AN – Thanks as ever for the e-mail feedback and for the reviews, one more chapter to go after this.

!!!

"He did what?" Duncan had to move the phone away from his ear as Tessa's voice rose in disbelief.

"He threw the trophy in the lake." Duncan repeated, his voice tired. He had already had the uncomfortable duty of explaining to her that he had been forced to miss Richie's race, because of a challenge and that, yes, he had omitted to tell her of this the last time he called. He left out the part about how he would not have told her this time, if he could have avoided it. After, four hundred years a man had to have learnt something about self-preservation.

Except, when other things were more important.

"But why would he do such a thing?" Tessa worried. "He worked so hard for it."

"I know, sweetheart. I could tell he was looking forward to my being there. I'm guessing, when he won and had no-one to share it with, he took it harder than I expected."

"You are guessing this?" Tessa's tone did not bode well for the Immortal. "You did not ask him?"

"Oh, I asked him, alright." Duncan's tone was self depreciating.

"You mean you yelled at him." Tessa surmised.

"I didn't mean to," Duncan ran a hand through his hair. "Its just, he can be so damn infuriating sometimes. Well, most of the time, actually. How is it that I can face down hardened criminals without a flicker of emotion, but ten minutes in a room with him and .. and .."

"Because he is a teenager." He could hear the smirk in her voice.

"Tessa, its not a disease."

"No, it is a state of mind and some things can be very confusing at that age. Especially, for a boy like Richie who has not had a family to show him how things should be."

"Still, I should know better. I do know better."

"Mac?"

"I didn't handle things very well."

!!!

"You did what?" Duncan's face darkened with disappointment.

"I said, I threw it in the lake, alright?" Richie retorted, his face flushed with embarrassment. The teen turned on his heel and would have walked away, except that Duncan caught his arm in a vice like grip.

"The hell it is! You wanted this. You've worked for this. Why would you do such a foolish, idiotic, thing?" Duncan gave him a little shake.

"Because, I'm an idiot, I guess."

"Not good enough. Try again."

"Let me go."

"No. I will not allow you to run away from this. From us. You are too important for that."

Richie's face twisted and he began to struggle in the Immortal's grasp, his eyes blazing.

"I said, get off me!"

Damn, too late, Duncan realised that he had allowed himself to get too comfortable around the lad. Manhandling the teen, much as his father might have done him, was only going to push the skittish youth further away. Thinking fast, he shifted his grip so he was holding Richie gently in place with a hand on each arm and spoke more calmly. "Not until you tell me what is going on in that head of yours, Tough Guy."

"Nothing," Richie snapped, pulling out of his grasp. "There's nothing going on in my head, cos I'm a fool and an idiot, just some no good waste of space that happens to live in your place, right?"

"You are much more than that and you know it."

"I don't know anything!" Richie protested. "I don't know how to fit in here. I don't know what you want from me. You guys are all about honour and loyalty and family and honesty and I suck at all that stuff. I'm just plain ol'Richie Ryan, lookin' out for number one."

"That's no true!" Duncan responded, his accent thickening.

"Yeah, it is," Richie backed up towards the door. "You just don't see it yet. Well, I'll save you the trouble."

"Richie, wait. Where are you going?"

"I'm outta here, Macleod. And after tomorrow you won't have to worry about me no more. Cos, I'm taking Saracen up on their offer and I won't be around to be a disappointment to you."

!!!

"And he has not come home?" Tessa worried. "Duncan, it is almost midnight.."

"Don't worry," Duncan assured her. "He's alright. I followed him. He's staying with a friend."

"You followed him? But then why did you not just bring him home? Where he belongs."

"Because, I think we both needed a little time to cool off. Besides, he would hardly thank me for going in there and dragging him back by the ear like some errant school boy, sweetheart."

"Perhaps, that is exactly what he needs."

"I'm not his father, Tess. No matter what I might want, a short term care order isn't enough to convince a child that's been neglected and abused to play happy families. Maybe, once he turns eighteen, he will start to see that we are serious about helping him."

"And how will he see that, if he is in some other city?"

"I just .. I don't know how to get through to him, love."

"Perhaps, that is the problem. Perhaps, he is already thinking of us more as his parents than he wishes to admit," Tessa observed. "Such battles are normal between father and sons, non?"

"That's it!" Duncan sat up a little straighter. "Oh sweetheart, I could kiss you."

"I will hold you to that." Tessa smiled. "Now, what are you talking about?"

"Don't you see? If we were just his employers, he would not have been nearly so upset when his "boss" didn't show. And if we were only his friends, he would not have set such store by our promises, that he was angry enough to dump the trophy. Or now be so afraid that that he is a disappointment to me, because he was more concerned about his own feelings, than my being in danger. I can't see why I didn't see it before. Its perfect." Duncan declared.

"It is?"

"Of course. Richie said, he didn't know where he fit in around here. Well, its about time our fine laddie learnt his place."

!!!

The following morning, Richie Ryan tapped his fingers nervously on the arm of the plush leather sofa in the reception Seacouver office of the Saracen Team as he waited to be seen. He glanced up at the clock, 9:05. Normally, by now they would have opened the Store. Mac would be making coffee in the office while he explained something to Richie about the computer or the books, watching him with those warm brown eyes, to make sure he understood, tousling his hair with such casual affection that it made his heart ache.

Trying to distract himself, he picked up one of the glossy magazines on the table and thumbed through it, pausing to run a finger around the collar of his shirt. Man, he hated neckties. He could never seem to do them right. He remembered the first time Mac had caught him at it. He'd expected him to laugh, cos he was such a klutz about it, but Mac had simply come up behind him and said, "Like this." as he deftly tied the knot, his arms resting around his shoulders, his warm breath, ghosting over Richie's ear.

With a sigh, he put the magazine down again and started patting out a rhythm on his thighs, until he noticed the ice maiden on reception giving him a cool stare. Folding his hands, he sat awkwardly in the cheap suit he had borrowed from Gary, which was at least two sizes too big for him. Glancing up he saw two men coming down the hall towards him and he sat up a bit straighter, but they walked past him without a pause in their conversation. A conversation, Richie realised, with a start, that they were conducting entirely in French.

"Oh shit," he muttered. "Shit. Shit. Shit."

Damn. Why hadn't he thought of this before? Of course, Saracen was a French outfit. The guy in charge was a famous French racer from way back when. Frantically, Richie tried to remember the French phrases that Tessa had taught him, when they were clearing out her studio. Man, the look on Mac's face when they had sat down to dinner that night and Richie asked him to pass the potatoes in flawless French was priceless. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so hard.

Still he didn't think "Passe-moi les pomme de terre, s'il tu plait" would cut it here. Hell, he wasn't even sure if he had remembered it correctly.

As a dark suited businessman came striding purposefully across the room towards him, Richie swallowed over a suddenly dry throat. This wasn't right. He didn't belong here.

But then, who was he kidding? He didn't belong anywhere. Not really.

"M. Ryan, Je vous en prie de m'excuser .." Saracen began, holding out his hand. "I am sorry for to have kept you waiting so long." He continued in heavily accented French.

Richie stood up and took the offered hand. "De rien." He dredged up. He'd said that when Tessa had thanked him for passing the gravy, so he figured it would make sense here. The man nodded agreeably and gestured to his right. "This is Jean Paul Argent, the firm's lawyer. He will be overseeing the finalisation of the contract."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible." A familiar baritone cut in.

Richie's head spun around so quickly, it almost fell off.

"I'm sorry, Sir," the lawyer spoke up. "But this is a private meeting. I will have to ask you to leave."

"Of course," Duncan agreed amiably. Richie looked away. He had hoped the Immortal would at least try to talk him out of this. Then Mac's voice took on a harder edge. "I'll be happy to leave, as soon as you've heard what I have to say."

Richie stilled.

"Sir, if you don't leave, I will be forced to have you arrested." The lawyer continued.

"You can try." Duncan shrugged.

If things hadn't been so serious, Richie would have laughed.

"I'm here to represent M. Ryan's interests," Duncan went on. "I'm afraid, as it stands that contract is illegal and therefore void. Now, we can discuss this now. Or we can discuss it in court."

"Perhaps, we should step into the conference room?" Saracen suggested.

!!!

"This is preposterous!" Jean Paul protested, loudly, now that privacy was assured. "That contract has been checked and re-checked a thousand times. It is 100% legal, valid and watertight."

"I'm sure it is," Duncan agreed calmly. "Except for one small detail. Richie is only seventeen. He's too young to sign."

"Is this true, Jean Paul?" Saracen looked far from pleased.

"I .. um ..," The lawyer looked flustered and sorted through his papers. "I .. er ..I thought he was eighteen."

"I am," Richie shrugged. "Almost."

Jean Paul winced.

"Richie won't be eighteen, for another four weeks," Duncan spoke up. "Until then, this contract is utterly null and void and the only place Richie is going is back home, where he belongs."

Richie looked up sharply. Duncan's face remained expressionless, but his eyes softened slightly as they rested on the lad. And he winked.

Richie almost smiled. But he hadn't hung around Mac without learning a thing or two about deadpan. First, he wanted to see how this thing played out.

"Nonsense," the lawyer rallied. "All we need is a counter signature from one of the boy's parents. Really, M. Macleod, I'm surprised at your lack of knowledge. They usually cover such matters in pre-law."

"Oh, I'm not a lawyer," Duncan smiled dangerously. "I'm Richie's father."

He saw Richie's eyes widen in surprise at the unequivocal statement.

"But .. he's .. you .." Jean Paul was ready to protest. These two did not look remotely alike. They did not even have the same surname.

Duncan looked straight at the teen. "I swore an oath to accept Richie's legal guardianship, that alone makes the lad as much my son, as if he were born to me," Duncan cast a scathing glance at the lawyer. "And if you are so much as thinking about suggesting otherwise, M. Argent, then I suggest you brush up on your knowledge of family court law .. and slander. Because I can assure you, you will need it."

"I'm sure Jean Paul, did not mean to offend," Saracen quickly intervened. "Anyone can see that you care for the boy. None, would do, as you have done today, except on behalf of a beloved son."

"Thank you," Duncan gave him a brief nod. "But I'm afraid, my position stands, Richie will not be ratifying any contract today. If you wish to discuss this further you can contact us in four weeks. We'll be leaving now."

Duncan stood up.

"Don't I get any say in this?" Richie spoke for the first time.

Duncan took a deep breath.

"No." he spoke in a tone of absolute finality.

It was perhaps, the longest five seconds of the Immortal's life. He knew he was taking a gamble, being so heavy handed with the lad. He just hoped and prayed that he had read the signs right and that it would pay off. And then, at last, a hint of a smile ghosted around the teen's lips.

"OK," He agreed, as he stood up.

"Wait a minute," Jean Paul scrambled after them, anxious to save face. "What will happen when the four weeks are up?"

"That's up to Richie." Duncan didn't look back as he guided the lad out of the room.

"Perhaps he will sign, after all, in four weeks." Jean Paul looked at Saracen hopefully.

"You are a fool," Saracen scoffed. "M. Macloed, he is not thinking about the racing. He is thinking only that he has four weeks to convince the boy that he truly desires to be his father."

!!!

"You know, you probably got that guy fired." Richie observed, as they emerged onto the sidewalk.

"Good," Duncan deadpanned. "Abducting a minor is a serious offence."

"Hey, I'm almost eighteen .."

"Almost .." Duncan agreed, hiding his smile. "Look, Rich. You know that if this was what you really want to do then I would back you to the hilt, right?"

"So," Richie looked down and scuffed a foot. "Why'd ya come then?"

"Richie, look at me," Hesitantly, Richie rasied his head, but when there eyes met, Duncan saw the clear challenge. He had better make this good. "Because, I didn't want you to leave. Not like this. Not while it was in my power to prevent it."

"What you said in there, .. about .. you know .. you were just saying that, to mess with that lawyer, right? Cos, its not like you're really, you know .. my father .. or anything .."

"The law, says otherwise, Tough Guy," Duncan grinned at him. "That means you're stuck with me."

"Yeah, but that's all a load of crock, right?" Richie asked, hesitantly, his blue eyes very bright..

"Not to me." Duncan vowed.

"So, what happens now?" Richie asked awkwardly, feeling a little nonplussed by the Immortal's evident sincerity. "Do we get to pick out matching sweaters?"

"Now, we go home," Duncan slipped an arm around his shoulders. "Because, I've got a surprise for you."

"Yeah?" A surprise, Richie could deal with that. His face blossomed into a grin. "What is it?"

"If I told you that, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?"