Disclaimer. I don't own them. Just a thought. Not cannon or anything.
"Admit it. You didn't expect her to be so young." Duncan smiled.
"Well, when Richie said his old foster mother was coming over I expected someone older." Tessa admitted. "I can't believe her eldest daughter is eighteen."
"I guess she married young." Duncan. "Richie said she has two other daughters besides Maria."
"Um. Guys." Richie appeared in the doorway. "Teresa has to get going now."
"You are welcome to stay longer." Tessa offered.
"Oh. No thank you." Teresa smiled. "The girls are at their Aunt's and I don't want to be too late in picking them up."
"Let me show you out." Duncan offered.
"You know." Teresa smiled. "I never could have imagined Richie working in a place like this."
"I never liked Art in High School." Richie explained.
"Name one subject you did like." Duncan chuckled.
"Biology." Richie grinned.
Duncan rolled his eyes. "Somehow I knew that."
"You knew Richie in High School?" Teresa frowned.
"No. He knew Richie after he had dropped outta High School because of demented Art teachers and the like." Richie answered.
"So how old were you when you first met Duncan?" Teresa enquired.
"Its only been a few weeks." Richie evaded her question.
Duncan frowned.
_____________________________________________________________________
He was waiting for Richie when he returned from seeing Teresa home.
"Teresa get home safely?"
Richie stopped dead at his casual tone and Duncan bit back a grin. Now he knew something was up and Richie knew that he knew. This could be interesting.
"Yeah. Um. I'm really tired. I think I'll turn in." Richie turned as if to head towards his room.
"Sure. Just answer me one question first?"
Richie turned back, his hands spread wide. "Maac. Teresa's like my Mom. There's nothing going on there."
Duncan had to give him points for deflection. The lad was good.
"Not that. When we met. It wasn't until tonight that I realised that I've never asked you how old you are. Powell led me to believe that you were 17."
"Yeah. Right." Richie nodded, a little too enthusiastically. "Night Mac."
"Hold on. Right that you are 17 or right that I was led to believe it?" Duncan demanded.
"Uh huh." Richie agreed. "See you in the morning.
Duncan made a mental note never to introduce Richie to Amanda.
"Richie. Are you or are you not 17?" Duncan demanded.
"Yes." Richie protested. "Geez Mac how many more times?"
Or Fitzcairn.
"Richard Ryan. On ye honour are ye seventeen years old?" Duncan demanded, leaving no room for doubt.
"Um. Kinda." Richie offered.
Duncan's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean – kinda?"
"Well my ID says I am 21." Richie shrugged. "What? You think Immortals are the only people who know how to fake documents?"
"You mean you aren't 17?" Duncan asked.
"Everyone is 17 once Mac. Even you." Richie risked a grin.
"Richie." Duncan growled.
"Alright." Richie waved a placating hand. "I wasn't technically 17 when Powell arrested me OK?"
"How old were you – technically."
"I don't know." Richie shrugged. "Well I don't!" he protested at Duncan's disbelieving glare. "Its not as if anyone knows exactly when my birthday is or anything."
"It was the 1970's Richie. Not the Dark Ages." Duncan pointed out. "People kept records."
"Look I wanted out. OK?"
"Out of what?" Duncan frowned.
"You know. The system." Richie waved a hand.
"You forged your records?" Duncan could hardly believe what he was hearing.
"I just changed a few figures." Richie protested. "No biggie."
"Richie. You were a minor. There are laws about minors."
"So once I'm not a minor everything is cool." Richie shrugged.
"Richie. What were you thinking? At 18 you could go to Jail!"
"Yeah well. It was a risk worth taking." Richie shot back bitterly. "At 18 you are also a free agent."
"How old?" Duncan demanded.
"Does it really matter? Your driving license says you are 34 but we both know its just a piece of paper to keep the powers that be happy."
Duncan sighed. He'd already learnt the hard way that when he set his mind to it Richie gave new meaning to the concept of stubborn. He decided to change tactics.
"How did you do it?" he asked casually.
"I skipped a grade in Junior High." Richie shrugged. After a while it was easy to convince people that they'd made the mistake. It wasn't like anyone ever actually expected me to be good at anything."
"You told me you were bright." Duncan felt absurdly proud.
Richie smiled. "That was a good year. I thought .." he shook his head. "Stupid." He rubbed at his eyes with his sleeve.
"What happened?" Duncan asked gently.
"New social worker." Richie looked away. "There was just me, Teresa, her Mom and her two sisters. The new lady figured I needed a male role model. So I had to move." He finished bitterly.
"I'm sorry." Duncan's voice was warm with sympathy. "That must have been hard."
"You think?" Richie scoffed. "Not nearly as hard as when Mr Male Role Model decided .." he stopped
"Rich?"
"Doesn't matter." Richie turned away.
Duncan stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Richie. It matters. If you want to talk .."
"Yeah." Richie gave him a shaky smile. "Thanks Mac. But I really am tired. I think I'll just go to bed now."
"OK." Duncan nodded. "This is pretty late for a sixteen year old to be up on a school night anyway."
"Aw hell." Richie slapped his hand against his forehead when he realised what he had done. "I'll be seventeen in two weeks OK?"
"Uh huh." Duncan nodded. "You could just have told me you know."
Richie suddenly looked wary. "Do I still have a job?"
"Yes Richie. You still have a job." Duncan reassured him.
"Good." Richie turned around. Then stopped.
"You're not going to do anything are you?"
"Such as?" Duncan asked.
"With you Mac I have no idea." Richie admitted wearily. "Just anything. You know it's a lot less hassle for you if I'm 18. No social workers or paperwork to bother with."
"Maybe you are worth the bother." Duncan smiled.
"Mac." Richie said warily. "What are you thinking?"
"Go to bed Rich." Duncan reached out and ruffled his hair "We'll talk about it in the morning." He turned towards his own room.
"You're not like going to make me go back to school or anything are you?" Richie called after him.
"We'll talk about it." Duncan called back over his shoulder.
"That's a yes." Richie muttered. "Damn. Damn. Think Ryan there has to be an upside to this." Then he grinned. "Hey Mac. Does this mean I get an allowance?"