rated *

 

When Two Worlds Meet Again

by Treanna and AprilW

 

Trixie felt the same sense of excitement as she ascended the steps again into the lab.

Professor Hinglebummer was again seated at the computer, still wearing the same lab coat and thick glasses. He looked up and smiled when they entered.

"Well, hello, Trixie and Jim, it is nice to see you again. It was only a few weeks ago that I saw you,  wasn’t it?"

Trixie smiled at his absentmindedness. "Actually, Professor H., it was almost two years ago."

"Really?"

Jim nodded. "Dad told us that you wanted to see us again."

"Yes. I thought that you might want to be here when I try to bring back some more Trixie fans from the future."

Jim nodded. "The others couldn’t make it."

It was then that Professor Hinglebummer noticed their slightly damp clothes. "Is it raining outside?"

"And thundering and lightning," Trixie told him.

The Professor frowned. "Maybe we should wait until it is a more fine day for the experiment."

"Oh no," Trixie sighed.

Jim laughed. "I am afraid that if you cancel the experiment Trixie will surely die."

The professor smiled. "I have read about the times that Trixie and Honey were close to death, so I had better get this experiment going.

As the Professor and Jim were working on the computer, Trixie walked over to the corner waiting expectantly for the people to appear.

"Just one more calculation and we are green," she heard the Professor say.

Then suddenly a huge flash of light shot across the window and Trixie felt queer. She turned to call Jim, but he seemed to be disappearing.

"Jim!" she cried.

He turned. "Trixieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

*     *     *

Trixie felt dizzy and she closed her eyes. The clicking of the computer made her smile.

I was just dreaming, she thought as she slowly opened her eyes.

She looked around her in shock. She was in a medium-sized room that had a huge coat of arms on the wall. She saw bookshelves filled with books and at a huge L shaped desk sat a woman typing away at the computer.

Trixie gasped and the woman turned around. She stood up in shock.

"Who are you?"

"Trixie, Trixie Belden."

The woman studied her for a moment and smiled. "So you are. What are you doing here?"

"We wanted to bring some of you back to talk to again, but something happened and I am here instead."

The woman again smiled. "I read that you had a conversation with some of the clubhouse ladies. I wasn’t sure if it was true or not, but now you are here. This is so cool."

"I am feeling a little warm myself," Trixie murmured.

"No, cool means good."

Trixie shook her head. "What is the date?"

"September the twenty-ninth, two-thousand and four."

"And who are you?"

The woman chuckled. "Where are my manners? My name is April."

"I need to go home."

The woman glanced at her computer. "Hang on, sweetie, there is a message come through for me. It might be from Jim."

April sat back down at the computer and opened the message.

"It is from a Eddie. Is that someone you know?"

Trixie hurried over. "That is Professor Hinglebummer."

"Hinglebummer?"

"We call him Professor H."

"Very wise," April laughed.

The message read:

Is Trixie with you? Lightening damaged computer. Will be able to recover in five hours. Please reply.

Eddie.

 

Trixie sighed. "Five hours."

April watched her for a moment. "We had better answer this and then we can go and have a cup of tea. Okay?"

Trixie nodded.

 

Trixie is fine and we will stay close to the computer. Give us five minutes warning before you are ready to recover.

April and Trixie.

 

April sent the message and then stood up. "Now, how about that cup of tea?"

Trixie nodded as she followed her out of the study.

As they passed through the living room Trixie stopped. Instinctively, she put her hand over her heart and spoke,

"I pledge Allegiance to the flag
Of the United States of America
And the republic for which it stands.
One..."

"What did you say, Trixie?"

Trixie laughed. "This room. It makes me feel so patriotic." She looked around the room. It was done in red, white and blue American flags, and red and white lighthouses.

April laughed. "Many people who come here do that."

Trixie followed her  into the kitchen. Trixie liked the way April had decorated this room. From the hardwood floor to the roosters and sunflowers all over the walls. It was indeed a cosy room.

"I really need to use the bathroom," Trixie told April.

"Just over there."

When Trixie appeared again, April had a cup of tea and some cake for both of them. She was seated at the table.

Trixie joined her. "I love the angels in the bathroom. They are so cute."

"Thank you.  I am afraid I am a decorating fiend."

"So tell me more about the website. Dr H. told me some, but I would love to hear more from your side."

April thought for a moment before replying. "We are just a group of people who at some stage of our lives came in contact with your books. We all loved them so much that we wanted to find others that shared the same love as we did. And we found the clubhouse. We can talk to others about the Bob-Whites and even talk about things not related to you all. We even have a section where we can play games with each other. And then there is the fanfic."

"I read a little of that, but Jim would not let me read any of the password protected stories. He said I was too young."

"You are."

"But I will be eighteen in a month. Aren’t I old enough now?"

"I don’t think so."

"But can’t I have a little peek? I won’t tell anyone."

April shook her head. "Tell me, would Moms approve of you reading them?"

Trixie shook her head.

"Well, then. But I can let you read some of the unpassworded ones if you like."

Trixie nodded. "I would like that."

As they walked back to the study Trixie asked, "I saw one that mentioned something about 9-11. What is that about?"

"That is something I wouldn’t like you to read. Some things that are happening at the moment you don’t need to know about. Promise me that you will check on which stories to read."

"I will. Is the world that bad at the moment?"

"You will experience it all one day. To know too much will make your life very sad and you have so much happiness ahead of you. Now sit."

Trixie dutifully sat down and then smiled. "Your hair is almost the same colour as Jim's, but you have my curls."

April nodded. "And Damon, my husband, tugs my curls like Jim does to yours."

"I sort of like it," Trixie admitted.

April smiled. "So do I."

April watched as Trixie ran her hand over her ID bracelet.

"Jim has real special feelings for you, Trix, and don’t you ever forget that."

Trixie shrugged. "I know. He kisses me and holds my hand, but he doesn’t say much."

"He will, honey, just hold on." April skimmed over the fanfic and showed Trixie a few to read. "Now, you read them and I will see about getting us some lunch."

Trixie nodded, already absorbed in the first story.

An hour later April came back into the study.

"Lunch is ready, Trix."

"Just a few more lines and I am finished."

April waited and then Trixie stood up and followed April back into the kitchen.

Tantalizing smells assailed her nostrils. "What is that divine smell?"

"Cavatini, served with salad and garlic rolls. And diet soda to drink."

"Diet soda. Boy, things have changed. So, now I know why you have such a tiny figure. What size are you?"

"Usually an eight."

"You are even tinier than Honey."

"I am kept busy with my kids."

"Where are they?"

"My hubby has taken them out for the day."

"I am sorry I have missed them."

April laughed. "I don’t know if I could have explained you to them."

Trixie laughed.  "No, I suppose not."

After saying thanks, they began to eat.

"This is delicious," said Trixie. "How do you make it?"

"It is simple. You just take thick squiggly noodles and cover them with spaghetti sauce and pepperoni. Then you cover that with mozzarella cheese and bake it."

"It is so yummy. I will have to make it at home."

"Mart will love it."

Trixie nodded. "It is so funny how you know so much about me. You are almost like family."

"I have watched you grow up from a thirteen-year-old girl to a young woman. You have had so many wonderful adventures. What is your favourite?"

Trixie blushed slightly. "The one when I found Jim."

"I kind of figured that would be the one."

"I read that in some of the fanfic I end up with other men."

"Dan, Nick Roberts and others."

April saw Trixies mind working. "And what about Jim?"

"Well, in one story he is with Hallie."

"Hallie! I knew he would like that Indian Princess."

April laughed. "It is only fiction,Trix."

"As long as it is just fiction."

"Would you like to watch a little television? There is a soap opera on that you might like to watch. I have something to do for a little while."

Trixie stood up and nodded. "What about the dishes?"

"I have a dishwasher."

"A dishwasher?"

April nodded.

"I like your future."

April turned on the television and Trixie exclaimed, "It is colour."

"Yeah, we have colour television too."

"Cool."

April went back into the study and turned on her printer. She smiled as she worked.

When she went back into the lounge, Trixie was glued to the set.

April sat beside her. "What do you think?"

"That woman has killed all those people and it is really more dramatic when you see blood in full colour."

April reached for the remote and turned off the television. "I have something for you to take back."

"What is it?"

"This parcel contains stories that I think are safe for you to read now. But this wrapped parcel is a password protected story that I want you to promise me you won’t read until you are married."

"I promise. But what is it about?"

"All I will tell you is it is about a blue negligee."

"A blue negligee?"

April nodded. "It might be a good thing to buy for your honeymoon. I am sure Jim will appreciate it."

Trixie blushed. "I sometimes dream of the day that Jim and I marry, but then I think that he can’t care about me that much because he never says so."

"I can tell you with total assurance that Jim cares about you much more than you realise. If you two don’t marry, I will be shocked and disappointed."

Trixie reached over and hugged her. "Thank you."

April hugged her back and then checked her watch.

"We had better go back now. They will be sending a message soon."

Five minutes later a message came through.

 

Ready to recover in five minutes.

Eddie.

 

Trixie found it impossible to stop the tears from flowing. "Thank you so much for all you have done, April. I could have been really scared if you had not been at the other end."

"I am going to miss you too, Trix. I have a really good fanfic to write now."

"I hope I get to read it."

"I will send a message to Eddie when I've finished it and ask him to print it out for you."

"I promise you, April, I will come back one day and visit."

"You had better."

As Trixie began to disappear she called out, "Keep writing about me."

*      *     *

Trixie was in Jim's arms the moment the machine turned off.

"Oh baby, I thought that I had lost you for good."

"I missed you so much," she told him, secure in his arms.

"I am taking you home, Trix, and no more visits to here. I can’t bear to go through that again."

As he helped her into the car he noticed the parcels. "What are those?"

"April gave them to me. They are stories I can read."

"Not password protected, I hope?"

She shook her head. "She gave me one, but told me not to read it until I was married."

"Did she tell you what it was about?"

"Something about a blue negligee."

"What?"

Trixie smiled at the blush on Jim's face. "So, I assume you have read it."

"I..."

Trixie laughed. "Well, Jim Frayne, April also told me to buy a blue negligee for my honeymoon so if you want to see me in it, I guess you will have to marry me one day."

He stopped her words with a very satisfying kiss. "Miss Belden, believe me when I say that I and only I will be seeing you in that blue negligee. And I promise you that it won’t be too long away.

"I love you, Jim," she whispered and he grinned from ear to ear.

"Not as much as I love you, Trix."

And he proceeded to give her a more satisfying kiss than the last time.

*      *     *

April put away the dishes and smiled. She looked at her watch. They were due back in about two hours, so she went back onto the computer. She saw another message.

Thanks, my friend, Trixie.

When the doorbell rang a few minutes later, she walked to the front door. She wondered who wanted her now.

When she opened the door, a middle-aged man and woman stood there. The man was tall and strong with red, slightly greying hair and the woman’s hair was curly and greying.

The woman smiled."Told you I would come back to visit. Hope that guest room is still available for a few days."

April screamed as she hugged the woman.

"Trixie, I can’t believe it is you."

"It is." Trixie laughed. "And by the way, the blue negligee worked a treat, thank you."

The End

TBH Main