Title: Off To See The Wizard
Author: VATERGrrl
Fandom: Original (Cory/Lynn)
Bunnies: #19 - 500 words
Rating: G
Feedback: As Wheezie on Dragontales says, "Looove it!"
Summary: On his way to meet with the father of his sweetheart, Cory Marshall has a heart-to-heart with his mother and is reminded of a Halloween costume he once wore in his Kansas days.
A/ N: This ficlet is linked to three others, "There's No Place Like Home", "Treasures of The Emerald City" and "The Dreams That You Dare To Dream", but it's not necessary to read them to "get" this one. Sequel to "There's No Place Like Home".

"Mr. Carlson, I'd like to ask you . . .

"I love your daughter and . . .

"Gaaaah!" Cory Marshall stripped the dark gray silk tie from his neck and threw it down on the oak dresser before him.

"What's wrong, sweetie? Can I help?" Arlene Marshall picked up the tie and draped it over one shoulder as if it were a burp cloth for an infant.

"Thanks, Mom, but I don't know. I want to get everything right, and I feel like I'm going to be a complete failure." He reached for the top button of his shirt, but his fingers were shaking too badly to secure it, let alone tie a neatly dimpled Windsor in his best tie.

"You are not," she stated, emphasizing her words with a tug at the collar of her son's dress shirt. "Going to be a failure, complete or even partial. " She buttoned the top button, slapping Cory's hand away as he tried to hook a finger between the collar and his neck.

"Do you remember that Halloween picture, from when you were six, and your two front teeth had fallen out?"

"Yeah," Cory said uncertainly, reaching up again to try to loosen his collar. When had it gotten so tight?

"You were all decked out as the Cowardly Lion." She slapped his hand away again, fussing to make the perfect dimple just below the triangular knot.

"And your point is?" Cory swallowed hard, then slapped his mother's hand away. "It's fine, Mom."

"My point is, what did the lion find out he had all along?"

"A bad case of five o'clock shadow?"

"Courage, sweetie. He had courage. And so do you. Now, take a deep breath."

Cory did as he was told, wriggling his nose and letting the breath out on an unexpected and uncovered "Huuh-shooo!"

"Bless you." Arlene took a bandanna from the top dresser drawer, and Cory scuffed it briefly against his nose before shoving it into the front pocket of his gray suit pants. A moment later, however, he lifted it up again, turning away from his mother and delivering a sneeze into the cloth. "Heh-chhh!"

"Bless you."

"Thanks." Cory sniffled, blew twice. "So, what do you think?"

Arlene reflected briefly, then tucked a white handkerchief fold-side up in the breast pocket of her son's suit jacket. "There. Y'all look so nice." She lapsed into her native Georgian drawl, drawing out the "nice" so it sounded like "naahss."

"Thanks, Ma." Cory leaned in to kiss his mother lightly on the cheek.

"Now, off with you." Arlene tapped the face of his watch. "You were going to meet with David at 4:00?"

"Sh - Darn!" He dashed out of the room, leaving Arlene to smile and shake her head slowly at the doorway. She knew her son would live up to his potential as the scarecrow, the tin man, and the cowardly lion, offering his Dorothy all the brains, heart and courage he had.