This is How It Ends

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Summary: There's always a chance until there's not.

AUTHOR: Zippit
EMAIL: zippit@cryptoffic.com
RATING: PG
CHARACTER: Brad Keselowski; Brad POV
COMPLETED: September 18, 2009
WORD COUNT: 861
DISCLAIMER: If you recognize anyone in this piece, I am in no way affiliated with or know them personally. I am neither making a profit nor plan to do so. This is nothing more than an exercise in fiction. This is a result of an overactive imagination and I claim no truth to these words.
BETA: Thanks to Catw00man for the beta. All others errors are mine.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I’m gonna miss you being Junior’s boy, Brad. I hope you blow their socks off next year.
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The beginning of the end comes when Mark Martin wins. So it’s no surprise when the announcement comes he’ll be running fulltime again in 2010. That’s when even the last sliver of hope is gone. Even in Junior’s eyes it’s gone. So he knows anything that’s said from now until he’s actually presented with a contract is…nothing but speculation. The media can ask all they want.

But he knows.

He can’t stop himself from hoping when speculation about Stewart-Haas rears its head or even JRM. But somehow he doesn’t see himself fitting at Stewart-Haas and it’s clear Tony already has other plans for that third ride. He only has to look at what happens when Richard Childress says Kevin Harvick will be staying at RCR in 2010. Tony comes out a few days later saying there will be no third car at Stewart-Haas in 2010 after all.

In his dreams, he thinks about taking JRM to Cup and giving Junior the Championship he rightly deserves. Then another and another until JRM ranks right up there with the other big name teams. He holds out hope until the media finally prods it out of Junior that it’s a no go. There’s no sponsor willing to fork over the money JRM needs to take him to Cup. Junior and Kelley would never put him in equipment that wasn’t competitive. Junior would never do that to him or the proud company he’s built.

So it’s over. It’s done. Until…Mr. Hendrick gives him one more hope. One more chance to not have to leave the teams and people that welcomed him with open arms and launched his career. Six months to work out something if it can be worked out. He hopes and keeps quiet, looking at Junior for any signs that their partnership won’t be over just yet. He doesn’t find it in Junior’s eyes. But Junior’s not supposed to know after all. Maybe it’ll still happen.

Until it doesn’t.

That’s when Penske starts knocking again with a deal that looks all the sweeter. Fulltime Cup and Nationwide ride. A chance for that damn Nationwide Championship that’s always been out of his grasp for one reason or another. He wanted it under the JRM banner. He very much did but…how can he turn this down?

Michigan earns him a win in his hometown of all places but Junior’s not there to share in it. He wishes he had been. It would’ve made the news that leaked the next week a little less sour to fend off. He doesn’t want to go. He doesn’t. But he knows it’s the right decision no matter how painful it is. That knowledge is backed up when he goes to Junior himself and asks for his advice. He does it because he knows Junior will give him a straight answer no matter how he might feel about it.

So maybe that Friday night he races a little harder than he should. Maybe he tries too hard to give JRM and the media something else to think about if only for a bit. With TJ’s voice in his ear, he runs too hard, too fast, and ends up two positions short of a win. Mike’s in the media center waiting for him and he knows it’s time to start savoring what he has left.

They all told him he had their blessing no matter what happened. The depth of their desire for him to be the best he can be floors him. Not many people would say the same in their position, not when he’s the hottest commodity in the garage. It surprises him and somehow it doesn’t when Dale still pushes him to take the deal despite the sadness he can see in his eyes. Any other answer would make it about Junior and this has never been about Junior. It’s been about him. Like it should be.

Two weeks from when it began, it’s over. The announcement’s made and it’s time to deal. Tuesday morning he wakes up with sadness and determination. He will give them all he’s got until maybe, someday, he’ll get another chance at where he really wants to be. But that’s a hope he has to put away until it’s there shining on the horizon with promise once again. Because now it’s time to start on a new beginning.

He starts the day with a heavy heart then nearly loses it when he walks into his kitchen to find Junior sprawled lazily in a chair. “Junior?”

“The one and only.” There’s happiness in his tone and maybe a little pride. “Ready to face the dogs?”

“I…I didn’t want it to come to this.” He shuffles his feet against the floor and wishes those blue eyes weren’t so damn piercing.

Junior stands and walks over to clasp his shoulder. “We know, but it’s what you need to do.” He opens his mouth to say something else but Junior shakes his head. “We’ll be rooting for you.” A squeeze on the shoulder then he’s headed toward the door. With a look back, Junior gives him a grin and leaves him with three words. “Knock ‘em dead.”

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Zippit - zippit@cryptoffic.com