Saturday
Tyler awoke drowsily at 8:30 that morning, and found that Austin was no longer at his side. He shot up like a missile, only to be calmed at the sight of his son. The little Soleon was lying on his tummy, watching cartoons from the bed. Tyler was silent for a moment, taking in the cute sight. However, he knew they couldn't sit around all day, so he spoke up.
"Good Morning Austin." he said. Austin's attention was immediately taken from the TV, and he quickly turned around and glomped Tyler.
"Good Morning Daddy!" he said, huggling his shiny Azelf father. Tyler smiled and hugged back. When the two separated, Tyler looked down at Austin's midsection.
"Looks like you're still dry." he remarked.
"Yeah, I guess I survived the night after all." Austin responded, blushing.
"Well, that diaper's not going to waste. You're going to have to use it before you get big boy undies again."
"Okay." Austin replied. Tyler then got out of bed, and walked into the bathroom to get ready for the day. Glancing back at the TV occasionally, Austin changed into a #11 tee, pulled on a pair of shorts, and looked in the mirror. Unlike the Pull-ups from the day before, the diaper was too thick to be hidden and stuck out like a sore thumb. Sighing, Austin kicked off the shorts and walked to the sink to brush his teeth. Meanwhile, Tyler emerged from the bathroom, and began brushing his teeth as well.
Soon the boys finished up, and Tyler turned off the TV. Austin grabbed a pair of shorts and undies to put on once he used his diaper. Then, Tyler peeked out into the hallway. No one was coming, so they quickly made their way down the hall to the stairwell. Making their way downstairs undetected, they snuck out a side door and ran to the R8. Not a minute later, they drove out of the hotel parking lot, having successfully eluded attention.
"Phew, no autographs this morning." Tyler remarked as they drove down the street.
"I'm just glad no one saw me in a diaper." Austin responded. Tyler sweat-dropped.
"I hadn't thought about that. We may have a hard time at Denny's." he remarked. Austin nodded. The Denny's in question was very close to the hotel, so Tyler and Austin arrived within a couple minutes. Unbuckling, Tyler turned to Austin.
"Stay here, I'm going to scout things out." he said.
"Okay, don't take too long." Austin replied. Tyler nodded, and then exited the car. Walking into the Denny's, he was immediately swamped for autographs. Once everyone was satisfied and returned to their table, the restaurant returned to a nearly normal atmosphere. Glancing around, Tyler could tell there was no way Austin could eat there without being laughed at. Then he saw the party room, and a plan formed in his mind. He stepped up to the hostess waiting patiently at her stand, and whispered in her ear.
"Listen, can you do me a favor?" he started.
- (Break)
Fifteen minutes after Tyler had left, his son was still alone in the R8. Austin was beginning to wonder if his Daddy had forgotten him, when suddenly Tyler came rushing out.
"Come on, we've got to hurry!" he said. He pulled Austin out of the car, and rushed back towards the restaurant with him in his arms. Tyler came to a stop outside the front doors, and waited. As Austin sat there in his father's arms, he noticed that they'd closed all the restaurant's mini blinds for some reason. Austin couldn't think about it for long, because the hostess suddenly stepped out and motioned them inside. Tyler quickly followed her into the restaurant, not wasting any time.
As Tyler followed the hostess into the closed-off party room, Austin caught a glimpse of a Denny's employee surrounded by customers as if he was some sort of celebrity. He was unable to make out what the employee was doing before his line of sight was blocked by the shuttered windows of the party room. Inside said room, Tyler finally put Austin down. Austin then sat down across from his Daddy, his diaper crinkling quietly. The hostess gave them both menus, but Tyler stopped her before she could walk away.
"Thanks again for helping us out." he said. He handed her a wad of cash; the highest price she could possibly have gotten for a picture of Austin in a diaper. This ensured that Austin's little secret would stay just that; a secret.
"No problem Mr. Keith. I'll be back in a minute to take your orders." the hostess replied. She then exited the room through the kitchen, and returned to the lobby. This unnecessary route was taken so as not to draw attention to the party room.
Austin already knew what he wanted; he got the same thing every time. Tyler, however, was still browsing the menu as Austin began coloring the pictures in his little booklet. Soon, the hostess returned and took their orders. Tyler ordered a Belgian Waffle Slam, and paid extra for a blueberry waffle. Austin, on the other hand, ordered a Jr. Grand Slam with the pancakes substituted for chocolate chip ones. To top it off, they split a carafe of Orange Juice as their drink.
The hostess gave the chef their orders, and then returned to the front again. Ten minutes later, Austin finished coloring his Kids' Menu and started playing tic-tac-toe with his Daddy. The boys got through four games, winning one apiece with two ties. Before they could start another game, their food came out. The hostess brought their Slams in on a tray, and before long the father and son were devouring their breakfast. Twenty minutes later, two empty plates were all that remained.
"That was delicious…" Austin said, burping and rubbing his tummy. Tyler chuckled.
"Yeah, it was." he remarked. Just then, the hostess came in.
"Do you two want any dessert?" she asked.
"Get Austin an Oreo Blender Blaster in a to-go cup." Tyler said. Austin's eyes widened; his parents rarely bought dessert. As soon as the hostess left, he ran around the table and glomped his Daddy. Tyler smiled as his son jumped into his lap with a soft crinkle.
"Thank you Daddy." Austin said, hugging Tyler.
"You're welcome sport." Tyler replied, hugging back. Suddenly, the hostess re-entered the room with the Oreo Blender Blaster, as well as a check. She gave Austin the drink, and then Tyler handed her a fifty dollar bill. Minutes later, the hostess returned with change and a receipt. Tyler thanked her, and then waited while another diversion was created. Soon they'd snuck back out of the restaurant, and were headed on their way.
Tyler began the drive north to Fort Worth, the location of Texas Motor Speedway and the Samsung Mobile 500. As Tyler made the one hour drive north, Austin took a nap. Tyler smiled as his son shifted positions, crinkling as he went. The diaper may have been immature, but they both enjoyed it. However, Tyler was rather surprised Austin hadn't used it yet. At least, he was until he glanced over and spotted a faint wet stain growing on the front.
"About time." Tyler said to himself. He knew Austin had probably been holding it in so he could enjoy the diaper a little longer. However, his time would be up once he awoke. Soon Tyler took the TMS exit, and drove the R8 around the track to the infield tunnel. Stopping for a minute at a security post, Tyler soon made his way under the track and into the infield. It took him a little while, but eventually he found a place to park.
Tyler gently shook Austin awake, and helped him change into the undies and shorts he'd brought. Disposing of the diaper along the way, the boys made their way towards the garage area. As they approached, they could see that not many drivers were around. It was still early in the morning, 9:45 to be exact, so it wasn't too shocking. Suddenly, the sound of a nearby RV door was heard. Both boys were shocked to see Denny Hamlin walking towards the garage area moments later.
"Look Austin, it's Denny Hamlin!" Tyler said, encouraging his son. Strangely, the little tyke was frozen stiff. The aforementioned driver had heard Tyler's comment, and glanced at his watch as he approached the garage area.
"9:45… I've got time." he said to himself. Austin was still frozen when Denny Hamlin approached him and his father. "WWE superstar Tyler Keith, what a surprise!" the driver said as he neared them.
"You know me?" Tyler asked, a little surprised.
"No, but I've seen you on the news. Is this your son?" Denny asked in response.
"Yeah, his name is Austin." Tyler answered. Austin blushed; his favorite driver had asked about him. Pushing aside his shyness, he asked a question.
"C-Can I h-have your autograph?" he stuttered nervously. Denny smiled.
"Sure, what do you want me to sign?" the driver asked. Austin indicated his shirt.
"That's not a bad idea, but I think I've got a better one." Denny said. He pulled a hat out of his jacket, signed it, and put it on Austin's head. The hat fit perfectly once adjusted, and even had ear holes. It was the "Chase Authentics Youth Element" design, with grey areas on either side of the hat, separated from the main black area by a white stripe. There were flames overlapping the stripe and the edges of the other two colors, plus a big number 11 on the front. (The hat: link)
"Wow, I didn't think you'd have a hat with ear holes in it." Tyler remarked.
"Well, you never know who's going to ask for an autograph these days." Denny explained.
"Thank you so much Mr. Hamlin!" Austin cut in. Denny chuckled.
"You're welcome Austin." he replied. Denny checked his watch again, and saw that it was 9:50. "Hey, do you guys have pit passes?" he asked.
"Yeah, give me a sec." Tyler answered. He dug in his jacket and pulled out two pit passes. Denny looked at one, checking all the details.
"Ooh, no one under 18 is allowed in. That's what the ticket says." Denny remarked.
"We'll see about that." Tyler responded. The three made their way to the gate separating the garage area from the rest of the infield.
"You're clear Mr. Hamlin. As for you, no one under 18 is allowed in." the security guard said.
"How about you let us in or I'll RKO you into oblivion?" Tyler threatened.
"I'll have you arrested for assault." The guard responded.
"You're sure there's no way Austin can get in?" Denny asked.
"Well, I SUPPOSE I could let him in if he's carried around the whole time." the guard conceded, wanting to stay on Denny's good side. Denny just smiled and nodded. The guard let Tyler and Austin pass, and soon the trio arrived at the #11 hauler. Denny changed into his fire suit, and met with Mike Ford, his crew chief. Meanwhile, Tyler carried Austin around the garage area and they managed to meet some other drivers, such as Joey Logano. As they walked around, an announcement was made on the loudspeaker.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we're about to announce the ticket number of the lucky fan who gets to ride with the driver of their choice." an unknown announcer said. It was still hours before the race was scheduled to start, so there was plenty of time. Tyler pulled out their tickets, and looked at the numbers on them. "The ticket number is: 287846. If you're the lucky ticket holder, please make your way to the garage area and show the security guard. Thank you."
"What number are our tickets Daddy?" Austin asked.
"Uhh… 287845, and… 287846! NO WAY!" Tyler answered incredulously. With Austin clinging to him for dear life, Tyler ran across the garage area to the security guard.
"You're shitting me right?" the guard remarked when shown the ticket.
"Nope." Tyler replied simply. The guard sighed.
"Well, we have a dilemma here. The kid can't ride because he's barely allowed into the garage area, but you can't ride because you'd be leaving the kid alone. I'm gonna have to get an official down here." the guard said. Tyler just nodded; he'd expected something like this.
Soon, an official came and declared that Austin would have the ride. He stated that Tyler couldn't because he'd be leaving a child alone at the track, which was against the rules. He also stated that they'd taken kids into consideration when planning the contest, so Austin WAS allowed. With this decided, the father and son were escorted off to get Austin fitted for a fire suit.
(Texas Motor Speedway – 12:50)(Hamlin's POV)
I was all suited up, the race was set to begin, and the other drivers were climbing into their cars. After glancing around one more time, I climbed into my #11 FedEx Camry. Before I could even think about attaching the steering wheel, my attention was drawn to something else.
"Hey, what's with the passenger seat?" I questioned.
"Some contest winner chose you as the driver he wanted to ride with." a crewman explained.
"Great… I just hope it's not some annoying fangirl…" I remarked. I figured my passenger would need room to climb in, so I moved to get back out of the car. Suddenly, a man in a suit walked up with the two WWE superstars I'd met earlier. The younger one, Austin, was wearing a fire suit. My jaw dropped; this could only mean one thing.
- (Break. 3rd Person)
"Hi Mr. Hamlin!" Austin said, excited to be riding with him.
'Well, I guess this isn't going to be that bad…' Denny thought.
"Denny, this little tyke is going to be riding with you in today's race." the man in the suit said. Denny didn't recognize him, but he was obviously someone of importance.
"Alright, that's cool. Can someone help him climb in?" Denny responded.
Tyler picked Austin up, and lowered him through the driver side window of the stock car. Denny took over from there, helping the little tyke climb over the shifters to his boosted seat. Denny then made sure Austin was all strapped in before tending to himself. Like Denny, Austin wore a helmet attached to a cool box, and was strapped into a HANS device.
"Good luck you two." Tyler said, leaning into the car.
"Thanks Daddy." Austin replied.
"I'll take good care of him, don't you worry." Denny added.
"Thanks Denny." Tyler responded. With that, he headed back through the garage area to get to his seat in the grandstands. Meanwhile, Denny pulled into line, riding inside of Joey Logano in row 4.
"Hey Joey, I got a little passenger, can you wave to him for me?" Denny radioed.
"Is it a kid or something?" Joey asked.
"Yeah." Denny answered.
"Alright, let me get up to your window." Joey responded. Logano lightly tapped the gas, pushing his car up to the window of Denny's. He then waved at Austin. Excited, Austin waved back.
"Hey Austin, can you hear me?" Denny asked suddenly, testing Austin's radio.
"Yeah." Austin replied.
"We're gonna be going up to 200 miles per hour. You ready for this?" Denny asked.
"As I'll ever be…" Austin replied.
"Don't worry; I'll try to keep things smooth if possible." Denny responded.
"Okay, thanks." Austin replied.
"Green, green, green!" came a voice over the radio.
"That's my crew chief Mike Ford, just so you know." Denny explained. "Roger Mike." He added, speaking to the aforementioned crewman. Austin was surprised at the speed of the car; it seemed like a rocket! As the pack pulled into turn one, things were hectic. However, by the time they hit the third lap, things had become peaceful enough on the track for some small talk.
"Does the car feel good?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, but if you could loosen it up a smidgen that'd be great." Denny replied.
"Copy that. Did you hear who's driving the pace car?" Mike radioed back.
"Surprise me." Denny responded.
"The kid's father." Mike responded.
"Cool!"Austin cut in. Laughter was heard over the radio. There was no time for any further remarks, however, as Denny ended up three wide and had to fully concentrate on driving. With help from his spotter, he pulled through on the bottom and gained two spots. Now riding fifth, Denny continued his charge to the front.
The race seemed to fly by for Austin, and before long it was lap 27 and caution was out for the first time due to debris. By now Denny was in 4th after passing Kurt Busch, and had been riding Jeff Gordon's bumper prior to the caution.
"Hold on kid, this could get rough." Denny said as the pack neared the pits. All the leaders pitted, and soon Austin knew what a driver felt like on the hectic stretch of pavement. After successfully parking in his stall, Denny was nearly clipped by the Juan Montoya pitting in front of him. Thankfully the collision was avoided, and Denny made it out of the pits safely. Thanks to his pit crew's speed, he moved up to 3rd over the #24.
Austin enjoyed the thrilling feeling of the restart on lap 30 just as much as the original start. Denny started behind the leader on the inside line, and used it to his advantage to pass Kyle Busch for 2nd. This left only Jimmie Johnson in front of him. Denny and Jimmie raced each other hard for what seemed like ages. Soon they were pitting under the green flag, and got spread out. However, once things cycled through, Denny was right on Jimmie's bumper again.
The two continued to go at it lap after lap, with Jimmie refusing to yield. Suddenly, Jimmie seemed to lose power, and Denny had to swerve to avoid him.
"Looks like Jimmie's down a cylinder." Mike Ford commented.
"Yeah; time to lead some laps." Denny responded. The next time he passed the start finish line, Denny was awarded a bonus point for leading a lap. Kyle Busch, now in 2nd, remained over two seconds behind as the race progressed under the green flag. Suddenly, Brad Keselowski made contact with another driver and went around, causing caution #2.
The leaders pitted again, and Denny maintained his lead. When the green flag waved again, Denny stayed out in front, and once again began pulling away. From Austin and Denny's perspective, the rest of the race was just a matter of not messing up. They led most every remaining lap, and were in the lead coming to the white flag. The car had gone away a bit though, and Kyle Busch was coming hard. To top it all off, they were playing the fuel mileage game.
"It all comes down to this!" Darrell Waltrip remarked on TV.
The top 5 drivers had gambled on their fuel mileage, and were tight on gas. Three of them ran out of gas on the backstretch, while Denny and Kyle were able to keep going. Denny was ahead by a nose coming out of the last turn, but they both ran out of gas at that point. Gliding to the finish, they barely held off a charging Joey Logano.
"Hamlin wins, and Busch holds off Logano for second by a nose!" Darrell Waltrip remarked.
"Nice job Denny, see you in Victory Lane." Mike radioed. Denny barely heard him over Austin's celebration. Miraculously, Austin calmed down a bit after Denny did his burnouts. The #11 car then made its way to Victory Lane, where Denny and Austin climbed out and celebrated. Tyler joined them, and the three had a picture taken together with the race trophy.
After all the celebration and interviews ended, everyone made their way back to the garage area where Joe Gibbs himself congratulated his three drivers on a rare 1-2-3 finish. By now it was nearly 5:00, so Austin and Tyler needed to head on their way to Rangers' Ballpark for the next game. Unfortunately, this meant saying goodbye to Denny Hamlin.
"Goodbye Denny, it was great meeting you." Tyler said, shaking Denny's hand.
"Goodbye Mr. Hamlin…" Austin said sadly. Denny squatted so he was at eye level with Austin, and was immediately hugged. After a few seconds, Austin pulled back.
"It was cool having you in the car today Austin. Hopefully we'll meet again sometime." Denny remarked.
"Yeah, that'd be nice." Austin responded, cracking a smile.
"It would. Anyway, have a great weekend and good luck at WrestleMania." Denny concluded.
"Thanks Mr. Hamlin." Austin said. Denny chuckled.
"Call me Denny." He responded. Austin smiled.
"Bye Denny." He said. The young Soleon then waved as he and his father walked away.
They soon arrived at their R8, which Tyler started and began cooling off. Meanwhile, Austin lifted the hood and pulled a bag out of the trunk. He then took off his fire suit, revealing a white undershirt and a Pull-Up. Tyler had suggested the padded garment because of the race's expected 4+ hour length. It had turned out to be a smart decision; the one he was wearing was quite damp.
Austin quickly changed into a pair of briefs, and tossed the Pull-up into a nearby trash can. Then he stuffed the undershirt into an empty bag with the fire suit, and grabbed a small backpack. Opening it, he took out a blue Rangers polo and handed it to Tyler. The shiny Azelf took off his NASCAR shirt, and stuffed it in the bag with Austin's dirty laundry. He then put on the polo- which went well with his black jeans- and climbed into the R8. Holding onto the backpack, Austin closed the hood and climbed into the passenger seat.
Minutes later, the Keith's R8 was in bumper to bumper traffic on its way out of the Texas Motor Speedway area. Traffic cleared up as Tyler drove south, only to clog up again once the R8 neared Rangers Ballpark. As all this was happening, Austin was busy dressing in the passenger seat. He first put on a Rangers shirt that appeared to be a light gray, long sleeve tee under a blue, short sleeve tee with a Rangers logo on the chest. He then pulled on a pair of brown cargo pants followed by white socks. He completed the outfit with a pair of white and blue sneakers and a blue Rangers hat.
By the time Austin finished dressing, Tyler was waiting to exit the freeway. It took another half hour for the two to make it to the parking lot, pay, and find a spot. Tyler parked the car, and then the two got out and opened up the hood. Austin tossed the now-empty backpack inside, and grabbed a black and brown baseball glove just his size. He then put it on as Tyler closed the hood. Austin turned to walk towards the park, but Tyler stopped him.
"Here, let me give you a ride." the elder Keith said, picking Austin up. He placed his son on his shoulders, and got a firm but gentle grip on the young Soleon's legs. Tyler then started walking towards the ballpark.
"Thanks for the ride Daddy, you're the coolest!" Austin said. Tyler smiled.
"No problem Austin." he replied. With his son riding happily on his shoulders, Tyler was excused from signing autographs. However, fans wanted pictures now, which took even longer. By the time Austin and Tyler arrived at the gates of the ballpark, they'd taken over twenty photos with fans. Tyler let Austin down before getting in line at the gate, which allowed them both to pass through more easily.
Inside the crowded stadium, Tyler firmly grasped his son's hand so they wouldn't get separated. They made good time on their way to their seats, arriving while Rangers batting practice was still underway. As they sat down, Elvis Andrus finished taking his swings, and Josh Hamilton stepped up to bat. Just as Tyler was getting comfortable, the few fans around him shot to their feet. Josh Hamilton had slammed a ball in that direction.
Naturally, Austin was on his feet in seconds. His glove was in the air even before his feet touched the floor, and his eyes were on the ball like stink on a skunk. This time there was no doubt about it; the ball would make it into the upper deck. The young Soleon stepped to his left in the third row, but then quickly dove back to his right, catching the ball. Tyler shot to his feet, catching Austin in midair to stop a painful landing. The young Soleon shifted to a seated position in his Daddy's arms, the ball shifting slightly in his glove.
"Thanks for catching me Daddy." he said, hugging Tyler.
"No problem Austin; I'd never let you get hurt." Tyler replied, hugging back. The two sat back down with the ball, and were congratulated by some kind, nearby fans. Austin decided to sit in his Daddy's lap, so he snuggled up to the caring shiny Azelf. The two watched the rest of batting practice together until the pregame ceremonies finally began. The game finally started at just past 7:00, and both Keith boys were excited as could be.
C.J. Wilson, the starting pitcher, began the game with a groundout to short. He then got the number 2 hitter to fly out before striking out the cleanup hitter to retire the side. The Rangers grew excited as Ian Kinsler stepped up to bat to leadoff the game. The Cardinals' starting pitcher tossed an impressive at bat, but a fastball got away from him. Kinsler drove it to left-center field for a double.
If he fans weren't already cheering after Kinsler's hit, they were when Elvis Andrus pushed him to third with a single. Josh Hamilton then stepped up, and Austin excitedly prepared to attempt a catch. Unfortunately, not even the best sluggers hit a homer every time. Josh lined to center to drive in Kinsler, and send Andrus to second. With a one-nothing lead, Adrian Beltre grounded to first. He was thrown out, but the runners advanced to second and third.
Michael Young then came up and singled Andrus home. Following Young, Nelson Cruz walked to load the bases. However, Mike Napoli came up short in a Grand Slam bid, and the ball was caught for the third out on the warning track. As the teams switched sides, Tyler's stomach rumbled.
"Hey Austin, you want to go get dinner?" he asked.
"Sure Daddy." Austin replied, giggling. The two Keith's stood up and sidestepped to the nearest aisle. Clear of spectators, the father and son walked casually up the steps to the top of the home run porch. Passing through glass double doors, they entered the porch sports grill. Their tickets came with all you can eat privileges, so the two stuffed themselves silly before returning to their seats with a souvenir size soda for later.
While they'd been eating, C.J. Wilson threw his second straight perfect inning, and the Rangers had come up to bat. They managed to score a run, and loaded the bases before being shut down. The game continued in a scoreless manner for two and a half more innings before the Rangers forced the Cardinals' starter out of the game with an offensive barrage. The Cardinal bullpen managed to stop the damage though, leaving the Rangers with a 7-nothing lead.
C.J. Wilson, having pitched 5 perfect innings, returned to the mound for the sixth. He had difficulty this time, and gave up a run before finishing the inning with a strike out followed by a bases-loaded groundout. With a reliever warming up in the bullpen, the Rangers forced the inning to drag on as long as possible. Despite their efforts, the Cardinals' reliever shut them down without allowing another run. The remaining three innings were uneventful, and soon the game was over after 8 and a half innings. The final score was 7 to 2, giving the Rangers another win in the series.
As Tyler walked towards the exit, Austin's hand gripped securely in his own, he checked the watch on his right wrist. It was late; just past 10:00. Austin was walking in a wobbly manner, which indicated that he was dizzy. Knowing that this happened regularly when the young Soleon was tired, Tyler picked him up carried him the rest of the way to the car. His son was asleep by the time they arrived.
Tyler gently placed Austin in the passenger seat, and then buckled him up. Then he made his way around to the driver's side, got in, and pulled out of the parking lot. Minutes later the two were back at the Hyatt Place, and Tyler was carrying Austin upstairs. Once inside their room, he gently shook Austin awake. The young Soleon was lethargic at first, but was soon wide awake. He wasn't too energetic, but he still managed to toy around with his Daddy while he bathed.
Rather than have the usual post-bath talk, the two Keith boys cut right to the chase. Austin was promptly diapered and put back in his Denny Hamlin tee for the night. Tyler took a quick shower, brushed his teeth, and then climbed in bed with his son. The younger Keith was already half asleep, but still snuggled up to his father immediately. The shiny Azelf smiled.
"Good night Daddy…" Austin said, drifting off to sleep. Tyler smiled.
"Good night son."