Thanks for the reviews; they make me want to write even more Trex fics. :)
To answer a question:
We'll say Pride came to be with the Mallrats far earlier than the show's timeline, he ambled in with Amber as a close friend. In Part One, my Author's Notes pretty much explain that when I started this fic with Bunny I hadn't really watched much Tribe, and especially not the early season, hence everyone drifts in and out. Please forgive, next time it'll be better :) On with the reading!
Part 6
Lex walked into Trudy's empty room, the warm, welcoming decoration was a common site nowadays. He didn't even knock anymore. Stocked in his memory now were countless days they'd been holed up in here, talking, laughing, and avoiding the Tribe Leaders on general terms. He kicked the ball KC had left in there yesterday when he had dragged his brother off for something, and heard Trudy sniffle like she had just noticed him.
Looking at the blanket piled on the bed he saw that the room wasn't empty after all. Trudy's long hair peeked out beside the ruffled cover. He walked around the bed and sat next to her spot on the floor. She was curled to her side, crying and with her head lying on the mattress.
"D'ya need me to hold your hair back?" he teased gently, gesturing to the waist-length violet tresses.
She shook her head sadly, fresh tears adding to the already-tear-stained cheeks.
"What's wrong?" he frowned, concerned. He wasn't one for a lot of physical contact unless it was the most primal of instincts, but he reached out for her, covering her hand with his.
"I'm... late..." she whispered.
"Late for wha---" but Lex cut himself off, eyes widening. "You mean you're...?"
Trudy nodded silently. "I was so dumb, I didn't even notice!"
"I'm guessing by the tears it ain't Bray's," he said bluntly. He knew what the leader had meant to Trudy - perhaps still meant to her? She'd confessed the extent of her crush over the passage of time, and although she had now stumbled her way over the infatuation, when she spoke of it she still said it in a wisp of sweetness, remembering the old days.
Trudy had revealed a lot of things to Lex, and wanted to tell him even more -- But she couldn't, nothing about Zoot passed her lips, she even mentioned him as 'her friend' when speaking of before the virus. That lapse in judgment was not something she wanted to rehash. She couldn't lose Lex, and telling of her mistake might, it was like turning her back on the Mallrats.
She knew that he always laid his loyalty to his family - but he had also let her in on all the times he'd been betrayed in his life, and he might take what she did to his heart as yet another one. She wasn't going to hurt him again, or lose him. He was the best friend she'd had in a long time. And now, when she was going through all this and he was there.
Maybe he was the best friend she ever had.
What could she say?
"No, it's not, " she admitted with a sniffle. "But it doesn't matter who it was, it is mine alone. He was just a mistake."
Lex nodded like he'd been there a time or two. At least he had the luxury of not getting pregnant.
"Lex, I . . . I was feeling so horrible that night. Completely unlovable and worthless . . . I was so stupid. I just . . . Lex, what am I going to do? I'm so . . . "
He watched the myriad of emotions pass and it hurt him to see her feel like that. To imagine what she was feeling when she did it. Worthless. He'd heard that word thrown at him a time or two. It felt like shit.
Lex moved closer, putting his arm around her shoulders and drawing her to him. She sniffled and settled her head on his shoulder as she grabbed a handful of his shirt and held back a sob.
"It will be okay... I promise..." he shushed into her hair...
She settled herself against him, feeling the security of his embrace, and hoping he was right.
~*~
Two days later, Lex found KC fishing at the tunnel and sat next to him.
"Hey, kiddo," he said softly. He hadn't seen him since morning, when he left for the early security checks with Bray. He wasn't on his toes though, thankfully Bray had been on the ball, carefully checking everything. Trudy had dominated Lex's mind, his thoughts retreating to yesterday when he once again held her as she sobbed into his chest. Hours had passed until she fell asleep and he managed to lay her onto her bed and retreat to his own room, bogged down with thoughts.
He'd still gone back today, peeking in her room before meeting Bray to find her asleep, her make-up ruined and running.
"Hey," KC smiled. "I've got three fish already; I should have enough for dinner for everyone soon."
"Good, good for you," Lex said weakly.
"What's the matter?" KC frowned, picking up on the dazed look and tone. His big brother had been weird for a couple days now, but whenever he tried to find out what was wrong Lex shrugged him off and went back to staring into space.
"I... you like Trudy, right?" Lex asked him guardedly.
"Sure; she's great," he nodded, wondering where that came from. "Why?"
"Well, see..." Lex cut himself off as KC glanced over. Lex wasn't sure how to bring up the question, so he felt it was better to spit it out. "What if I were to ask her to marry me?"
"You're getting MARRIED???" KC burst out, shocked.
"No! God, no... I'm just asking how you would FEEL about the idea before I ask HER, 'cause... if you don't like it, I won't?"
Lex looked at his brother who was briefly contemplating this. It was a hasty thing to spring on him. *He'd* only come up with a few hours ago. But what better solution could there be? He liked Trudy, he considered her a close friend, what would be so bad about them being married?
Was he crazy?
He didn't want to think about it.
"Oh..." KC nodded, calming slightly. "Well... I like Trudy. Lots. I think it'd be great," he smiled.
Lex sighed, relieved, wondering how he was gonna convince Trudy, and explain to the kiddo about becoming an uncle...
TBC . . .
We'll say Pride came to be with the Mallrats far earlier than the show's timeline, he ambled in with Amber as a close friend. In Part One, my Author's Notes pretty much explain that when I started this fic with Bunny I hadn't really watched much Tribe, and especially not the early season, hence everyone drifts in and out. Please forgive, next time it'll be better :) On with the reading!
Part 6
Lex walked into Trudy's empty room, the warm, welcoming decoration was a common site nowadays. He didn't even knock anymore. Stocked in his memory now were countless days they'd been holed up in here, talking, laughing, and avoiding the Tribe Leaders on general terms. He kicked the ball KC had left in there yesterday when he had dragged his brother off for something, and heard Trudy sniffle like she had just noticed him.
Looking at the blanket piled on the bed he saw that the room wasn't empty after all. Trudy's long hair peeked out beside the ruffled cover. He walked around the bed and sat next to her spot on the floor. She was curled to her side, crying and with her head lying on the mattress.
"D'ya need me to hold your hair back?" he teased gently, gesturing to the waist-length violet tresses.
She shook her head sadly, fresh tears adding to the already-tear-stained cheeks.
"What's wrong?" he frowned, concerned. He wasn't one for a lot of physical contact unless it was the most primal of instincts, but he reached out for her, covering her hand with his.
"I'm... late..." she whispered.
"Late for wha---" but Lex cut himself off, eyes widening. "You mean you're...?"
Trudy nodded silently. "I was so dumb, I didn't even notice!"
"I'm guessing by the tears it ain't Bray's," he said bluntly. He knew what the leader had meant to Trudy - perhaps still meant to her? She'd confessed the extent of her crush over the passage of time, and although she had now stumbled her way over the infatuation, when she spoke of it she still said it in a wisp of sweetness, remembering the old days.
Trudy had revealed a lot of things to Lex, and wanted to tell him even more -- But she couldn't, nothing about Zoot passed her lips, she even mentioned him as 'her friend' when speaking of before the virus. That lapse in judgment was not something she wanted to rehash. She couldn't lose Lex, and telling of her mistake might, it was like turning her back on the Mallrats.
She knew that he always laid his loyalty to his family - but he had also let her in on all the times he'd been betrayed in his life, and he might take what she did to his heart as yet another one. She wasn't going to hurt him again, or lose him. He was the best friend she'd had in a long time. And now, when she was going through all this and he was there.
Maybe he was the best friend she ever had.
What could she say?
"No, it's not, " she admitted with a sniffle. "But it doesn't matter who it was, it is mine alone. He was just a mistake."
Lex nodded like he'd been there a time or two. At least he had the luxury of not getting pregnant.
"Lex, I . . . I was feeling so horrible that night. Completely unlovable and worthless . . . I was so stupid. I just . . . Lex, what am I going to do? I'm so . . . "
He watched the myriad of emotions pass and it hurt him to see her feel like that. To imagine what she was feeling when she did it. Worthless. He'd heard that word thrown at him a time or two. It felt like shit.
Lex moved closer, putting his arm around her shoulders and drawing her to him. She sniffled and settled her head on his shoulder as she grabbed a handful of his shirt and held back a sob.
"It will be okay... I promise..." he shushed into her hair...
She settled herself against him, feeling the security of his embrace, and hoping he was right.
~*~
Two days later, Lex found KC fishing at the tunnel and sat next to him.
"Hey, kiddo," he said softly. He hadn't seen him since morning, when he left for the early security checks with Bray. He wasn't on his toes though, thankfully Bray had been on the ball, carefully checking everything. Trudy had dominated Lex's mind, his thoughts retreating to yesterday when he once again held her as she sobbed into his chest. Hours had passed until she fell asleep and he managed to lay her onto her bed and retreat to his own room, bogged down with thoughts.
He'd still gone back today, peeking in her room before meeting Bray to find her asleep, her make-up ruined and running.
"Hey," KC smiled. "I've got three fish already; I should have enough for dinner for everyone soon."
"Good, good for you," Lex said weakly.
"What's the matter?" KC frowned, picking up on the dazed look and tone. His big brother had been weird for a couple days now, but whenever he tried to find out what was wrong Lex shrugged him off and went back to staring into space.
"I... you like Trudy, right?" Lex asked him guardedly.
"Sure; she's great," he nodded, wondering where that came from. "Why?"
"Well, see..." Lex cut himself off as KC glanced over. Lex wasn't sure how to bring up the question, so he felt it was better to spit it out. "What if I were to ask her to marry me?"
"You're getting MARRIED???" KC burst out, shocked.
"No! God, no... I'm just asking how you would FEEL about the idea before I ask HER, 'cause... if you don't like it, I won't?"
Lex looked at his brother who was briefly contemplating this. It was a hasty thing to spring on him. *He'd* only come up with a few hours ago. But what better solution could there be? He liked Trudy, he considered her a close friend, what would be so bad about them being married?
Was he crazy?
He didn't want to think about it.
"Oh..." KC nodded, calming slightly. "Well... I like Trudy. Lots. I think it'd be great," he smiled.
Lex sighed, relieved, wondering how he was gonna convince Trudy, and explain to the kiddo about becoming an uncle...
TBC . . .