truth

Truth Doesn't Make A Noise

You've been talking an hour

And I swear to God that I can't hear a word you say

So would you come to me, come to me

I get caught up and the waves of conversation they wash over me

And they cover me, they cover me

"What are you asking me to do, Trixie? Watch you embroil yourself in another mystery, another bad guy, another too-close rescue? I don't know how long you expect me to watch you throw yourself at death's door again!"

"I see," said Trixie Belden coldly. "You think that I'm still 14 years old. That I don't have a clue as to what I'm doing. That I'm just trying to get myself killed?"

"God," groaned Jim, running his hands through his think red hair agitatedly. "That is not what I meant and you know it! Stop trying to put words in my mouth. It's just,Trixie, you don't know how it tears me up inside to watch you chase after hard boiled criminals like you do. The fear every time you show up late, wondering if you're going to come home alive or if Dan is going to show up at my door and tell me that your nine lives have finally run out. I can't live like that for forever!"

"And I'm not going to ask you to!" Trixie nearly-shouted and stormed out of the clubhouse.

"Fine!"

********************************

Tears clouded 22 year-old Trixie Belden's eyes as she marched down the path towards Crabapple Farm.

Trust Jim not to understand, she stormed to herself as she nearly tripped over a leaf-hidden tree root. Regaining her balance, she pushed on, angrily wiping tears from her eyes. Why can't he just accept me for who I am? Why is he always trying to change me?

Trixie had known for a long time that Jim wasn't entirely supportive of her detective career, and now that she was helping out the Sleepyside Police Department during summer break from college, he had become even more unsupportive. When she had tried to tell him about her newest case, he'd blown up at her.

He'll always see me as some fourteen year-old tomboy, always getting in over her head. Let's face it, Jim will never change. But even the angry thoughts running through Trixie's head didn't stop the overwhelming fear that she had lost Jim forever. He was the only boy she had ever loved, the only one she ever wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Lately though, their future didn't seem that bright. She knew Jim was busy getting his boy's school started, but he was spending less and less time with her, and was more and more agitated with her when they talked. Trixie thought that maybe it was just the stress of building a school, but now she knew that she was the root of their problems.

Without really thinking, Trixie went past Crabapple Farm, taking the shaded trail into the preserve. She needed some time to think and not have to deal with her family's prying questions. She knew that they meant well, when they hovered over her, but right now she couldn't handle one 'what's wrong?' question, no matter how well the intentions.

All is nothing in moderation

It's a dirty feeling and it makes you stronger

Well I believe I'm just plain tired

With a weary sigh, she stopped at the bluffs. Ignoring the fence put up to keep people from the precarious bluff, she went over it and sat a few feet from the edge, her thoughts causing turmoil within her. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she laid her crossed arms atop of her knees and rested her forehead on her forearm. Finally, she let the tears come in earnest.

"Hey! Hey, get away from there! Can't you read signs, lady?"

The gruff voice made Trixie jump, coming close to sending her off the edge of the bluff as she turned around. Regaining her balance, she turned around with a weary sigh and faced the shouter.

"You really need to work on your people skills, Danny," said Trixie with a sigh, brushing a tangled blond curl behind her ear.

"Trixie? What the hell are you doing over there? You know better then anybody to stay behind the damn fence!" He stopped abruptly, taking in her red eyes and rumpled appearance. "What happened?"

Trixie walked back over to the fence and easily scaled it, dropping to the other side next to Daniel Mangan.

"Nothing, I'm fine, I shouldn't have been behind the fence, I'm sorry." She started to walk back down the trail.

"Oh no, missy. You are not brushing me off with that. What's the matter?� What are you doing out here? It'll be dark soon." Dan grabbed Trixie's arm as she passed by him and spun her around so she was facing him.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry for going past the fence, okay? I'm sure Moms is getting worried about me though, so I guess I'd better go."

"Damn it, Trixie! What is wrong with you?"

"Everything apparently!" shouted Trixie, before breaking into tears again. "Now let me go!" She tried to jerk her arm from his grip again to no avail.

Gently, Dan pulled her into his chest. "Trix, what's the matter? Nothing's wrong with you, what makes you say that? I'm sorry I yelled when I saw you on the other side of the fence, you scared me. "

With a sniff, Trixie pulled her head back from Dan's chest and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have gone past the fence. I just...I needed to think. Why aren't you at work?"� Dan worked as a police officer with the New York Police Department.

"I got the weekend off, figured I'd spend a little time with Maypenny, helping him get the preserve ready for fall and spend some time with my niece," he explained, referring to Regan's year and a half old daughter.

"Tierney will love seeing you again. You won't believe how she's grown," said Trixie, trying to regain her composure.

"Yeah. I really wish you would tell me what had you all upset," said Dan as he put his arm around Trixie's shoulder and they started walking back towards Maypenny's. "You're one of my best friends and it bothers me when you're upset."

"It's just, the stress of working at the station, and Honey's email, and I met with Jim at the clubhouse and...and...and everything's gone wrong today!"

"What's wrong with, Honey?"

"Nothing," said Trixie quickly, "You know how married people are, always something going on."

"Oh," said Dan. "Well, you want to tell me about your meeting with Jim?"

"I guess," said Trixie slowly. "If you've got the time."

"For you, Trix, I've always got time."

**********************************

Would you be happier if I was only half the man I am

You could shadow me and dare me to come in

I could lie to you and say I didn?t mean it

But it really doesn't matter when you stop to think about it

Lights from streetlamps flashed over Jim Frayne's windshield. He had been driving aimlessly for hours, still stewing over his fight with Trixie. He guided his Jeep Cherokee into the parking lot� of a non-descript bar in New York City. He only half wondered how he had ended up there before he turned off the ignition and got out of the Jeep.

Pushing open the door, his eyes scanned the dimly lit room. The bar was half empty with just a few people in the room.

Taking a seat at the sticky, graffiti-covered bar, he dropped his head in his hands.� What was I thinking, yelling at her like that? She's Trixie, she has 50 lives. And she'll need every last one of them before her career is over. He muttered his thanks when the bartender slid a glass before him and started working on what would probably be the first of many drinks that night. There was a jukebox in the corner, and someone had selected a country song. The sad, slow song filled every corner and the room and took residence in Jim's brain.

Well me and my lady had our first big fight

So I drove around till I saw the neon lights

Of a corner bar, it just seemed right so I pulled up

Jim shook his head and tried to erase the song from his mind. In real life, you don't just go home and have your woman welcome you with open arms, thought Jim sarcastically. Finishing his glass, he motioned for the bartender to mix him another one. He was already feeling a buzz since he rarely imbibed, knowing from a long history with Jonesy that alcohol and tempers don't mix well.

"I wish they'd play something real, don't you?" asked someone two stools down.

With a frown, Jim turned to his right. The voice was familiar. "Sara?" He couldn't believe it. Sara Hess was a girl he knew growing up in Rochester, and had found again when he was in college.

"Guilty as charged," laughed the girl. "What are you doing here, Jimmy? You never struck me as the drinking type."

"I have no clue," said Jim as he started on his second screwdriver. "What do you suggest they play?"

"Straight Tequila Night would work pretty well for me right now," said Sara with a sarcastic laugh.

"Ahhh," said Jim understandingly. "Who broke your heart?"

"Not going there," said Sara with a crooked smile. She moved down so that she was sitting next to Jim. "What would you have them play?"

"No freakin' clue. Another drinkin' song for sure. I can't really think right now."

Sara laughed. "I might find something." She carefully got up from the bar and made her way over to the jukebox. A minute later Friends In Low Places blasted out from the jukebox.

Jim laughed as Sara came back to the bar. "That would work pretty good, only nobody cheated on me."

"Yeah, but it has the three good points of a drinking song. One, its about drinking. Two, it's not terribly sappy which is just going to make you cry and three...well, there is no three now, but if I think of one there will be."

"Sara, you really are a card. Besides Straight Tequila Night is a sad song."

"Yeah but it's in the exception."

"What's that?"

The exception? It's a really good song."

"Okay, I'll take it. What have you been doing lately? Still going to SUNY?"

"Trying to. Tuition is a bitch."

"No joke. What are you majoring in?"

"Finance. I've always had a thing for numbers."

"Ah. Think you can still kick my ass at pool?"

"You know it Jimmy. I'll clean the table with you."

"That sounds like a challenge. Looser buys the winner's drinks?"

"Deal."

***************************

"Thanks for dinner, Mr. Maypenny. No one can make hunter's stew like you." Rising up from the table, Trixie gathered everyone's dishes and put them in the sink. When she started running water to wash them though, Mr. Maypenny shooed her away from the sink.

"I'll do the dishes, honey. You can run along home. Oh, don't forget to take some of those doughnuts for you and your brother. I made them fresh this morning."

"I see how you are," said Trixie, smiling for the first time that evening. "You feed me and then you run me off."

"You always were a smart girl," Mr. Maypenny teased back. "It's almost eleven, Trixie, go home."

"I'll walk with you, Trix,"said Dan, grabbing a high-powered flashlight off the top of the fridge. Mr. Maypenny quickly bagged a dozen doughnuts and handed them to Trixie and the pair set off.

Dan held the flashlight as he and Trixie started towards Crabapple Farm. The walked along in comfortable silence until Trixie cleared her throat and said, "Thanks for listening to me earlier Dan. It's hard to talk to Honey when she's in the City with Brian."

"No problem, Trixie," said Dan lightly. "You know I'm always there if you want to talk to me. And I wouldn't worry about Jim. You know he loves you and his temper never lasts long. Tomorrow he'll be at Crabapple Farm apologizing."

You're probably right, Dan," said Trixie softly. "I still worry though."

"Just don't worry alone," said Dan. "It's easier if you have someone to worry with you."

"Yeah."

The presently ended up at the back porch of the farmhouse.

"Home again, home again," chanted Dan with a smile. "Tell you what, if you want to keep busy tomorrow so you're not worrying, why don't you come with me to visit Uncle Bill and Aunt Allie?"

"Sure," said Trixie. "It'll be nice to see Tierney again, but I'm afraid Regan's going to rail me for not exercising the horses as much I should."

"Want to know a secret?" asked Dan in an exaggerated whisper.

"Sure!" said Trixie with fake exaggeration, getting into the game.

"Well, the secret is...Uncle Bill is really a big softy!"

Trixie broke out laughing. "Really!"

"He is," said Dan, keeping his low tone. "And, I think that he understands that with Brian and Honey and I in New York, and Mart and Di at college, and Jim trying to get his school started and you working with the police department that we really don't have the time that we used to for exercising the horses. I do know though, that he?d appreciate us helping him tomorrow."

"You're right. I'm not that busy, I should help with them more. I'll meet you at the stables tomorrow at nine?"

"That'll be fine, Trixie," agreed Dan, "See you tomorrow, Shamus."

Trixie started with the endearment that only Jim ever called her. With her eyes tearing up, she turned and quietly entered the farmhouse.

*******************************

"Told you I could still kick your ass at pool," giggled Sara drunkenly as she and Jim finished their third game of pool.

"One of these days, Sara, I will beat you."

"Highly doubtful Jimmy. I'm tired of this place. Why don't we go back to my apartment? It's just a few blocks down, we could reminisce a little."

*****************************

"Sara, I don't think that reminiscing requires the removal of my shirt!"

?Of coursh it does!? slurred Sara happily, while pulling Jim?s t-shirt over his head.� After the offending piece of clothing was removed, she leaned down and nibbled on Jim's ear, simultaneously raking her fingernails down his chest, causing Jim to shudder.

"C'mon, Sara..." Jim protested weakly.�

"Oh, Jimmy," giggled Sara, "you know you want it.� You love me!� You've loved me since we were teenagers!"

Jim gazed up blearily.� Seeing the mass of brown-blond curls framing a pixie face, he smiled. "Of course I have, Trix! I always will."

Sara's smile faded.�"You don't really love her, Jimmy," she stated quietly.� "And by the time tonight is over, I'll make sure that you've forgotten all about her."

******************************

There's a funny way your lip shakes when I know that you've been lying,

and it touches me

It comforts me, it comforts me

I guess I should be satisfied, did you say you love me half the time

Well let's settle there, we can build from there, build from there

After trying for over an hour to fall asleep with no avail, Trixie quietly slipped out onto the front porch and settled on the swing with a light blanket since the September nights were getting cooler and cooler.� She set the swing in motion with the tip of her bare foot and contemplated the night sky.� It was times like these that she wish Honey still lived within walking distance.� Instead, Honey was in New York with her husband Brian, who was slowly working his way to becoming a doctor.� Thinking about Honey made Trixie remember the email that she had received earlier that afternoon, right before meeting Jim.� She pulled the printed slip of paper out of the pocket of the jeans that she had slipped back on before heading outside.� With a sigh, she unfolded it and read it again.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Subject: Neighbors

Trixie,

�� You know Trix, it pays to be next door neighbors.� We were constantly running back and forth for advice, homework help, or just to ogle each other's brothers.� I miss having my personal counselor living next door!� (However, I can now ogle your brother at anytime I want ;) ).�� Times like these make me wish that we lived next door again.

�� Brian is being very distant.�� It's like he's not even the same wonderful man that I married.� I know that he's working long hours, but when he gets home, he pretty much ignores me.� We've been arguing a lot lately, mostly about stupid things, like not putting a coffee cup in the sink; dumb, trivial things.� Most nights, he doesn't even come straight home from work.� He goes to a bar with his buddies and comes home and goes straight to bed.�� I've tried to talk to him about it, but then he just gets defensive and rants on and on about how hard he's working to support us and such.� I don't know what to do Trix.� How do I figure out how to communicate with this oaf?� (I really don't mean that, but I'm frustrated!)

�� I have some other news too, Trix.� I'm pregnant.� How am I going to tell Brian that, when he's practically ignoring me anyway?

�� Write back quickly!� You need to come visit me soon!

Honey

Trixie sighed and folded the missive back up.� What was with their brothers lately?� Both of them are acting like complete asses, she thought to herself, Honey ecspecially needs Brian to be caring and sympathetic again, not a moron!�� But I'm going to be an aunt!� An ecstatic grin filled her face before the gravity of the situation returned to her.�� What am I going to do?�� She rocked for a long time, doing serious thinking before she finally succumbed to the chill of the autumn night and headed inside.

*************************************

Jim awoke to the feel of a soft body pressed up against him.� With a groan that was partly attributed to Sara, and partly attributed to the pounding headache he had, he snuggled up closer against her and nuzzled her neck.

"Morning, sweetie," he whispered huskily.

"Morning, baby," a soft voice whispered back.�� The head turned and instead of the baby blue eyes Jim had been expecting, he was staring into hazel ones.� Jim jerked back in surprise.

"Jimmy, sweetie, what's wrong?"� Sara asked in a puzzled voice.

"Sara?� Oh my God!� What have I done?"� Jim frantically scrambled back, resisting any effort by Sara to calm him.� A quick glance under the quilt that covered them, and he panicked even more.� He started to climb out of bed, then thought better of it.� "Don't look!� Just....close your eyes and stay there!"

"Jim, what's the matter with you?" cried Sara, clutching the sheet that was underneath the quilt to her chest.

Jim whipped the quilt off the bed, leaving Sara the sheet, and quickly wrapped it around his waist as he stood up.� "JUST STAY THERE!"� He frantically began searching around the room for wayward pieces of clothing.� When he had gathered it all up, he went into the bathroom and locked the door.�� When he returned carrying the quilt, his shoe laces not even tied, Sara was dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans and was sitting on the bed waiting for him.

"Jimmy, wait!� Just talk to me!"

"I don't want to talk to you!� Just stay the hell away from me!� Jim hurried from the room, nearly tripping on his untied shoelaces.� Sara got up to follow him, but Jim quickly held up his hand.� "Just stay here, Sara.� I don't want you to ever talk to me again.� If you see me out walking, I want you to pretend that you don't even know me!� I don't EVER want to see you again!"

"Jim!" pleaded Sara, tears running down her cheeks.

"I mean it, Sara," said Jim tiredly, running a freckled hand over his face.� "Just stay away from me."� With that, he exited the apartment, the sound of the door shutting echoing over and over in Sara's head.

********************************

Jim drove aimlessly, tears tracking down his face.� How could he have let this happen?�

If Trixie finds out, she'll kill me!I can't stand to loose her!� 'You might lose her if she finds out about tonight!' his conscious argued with him.� She won't find out about tonight! he decided resolutely.

On the way home, he stopped at a jewelers that was open much earlier than usual. Twenty minutes later, he walked out with a small black box nestled in his pocket.�

I won't loose her!

*********************************

Ping, ping!

Trixie bolted straight up in her bed.� Red digital letters glared at her from beside the bed.

It's 5:03 am! she thought grouchily.� What's going on?

Ping!

Trixie turned sharply to face her window.� Ping!� Slightly confused and grumpy, she got out of bed and went over to her window.� Upon peeking out, the first thing that she noticed was glinting red hair.� With a small grin, she moved away from the curtains and tiptoed downstairs and out the backdoor.�� An evil smile gracing her lips, she snuck around the garden and into the woods, moving until she was finally behind Jim.� Quiet as a mouse, she tiptoed until she was about three feet behind him.� Then, in an exaggerated stage whisper, she said, "Hey, you!"

Jim's reaction was better than expected.� With a squeaky sound of surprise, he jumped three feet in the air and lost the remaining gravels that had been held in his left hand.

Slowly, he turned around to face her.� For once, his face was redder than his freckles. "Uh, hey, Trix!"� His nervousness took over and he started babbling.� "You know that your parents have a very well maintained yard? I had to walk all the way back to your driveway to find a rock to throw..." He grinned a little and Trixie's heart melted.� "Look, Trix, I'm sorry about how I acted earlier today.� I should be more supportive of your career, and you!"� Trixie started to interrupt, but Jim held up his hand.� "No, please, just let me talk. �I did a lot of thinking last night, and I decided something.� I couldn't stand to loose you, Trix.� I'll be more supportive of your career, I promise.� I'll be the most supportive boyfriend a girl could wish for.� Would you please marry me?"� He pulled the ring case out of his jacket pocket and flipped it open.� Inside was a gorgeous princess-cut diamond solitaire engagement ring.

"Oh, Jim!" gasped Trixie.� "It's beautiful!� Of course I'll marry you!"� She threw her arms around Jim's neck and kissed him passionately.�

"Oh, Trixie!" murmured Jim into her curls after the kiss had ended.� "I was so afraid that I was going to loose you!� So afraid..."

"Don't be silly! Over one fight?" asked Trixie lightly, hugging him tight.

"Yeah, silly of me," murmured Jim, hugging her so tight that she squeaked.� "Very silly of me."

Well all is nothing in moderation

Dirty feeling, strange sensation

I believe, I believe

Believe I'm tired

Author's Notes:

The song used throughout the story is "Tired" by Matchbox 20. I've never even heard this song, but I liked the lyrics and they fitted what I wanted.�

The signs around the bluff are from "The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest", and so is the reference that 'Trixie should know better than anyone the dangers of the bluff'.� As far as I know, they Wheeler's never erected a fence, but I think that they would later on as a precaution.

Jim's old friend, Sara, is my creation.� I may write a story detailing their relationship before this story, but I doubt it.

Hotmail is owned by MSN I guess.� I had no permission to use it, but hey, it's free advertising!

As usual, I did not have permission to use any of these characters (with the exception of Dan's Aunt Allie, niece, Tierney, and Sara Barnes).�

I'd also like to thank Andrea (Moon-Spinner) and Amber for reading over this and editing for me :)

Thank you for reading!

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