Déjà vu?

Twenty-two-year-old Honey looked up from organizing her desk and smiled at her best friend and new business partner.  “It would be just horrible of you to die now, Trixie, just as we start the agency.  I do hope you can bear up just a little bit longer.”

            Trixie paced back and forth in the office.  Since the spacious room boasted only two desks and desk chairs, she had plenty of room. 

“Hey,” Honey protested, “go kick your own desk.  Besides, I’m sure that Jim has a perfectly good reason for waiting, Trixie.  Just be patient,” Honey said, lifting up her coffee cup to hide a smile.

“I am being patient,” Trixie exclaimed, ignoring her friend’s snort of disbelief.  She went back to wearing a tread in the new carpet. 

            Honey gave Trixie her most angelic, innocent look.

            Trixie sighed loudly and rolled her eyes.  “Hey, I’m hungry, are you hungry?”

            Having known Trixie for almost ten years, Honey barely blinked at Trixie’s rapid change of topics.  “Now that you mention it, I am.”

            Honey shook her head.  “Actually, I’d prefer to stay here and finish up this labeling.  Why don’t you pick us up some food to go?”  

             “OK,” Trixie easily agreed. “You want your usual turkey on multi-grain?”

              At Honey’s nod, Trixie grabbed her purse and strode out the door.  She turned around and gently brushed her fingertips over the stenciled “Belden and Wheeler Detective Agency” before she ran down the stairs.

                Honey walked over to the window and calmly sipped her coffee as she looked out the window.  When she saw Trixie turn the corner, she hurried to the phone.

                “She’s seriously getting impatient.  I think you need to ask her soon.”

                A frustrated groan answered her.  “I want to ask her.  Mother Nature just hasn’t been cooperating.  I swear I’m going to take things into my own hands soon.  You think Dad would let me borrow a snow-making machine from Mead’s Mountain?”

                Honey laughed and logged onto her computer.  “Well, you might be in luck.  According to weather.com, they predict a big snow storm this weekend.”

            “Finally!”  Jim breathed a sigh of relief.  “So she’s getting frustrated, huh?”

            “Duh,” Honey said.  “  I know it’s shocking considering how patient she usually is.  Mainly she’s just suspicious.” 

             “I had hoped  opening the agency would help distract her a bit.”

            “Not enough.  Now if we caught a case, then maybe, but… uh-oh, I  hear Trixie coming back.  Talk to you later.”  Honey hung up the phone just as Trixie reached the doorknob.  Once again, Trixie paused at the door for a quick and proud review.

            “Hey, I think this place should be good: really  fast, good service and the food smells great.”

* * * * *

                “I think he’ll ask this weekend.  Don’t you think that it’s suspicious that he keeps reminding me of your mother’s birthday party and making sure I’m still coming?  But I still can’t believe that he’s waited this long.  Hell, Mart and Diana have been married for months.”

                “True, but Mart wanted to get married as soon as possible... for some strange reason,” Honey said, trying not to smirk.  Mart and Diana had gotten married the weekend after Diana graduated from college.

                “Let’s not talk about that, OK?  But I have to admit, Mart’s a lot more relaxed nowadays,” Trixie said, laughing. 

                “Anyway, Brian and I aren’t engaged yet, and neither is Dan.” 

                “Well, you and Bri won’t get married until he’s done his residency, so you have a good reason to wait.   And Dan… well, Dan would have to stick to just one girl if he wanted to get engaged.  But I really don’t understand why Jim hasn’t asked yet… what is he up to anyway, I wonder?”  Trixie flopped down in her chair, scowling.

                “What?  Are you trying to figure out the mystery of the delayed proposal?”

                Trixie turned her scowl on Honey.  “Ha-ha.  I just can’t figure out what he’s waiting for."  She shifted in her chair.  “Anyway, why don’t you tell me what’s up for this weekend.  How many people are you expecting to show up at this fancy shindig of your mother’s?”

                “Hundreds, I think.  Most of her family is coming --- well, not the ones in England --- but all of the local ones.  Ben will be there, and we haven’t seen him since his graduation party.”

                “Great,” Trixie said, rolling her eyes.

                “Come on, Trix, he’s so much better now than  when we were younger.”

                “True enough.  He’s hardly a jerk now, even if he is a lawyer.” 

                Honey contemplated bringing up the “Yen for Ben” thing, but wisely decided to restrain herself.

                Trixie looked at her suspiciously.  “Don’t even think about bringing up the ‘Yen for Ben’ thing, Honey, or I’ll have to kill you.”

                Honey looked up innocently .  “I wouldn’t even think of it, Trixie.”

* * * * *

                Trixie couldn’t stop thinking.  In fact, she wasn't enjoying the party at all.  She just kept analyzing everything Jim said, wondering if this was the night.  After all, they were both dressed to the nines;   the Manor House was beautifully decorated; romantic music had been playing all evening; snow was falling outside, creating a quiet, peaceful evening; and the free-flowing champagne definitely added to the evening.

                It was the perfect setting for a proposal.

                But why would he have waited until tonight to ask?  It just doesn’t make any sense.  What does his mother’s birthday have to do with us?

                “Trixie, are you OK tonight?” Jim asked as he pulled her into his arms for another slow dance.  “You seem distracted.”

                “Hmm?  No, I’m fine.  Just um… have some things on my mind.”

                “Are you excited about the official opening of the long-awaited Belden-Wheeler agency?” 

                Trixie tried to put her suspicions out of her mind for the moment.  “Of course.  I get such a thrill looking at our names on the door.  Honestly, it’s so incredibly cool.   I just hope we can get some business soon.  Luckily, I think that Adams will send some business our way soon.”  Antonio Adams had been their mentor through their last two years of college and was affiliated with their agency.

                “I’m so proud of you both, Trixie.  I’m proud of all the Bob-Whites.  I really think we’re all going to achieve our dreams.”

                “True, even when some of the dreams have changed,” Trixie said, looking over at where Mart, Diana and Dan stood talking with Donna, Dan’s date for evening. 

                “That’s a good point.  Anyway, um, Trixie, I have a question to ask you.”

                Trixie immediately tensed up.  “Really?”

                Jim grabbed her hand and pulled Trixie off the dance floor and towards a window seat.  He gently nudged her into the seat but remained standing, looking out the window.

                “So, anyway, Trixie, what I wanted to ask was…” Jim took a deep breath.  “Do you think the weather is bad enough that we should invite everyone to spend the night?” 

                Trixie stared at him.  “What?”

                “The snow’s pretty bad out there tonight, don’t you think?  Most of Mother’s business friends have left already.  It’s probably a good idea for everyone else to stay here.  Or do you think your parents will want to risk the walk home?”

                 “I… I have no idea what my parents want to do.”

                “Well, it’s probably better if everyone stays here.  We have enough room.  Besides, it’ll be like old times, having a Bob-White sleepover.  I’m going to talk to Mother about it.” 

                As Trixie stared at Jim’s retreating back, Mart approached and sat next to her.  “Trixie, are you OK?”

                Trixie shook her head, coming out of her trance.  “Yeah, sure.  Everything’s great.  Just fine.  Dandy.  Argggh!”  Needing some space to compose her thoughts, Trixie got up and stormed away.

                And outside, another storm continued throughout the night.

* * * * *

                The next morning, Trixie woke up late, since she, Honey, Diana, and Donna had stayed up quite late talking.  

                They all got really quiet when I told them that I had thought Jim was going to finally ask me last night.  Like they were trying not to laugh.  I wonder what they’re all up to?

                With that thought, Trixie rose out of bed and got ready  .  She hurried down to the dining room in order to enjoy the luxurious Manor House breakfast.  Afterwards, at Ben’s suggestion, the Bob-Whites all pulled on rubber boots and headed outside.  The sun was shining with dazzling brightness on the white carpet of snow that covered the ground and trees.

                Trixie enjoyed walking out in the deep snow.  She was always happier being outside than cramped inside. 

                “Look what I found, ” Diana called out.

                “What?” Trixie asked. 

                “I think Bobby and the boys must have just left their snowshoes on this bench.  I’m going to try them again.”  Diana sat down and strapped the snowshoes over her boots.  “See?  The snow is so soft, snowshoes are just perfect.”  She tried to demonstrate, but instead lost her balance and pitched headfirst into a bank of snow that lay beside the path.

                Mart and Ben hastily tried to pull her out of the snow, but she was laughing so hard, she couldn’t get her feet under her.  “Well, you can still have these snowshoes.  I guess I really won’t ever learn to manage them.”

                Just then, Tom came up snowshoeing, dragging a big sled behind him.  “Hi,” he yelled to Trixie.  “Did you hear about my deer?”

                “What deer?”  Trixie asked, looking confused.

                “Oh, I shot a deer, but couldn’t get the car up the driveway last night.  I’m worried someone’s going to steal it.”

                Regan, also wearing snowshoes, appeared then.  “Nobody’s going to steal that deer, Tom.  But I guess we should go ahead and get it.”  They started down the driveway.

                Trixie stared after them.  “I didn’t even know Tom went hunting.” She turned to the group.  “Is anyone else getting an odd sense of déjà vu?”

                “What?”  Ben asked.  “Oh, right, this does sort of remind me of the first time I came to stay at the Manor House.  Say, does Bobby still have that parsquirrel?”

                Brian laughed.  “No, Moms threw that out a couple of years ago.  I can’t believe she kept it that long.  And Trixie, I don’t think I’ll ever thank you enough for using the ring Jim had given you  as collateral for my car.”

                Trixie smiled at her brother.  “Yup, you owe me big time.  It’s not that it was bad giving up the ring, but pretending to like Ben, yuck.”

                Ben turned to Trixie, a sly smile on his face.  “You loved it and you know it, baby.  Anyway, I remember that ring.  In fact, I believe you said you were going to give that back to Jim.  Something about how you wouldn’t be caught dead with it.  Did you ever give it back?”

                Trixie blushed.  “Well, no, actually, I never did give it back.  As far as I know, it’s still in the safe deposit box in town.”

                Mart picked up the teasing.  “Hmmm…  well, Trixie, do you still think that you wouldn’t marry Jim even if he was the last man on earth?”

                Trixie looked over at Jim.  “Well… Uh… I guess I did change my mind about that, didn’t I?  I guess I would marry him… if he was the last man on earth, that is.”

                “Is that so?” Jim asked.  In a move Trixie realized she should have seen coming, Jim gave her a gentle push, and she found herself sitting in the snowbank with Diana. 

                She tried to scramble to her feet but her boots kept slipping.  Jim leaned down to look Trixie in her eyes.  “Well, you know what?  I’ve changed my mind, too.”

                “Oh, is that right, Jim Frayne?” Trixie asked, angrily chattering her teeth at him.

                “Yup.  I’ve changed my mind about two things, actually.  Number one:  you’re not dumb, in fact, you’re possibly the smartest woman I know.  And number two…  ” Jim dropped down to one knee.  “I’d love to get myself engaged to someone like you.”

                Trixie stopped her struggling entirely and stared as Jim pulled out a ring box and opened it, revealing the ring she and Honey had found so many years back.  She barely noticed that Bobby, her parents and Jim’s parents had also come outside.

                “Trixie Belden, would you do me the honor of marrying me?”  Jim asked, his green eyes focused on Trixie.

                “Yes, yes, YES!” Trixie yelled, throwing her arms around Jim and almost knocking him into the snow bank.

                Jim laughed as he pulled off Trixie’s glove and slipped the ring on her finger.  “Oh, and Trixie,” Jim whispered in her ear, “I still prefer snow on your eyelashes.”  He grabbed her hands and started to pull her up. 

                “Yeah, Jim?  Well, me too,” Trixie said, as she yanked Jim down into the snow with her.  “That’s for teasing me last night with your pretend serious question.”  She then leaned into him for a long, slow, wet kiss.

Author’s note:  I have so many people to thank this time. 

First of all, thanks to Jenn, my wonderful editor who puts up with my procrastination and agrees to edit things at the last minute.  I mean, I’ve had this story in my head for months, it’s just taken a while to get it out on paper. :) But thank you, Jenn, for putting up with last minute demands…  I mean, requests.  Thanks also to guest editors David (my big brother) and… Kyrie.  There, Kyrie, see, I did the ellipses right this time. :)

Second of all, thank you very much to Random House, for allowing me to borrow these wonderful characters.  I promise I’m not making any money from them and I’m returning them in the same condition that I found them.

Third, I want to thank Julie Campbell, who kindly inspired the first line of this story (from Mansion) and the last section of the story, which is, of course,  from Glen Road.   I guess she really inspired Jim, since it was his idea to propose to Trixie in this fashion.  Right? :)

Fourth, thanks to all the readers --- regardless of whether or not you comment on the stories, please know that it’s great knowing that other people read… and hopefully enjoy the stories that I write.

Finally, many, many thanks to Cathy P for creating Jixemitri and giving us all a gathering place to share our love for Trixie Belden, our love for fan fiction, and our love for our fellow Jix members.  It really is a special place where I truly feel welcome.              

I know I cheated a bit to write this story since, when I last left the characters, Trixie was only sixteen and still in high school.  No one had gotten too serious yet, although the word sex had been mentioned a number of times.   And if you noticed from the line above about Mart wasting no time marrying Diana, they did manage to stick to their agreement to wait until marriage before having sex.  Poor, patient Mart.  :)

In my future universe, Trixie and Honey do have their agency, Jim is starting his school, but Mart, Diana, and Dan are going to change their career plans a bit.  And I’m going to continue being mysterious and not tell you what their careers end up being.  That’s because I like being mysterious, not because I don’t know myself… no, of course that’s not the reason. :)

Anyway, I’ll probably write two universes now, one that deals with their younger years and one with their adult years. 

Thanks again to everyone.