The Unquestionable Joy of Wes Montgomery
"Wes, I am giving my wish to you...permission has been granted for you to marry Thad…"
Elizabeth watched as Wes just sat there in front of her, his expression frozen at her words. Then he began to shake his head, trying to unblock ears that were not blocked, to clear his head of what he thought he had heard. "I'm sorry, I must have misheard you. I thought that you just said that I was going to be allowed to marry Thad," he eventually said in a low, emotionless tone.
"You didn't mishear me; I did say that. It is exactly the same situation as Albert and Elsie; he promised that he would marry her by the age of 30, and you told Thad, on a number of occasions, that if you were both still single when he turned 30..."
"That I would marry him. I know I said that, but it wasn't a formal engagement, like Albert and Elsie had."
"Nonetheless, other people were aware of your pledge, and that was good enough for the council, as it happens. Nothing will give me more pleasure than to see you and your soulmate married, and of course, I will be performing the ceremony myself, just as I did for Kurt and Blaine. Of course, you now have the task of breaking the news to Thad, and you will need to do that today. That is because the council made one proviso on their consent to the marriage; you have to get married on his 30th birthday, and as you know, that is on Sunday…
If the fact that he was going to be allowed to marry the man he loved had not been a big enough shock for Wes, then the news of how quickly it had to happen was what tipped him over into a paroxysm of worry. "This Sunday! In less than 48 hours!? I… I mean it is wonderful, all of my dreams come true, but it is all far too soon!"
"I know, and I can only apologise about that. The fact is that the council have been dragging their heels over giving me a final decision. I submitted my wish to them back in April, with all the evidence, and they literally only gave me their decision about an hour ago. I think they wanted to avoid having to grant it at all, but I knew what to say to make them decide one way or the other. On the positive side, all of your closest friends and family are going to be heading to Dalton tomorrow for a vow renewal, and staying for a surprise party on the day in question; the latter will just have to be proceeded by your wedding."
"I guess that is true, but it is still going to be a rush!" admitted Wes. His face then took on a look of angst as he suddenly realised something. "There are going to be a few issues to overcome; firstly, what are we going to do about Ollie Harwood? He will be there, as it is his brother's birthday, but he can neither hear or see angels."
"I am aware of that, and I am afraid that in the circumstances, all we can do is opt for the use of the 'dream state' protocol. Fortunately he is not going to be at the vow renewal as he is working late on Saturday, not likely to reach home much before midnight. He will then need to be up at 3am to get to the airport to catch the first flight of the day to Columbus. It is already planned that he will have access to a bed at Dalton prior to the party to allow him to catch up on some sleep. He can be taken there, then placed into 'dream state' and will imagine that the entire wedding is one big dream; after all, it would only be in the wildest of his dreams that his brother could marry you. After the ceremony, he is taken back up to bed, and a few minutes later he wakes up."
"Okay, I guess, and I suppose that could also be used for anyone else that isn't able to see us. Right, so point two; the best man situation."
"No issue there really. Obviously, Ollie will be Thad's best man; it is what brothers do for each other. That will free up David for the job that he always anticipated he would have to do one day. The best of it all is that neither of them will have to make a speech, given that there will be no formal reception as such."
"Fact is, if I know David, he will have one written and committed to memory already," said Wes with a grin. "He would be disappointed if he couldn't give it, so we could let him do so when Ollie is briefly back in bed after the event. Maybe he could even make a joint one for us both…" Elizabeth nodded, then smiled as she saw Wes' grin turn into a massive smile. "Well, assuming that I don't wake up in five minutes time, I am getting married on Sunday… It is everything that I could ever have wished for in one. Your generosity in giving this chance to me will be the stuff of legend. So, would it be okay for me to go and break the news to my husband-to-be?"
"I was starting to think you would never ask me that! Take this letter with you; in it the angelic council grants permission and confirms that you can marry. He can read it for himself, just in case he thinks it is all an elaborate hoax. Don't worry about work until after the ceremony either; Emily is more than happy to help me out for the next few days."
"Thank you… But actually, now I think about it, there is one more thing…"
Five minutes later, Wes found himself arriving in Thad's study at Dalton. School might not have been in session, but as the head of the history department, he had lessons to plan, budgets to reconcile and text books to order. Then there was the Warbler Trust to deal with, plus keeping all the arrangements for the current group of boys in that revered choir organised and up to date. All of that work helped to keep the mind of the Head Warbler off the fact that it was soon to be his birthday; that he would soon enter a new decade of his life…
The draught was still a very welcome distraction for him, the presence of the man that he loved still a joy in these difficult times. He looked up from his laptop, where he had been reconciling the department's stationary budget for the forthcoming year, and was struck instantly by the expression on Wes' face. He looked like the proverbial cat that had got the cream; his face almost glowed with glee from something. It was an expression that he had not seen since that night in Penn Station, the last time he had seen Wes as a living mortal, just moments after their second kiss… "Hey Wes, you are looking very cheerful today! Has something happened that you are able to share?"
Wes came over to sit on his desk, and said, "Oh yes, there is something that I have to share… Today is just such a good and marvellous day! So do you want the good news, or the fantastic, brilliant, mind-blowing, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious news first?"
Thad burst out laughing, then said, "Shall we start with the good news, and work our way up, Mary Poppins…"
Wes chuckled, then said, "Elizabeth has been given a promotion, and her replacement as head of the Ohio section is me. I am going to be the boss, and it is such a huge responsibility, but honestly, I am looking forward to the challenge."
"I guess that puts you in charge of Finn, Kurt and Blaine too?" said Thad with a smile.
"I hadn't really considered that, but yes, I guess that it does."
"Why can I picture you sitting behind a desk, banging a gavel on it when they start bickering amongst themselves…" replied Thad. "Well I can only say that I am so very proud of you, and in my humble opinion, no-one is more deserving of the job than you, my love. You will make an excellent head of department."
"Thank you," said Wes, with a blush. "Now, on to the other news. It is even bigger, and you will need to brace yourself for this one. Remember I told you that Elizabeth had an anniversary of service coming up, and that she gets a wish for it? Well, she can pass it on to someone else, and this morning she told me her wish had been granted, and well, the wish is for me, and well, you too. We have Finn to thank for all of it… So, if you aren't that busy, how would you feel about marrying me on Sunday morning?"
"Well, as you know, I have a surp…" Wes smiled as Thad's brain suddenly realised what he had just said, and his words stopped abruptly. His eyes suddenly widened, and his mouth dropped open. Then, with a shake of his head, he spoke again. "I'm sorry, but could you repeat what you just said? I can't possibly have heard you right." The fact that the words were virtually stammered out in an almost inaudible tone made Wes smile…
"I said, will you do me the honour of agreeing to become my husband on Sunday morning? Will you marry me, Thad Harwood, in less than 48 hours time?"
"That is what I thought you said, Wessie, but I dismissed it, because there is no way that it could ever happen. I can't marry you, although I want to with all of my heart and soul, because you are an angel, and I am not."
Wes nodded, then handed Thad the letter that Elizabeth had given him. With a slightly trembling hand, the younger man took it, and began to read the words, written in the most perfect script. As he read on, it became harder to do so, as the words began to blur, and his eyes failed almost totally after he read 'Because of this discovered precedent, we will honour this most unusual request, and allow the marriage of the angel Wes Montgomery to the mortal Thad Harwood, provided that the union takes place on or before the latter's 30th birthday, as per Mr Montgomery's pledge.'
Thad blinked away his tears, swiped at his eyes, then looked once more at his Wes, standing there smiling broadly. It was indeed the most supercalifragilisticexpialidocious news ever.. And then, Wes spoke again. "Will you marry me on Sunday, my one true love? Will you make this birthday one that you will truly remember for the rest of your life, and make me the happiest angel ever to have lived in the heavenly realms?"
"Oh Wessie, you should know that there could only ever be one answer to your question… Yes, Yes, YES!" squealed Thad, jumping out of his chair and pulling Wes into his arms… They stood there for a moment, holding each other tightly, and then the moment of euphoria passed, and Thad was suddenly hit with a whole slew of problems. He pulled away, his eyes now out on stalks. "Oh my Lord! How on earth do we get married in such a short space of time? There is nothing organised or planned! What on earth do we do about a reception, and then there is the whole best man dilemma. We can't share David, although I guess I could ask one of the others… Ethan maybe, as he is always so organised, or Trent, because he can write a speech in minutes…"
Wes smiled, then said, "Don't worry; Elizabeth has already answered that last question for us. We can arrange it so that your brother will be able to see everything for long enough to be there at your side. He will think it is all a dream, and in it he will be your best man. That is what you would have wanted anyway, had I lived to marry you."
"We can actually do that? Have Ollie able to see, without harming him?"
Wes nodded, then carried on. "As for a reception, well we won't have one I am afraid. Your surprise party will have to suffice instead. I know that it isn't what we might have wanted, but what in life is perfect? The good thing is that we don't have to worry about getting everyone here; they will all be here anyway. They think you are getting a surprise, but in truth, the surprise will be on them…"
"I think that we do have to warn them, Wes, at least David… Of course, there is another snag; we will be upstaging Beats and Elliott on what is supposed to be their weekend…"
"I actually hadn't thought about that," Wes admitted, a little ashamed he had neglected that fact. "I was so excited for us that I forgot it was going to be a big weekend for them as well…"
"I don't actually think they will mind in the least if I am honest. The two of them have always been so easy going," said Thad. "However, we should tell them what is going on, sooner rather than later. The problem will be making everyone believe it; they might think that I am challenging Niff for the title of Prankster Prince… I still don't really believe it myself. I still think that I will wake up soon. I can't believe we are getting married Wessie…" With that, Thad burst into tears all over again, his happiness overflowing.
It would be an hour before either Wes or Thad felt able to leave the study and head out in search of the few other friends that were already at Dalton. They knew exactly where to find them though; Beats and Elliott, along with David, were at the Carmichaels, the latter keeping one anxious eye on his phone in case Mercedes called him for the most urgent of reasons… Both Wes and Thad did their best to keep a poker face as they entered the room, and Mrs Carmichael hurried to fetch two more cups so that they could join them for tea. As she walked back in, Wes handed the letter from Elizabeth to David casually. He took it with curiosity, then started to read it, his eyes widening as he read on… "What!?" was all he could say as he handed the letter back to his oldest friend.
"So what's in the letter?" asked Beats, as Wes handed it over to his former Principal.
"Well, shall we just say that it contains a piece of news that I never expected to hear," said Thad cryptically. Just then, Mrs Carmichael, who had been reading the letter over her husband's shoulder, let out a sob, which made Beats jump.
Wes then spoke. "I am so glad that the two of you aren't planning on heading off on honeymoon after the renewal ceremony, because we now have an event planned before the surprise party that Thad knows all about. The letter basically grants me permission, for only the second time in recorded angelic history, to marry a mortal. I hope that you don't mind, but on Sunday morning I am intending to make an honest man of the current Head Warbler in a ceremony officiated at by Elizabeth Hummel…"
Beats and Elliott looked at each other stunned, then turned to look at the others sitting around the room. David was beaming, his smile wider than ever at the prospect of seeing his two best friends finally tie the knot. Mrs Carmichael was smiling too, although the tears were still coursing down her cheeks; at her side, her husband looked as though he had just won the lottery, and all of his dreams had come true…
"How is this even possible?" asked Beats, then immediately added, "Actually, don't answer that; these days I fully accept that anything can be possible at any given moment, no matter how strange. Of course, this news will completely overshadow and upstage our wedding vow renewal - how could it not? It is more than okay though. The two of you being actual husbands is the best thing ever, no question…"
Elliott nodded in agreement, fully aware that when Michelle found out, she would be absolutely delighted, and glad that she had consented to leave the Spotlight in someone else's hands for a couple of days. "I do see a tiny issue though; what about Dante and Lachlan? Tomorrow there will be no issues, but we can't really tell them that we are going to an event here at Dalton on Sunday morning, before the party, and they can't attend, not when everyone else will be gathering to go to the self same event. It would not be fair, and in any case, if I know teenage boys, they will want to investigate and spy… I guess that I could keep them busy and let Beats attend on his own; after all, he has known you guys so much longer and I am a relative newbie here."
"It's okay, there will be no need for that. We actually have the same issue with my brother, and I am only glad that Skylar has already indicated that Julia will be working. What we are doing to deal with my brother could be done for the boys too, I guess…" said Thad.
As the couple looked at Thad curiously, Wes took a breath, and explained all about the concept of 'dream state'. The married couple listened, and smiled. "That does sound like a workable plan," said Beats. "It allows them to participate fully, but they will imagine that it was just a daydream, an experience brought on by events in the Dalton world. It will be fine…. Can I just point out however that I will be taking some of the credit for getting everyone here for the event of the century; if my dad hadn't had that meeting, then we wouldn't have had to alter our dates, and far fewer folk might have been here…"
Thad and Wes would leave the Carmichaels house after a cup of tea, both aware that there was much to do for the weekend; David opted to join his fellow councilmen, and they headed to Thad's study, where they sat down together to plan. "First off, how is Mercedes doing? Is she still totally stressed out with all the baby stuff?" asked Thad.
"Yes… She has reached that stage when she just wants it all over with and settled. My mom thankfully has the patience of a saint, and she has been dealing with all of my wife's little rants and niggles far better than I have been in all honesty. Coming here has given me the opportunity of a well earned break, trust me. I have to admit that I am just as irritable myself at times when we are together… Thankfully, Simon has been keeping me busy. Looking after him had become more or less a full time job for me with Mercedes feeling as she does, and as for the new au pair, well she just isn't as good with my boy as Roderick was…"
David paused for breath, then changed tack. "So I take it that you will not be needing my frankly brilliant best man's speech that I wrote the first draft of over a decade ago, when I first noted the crackle of sexual tension between the two of you? I mean, it was obvious to me in my sophomore year that you had quite a thing for Thad, Wes. Then we three ended up at the council table together, and honestly, there were days when I half expected you to threw Thad onto the table and ravish him there and then, regardless of the fact that everyone would have been watching…"
Wes looked at his best friend in total shock, whilst Thad looked at him with barely hidden surprise. "I would never have done something so crude!" exclaimed Wes.
"I would have let you if you had wanted to Wessie," admitted Thad; his words were delivered in such a matter of fact tone and a low voice, which made David burst out laughing, and Wes go scarlet. Thad somehow managed to remain looking sweet and innocent….
"Moving on," said Wes, regaining his composure, "there will actually be time for you to deliver that speech, between the actual ceremony and the party itself, when those in the dream state have been taken out of the room. It will of course need to be brief, and please, keep it clean; there is a good chance that little Wes at the least will be in the room…"
"Well, if I have to edit out the risqué bits, then it will last less than a minute," said David, with a wink that set Thad laughing at once, Wes joining in eventually. When the noise stopped he spoke again. "On a serious note, this has to be the best thing that has ever happened. I am beyond pleased for the pair of you. This is the moment that you have both been dreaming of for over a decade, and now it is finally going to happen!"
"I just wonder how the others are going to react when we break this news to them that we are getting hitched. It will be a total shock, but a good one. I don't think any of them will be opposed to the idea in any way, plus they will appreciate the fact that they do not need to purchase wedding presents," said Wes.
"Err, speak for yourself, husband to be. There are quite a few things that I would find perfectly acceptable as little tokens of the affection that they feel for the two of us," Thad said. Wes and David looked at him, not entirely certain if the man in front of them was being serious or not…
Eventually David had to return to his mother's place, to his wife, his son and his new daughter. Being a family man meant that he could no longer hang around chatting to his friends as long as he wanted; his responsibilities elsewhere had to take priority, which was why he was glad that he was not Head Warbler on top of everything else. Thad could devote his spare time to the affairs of the bird brotherhood far more easily than he could. Wes too had to go, but not before he gave David his permission to let his wife know what was going on. After all, the fact that he had been grinning like a Cheshire Cat ever since he had found out would immediately make his wife curious as to what had caused such a state of euphoria.
As for the rest of the circle of friends, Wes left the task of informing them up to Thad, and he decided that the best thing to do was to send out a group text, asking all of them to meet in the Senior Commons, an hour before the vow renewal ceremony was due to commence. He told them that he had a vitally important announcement to make and that attendance on this occasion was mandatory, except in the case of death. He ignored the responses that he got from some of the boys - he knew the 'Jahwol, mein kommandant!' reply from Nick was meant in jest, as he was usually so easy going. He had scheduled the meeting early enough that he could accept that some of them might be delayed as they waited to be picked up then got held up in traffic. It would just be easier to let them all know at once…
The vow renewal ceremony was due to start at 1pm; by noon, all of the Warblers that had been invited to the event had made their way to the Senior Commons, with their spouses and children left in the care of a very cheerful Mrs Carmichael. The broad smile on her face and her carefree attitude had been remarked on by all of them at once. When she was questioned, they all received the same answer; that her happiness was entirely down to the events that would take place that weekend. "Dreams will be coming true after all," she said as she walked away from them, which made them all look at each other and wonder if her memory was starting to fail, and she had perchance forgotten that Beats and Elliott were already married; after all, no-one ever dreamed of the day they turned 30...
They all walked into the room to find Thad and David sitting at their old spots at the council table, in full dress uniform, a gap between them for the chair that Wes had always occupied. Although nobody said anything out loud, they all immediately noticed that David seemed to have drunk the same Kool Aid as Mrs Carmichael, his smile wide; Thad's own poker face slipped every now and then for a moment, and a blissful smile would come on to his face, his eyes turning dreamy….
"Do you think that somebody has put something in the water round here?" Sebastian eventually whispered to Nick. "The last time I saw faces of this nature was in a hotel room in Amsterdam, after your husband bought the wrong sort of cake…"
Nick flushed red at the memory, then whispered back, "They are all just happy for a change…" His voice faded as David and Thad caught each other's eye and began to giggle at a private joke. As Sebastian raised an eyebrow, Nick continued, "On the other hand, you might well be right, in which case we had better watch what we are eating and drinking ourselves…"
Then they all felt a draught, and Wes was there, sitting between the other two and doing his best to look serious, which in the end he managed for all of thirty seconds before he started to smile as broadly as the other two. Before anyone could whisper anxiously about body snatchers, or airborne viruses, he pulled out his own version of Mr Bangy, and hit the gavel off the table. The room immediately fell silent in anticipation.
"Gentlemen, it was good of you all to assemble as requested for this meeting, to hear what we are about to discuss. You will be aware that Warbler Harper is missing, but we have already spoken to him, and he is fully aware of the situation. So, not to waste time, some of you might well be aware that Elizabeth Hummel, mother of Kurt, has reached a significant milestone in her afterlife. As such, she has been granted a wish, and can have anything that her heart desires. She chose, being as unselfish as we know Warbler Hummel to be, to give that wish to me. She sent Finn Hudson to London on an investigation, and there he found the proof that Elizabeth required; namely documentary evidence of an extraordinary event between the two world wars, in which an angel was permitted to marry a mortal…"
Wes paused, and wished he had placed a bet on which of his boys would be the one to do the math quickly in their head, and get what he was saying. He would not have got long odds though, as Trent was the first to squeal in delight all of a sudden, his face lighting up with a huge grin. Nick's lightbulb was the next to light up, his mouth dropping open at first, and then forming into a smile so broad that Sebastian moved away, fearing the illness was spreading, which made Wes chuckle.
David surprised them all by speaking next. "Yes, that is correct gentlemen. It was a shock to me, but the best one ever. Tomorrow morning, you are all invited to a wedding; the marriage of Wes Montgomery and Thad Harwood…"