Not going to able to post for a few days due to work commitments, so here is an early chapter...

Anniversaries and Presentations

The month of May flew by in no time at all. Nick had to work virtually every day, as the law library was busy as the students prepared for their finals. As he himself had no exams to prepare for this year, he was more than happy to work the long hours - it also meant that he earned valuable spending money for the trip. Jeff for his part was also in the diner on a nearly daily basis as many of his colleagues were also taking exams; in fact, it often seemed that he, Sam, Santana and Brittany were the only staff, now that Rachel was working full time with her show. Jeff was back to his mad, childish self, larking about and singing and dancing with Brittany more often than not. Sam usually ended up joining in, and Santana was heard to wonder if she was the only adult in the place. Wes was taking exams and working on his thesis at the same time - Nick saw more of him than the others as he was often to be found ensconced in the law library with a text and a coffee. Of all of them, Sebastian was the least harassed - sure, he was doing some extra hours at the Strand, but he was the one that had the time to sort out all the last minute plans; to double check the paperwork; and to pick up all the little things they would need. He had also bought numerous guide books and phrase books in both Czech and Dutch - Nick was fairly fluent in German, and his own French was flawless. He also had to deal with a boyfriend who was getting increasingly excited about his first trip outside the United States.

Then it was nearly the end of May, and they had less than a week to go before they left. A pile of printed E-Tickets sat in a clear folder in a prominent position in the loft, the first of them dated for Sunday June 1st; 17.30 United flight to Geneva; connecting Swiss Air flight to Prague. A block of six seats booked. They would be flying only 3 times on the whole trip - Nick had pointed to the fact that train travel in Europe was quick and cheap, and that on some routes, overnight trains could be used and thus save them hotel costs. Those had also been booked and paid for, the confirmation E-Mails being in another plastic wallet. The process of doing so had been complicated as they tried to marry comfort and style with not wanting to splurge on the budget. In the end, much of the decision making had come down to Sebastian and Rory, both of whom had useful contacts for getting a deal. Initially they had intended to stay in hostels - then Santana had invited the four New York based boys around one evening to watch a film. One viewing of the film Hostel had Nick and Jeff hiding behind the sofa, and Sebastian refusing to stay anywhere with less than 3 stars. It wasn't as if they couldn't afford it after all. Sebastian had appointed himself as the person that would carry all the paperwork that was placed in the two folders. Unbeknown to him, Nick had surreptitiously forwarded all the E-Mails to Trent, asking him to print of a set and carry them too. In the end, Nick had printed a third set off and put them in his own carry on bag, just to be safe.

Amongst all the preparations, Nick had not forgotten one very important thing. He had booked a day off work some time earlier, before the trip had even been planned. A quick word to Sam had also ensured that Jeff would be free of work commitments on the second last Saturday of May. It dawned like any other day that month - Nick woke up first, as had been planned and he made his way to the kitchen, leaving Jeff to sleep on. He found both Wes and Sebastian there, the latter about to head out to work, and the former packing up his papers for a trip to the library. Both were heading out to give Nick and Jeff the loft to themselves for the day. There were times that he was so grateful he had such good friends, and this was one of them. He found a bag of fresh bagels on the counter, and the bouquet he had ordered from the florist next to them. His two friends wished him well, and then they left, leaving Nick to prepare breakfast for himself and Jeff. Bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon, a platter of fruit and coffee and juice. The tray was large and heavy, but it was nothing to Nick as he carried it to the bedroom, placing it on the bedside table. Jeff was still fast asleep, his blond hair tousled and, thought Nick, looking as cute as ever. He knelt down by the bed and kissed him, keeping on doing so until he woke up, looking at him with bleary but love filled eyes. "Happy Anniversary Jeffie," said Nick with a smile.

They spent much of the rest of the morning in bed, feeding each other breakfast, which ended up with cream cheese having to be licked off fingers, not to mention the juice from the fruit. Then it was time for a soak in the bath, before they got dressed. Nick was curious as to why Jeff kept looking at the clock every so often, and hurrying him along. It was as he hurried him down the stairs at one that Jeff finally came clean. They had tickets for a matinee on Broadway of The Cripple of Inishmaan starring Daniel Radcliffe - he knew that Nick was a big Harry Potter fan, and so this had seemed the perfect gift for him. They both enjoyed the show, and afterwards Jeff had managed to get them a chance to meet Daniel at the stage door, which left Nick speechless. Once he recovered, he took control of the day back, and hurried Jeff to the subway. They arrived in plenty of time for their reservation for dinner at Tocqueville, one of the finest restaurants in the city. They had plenty of time to enjoy their meal and when the staff discovered it was their 1st anniversary, they were treated with even more attention. Then it was home again, Jeff insisting on paying for a cab, although Nick would have been quite content to take the subway. The reasons for Jeff's choice became clear the minute he opened the door to the loft and found all their friends waiting for them under a banner saying Happy Anniversary Niff! Although there was a big part of Nick that wanted nothing more than to take Jeff into the bedroom, he was equally happy to share him with their friends - after all, they could celebrate the anniversary of their first time later…

They had one last thing to do before they left for Europe, and that was a duty that they were pleased to perform. It was a tradition that had been honoured for years, and this year it was more important than ever. Even their imminent departure could not stop them attending. The early morning flight to Columbus on the 30th of May was not the ideal way to travel, but it served its purpose. Nick and Jeff slept for most of it, their heads resting on each other shoulders. Wes read the New York Times and Sebastian leafed through the Time Out guide book for Prague. At the airport, they met up with Trent, who had also caught an early flight from Washington DC. He was alone, Rory finishing off at work, and then taking the late afternoon train to New York with his luggage and Trent's. He would be met at the station by Sam, and he would stay with him overnight. They had time for a quick coffee at the airport as they awaited the arrival of the final members of their party. David and Thad had flown back from L.A. the previous day and were going to drive them all to their Alma Mater - Dalton Academy. It was the graduation day, a time when alumni Warblers returned to support those graduating as a duty; but this year it also marked the second retiral of Principal Carmichael, now that he had got the school back on an even keel. Wes had been asked by Burt, on behalf of the governors, to make a speech and a presentation. He and Carole would also be in attendance. Nick had the suspicion that Wes was keeping something to himself. He knew better than to ask questions. They would find out soon enough. Meanwhile, he was just looking forward to the fact that he would see at least two angels that day…

As they drove up to the school, it seemed strange to the younger boys to be back. They had so many memories here, most of them good, but the place was now slightly tainted for them by the presence of Hunter. They had changed at the airport into their old uniforms - yet another reminder of the trial, and what they had suffered. They were greeted at the door by Brad and Jasper, the two Warblers who had walked away when Hunter took over, and had then become members of Trent's unofficial council in the aftermath of the steroid debacle. They had spent their senior year as Head of Council and Secretary respectively, and now were about to leave the Warblers in the safe hands of the Deputy Head of Council, a young man by the name of Seth; he would be joined in one of the other roles by Edward, who had been Hunter's first victim. Colin, the boy that Nick and Jeff had taken to the hospital the night that Sebastian had been whipped, now held his former position as lead soloist, something that came as no surprise to them. They were escorted down the familiar passageway to the senior commons, where the usual hubbub of noise existed - so loud in fact that there arrival went unnoticed. Brad smiled at Wes, and handed him the gavel, which he accepted with a nod, before banging it down hard on the pad. It worked instantly, and the room fell silent - but once they realised who was there, chaos reigned once more as boys went to welcome old friends and legends, watched all the time by bewildered freshmen.

They had an hour or so to chat before they needed to make their way to the auditorium for the graduation ceremony, the scene of the now infamous Niff kiss. Both of them pointedly ignored the hints coming from their friends that an action replay would be a good thing. The events of the past year for the current group of Warblers were discussed, the highlight of which had of course been their win over the other local glee clubs at McKinley. This had given them the confidence that they needed to keep going, and judging from what Wes had heard and seen on Youtube, the Warblers of 2014/15 stood a good chance of winning Nationals, now that the ban had expired. There was some quiet discussion of the money that all of them, bar the freshmen, had received. Then talked turned to the alumni - everyone pointedly ignored the trial, and instead talked about college prospects and life in New York. They all knew about Niff's engagement, but it was only when Jeff stood up and announced the date that the majority of the group found out about the forthcoming wedding. There were cheers from every corner of the room, and Jeff rashly invited them all to attend, leaving a startled Nick thinking of the expense.

"We could sing something for you," said Seth - a vote was called and there was a unanimous yes. "Of course," he continued, "it will probably be Edwin getting engaged next…"

The alumni looked at each other in confusion, trying to remember who Edwin was, until Jasper whispered "It's their couple name - Edward and Colin. It all started the night that Hunter went on the rampage and they were hiding together in that small wardrobe. It grew slowly, and they finally came out and admitted it on Valentine's Day. They are happy together, and thankfully, there are no issues with their folks…"

Brad, Jasper and the other seniors were then summoned to make their way to the auditorium, to get ready for the ceremony. Nick, Jeff and Trent went over to congratulate Edward and Colin, both of whom had blushed when Seth had revealed their relationship. "The good thing about it is that you have both discovered how you feel whilst you still have the comforts of Dalton. Neither of you is sitting there fretting about how the other doesn't know," said Jeff.

Nick laughed at that, then added "Just make sure that you are totally honest at all times, and you will be fine. This is another example of one of the good things that came out of Hunter being here - if he hadn't gone on the rampage, you might not be together now…"

"That's true - we might have had to wait until we came to a realisation with an epic kiss just days before leaving Dalton," joked Colin.

"We could still have the epic kiss," smiled Edward.

"You could, but not today," said Trent, the voice of reason as always. "This is a day to be remembered for the Seniors; and it is largely about Principal Carmichael and all he has done for Dalton. I think that Wes would want to hit you with Mr Bangy if you got in the way of all that." Nick and Jeff nodded in agreement. "But he isn't here now, so if you want to give a preview…" continued Trent jokingly. He wasn't surprised when the two younger boys did exactly that - when Nick and Jeff followed, all he could think was how much he was missing Rory.

The graduation ceremony passed off without any problem. As each young man stepped onto the stage, there was the usual polite applause, and the occasional whoop when a particularly popular boy appeared. Sebastian might have applauded harder for each of his former lacrosse team mates than he did for others; but Jeff did the same for his art club friends, and Nick for the debaters. Then once the ceremony was over, Burt Hummel moved from his seat next to Mrs Carmichael, and stepped up to the microphone. He made a short speech of congratulations to the graduates, and then announced that he was no handing the floor to Wes. There was loud applause as he stepped onto the stage, and after shaking Burt's hand, took his place at the podium.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I have been invited here today for two reasons. The first one you are all aware of. Principal Aaron Carmichael is retiring - again - bringing to an end 47 years of service to the school, and more importantly, to its boys. In some schools, the Principal is a figure of feared authority, a spectre that looms up to haunt the pupils. They rule with a rod of iron, and little or no compassion. At Dalton, we have been lucky enough to have a man that had authority, but also had humanity. We all respected him, understood the rules he set and did not dare to deviate from them, not because he would have punished us, but because he would have been disappointed in us. I can still remember my first encounter with him - I was scared, having been sent away from my family and friends to attend a school in a different state. He could see that straight away, and made it his duty to look out for me, to nurture me. Thanks to him, I found myself auditioning for the Warblers - by the end of my time here, I was leading them. Gone was the shy little boy from Massachusetts - I was the Wes Montgomery that all of you know now. He taught me that it was alright to be myself and to set my own rules. He taught me tolerance, and acceptance of the diversity of the world. He created an environment in which everyone was safe. I will always be grateful to him for that."

"Dalton owes him more than just thanks for his hard work. We are all well aware of what happened last year. If he had not agreed to come back and help the school out of the crisis that the previous board of governors and their new Principal had created, then I doubt that I would be standing here today. Rather than ringing to the sound of happy voices, the school would be echoing to the sound of the footsteps of the lonely security guard sent to watch over the empty building. I guess what I am saying is this. Principal Carmichael embodies the spirit of Dalton. Without a worthy successor, the place fell apart in months. Then he had no say in the choice of the new Principal - this time, he has had the chance to choose someone that he deems worthy, and I believe that he has made a good choice. The school is entering a new era today, in a stronger state than it has been for years. A new era needs a new approach. Mlle Lefevre will bring that, but at the same time, she will safeguard the old values that have made Dalton what it is. Our second home."

"Before I make the presentation of a retirement gift to Principal Carmichael - and contrary to the rumours circulating, it isn't the same one he got two years ago, wrapped in a new box, I have another duty to perform - and this one very few people know about. This school is a family, and when Hunter dragged the Warblers into a hell of his making, it left all of us hurt. But we are strong - we came together as a family and supported each other, and pulled through. Then in September, another tragedy occurred. Kurt Hummel, our beloved countertenor, was murdered in New York the night before he was due to marry his one true love, Blaine Anderson, the former lead soloist of the Warblers. Everyone that knew them had shipped Klaine at one time or another, just as now we all ship Niff - to see this happen to them broke us all, and when Blaine ended his life two weeks later, a dark cloud once again fell over us all. You will all be aware who was behind the murder of Kurt, and indeed of his stepbrother months earlier. Three months ago, I spent several weeks in a court room and watched his trial. You all know the outcome. Justice was done."

"The legacy of Hunter Clarington needed something to balance it out - some good to follow it. I made a suggestion to Burt Hummel, and Blaine's brother Cooper. They both like the idea, and took it to the board. Wheels were set in motion, and the culmination of that is what I am about to announce. Each year, there will now be an award made to the boy, or boys, that have done the most for the school community in the fields of music, art or drama. We have a plethora of sporting trophies, awards for achievements in English, Math and Science. But until now, nothing for the arts. The Klaine medal will amend that. I have the privilege of presenting the award to this year's two recipients, but before I do, it was felt by the board that one should be given for last year, and I could not agree more with their choice. The Klaine medal for 2013 is awarded to an ex-pupil, who graduated last year, but is here today, unaware that this was about to happen - and I know him, he will go bright red…" Nick, Jeff and Sebastian looked at each other, and all mouthed the same name at that point, much to the amusement of Wes. "The winner is Trent Nixon, who stepped up to the plate, took over the Warblers, looked out for the physical and mental well-being of his friends, and at the same time, managed to graduated in the top three of his class. Trent, get up here…."

Sure enough, a bright red Trent made his way up onto the stage, as behind him the applause rose to a deafening level, the Warblers jumping to their feet. As Wes put the medal round his neck, he bent down and whispered "This is being filmed, so you will be able to show Rory, who sends his congratulations by the way - he's known for the last two weeks. You deserve this, Robin." Formality over with, Wes pulled him into a hug, and then motioned him to stand over to one side. "So, that brings me on to the winners for 2014. Trent managed to save the Warblers, but he didn't do it alone. He created an unofficial council to run things - the other two members moving on to form two thirds of this years council. They have brought the Warblers back from destruction - they have won an unofficial competition, and have created something that Dalton can once again be proud of. They have also ensured that next year, when the group can compete officially again, the Warblers will have a better than average chance of victory. So, it gives me great delight to present the Klaine medal for 2014 to Brad Ransom and Jasper Cunningham." Once again, the auditorium burst into loud applause as the two boys, still in their graduation robes, came back on stage to allow Wes to place the medals round their necks.

This done, he allowed the three boys to leave the stage before he went over to Principal Carmichael, to invite him back to the centre of the stage. Wes produced an envelope from his blazer pocket, and handed it over to his former headmaster. "As I said earlier, we decided not to have the last retirement gift reboxed - instead, we asked Mrs Carmichael what she felt her husband would really like to receive. Enclosed are two tickets for an all expenses paid trip to Australia and New Zealand. We were aware that these two countries were one part of the world that you always wanted to visit and had done so since before you were married. Now, you have that chance. The tickets are booked for October, which is springtime in the southern hemisphere. In all, you will be away for six weeks - and I'm sure you will have plenty of opportunity to use the digital camera you received when you first retired. Of course, for those of you studying Geography next year, you can expect at least one lesson on Oceania. Finally, on behalf of myself and every other boy that has had the privilege to have been taught by you - thank you."

There was loud applause as Wes stepped down from the stage, which died down eventually to allow Principal Carmichael to make a short speech of thanks - and a promise of a whole series of lessons on the world 'down under' as the British say. Someone called for three cheers for the Principal, and the room reverberated with the shouts of everyone in the room. It had been a long journey from new teacher to leader of the school, but now it was over, and this time, for good.

The Warbler alumni knew what to expect after they left the graduation ceremony - a return to the senior commons, before the final performance of the senior group. They had all seen the video from 2012, when Wes had returned to join the seniors of that year in a performance of Hit me, Baby, One more time. Most of them had been present to see the previous year's seniors singing YMCA. Now, the alumni awaited with baited breath for this years performance. "I saw them looking through the songbook from The Sound of Music last week," confided Colin to Nick, "and some curtains vanished from one of the dorms…" Nick turned to look at the group around him, and smiled at the idea, as Wes just shook his head at the prospect of the 5 seniors playing the Von Trapps. At the point there was a burst of music which at once showed that they had played a red herring last week. In keeping with the tradition of being inappropriate, yet at the same time relevant, this year the final song was Wannabe by the Spice Girls, and the seniors were in costume. The sight of Jasper in a short Union Jack dress, given that he had very hairy legs, made the whole room crease up with laughter. Wes was thankful that the camera recording the whole thing was on a stand…

After an early dinner, the New York contingent was once again en-route to the airport to catch the last flight of the day back to the city. Thad and David said goodbye at the airport, everyone but Jeff and Trent pretending not to notice that Thad's hug for Wes was just a little too long. It was more or less an open secret now, apart from those two. They asked the boys to pass on their best wishes to Ethan and Drew, then headed back home. They were all tired by the time they got back to Bushwick from the airport, and fell into bed gratefully. Trent was just pleased to be back with Rory. Tomorrow was set to be another busy day…

By five the following afternoon, everything was seeming even more real. Sebastian had gone to collect the Czech crowns they had ordered from the bureau de change. He had also obtained a pile of Euros and Pounds for later in the trip. These were split up amongst the boys, and slipped into different bags and pockets as a precaution against theft. They had spent part of the afternoon reciting various useful Czech phrases together, which had left Brittany wondering what was going on as she overheard them through the door. Wes had taken a day off his work, and had invited Beats and Flint to join them in the city. As it was to be their last night in America for a month, he felt that they should go out. The exhaustion that this would cause would also help them to sleep on the plane as it crossed the Atlantic. When the two boys arrived, they pulled out a set of T-shirts they had got printed with the words 'Warblers European Tour 2014' printed on the front, and their bird names on the back. Dave discovered that he had been given the name Condor by Wes - he found the whole bird name thing strange, but he was pleased to have been given one. They all pretended to love the shirts, although they had no intention of packing them. (Wes would slip them into their bags the following morning, as Sam distracted them.)

They ended up at the usual club - their was an inevitability about it now, to such an extent that the bartenders knew their names, and their usual drink orders. They knew full well that with the exception of Wes, they were all underage, but they turned a blind eye. Unbeknown to Nick and Jeff, a joint bachelor party had already been booked for the week before the wedding. That was far off in the future - that night was just about dancing and enjoying themselves. Sebastian had worn his waistcoat, and as the night wore on, everyone bar Dave lost their shirts, Trent showing off a much more toned physique than the others remembered. Being with Rory was obviously very good for him.