Unspoken

Chapter One

Chapter One

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Kiera Stewart stood outside of her big brother's race car on pit road the day of the Daytona 500. This race was big. The #20 Home Depot Chevy was running well, and this was one of Tony's best tracks.

Overall, she just had a good feeling about the day.

She pushed her deep brown hair behind her ear and smiled; it felt good to be at the race track once again. She had missed being able to just walk around a race track if she wanted to in the off season. She missed just being able to hang out with all the people she had gotten so used to hanging out the season before – her first season traveling the circuit with her brother.

"Are you going to sit up on top of the pit box with Zippy?" Tony's muffled question came from inside the car, where he sat, mentally and physically preparing himself for the biggest race of the season.

"Probably," she replied, shrugging, "Though I may go check out some of the others pits too."

"Like Kasey's?" Tony teased.

She lightly shoved his shoulder, "Shut up."

"Oh come on Kiera," he smiled, "You know you like him."

"Do not," she protested.

"Do too."

"Do not."

"You so do!"

"I do not."

"Yes, you do."

"Will you two stop acting like little children?" Greg Zipadelli asked playfully, coming up next to Kiera and placing his arm around her shoulders, "What were you fighting about in the first place?"

"Kiera's crush on Kasey Kahne."

"She has a crush on the rookie?" Zippy asked, as if she weren't standing there right next to him.

"Yes, she does. Though she won't admit to it."

Kiera sighed, "I do not have a crush on Kasey. We are friends. Friends! I hang out with him just as much as I do Junior or Jamie. Are you going to accuse me of having crushes on them, too?"

"No," Tony shook his head with a grin, "Because Junior and Jamie think of you like a little sister. Now Kahne on the other hand..."

Her eyes grew wide and she took a step closer to the car. "What do you know?" she demanded.

"Ha!" Tony exclaimed, "I caught you! I caught you! You totally want to know if Kasey likes you just as much as you like him."

"I do not!"

"Then what was that whole 'What do you know?' about?" he questioned, "Hmm? I'm not hearing an answer young lady."

"That's because there is nothing to answer."

"Okay kids, it's time for Tony to get his head focused for the race," Zippy intervened, before looking at Kiera, "And he did catch you, Kiera. When he told you that, I saw the color rise in your face. You do have a crush on Kasey."

"Zippy!" Kiera exclaimed, "You're supposed to be on my side."

"I don't pick sides," he replied, as he prepared to walk away, "It gets too messy picking sides."

Kiera felt the need to stomp off, but quelled that urge and glared at Tony.

"Aren't you going to wish me luck, my darling sister?"

"No, you don't deserve it."

"Did I make you mad?" he questioned.

"I think I may go sit on someone else's pit box during the race," she replied, making sure not to look at him.

"Aww, I'm sorry Kiera," he apologized, giving her his best puppy dog look.

She chanced a glance at him, and groaned. "Don't look at me that way."

He kept looking, but smirked, "Why not Kiera?"

"You know I've never been able to resist your puppy dog eyes. Not even when we were kids. I remember when you used to con money out of me using that look."

"Well, I don't want money this time," he replied.

She sighed. "What do you want?"

"Just to hear you say good luck," he told her, "And for you to sit with Zippy on top of the pit box for the race."

"Fine," she relented, "I guess I can do that."

"Good," he smiled, "I thought you'd agree to my deal."

"It wasn't very fair."

"Life's not fair."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll remember that next time you want something."

"What comes around, goes around?"

Her eyes sparkled, "Exactly."

"I'll remember that, and be looking over my shoulder."

"You better," she replied, shoving his shoulder lightly. "Good luck Tony."

"Thanks Kiera. I'll see you after the race."

"Yeah, bye."

She walked away, and down pit road, past Kasey's car, and was on her way behind the pit wall to go to Tony's pit box when she heard her name called from behind her.

"Kiera!"

Turning around, she smiled. "Hey Kasey."

"Heading to Tony's pit box?"

"Yeah, Zippy's saving me a seat up there."

"Well have fun," he smiled, "And I'm glad to see you back here again."

"I'm glad to be back," she replied, "I had a lot of fun last season touring with my brother, and I only hope to have as much fun this season."

"I'm sure you will."

"Kasey, are you ready?" They both turned their heads slightly and saw Ray Evernham standing behind them. "They're about ready to start the cars rolling off pit road."

"Okay," Kasey nodded, "I'll get ready."

"I better leave you to get ready," Kiera smiled, "Good luck, Kasey."

"Thanks Kiera, maybe I'll see you after the race."

"Yeah," she replied, "Maybe."

And then she hopped over pit wall and into Tony's pit.

"It's about time you got here," Zippy joked.

"Why?"

"Tony was asking where you were."

She slipped her headphones onto her ears, and turned the volume up, so she could hear her brother.

"Hey bro."

"Where were you Kiera?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"Don't pretend to be innocent with me," he scolded playfully, "It took you far too long to get from my car to the pit box."

"Maybe I stopped and talked to some people."

"Kasey?" he teased.

"No," she answered, far too quickly.

"Oh give it up Kiera," he laughed, "I saw you talking to him."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh," he told her, "So what did the rookie have to say?"

"Nothing."

"I get that you're lying to me right now Kiera," he said, "And you know how much I hate it when you lie to me."

She rolled her eyes, "It was nothing Tony."

"If you say so," he replied, "But you know I'll get it out of you later."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever you say. I'm not scared of you Tony."

"Maybe you should be."

"Tony," Zippy intervened again, "They're about to start rolling the cars off of pit road, so get your head on."

"I'll shut up now," Kiera spoke up, "So I don't distract him."

"You could never distract me, Kiera."

"Good to know. Now get ready."

"Yes, ma'am."

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The race was going well, until Kiera noticed Kasey's car start to slow down, and when the smoke started to pour out from behind his car, she swore loudly.

"Shit."

"What is it, Kiera?" Tony asked, driving around the track after the caution flag was waved.

"Kasey just blew his engine."

"Wonderful way to start off his rookie season," Tony replied.

"Yeah, it is." In her mind, she could already see how he was going to react. She figured a lot of stuff was going to be getting thrown, and a lot of swearing was happening right about then.

"But that means nothing Kiera," he told her, "Remember, I did the same thing a few seasons ago, and then came back and won the championship that year."

"Yeah, I remember watching it on TV, and swearing up a storm."

"Just don't worry, okay?"

"Okay."

The race continued. Big wrecks happening. Including one that ended with Michael Waltrip upside down on his roof. In the end, Tony came second, just behind Junior. He had been pushing Junior to the win; they were good friends, and always seemed to hook up on the restrictor plate race tracks.

"Second place, not too bad Tony," Zippy spoke into the headphones, and Tony laughed.

"First would have been better, but Junior won, there's still going to be a party tonight."

She rolled her eyes, it was always about the parties with him.

"You're terrible Tony."

"Why Kiera?"

"Is it always about the party with you?" she questioned.

"Hey! You're just jealous because you want to party too!"

"And in four days I can," I reminded him. In four days, I turned twenty-one, and I couldn't wait. Next weekend I would be partying.

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

"You're mean Tony."

"Are you going to call me a meanie head now?" he asked, "Just like you did when we were younger."

If he had been in front of her, she would have stuck her tongue out at him. "Maybe."

"Just checking. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a friend to go visit in victory lane."

"I'll be in the motor coach."

"Okay Kiera, I'll see you there."

She took the headphones off of her head, and handed them to Zippy before carefully stepping off of the pit box, and heading through the garage area to the motor coach compound.

The motor coach was empty, but she didn't mind, using the time to pull out the book she had packed for herself, and opening it, catching up on the reading she hadn't gotten done over the last two weeks during Speed Weeks.

An hour later, she thought she heard the motor coach door open, "Kiera?"

"In here Tony."

Tony walked in and plopped down on the couch next to her, resting his arm above her head. "What are you reading?"

She held the book up, so he could read the front cover. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. "Those books again?"

"Yep," she nodded, "This is the last one I have to read before I'm all caught up."

"What's so interesting about them?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. I just like them."

"You don't mind if some people come over here, do you?"

"Of course not," she replied, "Who's coming?"

"Junior, all his guys and all of my guys. I think Jamie said he might make an appearance. I guess we're not going to leave until the morning."

"That sounds good to me," she smiled, "So the whole gang's coming over."

"Yeah," he nodded. A knock sounded on the front door of the motor coach, and Tony grinned. "Looks like everyone's here now."

He opened the door, and twenty or so people walked in, all saying 'hey' and some even embracing Kiera. Everyone loved her there. They all thought of her as part of their family, and they all were overly protective of her too.

If anyone ever hurt her, they would be in hell. Because they would have more than Tony Stewart to deal with. A whole lot more.

She embraced Junior tightly, and smiled, "So, you won."

"Yeah, I did."

"And does it feel good?" she questioned.

"Hell yeah, it feels great."

"You know, your father would be really proud of you right now," she whispered, and he nodded.

"Yeah, he would," he agreed, "And I think he was with me. When I was leading there, he was with me, sitting right there in the seat next to me, keeping me going, and keeping my eye on the prize: the Daytona 500."

They pulled back, and he took a seat on the couch next to her, accidently sitting on her book. "What's this?" he asked.

He pulled it up and smiled.

"You and your reading, Kiera. I've never seen a twenty-year-old who liked to read so much."

"Liking to read isn't bad. And remember, it's an almost twenty-one-year-old now."

"It's Thursday, right?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "It is."

"Well, we'll all be getting to the track that day, so we'll have to go out that night to celebrate your birthday. Party it up a little bit."

"Definitely."

"Are you corrupting my little sister?" Tony asked from behind them.

"Of course," Junior grinned.

"No, really," Tony laughed, "What were you talking about?"

"About all of us going out Thursday night in Rockingham to celebrate Kiera, here's twenty first birthday."

"You definitely are trying to corrupt her."

"What can I say?" Junior questioned, "It's in my nature."

They all laughed, Kiera included, when another knock rang through the motor coach.

"Who's not here yet?" Tony called as he made his way to the door.

They all shrugged and went back to their conversations.

Tony walked to the door, and opened it up, the smile slipping from his face. He was very protective of his little sister.

"Can I help you?"

"I was hoping I could talk to Kiera," Kasey replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets and shuffling his weight back and forth between his two legs. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Tony Stewart was very intimidating, especially when it came to his sister.

"What about?"

Kasey shrugged, "I just wanted to talk."

"Sure," Tony replied, "Hold on, I'll go get her. And don't worry, I was just playing with your mind a little there."

Kasey laughed uncomfortably, and was happy when Tony stepped back away from the door, and headed back up the steps into the motor coach.

"Kiera!"

"Yeah, brother?"

"Someone's outside that wants to talk to you."

All eyes and ears turned to what Tony was saying, as Kiera stood up from the couch, and walked toward him.

"It's a boy," he whispered.

"'A boy'?" Kiera asked.

"Yeah," Tony shrugged, smiling evilly, "It's Kasey."

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