Union Shores Pt 1 Ch 8 Intermission

After everyone managed to find breakfast, Michelle and I found Anabelle in the garage talking with Summer.
"It's about that time," I said as I sat on the stool near the workbench.  "Summer, are you ready?"
"Ready for what?  A drive?" she asked.
"There's no point in describing this," Michelle said as she sat on Summer's hood.  "Got that camera?"
Anabelle nodded and held it up before snapping the picture.  
"Wow I've got a cushy..." Summer began.
"Stop it," Michelle replied.  "How long?"
I checked my watch.  "Maybe thirty seconds."
Michelle brushed aside her hair.  “How’s this supposed to work, anyways?”  She suddenly felt her hands begin to turn into tires.  “Ah.”
I nodded to Anabelle.  “One more pic?”
Anabelle nodded and took the shot.  “Don’t move, Michelle.  Just stay where you are.”
Michelle felt her hands grow heavy, and did as ordered.  Her hands and feet had changed, but her skin was also beginning to sparkle with a strange blue eminance.  “This is normal, right?”
“Yeah... what’s going on?” Summer asked.
“It is normal, Summer, just stay put,” I said.
Anabelle stood up and watched as Michelle slowly became absorbed by the blue crystalline orbs that were emerging from her skin.  Summer also began to glow in a similar fashion.  Once both forms were coated in the blue lights, Michelle’s human form suddenly dissolved into the hood of the car in a gradual process that took us all by surprise.
“Is that it?” I asked.
Anabelle and I continued to watch as Summer’s glowing slowly faded.  Summer was herself again, and seemed to be normal enough.
“Summer?” Anabelle asked.  “How do you feel?”
“Fine,” Summer said after a moment.  “I feel like myself again.  Normal, ordinary, me.  My brain isn’t split anymore.”
“That’s wonderful,” I said.  “Shall I try to change you back?” I glanced at Anabelle.  “Can I?”
“Yes, you should be able to,” Anabelle replied.  “If the wish worked correctly, Summer should be exactly as she was before.”
“Cool me down then, Greg.  Let’s test it... I was away from myself for 24 hours, I don’t want to go forward another minute if I’m not one hundred percent convinced that I’m myself again,” Summer ordered.
“Agreed.”  I hadn’t brought my pearl with, having left it in my bedroom, but I didn’t let that stop me from attempting to cool the air around Summer.  Luckily, it didn’t take much effort.  
“Okay, that’s good.  I can feel myself returning.”  Sure enough, Summer had just begun to shrink.  A moment or two later, Michelle was kneeling on the concrete floor where Summer had been.  Her hands and feet were the last to return, just like always.
“Now how do you feel?” I asked as she stayed on her hands and knees for a moment.
“I feel great.  I feel...” She adjusted her balance and slugged me in the gut.  
“Hoogh!” I gasped as I bent over slightly.
“I feel like I owe you that much for suggesting such a stupid thing!” She moved to her feet and helped me up.  “Damn you, Greg.”
I caught my breath and stood up as well.  “Right.  Sorry for trying to help you.”
“It’s okay.”  She patted me on the shoulder.  “At least now I’m all me again.  My boss is expecting us, go get dressed and drive us to the zoo.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Wait, Anabelle?” Michelle stopped suddenly.  “Can you at least do this for me?”
“Of course,” Anabelle replied.  “What did you have in mind?”
Michelle whispered something into her ear.  The genie nodded and released a cloud of smoke.
“What did you do?” I asked.
The cloud of smoke moved towards the north side of the garage and manifested into a foggy form, before taking on the exact form of Summer.  It was an exact copy.
“Your wish is granted, Michelle.  One bonafide, guaranteed, spot on copy of your automotive self, Summer, but without the living impulses.  You still retain Summer within your genetic garage, but here is a copy as requested - without conciousness, without spirit, and with a full tank of fuel.”
“Right,” Michelle gave Anabelle a pat on the shoulder and gave me a nod.  “Why didn’t you just keep it simple, stupid?”
“Why indeed...”
Anabelle giggled as we all headed inside the house.

Within a few minutes, we all had piled into the van and were off to the zoo.  Michelle was only able to get a few of us on her guest list for free admission, but that didn't stop her from paying the rest of the way for everyone to get in.  Lucky I was already on the list or I might’ve had to pay my own way - I still owed her ten bucks.
I'll admit it was a large group to escort around, but Michelle handled us quite well.  We started at the Tropical Trail, went through the butterfly room, went behind the scenes off the main tour.  Even with the throng of us following her, to the average guest it looked just like a regular tour group.
That was all women.
That had one male chaperone.  That looked incredibly fat and out of place compared to the throng of beautiful women.
Can you tell I'm starting to have issues with that?  I mean, I shouldn't, but... anyways.
To answer the next question, no, there weren't any issues with wishes or fins or cars.  Even when the tour group moved outside, we managed to find spots where there were breezes or shade.  We sat through the entire bird show without trouble, though Michelle did stay close to me just in case.
Later on we ended up in Michelle’s home area, Discovery Bay, and though I’ve toured it in the past it was very exciting for Ceylara.  She had many questions for Michelle regarding the safety of the animals, the food they got, the types of care they needed and so forth.  She even went so far as to taste the water in the coral reef.  Meeting the dolphins was incredible for all of the mergirls; even though Megan didn’t speak dolphin it was a moving experience.  Orchid had to be dragged away - I think she was getting hit on or something.
Yeah, creepy.  But afterwards, Michelle got a clean bill of health and Ceylara’s nod of approval for keeping the marine animals in prime care.

As I drove the crew home, I was thankful that nobody fell into the waters or had to worry about tires.  
When we got home, Michelle pulled Ceylara aside and stayed in the garage while everyone else went back to their respective areas of the house or the camper.
"That was a very fun day at the zoo, Michelle.  Thank you for arrainging it."
"Yes, you're welcome."  She sat onto the stool along the workbench.  "Ceylara, I wonder about something.  You and Shelly have certainly discussed just about everything that has happened on shore with us... with Gregory and I.  Yes?"
"Of course, dear.  I understand you and Greg have done a lot to keep her safe, and I respect you for being able to do so.  It's a pity that people like Dr. Leo exsist in this world."
"Well, he's no longer a threat to us, but I think it's time we discussed something.  Certainly you know there's a reason why I got caught up with Greg and Shelly, and how Shelly got involved with Dr. Chase and the folks at the lab."
"I assumed you simply worked there?" Ceylara asked.
"Yes, and there's more."  Michelle sighed.  "I was exposed to the Molecular Transfer Ray before I met Shelly, during my junior year of high school.  I was combined with that."  She pointed to the mock-up Summer parked in the south stall.
"Michelle dear, that's a car."
Michelle nodded.
"You mean," Ceylara narrowed her eyes.  "Really?"
"I'm afraid so."
Ceylara thought it over and started to walk around the convertible.  "That would explain many things."  She opened her mouth.  "Then, in Hawaii, and on your camping trips, on the airplane...?"
"Everywhere," Michelle replied.  "Even right now, I'm always at risk to transform into Summer.  That is the name of my auto ego."
"Then, what happened this morning...?"
"It's a long story, but the real truth is that I have always been able to become Summer, and it always happens whenever I start to sweat.  I always assumed that Shelly told you about me, but didn't realize how good of a friend she was... keeping my secrets like that."
"Shelly said there was another ally of yours, a car named Summer.  And that... was you, dear?"
Michelle nodded.  "Would you like to see?"

From what I heard, after Ceylara and Michelle left the garage, they had a deeper understand of one another.  I'm glad Michelle was able to sort everything out with her.
That evening, Reine dove into my movie collection and started watching a bunch of Disney films.  Even after dinner, all they did was watch movies.  By seven thirty, I could hear Frozen blaring from the basement.
Shelly came up and knocked on my bedroom door.  
"Hey, Mr. Antisocial," she asked.  "What gives?  You never spend time alone like this."
I gave a shrug and put down the book I was reading.  As I don't have any chairs in the room, I was sitting on the bed using the headrest as a backboard.  "Needed a little alone time."
"Mother wants to go for a ride.  She wants to see the lights."
"Lights?" I asked.
"Yeah, city lights.  See the downtowns, see whatever.  Just wants to go someplace, she didn't really say where especially." Shelly hopped onto the bed and began to rub my shoulders.  "You're handling this very well, dealing with my family and everyone.  I'm sorry if I haven't said so."
"You too... I know it's not easy, having Raine and her friends, along with Jean, Anabelle and Megan also."  I felt like I had to right then, so I kissed her.  It felt right.
Afterwards, she kissed me a second time.  "You know what we haven't done in awhile?"
"What's that?"
"We haven't gone on a swim together.  Just you and me.  Nobody else, just the two of us... swimming together.  What do you say to that?"
"Do you think it's a good idea?  I mean, Mrs. Finch has already seen a pod of mermaids having a meeting, and a car sticking out of the deep end after driving itself there, and then two genies repairing the damage..."
"To hell with her," Shelly smiled with a wave of her hand.  "It's like I told you before.  If we're going to make this work, we can't think about what others will say about us.  Nothing comes between us, and there can't be any borders... no coastline between the ocean and the land.  You said so yourself."
"I did say that."  Suddenly I felt conflicted.  "What if there are rumors, though?  I mean..."
"Greg, think about it a moment."  She twittled her toes.  "How much have you and I gone through?  Just us?  Even before adding Michelle and her situation and friends into the mix?  The fact that we've been able to speak together, and walk together, just sitting like we are now, what does that say for us as a couple?"
"A lot."  I didn't have to stop and think about it.  "We've gone to the bottom of the sea together, and fallen into the ocean from the top of the sky together.  We have been seperated, but fought back adversity to return to each other's arms.  We've had to undergo molecular surgery to even live like this."
"I have, yes," Shelly agreed, "Though I don't recall the time you were exposed to the Molecular Transfer Ray."
"My pearl has made up for that," I replied.  "Even though I might not transform into anything, though I have wore fins a time or two..."
"Yeah, you looked awsome in pink," Shelly giggled.
"I don't like to talk about it," I replied quickly.  "I feel like that pearl has bonded with me at the molecular level too.  I mean..." I paused and raised my hand, summoning the pearl from its little blacklight stand across the room, where it flew into my waiting fingers.  "This thing has opened up many doors for us, and it's also been such a valuble tool just in our lives... and Michelle's too."
"Aside from the day I met you, I believe that this day to come will be the best day of our lives, Greg.  That pearl has been an incredible find... but it's one thing to swim to the deepest depths of the ocean to find a treasure like that.  For a mermaid to seek the greatest treasure, she has to leave the ocean.  And I will always believe that the greatest treasure I could ever find was you."
"That's my line," I said as I kissed her again.  "Damn I love you."
"No, that's my line," she said again.

A moment or two later, we let our houseguests entertain themselves for awhile as Emina, Ceylara, Shelly and I went for a drive around town.  I have always said that St. Paul looked best at sunset, and tonight's clear skies did not disappoint.  In fact, in my opinion, St. Paul looks the most picturesque from the east when viewed just across the river from downtown, while the skyline at Minneapolis seems to look best from the north when viewed from either the Quarry or Nicollet Island.  We started our tour at Target Field, made our way up to Saint Anothy Main, passed by the still unlit Grain Belt Beer sign and cruised through the Univesity of Minnesota before heading east to St. Paul, where we passed by the State Fairgrounds and downtown east near Payne Avenue and the airport.
I enjoyed the ride very much, even though I seemed to be doing most of the talking, much like a tour guide.  
At the end of our drive when we had returned home, I asked Ceylara if she was having a good time.
"Yes, I am enjoying this immensely, Gregory.  I am sure I have thanked you enough for being such a wonderful host."
"Have you been able to see what you wished?"
"Oh yes, and more.  Every new turn is exciting, but there's one thing I have yet to see that will truly make this trip special."
"What's that?" I asked.
"The day that I see my beloved Shelly confess her love, and the day that I can be comforted, knowing that she is truly safe here, away from her home."
"Oh mother," Shelly giggled.
"That day will be here soon," Emina added.  "And hopefully you won't have to worry anymore."
"Oh, I haven't been worrying," Ceylara replied.  "There is no need to worry... is there, Gregory?"
"No madam, you have my word."

According to the calander, I have ten days left until the end of my bachelorhood ceases to be.  Maybe there won’t be a need for any funeral ceremony or last rites.  Maybe we can have a party to celebrate something else.
That night, well after the sun went down and after the lights went dark, Shelly and I went for a peaceful swim.  I asked everyone else to stay inside and play pool or something - this was going to be our moment and nobody else’s.  Megan might've warned me that it was a bad idea, and I probably should've agreed.  All I wanted was a quiet night with my fiance.
At least, that’s what I had been hoping for.  
Police sirens can sound incredibly spooky underwater.

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART TWO