Thanks for all the reviews guys. This is the last chapter. Hope you liked.
I have another story in mind I'll probably start soon. All depends how much free time I can get.
Chapter thirteen
"What's on your mind?"
Connor's voice bought Duncan back to the present. He looked up at his kinsmen, grateful for his calming presence.
"There's a few things," Duncan admitted as Connor took a seat next to him on the sofa.
"Such as?" Connor prompted.
"Everything Connor," Duncan sighed. "Why is nothing ever simple anymore?"
"Nothing was ever simple Duncan. You just never had a woman like Tessa and a kid like Richie to look out for before."
"Perhaps." Duncan allowed.
"So what is the current problem on your mind?" Connor asked.
"Currently I'm thinking how close I came to losing both of them." Duncan answered. Now the threat was gone he could finally sit back and relax, but that meant letting all the things he wouldn't allow himself to think about before surface.
Connor nodded. "There were a few close calls."
"There could have been more."
Connor frowned. "Duncan. That man was terrible with a sword. I was barely concentrating and I had no problems. He wouldn't have beaten you."
"He might have. I kept thinking about what Richie said. I started thinking that maybe I wouldn't have to kill him."
"But?"
"But Liam Campbell was a liar. He had no intention of ending it ending it with me if he'd won. He would have come back here."
"He told you that?" Connor asked.
Duncan nodded.
"Well even if he had he wouldn't have got to Richie or Tessa. I, unlike you, would have taken Campbell's head no matter what the kid said to me. And if he's turned up here again and you hadn't... Let's just say they would have been safe."
Duncan smiled. "I know. Thanks for everything Connor."
"Anytime you need me I'm available. You know that."
"I do. And likewise."
"So. I'm thinking of moving on in the morning. Leave you to have some time alone with Tessa and Richie now everything's sorted."
"Connor, you don't have to go," Duncan said sitting up straighter.
"I know I don't. But I will. You spend some time with your family. And I will go back to New York for a while and see Rachel."
"You're sure?"
"Positive." Connor said. "And you should go to bed now. I expect Tessa will be worrying herself at your absence."
*****
On the plus side Richie only woke up twice in the night with nightmares. Compared to the usual amount he figured this was good progress. He made it to breakfast on time and didn't think he looked too tired. He was sad to hear Connor was going back to New York, but understood he'd been away a long time, between this visit to Mac and the traveling he'd been doing before that, so he must want to see his daughter again.
Richie went with Mac and Tessa to the airport to see Connor off.
"Remember what I said to you," Connor said to Richie before boarding his plane. "If you ever need me you can call me."
"I will," Richie promised, realising for the first time that he was actually really going to miss Connor.
"And come and visit me," Connor shouted over his shoulder as he left.
*****
The first sign that Mac was building up to one of his talks, that Richie had been hoping he could escape for one day, was when Tessa subtly disappeared into her work shop after seeing Connor off and Mac made his way to the kettle. This was something Richie had seen both Mac and Tessa do when they wanted to have a discussion with someone. The main difference being that Tessa actually made tea or coffee or hot chocolate. Mac it seemed turned the kettle on out of habit and never seemed to remember to actually make a drink.
Richie sat at the kitchen table watching him for a few minutes before the waiting became unbearable. "Ok. Just get it over with Mac. Say whatever it is you wanna say."
Give him credit, Richie thought as Mac turned around to face Richie with an innocent look plastered on his face, he was damn good at this.
"I don't now what you mean Rich."
"Yeah, you do," Richie said.
Mac slowly walked over to the kitchen table. "Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?"
That was unfair. Mac was making up new rules as he went along. He was supposed to initiate the conversation, not Richie.
"No," Richie said.
"Ok then," Mac turned back to the kettle.
"Are you serious?" Richie asked. "Last night you said we still had to talk about stuff."
"Yes, I've been thinking about that," Mac said. "If you don't want to talk about things I'm not going to make you. You know I'm here if you do, but I don't want you to dread walking into a room I'm in case I jump on you."
Richie sat in silence for a moment, thinking about that. In a way Richie was glad he'd said that. It meant if he wanted to he could get up and walk out of this room and never have to discuss the last few ever again. But...
"I never had anyone who would risk their life for me before," Richie said to Mac's back.
"Maybe you never opened up to anyone before," Mac suggested turning around.
"Noone was all that interested before. Not even my case workers."
"I'm not like most people Richie," Mac pointed out.
"Yeah. I did sort of notice that," Richie said with a smile. "The last person I cried in front of ended up moving away. Far away. I haven't seen her in years. I used to tell her everything. After she left I stopped talking to anyone cos I figured they either weren't really interested or they'd just end up leaving anyway."
"I'm interested. And any moving away I do at the moment would include you." Mac said seriously.
"Yeah. I get that." Richie said. "I do appreciate everything you've done for me you know."
"We know," Mac said. "You've done a lot for me and Tess too Richie."
"Like what? Cause trouble?"
"No," Mac said, "trouble has always had a way of finding me without your help. You bring something else to our lives. Something we didn't even know we were missing. I couldn't tell you what it is, because we don't know ourselves. But you are well and truly a part of us now Richie. Like it or not."
Richie could feel himself blushing slightly at the comment.
"There is only one thing we will ever ask of you Richie." Mac said, still in his serious tone.
"Which is?" Richie asked.
"Don't lie to us. Come to us when you have a problem. Talk to us and let us be there for you."
"That's four things," Richie said automatically.
Mac smiled. "And number five, don't ever stop being you."
*****
I have another story in mind I'll probably start soon. All depends how much free time I can get.
Chapter thirteen
"What's on your mind?"
Connor's voice bought Duncan back to the present. He looked up at his kinsmen, grateful for his calming presence.
"There's a few things," Duncan admitted as Connor took a seat next to him on the sofa.
"Such as?" Connor prompted.
"Everything Connor," Duncan sighed. "Why is nothing ever simple anymore?"
"Nothing was ever simple Duncan. You just never had a woman like Tessa and a kid like Richie to look out for before."
"Perhaps." Duncan allowed.
"So what is the current problem on your mind?" Connor asked.
"Currently I'm thinking how close I came to losing both of them." Duncan answered. Now the threat was gone he could finally sit back and relax, but that meant letting all the things he wouldn't allow himself to think about before surface.
Connor nodded. "There were a few close calls."
"There could have been more."
Connor frowned. "Duncan. That man was terrible with a sword. I was barely concentrating and I had no problems. He wouldn't have beaten you."
"He might have. I kept thinking about what Richie said. I started thinking that maybe I wouldn't have to kill him."
"But?"
"But Liam Campbell was a liar. He had no intention of ending it ending it with me if he'd won. He would have come back here."
"He told you that?" Connor asked.
Duncan nodded.
"Well even if he had he wouldn't have got to Richie or Tessa. I, unlike you, would have taken Campbell's head no matter what the kid said to me. And if he's turned up here again and you hadn't... Let's just say they would have been safe."
Duncan smiled. "I know. Thanks for everything Connor."
"Anytime you need me I'm available. You know that."
"I do. And likewise."
"So. I'm thinking of moving on in the morning. Leave you to have some time alone with Tessa and Richie now everything's sorted."
"Connor, you don't have to go," Duncan said sitting up straighter.
"I know I don't. But I will. You spend some time with your family. And I will go back to New York for a while and see Rachel."
"You're sure?"
"Positive." Connor said. "And you should go to bed now. I expect Tessa will be worrying herself at your absence."
*****
On the plus side Richie only woke up twice in the night with nightmares. Compared to the usual amount he figured this was good progress. He made it to breakfast on time and didn't think he looked too tired. He was sad to hear Connor was going back to New York, but understood he'd been away a long time, between this visit to Mac and the traveling he'd been doing before that, so he must want to see his daughter again.
Richie went with Mac and Tessa to the airport to see Connor off.
"Remember what I said to you," Connor said to Richie before boarding his plane. "If you ever need me you can call me."
"I will," Richie promised, realising for the first time that he was actually really going to miss Connor.
"And come and visit me," Connor shouted over his shoulder as he left.
*****
The first sign that Mac was building up to one of his talks, that Richie had been hoping he could escape for one day, was when Tessa subtly disappeared into her work shop after seeing Connor off and Mac made his way to the kettle. This was something Richie had seen both Mac and Tessa do when they wanted to have a discussion with someone. The main difference being that Tessa actually made tea or coffee or hot chocolate. Mac it seemed turned the kettle on out of habit and never seemed to remember to actually make a drink.
Richie sat at the kitchen table watching him for a few minutes before the waiting became unbearable. "Ok. Just get it over with Mac. Say whatever it is you wanna say."
Give him credit, Richie thought as Mac turned around to face Richie with an innocent look plastered on his face, he was damn good at this.
"I don't now what you mean Rich."
"Yeah, you do," Richie said.
Mac slowly walked over to the kitchen table. "Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?"
That was unfair. Mac was making up new rules as he went along. He was supposed to initiate the conversation, not Richie.
"No," Richie said.
"Ok then," Mac turned back to the kettle.
"Are you serious?" Richie asked. "Last night you said we still had to talk about stuff."
"Yes, I've been thinking about that," Mac said. "If you don't want to talk about things I'm not going to make you. You know I'm here if you do, but I don't want you to dread walking into a room I'm in case I jump on you."
Richie sat in silence for a moment, thinking about that. In a way Richie was glad he'd said that. It meant if he wanted to he could get up and walk out of this room and never have to discuss the last few ever again. But...
"I never had anyone who would risk their life for me before," Richie said to Mac's back.
"Maybe you never opened up to anyone before," Mac suggested turning around.
"Noone was all that interested before. Not even my case workers."
"I'm not like most people Richie," Mac pointed out.
"Yeah. I did sort of notice that," Richie said with a smile. "The last person I cried in front of ended up moving away. Far away. I haven't seen her in years. I used to tell her everything. After she left I stopped talking to anyone cos I figured they either weren't really interested or they'd just end up leaving anyway."
"I'm interested. And any moving away I do at the moment would include you." Mac said seriously.
"Yeah. I get that." Richie said. "I do appreciate everything you've done for me you know."
"We know," Mac said. "You've done a lot for me and Tess too Richie."
"Like what? Cause trouble?"
"No," Mac said, "trouble has always had a way of finding me without your help. You bring something else to our lives. Something we didn't even know we were missing. I couldn't tell you what it is, because we don't know ourselves. But you are well and truly a part of us now Richie. Like it or not."
Richie could feel himself blushing slightly at the comment.
"There is only one thing we will ever ask of you Richie." Mac said, still in his serious tone.
"Which is?" Richie asked.
"Don't lie to us. Come to us when you have a problem. Talk to us and let us be there for you."
"That's four things," Richie said automatically.
Mac smiled. "And number five, don't ever stop being you."
*****