A Mission for Finn, a Visit for Trent.

2023 arrived with the sense that there would be even better times ahead. In London the news of the day was dominated by the New Year's Honours list, with accolades for the great and the good mixed with those for ordinary people nominated for their day to day service to the community. Nick had scanned the list in the newspaper that he had purchased that morning, and came across two he recognised, across from each other in separate columns. He smiled at Frobisher, Miss Hester, for services to children in the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the MBE list. He frowned at George, Dr Lucy, for services to paediatric care, Great Ormond Street Hospital in the OBE list. That she should be receiving any sort of honour from her country after all that she had done to Drew was horrendous, and a part of him wanted to immediately tell Jeff, knowing that he would drop hints the next time he saw the Duchess…

He knew that he couldn't though. If he did, Drew's secrets would be exposed to the whole world, and he had always said that she was a wonderfully talented medic; just an awful human being. He decided therefore to hide the list from his husband, and just tell him about the award for Miss Frobisher…

They headed out as a family at lunchtime, into the centre of town to see the New Year's parade. They found an excellent vantage point outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. The worst of the effects that Brexit had had on the economy seemed to be passing, and at least here in the capital, there did seem to be more smiling faces that even six months ago. He knew though that outside the metropolis things were not quite as rosy, ironically worst of all in those areas that had voted to leave. There was hope though, and that was good. Nick was still glad though that they had reached the halfway point in their time in London, even if the people he worked with kept dropping hints that there would be a senior position for him in the London office if he chose to stay…

It was as Nick wondered about the truth behind those hints that Wes found himself summoned to join Elizabeth in her inner sanctum. Her tone as she asked him to come in had been quite serious, and his first thought as she motioned for him to take a seat was that the name of one of his boys had appeared on the lists; in all likelihood he guessed, Seth. The look on his face as Elizabeth glanced up from the papers on her desk was all that she needed to know what he was imagining, and she shook her head at him at once.

"Okay, so this is a confidential chat, so can you please close and lock the door for me?" Those words did nothing to allay Wes' fears, and he started to wonder if he had done something wrong. "So, first off, you have not done anything untoward. Your work, conduct and knowledge are well above the normal, so much so that I have no qualms about recommending you for a promotion in the near future; we will address that subject another day. Secondly, no-one is on a list, particularly not Seth. I know that you have been very concerned for his wellbeing recently, but over the next few weeks he will start to show signs of an improvement. It will alas only be a temporary one, but the man that should have been your cousin-in-law has managed to find the correct mix of drugs; once they are in Seth's system, he will find life easier for a while."

"Long enough to get him to Skylar's wedding?" asked Wes, and she nodded.

"So, to business. As you will be aware, I have now been here, working for the collection's department in Ohio, for almost 21 years; I still recall my first day, and how daunting it all seemed, but now it is routine. As one of my rewards for my long and unblemished service, the angelic council will grant to me a wish, something that they cannot refuse to grant, as long as I can show precedent in the realms. I have set my heart on achieving something, and there is I am informed a potential precedent for it, but it will require a more thorough investigation to confirm it actually happened. That will have to take place where the precedent occurred; the England section."

"Okay, I understand… Does that mean that you want me to go to England? I mean I am very flattered, but I don't think I could accept…" replied Wes.

"Actually, it isn't you that I intend to send; your services here in the office are far too valuable to have you sitting in England, potentially for a few months. My intention is to send Finn. Now, don't say it, he is a lot more mature than he was as a mortal. I also know that he is the best collector we have, but he has been doing that non-stop for over 9 years now; you know that we have to force him to take a day off. He works too hard, and I can see that there are indications that he is approaching burnout point. I see this as a chance to force him to take it more easy and to relax. The investigation will last a few months after all. The problem is that he will not be able to return here each night, so it will have an effect on Kurt and indeed Blaine."

"It certainly will, given that it will be the 10th anniversary of his death in a short while," observed Wes.

"I am aware of that, and I intend to have him return for a few days over that period, if the investigation is not concluded."

"So where do I fit in in all of this?"

"You, dear Wes, will have to help me to persuade Finn that he should go. He does listen to you, and I think that you would be able to convince him that a trip to England would be no bad thing; in fact, that it would be good for him. I would also like you to back me up when Kurt and Blaine find out. I intend to break the news to them soon, and I feel that if you can make Blaine understand my reasoning, then Kurt will be easier to deal with."

"I will do my best," said Wes with a laugh, "but you know how stubborn your son can be."

"Alas, yes; he takes after me in that. Right, so I will let you get on just now, but if you could start on Finn tonight?"

"I will, thanks. I do have a lot on right now; the figures for 2022 are nearly collated now that the December results have been finalised. I have also made a start on the collection rotas, but I will need to start again now that Finn will be absent…"

Elizabeth nodded, and Wes took his leave. As she watched him head back to his desk and pick up what he was doing again, she was convinced that what she had told the angelic council needed to happen was the right thing; that young man deserved his promotion, and so much more…

It would be another week before Elizabeth came to Wes and told him that she had finally talked to Kurt and Blaine about her plans for Finn. Both of them had agreed that Finn needed to take a rest, given that a decade of collections would soon be upon him. The fact that as a result he would be out of contact for a few months was a bit of a blow, the bond between them all as a family being stronger than ever.

"The good thing is that Finn is much more mature now. If I think back to how he was just before he died, I would be imagining that your plan could lead to all kinds of international incidents taking place, as he put his foot in it time and time again. Now he will have a much more measured approach to it all, and a respect for everything. This could very well be the making of him," said Kurt to his mom after much soul searching. "As long as he is able to go and see Carole on the anniversary of his death…"

"That goes without saying; I will make sure that he is free to see all his friends and family on that date," replied Elizabeth. "When he comes back it is my intention to give him oversight over the training regime for new collectors, as he is more than capable of the work."

"He is," Blaine responded. "We will both support him all the way with that."

"I hoped that you would; I know that your duties with the nursery and the interstate relations department keep you busy as it is…"

Now there was only the man in question to talk to, and for that Elizabeth invited Finn to a meeting, not mentioning that Wes would be sitting in with them until he arrived. Finn accepted the presence of Wes as Elizabeth told him that it was a training exercise for him, to improve his prospects of promotion. That of course gave her the lead into the subject she had brought him there to discuss.

"Wes is of course not the only person that deserves a promotion. The hard work and dedication of someone else has not gone unnoticed by those above me, and I have therefore been instructed to set them a task that will show their fitness for their new role as a senior trainer. It did take me a while to decide upon something suitable, but I have now, and the task is perfect for you, Finn…"

"For me? I thought… Wait, they want to make me a senior trainer? I don't know if I would be any good at that!" wailed Finn.

"Having seen you in action on a daily basis, I would say that you were more than ready for the job," interjected Wes, who then blushed as he realised that he had spoken out of turn.

"As Wes says, you are more than capable of the job, but you will need to undertake a task for me first. The challenge that you face will involve you being away for a few months, working in the England section."

"England! Proper over the Atlantic England, and not Maine and all of that area?"

"Yes, based in London. You will be assisted in your work by an angel assigned by someone on the equivalent grade to me over there. You will be relieved of all collection duties so that you can focus solely on your task. You will come back only once you have brought your investigation to a satisfactory conclusion," said Elizabeth.

"When would I be going, as it is kind of a big day for me soon," asked Finn.

"Next week. I know that it is short notice, but the task is an urgent one. Look at it this way; it is a vacation too. You will be free to explore all that London offers, and even take day trips to Paris for example."

"I am guessing that I am not allowed to say no," said Finn quietly.

"Yes," replied Elizabeth.

"I wish that it was me that was getting to go if I am honest," said Wes. "A chance to unwind and relax; to explore all of that history and meet new faces. Of course, all of those old English stars will be around too, just as some of our own are here…"

"I believe that the last person that was seconded to the England section was able to meet John Lennon and Amy Winehouse," said Elizabeth.

"Really! Now that would be cool," responded Finn in reply to Elizabeth's name dropping.

She smiled back, then glanced at her watch. "Darn! I was supposed to drop off those papers for the Nevada section in the courier office, and it will be too late now. They needed them today as well. Wes, could you be a dear and take them for me? I would ask Finn, but there are a few things we need to discuss still…"

"No problem. I take it that the name of the person I am to take them too is on the label?"

"Of course!" replied Elizabeth, seeing the twinkle in her assistant's eye as he wound her up just a little. "Anyway, no time like the present…"

"Yes ma'am" said Wes with a mock salute that made Finn chuckle. He said his goodbyes, and headed out for his trip.

Finn was curious as to why Elizabeth said nothing for a few moments, then went to check that Wes was gone, before locking the door to her office. "Now that Wes is gone, I can actually tell you the true nature of your task, something that I need you to keep to yourself. As part of my 21st anniversary here, I get to chose an item or a thing that I desire. I know what I want and what I need you to do is find the evidence that proves that the story I have been told is true. The event is rumoured to have happened in London about 90 years ago. I want you to go and check all of the archives for any reference to…"

Finn's eyes widened as Elizabeth went on, and told him exactly what he had to prove had occurred. He could not believe for a moment that it could be true, but if it was, then he also could not believe how completely selfless she was about to be. After all, if her wish was granted then she would receive no direct benefit from it herself, and such a thing had to be the mark of a true angel…

After long conversations with Kurt, Blaine and finally Wes, Finn decided that accepting the task that Elizabeth had offered him was no bad thing after all; he was after all being entrusted with an important mission, which would change the angelic world just a little. He had of course been quite reticent about the nature of his task when Kurt had asked, which had only served to make him all the more curious. He had however not pursued his intention to get him alone and make him talk, as every time he tried to, his mother had appeared from nowhere, and had changed the topic of discussion in a frankly breathtaking fashion.

Finn would head to England in the middle of the month, travelling on one of the regular shuttle routes. It was not quite a transatlantic jet, but it was the nearest equivalent in the angelic realm for travel on those distances where it was too long to fly with your own wings. The night before he left he paid his mother a visit, explaining to her that he wasn't going to be around as often over the next few months as he had angelic work to perform across the Atlantic. She had understood, but that did not make either of them any less sad.

On his return to the angelic realm, he had found his three closest fellows waiting for him, ready to give him the decent send off that he deserved. "This is so good of you guys… Look, I need to be honest, I am a bit worried by the task that I have been given. I had a habit of fouling up the important stuff before, and I am not sure that I have changed all that much."

"You will be fine, trust me," said Wes with a smile. "It is not the United States, but they speak the same language, more or less, and if you just conduct yourself in the way that you do here, you will be fine. You just need to concentrate on the task that you have been sent to undertake, and don't allow yourself to become distracted, or overwhelmed for that matter. Be yourself, and if you do need help, then ask for it. I am sure that the angel assigned to work with your from the England section will look after you in any case."

Finn nodded, and said, "Yeah, this E. Price is supposed to help me, but the name is all I know about them. I know they will assist me as they are meant to, but what if he and I just don't get on?"

"How could anyone not get on with you, Finn?" said Kurt with a smile. "Just remember he is British, so don't refer to him as dude…" As Blaine laughed at those words, Wes couldn't help but think that the worst thing Finn could possibly do would be to call his contact a dude…

Finn's shuttle was an overnight one. He packed his bags, said his goodbyes, then headed off on his adventure. He had fallen asleep the moment that he had climbed into his bed on the one class shuttle. It was therefore quite disorientating to be woken up by the most English of voices announcing that they would soon be arriving in London. He jumped up, and then, realising that everyone around him was staring at him, sat back down blushing. One of the shuttle staff brought him breakfast, a meal that was far superior to the food served on the transatlantic planes, and he was able to go and freshen up in one of the many bathrooms. He did not want the mysterious E. Price to think that all Americans were slobs that did not take pride in their personal appearance. He returned to find that his bed had been turned back into a seat for the remainder of his trip, which he spent studying his notes - crisps, not chips; chips, not fries - and worrying in equal amounts. He also memorised the address of the house in Thurloe Square that Nick and Jeff lived in. Wes had given it to him as he felt it would be nice for him to be able to go and see a couple of familiar faces.

Then the shuttle was in London, and having collected his bag, he followed the directions to the offices of the angelic administration. He found himself walking down a long corridor not too dissimilar to the one back home, lined with doors marked with name plates with unfamiliar names; Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset… He had been told that he had to go to a room in the Greater London department, which would be his base during his investigation. His contact, E. Price, would be waiting for him just inside the door to Greater London - and now he was at the door in question. He opened it and stepped in, looking for the man that he was due to liase with…

"Finn Hudson..?"

The voice stopped him in his tracks. Why had he not considered that E. Price might be a woman? He turned on his heel, and suddenly, time stopped. Before him was the most attractive young woman that he had seen in both his mortal and angelic lives. She had flawless skin, beautiful emerald green eyes, and fiery red hair. Her figure was perfectly proportioned, and she was well dressed in properly tailored clothes that could have come from the KEH Collection. He realised that he had to be staring, and pulled himself together. "Yes, that is me; my apologies, the shuttle does take it out of you a little… I am assuming that you are E. Price?"

"Yes, and it is Emily. We have asked to have our first name or title - you know, Miss or Mister - placed on the correspondence to other sections, but we have a secretary that is a crusader for gender equality, and they refuse to do so. As a result, you were probably expecting a man," she said.

"I am afraid that I did make that assumption, and it was wrong of me to do so. I should have done more research," replied Finn, trying to channel the dapper Wes into his demeanour. "I have to let you know that I am a total novice at this kind of thing. Elizabeth Hummel is my stepbrother's mother, and she felt that I needed a new challenge, which this might be."

"It is certainly an intriguing investigation, and if what she has heard does indeed turn out to be true, then it will shake a lot of my long held beliefs about the way that things work here in the England office. Anyway, enough chat; let me show you to your office, so that you can get settled in, and I can get you something to drink. I have a supply of tea, but you might well prefer a coffee."

"No, no, tea will be fine," responded Finn, and was rewarded with a radiant smile that made his heart beat all the faster in his chest…

As Finn followed Emily down the corridor, muttering the word 'mailman' under his breath, and reminding himself that he was a professional on a mission, two other young men were standing in the middle of Dulles Airport, wondering if their decision to take their son with them on a transatlantic flight was the correct one. The time had finally arrived for the State Visit of President Kennedy to the United Kingdom; rather than travelling with the rest of the entourage to London on Air Force One, Trent had opted to take a commercial flight with his husband, as it meant that he would be able to spend a little quiet one on one time with his little family. They had initially intended to leave Cormac in the care of Burt and Carole, as good as grandparents to the little boy in question, but then Rory's nana had started to say how much she wished that she could see her great-grandson, particularly given her age… Trent had laughed at that statement, recognising it for what it was at once; emotional blackmail…

They had contacted the airline therefore at short notice, and they had been very understanding, making space for Cormac to fly with them at no extra charge; just now however their son was fractious, as if he knew that he was about to make his first flight, never the easiest of things. Trent was trying to avoid eye contact with the nearest member of staff in the business class lounge as Rory tried his best to settle their son, but when he did she did not appear to be all that concerned. The reason for that only became clear when they boarded the 08:15 United Airlines flight direct to Heathrow. They were the only people in the business class section of the plane, as a result of it being a daytime flight, and the month of January. A check revealed that even economy was barely half full, and for that Trent was glad. He only hoped that the loading level would be similar on the flight home…

Unlike all of the other visitors that had made their way over the Atlantic recently, they would not be staying with Nick and Jeff. Trent had to be available to the President at all times, and therefore to ensure he was close, they had been allocated rooms at Winfield House. It also meant that when they arrived in London, they were met by one of the ambassadorial staff, and were then driven across town in an official car to the residence on the edge of Regent's Park. It was by far the grandest house that either of them had ever stayed the night in, and they felt a little out of place from the moment that they exited the car. A few moments later they were being greeted warmly by the ambassador and his wife, who immediately latched on to Cormac; fortunately he also took to her just as quickly…

As she escorted Rory up to the rooms set aside for them, the ambassador took Trent to one side. "I have been asked to let you know first off that everything that was requested by yourselves has been approved. On another note, the speechwriter for the Prime Minister would like to meet you to go over a few requests that the UK government has, as would the private secretary from Buckingham Palace. They know that you are the pen behind the man, so to speak, so I imagine that they would like some insight as to what the President is going to say in his speeches. They wanted to be here tonight, but I put them off, only until first thing tomorrow though, for which I apologise. You will still be on East Coast time, which will make that more very late night…"

"I take it that we are talking 8am or before?" said Trent. "Don't worry, I will cope. I didn't get very much sleep last night, and long flights take it out of me, particularly when I don't get a chance to nap, so I am quite tired already."

"That's how I tend to cope as well; the daytime flight is less of a killer than the overnight one. I will arrange a spot of supper for you all, then allow you to retire to bed. Better yet, I will have it sent up to your rooms. I would just like to say that whilst you are here, I want you to treat this place as your home; if you want or need anything, just ask…"

Trent thanked the ambassador, then followed his directions up to his room; he walked in to find Rory slumped in a chair, his eyes half shut. Cormac was already sound asleep in his crib in the next room. "The ambassador's wife is a witch or something," said Rory. "He was so grisly with both of us, but she offered to take him for a moment; the second she did, he was quiet. She helped me get him changed into his night things, and then she sang to him after I laid him down; he was almost straight off after that…"

Rory paused as their was a quiet knock at the door; it then opened to reveal a staffer with a tray, on which were two big bowls of what smelt like the most amazing chicken soup, a pile of fresh bread with real butter, and some chocolate brownies. Trent got up and took the tray, thanking them profusely; as soon as they left, they settled down to eat.

"I am afraid that there are a number of people coming to see me first thing," said Trent with a sigh; the perils of being the first one here I guess. I will need to turn in soon as a result. If you have things you need to do though…"

"No I am as tired as you, so an early night would be good. Do you know, this is just perfect food for a late supper. All I need now is a mug of hot chocolate, and I will soon be fast asleep. By the way, I will take care of Cormac if he wakes up tonight, and no arguments. After all, if it wasn't for my nana, he would be back home with his grandma Carole…"

"It's only natural that your nana would want to see him; I guess that she will be over though the moment that his brother or sister makes their appearance…"

"Try and stop her," said Rory with a smile, putting down his soup spoon. "Right, so I will go and take these bowls back, and see what I can do about that hot chocolate whilst I am there."

"Yeah, it would be good. I will just make a last check of my speech notes whilst you do." Rory nodded, then kissed his husband's cheek before he left the room. Trent smiled to himself; he knew that it would be a very busy few days for them all, but it would be worth it just to witness the pomp and spectacle of the State Visit all coming together…