Author's Note: Here's Speed Racer story number 7—I just can't stop coming up with stories for these characters. I got several requests to do a story about the twins growing up and although this is not exactly that, it does have them asking Speed and Trixie about their relationship. I actually got this idea as I was copying my Speed Racer tapes to do a swap with my good buddy RedLion2. I saw again how incredibly jealous Trixie always got when Speed was exercising his hero complex by rescuing several damsels in distress and after talking to some SR friends we all agreed that turnabout is fair play. So I wrote this story with Trixie's head being turned by a handsome stranger who becomes Speed's chief competitor on and off the track as he gets bitten by the Green-eyed Monster (something we would have like to have seen). And once more, I do not own Speed Racer, it is owned by Speed Racer Enterprises and DIC.

ALL'S FAIR

PROLOGUE

It was a typical Friday in early summer in 1986, the night sky dotted with the diamond pinpoints of stars glittering against a black velvet backdrop lit by a lush full moon. The balmy air was brushed with a gentle breeze that added a freshness to the air that did nothing to take away the early season warmth. The houses on the cul-de-sac were all dark silhouettes against the clime with an occasional blue glow of a television set in the living room or bedroom windows but most were dark shadows at the half past midnight hour.

The sprawling ranch at the end of the street was the exception, however as a couple sat on the stoop, bathed in the incandescent glow of the front light as they appeared to be standing vigil in the June night. The man, of average height yet lean and powerfully built in spite of being in his late thirties, periodically ran a nervous hand through his thick raven hair, now lightly shot through with some gray lending an air of distinction to his handsome face. He got up and paced like a caged tiger while the thirtysomething woman was just the opposite, seated serenely on the top stair of the stoop. She was very attractive with a chestnut colored bob and a slender figure despite being the mother of 16-year-old twins.

"What time is it, Trix?" Speed Racer, the famous Formula 1 racer asked his wife as he took a break from pacing.

Trixie Racer consulted her watch and replied with a sigh, "It's five minutes past the last time you asked me. You need to relax, Speed."

Her husband snorted, "How can I relax when my little baby's out with the captain of the football team and she's late coming home, huh? She's your daughter too, I would think that you'd be worried as well!"

Trixie got up and went over to place a soft hand on his shoulders to placate her worried husband. "Darling, our daughter is a very bright, level-headed girl who thanks to you, her brother, her uncles and her grandfather, packs a pretty mean punch. If that boy gets ideas, she'll put him in his place, you can be sure." She gently massaged his tense shoulders to calm him.

Her touch as always hath charms to soothe his savage breast and he relented to her tender ministrations. Speed sighed as he said, "I know baby, but I can't help worrying. Victori's still my little girl."

Their attention was drawn by the approach of a car up the street. The twin beacons of the auto's headlights came into view as a '71 Dodge Challenger convertible with the top down rumbled up the driveway and its growl silenced as the driver cut the motor.

Speed's cobalt eyes narrowed as he muttered, "Well, it's about time!"

Trixie shushed him as they approached the young couple exiting the vehicle. The young man was tall and muscular with golden hair and golden brown eyes. He went over to the passenger side and assisted the girl who was a direct contrast with her father's coal tresses and startlingly blue eyes. Like her mother, she was delicately pretty.

"Hi Mom, hi Daddy," Victori Racer said brightly to her waiting parents.

Speed glared at his daughter and said sternly, "And where have you been, young lady? You're 45 minutes past your curfew."

"But Daddy, we were held up by some cars leaving the dance. Besides, it's not a school night," Victori protested. "Brian tried to get out of the parking lot but traffic was all backed up."

"That's right, Mr. Racer, sir," Brian Wheeler, star quarterback and son of racer Guts Wheeler stammered to the darkly frowning visage of the famous racer. "Victori and I were coming right home after the dance like you said."

Speed glared at the young man and said icily, "I wasn't speaking to you, I was asking my daughter. Good night, Brian." He dismissed the nervous young man with a wave of his hand.

Victori glowered at her father as she sided up to Brian and said sotto voce, "You'd better split. Call me tomorrow."

"Are you gonna be okay?" Brian asked as he cast an uneasy eye at the simmering champion racer.

"Yeah. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay, babe." The two exchanged a chaste kiss and then Brian jumped behind the wheel, started the car, gunned it down the driveway and screeched away.

Speed watched as the youth drove away and then without a word turned and went into the house, slamming the screen door as his wife and daughter exchanged glances

Trixie approached her daughter and suggested calmly, "I think we'd better head inside to discuss this."

Her own temper a mirror image of her progenitor's without a word, Victori stormed past her mother and headed into the house. . .

"Now Victori, I want to know, where were you?"

Victori felt her own ire rise and she eyed her father unflinchingly. "I just told you, we were tied up in traffic. Sorry Dad, Brian's car doesn't have an Autojack like the Mach 5." Her sarcasm was evident as Speed's cobalt eyes flashed.

"Watch it. You'll speak to me with respect, little girl or else! This is the third time you've defied the curfew and now you're grounded for two weeks!" Speed snapped.

"Two weeks?" she said incredulously.

"That's what I said."

Victori's azure eyes widened as she said in dismay, "But Brian and I are going to the beach tomorrow with a bunch of the kids."

"Is that so? Well, sorry but they'll be going without you 'cause as of right now you're grounded." Speed stood there, arms folded and eyes closed, his usual obstinate stance indicating he was digging his heels in.

"Mom!" Victori protested to Trixie but she sided with Speed.

"Your father's right, Victori," she said firmly. "You're just 16 and you can't come in at nearly one o'clock in the morning. You need to be aware of your curfew and follow it. Three times breaking it is unacceptable."

Victori entreated to Trixie, "But Mom I told you and Daddy why I was late those other times. I can't help it if the kids don't want to leave when I have to. I'm not the one doing the driving." She lowered her head as she stood chastised.

"Then you call me and I'll come get you," Speed interjected. "If the other kids want to give their parents grief that's their business. Ours is you." He approached his daughter and lifted her chin gently as he continued, "Listen sweetheart, times have changed. It's not like it was when your mom and I were going together, there are things that kids your age are doin' that back then never even crossed our minds."

Trixie, who was flanking Victori's side, raised an eyebrow significantly at her husband but he ignored her as he went on, "Victori, honey we love you and want what's best for you. And we have no objection to Brian, he's the son of one of my old friends but still you need to really make him aware that you have to be home a specific time."

Victori looked at both her parents. "I know but I'm the only one in our group that has to be in at midnight on the weekends. It's embarrassing. Besides," she added, "Cam doesn't have to be home at midnight and he's the same age. It's not fair."

At that statement the sound of the Mach 5 roaring up the driveway interrupted the exchange. After revving the powerful motor a few times Cam Racer leapt over the side like his dad and came into the house.

"Hi Mom, hi Dad, hi Sis," the Racer's son said airily as he entered the living room. He was a tall, classically handsome boy with his mother's coloring and his father's good looks. Cam noticed the agitated faces of his family and plopped down on the sofa, stretching his legs out indolently as he yawned. "What's up?"

Trixie glanced at the clock on the mantle over the fireplace as she responded, "It's five after one, Cam. You were supposed to be home at 12:30, where were you?"

Cam yawned again as his father's cobalt orbs bored into him. "We're waiting, sport. Where the hell were you?"

"Well, I had to wait for Jessica's parents to get home. She forgot her key and I didn't want to leave her alone to wait for them to get home to get inside the house so I waited with her."

Speed nodded as he said, "That was a decent thing to do, son. Never leave a girl alone late at night, it could be dangerous for her." He patted Cam on the shoulder in a fatherly fashion.

"Thanks, Dad," Cam said as he met his sister's glare evenly.

Trixie said nothing but Victori's cobalt eyes were flashing as she absorbed what had been a commonplace occurrence in her family as long as she could remember. Her brother always seemed to get away with things that she'd get nailed for, as her parents believed any excuse he had. At least with her father that was the case. Who knew why it was like that except it was her theory that it was because she was the only girl in a family that had all boys. Her Uncle Rex and his wife Lorraine had two sons and her Uncle Spritle and Aunt Delicia were just newlyweds and had no children yet. Still she intended to fearlessly voice her protest in spite of the repercussions.

Victori stood with arms akimbo as she scoffed, "And there it is, folks the famous Racer double standard. What's sauce for the gander is never sauce for the goose."

Speed regarded his daughter sourly. "Your brother had a good excuse for being late, Victori. Your excuses are just based on carelessness and a blatant disregard for our rules."

"Because they're bogus! If Cam gets to stay out till 12:30, so should I!"

Speed strode over and got in his daughter's face. He spoke in a low and measured voice, "Victori, if you keep fighting us on this, your grounding will be extended. It's at two weeks now, care to make it three?"

Victori saw defeat so she flounced over to the couch and flopped down next to Cam. "I still think it's grossly unfair. Why does Cam get to stay out longer?"

Speed folded his arms and peered down at his offspring. "Because he's a boy and boys can't get into the kind of trouble that girls can after midnight."

"Oh really, Daddy?" Victori said hotly. "And who do you think we girls get into trouble with?"

In the face of their daughter's continued defiance Trixie saw her husband's eyes narrow dangerously and his cool demeanor start to crumble so she intervened before he could erupt. She said firmly, "Okay that's it! We've had this conversation to death and when we started all this about different cutoff times for the two of you I knew that this would happen. Speed, I agree with Victori, Cam should be home at the same time as his sister. They're both only 16 and they should both be home at midnight, no excuses."

It was now Cam's turn to protest. "Gee Mom that's not fair, I'm older than she is."

Trixie retorted, "By 12 minutes you are older. But that doesn't give you the right to claim privileges based on that."

Cam jumped up and confronted Trixie. "You're wrong to do this, Mom!"

"Don't you dare yell at your mother!" Speed commanded. "She has a point, you're both too young to stay out till the early morning hours."

"But Dad," Cam entreated. "I haven't broken my curfew, tonight was the first time I was late and you even said it was a good excuse. So why should I have to come in earlier, you even said that girls can get into worse trouble than guys. So Vicki should be in before me 'cause I'm a man."

Now Trixie's eyes narrowed as she spoke to her son. "Cameron Racer, that should make no difference. And you're not a man yet."

"I agree that girls should be watched more carefully," Speed said matter-of-factly. "But you both are only 16 and the rule is you both be in by midnight." He then tried to placate his daughter. "Victori, we just want to protect you, guys your age are only interested in one thing, being with as many girls as they can so they can brag to their buddies. Especially jocks."

"Just like you were," Trixie pointed out.

Speed whirled and regarded his wife in dismay. "I may have had a wandering eye but in the end I was completely devoted to you, you know that." He came to her and grasped her shoulders as he added, "You were always jealous, but you never had a reason to be, it was always you for me."

"Sometimes I wondered," she said wryly.

Both twins saw the conflict switch over to Speed and Trixie and intrigued as they always were about their parents' long relationship they became curious. Besides, it appeared as if the discussion was taking a turn away from them so they encouraged the attention shift.

"Mom, was Daddy really with a lot of girls?" Victori asked, her azure eyes wide.

"I wouldn't say that!" Speed protested but Trixie nodded.

"Oh he was quite the heartthrob. Girls constantly threw themselves at him and he usually just stood there and enjoyed it."

"Oh yeah? Way to go, Dad!" Cam crowed in approval then quieted down at the green fire in his mother's eyes shot his way.

Speed hurried to defend himself. "It's true that girls did flock around me but I was a champion racer and they were drawn to that. Besides," he scoffed, "Your mother wasn't exactly a wallflower either." He eyed Trixie meaningfully as she lowered her head. "There was one time especially that her head was turned by a guy that was nothing but a big phony."

Now it was Trixie's turn to be sheepish as she responded, "Humph! Well, as I recall I was attracted to Gary because you were too busy to bother with me."

This piqued the twins' interest even more. "Really? Tell us," Victori beseeched.

"Yeah," Cam echoed.

Speed and Trixie exchanged looks and she began. . . .

NEXT-CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

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