was a little hard to miss, thanks to your previous stunt.” He wasn’t trying to be malicious, but since he was preoccupied and Val’s attention was currently on steroids he figured a little misdirection wouldn’t hurt. “The poem was a big clue, too.”
He had momentarily forgotten Dylan had been analyzing his and Andrea’s every move since Thanksgiving. With a smirk, his friend (they were not as close as they used to be, but maybe something was shifting) said, “A clue as big as your face right now? I doubt it.”
Brandon felt the group all collectively looking at him. Obviously he was not being very subtle while he snuck glances at Andrea all night. He took a deep breath as he actively tried to brush off the shifting attention.
***
Andrea
Pure panic was the only way to describe Andrea’s emotions at this point in the night. She had spent the majority of the party trying to avoid Brandon, and she knew people were starting to notice.
Andrea had always had this pull towards Brandon that she could never really explain. Even while they were just friends there was some part of her in the back of her mind that always wondered... what if?
She had opted to stay by the buffet table with Steve. Ever since Donna's announcement, Andrea had caught him staring at Janet on and off, and when everyone else had followed Matt's crashing entrance (Steve had leaned in to catch her up, but it turned out he wasn't up to date, either) as though it were the plot twist in a movie, she had been left alone with her racing thoughts.
Or she convinced herself of that.
“You're not fooling anyone,” Steve told her. He wasn't being his usual party self, and somehow that startled her more than a loud approach.
“I have no idea what you mea—”
Steve threw up a hand. “You and Brandon are both sneaking glances at each other when you think the other isn't looking. I can guess why, but has something else changed since Thanksgiving?”
Andrea’s brain was racing a mile a minute. She didn’t actually think anybody would confront her, and now that Steve was standing here acknowledging everything she was trying to avoid she didn’t know what to do.
“We kissed.” Andrea didn’t intend to tell anybody what happened between her and Brandon, but somehow she blurted it out anyway.
“I take that back; I couldn't guess why.”
Despite herself, Andrea chortled.
“Seriously, though,” Steve went on, “if you kissed, why are you standing here sulking with me? On New Year's eve? Italians have a saying, you know, you'll do what you do on this day all year round.” He frowned. “But I think it rhymes or something.”
Andrea shook her head with another light laugh. Steve could always keep her entertained even in her worst moments.
“Thanks, Steve. I’ll have to remember that.”
He was right, though. They were both adults now, and yet they were both avoiding each other instead of actually dealing with their feelings.
***
Steve
Andrea and Brandon had been playing this game for years, and yet here they were, both going out of their way to avoid dealing with the fact that they’d always had feelings for each other. Some things never change.
Before he could continue offering his “words of wisdom” to Andrea, he noticed his mom walking into the After Dark. “Andrea, just go talk to him!”
He didn't want to rush her off or anything. There was just something that had been nagging at him since Christmas. Since Janet's meltdown to be precise, and given the fact that his mom had managed to drop into town at the last second, he didn't want to miss the chance to ask for her input.
“Excuse me for a second, Zuckerman.”
He moved away while Andrea was still nodding; she'd caught his agitation all evening, no doubt.
“Mom,” he called out, hoping the relief in his voice wasn't thunderous. “You made it!”
Samantha reached out to hug him. “Of course I made it, Precious. I said I'd try, didn't I?”
“Listen, I need to ask you for a favor.” He wished he were blushing just for the nickname. “Janet's been kind of overwhelmed and I don't know what to do.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll talk to her, gorgeous.” She put her hands on his face and it felt just as comforting as it had when he was a little kid.
Steve nodded his head and then watched as his mom started walking over towards Janet. He was really hoping that she would be able to make her feel better since she was also a mother. He couldn’t help but feel frustrated that Janet’s parents still refused to show up when she needed them. He just wanted Janet to know that he was her family and he’d always show up for her.
***
Janet
She had tried to relax all night to no avail. She thought talking to Steve would help—and it had. To a point. But then the inescapability of facts had washed over her again the minute Donna and David had made their announcement: Her pregnancy had been hard, on the verge of impossible. And it would likely remain a single event.
The prospect constricted her throat. It felt like a mistake, like something inside her had cracked open and something vital had leaked out.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught her husband and her mother in law moving closer. Samantha Sanders looked every bit as magnetic as you’d expect an actress to be, and yet there was a keenness to her gaze that clashed with that perception.
Janet sighed and put on the most lively smile she could muster. The show must go on.
“Hey babe,” Steve said with a bright smile as he pulled her towards him and into a hug. “You remember my mom, Samantha, right?” He pointed towards her but Samantha was already pulling Janet towards her into a warm hug.
“Of course! Hi Samantha. I’m so glad you could make it.” Janet said with a smile, trying to appear like she wasn’t imploding emotionally inside.
Before Janet could say anything else Steve had perked up and pointed over towards the group, “I have to go find out what’s happening with this whole Matt being here thing. I’ll see you guys in a little while!” He rushed off, giving his mom a knowing look on the way out. Janet couldn’t help but think, this feels like a set up.
Samantha wasted no time. “How are you, Janet?”
Something in her voice made Janet's retort crumble before she dared say one planned word.
“I don't really know,” she hedged. “I think I'm okayish most days. You know with a toddler and a new job and all. But then when I have a little time to look and think, it feels—like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff with no rope.” She hastened to add, “Wrong metaphor probably, but I see so many things happening to others and I have this feeling, like I'm staring at a dead end and I've stuck Maddie and Steve with me in this claustrophobic space.”
Janet stopped, her own embarrassment ringing out. “I know he doesn't think of it like that; I hear him. It just doesn't sink in, at times.”
“Sweetheart, being a mother is one of the hardest jobs out there. You have to take care of yourself plus this tiny little human who counts on you for everything.” Samantha reached for her hand and Janet couldn’t help but feel comfort. “I have never seen my son happier in his entire life and I know that’s because of you and your beautiful daughter.”
Janet chuckled. “He's been great to me, too. It's just—I feel like we're not done either. And all these feelings are pulling me in different directions in one go.”
Samantha rubbed Janet's knuckles. “I know it's not a fix-all, but you guys need to talk it out and take it day by day. Having it all figured out is not something you can do with a snap; it’s a process. The important thing is to start and be compassionate with each other.”
The weight on Janet’s shoulders felt manageable for the first time in a week. It wasn’t gone; it just wasn’t lording over her.
“Now,” Samantha clapped her hands, eyes twinkling. “What do you think about ringing in this new year in style?”
***
Kelly
“This has been the strangest holiday we’ve had in a while.” Kelly said with a light laugh. Matt coming back to Beverly Hills was something she never thought would happen. She wasn’t upset about it as much as she thought she would be. Her and Dylan were in such a good place at the moment she couldn’t even really care what Matt is doing or who he’s doing it with.
“I still can’t believe how much I’ve missed. I wasn’t even gone that long.” Clare’s face was a combination of confusion and a tinge of frustration.
Kelly and Donna both pulled Clare closer to them. “Listen,” Kelly whispered, “you have always been a part of this family. It doesn’t matter how long you were gone, you’re here now.”
Donna continued with a comforting smile, “And we’ll always fill you in on what you’ve missed.”
“I know,” Clare nodded.
Kelly understood. In a way, it was what she felt before their little group consolidated: A window into everyone else’s crazy world that left you a little dizzy every time she caught something big.
But now, she couldn’t imagine her life without everyone’s quirks in it, and it finally felt like everything that could fit the picture had finally fully slid into place. “Give yourself time, Clare,” she said. “And think of all the crazy stories you’ll be able to tell at work galas!”
Before Clare could respond again, Jackie popped her head into the trio of women, “Mind if I steal Kelly for a minute?”
Jackie had spent the majority of the night chatting with Felice and Iris so Kelly wasn’t surprised that she wanted some alone time with her before the night was over. Clare and Donna backed up quickly so that Kelly could hurry off with Jackie.
It was almost involuntary, but something in her mom's entire demeanor had Kelly stiffen. Jackie was still threading the waters in her own life, and the holidays made that worse.
“Alright,” Kelly didn't mean to sound curt to her own mother, but she had a feeling she had better be cautious. “You've been wanting to say something to me for a while now; I can feel it—whatever it is—pressing on your tongue. Can you please not drag it around into the new year?”
“Kelly—”
Kelly forced herself not to sigh. There it was. That tone.
“Mom, I'm serious. I don't want to have it out with you, but the tension isn't,” she bit her lip as tried to think of a gentle way to phrase it that would get her point across. She settled on, “It isn't ideal, either.”
“I’m just worried about you, Kelly.” Kelly basically held her breath as she listened to Jackie continue, “You know I’ve always liked Dylan, but…” She paused for a moment and Kelly could almost feel her blood pressure rising. “I don’t want you to end up like me with your father.”
There it was. Of course Bill Taylor was still causing problems in her life even without him physically being present. The trauma and disrespect he provided was long-lasting apparently. Kelly let out a loud sigh before finally responding to her mother, “Dylan is nothing like Bill Taylor. He shows up for me every single day, no matter what I’m going through. I know you absolutely can’t say the same about my father.”
Jackie held back a sigh of her own. “I know how well that works, at first. He’s sweeping you off your feet on the daily, promising and promising; yes, he’s even delivering. But what about when he gets tired of it?”
Kelly heard what Jackie hadn’t said loud and clear: What about when he gets tired of you?
“I’m sorry, mom, but you’re being absolutely ridiculous.” She knew that what Jackie was saying wasn’t true, and that she was just projecting her bad marriage onto them, but that didn’t stop it from hurting. “Since that first summer we fell in love Dylan has continued to show up for me and prove over and over again that we are soulmates. Even when I was with Brandon he was still there to show me that he loved me. I have no interest in fighting with you over my relationship and I am not going to let your bad feelings about men at the moment ruin the way I look at Dylan.”
Jackie shook her head. “See, you’re proving my point,” she insisted, “the way you’re phrasing it is so… Rosy, and I don’t want to watch the moment that crashes into pieces.”
“Mother,” Kelly hissed. “I understand that you’re worried about me, but try to follow along for a second here, okay? Just because there are similarities between the four of us, you cannot possibly predict that Dylan and I will end up exactly like you and Bill. You’re hurting and I don’t like it either. All you’re doing is… cementing your bitterness. I don’t want you to sink into that; let me help. Just—don’t make me choose. I couldn’t stand it.”
Dylan strolled over to where they were talking in that confident and comfortable way he always did. She couldn’t help but feel nervous as though Jackie would say something to Dylan they couldn’t quite come back from.
***
Dylan
Dylan couldn’t help but shake the frustration he was feeling. Matt was back for some reason and it just didn’t make any sense to him. Combine that with the fact that Steve’s little brother seems to be all over his sister and he felt like he was going to lose it.
He craned his neck to try and spot Kelly. It might sound cheesy to even think of it that way, but it felt instinctual; looking for the one person that had always made sense, even through the thickest chaos of his life. What he saw didn’t help, though.
She was standing with Jackie and it looked like whatever discussion they were having was getting to her. He didn’t need to listen to it; the way Kelly was standing, ramroad-straight and pressing her heels into the floor so much it might crack, was enough of a tell.
One thing became clear as he got closer, it only ever got that tense when Bill was a part of it. And since the tension didn’t instantly melt off either of their faces, so was he.
Happy new year, indeed.
Dylan slowly approached Kelly and Jackie as he tried to brace himself for impact. The closer he moved the more he could physically feel the tension in the room. He quietly grabbed Kelly’s hand and questioned, "Everything alright over here?”
They all stood in silence for a moment and Dylan almost felt the walls closing in around him.
“We were just talking about relationships.” Jackie stated, matter of factly.
Kelly squeezed his hand before finally speaking, “My mom is just worried I’ll repeat her mistakes….” Dylan’s stomach dropped. He knew it before he walked over, but hearing Kelly say the words out loud still stung.
He tried his best not to jump into it angrily. It wouldn't help anyone. And that's all he wanted to do.
“Listen, Jackie, I don't mean to step on any toes here, but I feel like I need to make something clear.” He stopped long enough to squeeze Kelly's hand again. “I have no intention of leaving her. In the lurch or otherwise. I understand wanting to protect her, but I can assure you hurting her is the last possible thing to cross my mind. She matters to me. She's always mattered to me.”
“I do know that, Dylan." Jackie finally said out loud. “I know you love her. I just want to protect my daughter.” She didn’t sound angry… She just sounded defeated. Like everything that they have been through together had left her in this vulnerable and scared state.
Kelly chimed in now, he could physically see the tension leave her body. “I know that you just want to protect me,” She gently placed her head on his shoulder. “But we’re good. Really.”
Jackie’s demeanor changed almost instantaneously. It’s like she had all of this fear and anxiety building up inside of her and now that she’s said what’s on her mind, she could just go back to normal, “I really hope you know how much I care about you.” She said towards Kelly, but then turned to Dylan quietly and said, “You too.”
Dylan offered a nod. He was very glad the tension had effectively left both Kelly's body and Jackie. But the relief wasn't exactly hitting him to the fullest.
He had absorbed it. He could feel it knot into his own stomach, sinking deeper and deeper as Jackie left.
He hoped it didn't show. The last thing he wanted was to upset Kelly again.
She turned to him, head tilting slightly as her brows crinkled. “I can feel your mind spinning from here, Dylan. Are you sure you're okay?” Her free hand reached for his cheek, a gentle rub over his light stubble. “She didn't upset you, did she?”
He leaned into her touch, almost wishing the day could stop here. It was no one's fault, but the holidays had always been a weird time to navigate and grey thoughts seemed to be piling up on him.
“She didn't,” he said unflinchingly, “but I don't think she's totally wrong, either.”
Kelly frowned. He could sense she was going to pluck up the courage with both hands before speaking in any way, but she didn't really need to; he knew she would object just by looking at her.
He appreciated it, but—
“I did leave before,” he pointed out without preambles. He wasn't proud of it and yet he could deny it, either. “Several times, in fact.”
“Doesn't mean you would systematically do it again,” she retorted.
Never let it be said Kelly Taylor isn't stubborn as hell.
“Doesn't mean I'm not terrified of doing it in an irrevocable way. I know I might get there at some point, and that possibility is enough to freak me out.”
Kelly shook her head as she reached for his face, holding him close to her. “We are not our parents. Don’t you think I have those same worries? I love my mother, don't get me wrong, but it’s not like I want to follow the same life trajectory as she did.” Her smile was warm and loving, and you could tell she truly meant everything she said.
Dylan was about to speak up, but she continued instead. “I love you. I choose you. I always have and I always will. We can, and will, do better than our parents did. I’m sure of it.”
“You're right; it is incredibly nice to hear.” He grinned at her, grateful for the unspoken switch. “I'm sorry if I've been tense all evening, with Matt and everything… it sort of built up on this and—”
“And you like trying to feel in control. I get it.” She seemed to be saying I know you, you dork. “To be honest, I thought you were getting up in arms about Ryan and Erica, mostly.”
He nearly facepalmed into her. “Please, don't remind me,” he groaned.
“Aw, c’mon,” she teased, “they look cute and they're having fun.”
He sniffled at her. “Et tu my gorgeous Brutus?”
“You two make me sick,” a voice exclaimed from behind them. The tone of the comment was clearly joking and he was laughing uncontrollably. Why did that voice sound so familiar?
Dylan and Kelly both turned at the same time to see Jake Hanson standing in front of them. Dylan had actually made an effort to stay in touch with Jake once he returned to Beverly Hills, but this certainly wasn’t his scene. “What are you doing here?” Dylan questioned as he shook Jake’s hand.
Kelly greeted Jake with a quick hug before reaching back for Dylan’s arm. He smiled back at her and kissed her gently on the head as they awaited Jake’s response.
Jake responded with a genuine smile, “I’m supposed to be spending tomorrow with my son so I stopped by the Peach Pit for some burgers and Nat said you were in here so I figured I’d come say hi.”
“About time,” Dylan muttered playfully. “Good to see you more often than once in a blue moon, man.”
“And yet,” he teased, “Every time I bump into you two you’re this close to each other. It’s been what, seven months?”
Kelly shook her head. “Don’t worry, Jake. We’re not the talk of town tonight. An old friend showed up to wow someone who’d been keeping it very close to her chest, apparently.”
Dylan frowned. “Wait, what do you know that I don't?”
“Trust me, Gina going with him so quickly means something happened and it's something big.”
Jake shook his head. “Some things never change.”
Dylan nodded. “I'll toast to that. You staying until then?”
“Nah, I have to get going before traffic swallows me up.”
Dylan reached over to clap him on the back. “Don't be a stranger.”
***
Andrea
Andrea was standing in a crowd of her closest friends, but still felt a million miles away. Laughter and celebration surrounded her, yet all of her thoughts kept leading back to one person, Brandon. She didn’t know what to do, and it was absolutely terrifying.
Her thoughts must have been out in the open for someone, because the minute she went there he almost bumped into her, ridiculously full plate toppling in his wake.
“Hey, Chief,” he said softly, “you good?”
“A bit confused, but I guess everyone is after that entrance.”
Brandon nodded. “It was definitely bold.”
Speaking of bold—
“Brandon listen I—”
Her sentence almost crashed into his. “Andrea, I—”
He chuckled. “That kiss was… a long time coming.”
Andrea couldn’t hide the slight smile sliding across her face. She hadn’t expected Brandon to bring up their moment, and here he was saying the exact thing she’d been thinking. “Yes it was,” Andrea replied with a small sigh of relief.
“I want to talk about it more…” Brandon looked around the room at the crowds of people dancing and celebrating, “just maybe not here.”
Andrea nodded in agreement, “Absolutely.” For the first time in a long time she actually believed that everything would be okay.
***
Kelly
New Year’s Eve used to have an anxious feel to it, like everything was going to peak at midnight after twisting on itself in the hours preceding it.
This year felt different. Hopeful.
“You're telling me you knew?”
Donna shook her head. “Only barely. Gina told me a second before Matt whisked her off. But look at them,” her best friend was positively gushing. It was hard not to join in. “They're so cute, holding hands and stuff.”
David grinned at her. “I gotta give it to him, he really took a page out of Dylan's book.”
Nat, who had finally managed to pop his head in the After Dark, nodded. “I seem to recall a very last minute dance drop in.”
Dylan shook his head. “How come you aren't weirded out, Silver?”
David shrugged. “I'm happy, she's happy; what's there to feel weird about?” He snuck a glance at the clock and reached for a mic. “Okay, everyone, five minutes to go, group up!”
The room erupted as people rushed around, making sure they were next to their loved ones when the countdown started. Kelly couldn’t help but smile as she looked around at her loved ones, all standing together and excitedly waiting to start off the new year. For once, she was sure this year would be the best one yet.
Gina and Matt squeezed into the already established group, and it was very clear all eyes were still on them. Kelly made eye contact with Dylan for a moment, but his attention quickly shifted back to his sister and Ryan. Dylan had always taken his role as big brother very seriously.
As she watched Nat dart around passing flutes (even discretely placing one with apple cider for Donna right by David’s on the counter) she lightly elbowed Dylan’s stomach as she passed to stand directly in front of him. “They’re not doing anything wrong,” she hissed. “Please, don’t glower.”
He leaned down to whisper into her neck, “Am not. He’s just so… Touchy.”
Pot, meet kettle.
“You do know the same could be said about you and me, right?” Kelly shook her head. “Just ask, uh, anyone here?”
Dylan placed a hand on her neck, tracing it ever so slowly. “As long as you don’t mind,” she could feel him smirking, and it loosened something warm inside of her “I don’t really care, Kel.”
“Just let them be. For me?”
He sighed, more feigning annoyance than anything else. “And I’m the one always knowing what to say, huh?”
They stood comfortably, even if crammed together with almost twenty other people, until David tapped his glass. Dylan’s heart almost beat into her back when her brother said, “I want to thank all of you for this year. It was messy at times, but I can’t remember a happier one.”
Kelly felt a rush of warmth as she watched David’s toast. They had come a long way from that annoying freshman who followed them around all the time. She placed her head on Dylan’s shoulder, settling in as the countdown began.
- 10.
Donna smiled brightly as David slid in next to her, leaving a gentle kiss on her forehead.
- 9.
Ryan leaned into Erica, her giggle blurring into the noise of passing flutes.
8.
Brandon reached for Andrea's free hand, watching as the lights cast shades into her hair.
7.
Matt kissed Gina's knuckles and brought her hand to his chest
6.
Steve kissed Janet's forehead as they swayed on the spot, anticipation building.
5.
Joy laughed at something Val said.
4.
Clare and Val pretended to start a train.
3.
Nat looking thoroughly unimpressed by them mimed a limbo move without dropping the flute, and even Felice and Iris joined in.
2.
Jackie was keeping a stealthy hand on a confetti bag as she stared at the clock.
- 1.
Everyone seemed to try and will midnight to strike faster.
“Happy new year!” David screamed into the mic as confetti popped all over the place.
Excitement erupted in the crowd as everyone screamed in New Year's cheer.
Dylan pulled Kelly towards him, wrapping her in a warm hug, before kissing her gently. They whispered “Happy New Year’s” to each other before Dylan added softly, “I love you.”
Brandon quietly approached Andrea, smiling at her warmly, as they leaned into a comforting hug. They both soaked in the moment before turning back to greet their loved ones.
Donna giggled into her kiss with David before they rested their hands on her newly showing belly and whispered, “We can’t wait to meet you.”
Nat appeared beside them as he began to put on his coat, “I have to go and relieve Joanie of babysitting duty.” He chuckled a little, in that comforting way Nat always did, “We’ll be adding your little girl to that club soon enough.”
He kissed Donna on the cheek and squeezed David’s shoulders, and disappeared out of the After Dark.
Matt leaned over to whisper in Gina’s ear, “Is this okay?”
Gina smiled nervously as she nodded her head before they both leaned in to share a kiss.
Steve smirked into his kiss with Janet, softly whispering, “This is going to be our year, baby.”
Clare clinked her glass with Val’s, trying not to stare too openly at all these couples. She didn’t begrudge any of them, it simply felt a little awkward. “You know how you were complaining about moving?”
Val nodded, trying to hold back a grimace. “Well, we should have a club—you, Brandon and me.” She took a drink of her champagne. “My research got halted, so I might as well start over here.”
“Let me guess,” Val ventured, “a doozy to begin with and moving is the bitter cherry on top?”
Clare raised her glass again. “Happy new year indeed!”
“You know what,” Val suggested, “I’ll keep you posted on anything I find. To the real estate market!”
Clare giggled. “Amen, Malone, amen.”