Problems and Prospects.
The following day began as every day would in the Sterling-Duval household for the foreseeable future. There was a baby to feed, change and bathe, a task split between his two dads, both of them living up to the commitment they had made to always share things equally. Nick hated the fact that he had to leave that happy domestic world for work, resentful that the prejudices of one man were about to deprive him of valuable bonding time with his son. He was certain that this time would not be stolen from his heterosexual colleagues. He was held up as he left the house, and thus barely made it to his meeting on time. Mr Vallent's snooty P.A. gave him a glare as he dashed in bang on time, and then informed him he would need to wait. Half an hour later Nick was still waiting for his boss, but he made no comment upon it, nor did he show his displeasure, knowing that such actions would be frowned upon. When he was finally admitted into the office, he received no apology for the delay, but then he would not have expected one in any case.
"I've been keeping an eye on your progress, Mr Sterling-Duval, and it is adequate," the man began in a sneering voice. "I have to admit you work hard, and have a high success rate. In light of that, the time has come for you to assist me on a much larger case. I trust you will have heard of the Hudson Valley Markets case?"
Nick smiled inwardly, glad now that he had taken to reading the business sections of the daily papers now. "Yes, there was an issue with the way that they acted in regard to the closure process of several under performing stores. They were accused of ignoring the rights of their employees as mandated by state law, and the initial case unveiled a long history of them doing so."
"Good. It is helpful that you are aware of what is alleged to have happened. We have been asked to act in the case; it is an open and shut one in many ways, and the ruling that is given will set a benchmark for other cases of this type in future. There will be a lot of hard work, and long hours to be done, but this is your chance to make your name known in legal circles in the city. So, you may be aware that the entire case lies on the alleged activities of the firm's head of personnel…"
"Clifford Peterson," said Nick.
"I knew you would be the correct choice for this. He has been accused of neglecting his legal obligations, accepting bribes, extortion, anti-union practices and bullying within the workplace. We will be setting out the case for his defence, to prove that he did not breach any of those laws, or carry out any of the other actions. I trust that you won't find defending him an issue, Nicholas? After all, how you perform in that respect will affect your future position here in the firm, and in the legal profession in the city as a whole…"
Nick sat in silence; he knew about the case because it was all that half of the lawyers in town were talking about, but that was for one reason. They all were aware that the bulk of the evidence pointed to the guilt of the firm and a clear breach of the law. Had his employer just asked him to help him prosecute those behind this terrible attack on the rights of ordinary workers, he would have jumped in willingly. Instead he was being asked to defend the man that had been dubbed as cruel, heartless and unfeeling by the media; as an evil dictator that would stop at nothing to achieve his targets and goals…
"Of course, Nicholas, there is a whole wealth of opinion out there in the media, most of it against our client, but a good lawyer will not let that sway him; a good lawyer does not make his decisions based on hearsay, they review all of the evidence themselves and only then do they judge. Everyone is entitled to access justice in a free society after all, and I know that you believe in that. This is a case that will naturally present a challenge to you, but at the end of it, I am certain that you will be a better lawyer for the experience. I would suggest that you take the files and read your way through them to begin, so that you can get to know the evidence. Our plea will be not guilty, and I am certain that we can win that verdict if we both work with that goal in mind. However, if you feel that it is too much, or are uncomfortable in any way with the task ahead of us, then I am sure that one of your colleagues will jump at the chance to work with me; just as there are any number of law graduates that would jump at a position like your current one…"
The smile on Lionel Vallent's face as he uttered that final sentence told Nick all that he needed to know; he could turn this down, but if he did, he would find himself dismissed on some pretext within weeks, if not days. In his heart he knew that he should refuse to take part, should just say no and then resign; his new father's head though was saying the opposite. He guessed that it would do no harm just to read through the files…
"I can take a look through the files I guess; is there anything specific I should be looking out for in the opinion of the client?" replied Nick, the last words almost sticking in his throat.
"Anything that can discredit the claimants. I've already arranged for the files to be sent to your E-Mail account; read through them and schedule another meeting with me by the end of the week. The trial begins in four weeks after all, and I need you up to speed as soon as possible. Can I just say that I am so pleased that you have seen sense on this. I thought that you would decline, but maybe we can make a good lawyer out of you after all… So, Friday, at the latest…"
Nick knew that he was being dismissed, and hurried out. After all, he had a strong urge to wash his hands. He felt rather unclean…
After he had scrubbed his hands, he headed to his own familiar cubicle, and found himself surrounded by colleagues who wanted to see photographs of his son. Then when he was alone, he checked his E-Mail, just to see if the files were there; then he made a call upstairs, to his sister, to see if she had time for lunch with him. Grace was busy, but something in her brother's voice made her agree to see him. When he suggested that they get a sandwich and meet in a quiet spot away from the office, she was all the more concerned…
One look at his woebegone face when she got there was enough for her to know that all the bad thoughts she had were fully justified. She sat and listened in silence as he spilt out his heart, telling her everything that had happened, but her response could only be sympathetic, and not the solution that she knew he craved.
"I wish that I could tell you what to do here for the best, but the fact is that I think that you are correct in thinking that he will sack you if you refuse to assist him with this case. I know that it is going to be hard for you, but the one positive is that there is so much evidence against the client that any jury, unless they were bribed to the hilt, will find him guilty. Vallent does not like to lose, but in this case, he will. All you can do is do exactly as he says, and stay strong. You will get out from there some day…"
"Until then, I just have to accept my lot, I guess…" began Nick, but then his phone rang. He answered it, and a smile came on his face when he realised it was Jeff; he had decided that he should take Wesley for his first excursion to the Spotlight, and was just wondering if he was free to join his son and his papa… Nick couldn't resist the temptation, and with an apology to Grace, he raced off to spend a few minutes with the two loves of his life….
As soon as he was out of sight, Grace let out a string of invective under her breath. She could see that this would not end well for Nick, and that the whole thing was a Catch 22. Vallent did not just not like losing, he abhorred it. On the few recorded instances when he had done so, he had made the lives of those that had assisted him in the case a living hell. He had a reputation of punishing them until they resigned. The only way Nick would not be destroyed by Vallent was if by some unjust miracle Peterson actually was found not guilty. That result would be a horrendous one for anybody that believed in true justice. If it did happen, then the effect on her brother would be every bit as devastating as the other…
Grace's concern for her brother had to be put on hold for a while though. As the end of the month of July approached, so did the date that Cooper had circled on the calendar at the start of the year. They had decided that they wanted a low key affair, with the whole media circus excluded as much as possible. Admittedly, that wasn't going to be that easy, given that Cooper had won a Tony, and was in one of the current top shows on Broadway. Isabelle had done what she could to help there through her contacts in the media, the price for that being the presence of one of Vogue's photographers, but that was okay. No mention was to be made of the absence of both of the happy couple's fathers from the event. Grace would be walking down the aisle on the arm of her grandfather, and to her that was all the more perfect.
Sam had accepted the job of Cooper's best man with a few reservations, but they were brushed aside when Blaine told him that he would help him write a suitable speech. Burt and Carole would join Pam at the front of the congregation, as he still saw them as his other parents. Instead of a bachelor party, Cooper was taken out on an experience day, and Sam would later admit that he had been frightened by the speeds that Cooper had achieved as he drove the power boat along the Long island shore. Grace had also eschewed the normal wedding party for a meal with colleagues and friends at a good restaurant, which she deemed far more appropriate for a legal professional than some drunken party.
Her forthcoming nuptials had been greeted with smiles and warmth by her immediate boss, a man that was the polar opposite of Lionel Vallent, but on the Friday before her big day, he had to deliver news to Grace and her colleagues that tinged the celebratory atmosphere with sadness. He was a man in his mid fifties, and was loved and respected by his department. That afternoon he sat stony faced as he told them that he had been summoned to the boardroom that morning, and there he had been told that the decision had been taken to make him retire, albeit on a generous package, with almost immediate effect.
"Someone has told the board that this department is not cost effective enough under my stewardship; that we are in fact a deadweight on the organisation, impacting the potential profits for the shareholders. It was suggested that this department should be closed down entirely, but the board refused to countenance that. Instead, it will be subjected to a close examination, and swinging cuts will be made. I am to go, and a new head will come in my place, taking responsibility for you on top of their current department. I am afraid that person is Lionel Vallent. He wished to introduce new rules as of Monday, but I successfully argued that nothing should be changed until I have actually retired. His first move will be to end the flexible working that several of you enjoy; in future, you will all have to work Monday to Friday, office hours, so that the floor can be closed overnight and at weekends. That is just the start; he also believes that we can manage the same caseload with a third less staff…"
Grace did not hear much more after that. The new rules would be devastating for her, meaning that she and Cooper would no longer have a shared day off on Mondays. She also had a sneaking suspicion that given how much her brother was despised by Lionel, her name would probably be right at the top of the list of those selected for dismissal…
She had been planning for such an event though, and had kept Cooper in the loop. The family law department was one which dealt with a largely female clientele, but some in power seemed to be ignorant of that fact. For some time now, Grace had been in discussion with a number of her colleagues, and along with a number of other senior female staff, they had talked about the possibility of going it alone, taking their reputation and client base with them. Between them all, they had the financial clout to take such a step…
At the end of the day that Friday, they had gathered in a quiet bar some distance from the office to discuss the scheme. They all now agreed that it was certainly time, but that they could make some key changes to the execution of it now. The longest serving of them all, a lady with over 20 years of experience at the firm, suggested that they could ask their boss to come in with them as a silent partner; he would be useful in bringing clients in with his sound reputation for fairness. He would not practice, as this was to be an all female law firm.
They all agreed that it was a sensible idea, and then Grace made her own proposal. "I suggest that we all start to do things that will annoy Mr Vallent, and put ourselves right in the line of fire. He will make us redundant to get rid of us, and that will come with a financial pay out, as the board is obligated to provide. That extra cash could come in useful, and as such, it is better than simply resigning…" There was immediate mirth at the audacity of her idea, and backing. After all, it would be a good way to pay back the man whose machinations they suspected were behind all of the changes in the first place…
All of those work related issues were put to one side on the final Sunday of July. It was an early rise that day for everyone attending, as the couple getting married that day both had jobs that kept them busy all week, and their honeymoon as such would be one night away together at the beach house in Port Jefferson. Having the ceremony first thing therefore maximised the time that they had to spend alone. They had chosen to marry in City Hall, rather than some lavish venue; it was after all close to the place where they had first met, in the most tragic of circumstances, at the trial of Hunter Clarington; the day that Cooper had admitted he fell head over heels in love in a heartbeat. There was no elaborate decoration, no grand gestures or expensive clothes, just a group of friends gathered to watch as a city official made Grace a Hummel-Warbler, and officially gave Nick a new brother-in-law.
The dress code had been smart casual, and the ceremony was short. On top of that, much of the attention that would normally have been given to the bride was lavished instead on her nephew, the youngest guest there. His proud parents had dressed him properly for such an occasion, able to do so thanks to Mrs Carmichael, whose tiny Dalton blazer cardigan was much admired. The reception was then held at the Spotlight Diner, which lead some to accuse Cooper of being cheap, given that he had used his partner's discount. His response had been to point out that the only thing that had influenced his choice was the guest list, and coming to the diner let them all do what they loved; perform. That would be far more conducive to the party atmosphere he wished to create. It was also the day that Michelle returned to work by coincidence. She went about her business that day with her usual smile, accepting the warm greetings from everyone, and getting a good look at her 'son'. Not that she would ever regard him officially as that; he would be an unofficial nephew, and she just one of his many aunts. She and Ollie had plenty of time after all to start a family of their own.
August was soon upon them after that, and with it a sense that the winds of change were blowing once again; some of the change would be good, some of it bad. The first person to be hit by those forces was Santana. Since graduating from NYADA the previous year, she had been on the whole contented with her lot. True, she had been forced to leave the comfort of the familiar loft in Bushwick for a while, but the place in the West Village was pretty cool, and handy for work amongst other things. Brittany also had less travelling to do to her job at NYU, where she still surprised seasoned academics with her mathematical ability. Complex problems that had left others puzzling for years seemed easy to her, and the research programs were all glad that she was on board.
As for Santana, she enjoyed the role she had been given at NYADA, to the extent that she did not even attend auditions these days, unless she was pushed into doing so by someone in her immediate circle of friends. It was a surprise to her then to receive a phone call on the first day of August, asking her to come to a theatre and sing for a part. She suspected at first that Rachel was behind it, but when she challenged her, she denied it point blank. In the end she realised that it was Carmen that had put her forward, submitting her name to the producers, and suggesting that she was the ideal person to take the part. Making a mental note to say something to her when she got back to NYADA, Santana had headed to the theatre, and had performed her usual audition piece; this done, she was asked to perform another piece off the cuff, singing the song that the director hand handed her the sheet music for. After that, she had been expecting to be told in the normal way that she would hear back from them in due course; being asked to wait instead was most unusual…
It was a dazed and stunned Santana that walked into the Spotlight an hour later, and stumbled over to a quiet corner table. Of course, she immediately attracted the attention of the staff, especially Sam. He made his way over, and was joined by Sebastian, who had popped in for lunch just a few minutes earlier at the invitation of Beats and Flint. Artie and Kitty followed, having also come for lunch, but now concerned like the others for their friend.
Sebastian took the initiative, and asked, "Okay, Satan, what is it? What has happened to leave you like this?"
"Carmen has happened. She fixed up an audition for me, with no warning, as she does every so often, but this time…"
"This time it was worse than usual? Or was it all a bit seedy, because if it was, we can go and sort them out for you," said Kitty with a look in her eyes that made Artie shiver a little.
"No, this time they didn't say they'd call; this time they actually offered me the part there and then. Its just…. It's a revival of a classic, and they could choose so much better than me for the role…"
"Like hell they could, Satan! You can do anything if you set your mind to it, and if they want you, then I suggest that you grab that part with both hands, before Rachel finds out about it…"
Santana couldn't help but chuckle at Sebastian's statement. "She would probably kill for this part, that much is true, but I think she would be totally unsuitable for it. Then again, so am I. It is such an iconic role, and if I get it wrong, then I would never work on the stage again, or even at NYADA for that. I am going to kill Carmen for doing this to me; she had no right…"
"She obviously has faith in you, as she did in Cooper and Sebastian," replied Sam, "or she would never have risked her own reputation in putting you up for it."
"Sam is right, so spill. What is the part?" asked Sebastian.
Santana sighed, and said, "It is a revival of Evita. They want me to play the lead. How on earth can I do justice to the part of Eva Peron?"
Around the table everyone fell silent, all of them reflecting on what she had just said. This was a show that even the least Broadway focused of them had heard of. This was not some little part in a minor show from the past; this was bigger even than Fanny Brice, and Sam paled just a little as he imagined the response to the news from Rachel…
"Wow! Santana Pierce-Lopez, I am glad that I was here on the day that you finally made it, deservedly, to the big time. This is your breakout moment, the spark that will send your career into overdrive. I want tickets to your opening night, because I want to be able to tell my kids I was there when a legend first performed on the great white way," said Sebastian, all be it in a very hushed voice, as he knew only too well that there were a great many gossip merchants at the Spotlight who would kill for this sort of news. "When do you start rehearsals?"
"Your congratulations are a trifle premature, Meerkat. I've not said yes yet, and I am not sure that I will be saying it. The more that I think about it, the more certain I am that the part is not right for me."
"Not right? It is perfect for you. She was a feisty, determined woman that stood for no rubbish, and fought tooth and nail for what she wanted. If that isn't you, then who is it?" countered Sebastian.
"A dozen other hopefuls, or a star name that will sell tickets just because they are on the Playbill cover. I have told them that I need 24 hours to think about it, and that is what I am going to do. So, if you could all excuse me, I think I will head home."
"Is that really a good idea? Would it not be better to talk the situation out amongst friends?" asked Kitty.
"Right now it is that, or going to NYADA to give Carmen a piece of my mind."
"Get home safe," said Sam firmly, knowing that shouting the odds at Madam Tibideaux would do her no favours in the long term. She had to make the decision in her own way; after all, when it came down to it, it was her choice and hers alone…
Santana didn't head straight home in the end; she arrived back in the street just as Brittany did, and found herself being taken next door by her wife to see Jeff and little Wes. As Brittany held the baby, Jeff made coffee and brought out cake, which he apologetically said that he had made himself, so it might not be up to Nick's usual culinary standards. "Nicky is so busy at work right now," he continued. "He's helping his boss out on a big case, and he is late getting home, and looks so tired. I am trying to help out by doing a bit more of the cooking."
"And how are you bearing up with doing that on top of being a more or less full time dad?" asked Santana, glad of the distraction.
"I am exhausted too, to be honest, but it is all so rewarding. He is such a good baby; he hardly ever cries, and he sleeps at night, which is such a good thing. Of course, that will probably all change when he is teething, so just now I am making the most of it. By then the big case will be over, and Nicky has told me he will try and be home early every night…" He paused to chuckle, knowing full well that his husband would struggle to keep that promise. "The fact is that I would nor alter any of this for a moment. I knew the risks when I said to Nick that we should have a child now, rather than wait, and as time goes on, things will get better. So what is new in your life? It does look to me as if you have a problem on your mind…?"
"Oh, that is nothing really blondie, trust me. Something trivial that I have already come to a decision on…"
"I wouldn't call being offered the lead role in a major Broadway revival trivial, Santana," came a voice, and she and Jeff both turned to stare at Kurt, whose eyes were focused on little Wes. He was stood at Brittany's side, his arms folded across his chest, and ready for a fight…
"You've been offered a leading role! Why didn't you say?" asked Brittany. She walked over to the other two, and handed the baby back to his papa. "That's fantastic. What is it? When do you start?"
"None of that matters, because I have decided that I am not taking the part. I was going to tell you when we got home, but twink angel here decided to open his big mouth and spoil things. I am not good enough for the part they are offering, you see, so I am going to say no. It is too big, too iconic, and it needs a star that can really do it justice."
"That is absolute nonsense, and you know it! You blew them away with your audition, and there is certainly no bit part celebrity wannabe that will be better than you!" snapped Kurt.
"Flattery will not get you anywhere this time, Kurt. There are people out there that are much better than I am, and you know it!"
"Oh yes, I agree, that is true - but they're too old or just plain wrong for the part. I mean, I can probably sing Don't cry for me, Argentina better than you, but even if I was alive, I would never get the part, because it is Eva, not Evan, Peron."
"I am guessing that the purists would never approve of that casting change," mused Jeff. "I imagine that you would be very good at that song though…"
Kurt paused, and then replied, "Oh, I am; ask David, or Thad, or even Ethan. I sang it at Dalton for my first audition for a solo; you and Nick were auditioning too, and that is why you were not there to hear. However, that is a story for another day. Today is all about getting Santana to admit that she wants this part, and that she is a perfect fit for it."
Kurt turned his attention back onto Santana at that point. "The thing is, I think that she knows that she is the perfect choice for the part, but she is a little scared that she will make a mistake when it comes to the crunch. That she will be up on that stage, on her gala opening night, with everyone watching, and she will dry up, and flop. For as long as I have known her, reputation has been key in everything for her. If the critics savaged her, it would kill her, and so she is thinking of turning down the chance of a lifetime, just in case. Of course, she knows deep down in her heart that the opinions of a handful of columnists in the press is important, but it is the audience size and their perceptions that really matter. A show can open to rave reviews, but flop if the public does not agree with them, and vice versa. Someone like Santana, an unknown, playing an icon will get people interested. She is young, and that will be a talking point for a start. She is a Latina, and that will be noted too, but it will be her voice that people will hear; a powerful instrument that was so often relegated to the chorus by the presence of you know who. Will she be jealous that you have been offered this? Most certainly. If she had known what was going on, she would have auditioned like a shot. The fact remains that the auditions were not open; they hand picked the candidates because of what they could bring to the role. You, dear Snix, bring the feisty, nobody gets in my way attitude to the part of a very formidable lady who had the same characteristics. You would be so good at this, and Brittany would be so happy for you. Of course, I bet that your Abuela would also be there in the front row too, so proud that you were not only a star, but had become so by portraying such a strong woman…"
"You're right, she would be proud of that; she would boast to all her friends about her granddaughter, the Broadway star, playing Evita… And yeah, the idea of the critics hating me does make me feel sick. I'd be so tempted to go all Lima Heights on them…"
"As I see it, you have nothing to lose by saying yes and developing the part. It isn't as if you are going to be on stage next week; it might not even be this year. You will have time to get it right, and to gel with your co-stars…"
Santana sighed. "Why did you have to be so smart, Hummel? This could be the biggest mistake of my life…"
"…or the start of your greatest triumph. I mean, if you play it right you might even get a Tony, and can you just imagine Rachel's face?"
"Oh, yeah, I can. Should an angel be appealing to the devil in me though? What would your mom and Wes say?"
"It is all just tactics to get you to make the right decision, which is you agreeing to take the part."
"Fine! To save your angelic soul, I will say yes, but I am warning you now, if I think that it isn't going to end well, I will walk, even if doing so ruins my chances of appearing on a Broadway stage ever again."
Santana got no further before she found herself wrapped in her wife's arms, being showered with kisses. Kurt walked back over to where Jeff was standing, shaking his head but with a smile on his face as big as Brittany's. Kurt smiled back, knowing that this issue had been an easy one to resolve. The one between Nick and his boss was a far harder problem, and given the way Wes looked every time someone mentioned Jeff's husband, it did not appear that it would be resolving itself quite so easily or indeed satisfactorily.
Across town, Sebastian was now in his dressing room, getting ready for tonight's show, but his mind was on other things. He couldn't help but wonder how Santana would act when she had to give her answer over the part the following day. He knew she could do it, and should take it, but she was stubborn, and might well turn it down for that reason alone. Then there was the whole security thing of sticking with what she knew best; she was a good teacher, and as people grew under her guidance, she felt a lot of satisfaction and pride in the fact that she had got them to that point in their work.
Sometimes though, change had to come, as it was inevitable. He had left the city that he loved living in to head to the suburbs for the sake of his nephew; he missed the bright lights and the short walk home after work, as the train could be hell. However, the quality time he had with both Peter and Julian made up for that, and made change worthwhile… He kept that thought in his mind as he looked down on the letter lying on the little shelf under the mirror, still open; the letter that had bean handed to him by his director, who permission had been sought. The letter about the forthcoming revival of Oklahoma! and the offer to him of the part of Curly Mclain. It was another lead, and in many ways his next step; he couldn't be a Mormon boy forever. If Santana was able to leave her comfort zone, then shouldn't he be ready to do the same…
