In The Dark by Dawn Cunningham - part 6 of 7 For disclaimers, see part 1. ***************************************** The top news story dealt with a break-in and murder that had occurred the night before. It hadn't been all that far from the antique store. The same person could be casing their place now. It brought back to Richie, once again, just how alone and helpless he was. He shut off the television, not wanting to hear any more. A sudden noise at the back door brought Richie to his feet, his heart pounding. What should he do? Could he reach the phone in time to call for help? Or should he go hide somewhere? With no lights on, the intruder might not realize someone was here. But how did he know that no lights were on? Duncan and Tessa might have left some on before they left and he'd never know. He headed for his bedroom, deciding that hiding would be his best bet, when another noise stopped him in his tracks. "Richie, we're home," Tessa called out. He heaved a deep sigh, and tried to calm his pounding heart as he listened to their footsteps cross her workshop and climb the stairs to the apartment. "Home so soon?" he asked, hoping his tone was casual enough to hide his relief. "Yes, it was a very dull party," Tessa replied, her tone almost too casual. Richie was certain his hunch was right. They had left early because they didn't want to leave him alone for long. And he knew it had nothing to do with worrying about whether he'd commit suicide while they were gone. But they had been worried, and it made him realize just how much they did care for him. It suddenly hit him that if his sight didn't come back, that they would never enjoy an outing again - at least as long as he was still alive. Every time they left him alone, they'd be worrying if he would commit suicide while they were gone. It didn't take much imagination to picture Tessa's face if she was the one to find his body. How could he even think about doing that to her? His stomach churning at the thought, he headed for his bedroom, calling back over his shoulder, "I'm going to bed. Good night." "Good night, Richie." Their voices followed him into his room. Once there, he sat down on his bed and opened the nightstand drawer. A few seconds of searching, and he found the bottle of sleeping pills. He held it in his hand for the longest time, trying to decide what to do. When he finally made up his mind, he stood up and went over to his bedroom door and opened it. He listened carefully, wondering if Duncan and Tessa had already gone to their bedroom, but then he heard a noise from the living room. Taking a deep breath, and summoning all his courage, he headed in that direction. "Mac? Tessa?" "Tessa has already gone to bed," Duncan responded. "Do you need something, Richie?" "Uh... if it's not too late, I'd... like to talk." "It's never too late to talk. Do you want me to get Tessa?" Richie thought about that for a moment, then decided it would be easier to talk to just Duncan. The Scot would be less likely to get all emotional on him. Tessa would probably start crying, and he didn't want that to happen. "No, that's all right. We can talk without her." He slowly made his way toward the stairs that lead down into the sunken living room. He wasn't so comfortable with this maneuver. Knowing that Duncan was watching him added to his discomfort. He suddenly paused, unsure of where he was at. "One more step, then you can step down," Duncan coached him. A little more confident, Richie followed the instructions, and stepped down into the living room. "Let me help you," Duncan said. "I wouldn't want you to trip over the coffee table." Richie held out his hand, and the Scot took it to lead him across the room. "Here's the couch, sit down." He did as he was told, then felt Duncan sit down beside him. Silence reigned while Richie decided how to start. Finally, he thrust out the bottle of pills toward Duncan. "Here, I won't need these," he blurted out. He felt the bottle being removed from his hand, then heard the pills slide around as if Duncan were turning the bottle. "I'm not sure I understand," the Scot finally said. "Does this mean..." His words trailed off as if he didn't want to hope. "I changed my mind. No matter what happens on Monday, I won't be committing suicide." He sat back, wondering how Duncan would react. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined what happened next. Strong arms wrapped themselves around the teenager, and Richie was pulled forward against Duncan's chest in a tight hug. "Thank God!" he heard whispered against his ear. Richie let his arms creep around the Immortal's waist, and he hugged him back. He wasn't big on hugging or touching, especially with men. But this was good. He felt safe, protected, and loved. Eventually, Duncan released him, and Richie sat back reluctantly. "What made you change your mind?" Duncan finally asked. "Does it matter?" Richie didn't really want to explain. He wasn't sure that he could. "No, it doesn't matter. I'm just glad you did." "I'm still scared, Mac," Richie admitted, finding it easier to say the words than he thought it would be. He felt an arm come around his shoulder, and once again he found himself being pulled close to Duncan. This wasn't a hug, just a strong feeling of friendship and care. He rested his head on the Scot's arm, soaking in the feeling. "I'm scared, too, Rich. But we'll be there for each other - no matter what happens." Richie nodded, unable to speak for a few moments over the lump in his throat. "If I'm..." he just couldn't say the word, "it won't be easy." "It doesn't matter as long as we're all together. We'll get through this, Richie. Just don't shut us out when the going gets tough." "I won't." "Promise?" Duncan squeezed his shoulder. "Promise." Richie turned his face towards his friend. "I'm sorry I've been such a pain in the ass the last few days." Duncan squeezed his shoulder again. "I think you've had good reason. My behavior hasn't exactly been the best, either. I'm sorry, too." Richie nodded, not knowing exactly what to say after that. Before he could come up with anything, he yawned widely. "I think you should be in bed," Duncan said. Richie felt the Scot's arm being removed, then the couch cushion shift as Duncan stood up. He held up a hand which was gripped in a strong, callused palm, and he was pulled to his feet. He let Duncan lead him back to his bedroom door. "Good night, Rich." "Night, Mac." Duncan waited until Richie had closed his bedroom door before hurrying down the hallway to his own bedroom. He didn't care if Tessa was already asleep. He'd wake her up if necessary to tell her the news. He didn't have to, though. She was leafing through a magazine when he entered the room. Duncan almost jumped on the bed, holding out the bottle of pills for Tessa to see. She gave him a puzzled look, then took the bottle from him. She looked at it, then back at him. "Where did you get this? Did you search Richie's room?" "Of course not! Richie gave them to me. He said he didn't need them - isn't that wonderful?" It took a moment for her to understand, then she threw her arms around Duncan's neck and kissed him. "Yes, it is wonderful! How did you convince him?" "I don't know - maybe it was you who convinced him. He didn't explain why he changed his mind, and I didn't care." Duncan flopped onto his back, knowing he was still wearing a silly grin, but he didn't care about that, either. Tessa set aside the magazine, and the bottle of pills before spreading herself across his chest. "You look happy." "I am. Right now I feel like I could handle anything. I know that Richie might still end up blind, but I know that we'll get through it. As long as we're together, we can do it." "I hope so." Tessa smiled at him, then moved up to kiss him. A few minutes later, Richie was the last thing on his mind. ***** Sunday: Duncan whistled lightly as he prepared the ingredients to make omelets. His good mood had carried over to the morning, and he found himself smiling again. He briefly thought about waking Tessa and Richie, but decided to let them sleep a while longer. Instead, he busied himself setting the table, so that it wouldn't take long to serve breakfast. Tessa soon joined him, and he gave her a quick kiss. She looked around the kitchen, then smiled up at him. "You've been busy this morning." Duncan just shrugged, and smiled back at her. He glanced back at the clock, then asked, "Should we wake Richie up, or let him sleep in?" Before she could answer, they heard the teenager's bedroom door open. A moment later, Richie started across the living room. "Good morning, Richie," Tessa said, as she hurried over to him, and hugged him tightly. "Duncan told me your news last night. I'm so happy!" Even from the kitchen, Duncan could see the blush that filled Richie's face. He smiled, then called out, "Morning, Rich. You're just in time. I was just about to start cooking breakfast. Tessa, why don't you help him to his chair?" The Scot busied himself at the stove, and soon had three omelets cooked and served. "So, what are we going to do today?" he asked as he joined the other two at the table. Richie shrugged. "Probably the same thing as yesterday - I'll listen to music or television." Duncan frowned. "No, I was thinking we could do something together - make this day go by faster." "How about going for a long drive?" Tessa suggested. "It is supposed to be sunny today." "Yeah, why don't you guys do that," Richie replied. "All of us," Tessa said, in a no-nonsense tone. "It will be good for you to get outside for a while. You haven't been outside since Wednesday." "All right." "And I know just the place to go," Duncan said, smiling at the thought. ***** Duncan made a phone call, then fixed up a picnic basket, keeping that a secret from Richie and Tessa. He stashed a few other items that they knew nothing about in the trunk of the T-bird and, two hours later, they were on their way. Despite any cajoling from Tessa and Richie, he refused to divulge their final destination. Sixty minutes later, Duncan glanced in the rear view mirror to see Richie with his head resting back against the upholstery. "You're not falling asleep on us, are you, Richie?" he called back over his shoulder. "Nope. Just soaking in the sun. It's not like I can watch the scenery going by." The Scot didn't like the slightly depressed tone in Richie's voice, and hoped his idea would raise the teenager's spirits. "Well, we don't have much further to go. Hang in there." Soon, he pulled up in front of a beautiful house. As soon as he shut off the engine, he could hear the sound of waves rolling into shore. "Do we know someone who lives here?" Tessa asked as she got out of the car, staring at the house. "Not exactly - more a friend of a friend. I came out here to do an appraisal several months ago as a favor for an old friend. You remember - I had to spend the night because the fog was so bad." Tessa nodded. "Yes, I remember. So, why are we here?" "I called the owner this morning and asked if we could borrow his beach. It's very private because the only access is from their property. I thought you and Richie would enjoy spending the day at the beach - even if it's not warm enough to go swimming." Duncan went to the back of the T-bird and opened the trunk, pulling out the picnic basket, a cooler, and some blankets. Tessa, in the meantime, had helped Richie out of the car. The Scot lead the way around the house, heading for the stairs to the beach. He paused at the top, then set the basket and cooler down. He handed the blankets to Tessa. "I'd better help Richie down the stairs," Duncan said, frowning slightly as he looked at the distance they would have to cover. "I didn't think about this part of it." He took Richie's left hand and placed it on the railing, then placed the teenager's right hand in the crook of his arm. "Ready, Rich?" The young man nodded, then slowly stepped down. It took a while for them to reach the bottom, but at least they didn't have an accident. Tessa had already spread out the blankets, and Duncan guided Richie over to them. "I'll be right back," he said, before jogging back up the stairs for the basket and cooler. When he rejoined the other two, the first thing he did was to pull out a tube of sunscreen and pass it over to Tessa. "You and Richie had better put that on your face and arms so you don't burn." Tessa wrinkled her nose at him. "And you don't sunburn, I suppose." He grinned back at her. "Nope." Richie sighed as Tessa spread the sunscreen on his face. "I hate to be a spoilsport, Mac, but won't this be a little bit boring? I mean just sitting around on a beach isn't my idea of a good time." "We'll do other things, too, but first, just be quiet and listen." It took a moment, but it finally sank in. Richie's head turned toward the ocean, and a look of wonderment crossed his face. "I've never really listened to the ocean before. I've been to the beach, but I never paid much attention to the sound of the ocean." "Too busy chasing girls, I suppose," Duncan said with a teasing grin. Richie just grinned, then laid back on the blankets. Duncan knew it wouldn't last that long, but he settled back on the blankets, pulling Tessa close. Surprisingly, it took almost forty minutes before Richie sat up with a sigh. "So, what else can we do?" This time it was Tessa who came up with the suggestion. "Take off your shoes and socks, and roll up your pant legs. It might be too cold to swim, but we can still splash around in the waves." Richie seemed to like that idea, and wasted no time removing his shoes and socks. Tessa and Duncan followed suit, then they all walked down to the water's edge. "Ooooh, it's cold," Richie said as the first wave touched his feet. He danced back out of its reach. "Don't be such a chicken," Duncan said, grabbing one of the teenager's hands and pulling him forward. This started a small tug-of-war between the two of them, but since Richie was laughing, Duncan knew the teenager wasn't serious about staying out of the water. He could have easily pulled Richie into the surf, but he didn't want to do that. Several moments later, Tessa joined in the fracas by grabbing Richie's other hand. Together, they pulled Richie close enough to get his feet wet again. "Not fair!" Richie protested through his laughter. "That's two against one!" He got his revenge by kicking up some water in the Scot's direction. "You'll pay for that," Duncan threatened, quickly wrapping both arms around Richie and pushing him toward the surf. The teenager struggled, but couldn't get free. At the last moment, Duncan let him go, never intending to drop him in the water. end of part 6