Sebastian the Peacekeeper
Christmas Day came far too quickly for them all in 2025. In New York, the city woke to find flurries of snow falling, which settled even in the heart of the city, making Bing Crosby a little more relevant that year. Family came together to celebrate, with Nick actually getting a break that year, as his own little family, and their parents, were all heading to Grace and Cooper's home that year, and the former had banned her brother from entering the kitchen. He had insisted though that he was bringing a cake, one on which he had spent hours doing the final decoration, with elaborate icing and spun sugar decorations; there was even glazed fruit to set on the top at the centre. Everyone remarked that it looked far too good to eat, but they would all attack it with gusto nonetheless when the time came…
Back in the West Village, Elliott had prepared a feast, and he, Beats and their two boys would be joined by Ethan, Drew and Evie. Next door, Dex and Lawrence would host Adam for what was a very much less formal Christmas meal, and on the other side, Kitty and Artie would host Mike and Tina, although the former had to pop out at one point to check up on Caleb…
He found the cat sound asleep, and he decided to allow him to carry on doing so, remembering how indignant he could be if woken. He placed two catnip filled mouse toys within sight of his bed though, and some fresh salmon in his bowl… An hour later, when the sleeping cat woke, he saw the toys and also smelt the fish with his sensitive nose. He let out a regretful miaow, knowing that he had missed his Uncle Mike. Then he got out of his bed, and savoured the salmon, thinking of the man in question as he did so. Then he carried his new toys one at a time back to his bed, before going back to sleep with the delicious scent in his nose…
As Roderick was working, Hilary would spend Christmas with her aunt and cousins; her brother and his partners were also invited. It was a truly lovely meal, and an enjoyable day, but her heart was elsewhere. She made her excuses in good time, then headed down to Murray Hill. She was waiting on the doorstep of her boyfriend's home with a sprig of mistletoe in her hand when he arrived home, and he had to admit that that sight was the greatest Christmas gift he could ever have wished for…
Away from the city, Trent, Rory and their children spent the day with Burt and Carole for company, the latter having offered to cook up a storm in the kitchen of the Nixon home in Georgetown. Up in Massachusetts, Mitch was spending the day with Gideon's family, all of whom were overjoyed at both the latter's new job and of course, the prospect of a summer wedding…
In Ohio, two very different stories were being played out. David and Mercedes were in the state, spending the day at the home of Mrs Thompson; she had of course invited Mercedes' family to join them, which they had accepted, but also Thad. He had been relieved of his usual Christmas Day duties as the Warbler dorm would be empty for the first time in years, and so he agreed to come. He then spent the day being spoiled by Mrs Thompson, who took one look at him, informed him that in her opinion he had lost weight, and she was going to see he ate more. As the cooking was good plain fare, Thad was sure that his stomach would behave, and so he accepted all the food he was offered, praising his hostess for the magnificence of her meal. However, in the back of his mind he was at a house in Westerville, wondering how everything was panning out…
Sebastian alone of all his brethren had woken up on Christmas morning with an overwhelming sense of dread. The previous evening had been wonderful, the fairytale Christmas Eve, and therefore entirely unlike any that he or Julian could ever recall having when they had been growing up in the same house. The youngest children were in bed early enough, and then the adults made small talk until Peter finally took the hint and headed off to bed himself, leaving them all chuckling as he muttered about being a man now as he went…
Julian had laughed the loudest at his son's words, but Sebastian had paled a little, as there would be proof enough of his manhood to be seen in the world in about 6 months time. Both his expression and the colour draining from his face had been seen and noted by Isabelle, and she had almost taken him aside then and there to question him, but there had been too many gifts from Santa to set up for her to get a chance…
The next morning, once a gaggle of excited young children had opened all of their gifts, there was a lot less time for Sebastian to worry. Isabelle was also preoccupied, as she had an article to write as part of a series in Vogue to mark the 100th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, and thus it was essential for her to watch the lady's annual speech, the 74th such message. Sebastian managed to find time to join his sister-in-law on the sofa, interested as he had met the lady in question, and he smiled as she used her annual 10 minutes expressing her thoughts on those things that to her expressed the true meaning of Christmas, with a light touch on the religious elements that were so often forgotten in an increasingly secular world. The Queen managed to make the two people watching her in Westerville, Ohio, feel as if she was talking directly to them, a skill that she had learned over the decades…
As soon as the speech was over, Sebastian left his sister-in-law alone, afraid that she might start to question him on the reason for his facial expression the night before at what was such an innocent teenage remark. He had seen the way she was looking at him after Peter left, and he knew that she had guessed something was going on behind the scenes… He continued to avoid being alone with her, and even in the same room as her and others, until the moment came when they sat down at the table to eat their Christmas feast. Even then, he had set up a seating plan that meant he was as far away from her as possible. That arrangement left Dave surprised, and he too began to feel that there was something going on involving his husband; he also had not had a chance to speak to him, as his father had arrived just as he was about to ask what was going on…
With the dessert finished, they all relaxed at the table, a platter of cheeses and crackers brought out for those that wished to keep on eating. It was then that Dave's father did something that surprised them all; he got down on one knee again, and proposed to Mrs Carr once more. As Dave wondered if his father was suffering from some sort of early dementia, and had forgotten he had already done so, the lady in question laughed, and said yes once more. Then the reason for the rerun became apparent; this time he had a new ring for her, one that was much nicer than the plain band he had used before. As they admired the ring, both Dave and Isabelle were caught up in the moment, and forgot all about questioning Sebastian. Seeing that, the man in question knew that it was the perfect chance to get his brother alone and break the news to him about his son's little slip up…
He had arranged a signal in advance with his nephew for when it was time, and on seeing it, he asked to be excused from the table, then left the room, somehow managing not to look like he was heading off to his own execution, but only just. After a minute, Sebastian turned to his brother, and asked him to come and join him in the study, so they could have a brotherly catch up. Julian agreed, and the two of them left the table to head across the hall to the room in question.
"Do you know, Bazzy, it is strange, but even now I feel a chill when I'm heading into this room," Julian remarked as they headed in. "We were only ever allowed in here as kids if dad summoned us, and he only did that if we had misbehaved in some way. For that reason, I'd imagine that this room was more or less your second home back in your high school days, given how rebellious you were then…"
His words came to an end as they had now entered the room, and he saw his own son sat there in front of the desk, where he and Sebastian had used to stand back in the day, and his head was bowed as if he was anticipating something bad… Julian's blood ran cold, and he turned to his brother, looking for a sign that he was not about to play the role his own father had in the life of his own son. To his horror, all he saw was telling him the exact opposite… "Okay, what is going on? Why do I feel as if I am about to find out something that I am really not going to like?"
Sebastian directed his brother to sit in the seat behind the desk, then went to stand at one side, before he replied. "I'm afraid that you feel that way because, unfortunately, that is exactly what is going to happen. I have known what you are about to be told for a couple of weeks' and because it concerns Dalton in an oblique way, both Thad and Principal Lefevre know what is going on too. Other than that, only Peter knows, but I'm afraid that what is happening cannot stay a secret for much longer."
"Is Peter going to be expelled from Dalton?" asked Julian, concerned. "I know that his grades were an issue, but I assumed that they had improved remarkably…"
"I'm top of my year in half of my subjects, dad," said Peter moodily, in a tone that both his father and uncle recognised as one they had used in their own youth.
"No, expulsion from Dalton is not currently on the agenda, although that is only because what happened did not take place on the premises of the school," answered Sebastian. "Okay, so there is no easy way to start, so shall we just say that there is a girl involved…"
"My boy has a girlfriend? He kept that pretty quiet!" said Julian, and then what his brother had been hinting at clicked home. He looked right at him, and then turned to his son, who immediately broke eye contact…
"It was only once, and I took precautions, but it must have broken…" said the boy quietly.
"Well, as I am sure they would have taught you at Dalton, once is all that it takes!" exclaimed his father. "Are you sure that it is yours? Girls can string a boy along when they are in trouble…"
Peter looked up then, his eyes blazing. "She is not like that; there was only ever me! Tell me, did you ask mom those sort of questions? Did granddad ask the same things of you?"
"He did, but the situation was not exactly the same. I was in college, you are still in high school. So, is she the same age as you, or older?"
"She is my age. I met her at the school dance last Christmas as she attends Crawford."
Sebastian spoke then. "That is the reason why Thad and the Principal are involved. Let me just say that relations between Dalton and our sister school are not exactly cordial…"
"I am going to do the right thing, dad. I am going to stand by her. She is even smarter than I am, so I will stay at home and raise our child. We can get married. I don't know if that is what you would want, but her parents certainly will, because they are religious, conservative and very strict…"
Before he could stop himself, Julian groaned, and put his head in his hands. Then, after a few deep breaths, he said, "It is not a question of standing by her, of getting married; you are both too young to be in this position. I am not happy at all about the idea of you giving up on college to be a stay at home dad either…" He paused, then said quietly, "So, is she really determined to have this baby? I mean, there are options available, and it might be best for all of you, and I am including the unborn child in this, if you explored that choice. Would that be an issue for her? I mean, have you talked about it? I mean, if she has ambitions for her own future, then she might well accept that as the best option…"
Sebastian had been watching the expression on Peter's face as his father spoke to him, and could see exactly what was about to happen. He was, of course, powerless to stop his nephew from saying the words he expected…
"Was that something that you discussed with mom when you were in my position? Or then again, maybe she wasn't ambitious enough to want to get rid of me!" snapped Peter. "Maybe you should have embraced the sensible option back then, and hey, all of this would have been avoided!"
Sebastian dived in then as he saw his brother's expression grow angrier. "At this point I am jumping in before this turns into the kind of full blown argument that you both never come back from. Peter, I know that your father was only thinking of your best interests in what he said there, just as I know how much he regrets those words now. He would never want you not to be in his life, because he loves you above everything else. He also knows that the way you just responded is natural, and he isn't going to react to it." He glared at both of the other men in the room, and he could see that the nuclear situation had been averted, for now at least.
"What you have to remember Peter is that the situation here is different, and yes, that is because of two things; your age, and the young lady's situation. Your mom had the advantage of her parent's support, and they helped her to raise you into the fine young man you are, but your girlfriend, she isn't going to have any of that, is she? We cannot forget that you are at least five years younger than your dad was… By the time you came into the world, your dad was graduating from college with a degree; you will be fresh out of high school. Your willingness to take responsibility for the situation is more than admirable, but trying to find a job, right out of high school, that would be hard enough without the fact you'd have a baby at home. In the end, there is a real possibility, even though you'd dismiss the idea now, that you would end up resenting both your girl, and your child…"
Sebastian stopped then, wondering if his intervention had managed to soothe things. He could not see Peter's face for a start, and he hoped that he hadn't actually made things worse…
"Your uncle is right; I would never want to not have you in my life, Peter. You are by far the best thing that I have ever done in my life. Yes, I said things that came out badly, but I only did because I am concerned about what would happen to you, your young lady, and my future grandchild…"
"Your what!?" came a voice. The three men in the room all spun their heads towards the door, and saw a shocked looking Isabelle standing there. "Did I just hear that correctly…?"
"You did, mom," replied Peter quietly. "It seems that one of the failings of the Smythe men is to get a young lady pregnant outside of wedlock. A case of like father, like son…"
Isabelle nodded, then came in, closing the door firmly behind her. She stood for a moment, then came over to pull her stepson into a hug. "I am not going to ask for details, or say silly things like 'How did that happen?' because that will not do anything to alter or help the situation. I don't know if I am quite ready to be a grandmother, but I guess that I am going to be finding out soon enough…"
"So you aren't mad with me?"
"I am not going to lie and say that I am pleased by the news, as it isn't what I would have wished for you, but it has happened, and we need to deal with that. The one thing I know for certain is that we aren't going to be able to come through it if we don't come together as a family…"
"Yes, you are quite right, as always," said Julian. "We need to discuss, calmly, what happens now. For a start, where are you and your girl going to live? I don't imagine that you would be allowed a baby in a dorm room, nor can you expect that your Uncle here will be happy to offer you three board and lodgings… Does your young lady have any firm preferences as to where she wishes to attend college?"
"She hasn't ever said, but she always envied me for having grown up near New York, and there are good schools there…"
"That wouldn't be a bad thing. You could come home to Maplewood, and we would be around to help you out…"
"We already have childcare in place, so you could even go to college as well that way," mused Isabelle, and Julian nodded.
"I guess," said Peter thoughtfully. "It would be nice to have the support close by, because I might be really rubbish at being a dad. We did do a childcare module in our home economics classes at Dalton, but it wasn't a long one, and I am not sure exactly how much of it I could recall now…"
"The truth is that no amount of training or reading books can prepare you for the real thing; I know that it didn't do much to help me," said Isabelle wryly. "I guess the skills just come when they arrive. Now, much as I am convinced we need this chat, I came here looking for you as the others were. So we might need to postpone it for later or we will have everyone in here…"
"You and Peter go back. I want to have a quick private word with my brother," said Julian. Isabelle nodded, and Peter got up to head for the door. Before he could go too far, Julian got up and pulled him into a hug. "I love you, son, and we will get through this," he said. Peter nodded, then headed out of the room with his stepmother's arm around him…
The door closed, and Sebastian sat silently, waiting in a little bit of fear for his brother to speak, expecting the sharp edge of his tongue. When he did not, he looked at him properly, and was distressed to find that Julian was now crying. He got up, intending to hug him, but his brother shook his head. "No Bazzy, I think that if you hug me right now it would make things much, much worse. He is barely 17 years old, and he is going to be a father! He is much too young for this, and so is she… I have failed him as a father, because he couldn't come to me, he couldn't talk to me. I am no better a parent than dad…"
"If dad was here, then he would be the one that would be saying the words that I am about to. You are a much better father than he ever was. What has happened is no one person's fault. Boys and girls have done what they have done for ever. He tried to do the right thing, to use precautions, but they let him down. Let us be honest here, and just between us, we have to ask why she wasn't taking the contraceptive pill as well. It would have made the odds of us being where we are even less. Peter will be the one that gets all of the blame here, especially when her parents find out, and that is grossly unfair to him."
"Be honest with me; what will Dalton do to him if the situation escalates?"
"Very little. As the 'events' that lead to this situation happened off the school grounds, they will do nothing more than they already have done, unless…"
"Unless what?"
"It depends on exactly what her parents do. That is the big unknown here, that and how the Principal of Crawford takes it. The latter has a tendency to overreact, to make an Everest out of a molehill. Know this though; we will all be standing firmly behind Peter, just as you and Isabelle will. We need to support him through whatever happens, even if we do not approve of some of it. If they go back to New Jersey together, then there is no reason why they couldn't raise a child and both attend college…"
Sebastian and Julian returned to join the others in the living room, and discovered that Mrs Carr and Paul Karofsky had headed out for some private time. Dave was happy to see them, and it came as little surprise to either of them that he now knew what was going on. He had seen the look on Peter's face as he returned, and how thoughtful his stepmother had seemed, and he immediately guessed that there was something going on that he was unaware of. When Peter had told him the truth, he had been shocked, but his mind immediately went to the situation back in high school with Quinn and Puck, whose pregnancy in her sophomore year had been the talk of Lima. Before he could stop himself, he started to talk about it, then saw the look on the face of Peter, as he had never been told the truth about Beth…
"I don't know if I could put my child up for adoption," the teenager eventually said, "but it sounds to me as if her parents were a carbon copy of my girlfriends. They might suggest that we do it, as I don't think they would ever condone an abortion."
"It isn't really their choice to make," said Isabelle firmly. "However, adoption is another option that you need to discuss with her; it would give your child a good start in life, one that would be as good as the one you would wish to give them." She had chosen her words carefully, not wishing to make it sound like the only option, or make it sound as if she felt that the child would suffer if Peter raised it.
With her husband back in the room, she mentioned it again, and her husband was keen, until he saw the look on his son's face. "I don't think that it is really an option in this case, unless the people doing the adopting were family; it would hurt Peter too much. Maybe you and I could consider adopting the child, and raising them as our own…"
Isabelle smiled, then said, "It is a noble idea, but for two things. Firstly, Peter might struggle with being his child's brother in public, and two, my own profile is such that the origins of the child would be questioned, No, I am afraid that you and I both have to accept that we are going to be grandparents much earlier than we might have wished."
The subject would not be raised again that day, as there was little more that could be said or done. Julian did make a call to Thad, one the Head Warbler had been expecting, and the two of them had a frank discussion, one in which no-one was apportioned with any blame for what had taken place. Thad was also able to give Julian his perspective on what the reaction from those in charge at Crawford would be; his general summary was not good…
"The current Principal of Crawford County has a massive chip on her shoulder as far as Dalton is concerned. She also sees the Warblers as the worst of a bad lot, arguing that the boys' status in the world of show choir is enough to turn the head of her innocent girls, and what has happened will feed that notion wonderfully. The fact is that a lot of Crawford girls are far from the blushing virginal angels she imagines. She also would not like the world to know that her students have been banned from a couple of the malls near Westerville for, how can I say this, pilfering and vandalism."
"Shoplifting and trashing the joint in layman's terms then," replied Julian. "From what I have been told, the young lady in question does not fit into that category."
"No, by all accounts she is a shining light, one of the top students, and her parents are well respected in the community at large. They will not be at all pleased to discover that their daughter is expecting a child, and the truth is that she will not be able to conceal that fact for much longer. Peter will be safe enough from them on the grounds of Dalton, naturally, but in time…"
"Let me know the moment that the proverbial hit's the fan, and I will be straight on a flight; Peter should have his father at his side when he meets them face to face."
"You can rely on me to do exactly that. I think we both also know that Sebastian will be at that meeting as well. I think that in the circumstances it would be better to go in with as much support as possible…"
Outwith Dalton and his immediate family, nobody would know about Peter's situation. The Christmas news that occupied most of them was the fact that Mitch and Gideon had chosen a date - or at least a month - in which they would marry. With that in mind, Ethan received a call the day after Christmas from Mitch, in which he asked for his help in finding a place to live in the city, knowing that he out of all of his friends in New York had the best contacts in the world of real estate. Mitch was in favour of Brooklyn over Manhattan, as his budget was not as big, and his employer was located in Williamsburg.
"It needs to be close to the subway so that Gideon can get over to the Vogue offices in Manhattan easily as well; I'd like it to have character, and maybe two bedrooms. Of course, Gideon's brother also lives in Brooklyn, in Park Slope. Saying that, I don't think I would want to be too close to his place."
"I quite understand. It can be great to have family nearby, but at a sensible distance. I do know a few people that know a lot about the real estate in Williamsburg itself, although you might want a bit of distance from your work as well; somewhere like Brooklyn Heights or Cobble Hill, both good areas for young professional folks."
"To be honest, I don't know if I am keen on a loft style apartment, and most of what I have seen in Williamsburg online is that sort of thing. As for the other two, well the places there are to die for, but I doubt there is anything that isn't a run down wreck there for my budget. I have a horrible feeling that for what we have, New Jersey might be a better option."
"I wouldn't let your future husband's boss hear you saying disparaging things about New Jersey, given that is where she lives," said Ethan with a laugh. "Knowing the figure you gave me, I think that the latter two areas are not entirely out of reach. You might not be on one of the trendiest streets, and the subway might be a little further to walk to than most people like, but it will be the home that you are dreaming of, and that is the main thing. The truth is that the subway isn't the only route into Manhattan. There are ferries on the East River, there are buses, and you can cycle over the Brooklyn Bridge. I am hopeful of surprising you in a good way!" As he said those words, Ethan crossed his fingers, hoping that his statement was actually true…
New Years Eve would be a quiet affair for all of them that year, although it was the first year that Nick and Jeff decided to allow their son to stay up to see the actual moment and watch the ball drop in Times Square on television. That would not be the first indicator that 2026 had arrived in their home, however. When the telephone rang not long after 6pm, Nick answered it to discover it was a call from Fritz, wanting to wish them a happy New Year from all of those in Germany, for whom of course the new year had already begun. They would talk for a short while, passing on best wishes for all of their respective families too.
With his husband at his side and the speakerphone on, Nick voiced his approval for the work that had been started in the old bakehouse, photos of which he had been sent last week; the plan to create a coffee shop in the space now becoming a reality. The family had commissioned a young local woodworker to craft bespoke tables and chairs in the Art Nouveau style, and even the staff uniform was going to be getting a makeover in a similar style.
"My great-grandmother has even hinted that we need to have a grand piano, and leave space to accommodate a small orchestra. My parents thinks she is joking, but I am pretty sure she isn't! I have been looking back into the historic records here, and tea dances were a big thing for the cultured here in Baden Baden at that period. I suppose if we intend to try and capture the atmosphere of that period, we should do it fully…" said Fritz.
Jeff chuckled, and said, "She might well have something there; we have a few places here that have prohibition era themed nights, where they serve the alcohol from coffee pots, and that seems to be very successful…" He stopped talking as he realised that he was getting a look from Nick, who was wondering how his husband knew about such things when he did not.
"It does have a certain appeal," Fritz replied. "All those dapper men and flapper girls. A version of the 1920s in the Weimar Republic, only with the brownshirts edited out."
"We would certainly be up for attending such an event," responded Nick, "or maybe you and Matthias could come here and try one of those theme nights that my husband seems to know so much about…."
An hour later, and Nick and Jeff both sent a message to the UK. Nick's was to Miss Frobisher, and Jeff's was to his friend, the Duchess. That nation was already gearing up for a big year, with a special centenary to mark in April. The traditional public holiday on the first Monday of May was being abandoned, and instead, two week after Easter, the nation would be given the 20th and 21st of April as holidays to mark the 100th Birthday of the nation's longest reigning monarch. Even in the United States, the event would be marked by many people, such was her stature…
Both of the ladies replied, but it was the message that came to Jeff's phone that was the most intriguing - We are all looking forward to seeing the three of you in person later this year. Your names are on her guest list, and nobody can refuse a royal centenarian!
Jeff showed the message to Nick, and he smiled. "Well, it looks as if we are expected in London, either in April or in June, when the official celebrations of her birthday take place."
"I have never understood the whole idea of the Queen having an official birthday," Jeff admitted.
"It is all to do with the weather in Britain. They mark the monarch's birthday with a grand military parade, The Trooping of the Colour, and it is best to hold such outdoor events in a month when the weather can be expected to be best, hence June and the early summer. April is much too showery, and just imagine if the monarch's birthday was in January, and they had to try and do that procession in snow or icy rain? Having the official birthday reduces that risk, and also makes it a lot easier for long term planning."
Jeff nodded, having to agree that there was a lot of sense in that. Regardless of when they were expected though, it was a great honour to be invited; and speaking of honours, he realised he would be expected to wear his at an official event…
Wes would manage to stay awake for the big moment, but he found it to be a little underwhelming if he was honest. He had imagined that there would be some obvious change in the world around him, but other than the year altering on his dad's digital kitchen clock, it just seemed to involve a lot of people, some of them drunk, shouting and cheering on the television, and then singing a song about something called Lang Syne. He concluded that the whole thing might be more exciting when you were older, and might be allowed to be there in Times Square with that crowd…
Over in New Jersey, that moment brought mixed feeling for Julian Smythe. The year 2026 was already a little spoiled by the fact that he was going to become a grandfather at such an early age. He was only just in his forties, and he had fondly hoped that such things might not happen for at least another decade. Heck, there were other men at his work, of his age, who were only just becoming fathers for the first time! He was also pretty sure that Isabelle had not imagined being a step-grandmother so soon, but she seemed to be handling it all a lot better than he was, at least on the outside. There was only one thing about it all that made him smile, and he felt a little guilty for doing so. That was the prospect of telling his father that he was going to be a great-granddad; that would hit on the vanity that his old man had no end….
As his brother thought that, in Ohio Sebastian was more concerned with the welfare of his nephew. Peter had not been able to speak to the mother of his child since a few days before Christmas. He had known it would be hard for her, but he had expected to receive at least a message. The radio silence from her was beginning to tell on him, as he imagined the worst case scenario; that her parents now knew, and had reacted badly…