Flabbergasted and Curious

Seth's new problems did not become a hot topic of conversation. Jeff said nothing to his husband about the events of the day, as it was not his place. Thad would of course find out from Ollie, as was the arrangement, and that lead to him making a call to Seth that evening, to see how he was feeling. Then in turn he called Jeff, who first off assured the Head Warbler that he was okay, and then confided that he had made the necessary changes to the contents of the fridge along the street. Then he told Thad of his one fear. "My big concern is what is going to happen next week. I am going to be in Washington DC, sketching the First Lady and the Obamas, which will leave no-one around to carry on checking in with him. We have sorted out everything around getting Wes to and from school, but there is nobody around during the day that can pop in and spend some time with Seth. If something like this should happen again…"

Thad was silent for a moment, then said, "I would be worried about that too now. Of course, it doesn't have to be the same person every day, and let's be honest, does it have to be in the morning? Ask around again, and ask everyone, not just our fellow Warblers. All that we need to ensure is that once a day, someone pops in and checks up on him."

"I will try, but with everything that is going on politically, and the end of the financial year fast approaching, people are busy with work…"

"Then tell them that it is Ollie that has requested the daily checks, not us; people are much more likely to help out if they think that it is for a doctor. If the worst comes to the worst, and you can't find anyone, then I will take a week off if I have to, or even send Mrs Carmichael. I think that if she knew exactly how bad Seth is, she would be on the first plane to New York regardless."

Jeff smiled, and replied, "Yes, she would be on the first flight she could find. I will try and get someone else though, because I think that if she saw how he is right now, she would be so very upset…"

When Thad ended the call, Jeff went in search of his husband, and found him busy in his study. He had already put Wes to bed, so he was not a concern, being a sound sleeper. "Nicky, I am just going to pop out for a few minutes and speak to Seth. He seemed a little down when I saw him earlier, and as you are very busy with work, I thought that I could go and spend a little while with him."

Nick smiled, and replied, "I think that he would appreciate that, and it also keeps you out of mischief. I take it that Wes is asleep?"

"Yes, he is out like a light as always, but I have brought the monitor down for you, just in case - and I do not get up to mischief any more!" Nick smiled as Jeff placed the baby monitor on the table, knowing that one day his husband might finally be persuaded that they no longer needed it, but not yet; maybe once their son was safely in elementary school…

Jeff grabbed his coat, and headed outside, glad not for the first time that Nick's study was at the back of the house, and he would not see him turning in the opposite direction to Seth's place as he left. He headed first off to the far end of the little group of houses that he technically owned, and was just about to head up the stairs to Mike and Tina's place when he heard a voice…

"I wouldn't if I was you. Mike is at work, and Tina has just managed to get Harry off to sleep, and is dozing herself. Unless you want to be hit over the head with something heavy by an exhausted new mother, I would put off whatever it is until the morning."

Jeff turned to see Kitty standing at her own front door, at the bottom of the ramp down from the street. "Thanks for the tip! I understand, because I used to get really angry when I had just managed to get Wes off to sleep, and someone made a noise which woke him up again!

Kitty nodded, regarding him intently, then said, "I can tell by the look on your face that there is something troubling you in any case. Santana isn't the only one with a third eye you know. I am going to hazard a guess that it has something to do with the reason that you spent much longer than you have been at Seth's place this morning. Also, when did you go lacto-free? I just happened to be in the health food store, and couldn't help but see…"

Jeff sighed, then said quietly, "Don't spread it, but we haven't, Seth has. It's a temporary thing at Ollie's suggestion. That is actually why I was heading up to see Tina. Seth's health is failing, and fast, and I am going to be away in Washington DC all next week, drawing portraits…"

"…so you need to find someone else who can check in with Seth every day? Well, one of the perks of being a highly successful business woman in cyberspace is that you can arrange your day as you need it to be, and make time for other things without any hassle. I take it that you just need someone to pop in for half an hour or so, at least once a day? If so, Artie and I could manage that between us."

"Would you? I mean, if you are sure, then it would be a huge weight off my mind!"

"It is the least that we could do, given what you have done for us over the years. I mean, without you, I would be stuck out in the 'burbs as we could never have found a suitable place at Manhattan rents otherwise. Just warn Seth that I will not be taking any nonsense from him, and maybe you could supply us with Dr Harwood's direct number, just in case of an emergency…"

Seth was not in the least surprised the following day when Jeff casually announced that Kitty and Artie would be popping in the following week whilst he was away in DC. He might not have the best of physical health, but mentally he was still sharp, and he knew that he was being monitored. Kitty's presence would be a change, as he knew that she would be brusque and abrasive; he would not be allowed to wallow in self pity, regardless of the circumstances. He went on to ask Jeff about his plans for the sketches, and he confided that whilst he had a few ideas, it would be down to the subjects to decide how things went.

"I'm not so nervous this time around as I was when I drew the President. I have a day with each of them, and although it will be at the White House, it will be in the less palatial end. It will be nice to spend some time with Trent and Rory, and catch up with Burt and Carole too. Between us, I also intend to do some sketches of the Hummels, given how much Burt has helped get through Congress in his role as House Leader. I think that he deserves a portrait, and if I know him, he would insist that Carole should be in it with him."

"I am sure that he would," agreed Seth. "Give them all my best when you see them."

Jeff nodded, then changed the subject onto whether the lactose free products he had bought for his friend the day before had been anything like the usual ones…


The atmosphere in Nick and Jeff's home on the Monday morning was strange. They had been living in each other's pockets more or less continually since they got together at Dalton almost a decade before, and apart from a few days when Nick had been away for work, they had ended each night snuggled up together in bed. This would be the first time that Jeff would be the one to be away from the marital home for so long though, and as a result, Nick woke that morning feeling a little odd. He knew that Jeff had to go, and that he couldn't; he knew that he had been the one to be away, and would be the one to go away on his own again in the future, but this just didn't sit well with him for some reason…

He sat up, and looked at the still sleeping form of his husband. He was still more or less the same as he had been when they first met; a few wrinkles around his eyes, and of course, longer hair, but he was still youthful. He on the other hand had put on a few pounds, although he was still the ideal weight for his height, more or less. He had found more than one grey hair on his head recently, and he knew that he should take a trip to the optometrist soon, as he was having a little trouble reading close print now. He was a lucky man to have Jeff as a life partner, although he had to admit that he was jealous of his fast metabolism, which kept him thin even with the amount of cake and cookies that he consumed…

As he carried on looking, his husband stirred, and Nick decided that he needed to slip out of bed, as the temptation to stay where he was and spend the day loving his husband was too strong… Jeff woke as Nick closed the bedroom door behind him and headed down the stairs to the kitchen to begin making breakfast. The blond sighed, and took a breath of the pillow beside his, sighing as he remembered that for the next four mornings he would not be able to inhale the faint scent of his husband from the empty side of the bed…

However, he was a realist, and as Nick often said, what had to be done, had to be done. Much as he would have preferred it, his subjects could not all come to New York. He lacked a space outside of his own home where he could draw his subjects, and that was something that he had realised all the more keenly recently. He wondered if he should think about finding a space elsewhere to rent as another studio. Somewhere reasonably priced, with excellent light and an elevator, thus ensuring that whoever was sitting for him would have good access. He resolved to discuss the idea with Nick when he returned from Washington DC; his husband would probably just say that it was up to him, but he liked to ask anyway; that was how a good marriage worked…

Breakfast that morning was much quieter than usual; Nick was afraid that if he started to talk too much, he would show Jeff that he was going to miss him like crazy, and that would make him reluctant to leave. He did not notice that his husband was doing the same thing. Wes of course had joined them, and he had that inkling that all children share, that there was something in the air, unspoken about between his two parents. He didn't say much either as he knew that his papa was going to be away until the end of the week, and at his age, that was a very long time indeed. The fourth member of the household could also sense something in the air, and that knowledge was compounded by two observations; there were two small cases alongside his blond human's satchel in the hall; and his two older humans kept looking at each other wistfully when they thought the other wasn't looking…

When it was time for Nick to head to work, he and Jeff hugged for much longer than usual, and then he headed up to the front door alone, apart from a feline trail. Caleb noticed that he did not pick up one of the cases, and that settled his worst fears a little. As Nick opened the front door, he turned back and saw the cat; he smiled, then bent down to stroke him, saying "I shall see you tonight." Although most of the sounds that his humans made were unintelligible to him, Caleb did know that set, and understood it to mean that he at least would be back to give him his other meals later in the day…

Once Nick had gone, Jeff set about getting Wes ready for kindergarten as usual. "Now, this time tomorrow your dad will have dropped you off so that you can go to school with Drew and Evie, so you will need to be ready a little earlier, okay?"

"I know, papa, and I also know that Dante will be bringing Evie and me back here each night, and that I am to stay with him until daddy gets home. Although, I was thinking, couldn't they come here one night and stay with me until daddy gets back? It would only be fair, and we could keep Caleb company."

"Maybe - but you would need to speak to daddy about that. Right, go and clean your teeth again, and then we will be ready to go." Wes headed up to the bathroom without protest, even although he had done his teeth just ten minutes ago, and that one little piece of chocolate he had just eaten wouldn't hurt, leaving his papa to check the kitchen, and see that everything was in order. Satisfied, he headed up the stairs himself to find Caleb sitting in sentry duty by his cases.

He miaowed at him pitifully, and Jeff shook his head. "There is no keeping secrets from you, is there? So I am going to be away until Friday, but Nick and Wes will still be here to take care of you; you will not be on your own all day." He stopped, and swooped up the cat into his arms, and was rewarded by Caleb nuzzling into him as he stroked him gently. "Of course, it is you I will miss the most," Jeff whispered, "but don't ever let anyone know…" He held his cat in his arms until Wes returned, smiling widely to show that his teeth were clean…

As Wes put his coat on, Jeff set Caleb down, then whispered "So there might be some chicken in your bowl, but that is for your lunch, okay? Your uncle Mike will be popping in, but that won't be until two o'clock, so if you go and eat it now, you will be starving by then. Anyway, aren't you running behind schedule for your first morning nap?" Caleb looked at him, then rubbed himself against Jeff's legs, before he headed downstairs to his bed.

That let Jeff concentrate on putting his own coat on, then checking that he had everything he needed for his trip for the seventh time, before slipping his satchel on, then gathering up his cases, and heading for the door. As he locked it behind him, his son turned to him and said, "Papa, does Caleb understand what we say?"

Jeff thought for a moment, then said, "I guess the strict answer to that is no, as he doesn't speak our language, but he does understand the tone in which we say things, whether we are happy, sad or angry. Then again, he does seem to know all of the words for his food… Also, cats don't miaow at each other; they only do it to attract our attention…" Wes looked at his papa, and nodded, agreeing that what he said made sense… "Okay, so let's get you to kindergarten. Stay close, but watch out for my cases, " continued Jeff, and they headed off as they did every morning…

Having dropped Wes off at the kindergarten as usual, albeit with a longer than usual hug at the door, Jeff headed to Penn station, and was soon off on his way to Washington. He already had ideas of how he wished to compose his drawings, if the people sitting for them would consent. He intended to draw the Obamas separately, as in virtually every official portrait ever produced of her, she was at the side of her husband. Jeff wanted her to be recalled and recognised for herself, not just as the wife of the 44th President, and the Vice President to the 46th…

As for the First Lady, she had already told him that she felt that she should be drawn in one of the great state rooms in the house on Pennsylvania Avenue, but the more he had thought of it, the more convinced he was that he should instead picture her in her own small office space, where, according to Trent, the walls were decorated with posters from her own campaigns, those that she had passionately committed to over the last few years since her husband had become commander in chief. He did want to show her as the woman behind the man; he wanted her to be seen as a tireless campaigner for social justice, a woman in the image of Eleanor Roosevelt. He had voiced his opinion to Trent, and he was sure that Jeff could convince her with his suggestions. He had also sounded out her husband on his friend's behalf, and he was in full accord with the idea. As the train headed through New Jersey, however, he had only one thought in his head; just how Seth and Kitty were getting along…

As it happened, he need not have worried. She might well have had the reputation of being more cutting than Santana on a bad day, but deep down she was as sympathetic as the next person to those in the greatest of need. She had arrived fearing the worst; that the young Warbler of her own age would have been taken ill during the night, or would have one of his attacks during the time she was there. It was thus an entirely pleasant surprise to find him in what appeared to be the rudest of health, sitting in his chair reading, the dishes from his breakfast stowed already in the dishwasher. She had popped to the bakery before she came to buy Danish, which she was assured was a firm favourite of Seth's, and the look on his face when he saw them told her she was correct.

Coffee brewed, the two of them sat down and had a conversation that ranged from current affairs to their old schooldays. They did not mention Hunter of course, as that name upset even Kitty, and she had seen him only in passing, not lived with his threats on a daily basis. It was thus a shock to her when he brought the name up…

"Do you know, I sometimes think back to all the stuff that happened with Hunter, and feel quite glad that it all occurred…" He stopped, then laughed at the expression on Kitty's face. Then, he continued, "Oh, don't get me wrong, the steroids, the abuse, all of that was awful, and if I could stop that, prevent all the pain, then I would, but the fact remains that it all built such strong bonds. Our little group is tied together so tightly, and we are tied to those that graduated a few years before… The young men that became Warblers in those successive years barely talk to each other, let alone meet up all the time. I am pretty certain that had it not been for Hunter, then we would be the same, and I would not be here, and there would be nowhere for me to go in Ohio when the worse days come. I would be left to the mercy of charity, hoping for a place in a hospice as death neared, and there are so few of those in this country of ours… That is something that needs to change, so that when the chips are down, people that are less blessed than me have somewhere to go."

Kitty nodded, seeing the truth in what he had said; had it not been for the deaths of their own, would the New Directions of her years be so firmly bonded? "I suppose that you are right, but none of you deserved to be hurt as much as you were by that man. I know how bad it was; I have read all of Artie's notes…"

In the end, she stayed with Seth far longer than she had planned, but as she headed for home, she realised that she was looking forward to her next visit to check up on him. She was in such a hurry to get back home that she failed to notice a familiar face waiting across the street. They crossed over, and headed down the path to Seth's place, knocking on the door before Kitty had even reached her own end of the street. It took Seth a moment to answer the door, as he had assumed that it was Kitty; that she had forgotten something and would let herself back in…

He was therefore a little taken aback to see his visitor, but he asked them in nonetheless, and offered them refreshment, like any good host; in the end, all they wanted was a glass of water. They talked about the general things that people always do when they first get together, but then his curiosity got the better of him. "I'm sorry, but I do have to ask - is this a general social visit, or is there a specific reason that you are here?"

"You are so sweet… I mean, yes, I did come to see that you were okay, as I know that you will be growing wings shortly, but I also came because of that, and it made me want to ask you a question, to see if before you do you would do me a favour… It is a rather strange thing to ask out of the blue, but it would give me something that I really want, and it would also mean that you would carry on for a lot longer in a way too…"

Seth looked at Brittany, still completely confused. "I spoke to Santana, and she said that I wasn't to ask you, but I am going to anyway… I would really like to be a mom properly, like Santana and all of the others; she had Sebastian, but I need a different donor. I was wondering if you would be that person? That way, you would still be alive through them, even although you would be gone…"

To say that the blonde's words were a bolt from the blue to Seth would have been a complete understatement; it was the last thing that he ever could have expected someone to say to him, and not something he had ever thought of. His mind began to work overtime, as he had never considered that this question might arise. The first thing that came to his mind was whether doing what she asked would risk passing his condition onto any child that came from it… Did he want to take that risk? Could some sort of test be done in advance? And even if there was no reason not to proceed, did he actually want to be a father? Did he want a child to ask questions about their daddy in a far off time, when he was dead and gone? Did he want that child to know that he had succumbed to MND, and have them worry that they too might die from that condition one day?

"You don't have to say yes straight away, because I know that it is such a big thing to ask, but the truth is that you were the easiest person to ask. You have no girl or boy in your life that could object to my request, and you are also very handsome, which means that the baby we produced between us would probably be very attractive too…"

Seth laughed then, and replied, "You know that there is no guarantee of that… I am very flattered that you asked me, but I will need a long time to think about it. There are so many issues that need to be considered, particularly as I would not want to burden a child with my current woes in the future."

"But you aren't saying no, not ever?"

"I'm not…" said Seth. He saw a smile appeal on Brittany's face, and he felt one appear on his own face. He would need to check the pros and cons online, then speak to Ollie, a much more reliable source than Doctor Google, and then run the idea past a few other people that he trusted…

Brittany insisted on staying and making him some lunch, and then headed off after they had eaten; she should actually have been at her work some two hours beforehand. The Math department at NYU knew that she was a little ditzy, and made allowances on account of her genius with figures. The moment that she left, Seth began to do his research, and the signs were not as horrific as he had feared; there was a less than 5% chance of the faulty gene being passed on according to all the studies he read online, which was very reassuring.

He spent the whole of the afternoon reading the reports from the various authors around the world, and saw only one issue. He did not know if his condition was hereditary one, or just if he had been unlucky and suffered a freak genetic mutation. He began to wonder if there was any way to find out if his parents' families had any history of the condition when he had no contact with them, and quickly concluded that would be nigh on impossible given all of the restrictions that existed on the sharing of personal data, but he guessed that he could try…

It was late in the afternoon by the time that he placed his call to Ollie Harwood, and he was lucky to catch him as he was just about to leave for home. "So, I have a theoretical question for you, Doctor. If I was to become a sperm donor, are there tests that can be done to see if I carry a rogue gene that could be carried on to any future child?"

There was silence for a moment, as Ollie recovered from his slight shock, and then he answered, "Well, that is certainly the last question that I ever expected you to ask me. Yes, there are tests that can be done, and should they come back negative, then there would be no reason at all why you could not become a sperm donor, at least physically. The strain on you mentally would be an altogether different matter. Becoming a father is stressful at the best of times, but would be all the more so in your circumstances."

"Well, as I said, the question is a hypothetical one for now. There are more than a few other things to take into consideration before this becomes a definite. I just wanted to hear your opinion, rather than rely entirely on what I can find online."

"For what it is worth, should the tests be clear," Ollie replied, "then it would be a way of keeping your legacy alive. If you want, I could set up the tests for you, just to see…"

"I suppose that there would be no harm in that," responded Seth.

That evening Seth went on to call Thad, Mrs Carmichael, and Skylar, all of whom expressed surprise at the notion, but none of them were unsupportive. They had concerns for him, and for any child, but if it was safe, none of the three of them saw any reason why he should not do it.

Skylar went further, and added, "I actually love the idea of their being a child in the world with all of the good elements of your DNA. If you do go ahead, then all I would say is that I would like to know the identity of the mother, if she allowed it, so that I can be around to tell them all about their birth father; about his strength and loyalty, his bravery in the face of violence and danger, and above all, his kindness. I mean, I am assuming that someone asked you for this subject to come up; was it someone that I would know? I mean, if it was, then our children could know each other as well, and possibly perpetuate the bond that we have…"

Seth replied, "Well, I can't say exactly who they are for obvious reasons, but yes, you do know them, and I actually love the idea of our children being friends just as much as you…"

After he had spoken to Skylar, Seth made one last call, and that was to Trent. The White House worker was busy, but still found the time that was needed to listen to his younger friend. His tone became thoughtful when Seth mentioned the whole hereditary aspect. "I might be able to see what I can find out for you there. After all, we do have a central repository of family data here in Washington, so if I had the names of your parents, then I should be able to go back from that…"

Seth sighed, and said, "And there is the first obstacle before the race even begins. That is something that I do not know. I have a birth certificate, but the parents names are withheld on it…"

In Washington, Trent was shocked, but then rallied, shaking his head in rage. "Right, so we start with the one piece of information that we do have; the name of your grandmother, and work back and forward from there. If I dug enough, I would even be able to supply you with names and addresses for your folks…"

"Actually Trent, I would rather not know anything like that about my parents," said Seth firmly. "They did not want to know about me, so why would I want to know anything about them now? All that I need to know is whether there is a history of MND in the family, if there have been any relatives that have been diagnosed. I do not need a family now, as it would all be about doing the right thing; no real love or affection, just being seen to care to the world, when in fact they do not actually give two hoots. I do not need to know that I have siblings now. It is far too late for all of that."

"I understand," Trent replied kindly, "and trust me, unless I discover that you are the sole heir to a multi million dollar legacy, you will not get any more from me than the bare facts."

"I knew you would, which is why I have entrusted this task to you. You have all of the contacts, but you are also known for respecting the wishes of other people. Sometimes I wonder how you ended up in the world of politics, and not in the church, or running a charity…"

"I guess that I went where I was needed the most, to try and change things for the better, and I like to think that we have made a start…"

"Yes, you have, although I think that we need a campaign about not judging people because of their name would be a good one as well; encourage people to see the person instead."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand…" began Trent, then he chuckled, and said, "Something on the lines of 'You hear Nixon, but this one isn't tricky?' I actually have no desire to ever be President though, so it isn't important."

"Well, you could be the Head of the UN, or lead a charity. I hope that you will one day take a step into the limelight, rather than supply the script for everyone else. We need more people like you…"

"We will see what life brings…" replied Trent coyly. "Okay, so I will do my best to find out what I can. You see that you take care of yourself. The world needs its fair share of Seth's as well…" Trent smiled as he heard his friend laugh, and they said goodbye with love and affection.