What It Means To Be A Family
Chapter 1:
Disclaimer: I do not own Speed Racer or any of his companions. I do own Rebecca (Becky) Racer.
A/N: This is my idea of how family life could have gone for the Racers. In this AU Speed Jr. and X are a little older and I added another Racer baby. I hope that I do justice to the fandom.
"Faster Daddy!" Speed Racer's second born son, Speed Racer Jr., squealed from the passenger seat of the Mach 5.
Speed turned to look at the eager three-year-old "I don't know kiddo," he said slyly "You know your Mommy got mad at us last time."
"She wasn't mad," the boy protested "Mommy told me so," little Speedy tapped his helmet "I go fast like Daddy as long as I wear this."
"That's right," Spped laughed. He had gotten a rather harsh lecture from Trixie the last time he had taken the boys for a ride without helmets.
Today Trixie had taken their oldest, X, to the dentist. She had taken baby Becky with her. That left Speed to watch his namesake.
Speed did as his son had commanded. The little boy watched in amazement and cheered as trees passed by in a blur. He loved being a father. Everyday with them was better than the last. He and Trixie had been married for a little over five years now. She became pregnant with X only a few months later. Speedy and Becky soon followed.
Speed still raced quite often. Trixie and the children always accompanied him. Pops had thought that Speed and Trixie had gotten married too young but he loved his grandchildren with all his heart, though he didn't really talk to Speed much these days. Spritle, who was now a teenager, still found a way to stay in touch with his older brother though he was getting a bit big for stowing away in the Mach 5's trunk.
The Mach 5 approached a sharp turn and Speed downshifted. His son was still screaming with excitement "Yay!" the boy yelled repeatedly. Speed was around the corner and in the process of shifting gears again when he saw a dark van swerve in front of them. Speedy screamed as his father slammed on the brakes and did all he could to keep from crashing.
The Mach 5 came to a screeching stop. Speed turned to his son who had started to cry "You alright Speedy?" he asked, putting a hand on the little boy's shoulder.
"Scary," the child sobbed as he pushed the heels of his tiny hands against his eyes.
"It's alright," Speed said reassuringly. He'd never ever come so close to being in an accident with one of the children in the car. At that moment he hated himself as the possibilities of what could have happened flashed through his mind.
The driver of the van got out and approached the Mach 5 "Mr. Racer," he greeted in a none-too-kind tone. The man walked up to the passenger's side of the car which right away gave Speed a bad feeling. Without really knowing why he did it, he pushed the button to close the cockpit.
The cockpit closed just in time as the stranger pulled a gun, aiming it right at the little boy in the passenger seat. Speed couldn't help feeling infuriated that someone would dare pull a gun on any child, let alone his son. Secure in the knowledge that the cockpit glass would hold, Speed started up the car and sped away.
GOSPEEDRACERGOSPEEDRACERGOSPEEDRACERGO!
"Can I have a lollipop?" X asked his mother as they left the dentist's office.
Trixie laughed "You just had a dentist appointment. You can have a lollipop later."
"Okay," X said a bit disappointed.
"Besides," Trixie smirked as she strapped Becky into her car seat "We need to get home and see what kind of trouble your father and Speedy have gotten themselves into."
The four-year-old boy laughed "Bet they went driving," he said "Vroom, vroom. Racer's go fast!"
"Yeah," Trixie said with a half smile as she slid into the car "Racer's go fast." She put the car in gear and got on the road headed home. She had barely been on the road for more than five minutes when a van pulled in front of her. She brought the car to a complete stop.
A man got out of the van and approached the car. He came up to Trixie "Good afternoon," he greeted.
Trixie had a bad feeling about this man "Good afternoon," she returned hesitantly.
"If you don't mind," the man produced a gun from his pocket "Please get out of the car."
Trixie's eyes went wide as she looked at the gun in the man's hand "What do you want?" she asked quietly, so that her son wouldn't overhear.
"I need you and your children to come with me," he told her, shoving the gun in her face.
"I'll go with you," Trixie whispered "But please don't hurt my children?"
"Sorry," the man sneared "All of you come with me or all of you die right now."
Trixie felt the fear consuming her "No," she whispered "Please…?"
Just then a familiar car whizzed up. The man holding the gun turned to see Racer X jump out of the car "What's going on here?" he questioned, pinning the driver to the hood of Trixie's car in one swift movement.
The man snarled up at the masked racer "Wouldn't you like to know," he growled angrily. The man managed to get free of Racer X, though he had lost his grip on his gun. He ran for his van and put it in high gear, speeding away from the scene.
"You'd better get home Trixie," Racer X told her.
Trixie didn't stick around to second guess the masked racer. She put the car in gear and headed for home. She would call the police from there.
GOSPEEDRACERGOSPEEDRACERGOSPEEDRACERGO!
Speed picked his daughter up from her crib and placed her on the changing table. Trixie was in the living room with Inspector Detector, describing the man who had tried to abduct her and the children. Speed had a sneaking suspicion that it was the same man who had approached him and little Speedy earlier that day. He had already dexcribed that man and the van he had been driving to the inspector.
"She's getting big," Racer X commented from behind him as Speed put a fresh diaper on his daughter.
Speed picked up the baby and turned to Racer X "Thanks for being there today," he said somberly "I wish I could have gotten my hands on that monster."
"I was on my way to see you actually," Racer X told him "I just happened to pass by at the right moment."
"Well, I'm glad you were there," Speed said, rocking Becky in his arms "I don't want to think of what could have happened…"
"Don't think that way," Racer X quickly put an end to his little brother's despairing thoughts.
Trixie walked into the room. Speed moved immediately to wrap his arm around her. She managed a half smile in Racer X's direction before turning to her husband "Inspector Detector says he's going to put his best people on tracking down this man," she explained.
Speed leaned in and kissed his wife "It'll be okay," he whispered to her, though he wasn't so sure himself.
"Mommy! Daddy!" Speedy and X ran into the room screaming for their parents at the top of their lungs.
Trixie and Speed managed to scoop their two boys into their arms along with Becky. They stood in their family embrace. "What is it?" Speed asked his sons in a soothing voice.
Speedy buried his face in his mother's shoulder but X piped up "There's a man at the window," he reported.
Racer X was the first one out of the room. Speed set X on the ground and ran after him. They reached the boys' room they saw that one of the two windows was partway open and the outside screen had been removed. The window wasn't opened wide enough for anyone to have gotten into the house. Racer X threw it open the rest of the way and flung himself out into the bushes below. "Someone's been here," he reported to Speed "Call the police!" he ordered as he started running "I'll see if I can catch him!"
Speed did as Racer X had instructed. Within minutes, police were combing the yard of the Racer home as well as searching the neighbors' yards. Speed and Trixie watched them as they worked.
"Why would someone come after our children?" Trixie asked. It was clear from her tone that she was afraid.
Speed was afraid too but he was trying to conceal his fear from his wife and children. He was trying, but he was failing "I don't know," he whispered as he drew Trixie closer to him.
Becky was held tight in Trixie's grip as the baby slept. Speedy and X had fallen asleep finally and Racer X was standing outside their room, keeping an eye out in case the man attempted to sneak back in.
"Why is this happening?" Trixie asked.
Speed had been asking himself the same question. He couldn't think of any reason. He had made his share of enemies in his time but most of them were in jail or dead. He couldn't think of anyone who remotely resembled the man that he had seen while he was in the Mach 5 with his son.
Becky woke up and began to whimper. Speed reached out and accepted his daughter from his wife "I'll take her," he told Trixie "I believe you need another diaper change young lady," he laughed as he carried his daughter to the nursery. Trixie followed close behind.
"Maybe things will be a little less hectic next week when we're in Brazil for the South America Grand Prix."
Speed nodded as Becky reached out and grabbed her father's hand, holding on to it with all the might in her little body. "I'm sure it will," Speed said but truthfully, he wasn't so sure.
GOSPEEDRACERGOSPEEDRACERGOSPEEDRACERGO!
Racer X was standing guard and Trixie had fallen asleep. Speed left the house in complete darkness. He hoped that no one would see him. But perhaps someone already had. He walked instead of taking the Mach 5 to Sparky's house. He unlocked the basement door with his key and snuck in. He flipped the light on and made his way to the desk at the far end of the room. He fumbled for the key to the bottom drawer and removed the papers that lay inside.
He spread the plans upon the desk. Sparky had been helping him with this idea for months. He inspected the area carefully. There didn't seem to be anything out of place. This was the only reason he could think of why anyone would come after his family. The true enormity of what those plans represented was exactly why he kept them at Sparky's and only he and Sparky knew about them.
The Mach 6, his dream, a chance to change the world. An engine that could run on something other than gas. An engine that could ensure a cleaner planet for his children to grow up in. And a car that wouldn't need to rely on gas but instead used air for fuel would never run out of fuel.
This was an idea that some people would kill to stop. There was big money in oil. Speed and Sparky's design plan had the power to save the world but it would also topple the businesses of some of the most powerful and ruthless people in the world. People who whould do anything to keep their power, even kill innocent women and children if it meant they could keep their stranglehold on the world.
Speed turned when he heard footsteps on the stairs. "Speed," Sparky called into the basement "I wasn't expecting you to show up tonight to work on the plans."
"Just thought I'd pop in," Speed shrugged.
"I heard that the police were at your house twice today. What happened?"
Speed turned to stare back down at the plans for the Mach 6. "Someone tried to snatch Trixie and the kids today," he began "The same someone tried to run me and Speedy off the road today and then he pointed a gun at my son. And tonight, someone tried to sneak into the house." Speed paused placing a hand on the plans "Someone's after my family Sparky and I'm afraid that this is the reason."