Chapter Text
Chimney Rock was both beautiful, and entirely boring. Not that boring wasn’t welcomed, in the grand scheme of your busy life, but fuck, it was boring.
You stared out at dismally empty main street from the clinic window. Chimney Rock Veterinary Clinic was certainly not the worst place to be sent for small animal clinical rotations, but there was never much happening. Most unusual for a vet clinic.
Rose, the clinic receptionist– who had suitably red hair- walked up next to you.
“Quiet day, hey?” She offered up in the lieu of your distracted silence.
You nodded and had a sudden thought. “Not much to do around here, is there? Just wondering, you know, for the weekend. I want to explore my home for the next six weeks.”
Rose laughed, “No, Chimney Rock is not the place to do much of anything. There’s a nice clothing boutique down the road…hmmm,” She paused, pondering, “Oh! There’s a lovely park too, and a church.”
You raised an eyebrow. A church, in upstate New York. Shocking. But still, you asked,
“Is it a nice church? Pretty?”
Rose nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely, very medieval. Nice people there too, although the pastor is a little odd.” You hummed, interested.
“Huh. Maybe I’ll go on Sunday, see what it’s like.”
She smiled and added, “They have great quiche sometimes, too. If that helps convince you.”
“Haha, well that certainly changes things!” You said, laughing along with her.
The clock struck 5, signalling the end of your shift, and you said goodbye and thank you to Rose.
Back at your little apartment you’d rented for the time you were here, you looked up the church. It certainly was pretty, named Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude. You scoffed. Catholics, so dramatic with their names. But you’d go, because even though there was not a religious bone in your body, you loved old architecture. And…well…you needed something to do.
…
Sunday brought beautiful, clear skies and warm sun. Perfect day to wear a lovely sundress, you thought, after being in scrubs all week. A nice flowy one.
The church was only a short 20-minute bike ride away, requiring a journey through a stunning green forest. You felt like you were in a fairytale for a second, the sunlight dappling the ground, trees gently swaying in the wind on either side of the soil path.
It was clear when you arrived that mass was about to begin, with a small group of people heading inside the old stone archway. You quickly hurried over, admiring the building as you approached. Gorgeous old, mottled stone, and it really did look medieval.
You were the last one to file in, taking a seat near the back on the wooden pews. You looked around curiously, not really paying attention to the others in the room, or the paster standing off to the side. What really caught your eye, was the beautiful stained-glass windows. You itched to take a closer look. You’d sit and be polite for mass, probably zone out, and then go and investigate.
At least, that was your original plan.
And then Monsignor Wicks got onto the pulpit and began his preaching.
Now, admittedly you really didn’t pay attention the first few minutes, but then he started speaking and saying things that made your eyebrows get gradually higher, and higher.
“Make your choices! They’re YOUR choices!
Well, that’s lovely, You thought, skeptically. Where could he be going with this?
“Have that affair!”
What?
“Have that child out of wedlock!”
What the fuck? You mouthed, jaw dropping lower. Who the hell was he talking about?
“Satisfy your selfish heart…that’s right, SELFISH!!” He practically bellowed.
And then you spotted her. A single mother, with her young child, sitting a few rows in front of you. She was clearly uncomfortable, holding her child to herself closely. There was no way, a self-proclaimed and ordained man of god, was speaking about an innocent mother this way, right?
Wrong.
“Depriving THAT CHILD” – He points at the mother, “– of a family. Of a father.” He went back to talking to everyone. You really, really didn’t like this.
He clutched the pulpit hard, fingers turning white, as he ruthlessly continued, and the mother clearly couldn’t take it, and ushered her child out of the pews, grabbing her hand and practically dragging her out of the church. What a horrible man, you thought, forcing someone out like that. You felt the need for action swell within you, and you stood up as well, feeling the eyes that had previously followed the mother now latch onto you. But you didn’t speak, you didn’t say a word, you just slid out of the pews and followed the mother out. The mother was already driving off when you walked out, poor thing.
An odd pastor indeed.
You sighed and looked back at the church, that tight uncomfortable feeling in your chest. A figure was in one of the windows, pacing around. Not Wicks, but another man, just a figure behind the thick glass. Not that it mattered, he was probably a housekeeper.
You’d just have to return a different time, perhaps when Wicks was not preaching. Perhaps tomorrow afternoon.
Yes, you decided, you’d return tomorrow.
…
Tomorrow was a busier day than you expected at the clinic, and before you’d made it back home, thrown on a different sundress, and ridden your bike back to the church, you’d spayed and neutered 3 dogs, vaccinated 5 kittens, and, surprisingly, a parrot.
You placed your bike by the same tree as last time, approaching the dead-quiet church. Hopefully it was more typical of English churches, where they leave them open for anyone to come and pray, and not locked shut.
You gently pushed the door open with a sigh of relief. The smell of old wood and stone swamped you, a calming smell, and you quietly closed the door behind yourself. It was another sunny day, the rays of afternoon sunshine pouring through the stained-glass windows. You had bought your sketch pad this time, to draw the window designs, a little side hobby of yours.
You began quickly etching the rough shape on them into your notepad as the sun basked you in golden light, so lost in the thought and process you completely missed someone else entering the church near-silently.
“–Hello?”
You screeched, nearly jumping out of your skin, and spun around to see who had snuck up on you. The man jumped too at your screech, holding up his hands as though calming a frightened dog, apologising profusely. “Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you like that, gosh, I’m so sorry.”
You took a deep calming breath and laughed at his apologetic nature, waving it off. “No, no, please don’t apologise–” You took in his appearance for the first time. He was clearly a priest. “–You’re the one that’s actually supposed to be here, not me!”
He laughed, a chuckle that lit up his handsome face. Oh, no. Oh no. He was beautiful.
You don’t let this realisation show on your face as he answered, still smiling. “Everyone is welcome here. Please, let me introduce myself, I’m Jud Duplenticy. Or Father Jud. Or, just Jud.”
You smiled and extended a hand to his outstretched one, giving him your name back as he gently shook your hand. He was squinting at you strangely, almost painfully, you suddenly noticed.
“Oh!” You startled, realising it was the sun pouring in behind you through the windows. The poor man probably couldn’t see past a vague outline of you. “Let me move out of the sun so you don’t go blind, hang on.” You side stepped into the cool shade of the towering church walls.
He laughed again and moved with you, and you gently set down your sketching pad and stood back up to keep talking. He blinked once, hard, as he saw you, and then averted his eyes quickly, looking at your sketchpad. He smiled,
“You’re here drawing the architecture? That’s lovely.” You thanked him and opened your mouth to say something else, but then he gave you a quizzical look that made you stop.
“You…you weren’t here yesterday were you? Possibly in a white dress?”
You flushed and scratched the back of your neck. “Um, well, yes. I was. Here.”
He waited for a second, obviously expecting you to keep going. You flick your eyes up and meet his. God, he was far too good-looking. Such gentle eyes.
You took a deep breath and continued, “I left because I didn’t overly enjoy the preaching. Sorry. Not that it was bad! I’m sure you’re great, or Wicks– sorry, Monsignor Wicks,– is usually great, but–“
He cut you off, chuckling at your embarrassed rambling, “Please, I don’t enjoy his preaching either.” He seemed to realise he probably shouldn’t have said that, pausing and frowning slightly. “Definitely don’t tell him I said that. I’m just here for 9 months, to be…re-educated. Can’t say I love his style.”
You sigh, relieved, “Thank god– wait, not god, sorry– I thought I may have totally offended you.”
He smiled, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Not a believer, then?”
You scoffed, and then realised how that sounded, and cleared your throat to try and save yourself. “Uh, no, no, I’m afraid I’m not. Never have been.”
He tilted his head, questioning, “How come you find yourself out here, then? Not that you are not welcome. Everyone is welcome.” He added again, to reassure you. You can’t help but chuckle at his overly comforting words, and answered him.
“Well, I’m only here for a couple of months, I’m actually working at the local vet clinic. Fifth year vet student, you see, so just…working for free, really. And I was looking for something to do, and this church was suggested to me, so, here I am.” You shrug, gesturing around. “It’s beautiful, really. I love the stained glass.”
He cast his gaze up at the glass, and you were struck by the reverence on his face as he gazed at it and murmured, “I agree with you completely, it really is beautiful. I could stare at it all day.”
He seemed to snap back from his thoughts and turned his gaze back to you. “And you must have a kind heart to help those that cannot speak.”
Fuck. Don’t speak to me like that.
You blushed and looked down at your shoes. “I don’t know about that. But thank you, Father Jud.”
“You are welcome. I have a feeling I’m right.”
You laughed at his words and looked back up at the windows to avoid his gaze, suddenly realising that the light was getting gradually dimmer outside. You pressed your lips together in disappointment.
“I’m sorry, I should probably get going so I’m not travelling in the dark.”
He sharply nodded and clasped his hands together, “Yes, yes of course, I won’t keep you any longer. I’ll walk you out.”
You walked out with him into the evening light, and he gently grasps your hands as you go to say goodbye. It sends a light shiver up your arms.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, please feel free to come back. Or, you know, if you don’t want to suffer Wicks–“ You smiled at his words–“Then come to my cottage. and we can drink tea and debate religion like a proper Catholic and Atheist.”
You properly laugh this time; amidst the reeling realisation that he had just invited you to his home. “As appealing as that sounds–” You cut yourself short and think for a second, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “Actually, no, that does sound appealing. I think I’ll take you up on that.”
His face split into a grin and he let go of your hands, stepping back. “I look forward to it. Anytime, really.”
You picked up your bike and hopped on, calling back as you rode off, “Have a lovely evening! I’ll prepare my talking points!”
His laughter followed you as you rode into the woods home.
…
Jud was fucked. Now, he generally tried not to think such words anymore – praise God–, but, and praise God again, he was fucked.
The second he’d seen her, in that pretty dress, when she’d stepped into the shade, he was done for. Please, God, forgive him.
He couldn’t get her sparkling laughter out of his head, not matter how much he prayed it away. Her little awkward mannerisms, tucking hair behind her ear, shifting on her feet. The way she stared into his soul when he spoke.
It had just been a long time since he’d spoken to a beautiful woman, he reasoned. Yes! Yes, that’s what it was, nothing else. It could not be anything else.
Naturally the best course of action was distancing himself, remaining polite and friendly. If she came back. Which she would, of course, because he was an idiot who invited her to his cottage.
He slumped over in his bed, raking a hand through his hair. She probably wouldn’t even come, why would she? To actually debate him? She was clearly smart, being a vet student, but why would she waste time at a church she doesn’t even really like, with a random priest?
No, she wouldn’t come, he convinced herself.
Please God, let her come.