When Adam and Amanda returned from the airport Duncan and Richie were
talking about anything that came to mind and still on the porch.
"So, MacLeod, what's the big news?" Adam asked as soon as he reached the porch, skipping any sort of greeting.
"I was talking with Andrew Breaker. . ." Duncan started.
"Who?" Amanda asked, giving Duncan and Richie each a quick hug in greeting.
"He's a watcher."
"You know, I haven't seen many of those guys around much anymore," Richie commented wincing at his own bad grammar. He didn't know why but whenever he was around Adam, Amanda, and Duncan he always seemed to revert back to being the teenager who hung around because he had nothing better to do.
"I bet you haven't seen many immortals either," Duncan said pointedly.
"Well. . . no, not really."
"That's because there are less than two hundred left."
Amanda raised her eyebrows, "Less than?"
"This is the end," Duncan said grimly. "It could all be over in a couple of months."
"Or it could be a couple years," Richie ventured.
"Yeah, Duncan, who knows what's really going to happen," Amanda said looking at Adam for support.
"It could be years," Adam conceded. "Or it could be a couple days, like you said nobody knows."
"So what happens now. . . 'It's been nice knowin' ya, but stay the hell away from me I don't want to kill you'?" Richie asked.
"Who said anyone of us is killing the others?" Duncan looked at Richie's uncharacteristically serious face.
"That's what this is all about, isn't it? 'In the end there can be only one'. Chances are it won't be me, but you guys have a pretty good shot; especially Adam if experience has anything to do with it."
"It's not going to be me, kid," Adam said with unsettling certainty.
Duncan crossed his arms, "How do you- - -"
"Jaemi!" Amanda interrupted him. Duncan turned around to find Jaesin standing in the doorway behind him.
"Hi, Aunt Amanda," she greeted.
"Her name is Jaesin," Adam whispered in Amanda's ear. "How did you get Jaemi out of Jaesin?"
"Jaesin is a boy's name," Amanda said putting her arms for a hug. "And this angelic creature is not a boy." She held Jaesin out at arms length and looked at her from head to toe, taking in everything from her straight blonde hair and green eyes to her bare feet and small scar on her left foot. "She's practically a woman. Besides she looks more like a Jaemi and it fits. Plus Richie and Jaemi sounds better."
Adam rolled his eyes, "There's no arguing with a woman's logic."
"Are you feeling better, Jae?" Duncan asked.
"No two people call that girl the same thing," Adam grumbled. "She's going to develop some sort of complex over it."
"Yeah," Jaesin answered Duncan. "I'm hungry."
"Now that's what I'm talking about," Richie said jabbing at her playfully, figuring the conversation would resume once Jaesin was fed and in bed. "What do we have as far as food goes around here?"
"Jack squat," Jaesin answered putting her fists up and inviting Richie into a boxing match. "Unless you count Hans and Fritz." She took a swing at Richie, which he easily dodged.
"Mmmm, Mmmm, good. . . dog kabobs it is." His fist hit her lightly in the jaw. "Keep your left hand up to protect you face."
"Richie. . ." Duncan warned. His paternal instincts didn't like watching Richie hit Jaesin, especially since she was so much smaller than he was.
"Mac, I barely touched her."
"Yeah, Dad, he barely touched me." Jaesin turned to face Duncan letting her guard down. Richie took the opprotunity to grab her and draped her slender form around his shoulders. She giggled and fought his grip, only to find herself dangling upside down by her knees from his arms.
"Uh-oh, what are you going to do now, huh?" Richie teased her carrying her off the porch and into the yard.
"A whole lot of little kids missed out not having him as a big brother," Amanda commented watching the wrestling match that had broken out in the yard.
"He does have a certain touch with her," Duncan agreed.
"He has to," Adam said softly.
"Is this really the end of the Gathering?" Amanda asked having not heard Adam's comment.
"Less than two hundred, Amanda. And the number's getting smaller all the time. . . if this isn't the end I don't know what it is."
"A second chance," Adam responded with a far off look in his eyes.
"A what?"
Adam shook his head, "Nothing."
. . . . . .
Hans pulled the blankets off the bed. Richie opened his eyes and tried to figure out what had woken him. Realizing he was cold he sat up and pulled the covers back on top of himself. Hans began whining and licked Richie's hand that was dangling over the side of the bed.
"Fine, fine, fine." Richie got out of bed and followed Hans out into the hall. "Hey!" he hissed as loud as he dared as the dog began pawing at Jaesin's door. "Stop that!" He pulled on the dog's collar and led him down the stairs and opened the backdoor, Hans whining all the way. "What is your deal?" Richie grumbled shoving the dog out the door. "Ugh!" He groaned as Hans immediately turned and ran back up the stairs. He followed the dog and fought the urge to kick it when he found it pawing at Jaesin's door again. Instead he gave Hans a light whack on the rear.
"Get in there!" He hissed pointing to his room. Hans raised his paw to the door, "Ah, ah, ah! Get!" Hans gave Jaesin's room one last look before going into Richie's room, head hanging and tail tucked between his legs. "Stupid dog," Richie grumbled opening the door and sticking his head in Jaesin's room. "Sorry, Jaes," he whispered. He noticed she had kicked off her covers and went in to cover her up. On his way back out he kicked something small and hard on the floor. "Umph!" he screamed stuffing his fist in his mouth.
"Some other time," Jaesin murmured.
"Huh?" Richie turned around and faced her.
"Let's go. . .It's okay, it's alright. . . I don't have a purse, only the rings, I swear."
Richie stared at Jaesin. He recognized every word coming out of her mouth. They were words that had haunted his dreams for years.
"Tessa," she whispered. The name sent shivers down Richie's spine. "No!" Jaesin screamed sitting up. Richie stood paralyzed in the dark not moving until Duncan shoved him out of his way to his daughter.
"Jae, what's wrong?" he asked softly taking her trembling body into his arms.
"He shot her!" she sobbed. "He shot that lady! She didn't do anything, he just shot her!"
"What lady?" Duncan asked as he began rocking her.
"The blonde lady," she said as if it explained everything.
"You told her," Richie said softly. "When did you tell her?" He didn't bother trying to keep the anger out of his voice.
"What's going on?" Amanda asked from the doorway.
"I thought you didn't want her to know!" Richie continued ignoring Amanda. "You said you weren't going to tell her!"
"Tell her what?" Duncan asked still rocking Jaesin.
"About Tessa!"
"Yeah, that's her, the blonde lady," Jaesin said looking up at Richie. "That guy shot her. How'd you know?"
Duncan looked down at Jaesin then up at Richie. "I didn't tell her, Rich."
"Then how does she know?" he demanded.
"Richie," Amanda said softly. "Go downstairs. Duncan will be down in a minute," she assured him when he didn't move. "Let him take care of Jaemi first."
. . . . . .
Adam looked out the window at Richie staring up at the stars. Jaesin's scream had woken him, but when he heard Richie's yelling he knew it was time. Adam set his shoulders. He was the only one who could explain everything to Richie, and now was the time. Richie needed to know. He had held out on him long enough. Adam had known this day would come for twelve years, and for twelve years he had prepared himself for it. He got dressed and went outside.
. . . . . .
"I heard all the commotion," Adam said as Richie turned around to face him. "I bet you're a little confused."
"A little?" Richie scoffed. "If Mac didn't tell her, and I didn't tell her, who did?"
"Maybe you did, and you just don't know how."
"I don't talk to Mac about Tessa, why would I talk to Jaes about her?" Richie felt awkward confiding in Adam; they had never been that close. But for some reason he wanted to tell him everything. "I didn't know what to do in there, I panicked, froze. It was weird, I knew she was freaked out, but, like, I couldn't help. I wanted to see what would happen next, ya know?" he rambled once again letting his vocabulary slip into teenage mode. "I was just standin' there, listening. I knew what she was gonna say, but it still surprised me when she said it. I knew what she was seeing, and I couldn't stop it."
"She was seeing your memories, that's how she knows about Tessa."
"Oh, really? And how does that work?"
"It's not as complicated as you think it is. You'll understand soon."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Richie asked more curious than annoyed with Adams ambiguity.
"Do you believe in fate?" Adam asked after a moment of silence.
"Huh?"
"Do you believe things happen for a reason?"
"I never really thought about it, but I guess so. You kinda have to if you want to explain anything that's happened to me."
"Like finding Duncan."
Richie turned to Adam he had never heard him call Duncan by his first name before. "Yeah, among other things."
"Like finding Jaesin."
"I didn't find her, Mac did."
"But you convinced him to keep her, why?"
"I don't know," Richie smirked in the moonlight. "I couldn't let him take her to the police. She was just a baby, so small and fragile. There was something about her. I loved her the second I saw him walk through the door with her in his arms." He stared up at the moon. "The only reason he kept her is because he didn't trust me to take care of her like I wanted to."
"Why did you want to?" Adam prompted.
Richie got a far off look in his eyes. "She was meant to be with me," he answered softly.
Adam smiled; Richie was beginning to understand. Now was the time for immortals to have their second chance. "You're a good kid," Adam said putting his arm around Richie's shoulders. "You might not understand it all right away, but you will. You're a fast learner." He felt Richie's body relaxing. "You follow your heart, you'll server the word well." He cupped Richie's chin in his hand and twisted Richie's head forcing it farther than it naturally moved. Before Richie could fight, his neck was broken. "And now you have to begin."
"So, MacLeod, what's the big news?" Adam asked as soon as he reached the porch, skipping any sort of greeting.
"I was talking with Andrew Breaker. . ." Duncan started.
"Who?" Amanda asked, giving Duncan and Richie each a quick hug in greeting.
"He's a watcher."
"You know, I haven't seen many of those guys around much anymore," Richie commented wincing at his own bad grammar. He didn't know why but whenever he was around Adam, Amanda, and Duncan he always seemed to revert back to being the teenager who hung around because he had nothing better to do.
"I bet you haven't seen many immortals either," Duncan said pointedly.
"Well. . . no, not really."
"That's because there are less than two hundred left."
Amanda raised her eyebrows, "Less than?"
"This is the end," Duncan said grimly. "It could all be over in a couple of months."
"Or it could be a couple years," Richie ventured.
"Yeah, Duncan, who knows what's really going to happen," Amanda said looking at Adam for support.
"It could be years," Adam conceded. "Or it could be a couple days, like you said nobody knows."
"So what happens now. . . 'It's been nice knowin' ya, but stay the hell away from me I don't want to kill you'?" Richie asked.
"Who said anyone of us is killing the others?" Duncan looked at Richie's uncharacteristically serious face.
"That's what this is all about, isn't it? 'In the end there can be only one'. Chances are it won't be me, but you guys have a pretty good shot; especially Adam if experience has anything to do with it."
"It's not going to be me, kid," Adam said with unsettling certainty.
Duncan crossed his arms, "How do you- - -"
"Jaemi!" Amanda interrupted him. Duncan turned around to find Jaesin standing in the doorway behind him.
"Hi, Aunt Amanda," she greeted.
"Her name is Jaesin," Adam whispered in Amanda's ear. "How did you get Jaemi out of Jaesin?"
"Jaesin is a boy's name," Amanda said putting her arms for a hug. "And this angelic creature is not a boy." She held Jaesin out at arms length and looked at her from head to toe, taking in everything from her straight blonde hair and green eyes to her bare feet and small scar on her left foot. "She's practically a woman. Besides she looks more like a Jaemi and it fits. Plus Richie and Jaemi sounds better."
Adam rolled his eyes, "There's no arguing with a woman's logic."
"Are you feeling better, Jae?" Duncan asked.
"No two people call that girl the same thing," Adam grumbled. "She's going to develop some sort of complex over it."
"Yeah," Jaesin answered Duncan. "I'm hungry."
"Now that's what I'm talking about," Richie said jabbing at her playfully, figuring the conversation would resume once Jaesin was fed and in bed. "What do we have as far as food goes around here?"
"Jack squat," Jaesin answered putting her fists up and inviting Richie into a boxing match. "Unless you count Hans and Fritz." She took a swing at Richie, which he easily dodged.
"Mmmm, Mmmm, good. . . dog kabobs it is." His fist hit her lightly in the jaw. "Keep your left hand up to protect you face."
"Richie. . ." Duncan warned. His paternal instincts didn't like watching Richie hit Jaesin, especially since she was so much smaller than he was.
"Mac, I barely touched her."
"Yeah, Dad, he barely touched me." Jaesin turned to face Duncan letting her guard down. Richie took the opprotunity to grab her and draped her slender form around his shoulders. She giggled and fought his grip, only to find herself dangling upside down by her knees from his arms.
"Uh-oh, what are you going to do now, huh?" Richie teased her carrying her off the porch and into the yard.
"A whole lot of little kids missed out not having him as a big brother," Amanda commented watching the wrestling match that had broken out in the yard.
"He does have a certain touch with her," Duncan agreed.
"He has to," Adam said softly.
"Is this really the end of the Gathering?" Amanda asked having not heard Adam's comment.
"Less than two hundred, Amanda. And the number's getting smaller all the time. . . if this isn't the end I don't know what it is."
"A second chance," Adam responded with a far off look in his eyes.
"A what?"
Adam shook his head, "Nothing."
. . . . . .
Hans pulled the blankets off the bed. Richie opened his eyes and tried to figure out what had woken him. Realizing he was cold he sat up and pulled the covers back on top of himself. Hans began whining and licked Richie's hand that was dangling over the side of the bed.
"Fine, fine, fine." Richie got out of bed and followed Hans out into the hall. "Hey!" he hissed as loud as he dared as the dog began pawing at Jaesin's door. "Stop that!" He pulled on the dog's collar and led him down the stairs and opened the backdoor, Hans whining all the way. "What is your deal?" Richie grumbled shoving the dog out the door. "Ugh!" He groaned as Hans immediately turned and ran back up the stairs. He followed the dog and fought the urge to kick it when he found it pawing at Jaesin's door again. Instead he gave Hans a light whack on the rear.
"Get in there!" He hissed pointing to his room. Hans raised his paw to the door, "Ah, ah, ah! Get!" Hans gave Jaesin's room one last look before going into Richie's room, head hanging and tail tucked between his legs. "Stupid dog," Richie grumbled opening the door and sticking his head in Jaesin's room. "Sorry, Jaes," he whispered. He noticed she had kicked off her covers and went in to cover her up. On his way back out he kicked something small and hard on the floor. "Umph!" he screamed stuffing his fist in his mouth.
"Some other time," Jaesin murmured.
"Huh?" Richie turned around and faced her.
"Let's go. . .It's okay, it's alright. . . I don't have a purse, only the rings, I swear."
Richie stared at Jaesin. He recognized every word coming out of her mouth. They were words that had haunted his dreams for years.
"Tessa," she whispered. The name sent shivers down Richie's spine. "No!" Jaesin screamed sitting up. Richie stood paralyzed in the dark not moving until Duncan shoved him out of his way to his daughter.
"Jae, what's wrong?" he asked softly taking her trembling body into his arms.
"He shot her!" she sobbed. "He shot that lady! She didn't do anything, he just shot her!"
"What lady?" Duncan asked as he began rocking her.
"The blonde lady," she said as if it explained everything.
"You told her," Richie said softly. "When did you tell her?" He didn't bother trying to keep the anger out of his voice.
"What's going on?" Amanda asked from the doorway.
"I thought you didn't want her to know!" Richie continued ignoring Amanda. "You said you weren't going to tell her!"
"Tell her what?" Duncan asked still rocking Jaesin.
"About Tessa!"
"Yeah, that's her, the blonde lady," Jaesin said looking up at Richie. "That guy shot her. How'd you know?"
Duncan looked down at Jaesin then up at Richie. "I didn't tell her, Rich."
"Then how does she know?" he demanded.
"Richie," Amanda said softly. "Go downstairs. Duncan will be down in a minute," she assured him when he didn't move. "Let him take care of Jaemi first."
. . . . . .
Adam looked out the window at Richie staring up at the stars. Jaesin's scream had woken him, but when he heard Richie's yelling he knew it was time. Adam set his shoulders. He was the only one who could explain everything to Richie, and now was the time. Richie needed to know. He had held out on him long enough. Adam had known this day would come for twelve years, and for twelve years he had prepared himself for it. He got dressed and went outside.
. . . . . .
"I heard all the commotion," Adam said as Richie turned around to face him. "I bet you're a little confused."
"A little?" Richie scoffed. "If Mac didn't tell her, and I didn't tell her, who did?"
"Maybe you did, and you just don't know how."
"I don't talk to Mac about Tessa, why would I talk to Jaes about her?" Richie felt awkward confiding in Adam; they had never been that close. But for some reason he wanted to tell him everything. "I didn't know what to do in there, I panicked, froze. It was weird, I knew she was freaked out, but, like, I couldn't help. I wanted to see what would happen next, ya know?" he rambled once again letting his vocabulary slip into teenage mode. "I was just standin' there, listening. I knew what she was gonna say, but it still surprised me when she said it. I knew what she was seeing, and I couldn't stop it."
"She was seeing your memories, that's how she knows about Tessa."
"Oh, really? And how does that work?"
"It's not as complicated as you think it is. You'll understand soon."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Richie asked more curious than annoyed with Adams ambiguity.
"Do you believe in fate?" Adam asked after a moment of silence.
"Huh?"
"Do you believe things happen for a reason?"
"I never really thought about it, but I guess so. You kinda have to if you want to explain anything that's happened to me."
"Like finding Duncan."
Richie turned to Adam he had never heard him call Duncan by his first name before. "Yeah, among other things."
"Like finding Jaesin."
"I didn't find her, Mac did."
"But you convinced him to keep her, why?"
"I don't know," Richie smirked in the moonlight. "I couldn't let him take her to the police. She was just a baby, so small and fragile. There was something about her. I loved her the second I saw him walk through the door with her in his arms." He stared up at the moon. "The only reason he kept her is because he didn't trust me to take care of her like I wanted to."
"Why did you want to?" Adam prompted.
Richie got a far off look in his eyes. "She was meant to be with me," he answered softly.
Adam smiled; Richie was beginning to understand. Now was the time for immortals to have their second chance. "You're a good kid," Adam said putting his arm around Richie's shoulders. "You might not understand it all right away, but you will. You're a fast learner." He felt Richie's body relaxing. "You follow your heart, you'll server the word well." He cupped Richie's chin in his hand and twisted Richie's head forcing it farther than it naturally moved. Before Richie could fight, his neck was broken. "And now you have to begin."