Chapter Twenty: Happy Birthday, Brian

    The Bob-Whites and their families waited anxiously at the hospital. Trixie had been seen immediately and then was cleared to sit with her loved ones. Honey and Brian, with their injuries and prolonged exposure, were being thoroughly examined.
    Diana, Mart, Mr. Belden and Mrs. Wheeler had all joined them at the hospital and Sergeant Ryder had insisted that the large group be provided with a small private room in which to wait. Di sat opposite Trixie, every now and again reaching over to squeeze her friend’s hand.
    “Do you really promise that they’re okay?” she asked, not for the first time.
    “Honestly, Di,” Trixie said, knowing that while she meant what she said,  it might be a very long time before her brother and friend truly recovered from their ordeal.
    “I just want to see my baby,” Mrs. Wheeler said. Her hand shook as she sipped the provided tea but otherwise she was far more composed than Trixie had expected. Mr. Wheeler sat on one side of his wife and Jim sat on the other.
    “I’m sure it won’t be much longer,” the latter said, his strong hand resting on his adopted mother’s forearm.
    She gave him a loving smile. “I know, and I know Peter must be just as anxious to see Brian.”
    Peter Belden nodded. He sat on the other side of Trixie, his arm wrapped protectively around his daughter. “At least we know they’re safe now, Madeleine, that’s the main thing.”

    “I want to know how you found us,” Trixie said, and her brother and the other Bob-Whites exchanged looks.
“We knew you didn’t believe it was the Whedons and that you were desperate to prove it, so when you didn’t turn up, we waited a while then checked around,” Mart said. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t until the police spoke to Sarah Wallace, who told us you’d grabbed her cab and that the Whedons pulled out just before you did, that we had a firm lead and then the cops started to get to the bottom of things and…” Mart shrugged his shoulders. He was so relieved to have his siblings and friend back that he couldn’t seem to manage fancy words.
    “But I still don’t know how you found us.” Trixie frowned.
    “The Whedons weren’t home, turns out they were laying low, but the police did speak to Jeff and when he found out that they were suspected of being involved in the kidnapping, he pretty much spilled the beans. He called his pals, and we finally got to talk to them,” Jim said.
     “It didn’t take long for them to tell us that they’d seen you following them and given you the slip, out near the abandoned warehouses,” Mart added. “After that, they decided to steer clear of the apartment building for a few hours.”
    “But why should they care?” Trixie asked.
    “Illegal street-racing,” Dan supplied. “They’d been picked up recently on the other side of town and had just relocated to that area. They've been in trouble in the last place they lived. They have enough tickets to wallpaper a room and they seemed to think that we might be working for the police.”
    “Like we thought, not the smartest guys around.” Trixie shook her head.
    “Jeff was a part of the racing thing and he knew his folks would freak if they found out, and that’s why he lied,” Jim added.
    “In the meantime, the kidnappers had contacted Honey’s dad,” Dan put in. “The FBI told Mr. Wheeler to stall by asking to speak to her, while they organized a search of the area the Whedons told us about.”
    “So you knew where I’d gone more or less, but how did you settle on the right warehouse?”
    To answer, Dan reached into his pocket and withdrew a fine silver chain, from which a teardrop topaz dangled.
    “Honey’s necklace, the one Brian gave her,” Trixie breathed. “She told us she’d thrown it into the yard before she came back to help Brian.”
    “Tim Whedon saw it when they were out there and picked it up. After they’d done their explaining, he asked if it meant anything and we knew we were on the right track.” Dan stood as he spoke and crossed to the Wheelers. “I’m guessing Honey would like this back.”
    Mr. Wheeler reached for it with a smile, but his wife shook her head and taking it, handed it to Helen Belden. “I think Brian should be the one to return it.”
    “I think he’d like that,” Mrs. Belden said and everyone nodded.

    Honey and Brian had been admitted to a twin room. Mr. Wheeler had generously offered to pay for private suites at the modern, well-equipped hospital, but Honey and Brian had asked to stay together, and the consulting doctor had agreed.  Both sets of parents, accompanied by Trixie, entered the room, anxious to see their children. Honey was sitting up in one of the beds, wearing her own pajamas, thoughtfully provided by Diana. Her long hair had been washed and towel dried and framed her face in damp waves, her slender arms were bare and covered in yellowish bruises. She looked up as the door opened and a sweet smile crossed her face.
    “Mom,” she cried impulsively, abandoning the more formal “mother” she usually used.
    Trixie watched as Mrs. Wheeler rushed to her daughter’s bedside and threw her arms around the girl. “My poor, brave darling,” she said, fighting back the tears. She raised one of her own slim hands and tenderly touched Honey’s bruised cheek.
    “I’m okay, really I am,” Honey assured her obviously distressed parent. “Brian took wonderful care of me. I can’t imagine what might have happened if he hadn’t been there.”
    Madeleine Wheeler turned to thank Brian and frowned as she took in the empty bed and the worried expressions of the Beldens and her husband.
    “Oh,” Honey said waving her hands. “Brian’s just in the shower, he’ll be out in a minute.”
    On cue Brian called from the bathroom,  “I almost took Trixie’s advice and didn’t wait till you finished, that felt so good.” He stopped in the doorway realising they weren’t alone. “I was just…” he began then caught his father’s eye. The two men, so very alike, met and Peter Belden carefully embraced his son.
    “Thank God, you’re in one piece,” he said, his voice filled with tangible emotion.
    Trixie and her mother moved forward and the family wound their arms around one another.
    A slight smile crossed Brian’s face. “I’m okay, Dad, honestly. I think I look worse than I am.”
    Helen Belden shook her head. “You two are impossible,” she said, with a small smile of her own.  “You’re so busy reassuring us, you’ll barely have time to get better.”
    “They were like that when I found them too,” Trixie said affectionately.
    “I don’t think that’s a topic you want to raise just at the moment.” Mr. Belden fixed his daughter with a loving but slightly disapproving stare.
    Brian reached his hand out to his mother and she led him over and helped him into his bed.
    “Brian, how can we ever repay you?” Mrs. Wheeler looked at Brian with eyes so similar to her daughter’s that Brian couldn’t help smiling into them. Without make-up, Madeleine Wheeler looked more like Honey than she usually did. The older woman reached over to squeeze one of his strong hands. “I mean it, anything, anything you want we’d be happy to—”
    “Madeleine.”
    “Mother.”
    Mr. Wheeler and Honey spoke at the same time.
    Brian’s smile faded just a little, but he understood where Honey’s mother was coming from. “You don’t need to be rewarded for taking care of the people that you love, Mrs. Wheeler. It’s just what you do, and the staff here will tell you that Honey’s the one that’s done the real care-taking— they were pretty impressed with her handiwork. And my sister and her never-ending detectiving helped too.”
    Trixie flushed as Madeleine Wheeler nodded. “Please forgive me, Brian, I’m just so relieved and so grateful that I didn’t think before I spoke.”
    “There’s nothing to forgive,” Brian said, squeezing her hand in return.
    “I’m the one who should be asking for forgiveness.” Matthew Wheeler looked from one person to the other. “I can never make this up to any of you. I not only put my own child in danger, I exposed her friends to harm and I have no excuse to offer.”
    “Daddy, don’t!” Honey cried, hating to see her confident father so distressed.
    “Matt, we are aware you never intended for any of this to happen,” Peter Belden said in his calm, reasonable way.
    “That’s not good enough,” the other man returned.
    “No, it isn’t.”
    Surprised faces turned to Madeleine Wheeler.
    “Matthew, I love you, but you need to learn to share information. You are so busy ‘protecting’ me from worry and making decisions without help that things can happen that are outside of your control.” As she spoke, she raised a slender hand and stroked her husband’s cheek tenderly.
    “You’re right, my love,” Mr. Wheeler said. “From now on, I will at least promise to make all of you aware of possible trouble. I just couldn’t imagine that after all these years Campbell’s family would come after mine. I honestly never gave them a thought. I suppose that sounds callous.”
    “It sounds human,” Peter Belden said.
    “Why don’t we save this conversation for later?” Helen suggested, seeing the way Honey’s brow was furrowing.
    “That’s an excellent suggestion,” Honey’s mother agreed.
    “We don’t want to tire the two of you out,” Mr. Wheeler said as the door opened and a woman entered smiling
    “Someone order dinner?”
    “Food!” Honey and Brian cried together.

    The two invalids were soon examining the contents of their trays, while their parents looked on with delight.
     “Cream of mushroom soup,” Honey said, dipping her spoon in.
    “Spanish omelette, “ Brian added, as he lifted the cover from his plate.
    “Rice custard too.” Honey shook her head. “You must be hungry too, Trix.”
    Trixie smiled at the sight of her brother and friend safe and sound. “I guess everyone is. I’d love a burger about now.”
    “ Why don’t you take this and place an order, and then one of the boys can go and pick it up.” Mr. Wheeler handed Trixie his cell phone and after giving Honey and Brian gentle hugs she hurried out, realising the parents might want a few moments alone with her brother and friend.
     “I like this place much better than our last hotel,” Honey observed between mouthfuls.
    “The bathroom’s an improvement, and these beds are certainly more comfortable,” Brian agreed and they both laughed.
     Their parents were happy just to watch them eat, but after they’d finished, Honey stifled several yawns and Brian’s eyes began to droop.
    “We’re going to be right outside,” Honey’s mother said as she stood to leave.
    Peter Belden nodded. “Just call if you need anything,”
    “There’s no need to do that,” Brian said, not liking the idea of his parents spending an uncomfortable night on hospital chairs.
    “No, we’re fine here,” Honey added. “You should all get a good night’s rest, the Bob-Whites as well—I just know they haven’t been sleeping properly.”
    “Honey’s right.” Mrs. Belden got up out of her chair. “I think we’ll have to let the others at least see you, but then we’ll all go and do just as you suggest.”

    Twenty minutes later, Honey and Brian were alone again. Brian stretched out his hand and Honey leaned out of her bed to grasp it.
    “Thank you,” she said softly. “I wasn’t ready to be without you tonight.”
    Brian smiled and his dark eyes shone as he regarded his friend. “Me neither. I’m going to miss my roommate,” he said.
    They made themselves comfortable for the night and lay facing one another. “Sleep well, Honey.”
    “You too, Brian.”   

    Trixie and Jim sat side by side at the apartment kitchen table. Everyone else was in bed, and the Beldens and Wheelers had taken rooms at the nearby motel.
    “Oh, Trixie, you’ll be the death of me, you know that, don’t you?” Jim asked, squeezing her hand as he spoke.
    “I’m sorry, Jim, really I am.” Trixie returned the squeeze and offered him a penitent smile. “I know I should have grabbed Di or Dan, or called the FBI, but it all happened so fast. I planned on finding a public phone and calling in. And you have to remember that I didn’t think I was going after the kidnappers, I mean I wasn’t actually going after the kidnappers, it just turned out that the non-kidnappers led me into the arms of the actual kidnappers and—”
    Jim cut her off the only way he knew how. He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. Trixie was immediately silenced. “I do get it, Trix,” he said as he gently pulled back.
    “I know you do.” Trixie smiled. “Anyway, we got them back safe and well.”
    Jim looked at her carefully. “I think this one’s going to take some time.”
    Trixie nodded. “Honey and I both had nightmares for weeks after Lontard and the Aguileras, and I think this is as bad or worse.”
    “Are you really okay?” he asked.
    Trixie nodded again. “I think so. I mean, I had Honey and Brian and I was so busy expounding my theories and checking on them I didn’t really have all that much time to be scared.”
    “Typical Trixie.” Jim hugged her again. “Well, we’ve got one another and Honey and Brian have all of us. We’ll get through it together.”
    “I’m not going to get through anything if I don’t get some sleep.” Trixie grinned.
    “Fair enough.” He stood up and held out his hand. “May I escort you to your room, Miss Belden?”
    “Why, yes, thank you, Mr. Frayne,” she replied.
    Arm in arm they left the kitchen.

    The following evening, Trixie and Honey stood side-by-side and examined their reflections, an act that instantly recalled the last time they had stood together, doing precisely the same thing.
    “I wish I could take the last few days away,” Trixie said, squeezing her friend’s arm.
    Honey smiled. “I’m not sure I do. Believe me, I know how strange that sounds, but you can’t go back, Trix, only forward.”
The two were wearing brand new outfits purchased that afternoon under the expert tutelage of Mrs. Wheeler.

    “We’re all having a bit of retail therapy,” she had said sweeping Di and even Helen Belden along in her wake.
    Trixie couldn’t help overhear her mother’s protest when they reached the mall, which Mrs. Wheeler had quickly squashed. “Please, Helen, it’s such a small thing. I know how you all feel, but after everything your boy did for my girl, I want to do something to put a smile on his face, especially on his birthday.” She had nodded toward Honey, who was inspecting the racks of clothes. “I think seeing her pretty and happy might do that. As for Trixie, she is the most intrepid young lady I’ve ever encountered, perhaps heels will slow her down.”
    Mrs. Belden had laughed and nodded. “ I doubt it, but I do think they all deserve a treat.”
    Much to her surprise, Trixie had enjoyed the shopping trip and even had to agree with Di about the value of retail therapy.

    Now she surveyed her image with considerable satisfaction. Mrs. Wheeler had chosen a pair of close fitting, beautifully cut charcoal trousers that flattered Trixie’s figure. “Your mother is a genius,” she said to Honey as she turned around, admiring the effect, “I look slim, and these are so comfortable.” The trousers were teamed with a long sleeved pale blue top, whose draped neckline suited Trixie perfectly. Strappy leather sandals in blue and a matching purse completed her ensemble.
    “You look gorgeous, Trix.” Honey hugged her friend, hazel eyes shining. “Jim is going to flip.”
    Trixie flushed but smiled. “Well, Brian can’t afford to flip, so maybe you’d better change,” she said, eyeing her friend approvingly.
    Honey was wearing a cream skirt that fell just below her knees. It featured delicate embroidery in pale green and gold, and with it she wore a cream top and pale green cardigan with slightly ruffled edges and cuffs. Her sandals and purse were cream.
    “We’re going to be late,” Jim called from the living room.
    Trixie hurried out to meet him and Honey smiled as she heard her brother’s low whistle of appreciation. She turned to follow her friend to find Brian standing in the doorway. His face was still bruised, but starting to heal, and he was wearing the cream and green-flecked, fine knit sweater she had made him.
    “Another perfect match,” he said with a grin, crossing to stand before her.
    Honey laughed softly. “I guess I can’t claim that this one is an accident. I just wanted us to look nice together. Do you really like it?” She asked, nodding at the sweater.
    “I love it,” Brian replied. “You sure are clever.” He took her hand and spun her slowly around. “And you, you are so beautiful, almost perfect.”
    “Almost?” Honey teased.
    “Well, this might just complete the picture.” Brian reached into his pocket and within seconds was carefully fastening Honey’s topaz necklace around her slender throat.
    “Oh,” she cried in delight, fingering the chain lovingly. “We got it back.”
    “I meant to give it to you last night,” Brian said.
    “This is better.” Honey smiled up at him. “Happy birthday, Brian. I hope you get everything you wish for.”
     “Thanks.” Brian looked down at her, his dark eyes warm, and slowly lowered his head to brush her lips with his own. The kiss was tender and when he raised his head, Honey was regarding him steadily, her own hazel eyes shining. “Now, I’ve got everything I’ve wished for,” he said softly.
    “Are you two coming or what?” Jim called.
    Brian held out his hand. “Shall we?”
    Honey nodded and the two went to join their friends.

     Corelli’s restaurant had placed several tables together to accommodate the Bob-Whites and their families. Even Jeff was there, an apologetic Jeff, who waited on their table, full of remorse for the confusion his actions had caused. He had confessed his involvement in the street-racing to his parents, and although they were disappointed, they were also understanding.
    “I had no idea what you really thought, what you were all going through,” he said as he passed around glasses of punch to the Bob-Whites and wine to the adults.
    “In the end, you and the Whedons helped us find Honey and Brian, and Trixie. Of course, we’ll always be grateful for that,” said Mr. Wheeler.
    “I’ll say.” Jim grabbed Trixie’s hand under the table and held it tightly.
    “I’m just glad the young people are safe.” Sergeant Ryder, who was seated next to Dan, raised his glass.
    “I’ll drink to that,” said Jessica Beech, who’d joined them for dinner. “You know, Trixie, I realise you and Honey are planning on your own agency, but you could do a lot worse than join the FBI. We’re always looking for bright young recruits.”
       Trixie regarded the young woman with wide eyes. “Really?” she said
    “Your investigative skills are impressive, even Agent Briggs thinks so, and from what we can gather, Honey here not only succeeded in escaping, even if she did change her mind, she also got the sympathies of one of the kidnappers—that takes some doing.”
    “I don’t think Ken, I mean Mick, really wanted to be a part of it,” Honey said quickly.
    “That’s true. His father had lost a very good job when the Campbells went broke and had been somewhat bitter and resentful. Of course, he never thought his complaining would lead his son into something so serious.” Agent Beech shook her head, “Mick was one of the few people who knew who Kyle and Ally really were. His family had known them all those years ago. And he was the same age as Ally, who isn’t actually Adam’s twin at all—she’s years younger. Apparently Mick had been fed some fairly unpleasant stories about the Wheelers, including Honey.”
    “I guess it’s hard if you’ve been raised to believe bad things about people,” Honey said in her usual empathetic way.
      “But in the end it was your behaviour that changed his allegiance, and it may well have saved your life,” Agent Beech said. “As I said, you’ve both done very well indeed.”
    “FBI Agents,” Honey said, her voice tinged with awe, as she reached over to grab Trixie’s free hand and Trixie nodded.
    “That really is something we should think about, Honey. We could do a lot of good in the FBI.”
    There was a collective groan around the table, and Mr. Wheeler held his hand up. “That’s very kind of you, Agent Beech, but I beg you, please don’t encourage them too much! I don’t believe my blood pressure can stand it.”
    They all laughed but Jim and Brian both saw the look that passed between their sisters, and the two older brothers knew that this was not the end of it.

    “What I really don’t get was that call to Rhumba’s,” Dan said, puzzled.
    Sergeant Ryder placed his glass on the table. “That was a back-up plan. Ally took that call when Brian put a spanner in the works by coming home early. She was on stand-by in case something went wrong. She came down and kept watch so that young Mick could help the others get these unfortunate young people into the van they had parked around the corner. That’s when she took Honey’s watch, right off her unconscious body, I’m sorry to say. You were right about that too, Trixie.”
    “She usually is,” Jim said with a smile.
    “I knew that girl was no good,” Trixie said.
    “It’s hard to believe,” Brian added. “They pretended to be our friends and she was around us a lot.”
    “Well, according to Mick she was causing trouble with Adam, because her crush on you, Brian, was very real. She did back Mick up when Adam was suggested it would be better not to take you with them.”
    There was silence for a moment as the import of these words was felt around the table.
    “Then I can’t completely hate her,” Honey said. “Not if she’s one of the reasons Brian is still…”
    “Alive?” Mart added.
    “David just wanted the money, but Adam’s a whole different story—that is one troubled young man.” Jessica Beech shook her head.
    “Did they come back here deliberately?” Trixie asked. “I mean did they know Jim was here and that he was the Wheelers’ adopted son?”
    “It looks like that’s what happened, Trixie. We’re still getting all of the details, but we found a whole file on the Wheelers in Adam’s apartment. He’s been collecting information for years. He found out that Jim was coming here and called his brother and began to hatch this plan.”
    “What about the name changes?” Honey wanted to know.
    “Their mother remarried—twice. The second time was on board a cruise and we didn’t have that information. They used their stepfather’s name and because they were both so young when this all started, people didn’t recognise them. Like I said, we’re still gathering the specifics. But I will let you know.”
   
    As the food began to arrive talk turned to more ordinary things and Di, sporting a pretty lavender and pale yellow dress, gasped when she saw the amount of food on Mart’s plate.
    “You can’t possibly be going to eat all of that?” she said
    Mart raised his sandy brows. “I have a reputation to protect, my dear Miss Lynch, “
    Mrs. Wheeler shook her head in amazement. “I honestly don’t know where you put it, Mart.”
    “His head’s empty,” Trixie said. “So that helps.”
    “Better to have an empty head than one full of diabolical delusions and miscellaneous, miscreant misconceptions.”
    “Well at least—” Trixie began.
    “Truce!” Peter Belden called. “Or I’ll send you both to your current rooms, even if they are a couple of miles from here.”
    Everyone laughed again and Helen Belden turned to her eldest son, who sat between his mother and Honey. “How are you feeling? Or are you sick of being asked that?”
    “Mother’s prerogative,” Brian replied with a smile. He gave his mother a light kiss on the cheek.
    “Some birthday,” she said. “This is becoming a tradition, Brian.”
    Her son laughed and was relieved that it hurt considerably less than the previous couple of days. “I’m not sure what I should do next year.” He squeezed her arm. “Anyway, I’m not complaining.” He nodded at the group gathered around the table, his eyes lingering on Honey.
    Mrs. Belden nodded too. “I guess it is important to count our blessings, and,” she chose her next words carefully, “it’s important to remember that you have your whole life ahead of you, plenty of time.”
    Brian squeezed her arm again. “It’s okay, moms, I know I have plenty of time, for everything.”
     Feeling a complete and genuine sense of relief for the first time since the kidnapping, Helen Belden gratefully turned her attention to her plate of food and prepared to enjoy her son’s birthday.

    Trixie smiled affectionately across at her mother and brother, and Jim squeezed her hand reassuringly.
    “It all turned out okay, didn’t it, Trix?”
    She nodded. “But I don’t ever want to go through something like that again. If Honey ever gets kidnapped in the future, I plan on being with her.”
    “Whoa,” Jim shook his red head. “Nix on the kidnappings full stop, okay.”
    “Okay,” Trixie agreed.

    It was a tired but happy group that celebrated that night and when a magnificent coffee cake with rich mocha icing was brought out, they all sang and Brian with his mother’s help blew out the candles.
    “Make a wish, make a wish,” Mart and Di chorused.
    Mrs. Belden smiled at her son. “Did you make a wish, dear?”
    Brian smiled back. “I think I’ve had my quota of wishes for now.” He glanced around the table seeing Dan in deep conversation with Sergeant Ryder. Mart and Di were chatting with his father, the Wheelers sat hand in hand, unable to take their eyes of their daughter, and Jim had his arm around Trixie as the two talked to Agent Beech.
Brian’s own fingers were still entwined with Honey’s, and his mother wondered how the two had managed to consume a three-course meal with only one free hand each. She guessed that compared to what they’d just been through it wasn’t really all that difficult.

       Mart suddenly tapped on his glass, gaining everyone’s attention. “I’d like to make a toast,” he said, lifting his glass with a flourish. “To Brian, the birthday boy and definitely the man of the moment. I’m so proud of my brother that words fail even me.” Someone started to clap, but he shook his head and hurried on. “To Honey, brave, beautiful and available as a personal bodyguard, at a very reasonable rate.” Laughter followed this and Mart grinned. “And finally to Trixie, my sister, our fearless leader, ready to go where no man, woman or anyone with any sense would go.”
He paused and the gathered group drank from their raised glasses. Mart nodded. “So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you, Trixie Belden, girl detective— never leave home without her.”

MBW:MAIN  

Author's notes:  Dana has given so much of her time and herself to editing this story. I cannot thank her enough for her skill, kindness and her willingness to help me to be a better writer.
Word Count. 4570
    Disclaimer: Trixie et al belong to Random House and not to me. No profit is being made from these scribblings.