A New Arrival, A New Relationship.
The final day of 2024 had been a normal enough day at the start for the Pierce-Lopez family. Brittany had stayed in bed for a little longer than usual, but Santana had not objected to that in the slightest, as she knew how tired her wife had been the previous day. Alma had been acting up a little, and she had seemed to take most of that out on the blonde. At least their daughter was in a better humour that morning, possibly because she had a scheduled playdate with Ellise, Sebastian and Dave's daughter. Santana had so far chickened out on telling her daughter that her two uncles and her friend would be leaving, although she imagined that when the time came and she had no other option but to speak up, her daughter would have a few choice words to say on the subject. She was definitely her mother's daughter…
As the time approached when her uncles would come and pick her up, Santana had to admit that she was getting a little concerned about the fact that her wife was still in bed. It was not like her at all to spend so much time there, even when she was exhausted. She was about to head upstairs to check on her when there was a knock at the door; she looked at the clock, then headed to the door to find Sebastian standing on the threshold. "Sorry, I know that I am earlier than we said, but the theater called and they need me to come in a little early, and well…"
"I understand," said Santana with a grin. "Just think, in a few weeks time you will be able to plan your life and know that all your plans won't be turned on their head by a phone call from a director…"
"That's very true, but in all honesty, I'm not sure if that actually makes me happy. I think that my first task when we get to Ohio will be finding something to keep me occupied during the day. Jeff suggested that I could consider doing voiceover work, for commercials and animations, as I could record much of that at home…"
He stopped then as he saw a look come across Santana's face. She chuckled, and then made him laugh as well by whispering the words, "Yeast-I-Stat… Not my finest hour, but the money was good. Not something you could advertise, but there's always that stuff for erectile dysfunction…"
"Not in a million years, trust me. I have a reputation to upkeep, so that would be a massive no!"
Two minutes later, and Alma was heading off happily with Sebastian. Santana couldn't help but smile at how attentive he was towards her. He was a good father, and that was something that she could never have imagined saying about the slightly obnoxious teenager she had first encountered when she had been in her senior year at McKinley. Then again, she mused, all of them had changed in the years since then. Alone in the house now, she headed up the stairs finally, hearing nothing as she went. As she opened the bedroom door, ready to chide her wife for still being in bed as afternoon came, she suddenly saw something that made her stop on the threshold…
Her wife was not in the bed, but sitting in the chair at the dressing table, eyes closed and breathing heavily. She was sat with her legs apart, her nightdress pulled up, and between her feet was a pool of… Santana took a breath, then hastened in, to crouch at her wife's side. "Are you okay? When did this happen?"
"I'm alright, I just feel so very tired and sore. I think that is why I have had the accident, as I couldn't get to the bathroom quickly enough…"
"Wait, do you think… Britt, what has happened isn't that kind of accident, trust me. What it was, was your waters breaking. It means that the baby is well and truly on its way."
"No, it isn't coming for another two or three weeks yet. The doctor said that I would have it in the middle of January…"
"I'm afraid that babies do not run to that kind of exact timetable; when they are ready to come, they will, regardless of whether they are supposed to. So, I guess that we need to call someone and see about getting you to the hospital…" And that was the moment that she felt the telltale draught, and turning to the side, she saw that Kurt was now standing beside her. "This probably isn't the best of times…" she began, and then saw the expression on his face. Turning back to her wife, she now realised that she was panting… "It's too late for the hospital, isn't it?"
"It is exactly the same as it was with Grace," came her reply from the angel. "Call the doctor anyway, ask them to come here, as the baby is coming. Then you might want to call Carole, or Izzy. It might well help to have someone who knows what they are doing on the line when you are doing what is coming next…"
By the time that Brittany's doctor arrived at the house, along with an ambulance, there were three people in the building. In the end, Santana had opted to call neither Carole or Izzy, but Julia instead. It was true that Skylar's wife had been a little startled at first, but then all of the years of training at college had kicked in automatically, and she had listened in on the phone as Brittany did everything that she was told to do. She also had an inkling that Santana was not entirely alone with her wife, that she might have some kind of angelic help, and that made her smile.
Nonetheless, it was still a very tense experience as she knew that anything could go wrong, and the baby was Seth's too. She was all too aware that a complication that was simple to deal with in the surroundings of a hospital could be awful at home. She had never been so relived when she heard the first cries down the line, and from what Santana was saying, neither mother or child had come to any harm from the experience…
Skylar had been out of the house when the phone call came, having offered to head out for the grocery shopping. The store had been busy, but he had the patience to stand and wait, that so many did not, and he managed to head home with everything that he had needed, plus a few extra items that he had spotted that were on sale; those little luxury items that he and Julia both liked that the store had obviously over ordered for the Christmas holidays, and were now trying to clear. His wife might query at first why he had purchased a whole salmon, but it was still fresh; experience from fishing trips with his grandfather as a child meant that he knew how to clean it and prepare it into the various cuts that they could easily cook, and once he had done that, the majority of it could be placed in freezer for future use…
He arrived home just as the first cries of the newborn child began to emanate from his wife's phone. At first he was startled, wondering what on earth was happening, if someone from the hospital had called her up, which was not really on when she was still on leave. She had seen him then, and chuckled for a second, then said with a smile, "So, those were the cries of Seth's child; here early, but he certainly has a healthy set of lungs on him!"
"Wait, you really mean… But then why are you…" her husband began, and then it dawned on him. "You mean it was an unplanned home birth?"
"Yes. It would appear that he was most anxious to come into the world, and by the time that Santana found out what was happening, as Brittany didn't realise in any way or form, it was far too late to consider going to the hospital. I was called so that Santana had someone to talk her through the worst moments, although I think that there might well have been an angel on the scene as well. Of course, now I am wondering if Roderick really did deliver Cooper and Grace's twins, or if…"
"He really did, although you are correct in thinking that there was angelic assistance there at the time," said Skylar firmly. "My big question though is, was Seth there, or is he still to find out…?"
Seth was still sat in the office alongside Wes as the drama had unfolded down in Maplewood. Wes was aware of the situation, and he had offered to let Seth go with Kurt, but after a brief moment, Seth had decided that he did not want to go. "I would just end up being in the way; I mean, there isn't anything that I can really do to help out, is there? No, it is better that I stay here and try to keep my mind occupied with all of this paperwork; get it finished before we get snowed under with new papers tonight. I mean, I would be right in thinking that New Year's is one of the busiest nights of the year?"
"It is, but it is really no problem at all if you want to go," Wes had responded.
"I am much better here," replied Seth, and went back to his task.
Wes nodded, and had also returned to his planning again. He was conscious that Kurt would contact them the minute that the new child was in the world. He was not entirely surprised when that word came in less than half an hour. The fact that it was a boy would be pleasing to both of the mothers; he knew that Santana was secretly hoping for a son, a perfect addition to their otherwise all female household. With the arrival confirmed, he got up and went to stand beside Seth at his desk, at the spot that had once been his. "Congratulations, you have a son, who is in perfect health," he said, and was pleased to see how broad the smile was on his friend's face. "Now, you are to leave this paperwork immediately and go and pay him a visit, and that is a direct order, not a suggestion! Whilst you are there, give the two mothers my best wishes as well…"
As he had been instructed by a senior angel to attend, Seth could not avoid the situation any longer, and soon he was standing quietly in a corner of the bedroom, his eyes focused on the little boy that he had helped to create. He could do no more as the doctor was currently checking out both mother and child, although both got a clean bill of health. The thing that would surprise him the most was when Brittany revealed her choice of name for their son; it appeared to be a complete surprise to Santana too, but then, there was a certain amount of Brittany's unique thought process in it all. Seth had to agree that her decision to name her boy Skylar Kennedy meant that there was a possibility in the distant future of a new freshman at Dalton called Skylar forming a friendship with a sophomore called Seth. The fact that she was saying that also indicated that she definitely saw Dalton as part of her son's future….
Seth knew what he had to do, although he checked first, and when both of the mothers gave him the okay, he vanished, to materialise again in Skylar's kitchen, where he was gutting a fish. Seth informed his best friend of all that had transpired. Then he revealed the child's name, and he was not unsurprised when his reaction was to burst into tears, probably because he knew, as Seth did, that had he still been alive, he would probably have chosen to name his son that as well. On top of that, the idea that there two sons could one day build up the same bond of friendship that they had enjoyed filled both of their hearts with an immense amount of joy…
With the task of informing his best friend that he was now also a father completed, Seth headed back to Maplewood, to find that the doctor had now left the house, but he was still insisting that both mother and child should head to the hospital so that they could run more detailed tests. Santana had also called Dave to let him know exactly what was going on, and he had immediately offered to have Alma stay with him for as long as was necessary, before asking how mother and child were faring…
With that sorted out, Santana headed back upstairs to her wife, but ended up pausing on the threshold silently for a moment, just observing the angel that was watching the baby that now lay in his temporary crib beside the bed, a look of peace and contentment on his face. She smiled herself, as she realised that he looked as if he had just won the lottery; as if the sun itself was shining out of the bassinet. She was certain that had he been given the opportunity in his mortal life, Seth would have been a model father; alas, that was something that they would not witness, at least on this plane…
"He is just so perfect," said Seth quietly, indicating that he could see Santana. "He is every bit as beautiful as his mother, although from a cursory glance he does appear to have inherited the Johnson family features…"
Santana smiled, then said, "So how is Skylar? I know that he would have known that he was here, given that Julia was the one helping us, but how did he react to the name?"
"He cried, and that started me off too. He then promised that he will not breathe a word to anyone until you make it official."
"I suppose that is something that needs to be done, although right now my priority is to get them both to the hospital and get those checks done. Once I get them there, then I will spread the word."
"I agree with you; the health of the two of them is the most important think, as they are both as precious to me as they are to you. I mean, without your wife, I would never have seen this moment happen, and it makes me much happier than I ever could have imagined, seeing him lying there…" Santana nodded, then began the process of getting her wife ready for her trip to the hospital…
True to her word, once she had entrusted Brittany and her son to the care of the hospital staff, she sent a message out to all of their closest friends, letting them all know that they now had a son, a little earlier than planned, but perfectly healthy nonetheless, and that his mother was doing equally as well. She posted it along with a photograph that she had quickly taken of mother and child as they sat a hospital chair, waiting to be seen. That done, she turned her phone off, and thus did not witness the immediate deluge of congratulations that were being sent. She had omitted to mention his name, but the few people that did know stayed silent as others began to speculate, enjoying their little secret for now.
On receiving the message, Thad had headed almost at once to the Carmichaels place to let them know, just in case they were not part of the loop, but he was delighted to find out that they had been on the list of people that Santana had sent a notification of a new post on Facebook to.
In New York, the announcement had also had a profound effect on both Barnaby and Hilary. The confirmation that they now had a nephew was a perfect end to what had been a tumultuous year for them. They had left behind Ohio, and their parents, no longer wishing to be associated with a couple that had acted wrongly in a blatant attempt to steal the family wealth, but worse, had abandoned their eldest child entirely to save face. They had settled in New York now, both having found jobs that suited them. They were determined that they would live close to each other, but not too close, and not together; they both wanted a degree of independence. At first, Hilary had been the one that did not know how to handle Brittany's pregnancy, but now that her nephew was here, she realised that she wanted to be a part of his life in some way or form. Barnaby had wished that from the moment he knew, drawn to the child by the bonds of family. They both decided though to wait a couple of days before asking when they could come and visit…
That night, the city would celebrate the start of a new year as it always did; a party for a year to come that seemed full of hope. People would sing and laugh, dancing with people they knew, and those that they didn't alike; of course, the degree of that depended on where they were, and how much alcohol they had consumed. Whilst Hilary would sit at home as the midnight hour approached, a mug of hot chocolate in her hand, her brother had chosen to go out into the crowds, and as the moment approached, he was on the fringes of Times Square, able to see the ball raised high on the tower, ready to descend at the exact moment. He was normally a shy person, but the euphoria that he felt over his nephew's arrival overcame that usual reserve; he wanted to be out in the throng, part of a sea of smiling faces.
As the countdown came, he raised his voice with the rest as they counted out those final seconds of 2024, then joined in the cries of "Happy New Year!" as the ball dropped, and the skies were lit up with coloured lights from the fireworks. He joined hands with two complete strangers, and sang Auld Lang Syne with enthusiasm along with them. That done, he introduced himself, and discovered that the man and woman he had been in between were a couple; his apologies that he had split them up were deemed unnecessary. Instead, they suggested that he come with them to get a coffee, as the night was cold, and on a whim, he accepted, heading off in the direction of the nearest open Starbucks with a smile on his face…
For most people, the first day of 2025 came with no revelations. The pattern of their lives would be no different, and for many of them, it was just another working day. Nick headed to the UN at the normal time, the duty officer in his department that day. The subway was only a little bit quieter than it normally was, the day not as big a holiday in the city as it was in some parts of the world. He expected to receive much the usual number of calls for urgent assistance, but very few calls about everyday business. Jeff had said his farewells as usual, and planned to spend the morning up in his studio. Wes sat on the couch close by him, going through his origami book that he had been given for Christmas by his great-grandparents; Caleb snuggled up close to the radiator, missing the warmth of the summer, but content enough to enjoy the heat from those reliable metal relics, original almost to the house itself…
Next door, Lawrence had the day off, and he would spend it in the company of his elder brother. He felt that he had not been as attentive to him as he should have been as of late, what with a combination of his shifts at the hospital, and his growing friendship with Adam. Friendship seemed almost the wrong word now, given how close he now felt to the Englishman. Adam had come to see them both on Christmas Day, as he had promised, and had brought with him a selection of British candies. It had been a wonderful couple of hours. Adam had also decided to take Dex into his confidence about his new role, and about how he had no intention to return to England full-time. That had lightened the atmosphere all the more, although Lawrence was equally certain that Adam was now due The Talk… He of course was working that day, and had two shows, and so now Lawrence had a perfect chance to enjoy some alone time with his older sibling…
Adam was not the only one in the world of show that found themselves working that day of course; on the Great White Way, the 1st of January was just another day. Only those that worked in the financial sphere of the city were really able to take the day off confidently and relax, but that was only because the stock exchange in London was closed. Ethan might not have been in the office, but that did not mean that he and Drew did not have work to do. They hoped that they would complete their tasks by lunchtime, so that they could devote the afternoon to doing things in the company of their daughter. Evie had agreed to sit quietly in her room that morning, reading and playing with her toys, so that her two father figures could achieve all that they needed to do…
Drew had a report to finish, whereas Ethan had to prepare for the next meeting of The Mackenzie Trust, and that meant having to read through and rate all of the submissions that had been made for funding, and that was a task that he did not find all that simple. He knew that with a simple yes or no, he could save or destroy a project, and the latter option meant potentially destroying lives. Then he found himself reading an update on the refuge for abused men that had been established in London; it had opened just a fortnight ago, and it was already full to capacity, if the report that he was reading was up to date.
It just showed that the problem had been ignored for too long in his opinion. It just went to show that in situations were domestic violence happened, the victim was not always the woman; sometimes, they were the perpetrator. He thought then, as he did on occasion, of all that his best friend had suffered and he just wished that there had been somewhere that he could have run to back then. It was obvious that one facility was not going to be enough, and that the Trust might have to see if it could fund many more. It would also help no end if they could get some famous men with influence to help publicise what they were doing. He wondered for a moment if Russell might be willing to get involved, or if he knew someone that would…
As Ethan was putting away his papers on that first day of the year, across town a young man found himself waking up in a strange bed. He blinked in the light of midday, then groaned as his head suddenly began to pound. He had obviously consumed more than a little alcohol the night before, something that he rarely did, and as a consequence, the hangovers that followed were of the terrible kind…
It was only then that he realised that he was not at his aunt's home, nor in his own little apartment. He was in a place he had never seen before… Then came the realisation that not only was he in a strange bed, but he was completely naked beneath the bedclothes - and he was not the only person in the bed. In fact, he was actually sandwiched between two people; one male, one female, and in a similar state of undress. Barnaby desperately wracked his brain, as he tried to recall what had happened the night before, and as is so often the case, it all began to come flooding back to him. How he had met the couple in whose bed he now lay in Times Square, and how a chat over coffee at Starbucks had lead on to…
He lay there as the memories flooded back; how the coffee shop had been busy, and how the conversation had been so interesting that he didn't want it to finish. They all agreed on so many things, and so, when they had suggested that he come back with them to their apartment in the Garment District, just a short walk away, he had agreed without hesitation. There, instead of coffee, there had been wine, after a glass of champagne to toast the New Year. He had started to feel hot then in his layers of clothes…
Before he could recall more, he felt movement, and realised that he was not the only one awake now. "Now, I hope that you aren't lying their, regretting what happened last night. We all had fun, and in the end, that is all that really matters," said a female voice.
Barnaby searched for the right words to say, and more importantly, her name, but before he could respond, his other bedfellow spoke. "He's probably wondering exactly how it all happened, aren't you Barnaby? Simply put, we all felt a mutual attraction, and we acted upon it. Yes, Audra and I are a couple, but we are in an open relationship, and we are both bi. However, last night was the first time in a long time that we had a threesome; fact is, we could not resist your charms.
That made Barnaby blush, and he replied quietly, "I'm not all that. Most people think I'm a geeky nerd…"
"Which happens to be exactly mine and Clyde's type," replied Audra. "Of course, maybe in the cold light of day, we aren't your type…"
"No, not at all. If I'm honest, I've not had all that much experience, but this isn't my first threesome. I'm bi too, but not out to anyone as that. Last night was wonderful, but I'm actually not that much of a drinker, and so most of the details are fuzzy…" he replied sheepishly.
An hour later, and the details were much clearer, having been refreshed in his mind by a replay. Barnaby now found himself in the lounge of a very smart loft apartment, freshly showered but still undressed. It transpired that his hosts were also naturists, and that was why the apartment had been so warm. Clyde was making breakfast now, and had already placed a mug of coffee in front of him. He sipped it gratefully, although the worst of his hangover was gone now. Then Audra joined them, and they ate together, their conversation returning once more to the topics that they all felt passionate about. The small amount of awkwardness that Barnaby had felt about being naked with his new friends faded as he got into the subject. It was only as the light outside began to fade that it started to return…
"Well, I really should go," he said, wondering where his clothes were all of a sudden. "My sister will be wondering where I have got to, as she would have called me at lunchtime, and it is well past that now. I'd best head home and deal with the possible fallout; plus I do have work tomorrow."
"Yeah, it is getting late," Audra replied with a grin. "So, when can we see you again?"
"Well, I don't know," Barnaby stammered in response.
Clyde smiled and stopped him talking. "Look, I am going to lay our cards on the table here. We are both bi, although Audra prefers men; me, I'm about 50/50, and I think you are the same…" Barnaby nodded, blushing, and that made Clyde smile wider. "We have been thinking for a while about bringing a regular third person into our relationship, but until now we have drawn blanks, either on the personality front, or in the bedroom. You are the perfect person, and best of all, you are single. What we are saying here is that we would like you to join us in; would you consider being in a long term relationship with us both? Don't answer now, go away and think about it. Just know that we really like what we see, and if you do too, then what is there to stand in our way and achieving a mutually satisfactory relationship?"
Barnaby headed home with their phone numbers, his mind full of thoughts. He was definitely bi, and if he thought back, he had had equal numbers of male and female partners over the years, although the grand total was very low. However, he had never been with a couple, and he now could recall exactly how much fun that had been, having all of his desires satisfied at once. The notion had been there in his mind, and when he had been in Europe, he had known people in exactly the sort of relationship he was now being offered. However, this was Manhattan, and although he guessed that sort of thing did happen, it was still thought of as shocking; it certainly would be to his sister. Then he realised just how horrified his parents would be by the whole concept, and he couldn't help but chuckle…
He was suddenly certain that embarking on a relationship with Clyde and Audra was exactly what he wanted to do. He liked them both, and they liked him too, a heck of a lot. Yes, they were at least 5 years older than him - he hadn't actually asked their ages of course - but they had chosen to enjoy their lives, and he was determined to do that as well. He wasn't at the stage were he was thinking of moving in with them, at least, not yet… The fact that he was even contemplating such a thing felt deliciously naughty to the young man that had been brought up by such conservative Christian parents; he pulled out his phone, smiling broadly, and sent a text, saying that his answer was a definite yes…