Humanity

•Chapter Three•

A/N: I apologize for such a long wait but here it is! The next chapter for Humanity! Here's a quick recap of what happened in the last chapter for those of you who have forgotten.

Recap: Finn finally makes up his mind and decides to adopt a clone, just like his younger sister Lydia begged him to. But meanwhile, when driving to St. Mary's Genetic Welfare Hospital, he encounters a mad old woman who ends up wrecking Blackjack (Finn's car) and loses hope of getting there in time. But when all seems lost, Finn meets a strange man who offers up an even stranger request; to fix Finn's car in exchange for a few answers. What are the questions? And who is this man?

Warning: A short chapter.

U N E D I T E D

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Finn's POV

We walked along the concrete pavements, as cars passed by us. Main Street was as bustling as ever, there were stores and bakery shops and pizzerias and Ron's Ice Cream Palace and St. Issac's Memorial Hospital and coffee shops; basically anything you can imagine. Birds chirped happily overhead and people walked past me, chattering and chattering. A summer sky hung above us; a pristine light blue.

"So kid, what's your name?" The man asked from beside me, his hands in his jean pockets and a warm smile on his face.

"Jake."

"Great to meet you," he looked over at me with an unreadable expression, "I'm Reese."

"Hi, Reese." I mumbled half-heartedly. I noticed a white lint on my flannel, and picked it off.

"So, up for some coffee?"

I shrugged and he chuckled.

"Shy one, aren't you?"

"Kind of."

He stopped in front of Bernard's Coffee and opened the door in a single swift, clean movement. His fingers, I noticed, were long and nimble. Perhaps for a person who favored playing on pianos?

"Da questa parte, signore." He went to the side gestured inside the shop, grinning.

('Da questa parte, signore' means 'Right this way, sir' in Italian, for those that were wondering)

"Grazie, uomo."

(This means, 'thanks man')

He chortled and threw his head back. Once he was done, he shook his head and smiled. I sheepishly smiled in return.

I walked inside the coffee shop and was instantly greeted by the scent of mixed teas and coffees swirling in the atmosphere. I smelt cinnamon spice, vanilla bean, green tea, cocoa, caramel and so many others that brewed a ravishing desire in my stomach.

"Drinks on me." Reese spoke cheerfully from behind me. I turned to him and nodded, and sat down at a table by the window. Suddenly, a voice spoke to me.

"Jake, what do you want?"

"Huh?"

"Tea. Coffee. Anything?" Reese leaned against the chair in front of me and raised his brow. Only a brow. A single brow.

What skills.

"I really don't mind."

"Chai latte it is." He smiled and went in the line of customers. He stood behind a rather large woman with a brown tank top, messy red hair, and shorts that reached to her knees, that was flanked by an even larger man with a beaded necklace across his forehead and shabby brown hair that was nearly bum length in a ponytail and a tie-dyed shirt.

"Okay, then." I stretched the O. I looked down at the chair beside me, perfectly sculpted in deep brown marble. I grazed my fingertips along the seat of the chair, and became lost in thought.

I remember when me and Lydia were younger and around eightish, when we used to come here all the time, we would eagerly race to this table which we had then called the Window Seat. I don't know what is was, whether it was the great view that the window had to offer; or just the feeling of sitting in the very seat. We loved when this table was empty so that we had the pleasure of claiming it as our own, and cried (actually cried) when it was taken by others. I sighed in content.

Good times.

I became so lost in thought that I hadn't even noticed that Reese was headed my way with two Chai Lattes in his hands. Once he arrived, I politely gestured to the chair across from me. He took his seat, setting the drinks down and gently pushed my drink towards me. I held it to me and took a sip.

"So, about the questions..."

I set my latte down and faced him, "Yeah?"

"Right." He smiled and cleared his throat. His smile dropped and he stared me dead in the eye. I was quickly taken aback by how serious his mood had become. I blinked, and dreadful thoughts took hold of me.

Was he going to ask me about my size of underwear?

But what he asked me next really took me by surprise. I tried to hold onto my latte but my hands shook. I stared at him, at a complete and utter loss for words. My breath was gone, and my joking thoughts had been silenced. I felt my head pound and I started to become immensely nauseous. It was only five words.

"Do you know Lucas Hudson?"

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