This was actually written the day David Hedison passed away, although I didn’t know that at the time. He will always by my “Captain,” and I will continue to keep him alive in my heart and in my stories.

The Legend Begins

By R. L. Keller

It is legend in fandom that female anythings gravitate toward Lee. This is my version of how that legend began 😊

Mrs. Joanne Morton could barely contain her mirth as she started clearing away the breakfast dishes. Her oldest child, Chip, had just completed his first year at the US Naval Academy and was home for most of two weeks before he had to be back for something to do with advanced computer lessons; Joanne could never quite keep up with what the young man was talking about these days. She was just so pleased that he’d finally found something to occupy his overly-active mind, keeping him focused on something besides harassing his three younger sisters.

She was also so very pleased with the young man Chip had been assigned to room with at Annapolis, Lee Crane. Slightly younger than Chip, who had completed a year at the local junior college before his appointment to the Academy had come through, Lee was quiet and studious, which also helped to calm Chip’s boisterous nature. An only child whose mother was often away, Chip had started bringing Lee home any time they had Leave and, while it had taken the somewhat shy Lee a bit to find his way, was starting to settle into the occasionally frenetic Morton household.

What was causing Joanne trouble this morning was, Chip getting a little carried away – she thought so anyway – with harassing Lee over what little Lee had eaten, this first meal of their stay after arriving late the previous evening. It had started reasonably enough…

“Lee, you’re going to give Mom a complex,” the blond told the brunet, looking at the small portions of scrambled eggs, farmer’s potatoes, and sage sausage links that were on Lee’s plate after the dishes had all been passed around.

Lee sent him a quick glare. “By now even she’s figured out that I don’t eat as much as you do,” he grumbled softly before looking at Joanne. “You know how much I enjoy your cooking, Mother M.”

“I do, indeed.” She sent him a smile, then a firmer look at her son.

Which Chip ignored. “You’re going to have to bulk up if you want to continue passing your P.T. requirements,” he argued.

Lee’s glare intensified. “And who continues to swamp your six at swimming and track?” he challenged.

“Eat your breakfast,” Chip’s dad, Jerry, ordered his son, barely able to control his own grin, and the rest of the meal was spent in the boys answering questions about Academy life since their last visit.

But as the meal was ending Chip once more started picking on Lee about half a dozen different things. Joanne and Jerry had gotten used to how the boys treated each other, realizing fairly quickly after the first couple of visits that Lee was perfectly able to handle their rowdy son. But there was a limit. “Chip,” Joanne got control of her expression – with difficulty – and turned around, “do you want cherry pie for dessert tonight?”

“Yes !” came back excitedly.

Joanne walked over to the far counter and picked up two small buckets by their handles and held one out to each boy. “Then take Lee down to the pie cherry tree and work off all that excess energy you seem to have by filling these up.”

“Pie cherry tree?” came softly out of Lee’s mouth.

“Where do you think pie cherries come from, junior?” Chip asked with a glare of his own.

“From a can?” Lee offered, with a sheepish grin at Joanne. A soft growl came from Chip’s direction.

“You might know it better as a sour cherry tree?” Joanne told him.

Lee nodded. “That, I’ve heard of. I think,” he added with another shy smile. “Mom isn’t much of a pie maker.” He glanced at Chip. “And I never watched Mrs. McDonald when she made one. Our neighbors,” he clarified for the elder Morton’s.

“When I was down there last week,” Joanne continued, “the cherries weren’t quite ripe enough. They should be perfect by now.”

“Yes ma’am,” Lee answered politely. Chip nudged him with his pail and the pair headed out. Both Morton parents looked at each other, grinned, and headed to what they had planned for the day.

The two boys, buckets swinging gently by their handles, headed out the back door of the house toward the lower part of the property where a dozen or so fruit trees thrived in a fenced off area from one of the pastures. “We can cut through here,” Chip told Lee as he ducked between the bars of a metal gate. Lee followed without hesitation until he realized that they’d entered the cow pasture. “Watch your step,” Chip teased him as they made their way toward the orchard, dodging the occasional cow patty. Lee gave a quick glance toward the half dozen or so cows, grazing contentedly. Several raised their heads to check on the invaders to their territory but then went right back to their munching.

It wasn’t until the boys were almost to the other side that Lee, walking slightly behind Chip, realized he’d garnered the attention of what seemed to be – to him at least – the biggest cow in the herd. In trying to avoid her he sidestepped away, but discovered too late that she was boxing him into the corner where the wires were close enough together that he couldn’t squeeze through. “Chip, get this thing away from me,” he demanded, eyeing the large female bovine. His only experience with cows were small calves at the petting zoo his grandfather took him to on summer days when he was a small child.

Chip grinned, wishing he had his camera as the large black and white Holstein moved closer to Lee. “She’s not going to hurt you.” He laughed out loud as Lee cringed. “I think she likes you.”

Lee ground his teeth, promising to kill the blond later when he was out of this mess. If he got out of this mess ! The cow turned her head sideways, giving Lee a wistful look through soft brown eyes and edged closer, putting her head practically into Lee’s chest. “Pretty Bossy,” Lee said, putting his hand against the cow’s neck and pushing gently. Instead of turning away, the cow lifted her head which brought her nose even with Lee’s face and, before Lee could duck, she poked out her long tongue and licked Lee upside the head. “Chip,” Lee ordered as the blond all but fell to the ground laughing.

It took a bit for Chip to regain enough control, although he was still chuckling, to walk over, give the cow a soft pat, then gently shoo her away; reluctantly, Lee thought, on both Chip’s and the cow’s parts, but quickly headed the several yards to where they could again squeeze through the fence line into the small orchard.

Still barely able to keep from laughing, mostly because of Lee’s continued glare, Chip pointed out the tree they were headed for. “See, the cherries aren’t as big as the ones you eat fresh. And the ripest ones are bright red.” He’d turned his back to Lee and, before he could stop the brunet, Lee picked one of the reddest he saw and popped it into his mouth. He loved fresh cherries. But instantly he made a nasty face and spit out the small cherry. “That’s why they’re called ‘sour cherries’ you dope,” Chip chided him. “You don’t eat them until they’re prepared properly.”

“Now you tell me,” Lee muttered, but he sent the blond a small nod and the pair quickly went to work filling their buckets. The tree, Lee noted, was smaller than the other cherry tree Chip pointed out. “A Bing variety,” Chip told him. No ladders were needed except to reach the very top. Once the pails were filled to overflowing, as a peace offering Chip took him over to the Bing tree, also filled with ripe fruit, and they topped off their stomachs with the delicious fruit, all the while annoying each other spitting out the pits. Lee insisted they take the long way back to the house, causing Chip another round of laughter as Lee gave the cows a hard look.

Once back at the house Chip started to tell his mom about the cow but a hard look from Lee, and a harder elbow to his ribcage, discouraged that notion. Joanne distracted both boys by handing them cherry pitters, small instruments that she had to show Lee how to use, and set them to work preparing the fruit as she started making dough for the pies. At a questioning look from Lee, who she’d discovered early on was curious about everything, she explained that once the cherries, plus the juice being produced from the pitting process, was ready she’d add sugar and a little cornstarch and cook the fruit just until the juice started to thicken slightly, then add almond extract before putting the fruit into the pie shells and baking them. There was an almost giggle from Chip when she said ‘sugar’ but she decided not to ask, figuring she already knew the answer. Lee did question the almond extract, but merely nodded when she explained that it enhanced the cherry flavor. The completion of the pitting process coincided with Jerry walking through the kitchen on his way to run errands, and Joanne sent the boys with him to get them out of her hair while she finished the pies and figured out what she was going to make for lunch.

Joanne wasn’t sure what kept the boys occupied all afternoon. And was pretty sure that she didn’t really want to know, all things considered. She knew that it hadn’t involved the three girls as they’d spent most of the day with friends.

Once the meal was over, Chip as usual harassing Lee over how little he’d taken, Joanne brought out the pies and started giving everyone a slice. She shared a quick grin with her husband as it was obvious Lee got a bigger portion than anyone else. Chip gave her a quick dirty look but even he grinned as Lee dug into the sweet treat, the rest of the day forgotten.

Except by Chip 😊

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This started from a comment by Liz M. and was added to by another comment from Sharon H. It really does pay to keep certain thoughts and ideas in the bunny file for future use. RLK