An Unexpected Turn of Events

As Adam's parents headed for home, the essential last minute preparations for Christmas became important for everyone. That was especially true in the Wilson household, as they had left off with their decoration as they always had a fear that Mrs Wilson would announce she was coming to visit at the last second. The fact that Flint and Izzy marked the holiday as much as their Christian friends would have to be hidden if she appeared, as had happened before, and Maribel did not like sleeping in a grotto after that one occasion…

As the bright lights decorated the streets of New York, and Manhattan in particular, things were a little duller in Ohio, the lights on display in Columbus never quite matching those found in the great metropolis. However, that went largely unnoticed by Sebastian. His own home did have a display of lights and decoration that could easily have rivalled those that Jeff was so proud of in his West Village home, but that was down to Dave being as keen as the blond to make their home the focal point of the family Christmas. The fact that Julian, Isabelle and the children would all be present on that day was another reason for them to go all out, and it was something that Sebastian was looking forward to immensely.

Much of the ex-Broadway star's time was however being taken up by his commitments at Dalton. He had to help the drama club with the organisation and then staging of their Christmas production, which would be given three times that year as a result of unprecedented demand for tickets. The fact that Sebastian had agreed to take on the part of narrator, and would be briefly on stage, might have helped to spur those outside the school itself in wishing to attend. On top of that, he had also agreed to help the Warblers to stage a carol concert in aid of the hospice project, although if he was being honest, it had turned into more of a Festive Song Festival than a night of religious tradition; those sacred songs would be interspersed by classics taken straight from the great American songbook. It all took a lot of rehearsal, and he found that he was spending most of his time back at Dalton, either running lines with the cast, or polishing the tunes…

All of those other events did not stop him from noticing something concerning, and that was a rapid change in the behaviour and attitude of his nephew Peter. He was aware that he had experienced problems in the past, but that had shown itself in a general sullenness and a rapid decline in his academics. This was something different, a degree of depression which made his usual vibrant smile as rare as hen's teeth, and was accompanied by a look of fear and worry, accentuated every time that a door opened. Sebastian would swear that his nephew would glance at the opening door in terror, as if he expected the person coming in was about to destroy his life and world…

With three days remaining before the Warblers' Christmas concert, Sebastian walked in to an afternoon Warbler rehearsal, ready to hear the final version of their songs, before he had to head off to the auditorium to make the final tweaks to the drama club's production that was opening that night. When the appointed start time came, Peter was conspicuous in his absence, and none of his fellows could recall seeing him since lunch. Sebastian made a couple of calls, and was worried to discover that his nephew had not been in his final class that afternoon; a call to Thad did however confirm he had been in his history class immediately after lunch….

The latter volunteered to head up to the dorms to see if Peter was there, and had been taken ill by some last minute lurgy. Sebastian agreed to that, and then began to run through the repertoire of the show. About twenty minutes into the process he heard a knock at the door, and then one of the Senior pupils that Sebastian recognised as a lacrosse player entered. "I am sorry to disturb you, but Mr Harwood needs to see you in the Warbler Dorm at once, Mr Karofsky-Smythe," the young man said, sparking a ripple of conversation, concern mixed with speculation as to what was wrong.

Sebastian took a breath, then turned to the Head Warbler of the year. "I would be grateful if you could keep running through the numbers, and pay particular attention to Jingle Bell Rock; we had issues with the tempo last time, and we need to get that issue ironed out by the time we finish up today." The Senior Warbler nodded, and Sebastian headed out, his face etched with increasing worry as he began to move ever faster in the direction of the dorms, worried sick as to what exactly Thad had discovered to need him so urgently…

He saw his old friend waiting for him the moment that he stepped through the door into the dorm corridor that was now solely occupied by the boys of the illustrious choir. "Okay, so don't panic. He isn't sick, nor has he attempted anything stupid. However, what is going on is serious, but not my story to tell. All I will say is that we have an issue, and I have managed to persuade him to tell you what he told me. I will leave you to it; I will head down to the Senior Commons and keep an eye on things for you for now…"

He turned to go, indicating the slightly ajar door that lead to Peter's room, but stopped to place a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder for a moment before he left. For a moment more Sebastian stood still, then with a breath, he stepped into his nephew's room, closing the door gently behind him. Peter was sat at his desk, but his head was slumped down onto the surface as his uncle walked in. Hearing the door close, he lifted it up and turned to face it, and in doing so instantly broke Sebastian's heart. Peter's eyes were red raw and his tears were still falling. He rushed across to his nephew and pulled him into his arms, which made his nephew sob, sending some tears tricking from Sebastian's own eyes in the process…

Eventually, in a voice that was barely a whisper, Peter spoke. "I'm in so much trouble, Uncle Bazzy. I have been so stupid, and the worst possible thing has inevitably happened, and it is going to destroy everything! Dad is going to hate me, and I'll be kicked out of Dalton too…"

"There is nothing in the world that you could have done that would make your dad hate you, Peter!" said Sebastian firmly. "Everyone man in this family has made their fair share of mistakes!"

"This one won't go away though, and it will ruin an innocent person's life even more than it does mine! I should have been more careful; I should have waited… They will want to kill me. Her parents are so conservative, and they will probably disown her for getting into the condition that she is in…"

Those final words from his nephew told Sebastian all that he needed to know; conservative parents and her condition. He put his immediate overreaction aside, and in as calm a tone as he could muster, he said, "I didn't even know that you had a serious girlfriend, let alone that you were, to be blunt, sexually active. I am guessing that the condition that you are referring to is one that comes to an end after about 39 weeks, and will make me a great-uncle?"

Peter nodded, and whispered, "Yeah… We only did it once, and we used protection, so how this happened I still can't work out. And before you ask, she isn't that kind of girl that would be seeing someone else, so I know it is mine…"

Sebastian nodded, trying not to let how uncomfortable he felt at that moment show. "I know that you took precautions, but well, they can tear, rip and burst; they aren't completely guaranteed… So, how long have you known about this? How far gone is she?"

"She told me that she thought she could be about two weeks ago…" said Peter. Sebastian immediately realised that was exactly when he had started to notice a change in his nephew's behaviour, but he said nothing. "She had to wait until she could get to the free clinic in Columbus to get a proper test done. Her parents know a lot of the folk that work in the medical profession here in Westerville, so she had to get out of town, and the first chance she had was on Sunday; she only got the official result this afternoon, and she sent me a text to tell me…"

Sebastian nodded, realising that despite of all the rules about patient confidentially and the Hippocratic Oath, news that a young girl was pregnant would always make its way back to her parents. "I take it that she is a Westerville girl then?"

"No, actually. Her mother and father were both raised here, but the family home is now in Arkansas. She is a boarder at Crawford County. We met at the school Christmas Dance last year, and have been dating ever since, but we both decided it was best to keep it quiet…"

Inwardly, Sebastian groaned. A bad situation had just become a disaster, and he realised that Thad was unaware of where the girl resided, or he wouldn't have been so calm… "Well, given that the current Principal of Crawford has an extremely low opinion of all Dalton boys, and only permit's the dance as it is a long standing tradition dating back to the founding of her school, that was probably the sensible thing to do. Unfortunately the situation has now altered; keeping quiet about your relationship will no longer be possible…"

"I know," Peter replied in a stronger voice. "I will stand by her through all of this, even if it means that I have to give up on going to college and marry her to keep people happy. I chose to do what I did, and now I have to live with the results."

His uncle nodded, proud of the boy's maturity, but at the same time heartbroken at the prospect of Peter not being able to live his life to the full potential that he might have done. "Okay, so there are two things that we need to do now, whether we like it or not. We will need to go and see Principal Lefevre, and tell her, so that she is prepared for the possible backlash that will come our way when they find out at Crawford. The one bright spot is that you will not be expelled for this, as I believe used to be the case back in the 1950s for any young man involved in this kind of thing. Secondly, we need to tell your father everything too…"

"He will be so disappointed in me, and so angry too," sighed Peter, his eyes tearing up again.

"That is only natural, and I would be more worried if he wasn't. However, should he go too far, I shall point out that you aren't the first member of the Smythe family to, and I quote, get a girl in trouble. That little fact might take a while to sink in though… We don't need to tell him today; in fact, all of it can wait right now. What I think you need to do just now is wash your face, fix on that smile of yours and come and sing with us all. What is done is done, and whatever happens, I will always have your back."

Peter nodded, and convinced that he would follow him, Sebastian headed back out into the dorm corridor, where he could scream silently as he waited. He had finished that by the time his nephew appeared, and they headed down to the Senior Commons together. They used the excuse of nausea to explain his absence, and the other boys did not question it. Thad also said nothing, and headed out to his own duties.

The rehearsal went well, and Sebastian was content when their time was up. He dismissed the boys, who headed off to the refectory to eat, Peter amongst them. It was no shock to Sebastian though to see Thad waiting to come in as they filed out. He closed the door behind him, and gave the boys a minute to be clear before he looked at Sebastian, and saw him sat in his usual chair, his head in his hands. "Well, Thad, this is one heck of a mess and no mistake!" Sebastian said with a sigh. "Did Peter mention that the girl in question is a Crawford student?"

"No," said Thad, taking in a deep breath. "That really makes it awful… I blame myself for it, in part. I am the housemaster with responsibility for the Warbler dorm; I should have been aware of what was going on, that he was seeing someone and thinking about going this far. What I do wonder is where all of this took place? It didn't happen here, and it certainly wouldn't have happened at Crawford…"

Thad stopped as he realised that Sebastian had at first gone white, but was now looking a little green. "There can be only one place, and I am the one that gave him a key to access it! His room, at my place! I was probably tied up with the drama club, Dave would have been coaching, and Mrs Carr would have been occupied with the children at the other end of the house. If I wasn't living here in Ohio, this would not have been possible!"

"Sebastian, think rationally," responded Thad, worried that his friend would have some sort of attack if he carried on. "Yes, it is possible, but it is equally likely that it all took place in the back of his car, or in some quiet spot in the grounds of either Dalton or Crawford." He stopped, knowing in his heart that Sebastian was probably more likely to be accurate. "So, we will need to inform Principal Lefevre, but I think that before that…"

"We should tell Julian. That prospect horrifies me; I think that I am dreading it more than Peter…"

As he was pondering that, Sebastian glanced at the clock, and realised that there was no time for a long discussion right now, as he was late for the drama club's last minute checks. He made his excuses and hurried off, deciding as he went that he would not worry about last minute changes now. The boys knew their script, and if anything did go badly wrong tonight, then they could alter it for the second run the next day. He would find that the play allowed him to focus on other things than his potentially irate brother, and was beyond grateful when at the end of the performance, which was as near flawless as possible, the applause was both loud and long.

Before he headed home, he decided to check in with Peter again, and found that he a little more like his usual self know that his big secret was out in the open. He found time to show Sebastian a picture of the girl in question; she was undeniably pretty, but if her general appearance was anything to go by, she certainly wasn't a young lady of easy virtue… "Have you spoken to her properly since she sent you that text?" Sebastian enquired.

"I did as soon as she sent it, and she sounded so upset about it all. I told her that I would stand by her, which she appreciated, but still… She wants to be a doctor, and let's be honest, she can't really go to med school with its long hours and raise a baby as well. That was why I told her that I would be happy to stay home and be the one to bring up our child."

Sebastian smiled, but worried that his nephew might come to resent that choice in time. "I think that I should speak to her sometime as well, and if she is agreeable, we could meet up. It would be good to get to know my future niece-in-law…"

Peter smiled at that, but his face promptly fell again. "I don't know if dad will be as calm as you seem to be about all of this, Uncle Bazzy. I know that we have to tell him, but I don't think that we should do it on a video call…"

Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle at that. "That statement shows courage. Most young men that I know, if they were in your situation, would chose a video call over face to face every time, because if the reaction is bad then they could, ahem, lose connection…"

"That is very true, but the fact is that when I talk to dad on a video call, it is usually when he is home alone, and Isabelle is still at the office. In the circumstances, I think it would be better if she was there too. She would probably be a moderating influence if dad blows up; she can remind him that he is no angel… He is not a stranger to these issues himself; okay, he was in college when he did it, but still…"

"Hmm, I don't think that is a road you should go down when you tell him. It cost him dearly at the time, and it left me without the big brother that I needed at the most awful point of my life," chided Sebastian. "Of course, I have a funny feeling that I will end up in the firing line as well, along with Thad and Dalton in general. Actions have consequences that go beyond just the main people involved after all. A very wise man said that to me a long time ago, when I had thrown a slushie… Anyway, I am guessing that you want to wait until Christmas to tell your father about all of this?"

Peter nodded again. "Yes, I think it would be best; as soon as he gets here I can sit down with him and tell him, get it over with…"

"Oh, no, that is a really terrible idea!" replied his uncle. "If he explodes, then it is better that he does so after we have eaten our festive lunch and exchanged the gifts. That way I can drive you back here to Thad and safety with a nice meal inside you. Do it on Christmas Eve and you might find your Christmas lunch is chicken ramen in your dorm room, whilst I have to sit and endure the day from hell at home, as would Dave, Isabelle and all the kids…"

"So basically we fill him with festive cheer, and then, hoping that he is adhering to the tradition of forgiveness at Christmas, hit him with the news?"

"I would put it a little more subtly than that, but basically, yes," came Peter's response from his uncle.

When Sebastian confided that decision to Thad the next day, the Dalton teacher was not exactly happy about the delay, but he understood the reasoning. However, he knew that they could not put off telling the Principal. He went to see her alone. The words said, Principal Lefevre went pale, groaned, and then asked to see Peter at once. The young man had been expecting the summons, and was braced for a lecture, but it turned out to be a much milder one than he had anticipated, given that Thad had pointed out that he had taken every possible precaution, and had been let down by a defective product….

"I think, however, that the lesson here is that abstinence is the best and most careful option at all times," the Principal concluded. "Had you not indulged in sexual relations, then we would not be in this situation in the first place. Now, I have to ask you, and you must be truthful on this - where did the events that lead us here take place?"

Peter promptly turned bright red, and looked at his shoes. There was a moment of silence, and then, quietly, he admitted that it had taken place in the back of his car, in a very quiet corner of the grounds of Crawford County…

He looked up when he heard a chuckle, and saw that Principal Lefevre had a wry smile on her face. "Well, well, that is a turn up for the books, given how much she boasts about the security of her premises, and states in the school prospectus that outwith teaching hours, only the boarding girls and staff are able to access the property, and that is strictly controlled…"

She paused, and resisted the urge to gloat too much, but she had to admit she would enjoy tutting at that little bit of information when she was confronted by her rival at Crawford…. "So I am also aware that as yet, neither set of parents is aware of the situation, nor are the staff at Crawford. Her parents do not know for reasons of safety, yours because you prefer to break the news face to face. I think that therefore it would be best for us to save breaking the news to my opposite number at Crawford until after the Christmas vacation. That will not be a pleasant conversation, I warn you now. As to what happens to you, well I will not be taking any sanctions against you, at least, not yet… That might have to change depending on how the situation pans out. There is also a risk that her parents might go to the authorities, and ask them to get involved because of her age…"

It was not long after that the end of semester came to Dalton, and there was the usual end of term exodus homeward for the celebrations. Peter was glad that he was not facing a long trip back to New Jersey, an would instead be heading to his uncle's home nearby. Sebastian was not however there on the day that term officially ended, as he and Thad had both headed off to Manhattan to join in with the now traditional party that the Warblers of their generation held to mark the festive season. Nick and Jeff were hosting it in their West Village home, but in a departure, the majority of the food would be coming from a caterer, supplemented by a few treats that Nick had found time to prepare himself. He had made lebkuchen, strudel and stollen to go alongside his more traditional fruit cake, and there was also a large Christmas pudding, which he served up with custard…

The day turned out to be a significant one because Mitch arrived with Gideon, which no-one minded; then in the middle of the party the former Warbler got down on one knee and proposed to Gideon again, but this time followed it up by asking him to marry him in the summer…

Gideon for his part nodded, but then said, "I think that you should know that I have had a bit of news that might put a different spin on things though. I have heard that Isabelle's PA is retiring from Vogue in the summer; I mean, she was the PA to Ms. Wintour, so she is a good age. Isabelle has known for a while, and has been seeking someone that can match her and has the greatest talent to support her. That is why she called me up and has offered me the job…"

"But let me guess," said Mitch. "You said no, because it would mean having to be here in New York…"

"I did, although she tried to convince me that we could do it on Zoom, because she is so keen to have me, but I mean, how on earth would that work…"

"Well, my love, I think that you need to call her right now and tell her you have changed your mind and want to take the job, working alongside her here in Manhattan. My firm asked me a long time ago if I would transfer to their New York office over in Brooklyn, because they really needed me there to sort it out, but I explained that I couldn't expect you to move… If I tell them you are now going to be in the city, my transfer would be agreed in a flash…"

Mitch suddenly found himself engulfed in Gideon's arms, as all the others in the room cheered. As they continued to hug, the rest of the young men began to speculate where in the city the couple would end up living…

Sebastian was secretly grateful to the couple for the turn of events, as it took the focus of him and the Warblers. Thad had been trying his best to try and move the conversation onto different topics, especially as there were multiple people asking him questions about Peter, and at the moment, he was a subject that his uncle wished to avoid. He knew of course that none of the others had any inkling as to what his nephew had done, but if he kept on avoiding the questions then Trent in particular would begin to suspect that there was something going on, and Nick would not be too far behind him, both concluding that Sebastian's nephew was an issue for some reason…

Nonetheless, Thad could understand why the others were so keen to ask about the performance of the boys this year. They were all proud of what Sebastian had achieved in his short spell in charge, the rumours on the show choir circuit being that the Warblers score from the judges at the last stage had been the highest ever awarded in the history of the competition in Ohio; those long standing judges had never seen anything that bettered it. The reviews of the Dalton Drama Club's Christmas show had also been glowing, and having been in attendance, Skylar was only too happy to confirm that it had been as good as any professional show he had seen in his home state…

With the focus now shifted on to Mitch and Gideon, Sebastian could now sit quietly in the background with a bowl containing a small portion of Christmas Pudding, drowned in rich yellow custard, the latter a substitute for his sweet biscuit cravings. He was so out of it that he nearly jumped out of his skin and threw his dessert in the air when he felt something land in his lap, but then he realised that it was only Caleb, who gently nuzzled him, then padded his lap, before settling down there. Sebastian had heard from Brittany and Jeff that cats instinctively knew when someone was needing to be shown love, and now he believed it for the first time. He allowed the cat to doze where he was, shooing away a concerned Jeff. The warmth was comforting, and it had the additional advantage that he was now waited on hand and foot, as he could not get up… He was happy to forget all of his cares and worries for a while…

After the party came to an end, Sebastian headed uptown alone, having taken Thad aside and confirmed where they would rendezvous the following day to head to the airport for their flight back to Columbus. As the Head Warbler headed to see his brother, Michelle and his nephew, he headed instead to another party, a small soiree being hosted by his Aunt Bette. He had brought his tuxedo with him, along with a gift for his hostess, who would no doubt tell him the latter was completely unnecessary. He stopped off en route at The Wizard of Oz, firstly to wish Mason, Adam, Marley and Cooper a Merry Christmas, and secondly, to change into his tux in one of the dressing rooms. Cooper naturally accused him of only calling in to do so, which resulted in Sebastian giving his best mortally wounded impression, which soon had the two men in hysterics…

From there it was on to Ms Midler's stylish place. He found that he was the first guest to arrive, and part of him suspected he had been given a different time from the other guests deliberately. "My sources inform me that you have made your directorial debut," she said as soon as they had greeted each other, and she had told him that his gift was indeed, not necessary…

"As Isabelle no doubt told you, it was for the drama club at Dalton, but I suppose we all have to start somewhere. It was a success, I think; certainly no rotten fruit was thrown, no refunds were demanded, and we completed the full run of three performances…."

"I see, so why then do you not look triumphant? In all honesty, your look is more suited to that of Max Bialystock on the opening night of Funny Boy…"

Sebastian smiled at the reference to The Producers, then said quietly, "Family drama. Not me and Dave, but close family nonetheless. I can't say anymore, but suffice to say that my Christmas this year will probably be interesting, and not in a good way…"

Bette nodded, then took his hand. "Well, if afterwards there are heads that need knocked together, let me know if those heads are in New Jersey…" With that, the doorbell sounded, and Bette headed to greet her new guests. With the moment passed, Sebastian was also able to put his issues aside again and enjoy his evening…

Downtown, Thad's night was a very different one. His 'nephew' was growing, and the hug he received from the little boy made all of his paternal instincts sing inside. He held back his tears though, keeping his emotions in check as ever. He was able to play with the boy until it was time for his bath; after, he read him his bedtime story, and he felt all of the emotions rise again as he watched him fall asleep, and then tucked him in…

Then it was time for a proper family catch up, with Michelle telling him all about the plans to redecorate the Spotlight Diner the following year, and how she was lobbying the partners to agree to a short closure. "I envisage that we would start the work on the side of the diner away from the counter, get that completed, and then close whilst we do the work on the counter side. Trying to stay open and serve whilst we decorated that area would be a logistical nightmare."

"Well, I am not a partner, but when they ask me for my opinion, as some of them will, I will back your position as the correct one," replied Thad with a chuckle.

Then it was the turn of Ollie to speak, telling his brother how he was in line for a promotion at the hospital, and confiding in him how well Lawrence was progressing. "He has all the makings of a good, patient focussed doctor, and that is a rarity these days, let me tell you. Roderick is also making a good reputation for himself, and I have it on good authority that they will both be offered good, full-time, permanent contracts when they graduate. They're the kind of staff we want to keep."

Then his tone changed. "I also hear that the work on the hospice is progressing well, although I am also informed by my sources that our dear father is refusing to acknowledge that the facility will even exist. I am guessing that its charitable status is what doesn't appeal to him, the fact that there will not be huge charges for every aspect of care. He is already one of the most vehement physicians speaking out against the President's healthcare plans, so it comes as no surprise…"

"I had heard as much from Hayden," replied Thad. "It is a pity, but that is what he is like no other thought than how much he can get in fees. He will never change, and neither will mom for that matter… I had always hoped that our other siblings would react against them in the end, but it seems that they are much more of a chip off the old bloc than the two of us - or possibly just not as brave."

"I would like to presume that it is the latter, but the longer that the situation goes on, the more unsure I am of that," sighed Ollie. "Yes, it would have been the easy option for me to have stayed there, but the fact that they were unable to respect your choice not to be a medic and erased you from the family as a result made me realise that I needed to break free as well."

"I am glad that you did. Michelle is the perfect match for you, and little Thaddeus could not wish for better parents. He is also the only one of a whole group of cousins that will not get doctor toys for every birthday and Christmas…"

Ollie laughed out loud at his brother's words, knowing that it would be true; each special day that he could recall as a child when he received a present from his parents, it had had a medical theme…

"I suspect that if I was in one of the malls in Columbus, and one of our siblings was there, we would walk right past each other, without even noticing each other. It has been so long now," continued Thad sadly. "Having said that, I don't suppose that our parents give them much free time to do such chores as shopping."

"And again, you'd be correct. There is no way that I would enjoy the work/life balance that I have at the moment if I was still working for dad…"

Thad sighed, then shook his head. "Okay, so enough about them! Let us talk about happier things, like what my little namesake is expecting for Christmas…" With that, the Harwood brothers forgot about the family that no longer valued them…