The End of a Decade

When Nick came home that evening and told Jeff all about his forthcoming trip to Geneva, his husband's reaction was not as bad as he had expected it to be. Even though Nick would be leaving on Sunday evening, and not be back until late afternoon on Friday, Jeff was pretty calm. Neither of them were particularly looking forward to it, given that they had not spent any real time apart since the night that Nick had been beaten by his father for coming out publicly back in their Dalton days. It had to happen though as it was part of Nick's work, and they would still be able to talk via Skype…

On hearing that it was going to happen, the others in the street began to make covert plans to ensure that Jeff was kept busy with their company as much as possible, and also to be on hand to offer and babysit, although now that he had the first of his teeth coming in, little Wes was no longer quite such a placid child. Sebastian was the first to actually make a concrete commitment; he informed Jeff that he would be coming into the city on the Monday to do some early Christmas shopping, and would appreciate Jeff's help in selecting gifts for Peter. He also pointed out that it would be a good chance for him to spend time with little Wes, and would be good practice for the day when he became a father himself. Jeff had agreed, seeing through the subterfuge at once; he decided there and then that he would not be changing any diapers himself whilst Uncle Bazzy was around…

Nonetheless, when the day actually came that Nick had to leave, Jeff felt bereft for most of the day; Nick had anticipated that, and had decided that they should say their goodbyes at home. Mike had come over to say goodbye, and held little Wes as the two husbands held each other close, averting his gaze from them as a good friend should, so that he did not witness their tears. As the door closed behind Nick, Mike placed little Wes carefully in his crib, and was ready with his arms open when a tearful Jeff needed a hug…

In his cab, Nick quickly blinked his own tears away, then pulled out his conference notes to read, giving his mind an alternative focus; though he had to admit that he had read the same page several times in the end. He had to concentrate on his work, and in any case, he would be back home soon enough. Still, as he waited in line at the gate to board the flight, he pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to Jeff, telling him that he loved him; the reply in the same vein came little more than a heartbeat later…

When Sebastian arrived in the West Village the next day, it was to find Jeff acting a lot more downbeat than he normally was - and tired. Sebastian quickly found himself holding the baby as Jeff made his final preparations for going out. "Hey, Wes… Were you being naughty last night and keeping your papa awake?" Sebastian asked with a grin as the child in his arms stared up at him.

"No, he was as good as gold last night," said Jeff with a sigh. "It was the empty side of the bed that kept me from sleep. I guess I am just out of the habit of sleeping on my own. Even when we were both so busy studying for our finals, we always ended up in bed with each other at night. Nicky didn't get any sleep last night either, but at least I don't have to go to meetings today. He is already in his second one of the day, and he will be relieved when it is all over - and glad that they haven't got an evening session today. He said that he would call me the moment that he gets out of his meeting… So, would you mind very much if we held off going out just a little? I could make us both some lunch first?"

"Of course it would be okay, blondie, particularly as it means that Uncle Bazzy gets to spend a little more time with this perfect boy," Sebastian replied with a smile.

"You won't be saying that when you have to change his diaper," remarked Jeff.

"It has to be done to keep him clean and smiling," replied Sebastian. "I will admit that the prospect does not fill me with unmitigated joy, but it is all part and parcel of being a parent. Another human life has been entrusted to you, and you have to nurture it, teach it and show it all of the love that you can…" Jeff nodded, secretly wondering when the formerly rebellious Warbler had morphed into a wise adult. As if reading his thoughts, Sebastian continued, "I don't know when I became so mature, but it is no bad thing. Maybe it was all the stuff with Peter that was the final tipping point; the need to change my life for his benefit made me less selfish…"

They managed to get through a diaper change shortly after that moment without too much trouble, although Uncle Bazzy did go very white at one point as he wrinkled his nose in disgust. As Jeff prepared lunch, Sebastian was left to feed little Wes, taking great care and obeying all of the instructions that Jeff had given him to the letter. They had just sat down to eat when Jeff's phone binged with an incoming message from Nick, and within a second Jeff was across the room on the computer, logging in to Skype. Sebastian sat at the table and ate his lunch, tuning out all of the details of the conversation between two husbands miles apart, both of them feeling the pain of their enforced separation. After a few minutes Jeff shouted him over to join the chat, and when he did so, he shook his head at just how haggard Nick looked. At the same time though his conversation was animated as he described the conversations that he had been having, and all of the people he had met that day.

"Everyone here has been so welcoming, and it turned out that at least 50% of them had read my paper about the girls in the Montgomery case, which was a massive shock. They ask me for my views on something, and I give them, and they actually pay attention and take note. That is such a difference to my work world before… Anyway, how are you Sebastian? Any news on Oklahoma! yet?"

"The read throughs have been done, and from what I have been told, we should have our official opening in March, after a few weeks of previews. It is so different to Book of Mormon, but that isn't a bad thing. I am getting on really well with my main co-stars too, particularly Laurie Metcalfe. She is going to be quite the Aunt Eller, let me tell you…"

"Well as soon as you have a date, let us know so we can book our tickets; and you'd best let Trent know too, as he will want to be there."

"I will do, trust me. I just hope that the audience will be as tolerant of me in a new role as you guys are…"

Across town at that moment, someone else was looking at a date on a calendar in February 2020 with fear and trepidation. That date was not that far away now at all, and to be honest, Santana was scared. It didn't matter to her how many times the crew told her, or how many angels came and confirmed it, she was still convinced that the producers could have selected a better Eva Peron than her. Then there had been the issues with her original understudy, who had tried and failed to steal the part from her, and then the original choice of theatre had fallen through… All of that had been dealt with, and now the official advertising shots were being taken, ready for the big round of publicity to begin. On top of that, she was having to consider where her mother and her Abuela would stay when they came for her opening night, not to mention what she and Brittany would wear to her opening night party. If she was honest, the opening of the show was all a little too soon for her, but with the Tony Awards in mind, the date could not be pushed back any further. She did not see herself why that was so important, as it was not like she had any chance of winning one…

By the time that Thursday came, Jeff was getting more than a little bit fed up of the constant company of other people. He suspected that Nick might have been behind some of the visitations that he had received, and although he wasn't ungrateful to his friends, he was rapidly getting tired of it. The cookie tins were starting to look dangerously empty, and he had drunk so many social cups of tea and coffee that he felt a little over caffeinated by the end of the day. It had also thrown a spanner into his daily routines that he had built up around little Wes; he too had begun to resent the army of faces staring down at him. On top of that, Caleb had begun to act up. He was fed up with the noise as people trotted in and out - admittedly he didn't mind Mike, as he always remembered to bring him a gift, but the others he had much less time for.

On Thursday therefore, to avoid the visitors that might show up, Jeff had immediately after breakfast made up some sandwiches for himself, and had packed them, along with food for Wes and Caleb, and an ample supply of cakes, chips and fruit for his own needs, and had decamped to his studio, where he already kept a supply of juice and soda. Wes had a crib set up there for when Jeff was working, and Caleb had followed out of instinct, knowing he would find a nice sunny spot to relax in up there. In the top floor room, Jeff could easily get away with ignoring the ringing of the doorbell, and if anyone made comment on it later, he could say that he had been too engrossed with his work and hadn't heard it. As it happened, those that did call just assumed that he was out at work, the supermarket, or that he had gone up to the Met to check out his favourite paintings and drawings - and yes, check out the crowds around his own masterpiece…

For Nick, Thursday marked the end of a quite remarkable week. He had been able to assist Dr Schultz in all his meetings as planned, and had been allowed to voice his own thoughts and opinions too; on the first occasion he had spoken out loud he had blushed scarlet, waiting to be told off for speaking out of turn as everyone had stared at him. Instead, he was asked what he meant by his words, and had then been given the attention of all present as he explained his own viewpoint. That he was not ignored was great; that several of the people there nodded in agreement was just wonderful. After that, he was directly asked to give his views, and whatever he said was actually listened to.

His audience was mainly female, contributing their stance from around the globe, and there had been a degree of suspicion of the earnest young man from Manhattan at first. However, when Dr Schultz had told them all about his college paper in his introductions, there had been a few nods of recognition; the following morning, there were several more. He had found himself chatting to people over coffee and lunch, exchanging the usual small talk about family and friends, and eventually he had found himself showing off his wedding photos, and more importantly, those of his son. Now as the final meeting of the conference drew towards its close, Nick smiled broadly at those around him, knowing that he had made several valuable contacts and an equal number of new friends. Seeing that made Dr Schultz happy, as this was a touchy and delicate area for many concerned. That Nick understood and empathised with their position was universally appreciated. He had to admit that the young man was a natural for this kind of work; able to show empathy with the victims, but also the necessary toughness with the perpetrators of the worst kinds of human rights abuse. The world was, after all, still so full of prejudice and hate, and some political figures were amongst the worst at it. If in Nick they had found a young man that was capable of standing up and speaking out, then he would head towards retirement in a much happier state…

Nick found time to Skype Jeff that evening as he prepared for the gala dinner that came at the close of such major events. He was not in the least bit surprised to see that his husband was in his studio, but he didn't expect the reason why. "I haven't actually had a moment to myself to just work since you left, Nicky. I was okay with Sebastian coming on Monday, but since then I have been escorted out by Luke and Duncan, and then worse still, press ganged into a shopping trip with Kitty, Marley and Unique… I had to spend two hours in the dress department at Macys… TWO HOURS! Don't you dare laugh…"

"I wasn't really," said Nick, suppressing his giggles at his husband's reaction.

"On Monday Sebastian stayed for dinner and Dave came to join us; on Tuesday I was dragged to Beats' and Elliott's; and last night I ended up eating with Brittany and Sam of all people; Artie later told me it was a strange combo, but then he also said it was a meeting of three blonds… So I decided that today I would just hide up here, where I can just ignore the door, and hope people will just assume that I am out. Mike did call me and invited me to dinner with him and Tina tonight, but I declined, and he understood why. He promised he was going to do his best to divert people away from me…" He stopped as Caleb hopped up on the desk next to the screen, sniffed it, then lifted a paw up to Nick's face and meowed. "He is just as fed up as me with it all," Jeff continued, "and Wes really hates the fact he has teeth coming in. I can't wait to see you again in the flesh tomorrow, Nicky. I have missed you so much…"

"I missed you too, my love. The good news is that I have no more meetings scheduled until next summer, and hopefully then you will be able to come with me and we can stay a weekend and explore. Geneva is so beautiful…"

Nick returned home the following day to hugs from his husband, the kind of affection usually reserved for Mike from Caleb, and to a massive smile from his son. He had taken Wes into his arms the moment that Jeff had vacated them, and had then taken a seat in the kitchen as Jeff made him coffee. He smiled down at him, his heart bursting with paternal pride, rocking him gently as he waited for his drink, only half listening to all of the gossip that Jeff was telling him. When his husband returned with coffee and sandwiches, there was a moment of silence, and then…

"Dada…"

Jeff gasped as Nick's eyes opened wide. His heart burst as he looked down at his boy, who was grinning back at him with the look of someone that was quite rightly pleased with themselves. "His first word! Oh, Nicky, I am so glad that you were here for that," exclaimed Jeff, who knew it was also very early as the tears formed in his eyes.

"It is such an honour," responded Nick, "though had it been papa instead, I would have been less surprised."

Jeff shook his head, and then set about taking Wes from Nick so that his husband could eat. Wes looked anxious for a moment as the handover took place, and then his eyes focused on the man that was now holding him. It was one of those rare moments when everything aligned to make life wonderful, as with another smile on his face, Wes uttered his second word, one which made Jeff sob with happiness. To hear their little boy say "Papa" too, and thus know that he recognised them both was just the most marvellous feeling in the world….

The run up to Christmas that year was so different for many of them. David and Mercedes would be spending the day in Boston in their own home, celebrating both the holiday and their wedding anniversary. On top of that, David was celebrating a big promotion at work, recognition of his hard work and loyalty after a trying period for the firm. His wife meanwhile was riding high in the charts, and had a tour planned in the New Year; first though she would be performing on the big network show as the year changed from 2019 to 2020.

Trent and Rory would also be spending Christmas at home that year. They had originally intended to be alone for the first time, but after an unexpected win on the Irish Lottery, Rory's Nana had invited herself to spend the holiday with them, before she moved on to spend the New Year with Séamus, Becca and her great grandchild. She was travelling alone, and had actually booked herself a business class seat this time. Although at first it had seemed like an imposition, they both agreed that it would be for the best if she came now, as the campaign for the Presidential elections of 2020 was already starting to heat up, with already Republicans amongst those hoping to see a new face in the White House…

The trade war that the President had started in 2018 had cast a pall over all that Trump had done before and since, even the talks with North Korea. The treatment of the child migrants had left the world at odds with the nation, and the decision to pull away from certain areas of the U.N. had been disturbing… There were certainly now a lot of interesting names in the running from both sides, including a Kennedy….

Nick and Jeff were expecting a busy Christmas, with all four grandparents having invited themselves to spend the day with them seeing as it was their grandson's first Christmas. They all knew that he would not even appreciate the importance of the day, and that all gifts, unless they were a teething ring or tub toys, would be insignificant. Then again, when his excited parents unveiled the Christmas tree to him for the first time, his eyes did light up. That tree was also the focal point of the little party that Nick organised in the middle of December for his new colleagues. All of them were instantly wowed by the house; loved Jeff and Wes; petted Caleb, who sat patiently for a while and then made a move to hide under the tree; and waxed lyrical about the food, which Nick had naturally prepared himself.

For others, Christmas was a day when they actually got a welcome rest after a busy week. Monday, usually the day the theatres were dark, saw all the shows open, in compensation for the fact that most would be closed on Christmas Day at least. Sebastian was fortunate enough to also be off on the 24th, an arrangement the show had always had so that cast members could actually go home for the holiday. This gave him an extra day to prepare for his first family Christmas gathering at home, albeit with help from his maman. Paul Karofsky was also joining them, and in a move that was every bit as significant as the football match in No Man's Land during World War One, two mother's had called a truce with their mutual ex-husband for the sake of their grandson.

As for Peter, he was starting to grow tall, like his father and uncle, and had broached the subject of Dalton with his father at Thanksgiving. Julian had initially been shocked and almost tearful at the fact that his son would wish to go away to school, but now that he had had some time to think, he had decided that maybe it would not be such a bad thing for his boy after all. The fact that he knew that Thad Harwood would take him under his wing was a great help in that change of heart. It would also allow his boy to use the singing voice which was developing nicely as he aged. It seemed that he had inherited the melodic tones that were used to such great effect by his Uncle Bazzy…

Sebastian was also fully aware that this would be his second and last Christmas as Elder Price. Like Santana, he had now done the workshops for the new production of Oklahoma! and as a result, the show was now scheduled for its previews in about eight weeks time, with the official opening night in late March, so just qualifying for the Tony Awards. He would officially hand over to Mason in the first week of February, and by now the younger man, although still scared at the prospect, was almost as good at the part as he was… He was now confirmed as the official understudy, and Sebastian had happily agreed that he would hand over all of the matinees to him as from the start of 2020.

Advertising for the changeover had already been prepared, and Mason had even been booked on to a couple of the morning TV shows; admittedly, Sebastian was also booked to be at his side on them, advertising his new show at the same time. He had already done a few short pieces to camera for the entertainment centred shows, mainly off the cuff stuff. It was the first time either of them had done this kind of promotion, but his Aunt Bette had shared a few tips of her own with them both, and it was not a concern. There was however one thing that Sebastian did not know, and that was what Mason and the director had cooked up between them to mark his last show. It was taking quite a bit of organising, and a lot of persuasive talk on Mason's part; it was proving hard to convince some of the people they needed on board…

For Rachel, the new decade was approaching with the offer of another lead, but this time in a brand new musical. The show was a period piece, set in England, and was a musical version of the life of the Brontë sisters, with Rachel chosen to play Charlotte. The offer had come out of the blue, and it had thrown her for six in more ways than one. The part when she received it might actually have been written for her own vocal range; and that intrigued her, as did the fact that the writer, creator and director of the show, all supposedly one person, was not named anywhere in the documentation. That was her biggest concern, but when she shared it with Sam, he had told her that she could do herself no harm by arranging to meet them in a public place, whilst making it quite clear that in doing so, she was not committing herself to the project in any way. She had to agree with that, although when she mentioned it to Kurt when he paid her a fleeting visit a few days later, he had told her to be careful; and to remember that she could say no at any point and just walk away from the meeting.

On the day, Sam offered to come with her, but she declined, not wanting anyone to think that she was not capable of making career choices on her own. The chosen venue for the meeting was a community theatre on the lower east side, which had the added benefit of being five minutes from the Spotlight Diner if she needed to flee. When she arrived, she was shown in by a security guard, and pointed at a corridor. She walked down it, heading towards a room from which the sound of singing could be heard. She felt that she had heard the voice in question before, but she could not quite place it. On the threshold to the room she stopped, and stared. It was not at the two other young women that were already there, who had to be playing Emily and Anne, but at the man who was singing at that moment. It had been a long time, but she would have recognised Jesse St James anywhere…

Her first thought was to turn and go; call her agent, and get them to call up with her apologies, citing illness, then decline the role. The problem was the fact that she had fallen in love with the part… Instead, she turned on her heel and walked a little way back down the passageway, and called Sam. He answered after one ring, which meant that he had to have been waiting for her to call, just in case, and that made her heart swell… She did not give him a chance to speak, she just said. "It's Jesse St James; the director is Jesse St James. So, it might really be the case that he has written this part specifically for me, which is great, but…"

"But what? I would love it if anyone wrote a part specially for me. I know that you love me, and I know that the two of you have history, but that is what it is; history. Go in there, and prove to everyone that is listening why he chose you for the part and created it for you."

Rachel could only thank him, and then she headed in, head held high. It was strange to see the young man that she had crushed on in high school again, but they were older now, and wiser. He welcomed her warmly, and then introduced her to the two other women there, one of whom just happened to be his girlfriend. She was filling in for the actress that was due to play Emily, as she was unable to attend. Everything went well as they ran through the numbers, and at the end, Rachel found herself agreeing to take the part, subject to it all being fully funded. True, it wasn't going to be on Broadway, but it had the tunes, the plot and the choreography to ensure that it would end up there eventually. She was very impressed to discover that as well as writing the show, Jesse had orchestrated the whole thing himself, and that he was already in the process of writing another show, which would also require a strong female lead. Rachel was nothing if not forward thinking; if she played her cards right, she could build up a partnership with him, and be in all of the shows that he created. If he was a success, then the faith that she had put in him now would be rewarded. On arriving home that night though, and telling Sam she had accepted the part, she did however ask him not to tell anyone else who she was working with just yet, particularly Santana; they might not understand how she could, after all that he had done to her back at McKinley…

The usual Christmas get together for the Warblers almost fell by the wayside that year; with a baby in the house, Nick and Jeff were less than keen to host a noisy party, and even if they did head elsewhere, they would have to head home early. That was assuming that they could find a sitter they trusted, and sitters in general were not something they were keen on. Sebastian was tied up with work except on a Monday, which was when everyone else was, and he also had to get back to Maplewood afterwards. With all his extra work in preparing for his new show, he too would have to leave early. The youngest of them all were still at school of course, and had evening jobs, which made planning anything a strain.

In the end, just as they had all reluctantly began to give up on the idea, and were preparing to consign the Warblers and friends Christmas party to the history books, Izzy remarked to her husband as he bemoaned the fact that it was so hard to organise that he should just invite everyone to lunch one Sunday, which would surely fit into most people's schedules; those that needed to get home early could then do so without feeling they were ruining things for everyone else. She also bravely suggested that they could even host it at their place on the Upper East Side; she knew she would probably be at work, but it meant that the new fathers could leave to be at home for their son's bedtime rather than being the ones to kick everyone else out.

Flint nodded, thinking quietly that his wife was not just beautiful but a genius, and then made the suggestion to his friends. It was almost immediately accepted with no reservations by them all, and scheduled for December 15th. Those that would have to come in from out of town could manage it no problem, as they could get home for work the next day on late flights, or in David's case, the overnight train. Sebastian knew that it would be no issue to ask Mason to work that Sunday for him. Nick and Jeff were the only people that were still unsure, until Grace intervened. She told them that she would be more than happy to babysit her nephew, and if they didn't trust her, then who would they ever trust? Nick knew better than to argue with his big sister, and accepted, and even offered to cook, as long as Flint and Izzy did not mind him using their kitchen. They didn't, so Nick decided to go all out and cook a full Christmas meal. he would cook the turkey there, but the ham he prepared at home and brought with him already sliced; he knew that whilst they were not strict religion wise, cooking pork in their house was a little step too far…

The meal was a triumph, and the gathering was the largest they had managed for some time. The only problem was the attendance of Cameron, as they had laid places for Wes, Blaine and Kurt. He was sitting as far away as possible from the spots in question, but nonetheless he noticed the three extra seats… He had come to the event with big news of his own; he had proposed to Jeff's cousin Flora the night before, and she had said yes without reservation. They were all so very happy for him, and laughed as Jeff solemnly welcomed him to the family as if he was a patriarch.

"My one sadness at this moment is that Wes is not here to witness this," Cameron began as Jeff finished, "but then again, I'm sure that he actually is, and you all know that." Before anyone could say anything, he continued, "In fact, I would be so bold as to suggest that as a result of misfortune, I'm the only person here that is not privileged to see or hear him still. I mean, it is okay; I guess it is because I was not at his memorial because I was not in the fold at the time, and even had I been, I couldn't have come because I was sick. In any case, I am certain that he will be pleased for me…"

There was stunned silence around the room at that moment; surprise at the fact that he had worked it out for himself, as there had been so few slip ups or indications that they knew something he did not. Then, with a smile, Jeff said quietly, "He posed for me when I drew The Judging Angel. That is what he looks like now; his wings are beautiful, as are Blaine's and Kurt's. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we wish you had the same good fortune as us. Maybe if we all wished for it together, including you, then it might happen. It did before…"

"I don't know if that will work this time, blondie, but we can try. I mean, it did work for Gabriel and Mitch amongst others…" said Thad quietly. Wes nodded, and Thad watched as he silently crossed the room to stand behind Cameron.

"I would love to be able to see him, or even just hear him again. He was so wise, and he always knew just what to say to me to cheer me up when I was down; to give me courage when I was afraid; to point me in the right direction when I did wrong. He was always the wise big brother, the person you could trust implicitly. I lost my way a little, but now I am back on track, and maybe Wes had a hand in that as well. If he did, then I am grateful, because not only did I get my dream job, I got my dream girl too…" Cameron paused to swipe at his moistening eyes, before going on. "And then there's Blaine and Kurt, and I would love to see them happy and together again…"

At that, Wes finally gave a flap of his wings, which thanks to the high ceilings in Flint's house, he had been able to extend. The others watched as Cameron froze. "That wasn't just an ordinary draught, was it? He is here, standing behind me, right now, and he just flapped his wings… I wish I could hear you too Wes; even just a little voice in my ear would be wonderful…"

Around the table the assembled band of bird brothers fell silent, eyes closed, fingers crossed, all praying to whatever God they believed in that the miracle would happen; that the last of the number to have returned to the nest would be able to join them in full fellowship. For his part, Wes too was praying silently in his head, hoping that whatever he said next would be heard by the young man who had been through so many hardships, but had recovered and was now enjoying life afresh…

"Cameron, I would love nothing more than for you to be able to hear me say this right now, so that you will know just how proud I am of you at this moment. You have had your problems, and they left you down, but now you have managed to make your self an indispensable part of a revitalised rural community; that bond will be strengthened in due course by marriage. I can guarantee you this; on that day, I will be there to wish you well, my friend…"

There was no reply as Wes stopped, and around the table, eyes opened again and smiles faded just a little. Cameron sat amongst them in silence, his eyes still closed and a tear rolling down his cheek. Mitch was the first to get out of his chair and head towards him to offer him comfort, convinced as they all were that there had been no success; but then came the words that they had all hoped to hear. "It is no wonder that they made you an angel Wes, with sentiments like that…"

Sighs of relief and delight came from every corner of the room at that moment as they realised that finally they could invite their three angelic members to events without having to be wary. They could join in the conversation and the games without issue.

"Well, I meant every single word, Cam. Now that we have dealt with this issue, we should get back to the serious issue of the hour; getting Nick to serve up the dessert," said Wes. There was laughter from around the room at that as Nick just rolled his eyes, and Jeff, Beats and Seth all just nodded in agreement. As Nick got up, Wes made his way back to his seat, and then…

"Wes, your tie is not quite straight at the collar. I am surprised that Kurt didn't mention that to you; he must be slipping up." Heads spun round to stare at Cameron, who had just uttered those words with a nonchalance that belied the fact that he was crying. As Wes made to straighten his tie, there were smiles and celebration. They had achieved their goal; through a combination of his own belief and their faith in him, Cameron had been given the same as them; the ability to hear and see angels.