The Colson Chronicles

Chapter 11

Leslie

As we were celebrating our new love with our family my phone began to ring, it was Chuck and I hoped that he had good news. I shakily moved the phone to my ear desperately wanting him to tell me everything was okay. "H-hello" I said my voice quivering, "hey Leslie this is Chuck; I just wanted to let you know that your family is safe and in our protection. However, Barry was able to elude us once again." I huffed in frustration at the good but bad news, Colson looked at me with confusion on his face as Chuck began to speak again. "Your friend Nessa has informed me that your boyfriend is very well known around the world and has a very big following?" anger was starting to take over as I said "well yeah he does but how is that relevant to the situation I am in?"

He laughed a bit and then said "we want to use his following to help us catch Barry, he could be anywhere in the world right now and we need to see if we can track him down. I would like you, Colson, and his crew to tweet out pictures of him asking his fans for any information regarding his whereabouts and offer a reward. Hopefully this will help us track him down and put him away for good this time." I thanked Chuck for the update and hung up the phone informing the gang of the orders I was just given and that I needed to go back home to North Carolina to see my friends and family.

Colson

Well the news that we got from Chuck wasn't ideal but he had asked for help from the XX mob. Leslie sent me and the crew multiple pictures of Barry to blast on all our social media accounts asking anyone for information they may have on the location of Barry. We decided that the reward that we would offer would be a day spent hanging out with me and the crew because that would probably get the fan girls to start up a witch hunt for this son of a bitch. Ashleigh had quickly booked all of us a flight into Charlotte NC, Les and I were in the bungalow packing up our bags and I said "I'm not going to have to meet your family yet am I?" She looked around at me with what seemed like hurt in her eyes. "I am just usually not the guy that girls bring home during the day to meet their family and I am super nervous."

She took soft steps towards me circling her arms around me Leslie spoke softly resting her head against my tattooed chest, "I know they will love you; because I love you Kells. You kept me safe and away from danger while Barry was running around town and you had no obligation to do so. My family will love you as long as I love you." Always having the right words to say she melted my anxieties away and I was ready for this new part of my life, meeting the parents of the woman who I love more than myself. But there was someone I wanted Leslie to meet too but that could wait a little longer, I was always hesitant to introduce people to my daughter, I didn't want another woman disappointing her the way her mother did and I promised I would never put her through that again.

Our plane finally landed eighteen and a half hours later after two layovers, we were all exhausted. We got a hotel room so that we could rest up before we made the two hour drive from Charlotte NC to Leslie's hometown in the mountains. The night I met Leslie I had played a show close to her hometown but it was still forty-five minutes to an hour away. We slept like babies in that hotel bed and a couple of hours later we checked back out and Ashleigh had booked a rental car so that we could drive the rest of the way. As we got closer to the mountains of NC the roads began to twist and turn. I was not used to these kinds of roads because Cleveland and Los Angeles were mostly highway and interstate, finally my bad driving got on Leslie's nerves bad enough that she made me pull over so she could drive. Cranking some Motley Crue she sped off hanging the curves like she was racing nascar.

Leslie

My lord Colson couldn't drive on a curvy road for shit, I finally made him pull over and let me drive, this was my domain after all. We passed through Marion and before I started the climb up Cox's Creek mountain. I warned everyone in the car that it would be curvy and steep and that they better hold on or buckle up. Whipping the vehicle back and forth through curve after curve I made my way up the mountain. As we passed through the underpass at the top I looked at everyone and said "welcome to Spruce Pine." Everyone was nauseous from my driving but mainly because they were not used to the curves. It was fall in western NC which meant the Blue Ridge Parkway would be full of beautiful views. I made a note to take Colson up there to see the leaves before we left again. Pulling into the driveway of my childhood home I looked at Kells, "well it's show time babe" as I giggle a little seeing how nervous he was.

Busting through the door Nessa ran across my yard "Leslie Drake, I have missed you so much!" she screamed as she embraced me in a chokehold of a hug. I couldn't help but smile at my loud eccentric friend. She quickly gave Colson the once over and said "I'm watching you Baker" trying but failing to be intimidating. Finally my mom, dad, and nanny made their way out of the house to greet me and my new gang of friends. Hugging my mom I felt a comfort like no one else could give me, after hugging my dad I quickly stepped away because he was awkward at showing affection. I had missed Nanny most of all, the woman who held our family together, the matriarch; the sweetest woman anyone could ever meet.

My family reunion was over and it was time for the introduction of Kells. I cough to clear my throat "everyone this is Colson," I wrapped my arms around his waist as I introduced him. He had changed into a long sleeved shirt and I wasn't sure if he was cold in the crisp fall air or if he was attempting to cover his tattoos. As he reached and shook my dad's hand he said "it's a pleasure to meet you all, Leslie has told me so much about you all that I already feel like I know you. Mrs Drake I can see where Leslie gets her beauty from; and sir, your daughter is a strong and lovely person. She genuinely makes my life much better just by being a part of it." Kells really laid on the charm thick and they ate it up like it was biscuits and gravy. I couldn't stop smiling as everyone acquainted themselves. Mom, Nessa, and Ash were gossiping about celebrity news while Colson, dad, Slim, and Rook all talked about the differences between our southern living and growing up in Cleveland. Life really couldn't get any better.