AN – Many thanks for all the reviews. Please scroll to the end for replies.
At the sound of Duncan's voice, the boy's head came up sharply, his eyes widening with surprise, as he drank in the sight before him.
"Mac?" he whispered, as if he didn't quite believe it.
Then he grinned, a mega watt smile of pure delight that lit up his whole face and banished every last ounce of fear and uncertainty from his body language.
"Mac!"
In an instance he was across the room and had thrown himself into Duncan's arms, hugging him so fiercely that he could almost feel the breath being squeezed out of him, as he instinctively wrapped his own arms around the thin shoulders to keep the teenage whirlwind on his feet.
"Oh man. I didn't think it could be true. I mean, I know you said it would be OK, but there was so many of them and only one of you and there was all that blood. I mean, you gotta admit it looked pretty bad for a while there big guy, I mean, those dudes weren't kidding around and you sure as hell looked dead. Oh shit," He pulled back. "I'm not hurting you am I? I mean you didn't have to have stitches or surgery or anything did you?"
"You saw me die?" Duncan's chest tightened.
"Well, yeah. Except not, obviously," Richie grinned. "It was all an act like you said, right?"
Behind him Duncan heard the muffled thud of a chair being pushed roughly aside as a pair of hi tops thudded their way across the wooden floor and out up onto the deck. Catching only a brief glimpse of the back of well worn leather jacket making its hasty exit the boy frowned.
"What's eating him?"
"Its nothing." Duncan reassured him, his eyes lingering on the slammed door.
"I'll go."
Methos clipped tones made the decision for him. With a sigh Duncan turned his attention back to the problem in hand. Richie looked tired, as if from a long journey, but his clothes were new and fairly clean, his hair recently cut and his shoes an expensive pair of running shoes. Someone had been taking care of him. He looked his question at Darius.
"I know no more than you my friend," the priest shook his head. "I went to say mass as usual and when I returned he was waiting for me. He says he has a message for you. That was all he would say."
"Richie?"
"Hey, I'm here now," Richie shrugged. "So, everything's cool right? I mean you were the one who told it to me. It was just a way to make sure Father Brown over there brought me to the right place. And here I am. Its not like I gotta actually give you the message or anything."
"It isn't in English, is it?" Duncan realised. He wondered what it was he hadn't wanted the boy to know.
"Hey, I can remember it. I can. Its not like you didn't make me say it about two zillon times," Richie protested. "Its just, I thought you were dead, y'know. That sorta thing tends to be pretty distracting."
"I'm sure. Just tell us what you remember Rich. We can work the rest out."
"Kay," Richie frowned in concentration. "Um. OK. I got it."
Duncan listened closely as Richie carefully recited the Gaelic phrases he had been taught, looking up to meet Rebecca's eyes in concern.
"What?" Richie looked from one to the other. "Did I remember it wrong?"
"No, you did just fine, Tough Guy. So, you hungry?"
"I dunno," Richietilted his head sideways."This is France, right? You're not gonna make me eat frogs or snails or anything are you?"
"No," Duncan couldn't resist. "Well, at least not right away."
Methos knew he had to move fast. In his current mood Richie was liable to get on his bike and just keep right on going. Briefly he debated pulling the Citroen into his path, but Richie would probably just ride right over him. Looking swiftly left and right he decided to take his chances. Slipping the gun out of his pocket he attached its silencer and deftly shot out first one tyre and then the other before Richie had kicked the stand up.
The look he received in return was not friendly.
"Richie wait."
He ran quickly to catch up with the younger man who was already striding purposefully away. Richie didn't slow, pausing only to throw a few choice expletives over his shoulder. Methos winced. When he started swearing in Polish, things were very bad indeed.
"Wait! You can't run from this," he spoke vehemently, grasping his arm in a grip fierce enough to leave bruises and turned him bodily to face him. "Where ever you go you'll take it with you."
"Oh I'm all done with running," Richie eyes burned with fury. " I'm gonna find Ares and I'm gonna take his head just like his goons did Mac's."
"You don't know that's what happened."
"Yeah, right. Like Mac would ever disappear to parts unknown and leave mini me behind. Now either shoot me or let me go. I don't have time for this."
"Alright, have it your way," Methos decided loosing his grip. "Go."
Set free Richie hesitated. Opened his mouth to speak. Closed it. Began to walk away. Two paces. Three. Then stopped. The Ancient Immortal never gave in this easily. Not ever. Not unless he was up to something. He turned on his heel.
"You know something, don't you?"
Methos eschewed the obvious answer. He did indeed know many things. One of which was that now was not the time for sarcasm. Everything depended on his coaxing Richie safely back into the barge.
"I know Ares won't care which one of you he faces."
"He won't challenge the kid," Richie shook his head in denial. "He's not even Immortal yet."
"That can easily be fixed."
"No way. Its not supposed to happen like that. I mean if Ares could have made my butt Immortal back then he woulda, right?"
"Except that was then and this is now."
Richie thought about that. When he was growing up he had been protected because certain events had to take place before the final battle could legitimately be joined. Except this time around all the conditions had been satisfied. Which meant his younger self was fair game.
"Oh buggar." He realised.
"I couldn't have said it better myself." Methos agreed.
"So," Richie shoved his hands in his pockets in defeat. "What do we do?"
"Well," Methos considered "I do have an idea."
"Of course," Richie sighed, as he fell into step beside him. "I'm so gonna hate this aren't I?"
"Probably."
They went back in via the door behind the wheel house to save Richie from coming face to face with his younger self, at least until they had decided exactly what to tell him. Leaving Darius to distract the boy with a game of chess, the others crowded into the small galley, where Methos outlined his plan.
"You want to tell him what?" Duncan demanded, as he gave the bubbling pasta one last stir and pulled the plates out from theoven, where they were warming.
"It does make a certain amount of sense," Rebecca admitted reluctantly. "What else are we going to tell him?"
"I don't know. The truth?"
"Oh yes, that will work." Methos wasn't agreeing.
"And you think this will?" Duncan poured the pasta into the waiting colander and shook it rather more vigorously than was strictly necessary. "That they are twins?"
"They look alike." Methos defended his idea.
"Apart from him being twenty pound heavier and about ninety years older."
"Richie was only 19 when he died. He hasn't changed that much. Its not like he got any taller."
As he ladled the pasta out onto the plates Duncan shot a look at Richie. He was leaning up against the wall, somehow managing to be entirely separate from the conversation, despite the cramped space.
"Rich?"
The pale blue eyes came to rest on him without a hint of surprise. So, he was paying attention then.
"What do you think?"
"You cannot surely think he should be seventeen again?" Tessa shook her head.
"I'd forgotten how skinny he was when we first met," Amanda murmured. "He looks so thin."
"He doesn't know who I am." Rebecca noted sadly.
"He doesn't recognise your face," Richie's quiet voice corrected. "He doesn't remember what you looked like. As soon as you talk he'll know."
"And Methos?" Rebecca asked.
Duncan ducked his head and busied himself with spooning the pasta sauce onto the plates of spaghetti not wishing to make Methos more uncomfortable then he doubtless already was. As far as he could gather from Amanda, Richie had had scant memories of his elusive foster father. Had thought he was a spy or some such. And hadn't recognised "Jack Ryan" in the man he had met in the Dojo.
"Perhaps you should show him the stuffed horse." Rebecca looked at Methos with an arched look that suggested they'd had this conversation many times before.
"Or you could try telling him your name." Amanda put in. "That usually helps people work out who you are."
"How many more times?" Methos defended his earlier actions. "If I could have told him back then I would."
At the time Richie had only had a scant three years to know and trust the Highlander. He had been afraid that if he had revealed himself as 'Jack Ryan' it would have put an intolerable strain on that relationship. Not to mention that the Scot would have been flat out furious if he'd discovered that he'd abandoned the child to social services. Besides the prophecy had forbidden it.
"But you could tell him now." Richie murmured.
Duncan listened with half an ear to Richie's tearful reunion with Rebecca. As soon as she had whispered his name his eyes had widened and he had fallen into her arms, laughing and crying and wiping his nose on his sleeve, as she wrapped him in her arms. He watched Methos, impressed by the man's gentle humour as he teased Richie with memories of his five-year-old antics. Only to see the teenage hormones return in full force when the boy was introduced to Amanda as his sister.
"Are you sure you're OK with this?" he murmured.
For all it was his plan to send his younger self off with his first family Richie looked far from alright. His face was much too pale and the lines of tension around his eyes and mouth showed a strain that he was struggling to hide. Duncan could only imagine how he must feel as he watched his seventeen-year-old alter ego enjoy the family reunion he had no doubted dreamed of all his young life.
"Yeah," He swallowed. "It makes sense, right?"
"It was a good idea," Duncan affirmed. "He'll be safe enough at the manor and he'll be much happier with his mother there to take care of him."
"You could have gone too," Richie gave him a sideways look.
"My family is right here." Duncan affirmed, wrapping his arm firmly around Richie's shoulders. Lord knows the others were more than capable of looking after the teen. Someone had to stand by his lad.
"Tessa probably wouldn't be too keen on you shacking up with Rebecca and Amanda, huh?" Richie grinned.
"That's not why I'm staying." Duncan said so firmly that Richie couldn't help but smile as a soft pink blush of pleasure rose in his face.
"Well, thanks Mac. That means a whole lot to me." Looking rather more positive he grimaced at the piles of congealing pasta still scattered around the little galley. "I guess dinner is a bust?"
"Doesn't matter," Duncan rolled his sleeves up and started to scrape the plates into the trash. "I wasn't going to leave you skulking in back whilst we were all eating your dinner. Rebecca said they'll stop somewhere on the way home." A thought occurred to him. "Has Methos ever been to MacDonald's?"
"There's always a first time." Richie grinned.
"Tell you what. Why don't we leave all this and go out ourselves?"
"You want to take Tessa to MacDonalds?"
"Actually, I was thinking we could go to Georgio's," The Michelin starred restaurant was expensive even by his standards. It was also his and Tessa's favourite place for very special occasion dinners. If the lad had lived with them in Paris Duncan was pretty sure the lad would understand the gesture. There might be difficult times ahead it would do them no harm to build up a few good memories.
"The condemned man ate a hearty meal, huh?" Richie gave him a look that suggested he wasn't quite as sanguine about the forthcoming battle with Ares as he might wish the world to believe.
"Death can touch us at any of us at any time Rich," Duncan counselled. "Ares isn't immune to that either. And you have the best advantage."
"Mac, if you're gonna tell me that good is stronger than evil, please don't." Richie cut him off his voice strained. He always used to believe that. At the beginning he hadn't thought one of the good guys could lose. But then Darius had died, Fitzcairn and Rebecca, so many good people.
The soft warm hand on his neck rubbing his neck in a familiar caress was more reassurance than mere words.
"You have too much to lose my lad."
Richie swallowed hard. He remembered Duncan saying almost exactly the same thing to him that first night in Paris, when he had asked him how he had beaten an Immortal as old and experienced as Grayson. As soon as the words were out of his mouth he'd felt bad for even asking but Duncan had just tousled his hair and looked at him with love in his eyes and said he had had too much to lose.
Well if it was good enough for Mac then it was sure as hell good enough for him.
Maybe he could do this after all.
It had been Duncan reflected as he loosen his bow tie and poured himself a nightcap in the salon, listening to Richie and Tessa bicker as she waited for her bath to fill, one of the really good evenings, full of joy and laughter. It was strange he'd only known Richie a short time. Already he couldn't imagine their lives without him.
God willing he'd never have to.
"Keep me company?" he offered as he 'felt' Richie come down the steps behind him. "Tessa will be in the bath for ages."
"Sure," Richie grinned at him as he loosened his own tie, kicked off his shoes and fell onto the couch. "Man, I'm so stuffed. I haven't had one of their steak au poivre in the longest time."
"You liked that huh?" Duncan smiled as he passed him a drink and settled beside him.
"Better than what I had the first time you took me there," Richie grinned at the memory. "There I was all American boy out to make a good impression in front of all the fancy French folks. And scared stupid that I was gonna accidentally order something really gross like horse. So, I picked the first thing I recognised off the menu. Or at least I thought I recognised it."
"Oh no," Duncan laughed. "Tell me you didn't order steak tartare?"
"How was I to know it wasn't cooked?" Richie shook his head. "And you made me eat it."
"The whole thing?"
"Well, a whole mouthful at least. But you let me order something decent afterwards."
"I probably didn't think you would touch it." Duncan admitted. "Although Immortals can't afford to be squeamish. We've all had to learn to live outside your own mores and customs."
"Never know when the local delicacy might turn out to be stuffed sheep's stomach?" Richie raised a brow.
"Touche" Duncan saluted him with his glass.
"I had a great evening. Thanks Mac."
"You're welcome."
"Actually," Richie hopped up. "Is this a good time? Cos I have something fro you. But I wasn't sure. Its not like I can just give it to you."
"Is this another present from my other self?"
"Why what else did you get?" Richie asked, digging around in the parcels Connor had brought back to locate a small leather pouch. "Ah gotcha."
"A message." Duncan paused to let that sink in.
"Oh?" Richie turned to face him, his eyes dark with concern. "What kind of message?"
"He wanted me to give you the Katana."
And now re the reviews!
LoMaRiBa – Hum sorry, not exactly soon I know, what can I say, my brain got stuck! But definitely more. Hope you enjoy.
Supernatural Chick – Thank you so much for your kind comments. I just try to write what I know I like reading. I'd love to get published if only I had more time to write. Happily fanfiction doesn't have any deadlines! But its great to know other people enjoy it. There will be interaction between the Richies although not just yet. As to how to tell them apart – I do have a plan. And other Duncan will show up sooner or later.
SC – I never said they were actually gonna eat dinner. Grins. Forgive me? After all I haven't hardly hurt Richie at all in this chapter. Either of them.
Jodi – Thanks for the review. Knowing people are waiting to read always encourages me to write more. Not necessarily faster but more! Hope you enjoy the next instalment.
Klingbohne – Welcome to my world and thanks for taking the time to review. It really is much appreciated. And I'm thrilled to convert someone to liking Richie more! You're right I do love to hurt him but only so I can make things all better.
Jamie – Sorry, sorry, sorry, I know I'm leaving you hanging again, I hope Mac's return will be worth the wait. Meanwhile enjoy the next chapter.
Sarai – Thanks for your loyal reviewing, it really makes my day. Hope this chapter id a bit clearer for you. Any questions please e-mail me. I'm happy to discuss story ideas.
Neoinean – Glad you like twist and clifffe. I like to keep people's attention. Such a long story. Wouldn't want people getting bored. Darius as Duncan's Dad and thus Methos grandson was in the plague – but of course this Mac hasn't made the connection as he doesn't know Darius is his Dad (yet). And Richie will interaction with Richie. No imploding universe, but some fireworks I think, and as for the chapter title. I'm using it in your honour (and because it saves me having to think of another R word for a bit!)