A/N: to be honest, I have no clue why in the hell I'm starting something else when I can barely keep up with what I already have published, but this was something that sprung to my mind and I couldn't get it out. It'll either be good or a complete piece of shit so we'll see. Also, updates for this and anything else are going to be pretty sporadic, as school has started and I have resumed being the hot mess that I am.

-o-o-o-

He wasn't sure how he found himself in this position.

At present, he was sitting in the elaborate, dimly-lit library of the Governor of Alabama. If he wasn't so uncomfortable, Atticus would have considered this to be the library of dreams. Beautiful mahogany bookshelves spanned around the perimeter of the room, each of them nearly touching the ceiling – if Atticus dared to get out of his seat, he would probably find books covering a wide range of subjects – it was no doubt that Josiah Graham was a well-read and intelligent man.

There was also no doubt that Josiah Graham was also a lavish man, not one to pass up on the finer things in life. Observing the room, Atticus couldn't help but to think of the differences between this room and the modest Finch's Landing back home in Maycomb. Though he wasn't well-versed in furniture or design, Atticus had a feeling that much of what was in this room came from Europe. Everything from the stiff leather furniture, to the ornate decorations that adorned Josiah's desk and side tables, to even the liquor that rested in crystal vessels on a wheeled bar cart seemed foreign to him. Or, maybe Atticus was a far simpler man than he thought.

One thing that he couldn't help but to observe was the fact that the young woman in the room with him was almost too plain to belong there. Her brown hair was pulled back in a simple plait, and she was dressed in a simple pair of slacks and white shirt. Though she had never been introduced to her, he knew who she was.

Jean Graham.

While he tried not to engage in the practices of gossip, Jean Graham always managed to be a topic of conversation in the legislature. Just two years ago, she had gone behind her father's back and masked her gender so that she would be admitted into a traditionally-male college in Mississippi in order to study law. It took the school nearly a month to realize that she was not Eugene Graham as she had stated herself to be – she had been walked in on by a fellow classmate in the dormitory's open shower area and was immediately reported. Josiah, who had been impressed with his daughter's surprising decision to attend finishing school, was subject to deep shame and embarrassment. For a short time after her expulsion from the university, Josiah tried to match her off with the young, single bachelors on the legislature. Atticus found that they all had the same things to say about her:

She's brash, she's blunt, she believes women should have the right to vote, she participates in protests, she swears, she smokes, she drinks, she wears pants and never wears shoes, and she's an embarrassment to both the female and male sexes alike. Once, he recalled someone attempting to be sympathetic by saying "oh, she can't help the fact that she's like this, her mother died when she was so young and it's just been her and Josiah her entire life."

It was a surprise to many when young Jean decided to not only train to be a teacher, but also served as a governess for a wealthy family in Montgomery. While the men on the legislature believed that she had the ulterior motive of corrupting the youth, Atticus felt as though her spirit was being stifled by being shoved into the typical corners that women were confined to.

Sighing loudly, she crossed the room to the bar cart. Nosily grabbing two glasses, she grabbed the bottle that contained an amber liquid and filled them both – one was almost to the brim. She extended the lesser-filled cup to him. "I don't want to be here as much as you do," she told him. "We might as well make it enjoyable."

He declined the drink. "I don't drink, ma'am."

She gave him a look. Whether it was repulsion or shock, he couldn't quite tell. "Don't call me that," she said quickly before downing the cup that was meant for him. Grabbing the other glass, she nearly threw herself in the spot next to him. "Is Maycomb as boring as you are?" She asked, though the tone of her voice did not make it seem as though that was meant to be an insult.

"How do you know where I'm from?"

"Atticus Finch," she recited as though she was being quizzed by a teacher. "Thirty-five years old, has been a member of the state legislature for five years, a humble lawyer from Maycomb, Alabama. My father told me everything there is to know about you."

"I've never personally met your father before." He informed her.

"That doesn't mean he doesn't know who you are," she shrugged, taking a long sip from the glass. "People always swear that women always gossip, but men are even worse I swear to Christ Almighty."

"Why does he know this information?"

"He told me," she leaned closer to him, as if she was telling him a secret. "He told me that the hell alone if I went and got myself a teachin' job as long as it was done under his conditions. It turns out the only place that would take me, despite my disreputable background, is a schoolhouse in Maycomb. Though, I'd probably have more options if dear old daddy let me live somewhere besides this damned state—"

"Jean," a sharp voice called as the door behind them swung open. Jean was unphased, her shoulder still pressed against his, her eyes set on his as she had the cup of liquor pressed against her lips. "Can you stop scaring any decent person away from here?"

She rolled her eyes as Josiah entered the room. Atticus had seen him before from afar, but never realized just how short the man was. Josiah was clad in a suit as white as his hair, and looked as though he was unphased that he had his guest waiting on him for nearly thirty-five minutes, despite the fact that it was Josiah who asked Atticus to come.

Josiah glanced at Jean, who degradedly got up from her seat and poured her father his own glass of the amber liquid. With a scowl on her face, she nearly shoved the glass in her father's hands before returning to her seat.

"I see that Jean has started to discuss my reason for asking you here, Mr. Finch," Josiah said, blatantly glaring at his daughter. "I hope she hasn't disturbed you."

"Quite the contrary," Atticus said. "We were having a nice conversation."

Josiah looked surprised, almost as if it were impossible for anyone to have a nice conversation with his daughter. "Alright," he said, almost as if he didn't believe Atticus. "Well, quite frankly, I'll get straight to my request. Jean will be moving to Maycomb within the next week in order to start the school year as a teacher. I have arranged for where she will be staying, but I must ask of you to take the train to Maycomb with her to ensure that she gets to the destination. I would also appreciate it if you kept an eye on her, to be a sort of guardian to her, to make sure she doesn't get into trouble."

"I suppose you've never traveled before," he told Jean, ignoring the fact that she essentially fled the state to attend law school. Josiah scowled while Jean tilted her head back and laughed.

"Atticus," she said, trying to stop herself from laughing. "He's tryin' to make sure I don't run away."

"I'm sure you wouldn't,"

"You have more faith in me than you should."

"I agree with her," Josiah said. "Now, I should forewarn you that my daughter has caused a lot of trouble in the past. She might be a burden, but I need to ensure that somebody I trust is watching over her. Now, I know I haven't met you but the young men on the legislature have informed me that you are one of the most dutiful men there are. Are you up for a challenge?"

Despite the fact that Atticus never had children of his own, he felt uneasy by the way Josiah treated and talked to his daughter. He was tempted to say no, to tell him that life would go along better for the both of them if he just let the woman do what she wants. Maybe she wouldn't find the need to rebel if her father just let her do as she wished.

However, his mouth deceived him. "I'll do what you need, sir."