Trixie looked at the dress Taylor had bought for her. It was a stunning white satin gown with sequins and chiffon. The perfect wedding dress.

She ran her fingers down the length of the skirt then sighed, looking at the diamond engagement ring she now wore. The ceremony was scheduled to take place in three hours yet here she was, wishing she were getting married to Speed instead.

'Why did he have to run off and marry that Preston girl? I thought he loved me.'

Trixie stared at the photocopied newspaper article Taylor had given her, displaying a picture of the happy couple. It had angered and saddened her to see it.

'Where did I go wrong with you, Speed? Where?'

Heaving a deep sigh, she took the gown off of its hanger and headed for the bathroom. Her husband-to-be waited.

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Rex Racer looked at the woman who stood mere inches in front of him. He had to admit that Ryan O'Connell had been one lucky guy. Torie had a fiery and animated personality. The way she talked about the Prescott boys proved it. Yet, what intrigued him the most was her appearance. At thirty-something, she had a large green, purple and blue dragon tattoo on her back, a sun and various coloured moons tattoo on her thigh, various cats linked by a vine on her left arm, and a white and blue rose floating in a lake on her right. A blue and purple yin yang adorned her right shoulder in the back and "crazy" in Japanese graphics on her left. She had admitted to recently touching up the blue and purple streaks in her hair and that she didn't care what others thought of her when Pops made a comment about her appearance. The way she carried herself proved it as well.

'She isn't afraid to be herself,' he thought as the realization dawned on him. 'How did Ryan ever manage with a force like her?'

He was brought out of his musings as they walked into Robert Johnson's room and by Torie's reaction to what she saw.

"You're eating pizza?" Her jaw hung open slightly. Robert looked slightly guilty. They knew it was Robert because the privacy curtain had been pulled.

"Josie brought it for me," he explained.

"And here I actually made you something to eat." She shook her head at him.

"Really? Like what? Maybe my roommate can have it."

"Mashed potatoes with hamburger gravy," she answered, sitting down. Rex watched the exchange in slight fascination and envy.

"Made with cream of celery soup?"

"Of course," she snorted. "What else would I use?"

"How silly of me to ask," Robert murmured. "And it sounds like something he can eat. He can have mechanical soft foods."

"I'll see if he's awake," Torie said, walking to the other side of the room then disappearing behind the curtain. Hushed murmurings were all that they could hear. Rex turned his attention to Robert Johnson.

He looked as Sparky had described him, except for the healing cuts on his face, and a leg brace and the wrist brace on his right arm. In front of him, he had a surfing magazine. Robert did not hold the appearance of a man who had recently lost a friend.

'Must be trying tostay strong, for Torie's sake,' he reasoned. 'Guys do handle situations differently than women do.'

"Can I help you folks?" Robert asked, his eyes glancing at each of them.

"We're looking for our son, Speed Racer," Pops began. "We were hoping that you might be able to help us find him."

Robert gave them a questioning look and they quickly introduced themselves and explained, as they had to Torie, about what Sparky had seen a year before. When they were done, Robert wore the same look of disgust that Torie had.

"Typical of the Prescotts," he shook his head. "Always wanting something they can't have and trying to be sneaky and underhanded to get it anyway. Right, Tor?"

"Right," she called back.

"Will you be able to help us?" Pops asked, bringing the conversation back.

"I can try . . . it's going to be tough, though. You know how large this city is? He could be anywhere," Robert pointed out.

"Or closer than you think," Torie piped in. They turned their attention to her as she pulled back the privacy curtain. She wore a big grin as she did so and everyone gaped. There lay Robert's roommate of two weeks, the one they had been looking for for over a year. His younger brother, Speed.