An Adventure in Politics Part I
Whilst Thad and David had been driving the last few miles across country, a phone call was being made that the caller had wished to avoid at all costs; they had now, with great reluctance, been forced into making it in any case. Mrs Duval called her son with a heavy heart, but she had been forced to agree with Sue; her ex-husband had made the move that they had all feared the most, and had launched a shameless personal attack on Sue. He had not dwelt too much on her professional record, but had instead chosen to concentrate the full weight of his attack on her family values. As he had put it, how could she have any when she was unmarried, had no children, and was estranged from her mother? How could she sit there and claim that she knew what was best for the gold, old, nuclear American family? He had admitted that it was not all her own fault - after all, what could be expected when she had been deserted by her mother, who was more interested in the pursuit of her career than in caring for her two daughters? Sue was a hard and bitter woman as a result, not a warm, fluffy, family minded person; yet she felt she had the right to lecture people on family values! It was the liberal minded people like her, the single people with no family, that had destroyed the country; how could any voter trust her to help make America great again?
Of course, he had conveniently forgotten to mention the fact that she had cared for her sister for all those years; that she had been caring and supportive of her students; well, Kurt at least. He also failed to mention what her mother's job had been, and how successful she was at it. The effect had been what he had hoped; her polling numbers had taken a hit, and in two days, one of the biggest pre-election debates so far had been organised in Westerville. What made it worse was that it was to be televised. Sue had to do something big to hit back at him if she was to regain her momentum. Initially, they had considered releasing the news that his son was one of the two stars of that televised New Years kiss that was still being talked about, but Nick's grandmother had pointed out that doing that would just serve to reinforce some of the odious man's values. She had pointed out to her daughter that they had to show him to be a hypocrite, and there was only one way that they could do so…
After he had finished talking to his mom, Nick had just sat quietly for a few minutes, in the vacation time quiet of the Law Library. He had known almost immediately he had seen who was calling on his phone what she was going to say, and he had almost ignored it. But then he had realised that he would only be putting off the inevitable if he did so, or that worse, Sue would call him up personally. He had read all about what his father had said in his speech online after all. He had prepared for this moment already, having sat down with Jeff one evening to discuss it; his husband had agreed that if Nick had to do the worst, then he would support him and accept the results. Nick had been insistent on one thing; when and if the time came, he would return to Ohio alone. He was not going to drag his husband in front of the media circus at what was, if you thought about it, his father's bidding. He had known that his attitude would lead to a dispute, and he and Jeff had argued about it for a short while. In the end, he had agreed that he did not want the media intruding into all the secrets of his past, and that they should invade his private life as little as possible. He had agreed that Nick could go, but only if he went with Grace at his side.
It was a clever move on Jeff's part, as in normal circumstances, Grace would have refused point blank to go. However, there had been a number of things that her father had said about women in general in his speech that had raised his daughter's hackles, and by the time his mom called him, Nick had already spoken to his sister, and she had no issue going with him. She was not looking forward to coming face to face with her father again; unlike Nick, she had not had the misfortune of coming face to face with him since her brother's wedding almost two years ago. Any love that she had once had for him had long ago evaporated. The idea of him being in Congress made her sick to the pit of her stomach. If she could do something that would help to stop him in his tracks, then she would. There were after all a few things that she could say herself; things that Nick didn't know about. She would only go there though if her mom agreed to it, and if Nick had been forewarned too. It was about time after all that he found out the real reason why the family had been forced to move from Illinois to Ohio…
Jeff knew that something was up the moment that he stepped into the house after his shift at the diner that night. The house smelt of freshly baked cookies, and there was another sweet smell partially overlaying it. He headed straight down into the kitchen, where he found Nick tidying up after his baking session, boxing up the now cool cookies. There was a treacle tart on the table, with a knife and plates.
"Hey, Nicky! You've been busy!" said Jeff, heading over to kiss his husband.
"Yes, I just felt the urge to bake come over me the moment that I got home. I thought that I would make a treacle tart, as I know how much you love it, and I just wanted to spoil my beautiful husband."
Jeff smiled, and kissed him, then stood back. "Okay, Nicky, what has happened? I know you; this is stress baking. What has your dad done now?"
"Nothing to me as of yet," said Nick, with a sigh. "My mom called. There is a big rally in Westerville the day after tomorrow. They all think that it is time, after he called Sue out on her family values, for me to tell the world what he did to me when I came out. Show everyone what his real family values are like. I am so sorry that it has come to this…"
"Why on earth are you sorry, Nicky! He is the one that should be sorry…" Jeff stopped as he saw the tears welling in his husband's eyes. He pulled him into his arms and held him close to his chest as Nick broke down and sobbed. It was at that moment, as his heart ached, that Jeff knew he would break his promise. There was no way that he was not following his husband to Ohio…
Of course, it was not quite as simple as that. Firstly, he had to get hold of Mike and talk to him in private about his plans; he had to ensure that Caleb would be fed, and so he had to bring him in on it. Fortunately, Mike was in complete agreement with his plans, and so happily agreed to say nothing. To be honest, Mike quite liked the idea of spending a night in with the little cat, and as Uncle Mike was known for providing little treats, he was sure that the feeling would be mutual. Secondly, Jeff decided that he needed to get Nick a bit more back up, and for that he needed the people that had witnessed the aftermath of the events of that day back in Ohio. He made a call to his parents and explained the situation. The Sterlings were aware of everything that Mr Duval had been saying, and they had been repulsed by the blatant lies he was telling. When their son asked them if they would come to the meeting and, if necessary, stand up to be counted as witnesses to Nick's injuries that night, they had only to think for a moment before they answered yes. They also offered to put the two of them up for the night. Jeff had to decline, but asked if instead they could put up the one other person that had been there at the time that he could actually call upon. They agreed without hesitation.
His next call was to that person. After all, two of the people that had been there the following day, Kurt and Blaine, were no longer with them, and three of the others were compromised. Much as he was certain that if he asked Burt he would be more than happy to bear witness, he couldn't ask him, as it would be interpreted as interference by a Democrat candidate from another district in the electoral process. For the same reason, he could not ask Carole; as Burt's wife, there would also be undue speculation about the veracity of her evidence. Trent, as one of Burt's recognised assistants in Congress, was also a no no. That left him with Sebastian. He wasn't sure that he would agree, but the fact that the rally was taking place on a Monday was a bonus; it meant that the theatre was dark, and so he was not due to be sitting there that night. In the end, he should never have doubted his old friend. After all, the fact that he was there would scare his father every bit as much as the others being around would scare Mr Duval.
Once Jeff had discovered what flight Nick would be taking, he was able to go ahead and make two reservations of his own. Nick was taking a flight from La Guardia; he and Sebastian would be flying from Newark, but he booked them back on the same flight as Nick and Grace. On that Sunday night, they sat down to dinner together, and the conversation was on every topic bar family and politics. They instead began to make plans for the big Warbler only party that they had scheduled for the following weekend at the beach house. It would be a full gathering of those closest to them, more or less; Cameron would be joining them, but there was nothing they could do about the Drew shaped hole in the festivities. They began to make plans for the menu, as they began to try and work out what quantities of food they would require to keep everyone satisfied. Jeff was of the opinion that as long as they had multiple boxes of cookies, gallons of ice cream and a huge quantity of chips, all would be well; Nick agreed they were important, but he felt that a few nice quiches, tarts and pies, plus meat for the barbeque would be just as vital for things to be perfect. Then of course, there was the important question of cake…
The atmosphere at Sunday dinner had been convivial, but the one at breakfast the following morning was far less cheerful. Nick was starting to stress out about that evening; part of him wanted to cancel, but he was not a coward. He had stood up to his father before, and now he just needed to find the courage to do so again, this time in front of a room full of strangers. In any case, as Mike pointed out, if he failed to show now then at the very least Sue would maim him…
Jeff was waiting for him in the hall when it was time for him to head to the airport. "Right, Nicky. Show that awful man that he can't get away with his lies anymore, and that in the end, the truth will always find you out. Whatever he throws back at you, just remember this; I love you so much, and I will be there at your side, every step, as we head along life's highway."
"I love you too, Jeffie," said Nick, pulling him into a hug. "I will see you tomorrow, and I will call you after the meeting if I am not in bits…"
"No, you make sure that you talk to me afterwards. I won't accept any excuses," Jeff replied. Nick nodded, and then left in a cab.
Five minutes later, Jeff had said goodbye to Caleb and Mike, and was hurrying in the direction of Penn station to meet Sebastian, and catch the train to the airport. He was convinced that he was doing the right thing by going. He knew that Nick was only trying to protect him from pain and harm, but that meant that he was exposed to the worst that the world could throw at him on his own. When they had married, they had vowed to be with each other for better or for worse; so he a duty to try and protect Nick too. He wasn't looking forward to tonight one bit, but at least when he confronted Mr Duval this time, he would be clothed. Hopefully they would not have to do this again; surely he would finally get the message that if he messed with them, then he would only end up being burned himself…
Plans often have a habit of going awry, and they did that day for Jeff. His flight to Columbus was bang on schedule in departing and arrived on time. As he and Sebastian made there way out through the arrivals area, he was startled to hear someone call out his name. He froze for a moment as he realised whose voice it was, then turned to his friend. "It's Nick's grandfather," he exclaimed.
"I thought that you said that his flight was due in before ours?" replied Sebastian.
"It was supposed to be…" muttered Jeff. He glanced up at the monitor and saw, as he had surmised, Nick's flight had been delayed, but was shown as due to arrive in just two minutes time. "Okay, let me do the talking," he hissed at Sebastian as the older man approached. "Hey sir, it is nice to see you!" he said with a smile as the other man came within earshot.
"It's quite a surprise to see you, Jeff, and young Mr Smythe if I am correct. I am guessing that Nick does not know that you are coming, particularly as his mother told me that he had decided that he wasn't prepared to expose you to all of this?" came his reply with a smile.
"He doesn't, no, and it does need to stay that way for the moment if you don't mind sir. I just had the feeling that Nick might need some back up - and well, marriage is a team, isn't it? We're are in this together, and so if he is under any sort of pressure or stress, my place is surely at his side. I am not looking forward to this evening one bit, but this is where I need to be," said Jeff.
Nick's grandfather nodded, and replied "Well, he won't hear anything about this meeting from me. Now, we can talk more later; a certain flight's status had just changed to arrived, so I think I should let you make your exit."
Jeff nodded, and he and Sebastian made their way swiftly to the exit where the taxis were waiting for business. They had no sooner stepped out than Nick and Grace appeared from the gates, and their grandfather hastened over to greet them, glad that he had chosen to park his car at the other side of the airport…
Nick called Jeff a little later, to tell him that he had arrived safely and that he was thinking about him. In the course of their conversation, Jeff managed to find out when Nick would be at the meeting venue for, and he made plans that he himself would arrive ten minutes after that. He finally rang off just as the cab dropped him and Sebastian at the Sterling's house. Jeff sighed as he thought what lay ahead for his husband; he just wished that they had some physical evidence of what had been done to Nick that night; some kind of conclusive proof. He was so deep in his thoughts as he walked up the path that he did not hear his mother greeting them, and it made him jump when she touched him on the arm.
"Sorry mom," said Jeff, as he hugged her. "I was just miles away in my thoughts…"
"It's no problem, dear. I guess that you have been reliving that night over and over again since all of this started up again. The memory of Nick showing up here in the early hours, apologising profusely for waking us all up as he stood there with dried blood on his face and matted into his hair, is one that has been haunting me since you asked us to attend the meeting tonight," sighed Judy. "I really wish now that we had managed to persuade Nick to go to the police at the time; your father and I were both of the opinion that he should, but he refused point blank. He was so insistent that he didn't want any of that for the sake of his mother and sister. We did have the foresight to insist that we got a bit of evidence, just in case he changed his mind…"
"Evidence?" said Jeff, confused, glancing at his mom and an equally puzzled Sebastian.
"We thought the day might come when he wanted to press charges, and so we took some photos off him before I started to clean up his wound, and wash the blood off his face. I'm surprised that Nick didn't get in touch with us about them. Maybe he has forgotten that we took them…" Judy stopped as her son pulled her into the tightest of hugs. Sebastian was grinning from ear to ear at Jeff's side. It was a bit of fantastic news that none of them had been expecting. Those images were the confirmation that they required, and would be a powerful weapon if the need to use them arose…
Across town, Nick and Grace were sat at their grandparents, enjoying a light meal before they headed to the rally. Nick was tense, and was picking at his food, his appetite gone. He also had the feeling that he was the only one around the table that did not know something. He saw the little looks and glances, and he was convinced there was something that he was not party to. He waited until his grandparents left the room to wash up, then he turned to his mother and sister. "Okay, I need to know exactly what is going on here. There has been tension in the air since we got here, and although that was only to be expected, it is worse between the two of you. I am guessing that there is some secret that I am not party to, and that I am the only one in this house that isn't. Tonight has brought it back to the fore, and the two of you have a difference of opinion about it. So, what is it? What don't I know about dad?"
Mrs Duval sighed, and was about to speak when Grace, shaking her head, got in first. "He has a right to know mom, and he always did! We have to tell him the truth now; he doesn't need protecting. I get why you didn't want him to know at the time. When you consider it, everything turned out well for him as a result, more or less. If we hadn't left Illinois, he might never have met Jeff, and Lord knows how the two of them would be if they were without each other! He is an adult now, not a teenage boy. Tell him, or I will…"
Mrs Duval now spoke. "I was merely trying to save your brother from being embroiled in the whole affair…"
"An appropriate choice of word, mother," hissed Grace.
"Very well, you're right… Nick, we did not move here to Ohio because your father was offered a new and better job. We moved here because it was the only way that he could carry on in his job; he had been virtually disbarred in Illinois."
Nick started at the news. "You mean he had lost his licence to practice as a lawyer? Oh my God, that is… Okay, why? What did he do?"
Mrs Duval didn't get a chance to answer before Grace jumped in. "Let us just say that his employer did not take kindly to the fact that he was having extramarital relations with the wives and daughters of a number of the firm's most important clients. His colleagues did not take kindly to finding out that he had been doing the same with some of their wives. And the final straw was when his immediate boss discovered that one of those wives had been his…"
There was silence for a moment as Nick processed the information - and then he couldn't help himself. He started to laugh, then desperately tried to stifle it as he saw the looks on his mother and sister's faces. "I am so sorry… I know that it isn't funny at all, but it is so desperately ironic. He blames me entirely for the destruction of his perfect nuclear family and all the time he had done his level best to ensure it himself by throwing himself at virtually every woman that he met. The hypocrisy of that man just plain astounds me. I am sorry that he did that to you mom, though I don't understand why you didn't just leave him at the time."
His mother sighed, then said "He told me that he was sorry, that it would never happen again and I believed him. I did tell him that being sorry just wasn't enough this time; he had to go to counselling. I also insisted that if we were leaving Illinois, then we weren't going to the west coast as he wished; we were going to Ohio, close to my parents, which he agreed to despite the fact that he couldn't stand them… I was brought up, you see, to believe that divorce was the very last resort, and he also convinced me that you Nick would end up damaged if you came from a broken home…"
"Which must have made him all the angrier when I did come out; in his eyes, I was damaged from that moment on. Of course, he blamed all of the external factors; Jeff, Dalton, my grandparents, and in the end, you. I never thought that I could despise him more than I already did, but now I want to make him suffer. All the time that he has been telling me that I am an abhorrent sinner, and he has a history of being a serial adulterer…"
"Now you know why I hate him so vehemently," said Grace. "Now you know why I rushed home when he told me what was going on with you. I knew that his reaction would not be great, but that day when I got to the Sterling's house and saw the wound in your scalp, it was so tempting just to head straight home and kill him. But I didn't; I played along with his game. The long game is always the better option, because I knew that in the end, mom would come round to our side. She just needed something to give her a push…"
"And when I saw what that boy had done to you in that courtroom, and realised that even then, subconsciously you were prepared to go through agony just to protect Jeff, I could no longer stand in your way and not support your love. I also knew that I had to leave your father. I do wonder what would have happened if I had left him and brought you back to Ohio with me, just the two of us. Would things have been better? We will never know…"
"Actually, mom, it would have been worse potentially. For a start, would I have gone to Dalton at all without dad's insistence? And let us not forget that it was only his insistence that I was going to Harvard that caused the rift between me and Jeff; if that hadn't happened, would I have ever admitted my true feelings to myself, and to him? In a way, when you think about it, it was his actions that made me and Jeff happen. We should point that out to him sometime…" As he said those last words, Nick gave his two companions a look of such innocence that they both burst out laughing, and Nick quickly joined in. After all, that revelation would make his father's day…
When Nick finally arrived at the rally, he was slightly overawed at the size of the crowd. As he glanced around the hall from the doorway, he was pleasantly surprised to see two familiar faces in the audience. He managed to catch their eye, and a moment later, Thad joined him. "I bet that you are wondering what David and I are doing here. Well, a little bird might have told us that you were going to be baring your soul, and we thought that you might like a little bit of moral support. On top of that, I will be a registered voter in this district come the election, so it is both my right and my duty as a citizen to come and listen to the candidates. As for David, well he is here for his mom if anyone queries it, although she has already decided that your dad is no decent sort of Christian, given all that he says. She also says that Mr trump reminds her of a film character, and she would never want that man for President. The film character in question is, of course, an Oompa Loompa…"
Nick snorted out a laugh, then pulled his friend into a hug. "I'm glad that you are both here. Just remember that we are kind of rooting for Sue, as much as that goes against every Democrat principle that you have ever entertained…"
"Don't worry; I know all about the principles of tactical voting. Just remember why you are here, and that Jeff loves you. We all do, if I'm being honest…" Nick nodded, and then made his excuses to go and hide in his spot backstage. They did not want his father to know that he was there in advance…
Thad and David got a surprise of their own a minute or so after the former had returned to his seat. David had glanced over to the door again, and had done a double take when he saw who had just walked in. "I thought you said that Nick was going to be here on his own? Because Jeff has just walked in, with Sebastian of all people, and it looks like the Sterling's are here too…"
Thad spun round, and just stared, open mouthed. Jeff saw him, and blushed, and then as Thad pointed at the four empty seats beside him and David, he lead his party towards them. He had no option given the intensity of the Head Warbler' stare.
"Okay, Jeff, what is going on? I was informed by Wes that you were staying at home on Nick's strict instructions…"
"I married Nick for good times and for bad, so I decided that I couldn't just stay away, not when he was so upset. Then there is the fact that the four of us are all witnesses to the injuries that Nick suffered at his father's hands. That is what Nick is here to say, to blow his family man credentials out of the water. He will try and dispute his son's words, so we will be able to stand up and confirm what Nick has said. Better than that, there is actually proof that I never knew about and that Nick has forgotten about. Mom and dad took photos that night…"
Jeff looked at his mom, and she opened her purse, and pulled out an envelope, which was handed to Thad. As David looked over his shoulder, he pulled out the contents, and the two of them winced at what they saw. They had no idea of the full scale of what had been done to their friend that night, as Nick had never told them. All they could think as they saw those images was that no man that could do that to his own child would ever be fit to hold any kind of political office…
