AN: Hey guys okay here's the next part.
"What you did was really stupid you know," Duncan told Dri.
Dri had taken a shower. The water itself hurt against her bruises and wounds. She was draped in Duncan's robe which was huge on her. She let the back fall down to expose her back. There were fresh wounds and welts all over it. Duncan was tending to them. She was holding the front so not to expose herself.
"Not from where I'm sitting." She replied.
Richie brought a fresh bowl of water over to Mac. "Yeah well from where I'm standing it looks pretty stupid. He could have killed you, you know."
"So what," She winced as Duncan brought a cool cloth to her back.
"You don't even care do you?" Mac said.
"Should I?" She asked looking over her shoulder. "Everyone I've ever cared about has either died or turned against me. I have nothing to live for." She winced again.
"Sorry. About the pain I mean."
"I know what you mean. Don't worry about it."
Richie sat in front of her. She looked into his eyes. She knew she had hurt him. Honestly she felt bad, but she wasn't about to say anything.
Richie had another washcloth in his hand. He brought it up to her face and she flinched before it made contact.
"I'm not going to hurt you."
"Reflex," She responded dryly.
He nodded and put the washcloth to her lip. She grimaced from the pain. Truth was she hurt all over. She wasn't exactly comfortable sitting here half naked with two men tending to her bruised and bloodied body. Duncan however had insisted.
"I know you've had it rough," Mac said.
"How did you know Alec," She asked, ignoring his statement.
"I ran into him a few centuries ago."
"You're still stuck on that immortal trip aren't you?" She asked.
"You still don't believe me?"
"Oh yeah," She replied sarcastically pushing Richie's hand away. She stood up and fixed the robe. "Didn't I tell you, I believe in faeries and the Easter bunny too? Oh and lets not forget about Santa Clause."
Duncan sighed. "How else would you explain what happened with you and Alec? You shot him. You watched him die."
"Then you saw him come back to life," Richie said.
"He probably drugged me. It wouldn't be the first time. I probably hallucinated the whole thing."
"Do you honestly believe that?" Mac asked.
"I don't know what the hell to believe anymore." She said as she started swaying on her feet.
"Dri," Richie said going to her. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. It's just been a long day."
Richie reached out a hand to her, but she moved away. "Don't touch me."
Dri continued to sway.
"I think you need to rest," Duncan said, still sitting where he was. One person next to her was enough. She didn't need to be crowded.
"Yeah, rest sounds like a good idea," She replied just as she collapsed.
Richie instinctively caught her and eased her to the floor. Duncan got up and walked over to them.
"She's in shock." He told the younger man.
"Is she going to be all right?"
"She'll be fine. She just needs to rest."
Richie picked her up and carried her to his room this time. Mac let him. He knew Richie had already become attached.
A few minutes later Richie came out and shut the door. He looked at Mac and then went and sat on the couch. Duncan went and sat next to him.
"You okay?"
Richie nodded.
"You're lying."
"Look Mac, just let it go. I don't want to talk about it."
"You never want to talk about it. Maybe you should."
"Shoulda, coulda, woulda, but won't." Richie replied.
Mac couldn't help but grin. Richie never lost his smart ass attitude.
"You're sure she'll be all right?" The younger man asked again.
"Physically, yes she'll be all right."
"Emotionally?"
"That could take some time, but we'll help her through it."
Richie snorted. "Yeah if she lets us."
Duncan sighed and sat back. "You weren't very trusting when I met you."
"Yeah but that was different."
"How so?"
Richie shrugged. "It just was."
"Well it may have been different circumstances, but she's a lot like you in that respect. She's scared to trust anyone just like you were."
"I wasn't scared," He defended. "I was just cautious."
"Well so is she. Maybe a little too cautious."
"So what do we do?"
"We talk to her. Let her know we're here for her. She'll come around eventually."
"She wanted to die Mac."
"She feels like the whole world has abandoned her. Dri just needs to feel safe. Once she realizes that we won't abandon or hurt her than she'll come around. She won't feel so hopeless or alone."
"So does that mean she's going to stay with us?" Richie asked.
"Well I can't just put her back on the streets. Besides she's going to need a teacher when she becomes immortal."
"We're going to have to expand the loft."
"Well it's not like we don't have the money. We'll take this one step at a time. The first step is to let her heal."
Richie nodded.
"You know it would be okay for you to heal a little too."
"Look Mac if this is about before..."
"Richie I know there's a lot you haven't told me and I know you'll tell me if and when want to, but don't let it eat you up inside either."
"I can take care of myself Mac, but thanks."
Duncan nodded. "It's been a long day. You going to be all right on the couch?"
"I'm always all right on the couch."
"Then, I'll see you in the morning." He clapped Richie on the back, stood up and walked into his bedroom.
~~~Please Review
"What you did was really stupid you know," Duncan told Dri.
Dri had taken a shower. The water itself hurt against her bruises and wounds. She was draped in Duncan's robe which was huge on her. She let the back fall down to expose her back. There were fresh wounds and welts all over it. Duncan was tending to them. She was holding the front so not to expose herself.
"Not from where I'm sitting." She replied.
Richie brought a fresh bowl of water over to Mac. "Yeah well from where I'm standing it looks pretty stupid. He could have killed you, you know."
"So what," She winced as Duncan brought a cool cloth to her back.
"You don't even care do you?" Mac said.
"Should I?" She asked looking over her shoulder. "Everyone I've ever cared about has either died or turned against me. I have nothing to live for." She winced again.
"Sorry. About the pain I mean."
"I know what you mean. Don't worry about it."
Richie sat in front of her. She looked into his eyes. She knew she had hurt him. Honestly she felt bad, but she wasn't about to say anything.
Richie had another washcloth in his hand. He brought it up to her face and she flinched before it made contact.
"I'm not going to hurt you."
"Reflex," She responded dryly.
He nodded and put the washcloth to her lip. She grimaced from the pain. Truth was she hurt all over. She wasn't exactly comfortable sitting here half naked with two men tending to her bruised and bloodied body. Duncan however had insisted.
"I know you've had it rough," Mac said.
"How did you know Alec," She asked, ignoring his statement.
"I ran into him a few centuries ago."
"You're still stuck on that immortal trip aren't you?" She asked.
"You still don't believe me?"
"Oh yeah," She replied sarcastically pushing Richie's hand away. She stood up and fixed the robe. "Didn't I tell you, I believe in faeries and the Easter bunny too? Oh and lets not forget about Santa Clause."
Duncan sighed. "How else would you explain what happened with you and Alec? You shot him. You watched him die."
"Then you saw him come back to life," Richie said.
"He probably drugged me. It wouldn't be the first time. I probably hallucinated the whole thing."
"Do you honestly believe that?" Mac asked.
"I don't know what the hell to believe anymore." She said as she started swaying on her feet.
"Dri," Richie said going to her. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. It's just been a long day."
Richie reached out a hand to her, but she moved away. "Don't touch me."
Dri continued to sway.
"I think you need to rest," Duncan said, still sitting where he was. One person next to her was enough. She didn't need to be crowded.
"Yeah, rest sounds like a good idea," She replied just as she collapsed.
Richie instinctively caught her and eased her to the floor. Duncan got up and walked over to them.
"She's in shock." He told the younger man.
"Is she going to be all right?"
"She'll be fine. She just needs to rest."
Richie picked her up and carried her to his room this time. Mac let him. He knew Richie had already become attached.
A few minutes later Richie came out and shut the door. He looked at Mac and then went and sat on the couch. Duncan went and sat next to him.
"You okay?"
Richie nodded.
"You're lying."
"Look Mac, just let it go. I don't want to talk about it."
"You never want to talk about it. Maybe you should."
"Shoulda, coulda, woulda, but won't." Richie replied.
Mac couldn't help but grin. Richie never lost his smart ass attitude.
"You're sure she'll be all right?" The younger man asked again.
"Physically, yes she'll be all right."
"Emotionally?"
"That could take some time, but we'll help her through it."
Richie snorted. "Yeah if she lets us."
Duncan sighed and sat back. "You weren't very trusting when I met you."
"Yeah but that was different."
"How so?"
Richie shrugged. "It just was."
"Well it may have been different circumstances, but she's a lot like you in that respect. She's scared to trust anyone just like you were."
"I wasn't scared," He defended. "I was just cautious."
"Well so is she. Maybe a little too cautious."
"So what do we do?"
"We talk to her. Let her know we're here for her. She'll come around eventually."
"She wanted to die Mac."
"She feels like the whole world has abandoned her. Dri just needs to feel safe. Once she realizes that we won't abandon or hurt her than she'll come around. She won't feel so hopeless or alone."
"So does that mean she's going to stay with us?" Richie asked.
"Well I can't just put her back on the streets. Besides she's going to need a teacher when she becomes immortal."
"We're going to have to expand the loft."
"Well it's not like we don't have the money. We'll take this one step at a time. The first step is to let her heal."
Richie nodded.
"You know it would be okay for you to heal a little too."
"Look Mac if this is about before..."
"Richie I know there's a lot you haven't told me and I know you'll tell me if and when want to, but don't let it eat you up inside either."
"I can take care of myself Mac, but thanks."
Duncan nodded. "It's been a long day. You going to be all right on the couch?"
"I'm always all right on the couch."
"Then, I'll see you in the morning." He clapped Richie on the back, stood up and walked into his bedroom.
~~~Please Review