AN – Many thanks as ever for the reviews, we all know where this is going to end up – but there will be a few twists and turns on the way – I wouldn't want to make it easy for Richie, now would I? Grins.


Duncan had planned to stay on the Island until Richie was due to start at the Garage. He wanted some time to get to know the boy and teaching him the skills of the wilderness was a good foundation for the real life or death lessons to come. But it quickly became evident that things weren't about to work out that smoothly.

"I can't believe I almost caught a fish!" Richie enthused over breakfast. "You should have seen it Tess, it was this big!"

"How big?" Duncan asked mildly.

"This big?" Richie moved his hands in a foot or so.

"Better."

"Do you think we could ..mmpf," Richie's face twisted as he bit down awkwardly.

"That tooth still hurting you?" Duncan asked solicitously.

"No, its fine." Richie lied.

"This is why you wince every time you eat something too hard or too cold?" Tessa challenged.

"And why you have been swallowing painkillers every four hours for the last two days?" Duncan added.

"I'm sorry," Richie blushed. "I'll pay you back for the pills."

"Richie, we don't care about the pills," Tessa assured him. "We care that you are in pain."

"Its cool, once I start at the Garage I get this great healthcare plan. I promise I'll get everything checked out then."

"Everything?" Duncan sat up a little straighter. "What else?"

"Its nothing."

"Really?" Duncan's eyes narrowed. "When was your last tetanus injection?"

"I'm not sure. Look, I'll get it done."

"And if you slice yourself on a manifold on your first day?" Duncan shook his head.

"Hey, a little faith here. I'm a good mechanic."

"Anyone can have an accident, Richie." Tessa reproved gently.

Duncan supposed he should have thought about this before. As long as Richie was fit to work he doubted the lad's most recent foster father had cared much about his welfare.

"Fairfax Springs isn't that far out of our way from here," he spoke to Tessa. "I could paddle over to the Store this morning and make a call?"

"It would be nice to see Will again." Tessa agreed.

"Ain't no Doctor going to fit me in before Monday," Richie was confident.

"He's a friend." Tessa shrugged, as she stood up to clear the dishes.

"A very old friend." Duncan confirmed.

"Oh man," Richie's eyes widened. "I am so screwed."


The small town of Fairfax Springs was mostly one long main street, with clusters of residential housing behind. At this time of year the last of the small crowd of summer walkers were departing and the residents were bracing themselves for the winter to come. Spotting Will Stourton's office on the right hand side Duncan pulled the T-Bird into the kerb and set the parking brake.

"All set?" Duncan looked over his shoulder at Richie.

"Aren't we kinda early? Maybe we should drive round the block a few times?"

"You will be fine." Tessa soothed.

"Easy for you to say," Richie groused. "Its not you he's going to be sticking things in."

"C'mon," Duncan climbed out of the car. "I'll introduce you."

"This guy is a regular Doctor right?" Richie asked as he reluctantly followed. "You know, with certificates and stuff?"

"He studied at the Pennsylvania School of Medicine."

"Yeah? Cool," Richie was momentarily impressed. Then he frowned. "What century?"

"I'm not sure," Duncan mused. "Had they discovered anaesthetics by the 1800s?"

"Stop teasing him Duncan," Tessa scolded. "If you are worried, Richie, we will come in with you."

"Naw, Tess, you go shop," Richie allowed magnanimously. "It'll be cool."

"Alright, if you're sure," Tessa patted his arm and shot Duncan a look that clearly said 'take care of him' as she took her purse in order to buy the few provisions they needed. "I'll see you for lunch in an hour."

"An hour?" Richie looked at her retreating back in horror. "Please tell me it's not going to take an hour."

"I'm sure Will is just being generous with his time." Duncan didn't think it was a good idea to let his young friend know that he had asked Stourton to give him a thorough medical.

"So, how long have you known this guy?" Richie fished as they made their way down the small path.

"A while."

"Oh that's real informative," Richie rolled his eyes. "What are we talking here? A decade? A century? What?"

"After you." Duncan just grinned as he opened the door.


Stourton's friendly blue eyes and cheerful demeanour quickly put Richie at his ease. It was Duncan who grew gradually more and more concerned as the minutes ticked by and still he didn't return. At last, Stourton's buzz sent him to his feet.

"How is he?"

"Well, I've taken care of the basics. I filled his tooth, brought his shots up to date, you know, you really should have told him, I was qualified in multiple fields, the look on his face was priceless. Oh, and you might want to have a little talk with him about propolactics. I've prescribed him some antibiotics," He passed Duncan a slip of paper. "But that's got to have been dashed uncomfortable for him."

"Oh," Duncan felt his lips twitch. Then he looked up and saw the serious look in Stourton's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"You were right to be worried."

"I wasn't before you said that."

"How much do you know about him?"

"Not enough it seems."

Stourton sighed. "I think someone's been abusing him Duncan. He has some serious bruising that can't easily be explained any other way."

"Oh?" Duncan sat up straighter.

"There's a fairly recent one on his left upper arm, he tried to tell me it was nothing, but I could see the dammed finger marks!" Stourton fumed.

"Oh," Duncan felt the colour rise in his face. "I think that might have been me."

"What?"

"I was teaching him how to track in the woods and he tripped on a tree branch, it was all I could do to catch him before he fell head first down the ravine." He defended himself.

"And the bruises on his shins, like someone had thrown him to the ground?"

"He was about to jump off a bloody building! I had to stop him somehow."

"What about that long yellow bruise on his arm? It's older than the rest but it went pretty deep and I'm dammed sure you didn't take a stick to him."

"No, that would be Tessa." Duncan winced.

"Tessa!" Stourton's eyebrows shot up.

"It was an accident. She hit him with a broom," Duncan admitted. "It's a long story."

"I give up," Stourton rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Then apart from being as thin as a Daddy Long Legs and twice as skittish the kid's fine. I'll take you to him."


Feeling bored Richie hopped off the examination table and started to play with the shiny instruments on the tray, the clicking sound and the way they caught the light a monetary distraction.

"Ouch." He protested, as a sharp edge caught his finger.

Sticking the abused digit in his mouth he wandered around the room to see what else might catch his fancy. Out the window he leant back a little to catch a better view of a pretty blonde, wandering past on the sidewalk, when he heard voices in the hallway.

"Seriously though, Duncan. Have you really thought about this? I mean, it's a big commitment and you have Tessa to consider."

"Believe me, this was mostly Tessa's idea. The last thing I was looking for was a stray teenager."

"And now you feel bound by your promise to Connor."

"He's my kinsman. And my teacher."

"He said the boy needed watching. He never said you had to be the one to do it. Look at this place. It's a nice quiet, sleepy, little town. It's like living in the 1950's except with MTV. I could call in a few favours to rustle up a job for him and there is a decent boarding house right down the street. You have to admit the boy would be a lot safer here than back in Seacover."

"Don't you believe it."

"A trouble magnet, huh? All the more reason to limit his sphere of operations."

"And what will you say to the good ladies of the Towns Women's Guild when their Peach Cobblers go missing?"

"Then I'll make like it is the 1950's and paddle his behind." Stourton laughed.

Richie leant against the door, his heart pounding in his chest, even as the blood drained from his face. Surely Macleod wasn't thinking of leaving him here? He'd thought they had a connection. He couldn't. He wouldn't. Would he?

"He'd hate it here."

"He'd get used to it," Stourton dismisse that."And least he might live to see his nineteenth birthday."

Macleod's hesitation was the only answer he needed. He had been stupid to think that the Immortal had actually wanted him around in the first place. It was so obvious. He was just being nice to him because he had promised Connor. Who, let's face it hadn't wanted to stick around either. Well, Richie decided, two could play at that game. Carefully easing the window open he stuck first one leg and then the other over the sill, before dropping lightly down onto the grass and running away as far and as fast as his legs could carry him.


Two weeks later Duncan Macleod frowned at the broken and rusted sign that announced he had arrived at his destination. Much as he was desperate to find the lad he really hoped that his lastest lead turned out to be a dead end. This neighbourhood was no place for any kid. A dark haired man, with a sour expression leant on the doorframe and watched as he approached.

"Something wrong with your ride, Mister?"

"I'm looking for a blonde kid. I heard he works here. Name of Richie Ryan."

"Ain't no-one called that here. Not that I rightly recall." The greedy light in the man's eyes as he hastened to sell out the kid to who ever was asking made Duncan's skin crawl. Fighting the urge to simply cut off the man's airways until he told him what he wanted, he pulled out his wallet and handed over $50.

"In the back." The man tipped his head.

Walking slowly into the Garage, letting his eyes grow accustomed to the gloom Duncan looked around at the obvious activity, as license plates were changed and paint jobs re-sprayed, turning as he felt the faint buzz.

"You lookin' for me?" Richie's eyes were hard. "Well, here I am."

Inwardly, Duncan sighed. He had never expected this to be easy, but the stiff set of the lad's jaw and the challenge in his eyes warned him that he would have his work cut out to make this right between them.

"I came to tell you that I'm still your friend."

"With friends like you a guy don't need no enemies."

"I tried to find you."

"You reported me missing to the Police!" Richie corrected hotly. "You know what that meant? It meant I couldn't go near a shelter cos they'd turn me in to the cops."

"Where are you living now?" Duncan worried.

"I got a place that comes with the job." Richie's tone was dismissive.

"You know this place is a front for stolen merchandise, right?"

"So?"

"So, I doubt they have a union. Or a healthcare plan." Duncan raised a brow.

"I never asked you to pay for all that Doctoring," Richie turned away and busied himself tidying some tools. "If you wanna waste your money it ain't my business."

"You think spending money on you is a waste?"

That got him a quick, unreadable, look. But the lad held his peace.

"You missed your birthday." Duncan nudged.

"No, I didn't, I managed to turn 18 all by myself."

"How did you get back from Fairfax Springs?" Duncan had been worrying about that. It was a four hour drive to Seacouver. There was no way the lad could have walked it.

"I hitched."

"Richie," The way the lad flinched meant he didn't need to tell him how dangerous that was. Duncan suspected he knew rather more than the Immortal was comfortable with about the type of people that preyed on vulnerable youngsters. "You had no call to go running off like that."

"What you going do, Macloed?" Richie sneered. "Paddle me?"

Inwardly, Duncancursed to have his worst suspicions confirmed. He would never have spoken so glibly, or allowed Stourton to do so if he had thought the boy could overhear them. No wonder he'd run. "Richie you have to believe me. I never meant to leave you there."

"Yeah, right." Richie still wouldn't look at him.

"Damn straight, right," Duncan seized him by the arm and turned him around. "Look, I'm sorry you had to overhear that but it was all Will's idea."

"Why the hell should I believe you?"

"Because I've just spent the last two weeks searching high and low for you. And I gave you my word that I'd not abandon you."

"Yeah, well, where I come from, that doesn't mean a whole lot."

"Then you've a lot to learn." Duncan's gaze was steady.

"What do you care? It was all Tessa's idea you said," Richie locked eyes with him, all his hurt and pain shuttered behind a screen of anger and disgust as he sneered. Oh, wait," he grinned, a bright, insincere, grin that Duncan just itched to slap off his face. "She's not letting you get any is she?"

"My sex life is just fine thanks," Duncan fished in his pocket and pulled out the antibiotics he had picked up and tossed them at the lad. "Which is more than I can say for yours."

By reflex Richie snagged the packet out of the air, scowling at the implied insult, until he read the label and blushed, a deep, dark, red. He had hadn't realised the Immortal knew about that. Indecision seized him; his lingering hurt meant he wanted nothing more than to throw them back in his face. But he'd been down to the Clinic and knew this stuff was way better than anything his money could buy. The fact that the Scot would bother to go and fill out the prescription even after he had made tracks was confusing.

"I don't want these." He offered them back, not making eye contact.

"Richie, just take them, please?" The unaccustomed note of pleading in the Immortal's voice was a surprise.

Knowing that he did, desperately, need the medication and that he had no other way to acquire it, Richie reluctantly caved, putting the pills in his pocket with an awkward shrug. "I guess I owe you one, huh?"

"No," The answer surprised him. "I owe you one."


"And you just left him there?

Duncan briefly closed his eyes as Tessa's temper and her voice predictably rose.

"What else could I do, sweetheart? He's eighteen. Its not like I could ground him for being out past curfew."

"But this place is dangerous. With bad people, you said!"

"I know," Truth be told Duncan was more than a little anxious about that himself. Ryan had enough street smarts to keep himself ahead of the average low life. But he was still only a kid, and all the fast-talking in the world would do he no good if he found himself on the wrong end of a drug-crazed gunman. "I'll keep an eye on him."

"Oh yes, that will be so helpful when he is lying dead in a gutter."

"Well, what do you expect me to do?" Her words stung his conscience. "There are laws against kidnapping people."

"There are laws against killing people also, but you seem to get around those!"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth she regretted them, shaking her head as she attempted to throw off her anger. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I know you're worried."

"We both are," Duncan changed the subject. "I gave him the antibiotics."

"Did he take them?"

"He wouldn't, not in front of me," Duncan shrugged. "But I'll warrant he won't hold out for long."

"Le pauvre," Tessa sighed. "To be so alone."

"He's not alone," Duncan assured her firmly. "He has us. He just doesn't know it yet."

Tessa turned to him, her eyes full of hope. "Mac?"

"Let me talk to him, Tess," Duncan strove to curb her optimism. It was bloody dangerous to forge too close a tie with the pre-immortal. If Connor knew he was even thinking of having him work at the Store, he'd be beside himself. But that paled into insignificance when Duncan considered his kinsman's reaction if Richie was born prematurely into his Immortality because of his dammed incompetence. "It's going to take a while."

"And if he doesn't have a while?" Tessa asked astutely.

"He will," Duncan vowed. "I'll make sure of it."


Across town Richie Ryan curled up on his side on the thin, bare mattress, in one corner of the storeroom, and wept.