"That's a good, boy," the stranger said, with a smile in his voice. "Stay
quiet." Richie nodded his head. "Now, close your eyes; I'm going to turn
the light on." Richie squeezed his eyes shut. Through his eyelids he
could still see the lights turn on. "Get used to the light and open your
eyes." After a few minutes Richie opened his eyes completely. He
recognized the man standing over him, but couldn't put a name with the
face. "Do you remember me?"
"You're the guy from the bridge," Richie said.
"The guy on the bridge?" the man repeated. "You'd think that father of yours would have taught you something of family by now."
"Huh?"
"I'm Conner MacLeod. I'm a good guy," he added to emphasize the point.
"So why'd you sneak into my room in the middle of the night like a kidnapper?"
"Because I could."
"What?"
"It was entirely too easy to get to you, laddie."
"I still don't get it," Richie admitted, starting to feel a little more at ease with Conner. He sat up and leaned against the headboard.
"Where do you think you'd be if I was a kidnapper?"
"You aren't, right?" Richie wanted to be clear on that point.
"Right. But if I was?"
"Probably in the trunk."
"And where would Duncan be?"
"Haulin' ass to get me," Richie said sitting up a little straighter. although he felt awkward defending his father in his underwear.
"But he doesn't know you're gone." Richie opened his mouth to answer, but closed it again. "I'm just teaching your dad a lesson."
"Huh?"
"This house isn't as small as the loft. He has no idea I'm here. That's not good."
"So. Conner. you're just gonna chill up here all night?"
"That's Uncle Conner to you, and that is the plan."
"Uncle Conner," Richie repeated. A small smile spread across his face. "I've never had an uncle before."
"Well, I've never had a nephew, so I guess we'll learn together."
"Instant family, just add water," Richie mumbled to himself. "So. what do we do now?"
"Did Duncan ever tell you of the time he got lost in the woods chasing a wolf?" Conner asked.
"Yeah. well, kinda. He talks about how scared he was that his dad was gonna beat him when he found him. And then he realized that he was only punished because his dad loved him and wanted to keep him safe. He tells me that part of the story every time he grounds me."
"Then let me tell you what happened before he was found."
Two hours later, Conner hushed Richie when he heard the sounds of Duncan going out for his morning run. He made breakfast in the kitchen, did his stretches in the living room, and stopped short as he walked past the stairs. Suddenly his footsteps doubled back into his bedroom, back through the living room and to the stairs. Conner slid behind Richie's open closet door.
"Richie?!" Duncan called as he took the stairs two at a time. "Richie?!"
"Yeah, Dad?" Richie answered innocently as Duncan turned into his room.
"Are you okay?"
"Of course? Why wouldn't I be?" Richie asked.
"There's an immortal," Duncan told him urgently. "I want you to go down to your mother."
Richie smiled. "Relax. I'm sure if there's a bad guy here you and Uncle Conner can handle him."
"Uncle. Conner?" Duncan repeated. "Alright Conner, you've had your laugh."
"Glad to see you can take care of the boy," Conner said coming into view. "I've been here for two hours. You're pride and joy could have been filleted twelve times by now."
"You've made your point. But you didn't have to scare me to do it."
"I've been telling you since you moved here, that you can give him his privacy, but you have to keep him close," Conner chided.
"Alright, you can help us move him," Duncan retorted.
"Move me?" Richie asked. "How come I gotta move?"
"Because Conner was with you for two hours and I didn't know," Duncan told him. "That's very dangerous."
"I like my room," the teen protested.
"And you'll like the one across the hall; that should be close enough."
"Do I get a say?"
"Do you want to move?"
"No."
"You've had your say and it's been over-ruled. You're moving."
"Richie?!" Tessa called from the stairs.
"Everything's fine!" Duncan called back. "It's just Conner!"
"Conner!" Tessa greeted cheerfully, coming into Richie's room. "We weren't expecting you until after lunch!"
"I thought I'd get in some bonding before the parents got in the way," Conner told her with a smile and giving her a hug.
"It's a real party in here," Richie said from his spot on the bed. "I feel underdressed in my underwear."
Tessa looked at Richie who was still under the blankets and bare-chested. She smiled. "Well, why don't we all have a nice breakfast?" she said clapping her hands before leading the men out of the room. "Richie, get dressed and come down, okay?"
"Kay!"
Breakfast went well and the conversation was mostly getting Conner and Richie to know one another. The only time they had seen each other was when they had first met nearly two years ago. They hadn't even spoken on the phone. Conner had some pictures of Richie (Duncan had been sure to send him some of Richie in his kilt last year) but other than that had nothing to prove he was an uncle.
After breakfast, they all trooped up to Richie's room to move him across the hall. His new room as almost directly above Duncan and Tessa's. Any immortal would have to either pass their window or over their heads to get to him. After much discussion, it was decided that it was better to have Richie's bed in the corner farthest from any entrance. Duncan would be able to notice any intruder before they were that close. Since most of his heavy stuff was in his office, Richie was easily moved. The only difficult part was disassembling and reassembling his bed. By the time they were done, it was time for lunch. They ordered a pizza since they were all too tired to cook and too dirty to go out.
Once it arrived, they all settled in the den and talked. When the meal was over, Conner announced it was time for Richie to get his birthday present. Richie, who had honestly not been expecting one, quickly accepted the large box. He ripped open the paper, opened the box, and pulled out a baseball duffel bag. It was black with his name stitched in small green letters across one side.
"Wow, this is awesome!" Richie smiled running his fingers over his name. Even after being Richie Noel-MacLeod for nearly a year, it still made his smile to see it printed anywhere.
"Open it up," Conner told him.
"Oh, man!" Richie exclaimed as he began pulling out the rest of his gift: a new black leather fielding glove, a catcher's mitt, a black and green batting glove, new cleats, and a cleat pick. "Dude, this is so cool! Thanks!!"
"There's one more thing in there."
"There is?" Richie opened the bag further and found it empty. Conner un- zipped the bat sheath for him, prompting Richie to look there. "Whoa." Richie breathed as he extracted a shiny new aluminum baseball bat.
"Conner, honestly," Duncan groaned.
"What? I heard you left a few necessary pieces of equipment out yesterday," Conner shrugged.
"Thanks, Conner!" Richie beamed.
"Ahem?"
"Oh, right, Uncle Conner," he corrected.
"You're welcome."
Richie stood up, stepped away, and gave the bat a few test swings. "This is perfect! Perfect length, perfect weight, perfect grip. how did you know?"
Conner smiled. "Choosing a bat is like choosing a sword. No one bat is perfect for two people. And since I've had a lot of practice choosing swords, I could easily tell which bat was perfect for you."
"You were right on." Richie was still grinning from ear to ear.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Conner turned and went to the door. "One more, then you're done."
"More presents?" Richie asked hopefully.
"One more. It's in the car; I'll be right back." Conner left the room.
"This is, like, the best birthday I've ever had!" Richie exclaimed, going back through the gloves trying each one on. Richie looked up from admiring his catcher's mitt and caught Duncan's eye. "Fits like a glove," he smiled. Duncan smiled back and ruffled his hair.
"Well, looks like someone has a new favorite uncle," Tessa smiled from her seat as Richie untied his sneakers to try on his new cleats.
"Looks like it," Duncan agreed.
"Okay, here it is," Conner said from the door holding a long polished oak box.
"Conner, you didn't," Duncan said staring at the box.
"Someone had to."
"You should have asked. I don't want him to have one of those."
"One of what?" Richie asked, eyeing the box. At first he had assumed it was a fishing rod; now he knew it wasn't and wanted to know what it was.
"Come on, Duncan, he's a MacLeod now," Conner defended, beckoning Richie over.
"That doesn't mean he can have that," Duncan insisted, taking Richie by the arm as he walked by.
"Have what?"
"It's my gift; it's up to him to refuse it."
"I'm his father and I say no."
"To what?"
"Tessa, surely you understand what I'm trying to do here," Conner smiled at her.
"Richie, go to your room," Tessa said. "The adults need to talk."
"Can't I just see what I can't have?" Richie asked.
"No," Duncan told him. "Go upstairs."
"Can I have a clue?"
"Duncan, the blade is dull, he won't hurt himself," Conner said impatiently.
"Blade?" Richie repeated excitedly.
Duncan reached over and covered they boy's ears with his hands. "No pre- immortal son of mine is going to get a sword before he needs one," he told Conner sternly in Gaelic.
"I can still hear you, you know," Richie said a little louder than usual. "You must be mad, 'casue you're speaking Gaelic."
Duncan removed his hands and resumed his grip on Richie's arm and continued speaking to Conner. "He's too young and not ready."
"Duncan," Conner said patiently speaking Gaelic as well. "He's a grown boy. How old were you when you got your first sword?"
"Eight," Duncan answered. "But that bears no weight here. This is a new time; he has nothing to defend or fight."
"This is just my way of welcoming him into the clan."
"You couldn't think of anything else to give him?"
"It has a rack and everything. It's meant to go on his wall."
"Oh." Duncan switched languages. "In that case, he can have it."
"Are you sure?" Tessa asked. "Isn't it dangerous?
"Have what? What's dangerous?" Richie asked impatiently. He had a good guess of what it was, but didn't want to get his hopes up.
"Come and see," Conner told him opening up the case.
"A sword?" Richie's voice squeaked in excitement. He gazed lovingly down at the claymore lying on soft red velvet. The name MacLeod was written across the hilt in big steel letters.
"Not just any sword. This is just like my sword."
"I thought you had a katana, like Dad?"
"My first sword," Conner corrected. "It's a claymore, which is a type of broadsword. That means you have to hold it was two hands to use it."
"Use it?" Richie's excitement grew.
"Which you won't," Duncan told him sternly. "This is strictly a decoration, do you understand?"
Richie looked helplessly at Conner. "I'm afraid he's right, lad. This is not meant to fight with."
"Can't I at least hold it?"
"Now, I don't see the harm in that, do you, Duncan?"
"Tessa?" Duncan asked, finally realizing he totally left her out of the decision.
"He can't hurt himself?" she asked Conner.
"No more easily than he could with a baseball bat."
"Alright, then."
Richie reached into the box and grasped the soft leather hilt. Carefully he lifted the sword from its bed. He held it out in front of himself and gazed down at the blade. "Wow," he breathed.
"Here, spread your feet apart," Conner said putting the case down. "Square your shoulders."
"You are not teaching him to use that," Duncan interrupted. "But you can show him how to take care of it and help him hang it up. I have a class in an hour."
Duncan left to teach his Saturday class, Tessa cleaned up from lunch and Conner helped Richie put his presents away. Then Tessa announced she had to go to the store and would be home for dinner. Conner promised to keep Richie out of trouble.
He helped Richie pick a spot for his sword in his room, the helped him hang the rack right above his bed. As they worked Richie told Conner about his summer and his new classes. Conner promised to come back for graduation as long as Richie spent at least one vacation in New York with him. Richie promised as long as they could go to Yankee stadium.
After a few hours of talking Richie took Conner to Tessa's store to show him where he worked and, more importantly, his art projects. Tessa had hung some of his paintings as decoration around the store and a few of them were up for sale. Then Conner took him to a movie and they met Tessa for dinner at Richie's favorite Chinese restaurant. Duncan made it there just before the food arrived.
Sunday was spent taking pictures. Richie once again donned his baseball uniform and was posed for picture after picture in the back yard. Then Duncan wrestled him into his kilt and plaid before changing into his. They met Conner, who had changed into his kilt as well, in the back yard for more pictures. Richie was allowed to take his sword off the rack to pose with. Tessa ended up taking four rolls of pictures in total.
Sunday night, Richie was sent to bed after saying good-bye to his uncle who was leaving in the morning before he got up for school.
"Spring Break," Conner reminded him.
"Spring Break," Richie repeated.
To everyone's surprise, Richie gave Conner an awkward hug before running, blushing, up the stairs.
"You're the guy from the bridge," Richie said.
"The guy on the bridge?" the man repeated. "You'd think that father of yours would have taught you something of family by now."
"Huh?"
"I'm Conner MacLeod. I'm a good guy," he added to emphasize the point.
"So why'd you sneak into my room in the middle of the night like a kidnapper?"
"Because I could."
"What?"
"It was entirely too easy to get to you, laddie."
"I still don't get it," Richie admitted, starting to feel a little more at ease with Conner. He sat up and leaned against the headboard.
"Where do you think you'd be if I was a kidnapper?"
"You aren't, right?" Richie wanted to be clear on that point.
"Right. But if I was?"
"Probably in the trunk."
"And where would Duncan be?"
"Haulin' ass to get me," Richie said sitting up a little straighter. although he felt awkward defending his father in his underwear.
"But he doesn't know you're gone." Richie opened his mouth to answer, but closed it again. "I'm just teaching your dad a lesson."
"Huh?"
"This house isn't as small as the loft. He has no idea I'm here. That's not good."
"So. Conner. you're just gonna chill up here all night?"
"That's Uncle Conner to you, and that is the plan."
"Uncle Conner," Richie repeated. A small smile spread across his face. "I've never had an uncle before."
"Well, I've never had a nephew, so I guess we'll learn together."
"Instant family, just add water," Richie mumbled to himself. "So. what do we do now?"
"Did Duncan ever tell you of the time he got lost in the woods chasing a wolf?" Conner asked.
"Yeah. well, kinda. He talks about how scared he was that his dad was gonna beat him when he found him. And then he realized that he was only punished because his dad loved him and wanted to keep him safe. He tells me that part of the story every time he grounds me."
"Then let me tell you what happened before he was found."
Two hours later, Conner hushed Richie when he heard the sounds of Duncan going out for his morning run. He made breakfast in the kitchen, did his stretches in the living room, and stopped short as he walked past the stairs. Suddenly his footsteps doubled back into his bedroom, back through the living room and to the stairs. Conner slid behind Richie's open closet door.
"Richie?!" Duncan called as he took the stairs two at a time. "Richie?!"
"Yeah, Dad?" Richie answered innocently as Duncan turned into his room.
"Are you okay?"
"Of course? Why wouldn't I be?" Richie asked.
"There's an immortal," Duncan told him urgently. "I want you to go down to your mother."
Richie smiled. "Relax. I'm sure if there's a bad guy here you and Uncle Conner can handle him."
"Uncle. Conner?" Duncan repeated. "Alright Conner, you've had your laugh."
"Glad to see you can take care of the boy," Conner said coming into view. "I've been here for two hours. You're pride and joy could have been filleted twelve times by now."
"You've made your point. But you didn't have to scare me to do it."
"I've been telling you since you moved here, that you can give him his privacy, but you have to keep him close," Conner chided.
"Alright, you can help us move him," Duncan retorted.
"Move me?" Richie asked. "How come I gotta move?"
"Because Conner was with you for two hours and I didn't know," Duncan told him. "That's very dangerous."
"I like my room," the teen protested.
"And you'll like the one across the hall; that should be close enough."
"Do I get a say?"
"Do you want to move?"
"No."
"You've had your say and it's been over-ruled. You're moving."
"Richie?!" Tessa called from the stairs.
"Everything's fine!" Duncan called back. "It's just Conner!"
"Conner!" Tessa greeted cheerfully, coming into Richie's room. "We weren't expecting you until after lunch!"
"I thought I'd get in some bonding before the parents got in the way," Conner told her with a smile and giving her a hug.
"It's a real party in here," Richie said from his spot on the bed. "I feel underdressed in my underwear."
Tessa looked at Richie who was still under the blankets and bare-chested. She smiled. "Well, why don't we all have a nice breakfast?" she said clapping her hands before leading the men out of the room. "Richie, get dressed and come down, okay?"
"Kay!"
Breakfast went well and the conversation was mostly getting Conner and Richie to know one another. The only time they had seen each other was when they had first met nearly two years ago. They hadn't even spoken on the phone. Conner had some pictures of Richie (Duncan had been sure to send him some of Richie in his kilt last year) but other than that had nothing to prove he was an uncle.
After breakfast, they all trooped up to Richie's room to move him across the hall. His new room as almost directly above Duncan and Tessa's. Any immortal would have to either pass their window or over their heads to get to him. After much discussion, it was decided that it was better to have Richie's bed in the corner farthest from any entrance. Duncan would be able to notice any intruder before they were that close. Since most of his heavy stuff was in his office, Richie was easily moved. The only difficult part was disassembling and reassembling his bed. By the time they were done, it was time for lunch. They ordered a pizza since they were all too tired to cook and too dirty to go out.
Once it arrived, they all settled in the den and talked. When the meal was over, Conner announced it was time for Richie to get his birthday present. Richie, who had honestly not been expecting one, quickly accepted the large box. He ripped open the paper, opened the box, and pulled out a baseball duffel bag. It was black with his name stitched in small green letters across one side.
"Wow, this is awesome!" Richie smiled running his fingers over his name. Even after being Richie Noel-MacLeod for nearly a year, it still made his smile to see it printed anywhere.
"Open it up," Conner told him.
"Oh, man!" Richie exclaimed as he began pulling out the rest of his gift: a new black leather fielding glove, a catcher's mitt, a black and green batting glove, new cleats, and a cleat pick. "Dude, this is so cool! Thanks!!"
"There's one more thing in there."
"There is?" Richie opened the bag further and found it empty. Conner un- zipped the bat sheath for him, prompting Richie to look there. "Whoa." Richie breathed as he extracted a shiny new aluminum baseball bat.
"Conner, honestly," Duncan groaned.
"What? I heard you left a few necessary pieces of equipment out yesterday," Conner shrugged.
"Thanks, Conner!" Richie beamed.
"Ahem?"
"Oh, right, Uncle Conner," he corrected.
"You're welcome."
Richie stood up, stepped away, and gave the bat a few test swings. "This is perfect! Perfect length, perfect weight, perfect grip. how did you know?"
Conner smiled. "Choosing a bat is like choosing a sword. No one bat is perfect for two people. And since I've had a lot of practice choosing swords, I could easily tell which bat was perfect for you."
"You were right on." Richie was still grinning from ear to ear.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Conner turned and went to the door. "One more, then you're done."
"More presents?" Richie asked hopefully.
"One more. It's in the car; I'll be right back." Conner left the room.
"This is, like, the best birthday I've ever had!" Richie exclaimed, going back through the gloves trying each one on. Richie looked up from admiring his catcher's mitt and caught Duncan's eye. "Fits like a glove," he smiled. Duncan smiled back and ruffled his hair.
"Well, looks like someone has a new favorite uncle," Tessa smiled from her seat as Richie untied his sneakers to try on his new cleats.
"Looks like it," Duncan agreed.
"Okay, here it is," Conner said from the door holding a long polished oak box.
"Conner, you didn't," Duncan said staring at the box.
"Someone had to."
"You should have asked. I don't want him to have one of those."
"One of what?" Richie asked, eyeing the box. At first he had assumed it was a fishing rod; now he knew it wasn't and wanted to know what it was.
"Come on, Duncan, he's a MacLeod now," Conner defended, beckoning Richie over.
"That doesn't mean he can have that," Duncan insisted, taking Richie by the arm as he walked by.
"Have what?"
"It's my gift; it's up to him to refuse it."
"I'm his father and I say no."
"To what?"
"Tessa, surely you understand what I'm trying to do here," Conner smiled at her.
"Richie, go to your room," Tessa said. "The adults need to talk."
"Can't I just see what I can't have?" Richie asked.
"No," Duncan told him. "Go upstairs."
"Can I have a clue?"
"Duncan, the blade is dull, he won't hurt himself," Conner said impatiently.
"Blade?" Richie repeated excitedly.
Duncan reached over and covered they boy's ears with his hands. "No pre- immortal son of mine is going to get a sword before he needs one," he told Conner sternly in Gaelic.
"I can still hear you, you know," Richie said a little louder than usual. "You must be mad, 'casue you're speaking Gaelic."
Duncan removed his hands and resumed his grip on Richie's arm and continued speaking to Conner. "He's too young and not ready."
"Duncan," Conner said patiently speaking Gaelic as well. "He's a grown boy. How old were you when you got your first sword?"
"Eight," Duncan answered. "But that bears no weight here. This is a new time; he has nothing to defend or fight."
"This is just my way of welcoming him into the clan."
"You couldn't think of anything else to give him?"
"It has a rack and everything. It's meant to go on his wall."
"Oh." Duncan switched languages. "In that case, he can have it."
"Are you sure?" Tessa asked. "Isn't it dangerous?
"Have what? What's dangerous?" Richie asked impatiently. He had a good guess of what it was, but didn't want to get his hopes up.
"Come and see," Conner told him opening up the case.
"A sword?" Richie's voice squeaked in excitement. He gazed lovingly down at the claymore lying on soft red velvet. The name MacLeod was written across the hilt in big steel letters.
"Not just any sword. This is just like my sword."
"I thought you had a katana, like Dad?"
"My first sword," Conner corrected. "It's a claymore, which is a type of broadsword. That means you have to hold it was two hands to use it."
"Use it?" Richie's excitement grew.
"Which you won't," Duncan told him sternly. "This is strictly a decoration, do you understand?"
Richie looked helplessly at Conner. "I'm afraid he's right, lad. This is not meant to fight with."
"Can't I at least hold it?"
"Now, I don't see the harm in that, do you, Duncan?"
"Tessa?" Duncan asked, finally realizing he totally left her out of the decision.
"He can't hurt himself?" she asked Conner.
"No more easily than he could with a baseball bat."
"Alright, then."
Richie reached into the box and grasped the soft leather hilt. Carefully he lifted the sword from its bed. He held it out in front of himself and gazed down at the blade. "Wow," he breathed.
"Here, spread your feet apart," Conner said putting the case down. "Square your shoulders."
"You are not teaching him to use that," Duncan interrupted. "But you can show him how to take care of it and help him hang it up. I have a class in an hour."
Duncan left to teach his Saturday class, Tessa cleaned up from lunch and Conner helped Richie put his presents away. Then Tessa announced she had to go to the store and would be home for dinner. Conner promised to keep Richie out of trouble.
He helped Richie pick a spot for his sword in his room, the helped him hang the rack right above his bed. As they worked Richie told Conner about his summer and his new classes. Conner promised to come back for graduation as long as Richie spent at least one vacation in New York with him. Richie promised as long as they could go to Yankee stadium.
After a few hours of talking Richie took Conner to Tessa's store to show him where he worked and, more importantly, his art projects. Tessa had hung some of his paintings as decoration around the store and a few of them were up for sale. Then Conner took him to a movie and they met Tessa for dinner at Richie's favorite Chinese restaurant. Duncan made it there just before the food arrived.
Sunday was spent taking pictures. Richie once again donned his baseball uniform and was posed for picture after picture in the back yard. Then Duncan wrestled him into his kilt and plaid before changing into his. They met Conner, who had changed into his kilt as well, in the back yard for more pictures. Richie was allowed to take his sword off the rack to pose with. Tessa ended up taking four rolls of pictures in total.
Sunday night, Richie was sent to bed after saying good-bye to his uncle who was leaving in the morning before he got up for school.
"Spring Break," Conner reminded him.
"Spring Break," Richie repeated.
To everyone's surprise, Richie gave Conner an awkward hug before running, blushing, up the stairs.