AN: Thanks for all the reviews they helping a lot keep them coming.  This chapter jumps time but I couldn't wait any longer to have the man of the hour make the grad entrance (HINT) J

Duncan hadn't slept in over twelve hours and Chloe was not getting any easier to handle.  If anything she had gotten to the point of testing his patience.  All he wanted was for her to go to sleep for a couple of hours.  He constantly told her not to scratch.  He'd have to remember to tell Tessa how much that he appreciated all her work. 

            By the end of the two weeks Chloe was getting better and the poxes were starting to scab over.  Tessa was due home that morning from the airport.  Duncan would be very glad to see her.  Even though they didn't get to do much at the cabin he was glad that they went to prevent spreading the infection. When they had gotten back Duncan had found a message on the phone saying that the chicken pox were affecting the class and the teacher said that if they wanted to keep Chloe home they would understand.  Duncan called them and told them she was the cause of the epidemic. 

            Tessa came home to a clean house and a spotted daughter.  Chloe was thrilled to have her mother home.  Duncan was glad to have the extra soundboard because making all the decisions was getting to him.  He needed to get back to the paper work that was piling up.  Yes, things would finally be back to normal or so they thought.

            Years passed and Chloe grew into young women with the spunk, creativeness, and her father's ever stubborn pride.  Duncan had gotten better at saying no to her and with her now a teenager he'd need to.  Tessa still saw the same father and daughter relationship between them but she also saw the gap beginning to grow.  Chloe had lots of activities that she was in and she went out with her friends on the weekends.  Duncan had tried to convince Tessa to let him teach her martial arts, but Tessa said that he should wait a year or two.  She knew that Duncan just wanted to hold on to her.  They didn't realize, though, that their lives were about to change forever.

            One day Duncan was picking up Chloe from school and they went to pick some things up from the store before going home.  Chloe was quite in the car and he didn't understand.  When he went to ask her she wouldn't' tell him.  Duncan went to get the groceries and Chloe sat in the car.  Suddenly, Chloe was sitting up looking at the door of the store as she heard gun shots.  She got out of the car and ran inside and saw here father standing there with blood on his shirt.  There were people standing around him and then he saw Chloe.

            "Chloe its alright." said Duncan looking at her

            "Dad, you're hurt and bleeding." she said with tears in her eyes

            "I'm alright Chloe." he said putting a hand on her

            "Dad…"

            "Sweetheart, I am fine." said Duncan putting his arm around her.

            Around three hours later Duncan and Chloe walked into the house.  Tessa and Connor were standing there seeing Chloe walk in next to her father.  Tessa went to Chloe as Connor spoke to Duncan in private.  He couldn't imagine what the heck was going through his mind.  Chloe didn't understand what was going on lately.  A person with swords on her doorstep at night and now someone shoots her father and she watches him bleed.  Tessa tried her best to explain what had happened and she hoped that Chloe would understand.  Half an hour later she walked back out into the kitchen to find Connor standing there with Duncan.

            "How is she?"

            "She's scared to death.  What the heck happened?" said Tessa

            "I should talk to her."

            "No, you shouldn't.  Duncan she is scared out of her mind. All I can get her to say is that you were shot and bleeding.  You should have been dead to her.  Duncan how could you do this?"

            "Tessa, I was getting food and this kid walks in and tried to rob the place.  I need to find the boy."

            "What boy?"

            "The boy that robbed the store I need to find him."

            "Duncan you will do such thing. You need to figure how the heck to explain to Chloe what the heck she just saw," said Tessa yelling

            "Connor can do it."

            "Duncan, I'll go find the boy you stay here and sort this out." said Connor 

            Duncan let him go he knew that walking away from Chloe wasn't going to make this easier to do.  He walked into Chloe's room and found her staring out the window.  He walked over to her and sat down.  She turned to him and buried her face in his shirt and started crying.  He held her and didn't say anything.  Chloe after a few minutes looked up into his eyes.  He knew that she understood that he'd be alright and that was all she wanted to know.

            "You want to do what?" said Tessa sitting at the kitchen table a week after the accident from the store.  She just couldn't believe what the heck her husband was asking her.  Did he really expect her to welcome a convict into their home?

            "Tessa he needs a chance at a normal life.  He's a good kid who just needs a little love and guidance."

            "You are expecting me to let the kid who shot you and nearly paralyzed our daughter to come into this house and live with us?  No way Duncan MacLeod have you lost your mind?"

            "Tessa he needs someone who loves him.  Please do this for me." said Duncan

            "Duncan…" said Tessa with a sigh

            "Sweetheart, he needs my help.  He won't survive and besides having him around could come in handy.  He can help with the store and he can watch Chloe when we want to go out for dinner."

            "I am not letting that thief anywhere near my daughter.  He will not go anywhere near her hear me?"

            "So is that a yes?"

            "That is a trail basis, but he second that he screws up or hurts Chloe he's gone." said Tessa

            "That's all I'm asking."

            "No, it's more then what you're asking.  I just hope you figured away to tell Chloe this because she's going to throw a fit when she finds that she no longer has you to herself.  Chloe will not be very happy and you are already on this ice with her," said Tessa hearing the door open.

            "Chloe sweetheart is that you?"

            "Yes it's me.  Don't worry I didn't bring any guys home."

            "Chloe I need to tell you something."

            "Now I can't go out with anyone, because there are going to be guys there?"

            "Chloe, please, let your father talk.  This is hard enough to do," said Tessa

            "Chloe how would you feel about having a brother?" said Duncan getting a look of shock at Tessa for calling his new disciple a project

            "Mom, are you going to have another baby?" asked Chloe

            "No, I'm not pregnant.  I'm far from that."

            "Chloe, there is a boy who is in need of a family.  I want him to come live with us." said Duncan

            "Does he have a name?  What's wrong with him?"

            "He's had a rough childhood and doesn't have anyone to look after him.  What do you say?"

            "How old is he?"

            "He's 16 and his name is Richie."

            "So he's older?  So he'd be like my foster brother?"

            "Yes, something like that.  He'd be helping run the store and be apart of our family," said Duncan

            "Alright, yes." said Chloe

            "You sure sweetheart?" said Tessa

            "Yeah I'm sure."

            If only Chloe knew how much she was getting herself into she'd have said no.  Richie arrived on Friday after school got out.  Chloe came home to find Duncan helping him settle in.  Chloe saw him and she couldn't believe what she saw.  He looked like something out of a biker movie.  Duncan knew that it would take some adjusting for Chloe, but he knew that she would do a good job.

            "Chloe this is Richie and Richie this is Chloe our daughter," introduced Duncan

            "Hello," said Richie impressed

            "Hi," said Chloe staring at him

            "Richie, why don't you get settled and come out when your ready." said Duncan as he and Chloe left the room

            "Dad, he's the kid from the store!"

            "Chloe just give him a chance.  He needs us."

            Chloe and Richie basically ran around in circles with each other trying to figure each other our.  Richie decided that Chloe was a kid that hadn't been real exposed to real life.  Of course she made a great con artist. Chloe figured that having Richie around wouldn't be so bad, but she still didn't trust him. She saw the way that Richie and Duncan talked to each other and she hated it.  She had to do something to save her family and let Richie know that she was in charge. She also knew

            "Hey squirt." said Richie one day outside her bedroom

            "Hi, don't call me squirt and you ever heard of knocking?" she said on the phone.

            "Sorry, so what's up with you?" he said walking in and sitting down

            "Julia, listen I'll have to call you back the other child walked in the room," she said hanging up

            "Listen I know that this is hard for you to adjust, but I'm not trying to take over anything.  I want to be friends." said Richie

            "You want to be friends?  You shot my father and you want me to welcome you into my life?  I'm doing this for my father and mother not for you.  Once they find out that you are nothing but a criminal then you're done for and I win.  Just do me a favor and stay out of my life and I'll stay out of yours,"

            Richie knew the game that she was playing with him.  He'd played that same game and he knew that Chloe was putting on an act so he decided that he would do his best to show her that she was wrong.  Chloe thought that she would be able to get rid of him, but he'd show her a fight she'd never forget.  Richie welcomed the challenge and if she was going to play hard ball he'd play harder.  No way was he going to get conned out by a 14 year old let alone one that thought that she knew more then he did.