The Things He Left Behind

AvalonReeseFanFics

A/N: Hello Everyone. This is my first Speed Racer fic. It starts before the movie, will include much of the movie, and then a whole bunch of stuff after. I'd love to hear what you guys think so leave me a review and I'll see you guys next Wednesday.

Chapter 1

The after party usually got Rex some sort of action. Whether it be a drinking buzz, a fight or a girl, Rex was always embroiled in something. But not tonight.

Tonight, after one of his biggest wins, Rex finds himself standing in the corner bored. Bored of the drinking, of the fighting, of the girls. Tired of the loudness and mundaneness of it all. He wants to be back in his car driving where everything is easier and he doesn't have to think about the future or signing a deal that will skyrocket him and his father's company into stardom.

He wants to leave. He was going to leave. But then she was in front of him and he couldn't move anymore.

The girl with the pale blonde hair and the giant green eyes stares up at him. She's tiny, but not childlike. There's nothing childlike about her body or her clothes. Nothing but a skimpy pair of cut off shorts and an even skimpier shirt that showed off all the right curves. He's looking down at her and he can see all the way down that cleavage.

"Hi," is all she says in a soft voice. He almost didn't hear it over the thrum of the party.

He manages a "Hi," back before she jumps on him. Throwing her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his. It takes no effort at all to wrap his arms around her and deepen that chaste kiss she has pressed to his lips. And in those few seconds that their tongues duel the sounds of the party vanish and his mind has found peace and calm.

Almost like he's back behind the wheel of the Mach 4.

Then as quickly as she has shown up and kissed him she has up and stopped and walked away. No bye, no introduction, just gone.

Rex stands there feeling like the ground has been pulled up from under him. He wants to know who that girl is and why she has the power to make him feel like the world is alright again.

"Looks like someone got a visit from Daisy," A fellow driver has joined him. Rex turns to him, he now has Rex's full attention because he knows the girl's name.

He takes in Rex's dazed stare and smiles. "Yeah, she has that effect on people."

"Who is she?" Rex asks. He needs more than she apparently goes around sweeping the ground out from under people with her unsuspecting kisses.

"Daisy Woods. You've probably seen her hanging around the course. She likes the drivers, if you know what I mean," he winks at Rex.

Rex can only stare. He did know what he meant. She's the girl that was the talk of all guys in the locker room. The girl who sleeps with any driver. He takes in that smug knowing eye wagging look on the guy's face and feel sick to his stomach and more than a little mad.

He leaves the party without excusing himself, determined to speak to the girl the next time he sees her. He has a feeling that the boys in the locker room aren't being 100% truthful but he doesn't want to get involved with anyone unless he's certain. He just didn't know what it is he wants to be certain about.

A week later Rex had taken his brother to the track with him and let him drive. Speed had rolled his car. After that Rex had to wait another week for his car to be fixed and to be determined healthy enough to drive again.

He won a small race between he and the other drivers there that day and noticed immediately that Daisy was in the near empty stands.

The only people there at these times either worked there or were the racing groupies all vying for different driver's attentions, but especially Rex's. He was known as the guy who went through girls faster than he could drive but that didn't stop them from trying. Of thinking that they could be the one to reform him.

Rex notes that Daisy is dressed properly today. Snug fitting jeans and a baggy looking sweater. Her long blonde hair has been pulled up in a severe pony-tail and she's sitting nowhere near the other groupies.

Rex wants to talk to her, but once he got out of the group of adoring fans and past the groupies he has no interest in, she's talking to a rookie driver named Anderson. New to their circuit and a bit of a dick, he's probably the only one in the locker room that doesn't have some lewd story about Daisy to tell and that's only because he was new.

Rex has to pick up Speed so he leaves her there and goes to go get his younger brother from school. Speed had wanted to go to the race track but Rex still wasn't allowed to take him there after he let Speed roll his car, so they had settled for the ice cream parlour instead.

It wasn't until they were on their way out of the parlour that he hears a familiar voice. Rex turns and there's Anderson and Daisy, clearly arguing about something and it seems to be have gotten very heated. Rex watches her slap Anderson and then storm out of his car. Anderson peels out and poor Daisy is left there, clearly fuming and watching him go.

As soon as she turns and see Rex standing there with his little brother in tow she freezes. He can see, clear as day, that she's about to cry, but she doesn't want to do it in front of him so she's forcing herself to stay strong. But her face is splotchy and red and it seems to him that her previously baggy sweater has been tugged out of place.

Speed is staring up inquisitively at Rex, his older brother senses are telling him that his kid brother is confused as to why they've stopped.

"Do… uh… you need a ride home?" Rex find himself asking.

"But it's a two seater car!" Speed cries, but Rex doesn't hear him, all he hears is Daisy's quivering: "Yes."

Speed is made to sit in Daisy's lap. Illegal, obviously, but it's the only way to get him home. Speed is dropped off first, despite his protesting, but as soon as Rex has made sure that Speed's in the house, and as soon as his car pulls out of the driveway, Daisy starts crying.

Not just a little cute girl sniffles, straight up bawling her eyes out. Obviously Rex can't take her home like that, so he ends up driving around a bit before settling on the only nice place he can think of.

Inspiration Point.

Daisy has just about cried herself out by this point. She has resorted to sniffing and wiping away whatever residue is left from her melt down. Rex waits a few minutes before launching into his interrogation.

"Wanna tell me what that was about?" he asks.

Daisy looks down at her hands and shakes her head. Rex nods. "This got anything to do with all that locker room gossip?" he asks and is immediately horrified that those words came out of his mouth. Oh god, his mother would have slapped him if she had heard that.

Daisy is staring at him now, her eyes narrowed. "Is that why you brought me here?" she shoots back. "Because you think I'm going to sleep with you? Well you have another thing coming BUSTER!"

Rex chuckles wryly at her. "No, that's not what I expect," he replies. "But since I saved you, you might as well tell me what I was saving you from."

Daisy sighs. "Ugh, fine! He got handsy alright? Obviously he heard the idle locker room gossip and figured I was that stupid floozy everyone thinks I am and got mad when I wouldn't sleep with him."

"Did he hurt you?" Rex asks through grit teeth.

"No, not much. Probably a few bruises on my arm but I'll live," she replies with a wave of her hand and then the two of them fall silent.

It's nice, just sitting there with the stars above them. Rex glancing out of the corner of his eyes to the girl who keep fiddling with her sweater sleeves. He wonders if she's cold, if he should ask her if she wants his jacket.

"It's not true, you know," she says suddenly. "I haven't slept with any of them. The most I've done is kiss some of them."

Rex find himself smiling. He felt a lot better about this, and about her.

"No boyfriend then?" he wonders.

"No, I'm waiting for the right guy to ask me out. He's just being a bit stubborn, but I'm sure he will eventually," she says with a smile. Those green eyes are on him again and he feel a bit of the happiness deflate in his chest. She wants someone else?

"I see," he whispers. "He's a driver then? Is that why you hang around the track?"

Daisy laughed. "Well he is a driver, but that's not why I hang around the Thunderhead," she tells him. Rex stares at her willing for her to go on, to explain why she's there. Maybe it's to see him after all. She smiles knowingly at him and then explains. "My dad works there, he's a tacky, looks after the cars when teams are down a man, that kind of thing."

Rex nods. Okay, so she wasn't going to Thunderhead for him. Beside him Daisy yawns and Rex find himself frowning.

"It's about time I got you home I suppose," he says and Daisy nods silently at him.

Her home is in a trailer park and he can tell she's a bit embarrassed by to have brought him there. Rex says nothing and hopes that he doesn't look like he's surprised that a nice girl came from a place like that.

"Thanks for everything, Rex," she says, sliding over and kissing him softly on the cheek. Rex longs to slide his mouth onto hers, to kiss her again and see if she could stop the world like she did before but he doesn't. She's had enough handsy jerks around her today, he doesn't need to be another one.

"Anytime, Daisy," he replies and then sits there and watches as she vanishes. Going into her trailer and shutting the door.

Only then does Rex drive away, wondering if he left a little bit of his heart there with her.

Rex kept an eye out for Daisy whenever he was at the track. And most of the time he found her easily in the crowd. She was there for all of his races and she quickly became his lucky charm. Though she didn't know that. All he needed to do was spot that mop of pale blonde hair and he knew that his time would be golden.

They talked very little, but each and every time they saw each other. They would exchange polite conversation but he found that mostly he ended up talking to her dad. Asking him about racing life and cars and sliding in a few questions about Daisy when he got the chance.

When he heard the others in the locker room talking about their so called exploits with her Rex was certain to pin them with a death glare to make them uncomfortable or call them out on their bullshit. It became well known that if you wanted to talk about Daisy Woods around Rex it better be something positive.

He was being super discrete about his interest in her, though. Or at least, he thought he was.

Then one day she wasn't there, not in the stands where she usually was. She hadn't missed one of his races yet, and it shook him not having his good luck charm there. Rex went on to come in second in his practice race. He walked out of the shower room and into a hushed conversation about the moves Daisy had in the bedroom and picked a fight. He got banned from the racing track for a week. Nothing really, compared to the damage he did, but it was enough for someone who lived to race like he did.

Before he left he asked other tackies about her dad.

Took a day off, they said. For his daughter's birthday.

Rex feels stupid. How could he not know that today was her birthday? Logically how could he have known? He didn't really talk to her, they hadn't traded any words or facts about one another. But really, there was only one thing to do about that.

Rex immediately went and bought her the biggest, most expensive bouquet of flowers and then drove up to the trailer park. He hesitantly knocks on the door. Daisy's dad opens it and smiles warmly down at him.

"Was wondering when you'd show up," he says with a smirk. Before Rex can say anything the older man turns and calls: "You got a visitor Lazy-Daisy!"

"DAD!" comes a high-pitched whine from inside the trailer. "I'm seventeen now, you can't keep calling me that!"

And then Daisy's standing in front of him. She's wearing a plain white dress that has lace detailing around the collar and shoulders. Her blonde hair is half pulled up but the half that's down is curling around her shoulders. Rex has never seen her look so lovely and he's just about lost all his words staring at her.

"Oh, Rex," she says, stepping down a few steps but not all of them. She's just a little taller than him so he has to look up into her eyes. She's smiling and that nervousness has tripled inside of him

"I heard it was your birthday," he says quickly, a blush forming on his cheeks. He thrusts the bouquet at her. "Happy Birthday."

Daisy accepts the flowers. A dozen white roses with daisies as accents. She smells them before smiling up to Rex. "I'll go put these into some water and then I'll come back out. Give me a minute," she says and then she's disappeared into the trailer.

Once she's gone again her father comes down the narrow steps and pins Rex with a stern glare.

"Now I know enough about you kid. You're a good boy, from a good family, but you're four years older than her son, and a bit of a hot head if I do say so. That's my little girl you got your eye on. And famous racer or not, you hurt her and I'll use every tool in my toolkit to take you apart you got it?" he warns and Rex feels like that's fair.

Rex bows his head in respect, to show that he's understood and he's taking this very seriously. "I have the utmost respect for your daughter, sir," he says quickly. "I would like to take her out tonight, with your permission. And hers of course."

"Well you'll have to ask her for hers, but I reckon you've got mine. For now," her father tells him and he finds himself smiling, feeling like he's passed some test.

Daisy appears and the smile returns to her father's face. She has put on some nice pink lipstick and added a bit of sparkling eyeshadow to her face as well as putting on brown ankle high boots with a bit of heel to make herself taller. She's smiling brightly at him, which just makes Rex smile even wider.

"You look lovely," he tells her as she makes her way down to him. "Would you be alright with going for a drive?"

Daisy nods and takes the arm her offers to her. He opens up the passenger side door for her and as she slides into the Mach 4 she turns to her father and calls out: "Don't wait up, Daddy!"

And then the two are driving off. This time Rex takes her purposely to Inspiration Point. Not because he expects to make a move, though if he manages to calm his nerves enough he might try, but because of the beautiful view. They sit in silence for a bit, while Rex tries to think of something smooth to say. Usually he doesn't have this much trouble.

"Thank you, so very much, for the flowers," she whispers.

Rex turns to her, liking how she looked bathed in moonlight. Liking how she looks in the passenger seat of the car "You're very welcome," he replies. "I'm glad you like them."

They sit in silence a little while longer before Rex turns to her and asks: "Did that driver ever end up asking you out?"

It's a stupid idea to ask her that now, in his car, when he wants nothing more than to kiss her. But he can't stop himself from asking, from wondering how this driver she was interested in hadn't quite figured out that this wonderfully beautiful girl wanted him.

"Sort of," she replies breathlessly and Rex's smile fades.

So some other guy was seeing her? Why the hell is she out with him, then? Dear God, if she called him a friend he'd never forgive her. "What do you mean sort of?"

Daisy shrugs. "Well, he's asked me to go out, but he hasn't officially asked me, you know, out," she explains.

Rex relaxes a little. Okay, so he has a chance to change her mind. He tries smiling at her and she ends up chuckling back at him. "And I assume, since you're here with me, that if someone else were to officially ask you out, you'd forget all about this other driver?" he asks with a big grin.

Daisy's head cocks to the side as if she's confused but a smile dawns on her pretty lips, a teasing sort of smile that heats his blood. "I guess it would depend on who's asking me," she replied. "This guy's pretty special."

Rex is frowning again. This isn't going as planned at all. Daisy shifts in her seat so she's facing him. "Rex, have you not figured out who the guy is?" she asks.

His eyes narrow at her. "How would I? You haven't told me anything about him or who he is," he growls.

She laughs him and while he's frustrated with her he can't help but love the sound of it. She takes a hold of his hand and squeezes it tightly. "Because it's you, you dummy."

For a moment Rex thinks that he might faint. All this time worrying about some other guy making a move and it was him she wanted? A smile stretches over his face and before she can say anything else he launches himself over the center console and is kissing her. His hands gripping the side of her face, his lips pressed against hers. He pulls back, because he doesn't intend to push her far, but her hands grip his shirt tightly and pull him back.

The kiss she initiated, is deeper and more intense than his and he doesn't care. Instead he lets it go where she wants it to go. He's just grateful that it's him; that this is happening.

When they finally pull apart Rex stares down into her giant glimmering green eyes. Like emeralds twinkling in the starlight. Rex finds he can't breathe, stunned by the beauty of her.

"I want you to be mine, Daisy," he whispers to her.

She smiles up to him and replies: "I already am."