July 2031: A Time of Change.

Nick Sterling-Duval had always known that this day would eventually come, and he had prepared himself for it. He knew that it was outwith his control, and that it might be a blessed relief to them all rather than a total tragedy. His husband, however, was a different story; he suspected that Jeff would be much less prepared for it and far more affected by the event, even more so than their son. In that he misjudged his husband; Jeff was keenly aware that the event would occur, but that did not mean he had to be content with that knowledge. He pushed it to the back of his mind, as if doing so could prevent it from happening. He knew to do so was stupid, but it was far easier to cope with than the inevitable…

Age was the prime consideration, but the difference between the length of years for species was a mystery. Caleb would never outlive them in reality, and although his age was in double figures for a human, in the feline world it might well be in triple figures by now. The days when he had bounded up the stairs in front of Jeff as he headed to his attic studio were long gone, and he now needed to be carried upstairs by his doting owner. Of course, had he been asked, Caleb would have disputed the fact that he was owned; in the world of cats, it was very much the humans that were owned by them…


It was by now 2031, and the world had moved on from the Coronation year of 2027. Jeff had long since completed his set of drawings of the event had been completed, approved and exhibited in the Royal Galleries in London to great acclaim. They had also been exhibited in the city he called home, the opening of that event being carried out by the Prince of Wales and his wife in late 2028. It had come not long after the election of another Democrat President to the White House.

That had meant change for Trent of course, and although he still worked as the key speechwriter for the new President, their relationship was not quite as close as the one he had enjoyed with Kennedy. However, those in the know could still hear his voice in the speeches they made to the listening nation and world. Burt Hummel had been persuaded to remain in office as the Speaker of the House in that election, but he had announced the following year that he intended to step aside in the elections of 2030. He had duly done so but had stood in the same midterm elections for a vacant Senate seat in Ohio; his election to that role had been a no-brainer to most. Rory continued to work for the new Senator, and as such, he and Trent were seen as one of the most powerful couples in the whole of Washington DC…

That influence had ended coming in very useful to Drew in the late fall of 2027, when the worst fears of everyone had been realised, and his ex-wife Lucy's lawyers had tried to compel him and Dr MacAndrew, her second husband, to be witnesses on her behalf at the trial she was being placed under in the Middle East. She wanted them to act as her defence in the case brought over the suspected murder of her third husband. At first there had been considerable pressure brought to bear on both of them by the British authorities, including a visit to the West Village street by the British Consul; however, Trent was then involved, and the President made direct contact with the UK government on their behalf.

He had informed them that no US citizen or long-term resident was ever going to be forced onto a plane to a foreign land to defend someone that had abused them both physically and mentally. Furthermore, he informed them that if they did not desist of their own accord, then they would find that the two men in question would be more than happy to go public with all the details of what she had done to them… That threat would prove to be the most effective and the contact from the lawyers and the UK authorities ceased, much to both men's relief…

That of course did not mean that when Lucy was subsequently found guilty and was initially sentenced to the death penalty they were not horrified; diplomatic interventions however saw her transferred instead to a high security prison back in the UK, where she was immediately placed in a psychiatric program. She would have to serve at least 30 years in prison before she would even be considered for release.

Once home, she attempted to lodge an appeal, but that was dropped like a hot potato when the authorities in the nation where she had committed the crime announced that they would demand she was returned to them and her initial sentence reinstated should she continue with it and be unsuccessful, which reading between the lines told Drew all that he needed to know; that she had killed her third husband. The court of public opinion had also not gone the way she wished, with the focus not being on her life saving role as a paediatric surgeon, but on the fact she was a murderous wife. Of course, the fact that he was her third husband was also made known, and although no names were mentioned, everyone was pretty certain that she had abused his two predecessors as well…

All of that had made it possible for Ethan, Drew and Evie to travel to London in the summer of 2028 without any fear or worry. They spent a week in the city, enjoying time in Ethel's company before they went on a tour around the rest of the United Kingdom. Drew had been more than happy to leave Evie with Ethel and allow the two to bond. They also managed to spend time with Miss Frobisher, who had against all the odds managed to organise a small class reunion for Evie. She had been delighted to meet all of her closest friends from kindergarten again and they had been pleased to see her too, although some were quite in awe of her new life in New York. Those children would recall Wes too, and when they heard he lived nearby, they asked her to pass on their best wishes to him too when she returned to the West Village, which she duly did…

In the apartment above Ethan and Drew, life had also moved on following the dramas of that August. The most significant event had been when Beats and Elliott were offered the opportunity to adopt Ty in 2028; they did so without a moment of hesitation on either side, the boy adopting the surname Harper-Gilbert just as Dante had done. That confirmation had come in the same month that Dante underwent the ceremony that made him a member of the Jewish faith, an event that was attended by his entire family and their friends.

Flint had a role to play in all of it alongside the rabbi; he decided that he would only inform his mother about that the night before; she was extremely upset that he had waited so long to do so, because had she known he was going to be the star of the event, then she would have attended. Everyone else knew of course that her wish to attend and to see him as the focus of the day was the exact reason why he had said nothing, but they made no comment, especially Beats, who recalled the kick he had received on Flint's wedding day all too well.

They were all delighted on that day to see that Mrs Rosenfeld had good taste in the purchase of understated millinery…

There had of course been children too since that year; a son for Roderick and Hillary that was followed almost exactly a year later by a daughter. True to what everyone had expected, Roderick had proved to be an excellent father, even if the arrival of a second child in double quick time had freaked him out just a little. Barnaby was an equally doting uncle and was more than happy to babysit whenever he was required.

Marley and Ryder had welcomed a daughter into the world and true to her word, Marley had not returned to the stage for a long-running role for a couple of years; she did return to singing with the radio orchestra, her voice welcomed back onto the airwaves by many of the long-term listeners. As 2031 had begun, she had started to show signs of a second pregnancy and although he would not admit it, Ryder was secretly hoping for a boy this time…

Mason and Jane had also fallen pregnant again, but the twins that came along were a shock to the system; of course, statistically, a twin was more likely to produce twins when they came to have children, but Mason had never expected it to apply to him. They arrived just a few weeks after his year long stint in The Mousetrap came to an end…

Mason had enjoyed his role in the Agatha Christie play immensely, but it would be the events of the official opening night that would stick in his mind, and indeed of all those that he knew. At the last minute the actor that was playing the role of Trotter, the policeman, had taken ill, and there was no way that he could perform. Naturally there was panic, especially as his understudy had called in sick that morning as well and there was no-one else to take on the role in the cast. However, Mason had managed to stay calm, and had made his way to his dressing room and dialled a number…

All of his closest friends had been in the audience that night, along with the great and good of both Broadway and New York city, but they had all been shocked when Dave had arrived on his own with a grin on his face. The sight of the football coach at the entrance to the auditorium on his own had made Thad think that once again the green-eyed monster that Sebastian had talked of all those months before had reared its head, but that grin and the nonchalance with which Dave was acting had made him ponder something all the more fantastical. He looked at Dave, and then started to laugh, which those around him thought was bizarre, but Dave just nodded and smiled all the more…

Nick and Trent would also work out what was going on before the announcer confirmed it to them all; that due to illness there had been a last-minute cast change and the part of Sargeant Trotter would now be played at short notice by the legendary Sebastian Smythe. As the audience gasped that once again, he was saving a show, his friends grinned with a modicum of delight. Once more, Sebastian's obsession with learning the script of a play, even if he was only going to be watching it, had paid off and his performance was flawless. What was even better for him was the fact that when the entry was made in Wikipedia, he was listed as the original person to play the part on Broadway…

A year later and Sebastian would come to New York and take on the role on a permanent basis for six months, a deal that he had made with the show's producers after they had received so many letters asking for his return; the fact that Daniel Radcliffe was willing to do the next six months had been a sweetener for them. What had made the show even more interesting for them all was the surprise decision that had been taken by Santana to take a year out from her role at NYADA, as she was allowed to do by her contract, to perform opposite them in the role of Miss Casewell, a move that ensured that all of their friends would come to see the show once more.

Sebastian spent his six months in the city in the comfort of Cooper and Grace's guest bedroom in Murray Hill, but in the end, he was glad to get back home to Ohio and his family when his time came to an end. He was also happy to return to Dalton and resume his work with the Warblers. He no longer saw teaching as a dull job and had realised that he liked it and although he said it himself, he actually had a natural talent for it…

His last days in the city had come at the same time as Matthew and Madison's wedding. It was a very quiet affair, neither of them having wanted the big showy weddings that so many of their contemporaries had desired. That ceremony had been the only wedding amongst the circle of friends in the four years since 2027, and that was why the union of Dante and Lachlan was so eagerly anticipated. It would take place at the synagogue that had witnessed the marriage of Flint and Izzy all those years before, but there would not be the same style of hats they all hoped.

The fact that he would be the first of his generation to invite everyone to his child's wedding was not lost on Beats and that was one of the many things that now made him feel old beyond his years. Elliott was acutely aware of that and so had secretly booked and planned a trip for the two of them back to Japan in the immediate aftermath of their son's wedding day. As his brother was no longer resident there, he could choose a location much more easily, so he had decided that they would visit the west of the country. They would be staying close to Hiroshima, a city that would be fascinating to visit, but one which raised a mix of emotions. It was a city that had been destroyed by a terrible weapon that had been developed and then dropped by their nation, and there was an element of guilt about that for Elliott…

At the end of 2030, Beats had seen his niece Olivia perform professionally with the City Ballet for the first time, and that had been a highlight of that year for him. Her performance had been praised by the critics, and she had attributed her skills to Mike, who had worked with her extensively since she had joined the company's training program. It was true that she had bloomed under his close tutelage, but he modestly stated that he was only part of the team that had worked with her at the school…

As the critics praised the show, those in the industry were quick to point out that having been a wonderful dancer himself, Mike Chang was now proving to be one of the finest teachers and choreographers in the ballet world. The fact that he managed to do all of that, raise a family and still perform from time to time on stage made him a darling of the arts community. Such was the level of esteem that he was held in that when conversation began about the fact that the head of the City Ballet was reaching an age when retirement would be sooner rather than later, Mike's name was the one that most people mentioned as their obvious successor. Mike was aware of that, but he paid little heed to those rumours, as he believed there were far more talented other people that should take the role first.

In the spring of 2031 Mike had surprised many people when he had accepted an invitation to perform for a short six-week season with the Royal Ballet in London. There were rumours that the invite had been made at the behest of the Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales, but even Jeff could not get that one confirmed for them. His shows sold out in moments, his opening night attended by the King himself; in the audience that night, at Mike's request, had also been Miss Frobisher, Joan Crawford and Adam's mother, and Ethel. The special invitation had made the latter the envy of half of her friends in Maidenhead…

There had been change at Dalton Academy too by the July of 2031. Aaron Carmichael had suffered a stroke in the winter of the previous year, and although he had recovered fairly well, he was now showing his age much more; his mobility was reduced, and his brain was not quite as quick and sharp as it had been. It had been a sad day for all of the Warblers when the news broke, but especially for Thad, for whom the man was almost a father figure. Dylan, the deputy principal and Jeff's cousin, had been greatly affected too, much to his surprise. He could not explain to anyone why it had distressed him so much. One angel knew the truth, and that was Wes; he knew that Dylan's soul had previously been that of the late Jamie Carmichael, the only child of the man in question. Although Dylan had no memory of that, his soul did, and it hurt to see both of his former parents suffering…

Although Edith Carmichael retained her own good health, having to care for her husband much more meant that she had to cut back her activities outside the home; it also meant the end of the tradition of having staff and pupils from the school join them for dinner once a week. The loss of that was mourned by many, but it was not the only thing that had altered; she was no longer able to keep such a close watch on Thad's health and wellbeing…

Fortunately, the Head Warbler was feeling in the best of health in any case. The ten weeks he had spent in India in the summer of 2028 had seen him return to Ohio as a new man; he felt rejuvenated and refreshed, having absorbed as much of the culture of the nation as he could. He had sat for an hour on a bench just staring at the Taj Mahal, his husband's head on his shoulder, their hands clasped in such a way that nobody who could not see angels would wonder what was going on. He had taken part in every activity that he could and had embraced the culture fully. He had stood in awe in front of palaces, monuments and temples, but standing at dawn in the foothills of the Himalayas, looking up at the distant summit of Mount Everest had taken some beating.

He had returned to Dalton to discover that Sebastian would be absent as he would be onstage on Broadway, so he had taken charge of the Warblers again that year; his workload was greater, but it did not seem to matter as much as he followed a new regime of healthy eating and morning yoga sessions. He had made one radical suggestion to Principal Lefevre, and she had needed to ask permission from the board of governors for it to happen. They had granted it and thus the Warblers had stunned the world of show choir when they had arrived on stage for their first performance in that year's competition not in their uniforms but in costume as they performed a Bollywood inspired dance and music extravaganza.

The sight of the boys out of their blazers and in colourful costume had been a shock to Thad's friends too, including a stunned Sebastian; he had returned in early 2029 and had taken charge once again, but had stuck with the theme. The win the Warblers achieved that year was so emphatic that they made the national news, with the winning routine being performed live on Good Morning America

As well as the music styles, Thad had adopted some of the medical beliefs and practices of the sub-continent too; he had become almost obsessed with herbal remedies. Turmeric now formed a major part of his diet, and his new ways certainly left him feeling better, even if some of his closest friends jokingly pointed out that the turmeric seemed to be going to his skin, as it had taken on a slightly yellow tone. His stomach problems seemed to be calmed by the new regime and when he attended his medical with Hayden that year, he passed every test with flying colours, although Dr McLeod did note that he had lost a bit of weight since his last exam. It was nothing that caused great concern, but it was something that he would keep a close eye on in future…

Thad was not concerned by it at all, as he had never felt better. In any case, after he had taken a trip to Australia in 2030, his work had suddenly taken a more important focus. He had come back and realised that it was time that he, as Head Warbler, took a much closer look at the workings of the trust that had been set up in the aftermath of Hunter's activities that would pay for the education of the children of those most affected by it at Dalton or its sister school, Crawford County. It seemed like only yesterday to him that he was sitting in the kitchen of Niff's home in the West Village, and Nick had placed the newborn Wes into his waiting arms. Now the time was fast approaching when the boy in question would be of age to attend Dalton Academy…

He was not the only one to consider of course; there was Evie, Drew's daughter and then there was Timothy Hart, the son of Joe and Sugar, who were covered by the extension of the scheme to those that had been at McKinley at the time, as they too had been greatly affected by Hunter's actions. The Reverend and his wife kept a low profile due to the disapproval of both sets of parents of their relationship, but they had kept in regular contact with him about the scheme. He had no idea if Wes or Evie would be taking part, but Tim Hart was more or less definitely coming to Dalton Academy when the time came…

Not much had changed with the scheme since it had been created; the file had more or less gathered dust on the shelf, although the list of names of those it would benefit had been kept up to date by Thad. Technically the first person that would have been eligible for the scheme was Dante, as the adopted son of Beats, but he had not expressed a desire to leave New York for a boarding school in Ohio, and Ty had refused it point blank. They were used to life in a big city, and had a close circle of friends that had no background in private education in the main…

Of course, there was one exception, and that was Lachlan, whose father Isaac had attended Marsha Stern in Washington Heights, but when the time had come, neither he nor his wife had even considered sending their own son to that school. It was too far from their home in Greenwich Village for a start. Isaac had faced a daily commute of over one hundred blocks from his parents' home in the Upper West Side; Lachlan would have been faced with seventy more. It would have been a direct trip on the '1' train, but even so, it would have been forty minutes of travel each way on the train, and that would have extended to around an hour by the time he walked to and from the stations at each end.

They had decided to send him to the well rated local high school instead, even if that idea had given Isaac's mother the vapours at first. He had received a high-quality education there that had not held him back academically, but more importantly, that school had been where he had met Dante, the love of his life. He had not suffered any issues with college applications either and could easily have gone to Harvard or Princeton had he wished too; the latter had been a consideration at one point for both young men, as Beats would have benefitted from a reduction in costs as a graduate.

Both had graduated from college with top class degrees and would soon be married. The love that they shared was clear, and it was so powerful that it had managed to melt even the hardest and most tradition of hearts in the older members of Lachlan's extended family…


The wedding was scheduled to take place in the middle of July, and now it was the second Saturday of that month in 2031. Nick had climbed out of bed at his usual time, his body tuned to his office hours even at the weekend; he let his husband continue to sleep. He headed quietly down to the kitchen, thinking that he might make pancakes that morning as a treat for Jeff and Wes, who had just recently turned 12, a fact that made his father feel even older than his previous birthday had. He suspected that he would feel quite ancient this time next year when his son became a teenager…

As he headed down the last set of steps to the kitchen, he was suddenly struck by a strange sense of foreboding; with each step he descended the feeling that something was wrong increased. For a moment he pondered going back up the stairs as swiftly and quietly as he could to grab the large golf umbrella that sat in the hallstand to use as a weapon against any intruder, but then he dismissed that idea out of hand, as he could not hear anything as he paused on the steps other than his own heart beating nineteen to the dozen…

Nevertheless, he opened the door at the bottom of the stairs cautiously, reading to pull it back sharply if need be. Of course, the room was empty, and deathly silent. 'A great way to start the day!" Nick thought. 'My mind playing tricks on me already!' He crossed the room and switched on the kettle he had filled the night before, boiling the water to make his morning cup of tea. He still chuckled internally at the fact that just one year spent in England, drinking tea every morning at Jeff's insistence to ensure that they 'fitted in' with their hosts, had stuck and changed the habit of a lifetime. The coffee machine was rarely used and never in the morning unless they had a guest.

He fetched the teapot and having poured the boiling water over the tea bags, he left it to brew, heading to set the table for breakfast for his two 'children', who definitely would be having pancakes for breakfast. He himself would just have his usual bowl of cereal; he poured it out into the bowl and went to fetch the milk from the fridge, still missing the days when opening the door of the appliance would immediately trigger something furry rubbing itself against his legs…

He paused with the milk in his hand as he suddenly realised that the kitchen had been too quiet that morning when he entered, and even now, one familiar sound was absent. He placed the milk back in the fridge, then headed across the room to the spot by the radiator…

He would sit there on his haunches for longer than he had originally intended to. There had been no miaow filled with indignation at being disturbed from his sleep when he had called out the cat's name; Caleb had fallen into that eternal sleep that claims all of God's creatures in the end. He still looked as if he was just sleeping soundly though; there was no sign of any pain or agony accompanying his departure from the world. He had stretched out a tentative hand when his calling of the cat's name had provoked no response, and although the fur felt the same, there was a coolness underneath it that was not normal; his body felt a little stiffer too…

He had nonetheless stroked the cat's head gently for a while, feeling his eyes grow moist. No matter how prepared you thought you were for the death of someone or something that you loved and cared for, their eventual demise still came as a horrible shock. Caleb had enjoyed 16 years of a good life, thanks to a gust of wind, a lost hat and Jeff's keen ear in the middle of a blizzard, and that was something that could be cherished…

Nick knew however that such sentiments would count for very little where his husband was concerned. He knew, although he would never say it to the blond, that Caleb was Jeff's fur baby, and his death would potentially break his husband. When he thought about it, Nick could see that there had been signs that this moment was approaching with all the speed of a runaway train. On his more frequent trips to the vet as of late, Tina had always said the same thing; that he was in good condition for his age, dropping the hint that in terms of feline years, Caleb was a senior. He now realised that she had been trying to warn them, but it had not hit home for Nick, and so he doubted that Jeff had realised what she was implying either…

Now he had to make a decision; did he make his way back upstairs to the bedroom and wake his husband, gently breaking the news to him as he lay there, still half asleep; or did he wait until Jeff came down himself, and allow him to discover what had happened for himself when he went to greet his cat… Neither option filled Nick with any sort of delight, and both seemed as bad as the other. The only benefit to the latter was that it would potentially relieve him of being the one to break his husband's heart; the main drawback was that it would also cast him in a bad light, as being the man that had failed to notice Caleb's demise…

He got back up to his feet and stood still for a moment, letting the blood circulate properly into his legs; he wished that he knew instinctively what he should do for the best in the circumstances. He was pondering asking for a spot of angelic advice when he realised that the decision had actually now been made for him. He could hear Jeff singing softly to himself as he came down the stairs into the kitchen, a tune full of cheer on what was a bright summer's morning outside their home… It was only as he desperately swiped at his eyes to make them less wet and red that something else hit Nick; it was also the 13th day of the month, and that would be an omen that Jeff would not miss.

Before he knew it, Nick had Jeff's arms wrapped around him from behind, the sweet song of joy and love now being sung softly into his ear. On a normal morning Nick would have started to sing along too, made the most of a romantic moment, and danced around the kitchen with the man he loved, something that had always had Caleb miaowing in disapproval. He could not do that this morning, his heart aching with the knowledge of what he had to do, how he had to burst his husband's happy bubble…

Then the singing stopped. "Are you not going to sing with me this morning Nicky? Please tell me that you haven't fallen out of love with me…"

Nick did not turn round to face his husband then, but said quietly, "Oh no, my love, that will never happen. However, I am feeling very sad just now, and I have to tell you something that will make you every bit as upset as I am; in fact, it will upset you even more…"

He turned round then, and saw that Jeff was unsmiling, his face etched with fear; that almost broke him at once, but he had to be strong. "This is the worst thing that I have ever had to tell you, and I am so sorry that I have to now…" He paused for breath, then said, "It's Caleb, Jeffie. He is no longer with us; he has gone to a better place during his sleep…"