So, as it is Christmas, I thought my regular readers might like a bonus chapter...
New Jobs, New Lives, New Issues.
The previews for Cooper's new show came to an end just a few days after Sebastian stepped down from the role of Curly in Oklahoma! After much thought, he had decided that he both needed and deserved a decent break between his shows, and with everything in Cabaret going to plan, he had managed to convince the directors that he needed a week away to relax physically and mentally, and where better than in the very city the show was set in? Admittedly, that idea had come courtesy of François, who had been talking about how he was going there, with his new boyfriend, to meet up with Anton, the only member of Sebastian's little circle of friends that he had not seen since his infamous youth in Paris. He had jokingly said that it was a shame that Sebastian and Dave could not come with them, as they could meet the young man that had captured his heart for the first time…
Sebastian had taken him up on his suggestion, booking a room at the same hotel in the Alexanderplatz. Everyone else in the States that knew François was pleased that he had finally found his own special someone, and there was much speculation about what he looked like. Some went so far as to suggest that as François was a doppelganger of Blaine, then it stood to reason that Matthieu, the boyfriend, would look like Sebastian. When he overheard this speculation, Sebastian said nothing, just laughed inwardly. After all, he knew that the young man in question was his polar opposite in every single way…
His trip had been scheduled in such a way that he would still be able to attend Cooper's opening night, as he wanted to return all the support that his former landlord had given him. In any case, he was thinking about where he would go after Cabaret, and the idea of playing it straight and dramatic had an appeal for him too. As his last night as Curly had also been Bette's last night as Aunt Eller, she would be joining him and Dave in the stalls. Sam would also be with them, with the final performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory played the week before; the biggest lament from the critics was that it had closed too soon. Sam would take a role in an off-Broadway show the following week, but he was pleased to know that according to his agent, there was a part waiting for him in an upcoming show back on the great white way, not that the agent was able to divulge any more information on that yet at the client's request…
Grace and Pam would both be in the audience of course, which meant that Nick and Jeff would not be there, having agreed to take on the babysitting duties for the twins; Grace it turned out was every bit as protective as they had been with Wes when it came to sitters. They did not mind, as they had attended one of the previews instead, and had then remained tight-lipped as to their opinion on the show. Burt and Carole arrived at the last moment to take their seats next to Grace and Pam, the former full of apologies, explaining that he had had to take a call from the President himself, and it had run on for much longer than he had anticipated. He still seemed quite distracted as he took his seat, and Carole was full of apologies as he remained deep in thought as the lights faded and the curtain rose…
The show they saw that night was totally different from the one they had witnessed on his last opening night, but it was still a wonderful performance, in which Cooper managed to grab the attention of the entire audience, even Burt. He pulled at their emotions right through the show as he did his best to convince one juror after another that the case was not as open and shut as they had been informed. At the interval, Burt had excused himself to make a few calls, and had returned looking a little less tense. The second act was, if anything, all the more challenging a watch, and when the show finally ended, their was thunderous applause and a standing ovation for the lead. After the show, Bette managed to corner the critics, and after a few minutes of chat, returned to the group with a knowing smile. "So, he will be getting a very positive write up, along with the rest of the cast; there will be a lot of emphasis put on the fact that he is not regarded as an 'A-Lister', but his performance puts him in their class. If more people agree with that, then he won't just be getting theatre offers; it will be TV and movie roles too…"
After the show, Cooper insisted that the small group went for a drink, having decided to eschew the usual big party for a smaller, and more intimate affair. His co-stars were there too, of course, and Sebastian was left to blush when most of them recognised him. In a few cases, they even asked for his autograph; he laughed out loud when Jake Gyllenhaal came up to him with an actual copy of the Book of Mormon, and so he signed it quite happily as Elder Price…
As he mingled, Cooper could not help but notice that Burt was on his phone again and looking tense. The moment that he rang off, he made his excuses and headed over to the congressman. "Okay, I owe this to Kurt; Dad, are you okay? You seem kind of distracted… Of course, if there is some confidential national security crisis going on that I as a civilian should know nothing about, then say nothing, but the truth is that I worry about you, just like Kurt would…"
"It isn't a big crisis, but it is a big moment," Burt answered. "The truth is that I have a lot of thinking to do in the next few weeks…" He paused, and drew Cooper closer to him and away from the crowd. "Okay, so this can go no further, but the leader of the Democrats in the House, Nancy Pelosi, is stepping down in the autumn, as there are personal issues that demand her full focus. The President has been casting around a few names, asking influential figures for their opinions on who should be chosen as a replacement… For some reason, most of those people have suggested one person - me."
"Some reason?" whispered Cooper with a grin. "Burt, they have chosen you as you are one of the most popular people amongst your congressional colleagues on both sides of the house, and the public recognises you too; they know you are a good and trustworthy man."
"I guess," Burt replied modestly, "but the question is, do I want the job? Do I need all the extra hassle and workload that comes with it?"
"Nobody has ever needed extra workload, but I assume that you will have a few extra staff assigned to you as part of the job. You will still have Rory there to support you with the day to day stuff from your constituents, and Carole to be there at your side at all of those state dinners you will be forced to attend. It also won't do you any harm to know that Sue will also be covertly helping you out, keeping her eyes open amongst the depleted ranks of her own party. The country needs a good man at the helm in the house right now, and I can't honestly think of anyone that I would trust to do the job even half as much as I trust you.. Have you talked to Kurt as well, and asked for his input?"
"He said just the same as you, son, as did both Trent and Rory for that matter. It is an honour to even be asked to do this job, given that I haven't been in the house for nearly as long as some."
"That might actually be the point. President Voldemort got into power as he promised that he would change the system and remove the rule of that very old guard; he didn't do it, but appointing you as party leader in Congress is a sign to the electorate that Kennedy is serious about making changes. You are a man of the people, quite simply because you are one of the people. The only reason that you even ended up in your job was because you wanted to protect your son, my brother and kids like them. You have done so much so far to achieve that, even when dark forces robbed you of your stepson, your son, and your future son-in-law. You have suffered, but you always got back up and kept on fighting for the things that matter not to the elites, but to the real people. That said, the choice in this situation is yours, and yours alone. It is not up to us, or even to the voters in Lima, despite the fact they would all love that their congressman is in such a position of power. If you don't want the job, you just have to say no; all they will ask is that you tell them who they should chose instead…"
Burt laughed at that, but had been smiling since the Harry Potter reference. "Now that last bit is the hard part; I can't think of anyone that is perfect for the role. Guess I will just need to think harder."
"Whatever you decide, we will all be behind you; after all, you are the father that we all needed and most of us lacked, apart from a small lucky few…"
As Burt considered his offer in a bar near Broadway, a drama of a different sort was playing out in the West Village. Ethan had arrived home from work a little later than usual to discover a note from Leo, saying that he was going to be having dinner with his girlfriend's family, and not to cook for him. Ethan smiled at the blossoming romance, and changed his meal plans to cooking for one. He was just making the finishing touches when his phone began to ring. He sighed, but turned down the gas. He glanced at the number, then picked up in anticipation of hearing a certain voice…
"Ethan, it's your mother. I need to speak to you."
It took a few moments for Ethan to reply, so used was he to talking to his parent's PA or the housekeeper when the number in question called. "Hey mom, so I am guessing that this must be particularly important for you to be calling yourself…"
"It is, and I know that this is unusual," she replied with a sigh. "I do regret that we don't talk personally you know; habits were formed, and it is so hard to break them… That is a subject that we can discuss later; Ethan, I am calling because your father suffered a heart attack this afternoon…"
"Oh my God; is dad okay? I can come straight up…" Ethan replied, anxious all of a sudden.
"There is no need for that, although the offer is appreciated; it was a very mild one, more of a warning than anything else, and he is back home now. He has however been instructed by the doctors that he must cut back his workload immediately, and it is my intention to see that he does just that. It will not be easy though, and that is where I need your help. Now, I know that you don't want to be on the board of MacKenzie Inc yet…"
"My own job keeps me far too busy," Ethan interjected.
"Quite, and we are both so proud of what you are doing. What I am going to ask is if you would agree to chair the meetings of the MacKenzie Foundation instead of me; as you know, it only meets four times a year, and the meetings could be transferred to a venue in New York with no issue whatsoever…"
"Wait; you want me to be the chair of the charitable trust?" Ethan said in shock.
"Yes, my dear. I have considered this for a while, but your father's illness had made me take the decision. You have a good, kind heart, and sound ethics; but you also have a head for business. You would ensure that the trust's money is used wisely, and that it is only invested in places where it would make the biggest impact."
"What does dad think about this?"
"He doesn't know, but don't forget, I am the current chairman of the Foundation, and if I chose to pass the role on to you, so that I can spend more time at his side, there is actually nothing that he can do to stop me. Now, I don't need an answer right away, but promise me that you will consider it."
"I will mom, and thanks for having faith in my ability to do the job… By the way, it is so nice to speak to you. Give my love to dad, and I will try and come up and see you both this weekend…"
"That would be nice, and I promise you that we will both actually be here. Moreover, all business will be put to one side for a few hours so we can behave like a normal family."
Ethan laughed, and said, "Now don't go making rash promises, mom. Even an hour would be okay…"
His mother laughed too, then said, "It will be longer than that, son, trust me. When I saw your father clutching at his chest, it made me think about life, and we really need to rebuild our family bonds. We do both love you so very much; we just aren't very good at showing it."
"I know that you both do, mom, and I love you too," Ethan replied. When the call was over, he served up his meal, and sat down to eat, feeling a sense of inner peace that had been missing for a while, but also a tension; after all, could he really be the chair of a major charitable trust?
He was still deep in thought when there came a frantic knocking at his front door. It was followed almost at once by the sound of a familiar voice, uttering the words "I know that one of you is in! The lights are on, and I can smell cooking! This is an emergency!" Ethan was already heading to the door, but those words hastened his steps, and he flung it open to reveal Flint standing there, white faced, looking as if the world was about to end. "I knew someone was home. I tried to call Beats, but he wasn't picking up, so I thought I would come round and see if he just had his phone turned off, but he is out, and so I thought I would try for you or Leo."
"Beats went to the opening night of Cooper's new show with Elliott, and as for your cousin, he is out on a date," Ethan replied calmly. "Why don't you come in, sit down, and you can tell me what has got you into such a state."
"I am not in state! Except I am, amn't I? Oh Lord, I never thought for a moment that I would react like this when it finally happened, but it has and I am! How on earth will I cope when it actually happens when I can't even cope with the idea? I am partly to blame for it, naturally, but it is all just so out of the blue, and…"
"Flint! Sit down, take a breath, and tell me what has happened," said Ethan, who whilst his friend had been rambling had managed to steer him into the kitchen and get him to the table. As he sat down, he pondered whether he should go and fetch him a stiff drink, but he was acting as if he might have had several already, not that there was any hint of alcohol on his breath, nor indication of drunkenness in his movements. He suddenly wondered if someone had drugged his friend and if he should be getting him to an E.R….
"You think that I have totally lost it, don't you? Can't blame you, given the way I am acting, but it is big, and when I tell my mom, and I will have to tell her, she will want to come and stay for a very long time, and there is no way that I am having that…" Flint stopped, then after a deep breath, said "I'm pregnant. Well, not me, Izzy. It wasn't planned, but I am going to be a father…"
"That's wonderful news! I am so pleased for both of you, and now I get all of your behaviour. I mean, impending fatherhood must be stressful enough without the added complication of your mother…"
"Exactly. I need to call all the airlines, or maybe Trent knows someone that can get her put on a no fly list - but then she would only drive here, or get the bus, and when she does arrive, she will interfere! I am not calling my son Abraham or my daughter Sarah, not even as middle names. I am not going through all of what she calls traditional rituals, and I will not be subjecting Izzy to any of that either. Maybe I just don't tell her at all, ever…"
"Flint, that last idea is the worst one ever! I mean, not telling your mom that she is going to be a grandmother - that is a billion, billion times worse than being a gay bar stripper, or a Mormon on a Broadway stage. You do have to tell her, but maybe you don't call. Maybe you and Izzy should just go to Kansas and tell your folks face to face."
Flint looked at Ethan with incredulity. "Go to Kansas!? Are you mad? Actually go into the lion's den?"
"The only reason that she will want to come here is to check on Izzy. So if you go to see her, she can do that, but then work will bring you back here after a few days. Also, you could break her car, burn all her ID, and then handcuff her to something substantial before you leave…"
"I know that you are joking," said Flint with a small smile on his face, "but in all seriousness, maybe the handcuffs aren't such a bad idea…"
"Just now, you need to focus on the good part. You are going to be a dad, Flint…"
"I know, and that does make me feel so, so happy…"
"Just for tonight, pretend that your mom is dead, just like in that song you sung at Wes' Memorial…" said Ethan with a straight face, which made Flint laugh despite himself. Ethan fetched him a coffee, then retrieved his dinner from the oven, which was not as ruined as he had expected. He insisted that Flint stay as he ate it, and they chatted about other things for a while.
Then Flint's phone rang, and he tensed for a second, before relaxing when he saw it was Beats. His best friend was rather concerned about the 132 missed calls he had from him; he told him everything was okay really, and where he was, then asked if he could pop in when he came home. He did not have to wait long as he was already on his way; when he arrived, Flint pulled the sonogram picture that had been taken earlier that day out of his wallet and handed it to him. The minute that he saw it, Beats had his best friend held in the tightest of hugs, and just moments later, they pulled a laughing Ethan in to join them…
The next day, Flint made the call to his parents, and impressed himself by being able to do so without even a drop of dutch courage, and invited himself and Izzy to Kansas for the weekend. She had agreed that Ethan's plan had a lot of merit, even if Beats had described it as akin to a suicide mission. For his part, Flint had asked Ethan and Beats to say nothing yet, promising that he would go public once he had told his mom, and then the Bernsteins. Izzy had felt it was best to let her mother-in-law be the first to know as that would mean so much to her, and her parents would totally understand her motivations…
As they headed off to Kansas on Friday night, with Flint considering taking some kind of medication as usual, another moment took place which left people all the more stunned. Rachel had walked into the Spotlight Diner, where several of the group were gathered, and announced that she would be taking a break from the stage, as she had a new role to play…
The idea that Rachel Berry was pregnant filled everyone with a whole host of differing emotions, but most hoped that the child would be more like its father than its mother. As for Sam, he was so happy that he could not stop grinning like the Cheshire cat; he felt as if he was walking on air. The idea of being a dad was one that he had always aspired to, and although it was a big change in his life, he was eagerly anticipating it. The only problem that some could foresee was what would happen after the child was born. Whoever was chosen to be the primary carer would have to put their career on hold for a while, after all…
Sebastian's need to take a holiday before his new run meant that for the first time ever he missed the annual return of former Warblers to the graduation of the current cohort of boys in that illustrious group. Those younger men knew that his absence was for a very good and important reason, and Thad had started to spread an acceptance amongst them in any case that the older generation could not always be depended on to return. Others amongst them were grateful of an excuse to get them away from the hassle and worry of daily life. Flint for example had used the annual gathering as an excuse to escape his mother in Kansas, although he labelled it as a vitally important work meeting. He and Izzy were both glad to head home, away from the woman that as they had expected, was the clingy grandmother to be, who felt that Izzy should give up work at once, and then devote the remainder of her life to the upbringing of her grandchildren. That meant that for once it was not Flint that was constantly biting his tongue, and he almost laughed out loud when Izzy finally let rip as they drove away about how that woman was stuck in the dark ages, and had no understanding whatsoever of how much the world had changed in the last few decades. The rant lasted most of the flight home too…
Her own mother was much more progressive, and when they informed the Bernsteins of their good news, she immediately began to start a search for a suitable nanny to take on some of the duties of care when her daughter returned to her important work at the hospital. As for Flint, his father-in-law had taken him aside, and told him that he would see that he had a reasonable amount of time off on paternal leave, and that they would make arrangements for him to be able to work from home more often once the child was in the world. Flint knew that he would not be doing that for everyone, and smiled inwardly as he enjoyed one of the perks of being married to the daughter of his boss…
After the school term ended at Dalton, Thad had accepted an invitation from Nick and Jeff to come and spend a few days in New York, as it meant that he could spend some quality time with a fast growing little Wes, and more importantly, he could check up on how Seth was. He had never been totally convinced, despite all his protestations, that the issue with his hand was a one off, but the pressures of work since the day of Luke and Duncan's wedding had not given him an opportunity to check up on the young man in person. Without making himself too obvious, he had managed to convince Skylar that he should organise a lunch for him with the younger boys in the West Village house they all shared, pointing out to him that it might be one of the last opportunities that he would have to do this. Colin and Edward were both increasingly busy with their college courses, and after that, their new careers in pharmacy and dentistry would quite possibly take them away from the city. Skylar was also coming towards a crucial point in his studies, and he knew that the architectural world might well take him away from the city too, particularly as he had met a young lady at a college party, and they had grown close. She was in the city taking an advanced nursing course, and had every intention of returning home once she had graduated; ironically, that home was Columbus, Ohio…
Seth still had a year to go on his engineering course, although he had already begun to do some work as part of an internship. As Thad joined them all at the table for lunch, he noticed at once that he seemed the most down of all of them. The others were all full of the joys of life, making happy chat about their plans as summer approached, and with it a break of sorts to enjoy themselves; Seth said nothing at all, and ate his meal much more slowly than the others did. Thad also noticed that he was eating with his cutlery held for most of the time in one hand, as if he trying to avoid making use of the other, the hand that had troubled him at the wedding… After the meal, he was quick to make excuses and leave the table, a move which had Skylar shaking his head sadly.
"He has been doing that a lot recently," said Colin in a low voice. "I think that he might be struggling a little at school, or in his placement, not that he would ever admit it to any of us. I think that he is finding it harder than he imagined; it is much more hands on too; I think he saw himself as being the designer, not actually having to execute so much by his own hand…"
Thad eventually made excuses of his own, but not to leave the house; instead he made his way up the stairs and knocked gently on the door of Seth's room. He received no response, but he knew that he was in there, so he just spoke through the wood. "Seth, I can stand here and wait for a response all afternoon if necessary, and I will even summon Wes to come in there and threaten you with Mr Bangy if I need to… All I want to do is have a chat with you, one to one…"
The door opened, and Seth motioned him to come in, closing the door behind him. As he walked over to the bed, and in doing so noticed the waste paper basket and what was in it; modelling card. It looked as if it had been discarded as it had been cut in the wrong way, as if the hand wielding the craft knife had wobbled in the wrong way at the critical moment… He sat down on the bed, then motioned Seth to sit beside him. "So, how are things in general? I am not stupid, and I noticed just how subdued you were early, and it was the same when you were at Dalton for graduation day. Wes always used to say that there was no problem, big or small, that couldn't be overcome by simply talking it out…"
"There isn't a problem," snapped Seth, who instantly regretted his tone.
"Really? No issues at school or your placement?"
"Everything is fine. I know what the others are all thinking, but it was just a partial fail on one test, a task that I was able to retake a few days later and this time passed with flying colours."
"What kind of test? Written, or practical?" asked Thad nonchalantly.
"The latter, but the reason I didn't pass the first time was down to nerves about it."
"Nerves… So nothing to do with a hand that you now seem to be going to great lengths to avoid using?"
"My hand is fine!" yelled Seth, startling Thad.
"Seth, to quote the play, methinks you doth protest too much. That reaction… and all the card in the basket there is just another indicator to me that contrary to what you are saying, there is something wrong. In fact, I surmise that it isn't just giving you problems some of the time anymore; it is pretty much all the time now…" Thad stooped then and looked over at Seth; to his horror, the young man beside him was now crying, and making no attempt whatsoever to wipe away his tears. "Now this is the last thing that I wanted to happen," said Thad in a softer tone, placing a hand on Seth's shoulder as he spoke. "I am sorry if I have upset you, but I only asked because I care. I know that your relationship with your parents is about as great as mine, and that you are the kind of person that hates being the centre of everyone's attention, but if your hand is bad all the time…"
"Then I should go and see someone, and ask them what is going on… The problem is that I made the mistake of consulting Dr Google first, and the things that I read on there had me convinced that I was better off not knowing the worst. So I decided that if I just left it alone, then maybe it would sort itself out in time, but it is getting worse every day. It had got to the stage where I struggle to do my work at my placement on the bad days, because the cramps are constant, and I can't do what I need to if I keep dropping things when I pick them up, or make stupid errors from the tremors… I have wanted to be an engineer for the whole of my life, more or less, and to have that whole future snatched away from me now down to something so trivial would be just unbearable… I mean, why me, Thaddie? What did I do to deserve this?" Seth barely got the last words out before he started to sob, and Thad did not hesitate to pull him into his arms and let him cry into his chest.
"I don't think you did anything to deserve this, you just got one of the unlucky cards in the game that is called Life. I wish that there was something I could say other than that I am sorry, and if I could take whatever it is from you and give it to myself, I would without hesitation. However, there is one fact that we both know; we do need to know exactly what it is we are dealing with, and for that, we have to go and see someone professional."
"I don't want to make a fuss, or have everyone fussing around me, treating me with kid gloves. I promise you that I will go, but it might not be for a little while," Seth replied quietly.
"Wrong answer. You need to get me to stop worrying about you, and for that to happen, we need to go and see someone right now. I can make some excuse as to where we are going so that the others do not need to know."
"I doubt that I could get an appointment with my doctor at such short notice, even if I was inclined to go right now," countered Seth testily.
"Well then, it is just as well that I told my brother that I might pop in and see him at the hospital this afternoon; you see, he is on standby today, rather than on rota, therefore he has no appointment schedule to keep. Coming to see him with me will keep me happy and off your back, and Ollie is the very soul of discretion; he won't tell anyone but you what he discovers, not even me. What harm can it possibly do to come with me just now and get things checked out?"
Realising that Thad was not going to accept a negative answer, Seth nodded. Thad left, and a few minutes later, Seth had his jacket on and informed his housemates that he was just popping out for some craft supplies, an excuse they bought. He met the Head Warbler a block away, then walked slowly together the short distance to the hospital that Dr Ollie Harwood worked in, making conversation about anything other than the issue bringing them there. Thad talked a lot about his plans for the Warblers the following year, and about how relived he was that they had placed second in Nationals that year. "Winning is good, but being the winner in a competition continually would give rise to all sorts of spurious allegations about our victory. We still placed in the top three, and that is more than good enough for me."
"You have done so well with those boys… I wish that we had won at least once whilst I was at Dalton, but the fact is people know who the Warblers are, and being able to say I am a former member does give you a certain amount of kudos."
"We have definitely turned a corner in the last decade, that much is true. We are no longer known as the villains of the piece, and the events of Hunter's reign of terror are becoming a distant memory for most. None of us will ever forget the events of those dark days though, and the losses that we have suffered since, but we are the legacy of that, with our tight bonds of fraternal feelings. That is why I am so worried about you; you are all my brothers, and as such it is my job to try and keep you safe and well at all times. It is the least that I can do…"
Once they arrived at the hospital, Thad and Ollie greeted each other warmly, then Thad introduced Seth properly. Then, in an apologetic tone, he said, "I am afraid that I have brought him with me today because he has an issue that worries me, and I have dragged him here before he returns to the clutches of that quack, Dr Google."
Ollie laughed at that, and then in all seriousness said, "Yes, he is one of the biggest charlatans in the business, always diagnosing the worst case scenario and frightening people to death rather than the more common and more likely one. We get people coming in here screaming about double pneumonia and bronchitis when all they have is a common cold; people who have a paper cut and demand immediate treatment for sepsis; and as for all the headaches that are brain tumours… Anyway, little bro, why don't you go and get us some drinks from the coffee stand whilst I have a private chat with young Seth here…"
Thad took his time; for the next ten minutes, having listened to Seth describing his problem, he did some simple tests on reflexes and then took some blood samples, just so that they could rule out certain things. He could see no immediate and obvious cause, and by the time that Thad came back, knocking on the door first, he had told Seth that he would call him back once the results of all the tests came through. The young man nodded, and seemed happier when Thad returned, but neither of them noticed that Ollie's smile was fixed, and there was concern in his eyes. He had come to a conclusion as to what was causing the young man's pain, and the rapid deterioration he had experienced was what made things worst of all. If what he thought was confirmed in the test results, then sharing the diagnosis with his new patient was going to be very hard indeed…