Graduations & a Wedding : Part I
The next few days were marked by a flurry of furious activity. All non-essential tasks were set aside as there was packing to be done for the majority of the friends. They still had to work, and that did cause some minor issues, but everyone set to and helped out as best as they could. People offered to help in whatever way that they could, and such offers were gratefully accepted. On Monday morning, Caleb found himself being woken early and taken across the landing to stay with Brittany whilst inside the loft they had called home the last few items were stowed away. The last items of furniture were quickly dismantled, and then when the movers arrived, all hands set to, to help them carry everything down to the van. The most essential items would be travelling by taxi however; Mike left first with the kettle and mugs amongst other things, plus the last food items that had been in the refrigerator. That left Nick and Jeff to stand alone in an emptier loft, which had now returned to looking exactly the way it had on that day in 2013 when Santana had dragged the then newish couple across the landing to see it.
"It's odd, isn't it Nicky? A week ago, this was home, and it felt like it was ours. It had all those essential little touches in it that made it feel that way. Now, it is back to being someone else's. It has been a good home to us, this place…" said Jeff quietly.
"It has," replied Nick, placing an arm around Jeff. "We've had a lot of good times here. This is the home that we left single and came back to as a married couple. We've had the usual celebrations, and a few drunken Warbler parties. At the same time though, this has seen its share of the sad times…"
"This was the last home that Wes had. He left for Harvard from here, more or less, and never got there. We heard about that here too, in this room…"
"I can still picture it now, Jeffie. If I look at that doorway I can still see the moment that Sam lead a broken Sebastian in to join us, Mike, Flint and Beats. I can still see Mike crying his eyes out…."
"It doesn't pay to dwell on stuff like that," said Blaine, who had arrived unnoticed in the kitchen, and now stood on the threshold of the room. "I mean, I left here with Kurt the night that he died, thinking that the world was wonderful, the future was bright, and that nothing was going to stop us now… But that is in the past, and to be honest, it means nothing now. I'm happy, so is Kurt. You can't live in the past; you have to look to the future. I mean, the West Village is pretty cool…"
"And that new kitchen of yours is to die for!" said Kurt, appearing at Blaine's side. "So, it is time to go. The Bushwick chapter of your lives is over. It's time to say farewell, and look forward to enjoying life together in Manhattan."
Nick nodded, and with one last glance just to ensure nothing had been forgotten, he and Jeff headed out of the door, closing and locking it behind them, before heading next door to collect Caleb.
Two angels now went to stand in the spot they had occupied, reliving their own memories of the space, which they would now find it much harder to return to. Kurt had a sudden vision of the first weeks he and Rachel had been here; he could see the two of them cycling around the place, revelling in the space…but then he could also see the night that he had cried himself to sleep after Blaine had made his heartbreaking confession. Unknown to him, his husband was also seeing that same moment, but then he thought of the happy few weeks they had been here as a couple, sharing the space with Rachel, Sam, Santana and Brittany. It had been cramped, sure, but it had also been fun…
"Ok, you two! No dwelling on things!" came a voice they recognised at once as Wes, although he did not appear. "As you just told Niff, this chapter is over; a new one is just about to start across the East River…"
That night saw Nick, Jeff, Mike and Caleb settling into their new home. They had ordered takeout for a change, and now they sat in the kitchen, the doors to the garden wide open, just relaxing in their new environment. As soon as Nick had opened the doors, Caleb had walked over to them, sniffed the air cautiously, and considered for a moment whether he should go outside. In the end he had decided that it was not worth the risk just yet. It could be explored another day. Climbing the steps inside the house had tired him out more than he cared to admit. He contented himself with sitting at the threshold, in a beam of sunlight, looking back at his humans. They were sitting around the table, drinking homemade lemonade with plenty of ice. The air was warming up, and that was a sure sign that summer was on its way. They were all tired too, having spent most of the afternoon unpacking boxes and bags. There had been a great temptation just to leave it all for the next day, but in the end they had all agreed it was best just to get it done. After their takeout, there had been ice cream and jello, the latter at Jeff's request, although they had all eaten it. Now as they sat there, they could just relax.
In the end, it was Mike that broke their companionable silence. "It is so quiet here compared to Bushwick. There are no sirens, no loud music, no traffic noise. It is going to take a while to get used to that. That and the fact that we will all have longer in bed of a morning thanks to not having to catch the 'L' Train…"
Jeff smiled and laughed. "Yes, it is going to be strange. We will be able to walk to the Spotlight in a few minutes now as well, so we'll probably be in there more often. On the downside, we are closer to shops, but at the same time, the prices are that little bit higher here. I think that we will still end up heading over to Atlantic Terminal to go to the Stop & Shop, but at least the '2' Train goes right there. It will take time, but it will save us money, and it does mean we won't be deserting that part of the city altogether."
"I have a feeling that it isn't going to be this quiet around here for that long anyway," said Nick with a smile. "We'll soon have six younger guys living in the house next door, not to mention the others. I am looking forward to them coming though. It will be nice to see all of them on a daily basis."
The following morning saw the arrival of another removal truck on the street, and with it came a first meeting with Artie's mom for Nick and Jeff. It came earlier than they had expected it, mainly because she and Kitty had been so efficient in their packing up of Artie's old place that the movers were able to leave it far quicker than they had anticipated as they had fewer jobs to do. Mike was absent, having gone to work the early shift at the Spotlight. The two young men had spotted the van arriving, and after a quick check of their appearance, had headed out to offer to assist. Kitty had seen them approach, and signalled their arrival to Artie. Between them, they had wrestled the clipboard from his mom, and with Kitty in charge - something that the removers thought for a moment at least would make their lives easier - introductions were made.
"I have heard so much about the two of you from Artie over the last few years, firstly in general terms - I think that he used to put it that you were two of the least bad Warblers. No offence intended," she began.
"None taken," said Nick with a smile. "High school show choir can be a pretty cut throat business…"
"Then, after poor Kurt and Blaine passed, he started to talk about the two of you more and more, to the extent that when that whole terrible court case blew up; well I admit that I cried for you both when I heard what you had suffered. Still, you had to fight to be who you are and where you are now shows that you have succeeded to a great degree. I want you to know that I am so grateful that you thought about Artie when you inherited all of this. However, when it comes to the rent you are asking…"
"I am sure that Artie will have told you my reasoning there, ma'am," interjected Jeff. "For me, this is not about money, it is about spreading all the happiness that I can to reverse all the hatred and negativity that lead to me inheriting all of this in the first place. Artie is a good friend, and I take care of my friends. It is as simple to me as that."
"Well, I cannot argue with those sentiments, and the money that we will save on rent will be useful to acquire a few extras. However, if you change your mind at any time…"
"I won't. For as long as he wishes to live here, the figure that I have set will be Artie's rent."
"When my husband decides on something, then he will not be moved. He is stubborn that way," said Nick with a grin. "I think that subject is well and truly closed, ma'am!"
"Very well. Now, unless you both want me to call you Mr Sterling-Duval all the time, please drop the ma'am and call me Anna. Your Dalton manners are impeccable and impressive, but to be honest, ma'am makes me feel old!" said Mrs Arbrams.
"And you certainly aren't that, Anna," said Jeff with a twinkle in his eye, making her laugh.
"I shall take that as the compliment it was surely intended to be, Jeff. Now, if you will excuse me, I must go and see how the movers are doing. I mean, Kitty is good, but sometimes people will take advantage of someone's youth…"
She walked away, leaving Artie, who had been sitting beside her silently all the time they had been talking, shaking his head. "Those movers should be getting paid danger money. I mean, imagine having to face both my mom and Kitty in full flow. I'd best go and try to rescue them, neighbours - and you have no idea how good it feels to say that!"
"It does feel great to say that, yeah," said Nick as Jeff grinned. "So, as it is early, and the movers will probably be hurrying to escape, instead of coming for tea, come for lunch. You'll all be hungry, and Jeff has to work later in any case, so it makes more sense."
"That would be good, actually. I might have managed to wangle a couple of tickets to see Kinky Boots from Cooper for me and my mom tonight, not that she knows about that yet. Rachel did offer me tickets for Funny Girl, but she and my mom never did see eye to eye, so I declined politely. Cooper and my mom have never met, but he will turn on that charm of his and she will love him, just as she loved Blaine. So, see you guys in about an hour?" Nick and Jeff nodded in agreement, and as Artie rolled away in the direction of his mom's voice, Nick hastened back inside. If he was serving up lunch, then there was a savoury tart that he needed to bake…
The guests arrived promptly, not long after the movers van had roared away. Nick carried Artie up the stairs, and then excused himself to go and attend to stuff in the kitchen. Jeff, left in the role of host, offered Mrs Abrams a tour of the house, which she accepted. Caleb meanwhile put in an appearance, and promptly jumped up into Artie's lap. He was still there, quite content, when the tour ended, and it was time for his mom to meet the young cat. She, like everyone else, immediately adored him, and when Jeff related the story of how he had ended up living with them, she might have shed a few tears.
Nick returned from the kitchen to announce that lunch was ready, and he once again stepped up to carry Artie down, Kitty following with his chair. The table was set in the kitchen, with the French doors to the garden open immediately behind it. Lunch was a very informal affair; Nick's tart went down very well, receiving compliments from them all; if she was honest, Mrs Abrams' was actually surprised at just how good it was. He had served it with salad, bread home baked fresh that morning, and a selection of cheese; it was followed by a dessert of fruit mousse. Caleb had gone to his dish and happily ate the offcuts of the bacon that Nick had used in making the tart, before deciding that a nap was in order, so he headed back to his bed. By the time that Mrs Abrams left the house, she was feeling much happier. She had always worried about her son's safety whilst he was in New York, but now she felt more secure. He was living close to good friends now, and that was a positive. As for his apartment, it was ideal. She would enjoy her surprise trip to the theater that night knowing that everything in her son's life would be okay for some time to come.
The following day saw the movers in the street for the final time that week as Elliott moved into his new place. As promised, Beats had come to assist him; had used it as an excuse the previous day to come over and help him pack up his few personal belongings at his old place. The fact that it meant that they got to spend the night together was just a happy accident. They were joined by Flint and Ethan, who had left Princeton earlier than they normally would for a weekday trip into the city, and had found themselves crushed up together in the train with the hundreds of commuters that were making their way to the city for work. It was an experience that neither of them wished to repeat in a hurry. Jeff was waiting for them on his own, as Nick had a full day at the Law Library; he had left far later then he normally would have done, positively rejoicing that he only had one subway to catch. Mike was at the Spotlight again, this being part of Michelle's plan to allow as many people as possible attend the wedding in Ohio at the weekend. Jeff himself would be working the late shift that day, but for now he was free to lend a hand, and if nothing else, could provide lunch for his new tenant, although not on anything like the elaborate scale that Nick had provided yesterday.
It did not take them long to move Elliott's belongings in between the movers and the five young men. Their initial task done, Flint and Ethan went to have another look round the apartment that would soon be theirs whilst Jeff went to make lunch. This done, they popped in to see Artie, seeing as he was going to be their new neighbour, and were pleased to see that he had settled in well. Flint had decided that it was best that they let Elliott settle in with only Beats to help. He knew that his best friend had taken a couple of bags of clothes with him the night before, so that he could start to move in as Elliott did. He was also pretty sure that they would also be christening the new bed, although he could not be certain. However, when the two of them arrived at Jeff's for lunch ten minutes late and looking much less well put together than they had when he and Ethan had left, Flint was almost positive that he had been totally right.
Thus in the space of three days, three of the homes that Gordon Clarington had managed to leave inadvertently to his forgotten son were occupied once more; it would not be long until another two would be, a third had been promised to someone and there were still two available to be handed out when necessary. In the process though, none of them had lost sight that it was going to be a big weekend for all of them. For the ex-Warblers, it was time for their annual return to the nest. Their blazers had been dug out from the back of wardrobes with their ties, and they had been washed and pressed, ready to be worn at the graduation ceremony. This year would mark the end of an era in some ways; with the graduation of Colin and Skylar, the last of the Warblers that the youngest of Wes' boys had sung with would be leaving Dalton behind. Nick had pointed out to Jeff that going next year would be strange as a result, as they would not really know any of the boys graduating. They would however know one new member of staff, with Thad heading back to his alma mater, but this time as a member of permanent staff.
That ceremony would take place on Friday morning; in the afternoon, they would all be assembled at the main staircase, to witness the wedding of the only female honorary Warbler to her bride. It was something that all of them were looking forward to with anticipation. Bets had been made by some on what the brides would be wearing - there was a strong rumour that Santana would be dressed in red, seeing as she was no angel. There was also a lot of speculation as to who would be performing the ceremony, with strong suspicions that it might well be Burt Hummel; and then there was the question of what music they would have chosen for their first dance. However, those that were closest to Santana knew that behind the happy face that she showed to everyone there lay a secret heartache. She was deeply upset that her beloved grandmother would not be there to see her marry the woman of her dreams. She did not approve of her lifestyle, or of her relationship with Brittany. She had tried to tell herself that it was her loss, but that only went so far. Her nearest friends all felt a great deal of sympathy for her, but when all was said and done, there was not much that any of them could do that would change the mind of the lady in question.
They had all reckoned without the fact that there was one lady back in Ohio that had a special spot in her heart for those two young women; true, they had had their differences over the years, but she had always admired the fact that Santana took the blows, then got straight back up and out again, ready for a new day. Her undying love for Brittany was at the heart of everything that she did, and Sue Sylvester knew that when she had broken up with her at the end of her senior year, she had done so in the best interests of both of them at the time. They had reunited of course, but then had been forced to live through so much heartache and pain in the next few months; at the time, even Sue had struggled to deal with all of it. She knew that they had managed it by leaning on each other; Brittany's simple ways and Santana's tough outlook on life had combined to make them an unbreakable team; a pairing that could survive anything that life could throw at them. So when it came to choosing a wedding gift for them, Sue had opted to select one that money could not buy. She would do her best to use psychology to shock someone into changing their mind. If it worked, then they would love and revere her forever, and she was confident that it would work. Heck, she loved those girls, just as much as she had come to care about all of those kids, even the Dalton boys. After all, two of them had managed to provide her with a way back to centre stage and the world of politics.
As for the two brides to be, they had left the city on Wednesday, with the good wishes of those that would not be able to make the trip, although the thought of returning to Ohio did fill them both with a little anxiety. In an ideal world, they would both had spent the last few weeks in the state, going through all the necessary preparations for their big day. In an ideal world, they might have married later in the summer, but this was not that ideal world. School had kept both of them in New York until almost that week, and a later date had not been an option either. The school board at Dalton had decided that it was high time that the school was redecorated, and that would take place during the summer. Most crucially of all, they would be overhauling the glazed dome above the main staircase. A couple of the panes of glass had been left cracked after a winter storm, and there was now a small leak. It made sense to deal with it now whilst it was relatively straightforward, rather than allow it to deteriorate further.
So for the wedding that they wanted in that most perfect of settings, it had to be that day, the 27th of May. The scaffolders would arrive on Saturday to set up their access to the roof. In the absence of the two brides, Santana's mother had taken on the bulk of the planning. When she was told the venue, she had been sceptical to say the least, not sure if a boy's school was an entirely appropriate location for a wedding, and so had arrived at Dalton to see Principal Lefevre with a string of doubts in her mind. She found the lady in question waiting for her on the doorstep; a last minute issue meant that she would not be able to guide her around, and so Mrs Carmichael had stepped in at short notice to do the honours. She had taken her the longer route to the chosen location, in the exact reverse of the path once taken by Blaine on a run with Kurt's hand gripped in his own. They passed the door of the Senior Commons, and from within could be heard the tones of the Warblers in rehearsal; the door had been left a little ajar for a change, at the request of Mrs Carmichael. When they stepped into the painted corridor, Mrs Lopez had stopped and gasped at such beauty within a school building, and Edith had paused to let her admire it, explaining the origins of the work. She then pointed out that in previous weddings at the school, the bride had always walked this way en-route to the ceremony, as it made such a wonderful backdrop to any video or photographic record. Mrs Lopez had nodded, and walked on, absorbed by the beauty of the surroundings; so much so, that she failed to notice that they had arrived at their destination at first. Then she noticed that the light was much brighter, and looked up. The dome made the last of her doubts about the choice disappear. It would be perfect…
Since then, she had spent every spare moment of each day working hard to ensure that everything would run like clockwork on her daughter's big day. She had found a good friend and a constant source of ideas and support in Edith Carmichael; over the course of her years as the Principal's wife, she had been involved in the planning of so many marriage ceremonies that she knew the best people to ask for almost everything. As she put it, it might be the first time Dalton had seen two brides, and it had yet to see two grooms, although she was sure it wouldn't be that long until it did; but a wedding was a wedding. Brittany's mom did assist them in her own way too, although she kept expressing her disappointment that the two girls had rejected out of hand her own suggestion for the venue. To be honest, once the other two ladies had heard exactly where she had suggested and why, they were glad that the two girls had had more sense and another place in mind.
Dalton was the natural first stop when the two girls arrived back in Ohio that Wednesday. For that reason, they had chosen to fly into the airport in Columbus, rather than the usual one nearer Lima. As they were driven up the driveway of the school in the cab that they had taken from the airport, Santana could hear her heart pounding in her chest. Brittany was so excited about the fact that they were going to be getting married at Gay Hogwarts. There were times that Santana cursed that Dalton had ever been given that nickname, and also the fact that Brittany remembered them. As for herself, she was just a little worried. She had given her mom such a detailed checklist, and despite the fact that she had constantly reassured her that everything was going to plan…
Then they were at the door, where her mom was waiting for them. They stepped out of the cab, and Santana went to pay the driver. She had been accompanied on the doorstep by a young man that Santana recognised as a former Warbler, whose name escaped her at the moment, and by the older lady that she recognised at once as the wife of the former Principal of Dalton; a woman that her mom had told her was a genius on wedding planning issues. Brittany had run over to hug Edward the moment that she stepped out of the cab; he had hugged her back, and then had gone to perform the task that had been allotted to him, namely taking their luggage out of the trunk. As Santana turned back towards the door once she had paid the driver, she smiled to see her fiancée being hugged by her mom, but she did not step forward, merely standing there, nervous twiddling the Warbler pin she had attached to the lapel of her new navy blazer.
"I can understand your nerves, my dear. When I married Aaron, I was worried about every aspect of the ceremony right up until the moment that I walked down the aisle towards him," whispered Mrs Carmichael to her, having come over to stand beside her. "Now, although your mother will tell you that most of what you are about to see is my doing, I can't really take all the credit. I might have had a little help from a certain angel called Kurt…" That name was enough to instantly dispel nearly all of Santana's doubts and she smiled. If Kurt had been around and giving input, it would all be fine. He knew that her opinions did not matter nearly as much as Brittany's; as long as she liked it, it would all be ok. "He has been here every single day for the last few weeks - and there was one morning that I walked in and found that all the decorations had been completely altered. That one was hard to explain, and I'm sure that I might have heard three other angels complaining about being up all night doing it. He is waiting inside right now. He wants to see your fiancée's face as she walks in. All I hope is that between us, we've got it right…"
As they walked in through the front door - past the spot where she had stood with Rachel and Mercedes to welcome Kurt on the day that Blaine had proposed, Santana could feel goosebumps coming up on her skin. So much was riding on this moment; if it was wrong, then it was far too late now to alter it, and that would ruin the atmosphere on their special day. She need not have worried. When Brittany shrieked as she entered the room that contained that sweeping staircase it was in delight, not horror, and Santana had to admit that what she saw in front of her pretty much took her breath away too.
The room had been draped with swags of white satin, but in a restrained manner; it's presence enhanced the decorative ironwork on the landing and balustrade, rather than completely overpowering it. There were muted wall hangings too, embroidered in fine gold and silver thread in a pattern of flowers, birds, and yes, she was sure that she could also see angels and at least one unicorn, further confirmation that Kurt's hand had been at work here. The chairs had already been set out, using every possible space but still providing clear, wide aisles for people to move around. They had all been angled to give the clearest possible view of the foot of the stairs, where the celebrant would stand to perform the service. The chairs were also draped in the same patterned fabric as the wall hangings. The marble floor had been scrubbed clean, then polished carefully until it shone, but was not slippery. Carpet runners had been placed along the passageways at the sides, to ensure that the pupils that passed through the room would not mark the floor with their shoes…
Santana turned to look at her mom, who was standing there with her fingers crossed smiling broadly, and then at Brittany, whose face was aglow, here eyes moist from happy tears. "This is just so beautiful. It is exactly as I imagined it to be. Somehow I have been given exactly what I wanted…"
"Then it is definitely what I wanted too," replied Santana, relieved that her personal crisis was now over. It was perfect for Brittany, and that was all that mattered to her. It was almost perfect for her too, but for one thing; and that one thing that would have completed it for her, well that was a lost cause…