Chapter 24 - Part 2

"You sure you got everything, honey?" Paladin Maverick asked his daughter who was just in the process of uploading the last of Pops Racer's files to her laptop.

"Yup. Even got some horrid public relations thing that Speed wrote. It's just awful and so sappy."

"Well, once we get what we need, you can delete all that nonsense," Paladin said.

"Oh, Ah certainly will, Daddy."

Paladin laughed. "Ah'm sure you'll want to forget everything about that boy once we're gone."

"Ah think I might need to bleach my brain after..." Dallas didn't finish the sentence as she could hear the front door opening and footsteps coming down the hall.

"Hi Honey, I'm home!" Speed called out in the voice of a sitcom Dad, followed by a giggle.

"Ingrate..." Dallas muttered before raising her voice. "I'm in Daddy's office, Sweetpea!"

Speed ducked his head in the room. "Hey babe, I'm gonna take a shower so I can be fresh and clean for my girl."

Dallas put on her best smile. "And sexy, sugar, don't forget that!" As soon as she heard the bathroom door shut, her expression turned to one of disgust. "Ew," she said, "One more night and this horror will finally be over."

"Tomorrow at this time we'll be in the Bahamas enjoying the good life," Paladin said, raising an imaginary glass to his daughter.

"Cheers!" Dallas said, doing the same. "Ah guess after ol' stupid gets out of the shower Ah'll have to put on mah act again."

"Ya'll deserve an academy award for your performance, kitten. At least, you won't have to play too long tonight, not after Ah make a special night cap for him."

"Ah appreciate that, Daddy. Anything so that Ah won't have to spend the whole night with him clumsily pawing at me. Blech!" she said sticking out her tongue.

---

"Sigh... You were wonderful, as always," Dallas said, as Speed pulled her closer to him.

"You were...unbelievable!" He exclaimed. "I never dreamed a girl could make me feel this way. I'm a lucky man... so lucky!"

Dallas grinned. "No, Ah'm the lucky one, darlin'. You should only know how jealous the other girls on my team are of us. Who could blame them? You are the handsomest, smartest man in the world. Who wouldn't be jealous of any woman fortunate enough to be your lover?" She watched as a blush slowly crossed his face. Lord, it was so easy to manipulate him. He was so trusting of others. When her father offered to make him a special protein drink, he eagerly accepted it. Little did he know what beverage's true nature was.

Speed stifled a yawn. "Gosh, I thought after downing that protein drink I'd be full of energy. But instead, I feel like I could go to sleep at any minute."

"Well, you did exert yourself way too much, darlin'," Dallas purred as she ran her hand up and down his chest. "Although," she leaned over and kissed him, "Ah'd say it was well worth it."

"It certainly was," he said, his voice soft and tired-sounding. "I just thought I'd have more stamina..." He found that he had to force his eyes to stay open.

"Sweetpea you just rest for a while and soon you'll be all ready to go again." She brushed a stray hair from his forehead and watched as he passed out from her father's powerful concoction.

"Ah'm glad that's over with," Dallas said. She shook her head as she stared at his sleeping form. "Stupid child. That's all you ever were, a silly, immature little boy. Oh you are as cute as a button, but hardly close to being a man. Well Ah'm sure this will be a growing experience for you, Speedy. Maybe next time you'll think with your brain instead of your groin and not be so trusting of women."

She threw a blanket over his naked body and left the room.

"He's out like a light, Daddy," she said to Paladin who was busy packing boxes with files and other paperwork.

"Good. We can get our stuff out of here while the boy is sleeping and be long gone before he wakes up."

"Remember that little message we gotta leave him, Daddy," she said.

Paladin grinned. "Got everything set up. After we get done with packin' we'll do it. Now, Ah left some suitcases on my bed so if you could pack our clothes, Ah'd really 'prectiate it."

"Sure thing, Daddy." She giggled as an idea hit her. "Ah think Ah'll pack his stuff, too. Won't that be a hoot when he wakes up to find out that he's got nothin' to wear?"

"Aw, don't be that cruel, kitten. At least leave him some underwear and maybe his robe."

Dallas pouted. "Oh, you're no fun, Daddy!"

"Now sugar, he'll have enough to worry about when he figures out what we did to him and his old man."

Dallas laughed. "How Ah'd love to be a fly on the wall when he tells his Daddy. Ah bet he cries like a baby after his old man wallops him one!"

"We'll never know. Ah want to be clear out of the country before that happens. And we won't be unless we get out butts in gear and clean this place out."

"Sure thing, Daddy. Ah'll have everything done in two shakes of a lamb's tale. Bahamas here we come!"

---

Speed woke up feeling a bit woozy. "Eleven o'clock," he noted as he checked his watch. "Why'd she let me sleep so late? She knew I wanted to watch her practice." He smiled as he remembered how incredible she had been last night. "That had to be the best yet. She was a tigress!" A loud clap of thunder shook him from his reverie. "Oh, so that's it. She didn't practice today because of the weather. I guess she decided to let me sleep in for once."

He arose from the bed, the floor creaking under the weight of his body. The sound echoed throughout the house. "Man, it's quiet in here today." There was a sudden empty feeling inside him. Something wasn't right. The house seemed incredibly still. "Dallas?" he called out, wondering where she was. "Probably taking a shower. Hehe... I'll sneak up on her and surprise her!"

Grabbing his robe, he tiptoed down the hall and stopped outside the bathroom. "Hey, babe!" he said as he opened the door. The room was empty. It was obvious from the lack of steam that the shower hadn't been used recently.

The eerie silence caused a chill to run down his spine. Usually, the smell of breakfast cooking would emanate from the kitchen, Paladin singing along with the country music station. This morning that room was empty, just like the bathroom. "What's going on here? Did they go out somewhere and forget to wake me?" He glanced about the room noticing that things were out of place.

A quick check of the living room revealed that the drawers of the end tables were open, the contents spilled to the floor. In the den the desk drawers were also askew. Paper work was strewn everywhere.

"The hell?" he said. "My God, we've been robbed! Dallas!" He ran down the hall to her room. Hoping against hope that maybe she was hiding from the crooks. "Honey, where are you?" He pulled open her bedroom door. That room, too, was a mess. The dresser drawers lay on the floor, the contents gone. The closet once filled with expensive shoes and clothing, now stood empty.

"Dear lord, what is going on?" Had the burglars kidnapped Dallas and her father?

As he was about to leave the room and search the rest of the house he noticed a package on her dresser. A card that simply read, Speed was attached to it. He tore open the gaily-decorated gift paper to find a videotape. "What's this?" he wondered. He had a hunch that before he did anything else, he should play the tape.

He bit his lip as he placed the tape in the VCR. The video started to play. Dallas' face beamed at him. He felt a faint stirring in his groin.

"Hi Darlin'," she said, a broad smile on her face.

"I've got a bad feeling about his," he mumbled.

"Ah knew you'd finally get around to watchin' this video even if it took you a week to find it."

"Took me fifteen minutes," he said in defense of himself.

"Puddin', Ah've got the most scrumptious surprise for you and your lil' ol' family. Remember your daddy's plans for that new engine, the prototype he was buildin' for us? Well, he no longer has them." Her eyes lit up and she giggled. "Guess who does have them? Yep, Daddy and me. We're going to build a fleet of cars with that little ol' engine. Our team will be the best ever. You'll be nothin' Sweetpea, just a memory in the racing world." She pursed her lips before speaking again. "Oh and there's more! You're all broke; every last cent's been taken from your Daddy's account. All of it, not that there was all that much to begin with." There was a huge grin on her face as Paladin joined her on camera.

Speed was stunned. What did Dallas mean that his family was broke? How the heck could that happen?

"Greetin's son," Paladin said in his smooth Texas drawl. "Ah'm hopin' that your Daddy and Mamma are watchin' this with ya. If not, Ah'm sure you'll let them see it. After all, this concerns them as much as it concerns y'all."

"Oh God, how could this have happened?" Speed wondered, his mind reeling.

Dallas grinned. "Ah'm sure Speed, that right now you're probably sitting there with that ridiculous, stupid look on your face." She turned to her father. "You know the look, Daddy?"

"Yep, sugar, it's the one he wears all the time." They both laughed.

"Don't be insulted, Darlin' we're just speakin' the truth, aren't we, Daddy?"

"Sure thing, Kitten." Paladin's smile grew wider and more malevolent.

Dallas continued. "You see Sweetpea, Ah'm not the dumb little blonde you thought Ah was. It was soooo easy to gain your confidence. All Ah had to do was give you what any man wants and you were mine. Ah swear all of you are the same, just give you sex and WHAM! we own you. Although you were 'specially easy, bein' a virgin and all. An' Sorry but Ah do have to say, you weren't all that good. Ah lost count of how many times Ah faked it. Maybe you need some lessons from a professional girl. Just an FYI for the next time you decide to inflict yourself upon some poor, unsuspecting woman. Ah'd hate for anyone else to go as unsatisfied as Ah did."

Speed squirmed in his seat, blushing deeply. Bad enough she'd totally destroyed his family, she also had to get in a dig at his lack of sexual prowess.

"And you are a silly fool to think Ah'd ever love you or have your baby. Do you really think Ah'd be stupid enough to let myself get pregnant by the likes of you?" she said, laughing. "It's a shame that you didn't even realize you had a girl who loved you right under your nose. Trixie truly loved you, Speedy, and would have done anything for you. But your lust for me made you lose her. Well she's probably better off in the long run, because Ah'm sure she'll meet a real man one day soon."

Speed closed his eyes, realizing how right Dallas was. Trixie had loved him and he'd betrayed that love. "I'm not a real man," he said. "Crap, I'm less than a man."

"...and Pops," Paladin said.

With the mention of his father, Speed's attention was drawn back to the television. How much more hell were they going to put him through?

Maverick grinned. "Your father really has a big mouth when he drinks, you know that son? Why Ah'd never have even known about that purty new engine of his if he hadn't spouted off, braggin' about it at that automotive convention back in June. It was just mah good fortune that Ah was there tryin' to land a sponsor for mah Dallas. Naturally, your old man was too soused to remember me. Not that it would matter because he's dumb as a stump and would've fallen for mah con anyway."

"Con," Speed said. "It was all one big con. Mr. Maverick was never Pops' friend and Dallas never loved me. How could we have been so stupid?" What would Pops say when he found out? "He'll probably want to kill me."

He wouldn't have to wait to long as the front door was besieged with an angry pounding. "Maverick? What the hell is going on?" an irate Pops Racer screamed. "Open up! NOW, dammit!"

Speed gulped before making his way to the door. This wasn't going to be pretty. He unlocked the door. Pops pushed it opened and nearly knocked his son to the floor.

"Where the hell is that son of a bitch Maverick?" Pops roared.

"Gone," Speed said flatly. "Dallas, too." He ran his head through his hair. "I don't know when they left, all I do know is that it was sometime last night.

"Didn't they tell you anything?"

Speed shook his head. "No Pops. I think maybe Mr. Maverick drugged me because after Dallas and I were finished...Uh...well, you know..." His voice trailed off as he profusely blushed. "I kinda got real tired and the next thing I know I woke up all alone."

"Did they leave a note or anything?"

"Yeah, kinda." He led Pops into the living room and rewound the videotape. "You're not gonna like this, Pops."

"I already don't like it. Lousy bastard stole my entire bank account."

"I know, Pops. And that's not the only thing he did," he said as he restarted the tape. While the tape played his eyes went from the screen to his father trying to gauge his reaction.

Pops Racer said nothing the whole time he watched the video. When it was finally over he turned to Speed. "Get dressed and come home with me. I think you need to show your mother this video."

"Aw Pops, don't make me do this to her," he begged.

"You're the one who let that tramp use my computer. She's the one who gained access to our bank account and the plans for my car!" he said, his voice now rising in anger.

Speed sighed and nodded. "You're right. Let me get dressed first." When he went into his room, he found that he had nothing to change into, except for a pair of briefs and a t-shirt. It was just one more way for them to humiliate him he realized.

He returned to the living room, still in his robe. "Looks like it wasn't only your bank account they stole," he remarked. "All I've got left is my robe and one change of underwear."

Pops rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised that you'd be stupid enough to let them do that?"

"I didn't let them do anything!" Speed exclaimed. "I was asleep when they did all this stuff."

"Figures. Well, I'm sure your mother kept some of your clothes, even though I told her to send them all to the Goodwill where they'd be appreciated."

Speed pulled the robe tightly around him as he followed his father home. "Oh God, I hope nobody I know sees me like this..." he thought, mortified that he should end up this way.

Mom stood outside, the concern could clearly be seen on her face. "What's going on? Where's Paladin? Speed why are you wearing a robe?"

"Long story Mom," he said wearily as he handed her the tape. "This video will explain most of everything."

Her expression didn't betray how she was feeling while she watched the tape. Although, every once in a while she'd glance at Speed. When it was over she turned on him. "How could you? How could you let the girl use your father's computer without his permission? How could you let her gain access to our bank account? Do you know how disappointed I am in you?"

"Mom, I'm sorry. I..." He reached out to her.

"No! Don't come near me. I'm not just disappointed with you Gregory, I'm angry. Too angry to talk to you right now." With that, she burst into tears and fell into her husband's arms. "How could he do that? How could our son betray his family this way?" she cried.

Speed felt his world crashing around him. He turned and ran up the stairs to his room. Like the child he had been only a short time ago, he threw himself on the bed and sobbed. "She hates me... Mom hates me!"

The tears slowed after a bit and he turned towards his nightstand. There on it stood the picture of Trixie and him. The picture he'd hidden in his drawer. His mother must have put it back. He stared at the young woman, standing so proud by his side. "Trixie... " he said softly, "I'm sorry. Is it too late for me to say that? Do you hate me too?"

He rubbed his eyes and left his bed. "It seems so small now," he said as looked down at it. Of course it was. His bed at the Mavericks had been twice the size of this one. Yet, he missed this little bed. Missed the comfort of sleeping in his bedroom in the place that he once called home. He missed his family even more.

"Get used to it, Speed. You're on your own now. Mom's made it quite clear how she feels." Mom... the one person he could always count on to be on his side. His ally when Pops got too rough on him. The woman who dried his tears and made him smile when things were at their worst. He had been his mother's favorite, he knew. Once upon a time. Not anymore. Not after what he'd done to her and her family.

"I gotta get out of here." He found his familiar white pants and blue Go Team shirt in the closet. "If only I could go back in time to the last time I wore these..." He couldn't bring himself to wear them. Instead, he pulled out a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt. His mind was a jumble of thoughts. He had no idea what to do next.

As quietly as he could, he went downstairs, praying that nobody would hear or see him. It would be so much easier to leave without them knowing. Without out having to see his mother's anguished face. Without having to hear his father's accusatory tone. As luck would have it, his parents were sitting on the living room couch together. Pops had his arm around Mom and talked softly. They both turned when they saw Speed sneaking down the stairs.

"I think it's best that I go," he said without a trace of emotion. His parents didn't answer him, which stung more than words of anger would have. Without saying goodbye, he left. "I guess I'll go back to the Maverick's and figure out what to do next."

One thing the Maverick's hadn't taken with them was the food in the refrigerator. He wasn't very hungry even though it was well past two in the after noon. He knew he needed to eat, so he made himself a breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast and coffee. As he ate he pondered his next move.

At first all he could think about was his mother and how he had hurt her these past few weeks. Soon though, his thoughts fell upon Trixie and that is where the true heartbreak lie. He realized, probably too late, that he never loved Dallas. That the attraction he felt towards her was purely physical. There was only one woman he had ever loved and she probably hated him now.

"I don't blame her if she does hate me after how I treated her. But, maybe if I talk to her, explain to her what happened... How sorry I am. Hell, I'll get on my knees and beg her forgiveness if I have to." Maybe she would listen to him. At least let him explain his feelings before she hung up on him. "I've got to talk to her, tell her what a fool I was," he said. "I've got to tell her that I love her, that I've always loved her."

He hit Trixie's speed dial number on his cell phone. "I just need a minute to tell her how I feel." She didn't pick up the phone; instead he got the high-pitched tone of the phone company. Then a recorded message told him that the number he had called was no longer in service.

"That's impossible!" he said as he punched in the number a second time. The message played again. He knew it would as the recorded voice had repeated the number he just dialed. "What the hell is going on?"

He headed over to her apartment. "Man, I didn't think she hated me enough to change her phone number."

Within minutes he reached her apartment and darted up the walk to her front door. He rapped lightly at first, then increasing louder and harder as it became obvious that there would be no response.

The man from the apartment next to hers opened his door, displeased at the din Speed had caused. "You want somethin'?" he asked brusquely.

"Yeah. I'm here to see Trixie Shimura..."

"She's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Speed demanded.

"She moved out. I saw her get into a cab with a few suitcases. Saw her give the keys to the landlord before she left, too."

"Crap. How long ago did she leave?"

The man shrugged. "A couple of hours ago, I guess."

He turned and sprinted back to his car.

"You're welcome," the man muttered in disgust. "Damn kids got no manners today."

---

Speed sat in the car, the man's words started to really sink in. Trixie had moved out of her apartment to who knew where. That made three women who were no longer in his life. Dallas... she wasn't really of all that much importance he now knew. His mother? She had given him life and had been there for him all those times when he was a child. He already missed her. But it wasn't his mother he would miss the most. Trixie was the woman he truly loved, the one who meant the most to him.

"She took her suitcase and left. Where did she go?" he wondered. "Only one person would know that!" He turned the car around and headed towards Sparky's apartment. Rain started to fall, adding to his morose mood.

---

"What do you want?" Janine asked. The door was only opened a crack to keep the rain from blowing in.

"You gotta tell me where Trixie went," he said, not even caring that the rain had soak through his clothes.

"I don't think that's any of your business, lover boy."

"I gotta know. Please Janine..."

The anguish in his voice softened her a bit. "She didn't want me to tell you this, but she's going to New York on Northeast Airlines, flight 815."

"Thanks, I owe you," he said. "Uh, how much time do I have before her plane leaves?"

Janine checked her watch. "About forty minutes. You'll never make it in time to stop her."

"Like hell I won't!" he exclaimed. "That plane's gonna take off without her."

She sighed. "Why are you doing this, Speed?"

"I have to talk to her, explain things to her... " He shook his head. "Why am I wasting valuable time talking to you? I gotta get to the airport!" He dashed away, heart pounding.

"Moron," she said, slamming the door, "I hope security arrests him when he makes a scene."

Sparky emerged from the bathroom. "Was someone at the door?" he asked.

"Your idiot friend, Gregory," a sarcastic Janine replied.

"What did he want?"

"He was looking for Trixie and making a jackass of himself, as usual."

Sparky sighed as he toweled his shaggy mop of hair. "Poor guy's in a really bad way, Janine. I'm worried about him."

"I'm not. He brought all this upon himself. He deserves every bit of the grief he's getting."

---

In spite of the rain and the fact that the Mustang was nowhere near as fast as the Mach Five, Speed somehow managed to make it to the airport in twenty-five minutes. He pulled into the closest lot, not caring that it was for long-term parking.

Inside the Northeast Terminal he looked around until he spotted the counter for Trixie's flight. "I need to get on 815 to New York," he breathlessly told the ticket agent.

"I'm sorry, sir, but 815 is lined up for take-off. We can book you on the next flight," she said.

"No! I need to get on this flight. It's a matter of life and death!" he exclaimed.

"Where have I heard that before?" the jaded agent muttered. "Sir, I sincerely doubt that this is a matter of life and death. Now if you would like to book that later flight, I can..."

She was cut off by Speed's angry fist pounding the counter. "No dammit, I have to get on that plane!" he shouted.

"Sir, calm down or I will call security," she said.

Looking around the terminal he realized that everyone was staring at him. If he kept up his insane ranting he would surely end up being arrested. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "I'm sorry... I just needed to... " his voice trailed off as tears filled his eyes. "I don't even know why I'm here. It's over between us. Sorry for taking up your time." He slowly walked away, shoulders hunched in defeat.

The agent shook her head. "Why do I always end up with the crazies?" she asked the agent next to her who just shrugged in response.

Speed wandered around the terminal in a daze. "It's too late... I'll never get her back," he said.

He went over to the window and watched the planes taking off. He saw one particular jet taxiing down the runway. It was her plane, he knew. The tears fell as he watched it pick up speed, going faster and faster until it lifted up, like a majestic bird, silver against the night sky.

"She's gone..." he said as the plane headed east. It climbed higher into the sky until it disappeared. "Trixie, I'm sorry. So sorry..." he sobbed, his face pressed against the glass. "You'll never know how much I love you..."

End.