Taking one last peak into the sleeping teen's bedroom, Duncan reluctantly forced himself to head for his own warm bed. Not that he was dreading sleep. After the activities of the day, a good rest was more than a little needed. It was the fear of what might happen as he dozed.

Realistically, he knew that his room was positioned near enough to the teen's that an Immortal's presence anywhere near the boy's vicinity would be immediately known to him. And he did know that the worst of the concussion had passed, as the last few hours with the terrifically cranky teen had proved. Not to mention the fact that he would be able to hear the boy if he stirred, courtesy of the strategically placed monitor he had wisely hidden from the lad's view.

The only problem was, he wasn't feeling all the realistic. Rationales weren't working. The fact was, the last time he had left Richie sleeping peacefully in his bedroom, the teen had been snatched away. And for no real reason. None that he knew of, at least.

Climbing restlessly into his bed, the Immortal found himself more determined than ever to figure out who was after the teen. And why. No one was going to hurt his family and live. End of story.


Sitting bolt upright, Duncan was tearing down the hallway towards the teen's room at lightning speed. The light rustling coming across the monitor had brought him to attention. Richie's tentative questioning of 'who's there' surged him into action.

Throwing the cracked door back hard against the stop, the Immortal desperately scanned the room. The startled yelp was not what Duncan had anticipated encountering.

"Duncan! What on earth is the matter with you?" Tessa demanded, attempting to compose herself after the unexpected intrusion.

Richie, however, had a slightly different response. Laughter. Near hysterical laughter.

The unexpected outburst alarmed his over-protective guardians. Duncan was the first to address him. "Rich?"

"Richie?" The woman echoed the Immortal's inquiry. "It's alright, sweetheart. Shh."

After a few more seconds of intense laughter, the teen was able to compose himself enough to address the concerned adults. "He thought...oh, God...he thought you were..."

"Richie." Duncan's concerned voice only intensified the humor of the situation for the teen.

Taking a deep breath, the boy was able to calm himself enough to gasp out. "He thought you were a kidnapper, Tess. Oh, man. Good stuff."

Exchanging a glance over the teen's head, the couple smiled in relief at the boy's ability to see humor in the situation. As Richie continued to laugh, Tessa too began to giggle. When Duncan started chuckling it was all over.


Groaning as the incessant alarm forced him out of a sound sleep, Duncan rolled over to smack it silent. Looking over at the undisturbed woman to his left, the Immortal shook his head briefly before pulling himself to his feet.

Heading towards the bedroom door, he squinted at the light glaring through the window. After trudging his way down the hallway, he slowly pushed back Richie's bedroom door, not wanting to disturb the teen's rest.

Looking at the abandoned bed, the man's heart immediately went into his throat. Half whispering, half screaming, the man called out, "Richie!"

"Yeah?" The teen questioned from behind him.

Swinging around to take in the sight before him, the Immortal was never happier to see the boy chewing on a donut in all his life. Pulling him into a hard hug, Duncan finally exhaled.

"Ahh, head. Ease up, Mac." The teen told him, attempting the keep both his head from throbbing and his donut for being crushed at the same time.

Smiling, the Immortal pulled away. "Sorry, partner."

"What's wrong with you, Mac?" The teen questioned, taking another chunk out of his donut.

Shrugging, the Immoral pulled the last bit of empty calories from the teen's hand. "I thought you were stolen."

"Stolen?" The boy repeated.

Earning himself a smile from the old man. "Stolen."

"As a matter of principal, I only permit one kidnapping a week." The teen told him flatly, snatching the last bit of his breakfast back from the man.

Duncan raised an eyebrow skeptically. "One a week?"

"One a week." Richie confirmed.

"We really need to work on those principals." The Immortal told him, losing yet another hopeless battle as the teen stuffed the last of the donut into his mouth.