AN- Here it is guys. The next instalment. Especially for Southern Chickie, Shady Lady and Spike's Girl – who seem to be the only three people still reading it. Unless you review and prove me wrong!

***

Methos fully expected to find Macleod pacing the Dojo like a caged tiger on their return. He was mildly surprised to find him sitting on the couch, apparently completely unconcerned, reading a book.

"Hey." Duncan turned a page. "Did you have a nice drive?"

Methos wondered if this was the calm before the storm.

Well, two could play at that game.

"Yeah. It was good. Although, your carbonator needs .. tuning or something. It kept making these little popping noises. And the gear box kept making this strange .. grinding noise."

"I'll see to it." Duncan didn't rise to the bait.

"Want me to take a look?" Richie offered. "I figure if I can remember how to hot wire it, I can probably remember how to fix it."

Duncan looked up. If he noticed how pale and shaky Richie looked he gave no sign.

"Sure. That'd be great Rich." Duncan smiled at him. "The tools are in the storeroom."

"Cool." A trace of real enthusiasm lit up Richie's haunted features. "I'll have her running like a dream."

"You always do Tough Guy." Duncan gave him a fond look.

Richie's expression faltered a little at the simple affection, but he simply nodded and turned towards the elevator.

Methos slumped in the armchair, mildly annoyed at being deprived of the couch, and waited for the inevitable outburst.

And waited.

"Well for God's sake say something." He demanded at last.

"What do you want me to say?" Duncan looked at him from over the top of his book. "That I'm angry that you took him away from here when I wanted to keep him close. That I'm bloody annoyed that you left me for over two hours without any word. That I'm irritated beyond belief that you stole my car .. again?"

"Well, maybe not in exactly those words.." Methos frowned. This wasn't going the way he had expected and he didn't like that one bit.

"He told you didn't he?" Duncan sighed. "What happened between him and Saul?"

"Yes." Methos acknowledged. "Look. Its not you. Its about you. But its not you."

"I see." Duncan, stood up and walked over to the window, looking down on the figure peering under the hood of the T-Bird.

Finally, Methos could stand it no longer.

"Alright. I give up. Why aren't you yelling?"

"Richie looked exactly like that when Tess died." Duncan spoke quietly. "He followed me around for days with that same haunted expression on his face until I finally realised that he was terrified that I couldn't love him any more. That I would blame him for not saving her."

***

Methos didn't care much for gambling. Much better to arrange events so you knew exactly what the outcome would be.

Right now, he would lay odds that Richie wouldn't be ready to talk to Macleod about this until hell froze over.

And maybe not even then.

"You have a date?" Richie's head came up so fast he almost decapitated himself on the hood of the T-Bird.

"You don't have to look so surprised." Methos grumbled.

"No. I mean." Richie looked flustered. "That means you're going out."

"That's usually the way dating works." Methos acknowledged. "Of course. If everything goes well I might be staying in." he leered.

"Y You can't .." Richie stammered.

"Do you need me to draw you a diagram?" Methos raised a brow.

"Hell no!" Richie protested. "Fine. Go. Have a good time." He stalked off.

"He thinks you are running out on him." Duncan spoke softly from the shadows.

"You think?" Methos shook his head. "Look. I know my timing is bloody awful. But this is important."

"Anyone I know?" Duncan gave him a searching look.

"Nope." Methos started to walk away.

"You know Richie is going to have nightmares about this tonight don't you?" Duncan asked levelly.

"Then he'll need someone to talk to." Methos acknowledged, without turning around.

He'd gone another four steps when Duncan's quiet voice reached him.

"Thank you."

***

Duncan loitered by the T-Bird making half hearted attempts to finish what Richie had started.

"Sorry." Richie's voice apologised. "I kinda got interrupted."

"That's OK." Duncan hid his smile. He'd known Richie wouldn't be able to leave it half done. "You want a hand?"

"I don't know." Richie gave him a look. "Do you know anything about cars?"

"A bit." Duncan shrugged. "What do you want me to do?"

It was a good idea. As they worked easily side by side Richie grew visibly more relaxed.

"So. I'm guessing we've done that before?" Richie accepted the beer Duncan gave him as they sprawled on the sidewalk.

"Once or twice." Duncan agreed.

"So what do we do usually now?" Richie waggled his eyebrows. "Cocktail parties? Casinos? Dancing girls?"

Duncan considered that. Richie still looked too pale and tired for too much excitement.

"How about Pizza and a video?" he offered.

"Sounds good to me." Richie acknowledged.

"No anchovies." They chorused. Then laughed.

"I'm sorry." Richie picked at the label on his beer bottle.

"Whatever for?" Duncan asked, startled by this sudden change in mood.

"I can't keep doing this." Richie wouldn't look at him. "I mean, if you were some deadbeat, trust me, I'd be happy to eat all your food and steal all your beer, take up room on your couch. But I can't keep doing it to a nice guy like you."

"Why not?" Duncan kept his tone light. "Methos does it all the time."

"Its not the same." Richie insisted. "I think I should leave."

Duncan wasn't fooled. Richie didn't want to leave. He was afraid to stay.

"We'll talk about it in the morning." Duncan decided. "You promised me Pizza and a video."

"Can I choose?" Richie gave him a lop-sided smile.

"I dunno." Duncan teased. "Do you remember what you like?"

***

Richie fell asleep long before Luke Skywalker even met Han Solo. Duncan carefully scooped him up and carried him to his own bed, slipping off his shoes and jeans without waking the kid with the ease of long practise.

"Sleep well, Tough Guy." He stroked his hair gently.

For two hours he pretended to concentrate on his book.

Then Richie screamed.

"Richie!"

The lad was sitting up in bed, pale and shaking. Staring at nothing with unfocused eyes.

"Easy Richie." Duncan put a hand on each shoulder. "Look at me."

"M mac?" Richie managed.

"Yeah. Tough Guy. Its me."

"Oh God Mac please. Make him stop." Richie begged. "I can't stand it."

Duncan felt something cold and hard settle in his chest. He had seen such terror before.

"Its alright Rich. Its alright. Its over. You're safe." Duncan reassured him.

Much as he wanted to know what was bothering Richie, he'd not stand by and force the lad to relive his agony.

"No." Richie clung to him desperately. "That's what he wants you to think. He waits till you are all healed and then it begins all over again."

"Dear God .." Duncan ruthlessly clamped down on his anger. The lad needed him. "Richie. Listen to me. You killed Saul. Its over."

"Sorry Mac." Richie gave an odd hollow laugh. "I don't think I'm gonna get out of this one. He already killed me once. I don't think the odds are improved with both hands tied behind my back. Do you?"

"Richie .." Duncan shook him slightly.

"Aw hell Mac. He's coming back. He's coming." Richie looked absolutely terrified. "I'm sorry Mac. I'm so sorry. I at least wanted to live long enough to make you proud of me."

"Richie. You're fine. Do you hear me?" Duncan shook him hard. "You are not going to die."

"But I'm gonna tell him Mac." Richie all but whimpered. "Maybe not this time. Or the next time. But eventually I'm gonna tell him."

"Tell him what?" Duncan asked, startled.

"Everything." Richie managed.