Chapter 18
The movements were automatic. The stretch, the pull, the stretch, the pull, the stretch, a breath, the pull. Gordon lapped the pool waiting for the familiar burn of exhaustion. No matter that it was two in the morning and he'd done a heavy day's work off loading a month's groceries and supplies for the island community. It took a lot of provender to feed the Tracy bunch, so Granny and Kyrano reminded them.

His mind wasn't on the swimming, it was on the letter he'd received with the mail today. The creamy embossed envelope was strikingly anonymous and the contents were simple, an announcement really and of no direct concern to him, or was it? A twinge of pain in his back broke the stroke. He'd pushed himself too far. He glided to the side of the pool and rested his head on his folded arms waiting for the muscles to stop jumping and twitching. Unfortunately, as his body returned to normal breathing and blood flow, his brain kicked into overdrive. Why him? Why now? Why was he so unnerved after all these years?

A towel brushed against his face and he glared up to see someone offering the towel. Harsh words, too readily rose to his lips and then he saw that it was his sister-in-law, Marie. He swallowed his comment and took the offering and hauled himself out of the pool.

"Thanks." He said gruffly. "What are you doing up so late?" He noticed that she must be wearing Virgil's robe as it was way too long and the sleeves had been rolled up double. She curled up like a cat on one of the lounge chairs and watched him patiently as he rubbed his coppery red hair dry.

"Thought you might like to have company."

"I'm okay." He looked at her sideways. Marie had a talent for getting to the point of where things went wrong, or right as the case maybe. The debriefings had become very thorough with her in charge.

"Of course." She waited patiently. He wasn't a child, but she knew hurt when she saw it and just waited for her chance to talk to her new brother. "I always wanted to have a brother or sister. It would have been nice to have someone to share things with."

"You have Virgil." Gordon sat on the other lounge chair.

"I didn't take him away from you." Marie said softly. "He still cares very much for all of you."

"I know. I'm not jealous. I'm happy for you, really." Gordon assured her.

"So, if it isn't me, what is it?" Marie sprang the trap neatly.

Gordon sighed and rubbed the towel over his rapidly drying body. The darkness hid his face leaving them both just formless shadows in the dark. The stars, ever bright in the sky looked down.

"I suppose Virgil told you that I was married once, well we eloped, but her father stopped it before, well before we got to...you know."

"Yes. He told me. That must have been difficult."

"Difficult? It was hell. I'll always remember her face crying at the window of the car as her father drove her away."

"So my marrying Virgil has kind of opened the whole thing up again." Marie mused.

"No. Well, yes, kinda."

"Tell me about her."

"Charlotte was beautiful, long, curly red hair. Not coppery like mine, but a deep dark red. It would curl around my fingers." His hands twisted in the towel. "But what really made me love her was that she knew me so well. I mean, we would talk together and it was as if she had known me for years. Known my dreams, my hopes. She even wrote me a poem." Gordon was glad that the darkness hid his blush.

"Tell me." Marie urged.

"You are burning with the heat of life,
Heart of flame of yours rule your head
Well, you always had a spirit that burned so bright,"
That my eyes could not always bear it's light." Gordon said distantly. Funny how the words had remained with him." Silly teenage stuff." He continued gruffly.

"Whoever wrote that knew you well, and must have loved you." Marie said. "Did you ever see her again?"

"I wrote to her, but all the letters came back unopened. I even tried to call Em. That was her older sister." Gordon sighed. "She was gone, too. I don't know where she is either. Em was my best friend until I got her into an accident."

"Was it very serious?"

"Well, no. A bad burn, but she turned against me. Started rumors in the school that I had done it on purpose. My last months of high school were pretty uncomfortable. Funny. It wasn't like Em at all. We used to get each other in and out of scrapes all through high school."

"Like what you get up to nowadays, Banana Boy?" Marie teased. (See Island of Danger)

"Worse! Em had a finesse for details." Gordon kissed the tips of his fingers. "Indiana Jones and Flash Gordon, together we could have blown up the school." He continued on a wistful note. "I miss her. Maybe she sent me the invitation."

"Invitation?"

"Her father died. Last week. I got an invitation to the funeral today." Gordon said. He felt as if a heavy stone had lifted off his chest.

" Do you think you can handle going over the past? " Marie asked.

"I haven't been doing a very good job of it lately, have I?"Gordon said sheepishly.

"No." She said bluntly, "But maybe you should go and talk to Charlotte. Get closure of some kind."

"Yeah. I think I'll do that." Gordon leaned over to kiss his surprised sister-in-law on the cheek. "Thanks. I think we are all lucky to have you, not just Virgil."

"Why Gordon, that's the nicest thing to say." Marie laid a hand on his cheek. "Good luck to you." She called after his retreating form in the dark as he bounded up the steps from the pool with more energy than the others had seen in days.

"You are amazing." Virgil walked out of the shadows.

"Oh, Virgil!" Marie gave a little squeak. "You scared me!"

"Don't you think I wouldn't miss you?" He pulled her up to her feet and wrapped his arms around her.

"I thought you were sound asleep. You were snoring loud enough to be mistaken for an elephant with bronchitis." She added thoughtfully.

"Thank you." He said huskily his hands were busy with the ties of the robe. "For helping with Gordon."

"I love your brothers, too." Marie shivered in the night air as Virgil divested her of the robe, it wasn't just from the chill.

"But, not like you love me?" Virgil toyed with the strap of her sheer teddy.

"Mmmm. I love you best of all Virgil. Every bit of you." Her hands became as busy as his.

"Ever done it in the water?" Virgil muttered in her ear.

"Teach me." Her arms wound around his neck.

When the sun rose some four hours later, three of the Tracy's slept deeply and happily with hair still damp from swimming and other sport.