Two More Warbler Fathers.
With the wedding over, life quickly settled back into its usual routines. Adult life and parenting made for a mundane existence in the main, and as a result, anything that was out of the ordinary or that changed their circumstances was welcomed with a smile. At the end of the month, as President Kennedy arrived at the United Nations for his first summit of world leaders, the official announcement that Burt Hummel would be taking over as Democrat leader in Congress was greeted with delight by all that knew him, and by the nation in general. The media did of course go into overdrive, but through all of the reports and profiles that were forthcoming, not one commentator could find anything negative to say about him. Even Fox News had to admit that he was a good man, and that even though his political stance varied substantially from their own, he could nonetheless be trusted on all levels.
The conference brought Trent to New York, still anxiously checking his phone for missed messages every 5 minutes or so, as he and Rory were now in the 38th week of their surrogate's pregnancy. He had come to the United Nations to help oversee the words that President Kennedy would say, but also for another reason; he had a personal mission to undertake for the President too. He made his way to the Human Rights department, but rather than heading to see Nick first, he made his way to the office of Dr Schultz, where Dr Hansen and Miss Worthington were also waiting. That made his old friend extremely curious, but he carried on his work. Around half an hour later he was summoned to join them, which peeked Nick's curiosity. He took a seat when he was invited, then Dr Schultz spoke.
"Well, Nicholas, I will come straight to the point. Mr Nixon has been sent here to meet with us today to ask if we could possibly provide a liaison officer to meet with the President himself to discuss human rights problems on a semi-regular basis. Many countries have this arrangement, and we had one with the United States in the time of President Obama. To that end, I have agreed to his request. The person that has been suggested to undertake this irregular briefing by the White House is someone I would have suggested myself; you."
Nick sat with his eyes wide and his mouth open slightly for a few seconds after that, then said "Well, it is an honour to be asked, but surely there are better qualified and more experienced individuals than me to take on this task. After all, I am still relatively new, and I have so much to learn before I am entrusted with such an undertaking."
"Nicholas, your newness is exactly why you are the best person for this role. President Kennedy needs someone that is not - how shall I say this - used to the old ways both here and at the Oval Office. He credits a lot of his popularity to his young speechwriter here, and the fact that you and Mr Nixon are close friends did help to make you his number one choice. The job will entail you travelling down to DC about four times a year for the day, unless there is some major crisis; you will not need to stay overnight, as the President is aware you have family commitments. As for your secondment for a year to London, he is also fully aware of that, and would use a secure video link to talk to you. I also believe that he has been invited to London by her majesty next year for a visit." Dr Schultz paused then, and said, "I said all this to Mr Nixon when he arrived, and it was only after I mentioned that you would be in London next year that it occurred to me that you might not have broached that with your friends. I do apologise for my slip up, though to his credit, Mr Nixon did not seem all that disturbed by the news."
Nick now turned to Trent, who up until that point had sat silently in the corner. "I remembered Jeff mentioning something about the year abroad when you first took the position here, and it is still someway off. I know you would have mentioned it nearer the time. In my opinion you are lucky knowing so far in advance where you will be. There are rumours of state visits, and I will be invited to go on some of them if they know my services will be required. It is true that Queen Elizabeth would like to meet him, and given her advancing years, that state visit may well be one scheduled for sooner, rather than later. She did after all meet the President's great-grandfather as a young girl, and his great-uncle as Queen. He is just as keen to make the trip, along with a visit to Ireland."
Nick burst out laughing at the way Trent said the last destination, knowing full well that Rory and their child might well be travelling with him, and if that was the case, somehow Rory's nana and a certain nun might end up on a guest list for any reception…
"I know, and so does the President. He has already said that if the trip goes ahead, then they will be invited…personally, I don't think he has any idea whatsoever about what he would be letting himself in for…" Trent said with a grin. Then his face became more serious and he carried on, "Anyway, will you do this for your country, Nick? You are one of the most rights conscious people that I know, and if we are to repair all the damage that man did, we need someone with your knowledge to assist us."
"I will need to speak to Jeff, of course, but I don't foresee any major issues. Yes, count me in…"
The news of Nick's new role would come out the following day, with an official announcement on an Oval Office news feed; the young man in question had managed to put the news on his Facebook page an hour beforehand, which meant that his friends and family found out from him, and not the press. His mother was overjoyed for him, and Sue Sylvester also sent him congratulations via E-Mail; as always, getting a message from her freaked Nick out a little. An excited Grace spread the news to her partners at work, all of whom were pleased for him; Miss Pittman was ecstatic for him, and made sure that the news would reach the jail cell where their erstwhile employer, Lionel Vallent, spent his days. As for the Carmichaels, the news that a second of Wes' boys would be associated with the Oval Office was a cause for celebration, and Thad had to concur. As for a certain angel, he was seen smiling broadly as he waded through a huge pile of statistical papers that most other people would have looked upon with disgust…
The week after that meeting, Trent finally got the phone call he had been waiting for, just as he handed the text of a speech on healthcare reform to the President; with the best wishes of the man in question echoing in his ears, moments later Trent was running down the corridors of the White House, intending to hail a cab. He found instead one of the official limos waiting for him at the President's instruction, and thus with a security escort, Trent found himself being driven at speed to the hospital, arriving at the door just as Rory arrived in a cab. "How the other half live!" Rory quipped as he took his husband's hand and they headed for the delivery suites…
In due course, they met their child; he did not keep them waiting long, and soon enough an image appeared on the couple's Facebook page that made everyone smile; two proud fathers side by side with their son cradled in Rory's arms. Young Cormac George Nixon was the image of neither of his fathers, and they had both decided that they did not want the rigmarole of DNA testing to establish which one of them was the biological dad. They would do so only if some dire medical emergency in the future required it to be done. Until then, he would be their son, loved by them both equally, just as it should be…
Thad was the first person to send his congratulations, and could not help but think that the sooner they obtained a photograph of the four musketeers with their two husbands and three children, the better. He still loved the irony that it was four of the youngest of what had been Wes' boys that had been the first to have children, although admittedly David and Flint where both due to be fathers in the very near future, and Beats had a foster son. All of them had been introduced to Dante at Mike's wedding; the young man himself had been stunned at the way that the older men acted around each other. He had asked Elliott quietly if all of the Warblers were gay, or at least bi, his words echoing those of a spy at Dalton so long ago now. Elliott had laughed, and then summoned Thad; he had been the one that repeated the same words that Blaine had used, albeit saying wives rather than girlfriends when he had pointed to Flint and David. There had also been a very memorable moment when Dante had been introduced to the wife of the latter; his mouth had dropped open as he was face to face with one of the best known women in the US music scene…
Thad realised that by the time of the next graduation ceremony at Dalton, there would be at least five biological children of his Warbler brethren in the world; he had to allow for twins or other multiple births after all. The Schuesters had brought triplets into the world, three boys that had all grown up to be individuals, their characteristics echoing in some ways the boys for whom they had been named. His own heart still ached for the fact that he would never be a father himself, but if Ollie managed to get his finger out, he might still be an actual uncle to a nephew or niece one day…
The birth of Cormac was followed within 24 hours by the arrival of Rory's nana in the country. The cost of her last minute ticket had been high, but she had charmed the women at the Aer Lingus check in desk at Dublin Airport with the first pictures of her new great-grandson (she had even claimed that he was her first great-grandchild, sure that God and Séamus would forgive her), and then had spun a tale of woe about the pains of her advanced years, and the fact that she had used most of her savings to pay for a full fare in economy. She had been given a free upgrade to business as a result, just as she had intended… This came as no surprise to Carole, who had agreed to head to Dulles to pick her up, having heard the stories from Rory of what she was prepared to do to get what she wanted. She was no sooner in her grandson's home than she was sat in a chair, arms held out, and with a look of expectation on her face, her great-grandson was laid carefully in her arms. They would remain in that position for the next hour, Agnes babbling nonsense to him all the time…
A few days later in New York, the time had finally arrived for Cooper to prepare for the next step in his stage career. Thus it was necessary for him to invite Sam to a meeting at his home in Murray Hill. He had told Sam it was for a coffee and a brotherly catch up, and he had arrived expecting it to be just the two of them. When he walked into the kitchen to discover his agent, Cooper's agent and Mason were there too, he was shocked. "Okay, Coop, what is going on?" Sam asked, as Mason, in the meeting as an emergency fall back, handed him a cup of coffee. "I was under the impression this was a catch up…"
"It is, but there is a bit of business that we need to deal with first. When I accepted my role in Twelve Angry Men, it was as part of a two show deal; one serious play followed by a musical. I agreed to that only on the proviso that I was allowed to choose my main co-star for the latter. Have you heard of a show called The Producers?" Sam nodded, having watched it years ago with Blaine, and that let Cooper carry on. "They want me to play Max Bialystock, which will involve a lot of aging make-up, but I get to choose my Leo Bloom. I want you to be my Leo…"
Sam stared at Cooper for a second, then spoke. "Me? Is this the part that you mentioned to me?" he said, turning to look at his agent, who nodded. "Well, it is an honour to be asked, but surely there are better choices; Sebastian for example, or Mason…"
"Sebastian is keen to take a break from musicals after Cabaret closes; he wants to take a more serious part like I did, and the rumour is that he might well be starring in a production of Hamlet in the new year," said Cooper, knowing he could trust those in the room not to repeat what he had just said.
"And as for me, well I can't." interjected Mason. As everyone looked at him, he went on, "I wasn't going to say anything yet, and it is strictly entre-nous, but there is going to be a new Elder Price on Broadway, as they have asked me to reprise McKinley in the West End…"
Cooper burst into a wide smile, and said, "Wow! That is amazing Mason. I am so pleased for you. Where does that leave Jane though?"
"She is lucky enough to work for a multinational firm with offices in London, and she can get a transfer to a similar position there with no issue. We will be going early in the New Year, so we will not be in town for your opening night, I'm afraid."
Cooper nodded, then turned back to Sam. "So you see, Sam, as well as being my first choice, you are now my only choice at working with someone I know well. So I am asking, will you work with me? If you don't want to, then I will understand; after all, it is to be an open ended run. It could go on for years…"
Sam shivered at that, then said, "Years of having to sing and dance alongside the man I think of as my big brother, day in, day out… How could I possibly say no to that! In any case, Rachel will not be able to work soon, and the income would be good…"
"And I have already seen to it that you will be given plenty of time off around the birth," added Cooper.
"In that case, you had better sign me up," responded Sam. At those words, Cooper leapt up from his chair and pulled Sam into a tight hug which was quickly returned with equal enthusiasm. From the sidelines Mason watched with a smile too; yes, he would also have relished the opportunity to take his place on the Broadway stage alongside Cooper, the man that by giving him a room to live in back when he first came to the city had effectively given him his career. After all, had he not done so, then he would never have been able to attend NYADA when he did, which in turn would have meant he would not have been there to play McKinley the night that Sebastian saved the show; that would have given him next to no chance of being in the cast of the show now.
The idea of going over to England to reprise the part that had started his Broadway career was a strange one at first, but gradually he had come to realise that it would be a good move for him, and make him a bigger name than he was now. There would be nothing to stop him from going to other auditions once he was there, given that Jane would be on a working visa, and they intended to be husband and wife before they arrived in the United Kingdom; no big ceremony, just a quiet one in a few weeks. Her employer had also stated that she could remain in the London office for as long as she wanted, so it would be a long term move for them both… That was for the future though; right now he wanted to go over and hug both of his friends, to congratulate them on being in a show that would cement their spot on the street of dreams for a while. The only thing he wondered was who would be taking on the female lead; he hoped that whoever they were, they would be able to deal with the existence of a very pregnant and possibly jealous Rachel…
Mason was right in his prediction that Rachel would be jealous when she was told, but it was not for the reasons he thought. It was the fact that her husband was going to be starring in a new show that made her smile fade just a little as he told her, full of excitement, given that she would be taking time out for the best of reasons very soon. She was genuinely looking forward to motherhood, confident that her child would have the combined talents of its two parents, along with their looks. She just hoped that she would be able to pick her career up where she left off afterwards. Jesse had been okay when she told him the reason why she would need to leave the show soon and that was a comfort; some directors were not exactly best pleased when their star announced they were pregnant after all. In her case though there was already a good understudy in the wings, and although there was talk of a Broadway transfer, it would not be for a good year or so yet, which meant that she had the chance to step back up to the role that she enjoyed when the time came.
That fact was a comfort to her; performing was in her blood. That was the one downside to motherhood, and the knowledge she would have to give up for a while soon was weighing her down just a little. She already found doing the show more tiring, and had once fallen asleep in her dressing room during the interval, something that she found to be completely unprofessional. She was a little surprised at herself when she realised that she did not care who was going to be playing the glamorous female lead in The Producers. Sam might have been a little flighty in his younger high school days, moving from girl to girl, but he had matured a lot, and now his heart belonged solely to her. She trusted him implicitly, and was sure that if any overtures were made in his direction, he would reject them out of hand…
The official announcement of Sam's casting came out a few days later, and everyone was pleased for him. They all knew that this was his big break; he had excelled as a replacement for Cooper as Willy Wonka, but this was the first time he was going to originate a part on Broadway, and that was far more involving. It also made him eligible for a Tony, something that had not happened before. There was also delight at the prospect of seeing Cooper sing and dance again; they had all admired his abilities as a dramatic actor, but they loved him more as a song and dance man, something in which he had few competitors.
Then there was the fact that they were reviving an iconic piece of theatre; they had all heard of Mel Brooks, and had seen the film on which the show was based, along with the film of the musical. It did raise a few eyebrows that Cooper had been cast in a part traditionally played by a much older actor, but they had all been promised a nightly transformation from a thirty something to a fifty something, through the use of the best available prosthetics. The new, more preppy Sam that had begun to emerge over the last couple of years would however be a perfect fit for Leo. Under Mike's tutelage, his dancing skills had also come on leaps and bounds at the same time, which was just as well, as he had a big production number of his own to dance through early on in the show. The opening night of the show had been scheduled for a date that nobody could forget; the 22nd of February, or 2/22/22; it gave them a lot of time to prepare and perfect the show. Hopefully their efforts would meet with the approval of Mr Brooks himself, as he would be involved in the production of the show from start to finish…
The winter period was one which was to be dominated by one thing for the close circle of friends; babies. The first of them to arrive came in the middle of November, as over breakfast one morning, waters broke. For Izzy, this was nothing major, used as she was to the medical world and all of its moments, and she just got up calmly from her side of the kitchen table, whilst Flint continued to check out an article in the New York Times. It was only as she returned with a mop and bucket that he realised that something was going on. "Did you spill your juice?" he asked with a smile. "You should have said and I would have cleaned it up for you!"
"Actually, my dear, my waters have just broken, so you will need to call work and tell them that you won't be coming in today, whilst I call the hospital and let them know that I am on my way in…" Izzy tailed off as she noticed the look of horror on her husband's face, frozen in time. Then she saw him unfreeze…
"I'm sorry, did you just say that your waters have broken, as in you are about to have our baby, as in now… as in we're in labour? Oh my God! You're in labour!" Flint replied as his initial calm moved swiftly towards panic. "Okay, so we need to get you to the hospital; get your case, no I'll get your case. And I'll call people… I have to call my mother… and work, and the hospital, and…"
"Flint! Calm down! Call your work now, or I will slap you. Hard." Izzy laughed at the sound of the third voice in the room, and more so at the sight of Kurt standing there with his arms folded tightly across his chest. "Women have been having babies for ever, so less panic and more action!"
"I know, I know, it's just - I have to call my mother and tell her…"
"Start with work, and leave her to last," Kurt replied. "After all, the sooner that you call her, the sooner she will get here…"
"True. Okay, calling work…" Flint grabbed his phone as Izzy carried on with her mopping. She felt a slight twinge of pain as she finished up, but she did not let it show, positive Flint would go into total meltdown if she did. She put away the mop and bucket, having sent a message to say she was coming in to the hospital, and calling a cab. She had a feeling that the child she was carrying inside her was not willing to wait too much longer to make its appearance into the world…
She was correct in her diagnosis and by the time that they reached the hospital, her contractions were coming at an alarming rate. Flint had called Izzy's parents and Beats whilst he was in the cab, the latter because he craved the sense of his best friend at this most life altering of moments. He knew that there was no way he could come to the hospital, but he had always been such a reassuring presence when everything around him was going to heck… The moment that Izzy walked in the staff at the maternity unit had her onto a gurney before wheeling her at speed in the direction of a delivery suite, Flint running alongside, still holding her hand. Unlike all of the other ex-Warblers who had had a child, he had made the decision right at the start that he was going to be there for the birth, and had attended all of the pre-natal classes with his wife.
He was given a set of scrubs to wear and having changed into them, he returned to his wife's side, holding her hand and mopping her brow. He had chosen to hold her hand in his rather than the other way round; he had heard all about the vice like grip that she would potentially force upon him the other way round… He breathed with her, saying nothing, ensuring as a result that he did not offend or anger her. Unlike some fathers, he did not feel the urge to use the gas and air mixture himself, nor did he drop in a dead faint as the baby that he had helped to create was finally born. So swift was the process that it was not even lunchtime when Flint found himself in floods of tears as he cradled his child in his arms, looking down with joy and wonder at his son…
It was only then that he realised what he had omitted to do in all of the rush; call his mother. At that moment he looked around, and noted with disappointment that the gas and air mixture was now gone. "What are you looking for?" asked an exhausted Izzy as she saw his eyes move around the room.
"I'm about to call mom, so I was kind of hoping that they had left the gas and air in the room," Flint replied with a look of fear on his face.
Izzy laughed, shaking her head. "It's like a band-aid; the sooner you do it, the quicker it is over. Go on, get it over with; if you don't do it now she will never forgive the omission…"
He nodded, and having handed his son back to his beautiful wife, he found his phone and pressed the button on speed dial…. When his call was answered, he tried to tell his mom the news right away, but as was so often the case, he could not get a word in, as his mother began to tell him about all the latest goings on with her friends and their children. He listened for a few moments, then when she paused for breath, he took his chance. "Mom, to be honest I don't give two hoots for Mrs Lippmann and her daughter's wedding. I called to tell you about your grandson…"
"Now Flint, it is unkind of you to be so unfeeling about Elsa Lippmann's wedd… Wait, did you just say my grandson! Isadora has had the baby! Is he okay? Is she? Have you made the necessary arrangements for his circum…"
"It is all in hand, mom," Flint interrupted. "Just now, little Aaron is sleeping soundly in his mother's arms, and everything else can wait a little while."
"Aaron. Yes, I do approve of that. It is a good, old-fashioned, Jewish name…"
Flint sighed with relief inwardly at those words; he had been worried about how she would react to their choice of name. It had come to him suddenly just a couple of weeks before when a parcel had arrived in their mail, freshly marked with a Westerville mark. It had contained a complete collection of perfectly hand knitted baby clothes, in neutral shades of white, yellow and green, along with a note from Mrs Carmichael, stating that new parents could never have enough little cardigans and jumpers, not to mention bootees. He had taken them to show to Izzy, and she had agreed they were adorable. "It was very good of her to make such an effort," she said with a smile. "The little stitches and details had to have taken up so much of her time."
"She would regard it as a pleasure and a duty; she and the Principal always saw themselves as surrogate parents to all of us, and vice versa. For many of the boys at Dalton, the best father figure that they had was Aaron… That is it! The perfect name for our baby if it happens to be a boy!"
"Aaron… Yes, I like it; and best of all, it is one that your mother should find acceptable" Izzy had replied….
Flint realised that he had zoned out when he heard his mother impatiently saying "Flint! Are you paying any attention to me? Has the necessary ceremonial been carried out on his you know what?"
"It is all in hand, mother. Trust me…"
"Excellent. Right, I will let you speak to your father now whilst I go to book our flights…"
There was silence on the line for a moment and then Flint heard the voice of his father. "So, I have a grandson, named after the former Principal of Dalton Academy… don't worry, I will not tell her." Flint laughed and agreed that it would probably be for the best. "So I can assume that you will see us some time tomorrow. There might well be a flight later on today, but as your mother has forgotten about booking them, and is currently on her cellphone to the head of the Ladies Circle, I won't be able to get a seat until tomorrow at the earliest. That will give her time to call half the town…"
"Thanks dad. To be honest, I need time to get used to the idea of being a father before I have to cope with mom as well."
"Yes… It took me a while to get used to coping with the two things when you were born too," his father agreed…
With his own parents called, he phoned the Bernsteins to give them the good news; they were en-route to the city, and he smiled as they both offered him their heartiest congratulations. That done, he made a call to Beats, who answered at once, and nearly burst into tears when he was told that he had a nephew. "A boy, you must be so pleased, both of you. And more importantly, your mom will be pleased. Has she bought a hat for his baptism yet?"
Flint laughed, then shuddered as he realised that he would potentially have to handle another massive hat at the synagogue. "I don't know, but if you so much as snigger at it, then I will kick you like I did on my wedding day, godfather or not."
"That hurt you know… wait, godfather? You want me to be…"
"Who else would I ask? Izzy and I both agree that you need an official role in our son's life. So yes, you and Leo as godfathers; Becca and one of Izzy's friends from college as godmothers."
"I am honoured to be asked, but what will your mom say?"
"Nothing if she knows what is good for her," replied Flint, which made Beats laugh. He was invited to pop in to the hospital to visit later, and he promised that he would. After he hung up, Beats had to excuse himself from his desk so that he could go and wipe away the tears of joy from his face.
Flint made one more call then, to Thad, to ask him to spread the news. Discovering that by chance his friend was currently having a late lunch with the Carmichaels, Flint asked him to put him on speakerphone. That done, he announced the news, and heard the congratulations of all three in the room. Then he continued "We were struggling to find the perfect name for our son, but then one that fitted the bill suddenly came to me. Anyway, as soon as I can I will send you a picture of the two of us with Aaron…"
He smiled as he heard a gasp of delight at the other end, then even more as Thad said, "I agree, that is a perfect name for a young man…"
As it happened, the first photo that went public was one that was taken by Mrs Bernstein just after four, and showed mom, dad, baby and godfather to be; Beats had worked right through his lunch break so he could leave early, and had taken a cab to the hospital rather than awaiting the subway. The picture made all of their friends laugh as they could see the other half of Fleats with the couple; then again, some could imagine the image without Izzy if the two young men had been wired differently. The choice of name met with universal approval, although everyone was careful not to mention in their comments where they knew that name had come from, just in case it got back to Mrs Wilson.
It was in the midst of all of that that Brittany posted a message on her and Santana's Facebook page, which read "He'll have four new little playmates soon." It was not long before Nick, having done the math, asked the question, "Who is the fourth? We only know about three, and no-one is reported as expecting twins…" Santana had not been warned by her wife what she was about to say, and knew she had no option now as speculation built. She went to Sebastian in his dressing room, showed him the growing thread, and he agreed they had no choice. Santana posted the sentence "Mine. MC did it for me and Britt." Congratulations quickly replaced speculation, although there was some confusion as to who MC was at first; then it dawned on them. Sebastian did find the fact that he was being congratulated a little strange, but to be honest, he was secretly rather proud of himself…
