***Protective Instincts---Present Day***
Tessa wasn't buying the smile for a minute. Especially not with the way Duncan continued to clutch Richie's ruined t-shirt. Rather than returning the smile, she simply tried to reassure him. "Duncan, he's going to be fine."
"Of course he is." Duncan dismissed the comfort with a slight wave of the hand and resumed his pace across the floor.
"I just don't understand why the hell he didn't say anything earlier. If he had only told me when it happened." Duncan trailed off the sentence that was really meant for Richie and not the woman whom he shared his life with.
"What?" Tessa challenged with a smile, finally gaining Duncan's attention. "What would be different if he had told you as soon as it happened?"
Duncan stared at her briefly before retorting with, "He wouldn't be laying in there right now."
Tessa was somewhat thrown by the response. It simply wasn't true and they both knew it. It was only a couple hours before Tessa discovered Richie's injury. After all, how well can anyone hide three broken ribs and a six- inch gash across the chest? Even if Richie had come to them immediately, Duncan still would have him tucked up into bed. Tessa smiled to herself at that realization. She had seen almost immediately how fiercely protective her lover was of their young charge.
***Flashback---Tessa's perspective***
She was annoyed. And Duncan was going to know it. How dare he be stomping around in the kitchen, having what sounded to be a good time, while she was up to her ears in receipts? But as she stormed into the room, fully prepared to chew her lover out, she stopped dead in her tracks.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The teenage thief who had made a late-night visit only days earlier was once again inside her home. There he stood, backed into a corner by Duncan.
It didn't take Tessa long to recover from the surprise of what she saw. With venom in her voice she demanded, "What is going on in here?"
The young criminal took his gaze off Duncan briefly but her lover never moved from his position immediately in front of the boy, posed with both hands on the wall surrounding the child in the corner.
But despite Duncan's seeming lack of interest in her entrance, he was the one who responded to her. "Richie and I were just about to make a trip to the hospital. Care to join us?'
His tone was casual to the common observer. But Tessa was not the common observer. After twelve years together, she knew that the tone he was using was anything but casual. "I'll get the car."
Passing by the sink, she shut off the still-running water and grabbed her keys from the hook. As she made her way out the door, she got a glimpse at the boy's sliced, swollen hand and realized why they were making the trip. Now she just had to keep her curiosity in check until she got Duncan alone. She was more than a little interested to know what the youth was doing there again.
Over her shoulder, she could hear her lover ordering the boy outside and, by the time she snapped her seatbelt into place, Duncan was leading the very hesitant child to her car. She smiled briefly when she saw how her lover was maneuvering the teen. While he had one hand on his shoulder, apparently to keep him in check, the other hand was lightly holding the boy's wrist. Apparently, Duncan felt the need to personally insure the safety of the hand until it was treated.
When Duncan followed their guest into the backseat of the car, she was a bit thrown. That is, until she saw him still sheltering the injured appendage even in the safety of the vehicle.
Tessa wasn't buying the smile for a minute. Especially not with the way Duncan continued to clutch Richie's ruined t-shirt. Rather than returning the smile, she simply tried to reassure him. "Duncan, he's going to be fine."
"Of course he is." Duncan dismissed the comfort with a slight wave of the hand and resumed his pace across the floor.
"I just don't understand why the hell he didn't say anything earlier. If he had only told me when it happened." Duncan trailed off the sentence that was really meant for Richie and not the woman whom he shared his life with.
"What?" Tessa challenged with a smile, finally gaining Duncan's attention. "What would be different if he had told you as soon as it happened?"
Duncan stared at her briefly before retorting with, "He wouldn't be laying in there right now."
Tessa was somewhat thrown by the response. It simply wasn't true and they both knew it. It was only a couple hours before Tessa discovered Richie's injury. After all, how well can anyone hide three broken ribs and a six- inch gash across the chest? Even if Richie had come to them immediately, Duncan still would have him tucked up into bed. Tessa smiled to herself at that realization. She had seen almost immediately how fiercely protective her lover was of their young charge.
***Flashback---Tessa's perspective***
She was annoyed. And Duncan was going to know it. How dare he be stomping around in the kitchen, having what sounded to be a good time, while she was up to her ears in receipts? But as she stormed into the room, fully prepared to chew her lover out, she stopped dead in her tracks.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The teenage thief who had made a late-night visit only days earlier was once again inside her home. There he stood, backed into a corner by Duncan.
It didn't take Tessa long to recover from the surprise of what she saw. With venom in her voice she demanded, "What is going on in here?"
The young criminal took his gaze off Duncan briefly but her lover never moved from his position immediately in front of the boy, posed with both hands on the wall surrounding the child in the corner.
But despite Duncan's seeming lack of interest in her entrance, he was the one who responded to her. "Richie and I were just about to make a trip to the hospital. Care to join us?'
His tone was casual to the common observer. But Tessa was not the common observer. After twelve years together, she knew that the tone he was using was anything but casual. "I'll get the car."
Passing by the sink, she shut off the still-running water and grabbed her keys from the hook. As she made her way out the door, she got a glimpse at the boy's sliced, swollen hand and realized why they were making the trip. Now she just had to keep her curiosity in check until she got Duncan alone. She was more than a little interested to know what the youth was doing there again.
Over her shoulder, she could hear her lover ordering the boy outside and, by the time she snapped her seatbelt into place, Duncan was leading the very hesitant child to her car. She smiled briefly when she saw how her lover was maneuvering the teen. While he had one hand on his shoulder, apparently to keep him in check, the other hand was lightly holding the boy's wrist. Apparently, Duncan felt the need to personally insure the safety of the hand until it was treated.
When Duncan followed their guest into the backseat of the car, she was a bit thrown. That is, until she saw him still sheltering the injured appendage even in the safety of the vehicle.
