The Long Way Home

My original universe, which begins in 1987 when Trixie is 15. Not all of the books have happened here and there are now rather a lot of stories to keep straight, so I have provided a couple of pages for reference.

Timeline Page

What has happened so far?

 

Reminder Page

Brief story descriptions. CONTAINS SPOILERS!

And the name of the universe? Well, my father-in-law had a saying, ‘The longest way round is the sweetest way home.’ My husband used to repeat it a lot and it reminds me of the way this universe is heading. (Yes, that was a clue.)

Recent updates:

18 March, 2019: NEW! Taking a huge step backwards in the timeline, Missing Pieces is the story of the beginning of Regan and Isabella’s romance.

23 January, 2018: The Bob-Whites’ season of weddings continues as Diana makes her journey to the altar. Better Every Day is now posted.

6 July, 2017: Mart struggles to deal with some of the consequences of his life choices. A chance discovery helps him on his way. Thunderstruck is now posted.

18 April, 2017: Brian is the most ordered and disciplined Bob-White, but even he is entitled to One Impulsive Act every now and again.

23 May, 2016: Diana is experiencing change in various parts of her life. Endings and Beginnings is now posted.


The Stories:

Please see the Jix ratings page for further details on the star rating system. Or email me for clarification on particular stories. Stories marked “Stand alone” can be read without having read the rest, though may contain slight spoilers and might make less sense. Dates in brackets are when the stories are set. Word counts for individual chapters are available on the Summary Page

Blue star is for all ages Yellow star may contain mild adult language, violence and situations Purple star may contain sensitive subjects and strong emotional content

 0  Prologue: Do You Remember When… Trixie, Honey and Di gather for a special occasion. Written for CWP 5 for Jixemitri. (May 2007) Posted on 6 July, 2003. 2,963 words. Completed. yellow

 1  The Secret of the Rose: After Jim and Brian finish school the Bob-Whites take on a new project and Trixie delves into Jim’s family history. (June to August 1987) Posted on 25 June, 2003. 21,589 words. Pages: 1 2 3. Completed. Stand alone. blue

 2  Miss Bates’ Puzzle: During a trip to Rosewood Hall, Trixie is presented with a problem to solve. (July 1987) Posted on 31 August, 2003. 2,396 words. Completed. Stand alone. blue

 3  The Broken Years: What happens when the boys leave for college? Trixie’s diary might give us some clues. (September 1987 to May 1990) Posted on 26 September, 2003. 7,013 words. Completed. yellow

 4  The Trouble With Antonia: It’s time to start college. Trixie’s new room-mate is the reluctant participant in a mystery. (September 1990 to February 1991) Posted on 21 October, 2003. 8,756 words. Completed. Stand alone. yellow

 5  Lover’s Knot: Lots of things are happening in the lives of the Bob-Whites. In some ways, relationships are the most mysterious things of all. (October 1991 to February 1992) Posted on 2 December, 2003. 5,414 words. Completed. yellow

 6  Under the Apple Tree: While gardening at Rose Cottage, Celia uncovers a puzzle from the past. (October 1991) Posted on 28 January, 2004. 4,373 words. Completed. Stand alone. blue

 7  Too Many Changes: A lot has changed in the lives of the Bob-Whites. Can they ever be close again? (September to December 1992) Posted on 19 April, 2004. 5,343 words. Completed. yellow

 8  Falling: Follow Dan as he deals with a number of changes in his life. (February to August 1992) Posted on 24 November, 2004. 10,516 words. Completed. yellow

 9  The Mystery of the Missing Elf: It’s Christmas at Crabapple Farm and a precious heirloom is missing. Join the Beldens for a Christmas celebration and a mystery too. (December 1992) Posted on 17 December, 2003. 4,371 words. Completed. Stand alone. yellow

10  Ourobouros: Di’s plans are made and everything is set in motion, but not everyone is co-operating. Could this be the end for the Bob-Whites? (December 1992 to January 1993) Posted on 6 January, 2005. 10,491 words. Completed. Rated purple star for sensitive subjects. Also contains mild adult language and themes. Please email me if you need information before reading. purple

11  The Ends of the Earth: A journey of discovery for one of the Bob-Whites. (January 1993 to January 1994) Posted on 4 February, 2005. 6,201 words. Completed. blue

12  Growth Rings: Trixie and Jim encounter storm damage, career moves and milestones in their developing relationship. Posted on 24 August, 2005. 17,247 words. Completed. Rated a strong yellow star for adult situations. yellow

13  Mystery in the Mail: Trixie tries to build on the knowledge gained in Under the Apple Tree, but someone is trying to keep secrets from her. Posted on 30 March, 2005. 8,171 words. Completed. Stand alone. Rated purple star for some violence, though it is not graphic, and a character death. purple

14  Seven Weeks: Helen Belden has a difficult seven weeks. (February to April, 1994) Posted on 29 July, 2006. 3,594 words. Completed. yellow

15  The Music Box: While honeymooning at Easthampton, Trixie discovers a little mystery to keep her occupied. (April, 1994) Posted on 9 October, 2006. 2,649 words. Completed. Stand alone. yellow

16  Inside Information: Do you remember the Bob-Whites as old friends? Well, Dan remembers you, and is here to fill you in on all of the dirt and get you up to speed before the next story! (early 1995) Posted on 14 September, 2007. 2,044 words. Completed. yellow

17  Tell Me a Secret: It’s reunion time again, this time at Manor House. Dangerous secrets are lurking in this safe and familiar setting. (December 1994/January 1995) Posted on 27 September, 2007. 28,529 words. Pages: 1 2 3. Completed. yellow

18  Genesis: As her life is turned upside down, Diana makes some new beginnings. (October 1994 to July 1995) Posted on 15 October, 2007. 8,896 words. Completed. yellow

19  The Broken Window: Strange noises, lantern light, a broken window. Trixie knows something is wrong. (May 1995) Posted between 17 June and 24 September, 2008. 18,051 words. Pages: 1 2 3 4. Completed. yellow

20  Fascination: She put a spell on him. Can he handle it? (February 1995 to February 1996) Posted between 26 April and 19 May, 2010. 15,617 words. Pages: 1 2 3 4. Completed. yellow

21  Winter’s Approach: As Honey starts to institute some changes in her life with Dan, a mystery comes to light that links to his past.(September 1995 onwards) Posted between 26 May and 23 June, 2011. 23,583 words. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5. Completed. yellow

22  Entanglement: Two Bob-Whites, once romantically linked, now leading separate lives. The next parts of Mart’s and Diana’s stories begin to unfold. (February to July, 1996) Posted between 6 and 19 June, 2012. 12,316 words. Pages:1 2 3. Completed. yellow

23  Responsible: Bobby longs for freedom, but his way of trying to get it leaves something to be desired. (August, 1996) A CWE#5 for Jixemitri. Posted on 1 May, 2013. 9,099 words. Completed. blue

24  Echoes: As Bobby, Larry and Terry try to move on from their last escapade, they uncover a puzzle for Trixie to solve.(September 1996 to mid 1997) A CWE#7 for Jixemitri. Posted between 12 and 31 May, 2014. 28,969 words. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6. Completed. yellow

25  Endurance: Mart finds himself in an expected situation, which is not entirely to his liking. (May to June 1997) A CWE#11 for Jixemitri. Posted on 22 June, 2015. 5,496 words. Completed. yellow

26  Endings and Beginnings: Diana is experiencing a time of change, in various parts of her life. (August to October 1997) Posted on 23 May, 2016. 4,914 words. Completed. blue

27  One Impulsive Act: Brian proves that he is not always boring. (October 1997) Posted on 18 April, 2017. 2,764 words. Completed. blue

28  Thunderstruck: While Mart struggles to deal with the consequences of his life choices, a chance find throws a different light on the situation. (January 1998) Posted on 6 July, 2017. 4,560 words, plus a 159 word quote. Completed. blue

29  Better Every Day: Some loves leave us star-struck, while others grow slowly. In the lead-up to her wedding, Diana has time to reflect on the difference. (October 1997 to August 1998) Posted on 23 January, 2018. 2,821 words. Completed. blue


Parallel story:

3P  NEW!  Missing Pieces: Regan didn’t go looking for love; it came to him. Runs in parallel to story 3. (December 1987 to December 1988) Posted on 18 March, 2019. 8,991 words. Completed (for now; I reserve the right to add more chapters). blue


Future stories:

30. The Crooked Path: Dan finds himself in a difficult situation. Coming Soon(ish)!

31. Set Adrift: The next part of Bobby’s story.

32. Epic: A trip, a happy event… and a little bit of trouble.

33. A New Day Dawns: A shock discovery throws Trixie for a loop.

34. The Sign: While doing research for a story, Honey inadvertently puts herself in danger.

35. Inheritance: A chance occurence causes problems for the Fraynes.

36. (as yet untitled): Helen and Peter Belden travel over Christmas to visit one of their far-flung offspring.

37. Reboot: For one couple, their differences are becoming too much. Will they be able to patch things up, or is this the end?

(Some titles, numbers and descriptions may change.)


Last updated 18 March, 2019.

Please note: Trixie Belden is a registered trademark of Random House Publishing. This site is in no way associated with Random House and no profit is being made from these pages.

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