AN – Hmm hands up all those who think Richie needs to be rescued? LOL
***
"Its been over a week. I thought you said that these Watchers watched." Duncan paced. "Shouldn't they know where he is?"
"They do Watch," Darius agreed. "But they also have lives, and homes and families, Duncan. They can't be there 24 hours a day."
"Then what is the point of having them there at all?" Duncan retorted.
"You're upset." Darius said calmly.
"Upset?" Duncan gawped. "Richie is God knows where, enduring heaven only knows what, at the hands of that monster, I've had to send Tessa to Connor to keep her safe, I can barely close my eyes for worry, and then I discover my every move for the last four hundred years has been catalogued by strangers .."
He paused, suddenly hit by a thought, that in his worry, he had overlooked before.
"Who is my Watcher, anyway?"
"I am," Adam appeared in the doorway. "At least, for the moment."
"What?" Duncan growled.
"Well, what other reason am I going to give for hanging around here?" Adam shrugged. "They aren't supposed to know that I'm Immortal."
"Have you found him?" Duncan cut to the chase.
"We found Walker." Adam evaded.
"Is Richie with him?" Duncan insisted.
"There haven't been any sightings," Adam admitted. "But that doesn't mean he isn't there. He's kidnapped. Walker's hardly going to be taking him out for ice-cream."
"Let's go." Duncan picked up his coat and car keys and heading towards the door.
"I take it you're driving." Adam murmured, at his retreating back.
***
"Is Marc still alive?" Darius asked, as he started the car.
"Well, he was this morning," Adam grimaced.
"I take it," Duncan checked over his shoulder, before pulling out. "Things are not going well."
"Walker's finally realising that he's done the boy no favours teaching him to fence for the pretty silverware." Adam observed. "He tries to fight by the rules and struggles with the follow through."
"None of us know if we have the mettle to deliver the killing stroke until we must." Duncan pressed his lips together.
"Richie will be fine."
"You can't know that."
"Oh please," Adam rolled his eyes. "Have you even met this kid?"
"Richie's no killer." Duncan said flatly.
"He didn't seem to have any trouble killing Walker." Adam observed mildly. "Unlike some people."
"I should have killed him when I had the chance." Duncan agreed bitterly.
"Why didn't you?"
Duncan gave the man a sharp look, but saw no censure, only curiosity.
"Foolishness," he admitted. "There was a time that Richie believed he loved him, it didn't seem right to take his head with the lad watching. I went back as soon as I'd settled them safely at the barge … I knew he was a threat .. why didn't I take them to Darius?"
"You couldn't have known that the son would find the body." Adam pointed out. "Corpses don't usually get up and walk away when they've a sword on them."
"I made an error in judgement," Duncan shook his head. "My mistake. But Richie is the one who's paying for it."
***
Richie bit nervously on the end of his pencil and tried not to listen to the raised voices in the next room. Any minute now the angry words would merge into the sound of blows and cries of pain as Walker expressed his dissatisfaction with the morning's sword practice.
Again.
Every day it seemed that things got a little worse, took Marc a little longer to recover. Also, Richie was fairly sure that even Immortals needed food and sleep as much as anyone else. And Marc wasn't getting much of either right now.
"Why you ungrateful little .."
Richie's head came up sharply at the murderous tone in Walker's voice. Against his better judgment he slid out of his chair and padded soundlessly over to peep through into the living room.
"Dad .." Marc's voice was thin with terror.
"Don't you "Dad" me," Walker's voice was barely contained fury. "I've fed you, cared for you, taught you, for years .. years! And this .. this is how you repay me?"
"I'm sorry," Marc was babbling as Walker backed him into a corner. "I'm trying."
"Not good enough," Walker shook his head. "This isn't a Game. This is the Game. There are no Prizes for coming second."
"D Dad ..?"
Richie bit his lip and looked around the small kitchen, wondering if Walker had left a handy sword or a discarded poker lying around that he could use as a weapon.
No such luck.
The vegetable knife wouldn't cause the Immortal much more than a minor inconvenience.
And then, he looked up.
"Bingo." He murmured softly.
***
"And I had such high hopes for you .." Walker shook his head sadly.
"Dad .." Marc's voice quavered. "What are you doing ..?"
"I've spent years on you," Walker scoffed. "Do you think I'm going to let that go for nothing? To see your head taken by the first Immortal who crosses your path. You owe me. And, if you can't win the Game, I'll be dammed if I'll let anyone else reap the benefit of my investment."
The quick fast of steel was the only warning Richie got as Walker's blade flashed down to take his son's head.
"Noooo."
Heedless of his own safety, Richie rushed forward to block the killing blow with his own weapon, his arm shuddering as the two "blades" met with resounding force.
"You little .."
In one split second, Richie realised that he had transferred Walker's undiluted rage onto him, as Marc passed out with shock and terror to slid, unconscious, down the wall.
"Oh man," he muttered. "This is not good .."
"You forget yourself my lad," Walker growled, as he took a step forward.
"I remember, what an asshole you are." Richie shot back, frantically trying to think on his feet.
Out the corner of his eye he saw a large, heavy, candlestick.
"Time to light you to bed." He muttered, remembering an old nursery rhyme.
He just needed to take one more step.
***
"Are you sure that this is the right place?" Duncan looked around at the deserted wharf.
"I'm sure." Adam didn't elaborate. "I'll take Walker. You look for the boy."
"Walker is my problem." Duncan growled.
"Oh, alright," Adam agreed. "Shall I offer him some candy, or ask if he wants to come and see some puppies?"
"What?"
"He's just spent a week being kidnapped, Macleod. Do you really think he's going to go with some stranger?"
"Oh." Duncan realised.
"Look, let's just get the boy back," Adam offered. "We can always divide Walker up between us later."
Duncan gave him a sharp look. Unsure if he was joking or not.
"If any harm has come to Richie, I'll start by cutting off his .." he vowed, the end of the sentence thankfully swept away by the wind, as he got out of the car.
"Note to self," Methos grimaced, as he too went to get out of the car. "Don't piss off Macleod."
The cry of fear from the house, stopped both Immortals in their tracks.
"That's Richie." Duncan ran.
"Wait Macleod, it might be a trap Macleod, how in God's name have you lived so long Macleod?" Adam muttered, as he pulled out his sword and prepared to follow.
***
As he burst through the door, the first thing that Duncan noticed was that Richie was wearing something that looked like a school uniform, dark blue blazer, white shirt, blue striped tie, over dark blue pants and brown oxford brogues.
The second thing that he noticed was that the lad was successfully holding Walker off with what looked suspiciously like a hooked metal pole for opening a skylight.
The third thing he noticed, was the large, heavy, candlestick, flying through the air towards him.
"What the …" he ducked sharply.
"Mac!" Richie exclaimed in undisguised relief.
For an instant, Duncan's eyes softened as he locked gazes with the teen, glad beyond measure to see his head still firmly attached to his shoulders, accompanied by the comforting thrum of a pre-immortal buzz. He was also much paler and thinner, than Duncan liked to see, and his eyes were somewhat haunted.
Time enough to deal with that when they were home and safe.
"Step away from him." He warned Walker, his sword drawn and his eyes dangerous.
"You want him?" Walker invited. "You come and get him."
Walker grasped Richie by the throat, eliciting a squeak of pain from the lad, that made Duncan snarl with rage.
"If you move, I will kill him." Walker warned, circling around the room, pulling Richie with him, as he made his way towards the door.
Duncan caught Richie's eye, and winked.
"Leaving so soon?" The thin, cold, steel on the back of his neck, brought Walker to a complete halt. "We haven't even been introduced."
Circling around in front of him, Adam pressed the point of his sword, into Walker's throat.
"Let the boy go." he instructed softly.
"No, He's mine," Walker tightened his grip. "He belongs with me."
"Let Him Go."
Duncan wasn't exactly sure what Walker saw in Adam's eyes, but suddenly he threw Richie violently to the floor, where the lad gave a scream of pain.
"Richie!" Duncan fell to his knees beside the lad, rolling over the suddenly lifeless form.
"Passed out has he?" Walker laughed.
"You know," Adam told him conversationally. "You can die fast, or you can die slow. Right now, I'm thinking several centuries."
"Why let him off that easily?" Duncan's tone was flat and deadly. "I can spare a couple of millennia."
Pinning Walker a little more firmly to the wall, with the point of his blade, Adam spared one eye to see what had the Immortal so upset.
The Immortal was staring fixedly at the hand, which he had just withdrawn from under Richie's jacket.
It was smeared with blood.