AN - This is not another chapter! Its an epilogue!

French bits – Au revoir – see you again, non – no (in this context meaning yes!) un cheval – a horse.

***

"You are welcome to stay." Duncan looked at his teacher. "I'm sure you still have a few more embarrassing stories about me that Richie hasn't heard yet."

"Its educational." Conner smirked. "The lad needs to know no one is born with four hundred years of experience."

"That's as maybe. But it would help if he still had some respect for his teacher when the time comes."

"He's a fine lad Duncan. He'll make your heart glad."

"He already does." Duncan smiled fondly as Richie and Tessa approached.

"Au revoir Conner." Tessa kissed him on the cheek. "You will visit us again soon non?"

"It would be my pleasure dear lady." Conner kissed her hand.

Duncan coughed.

"Alas the Plane won't wait." Conner made a show of reluctantly letting go and stowed his bag in the rental car.

"How exactly do you get a sword though customs?" Richie asked curiously.

"You tell them its an Antique." Duncan told him. "That usually works."

"Duncan." Conner nodded at his kinsman as was their custom.

"Conner."

Then he looked at Richie and the corner of his lips quirked.

"Risteard."

"Conner." Richie blushed.

"You'll have to get the "old man" to bring you to New York." Conner cast a wicked smile at Duncan. "Rachel would love to meet you."

Richie choked back a laugh as he saw Duncan staring daggers at Conner for the jibe.

Then he smiled. A cherubic smile that Duncan had already learnt was truly dangerous.

"Wow. New York. That would be so cool. What do you say Mac. Can we go stay with Grandpa?"

***

"That's your idea of a few presents?" Duncan made Tessa jump guiltily as she surveyed the packages laid out on their bed.

"They are mostly clothes." Tessa hedged.

"Uh huh." Duncan peered into a package at random, that looked suspiciously like a CD.

"Conner wanted to buy him a horse." Tessa reminded him dryly.

"A lad needs a good horse." Duncan agreed, poking curiously around in the other packages.

"You are not in the Highlands now Duncan Macleod." Tessa shook her head. "What our son needs is .."

"Four pairs of gloves? Tessa no one needs four pairs of gloves!"

"It is very cold here in Winter." Tessa sniffed.

"Did you order the cake? Duncan perched on the edge of the bed.

"Double Chocolate Fudge." Tessa nodded. "I hope he will not be too disappointed that it is from the Bakery Store .."

"I think he'll be delighted." Duncan murmured.

"Maybe I should cancel the order. How hard can it be to bake a cake?" Tessa bit her lip.

"Tess." Duncan rolled his eyes.

"I just want everything to be perfect." Tessa worried.

"Then maybe you should let the Store bake the cake?" Duncan raised a brow.

"Oh, you!" Tessa threw a pillow at him.

***

Duncan was still grinning when he wandered back into the Store.

"Maac. Not in the middle of the day." Richie protested.

"I'll have you know I just averted a national disaster." Duncan told him. "Tess wanted to bake your birthday cake."

"There's gonna be cake?" Richie looked pleased.

"What?" Duncan hopped up on the display case beside him. "You thought we'd feed you gruel and snails?"

"With you guys." Richie shook his head. "I have no idea what to expect."

"Well. It might have helped if you had given us a few hints." Duncan nudged him. "Anyone would think you had forgotten all about it."

"I guess I've learnt not to expect too much from Birthdays." Richie admitted. "I mean, its not like I'm a kid anymore."

Silently Duncan blessed every box and package Tessa had amassed.

"You're our kid now." Duncan told him softly. "And don't you forget it."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that." Richie looked awkward. "Am I supposed to like ..call you Dad now or what?" he managed.

"Do you want that?" Duncan asked carefully.

"Well let's see. My real Dad disappeared off to parts unknown. Most of my foster Dad's were little more than the name on the letter that they sent home when I got into trouble at School. Except for .. you know." Richie swallowed. "He had me call him Dad right from day one. He didn't want people thinking he couldn't have a real kid."

"Well you could call me Mr Macleod." Duncan teased.

"Maac!" Richie protested.

"Works for me." Duncan tousled his hair.

***

"I can't believe you are letting me have Chocolate cake for breakfast." Richie took his plate from Tessa.

"We can make it your birthday tradition." Tessa gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, which made him blush.

"It's a great cake Tess." Richie teased.

"Perhaps by next year you can teach me how to make such a thing?" Tessa smiled.

Richie gave her an odd look.

"C'mon Rich. You can rise to the challenge." Duncan encouraged. "How hard can it be?"

"No." Richie shook his head. "Its just .. this time there's really gonna be a next year. In the past I always moved on before that."

"That is what it is." Tessa said firmly. "In the past."

"And right now." Duncan changed the subject. "You have more presents to open."

"You guys already brought me so much, and they even fit and everything." He smiled at Duncan.

"Those were all from Tess." Duncan pointed out.  "And this one is from Conner."

"Conner bought me a present?" Richie looked pleased.

"What can I say? He likes you." Duncan smiled.

It was a pair of trainers. Top of the range and very expensive.

Richie wasn't fooled. "It's a conspiracy." He grinned.

"What?" Duncan tried to look innocent.

"You know what." Richie shook his head. "Just because public transport wasn't invented when you were a kid."

"Running is good for all sorts of things. If you'd just try it - you might like it." Duncan wasn't about to let this lie.

"All sorts of things huh?" Richie smirked.

"And where is this mysterious present of yours?" Tessa intervened.

"Ah." Duncan smiled. "Well. I couldn't exactly wrap it."

***

"Duncan Macleod. If you have bought un cheval I'm going to divorce you." Tessa hissed.

Duncan didn't think this was an opportune moment to point out that they were not actually married.

"Um. Mac. What are we doing out here?" Richie looked at the street in front of the store.

"I couldn't get it up the steps either." Duncan shrugged.

"Do I get a clue?" Richie wondered.

"Would this help?" Duncan offered him a flat silver key ring.

Richie looked at the key ring. Then at the street.

"You couldn't have." he faltered.

"I think I just did." Duncan smirked.

"But I never told you. I didn't say anything." Richie shook his head.

"Richie. You burnt your arm on a manifold, stripping a bike faster than most professional mechanics. The only thing I've ever seen you actually read is motorcycle magazines. You know more trivia about the circuit than anyone I've ever met and you own a crash helmet. The only thing you were missing was the actual bike."

"I guess you noticed, huh?" Richie grinned at him.

"Better get used to it." Duncan tousled his hair.

Richie looked back at the blue and white motorcycle.

"Its really mine?"

"Why don't you go and get your crash helmet and try it out?" Duncan suggested.

"Yeah. Sure. Right." Richie turned towards the Store. Then quickly turned back to give Duncan a blinding smile "Thanks Mac. For everything."

***

"I think I would have preferred the horse." Tessa pursed her lips disapprovingly at the motorcycle.

"It will be fine." Duncan soothed. "We'll have him take a few lessons, teach him to ride like a pro." He smiled proudly.

"It must have been very expensive?" Tessa arched a brow.

"Well. We do have seventeen years of birthdays and Christmases to make up for." Duncan had the grace to look embarrassed.

"And you complained that I was spoiling him." Tessa couldn't hide her smile.

"Hey. I only bought him one present. How many did you buy?"

"Is this what it is to be a family?" Tessa smiled.

"Yes love. I think it is." Duncan smiled as he heard Richie's feet clattering down the stairs.

"Walk!" he yelled.

"Why would I want to walk when I have a bike?" Richie's voice wafted back. "Has anyone seen my jacket?"

"Tessa?" Duncan raised a brow.

"It is in the laundry room." She admitted reluctantly. "In the cupboard with the dust rags."

"What's it doing in there?" Richie wondered loudly.

"What indeed?" Duncan smirked.

"Duncan." Tessa looked worried. "What are we going to do about that letter from Child Services?"

With ruthless timing the papers had arrived that morning in respect of Richie's emancipation as a fully fledged adult, enclosing a cheque for his last four weeks in care and a list of half way houses, with such casual finality that Duncan had had to stop an angry Tessa from reaching for the phone to give them a piece of her mind.

"Today. Nothing." Duncan kissed her. "Tomorrow .. we'll see."

"Duncan Macleod. What are you planning?" Tessa regarded him suspiciously.

"You know." Duncan said innocently. "There's no upper age limit for taking out adoption papers."

"I should have known you would not give up so easily. You are almost as stubborn as Richie."

"I want the lad to bear my name." Duncan admitted. "I want him to know how proud I am to have him as my son."

"And you think you can convince Richie of this now?" Tessa asked.

"Oh. I think he'll come around to the idea." Duncan smiled into her hair. "Eventually."

***

That's it folks! The End! Since this is the first thing that I've ever posted, I'd really like to know which bits you like best. Or which bits you hated. The funny bits? The sugary ones? What? And yes – I will get back to The Quickening now!