Count On Me

by dawn341

First season story. Richie is in big trouble and Duncan may not be able to help him without revealing the truth of his Immortality. Based on an original plot idea by Linda Hutcheson.

Count On Me by Dawn Cunningham

Disclaimers:

Duncan, Tessa, and Richie belong to Rysher. I'm just borrowing them and not getting paid for it. All other characters belong to me.

Do not post or publish this story anywhere else, without my express permission. Feel free to share it with others as long as the disclaimers remain intact.

I'd like to thank Linda Hutcheson for her story idea. The story ended up going off in a different direction from Linda's original idea, but it was her idea that got me started on this story.

* HL * HL * HL * HL * HL * HL

Count On Me by Dawn Cunningham

Based on a story idea by Linda Hutcheson.

Richie Ryan swirled around the remains of the Scotch in the bottom of his glass. The Highlander would be livid when he found out Richie had generously helped himself to his best liquor-despite the lecture the Immortal had given him about underage drinking. It didn't really matter. When Duncan found out how much trouble Richie was really in, livid would be a major understatement.

The teenager sighed and took another gulp, feeling the burning sensation all the way down his throat and into his stomach. He wasn't sure what he was trying to accomplish by drinking, but it had seemed like a good idea when he'd gotten home tonight. Especially, when he'd discovered Duncan and Tessa weren't home.

Richie drained the glass and looked at the bottle sitting on the dining room table. Before he gave into the temptation to pour himself another drink, he carefully placed the glass down and wandered through the apartment, then the store.

Every room invoked memories-wonderful memories. He'd finally managed to find a place in the world, with people he liked and trusted. He was going to miss the place. He was going to miss Duncan and Tessa.

Maybe they could still be friends-once they got over their initial disappointment over his actions. Richie sighed again. He knew how it worked. You promised to stay in touch, but things came up. The phone calls would come at first, and then slowly slack off. You'd try to arrange a get-together, but wouldn't be able to find a time when everyone was available. If you dropped by, they'd be 'just about to leave'.

He'd seen it before with friends-whenever he'd been transferred to a new foster home, which meant a new school. They'd be friends forever, they would declare but, within a month or two, you never saw or heard from them again. The same thing would happen with Duncan and Tessa.

How had he managed to screw up so bad?

Richie returned to the living room, lit a fire, and sank down onto a chair facing the fireplace. Staring into the flames, he thought about that day almost six weeks ago. The day he had met Beth.

* HL * HL *

Walkman clipped to his belt, earphones settled in place, Richie pressed the play button. Listening to the music, he slowly started skating down the sidewalk. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining brightly for the first time in weeks. He'd ridden over to his favorite park on his motorcycle after Tessa had unexpectedly given him the afternoon off.

It hadn't taken him long to decide where to start. He'd learned, quite some time ago, that a lot of the college girls came to this park after their classes were over. Sometimes, he'd get lucky and get a date with one of them. He was really feeling lucky today.

The girls were definitely out, many wearing skimpy shorts and tops as they enjoyed the sunshine. Richie grinned at a pair of them jogging towards him and they smiled back. He slowed down, but they didn't stop. He skated backwards for a few moments enjoying the view before they disappeared around a bend in the path.

He should have been paying attention to where he was going because, the next minute, he felt something crash into him. Unable to maintain his balance, he went down, grateful he'd managed to land on the grass. A moment later, something fell on him, driving the oxygen out of his lungs.

It took a few moments to realize it was a girl who had landed on him-a very pretty girl. He looked into the heart-shaped face that was only inches from his. Startled brown eyes met his blue ones.

"I'm so sorry," she said, her face turning pink as she blushed. She brushed back a strand of dark brown hair that had fallen into her eyes. "I'm not very good on these skates, yet."

"No problem," Richie replied. "Besides, it's my fault, too. I should have been watching where I was going. My name is Richie."

"Hi. I'm Beth." She smiled at him and Richie felt his heart start to race.

"Are you okay?" Richie asked. "I mean, you didn't hurt yourself, did you?"

"No, thanks to you. I think you cushioned my fall."

"Always glad to be of service," Richie quipped. He was enjoying the feel of her body resting against his, but he knew they couldn't stay like this. "Ummmm... maybe we should get up. I think we're attracting attention here."

Beth's face turned bright red. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking," she said as she slid off of Richie.

He got to his feet first, and reached down to help her up, steadying her until she found her balance again. "Why don't we skate together?" he suggested with a broad smile.

"Aren't you afraid I might knock you over again?" she asked.

"I'll take my chances. I like to live dangerously."

They spent the rest of the afternoon together in the park. When they grew tired of skating, they sat on a bench overlooking the small pond and talked while they ate ice cream cones he bought.

Finally, she looked at her watch and jumped up with a gasp. "I have to get home," she declared with a panicked look on her face.

"Okay," Richie replied. "I'll walk you to your car."

"You don't have to."

"I know, but I want to, Beth. I'd like to see you again. Maybe go to a movie or something."

"I'd like that, too."

She seemed reluctant to give him her phone number-not that Richie blamed her. After all, there were plenty of kooks running around. Instead they planned to meet the next night at the movie theater complex. He helped her into her car-a red Mustang convertible-and boldly placed a light kiss on her lips.

"Until tomorrow night," he said, enjoying the blush on her face. * HL * HL *

Richie arrived a half hour early for his date and paced around the lobby of the theater, half-convinced that she wouldn't show. When she did walk through the door, he couldn't stop the wide grin of relief from flashing across his face.

They shared a large popcorn and held hands when it was gone. Afterwards, they strolled around the area, still holding hands. They window shopped and did a lot of talking. He found out she was only seventeen and still had one more year of high school left. Her last name was Hamilton, and she lived in a nice section of town. Not too fancy, but he figured she wouldn't want to run around with someone who'd grown up on the East side. Richie didn't exactly lie, but he knew he made it sound like he grew up in the Heights. He promised himself he'd tell her the truth once they knew each other better. He also found out she was an only child and her mother had died when she was only eight. Since then, her father had raised her by himself.

This time when they got back to her car, it was Beth who kissed him. It was a brief kiss, but left Richie with hopes of more. She promised to call him the next day.

* HL * HL *

The days seemed to speed by. Richie and Beth saw each other once or twice a week and chatted on the phone almost every day. She stopped by the antique store one day and met Tessa and Duncan.

Richie corralled his friends after she had gone. "So what do you think?" he asked anxiously.

"She seems like a very nice girl," Tessa said with a smile.

Richie turned to the Highlander. "Mac?"

"I don't know, Richie." He slowly shook his head. "She seems so..." He paused for a moment and the teenager felt his heart sink down to his feet thinking Duncan didn't like her. "She seems so *nice*. How did you manage to find her?"

"MAC!" Richie protested, grinning in relief. "So you liked her, huh?"

"Yes, we liked her," Tessa replied, reaching out to tweak his chin. "Why don't you invite her over for dinner sometime?"

"Really? That would be great! We're going out tonight, so I'll ask her when a good time would be."

* HL * HL *

Richie borrowed Tessa's car for his date. He didn't want to pick her up at her house on his motorcycle. She came running out of the door as soon as he pulled up and was sliding onto the seat before he had a chance to even turn the engine off. After dinner, at her insistence, they drove up to Lookout Point.

He really hadn't expected to get beyond some heavy-duty necking that night, but she had seemed eager for more. The next thing he knew, they were in the back seat and getting very intimate. He tried to stop long enough to get the condom he always carried out of his wallet, but her teasing fingers drove the thought out of his mind.

Afterwards, they cuddled for a long time. Beth assured him she was on birth control pills and there was nothing to worry about, so Richie relaxed.

During the next month, Richie felt like he was floating on air. Duncan had to constantly remind the teenager to pay attention to his work. The teenager kept thinking about Beth, and they saw each other as often as possible. Life seemed too good to be true.

Until tonight. They'd gone back to Lookout Point again. It didn't take long to entice her into the backseat.

Richie broke off the long kiss and moved his mouth down to Beth's neck, nibbling at the exposed flesh there. He reached up to slide her already unbuttoned blouse off one shoulder, placing a kiss on the white skin after doing so.

"Richie, stop," Beth pleaded. "We have to talk."

The small section of Richie's brain that was still functioning, ordered him to stop, but he didn't want to. Instead, he moved back to her lips and kissed her passionately again.

Beth squirmed against him for a moment before placing both of her hands on his shoulders and pushing him away. "I'm pregnant."

A cold bucket of water would have been equally effective at dampening his ardor. Richie stared down into Beth's face. "You're what?" he managed to stammer out.

"I'm pregnant," she repeated. "I went to the free clinic on Hawthorne and they confirmed it."

"Oh, my God," Richie muttered, collapsing back onto his side of the car. His mind instantly flew back to that night a month ago, when he and Beth had gone all the way. "I thought you were on the Pill?"

"I was, but I had to take some antibiotics when I got an infected tooth. The doctor didn't tell me it would negate the effects of the Pill-not until it was too late."

He couldn't believe it. One time with Beth and she got pregnant. It hadn't happened when he'd been with Donna. So why now? Life wasn't fair. Richie's thoughts spun around his head and he struggled to figure out what to say.

"I'm sorry, Richie. It's not your fault. I would understand if you didn't want to see me again."

"No, I'm responsible, too," he replied. "I should have worn protection. Ummm... What do you want to do about it?" It seemed slightly cold to refer to his child as an 'it', but he didn't know what else to say.

"I suppose I could have an abortion," she offered meekly, turning her head away from him.

"No! That's not necessary. I just need some time to think," Richie said. He quickly pulled his clothes back together and watched her do the same before they both climbed back into the front seat. He started the car and headed for her house.

The ride home was silent. He dropped her off, but didn't even turn off the car. "I'll give you a call in a day or two-once I've had a chance to make some plans."

She waved good-bye and slowly walked up to her house.

Richie waited until she went inside before driving home.

* HL * HL *

Richie was jolted back to the present when a Scotch bottle suddenly appeared in front of his face. He looked up, then back, and saw Duncan standing behind the chair, dangling the bottle in his hand. Tessa stood beside him, a disapproving look on her face.

"Want to explain this?" the Immortal asked.

"Not really," Richie replied shortly, turning back to stare into the flames again.

"Explain anyway," Duncan insisted. "We've had this discussion before. You're not old enough to drink."

"I know."

Tessa moved to stand in front of him, then kneeled down to look into his eyes. "What's wrong, Richie? Did something happen between you and Beth tonight?"

Richie turned startled eyes to the Frenchwoman. How had she guessed? "No, no, everything's cool," he lied, trying to summon up a smile. It must have been good enough because she stood up again.

"If you say so," Tessa murmured, before lightly brushing back a stray lock of his hair. "Just remember, we're here if you want to talk about anything."

Richie felt a stinging sensation burn his eyes and he rapidly blinked to ease it. How had he gotten lucky enough to end up with Duncan and Tessa? Before he had a chance to say anything, the couple had left him alone. For a moment, he couldn't believe he was going to get away with drinking Duncan's Scotch.

"We'll talk about your drinking in the morning," Duncan said, poking his head around the corner of the hallway. He disappeared back toward his bedroom without another word.

Richie sighed. He'd known he'd never get away with drinking, but it still hadn't stopped him. Soon he'd be out of Duncan's life and wouldn't have to follow his rules anymore.

The teenager stared into the flames again, trying to decide how he felt about being a father. Deep inside, a very small part of him was thrilled. He'd actually done something the Highlander couldn't do. Immortals couldn't have children, but Richie could. He knew it was a sore subject between Duncan and Tessa. He'd overheard them talking when Nikki and Melinda had stayed here.

Tessa would love to have a child and Richie knew she'd make a good mother. For that matter, Duncan would probably make a good father-much better than Richie would. Maybe he should offer to let them have his child. That way, he could continue to live here and still be close to his kid. Of course, Beth might complain about that. And there was the little matter of other Immortals showing up. He didn't want his kid to be used like he'd been used several times.

Abortion would be the perfect solution. He and Beth were too young to have children. Maybe it was his religious upbringing, but even the thought of doing it made his stomach churn in disgust. The next option was to put the kid up for adoption, but he really didn't think he could do that, either. While a baby would probably end up in a nice home, he couldn't take the chance that his kid would end up in a bad home. He'd seen a few of those over the years.

Of course, he could just tell Beth she was on her own. After all, it had been her fault-hadn't it? He had been willing to wear a condom, but she had been too impatient. The only problem was, he kept imagining the disappointed looks on Duncan and Tessa's faces if he chose that option. They were always going on about accepting responsibility for his actions.

There just weren't any other options. He and Beth would have to get married. He could find a small apartment somewhere, get a better paying job. Or maybe Duncan would keep him on, but pay him more since he wasn't living with them anymore.

"Richie, don't you think you should go to bed?" Tessa's voice interrupted his thoughts.

He glanced at his watch and was surprised to see it was 1:14. "Yeah, I guess so," he replied. He shut off the gas jet to the fireplace and carefully closed the glass doors, before heading for his room.

Tessa was still watching him from the hallway. "Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?" she asked, a concerned look on her face.

Richie shook his head. "Not tonight," he muttered.

"All right." She placed a light kiss on his cheek. "Good night, Richie."

"Night, Tessa." Richie went into his bedroom and quietly shut the door behind him. Slipping off his shoes, he threw himself down on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

He was still wide awake when he heard Duncan getting up for his morning run.

* HL * HL *

Breakfast was a silent affair-an unusual occurrence in the apartment. Richie couldn't miss the glances Duncan and Tessa kept sending each other, or the concerned looks they shot at him.

"All right, Richie, what's wrong?" Duncan finally blurted out. "Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"Not exactly," Richie replied.

"Fine, then would you care to explain why you were drinking last night?"

"I just felt like I needed a drink," Richie said defensively. "It wasn't like I was going to go anywhere. I don't see what the big deal is. I've had liquor before."

"The big deal is you're underage," Duncan calmly pointed out. "As long as you're living under this roof, there will be no drinking. Have I made myself clear this time?"

Richie shrugged. "Maybe I won't be living here much longer," he said before pushing back his chair and almost running from the room.

"Richie!" Duncan yelled after him. "Come back here and explain that last remark!" he ordered.

The only sound that greeted him was the slamming of the back door.

"What do you think he meant by that?" Tessa asked worriedly. "You don't think he's really going to move out, do you?"

"I don't know," Duncan said. "Maybe it's just a bluff to keep us from punishing him for breaking the no-drinking rule."

"I hope that's all it is," Tessa replied, a worried look still on her face.

* HL * HL *

Richie drove around aimlessly for a while before heading for Beth's house. He rang the doorbell and a moment later, she opened the door.

"Richie! What are you doing here?" She threw a quick glance over her shoulder.

"Hi, Beth. We need to talk. Can I come in?"

"Ummm... how about if we go someplace else?" she suggested, already coming outside and shutting the door.

"I only have my bike with me," Richie explained. "And I don't have a spare helmet for you."

"Oh... Let's just walk then." She took his hand and pulled him down the sidewalk.

Richie jumped right into the conversation before he chickened out. "Beth, I've thought it over very carefully, and I think we should get married-that is-if you want to?" He felt like he'd just put his neck in a noose, and struggled to keep breathing.

Beth threw herself into his arms. "Oh, Richie, I'd love to marry you." She kissed him passionately.

Richie tried to return the kiss, but had a hard time responding to it.

Finally, she pulled her away. "So, how soon can we get married?" she asked as she lightly brushed his hair back from his face.

"I don't know," Richie replied, looking away. "I need to figure some things out-where we're going to live. How I'm going to support us. But you can count on me. I'll figure something out."

"Wait a minute," Beth said. "I don't understand. I thought you worked at the antique store?"

"I do... I did, but my salary isn't enough to cover an apartment. And the place is too small for all of us to live there. There's something else you should know. I didn't grow up in the Heights. I grew up on the East side. I don't know who my parents were. I've been in orphanages and foster homes my whole life. I've been in trouble with the cops, too. But I promise I won't do that again." Richie paused to take a deep breath. "I'll understand if you don't want to see me again. I'm not who you think I am."

Beth walked away from him and he remained where he was. Finally, she turned back around. "I don't care. I can get a job, too. We'll manage somehow."

Richie shook his head. "The most important thing for you to do is to get your high school diploma. Then we can worry about you getting a job. It's just that money will be tight for a while and we'll have to be really careful how we spend it."

"It doesn't matter," Beth said. "As long as we're together."

"I guess I should talk to your father," Richie suggested, dread filling him at the idea.

"I'll do that, Richie," Beth said quickly. "It will be easier if I talk to him alone."

"Are you sure?" Richie asked, hating the feeling of relief that washed through him. "I'm going to have to meet him sometime."

"Not right now," she replied. "I'll introduce you to him in a few days, once he's calmed down."

"Okay. I guess I'd better go talk to Mac and Tessa." Silently, he walked her back to the house. She clung to his hand the whole way and, for some reason, he felt like he was dragging a heavy weight along behind him.

* HL * HL *

Duncan was in the office of the antique store when he heard, then sensed, Richie come in the back door. A moment later, the teenager plopped down in the chair facing the desk. The Scot studied him for a moment, taking note of the dark circles under his eyes that spoke of insufficient sleep, and the almost defeated air that encompassed the youth.

"Do you want to explain what that remark about not living here much longer was all about?" Duncan finally asked.

Richie shrugged then asked, "Is Tessa around? I want to talk to both of you."

"She's in the apartment," Duncan replied. "Why don't I put up the closed sign-that way we won't be interrupted." He had a feeling this was going to take some time. Soon, the three of them were sitting in the living room, but Richie seemed intent on staring at his feet instead of talking.

"We're waiting," Duncan prompted.

"I'm getting married," Richie blurted out.

"Married!" Duncan exclaimed. "When did this get decided?" How had he missed something this big? "And who's the lucky girl?"

"Beth. I just asked her this morning," Richie explained. "And the sooner we get married the better." He lowered his gaze back to his feet again.

"All right, Richie. What is wrong? You don't act like you want to get married," Tessa said, a frown crossing her face.

Richie shrugged. "We...we don't have much choice. Beth is pregnant. She's counting on me to do the right thing."

The silence that followed his announcement was overwhelming. For a moment, Duncan thought Richie might flee.

"What makes you so sure you're the father?" Duncan finally asked. *He* knew Richie couldn't be the father. Pre-Immortals couldn't have children, just like Immortals. But how could he explain that he was positive Beth was lying without revealing the truth to the teenager?

"What does that mean?" Richie spat back. "Are you saying you think Beth is a slut who sleeps around? Or maybe you think I can only attract that kind of woman? Is that it? Well, she's not like that!" He jumped to his feet.

"No, that's not what I'm saying," Duncan insisted, realizing he'd been too blunt with his question. "But don't you think it's something you should be sure of before you jump into marriage? Was she a virgin when you first had sex?" Duncan's face took on a look of triumph when Richie slowly shook his head. "Then someone else *could* be the father. You have to think about that. For that matter, did she even give you any proof that she's pregnant? No offense, Richie, but that's one of the oldest tricks in the book."

Richie shook his head, slowly sinking back down into the chair. "Why would she lie to me? It's not like I'm that great of a catch," he said bitterly.

"I think you are a wonderful 'catch'," Tessa insisted with a brief smile. "She is a very lucky girl. But, Richie, I think you are marrying for all the wrong reasons. Do you love her?"

Richie looked away. "I don't know," he finally muttered. "I really like her a lot and she's fun to be with, but I don't know if I *love* her-I do know I don't love her the way you and Mac love each other."

"And maybe, right now, you're feeling a little trapped?" Duncan suggested.

Richie nodded. "But I don't know what else to do. I've been thinking of nothing else since I found out. I wanted to have kids someday, but not yet! I'm not ready for this." He jumped to his feet again and began pacing back and forth. "But if there's one thing I've learned from you, it's that I have to take responsibility for my actions. So, I guess we're going to get married."

Duncan didn't know what to say. He was proud of Richie's decision, but he knew the baby-if there even was one-wasn't the young man's. He couldn't think of any way of proving it, though. At least not until the child was born and a paternity test could be taken. But, by then, it would be too late.

"So, where are you going to live?" Duncan asked.

"I don't know. I'll have to find someplace, I guess. I know there's not enough room here for anyone else to move in."

"Do you have any idea how expensive apartments are? Let alone raising a child?" Duncan continued, trying to make Richie understand what he was getting into.

"I know they're expensive," Richie said defensively. "I was kinda hoping you'd give me a raise-after all, I won't be living here anymore."

"Yes, I could give you a raise, but there's no way I can pay you enough to support two adults and a baby," Duncan explained. "Is Beth planning on quitting school and working, too?"

Richie shook his head. "She offered, but without a diploma she wouldn't be able to get a very good job. I'll find another job somewhere." "Doing what? Selling used cars again?" Duncan asked skeptically.

"I'll find *something*," Richie replied hotly. "The canneries are always looking for people."

Tessa moved over to kneel beside Richie's chair. "Maybe you should consider putting the baby up for adoption," she quietly suggested. "You have to think of what would be best for the child. I don't think either you or Beth are ready to take on the responsibility of raising a child. There are a lot of people out there who could give the baby so much more."

"I know that, Tessa! But there's no guarantee the baby will end up in a good home. I know what orphanages and foster homes are like! No child of mine is going to end up in one."

"We could find a good lawyer-one who specializes in adoptions," Duncan suggested. "Give you and Beth a chance to meet the people who would raise the child. That way you'd know the baby would be going to a good home. You might even be able to find a couple who would let you visit occasionally."

"Really?" Richie asked hopefully before shaking his head. "I don't know if Beth would agree to adoption or not. And it's not right to make her raise the kid alone."

"Why don't you ask her over? Her father, too. We can discuss this and try to come up with the best possible solution," Tessa suggested.

"Okay. I'll give her a call." Richie headed for the kitchen phone.

Duncan shared a quick glance with Tessa, and noted the worried expression on her face. "So, what do you think?" he asked quietly as she moved to sit beside him again.

"This is awful, Duncan. I know I would hate to have to give a child up for adoption. Maybe... maybe they could stay here for a while. We could hire her to help in the shop, too. And when the baby comes, I can take care of it while Beth is in school," Tessa suggested hesitantly, her face wearing a wistful look.

For a moment Duncan was tempted to agree. He knew how much Tessa loved children, and to have one living here would be the next best thing. They could continue to mentor Richie, as well. But he forced the idea aside. "And what do we do the first time another Immortal shows up? Not only would Beth have to know what I am, but the child would always be at risk. Think about what Felicia would have done if there had been a baby here," he reminded her.

Tessa shuddered. "No, I wouldn't want that to happen. Isn't there some way we can help them? Hire Richie full time and pay him a nice salary?"

Duncan shook his head. "I've already told him we couldn't do that. If we changed our minds, he'd consider it charity. We'd have to be much more sneaky than that."

"You're right." Tessa stared into space for a while. "What if we move back to Paris? Ask Richie to stay here and manage the store? That way they'd have plenty of room for the three of them, we could still stay in touch, and they wouldn't be in danger from other Immortals."

Duncan sighed. It sounded good, but he knew better. First, he'd promised to keep an eye on Richie and wouldn't be able to do that from Paris. Second, the teenager would still be in danger from other Immortals who came here expecting to find the Highlander, or, for that matter, who just happened to be in the area. They would sense Richie's impending immortality and might decide to take his head. But he couldn't explain any of this to Tessa. "Well, that might work," Duncan said slowly, hating to raise her hopes, "but let's see what Beth and her father have to say." In the meantime, maybe he'd figure out how to prove Richie wasn't the father.

He gave Tessa a quick hug as Richie returned to the living room.

"Okay, Beth and her father are on their way over. They should be here in twenty minutes."

* HL * HL *

At the prescribed time, a knocking came at the front door of the antique store. Duncan went to answer it, and found Beth waiting with a man who he assumed was her father. "Hello, Beth," he greeted her before turning to the man. "I'm Duncan MacLeod," he introduced himself as he held out a hand to the man and studied him at the same time. Slightly shorter and heavier than Duncan, he still had a good physique indicating regular exercise. The dark hair was receding and had strands of gray showing.

The other man almost reluctantly shook hands as he returned the scrutiny. "I'm Steven Hamilton, Beth's father," he replied, a look of scorn crossing his face.

"Please, come in," Duncan invited as he stood back and gestured. He closed and locked the door before leading the way back to the apartment where he introduced Hamilton to Tessa and Richie.

Once seated, they exchanged social pleasantries for a while. Duncan watched as Hamilton studied the three residents of the apartment. Finally, Tessa broached the topic that had brought them all together.

"I assume Beth has filled you in," she started.

"If you mean that she's been seduced by Ryan and is carrying his bastard child, then yes, she has."

"That's not what happened!" Richie protested hotly as he surged to his feet, his hands clenched.

"That's enough, Richie," Duncan chided. "Sit back down so we can discuss this like adults." He threw an accusing glance at Hamilton.

"Yes, we need to be calm and rational about this," Tessa chimed in as Richie sank back down in his chair. "What's important here is to figure out what's the best for all involved. There are so many options to consider."

"I won't have an abortion!" Beth exclaimed.

"No one is suggesting you do," Tessa calmly replied. "What we would like you to seriously think about is whether you're ready to take on raising a baby. That's a very big commitment-especially for teenagers."

"And I bet you'd know," Hamilton softly muttered.

Duncan waited for a moment for Hamilton to continue, but he didn't. "Beth, another option to consider is adoption. There are lawyers who specialize in them. You could be sure the baby would grow up in the right kind of family."

"But I want my child!" Beth protested, before bursting out in tears.

Tessa and Richie moved to Beth's side, but it was the Frenchwoman who took the younger woman in her arms.

"Shhhh... it's all right. I understand how difficult this is," Tessa soothed her, lightly rubbing her back.

When Beth had calmed down some, Tessa led her back to the bathroom to freshen up. At the same time, the phone rang and Richie volunteered to go answer it.

"Well, maybe it's time for some straight talk," Hamilton suggested. "It's hard for a youngster to have a good understanding of what's right or wrong when his parents don't have a clue."

"Excuse me?" Icicles dripped from Duncan's voice.

"Listen, it's pretty obvious Richie's not *your* kid-his coloring is so different from yours. As for Tessa, she must have been just a child when she had him. Also, since you have different last names, you must not be married, either. What kind of example do you think that sets for Richie? He sees you getting away with bedding someone who you're not married to, so he thinks he should be able to get away with it, too. Well, he's not going to, if I have anything to say about it!"

For a moment, Duncan could only stare, dumb-founded, at Beth's father. Then the urge to slam his fist into the smug look on Hamilton's face came to the fore. He restrained himself, knowing the satisfaction he'd get would be fleeting.

"No, we're not married," Duncan growled, "but we've given Richie a very good example by showing him the love and respect we feel for each other. Also, Richie isn't Tessa's child. We've only known him for about six months."

"What?" Hamilton almost exploded out of his chair. "Then what kind of background does he have? What kind of bastard has been seeing my daughter?"

"Maybe you should ask her," Duncan suggested silkily. "Richie wasn't her first lover, and I have a feeling he's not the father of her child."

"How dare you!" Hamilton ground out. "I've raised my daughter better than that. Personally, I'm not convinced that they had consensual sex."

"Are you insinuating that Richie *raped* her?" Duncan asked, disbelief flooding through him. "Because you would be totally wrong! Richie isn't that kind of person. He's done the honorable thing by offering to marry Beth-you could do worse."

"Well, there won't be any marriage," Hamilton bit out. "Beth can do a whole lot better than Richie. I won't let her throw her life away on some punk who can't keep his pants on!"

"That's fine by me," Duncan said. "Because Richie can do so much better, too. I don't want him to throw *his* life away because some girl is trying to trap him into marriage because she's pregnant with someone else's kid!"

The two men glared at each other, neither giving way. Tessa and Beth returned to the living room and Hamilton stalked over to his daughter.

"We're leaving," he snarled. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door, practically running into Richie in the process. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer," he called back over his shoulder. "Ryan's going to be paying child support for a very long time."

"You'll have to prove he's the father first!" Duncan shot back and knew his barb had hit home when Beth turned pale.

"Let's go, Beth." Hamilton almost dragged his daughter to the front door, brushing by Richie without a word.

Duncan followed and slammed the door behind the departing pair. He returned to the living room and the confused gazes of Tessa and Richie.

"I don't think there's going to be a wedding," he told them. "I'm going to call our lawyer in the morning to find out where we stand on this whole thing." "What did you say to him?" Tessa asked, concern written across her face.

"I told him a few truths. He didn't like them, so he stormed off. I wasn't about to let Richie take all the blame. He acted like his daughter was as pure as the driven snow, but now he knows the truth."

"How could you?" Richie burst out. "You had no right to interfere! Did you stop and think about my feelings? Or Beth's? What if they refuse to let me see my child?"

"If it *is* your child, Richie, they won't be able to stop you. We can legally make them give you access. I was only trying to help you."

"Well, maybe you should stop trying," Richie replied, before storming into his bedroom and slamming the door behind him.

Duncan looked at Tessa. "I *was* trying to help."

"I'm sure you were, Duncan," she said. "But, sometimes you don't think before you speak-especially when you're angry. You have to remember there's an innocent in all this. The baby doesn't deserve to be caught up in a feud."

"I know, but when he blamed us for giving Richie a bad example to follow... just because we live together without being married... well, he made me mad."

"What?" Tessa exclaimed. "How dare he? What else did he say?"

Duncan told her of their conversation, feeling better as she became even more furious than he had been.

"That does it. There is no way I'm letting her raise a baby. The whole family sounds unstable. We'll have to try to get custody."

"Now, hold on, Tessa. I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself. Any custody battle will have to wait until the child is born and parentage can be established."

And Duncan knew the truth would come out then. "Now, what would you like for dinner? It's my turn to cook," he said, changing the topic of conversation.

* HL * HL *

Richie flopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. Today had *not* gone the way he'd thought it would. Duncan and Tessa hadn't told him to move out. In fact, they'd been very supportive-maybe too supportive. He had no idea where he and Beth stood right now.

Duncan had said there wasn't going to be a marriage. Richie wondered what had happened during the brief time he'd been out of the room. It must have been pretty bad based on the anger that had radiated from both Duncan and Beth's father. Now, both of them were talking about lawyers.

It had seemed so simple this morning. He and Beth would get married, have a family, and live happily ever after. Wasn't that how it was supposed to work? Now everything seemed all turned around.

Maybe he should go see Beth by himself. He could talk to her about Duncan and Tessa's suggestions for adoption. They didn't need all the other participants to have that discussion. After all, it only affected the two of them.

Mind made up, Richie got to his feet and left his room. He went out the back way to avoid being stopped by Duncan or Tessa. A few minutes later, he was on his bike heading for Beth's house.

Once he arrived, he carefully brushed his fingers through his hair to straighten it before going to the front door. He took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. A few moments later, he found himself looking at the wrong person.

"What do *you* want, Ryan?" Hamilton snarled.

"I'd like to talk to Beth, please," Richie said politely. The last thing he wanted to do was aggravate his future father-in-law. He tried to peer around the man to see if Beth was around.

The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, pain blossoming around his left eye. He hadn't even seen the fist that had come flying through the air to smash into his face.

"Stay away from my daughter!" Hamilton yelled, before retreating into his house and slamming the door.

For a moment, Richie continued to sit on the ground, staring at the closed door. He finally pulled himself back together and hauled himself to his feet. Returning to his bike, he made his way back home.

Tessa and Duncan were both in the kitchen when he got home. The Frenchwoman took one look at him and gave a cry of dismay.

"Richie! What happened to your eye? Here, sit down and let me get some ice for you."

Richie obeyed and sank down onto one of the dining room chairs. While Tessa was getting ice cubes from the freezer, Duncan came over and tilted Richie's face up. Very gently, he inspected the teenager's face and eye.

"You'll live," he pronounced when he was done.

"Here, put this on your eye," Tessa said as she brought over a towel filled with ice. "Who did this to you?"

"I tried to see Beth, but her father answered the door," Richie explained.

"Beth's father did this to you?" Tessa exclaimed. "How dare he! He should be arrested! Duncan, call the police."

"No!" Richie burst out. "I don't want him arrested! That won't solve anything. It was my fault. I should've given him some time to cool down before I tried to see Beth again."

"That's no excuse," Tessa replied. "He's a grown man-he should know better. He had no call to hit you."

Richie just shrugged. "When people get mad, they hit. It's a fact of life." At least it always had been in many of the foster homes he'd been in.

"It's not a fact of life, Richie," Duncan protested. "Most people manage to go through life without ever hitting anyone. Just because someone is angry, they don't have the right to take it out on someone else."

Richie shrugged again. "If you say so."

"Yes, I say so! Violence doesn't solve anything."

"Yeah, right. This from the guy who carries around a sword and chops people's heads off," Richie said sarcastically.

"Richie, that's different. I don't go out of my way to get in fights, but I can't run from challenges. Nor will I stand by and watch someone take advantage of someone else who can't defend himself. There's a big difference between that and lashing out at someone when you're mad." Duncan paused and rested a hand on Richie's shoulder. "I'm sorry that you had to grow up believing hitting someone was acceptable. If you ever want to talk about it..."

Richie looked up into Duncan's earnest face. Maybe talking about it would help, but not now. He didn't need to dump old problems on the Highlander's shoulders right now. "Nothing to talk about," he insisted. "It's all ancient history, anyway."

Duncan looked like he wanted to say some more, but he finally shook his head and went back to the kitchen.

"Well, the first thing I'm going to do tomorrow is call Dr. Burnam," Tessa said. "I want you to have a full physical as soon as possible."

"Why?" Richie asked, totally puzzled. "I've had black eyes before. It's no big deal. And why would I need a physical?"

"Richie, you had unprotected sex with someone!" Tessa explained. "Do you have any idea how many sexually transmitted diseases there are?"

"No, how many?" Richie quipped back, a trifle sarcastically.

Tessa glared at him. "It doesn't matter. What *is* important is to make sure you haven't got any of them."

"Tessa! It was only the one time. Besides, it's not like Beth is a big risk here."

"How do you know?" Tessa retorted. "You said it yourself-you weren't the first one. Who knows who or how many others she could have been with? They could have been drug users, for all you know."

Richie shot to his feet. "I wish you'd stop making Beth out to be a tramp! She's not like that!"

Tessa took a deep breath before placing a hand on Richie's arm. "I'm sorry, Richie. That was wrong of me. But I would still feel a lot better about it if you had the doctor check you out. Please? For me?"

Richie couldn't resist the pleading look on Tessa's face. "Okay. I'll do it."

"Thank you," she replied, and lightly kissed his uninjured cheek. "Now, why don't you go stretch out on the sofa until dinner is ready? Give that ice a chance to do its work."

Richie found himself being propelled into the living area. The next thing he knew, he was on the sofa with an afghan spread out over him. He'd learned a long time ago, that it was better to just go with the flow when Tessa was in one of her mothering moods.

* HL * HL *

Richie tried to call Beth several times after dinner was over. The first time he had politely asked her father if he could talk to Beth. The only response he got was the phone being slammed down on the other end. The next few times, the teenager hadn't said anything-just silently hung up the phone when Beth's father answered.

He was thoroughly discouraged by the time he went to bed. How could he and Beth make any decisions if they weren't allowed to talk to each other?

The next morning, shortly after Richie had opened the store, an older man came into the shop.

"Are you Richie Ryan?" he asked.

"Yes. How can I help you?" Richie asked.

"I have a registered letter for you. I need you to sign for it." The man held out clipboard and Richie signed his name. The man passed the letter over and left the store.

Richie was still studying the letter when Duncan came into the shop.

"What's that?" the Scot asked.

"I don't understand," Richie said, turning perplexed eyes to the older man. He handed over the letter.

Duncan quickly scanned the paper. "This is a restraining order, Richie. It says you can't try to contact Beth-either by phone or by person. If you do, you can be arrested."

"But why?" Richie questioned. "I haven't done anything wrong."

"Well, apparently her father has claimed you've been harassing them."

"Can he do that? Can he keep me away from Beth? She wouldn't agree to this."

Duncan shrugged. "For now, he can. I don't know if she was asked or not. It's possible that because she's a minor, she wasn't even involved. There's also a possibility that she knows all about this, but isn't willing to say anything." "NO! I won't believe that!" Richie almost shouted. "Beth isn't like that."

"Richie, you don't know her that well. It's quite possible that she's been lying to you all along," Duncan replied. "Either way, it's time to leave this up to our lawyers. Beth is going to have to prove parentage before we pay a dime in child support. I'll go give our lawyer a call and set up an appointment. He can look into the restraining order, too." Duncan headed for the office.

Richie wondered when the 'we' had come into it. It was his kid and his responsibility, not Duncan's. Lawyers cost money-more than he could afford. He headed out the front door, and went around to the back where his bike was parked. Sooner or later, either Beth's father would leave her by herself or else she'd go somewhere by herself. Then they could talk.

This time he'd do what he should have done in the first place.

* HL * HL *

Richie searched for a good spot to park his bike where he could keep an eye on Beth's house but not be too conspicuous. The last thing he needed was to have the cops show up and arrest him. In a neighborhood like this, anyone hanging around was suspicious. He finally decided to wait two blocks away, under a large tree. The shade it provided would make him less noticeable and he could still see Beth's house and the two cars parked in front.

To make himself less obvious, Richie crouched down by his bike and acted like he was trying to fix it whenever someone drove by. When one kind person stopped and asked if he needed help, the young man waved them away, claiming to have the problem solved. When the car didn't immediately pull away, Richie climbed on the bike and started it up. He'd have to move to a different location.

His next try was to park further away, before taking a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood. He was tired of walking by the time he decided it would be safe to try the broken motorcycle trick again-although he did move to a different location this time. He also spent some time studying some maps he'd bought on the way over, figuring people would think he was trying to find an address.

His perseverance paid off. Beth's father finally emerged from the house, climbed in his car and took off. Richie gave him a few minutes before he headed up to the house and knocked on the door. A moment later, it opened.

"Richie!" Beth exclaimed when she saw him standing there. "What are you doing here? My father said you didn't want to see me anymore."

"That's not true!" Richie protested. "He filed a restraining order against me. If he catches me here, he could have me arrested, but I needed to see you. We need to work this out."

"I don't know what to do," Beth said in a tremulous voice.

"I do. Let's elope. We can head for Reno-it won't take us that long to get there. We could get married there. I had a friend who did that last year. There's no waiting period at all."

"Are... are you sure you want to do this?" Beth asked.

"As sure as I'm going to be," Richie replied. It seemed to be the only answer. "Change into some jeans and let's go."

"What about the fact that I'm underage? Isn't that going to be a problem?" Beth asked.

Richie shrugged. "If it is, we can always lie. I could probably find someone to make us a fake I.D. if necessary."

"Okay, I'll go change," Beth said. "Do you want to take my car?"

"No, I don't have a lot of money to spend on gas. My bike will get better mileage than that car of yours would," Richie explained. "I have a spare helmet for you. If you have a backpack, you could toss some things in it to bring along, if you like, but keep it light."

"Okay, it won't take me long."

"Fine, I'll go get my bike and bring it up to the house," Richie said. He waited for twenty minutes before going back inside the house. Beth was in the hallway, tears running down her face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just hard to leave."

Richie sighed. "It's not like you'll never come back here. We're just going to go get married, then we'll come home. Let's go before your father gets back." He grabbed her hand and pulled her out the front door and down to his bike.

Soon they were on their way and Richie headed for the interstate. He had a course plotted out from his earlier study of the map. Originally, he had planned on taking back roads, but he'd finally decided to take the interstate all the way to California. Then he'd cut over to Nevada and into Reno.

Beth had her arms wrapped tightly around his middle, and Richie enjoyed the feel of her pressed up against his back. Things were going to work out just fine. The way he figured it, Duncan and Tessa couldn't have fallen in love right away-it had to have grown over time. He and Beth would be the same way. And Richie would prove that he could be a good father.

He would show them all.

* HL * HL *

Steven Hamilton came storming into the antique shop, fists clenched in anger. "Where is she?" he blurted out as he stalked up to Tessa, ignoring the other people in the shop.

"Who?" Tessa asked, stepping back a little.

Hamilton's arm swept out and an antique vase that she had been holding went crashing to the floor. He moved closer, practically pinning Tessa to the display case behind her. "You know who! My daughter! Where is she?"

Thoroughly frightened now, Tessa could only hope that Duncan had heard the crash. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, refusing to show any fear. "I haven't seen Beth since you left here yesterday."

"You're lying!" Hamilton grabbed her arms and shook her.

"Let go of her!" Duncan's deep voice was like music to Tessa's ears. Hamilton released her and spun around to face a very irate Highlander. The Frenchwoman continued to lean back against the display case, afraid that her shaky legs wouldn't hold her weight.

"Where's my daughter! I know you're hiding her, along with that punk Ryan. I'm going to find her and you'd better not get in the way!" Without another word, he headed for the apartment.

"Hold on," Duncan said as he caught up to Hamilton and placed a hand on his arm. "You have no right to come here, frighten Tessa, break our merchandise, or search our home."

Hamilton reacted instantly, swinging around and throwing a punch at Duncan. The Scot saw it coming and easily ducked it. A moment later, Hamilton was on the floor.

"It's more difficult when it's not a woman or kid you're trying to push around, isn't it?" Duncan taunted him. "Now, get out!" He pointed to the front door.

Hamilton struggled to his feet. "I'll be back-and with the cops next time!"

"I've already called the police," an elderly female customer interrupted. "They should be here in a few minutes."

Tessa smiled gratefully at the woman who was a regular customer of theirs. "Thank you, Mrs. Griffin."

"Well, I was afraid he was going to hurt you, my dear."

It wasn't long before the police arrived. Hamilton wasted no time when the officers came in the door.

"Officers, I want you to arrest these two," he said, pointing to Duncan and Tessa, "for aiding and abetting a kidnapper."

"Kidnapper!" Duncan exploded. "What are you talking about?"

"Who's been kidnapped?" the first officer asked, looking suspiciously at Duncan.

"My daughter. Their friend, Richie Ryan, kidnapped her from my home. My neighbors saw it happen. They said she was crying and he practically dragged her to his bike. I bet they have her somewhere on the premises here."

"That's ridiculous," Duncan retorted. "Richie didn't kidnap anyone."

"Do you mind if we search the premises?" the second officer asked.

"Feel free," Duncan replied. "Tessa can show you the way."

Two more officers came into the shop, and the first went over to talk to them. The new arrivals then escorted the few customers that remained out of the building. Through the front window, Duncan could see the officers talking to them and taking notes.

"There's no one else here," the second officer said, as he came back into the shop with Tessa.

"Where did he take her?" Hamilton asked Duncan. "You have to find my daughter!" he told the officers.

The first officer turned back to Duncan. "Do you know where this Richie Ryan is?"

Duncan shook his head. "He took off earlier today, but I can assure you he didn't kidnap anyone. If his daughter went with Richie, it was strictly voluntary."

"That's not true! I told her she couldn't see him anymore. She wouldn't have disobeyed me. Ryan's a troublemaker, and he's been arrested before! This time, he's going to have to pay for his crimes."

Duncan wondered how Hamilton had found that out. He must know someone who could pull legal strings. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to get a restraining order so quickly, or find out about Richie's past.

"I need a description of Ryan, what kind of vehicle he is driving, and a current photo of him," the first officer said before turning to Hamilton. "You can give my partner all the pertinent information about your daughter, then we'll put out an APB. I'm sure we'll find them soon."

"You can't do that!" Duncan protested. "Richie hasn't done anything wrong."

"If the girl backs up his story, then it won't be a problem," the officer assured him. "Consider this a precautionary measure. We'll go talk to Mr. Hamilton's neighbors as well. If their story doesn't match with his, we'll cancel the APB."

Duncan sighed and gave the officer the information he needed. He hoped Richie would come home soon so they could get this mess sorted out.

* HL * HL *

Richie was getting a little frustrated by the time he pulled off at a rest stop just before Portland. Every time there had been a rest stop, Beth had wanted to pull over. They weren't making very good time since she always wanted to walk around for a while before climbing back on the bike.

While Beth went to the restroom, he bought some soda and chips from a vending machine. It was probably not the best thing for a pregnant woman to eat, but it would tide them over for a while. He carried the food over to a nearby table and waited for her. She soon emerged from the restroom and joined him. She looked a little pale and refused any of the chips, though she did take one of the cans of soda.

"Are you okay?" Richie asked anxiously.

"I'm fine," Beth assured him. "Just a little queasy. I guess I should expect this."

After they finished their drinks, Richie announced it was time to get back on the road. Beth stood up, then clasped her hands to her abdomen.

"What is it?" Richie asked, not liking the look on her face.

"Nothing," Beth finally replied. "Just a little twinge-it's gone already. Let's go."

Towns seemed to buzz by as they cruised along. They'd gone more than a hundred miles more when Beth tapped on Richie's shoulder, then pointed to an exit. The young man didn't know what was wrong, but he pulled off the interstate. When the bike rolled to a stop, he shut it off, then turned to Beth.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't feel too good," Beth replied. "I think I need to rest for a while."

Richie looked around and spotted a nearby motel. He really didn't want to stop so soon-he'd hoped they would be able to make it to California before stopping for the night. He hadn't counted on all the delays, though.

"We'll stop here for the night," he announced, before starting the bike back up. He went inside and checked in by himself, not wanting to submit Beth to any leering looks from the desk clerk. He was handed a key to unit 14, and went back outside.

He gave Beth the key and pointed in the direction of the room before moving the bike to a spot in front of their door. He joined Beth inside the room. It wasn't anything fancy, but at least it looked clean.

Beth disappeared into the bathroom and Richie flopped down on the bed. She soon came back out to the main room, a terrified look on her face.

"There's something wrong, Richie! I'm bleeding!"

"You're what!" Richie jumped to his feet and hurried to her side. He barely made it in time to catch her as she clutched her abdomen, moaned, then fainted.

He lifted her, then gently placed her on the bed. Frantically, he grabbed the phone and called the front desk. "I need an ambulance," he yelled into the receiver. It took several minutes to convince the clerk that he wasn't kidding around.

Richie went to the bathroom and dipped a washcloth in cold water, then brought it out and placed it on Beth's forehead. Not knowing what else to do, he paced around the room, wishing they'd brought her car instead of his bike. Then he could have taken her to the hospital himself. It took forever before the ambulance finally showed up.

The paramedics refused to allow him to ride in the ambulance, so Richie ran down to the check-in desk to get directions. By the time he reached the hospital, Beth was already in an examining room. The young woman at the check-in desk asked him to fill out some forms.

He tried to answer the questions, but there was so much he didn't know. Like Beth's birthdate or if she had insurance. At least he knew how they could contact her father. When the questioning was over, he was directed to the waiting room.

Richie paced around the small room, anxiously waiting for word about Beth. The only thought that kept running through his mind was that it was all his fault. They should have brought her car not his bike. Then everything would have been fine.

What if she lost the baby? What if she died? How was he going to face her father? How was he going to face Duncan and Tessa? And speaking of which, should he call them? He assumed the hospital had called Beth's father, but what if they hadn't?

Richie glanced around and spotted some pay phones. He went over to one of them and placed a collect call. A moment later, the deep tone of Duncan's voice came across the line.

"Mac, it's Richie," he started.

"Richie! Where are you?" Duncan asked. "Is Beth with you?"

"I'm in Eugene, Oregon. Something went wrong. Beth collapsed and she's in the hospital. I'm still waiting to hear how she is." Richie paused for a moment and swallowed hard. "I'm really scared, Mac. I don't know if she's going to be okay or not."

"Take it easy, Richie. Have you contacted her father?" Duncan asked.

"Not directly. I gave the hospital his phone number."

"All right. I'll try to call him, then Tessa and I will be on our way. We'll be there as soon as possible."

Gratitude flooded through Richie. "Thanks, Mac," he replied before hanging up. He was still on his own-and would be for hours-but knowing Duncan and Tessa were on the way made it more bearable.

Richie returned to the waiting room and sank down onto one of the plastic chairs that filled the room. There was a small television in the corner and he stared at the screen, not really paying attention to the show.

"Excuse me, are you Richie Ryan?" a voice intruded into his thoughts some time later.

Richie looked up into the faces of two police officers. "Yes, I am," he said.

One of the officers backed up a step and placed a hand on his gun. "You're under arrest," he announced.

"Huh? For what?" he asked before remembering the restraining order.

"The charge is kidnapping," the officer informed him.

"Kidnapping! I didn't kidnap anyone. You can ask..." Richie realized that they couldn't ask Beth anything until she had recovered.

"On your feet," the officer ordered.

Richie stood up slowly, not wanting to give the cops any reason to get angry. The police ordered him to assume the position, then searched him. The young man had been through the procedure before, so he wasn't surprised when the handcuffs were placed around his wrists.

"Let's go," one of the cops ordered, tugging at his arm.

"Can I leave a message at the desk?" Richie asked. "My friends are on the way and I want them to know where to find me."

"That sounds reasonable," the officer said before leading him to the desk and the startled clerk sitting behind it.

"Listen, could you do me a favor?" Richie asked. He didn't wait for an answer before continuing, "I'm Richie Ryan. My friends are on their way here, but it's going to be several hours at least before they arrive. Could you tell them I was arrested? Their names are Duncan MacLeod and Tessa Noel."

The girl wrote down the names. "I'll tell them."

"Thanks."

The cops escorted him to a waiting squad car where he was placed in the backseat. The police station wasn't too far away and soon Richie was having his picture taken, followed by the fingerprinting procedure.

Richie was finally escorted to a cell. The sound of the door clanking shut behind him sent a chill through his soul. He reminded himself that Duncan was on the way. The Highlander would get him out of this.

He could count on that.

* HL * HL *

Duncan hung up the phone after talking to Richie, and yelled for Tessa while reaching for the phone book. The Frenchwoman appeared a moment later in the office.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Richie just called. Beth's in the hospital in Eugene, Oregon. I told him we'd get there as soon as possible."

"Oh, no! Did he say what was wrong?"

"He doesn't know what's going on. I'm going to try to contact Beth's father, if you want to pack a bag for us. Oh, and you might want to grab some of Richie's clothes, too. I don't know if he took anything with him."

Tessa nodded and hurried away. Duncan went back to the phone book and found Hamilton's number. There was no answer. The Scot wrote down the number so he could try it later, then headed for the bedroom to see how Tessa was doing.

Within thirty minutes of the call, they were on the road. Duncan took a deep breath and relaxed slightly. Now that he had time to think, he had time to worry. Why were Richie and Beth in Oregon? Had they been running away? He couldn't think of any other reason.

Duncan and Tessa discussed it for a while, but neither of them could come up with any answers. They only stopped once, and Duncan tried to call Hamilton again, with the same results. Hopefully, the man was already there with his daughter.

It was close to ten P.M. by the time Duncan found the hospital in Eugene. He and Tessa hurried inside. When there was no sign of Richie in the waiting room, they went over to the check-in desk.

"I'm Duncan MacLeod," he announced. "I'm looking for Richie Ryan. Did he leave a message here?"

"Let me check," she replied, reaching for a notebook. "Here it is... oh, my..."

"What is it?" Duncan asked.

"It says he was arrested."

"What?" Duncan almost yelled, before he remembered that the woman wasn't the one at fault. "I'm sorry. Can you tell me about Beth Hamilton's condition? She was brought in earlier."

The woman typed the name into the computer. "She's in room 514 and is listed in stable condition. I can't tell you any more. It's after visiting hours, but you can come back tomorrow morning."

"Thank you," Duncan said, pulling Tessa away from the desk.

"What are we going to do now?" she asked. "How could they arrest Richie?"

"I don't know. Maybe the police haven't had a chance to talk to Beth. I'm sure she will clear Richie."

"And if she lies?" Tessa asked. "Then what?"

"Then we find a good lawyer. Let's go find the police station," Duncan said.

"There's the other two, Detective! Arrest them!" a male voice shouted down the corridor.

Duncan and Tessa turned around and saw Steven Hamilton and another man headed for them.

"They're part of this, too," Hamilton insisted as they drew closer. "I'm sure of it. Arrest them!"

The other man pulled a wallet out of his pocket and flipped it open. "I'm Detective Franklin. I'd like to have a few words with you."

"Arrest them!" Hamilton insisted again.

"Sir, will you please be quiet while I talk to these people?" Franklin asked politely. "*I* will decide who does or doesn't get arrested."

"Gentlemen! Please!" the clerk behind the desk spoke up. "This is a hospital. Please lower your voices."

"I'm sorry," Franklin apologized. "Why don't we go over to the waiting room? We can talk there."

Hamilton looked like he wanted to argue but, after a stern look from the detective, he kept quiet.

"How is Beth?" Tessa asked. "Is she going to be all right?"

"No thanks to you or that Ryan punk," Hamilton informed her. "You'll probably be pleased to hear that she had a miscarriage."

"Oh, no! How terrible," Tessa exclaimed. "She must be so upset."

"Give me a break. Enough with the fake sympathy routine," Hamilton snapped. "It's not going to stop you from being arrested and locked up with Ryan."

Duncan lightly squeezed Tessa's elbow as she looked about to argue. "You wanted to ask us some questions, Detective?"

"Mr. Hamilton insists that Ryan was kidnapping his daughter. Do you know anything about that?"

Duncan shook his head. "No, I had no idea Richie was even going to see Beth. One thing is for certain-Richie wouldn't have kidnapped Beth. Have you asked him where they were going?"

"Ryan refused to answer any questions until one of his friends got here-a Duncan MacLeod. Would that be you?"

Warmth flooded through Duncan at the thought of Richie's trust. He just hoped that he could straighten this whole mess out. "That would be me. What about Beth? Have you talked to her?"

The detective sighed. "I tried, but she seems traumatized by the whole thing. Unless she speaks up, it doesn't look good for Ryan. There are witnesses in Seacouver who are willing to testify that she was forcibly removed from her house. And she has all the characteristics of someone who's been victimized."

"She just had a miscarriage!" Tessa interrupted. "Of course she's going to be traumatized."

Franklin shrugged. "That may be the reason, yes. But until we get any evidence to the contrary, Ryan is going to stay in jail. Because they crossed state lines, it's a federal matter now."

"How can I get bail set?" Duncan asked. "I don't want Richie to stay in jail any longer than necessary."

"He'll have to go in front of a judge. The earliest will be tomorrow morning. I suggest you find a good lawyer before then." Duncan nodded. "Can we see Richie tonight?"

"Sure. I'm on my way back to the station. You can follow me."

"That's it?" Hamilton almost screeched. "You're not arresting them?"

"Mr. Hamilton, there's no evidence to link them to anything. I'll be back in the morning to talk to Beth again. Goodnight." The detective motioned to Duncan and Tessa before heading for the parking lot.

* HL * HL *

Duncan paced around the small interrogation room, wondering what was taking so long. Tessa was sitting at the only table in the room, tapping her fingers against the wood impatiently. He spun around when the door opened, and saw Richie standing there with an officer. The young man had handcuffs on, but didn't appear to be injured in any way.

"Mac! Tessa! I'm so glad to see you," Richie said with a sigh of relief. "Have you got everything straightened out? Are they going to let me go?" he asked as Tessa came over and hugged him.

"Have a seat, Richie," Duncan replied. "You're in a lot of trouble."

Richie's face went pale and he almost collapsed into the nearest chair. "I didn't kidnap her, Mac! Honest!"

Duncan rested one hand on Richie's shoulder. "We know that. First off, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. What about Beth?"

"Richie, she had a miscarriage," Tessa replied softly.

The young man stared at Tessa for a long moment before quietly asking, "She lost our baby?" A single tear rolled down one cheek.

"I'm sorry," Tessa added, wrapping her arms around the teenager.

"It's all my fault," Richie moaned. "I should have taken her car instead of my bike-then she wouldn't have had a miscarriage."

"We don't know if that's the case or not," Tessa protested. "We'll talk to the doctors tomorrow. There are lots of reasons women have miscarriages-and I don't think riding a motorcycle is one of them."

Duncan watched silently as Tessa tried to comfort Richie. There wasn't anything more he could add at this point. When the young man seemed calmer, he spoke up. "Richie, where were you and Beth going?"

Color flooded the teenager's face and he refused to meet Duncan's eyes. "We were going to Reno," he mumbled, looking down at the table.

"Why?" Tessa asked. "What's in Reno? Isn't that where all those casinos are? Were you going there to gamble?"

Duncan struggled to hide his grin. "It's also a place where people go to get married quickly," he explained.

"Oh!" Tessa turned to Richie. "You were going to get married without telling us? Without us being there?"

If possible, even more color filled the youth's face. "I'm sorry, Tessa. It's just that everyone was so busy arguing and blaming everyone else and I thought if we just got it over with, the fighting would stop. Besides, I know how much money lawyers cost. I didn't want you and Mac to have to pay those kind of bills."

"And what about the lawyer's fees it's going to take to get you out of this mess? Hmmmm?" Duncan asked.

"I can get a free attorney. You know-if you can't afford one, one will be appointed, blah, blah, blah," Richie replied. "I've heard the spiel a few times, you know?"

Duncan rolled his eyes. "We're not going to let some overworked, underpaid lawyer try to straighten this out. I'll call my lawyer first thing in the morning and see who he can recommend."

"Thanks, Mac," Richie said.

"One thing I do need cleared up. Supposedly someone saw you dragging Beth out of her house and she was crying. That's one of the reasons the police think it was a kidnapping. Is there any truth behind that? Or do I need to find out who Hamilton paid off or bribed to lie to the police?"

"Well... I suppose it might have *looked* that way, but she was willing, Mac. She went up to pack and was taking forever, so I went back in and found her crying. So, yeah, I kind of pulled her along to get her moving. But that's all it was! Honest! I wouldn't have *forced* her to marry me."

"Okay, Rich, I believe you. Now we just have to convince the police."

"Why don't they just ask Beth?"

"They tried, but she wouldn't say anything. She's probably upset about losing the baby. I'm sure she doesn't realize the police have you locked up."

Richie sighed and buried his head in his hands. "I don't believe this." He looked up at the other two. "I was just trying to do the right thing."

There was no answer to that. Duncan clasped Richie's shoulder lightly for a moment, trying to offer support. "I'll go talk to the detective. Maybe he'll listen to reason and let you go tonight."

Thirty minutes later, Duncan returned to the interrogation room. "Sorry, Rich. It looks like you're going to have to spend the night here. The detective said it was up to the district attorney about whether to keep you here or not. It will have to wait until morning."

"No big deal," Richie said, pasting on an obviously fake smile. "Free room and board for the night. You two can have my motel room. I've already paid for it, so someone might as well use it. The police have the room key." He gave them directions to the place.

Tessa hugged Richie again, then kissed him on the cheek. "We'll see you in the morning," she promised.

After the police had escorted Richie out of the room, Duncan hugged Tessa. "We'll get him out of this," he said.

Tessa just nodded and pressed closer to Duncan for a moment.

* HL * HL *

Duncan took one look at the outside of the motel, and the scantily dressed woman leaning against the wall next to one of the doors. "I don't think so. We're not staying here tonight. Let's go grab anything Richie might have in the room. I'll take his bike and you can drive the T-bird. We passed some nicer hotels on the way here."

Tessa nodded agreement and followed Duncan inside the motel room. A quick search produced only Beth's backpack and the saddlebags to Richie's bike. The Highlander refused to let her out of arm's reach, so they went to the office and checked out together.

Soon, they were carrying their bags into a much nicer room. "Much better," Duncan said with a satisfied sigh. "At least this way I won't have to stay up all night guarding you."

Tessa wrapped her arms around him. "We could have stayed up all night together," she suggested.

Duncan placed a quick kiss on her nose. "That would have been too distracting," he replied with a grin. "There's no reason to tell Richie we switched hotels. We'll just tell him we checked him out."

"What kind of example are you trying to set here, Duncan?" Tessa teased. "Telling me to lie for you. For shame."

Duncan gave her a light swat on the rear. "Behave yourself."

Tessa released him. "That's no fun," she said before turning serious. "If I could get in and talk to Beth, I'm sure we could get this all straightened out. Do you think her father will let us?"

Duncan shook his head. "I doubt it. He's convinced that we're all out to hurt her. He won't let us near her."

"It's too bad her mother is dead. This must be so hard on Beth."

"I know. We'll see what we can do tomorrow."

* HL * HL *

The next morning, Duncan placed a call to his lawyer who promised to contact someone in Eugene to take Richie's case. Then they went to the hospital. They made a quick stop in the flower shop to buy a bouquet before heading for Beth's room.

Beth's father greeted them at the door. "What are you doing here?" he snarled.

"We wanted to see how Beth was doing?" Tessa replied. "And to bring her these flowers."

"You can take your flowers and shove them-"

"Watch it, Hamilton," Duncan interrupted with a growl.

"Please, let me talk to Beth," Tessa pleaded. "We want to help."

"I don't need your kind of help! I'll be hiring the best psychiatrists I can find for her-and I'll be sending the bill to Ryan."

Duncan sighed. This was getting them nowhere.

"Excuse me? I'm Doctor Beech," a woman interrupted them. "I'm here to examine Beth. If you'd all move down to the waiting room, I'll come see you when I'm done."

The three of them obeyed the doctor's orders. Duncan and Tessa sat at one end and Hamilton sat at the other. Eventually, the doctor came down to talk to them.

"She's doing fine, Mr. Hamilton," she assured him. "Fortunately, she got to the hospital in time, otherwise she might have bled to death."

Duncan had moved closer as the doctor started talking. Tessa had slipped out of the waiting room and was on her way to talk to Beth. All he had to do was keep Hamilton busy here. "What caused the miscarriage, Doctor?" he asked. "She had what is known as an ectopic pregnancy. The egg implanted itself in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. As the embryo grew, it stretched the tube until it ruptured. Without immediate surgery, she could have died."

"Then her being on a motorcycle had nothing to do with the miscarriage?"

"Absolutely not. Sooner or later, something would have given way."

Duncan heaved a silent sigh of relief. That should help reduce Richie's guilt about the miscarriage.

"Will she still be able to have children?" Hamilton asked.

"Yes, but it may be a little more difficult since we had to remove one of the ovaries. If she does have trouble getting pregnant, a specialist should be able to help out. What concerns me the most, right now, is her state of mind. She's highly depressed, which is also not that uncommon after miscarriages. Is the baby's father here? Maybe if she could share her feelings with him?"

"He's not getting anywhere near her again!" Hamilton insisted. "If she needs someone to talk to, she can talk to me."

"No offense, sir, but she might have a hard time expressing her feelings to you. Besides being male, you're also her father. Most girls her age would find it very awkward. Maybe a sister? Or an aunt? A close female friend?"

Hamilton must have remembered Tessa, and he looked around for her. "Where did she go?" he asked accusingly.

"Give her a chance, Hamilton. You heard what the doctor said. Let Tessa talk to Beth."

"No!" he said, before hurrying towards his daughter's room.

* HL * HL *

Tessa caught Duncan's head motion when the doctor came to join them in the waiting room. She quickly figured out what he had in mind and quietly slipped away. She tapped lightly at Beth's door before opening it and going inside.

"Beth? It's Tessa Noel. Can I come in?"

There was no answer from the young girl, so Tessa entered the room and shut the door behind her. Beth was in the only bed in the room, placed close to the window so she could look outside if she wanted to. Instead she was staring up at the ceiling.

"Hello, Beth," Tessa greeted her. "I've brought you some flowers." She placed the vase on the stand next to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," Beth replied dully.

Tessa moved to stand right next to the bed. "Beth, I can't possibly know what you are feeling right now but, if you want to talk about it, I'm a good listener."

Beth shook her head. "Is Richie with you?"

"No, he's not. Your father had him arrested."

The first sign of emotion crossed Beth's face. "Why? Richie didn't do anything wrong."

"Then tell your father that," Tessa insisted. A thought occurred to her. "Or are you afraid to tell your father what really happened? Has your father ever hit you, Beth? Is that why you haven't told him the truth?"

"No! He's not like that! Sure, he gets angry and he yells a lot, but that's all. I... I just didn't want him to be ashamed of me." Tears started rolling down Beth's face.

"Beth, you're my daughter," Hamilton's voice intruded as he crossed the room. "I could *never* be ashamed of you."

Tessa turned and saw Duncan standing in the doorway. She retreated slightly from the bed, giving up her spot to Beth's father.

"Oh, Daddy," Beth sobbed, before sitting up and throwing her arms around him. Her sobbing seemed to fill the room.

Tessa and Duncan withdrew from the room to give them some privacy.

"The healing can start now," Tessa told Duncan. "I think everything is going to be all right."

They went out to the waiting room and sat down after helping themselves to coffee from a nearby pot. Twenty minutes went by before Hamilton joined them there.

"Thank you for what you did for my daughter," he started out. "I... I owe you a big apology. Ryan, too. She told me she went with him willingly-that they were going to elope. I was only trying to protect her. It hasn't been easy raising a daughter on my own."

"I'm sure it wasn't," Duncan replied. "Apology accepted."

"I still don't approve of Richie and Beth having sex, but I guess I've got to let her make some of her own mistakes. I can't protect her forever." Hamilton shook his head and sighed before continuing, "I've already called Detective Franklin and dropped all the charges. He said Ryan would be released immediately. He was even nice enough to offer to drive him over here."

"Thank you," Duncan said, reaching out a hand to shake Hamilton's.

"I... I'm going back to Beth's room, now. She wants to see Richie when he gets here..."

"We'll let him know," Duncan assured him.

Hamilton nodded, before turning away.

Duncan and Tessa went down to the main waiting room and found seats there. The Highlander was the first to know Richie was coming because he sensed the faint presence of a pre-Immortal. The teenager came through the door, and quickly spotted them.

"Free at last!" he said with a grin.

Tessa and Duncan both gave him a hug. "It's over, Richie," she said with a bright smile.

"Except for one thing," Duncan reminded her. "Beth wants to talk to you."

The smile disappeared from Richie's face. "Okay. Lead the way."

Together they went back to the fifth floor and knocked on Beth's door. Her father answered again, but this time anger didn't fill his face.

"Hello, Ryan...uh... Richie. I just want to say I'm sorry for misjudging you."

"That's okay," Richie replied, somewhat uneasy over the sudden change in Hamilton's attitude.

"Beth wants to talk to you-alone. We'll be out in the waiting room when you're done." He motioned to Duncan and Tessa, then followed them out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Richie crossed the room to stand by the bed. "Hi, Beth. How are you feeling?"

Beth grimaced slightly. "Ashamed. I'm so sorry, Richie. It was all my fault! I can't believe my father had you arrested! It must have been so awful, having to spend a night in jail!"

Richie shrugged. "It wasn't the first time. I... I'm real sorry about the baby." He hated situations like these-he never knew what to say.

"I'm sorry, too. We would have made a good family."

He nodded, not certain he could speak around the lump in his throat. When he finally thought he could talk again, he said, "I... I'm still willing to marry you, Beth. We... we could have other children."

Beth stared at him for a moment before she buried her face in her hands and burst out crying.

"I'm sorry, Beth! Please don't cry!" Richie pleaded with her. He had no idea what he'd said that would have caused her to cry. "Are you in pain? Do you want me to get your father? A nurse? A doctor?"

Beth shook her head, and kept on crying.

"Oh, man!" Richie muttered. Now what should he do? He couldn't hold her-the rails on the bed kept him at a distance and he didn't have a clue how to lower them. The only way would be to climb in bed with her, and that's what got him in trouble in the first place! "Please, Beth! Don't cry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."

Beth finally managed to pull herself together and stop crying. She reached for a nearby tissue box, and Richie handed it to her. After wiping her face and blowing her nose, she explained.

"I'm sorry, Richie. I didn't mean to fall apart like that. The doctor said I would be a little emotional for a while. Thank you for still wanting to marry me, but you deserve someone better than me."

"That's not true! You're a wonderful person," Richie protested.

Beth shook her head. "You won't think so when I tell you the truth. You see, you *weren't* the baby's father. In fact, I don't know who was. When I found out I was pregnant, I was desperate. I didn't want my father to find out what really happened, so I lied to you. I already knew I was pregnant the night we..." Beth blushed lightly.

Richie stared at her in shock. Duncan had been right all along. Beth had only been using him. "So, you didn't love me at all?" he finally asked, somewhat surprised at the level tone of his voice. No one would have known that he felt torn up inside. "Yes, I did!" Beth insisted. "I wish I'd met you before I'd met Mark. He was just the kind of guy my father wanted me to date. He was handsome and charming and from a rich family. He was in college, and belonged to one of the best fraternities."

"Sounds like the perfect guy," Richie commented, wondering why she'd ever bothered with him. "Unlike me. No college, no rich family, no fraternity. Just a born sucker."

"That's not true, Richie! You're worth ten of Mark! He was a creep! I was just too amazed that he was interested in me to see it at the time. After sleeping with me several times, he took me to a party at his frat house. I felt so grown up, being there amidst all those college girls. Mark... Mark..." Beth paused and swiped at her eyes with a fresh tissue.

"I don't know what happened. I don't think I drank that much, but pretty soon the room was whirling around and I wasn't really feeling very good. Mark took me up to his room and told me to lie down for a while. The next thing I know, it's morning and I don't have any clothes on and..." Beth started crying again.

Richie reached out and awkwardly patted her shoulder. "It's okay, Beth. It wasn't your fault. You should have turned the creep in for rape."

"It wasn't like we hadn't done it before. But I was really upset and told him I didn't want to see him again. He didn't really seem to care. When I found out I was pregnant, I went to see him. He told me that there had been four other guys that night-and that they'd all swear I went with them willingly."

"That bastard!" Richie exploded. "Is it possible that he was lying about the other guys? Maybe he was the only one that night."

Beth sighed. "I thought about that, too. I guess I'll never know. Anyway, by then I had met you. I really did like you, Richie. And you seemed the answer to my prayers. I wouldn't have to explain to my father about how I could be pregnant and not know who the father was. I used you and I'm ashamed of myself."

Richie wanted to tell her it was all right, but it wasn't. He could understand why she did what she did, but it still hurt. He gave a deep sigh. "I don't blame you, Beth. I just wish you'd told me the truth up front. I might have still helped you out. If you want, you can let your father continue thinking I was the baby's father. There's no reason to tell him the truth."

Beth shook her head. "I'll tell him the truth. I've made a mess of everything and I think I'm going to need his help to get my life back together again. I just wanted you to know first. I don't know what I'm going to do about Mark, but with my dad's help, we'll figure it out." She paused and looked directly at him. "You don't hate me, do you?"

"No, I don't hate you." He just felt numb.

"Maybe some day we can be friends again?"

"Maybe," Richie replied, unwilling to commit to anything. He glanced at his watch. "I should go. You need your rest."

"Good-bye, Richie."

"Bye."

Richie left the room and slowly walked down the hospital corridor, hands shoved deep in his pockets. He didn't look up from the floor until he reached the waiting room.

Hamilton stood up when he entered the area. "I guess I'd better get back to Beth. Once again, I'm sorry for the way I misjudged you-all of you."

Once he was gone, Duncan turned to Richie. "Everything okay?" he asked.

Richie shrugged. "I'm not really ready to talk about it, yet."

Tessa moved to his side and hugged him. "We'll be there when you are ready," she announced. "Shall we go home?"

Richie nodded in agreement, and she linked her arm through his. "Let's go, then."

* HL * HL *

They argued for a while over how to get Richie's bike back to Seacouver. The teenager wanted to ride it back himself, but Duncan was afraid that Richie wouldn't be able to keep his mind on the road. It was pretty obvious that he had some heavy-duty thinking to do. He finally convinced the young man to go in the T-bird with Tessa and that he would ride the bike back.

Duncan knew he'd made the right decision when, after they got home, Tessa told him that Richie hadn't said a word the whole way back. He'd disappeared into his room, and the Scot wondered how long he would stay in there. When he emerged, forty minutes later, Duncan had been very surprised. Richie had apparently showered, since his hair was still damp. He plopped down onto a chair in the living room.

"I guess I'm ready to talk," he informed Duncan and Tessa.

"We're ready to listen," Duncan replied.

"You might as well know-I asked Beth to marry me, anyway," Richie started off.

Duncan looked at Richie in disbelief. "You did what?" He exchanged a dismayed look with Tessa. "Why?"

Richie shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I felt like I was deserting her just because she had a miscarriage. It didn't seem right."

"Is it right to marry someone you don't love with all your heart?" Tessa asked.

"We would have grown to love each other," Richie defended himself. "I'm sure the two of you didn't fall in love right away, either."

"That's right, Richie, we didn't. Our relationship grew over time," Duncan answered. "We didn't even live together until we'd known each other for about three years. This is a big mistake."

"Don't worry, Mac. She turned me down."

"I'm sorry, Richie," Tessa offered, "but it is for the best."

"Yeah, I know. It's just..." Richie paused and sighed deeply before looking directly at Duncan. "You were right all along. I wasn't the father. She was just using me so she wouldn't have to tell her father the truth. I was such an idiot!"

"Richie, you're young and you were infatuated, and you let yourself be swayed by a pretty face. That doesn't make you an idiot," Duncan replied. "You did the honorable thing based on what you thought were the facts. You should be proud of yourself for that."

"How will I know when it's the real thing?" Richie asked. "How can I tell whether it's love or infatuation?"

Duncan smiled at Tessa, picked up her hand and kissed it lightly. "When you truly fall in love, you'll know."

Richie rolled his eyes. "Talk about a cop-out. You'll know-yeah, right."

Tessa giggled. "I thought the same thing, Richie, when I got that answer from my parents. In fact, I was about the same age as you are right now. But it is hard to describe the feelings-the sheer joy of being with someone and wanting to be with that person for the rest of your life. And it has nothing to do with having sex!"

Duncan grinned at her. "I don't know if I'd go that far, Tessa. But you have to remember, Richie, that you won't spend all your life in the bedroom. There's more to life than that. It's when you start thinking about what's best for your partner instead of what's best for you. And trying to do everything you can to make someone else happy."

Richie sighed. "I still don't understand."

"You're only eighteen," Tessa said. "You have lots of time to meet someone and fall in love."

"That's right," Duncan added. Richie had more time than he would ever be able to imagine-assuming he didn't lose his head. "There's no rush."

"I guess. It's just, sometimes... I see you two... And you're so in love... And... Well... I want that, too!"

Tessa went over to Richie's side and kissed his cheek. "Some day, you will find the perfect person for you. I'm sure of that."

"I hope so," Richie said wistfully before standing. "I think I'm going to go for a walk. I won't be long."

"All right, Richie," Duncan said. "We'll be here."

"Yeah, I guess I can count on that," Richie said with a grin.

* HL * HL *

The next morning, Duncan was reading the newspaper when Richie came out of his room.

"Morning, Mac," he mumbled sleepily, wiping at one of his eyes with his right hand.

"Good morning, Richie. Did you sleep well?" Duncan asked as the young man sat down at the table.

Richie nodded. "Yeah. I think I got a lot of things straightened out yesterday-thanks to you and Tessa."

"Well, there is one more little matter that needs to be settled," Duncan said, keeping a serious look on his face.

"What's that?"

"The little matter of you drinking my Scotch."

"Oh, man!" Richie groaned as he buried his head in his hands. "Don't you ever forget anything?"

"Nope, you can count on me for that," Duncan replied with a grin.

The End.