***Foolish Actions---Present Day***
"And what, exactly, is it that you expect of him?" Tessa was curious now. If Duncan thought Richie had failed him, maybe there was more to this than she had originally thought.
Fortunately though, Duncan was quick to clear up her confusion. "I expect him to take care of himself, Tessa. He risked his life over money. And then, to top it off, he was going to just walk around hurt. Do you have any idea how dangerous what he did was?"
Of course she did. Tessa knew all too well how foolish Richie's actions had been, but she was trying her hardest to keep her feelings out of this conversation. If she was going to help Duncan see what Richie needed from him, she was going to have to stay focused.
"Of course I do." She was beginning to have a difficult time keeping herself from being offended. It took every ounce of patience she had to forgive this question as being said by a man in pain. "But Richie's still young. He doesn't think he can be hurt. When those men attacked him, the only thing he was thinking about was protecting our money."
"How many times do we have to tell him not to risk his safety over money?" Duncan fumed.
Tessa simply ignored the question. "The only thing he was thinking about was doing what he had promised and getting my supplies."
"Tessa."
"I know it's ridiculous, Duncan." She quickly interrupted him. "But you know as well as I do that was why he fought. And when he lost, he didn't want us to think he was weak and needed protecting."
"He does need protecting." Duncan replied darkly, giving the boy's bloodstained t-shirt another squeeze. "Logic like that will get him killed."
Tessa smiled. The Immortal had inadvertently provided the perfect segue to her point. "Then I guess it's a good thing he has us."
"Damn right." Duncan smiled sincerely for the first time since he had found out about the injury. "And I'm going to make sure he knows it."
Tessa looked down the hall in the direction of the closed bedroom door. "You're going to go see him now?"
Duncan turned to her briefly. "I think it's high time he and I talked, don't you?"
The only response she offered was a smile, but she knew that was all he needed.
She watched Duncan walk resolutely towards the closed bedroom door.
***Flashback---Tessa's perspective***
As Duncan quietly slide out of the bed for the second time that night, Tessa couldn't help but smile to herself. Two weeks after Richie had moved in with them full time, Duncan continued to get up in the middle of the night to check on him. At first, she thought it was because he suspected Richie would sneak away. Now she knew better. He simply wanted to assure himself the boy was really there. Having a child with them was no longer just a dream.
She watched Duncan walk resolutely towards the closed bedroom door.
"And what, exactly, is it that you expect of him?" Tessa was curious now. If Duncan thought Richie had failed him, maybe there was more to this than she had originally thought.
Fortunately though, Duncan was quick to clear up her confusion. "I expect him to take care of himself, Tessa. He risked his life over money. And then, to top it off, he was going to just walk around hurt. Do you have any idea how dangerous what he did was?"
Of course she did. Tessa knew all too well how foolish Richie's actions had been, but she was trying her hardest to keep her feelings out of this conversation. If she was going to help Duncan see what Richie needed from him, she was going to have to stay focused.
"Of course I do." She was beginning to have a difficult time keeping herself from being offended. It took every ounce of patience she had to forgive this question as being said by a man in pain. "But Richie's still young. He doesn't think he can be hurt. When those men attacked him, the only thing he was thinking about was protecting our money."
"How many times do we have to tell him not to risk his safety over money?" Duncan fumed.
Tessa simply ignored the question. "The only thing he was thinking about was doing what he had promised and getting my supplies."
"Tessa."
"I know it's ridiculous, Duncan." She quickly interrupted him. "But you know as well as I do that was why he fought. And when he lost, he didn't want us to think he was weak and needed protecting."
"He does need protecting." Duncan replied darkly, giving the boy's bloodstained t-shirt another squeeze. "Logic like that will get him killed."
Tessa smiled. The Immortal had inadvertently provided the perfect segue to her point. "Then I guess it's a good thing he has us."
"Damn right." Duncan smiled sincerely for the first time since he had found out about the injury. "And I'm going to make sure he knows it."
Tessa looked down the hall in the direction of the closed bedroom door. "You're going to go see him now?"
Duncan turned to her briefly. "I think it's high time he and I talked, don't you?"
The only response she offered was a smile, but she knew that was all he needed.
She watched Duncan walk resolutely towards the closed bedroom door.
***Flashback---Tessa's perspective***
As Duncan quietly slide out of the bed for the second time that night, Tessa couldn't help but smile to herself. Two weeks after Richie had moved in with them full time, Duncan continued to get up in the middle of the night to check on him. At first, she thought it was because he suspected Richie would sneak away. Now she knew better. He simply wanted to assure himself the boy was really there. Having a child with them was no longer just a dream.
She watched Duncan walk resolutely towards the closed bedroom door.
