AN: Okay like I said I'm on a spree here. The muses are all over me te he.

By the time they pulled up to the bar dawn could be seen peaking over the horizon. To be honest Mac wasn't sure if Joe would even be there. He normally left around now or a little earlier. He hoped it was around now.

The three men got out of the car and walked up to the back entrance. Duncan wrapped on the door three times. They stood there in the cold for a minute or two before the door swung open.

"MacLeod?" Joe said. "Where the hell have you been? You apartments been shot to hell."

"Yeah, I know," The Highlander said walking inside, past Joe.

Richie and Connor followed and Joe shut the door.

"Where's the kid?" Joe asked. "Is she all right?"

Richie, Connor, and MacLeod all exchanged a glance.

"What's wrong?" The Watcher asked.

Mac sighed. "McDaniels has got her."

"Aw Mac, I'm sorry. What happened?"

"It's a long story, it's been an even longer night and I need a drink." He replied walking over to the bar.

Richie and Connor sat on either side of him. Joe walked behind the bar and handed each of them a beer. Richie and Mac began to drink it, but Connor left his untouched. Mac went on to explain what happened.

Twenty minutes and two beers later MacLeod finished his story and looked up at the watcher.

"We need your help Joe."

"I don't know where he is, but I can find out."

"Do you know who was helping him?" Richie asked. "He sure as hell wasn't immortal. I want to know who the bastard is!"

"Richie calm down." Mac realized he'd been saying that a lot in the last few hours.

Richie slammed his hand down hard on the bar. The sound echoed through the empty room.

"This is so damn frustrating! He could be doing anything to her and we're sitting here doing nothing!"

Before anyone could respond Richie got up and walked up the side stairs. Mac knew where he was going. The roof. No matter where they had lived the roof always seemed to be refuge for Richie.

Mac moaned. "I"ll go talk to him. Joe, you find out where we can find McDaniels."

"You got it Mac," Joe said to the figure that was already half way to the stairs.

Mac emerged on the roof to find Richie sitting on the ledge with his feet dangling over the side. He was leaning back on his hands and looking up at the sky.

"What's going on Richie?" Mac asked bluntly.

"Nothing!" He exclaimed. "I'm just worried about Dri."

Duncan walked over and sat next to his young friend.

"There's more to it than that. You and I both know it."

"I don't know what you're talking about Mac."

"Oh, I think you do. I see the anger in your eyes Richie. I hear the heat in your words when we're talking to Dri about her past. It's not just from sympathy. It's more like empathy. What's going on?"

"Just let it go Mac."

Duncan shook his head. "I can't do that. I've let it go for too long. You started to tell me before. I want you to tell me now."

"There's nothing to talk about," Richie said sitting up.

"Well I think there is." He looked over at his friend who wouldn't meet his gaze.

Mac put an arm around the young man. "Talk to me Richie. Tell me who hurt you."

"That's not important right now. Right now we need to worry about Dri."

"I'm worried about Dri, but I'm also worried about you Richie. I need you to talk to me. Tell me what happened."

The younger man sighed. "You're just not going to let this go are you?"

Mac smiled his goofy grin. "Not a chance tough guy."

"Look Mac, I mean it's hard enough for me to ask for help, but talking about my past.it's just something I don't do."

"You can tell me anything Rich, you know that."

"I know that, believe me I do, but this is different. I mean what if." He trailed off.

"What?"

"I don't want you to know my past Mac. I don't want you to look at me different."

Duncan was stunned by this. "Richie, I'm not going to look at you any differently because of what happened in your past. Nothing you tell me is going to make me think any less of you."

Richie looked up again. "I was fourteen," He began with an uncertain voice. "The system had just put me in a new foster home. Supposedly they were some ideal couple looking for a teenage son. Apparently between my age and past I fit the bill. I never understood why, but I wasn't questioning it." He paused and took a breath.

"Something tells me that they weren't the model citizens the state made them out to be." Duncan said.

Richie grunted. "You can say that again. The lady, Kim was a dead beat who liked to snort in her spare time, which was almost twenty four seven. Jack, her husband, was a drunk."

"Gotta love the back round checks the state does on these people," Mac said.

"Tell me about it," Richie replied.

"So," Duncan said, when Richie fell silent.

"Soon I realized that the only reason they wanted a teenage son was because I didn't need so much attention. I could take care of myself and they didn't really need to watch over me. The checks for my care went to their habits." He shrugged. "It wasn't hard to figure out why I was the ideal foster son for them."

"That's a touching story Richie, it really is, but what exactly aren't you telling me?"

"I was hoping you'd leave it at that," The young man groaned.

"Not a chance," Mac said looking over the building tops.

Richie wrapped his arms around himself as though he was cold. Mac knew he wasn't going to like what the kid had to say.

"I would mostly stay out of the way. The only times they cared if I was home when my social worker would come by for visits. One time though I was late. They played it off as the nice disciplinarians while she was there, but as soon as she was gone I knew I was in for it." He hugged himself tighter. "I tried to run but Jack was bigger and faster than I was. He caught me before I could get past the couch. I thought he was just going to rough me up a little."

"I take it that it was more than a little."

"Mac saying he roughed me up 'A LOT' is putting it mildly." He looked away and his gaze became distant. "There was this wrench on the table and he grabbed it. Geez Mac I was so scared when I saw him pick it up. I tried to get away from him, but he was too strong."

"God Richie I'm sorry," Mac said honestly.

He shrugged. "I don't remember much of it. I blacked out after the first few swings, but I remember it hurt like hell when I woke up."

Mac grinded his teeth. He would love to get his hands on the guy who did this. He would love to do to him exactly what he did to Richie and see how he liked it.

"So the state took you away right?"

"You'd think so, but no. Jack told the police that I had stumbled in the house looking like that. I was a problem child so they believed him when they told him he was suspicious I was in a gang."

"It wasn't your fault," Mac said.

He shook his head. "I shouldn't have been late," Richie said. "I shouldn't have called him an ass the next time, or gotten in his way, or.."

"Richie!" Duncan cut him off. "It was not your fault. You were fourteen years old!"

Richie got up and started pacing back and forth on the roof top.

"I know it wasn't." He grumbled.

Mac got up and grabbed him by the shoulders. Richie looked down and wouldn't meet his gaze. Mac put a hand underneath his chin and gently forced Richie to look at him. The pain from the memories were very raw in the eyes that usually were very shielded.

"No, I don't think you do know. It wasn't your fault."

"I know."

"It wasn't your fault Richie."

"Don't do this Mac," He said shaking his head. "I don't need this. Not from you!"

Richie tried to pull away but Duncan held on to his shoulders.

"It wasn't your fault."

"I know!" Richie screamed as he dropped to his knees.

Mac fell with him so Richie wouldn't hurt himself. The young mans face had become ghostly white.

"I know," He whispered.

Richie leaned his head into Macs chest. Duncan didn't say anything. He just embraced the young man. A minute or so later he felt Richie wrap his arms around his waist.

Duncan lost track of time for how long they had been sitting there, but eventually he felt Richie pull away. He didn't stop him. When the younger man at up he was glad to see that color had somewhat been restored to his face. He hadn't cried but Mac hadn't really been expecting that. Richie told him what happened. That didn't mean he was about to let his emotions run wild.

"Look Mac.."

"It's all right Richie," Mac cut him off seeing that he was feeling somewhat awkward over the situation. "This stays between us."

Richie nodded. "Thanks Mac."

Duncan stood up and held out a hand to Richie. The younger man let the Highlander help him up.

"What do you say we go and see what Joe has found out?" Mac said putting an arm around Richie's shoulders.

Richie smiled halfheartedly. "Sounds like a plan."

TBC~~~~Please Review Guys!!