Lovely Hues | Fillie AU

Chapter Twenty Three

In secondary school, Finn had learned a good amount of French. He didn't live in the "French" part of Canada, but it seemed like it would be a useful language to know if he ever went to Quebec, or France for that matter, which of course he did. The war bringing so many young men to the country. And maybe that's why he still knew it so well. The whole use it or lose it concept not having rid his brain of that precious knowledge.

But he hadn't thought it would come in such good use in this tiny town in the middle of the American midwest. But then again, he hadn't known that there was a little settlement of Ukrainian refugees from the war setting up a small community of farms on the outskirts of town. Ukrainian refugees who happened to know at least a passing amount of French from living in the displaced persons camp that was run by primarily French forces and thus, the common language allowed them to communicate.

The situation that unfolded with James would have been much harder to understand and manage had Finn not had this connection with the Ukrainians.

He had just gotten back from Millie's when it started. At least for him. Judging by the state of his room and the shouting coming from the main office, James had been at this for quite a while. Finn ran as hard as he could to the front of the building, finding a small cowering crowd comprised of a young family that wore clothing that reminded him of the people he came across in Europe and they seemed to be wanting to leave but the wife kept pointing to Sadie inside the office with a worried expression while saying something to her husband in another language.

Finn stayed out of James's line of sight as he edged around the brick building to the door of the office. The man Finn thought was Russian came up to him and said something in his native language and then creased his forehead and asked in a heavily accented French if he spoke French. He nodded, then the man proceeded to tell him that his name was Jerry and he and his family had just arrived in America and while getting checked in to the Inn, that angry man—James—came barging in holding a bottle of liquor and started yelling. He yelled at them and the woman that checked them in and then he hurled the bottle of liquor at the wall near the family so they ran, but Jerry's wife told him they couldn't leave because she feared for the nice woman—Sadie.

Finn looked into the window and met eyes with Sadie who quickly averted them back to James so as not to draw his attention. He must have been too drunk to notice and just inched closer and kept shouting about how the town was changing too much and that Sadie needed to do her part to stop it. Knowing that Finn was there, she felt more confident and said to James that he was being too loud and that he should leave.

"I don't give a fuck!" James shouted with a hint of slur to his speech. Finn jumped. His muffled words continued, "You shouldn' be givin' him the satisfaction of being with such a fine dame, Sadie. Didn't your momma teach you nothin' bou' bein a woman? I can remind you. . " he growled, slurring his words.

Finn told the family to go and get the police, that maybe the man in the gas station could help but they needed to hurry. Then he stood tall and swung the door open as James was reaching out for Sadie.

"Wha—" Finn walloped him in the face then winced as pain exploded across his knuckles.

"Sadie, go!" he shouted, waving his arm for her to get out. James had only stumbled backward, clutching his cheekbone, but once he saw Finn, he stood up straighter than his inebriated state should have allowed and his eyes turned to fire, "Shouldn't have done that, hoser."

Finn didn't respond. He kept his eyes on the unwieldy man, trying to calculate his next move.

"Yours is another woman that could 'prolly use a good reminder of 'er place. I doubt you're man enough to show 'er."