Ends and Beginnings : Part VIII
The next day saw Beats and Flint, along with Ethan, heading into New York on the train. They did so at the request of Nick, who had asked them to attend a special meeting at the Spotlight. When they arrived at Penn Station, they literally bumped into Trent and Rory on the platform at the subway. None of them knew why they had been summoned to the meeting, although they had all concluded that it could not be anything to do with the business of the diner itself, as Ethan was not a partner, and would therefore not have been invited to attend. The young man in question said nothing on that score, although a part of him was saying that he could have been asked to come to stand in for staff at the counter whilst the meeting was taking place. The meeting had been called for one, but they arrived just after noon, having left early to avoid train delays, and also so that they could enjoy a spot of lunch first. Nick had suggested that to all of them in his instructions in any case, and as a consequence, they were not the only ones there. They found themselves sharing one of the larger tables with Artie, Kitty and Marley. The discussion quickly turned to the reason for the meeting, and as everyone was discussing their theories, no-one noticed that both Artie and Kitty said very little, just smiled.
Eventually the numbers in their corner of the diner swelled, as first Sebastian and Dave, and then Seth, Luke and Duncan joined them. The arrival of the latter turned the discussion onto the subject of house hunting, as they had spent the morning looking round some properties in New Jersey. "It was ok," said Seth with a shrug. "You could see the city in the distance across the water, and the PATH train was fast enough, but all I could think of was that if something should happen which caused that to be closed down, you would feel very isolated over there, and it would be an absolute nightmare trying to get to Hoboken for the ferry to get across to school and work."
"The thing is that with property rents in the city rising so fast, you really do not have any choice," said Sebastian. "I was lucky; if Cooper hadn't been looking around for someone he knew and thought was pretty reliable to live in his basement, then Dave and I would not be in Murray Hill, as it would be too expensive. It is ridiculous really; this city needs young people to help it thrive; it needs artists and creatives; it needs cops and teachers, but all of those people are being driven out to make way for oligarchs and moguls. If the authorities don't act, then all the things that have made this city what it is will be eroded away, and it will lose its shine forever." There was general agreement from every corner of the room for that statement.
Just after one, Mike came running in with Tina hard on his heels; a few moments later, Nick, Jeff, Sam, Brittany and Santana followed. "Sorry we are a bit late," said Nick as he walked over to the assembles friends. "The 'L' Train was having a few issues."
"It has more and more issues by the day," grumbled Santana.
The new arrivals joined the others in the quiet corner, and drinks were ordered. As they were waiting on them to arrive, the door opened again, and Josh and Scott came in, both tired from running down to the diner after they had jumped off the bus they had been travelling on from the Port Authority, which had got caught up in another traffic jam. On seeing them, Elliot left the counter, and directed them to follow him to the corner where everyone else was waiting in anticipation of what Nick would say. He surveyed the scene in front of him, taking in the knowing faces of Artie, Kitty and Elliott, then took a breath. "Ok, so now that we are all here, more or less, I'll make a start. I'm sure that there has been a lot of speculation about why this gathering has been called; basically we have gathered you all here to announce that myself, Jeff and Mike are leaving Bushwick. We have found a new place, and we are moving out of the loft."
"Yeah. They are moving to Pelham in the Bronx. And they leave in two days!" said Santana, causing Nick to glare at her.
"You're leaving on Monday!" wailed Luke, staring in horror at his cousin. "That isn't long enough! There's not enough time to say goodbye properly…" Duncan had put an arm around his boyfriend as they both sat there with sad expressions. Seth on the other hand was wondering how much the rent on the loft was, and if it would sleep six at a push…
"I know, but we are moving on Monday, just like Satan said," said Jeff in an icy tone. "However, she got one thing wrong, and that was where we are moving to. That was a little white lie so that we could tell our immediate neighbours that we were leaving before we could assemble you all to hear the full story. The truth you see is far more complex, and it involves my natural father, Gordon."
"I thought that he was dead!" exclaimed Marley. "How can he influence anything now?"
"His being dead is the key," said Nick. "You see, he left a will, leaving all of his property to his son…"
"Hunter?" said Sebastian. "Well, he misjudged that one."
"True, but the exact words in the will were that all of his property was to be given to his son. The will was given by the authorities to Elspeth, and she saw at once what those words could be taken to mean. Grace was called in for legal help, and she and my mother secretly went to court, and won. They persuaded the courts that the word son should apply to me…" said Jeff.
"So you ended up with everything! Oh the irony! It all went to the son he didn't want!" said Beats, a touch too gleefully.
"Yeah, that's it. I am selling a lot of it, and giving the money away so that it can help other less fortunate people; there will be some scholarships and stuff. Some of it though I will be holding on to, most notably the property that he owned here, in Manhattan…" Jeff continued.
"Which was?" said Santana, not knowing whether to be happy for Jeff, or angry that she had been lied to.
"A row of five brick built townhouses in the West Village, converted into eight units," said Nick. "So that is where we are heading on Monday. We will be moving into a townhouse in the West Village."
There was stunned silence, apart from a few coughs, as people took the news in. then Trent spoke. "You deserve this, Jeff. After all that man and his son did to you, this is so right!"
"Hear, hear!" said Flint, a smile on his face.
"The thing is, it won't just be us that is moving in the next few weeks," said Nick with a grin. "There is a place for Mike and Tina to share, in time. He might already have sent her a picture without admitting the truth…" This revelation brought a ear splitting shriek of delight from the young lady in question, as she saw the grin on Mike's face and recalled the picture he had sent. She leapt on him, and smothered him in kisses, as the others watched in bemusement. "To continue, there was also an accessible apartment. Its new tenant, Mr Artie Abrams, already knows about it, as we wanted to show him it without an audience. He will be moving to the West Village very shortly too. There was one other person that knew what today was about, and maybe they would like to tell the other people that will be affected by their agreeing to move in to our little street themselves. The floor is yours….Elliott."
Elliott looked at Nick and Jeff for a second, then turned to face the curious faces of Beats, Josh and Scott. "So, yeah… To start with, let me make it clear that I was kind of tricked into going along to see the place by Nick and Mike last week, and well, what can I say? It's perfect! I can still walk here for work. It is close to the subway and to NYU. It's the top two floors of one of the houses, and has four bedrooms, which is almost too big for the four of us. That is, of course, if you still want to move in with me, Beats, and if Josh wants to leave the comforts that he has in Murray Hill. I am also assuming that Scott would wish to join us, in his own room, of course…" Elliott then proceeded to wink at his final statement, raising a chuckle from most of the room.
"So let me get this straight," said Beats quietly. There was an intake of breath from someone, as they feared the worst; an adverse reaction. "You are telling us that without any form of consultation, you have agreed on a new place for all of us to live in? I mean, for starters, how much is the rent? The West Village is pretty hip, and as such, it will be pricey…"
"Let me tell him, Elliott," said Jeff, turning to look at Beats. "The rent is low; far below market value. This is because I want to live close to my friends. I want the people that I know and care about to benefit from the fact that my birth father, in his ignorance, forgot that I existed and failed to name Hunter. I would also like to point out that I, with my two accomplices, did kind of railroad Elliott into this. Still, if you don't want to move in next to us, Beats…"
"Hold on, I never said that! Of course I want to move in! I think, and I am sure Josh and Scott will agree, that if Elliott likes it, then it has to be more than ok," Beats hastily added.
"That goes for me too, definitely," said Josh. "I've loved living in Murray Hill, but all I have ever wanted to do was live with my brother again, and if Beats and Scott are going to be there too, then everything will be perfect."
"I'm not sure what my parents will say about it," Scott added, "but I think the fact it is in a great area, and I will have my own room will help sway them."
"Well, if it doesn't," Nick replied, "I will have a chat with Grace. I think she and Cooper have got quite used to having Josh around, so they might well be persuaded to let you stay there in his place." As Nick finished, he looked up, and saw that Elliott was now being hugged by his brother and Beats, all three of them looking so happy. That made his heart light, and he could see it was having the same effect on his husband.
"Of course," Jeff continued, his smile broad, "there is now the question of the apartment above Artie's and below Elliott and Mike's places." He paused, and then turned his eyes to where Flint was sitting. "Flint, I heard a rumour that your plans for moving to the city had hit a snag. Now, don't glare at Beats; the little bird that told me that was a blackbird…"
Flint sighed, then smiled, shaking his head. "Trust Wes to go and blab to you! It's true; Izzy and I had planned to move into the apartment that she has been given by her family, but firstly, the building is about to undergo extensive renovations, which will render it more or less uninhabitable for the next six months; and secondly, Mr Bernstein is of the opinion that we should be engaged at the very least before we move in together, and neither of us is ready to take that step. So, yeah, my plans are totally up in the air."
"You never said anything," said Beats.
"We had so much on that there was never a good moment to mention it," Flint replied.
"The fact remains that you, and Ethan for that matter, will not have a roof over your heads soon," said Jeff. "So I would like to offer the two of you that apartment. As you've heard, it is in a great location, and the added bonus would be that Beats would be right upstairs."
"We'd have to see it first…" replied Ethan.
"But otherwise our reply is thanks a lot, Jeff, that would be great," responded Flint, who then turned to his friend, and said "Oh, come on Ethan! It isn't going to be a horrendous slum! It's a nice part of town, and we will know the neighbours!"
"Maybe that's the problem," Sebastian stage whispered to Santana, and that made them all burst out laughing.
"Ok, so now that brings us to the middle house; still intact, just like ours; still laid out over the full four floors, with five good sized bedrooms… So, Luke, Duncan, Seth, the three of you can move in anytime you like, and then it will be ready for your other roommates when they arrive from Ohio. I mean, you were looking for a place for the six of you to share when you were in Jersey City this morning after all. I am sure that Colin, Edward and Skylar, like the three of you, would far rather live in the city - and Manhattan at that - than travel in every day from the other side of the Hudson…" Jeff stopped, and saw the three young men staring at him.
"You're serious? There is a place for the six of us to share, and you don't mind?" said Luke.
"Mind? Why would I mind? What could be more perfect than having my cousin and his boyfriend, plus four good young Warblers living in the house next door? In any case, there will be help on hand in the shape of Elliott, Beats, Flint and Ethan on the other side if the six of you do start to act up!"
"I knew there had to be a catch!" said Ethan deadpan. "Is that why the rent for these places is going to be so low?"
"No, not at all! The rent is going to be low because I have to charge you all something for tax reasons," said Jeff. "If it wasn't for that, I would not be charging any of you a single cent. So that is why I have set a flat rate rent for all of my properties of $10 a month. I did want to make it a year, but Grace said that was far too low…" He stopped speaking then just to observe the scene in the room in front of him. Mouths had dropped open in shock, and Sebastian in particular looked as if he was about to be sick, despite the fact that he already paid a very low rent to Cooper in any case. Flint, Beats and Ethan all looked as if they could pass out from shock at any minute. In fact, only Artie, Kitty and Elliott were sitting with a comfortable expression on their faces, but that was only because they had known what was coming. Suddenly a blur moved across the room, and Jeff found Luke wrapped around him, enveloped in a bear hug which was the only thing he could think of that would truly express the gratitude he felt towards his cousin.
"Well, we all knew that you were a soft, kind, selfless soul, Jeff, but this is above and beyond," said Santana, breaking the silence. "If it wasn't for the fact that we own our place in Bushwick, we would be asking to move in."
"If it wasn't for the fact that I'm pretty attached to my little place in Murray Hill," said Sebastian, "I would be asking to do exactly the same thing."
"I knew that we already had four angels looking out for us all, but I think that we might have a fifth one standing in front of us right now," said Flint, and as everyone nodded in agreement, Jeff blushed a bright red.
Nick stepped in at that point to save his husband from having to talk when he was embarrassed. "So, I am taking it that no-one is about to say no to my husband's kind offer? In that case, we thought that we could all take a stroll over to the West Village to let you all see what it is that you will be getting, just to prove that you aren't moving in to a slum. Before that though, there are a couple of other things that we wanted to mention. As well as his choice to keep hold of the houses here, Jeff also decided to retain two other pieces of property from that man's estate. Firstly, there was a substantial parcel of arable land in Vermont…"
The moment that Nick named the state, Luke, who had still be clinging to Jeff, pulled away and just looked at him curiously. "It's the land around your moms' place, Luke," Jeff responded quietly. "Every time that one of the farmers around them decided to sell up, he outbid them so that he could punish them and stymie their expansion plans. Now they are getting it all, at the same low rent as I am charging all of you, which means that all of the plans they have made over the years can finally become a reality. I told them a few days ago, but I asked that I be allowed to tell you myself." By the time that Jeff finished speaking, Luke was in tears, and with a mumbled "I love you" he flung himself back at Jeff, holding him even tighter, as a crying Duncan looked on from where he was sitting beside Seth.
"The final piece of property was - well, it is probably easier if I show you," said Nick, getting the attention of the others back. He pulled out his laptop, switched it on, and then brought up a picture of an Art Deco house, situated in a large garden, looking imposing against the backdrop of a clear blue sky. The photo changed several times as they watched, scrolling through a series of images of the interior of the house. A rapt audience watched in silence, and the fact that even Mike was watching with as much surprise and curiosity as the others did not pass unnoticed. The pictures finally stopped with a final image of a swimming pool, surrounded on three sides by the house. "So, this is now also my husband's; a grand villa, built between the two world wars, located in the Long Island community of Port Jefferson - appropriately enough, the place is known to the locals as Port Jeff…"
There was a ripple of laughter around the room, then Mike spoke up. "This is just the icing on the cake; you guys are so fortunate…"
"No, Mike, we are all fortunate; the beach house is open to all of you, anytime that you need to escape the pressures of city life for some peace and tranquillity. By the way, Nicky, I think that your slide show might have stopped an image short," replied Jeff.
Nick nodded with a grin, and then restarted the slides, which changed to show the private sandy beach that came with the house, to gasps of delight. "Yes, so the house also has sole use of this nice sandy cove; it really is the perfect place…"
"Ok, so how do we book our place?" asked Santana. "I fully intend to enjoy a weekend there with my new wife in the very near future."
"All you will need to do is call us up, and we will sort it. We will keep a diary of who is going to be there and when, so that the place doesn't get too crowded," replied Nick. "Anyway, that is all, so whenever you guys are ready, we can set off to see the houses."
"Before that, I would like to propose a toast," said Sam. "To Jeff, the kindest guy we all know; talented, generous and all ours!" Glasses were raised, and voices called out the name of the young blond man who was once again blushing at so much unwanted attention. All of them agreed that this news was some kind of compensation for all that they had been through at the hands of the other Clarington men. It did not alter the fact that four of their number had died, three of them at their hands; it did not alter the fact that thanks to the former principal of Dalton, a certain film was still out there somewhere, which if people knew about would cause much double take and ribaldry. However, with Jeff now more or less back to the carefree young man they had all known before his life was turned upside down in his senior year, there was cause for celebration. Life had crept up on him, and dealt him a cruel blow from a twist of fate. Now he was finally benefiting, and if he did, so did they. None of them were going to complain about that.
The procession across town from the diner was lead by Artie, who had already practiced his easiest and quickest route to the Spotlight from his new place, as well as the one he would need to take to school. They headed a little uptown, but not much, which made them all content. As they walked, they all broke into groups and chatted amongst themselves, enjoying the chance just to stroll through town in good company. As they reached Seventh Avenue, Jeff sped up and made his way up from where he had been talking to Sam; they had been discussing a few things concerning the wedding next week, issues that had been raised during Thad's ex-Dalton boys Warbler group chat, a forum set up to exclude Santana from hearing what they had planned for her and Brittany the following week. He now took the lead as they approached the street in which his new home was situated.
"Ok folks, we are almost there. As you can all see, it is a pretty good neighbourhood with great shops, restaurants that cater for virtually every kind of cuisine, a couple of churches if anyone feels the need to pray…"
"…and a shop called the Pleasure Chest," announced Santana as she spotted it. "It really does look as if all your needs are covered around here!"
Jeff blushed scarlet, unaware until that moment that the store had even existed so close by; Nick cringed as the others started to giggle.
"Actually, that is not really the case, Satan," said Sebastian. "If you look more closely my friends, you will observe that there is a flag in the shop window; a flag which indicates that only two people in our party today are its target market. Still, if anyone still has to get a wedding gift to hand over to our blushing brides next weekend, you might find one in there…"
There was a moment of silence, and then a burst of laughter came from Elliott, mainly because Brittany had rushed over to look in the store's window, and Santana was now trying to pull her away. For his part, Jeff found himself giggling, whilst at his side, Nick looked in gratitude at Sebastian, thankful to him for the way he had turned everything around.
Eventually they arrived in front of the row of houses; Nick pointed out the one that he and Jeff would be living in, marked with a row of big windows at the top, which illuminated his husband's studio. Then he delved into his pocket and pulled out the big bundle of keys he had been carrying, handing them over to Jeff to dole out. "Right, so here we go. I think we will start with you, Artie; you might as well just hang on to them now. Let us know when you are intending to move in, and I am sure that I speak for everyone when I say we will all do our utmost to help you move in."
"Thanks for the offer, Jeff, but to be honest, between me and Kitty we have it all more or less covered. We will be coming to move me in on Tuesday, the only thing being that my mom is insisting on coming to help oversee the move, seeing as she did the same when I first moved to New York. She says that it is to help, but personally I think that it is because she wants to examine the place herself, and that she wants to meet you, Jeff. I know that she would like to express her gratitude to you in person."
"That shouldn't be an issue," replied Nick. "If you bring her over at about four, then I can rustle up an English style afternoon tea for her. I feel like showing off a bit in my glamorous new kitchen."
"That sounds good, but there might be one issue; your steps," responded Artie.
"Between all of us, I think that we can get you in," said Mike with a smile. "I won't be on shift or at the Lincoln Center, so I can help out."
"Moving on, you might as well have the keys for what will be your place, Mike. I know that you have no plans to move in there yet, but by giving you these, we are saying that it is a done deal. Also, I think that if we didn't let Tina see the place today, she would kill us… Right then, these are yours, Elliott, and these are the ones for the apartment underneath Ethan. I am positive that all of you are dying to get in and have a good look around, so on you go, whilst I take the boys into their new place. As for those not moving in, if you go with Nick, I am sure he can give you the grand tour of our new home." With nods of agreement, they all went their separate ways.
For the next hour, they all took time to explore their new homes. After walking up the stairs to the boy's place, Jeff handed the keys over to his cousin, who trembled as he went to unlock the front door. As the banister on the staircase was identical to the one in the house next door, a similar suggestion was immediately made, and this time it fell to Jeff to make the statement about placing a mattress or something similar at the bottom before any attempt was made to slide down it. The idea was soon forgotten anyway as they walked around the house. Every room was met with gasps of delight, particularly the room with the pool table in the basement. None of the three young men could play pool, but they could learn now they had the table. Upstairs Jeff showed off the bedroom layout, showing them how there was one larger room and one smaller room on each floor, both en-suite.
"So one for a couple and one for a single person on each level," remarked Seth. "So I can share a floor with these two, as I have grown quite fond of them over the last few months, and Skylar, Colin and Edward can share the other floor. So, all we need now is a moving in date, but for us I think that after the wedding is the best option. We will of course be moving in before the other three get here from Ohio, so that we can choose the floor that suits us best…"
