I'm thinking one more chapter after this. ..
Chapter twelve
Connor watched as Duncan did just he had promised Richie he would. He ended it.
Or at least he would have, had Richie's voice not stopped him with his blade only inches from Campbell's neck.
"Wait!"
With great effort Duncan stopped the descent of his sword. He turned to look at Richie, leaving the sword resting on Campbell's neck.
"Rich? What's the matter?" Duncan asked.
Richie didn't answer immediately. He was staring at Campbell without blinking. Maybe he needed to face the man, Duncan thought, that would make sense... But the look on Richie's face...
"I don't want you to kill him cos of me," Richie said quietly after a few moments when he finally broke eye contact.
"Are you insane?!" Connor erupted before Duncan even had chance to form a coherent thought. "The man's a murderer! He tried to have you killed! Twice!"
"Yeah. I know. I was there." Richie said without looking at Connor.
"So why are you saying this?" Connor demanded.
"Because I already killed one person this week. I don't want someone else dying cos of me." Richie said, still not looking at Connor but at Duncan instead.
The fear and regret in Richie's eyes when he said that made Duncan want to take Campbell's head even more... But he had to hear Richie out. After the month he'd had he deserved to at least be listened to.
"He brought this on himself Richie!" Connor was still ranting.
"Connor. Calm down," Duncan instructed.
Connor opened his mouth to say something but with obvious effort he stopped himself, and walked off into the kitchen to cool off.
"Richie. If I let him live he will come after you again and again until he succeeds. I can't risk that. I won't put you through that." Duncan said, hoping Richie would see sense soon.
"I don't care about that," Richie insisted.
God he looked so young. So scared...
"He's right kid. I won't give up until I'm dead or you are," Campbell said, drawing Richie's attention back to him.
"Yeah, well that's your choice." Richie said to Campbell.
"Richie..." Duncan said, feeling thoroughly confused. One minute Richie wants Campbell gone, anyway, anyhow. The next he would rather have someone who wants to kill him alive and kicking than killed with him as the reason.
"It's not fair Mac," Richie said before Duncan could express any thought or opinion on the whole matter. "He doesn't believe his son would do what you said. He really doesn't. How would you feel if someone told you they'd killed me cos I did that stuff?"
"You wouldn't though, Rich." Duncan said, still unsure what Richie was getting at.
"Neither would Pierce," Campbell growled.
"See? He only has your word for it. Who would you believe Mac? What you think you know about me or what some guy you've never met before tells you about the son he just killed?"
"It's not the same," Duncan said. "I wouldn't still be out for revenge two hundred years later. And I certainly wouldn't be dragging someone innocent into the whole mess."
"You must have told me a million times Mac that everyone reacts to grief differently. And two hundred years is nothing when you live forever."
Richie had gone mad. That was the only logical explanation for the things he was saying.
"There's no excuse for what he did to you Richie." Duncan said, hating himself for having to remind Richie of what he'd been through. "Having you kidnapped, stabbed. The nightmares you have. The sleepless nights. The fear you now carry around with you."
"Fear is nothing new to me Mac," Richie said wrapping his arms around himself and looking down.
If it were any other time Duncan would have jumped on that comment and badgered Richie until he told him more. But now really wasn't the time for a heart to heart.
"So what do you want me to do?" Duncan asked. "Let him leave here, head still attached so that he can return at any time to have another go at you?"
Richie didn't answer, didn't look up.
"Maybe he's right," Campbell said, drawing Duncan's attention to him. Maybe I have gone about this all wrong. Maybe I shouldn't have dragged your boy into our problems."
Duncan narrowed his eyes. "Do you think that I'm going to let you go just for saying that?"
"I don't want you to let me go. I still want your head Duncan MacLoed. You are still a filthy liar and a murderer. But you are right about him. He shouldn't be involved. Just me and you MacLoed."
Not taking his eyes off him, Duncan took a step back and lowered his sword. "I Know somewhere we can go..."
*****
Well that was clever, wasn't it?
Richie's original plan after Mac had left the apartment with Campbell was to pace restlessly until Mac returned. However, he really didn't have the energy to do that, so the new plan was to lie on his bed and stare at the ceiling, imagining all the worst case scenario's he could come up with.
Connor was pissed, and Richie didn't blame him really. Campbell could have been dead by now if Richie hadn't intervened... But how many times had Mac spoke of honour? In Richie's mind this Campbell guy was scum. But he had become that way through grief. His complete unconditional love for his son had blinded him to everything but the need for revenge. How could Richie have let him die knowing that? At least this way if Mac killed Campbell it would be fair. Campbell would die because he was trying to take another Immortals head, not Richie's.
Of course that wasn't stopping him from thinking about the what ifs. What if Campbell won? What if Mac died instead of Campbell? Could Richie live with that guilt then? And would Tessa or Connor ever forgive him? What if after he won Campbell still came after Richie? What then?
Richie decided that was a line of thought he really didn't want to go down.
*****
"Duncan!" Tessa greeted him at the door by flinging her arms around his neck. "Is he gone? Really gone now?"
"Yes," Duncan answered, returning her embrace. "He won't be back now."
Tessa practically melted into his arms then. "So it's over?"
Duncan sighed. "Almost. We still need to talk to Richie. Especially after today."
Tessa pulled back slightly. "Yes, you do. He hasn't come out of his room since you left."
"Do you think I should wait until morning?" Duncan asked, thinking of how drained he felt himself, both physically and emotionally.
"I think," Tessa said slowly, "that if you would feel better doing it in the morning then you should wait till then."
"But," Duncan said, knowing that wasn't what Tessa thought was best. "You think I should do it now?"
"I am worried," Tessa admitted, pulling back completely. "He didn't care what happened to him Duncan. He would have let Campbell live, despite knowing that would mean a death sentence for himself. That scares me Duncan."
Duncan hadn't wanted to admit it, but it scared him too.
"Ok Tess. I'll speak to him now."
Richie was sitting on his bed when Duncan entered his room. He looked pale and tired, but from his expression he was going to be awake for a while yet.
"We need to talk." Duncan said, perching on the edge of the bed.
"Ok," Richie said uncertainly.
"Campbell is dead."
Richie let out a sigh of relief. "Really dead?"
Trying to ignore his confusion at Richie's answer, Duncan nodded. "Beheading usually works."
"So he won't be back?"
"No."
"OK," Richie said.
Duncan waited a few moments before he said anything hoping Richie would volunteer some answers for earlier, but it soon became apparent that non were forthcoming.
"Richie? Are you going to tell me what happened earlier?" Duncan asked.
Richie shrugged. "I told you. I didn't want someone else killed for me. That's all."
"No it's not." Duncan said shaking his head. "When did you start to feel sorry for him?"
"I don't... didn't," Richie corrected himself.
"I think you're lying to me," Duncan Said.
"I'm not."
"Then look me in the eye and say it again."
Richie responded by not looking at Duncan or speaking.
"You felt sorry for him because of the loss he had suffered because of me," Duncan hazarded a guess. "You understood that he was in pain and that is why he was acting like he was?"
Richie nodded.
"And so you forgave him for what he did to you?"
"I wanted him dead still," Richie said finally looking up to meet Duncan's gaze. "But I felt bad for him too. He had so much faith in his son and it was all unfounded. I hated him but I pitied him too."
"It was a very brave decision you made Richie." Duncan said, starting to understand Richie's point.
"I don't think Connor would agree," Richie said softly.
"Connor? Forget Connor. You did what you felt you had to. That's all we can ever do Rich. The things that feel right to us. If you spend your life doing things because you don't want to upset other people you'll be miserable."
"Are you angry with me?" Richie asked.
"No," Duncan assured him with a smile. "I was confused. But I think I know where you were coming form now."
"Yeah? So if I say I just wanna go to sleep now you'll let me?"
Because of the bags under Richie's eyes, and the pale complexion, and the fact that he still wasn't 100%, Duncan nodded.
"But we will be continuing this in the morning. There are a few other things we need to talk about."
Chapter twelve
Connor watched as Duncan did just he had promised Richie he would. He ended it.
Or at least he would have, had Richie's voice not stopped him with his blade only inches from Campbell's neck.
"Wait!"
With great effort Duncan stopped the descent of his sword. He turned to look at Richie, leaving the sword resting on Campbell's neck.
"Rich? What's the matter?" Duncan asked.
Richie didn't answer immediately. He was staring at Campbell without blinking. Maybe he needed to face the man, Duncan thought, that would make sense... But the look on Richie's face...
"I don't want you to kill him cos of me," Richie said quietly after a few moments when he finally broke eye contact.
"Are you insane?!" Connor erupted before Duncan even had chance to form a coherent thought. "The man's a murderer! He tried to have you killed! Twice!"
"Yeah. I know. I was there." Richie said without looking at Connor.
"So why are you saying this?" Connor demanded.
"Because I already killed one person this week. I don't want someone else dying cos of me." Richie said, still not looking at Connor but at Duncan instead.
The fear and regret in Richie's eyes when he said that made Duncan want to take Campbell's head even more... But he had to hear Richie out. After the month he'd had he deserved to at least be listened to.
"He brought this on himself Richie!" Connor was still ranting.
"Connor. Calm down," Duncan instructed.
Connor opened his mouth to say something but with obvious effort he stopped himself, and walked off into the kitchen to cool off.
"Richie. If I let him live he will come after you again and again until he succeeds. I can't risk that. I won't put you through that." Duncan said, hoping Richie would see sense soon.
"I don't care about that," Richie insisted.
God he looked so young. So scared...
"He's right kid. I won't give up until I'm dead or you are," Campbell said, drawing Richie's attention back to him.
"Yeah, well that's your choice." Richie said to Campbell.
"Richie..." Duncan said, feeling thoroughly confused. One minute Richie wants Campbell gone, anyway, anyhow. The next he would rather have someone who wants to kill him alive and kicking than killed with him as the reason.
"It's not fair Mac," Richie said before Duncan could express any thought or opinion on the whole matter. "He doesn't believe his son would do what you said. He really doesn't. How would you feel if someone told you they'd killed me cos I did that stuff?"
"You wouldn't though, Rich." Duncan said, still unsure what Richie was getting at.
"Neither would Pierce," Campbell growled.
"See? He only has your word for it. Who would you believe Mac? What you think you know about me or what some guy you've never met before tells you about the son he just killed?"
"It's not the same," Duncan said. "I wouldn't still be out for revenge two hundred years later. And I certainly wouldn't be dragging someone innocent into the whole mess."
"You must have told me a million times Mac that everyone reacts to grief differently. And two hundred years is nothing when you live forever."
Richie had gone mad. That was the only logical explanation for the things he was saying.
"There's no excuse for what he did to you Richie." Duncan said, hating himself for having to remind Richie of what he'd been through. "Having you kidnapped, stabbed. The nightmares you have. The sleepless nights. The fear you now carry around with you."
"Fear is nothing new to me Mac," Richie said wrapping his arms around himself and looking down.
If it were any other time Duncan would have jumped on that comment and badgered Richie until he told him more. But now really wasn't the time for a heart to heart.
"So what do you want me to do?" Duncan asked. "Let him leave here, head still attached so that he can return at any time to have another go at you?"
Richie didn't answer, didn't look up.
"Maybe he's right," Campbell said, drawing Duncan's attention to him. Maybe I have gone about this all wrong. Maybe I shouldn't have dragged your boy into our problems."
Duncan narrowed his eyes. "Do you think that I'm going to let you go just for saying that?"
"I don't want you to let me go. I still want your head Duncan MacLoed. You are still a filthy liar and a murderer. But you are right about him. He shouldn't be involved. Just me and you MacLoed."
Not taking his eyes off him, Duncan took a step back and lowered his sword. "I Know somewhere we can go..."
*****
Well that was clever, wasn't it?
Richie's original plan after Mac had left the apartment with Campbell was to pace restlessly until Mac returned. However, he really didn't have the energy to do that, so the new plan was to lie on his bed and stare at the ceiling, imagining all the worst case scenario's he could come up with.
Connor was pissed, and Richie didn't blame him really. Campbell could have been dead by now if Richie hadn't intervened... But how many times had Mac spoke of honour? In Richie's mind this Campbell guy was scum. But he had become that way through grief. His complete unconditional love for his son had blinded him to everything but the need for revenge. How could Richie have let him die knowing that? At least this way if Mac killed Campbell it would be fair. Campbell would die because he was trying to take another Immortals head, not Richie's.
Of course that wasn't stopping him from thinking about the what ifs. What if Campbell won? What if Mac died instead of Campbell? Could Richie live with that guilt then? And would Tessa or Connor ever forgive him? What if after he won Campbell still came after Richie? What then?
Richie decided that was a line of thought he really didn't want to go down.
*****
"Duncan!" Tessa greeted him at the door by flinging her arms around his neck. "Is he gone? Really gone now?"
"Yes," Duncan answered, returning her embrace. "He won't be back now."
Tessa practically melted into his arms then. "So it's over?"
Duncan sighed. "Almost. We still need to talk to Richie. Especially after today."
Tessa pulled back slightly. "Yes, you do. He hasn't come out of his room since you left."
"Do you think I should wait until morning?" Duncan asked, thinking of how drained he felt himself, both physically and emotionally.
"I think," Tessa said slowly, "that if you would feel better doing it in the morning then you should wait till then."
"But," Duncan said, knowing that wasn't what Tessa thought was best. "You think I should do it now?"
"I am worried," Tessa admitted, pulling back completely. "He didn't care what happened to him Duncan. He would have let Campbell live, despite knowing that would mean a death sentence for himself. That scares me Duncan."
Duncan hadn't wanted to admit it, but it scared him too.
"Ok Tess. I'll speak to him now."
Richie was sitting on his bed when Duncan entered his room. He looked pale and tired, but from his expression he was going to be awake for a while yet.
"We need to talk." Duncan said, perching on the edge of the bed.
"Ok," Richie said uncertainly.
"Campbell is dead."
Richie let out a sigh of relief. "Really dead?"
Trying to ignore his confusion at Richie's answer, Duncan nodded. "Beheading usually works."
"So he won't be back?"
"No."
"OK," Richie said.
Duncan waited a few moments before he said anything hoping Richie would volunteer some answers for earlier, but it soon became apparent that non were forthcoming.
"Richie? Are you going to tell me what happened earlier?" Duncan asked.
Richie shrugged. "I told you. I didn't want someone else killed for me. That's all."
"No it's not." Duncan said shaking his head. "When did you start to feel sorry for him?"
"I don't... didn't," Richie corrected himself.
"I think you're lying to me," Duncan Said.
"I'm not."
"Then look me in the eye and say it again."
Richie responded by not looking at Duncan or speaking.
"You felt sorry for him because of the loss he had suffered because of me," Duncan hazarded a guess. "You understood that he was in pain and that is why he was acting like he was?"
Richie nodded.
"And so you forgave him for what he did to you?"
"I wanted him dead still," Richie said finally looking up to meet Duncan's gaze. "But I felt bad for him too. He had so much faith in his son and it was all unfounded. I hated him but I pitied him too."
"It was a very brave decision you made Richie." Duncan said, starting to understand Richie's point.
"I don't think Connor would agree," Richie said softly.
"Connor? Forget Connor. You did what you felt you had to. That's all we can ever do Rich. The things that feel right to us. If you spend your life doing things because you don't want to upset other people you'll be miserable."
"Are you angry with me?" Richie asked.
"No," Duncan assured him with a smile. "I was confused. But I think I know where you were coming form now."
"Yeah? So if I say I just wanna go to sleep now you'll let me?"
Because of the bags under Richie's eyes, and the pale complexion, and the fact that he still wasn't 100%, Duncan nodded.
"But we will be continuing this in the morning. There are a few other things we need to talk about."
