Part III
Everyone was still in the room for a moment, stupefied to see Honey standing there when she was supposed to be in Spain. Then, utter pandemonium broke out within the room. Trixie, holding onto her towel, ran to her best friend and threw herself against her, crying.
"Honey, I’m so glad that you are here!" exclaimed Trixie as the tears continued to run down her cheeks.
"Honey, you’re back!" exclaimed Brian turning away from Jim slightly in surprise.
"Honey, what are you doing back so early?" questioned Dan at the same time.
"Honey, thank God, you’re back!" exclaimed her adopted brother simultaneously, knowing some peace would soon fill this room again.
Mart quickly moved over to Di and they huddled together by the bed.
"What do you think happened?" asked Mart to his beloved.
"Obviously, Jim and Trixie got together," remarked Di over the commotion, "but I don’t think it was due to Jim seducing Trixie; that wouldn’t happen with our honorable Jim Frayne."
"I agree," stated Mart, "but then what did happen to traumatize Trixie so greatly?"
They both suddenly looked over to their friends and family when Honey produced another piercing whistle. Everyone became quiet again and gazed upon Honey who was holding her sobbing best friend in her arms.
"Yes, I’m back," Honey started to explain. "Yesterday afternoon some terrorists bombed the subway in Barcelona…"
"WHAT?!" a collective question was yelled by the rest of the Bob-Whites.
Trixie suddenly stopped crying and looked upon her best friend in shock. "Oh my God, Honey, I’m so sorry!" She could quite understand the terror that her best friend had experienced the day before.
"Baby, are you okay?" questioned Brian as he moved over to her side to assure himself that she was actually al right.
"Oh my God, Honey!" exclaimed Di from her spot nearby. "First, September 11th and now this!" She cuddled up to her boyfriend in her sadness of the events of their world these days.
"Thank God you weren’t hurt, Sis!" stated Jim passionately.
Honey held up her hand for silence again in the small dorm room congested with Bob-Whites. She now had one arm around her best friend who was hugging her tightly on her right side and Brian was holding her tightly on her left.
"Yes, I’m okay." Honey assured quietly but with a tremor in her voice. "It’s still very scary, though. We had been in that subway only fifteen minutes before the bomb went off."
Brian held his woman tighter. Trixie quietly informed Honey that she understood how scary that was for her.
Honey put on a brave smile and stated succinctly, "Yes, I’m safe and I’m back with all of you; that’s the most important thing. But, I want to know what ‘s going on here."
All the Bob-Whites started talking again to explain the situation, but Honey held up her hand again for silence. Looking upon her best friend, she said, "I think we need to listen to Trixie. I have a feeling that no one has given her a chance to really explain."
Trixie and Jim both looked upon each with surprise and some fear at the chance to describe what had truly happened the night before.
"Thank you, Honey, you’re right," agreed Trixie with gratitude in her trembling voice. Her eyes met Jim’s steadily for a second before she continued. "But before I explain what happened last night, could Jim and I please get dressed? This towel is getting pretty uncomfortable and I’m rather embarrassed to be standing amongst you all like this."
Brian looked at his sister for a moment and then agreed quietly. "Sure, Trix, go ahead and get dressed; we’re not going anywhere."
"Thank you, Brian!" exclaimed Trixie as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before moving off to her dresser to grab some clothes to quickly change into. Jim also moved over by her bed to grab his shirt, socks and shoes and they moved over to the bathroom door together, about to enter.
"WHAT?" exclaimed Brian at the idea of Jim and Trixie going into the bathroom to get dressed together.
"Let them," stated Mart firmly from across the room, challenging his big brother. They looked at each other for a moment before Brian nodded his silent agreement. Jim and Trixie looked at the others for a moment before looking back to each other and quickly moving behind the closed door of the bathroom for a moment of peace.
Immediately, Trixie threw herself against Jim’s solid frame and he enveloped her body in his strong, long arms.
"Oh my goodness, Jim, what a nightmare!" Trixie groaned into his muscled chest.
"Well, I guess we don’t have to worry about how to break the news that we are together to the group," chuckled Jim softly, somewhat dubiously.
Trixie laughed with him softly. "And I was worrying about that."
"Me, too." They looked deeply into each other’s eyes and Jim leaned down to kiss her warmly and softly. "How are you doing, love?" He moved his hands over her shoulders and down her back in a comforting fashion.
Trixie kissed him softly and cuddled again into his frame. "I’m pretty shook up at hearing about Honey’s experience in Spain! I haven’t been connected to any news for a few days."
"I know, same here," agreed Jim with emotion in his voice. Neither one of them would be able to handle it if something suddenly happened to take Honey away from their lives. They knew this about each other and shared this shock at her nearly being hurt.
They held each other for a long moment before Jim slightly pulled away from her. "We better get moving, hon, or we may have a riot on our hands again," he said with a soft smile.
Trixie moved away from him, too and moved over to her clothes and then looked nervously upon Jim. Jim understood matters completely and realized that he and Trixie needed to talk more about what happened last night between them. He would speak with her once they had a real moment alone.
"Trix, let me get dressed out there and I’ll let you have a minute in here to get dressed and catch your breath, okay?" he asked her gently.
Trixie smiled gratefully at him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you for understanding me so well, Jim; I love you," she exclaimed passionately.
Jim held her tight to himself one more time and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I love you too, baby." He smacked her playfully on the rump. "Now get thee dressed, woman!" He laughed and moved over to the door, grabbing his clothes as he went.
Trixie was still laughing as Jim closed the door behind him and faced all of the Bob-Whites again. They immediately noticed that he had not finished dressing and that he was alone.
"Trixie’s going to get dressed and join us in a minute," he stated quietly. The Bob-Whites nodded quietly, respecting Jim for being honorable. They spoke quietly amongst themselves while Jim completed getting dressed, not speaking to any of them.
A minute later, Trixie emerged from the bathroom’s interior and moved to Jim’s side. He wrapped a supportive and protective arm around her as they gazed at their friends and family together.
Honey, being gentle and understanding as always tried to help her best friend. "Trixie, are you ready to tell us what happened?" she asked quietly from across the room.
Trixie looked up into Jim’s bright green eyes for a moment, further collecting her strength and then nodded succinctly.
All of the Bob-Whites sat down, as if to prepare themselves for what they were about to hear. Di, Mart, and Dan sat on the girls’ beds, while Honey and Brian sat together in a large armchair in the corner. Trixie and Jim sat together on the floor; Trixie easily fitting within the curve of Jim’s body, with his arms loosely wrapped about her.
"Two major things happened to me last night," Trixie started in a quiet and solemn tone, "one very good and one very bad."
The other Bob-Whites were very attentive to what she was saying and no one dared interrupt her now that she had started to explain.
Trixie looked at Brian defiantly. "Jim was the very good part of the night. He came to me when I was scared and traumatized and he helped me with his love to get over what had happened."
"What did happen, Trixie?" asked her almost-twin quietly.
Trixie took a deep breath before telling her tale. "Last night, about ten o’clock, I was walking back to my dorm from the library. Suddenly a man jumped out of the bushes and attacked me."
"Oh my goodness, Trixie, are you okay?" exclaimed Honey.
Trixie held up her hand to indicate that she wanted to complete her tale without interruption. "Yes, I’m okay," she spoke softly with fine tremors conveying the raw emotions evoked from recalling the events of the night before. "I was more scared than anything. The man did try to assault me. He managed to pull me into the bushes where he held a knife on me and tried to rip at my clothes."
"Oh, Trixie, how awful!" exclaimed Di from across the room.
"It was awful, Di, but my self defense courses came to me reflexively and I soon had him whimpering in pain. I was able to get up and away from him and run for help. He did chase after me but I had quite a head start on him. Once I neared the campus security patrolman driving around campus, I heard the footsteps behind me stop."
"Thank goodness you got away, Trixie," Brian stated quietly. His eyes met his sister’s across the room, begging her silently for forgiveness for his earlier behavior. Trixie gave him a tremulous smile that assured him that he was forgiven.
"Campus Security called the police and a cop took me to the station. I was there for a few hours alone being questioned and checked out for any medical harm. They did find the guy and arrest him while I was still in the police station. He came in and I was able to positively identify him."
"That was fast work, Trixie," stated Dan, "I’m sure your detective skills enabled them to be able to apprehend him so quickly.
"I’m just glad they got him," Trixie’s voice trembled again. "The police officers told me that this man was wanted for at least five rapes on New York City college campuses since October. If I hadn’t been trained to defend myself, I could have been his next victim."
"Trixie, you never told me that!" spoke Jim harshly and tightened his arms around her torso.
Everyone sat in shocked silence for a moment. Then, Brian asked, "Where’s Jim come in, in all of this?"
"Once I got back to the dorm, I really broke down," explained Trixie bravely. "Honey was in Spain and I was all by myself. All I could think of were the events of the night, that man’s hands on me. I called you and Jim, as I didn’t want to be alone. Jim answered the phone and came over to be with me."
"I’m sorry for not leaving you a note, Brian," started Jim softly. "Trixie sounded so traumatized on the phone that I didn’t even think to leave one before rushing out of there."
"I understand, Jim." Brian was letting his best friend now that he was sorry, too, for his own actions.
Mart, being himself, couldn’t help asking the unasked question. "So what happened once Jim got here?"
Trixie and Jim’s faces both flushed guiltily. Jim squeezed Trixie gently in his arms and bravely explained. "As Trixie stated, two big things occurred last night. The awesome thing that occurred last night is that Trixie and I admitted our feelings for each other."
"Whoo-hoo!" exclaimed Dan.
"It’s about time!" admonished Brian joyfully.
"It only took them 9 years to get to this point!" added Mart in teasing fashion.
"Congratulations, Trixie and Jim!" exclaimed Honey joyously, so glad that her best friend and her big brother were finally an honest couple in love.
"I’m so happy for you, Trixie!" stated Di over the others.
Trixie and Jim laughed in surprise. They did not expect their news to be so well received by their friends and family.
Trixie smiled impishly at the group. "Yes, Jim and I love each other."
"Tell us something we didn’t already know!" snorted Mart and the others laughed.
"And as for any other events that occurred last night," Jim stated firmly, "that is between Trixie and I."
The room fell silent again but no one wanted to challenge that statement.
Dan, realizing the awkwardness of the moment, coughed sharply to break the tension. "Well, now that we know that everyone is okay, why don’t we enjoy that breakfast Mart and Di promised me?"
Trixie, not wanting to let a mystery get away from her asked, "Yeah, what are you two doing in New York anyway?"
Di giggled at the question. "We came back to the City to work on wedding plans with my mom and we wanted to surprise you all. We had contacted Dan last night to make sure that he had some time off to see us. When we found out that he would only be off for a short time early today, we suggested to him that we all get together for brunch at the Blue Dorn Diner."
"Dan agreed to be our chauffeur and picked us up at our hotel this morning," added Mart. "When we called Brian and Jim’s apartment to surprise them, Brian was frantic about getting over to your dorm, Trix. And here we all are."
"And now that Honey is back from Spain, sadly but thankfully, the whole gang can go to brunch together," said Brian happily, cuddling his girlfriend close to him.
"Oh, how perfectly perfect!" exclaimed Honey in glee.
Di picked up on how Jim and Trixie needed some alone time together and suggested that they all get moving and leave the duo alone. Honey opted to put her belongings away later so that she could spend some much-needed catch-up time with her man. Everyone hugged Honey and Trixie before the party left as one big, noisy group.
Suddenly, Trixie and Jim were alone in an empty and silent dorm room. They faced each other nervously across the confining space.
To Be Continued