AN – I really wasn't going to update this, mostly because the first piece just popped into my head as a little ficlet and I hadn't really thought about anything past that exchange between Duncan and Richie. Then I thought of a way I could take it in another direction.

***

Richie rubbed his eyes as he wandered into the kitchen. "Morning Tessa." he greeted the Frenchwoman, as he reached up to get a bowl from the cupboard.

"Good morning Richie." Tessa looked him up and down and clicked her tongue.

"What?" Richie spread his arms.

"It won't do." Tessa sniffed. "It is far from good enough."

"Well, I can go change if you like, but you bought me this shirt." Richie pointed out.

"Not your clothes." Tessa rolled her eyes as if such a topic had never occurred to her before, rather than being the cause of heated debate in recent weeks. "Those people. You are so thin, and pale, and not so tall."

"You know. You're not doing a lot for my ego here." Richie complained.

"How could they not see that you are just a boy?" Tessa demanded.

"Ah." Richie winced. "Mac told you."

"Yes. Duncan told me." Tessa replied, taking the bowl out of his hands "I cannot imagine why you would do such a foolish thing Richie. You know what would happen if you were caught and tried as an adult."

"Um. Tess." Richie gestured to the bowl that she was putting back in the cupboard. "I was going to have cereal."

"I will make you a proper breakfast." Tessa decided. "You should not be eating that stuff, it is nothing but sugar."

"Okaay." Richie raised a brow. "Can I at least have some coffee whilst I'm waiting?"

Tessa frowned as she reached out the eggs. "Caffeine is really not so good for you, you know. Why don't you have some juice instead?"

"Neither are cigarettes. But you smoke them." Richie leant on the counter.

Tessa shook her head. "That's different. I'm trying to give up and besides, I'm .."

"Older than me?" Richie crossed his arms. "I was old enough to have coffee yesterday. Today, .. I'm a day older."

Tessa looked up at him. "I'm being ridiculous aren't I?" she smiled.

"Actually." Richie smiled back. "I think its kind of nice. Just so long as you've stopped now. You have stopped now right?"

"Well." Tessa's eyes twinkled, "Why don't you put on the coffee and I'll make us all a nice breakfast?"

"That's a deal." Richie grinned. "Pancakes?" he asked hopefully.

"With blueberries."

****

"You want to do what?" Richie hastily swallowed his mouthful of pancake.

"Tessa and I talked about it last night and we decided we wanted to register as your foster parents." Duncan repeated.

"We will go to the judge and we will sign the papers and make it all legal." Tessa smiled.

"But you guys would have to be married." Richie pointed out.

"Not necessarily." Duncan shrugged. "When its an older child, or some one who has .. had trouble settling .. in the past. They are generally more flexible."

"Besides, we have a very good lawyer." Tessa put in.

"You know the paperwork alone takes forever." Richie shook his head. "I'd probably be 18 before they got it all sorted out."

"I've had a little practise with paperwork." Duncan smiled. "I'm sure it won't be a problem."

"You think?" Richie scowled. "You have no idea how much of it there is. You would have to build a whole new room onto this place just to have somewhere to put it all."

"Maybe we could put in another bathroom at the same time." Tessa suggested.

"Another one?" Duncan rolled his eyes. "We already have three."

"The shower in the living room doesn't count." She paused. "Except on very special occasions."

"Um. If you guys want to .. you know .. we can continue this some other time." Richie started to stand up.

"Sit down Rich." Duncan laughed. "I'm sure we can contain ourselves for a few minutes."

"Yes. Surely we are not that bad." Tessa added.

"Do you want my honest opinion?" Richie quirked a brow.

"No!" Tessa and Duncan chorused.

"Seriously Richie." Duncan got back to the topic in hand. "Its not so different to what we were going to do before. You living here and working in the store. Except you could get your motorcycle license, maybe take your GED."

"I could do all those things anyway. You could just make me the papers." Richie looked at Duncan.

"But this way it would be legal."

"And no one will be able to take you away from us." Tessa added softly.

"You couldn't do it." Richie shook his head. "It would be too dangerous."

"I don't know." Duncan teased. "You've only broken one vase so far and we can always up the insurance."

"Not for me. For you. They come to the house." Richie waved his fork. "What if someone like Slan drops in unannounced?"

"Things aren't usually that dramatic." Duncan sighed. "Most challengers will agree a less public time and place. Its not really in anyone's best interest to attract attention."

"Exactly." Richie nodded. "You'd have to answer this whole barrage of questions, about your favourite childhood games and stuff. I don't think playing hunt the Haggis is going to cut it, do you?"

"You do know that a Haggis isn't a real creature don't you?" Duncan quirked a brow.

Richie scowled.

"Just checking." Duncan smirked.

"It isn't?" Tessa frowned.

"Nope." Duncan started to nibble on her ear.

"And they send people round to check up on you without warning." Richie cut in. "What if you were .. otherwise engaged?"

"Not in the middle of the day." Tessa objected loftily.

"Well. Not very often anyway." Duncan amended with a grin. "Relax Richie. Whatever the problems are we will sort them out together. As a family."

"That is what you want, isn't it?" Tessa enquired gently.

Richie looked down at his plate.

"Rich?" Duncan sat up a bit straighter. "Hey. C'mon Tough Guy. Say something."

"No." Richie said quietly. "I don't want you to do this. Please .. just .. don't. OK?"

TBC!