AN – Many many thanks for the enthusiastic feedback. And Lori, you have to stop reading my mind! Oh and I couldn't fit all the loose ends into one chapter, so there's still one more to go.
!!!
"So, where is it?" Richie looked expectantly at the Immortal as the T-Bird, pulled into the alley behind the Store. "Is it an 'outside type' surprise, like out here in the alley? Or is it a 'can't be kept inside but needs to be undercover, in Tessa's workshop,' type surprise? Or maybe, it's a 'bulky, top of the wardrobe' type of surprise?"
"You know, you're gonna be a nightmare come Christmas." Duncan observed, as he led the way inside.
Christmas? Richie looked at the Immortal's retreating back. Mac thought he was still gonna be here come Christmas? The thought gave him a warm glow of pleasure.
Taking the stairs two at a time, to try and catch up with the Immortal, Richie continued. "OK, then its gotta be one of those tiny, but real expensive, surprises that you can hide among all those lacy bits in Tessa's underwear drawer." He concluded as he burst into the kitchen.
"And what would you know about the contents of my underwear drawer?" Tessa broke her kiss with the Immortal, to turn and smile wickedly at the teen.
"Tess!" Richie blushed furiously. "Um. Er. Laundry, I swear. That's all. I didn't .. I would never .. Nuh uh .. I mean, I don't even know what some of those things are for!"
"Rich," Duncan advised. "Shut up, now."
"Yeah, right. Shutting up," Richie took a deep breath and then broke into a big smile, as if he had just noticed the Frenchwoman. "Tess! You're home, its so great to see you, did you have a good trip?"
Duncan and Tessa exchanged a quick, amused, glance.
"Yes, thank you," Knowing that Richie would never initiate a greeting, Tessa gave him a soft peck on the cheek, that set him blushing furiously. "It went very well, I managed to sell several important pieces."
"That's great, Tess," Richie enthused. Then he looked at the Immortal. "So, was that my surprise?" he asked, trying hard to keep the disappointment out of his voice.
"Am I not enough?" Tessa teased.
"Yeah, sure, I mean, its great that you're home, really great .." Richie assured her hurriedly.
"But you hoped for something else, perhaps?" Tessa asked, amused, as she went over to her bag and pulled out a package. "This is for you."
"Oh cool, thanks Tess," Richie seized the package eagerly and started to feel it all over. He paused fractionally, his expression stilling, causing Duncan to straighten slightly in concern, Richie pasted on a bright smile and ripped away at the paper, to reveal a pale blue button down oshirt.
"Gee," Richie enthused, perhaps just a fraction too much, Duncan thought. "That's just, wow Tess, I don't know what to say. Thanks."
"You are welcome." Tessa smiled.
"What about me?" Duncan pouted.
"You'll get your present later." Tessa promised, with a suggestive smirk.
"Geez, you guys," Richie protested. "Can't you ever just buy each other normal presents? Like soap or something?"
"Hey," Duncan pulled him into a loose headlock. "Watch it, laddie. Or you won't get my surprise."
"I still get that?" Richie perked up.
"Its in your bedroom." Duncan let him go.
As Richie shot off towards his room, Duncan took a moment to give Tessa another kiss. "You didn't need to come home early, but thank you."
"I thought you needed some help." Tessa smiled impishly at him.
"Hey, I'm not doing that badly, I got him out of the contract, didn't I? And, I got the trophy out of the lake."
"I wish I had been here to see that." Tessa giggled.
"Hey, it wasn't easy. Do you have any idea how many lakes there are in Seacouver?"
"Not at all."
"No," Duncan made a face. "Neither did I." he nuzzled her hair. "Did you keep the receipt for that shirt?"
"Yes, of course," Tessa pulled back a little so she could look him in the eye. "He does not like it?"
"I don't think Rich, has had enough practice with gifts to see clothes as proper presents. Not to mention, its not exactly his style, sweetheart."
"It could be." Tessa protested.
"Or not." Duncan grinned.
"He is being very quiet," Tessa commented. "Do you think he is alright?"
!!!
Richie was sitting motionless on the bed, looking up at the new shelf that the Immortal had fixed early that morning. The soft pine was aged to a warm honey glow and the plinths were decorated with an elegant simplicity which made it clear that the Immortal hadn't just popped out to the nearest Home Depot.
Yet, it wasn't the shelf that had captured Richie's attention.
Sitting in the centre of the shelf, in pride of place, was the trophy that he had held aloft with such pride on Saturday afternoon, only to send it tumbling into the depths of the lake, a few hours later.
"Rich?" Duncan spoke quietly from the doorway. "You OK, Tough Guy?"
Nothing.
"You talk to him," Tessa murmured. "I will start lunch."
"I thought you wanted to help?" Duncan hissed. "You talk to him. I'll make lunch."
"He needs to talk to you Duncan. Sorry worrying so much, just follow your instincts."
"You want me to take him out and kill a few boars?" Duncan rolled his eyes. "At least you know what it is like to be a teenager sometime this century."
"But I have never been a boy, who needs his father. I think you can help him with that, non?"
As she kissed his cheek and made her way down the corridor, Duncan tried to swallow his nerves. Exactly when had this annoying, irritating, infuriating, amusing, quick witted, brave, adorable, lad, wormed his way so deeply into his heart? He didn't know. He just knew he couldn't bear to lose him.
"Hey, mind if I join you?"
No reaction.
Well, at least he hadn't told him to get lost .. or worse. Duncan decided to take that as a good sign and settled himself next to the teen.
Richie stiffened.
Not such a good sign.
Duncan waited. He wanted to give the teen a change to say what was on his mind. After ten minutes he was almost about to give up and break the silence.
"How did you find it?" Richie's voice was quiet and he didn't look at the Immortal.
"I got out a map, worked out the route from the Stadium, and started searching every body of water I could find."
"Mac, I saw it sink."
"So? I'm good swimmer."
That got him a look.
"You swam in Centennial Lake?"
"Uh huh."
Richie looked back at the trophy, a small smile hovering around his lips.
"You know there are all kinds of bugs and stuff in there, right?"
"I think I'm immune."
"With all the old car parts and junk in there I'm surprised you could find anything."
"Well, it helps that I have 20/20 vision and I can breath under water."
A raised brow.
"You're snowing me, right?"
"Maybe." Duncan grinned.
"You know there are bye laws about swimming in Municipal Lakes?" Richie shook his head, as he stood up to examine the trophy. "You, my friend, just broke the law."
"In my day, a man could bathe where he chose." Duncan huffed.
"Get real, Mac, I've seen the films, everything belonged to the rich dudes, you'd like as not get your bits blown off by the Gamekeeper or whoever for making his Lordship's water grimy with your lowlife dirt," Richie picked the trophy up off the shelf and settled back down next to the Immortal. "It's a shame about the .." He stopped. The reverse of the trophy was as smooth as the front.
"Big dent in the back where you drop kicked it into touch?" Duncan nudged him. "Didn't I tell you, I used to be a Silversmith?"
"You fixed it?"
"It wasn't that hard. Tess had all the tools I needed."
"Is there anything you haven't done before?"
"I've never been a Da, to a teenage lad before." Duncan said seriously "So, I might not get everything right, straight off, but I'll try never to make the same mistake twice."
"Is that a promise?" Richie teased.
"You're just asking for trouble aren't you?" Duncan tousled his hair.
"Well, I guess we're even. Cos .. well .. I never had much of a Dad before, unless you count Teresa, so I dunno Mac, maybe we'd be better off just being friends."
"I canna be your Father and your friend?"
Richie gave him a quick, vulnerable, look, that said quite clearly he thought that particular idea was a load of crock. Duncan sighed, clearly he had a lot of rebuilding to do, before the lad would even entertain being part of this family in anything but a legal and technical sense.
'Sides," Richie shrugged awkwardly. "This Dad stuff, only lasts for another few weeks. If we were friends, well, maybe, perhaps, we could keep in touch, .. or something?"
Or maybe not. Duncan realised, as he looked at the teen in stunned amazement. This was progress indeed.
"Or not," Richie amended, hurriedly, "I mean, soon as its legal, I'm outta here. Or, before, if you like. I can .."
"Richie, you will always have a place here," Duncan assured him. "And if you ever even think about not keeping in touch .." He leaned in to tickle the lad.
"OK, OK, I get it," Richie laughed, as he pulled out of reach.
Actually, Duncan seriously doubted that the lad had any idea, as yet, just how deep his feelings ran. Still, it wouldn't hurt to give him a push in the right direction.
"Here," Duncan pulled a small, tissue wrapped package from his pocket. "I realised, I never got you a victory gift. So .."
"You didn't have to," Richie made no move to take it. "You already did so much .. the shelf .. the trophy."
"Richie, just take it."
The teen carefully unwrapped the fragile package to reveal a hand tooled, black leather bracelet, similar in style to those Richie already worn around his wrist. But a single glance told him that this was in a different league from those he had stolen from the stalls at the craft market down by the harbour. The leather was soft and supple, polished to a dark sheen, the pattern of an eagle and a bear, was done with intricate care, by hand, Richie guessed, not stamped by a machine, and the leather ties were finished with two, highly polished, blue glass beads.
"Oh man, this must have cost a fortune."
"Hardly anything, actually." Duncan's lips quirked. "Just the cost of the materials."
"You made this?" At the Immortal's nod, Richie's jaw dropped. He wanted to ask about it. It looked like something from the Native American Indian display he had seen when his class took a field trip to Seacouver Museum. But the sadness in Duncan's eyes stilled his tongue and fuelled his decision.
"Mac, I can't take this. It looks like its really precious. I would hate for it to get broken or anything."
"Good," Duncan surprised him. "Cos, if you are worrying about harm coming to the bracelet, then you will take better care of yourself and you are far more precious to me than any bracelet."
"Oh." Richie managed. "Mac .. I .."
"Here, let me help you." Dumbly, Richie held out his wrist as the Immortal deftly tied the bracelet on. The laces made for an adjustable fit, so it wasn't too big for the lad. Duncan nodded once, satisfied. It looked .. right.
"Um. I got something for you too," Richie shifted slightly on the bed. "I mean, I didn't buy it or anything. But well, I wanted to apologise. You've never given me any reason to doubt you. I shoulda trusted you and not thought you were like all those other dudes. I'm really sorry, Mac."
Duncan's jaw tightened slightly. He wanted to know just how many harms these other dudes had inflicted upon his lad, but looking at his open, unturned face, he knew this was not the time.
"Aye, lad," Duncan reached out to rub his hand around the boy's neck. "I'm sorry too."
"Sorry, enough to teach me how to use the Katana?"
"Not even close."
"You know, Mac," Richie stood up and put the trophy back. "That's a pretty big shelf for one trophy."
"First of many."
"You think?" Richie blinked "Naw, after you did your big bad Dad act, I don't figure Saracen will touch me with a barge pole. I mean, not that I mind, honest.."
"Rich, you have a real talent there, it would be a shame to waste it."
"But .."
"We'll work something out Rich." Duncan stood and offered the teen a hand up.
"You know something, don't you?" Richie realised, as the Immortal led the way towards the kitchen. "Mac, what do you know?"
!!!
AN - For those of you who wanted Mac to adopt Richie in this story, I'd love to but I can't because it is set before he events in "I never liked Art .." but you know I have a pre-disposition towards happy endings (grins) ..more to come ..
