Opening Night MkII

In the run up to the big day on Friday, it gradually leaked out to everyone that François had been a plant, brought into the city with the soul purpose of scaring away the senior Andersons. Most people found the whole thing quite hilarious, and the fact that his father had subsequently been banished from the city was a bonus for them all. Isabelle did think initially that it was a bit cruel to have done that to his mother, given her issues, but she did approve of what had been done to his father, and was satisfied to discover that Cooper was covering the costs of his mother's new treatment.

Burt and Carole were a different story. They both felt that what had been done was a step too far, and that all they had achieved was a store of trouble for themselves later if the truth ever got to Jonathan's ears. As Burt pointed out, just because his father had been removed from the city, it did not mean that he would not have hired someone to watch over the house, particularly given his belief that Blaine was still alive. That would mean that they would have to be very careful indeed - that spy would only need to see François entering the house below to know that something was up. At the same time though, Burt had a solution that could remove that issue, and they all agreed that it was a very good one…

Cooper made contact with the police that had been dealing with his father's case, and asked if they could possibly arrange for him to meet the young man that his father had attacked, so that he could apologise on his behalf, seeing as one was not forthcoming from the man himself. They were initially reluctant to do so, but in the end, they relented. At the meeting on that Tuesday morning, at the theatre in front of witnesses, Cooper apologised profusely, and generously offered poor François a room in his own home for the remainder of his stay, and tickets for his opening night on Friday. After a show of reluctance, François agreed. The fact that the witnesses just happened to be representatives of the press and television stations didn't hurt. The story made the evening news; it was great publicity for Cooper and the show. It also meant that even if someone was watching, there was now a legitimate reason for François to be in the house; all it meant was that he had to enter upstairs, and then head back down the back stair to his room in Sebastian's apartment.

Before they knew it, Friday had dawned. Cooper had vanished from the house by the time that Grace woke up for work that morning - she knew that he had wanted to get to the theatre early, and go through it all one more time, supposedly in private, but she was certain that Kurt and Blaine would be there at his side. That was indeed the case, and they watched him, gave him tips, and for once, he listened to their suggestions to improve, and tried them out. In the meantime, all those that had been invited were converging on the city. The L.A. contingent had arrived first, having flown overnight, and were given a warm welcome at the Spotlight. When Flint and Beats arrived, the former was given a bit of a ribbing by Thad and David, but he didn't mind. He was far more concerned about the teasing he would get from the younger Warblers; somehow, the seniors in the current group had found out about his evening job too.

By the time that 5pm came, all those that were attending the show from the two groups of friends had assembled at the Spotlight Diner for a shared meal. Because of the nature of the business, it was impossible for all of the partners to be absent from work on the one day. As a result, Sam had worked the early shift, and then had headed up to Murray Hill for a nap in Cooper's guest room, before returning. Santana had worked a middle shift, and was just finishing as the others arrived - she had brought a change of outfit with her. All of the employed partners would be on duty the next day so that Michelle, Elliot and Dani could all go to his second night, using the free tickets that Cooper had provided. They were as keen as anyone else to go - as Elliot had put it, "Who doesn't want to go and see one of their male bosses parading around on stage in high heels?"

Along with the New Directions and Warblers that evening were Burt and Carole; Mrs Duval and her parents, all of whom had been invited by Grace at Cooper's insistence. She was as surprised as Nick when they arrived along with her aunt and cousin from Chicago; they too had been sent tickets by Cooper, along with a hotel reservation, so it would have been silly not to take advantage. Sue Sylvester had also been invited directly by him, and she came with Emma Schuester. Her reasoning behind it was that it was about time that Will was left to look after his three boys single handed for once. This statement was greeted with some concern by those of the New Directions who loved Mr Schue, but…. Emma was quick to reassure them that she had asked Shannon Bieste to pop in and keep an eye on all four of them. He himself would be coming to see Cooper the following weekend, and would be bringing the current New Directions with him.

Jasper and Brad had arrived at the dinner with Seth, Colin, Edward and Skylar in tow, the other senior Warblers meeting them at the theatre. For the Warblers already assembled in the city, this would be the first time they would see them that month; they would see them again the following week at Dalton's graduation day as was the tradition. This year would see Seth and Edward leaving Dalton, but the latter was taking a year out before college so that he and Colin could go together, and had arranged to do some tutoring work at the school for the year. It was a move that had the support of both sets of parents. "It's a minor miracle," Sebastian whispered to a bemused Trent, "A gay couple that met at Dalton with two sets of supportive parents!" Trent had to agree when he thought of Klaine and Niff. The last to arrive were Puck and Quinn, the latter having been held up at his base. Once they had appeared, Trent and Rory took full advantage of having so many of their friends in one place to hand out the official wedding invitations. They had in the end decided against a theme, or a formal dress code. Instead, they merely reminded everyone that it was July, it would be hot, and so dress smartly, but for the heat.

They moved on to the theatre after dinner en masse, and went by subway, causing a bit of a stir on the train due to the sheer size of their group. By the time they reached it, the line outside waiting for entry had begun to build up, and they joined the end, mixing together and chatting happily. Rachel was left to blush as Sam shared stripping tips with Beats and Flint; behind them, Quinn noticed her discomfort, but resisted the temptation to laugh. In any case, it seemed as if Puck was listening intently too, and she would hate for him to miss out on any tips…

Further back, Thad found himself standing behind Colin and Edward. They were standing hand in hand, discussing their future. At first that made him feel sad, but then as he listened to the sheer love and affection they held each other in, his heart began to fill with happiness for them. Then he felt a draught, and a hand on his arm. He did not even need to look to know that Wes was standing at his side, waiting to go in with him. He reached out and took his hand, and held it lightly, happy in the knowledge that thanks to Cooper, there would be an empty seat beside his for Wes to sit in. his arrival had been observed by Burt and Carole, who were shortly afterwards joined by Finn. He too had a seat reserved for him. As for Kurt and Blaine, they all knew that they would be in the wings for the whole show, cheering Cooper on.

Backstage, as the moment of truth grew ever closer, Blaine was engaged in the difficult business of ensuring that Cooper stayed calm. Grace had been due to pop in and see him, but she had called to say something had come up at work; she would make the show, but she wouldn't be able to see him beforehand. That had almost thrown Cooper, but Blaine had worked his magic, and now had him doing breathing exercises; memorising all of his cues, whilst at the same time not singing a single note. He had received flowers from Sam, Isabelle Wright, who was also attending, and to his surprise from Carmen Tibideaux.

Then it was time. The final call was made. Cooper turned to his two angelic companions as he waited off stage, and whispered "So, here goes! This is for you two. It should be you out there, not me. I just hope that my performance tonight can do the ones that you would have given justice."

"Break a leg, Coop," said Blaine with a smile. Then he moved aside, and stood, hand in hand with his husband, in the wings, waiting for the moment that the show would start.

Meanwhile, out in the auditorium, Grace Duval was heading to her seat as quickly as she could. As she moved to take her seat, a face that nobody thought they would see there that evening took the seat between herself and Carole carefully. The latter smiled at her, and quietly introduced herself, getting a broad smile in return. Not that far away, Sebastian was in a mild panic, grateful that the lights had begun to dim, and that his own seat was not easily seen from their row, particularly as François was sitting at his side. After all, after the events of the weekend, the last person anyone had expected to see, looking much better than she had only a week before, was Pam Anderson.

From the moment that he stepped out onto the stage, Cooper gave it his all - and was a triumph. He had the requisite gravitas for the sad songs, and an almost manic energy for the big numbers. His dance moves were flawless - and that was the considered collective opinion of Mike, Brittany and Jake, acknowledged as the best dancers amongst them. The slightly cocky grin he managed whilst hopping from one conveyor belt to another during Everybody say Yeah had them all laughing and cheering. His final minutes, as he walked out on the stage in knee length high heeled boots had most of the guys and some of the girls in awe of his balance; both Nick and Jeff had 'borrowed' them one night and had fallen to the ground within seconds of trying to move in them, much to the amusement of Grace and Sebastian. The latter had more sense than to even attempt to try it.

Then it was all over, and the applause was deafening. People rose to their feet to cheer and not just his family and friends. From her seat near the front, Isabelle Wright clapped enthusiastically, whilst making a mental note to get a formal interview with Cooper sooner rather than later; he was a star in the making. In the seats where his friends were sitting, they were all of the same mind. "I feel that I have to point out how good he is!" said Santana with a grin.

"That is an excellent and valid point!" said Puck, with a smile, knowing exactly what she was referring to. However, he was also well aware that the arrogant Cooper that had first appeared in their lives in senior year was now long gone.

Then Cooper was stepping forward, and gesturing for silence, which he eventually received. "Ladies, Gentlemen and those that lie somewhere in-between, I would like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for coming and for the rapturous reception that you have just given us. I could not have done any of this without my wonderful and talented co-stars, who put up with a naive guy who thought that because he had done one commercial that he knew it all. The point is…" he paused as Santana laughed "…I had a lot to learn about the business of show, and I think that I have. My reason for being here tonight is simple. I am here for two people that aren't and should have been - my kid brother Blaine and his partner Kurt. They are the ones that should be here, gracing the stage and fulfilling their Broadway dreams, but the actions of one man robbed them of their lives. So tonight is for them, wherever they are - and if they are 'ghosts' then they are probably standing in the wings wishing that I would just get on with it…"

There was laughter at that, but later Sam would swear that he heard Kurt say "You've got that right!" below the hilarity.

Cooper waited until the laughter had died down, and then spoke again. "I would like to thank their friends, who became my friends, and have been nothing but a source of encouragement and support; and of course, Burt and Carole, Kurt's parents, who have treated me like a son ever since the day I lost my brother - and that brings me on to Sam Evans, my little brother's best friend, who decided he would be my new 'brother'. Remember that name, by the way; he has just finished his first year at NYADA, and one day he will be giving me a run for my money. Finally, there is one more person that I really do need to thank - and I would like her to come and join me on stage - so Grace, get up here! Ladies, Gentlemen, please give it up for the most long suffering woman in New York, my girlfriend Grace Duval!"

It took a few moments for Grace to realise that she had to head up to the stage. The applause had started again, but it was only when a spotlight suddenly shone on her that she actually began to move. The light also showed Cooper who was sitting between her and Carole for the first time; he mouthed the word 'Mom!' and Pam smiled back with a look of pride on her face that melted his heart. He felt that he could quite easily start to cry, but he couldn't lose it, not yet… Then Grace was walking towards him, and he took her hand, as at his side the two other leads made an appeal for silence. "Wow! I've just noticed that my mom made it! She's not been well and well… I love you mom!"

There was a collective "Aww!" from the audience and then they fell silent again as Cooper turned towards Grace. "So Grace, I did it! I couldn't have made it through all of this if I hadn't had you there by my side. It is ironic though that we might never have met if it wasn't for the hand of fate - but the moment that I saw you walk into that court room and sit by my side, I knew that you were the one for me. Anyway, I have been waiting to do this for a while, but I decided that it needed a special place and moment…" And then, Cooper very carefully lowered himself down on one knee, and everyone knew exactly where things were going. Nick suddenly knew exactly why the majority of his close family had been invited, and could only grin as Jeff grabbed his hand. "So, my Gracie, shall we make it official? Will you marry me?"

"Try and stop me, CJ! Of course I will marry you!" Then, as the auditorium once again erupted with applause, two newly engaged people, having swapped a ring, shared a loving kiss.

There was of course to be an after party to celebrate Cooper's big night, but it had now kind of morphed into an engagement party to which everyone of their friends and family was cordially invited. Thad had looked at Colin and Skylar pointedly, then had studied his watch. The two youngest of the Warblers had begun to look quite crestfallen, until he had smiled and said "Well, I guess that it isn't a school night, so I suppose that it is ok, just this once." At his side, David had just smiled, thinking to himself that those words were exactly what Wes would have used in the same situation.

They all headed straight to the party, not one of them heading to Cooper's dressing room to congratulate him, with one exception; someone who had to be escorted by her future daughter-in-law back to the clinic near Central Park in time for her curfew. They had waited a decent amount of time to allow him to change, and then Pam and Grace had made their way through the back stage area, still a hive of activity, to the door of a room with a star on it. Grace tapped lightly on the door, and then opened it to admit Pam. She herself remained outside, not wishing to disturb what she was sure would be a moment of mother son time.

Once Pam stepped in, there was an awkward moment of silence between them when they both just looked at each other. In the end, she decided to speak first. "You were so good tonight son. Your brother would have been so proud of you - I know that I am."

"Thanks mom," said Cooper, with a slight catch of emotion in his throat. "It was good to have you here… I am so glad that you came."

"So am I, or I would have missed your big proposal. That girl is definitely a keeper, so please try not to screw it up!"

"She is pretty special… Look, mom, I am not promising that things between us are ever going to be easy, but if you can stay off the drink, and you can promise me that you will not bring dad with you, then maybe you and I could see each other from time to time, if you'd like that. Because I still love you mom, and that will never change…"

"I would love to see you… I thought that I had lost my sons. I can't ever get Blaine back, and that will always break my heart, but I can try and be a better mom to you from now on, and a good grandmother to your future children."

"It might be a bit too soon for grandchildren yet mom, but I would love to have you around again, like you were when I was growing up, and I definitely want you there at my wedding."

"That's a lot more than I deserve after the way that I have behaved. I never stopped loving you, or Blaine, I just got confused, and your father…"

"I know mom…" said Cooper, getting out of his chair and going over to hug his mother close to his chest. They were still locked in that hug, tears on both of their faces, when Grace knocked on the door again, and came in - it was time for her to leave with Pam. She did so with a hug for the young woman that would be her daughter-in-law. Once they had gone, Cooper sat back down, and let the tears roll down his face unchecked. He didn't even need to look up to know that Blaine was standing right behind him, but when he did, he saw that his brother was crying the same happy tears as he was. After all, it wasn't every day that you managed to get your mom back…

When Cooper and Grace eventually walked into the party half an hour later, they were greeted by another round of applause. Cooper was barely in the door when he was grabbed by Nick and Jeff, serious looks on their faces. They marched him over to a table in the corner, and sat him down. Nick sat down opposite him, whilst Jeff stood behind him, arms folded across his chest. "Ok, Hummel-Warbler" said Nick, "It's time for the 'so you are marrying my sister' talk. I would like you to know that Santana had several suggestions of what I should say at this point, involving knifes and parts of your anatomy; but to be honest, it was all too gory, so let's just settle for this. You hurt my sister, and Blaine's brother or not, I will set Santana loose on you! That is far more of a threat than anything I could say or do."

Cooper shook his head, and tried not to laugh. "I faithfully promise you here and I now that I will not hurt Grace, bro-in-law to be - at least not intentionally"

"Ok, so we are good. Now, mom will want to interrogate you with her parents and my aunt Alice - so you and Grace can enjoy that, whilst Jeff and I go and dance," said Nick. Cooper then found himself shepherded by the two boys to another table where his four future in-laws were sitting with his wife-to-be. He was glad that he was not facing them alone, and even happier to see that Burt, Carole, Sam and Rachel were also sitting there, just in case he needed someone to defend him.

It was nearly 3am by the time that Cooper and Grace got home to Murray Hill that night. All the way home in the cab, as she lay against him, she had been staring at the ring that he had given her that night. It was understated and classic, just what she would have chosen herself. They walked up the steps arm in arm, then once they had the door shut behind them, took a quiet moment just to hold each other close. "It has been quite a night, CJ. You make a mark on Broadway, and then you propose to one of the most eligible women in New York…"

"The most beautiful and eligible woman in New York, I would have you know. Plus, thanks to her, I have managed to build a bridge back to my mom."

"Yeah, I decided that if Nick could have two mothers-in-law, then I should too, in the form of Pam and Carole. Us Duvals must just be gluttons for punishment.

Cooper laughed, and then said, "Oh, me too. I mean, I have just agreed to become related to Nick and therefore Jeff…"

"I will tell them you said that!"

"You would too, and that is one of the things I adore about you. I love how honest you are. It is a trait that I hope our kids will have too."

"Kids, eh? Let's give it a few years yet, ok? But just so you know, I do want to have your kids, CJ… All I pray is that they turn out like Blaine…"

Cooper stared for a moment, and then burst out laughing, as did Grace. Then he took her into his arms, and kissed her again. He had never felt so happy as he did at that moment, and it was a feeling he was sure would never end.