AN: Hey thanks for all the reviews. And just so you know I've decided
that the ep 'Family Tree' never happened. Why? Because I'm the author and
I can do that! *grin* That said. On to the story and please review!!!
"Richie?" Tessa knocked on the door to her bedroom where Richie was getting dressed for bed.
"Yeah?"
She went in. "May I ask you something personal?"
"Do I have to answer?"
"Not if you don't want to."
"Then shoot."
"Who is Michael?"
"Where are Maman and Papa?"
"In the kitchen with Duncan."
"I can show you a picture." He led her into his room and dug through a desk drawer for a second before pulling out a photograph. "This is him and me on his birthday last year." He handed it to her.
Smiling at the camera was Richie with his arms around a boy who was just a younger version of him. Both were wet and shirtless; you could see a bit of a swimming pool in the background.
"You didn't tell us you had a brother," Tessa reminded him quietly.
"That's because I don't."
"But you said he was your little brother."
"I just call him that sometimes. I mean look at him. He even talks just like me. If I didn't know better, I would swear he was."
"Are you sure he isn't? The resemblance is amazing."
"He's ten years younger than me."
"My oldest brother is twelve years older than me."
"My mom died when I was five. So unless dead women can get pregnant, he's not my brother."
"Maybe a cousin? Do you have any aunts or uncles?"
"Since no one came for me when my mom died, I'm guessing no."
"I'm sorry," Tessa said softly. "I shouldn't be asking you this."
"It's no big," Richie said with a slight shrug.
"Richie." She handed him the picture back. "Will he be there Saturday?"
"Probably.but I'm not sure. You never know."
"If he is I would love to meet him."
"I'd like for you to meet him, too. I mean, you wanna know me when I was eight? Spend two minutes with him."
"Is he really that much like you?"
"According to everyone who's ever taken care of both us. You know, of the things I miss about my old life.he's the biggest."
"You really miss him?"
Richie paused for a minute. "Yeah. If I was old enough I'd adopt him. Hell, I'll probably be able to in a few years."
"You don't think he'll be adopted?" Tessa asked.
"I guess he could.but really he's too old now. I was too old when I got there, to tell the truth. I mean, people only want babies. Once you learn to walk, you're pretty much done for. And potty trained? Well. once you can talk coherently you're screwed. Junior high? Forget it. I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm telling you all this. I'm just rambling. I better get out of here so everyone else can get to bed. You guys have that ballet thing tomorrow and everything." He got up and put the picture back in the drawer. "Night, Tess."
"Good night, Richie. And Richie?"
"Huh?"
"If you ever want to ramble to someone again, I'm always here for you."
"Thanks, Tess."
As they settled into bed, Tessa told Duncan what Richie had told her. And then he told her what Jean had told him.
"I think we've been misjudging him," Duncan admitted.
"Me, too. Here we thought he was this selfish, hardhearted street rat. And he's a sensitive, giving child."
"I feel like a real heel for yelling at him yesterday."
"You didn't know what he was asking for."
"I could have asked him."
"The only reason Papa knows what he was doing was because he was there. Richie obviously had no intention of telling us what he was up to."
"Maybe he was worried we'd be mad at him for spending so much. I did get onto him about how much he was spending on people."
"You think you scared him into secrecy?" Tessa smiled.
"I never know what to do with him," Duncan admitted. "Every time I think I have him figured out, he goes and surprises me."
"We've only known him a few months; you can't expect to know him perfectly."
"I just feel like I should."
"I know it feels like he's been here all along, but he hasn't. He's still finding out about us and we're finding out about him."
"I.it's the important things. This is the first we've heard about his baby brother of his. Or his mom. Or anything."
"Michael is not his brother," Tessa pointed out.
"But Richie considers him his brother."
"Duncan, I think you're getting too concerned about this. He's opening up now and we should encourage it. Just give him some more time. Besides with Maman there will be plenty of questions for him to answer."
. . . . . .
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Duncan asked Richie as he helped Tessa into her coat.
"Hum.let me think, spend a night watching girls that I have no chance with dancing around to bad music pretending to be mice or order a pizza and a couple movies. I think I'll pass."
"You have no culture in your life."
"Indiana Jones is cultural. He travels all over the world."
Duncan smiled. "One of these days I'm going to get you to the ballet."
"Then you'd better hope I'm like you," Richie said in a low voice. "Because it will take a few hundred years."
"Then I'd better get started."
Richie was dead asleep on the couch with the television still going when they got back from the ballet. Genevieve tucked him in a little tighter. Despite her gentleness, he woke up.
"Maman?"
"Shh, mon brave, go to sleep."
"How was the ballet?"
"Very nice, Rich," Duncan whispered pushing him gently back down into a laying position. "Go back to sleep."
"Kay," he settled back down and closed his eyes.
. . . . . .
Duncan got ready for his morning run as quietly as he could. Tessa slept through his preparations. Richie, on the other hand, woke up as soon as he turned on the light in the kitchen.
"Hey, Mac?"
"Oh, god, Rich!" Duncan jumped. "You scared me."
"Sorry." Richie jumped up on the counter.
"Since when do you wake up before noon?"
"Since I crashed last night for no real reason. I didn't even finish my pizza."
"Are you sick?"
"I hope not. It's almost Christmas."
Duncan put his hand on Richie's forehead. "You seem fine to me. Want to join me on my run?"
"How far do you go?"
"As far as you can. When you're ready to come back, we'll come back."
"Cool.uh, my sweats and stuff are in my room."
"You know, you can probably fit into my stuff. I'll get you something."
Five minutes later, Duncan was driving to the park with Richie in toe. "You know something, Rich? You are acting very odd."
"I am?"
"Since when do you like to run?"
"We just haven't been able to do anything with just us in a while, that's all," Richie shrugged.
"You like doing things with just the two of us?" Duncan said with a small sense of pride and accomplishment.
"I dunno. I guess. You don't mind, do you?"
"No. I like it, too."
Richie smiled a bit and settled into his seat. "Cool."
To Duncan's surprise, Richie lasted almost three miles until he was ready to go back home.
"It's pretty much decided that we're going to go to the pageant tonight."
"Okay." The rode in silence for a few blocks. "Hey, Mac?"
"Yes?"
"What does Mon Breve mean?"
"Mon brave," Duncan corrected. "It means."
"Lemme guess. Green bean?"
"No."
"Broccoli?"
"No."
"Cauliflower?"
"It's not a vegetable."
"Banana?"
Duncan laughed. "Roughly translated it means 'my brave one'."
It was Richie's turn to laugh. "Where the hell did she get that one?"
"Because Richard means brave."
Richie laughed again. "My parents must not have known that."
"You never know."
"No. I guess not."
"So what time do you want to leave tonight?" Duncan asked changing the subject.
"It starts at six, but I want talk to some friends first. I want to get there early. I can just take my bike."
"It's too cold for that, you'll get sick. Besides it's supposed to rain tonight. It wouldn't be safe. We'll go with you."
"If you want."
"Then we'll leave around five. And you can drive since you know where you're going."
"You mean I'm not stuck in the middle?" Richie had been riding in the middle either between Duncan and Tessa in the front of the car or between Jean and Genevieve in the back all week. He was the youngest and thusly the most squishable.
"We'll figure it out." Duncan pulled up to the building and stopped. "Okay, I'm just dropping you off; I have errands to run."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm not done shopping."
"Oh, okay. See you at lunch?"
"Why don't we make it a late lunch since we won't really have time for dinner? Tell Tessa okay?"
"Sure." Richie opened his door and got out.
"Behave yourself," Duncan reminded him.
"You say that like I'm a trouble maker."
. . . . . .
"Richie, are you okay?" Tessa asked him quietly.
He looked up from the salad he was tearing. "I'm fine, why?"
"You seem a little off."
"I guess I'm just excited. It's like I'm going home.if only for a visit."
"You seem more nervous than excited."
"I guess. It's just.it's not fancy or anything. It's like a really cheap boarding school."
"Are you embarrassed for us to see?"
"I don't think so. I mean, it happened; what are you gonna do. Besides, I really liked it there. I spent some of the best times of my life there. Just don't expect much."
"Richie, all we expect is to see where you grew up. It can't be as bad as you think. You turned out nicely."
"Is that why you're always telling me to behave?"
"You're eighteen. Eighteen-year-olds need to be told to behave."
"What are you two whispering about in there?" Genevieve asked from the table where she was snapping beans.
"We just can't decide how to poison lunch."
"Oh, okay."
For lunch they had roast and fresh vegetables. Finally it was time to leave.
"Why were you at the mall?" Tessa asked Duncan on the way to the car. "The shopping is done."
"I found that tree from the orphanage. I bought presents for all the kids who were left."
"I thought you wanted to rub off on Richie.not the other way around."
"What are you going to do?"
Next Chapter: The Pageant and Christmas.
"Richie?" Tessa knocked on the door to her bedroom where Richie was getting dressed for bed.
"Yeah?"
She went in. "May I ask you something personal?"
"Do I have to answer?"
"Not if you don't want to."
"Then shoot."
"Who is Michael?"
"Where are Maman and Papa?"
"In the kitchen with Duncan."
"I can show you a picture." He led her into his room and dug through a desk drawer for a second before pulling out a photograph. "This is him and me on his birthday last year." He handed it to her.
Smiling at the camera was Richie with his arms around a boy who was just a younger version of him. Both were wet and shirtless; you could see a bit of a swimming pool in the background.
"You didn't tell us you had a brother," Tessa reminded him quietly.
"That's because I don't."
"But you said he was your little brother."
"I just call him that sometimes. I mean look at him. He even talks just like me. If I didn't know better, I would swear he was."
"Are you sure he isn't? The resemblance is amazing."
"He's ten years younger than me."
"My oldest brother is twelve years older than me."
"My mom died when I was five. So unless dead women can get pregnant, he's not my brother."
"Maybe a cousin? Do you have any aunts or uncles?"
"Since no one came for me when my mom died, I'm guessing no."
"I'm sorry," Tessa said softly. "I shouldn't be asking you this."
"It's no big," Richie said with a slight shrug.
"Richie." She handed him the picture back. "Will he be there Saturday?"
"Probably.but I'm not sure. You never know."
"If he is I would love to meet him."
"I'd like for you to meet him, too. I mean, you wanna know me when I was eight? Spend two minutes with him."
"Is he really that much like you?"
"According to everyone who's ever taken care of both us. You know, of the things I miss about my old life.he's the biggest."
"You really miss him?"
Richie paused for a minute. "Yeah. If I was old enough I'd adopt him. Hell, I'll probably be able to in a few years."
"You don't think he'll be adopted?" Tessa asked.
"I guess he could.but really he's too old now. I was too old when I got there, to tell the truth. I mean, people only want babies. Once you learn to walk, you're pretty much done for. And potty trained? Well. once you can talk coherently you're screwed. Junior high? Forget it. I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm telling you all this. I'm just rambling. I better get out of here so everyone else can get to bed. You guys have that ballet thing tomorrow and everything." He got up and put the picture back in the drawer. "Night, Tess."
"Good night, Richie. And Richie?"
"Huh?"
"If you ever want to ramble to someone again, I'm always here for you."
"Thanks, Tess."
As they settled into bed, Tessa told Duncan what Richie had told her. And then he told her what Jean had told him.
"I think we've been misjudging him," Duncan admitted.
"Me, too. Here we thought he was this selfish, hardhearted street rat. And he's a sensitive, giving child."
"I feel like a real heel for yelling at him yesterday."
"You didn't know what he was asking for."
"I could have asked him."
"The only reason Papa knows what he was doing was because he was there. Richie obviously had no intention of telling us what he was up to."
"Maybe he was worried we'd be mad at him for spending so much. I did get onto him about how much he was spending on people."
"You think you scared him into secrecy?" Tessa smiled.
"I never know what to do with him," Duncan admitted. "Every time I think I have him figured out, he goes and surprises me."
"We've only known him a few months; you can't expect to know him perfectly."
"I just feel like I should."
"I know it feels like he's been here all along, but he hasn't. He's still finding out about us and we're finding out about him."
"I.it's the important things. This is the first we've heard about his baby brother of his. Or his mom. Or anything."
"Michael is not his brother," Tessa pointed out.
"But Richie considers him his brother."
"Duncan, I think you're getting too concerned about this. He's opening up now and we should encourage it. Just give him some more time. Besides with Maman there will be plenty of questions for him to answer."
. . . . . .
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Duncan asked Richie as he helped Tessa into her coat.
"Hum.let me think, spend a night watching girls that I have no chance with dancing around to bad music pretending to be mice or order a pizza and a couple movies. I think I'll pass."
"You have no culture in your life."
"Indiana Jones is cultural. He travels all over the world."
Duncan smiled. "One of these days I'm going to get you to the ballet."
"Then you'd better hope I'm like you," Richie said in a low voice. "Because it will take a few hundred years."
"Then I'd better get started."
Richie was dead asleep on the couch with the television still going when they got back from the ballet. Genevieve tucked him in a little tighter. Despite her gentleness, he woke up.
"Maman?"
"Shh, mon brave, go to sleep."
"How was the ballet?"
"Very nice, Rich," Duncan whispered pushing him gently back down into a laying position. "Go back to sleep."
"Kay," he settled back down and closed his eyes.
. . . . . .
Duncan got ready for his morning run as quietly as he could. Tessa slept through his preparations. Richie, on the other hand, woke up as soon as he turned on the light in the kitchen.
"Hey, Mac?"
"Oh, god, Rich!" Duncan jumped. "You scared me."
"Sorry." Richie jumped up on the counter.
"Since when do you wake up before noon?"
"Since I crashed last night for no real reason. I didn't even finish my pizza."
"Are you sick?"
"I hope not. It's almost Christmas."
Duncan put his hand on Richie's forehead. "You seem fine to me. Want to join me on my run?"
"How far do you go?"
"As far as you can. When you're ready to come back, we'll come back."
"Cool.uh, my sweats and stuff are in my room."
"You know, you can probably fit into my stuff. I'll get you something."
Five minutes later, Duncan was driving to the park with Richie in toe. "You know something, Rich? You are acting very odd."
"I am?"
"Since when do you like to run?"
"We just haven't been able to do anything with just us in a while, that's all," Richie shrugged.
"You like doing things with just the two of us?" Duncan said with a small sense of pride and accomplishment.
"I dunno. I guess. You don't mind, do you?"
"No. I like it, too."
Richie smiled a bit and settled into his seat. "Cool."
To Duncan's surprise, Richie lasted almost three miles until he was ready to go back home.
"It's pretty much decided that we're going to go to the pageant tonight."
"Okay." The rode in silence for a few blocks. "Hey, Mac?"
"Yes?"
"What does Mon Breve mean?"
"Mon brave," Duncan corrected. "It means."
"Lemme guess. Green bean?"
"No."
"Broccoli?"
"No."
"Cauliflower?"
"It's not a vegetable."
"Banana?"
Duncan laughed. "Roughly translated it means 'my brave one'."
It was Richie's turn to laugh. "Where the hell did she get that one?"
"Because Richard means brave."
Richie laughed again. "My parents must not have known that."
"You never know."
"No. I guess not."
"So what time do you want to leave tonight?" Duncan asked changing the subject.
"It starts at six, but I want talk to some friends first. I want to get there early. I can just take my bike."
"It's too cold for that, you'll get sick. Besides it's supposed to rain tonight. It wouldn't be safe. We'll go with you."
"If you want."
"Then we'll leave around five. And you can drive since you know where you're going."
"You mean I'm not stuck in the middle?" Richie had been riding in the middle either between Duncan and Tessa in the front of the car or between Jean and Genevieve in the back all week. He was the youngest and thusly the most squishable.
"We'll figure it out." Duncan pulled up to the building and stopped. "Okay, I'm just dropping you off; I have errands to run."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm not done shopping."
"Oh, okay. See you at lunch?"
"Why don't we make it a late lunch since we won't really have time for dinner? Tell Tessa okay?"
"Sure." Richie opened his door and got out.
"Behave yourself," Duncan reminded him.
"You say that like I'm a trouble maker."
. . . . . .
"Richie, are you okay?" Tessa asked him quietly.
He looked up from the salad he was tearing. "I'm fine, why?"
"You seem a little off."
"I guess I'm just excited. It's like I'm going home.if only for a visit."
"You seem more nervous than excited."
"I guess. It's just.it's not fancy or anything. It's like a really cheap boarding school."
"Are you embarrassed for us to see?"
"I don't think so. I mean, it happened; what are you gonna do. Besides, I really liked it there. I spent some of the best times of my life there. Just don't expect much."
"Richie, all we expect is to see where you grew up. It can't be as bad as you think. You turned out nicely."
"Is that why you're always telling me to behave?"
"You're eighteen. Eighteen-year-olds need to be told to behave."
"What are you two whispering about in there?" Genevieve asked from the table where she was snapping beans.
"We just can't decide how to poison lunch."
"Oh, okay."
For lunch they had roast and fresh vegetables. Finally it was time to leave.
"Why were you at the mall?" Tessa asked Duncan on the way to the car. "The shopping is done."
"I found that tree from the orphanage. I bought presents for all the kids who were left."
"I thought you wanted to rub off on Richie.not the other way around."
"What are you going to do?"
Next Chapter: The Pageant and Christmas.