AN – So maybe I was wrong about how many people are reading this (grins happily – thank you). And to show my appreciation for all the lovely reviews I've incorporated reader feedback - for Skywise I've made this as uncliffhangery as possible (given that there is more to come) for Shady Lady there's a hug for Richie .. and Methos will be back in the next chapter. And the Spike's Girl – even if Saul's dead. It matters to Richie (evil grin).
By the way - Tatties and Neaps is mashed potatoes and swedes. It's a Scottish thing.
***
"Richie." Duncan had rarely felt so helpless. "C'mon Tough Guy. Snap out of it."
"I'm sorry Mac. I'm sorry." Richie kept apologising.
Duncan was at a loss for what to do. So he did the only thing he could think of.
He hit him.
The open handed blow wasn't that hard. The pink mark on Richie's cheek already fading even as his eyes focused.
"Ouch." Richie complained.
"Are you alright?" Duncan asked.
"Of course I'm not alright." Richie protested. "You hit me!"
"I'm sorry." Duncan apologised. "You were having a nightmare."
"You couldn't have just made me some warm milk or something?"
"You don't like warm milk."
"I don't much like getting hit."
"Look. I've said I'm sorry." Duncan said, exasperated. "I didn't know what else to do. Its not like I've hit you before."
"Yeah you have." Richie sniped.
"I train with you Rich. Its not the same thing." Duncan pointed out.
"When I was eighteen? I had a black eye for a week." Richie reminded him.
"That was an accident. You were supposed to duck." Duncan raised a brow. "You remember that huh?"
Richie stilled.
"Um. Maybe." Richie hedged. "I mean. Bits and pieces. Obviously not everything."
"Well. Obviously." Duncan agreed.
Richie was many things. But he was far from stupid.
"How long have you known?" he sighed.
"I think the question is Richie. How long have you known?"
***
"I didn't remember anything .. not at first." Richie wrapped his hands around the mug of hot chocolate as it was a lifeline. "I dunno. Maybe Methos was right. Maybe Saul's Quickening was above the recommended dosage or something."
Or maybe it was the trauma. Duncan kept that thought to himself.
"Then it was just little things .." Richie continued. "Like being at the racecourse or the circus. I'd look at Methos or Joe and it was like being with a couple of strangers. Except they knew all this stuff about me that I didn't know."
"That must have been pretty frightening." Duncan offered kindly.
Richie didn't deny it.
"You know. If you'd asked me to pick the person least likely to be relied upon in a crisis." Richie shook his head.
"I'm glad Methos is good for something." Duncan's lips quirked.
"You didn't look that glad when you were chasing him across the Dojo with your sword." Richie recalled.
"I wasn't actually going to hurt him." Duncan defended himself.
"Coulda fooled me." Richie quipped, thinking about his arm.
Then winced, as Duncan's expression darkened at the memory.
"You were a dammed fool." Duncan scolded, his eyes flashing. "What were you thinking of? Putting yourself between two Immortals like that?"
"Oh come on Mac. I knew you wouldn't hurt me." Richie defended himself.
"You knew I wouldn't hurt you huh?" Duncan said mildly.
"No. I mean .." Richie bit down on his tongue so hard it bled.
"Too late Rich." Duncan sounded almost amused.
"I told you the sword thing didn't work." Richie defended himself weakly.
"Because you had already remembered." Duncan said dryly.
"You knew?" Richie frowned at him. "How did you know?"
"Because." Duncan said smugly.
"Mac. That is not a reason." Richie protested.
"Can I have that in writing?" Duncan raised a brow.
***
"You know it would have served you right if I had told you your favourite food was tatties and neaps." Duncan smiled.
"I don't even know what that is." Richie made a face. "But it sure doesn't sound like hamburger."
"Here." Duncan passed him one of the plates of pancakes.
Richie looked at it.
"Its got syrup and whipped cream." He noted unhappily.
"You like syrup and whipped cream. Remember?"
"I do." Richie agreed. "But you always complain about empty calories and too much sugar and .. I don't know cavities. Can Immortals get cavities?"
"Richie. Don't change the subject."
"I'm not. You only put syrup and whipped cream on them when you want me to spill my guts."
"So spill." Duncan tried to keep his tone light. "C'mon Rich. I thought we got past this? Its not like you don't know lots of embarrassing stuff about me."
His words had exactly the undesired effect.
Richie's face went completely white and his plate clattered onto the floor from his suddenly lifeless hand.
"I've got it." Duncan fetched a cloth.
"I'm sorry." Richie whispered. But whether for the mess or something else. Duncan wasn't sure.
"Richie. You are going to talk to me if we have to sit here for the rest of our lives." His voice was steely with quiet determination.
"You couldn't have known. I mean I was real careful." Richie said desperately.
"Oh sure." Duncan nodded. "You did everything right."
"So if I'm right up there with the Hollywood Greats. What gave me away?" he asked, woodenly.
"Richie. I know you." Duncan told him softly. "When I came into the Dojo with my sword drawn .."
"I recognised you." Richie whispered.
"I saw it in your eyes." Duncan told him.
***
"Methos knows?" Richie blurted. "How? He barely notices I'm alive."
"He was kinda suspicious when you head didn't explode." Duncan pointed out. "Besides. I think you'll find he notices more than he lets on."
"Great. Just great." Richie threw up his hands. "You know he's gonna torture me with this for the next thousand years?" He froze.
Duncan gave him a sharp look. "Richie?"
"Damn." Richie scrubbed firmly, trying to erase some unpleasant memory behind his eyes. "Me and my big mouth."
"It'll fade." Duncan patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Just give it time."
"Does Joe know?"
"He didn't." Duncan made a face when Richie looked hopeful. "He does now."
"I'm gonna have to get outta Dodge." Richie muttered. "I really didn't know when I met Amanda."
"Be grateful for small mercies." Duncan murmured. "You are much too young to suffer Amanda when she thinks she's been slighted."
"I'm not that young." Richie shot back. "I'm old enough to take responsibility for my own actions."
Duncan wondered exactly where that had come from.
For once he decided to be the one to change the subject.
"What made you remember?"
"It was that whole .. Duncan Macleod of the Clan Macleod thing .." Richie shook his head. "Hell of a first impression."
"And everything just clicked into place?"
"Pretty much. It was like reliving that first night when I broke into the Store and then .."
"Your whole life flashed before you."
"Yeah." Richie looked into the distance. "I didn't know how to tell you. I knew that if you knew that I knew I'd have to tell you .." he trailed off.
"So you just kept up the pretence?" Duncan asked.
"Hey. You were the one pretending you didn't notice."
"Touché." Duncan smiled.
"Mac. Please. For God's sake don't be nice about this." Richie's voice quavered. "Yell or something."
"You want me to yell?"
"Why not? I deserve it." Richie said quietly. "I'd be mad at me."
***
"Richie!" Duncan protested as the lad hopped around looking for his other shoe. "That wasn't what I meant!"
"Its what you said." Richie retorted. "Not mad. Disappointed. I got that."
"Richie! Will you stop that .. you are not leaving .. just listen to me."
"Oh believe me Mac. I heard you loud and clear the first time."
"No you didn't." Duncan reached out and seized Richie by his shoulders. "Yes I'm a little disappointed that you didn't trust me enough to come to me with this. I'm not disappointed in you. Never in you."
"You would be if you knew the truth."
Duncan was almost positive Richie hadn't meant to say that.
"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"
"Saul wanted to know everything about you." Richie told him. "You strengths. Your weaknesses. And he figured I was the guy to tell him."
"Oh." Duncan wasn't entirely surprised. It wasn't unknown for Immortals to try and gather information before a challenge and a recent student was an obvious resource.
"Well, he's dead now." Duncan didn't see the problem. Unless. "He is dead right?"
"I have his memories. I'm pretty sure that means I have his Quickening." Richie gave him a look.
"So. Its not a problem." Duncan shrugged.
"Mac. This wasn't just a few tit bits for the school newspaper. Your favourite colour or the name of your pet. This was serious stuff. Your favourite moves. Your preferred fighting style .." Richie looked away.
"Richie. He's dead. You're safe. I'm safe. Its over." Duncan put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Is it?" Richie looked up at him and Duncan was struck by the clear anguish in his eyes. "You trusted me Mac and I betrayed you. How can that ever be over?"
***
"I .. you .. what ..?" Richie stuttered.
"You heard me." Duncan paced with barely pent up frustration. "You shouldn't have fought him so hard."
"Oh. I suppose you'd rather I had just told him everything over tea and cakes." Richie scoffed.
"Yes." Duncan exploded. "Better that than sapping your strength by dying God knows how many times .. and then telling him."
"I wasn't planning on telling him at all." Richie's voice cracked.
"I know." Duncan stopped and ran a shaking hand through his hair. "I know. But sooner or later .." he swallowed. "Everyone has a breaking point Rich."
"Mac ..Have you? .. I mean .."
"Richie. This isn't about me." Duncan pointed out. "But .. yeah. I've been there .. once or twice."
"You mean this might happen again?" Richie gave a sickly grin.
"Maybe." Duncan looked away.
"That's something to look forward to." Richie murmured.
"If it does .." Duncan reached out and grasped Richie's jaw firmly, forcing him to look into his eyes. "You save your strength. You watch your mouth and use your head and remember everything you ever learnt on the streets and you do what you have to do to survive. Do you hear me?"
"Mac .." Richie shook his head.
"Do you think my survival would have meant anything if I'd known it was at the cost of your life?" Duncan demanded fondly. "I trust you to keep your head where it belongs Tough Guy. Everything else we work out together – as a family. Right?"
"I didn't think you'd still feel like that after .." Richie looked away.
"Oh Richie." Duncan pulled him into a hug. "You still have a lot to learn about families laddie." He murmured sadly.
