Richie groaned and stretched as best he could in the cramped confines of the bed in the back of the cab.

"Mornin', Sport!" Bruce greeted.

"The name's Joel," Richie corrected.

"I thought you said it was Richie?"

"Huh?"

"You said your name was Richie before, now you're saying its Joel. Which is it?"

Richie sighed and crawled into the passenger seat. "Take your pick."

"Multiple personalities?"

"Something like that."

"You wanna tell ol' Bruce about it?"

"I plead the fifth."

Bruce chuckled. "What'd you do, kid?"

"Long story."

"Well, we still have some miles to put under us; tell on!"

"I can't," Richie insisted.

"Why not?"

"Cause you'll tell and I'll get in huge trouble."

"Whatever's buggin' you, kid, can't be good to keep inside."

"It's good if I don't want to go to jail."

"Jail? Geeze, kid, what'd you do?"

"A lot," Richie answered softly.

"Is that why you ran away? All the stuff you did?"

"No, I ran away 'cause'a Mac," he quickly defended then regretted.

"Ah, so this Mac guy is after you for all the stuff you did?"

"Yeah," Richie mumbled.

"He's a cop?"

"No."

"Social worker?"

"No."

"FBI?"

Richie cracked a smile. "No."

"CIA?"

"No."

"Intergalactic Space Patrol?"

"No." Richie was on the verge of laughing.

"Then what is he? Just a dad lookin' for his kid?"

"Until the door closes," Richie mumbled.

"Does your dad hit you?" Bruce asked.

"Not yet."

"What makes you think he will?"

"He said so."

"He said he was going to hurt you?"

"He said he might, he left me and Tessa and everything, he was real mad, it just scared me." For some reason Richie almost felt comfortable confiding in the practical stranger sitting next to him.

"So you left?"

"Yup. I didn't want to give him the chance. You don't know him, he's big, and he works out a lot, he does all sorts of kung-fu stuff. I. I wouldn't have a prayer."

"But does he love you?"

"Huh?"

"Does your dad love you?"

"I hope not," Richie whispered looking out the window just in time to see a sign that said 'Seacouver City Limit'. "You tricked me!" he yelled. "You said you were going north!"

"I was, but changed my mind while you were asleep."

"Stop."

"What?"

"Stop the truck," Richie ordered. "Lemme out."

"Sorry, kiddo, you're going home," Bruce said resolutely as he locked the doors.

"Didn't you hear anything? I can't go back! Mac's gonna kill me!"

"I don't think this Mac is as bad as a guy you make him out to be."

"Are you kidding? He admitted he wanted to hit me!"

"You said he left because of it, so what's to worry?"

"He's comin' back. And when he finds out I ran away. oh, God he's gonna kill me!"

"He's already expecting you. And so's your mom, Tessa, whatever you call her."

"I already told you; they're not my parents," Richie grumbled picking up his bag from the floor and holding it in his lap as he tried to figure out a way to get out.

"You didn't correct me when I called Mac your dad."

"I kinda used to having to pretend," he scoffed.

"Why would you have to do that?"

"Damn, you're nosey."

"Did they kidnap you?"

"No, they wouldn't do something like that."

"Then why do you have to pretend?"

"Because. Why do you even care?"

"I have a soft spot for runaways."

"Good for me."

"If they're not your parents why do you have to pretend?"

"Because I kinda did some stuff and they're hiding me out," Richie offered quietly hoping that would be enough to make the man stop asking questions.

"What'd you do?"

"None of your business!"

"Whoa, take it easy, Sport."

"Stop calling me that!"

"So do I call you Richie or Joel?"

"Pick one, it doesn't matter; I answer to both," Richie was becoming increasingly uncomfortable as he began to recognize his surroundings. They were three blocks away from the police station.

"What should I call you in front of the cops?"

Richie paused. "I don't know," he admitted shakily. Two blocks.

"I'll just call you Sport then."

"Fine," Richie mumbled.

One block.

Half a block.

He saw Tessa's car.

"Time to face the music, Sport." Bruce stopped the truck and unlocked the door. With a shaking hand Richie opened it.

and ran.