AN: Hey guys thanks so much for the reviews. Here is the next chapter.
Enjoy
Duncan and Tessa stood there slack jawed. They couldn't believe what Richie had just said. He had murdered someone? Impossible. Of course Richie had a temper, but what could they expect after all he'd been through, still he was no murderer.
Richie watched their expressions with dread weighing down on his heart. He shouldn't have told them. Now, he had to face the consequences and he knew exactly what that was going to be. He felt tears begin to well up in his eyes and turned away from them. He didn't want them to see him cry.
"What do you mean you killed someone?" Duncan finally asked.
"Just what I said," The teen replied, as he tried to keep his voice from breaking. "Don't worry. I'll be out in an hour."
"Richie we're not going to kick you out," Tessa told him.
He turned back to face them with red, misty eyes. "You're not?"
Tessa walked over and hugged him. "Of course not! We love you!"
Richie pulled back. "Even after knowing something so horrible, you still love me?"
Duncan stepped up next to Tessa. "Richie when we say we love you we mean it. Through the good and the bad we'll stand beside you. That's part of caring about someone."
Richie didn't know what to say. All of his other foster families had kicked him out at the drop of a hat. Mac and Tessa had been more tolerable when it came to his troublesome ways, but he was sure that this would be the kicker.
"Richie tell us what happened?" Duncan said breaking the silence. "Tell us who you murdered."
"I didn't say I murdered anyone," The teen said defensively. "I said I killed someone."
"Tell us what happened," Tessa told him.
He sighed. It was a long time ago and he really didn't want to remember it, but he didn't have a choice. "I was thirteen," He began.
Flashback~Richie age 13
Richie looked out at the bidders. More and more people had started coming over the past year. Some of them were nice. They just wanted to pretend they had a son for some event or whatever the case was. Others, well he didn't want to think about the others. He cringed just not thinking about the others.
"Sold," Jesse cried out, bringing Richie back to the present.
He looked out at the couple who had bought him for the night, only he was surprised to see that it was one man. One very scary looking man. Tall, dark, and very, very dangerous was Richie's first thought of him.
Richie normally went willingly to his prospective 'parent' for the night, but he didn't go to this man. He was paralyzed with terror. His eyes were wide and his jaw hung slack. He did not want to go with this man. He had a feeling something really bad was going to happen.
"Go on boy!" Jesse said giving him a shove.
Richie stumbled directly into the mans arms and looked up. The dark haired man smiled a smile that Richie could only describe as mean. Okay so it was scary to.
"Hello Richie," He said in a husky voice. "My name is Vin."
Vin took Richie roughly by the arm and hauled him out the warehouse. Richie's heart was pounding wildly in his chest the whole ride to Vin's mansion. He didn't think a thirteen year old could have a heart attack, but right now it felt like he was going to have one anyways.
Vin walked around and opened the passenger door. Richie made no move to get out.
"Look kid, make this easy on yourself. Get out of the car."
Richie wanted to. He didn't want to make things harder on himself, but fear gripped his soul so fiercely he just couldn't make his legs work. He heard Vin sigh as the bigger man yanked him out of the car, causing Richie to fall hard on the sidewalk.
"Owe!" He cried.
"I told you, now get up and get your scrawny ass inside."
Richie stood up and saw that his pants were torn at the knee and blood was turning the blue of his jeans purple. Although the pain hurt he tried not to pay attention to it. He didn't want to give this guy another chance to hurt him. The more he thought about it the more he began to think that he didn't matter if he did what Vin said or not, he was still going to get severely hurt.
He walked inside the mansion and quickly began scanning the room for anything valuable. It had to be something that would not be noticeable right away. Vin couldn't know Richie had taken it or there would be hell to pay.
He didn't have long to look before Vin started dragging him upstairs. Richie didn't want to go upstairs, so he started struggling.
"Let go of me!" He cried.
"Shut up!" Vin yelled jerking him roughly.
Richie was suddenly more scared than he had ever been in his life. Vin shoved him through one of the countless doors and Richie was horrified.
It was a torture chamber. There were bonds, straps, cat-o-nine tails, whips and even knives. Richie did not like this. He did not like it at all. He turned to run, but Vin grabbed him.
"Where do you think you're going little man?"
He pulled Richie over to a table and began strapping him to it. Richie knew he had to do something or else this guy was going to hurt him. He looked around, thoughts racing through his mind, anything to get him out of this mess and then he saw it.
On a stand next to the table was a tray full of knives and other objects. Before Vin could strap down his arms Richie grabbed a knife sending the rest clattering to the floor. Vin looked up, but before he could react Richie plunged the knife into his gut.
Vin cried out and fell back against the wall. Richie quickly undid the straps that were holding down his feet and jumped off the table. He ran as fast as he could leaving the man and the torture chamber behind him. He ran down the stairs, and out the front door not even stopping to grab a souvenir for Jesse, even though he knew the other man would be mad.
He ran as far and as fast as his little legs would take him, finally collapsing, exhausted and out of breath on the sidewalk.
End Flashback.
Tears were rolling freely down Richie's face. He didn't even notice. He was so locked in the memory the terror had almost caught up with him. He felt like screaming, but knew it would do no good. Vin was dead and he had to live with the consequences.
Duncan and Tessa stood there in shock. Neither of them knew what kind of monster would want to torture a little boy. It was sickening.
"Richie my god, why didn't you ever tell us?" Tessa asked.
The teen shrugged. "I thought you'd hate me."
"Richie this wasn't you're fault," Duncan told him. "That man was going to hurt you! You did what you could to protect yourself."
"It doesn't matter I killed him!"
"Are you so sure you killed him?" Tessa asked.
Richie opened his mouth to answer, but then stopped. He had always told himself that Vin was dead, but he had never actually stopped to look. Vin had to be dead. Didn't he?
"You mean you don't know?" Duncan asked.
"Well, I mean I didn't stop to check, but Jesse came after me the next day saying that I killed one of his best customers."
"Maybe he meant it in a metaphorical sense," Tessa argued.
"Huh?"
"She means maybe he didn't mean it literally. Maybe he just meant that Vin wasn't going to bid on anymore of his children."
"Oh, well I don't think so. I mean why would he say it like that?"
"To scare you," The Highlander told him.
Richie shook his head. He didn't know what to think anymore. His mind was racing with new possibilities that he felt silly for not thinking of before. They could be right. Vin could still be alive, but what if he wasn't? Richie honestly didn't want to find out.
It had taken him years to be rid of the nightmares that had originated from his horrible experience. He knew that even now he would probably have nightmares again. If he dug into his history it was definite. He didn't want to have to deal with that all over again.
"It doesn't matter. I know that Vin is dead. I killed him, maybe it was in self defense, but I still killed him!"
Mac walked over and embraced Richie. The teen tried to push away, but Mac wouldn't let him.
"Richie none of this was your fault," He whispered into his ear.
Richie fought against Mac's hold. He didn't' want to be embraced, didn't deserved to be comforted. He was alive, Vin was dead. Yet his heart ached so much. He didn't understand why Mac and Tessa still wanted him in the house. He was a horrible, dirty person. He didn't deserve to be loved, but he had yearned for it his whole life. Then he realized that somewhere along the line, he had found it in these people. Reluctantly and yet so eagerly he returned Mac's embrace, crying silently into his shirt.
Duncan and Tessa stood there slack jawed. They couldn't believe what Richie had just said. He had murdered someone? Impossible. Of course Richie had a temper, but what could they expect after all he'd been through, still he was no murderer.
Richie watched their expressions with dread weighing down on his heart. He shouldn't have told them. Now, he had to face the consequences and he knew exactly what that was going to be. He felt tears begin to well up in his eyes and turned away from them. He didn't want them to see him cry.
"What do you mean you killed someone?" Duncan finally asked.
"Just what I said," The teen replied, as he tried to keep his voice from breaking. "Don't worry. I'll be out in an hour."
"Richie we're not going to kick you out," Tessa told him.
He turned back to face them with red, misty eyes. "You're not?"
Tessa walked over and hugged him. "Of course not! We love you!"
Richie pulled back. "Even after knowing something so horrible, you still love me?"
Duncan stepped up next to Tessa. "Richie when we say we love you we mean it. Through the good and the bad we'll stand beside you. That's part of caring about someone."
Richie didn't know what to say. All of his other foster families had kicked him out at the drop of a hat. Mac and Tessa had been more tolerable when it came to his troublesome ways, but he was sure that this would be the kicker.
"Richie tell us what happened?" Duncan said breaking the silence. "Tell us who you murdered."
"I didn't say I murdered anyone," The teen said defensively. "I said I killed someone."
"Tell us what happened," Tessa told him.
He sighed. It was a long time ago and he really didn't want to remember it, but he didn't have a choice. "I was thirteen," He began.
Flashback~Richie age 13
Richie looked out at the bidders. More and more people had started coming over the past year. Some of them were nice. They just wanted to pretend they had a son for some event or whatever the case was. Others, well he didn't want to think about the others. He cringed just not thinking about the others.
"Sold," Jesse cried out, bringing Richie back to the present.
He looked out at the couple who had bought him for the night, only he was surprised to see that it was one man. One very scary looking man. Tall, dark, and very, very dangerous was Richie's first thought of him.
Richie normally went willingly to his prospective 'parent' for the night, but he didn't go to this man. He was paralyzed with terror. His eyes were wide and his jaw hung slack. He did not want to go with this man. He had a feeling something really bad was going to happen.
"Go on boy!" Jesse said giving him a shove.
Richie stumbled directly into the mans arms and looked up. The dark haired man smiled a smile that Richie could only describe as mean. Okay so it was scary to.
"Hello Richie," He said in a husky voice. "My name is Vin."
Vin took Richie roughly by the arm and hauled him out the warehouse. Richie's heart was pounding wildly in his chest the whole ride to Vin's mansion. He didn't think a thirteen year old could have a heart attack, but right now it felt like he was going to have one anyways.
Vin walked around and opened the passenger door. Richie made no move to get out.
"Look kid, make this easy on yourself. Get out of the car."
Richie wanted to. He didn't want to make things harder on himself, but fear gripped his soul so fiercely he just couldn't make his legs work. He heard Vin sigh as the bigger man yanked him out of the car, causing Richie to fall hard on the sidewalk.
"Owe!" He cried.
"I told you, now get up and get your scrawny ass inside."
Richie stood up and saw that his pants were torn at the knee and blood was turning the blue of his jeans purple. Although the pain hurt he tried not to pay attention to it. He didn't want to give this guy another chance to hurt him. The more he thought about it the more he began to think that he didn't matter if he did what Vin said or not, he was still going to get severely hurt.
He walked inside the mansion and quickly began scanning the room for anything valuable. It had to be something that would not be noticeable right away. Vin couldn't know Richie had taken it or there would be hell to pay.
He didn't have long to look before Vin started dragging him upstairs. Richie didn't want to go upstairs, so he started struggling.
"Let go of me!" He cried.
"Shut up!" Vin yelled jerking him roughly.
Richie was suddenly more scared than he had ever been in his life. Vin shoved him through one of the countless doors and Richie was horrified.
It was a torture chamber. There were bonds, straps, cat-o-nine tails, whips and even knives. Richie did not like this. He did not like it at all. He turned to run, but Vin grabbed him.
"Where do you think you're going little man?"
He pulled Richie over to a table and began strapping him to it. Richie knew he had to do something or else this guy was going to hurt him. He looked around, thoughts racing through his mind, anything to get him out of this mess and then he saw it.
On a stand next to the table was a tray full of knives and other objects. Before Vin could strap down his arms Richie grabbed a knife sending the rest clattering to the floor. Vin looked up, but before he could react Richie plunged the knife into his gut.
Vin cried out and fell back against the wall. Richie quickly undid the straps that were holding down his feet and jumped off the table. He ran as fast as he could leaving the man and the torture chamber behind him. He ran down the stairs, and out the front door not even stopping to grab a souvenir for Jesse, even though he knew the other man would be mad.
He ran as far and as fast as his little legs would take him, finally collapsing, exhausted and out of breath on the sidewalk.
End Flashback.
Tears were rolling freely down Richie's face. He didn't even notice. He was so locked in the memory the terror had almost caught up with him. He felt like screaming, but knew it would do no good. Vin was dead and he had to live with the consequences.
Duncan and Tessa stood there in shock. Neither of them knew what kind of monster would want to torture a little boy. It was sickening.
"Richie my god, why didn't you ever tell us?" Tessa asked.
The teen shrugged. "I thought you'd hate me."
"Richie this wasn't you're fault," Duncan told him. "That man was going to hurt you! You did what you could to protect yourself."
"It doesn't matter I killed him!"
"Are you so sure you killed him?" Tessa asked.
Richie opened his mouth to answer, but then stopped. He had always told himself that Vin was dead, but he had never actually stopped to look. Vin had to be dead. Didn't he?
"You mean you don't know?" Duncan asked.
"Well, I mean I didn't stop to check, but Jesse came after me the next day saying that I killed one of his best customers."
"Maybe he meant it in a metaphorical sense," Tessa argued.
"Huh?"
"She means maybe he didn't mean it literally. Maybe he just meant that Vin wasn't going to bid on anymore of his children."
"Oh, well I don't think so. I mean why would he say it like that?"
"To scare you," The Highlander told him.
Richie shook his head. He didn't know what to think anymore. His mind was racing with new possibilities that he felt silly for not thinking of before. They could be right. Vin could still be alive, but what if he wasn't? Richie honestly didn't want to find out.
It had taken him years to be rid of the nightmares that had originated from his horrible experience. He knew that even now he would probably have nightmares again. If he dug into his history it was definite. He didn't want to have to deal with that all over again.
"It doesn't matter. I know that Vin is dead. I killed him, maybe it was in self defense, but I still killed him!"
Mac walked over and embraced Richie. The teen tried to push away, but Mac wouldn't let him.
"Richie none of this was your fault," He whispered into his ear.
Richie fought against Mac's hold. He didn't' want to be embraced, didn't deserved to be comforted. He was alive, Vin was dead. Yet his heart ached so much. He didn't understand why Mac and Tessa still wanted him in the house. He was a horrible, dirty person. He didn't deserve to be loved, but he had yearned for it his whole life. Then he realized that somewhere along the line, he had found it in these people. Reluctantly and yet so eagerly he returned Mac's embrace, crying silently into his shirt.