A New Start for Nick
With good news for those involved in the theatre, the friends were all already happy when Saturday morning came along. Nick was up and about early, not a difficult task with a baby in the house, and he had taken a morning stroll with little Wes in his papoose, mainly to buy a copy of the New York Times. He smiled as he quickly found exactly what he was looking for, and when Jeff came down a little later, he was just as pleased to see the confirmation in black and white, as it meant he no longer had to keep the whole thing a secret. About 7.30am, Nick sent a quick text to his sister, knowing she would be up - 'Today's Times; Page 14, 6th Column' - and waited…
Across town in Murray Hill, Grace was getting ready to leave for the office when his missive arrived, and she regarded it quizzically for a moment before heading out. She picked up a copy of the paper at the drugstore on her way to the subway, and once outside, turned to the relevant page. She scanned down, then stopped as he eyes widened. She suddenly found herself punching the air in a most unladylike manner and laughing, much to the confusion of those other New Yorkers that were early on the go. In a moment she was calling her brother. He answered immediately of course, and she was quick to speak.
"The UN! Nick, I am beyond happy for you! This is your dream job! I am going to take great pleasure when I get to work in photocopying the article in the paper, highlighting it, and sticking it on the bulletin board. It will be another nail in my own coffin, but that is more than okay. We are planning to leave en masse in late September, just as soon as our new offices are fully ready. But enough of me, this is your big day, little brother… Have you told mom yet, because I am sure she will be every bit as delighted as me… And can I tell Coop?"
"No I haven't and yes, you can," replied Nick with a laugh at how overexcited his big sister sounded. "At the moment, the only other person that knows is Jeff, and that will be it for now, because I seriously doubt anyone else will see that little article in the Times…"
As it happened, Nick was wrong in his assumption that morning. Ethan had woken earlier than usual that Saturday, having had one of his very occasional disturbed nights, when thoughts of Drew filled his head. He had used the extra time to begin the process of sorting out Flint's old room for his cousin Leo, who had been accepted for the MTA apprentice scheme, and would be coming to live in the city in just a couple of weeks time. This begun, he had decided on a whim to head to the local bakery to pick up some fresh bagels for his breakfast, before he headed down to the temple for a chat with the rabbi about his nightmares. This was the best day to purchase them, as they were always plentiful and delicious. As he passed the drug store on the way home, he remembered that he would need new toothpaste soon, so popped in to buy some, and on a whim, picked up the paper too.
Sat at the kitchen table with bagels, coffee and a glass of juice, he began to scan through the main section of the paper, pausing to read articles that interested him, and also to see what the President had done now… Why his eyes would have taken him to the little article headed New Appointees at the U.N. he would never be sure, but he paused when he saw it, and read. A smile spread across his face as he did. "Nice one, Nick!" he said out loud to the empty house, and decided that he had to call Flint and see if he knew - but only after he had sent a congratulatory text to the young man two doors along…
In Washington DC, Burt Hummel would come across the information in another source altogether. He had begun to read the weekly U.N. briefings as a way of staying on top of world affairs, but normally he would scan over the section on staff. It was no different that Saturday morning, and he flipped the booklet over to read the other page. Across the table Carole was eating her own breakfast, and chanced to look up at the page he had just ignored. She saw the familiar name in black and white, and smiled. "Burt, do you think that is our Nick?" she asked quietly.
Her husband looked confused for a moment, until she pointed at the piece she was reading. He flipped the booklet back over and read, coming across the words Columbia graduate 2018, and nodding. "Good for him! If there is anyone that would be a prefect fit for that job, he is. After what happened to him with that terrible boss of his, this news is all the sweeter." He picked up his phone, and sent of a quick message to Trent, telling him to read the U.N. briefing at once, and what page he needed to look at first…
Nick was pleased to receive the message of congratulations from Ethan, which arrived almost the moment that he had hung up on his sister. A few minutes later he had a message from Flint, and how he knew was obvious. The one from Burt was a pleasant surprise; obviously there were more people reading the Times than he thought. At that moment his phone began to ring, and he picked it up in full expectation of what was about to happen next…
"Oh God, Nick! I am so, so happy for you! When did it all happen?"
"Wednesday. They invited me out for lunch, not telling me who they were, and it kind of turned out to be my interview… So, I am guessing that Burt told you, Trent?"
"Yeah; he told me I needed to read this week's U.N. briefing urgently, and what page to start on, and there it was; Nick Sterling-Duval, Legal Associate, Human Rights Division. I hope that you will send a copy of that briefing to that despicable boss of yours, ideally with a thank you note attached. Anyways, I am guessing that by the lack of post on Facebook you haven't told Thad yet?"
"No, I haven't; to be honest, I haven't told my mom yet…"
"You haven't told your mom! She might get the U.N. briefing through Sue, so I would do it ASAP unless you are feeling reckless. I will speak to you later, so you can get on and do it. By the way, next time I am up in New York, we will be having a celebration for this…"
Nick's mom would react in the same way as his sister had; thankfully, she did not read the U.N. briefing, but now that her son was going to be working there and might get a mention every so often, she made up her mind to subscribe. She told him that she would call his grandparents and let them know, but that he would have to call them up himself later as they would wish to speak to him in person. He readily agreed, knowing how much he owed them. If they had not given him refuge when his father had reacted to his coming out, he might not be in the position he was in now.
Then it was time to call the Head Warbler. When he answered, Nick said, "Good Morning Thad! How is everything at Dalton? Freshmen full of promise of Warbler glory and the prospect of an unprecedented hat trick at Nationals?"
"Hmm, you sound far too cheerful this morning compared to how you have been. In answer to your question, there are a couple of new boys that seem very promising so far, but we still have more auditions to get through. So, tell me, what has made you so cheerful? Please tell me it isn't alcohol or drugs, prescription or otherwise…"
"I am full of joy because I have a new job; I found out on Wednesday, but have only been able to tell people other than Jeff since it was made official and published in the media. You are now speaking to a very, very junior legal person at the United Nations…"
There was a moment of silence, and then Thad responded in hushed, almost reverential tones. "The U.N…. That is just perfect; it is where you should have been right from the start, not swamped by the pressures of big law. So you will be officially out of the USA every day during working hours Monday to Friday; that is also quite something. The Carmichaels are going to be so proud and pleased when they find out, because as far as I am aware, I don't think there has ever been a Dalton boy, let alone a Warbler, working in that particular global organisation. Does it mean you will have to travel abroad as well?"
"Yes, I will have to from time to time, and that is the only thing that worries me; you know how Jeff can get… Anyway, I give you permission to put it on the Warbler Facebook page, and to go and tell the Carmichaels; I can sense you are desperate to go and tell them…"
Thad laughed, then said, "Of course I can do that for you. Anyway, I am just so pleased for you; after all, it is time that you started to look forward to going to work every day after all…"
The first two people that would actually congratulate Nick in person that day were Beats and Mike; the former had heard the news from Ethan, and had not thought twice about dropping everything and heading straight round, not even waiting when he was told that Flint would be coming down in a little while and they could all pop in together. He had decided that he was going to get in first for once, at least in person. As he waited for his ring on the doorbell to be answered he was joined on the steps by Mike, who was clutching a copy of the Times in his hand, and was grinning away like the Cheshire Cat. It was Jeff that opened the door, also with a huge smile on his face, and little Wes cradled in his arms.
"He is on the telephone downstairs to his grandparents, who are beyond pleased that all of his troubles are only 'little ones' again. As for me, I am just relieved that I no longer have to keep the news a secret, and I can say to anyone that enquires that my husband works at the United Nations. Admittedly, the job does come with a few minor compromises for me, most notably the fact that Nicky will have to travel to Geneva every so often; as long as he is happy, then that is all that matters to me if I am honest…."
Jeff stopped talking as they all heard the sound of feet running up the steps from the kitchen, and then Nick appeared behind him, smiling but shaking his head. "My grandfather can talk for hours if you let him; they are both so pleased for me though, and of course it is my grandmother's ladies circle meeting this afternoon, where she will no doubt be telling everyone ad nauseam about her grandson's new job in international law…."
"Which is true," remarked Mike. "You will be working somewhere that has influence in every corner of the world. Personally, the fact that you will be there and doing that fills me with a great deal of confidence for the future." With that, Mike stepped forward and pulled Nick into a tight hug, just as he had done in the same spot a few weeks earlier, only this time it was in congratulations, not in commiseration.
After a few moments, Beats cleared his throat, and with a chuckle Mike stepped to one side to let the beat boxer have his turn. "Who would ever have thought that one day Nick Duval would get the opportunity to help change the world for the better," he whispered in his ear, which made Nick grin, albeit thinking that it was a trifle early to be saying things like that. "I wonder what your father will make of this news when he finds out?" Beats mused in a louder voice as he let go of his friend.
That statement earned an immediate response from Jeff. "I think that he will be absolutely livid about it, as will a certain Mr Vallent…"
By lunchtime, Nick was tired. Whilst it was great that everyone was so pleased for him, visitor after visitor was taking its toll, not to mention the constant stream of text messages and the frequent calls to the house phone; in fact, Jeff had taken to answering the phone with the words "Nick Sterling-Duval's office; his P.A. speaking." Caleb had retreated up to the studio, with his tail raised high behind him, so disgusted was he at the constant disturbance to his peace and quiet; he had settled there in a sun beam, and was mollified a little when Jeff brought him some chicken. He had even been called by Isabelle, who after offering her good wishes, had asked if he would give her an interview, as she was certain that once the court case that had got Nick fired in the first place came to an end, everyone would want to read about how the young man that had placed himself on the firing line to ensure that justice could be done had got his just reward in the end - and the fact that Jeff was also quite a name would help too.
Sebastian had arrived en route to work, although Nick was quite unsure how the West Village was on his route from Penn Station to a street several blocks north, just to pass on his and Dave's best wishes. He had been there when Cooper had arrived, and had witnessed the moment when Cooper not only pulled Nick into a hug, but actually lifted him off his feet and spun him around, which saw his husband and Sebastian dissolve into helpless laughter as Nick squealed. By mid afternoon, things finally died down. Jeff had a shift at the Spotlight, something that he could now cut back on, much to his secret relief, and Nick found himself alone with just his son for company. As he held his son in his arms, he suddenly felt as if he could just burst with pure happiness at it all. He quite literally now had everything he had ever wanted; a dream job, a beautiful home, and a little family all of his own with the man he adored. Even if his father had walked in at that moment, he would not have been able to shatter the bubble of joy that surrounded him. He doubted that anything could…
Downtown, Grace had made the most of being one of the few staff in the building. On her arrival, she had been greeted warmly as always by the guard on the desk, and when she told him the news about Nick, his smile had widened all the more. "A certain someone will not like that one bit. I feel sorry for whoever he is with today, because they will be getting it in the neck about this all day. You be sure and tell your brother that we are all proud of him." With those words, Grace knew that he would be sure to turn a blind eye if she stuck a few posters up…
Her little poster was quite a creation, made up of her brother's staff I.D. picture and the column from the Times. She had copied enough to ensure that it was posted on every notice board in the company's part of the building, making sure that she put up even more on the floor that he used to work on, including half a dozen on the board that was directly outside the office of Lionel Vallent. He would know immediately that she was behind them, and he would probably place her redundancy letter in the mail of Monday morning. It would also place him in a foul mood on the first day of the rerun of the trial Nick had disrupted. After that had concluded, she was pretty sure that things for the man in question would not be all that rosy. Questions were being asked already at board level she had been informed and she was certain that his every move in the court next week would be scrutinised closely. All that they could hope for now was that he would slip up somehow…
On Monday morning, Nick rose early as he always had done, even whilst he was out of work, and dressed himself in his suit with particular care. This was the first time he had put a suit on for four weeks, and it did feel a little strange. As he made sure that his tie was perfectly straight, then checked his overall appearance in the mirror, he thought about just how hectic the last two days had been, and smiled as he remembered just how much love he had been shown. The knowledge that so many people cared about him had filled him with a new appreciation for all of his friends, and even for some people that he never would have pictured himself counting as such. The message from Sue Sylvester had been totally unexpected, as had the fact that she wished him all the best in his new job, along with her belated congratulations on being a father. He first thought that his mom had put her up to it, but she denied all knowledge, and he had chosen to believe her.
Burt Hummel had also made time to call him, and he informed him that he had spoken to a couple of contacts he had in the United Nations building on his behalf, and had asked them to come and introduce themselves to him in his first week, as it would not hurt to have a few contacts outwith his own department. The gesture from the Congressman was a kind one, and it had made his heart a little lighter; if Nick had one fear about his new job, it was that he was going to be working in such a big building in a huge organisation. It had sometimes felt bad enough in a law firm with a few hundred employees; the U.N. had over 6000 employees in New York alone. To know that there were even just two people in amongst them that had his interests at heart was a comfort. It was about an hour later that the text arrived from Rory, which informed him that someone that he knew from his work in Dublin had now moved to a post working for the Irish government within the U.N. building, and that they too would stop by at some point to say hello.
The other visitor that he had been expecting over the weekend had also appeared, doing so on Saturday night, shortly after Nick had put his namesake in his cot for the night. Nick had felt the draught, and had stood to one side to allow Wes to inspect the sleeping child in his crib, before coming over to join his old friend. "I had wanted to get here before now, but the work never seems to stop. So, I'm guessing this means no bakery..?"
Nick laughed quietly so as not to disturb his son, then replied, "The good citizens of New York will have to wait a little longer to sample my culinary creations, yes - but then, you knew what was coming, didn't you? That was why you pushed me to keep at it with law when all I wanted to do after everything that happened was quit."
"Naturally… It was in no-one's interests for you to walk away from your career because of the actions of one man. It would have been such a waste of your talents for one thing; your passion for law and justice is what drives you, and if you had gone into baking full time, I feared that you would lose the one thing that helps you to relax and overcome your stress. I am sure that this job will be the making of you, and the prospects are excellent. You do, after all, have a permanent contract, not a fixed term one, which means that you can safely spend the rest of your working life at the United Nations, frightening as that prospect must seem to you just now…"
"Actually, it is quite appealing if I am honest; the idea of spending the rest of my life trying to improve the lot of my fellow man would be totally fine. Even the idea of having to travel abroad every so often appeals, although the whole 'year abroad' concept is not quite so simple. That does worry me. After all, will it be before little Wes goes to school? Even if it is, who will take care of the house, and Caleb for that matter? After all, we can hardly take the cat abroad with us for a year; he'd spend more time in quarantine and stuff…"
"No, you can't really take Caleb, but I am sure that his Uncle Mike would have him, and probably spoil him rotten in the process. I just want to put it on record here and now that I am very proud of you, my Dove; you are living up to your promise just as we had all hoped…"
Nick pondered over Wes' words as he waited for Jeff in the hallway that morning. For his first day, he would not be travelling alone. Dr Schultz had told him that the U.N. was a family, and therefore he had been encouraged to bring Jeff and little Wes with him that morning, so that they could meet his new colleagues too. It had been quite a shock to Jeff, after being told that he could not come to Nick's office under any circumstances by his previous employer. He had agreed to come, and so it was that the two of them headed north on the subway that morning; they changed to the shuttle to Grand Central at Times Square, and then walked the few blocks from there to the big building on the East River.
As instructed, Nick presented his credentials at the gate, and after a quick check, he was handed a temporary pass along with Jeff and even little Wes; that would get him to the department, where his permanent I.D. was waiting for him. It was odd too to watch as his case was searched as he entered, but in this day and age, he supposed they could not be too careful. As the security staff checked through the baby bag Jeff was carrying, Nick also pondered on the fact that although he was still very close to home, he was technically no longer in the United States… Then Jeff was at his side, with little Wes strapped to him, and they joined the steady flow of people of all races and creeds heading into the building. At Jeff's insistence, Nick had to stop at the door so he could take a photo, as after all everyone would want to see them. Then it was on into a busy elevator, in which little Wes seemed to be the centre of attention, before finally alighting at the right floor and heading to his new place of work.
As soon as he stepped into the department, Nick was greeted by Miss Worthington. She smiled warmly at him and Jeff, then said, "Welcome to the world of Human Rights, Nick. We know that we have made the right choice in recruiting you for this work, and we all hope that you will feel at home here. Now I am guessing that the young man at your side is your talented husband. I am a great admirer of The Judging Angel; in fact I have one of the prints hanging in my office, and obtained a second one recently on behalf of the United Kingdom representative here at the U.N. It was requested by quite an important person over there, as they had read about it, seem it in photos, and admired it greatly." She stepped forward and took Jeff's free hand, shaking it warmly, whilst smiling at little Wes in his papoose. "I want to make it clear that you are every bit as welcome here as your husband, any time you wish. We are all a family of sorts here, and we look out for each other. Now, let me show you to your office, Nick, so that you can get settled in before the official welcoming ceremony."
She turned, and headed down the corridor a little way, before opening a door and gesturing to them both to enter. Nick stepped forward and promptly froze on the threshold. Just a few weeks ago, his private workspace had been a tiny, flimsy cubicle; now he was being shown into a room with a window that looked out over Manhattan, and there was just one desk in there… "I guess that it is a bit bigger than your last office judging by the look on your face," said Miss Worthington with a laugh. "We believe strongly here that people function best when they have a conducive space in which to work, so we ensure everyone has their own room with natural light. You can access secretarial services if you require them, but everyone has ample time to prepare their own work here. We have a fast pace of work, but outwith dire emergencies, things are not too frantic. Also, feel free to bring in any personal touches you wish to make it your own; photos, plants, knick knacks… Anyway, I will leave you to settle in, but I will be back at 10am to escort you to the reception."
Once she had left, Nick walked round his desk and slumped into the comfortable chair from where he could glance out at the city. "This must all be a dream, Jeffie. Please don't wake me up just yet…"
"It's not a dream, Nicky; this is you getting what you have always deserved. So, get those photos out of your case, and then I will snap a few pictures of you behind your new desk for friends and family to see…" In the end, they both agreed that the best shot to send out was the one of Nick holding little Wes in his arms, his staff I.D. in place, with the window behind him, nicely framing the Chrysler Building. It showed exactly how much his circumstances had changed in just over a month.
When the time came to head to the welcoming ceremony, Nick decided that he would ask Miss Worthington a question about what she had said earlier. "So, I am curious; do we know who it was in the UK that requested the print of The Judging Angel? Or is that a state secret?"
Miss Worthington smiled, then said in a low voice, "Technically it is a secret, but between the four of us, I believe that it was acquired for Her Majesty…" Nick had to hold Jeff up at that point, the idea that The Queen had even heard of him, and liked his work being enough to make him close to fainting. Once he had recovered a little, they headed into the conference room, where the whole department had been assembled. Nick was asked to join Dr Schultz at the front, and he introduced him with a short speech, in which he mentioned what he had done in the court in August; the round of applause he received at that made Nick go scarlet. The speech over, he was then introduced to the main members of the team, quite certain that he would forget all of their names, but thankfully he could always just glance at their staff pass for confirmation. It was as he came to the last of them that Nick looked up and saw someone that he had not been expecting….
Ten minutes later, Nick and Jeff found themselves alone in the former's new office with Judge Horowitz. She smiled at them both, then said, "Can I just say how pleased I am to see how well you have both done for yourselves in the last five and a half years. I can still recall the day that you both ended up taking the witness stand, and I saw then just how close your bond was. It was no shock to hear about your marriage, and I think that you will also turn out to be exemplary fathers. My congratulations to you also, Jeff, on your achievements in the world of art. I saw The Judging Angel for myself that summer; would I be correct in assuming that it was Mr Montgomery in the portrait?"
Jeff nodded, and then the judge continued. "That would also be why you have called your son Wesley. He was such a wonderful young man, so passionate about law, and his death was a tragic loss to the world at large… Now, Nick, I have to say that your moment in my court last month was not the most appropriate, and some of my less liberal colleagues felt that I should have charged you with contempt. I refused to do so, and also passed the case to another judge. To be honest, I loathe the sainted Lionel Vallent; the fact that the verdict could be Not Guilty as a result of his machinations would have killed me. He might find that harder than he was expecting this morning though; the court might have swapped the pools of jurors this morning at the last minute, which should make things more just and interesting. As for you, young man, I think here you will have found your niche; I said as much to my old school friend Audra. Fortunately, she just so happens to be married to your Mr Hansen. She might have mentioned my feelings about you to him, and there we go…"
Nick's eyebrows shot up at that, suddenly conscious of the fact that he might only be were he was now thanks to a word in the right ear for the first time; and he wasn't entirely sure that he approved of that notion. As if she had read his mind, Judge Horowitz continued, "As it happened, your name was already in the frame by then; the case had been being observed by Dr Schultz, as he saw whatever decision was made there as possibly having relevance on a global scale. As he might have told you, he recalled your name from a list of people that colleges had recommended to the U.N. as being suitable for a position with them, and when he heard that you had essentially stood up and called the entire defence case rubbish, he knew that you were exactly the kind of young blood that this place needs. After all, both Dr Schultz and Dr Hansen are approaching the age when retirement is likely, and they wanted to ensure that the people that they had working here when that time came were of the calibre that would continue to uphold all that they have struggled so hard to achieve."
"I am reassured that I am largely here on my own merits then," said Nick with a smile, "But I am grateful for your intervention and kind words, and those of my tutors back at Colombia, I guess."
"You certainly are here because of them. I will be disappointed not to see you in action in my court room for my own part, but this is a well deserved step on your career ladder. Never lose that passion, and try not to become too downhearted if you find yourself unable to achieve all that you would wish to at first. It will be a struggle, but I like to think that one day the whole world will be able to enjoy the freedoms that those in the more liberal nations do. Now, do I get a proper introduction to your son?" Nick smiled as Jeff carefully handed little Wes over to the judge, and saw Jeff was smiling too. As she looked down at the child in her arms, she couldn't help but smile, recognising that the little boy was a symbol of the enduring love for each other of the couple before her, which had survived so much pain and torment…