Almost Shattered Chapter 15: Trying to Forget the Fear, a speed racer fanfic

Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter:
Oriana-Thanks so much. Keep updating your stories going!
Stephane-Thanks for the nice e-mail. They're always encouraging.
Gold Angel-Thank you for your nice words. I can't wait till you are ready to post your SR story. Without a doubt, I know it will be great.
Dee-We'll have to see if Speed will race again in the chapter after this one. Sorry for the wait.
Lauren Williams-I'm happy that you are so happy when I update.
Jenny-I'm a sucker for romance.
Joey's Girl-You're probably right about that danger thing.
Anonymous-You'll get some more information in this chapter.
Aeroshockwave-Read and find out more. Update your story!
Stardreamer-You are a kick! Things will be heating up, but more so in the chapter after this one.

Chapter 15: Trying to Forget the Fear

Everyone was upstairs except for Speed and Trixie who were still sitting on the sofa. Pops had decided they needed some time alone together to try to get over the horrible ordeal they had been through. The two were each in their own worlds as they sat next to each other in deep thought.

Speed stared at the split the knife had made in the sofa and scared wasn't a strong enough word to describe how he had felt when he saw the knife sticking out of it right before the look alike had snuck up behind him and made him pass out. Now Speed was so relieved that it was over, and that he didn't have to worry about the look alike hurting him or anyone else anymore. A peace came over him knowing that he could begin living once again like a normal person.

Trixie's head was on his shoulder as she thought differently than Speed. She didn't yet feel peaceful. The memory of the look alike's rough kiss and even the smell of him was hard to forget. What he had planned to do to her still scared the life out of her. The last thing she expected was the look alike sneaking into Speed's room to attempt to assault her. As if needing to be assured that she was safe now, she tightened her grip on Speed's hand.

He squeezed it back and then let his thumb begin to brush back and forth over her smaller hand so thankful that she hadn't been hurt.

Unfortunately the darkness of the night still had Trixie very nervous. She now knew just how Speed had felt when he thought the look alike was around every corner waiting to hurt him. In hopes of feeling better in the morning, she closed her eyes to try to force herself into sleep. It took awhile but eventually she did fall asleep.

Speed was still awake as he slipped his hand under his PJ shirt. Touching his scar, he knew he had been blessed to survive the beating he had received from the look alike. In fact, he had been blessed in two extra ways since that horrible day. First he had been blessed to find out that Rex had been around as Racer X. Second he had been blessed to find out that Trixie had returned his feelings. For so long he had imagined her being more than friends to him and now that she was more, it was even better than what he had imagined. A smile crossed his face as he felt her head getting heavier on his shoulder.

Trixie was getting deeper and deeper into sleep as a dream of hers started to develop.

Laying his head on Trixie's, Speed was just about to drift off himself when her nightmare stopped him.

"You're not Speed," she said clearly distressed. "Don't touch me!"

Speed lifted his head and then took her face into both of his hands. "Trixie, wake up. You're dreaming."

She opened her eyes looking scared till she recognized Speed's eyes, and then she hugged him not saying a word.

"You're trembling," he said holding her close; not wanting her to be scared.

"Please. Just hold me," she said only wanting to think of her boyfriend now. With all of her might she pushed the look alike out of her mind.

Speed tightened his arms around her and whispered into her ear, "I'll hold you all night."

With that, she closed her eyes feeling safe and protected in his arms.

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"Speedy," Spritle whispered patting his older brother on the arm.

Speed felt too content to move, to speak, or to even open his eyes as he lay on his back on the sofa. He felt nothing but Trixie's warm body cuddled very close to his side, with her arm around him. Her face was so close to his that he could hear her breathing. Smiling, he decided he could stay with her like this forever.

"Speedy," Spritle whispered again in an attempt to wake him up.

Speed opened his eyes wide, blinking back the brightness of the sun that was coming in through the windows in the den. He remembered lying back on the sofa with Trixie in his arms the night before. After she was asleep, he had intended on moving to the recliner but found that he couldn't pull himself away from her. Now he didn't know what to say as he looked back at his little brother and Chim Chim.

"Speed," Spritle whispered yet again. "What are you and Trixie doing?"

Noticing the quietness in the house, Speed was thankful that his parents were apparently still asleep. He knew they had to be exhausted from the experience of the long night before.

Upon folding his arms, Spritle whispered, "I'm waiting for you to tell me what you and Trixie are doing, Speed." Chim Chim began to jump up and down as if demanding an answer as well.

Finally Speed came up with an explanation and whispered, "Trixie had a nightmare. Don't you sometimes get into Mom and Pops's bed after you have a nightmare?"

"Yeah," Spritle said now embarrassed of that.

"Well…Trixie was scared so she...came by me."

"She doesn't look scared anymore," Spritle said. Almost sounding jealous of the attention his brother was giving Trixie, he added. "Does she think you're a big stuffed animal or something?"

Speed could only imagine what they looked like to Spritle. Pops would kill him if he knew that Spritle found them this way. "Trixie," Speed whispered, but she didn't move so he whispered her name again.

Trixie smiled not opening her eyes as she snuggled closer to Speed. She had been so determined to only think about him the night before that she dreamt nothing but sweet dreams of him.

Spritle watched as she nuzzled her face into Speed's neck. Spritle then began to giggle, not irritated anymore as he said, "She really does think you're a big teddy bear."

Because of Spritle's giggling, Trixie opened her eyes and quickly lifted her head. Looking down, she saw Speed smiling at her. She then began to sit up afraid of what Mom Racer and Pops would do to them if they were found this way.

Speed too sat up knowing just what she was thinking because Pops had clearly forgotten about the two of them being alone downstairs on the sofa.

Not much later, everyone was up and dressed. There was such relief in the house now - everything not as locked up like it was a prison.

After lunch, Speed and Trixie walked outside to enjoy the outside air.

"Are you feeling better?" Speed asked as he pulled Trixie to sit down next to him on the swing.

"Yes," she said nonchalantly. "I just kind of…freaked out last night."

"I can understand why," he said trying to imagine how she felt when she realized that the look alike was the one on the mattress with her.

"I just want to forget what happened," she said putting on a brave smile before turning her face away.

"It's okay. I know how you feel," Speed said after seeing her forced smile. After putting his hand on her chin, he turned her face back to his and said, "There are things I want to forget too."

She knew he meant the first encounter he had with the look alike. Seeing Speed just after he had arrived at the hospital that horrible day had been the worst day of her life, especially not knowing if he was going to make it.

Seeing that she was in deep thought, Speed decided to interrupt by placing his lips on hers for a soft kiss. After the kiss, he moved his face just an inch or two away from hers and whispered, "Everything is different now, Trix. No more worrying."

She wondered if he knew the power his touch and eyes had over her. "No more worrying," she whispered back as she tilted her head for a deeper kiss.

Speed leaned to her and their lips were just about to touch till Pops yelled, "Speed! Trixie! Come see this!"

Their eyes opened wide as they let out deep breaths. "Damn it," Speed whispered making her smile back.

"I second that," she said trying to shake the feeling of wanting to kiss him. "I guess we should go see what Pops wants."

"Yeah," Speed said as they both stood up. "We'll never hear the end of it if we don't," he said putting his arm around Trixie's shoulders.

Her arm went around his waist as they headed back to the house to see what Pops was going to gripe about now.

"Hurry up!" Pops yelled out the door.

"I think I really need to get my own place," Speed mumbled as they walked into the house.

"I can't believe it," Mom Racer said in surprise.

"What?" Speed asked after hearing Mom Racer's worried voice.

"Look at the TV," she said not taking her eyes off of it.

Speed and Trixie both looked to see the look alike.

"What the hell!" Speed exclaimed taking his arm from around Trixie as he moved closer to the TV. Trixie then walked over to Mom Racer.

The look alike was a guest on a talk show.

With anger, Speed said, "Do you think someone could have told us about this!"

Suddenly the host from the show appeared on the TV screen. "If you have just tuned in, we will be interviewing who we have all come to know as, the look alike, live from prison," the host said as if taking credit for the arrest. "If you have been watching the news, you know who the look alike thinks he is." Turning to the screen that showed the look alike in prison, the host said, "Can you hear me?"

The look alike didn't answer at first but then he said, "My name is Speed Racer."

Speed watched him closely still finding it hard to believe how much the look alike did look like him.

"Okay," the host said. "Could you tell us why you think you are Speed Racer?"

"I don't think it. I know it," the look alike said calmly.

Pops folded his arms as he said, "At least he doesn't sound like you, son."

"Shhh," Speed only let out as he continued to stare at the screen.

The look alike began to speak, "I tried to tell my father that I knew I was Speed Racer but he wouldn't listen."

"Didn't your father make you look like Speed Racer?" the host asked.

The look alike was quiet for a few seconds before he said, "He helped me to look this way, and once all of the operations were finished, I knew I was meant to be who I am...Speed Racer."

The host made a face, which expressed that he knew the look alike was insane. "Then who was the young man you tied to the tree and beat?"

"He's trying to be me," the look alike said still unruffled.

"Aren't you trying to be him?" the host asked.

"I grew up wanting to be a racer," the look alike said now getting upset. "My father knew that as well!"

"Your father had money. Why didn't you just become a racecar driver yourself?"

"Because," the look alike said calming down. "I wanted to be the best."

"The best meaning...Speed Racer?" the host asked.

"I told my father I would kill myself if he didn't help me to look like Speed."

"But you said you are Speed," the host said.

"I AM!" the look alike exclaimed coming unglued. "His life is mine. I want the car. I want the glory of winning. I even want his girlfriend."

Chills ran down Trixie's spine, while Speed wanted to put his foot through the TV.

"So," the reporter said like the look alike was nuts. "Let me get this straight. Your father helped you to become Speed Racer in fear that you might kill yourself if he didn't, and now you think you are Speed Racer?"

"I don't think it! I know it!" The look alike roared back. Then after calming himself down yet again, he said, "Being Speed made my father proud because he was obsessed with Speed Racer and his career."

"But you killed your father," the host said flabbergasted.

In a much calmer voice, the look alike said, "I had to do that. I didn't want to really. It's just that he was ready to go to the police. I wasn't going to go to jail for defending who I am."

"Well, well, well...look where you are now," the host said happily.

"Mark my words," the look alike said leaning closer to the camera. "I WILL GET OUT OF HERE!"

It was as if the look alike was really looking at Speed as Speed stared back at the screen.

Suddenly a policeman announced that the interview was over and then he started to pull the look alike away.

"Oh well," the host said, "I was just about to ask him who Speed Racer's girlfriend is. The only girl I've seen him with just before all of this happened was his navigator and spotter, Trixie. I wonder if he met a pretty nurse while he was in the hospital."

"Turn it off," Speed said aggravated.

"He's insane," Trixie said not needing any more proof.

Pops nodded his head agreeing and said, "He was upset at the attention his father gave Speed I guess."

"Yes," Mom Racer said. "He was obsessed with Speed's career."

"Well," Speed said furiously. "I don't have to worry about that happening again because I won't be racing anymore!"

"What!" Pops said blowing his top.