Graduations & a Wedding : Part III

From a discrete position near the door, Wes and Blaine had stood and listened to the entire exchange. When Blaine had first spotted Cameron, he had immediately called for Wes, expecting fully that he would intercede in some way. He had however chosen not too, as he had every confidence that Thad would be able to deal with the situation and not for the first time, his confidence in his boyfriend and indeed his entire flock had not been misplaced. After hearing the result of the conversation, Wes smiled to himself. "It is at moments like this," Wes said quietly to Blaine, "that I feel that little glow of pride that I helped to shape these young men into the good people that they are. Life has not been kind to them, but that has never changed their actions. Poor Cameron has suffered in the last few years by the sound of things, and it takes real courage to actually admit that. Jeff never talks about his brief sojourn in hospital after his own breakdown as we both know, but when he heard about Cameron's plight, you could see his sympathy growing. If those two end up alone somewhere, then I can see Jeff opening up about his own experience, as it is something that only the two of them have shared, at least so far."

"The only problem that I can foresee here is that Cameron cannot see or hear us. From what I can recall, Cam was always good at picking up vibes in the room, and on working out if someone had a secret. If he thinks that he is the odd one out in the group, then that can't be a good thing, can it?" pondered Blaine.

"No, but there is a quick fix available for that; with Mitch we had time to prepare, to pre-warn him of our presence if you like. I don't want to do it, but we could if necessary activate the emergency protocol…"

"You mean use the 'dream state?' That's not great…"

"No, but we might have to. If we leave him thinking that he dreamed the entire day after this, it will worry him, but if we have to, we do. We needn't worry about that now though; he hasn't picked up on anything, and hopefully, on this one occasion, he won't. I don't want to have to use that final resort, so just now, we need to get out of the way. They will all be heading to the auditorium any moment, and if they don't see us, then there will be nothing for him to pick up on." Blaine nodded at Wes, and they vanished from the corridor, heading to the auditorium to stand to one side, able to see but not to be seen; after all, they did not want to miss out on the days events.

Graduation that year was quite straightforward compared to those of the previous few years. There was much chatter about the far more fashionable appearance of the Warblers alumni when they took their spot alongside the current group of boys on the stage, and all of it was favourable. Opening songs were sung, and the first of the speeches were made. Colin, as the valedictorian that year, made a passionate speech in which he praised both the staff and his fellow students, then segued onto a discussion of the times that they were now living in, with the effect of those changes being felt around the world, with things that had once seemed steadfast falling aside.

"It is nice to know," he said in conclusion, "that in these fast changing times, Dalton is still here as a beacon of hope; a stable place on which we can depend. In this place, we will always find a home, and from this place, we will all take away friends that will stay with us forever. As they say, once a Dalton boy, always a Dalton boy. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Class of 2016 will always be grateful for everything that we take from here, but we will be most grateful for all of that friendship in a cold and at times confusing world." With those final words, he finished, then took a bow as the applause echoed round the room. He rejoined the ranks of the Warblers, and they sung the school song with the same gusto that it had been sung with for over a century.

Then it was Thad's turn to speak. He was less nervous about it than he had been the year before, but he still felt the palms of his hands become moist as he stepped up onto the podium. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it has now been four years since I stood on this stage as a new graduate of this school, and prepared to leave these hallowed halls for the next level of education - college. In a few short weeks, I will finish my degree at UCLA, which means that I will once more stand on a stage in a cap and gown as I mark the end of that chapter. My next step, as some of you will already be aware, brings me full circle; this time next year, the newly graduated seniors will know me as Mr Harwood, one of the staff in the History department, and the faculty advisor to the Warblers. The four years that I have been away have altered me; so much in my life has been lost or changed. In my deepest moments of despair in these years, it was those friends that Colin mentioned in his own speech that pulled me through and saved me from myself. The role that I now have as the Head Warbler gave me a purpose, and the strength to fight through my darkest days."

"In times of trouble, we need our friends, and I'm afraid that one of those troubled times may well be coming to our nation as a whole. The divisive election campaign that we are seeing with our own eyes just now is in the interests of no-one on either side of the political spectrum. We need to put our differences aside and work together to make this great nation of ours a home for all, united in our common goals. That is the ethos of Dalton Academy, and it is a great pity that the rules and standards that are observed here cannot be applied nationally. Until the day that they can be, I promise that I will do my best to instil those concepts and values in the mind of every boy that I have the privilege and indeed honour to teach as a member of the faculty of this our beloved school."

Thad's carefully considered words went down well with everyone that was assembled in the auditorium. He had been careful to ensure that he did not cause upset to anyone that had sympathies for the position of Mr Trump, knowing that even at liberal minded Dalton, there would be parents and pupils that had a more right wing stance than the others. Most people had seen exactly what he had been stating, but his words, like those of Colin before him, could be interpreted in a number of ways. Still, it was not until Principal Lefevre gave him a nod of approval that he felt able to relax a little. After all, his next task, giving out the Montgomery Cup for the first time, would be no great hardship.

"It is now my duty and indeed pleasure to hand out for the first time a new award. Most people in this room will have heard of Wesley Montgomery, former Head Warbler, valedictorian of the class of 2011, and one of the most universally popular students that this school has ever known. His tragic early death in a road traffic accident in the late summer of 2014 shook us all, and was a reminder of the fleeting nature of our time here. This cup was created to reward the boy, or indeed boys, that have done the most to ensure that the welfare of his fellow man is protected; to ensure that all people are respected, and that tolerance is promoted and encouraged in our all too fractured society. It is my great delight to award this trophy to someone that was not merely selected by the Principal, or even by the faculty, but was nominated by his fellow students an overwhelming number of times. He is a young man that puts his own needs last at times; who has worked tirelessly to support his fellow students; participated in several clubs, one of which he lead; and in his spare time, regularly volunteered to assist at the soup kitchen in Columbus. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is highly fitting that the first Montgomery Cup should go to a Head Warbler; please put your hands together for Mr Skylar Willetts!"

There was immediately thunderous applause from around the room as a blushing Skylar stepped from his spot amongst the Warblers and headed towards Thad to accept his trophy. What was most gratifying to him at that moment was the fact that the loudest of the cheers came from the lacrosse team, whose captain he had tutored in both math and Spanish; the dramatic society, where he had lent his voice to a highly successful performance of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night; and from the school governors, in their spot at one side of the stage, all of whom had witnessed his charity works in person. When the noise died down, the cup now in his hands, he stepped up to the lectern, and spoke.

"I would firstly like to thank every person that nominated me for this honour. I am sure that there are others here who are just as deserving of this award as me, and so I would like to dedicate it to them too. I am also aware that there is a small financial reward connected to this trophy; I would ask that it be donated on my behalf to the Salvation Army, who run the soup kitchen where I volunteer, so that it can go to helping ensure that the essential service that they provide can be continued. My only hope now is that the boys that I encourage to accompany me there from the lower years can still carry on my good work now that I am leaving for college." With that, Skylar stopped, and after a moment to compose himself, left the stage. Thad followed him, making a mental note that one of the first things he would do in his role as a teacher here would be to volunteer to escort those other boys to Columbus, and then encourage others to join them in following in Skylar's footsteps.

The time for the official ceremony was drawing nearer, but there were still a handful of other cups and indeed medals to hand out. The last of these was the Klaine Medal, which this year was handed to a student that had spent the year battling a long term and debilitating illness, but through all of that had still managed not to miss a single coursework deadline, had gone on to excel in their exams, and had still found time and energy to assist with the yearbook. At the back of the room, the two angels after whom the award was named were enthusiastic in their applause, in complete agreement with the choice that had been made.

Then it was the moment for the certificates of graduation to be handed out, in strict alphabetical order, as was the norm. This meant that those assembled in the room did not have long to wait to hear the call of "Colin Kenneth Baxter" from Principal Lefevre, and then witness the smiles of his parents and the not quite so restrained cries of encouragement from Edward in his spot with the other alumni Warblers. It did then seem like forever before Skylar's name was announced, but the applause for him was every bit as warm and gratifying. From his spot at the back, Wes suddenly found that his eyes were moist, and both Kurt and Blaine knew why. With the graduation of those two senior boys, the last of the boys that had sung with his own flock had finally come to the point where they flew the nest. It was the end of an era in some ways, but the start of something new and wonderful too. As of next year, the graduates would have worked under the tutelage of Thad, and through him, there was still a connection to those days of the past.

As the majority of those that had attended the graduation ceremony headed into the grounds to take the usual graduation photos, the Warblers made their way through the school, as soon as politeness would allow, to go and assist with the final preparations for the day's other big event - a wedding. Whilst the graduation ceremony had been taking place, the rest of the brides' closest friends had arrived, as had the two ladies in question, of course. They would not don their wedding outfits until the last moment; for now, they were all sat in the modest surroundings of the Junior Commons, a room normally used for the meetings of the bulk of the non-sporting societies at the school. It had been transformed into a room for the brides to relax in as they awaited their big moment. Santana's dress was hanging up in a small ante-room off it; Brittany's was hanging up in the cloakroom of the Principal's office, so that she could approach the stairwell from the opposite direction to her future wife. Quinn and Sugar, as the two official bridesmaids, were in charge of the room; they had now banished Ryder, Jake, Joe and Artie from the room, sending them to join the Warblers, former, current and honorary, as they gathered in the Senior Commons nearby.

The atmosphere was convivial as the two ladies from the beauty parlour that had been recommended by Principal Lefevre worked their magic on the two brides-to-be, with both of the bridesmaids already done. Kitty was flipping through a pile of wedding magazines that were in the room, claiming she was only doing so as there was nothing else she could do; Marley had her suspicions though that Kitty was already starting to plan out her own ceremony in however many years time it came. Rachel and Mercedes were comparing notes career wise, and for once they were not fighting, mainly because no-one was mentioning two words; private jet. There was no sign of either of the bride's mothers, but that might well have been down to Edith Carmichael, who had, with assistance from Carole, organised a quiet luncheon just for the ladies.

All was calm and going to plan - until the moment that a shadow fell across the room from the doorway, and Sue strode in. She had been invited to the ceremony, naturally enough, but no-one had expected her to appear this early in the day. "So this is where you are all hiding from the preppies and the mothers. I am glad that I was able to track the two brides down, as there was something I wanted to say to you before the actual ceremony. I know that we have had our differences of opinion over the years…." She paused briefly as Rachel choked at that statement, and Tina scoffed. "…but I have come to realise that the two of you are the nearest I will ever have to daughters; well you and all the other Cheerios. I wanted to get you something special as a wedding gift. I considered an all expenses paid vacation to Lesbos, or even a portrait of myself to remind you of me in your marital home - lifesize naturally - but my campaign for Congress has left me with too little time to pose, and I have never had patience with travel agents. So I had a moment of inspiration. I would get you something that would make your day totally complete; something that you had wished for, but had felt was impossible to obtain. It wasn't easy to get, believe you me. Anyway, I'm afraid that it would not stay still long enough for me to gift wrap it, so I will just have to hand it over to you as it comes…"

Sue returned to the door, opened it, and revealed what she had concealed. For a moment, Brittany had hoped for a unicorn, but what she saw standing there was so much better. As for Santana, she could only gasp as she saw the figure of her Abuela standing there, dressed in her best clothes, and wearing what she had always called her wedding hat…

Afterwards they would all find out exactly how Sue had persuaded her to abandon her decision not to attend, and make the first repairs to her relationship with her only granddaughter. There would be those that would gasp in abject horror at the things she had said; those, including Wes, who would admit that Sue's use of reverse psychology had been textbook. Sue asking her if she would like to come with her to join in stoning the two brides, or setting fire to Dalton Academy so that it burnt to the ground, had left the older woman horrified. She had protested at once, telling Sue that she loved her granddaughter, and that she would never wish her, or anyone closely connected to her, harm. That was when Sue pointed out that there was only one person that was causing Santana any sadness or harm in the whole wedding business…

They had ended up having a discussion over tea and cake, and now, although she still did not really approve of two people of the same sex marrying each other, her grandmother saw that she was causing Santana distress. Plus there was another truth in all of it, one that was inescapable; she still loved her granddaughter, and she missed her being in her life. It was clear from the way that the two woman embraced in that room at Dalton that the feeling there was entirely mutual. With perfect timing, Santana's mom also walked in at just that moment, and she also could witness the unexpected reconciliation. It was with great happiness that Santana would leave that room to get dressed next door, in the company of Quinn, her mom, and her beloved Abuela.

The appointed hour finally arrived. Those Warblers that were closest to Santana and Brittany had agreed to act as ushers for the ceremony; they had greeted the guests at the main entrance as they arrived, and then had guided those that had not visited the school before through the corridors to the staircase. The Warblers had been as much in awe of the transformation of that part of the school as the two brides when they first saw it. At the staircase itself, the job of chief usher had fallen to Sebastian, at the request of Santana. He could charm the birds from the trees if he needed to, but at the same time, could deal calmly with pretty much any crisis that arose. He cut a very dashing figure in his new, tailored uniform, and he knew it - the hungry glances that he kept getting from Dave, sat near the back with Elliott, were ample confirmation of that. He was being assisted in his task by Trent; he had decided that Nick and Jeff would be better deployed in ensuring that people did not get lost between the front door and the venue. He was also pretty certain that they would not have been able to control themselves and would have ended up having a fit of the giggles when they had been informed that Brittany's dad's first name was also Pierce; he was having a hard enough time himself, as was Trent, but those two goobers would have laughed hysterically at the idea that someone had seen fit to give him that name.

Sebastian was as pleased as everyone else when he was informed of the last minute addition to the guest list; he had turned his full charm on the lady in question when she arrived, complimenting her on her clothes and hat. Behind her, Mrs Lopez had rolled her eyes, and shook her head, but she was smiling nonetheless. In doing so, it meant that he left Trent to deal with the formidable Mrs Pierce, but now that he had met her, Trent was suddenly able to explain a lot of things about Brittany. The mothers were the final guests to be seated; the celebrant, a young woman, was already in her spot, three steps up. Nick and Jeff appeared, with David and Thad, who had been manning the front door itself, and whispered to him that the brides were on their way. Sebastian glanced down one corridor to see Santana approaching on the arm of a proud looking Puck; she was looking more radiant than he had ever seen her, as did Quinn walking right behind her. He turned his head in the other direction and saw Brittany, looking every inch the fairytale princess, walking towards him with Mike on one side, and Sugar, looking fit to burst, bringing up the rear. He smiled to himself, then hastened to join his fellow Warblers at the foot of the stairs.

The two brides entered the room to music, of course. Mercedes and Artie performed a beautiful duet of At Last, which touched all of them, pulling on every heartstring, and also making some laugh at how long it had taken them to get here. As Santana passed her grandmother, the lady in question had to pull out a tissue, as seeing the beauty of her granddaughter got the better of her emotions - and seeing her doing so almost set Santana off in tears too. Instead she let her eyes wander around the room, heading towards the back where Sue was now sitting next to Shannon Bieste and the Schuesters, and mouthed the words 'Thank you!' at her, which was acknowledged with a small nod. She then turned to look at her bride, her smile radiant as she took the final steps down the aisle to arrive at her side. The dress she had chosen suited her exactly, and all Santana could think was that this was the best moment of her life so far. Then the music had stopped, and the moment had arrived… But then she saw that Sebastian had broken ranks, and was holding up his hand for silence. All she could think was if that meerkat ruined her big moment, then she was going to end him…

"Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of the Warblers, I would like to extend to you all a warm welcome to Dalton Academy. As many of you will be aware, one of the final acts of the late and much missed Head Warbler, Wes Montgomery, was to confer on Santana the title of Honorary Warbler. She is the first woman ever to be given that title, and that is the reason why we are gathered here to witness this marriage, and not in a barn… Anyway, that also means that she falls under the strict rules and traditions that exist regarding Warbler weddings at this school. Santana, you told us that we did not need to sing for you. That is true, but we are obliged to do so by a tradition that dates back to the earliest date of this choir's existence. There was a great deal of debate about song choice, but in the end we all agreed that based on what we know about you, there could be only one choice…"

"If he starts singing Devil Woman, then we will all need to restrain her," a voice was heard to whisper at that point, causing some hastily stifled laughter as Santana glared in the correct direction.

"Trust me, that was suggested in jest, but swiftly rejected on the grounds that these new uniforms were expensive, and blood stains are hard to shift. Instead, we all agreed on my initial choice, which goes something like this…"

A chorus of dum-dums began as the Warblers began on an acapella version of the classic Make Someone Happy. Santana's eyes began to get moist as the song went on. It fitted absolutely perfectly; after all, her world was built around Brittany. The fact that Jimmy Durante was her Abuela's favourite singer meant that the older woman was aglow with happiness too. Santana then noted that it was not just the Warblers that were singing; all of the former New Directions had joined in too. By the time the song reached its end, Brittany was crying, her own heart was bursting, but then came the final coup de grace. Sebastian pointed up discretely, and on looking above, she saw four angels hovering there, singing the final lines of the song in a high pitch that was easy for Kurt, but a struggle for the others. As the room erupted in applause, she stepped forward and pulled Sebastian into a hug, whispering the words "Thanks, Meerkat" in his ear.