"I see what you mean about that giggle," Duncan said as Richie rejoined everyone in the living room. "It's contagious."

"Yeah."

"You picked out a great girl, Rich," Greg added.

"I think so."

"She doesn't talk much," Adam commented.

"She's shy sometimes."

"She's cute," Joe gave his approval.

"She's perfect, Richie," Amanda smiled.

Richie grinned at her. "I know. Despite you two acting like morons," he said turning his look to Duncan and Greg. "She still seems to like me."

"Richie, what are you talking about?" Duncan asked.

"You know, I really could have spent the evening without you two trying to out do each other."

"Richie," Greg started.

"It was ridiculous. How is it that you guys are the adults and I'm the kid?"

"Watch it, Richard," Greg snapped. "I don't appreciate your attitude."

"And I don't appreciate being made a total idiot out of in front of my girlfriend. A couple stories fine, a few embarrassing pictures is to be expected, not two grown men trying to one up each other."

"You're right, Rich," Duncan said. He could tell Richie was really upset. "We shouldn't have done that in front of Heather."

"You shouldn't be doing it at all," Richie told him. "I thought we went over this. There is no competition here. There's Mac and there's Dad, two totally completely different relationships."

"I don't think we should be discussing this in front of your guests, Richie," Greg hinted.

"Oh, like they weren't here from the beginning?"

"Richie, what did I tell you about you atti-"

"Oh, leave him alone, Greg," Duncan interrupted. "He's a little old for you to be doing that. He has a right to be angry."

"This is how you let him act?" Greg asked. "Like immature brat?"

"I didn't raise him," Duncan shot back taking a defensive step toward Greg. "I let him act like himself. Who he was before we met is none of my doing."

"Oh, so you're saying this is my fault?" Greg edged closer.

"Part of it." Duncan took another step.

"Mac! Dad! Stop it! You think I'm acting immature? Listen to you two!" Richie yelled stepping between them. "Holy crap, you'd think I was actually worth something!"

"You don't think you're worth anything?" Greg asked. "What did you do to my son?" he demanded of Duncan.

"I didn't do anything," he insisted. "He's never said anything like that in front of me before. Maybe he feels that way because you abandoned him."

"I didn't abandon him, he knows that! Don't you, Rich?"

"Yeah," Richie answered. "Of course."

"Didn't you tell me how hurt you were that he had left?" Duncan asked.

"Well, yeah, but." Richie stammered. This wasn't what he was expecting.

"You don't think you would be the slightest bit different if he had made an effort to get a hold of you?"

"Mac, stop it," Richie told him. "What are you trying to do?"

Duncan paused. "Richie, I'm sorry. I don't know what my problem is. I just. I thought I was ready to do this, I guess I'm not. I was way out of line, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Just chill, would ya?" Richie offered a slight grin.

"I'll chill," Duncan promised. "Greg, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things."

Greg nodded. "I shouldn't have been so defensive. I can't blame you for my not being there. But, Richie, next time you want to blow your top like that, don't."

"Sorry," Richie mumbled.

"Richie, you don't have anything to apologize for," Duncan told him. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Excuse me, I believe he's my son," Greg pointed out.

"And he's my friend, I'm not going to let you treat him like that," Duncan insisted. "He's not a little kid that you can reprimand anymore."

"He's my son and he knows I don't tolerate back talk."

"You know what?" Richie yelled. "Screw it!"

"Richard!"

"I don't know why I thought this would work. You guys duke it out, I'm going to bed." He turned on his heel. "Sorry you had to see that you guys," he mumbled to Joe, Adam, and Amanda as he passed them on his way to the stairs.

"Richie!" Amanda went after him.

"Well I hope you two are happy," Adam said. "Now I see why he still acts like such a child. You two need to decide how old he is and treat him that way." Adam had spent some time a few hundred years back studying psychology and could tell why Richie was such a bundle of contradictions. His two father figures acted like children but expected him to be an adult. Half of him wanted to please them and the other half wanted to imitate them and he couldn't figure out which to do. It was a wonder he hadn't struck out on his own sooner.

"Richie?" Amanda knocked lightly on his door before opening it. He was sitting cross-legged on his bed typing furiously on his laptop. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he mumbled not looking up.

"You don't seem fine." She sat on the edge of his bed. "That was quite a show down there."

Richie stopped typing. "Don't remind me. Better than a soap opera, huh?"

"At least as dramatic."

"Why did I think this was going to work? They hate each other."

"They're just protective. Each one is looking out for you and they see the other as a threat," Amanda explained. "I'm sure this wouldn't be such a problem if they weren't both immortal. They love you and know that every immortal is a potential threat to their son, they don't want you to get hurt or killed."

"It's stupid, neither one would ever do anything like that."

"They don't know each other like you know them."

"And my word isn't good enough? I trust both of them with my life. Why don't they understand that?"

"Because they both want to be the one you trust," Amanda told him putting her hand on his arm. "I'll tell you what, what do you have going tomorrow?"

"I have to work tomorrow night."

"We're not leaving until the afternoon. So, I'll go down and get Duncan out of here. You talk to your dad and settle things. Then tomorrow meet Duncan for a late breakfast at ten at our hotel and then you settle things with him. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like I'd never get any of this handled without you. Thanks, Amanda." He gave her a hug. "Maybe some time just you can come down and spend the weekend with me and Heather."

"That sounds great."

Richie stayed in his room and listened to Amanda and everyone else leave. Not sure how to handle things with his dad he changed for bed and waited for him to come. He got out his history book, settled onto his bed and began reading the chapter.

"Rich?" Greg asked opening the door ten pages later. "You awake?"

"Nope," Richie answered putting his book down and sitting up.

"I think we need to talk." Greg pulled the chair out from Richie's desk and sat beside his bed.

"Why did you do that?" Richie asked not wanting to waste time dancing around the issue like he usually did.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you; I just never got the chance to pick on you in front of all your girlfriends."

"Not that, you and Mac. What's up with you guys?

Greg took a deep breath. "Richie, I've told you. I don't trust him."

"Why? He's never done anything," he insisted. "All he's done is take care of me."

"I just have a feeling."

"It had to have come from somewhere, Dad."

"I don't trust him, leave it at that," Greg told him sternly. Richie relented and waited for Greg to make the next move. "I think the bigger issue is your behavior."

"My beha-"

"Yeah, that's the attitude I'm talking about," Greg interrupted Richie's protest. "When did you start acting like that? I thought you understood how you're supposed to act."

"Well, it's kinda hard to keep my cool when you and Mac are."

"We're not now, so what's your excuse for the attitude?"

Richie took a deep breath. "Sorry."

"You know better, Richie."

"I know."

"Good." Greg smiled and patted Richie's knee. "So are we done here?"

"Yeah."

"How about we do breakfast tomorrow?"

"Actually, I'm meeting Mac before they leave tomorrow. You know, so we can."

"Right, of course. Don't want to part adversaries. Some other time."

. . . . . .

Richie was a couple minutes early and planned on waiting for Duncan in the lobby but spotted him before the buzz hit him.

"How is it that even when I'm early you're still here first?" Richie asked.

"I can't let you start getting the upper hand, now can I?"

"Guess not."

"Why don't we go for a walk?" Duncan offered.

"Sure." The silently walked out into the parking lot and began circling the block. At the start of their third lap Richie spoke up. "What do you have against him?"

"I don't know. It's just a gut instinct. I don't trust him."

"Something had to make you feel that way."

"There is something, I just can't put my finger on it."

"So, it's just a feeling? No explanation, just I don't like that guy?"

Duncan stopped walking and gently took hold of his arm. "Richie, if I had a straight answer for you I'd give it. I honestly don't know why. After four hundred years it's hard not to trust your instincts."

"You don't think that jealousy has anything to do with it?" Richie asked in all honesty.

"It's probably part of it, hell it might be all of it. Richie, I don't know. I know that last night when he was telling all those stories about you, I wanted to have some to tell. I know I get on to you about it a lot, but you really haven't done that many stupid things since I've known you. No matter how much I like you, Rich.I can't compete against your father. I'm not used to not being able to put up a good fight for what I want."

Richie smiled a little. "You've told me a thousand times, Mac. You can't always get what you want."

"We're not talking about video games, Rich, we're talking about family.Last night, when you said you weren't worth anything, what did you mean?"

"It came out wrong," Richie assured him. "I just meant you guys were acting like you were fighting over ownership of the biggest gold strike in history or something. not some kid."

"Richie, you're not a kid anymore. I might want you to be, but you're not. And I happen to think you're just as valuable as any gold strike."

"Mac, I trust Dad. Just as much as I trust you. It doesn't matter who raised me or has known me the longest or who taught me how to be immortal.I trust you both completely. You know that, right?"

"Yes and your trust in him should be enough for me to trust him, too."

"But it's not." Richie started walking again. "Just because you can admit that. it doesn't change anything. You still hate him, he still hates you, and I'm still stuck in the middle."

"Richie, I'm sorry. I'll try harder."

"Didn't I usually promise you that?" Richie mused. "Geeze, Mac, I'm sorry all right?" he repeated the words he's said so often in the past three years. "I'll try harder, I swear." He laughed a little and Duncan joined him.

"Guess we're not as different as we both claim."

"Chalk one up to spending too much time together."

Duncan stopped again. "Not too much time, just a lot of time. Never too much."

Richie grinned slightly. "You know, I'm trying to avoid this whole mushy stuff thing. Work with me, Mac."

"Come here, tough guy," Duncan laughed pulling Richie in for a hug. "So are you hungry?"

"Me, hungry? Yeah, right." Richie rolled his eyes.

"I know, I know, stupid question." Duncan kept his arm around Richie's shoulders and started down the street again.

"There's no such thing as a stupid question, Mac," Richie told him. "But that one's dangerously close."