Work Text:
Finch was estatic.
He'd met someone. His name was Jackie. He'd offered to help make Finch's dreams come true- and, of course, the fresh dropout jumped on the opportunity.
Now all he had to do was tell his mother.
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Sparrow was worried sick. She glanced nervously at the clock- 10:43 pm. It was a Wednesday night. The school had called her earlier that day, saying Finch had been marked absent for the last three days. She sat at the kitchen table, nervously tapping a pen to the hard wooden surface. She'd tried to busy herself with paperwork and wait for her son to come home, but he wasn't anywhere. Just as she moved to pick up the phone to report to the police, there was the familiar jingle of keys outside.
The door creaked open
"Mom? You home? You'll never believe it-"
"Where have you been?!"
Finch winced. Not even a step in the door and we were doing this. Alright, fine.
"Nowhere, mom. I've got great news, just let me-"
"Why haven't you been at school?"
"I don't need to anymore! Just listen, please?"
Sparrow stopped in her tracks. What was *that* supposed to mean? Finch sighed when she'd stopped, and continued talking.
"I've.. I've been talking with someone. He's a good guy- he's gonna help me, help us. He's gonna make me famous, and we'll get a lot of money from it- so you can get out of here! Go live in a mansion, or something!"
Finch waited for a reaction from Sparrow. His smile fell when her eyebrows furrowed in a mix of confusion and anger.
"Son... you don't need to worry about me- I need *you* do go to school, get a job, a real one, and THEN we can revisit whatever... this is! When did you even meet this person?"
"Uhm.. a few days ago."
"Do you even know his name?"
"Jackie! Mom, why is it such a big deal?"
"Finch, you've known him for less than a week and you're dropping out of school for him?!"
"This is for you! For us! I'm trying to help!"
"I don't need you to! You're still a kid, Finch- this shouldn't be your problem to solve! It never has been!"
"I'm *seventeen*-"
"That doesn't mean anything. Finch, please, rethink this. If you want to make me happy, go to school. Get into a good college, hell, anything but this. You're throwing your future away, child!"
"You're not stopping me. If you don't want it for yourself, fine, but I want a life that school won't give me- and Jackie genuinely wants to help!"
"That man will stab you in the back one day, and I *cant* be there to catch you and patch up the wound."
"Why are you so convinced he's evil?!"
"I have every reason to be! He's manipulating you-!"
"No. Stop. This conversation ends now- i'm doing this. You don't support me? Fine. I've got someone who will."
Finch turned to leave, hand reaching out for the door knob, but Sparrow grabbed his arm last second. There were tears in her eyes.
"Finch. Please. Rethink this. He'll hurt you, just listen to me-"
He tore his arm away, not wasting another second. If he had looked back, he would've stayed, he knew it- and he couldn't afford that. He wasn't going back to his old life.
He left. It tore Finch's heart apart to hear his mother's voice break like that, but ne needed out. Sparrow followed him at the door, trying so hard to get him so stay. She couldn't believe it- her son, her beautiful little finch, was being torn away from her, and she couldn't stop it.
For the first time in a while, she stood in that doorway and cried.
He was gone.
When she went back inside, after believing she had gathered herself, her heart broke at the sight of his keyring on the table.
Sparrow picked up the phone and filed a runaway report. It didn't help. The police searched for a while, but eventually the case was dropped. Occasionally, Sparrow would think she'd see his face in the crowds of the market- or she'd hear his voice, when he wasn't there. It drove her half mad. But she never gave up.
She refused to give up.
Finch had to get his determination from someone, anyways.