Chapter 5: Long and Winding Road

I had a plan, and I decided it would be safer to run it by Cor first, rather than just trying to spring it on the entire Caldwell family. I called her up as soon as I got back to the apartment.

"Good morning my little flower." I said to the sleepy voice that answered her cell.

"Andy?" She grumbled.

"Are you being a sleepyhead today? It's almost nine!"

"Nine! Oh Great, I've got a class in an hour! Oh damn! Its probably a good thing you called!"

"Probably good I called?" I asked, trying to sound hurt.

"Oh poor baby! Of course its always a good thing when you call!" She said with a laugh. Speaking of which, what's up? Quick, before I have to go shower and make myself beautiful for my professor so he will unwillingly inflate my grade."

"That thought is causing some other, more willing inflation, but since you ask me to get to it, here goes. Have you and your parents ever been sailing on Lake Champlain?"

"Sailing? No, I know they haven't done it with me at least, why?"

"Well I know I've mentioned that Dad and Grandpa Had a sailboat back in California, and that Great Grandpa A.J. And Uncle Ambrose had one in North Carolina, but I may not have mentioned how much a family activity sailing is."

"No, you hadn't mentioned, but I had drawn the inference from all the times its been a part of some of your stories."

Well that made me wonder if you guys would like to go sailing this weekend, if I can find a good sailboat charter on Lake Champlain?"

"I don't know, would we be doing the sailing, or would we just be passengers."

"Well I'm sure we'll have a local captain or pilot, since I don't know the waters, but beyond that, we'll probably be working the lines and sails, and doing all the grunt work. I'd assumed it would be you and I mostly, and your Mom and Dad would only do as much as they felt comfortable with."

"Sounds like fun, are you thinking a couple of hours, all day, overnight?"

"I think that'll depend on the kind of boat I can find, but probably not overnight. That would be a good idea if we ever went sailing in the Boston area though."

With those plans provisionally approved, I began my search for a rental. I was close to settling on a company out of Plattsburgh, New York, when Dad came through for me big time. One of our major McKesson Industries investors lived in Colchester, Vermont, and he had a sweet Hunter 460 and a seventeen year old son who knew the waters of Lake Champlain like the back of his hand. He was hoping to get the kid into a summer internship at Obsidian Motors, because he was something of a gear head, so the deal was struck.

While I was busy scrambling for my Lake Champlain adventure, Nicco was busy moving out of the apartment. Being a Legionnaire, that was mostly a matter of piling his stuff in the center of the room and jumping it back to his place. He was taking the Oracle, which was his, so I had to go car shopping pretty soon, even if only to keep up appearances.

He was kinda sad to go, I was kinda sad to see him go, but not really. There was definitely some mutually felt conflicting emotions over this development. Still, Nicco had put his life on hold for me and I had a life to get on with as well. So in that sense, we were both happy with what was happening as well. We exchanged good, solid man-hugs in the driveway, and I waved as he drove off.

Grandpa Paul solved my transportation problem that evening. As an early graduation present of course. I came back from working out with the Gravy Geeks and there was an Obsidian StarLight sitting in my driveway where the Oracle used to go. The StarLight was a pure sports car. A two-seater, built for the gravity drive from the ground up, had the latest GPS and computer assisted navigation and anti-collision gear, and top-of-the-line everything. It even had a custom paint job, transitioning from an electric blue at the front to a deep, dark, 'cosmic purple' at the back.

A very toothy salesman, who looked very happy to meet me, handed me the keys and a card, had me sign off on the insurance and registration papers, and then he climbed into the passenger seat of a new Obsidian Arrow that had been parked on the street nearby and was gone!

The card was from Grandpa Paul and Grandma Mary, and I called them immediately and thanked them. It was obviously an inside job, done with Dad's assistance, but I appreciated the effort and the thought, and the fact that it was a StarLight, which I personally considered the hottest vehicle on the planet.

My sailing plan included a plan to pick up the Caldwells at the Port Henry Marina, but I had to decide if I was going to have Cor come with me to Colchester, or if she was going to meet me with her parents when we got there. In the end, she decided for me.

"Hi Andy!" Cor said as soon as she picked up her phone.

"Hi yourself sweetie. Listen, I've got some logistical dilemmas I'm trying to work out, and you, my dear, are a part of them."

"Okay." She said with a laugh. "Always happy to straighten out your... logistics."

"Well, I've got to get to where the sailboat I've found is at, get acquainted with the boat and our pilot, and then get the boat to Port Henry where our day of sailing will begin. Somewhere during that process you have to either wind up with your parents so you can be with them to meet the boat when we arrive, or you need to be with me, on the boat when we pick them up, and now that Nicco's moved out and I'm on my own, its not a matter of having him drop people off at different places anymore, so you see the problem."

There was a long silence from her end, finally ended with

"Nicco's gone?"

"Yes, I bargained my parents out of requiring a bodyguard, so I am now sans Nicco."

Another long silence.

"Okay, come pick me up in front of Baker, we'll hash this out together."

I was itching to drive the StarLight anyway, so I headed over immediately.

I pulled up in front of Baker House. Cor was standing by the front door, carrying what looked like her book bag. I had to honk to get her attention, and then I hit the remote open switch for the passenger side gull-wing door. Did I mention my new car has gull-wing doors?

"Nice car!" Cor said as she slid in. The bag she was carrying was definitely not her book bag.

"Thanks. Grandpa and Grandma Parkin decided to give me an early graduation present since Nicco took his Oracle with him. What's the bag for?"

"This, my Knight, is my overnight bag. Nicco is history, so our future is now. I'm spending the night."

"Yes Ma'am!!" I said as I tore away from the curb. Without tires to squeal and a completely silent engine, the effect wasn't the least bit dramatic, but I'm fairly sure my enthusiasm for this evening's new plan was apparent.

Nicco, bless his heart, was a neat freak, and so despite my frequent absences and hurried rushing in and out and through my apartment to various places, it was looking fresh and clean.

We did not immediately sit down and hash out the details of the weekend's arrangements.

In my bedroom, Miss Meticulous spotted NeedleThorn, sitting in its spot immediately.

"What's that?" She asked automatically.

"A gift." I answered. "A piece of who I am and a story for later."

"Okay." She answered without hesitation.

Perhaps it was because she was pulling my t-shirt off over my head at the time.

I had not been 'saving myself', and had some limited experience. Based on the events of that evening I would be willing to guess that Cor was in a similar position, experience wise. But experience, limited or otherwise does nothing to prepare you for the joy of making love for the first time with the absolutely beautiful woman you love more than anything. Certainly it can't prepare you for the bliss of loving someone who so obviously loves you back.

It absolutely doesn't hurt to know all your Dad's Light tricks, either!

There was some fast and urgent, then some slow and playful, and then a little that was mostly discovery and sharing. We ended up with me sitting, with my back against the headboard and Cor leaning against my chest while I held her. I consulted my internal clock and realized it was almost 10:30!

"I'm hungry Andy." Cor said sweetly. "I'm pretty sure its somewhere in the Knight/Damsel handbook that after ravishing me, you have to feed me."

So that's why to this day I call Cor 'Damsel' when I'm being sweet and mushy. We ran ourselves through the shower, together of course, and made a quick run back into campus to hit one of the late night eateries that all college campuses seem to have. The pickings were a bit slim in the 'grab-and-go' section, but we found a cold pasta salad that looked like it would be tasty, and added some bananas, grapes and oranges to our basket. At the last second Cor added a small container of cool whip.

"We can make a little fruit salad with the fresh fruit." She said. "And if not, well there are other uses for Cool Whip!"

I got one of those rare Cor giggles following that, and I saw the guy at the counter blush.

The cold pasta salad was just a little 'off' we decided, so I dug through the fridge and we managed to assemble a decent chicken wrap sandwich, which we split. Granted the chicken was deep-fried chicken tenders and the greens were from a bag-o-salad. But I used a decent dressing - some olive oil and a little Italian seasoning mix that Mom had bought direct from the Food Network's web site to coat the chicken pieces in.

We laughed while we made it, and we shared each other's bites, and only half the cool whip we'd brought home went into the fruit salad.

With the meal consumed and the dishes and kitchen taken care of, we headed back to the bedroom. Once again Cor's eyes seemed drawn to NeedleThorn.

"Can I pick it up Andy?" She asked.

While I knew it was much safer to do here than it would have been back on Arbor, I picked her up first, and with a bit of emotional connection made, I held her out for Cor. I saw Cor's eyes go wide when she held it.

"Oh Andy!" she whispered."

"What Damsel?" I whispered back.

"This is not just a pretty piece of wood, is it? There's some serious... something, about this, and I feel you in it somehow!"

"Yes. You seem very sensitive to certain things. I think some of my secrets may be easier for you to accept than I thought."

"What? Are you a Wizard or something?" She asked.

Man! There went a spine shiver!

"Not officially." I said, trying to make my tone light. "The paperwork hasn't come back from the Wizard's Guild yet."

Cor looked at me for a long time, with her head cocked to one side, which looked astonishingly cute, save for the fact that I knew she was dissecting this situation with her Miss Meticulous mind.

"This goes with you whenever you go to this place your trips are taking you." Not a question, but I answered anyway as if it was.

"Yes, it does."

"The next time you go there, I'm going with you." Cor announced matter-of-factly.

"When's your last final?" I asked, already knowing the answer to the question.

"Tomorrow. Then the weekend on the lake with Mom and Dad. Then... ?"

"Okay. Then." I answered, taking NeedleThorn from Cor and putting her back in her spot.

The mention of the lake and her Mom and Dad got us back on track for the discussion we had not yet had. It proved to be pretty simple. After Cor finished her last final tomorrow, we would drive up to Colchester together, and along with Greg Warren, the high school kid who was gong to be our pilot, we would bring the sailboat down to Port Henry to meet her parents.

There was a little more Knight-and-Damsel-ing, and then sleep.

Those low energy levels must've still been having an effect, or else my Cor comfort zone was already high, because Cor was out of the shower and getting dressed before I even woke up. I padded to the bathroom and got the essential morning activities taken care of, then it was my turn for a shower. I rubbed my chin, shrugged, and shaved too. Maybe someday I'd do the beard routine. I remember Dad talking about when He tried it, back in the early days of the Legion.

As soon as I got Cor dropped off I got busy. Now that I knew for sure who was going to be where and when, I could started making some calls. The first was to Greg Warren. I wanted to pick his brain for a luxury place for Cor and I to overnight near Colchester between our afternoon of familiarization with the Hunter 460 and the next day's sailing.

"To hell with that! He said immediately. "We've got a very nice guest house here, and the parental instructions were to treat you like royalty, so you will stay here!" I was liking the kid already!

"Okay, but we're taking you to dinner that night after we've got the boat put to bed, okay?"

"Deal!"

Greg turned out to be a fun guy, and he was totally in awe of Cor. She brought him down to earth pretty quickly though when she asked him if he liked her more than my new car. Greg, the gear head, REALLY liked my new car! He proved his mettle though when he said the car won, but only because there was at least a slim chance I might let him get his hands on my car!

He got an affectionate punch in the arm from Cor and We spent the next four hours out on Lake Champlain, getting used to the Eleanor, which was very nicely set up, and getting used to the lake. We spent all of our time on the upper third of the lake, running up the eastern side first, then back down, past the southern end of South Hero Island all the way to Colchester Point, and up the western half of the upper lake. Cor took to sailing like a natural. Greg paid us his highest compliment by offering to stay home the next day. We respectfully declined, and I teased him about having designs on my car while we were gone.

The day out on the Lake with 'Ben and Lottie', as I was now instructed to call them, was blissfully idyllic. The weather was perfect, a warm late spring day with a nice breeze blowing up the lake. We let Greg stay at the helm except when he was letting Ben or Lottie do the steering, and Cor and I did all the deck-monkey stuff.

We ate lunch in the wind shadow of Valcour Island. I had cheated outrageously when it came to the lunch. I had arranged for an ice chest with a bunch of Lobster Salad Rolls, Potato Salad, Raspberries and a bottle of Champagne, and I picked them up myself at the Boston office. Greta, the same executive assistant who had arranged the Boston Pops tickets had it waiting for me when I jumped in to get it that morning, and I jumped it and myself to the Port Henry Marina and left it with the Parking attendant with instructions to give it to the Caldwells when they arrived. I did all of this while Cor was drying her hair!

So in the calm of Valcour island, sitting in the sun and feasting on fresh lobster rolls and champagne, I let the people I already knew were going to be my in-laws some day know the truth.

"Ben, Lottie - Cor and I have planned this day because we wanted to do something fun with you, but also because there's something I need to share with you."

"If you're going to ask me for my daughter's hand son, I'd have to say this is a bit quick, wouldn't you?"

Cor and I laughed, almost in unison at that. I squeezed her hand, which I'd been holding.

"Mr. Caldwell, I see that happening some day, but not today." Cor squeezed back at that. "What I need to tell you today is who I am. My full name is Andrew Alan McKesson, and my family owns McKesson Industries, Obsidian Technology Group and Guardian Gravitics. My Dad is officially the richest man in the world, and I'm his oldest child."

Well, there was a long silence, accompanied by some glances and raised eyebrows between the Caldwells. Finally Ben started a low chuckle, which got a little louder until he broke it off, shaking his head.

"I guess it wouldn't look proper to retract my comment about it being too soon to propose to my daughter?" Lottie elbowed him hard in the ribs for that! We all laughed at it though.

"Retraction accepted, and I'll state for the record that I intend to do that very thing someday, but first there are things about me and about my life that Cor needs to understand before I do."

Greg chose that moment to remind us he was there.

"You guys are fun! What's next, skinny dipping in Keeler Bay?"

That little act of kindness in breaking the tension and getting everyone back to the fun at hand was something that put Greg Warren, seventeen or not, on a short list of people who I would call friend!

I warned the Caldwells to expect a call from my Mom, that she was planning a summer 'vacation' as a graduation celebration, and that she intended to invite them to spend a few weeks this summer aboard a luxury yacht in the Mediterranean, probably in the Aegean Sea.

"She's picked that location based on the names of your daughters, so try to be surprised when she calls, and I do hope you accept her invitation, I think we would all have a lot of fun there."

We finished our long afternoon on Lake Champlain and dropped Ben and Lottie of once again at the Port Henry Marina, and then took a nice sunset sail back to Malletts Bay.

I decided if I was going to bring Cor into my world, I'd make it a double play and start out by bringing both her and Serenity to Arbor with me. I found Ren on Obsidian, she was sitting in the dining facility having a sandwich and a cup of coffee and visiting with Roman Boccaccio, one of the latest additions to the staff there, an elderly gentleman who had been recruited out of a homeless shelter in San Diego. He had been recruited there along with some other folks to join the efforts against the Sh'kxu. His culinary skills, once we were aware of them, diverted him immediately to one of the mess halls on Cascade. The rave reviews he got brought him back to Obsidian when the war ended.

When Ren heard my plan, she was absolutely for it, and we decided the easiest thing to do would be to have her meet us at my apartment in Cambridge, and begin the adventure there. Cor was spending the day packing up her stuff at Baker, in preparation for moving in with me, at least until my lease was up on the apartment. By then I expected that housing wouldn't be an issue. Of course there was always my old room at Mom and Dad's on Meadow.

Ren brought Rose with her, and I spent a moment saying hi to the bird before I took off to get Cor. My apartment was the upstairs half of a duplex unit, and I shared the driveway with my downstairs neighbor Roy Sawyer. I had borrowed Roy's minivan to haul Cor's stuff, in exchange for a ride in the StarLight. The StarLight experience, he said, vastly exceeded his expectations.

I rang Cor to let her know I was on my way as I was climbing into the Obsidian Oasis and slid the sleek minivan out onto Calvin Street, turned left on Beacon, headed for Prospect Street.

Cor, Traci, Audra and three other girls were waiting for me in front of Baker House when I pulled up, all dressed in sweats, cutoffs or jogging shorts and wearing a variety of MIT sweatshirts and t-shirts. Cor was wearing a 'property of MIT Athletic Department' sweat shirt, cut off to bare her midriff. They stood in front of a considerable pile of stuff, which took no time at all to load up, with the six of them doing the work. I was not allowed to help. Traci swished her way over and in her best vamp voice told me that I was merely the hunky motivational window dressing, and that MIT women were more than capable of taking care of themselves.