5YL Let the Encore Commence
Part 40
To ensure everyone was there before Sebastian arrived, Blaine called Victoria once he was on his way to find out whether they'd arrive. Upon learning they were already at the restaurant, and had been taken to their table near the lake, he let her know he and Sebastian were respectively on their ways as well. "Was that Sebastian or Blaine my dear?" Amelie asked her daughter, having turned from looking at the view upon hearing her phone ring.
"What makes you think it was one of them?" Victoria replied, before picking up her wine glass once again.
"The smile on your face." She told her. "So, which one was it?"
"Blaine, he wanted to know if we'd arrived since he and Sebastian should be here soon." She said to her. "Sebastian isn't aware that Blaine's joining us today either, believes he's in rehearsal all day for the summer."
"Should we ask how Blaine's managed to pull this off?" Catherine asked, as Phillip and Rainier were speaking with Xavier. "We each know it's not easy to plan something without Sebastian being aware there is something going on."
"Between Sebastian's finals, and the other matters they've been dealing with, it was easier than you might suspect." Victoria said in response, soon feeling her mother's hand on her arm. "Everything's alright, they simply had more pressing matters to attend to."
"Yet Blaine managed to plan all this."
"We all know when one wants to do something for the one they love, nothing gets in the way. And when it comes to the two of them, there isn't anything they wouldn't do for one another."
"Regardless of what else is going on in their lives." Amelie added, earning a smile from her daughter. "Why do you seem so nervous?"
"You know Sebastian isn't fond of surprises, I…"
"Blaine did this out of love, Sebastian will see that." She assured her, which Catherine reinforced. "I still remember how nervous he sounded when inviting us, unsure whether he was overstepping or not. If I didn't already adore him..."
"It would've sealed the deal." Catherine said, causing Victoria to laugh softly. "It's true, as I love how he brings the light out of Sebastian, as he's always happy now, as his heart is full."
"And the three of you need to stop, as this is the last thing either of them need to hear when they arrive." Xavier chimed in as he approached. "You." He said, before pressing a kiss to Victoria's cheek. "Especially know Sebastian hates being talked about, let alone his relationship with Blaine."
"We can't help it; our son is in love with an incredible young man." Victoria responded, before given him a kiss.
"I'm not disagreeing with you, merely reminding you this is a conversation you're better off having at home, in private."
"We are partially at fault for this." Catherine said to her son. "It's simply hard to ignore how happy we are for Sebastian."
"I'm aware of that, yet given the setting, it's best the conversation not go too in-depth regarding Sebastian's and Blaine's love for one another. While it's a natural topic for family, they're quite protective of their personal life, so we need to do our part to ensure it. Last thing we'd want is to be responsible for bursting the bubble they've built around themselves. For should that happen, there's a strong chance they'll start shutting people out in order to protect what matters most to them."
While the six of them talked, waiting for the boys to arrive, Blaine kept in touch with Cole, wanting to coincide his arrival with Sebastian's. Thanks to a bit of creative navigating on his driver's part, he managed to pull up in front of the restaurant, just as Sebastian was about to make his way inside. "Mind some company handsome?" Instantly at the sound of his voice, Sebastian turned, a smile appearing on his face as his husband walked towards him, looking dapper as ever. After giving him a kiss, he spoke once again, reminding Sebastian he'd yet to answer his question.
"Shouldn't you be at rehearsal?" Still in a bit of shock, since seeing Blaine in that moment was the last thing he expected.
"Would you rather that's where I was?" Blaine replied as he looked up at him, clearly not having anticipated that answer.
"No, I just know you had quite the day planned." Sebastian told him as he took ahold of his hand, giving it a squeeze. "For the record, I'd love some company." He then leaned down to give him a kiss. "Shall we?" Blaine nodded, so the two made their way inside, thankful there weren't many people out front waiting to get in which was a rarity, particularly at this time of year. Once inside, the hostess's eyes widened upon realizing who was standing before her, but managed to compose herself before speaking. "We're meeting our party; the reservation is under Smythe."
"The rest of your party has already been seated Mr. Anderson-Smythe, please follow me." She replied, causing Sebastian to glance at Blaine, a subtle smirk on his face upon being called Mr. Anderson-Smythe without having introduced himself.
Unlike the quiet they were met without outside, they earned more than their fair share of looks and photos being taken as they made their way through the restaurant. Once the hostess led them to the outer deck, it didn't take long for Sebastian to spot Xavier, then tell the hostess he'd spotted their party. They were a few tables away when Sebastian stopped in his tracks causing Blaine to bump into him upon seeing his parents weren't alone. Clearly stunned, Blaine gave him a gentle nudge to continue forward as they'd undoubtedly spotted them already. "Wha…what are you all doing here?" Sebastian said, fumbling over his words which was a rarity for him.
"They're here for you mon chéri." Victoria said in response before giving each of them a hug and a kiss. Sebastian was in such shock, he barely said a word as each of his Grandparents hugged, kissed, and congratulated him.
After Amelie kissed his cheek, she wiped a tear from the opposite one. "Hopefully that's a tear of happiness."
"It is." Sebastian replied before glancing back at Blaine who was standing beside Xavier, looking a bit nervous, yet once he mouthed a thank you to him, his nerves seem to dissipate. "I can't believe you came all this way." He said before they all went to take their seats, Sebastian still clearly overwhelmed.
"It's not every day one of our grandchildren graduates from a prestigious Law School." Phillip told him, a sentiment which Rainier echoed. "We were all honored that Blaine wanted us to be a part of your celebration." They then watched, as Sebastian leaned over to kiss Blaine, touched by what he did for him. "That must mean you're not upset with him."
"Absolutely not, as having you all hear is going to make tomorrow even more memorable." Sebastian replied, while taking ahold of Blaine's hand beneath the table, hoping it would help ground him. "I know, I said I didn't want a fuss made over this, but, it really means the world to me that you're all here." He then turned slightly to look at Blaine. "Thank you, for knowing what I wanted, even if I was too stubborn to admit it."
"You're quite welcome." Blaine replied while giving his hand a squeeze. "It was only fair, given you've done the same for me on more than one occasion."
"Further proof of how well we know one another." Sebastian said, as Blaine felt his thumb rubbing gently over his hand.
"Undeniably." Once it seemed the two were getting lost in the other's eyes, Sebastian clearly touched by what Blaine had done, Xavier spoke up. He'd seen them like this before, and they tend to forget there are others around, but this wasn't the time for it, they'd have plenty of time once they got home. Now was time to share with the Grandparents wanted to hear all about Sebastian's plans from this point forward. And while Sebastian might believe the conversation could wait, Xavier knew this might be the only chance they'd have to talk uninterrupted.
While they were enjoying a nice lunch at the Boat House, Santana and Jordan were enjoying a quiet lunch in the Village, as they each had the afternoon free for once. With Santana's new campaign about to launch, it often made meeting for these little moments more difficult. "Now, are you sure you're going to be done at the station in time to be at Sebastian's party on time?"
"Positive." Jordan assured her. "It's actually why I'm covering the evening shift tonight. Connor said he'd cover tomorrow afternoon, so I didn't miss the party."
"Remind me to thank him next time I see him." Santana told her. "The last thing I wanted was for us to miss it given all the hard work Blaine's put into it. He's ridiculously proud of him, and I don't blame him one bit. There is no way I would've been able to pull off what he did while having to deal with not only Blaine's career taking off and being on tour, but Hummel's crap on top of it."
"Me either, and they've undoubtedly dealt with way more than we're aware of." Jordan added, to which Santana agreed. "I only wish there was something we could do to make it easier on them."
"According to Thad, us not pushing, helps more than we realize, as neither like talking about it."
"Is that why you've refrained from asking more questions about their trip to Lima?"
"It is, as once Sam shut me down hard, which is a rarity for him, I knew better than to even dare broach the subject with either of them."
"How's Rachel handling all this?"
"As well as expected." Santana told her. "Right now, outside of the show, she's focusing on the benefit and hers and Thad's wedding. I also think it helps seeing Blaine so happy right now, he's in a good place, regardless of what's going on around him." She then reached for her purse. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go to the ladies' room before our food arrives." Jordan nodded, before watching her get up and head to the back of the café.
With Santana away from the table and their phones on the table, Jordan couldn't help but notice her phone go off when she received a text. It wasn't unusual for either of them to do so, particularly when the other stepped away, to ensure neither missed something important. Yet this time, Jordan's curiosity got the better of her, as the name that appeared across the screen, wasn't one she'd seen or heard before. So when Santana returned from the ladies' room, it was pretty obvious something was on her girlfriend's mind. "Did I miss something while I was gone?"
"You got a text." Jordan replied, earning a shrug of the shoulders from Santana, since they agreed to no phones when they were out to eat. Yet they kept them in view, as Jordan in particular couldn't really go off-grid, as she couldn't miss a breaking story. "Not going to check it."
"I'd much rather focus on you." Santana said as she ran her foot against Jordan's ankle, making her smile. "What is it?"
"You know I'm not necessarily the jealous type, right?" Santana nodded. "Then, care to tell me who Marley is?"
"Marley?" Santana replied, cocking her head slightly as that wasn't a name she'd heard in at least a year.
"Yes, Marley, as that's who the text was from." The fact that Marley had texted her, had Santana reaching for her phone, as she knew Marley wouldn't have texted her out of the blue unless something was going on.
Need to talk to you, let me know when's a good time to call as this shouldn't be done over text.
"Santana, who's Marley?"
"She was a member of the New Directions, after I graduated."
"I take it she's a friend of Brittany's."
"She is, but Marley and I formed a bit of a mentor/mentee bond when some alumni came back to help." Santana told her as she sent her replied. "We're probably a duo one would least expect to be friends, but we are."
In about an hour, currently at lunch with my girlfriend. Everything okay?
"Then why haven't I heard about her."
"Because she lives in Ohio, and life gets crazy. Yet I told her no matter what's going on, I'd always be there for her." Santana told her. "Come to think of it, you might've met her when Blaine brought a bunch of us on stage back in Columbus."
"There were a lot of people there that day." Jordan reminded her.
"I know." She said before looking at her phone again.
Sounds good. Yes, everything okay. This relates to what's going on with Blaine.
"Fuck." Santana muttered under her breath, causing Jordan to reach over and take the phone from her.
"San, what's going on?"
"I, I don't know. But it can't be a coincidence that she's texting me after Blaine and Sebastian were just in Ohio." Santana replied before taking a deep breath to compose herself, as it was too tempting to call Marley right then, but this wasn't the place for the call to happen. "Do, do you think I should call Blaine, or for that matter, Sebastian?"
"Was Marley friends with Blaine?"
"Yes."
"Then no, because if it was something she felt needed his attention, she would've contacted him herself."
"What if that's what she wants?"
"She easily could've asked for his number." Jordan said calmly, trying to ease the concerns of her girlfriend.
"If that's what she wanted, she could've contacted Sam, as I know they're still in touch."
"There you go, so it's probably something else." Jordan replied, before looking for their waitress to get their food to go.
"But what?" Santana asked, as Jordan spoke with their waitress who could see Santana was clearly upset, so the request wasn't an issue.
"Is Marley the type of person who would say something to concern you without elaborating?"
"No, not really. I…" When she reached for her phone, Jordan pulled it away. "What are you doing?"
"I know that look San, you want to call Sebastian."
"Actually, I was going to call Hunter since he seems to know things the rest of us don't."
"Don't, as just like Sebastian, he's probably spending time with family whose come to town for graduation."
"How can you be so calm?"
"Because worrying myself without justification, does me no good." Jordan told her. "Also, I spoke with Todd on the way over, and he's essentially told them, he and Sebastian aren't going to have to worry about Hummel for a while."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"He didn't elaborate, yet Blaine seemed carefree, which is a rare look for him."
"I know, which is why I don't want Hummel fucking it up! They deserve to be able to enjoy themselves and right now, they have so much to be happy about."
"Then don't let your fears get the better of you, for all you know, Marley has good news."
"How, since she's in Ohio and Blaine's here." Santana replied, before thanking their waitress who'd brought a bag with their food over. "Not to mention, she's not a part of his inner circle."
"San, stop." Jordan said after handing the waitress her credit card. "You'll have your answers soon enough, until then, focus on the good things."
"Easier said than done."
"I know, but you're not doing yourself any favors thinking the worst." Luckily for them, they were seated near the waitress station, so it didn't take long for her to return and for them to be on their way. "Everything's going to be alright." Jordan told her once they were outside and on their way home."
"I hope you're right, as the last thing I want to do is have to break bad news to them, especially right now." Santana replied, grateful that Jordan was with her when she got the message, as very few people were capable of calming her down when she got worked up about someone she cares for.
Since they weren't necessarily close to home, upon their arrival Jordan went to go reheat their food, while Santana sent a text to Marley to let her know she was home. Given she'd told her she wouldn't be free for about an hour, Santana was pleasantly surprised to hear her phone ringing, as Jordan was bringing their plates in. "I bet I was the last person you were expecting to hear from." Marley said to her after they'd exchanged pleasantries.
"You could say that again." Santana replied, before taking a small bite, not wanting her food to get cold. "Now, what is it you know that concerns Blaine."
"I didn't say it concerns him, said it relates to what's going on with him." Marley politely corrected.
"My apologies. Is it safe to presume this concerns Hummel?"
"It does." Marley replied a bit coyly, which Santana caught. "What would you say if I told you I saw not only Kurt this morning, but his Dad, and, his lawyer." The last words almost caused Santana to choke on her water which she had mistakenly taken a sip of.
"His lawyer?"
"Yes, I've seen plenty of pictures of him outside of court." Marley replied. "Plus, I heard him mentioning a judge's ruling in their presence."
"Where were you when this was happening, as Hummel's lawyer is based in New York?"
"At work." Marley told her. "I really shouldn't be doing this, but after everything Blaine's been through because of Kurt, I…"
"Where are you working right now?"
"Reception, at the OSU psychiatric facility."
"Excuse me, could you repeat that?" Santana asked, as she wanted to make sure she'd heard her correctly."
"At the OSU psychiatric facility." Marley replied. "He was being admitted for a mandatory psychiatric evaluation. From what I could hear, mind you I wasn't purposely listening, the judge in his case with Blaine and Sebastian, ordered it."
"No fucking way!" Santana's reaction getting Jordan's complete attention as there was no missing the smile plastered on her.
"Way." Marley said with a slight giggle. "As I said, I didn't hear everything, but I know for certain he was checked in under for an evaluation, and looked none too happy about it."
"This is freaking priceless! Marley, you have made my day, seriously!" Santana exclaimed before leaning over to kiss Jordan. "Tell me, did he recognize you, I mean, because if he…"
"No, he didn't recognize me. I paused in the middle of my greeting, yet it quickly became evident he had no clue who I was. I'd say I was upset, but given how he treated everyone the times he did return to McKinley, I wasn't surprised."
"He was pretty self-absorbed even back then, wasn't he?"
"He was, which always made me wonder what Blaine ever saw in him." Marley then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Now, are you telling me you had no clue this happened?"
"Not a one, because neither Blaine nor Sebastian talk about what happens in court." Santana told her. "All I knew aware of after this most recent hearing was they were pleased by how it unfolded, now I understand why. Considering all the crap he's pulled, it's about time he was sent in for an eval, I just wonder why it's happening in Ohio and not in New York."
"That, I don't have the answer for."
"Sorry, I was talking aloud, didn't expect you to know." Santana said to her. "May I ask why you called me of all people with this information, as I truly love that you did?"
"Honestly, I was so surprised by what was happening, I figured if anyone had answers, it would be you, even if it hadn't made it into the news considering you're close to them."
"Yet clearly I didn't." Santana playfully replied. "Admittedly, you had me worried as right now Blaine's in such a good mood, between Sebastian's graduation and their upcoming anniversary, he's flying high."
"That's right, he and Sebastian will have been married for a year this weekend."
"Impressive."
"What can I say, I'm an admitted Blaine fangirl, who's ecstatic seeing what he's accomplished." Marley told her. "He's always had that special something, even back in high school."
"Damn right he has, yet Hummel almost snuffed it out." Santana said, as Jordan patiently waited to get the whole story given how happy she was. "Luckily, Rachel convinced me to go to a showcase where the Blaine we all know reemerged, thanks to Sebastian."
"There's something rather symbolic about Sebastian being the one there as Blaine rediscovered himself."
"Agreed, as it's due to his love and support, Blaine's where he is, I mean, outside of his obvious talent."
"Obviously." Marley replied. "I'm really happy for him Santana."
"So am I, both of them actually as Sebastian has become one of my closest friends. Now, you're not going to get in trouble for telling me this, are you?"
"No, as I'm not under any client/patient confidentiality. Plus, anyone could've spotted them walking into the facility and drawn their own conclusions, as Kurt's proven he's not the most rational person."
"Tell me about it, as I've witnessed more than a few of his outbursts firsthand." Santana replied. "While this might be out of line, but…"
"If I hear anything else, you'll be the first person I call, I promise."
"Thank you Marley, truly. You have no clue how happy you've just made me, this is a long time coming."
"While you're welcome, don't thank me, thank the judge who made it happened. Hopefully once Kurt gets out of here, he won't be causing any more issues for Blaine and Sebastian."
"From your lips to god's ears." Santana replied. "Again, thank you for telling me Marley."
"Not a problem. Do me a favor, wish Blaine and Sebastian a happy anniversary from me, if you don't mind."
"Will do." Santana said, before the two closed out their conversation, unable to wipe the smile from her face. Once the call ended, Santana pulled Jordan in for another kiss which left her a bit breathlessly.
"I guess it was good news then, as I said it could possibly be." Jordan said as she looked up at her, as they were now lying on the couch.
"Actually, it's great news." Santana replied before kissing her again. "Judge Watkins ordered Hummel to have a psychiatric evaluation."
"No wonder Blaine and Sebastian didn't talk about it."
"What do you mean?"
"San, Blaine sees a therapist, he's not going to see it the same way we do, regardless of how badly he needs it."
"Still, this is fucking fantastic, because it's obvious he needs help, like serious help given all the shit he's put Blaine and Sebastian through. Maybe now, he'll finally get it and leave them alone for good, like Marley said."
"That must've been what you replied from your lips to god's ears." Santana nodded. "For their sake, I hope so as they deserve to have to deal with him the rest of their lives."
"Damn straight." Santana said to her, before sitting back and reaching for her phone. "Now it's time to share the news."
"Santana."
"Come on, if they find out I knew and didn't tell, I'd never hear the end of it, especially the guys."
"Are you sure this is a good idea, I mean, since Blaine and Sebastian didn't share the news?"
"We've all managed to keep our mouths shut, we can do it again. And if I know Sebastian, he's itching to talk."
"What about Blaine?"
"The fact we found out on our own, he'd expect us to talk, he knows us."
"Alright, just, please don't bring it up tomorrow, as tomorrow's about celebrating Sebastian's accomplishment." Jordan said to her.
"Deal, I promise I won't ruin Sebastian's moment."
"You better, or you're going to be dealing with the wrath of one Blaine Anderson-Smythe, something you yourself said you never wanted to be on the receiving end of."
"Thanks for the reminder." Santana said, fully aware Jordan was right, as if she ruined Sebastian's party, Blaine wouldn't hold back in the slightest.
