Here's another little offering about the Barton family and the fall out from Finns ordeal, totally different to the show but as I explained before I love to torture the characters I like. I actually wanted to see Finn being targeted again to really drive home the message to Ross, so this is my small effort to cover that. What I love the most about them is that they are at each others throats one minute, then the next you can see how much they care about each other, and especially about Finn.
Also I would love to see Finn involved with how they get rid of Gary North, just because...
Anyway, please tell me what you think and if you have any other ideas involving the Bartons that you may like me to have a go at writing please feel free to let me know - I'm not particulary good at my own original ideas.
I own no-one that you recognise as usual. Hope you enjoy.
The Plan
Why had he gone there? He wasn't really ready for being back there...in the place where he had taken him. But he had to fight back right? He couldn't stay at home forever...
Finn Barton sat staring at the wine glasses in front of him. He had gone to the bed and breakfast to help Val set up for lunch, but he just sat there - unable to move, unable to even look around him, because every time he did he saw...him.
"What are you doing here?" he heard the unmistakable accent that could only belong to his boss, Val.
"I came to help you set up for lunch..." was all he managed, still staring at the glasses as if they would magically set themselves out. Whatever he and Val talked about next he couldn't remember, but before long he found himself in Val's arms, tears coursing down his face. Thank goodness his brothers' couldn't see him now.
He was aware that Val had left him sat there and before long he turned to find his oldest brother, Pete, sat next to him, concern etched across his face, "What you doing here?" he questioned.
"Val rang me. She thought that you needed to go home, that you had pushed yourself to come back to early...and looking at you, I agree. Come on, shall we go back to the farm or do you want to see dad at the pub?"
Finn shrugged his shoulders, he didn't really care. As he began to rise, a little unsteadily, to his feet, Val appeared in his line of vision holding a box, "This has just come for you."
She laid it on the table and Finn glanced at Pete as he began to open it slowly. Inside lay a bouquet of flowers, obviously very dead flowers. Finn felt his breath catch in his throat. His hands began to shake as he reached for the card - To Finn, dead man walking, say hi to your brother!
"Finn, what? Finn talk to me!" He could hear his brother pleading with him. He dragged his eyes to the older man, handing him the card as he did so. He watched Pete read the card, his expression changing from concern to anger in a split second. Seeing the look of naked fear on his brothers face, he pulled the younger man towards him into a tight embrace, "Hey, it's going to be ok. It's just some sick joke..."
"Why me though Pete? Why me?"
"I don't know kid, but I'm going to find out, trust me! Come on we're going to see dad."
A few minutes later, minus the flowers, Pete and Finn barrelled into The Woolpack. Chas, who looked up at the noise, immediately called for James, who was in the back, "Finn, are you alright?" he asked, even thought it was blindingly obvious that the young man was anything but alright.
"We need to talk dad," was all Pete said. James looked from his uptight oldest to his very pale youngest, "In the back...Ross! Adam!"
Pete hadn't even noticed his middle brother and half brother in the pub. Ross looked at him realising straight away that something bad must have gone down. Chas got Diane to cover the bar as she made her way into the back too.
As soon as the door was closed, James asked, "Alright, what's this about?"
"I got some flowers sent to me at the B and B," Finn began to explain.
"What?" Adam looked confused.
"It seems that someone likes to send me flowers... only these were dead!"
Pete handed the card to his father, who screwed it up in temper after reading it.
"What did it say?" Ross asked fearfully, already knowing that this would be the day that he would have to tell his brother that what had happened to him was his fault.
"I can tell you exactly what it said," Finn began, swallowing hard, "To Finn, dead man walking, say hi to your brother..."
The look that passed between his two older brothers did not go unoticed by the younger one, "What's going on? You two know something, I can tell. I've got a right to know why people are trying to kill me!" He hadn't realised that he was shouting until James came up and got him to sit down, his head pounding painfully. He rubbed his head in an effort to get rid of it. A glass of water and some pain killers appeared in front of him from Chas, he nodded his thanks.
James took charge, "Ok, let's all sit down. Now I can see from both of your expressions that you know something, I think it's now time to come clean, before something else happens..."
"Yeah, before I get killed..." Finn muttered.
Ross leapt forward, sitting next to his brother, "Hey, that's NOT going to happen! I promise!" Finn looked at him surprised to see tears shining in his eyes, "It's you isn't it? It's something to do with you?" he accused, knowing he was right when he saw his brothers head drop.
"What did you do Ross? Please tell me. I can hardly leave the house, and when I do...I..." Finn's voice caught and he dropped his still pounding head into his hands.
Ross looked at the faces around him. Pete looked stricken, his dad and Chas were looking for answers, Adam's face was unreadable.
He took a deep breath, "You're right Finn, it's my fault. I did something stupid against this guy, and now it looks like he's out for revenge...but I'm sorting it I promise."
"What did you do?" James asked as calmly as he could.
"I broke into a guy's house..."
"What guy?"
"Gary North..."
"What?!" Suddenly James's calmness vanished, "Are you out of your mind? Do you know how dangerous he is?"
"I do now," Ross whispered, still looking at his little brother, who was still massaging his head. He placed his hand on his brother's back, pleased that he didn't throw it off, "If I'd have known Finn, I swear I would never have done it."
"You shouldn't have done it anyway Ross. When will you ever learn? When one of us is dead!" Finn was surprised to feel the anger surging through him. He finally managed to lift his head and look at his older brother, at that moment, not caring how much he hurt him, "You are supposed to be my brother. You're supposed to protect me - but instead you get me almost killed..."
"Finn, please believe me..."
Finn surged to his feet, "Why should I believe anything that comes out of your mouth! You don't care about anyone but yourself. We do everything to protect you, to keep you on the right path and all you do is throw it back in our faces. Why do we even bother..." He began to feel very unsteady on his feet at this point. Pete, as always, was by his side immediatley, "Finn, take it easy," he advised, as he saw the colour slide from the younger man's face.
"I'm going to be sick..." Finn managed to ground out before he launched himself upstairs, slamming the bathroom door behind him.
Silence descended on the room after Finn's departure. Ross was still sat on the sofa where his brother had left him, his head hung in shame, "He's right you know," James commented.
"Don't you think I know that! If I'd have known that he'd come after Finn..."
"Shouldn't have done it in the first place Ross," Pete agreed.
"Oh, I might have know Mr high and mighty would have something to say."
"Come on Ross grow up! All those times me and Finn have covered up for you. I always tried to keep Finn out of it, but no, you always had to drag him into your schemes one way or another. Well this time it's gone to far, I'm not losing my brother to one of your damn schemes!" Pete growled.
For a second, it looked like Ross was going to hit his older brother, but suddenly all the fight seemed to leave him and he sagged back in the sofa, running his hand through his hair, "Me neither. I would never forgive myself."
"Right so we all know that Ross has made a terrible mistake, question is, what do we do about it now?" James enquired.
"I saw Gary yesterday and he said that he wanted me to do a job and once I'd done it then he'd leave you all alone," Ross told them.
"You mean he'd threatened all of us?" Adam asked, looking fearful.
Ross nodded.
"But he obviously knew who your weakness was Ross, which is why he was targeting Finn," Pete mused.
At that moment, the enormity of what had been happening caught up with Ross and he actually felt like bursting into tears, " I will sort it," was all he said.
"How are you going to do that?" Pete questioned, "And do you really think that he's going to leave us alone when you've done it?"
"Look, he's bad to the bone, but he doesn't go back on his word," Ross explained, "I'll just have to think of something."
"I know what we can do," another voice joined in the debate.
Finn walked, still quite unsteady on his feet, towards the family, "I'm sorry I said those things Ross."
"It's ok Finn."
Finn shook his head gently, "No its not ok. Family doesn't say things like that to family. I'm just frustrated and angry that this has happened to me and scared about what it's still doing to me...but you're my brother, who's got himself into a situation, and we should all be trying to think of a way to help...and I think I've got it."
Ross couldn't help himself as he got up from his seat and pulled his brother into a tight embrace, "I don't deserve you," he mumbled, trying desperately to hold back his emotions.
"Does anyone?" Finn joked.
"So what's your idea?" Pete enquired.
"A wire..."
Obviously I don't know how it's going to play out in the show, especially as it's a completely different plot on the show, but I wanted Finn to have some sort of input into the plan after everything that had happened to him. Hope it's ok. Not sure if there will be another chapter - still in the thinking about it phase.