Meet The Mallards - NCIS/HL
Title: Meet the Mallards
Author: strangevisitor7
Beta: idontlikegravy
Prompt: AU for HL_Flashfic - Archangel never happened
Also, Prompt #5: Outsides for crossovers100. My table is here
Fandom: HL & NCIS
Characters: HL: Richie Ryan; NCIS: Ducky, Abby, Mrs. Mallard and a special appearance by the Corgies: Tyson, Countessa, Nelson and Elizabeth (yes, I named the last two)
Summary: Richie finally meets the Mallards and moves in. He is still unaware that Ducky and Abby are co-workers.
The Highlander/NCIS series: No title for this series yet.
If You Can Take the Peanut from My Hand...
Empty Nest
Abby and The Immortal
Educating Abby by idontlikegravy
Meet The Mallards
Richie waited until around lunch time on Sunday morning to pull into the Mallard’s circular driveway. He looked at the house in front of him. It was a huge three story mansion with immaculate gardens. What was Joe thinking? How could he live in a place like this with the kind of people who live in houses like that?
He pulled off his gloves and shoved them into the pocket of his leather jacket. He just stood staring at the gateway to his new life. His cell phone went off startling him from his musings. Fishing it out of the pocket of his ratty jeans he looked at the caller ID: Joe. He sighed and flipped it open. “Hey Joe.”
“Richie, where are you?” came the demanding tone of his former Watcher. “Ducky was expecting you yesterday.”
Richie groaned. “I’m fine Joe. I just ran into a little trouble on my way into town but I handled it. I’m in front of the house now, actually.”
“A challenge?”
“Yep. You know me, never a dull moment.” Richie forced a laugh but in truth the whole night had rattled him. He leaned against his bike and thought about his close call. If Abby hadn’t interrupted, his stupid misstep might have cost him his head.
Joe chuckled. “Well, obviously you’re ok. Tell me what happened.”
“Oh no, Joe. You’re not my Watcher any more; you’ll just have to wait for Dr. Mallard’s report.” Richie was not in the mood to talk about it. Besides, it would give him and his new Watcher something to discuss other than how there was no way he was living here.
“You’re right. Well, call us again once you’re settled. Okay.” Joe insisted.
Richie smiled. “You’re as bad as Mac sometimes. You know that right.” They said their goodbyes and Richie shoved the phone back into his pocket.
Richie would never really be bothered by all the “fatherly” attention. He’d spent the first seventeen years of his life bouncing around in foster care without any one even caring if he came home at night. No, he did enjoy the attention he had from Mac and the others. But that family-like attention was also what had made him put his life on hold, staying safely in Mac’s shadow, until Methos told him to go out and get a life of his own.
Joe hadn’t had to work very hard to convince Richie to stay with Dr. Mallard, Ducky he reminded himself. After tuition and all the other college expenses, he couldn’t really afford any decent place off campus and there was no way he was sharing a small dorm room with some teenager. Immortality and secrets were not ideal conditions for close quarters.
He stared up at the house again. Well, it was all he had for now. He’d go apartment shopping next week before classes started. If Ducky really had found him a job maybe he could afford something with more than one room and air-conditioning.
He walked up the brick steps and rang the bell. He could hear a dog barking - no make that dogs - as he waited. An old woman, who would have been ancient twenty years ago cracked open the door. Definitely Mrs. Mallard.
She eyed him with suspicion. “Who are you?” She demanded.
“Mrs. Mallard,” he began tentatively. “I’m Richie Ryan. Your son is expecting me.”
“Who?” She repeated.
“Mother, I’ve got this,” came a man’s voice. The door was flung open wide and an older gentleman in a bow tie was grinning at him.
“You must be Mr. Ryan.” He smiled and held out his hand. “I’m Ducky, please come in. Or, as you’re supposed to be my nephew, I suppose I should call you Richard.”
“Uh, I prefer Richie.” He responded, shaking Ducky’s hand and stepping into the foyer. There were antiques and breakables everywhere Richie looked. The house was decorated in stifling “Old Person” circa 1850.
“Donald, why are you letting him in?” She asked and leaned closer to her son to whisper. “He’s Irish.”
“Mother,” Ducky said loudy. “This is Richard Ryan. He’s going to be staying with us for a while.”
Still staring at Richie, she announced, “I’ll go lock the liquor cabinet.” She pointed an accusing finger at him. “And I’ll know if you’ve been into it.” She turned and slowly headed into another room.
Richie stifled a laugh. This was going to be fun he thought ruefully. That woman was definitely a few fries short of a happy meal.
“Mother!” Ducky sighed. “Forgive her she’s a little befuddled sometimes. Come in. Come in.” He encouraged.
“Please call me Richie,” He said again but figured it was a losing battle. No one had ever called him Richard; that was going to take some getting used to. One more thing for the list, he thought, and one more reason to beat a hasty retreat at the first opportunity.
As he began to follow Ducky down the hallway, he was immediately accosted by two growling dogs. “Nice doggies.” He said as he backed away from the small, brown balls of anger.
Ducky shooed the dogs away. The animals preceded them into the room on the left and continued to growl at Richie. “That’s Tyson and that’s Nelson. They are quite the guard dogs.” Ducky acknowledged. “Be careful, Tyson bites.
“Oh great.” Richie groaned.
“But not once he gets to know you. They are a handful but Mother loves them like children.” Ducky assured him. He waved Richie to one of the overstuffed floral couches in the living room. “Please have a seat.”
Richie settled on the sofa opposite Ducky and noticed that there were now four dogs in the room. “Uh…how many dogs do you have?”
Ducky glanced around. “Oh there are four. Those two are the girls Countessa and Elizabeth.”
“Terrific. I love dogs.” he lied. Well, actually he’d never owned one so really he wasn’t sure how he felt about living with dogs. But these four did not seem the lovable type and they’d already made it clear they weren’t too fond of him.
This living arrangement was just getting better and better. He was really gonna kill Joe when he saw him again. Richie pasted on a smile and waited for Ducky to start the inquisition.
Ducky looked at him very sincerely. “I want very much for you to feel at home here. You have your own suite upstairs. It used to be Mother’s but she stays in the living room now.”
Richie was confused as he looked around the living room. “She sleeps in here?” He asked.
“Oh no, this is the parlor. She uses the living room across the hall.” Ducky said as he pointed vaguely over his shoulder.
How many rooms did this house have? “Oh, sure the parlor, I knew that.” And they each had a different name.
Ducky must have recognized his discomfort and was quick to try to put his mind at ease. “I realize that it may take awhile for you to feel comfortable but I promise unlike Tyson I don’t bite and Mother really is harmless.” Ducky smiled.
“Hey sure it will be great. I’ll be at school and stuff you probably won’t even know I’m here.” Richie said but added silently, I wonder if I can sleep in the school library.
“Really the house isn’t that big. I’ll give you the tour and you’ll see. Oh and I shall have to make sure you meet Cook and Mother’s nurse tomorrow. Wouldn’t want them to think you didn’t belong here.”
“Cook?” Richie prompted.
“Well yes Mother requires such an unusual diet. It seemed prudent to hire someone full time.” Ducky explained. “And Mrs. Simmons, her nurse, will be here while I’m at work. Mother really shouldn’t be left on her own these days. You understand.”
“Of course,” Richie responded automatically. The more Ducky talked the less comfortable he was feeling. He wasn’t too put off by the hectic reception and certainly he and Ducky would be working together over the next few years. He just had trouble picturing the kind of fatherly relationship he had with Joe developing with this man and his weirdo household.
“Good. Before the tour, I should like to know why you were late in arriving. Joseph told me to expect you yesterday.” Ducky chastised.
Riche was feeling a little guilty about not calling but he didn’t want his first conversation with his new Watcher to be; Hey, just got challenged and if I don’t show up tomorrow I’m probably dead.
“Yeah, I should have called. Ran into a little Immortal trouble.” Richie said sheepishly.
Ducky perked up at this news. “Well, you’re here so you must have been victorious.”
Richie looked down at his hands. “Not exactly. What happened was…” He was about to launch into the story when Ducky held up a hand, stood and left the room.
“One moment, Richard.”
He watched him go and really, he was going to have to do something about this whole “Richard” business; it was starting to grate.
Ducky returned moments later. “Let’s move to the table in the dining room. I might as well get the story down as you tell it.” He smiled indicating the tablet he’d retrieved. “I wouldn’t want you to have to repeat yourself.”
Ducky led the way across the hall. Richie sat down opposite him in one of the highback dining room chairs. More antiques and more old furniture. Richie wondered if Ducky owned anything that wasn’t older than him.
Without preamble Richie launched into the events of the night before. This he could do; he’d done it with Joe often enough. Talking about a challenge, while not exactly comfortable, was familiar and that’s what he needed right now.
“Then he stabbed me through the stomach,” Richie said. “I had slipped on something. Lost my balance completely. My own fault, I should have been more aware of my surroundings.”
Ducky stared at him wide-eyed. “My goodness, how did you hold him off long enough to heal and regain your footing?”
Richie hesitated. There was no way to explain why both Immortals were still alive without mentioning Abby’s interruption. He certainly didn’t want to admit that he’d blabbed his biggest secret to a near total stranger his first night in town.
“We were interrupted by a girl. She screamed and my Immortal buddy fled.” Riche lied. As lies go, he thought it was pretty good. The facts were almost true. “By the time she calmed down, I was healed and able to make a hasty retreat.”
“Your opponent is still alive then or did you chase him down?” Ducky asked as he scribbled furiously on his legal pad.
“Wow. Yeah, he is and I assume he hasn’t left town.” Damn, he thought, in all the craziness with Abby he’d forgotten about the rogue Immortal. “I guess I’ll have to go out looking for him soon.”
Ducky looked up from his notes. “Really, I don’t think that’s necessary. I suggest that you let this go for now. I expect that your life will be quite hectic over the next few weeks and there is no reason to go looking for trouble.”
Richie was surprised by the tender tone of Ducky’s voice. Ducky didn’t know him at all and yet he was concerned. Maybe even cared. “Sure, if you think that’s best. I’m all for avoiding challenges.”
Ducky smiled. “Yes, Joe explained that the Game had evolved away from constant, mindless violence. He told me about Duncan and his friends, including you, who have helped lead it that way. I must say I am glad to hear that. Immortals have so much to offer to the world through their life experiences. I find it tragic when that is lost. I remember one time when I was first part of the Watchers in Paris over 30 years ago…”
Richie smiled. Joe had warned him that listening to Ducky’s stories was going to be a full time job. As Ducky spoke, Richie found himself very entertained. He supposed that by the third or forth retelling it might get old but Richie was content to simply enjoy Ducky’s reminiscing.
As story drew to a close, Ducky seemed genuinely touched that Richie had sat enthralled the whole time and had have even asked him questions that encouraged Ducky to elaborate on additional points.
“Richard, my boy you are a very good listener.” Ducky said
Richie laughed. “You may be the first person to ever tell me that.” As he warmed to the older man, Richie found he didn’t even mind being called Richard any more.
Ducky smiled. “I think we are going to get along just fine.”
*******************************
After the grand tour and the basic house rules, Ducky allowed Richie to retreat to his room to unpack. Ducky had even supplied him with his own front door key.
Richie looked around the large bedroom. He’d had whole apartments smaller than this room. It was dominated by a queen size four poster bed. No florals. He breathed a sigh of relief. Richie suspected that the navy blue bedding was new and that the striped wallpaper would probably reveal those awful florals if he were to peel it back. All of which meant that Ducky had gone to the trouble to redecorate.
There was a large eight drawer dresser along one wall and a comfortable looking leather recliner in the corner. Richie set down his two small duffels on the bed and walked to open the doors on the opposite wall. One was a walk-in closet but the other opened into a private bathroom, complete with Jacuzzi tub. Standing in the middle of what had to be the most luxurious rooms he’d ever had, he was amazed at the effort Ducky had made to make him feel at home.
Richie wasn’t sure what to make of such generosity but he was feeling less uncomfortable with this arrangement and he was trying to remember why a few hours ago all he could think of was escaping.
He walked over and began unpacking his meager possessions. While he worked, he wondered if Abby were free tonight. It had only been twelve hours since they parted ways at the diner but he had a real desire to talk to her again. He’d never had a friend who knew his secret who wasn’t an active part of the Immortal world.
Actually he had a good reason to call her. That Immortal he’d fought was still out there and he should warn Abby just in case the guy had followed them.
He pulled his phone out and dialed her number. She picked up on the second ring. “Hey you,” came her distinctly cheery voice.
She must have already put his number in her phone to know it was him. He was a little flattered. “Hey Abby, I just wanted to make sure you got home okay last night.” He said as he flopped down on the bed.
“Yep. No worries. And no more encounters with sword wielding crazies.” She giggled.
“Hey, I’m not crazy.” He pretended to sound indignant.
“Well that remains to be seen. College can have a strange effect on people.”
“I’ll be careful. Thanks for the warning. Actually speaking of warnings,” he hesitated. Standing again, he began pacing around the bedroom. He hadn’t thought this out. What kind of warning could he give her?
“Yeah Richie. Is something wrong?” Abby asked.
“You know that other guy is still out there…” He paused hoping she might pick up on his meaning.
“Oh, are you going after him. Can I come? I’d love to watch. Please Richie. I promise to stay out of the way. Unless you’re losing then….”Abby continued to ramble on
“Abby.” Richie tied to interrupt.
“…of course I’d have to do something. Are you very good? No that’s silly you must be…”
Richie wondered how she could say so much and never pause for breath. “Abby!” He said a little more forcefully.
She stopped. “Sorry. What were you saying?”
Richie grew serious. “I just want you to be careful. I will go after him but if you even think you see him around you have to call me. Understood?” He commanded with a little more force than he’d intended
He could hear her laughing. “Yes Gibbs!” She giggled. Richie didn’t understand.
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Nothing. Just my way of saying yes, I will call you.” She explained.
There was a knock at the bedroom door. “Hold on a minute Abby. I have to get the door.” Abby went quiet. Richie was shocked that she could. Smiling at the thought of quiet Abby, he opened the door to find Ducky standing in the hallway.
“Sorry to interrupt. I just wondered what you might want for dinner and…” Ducky began but stopped when he saw the phone at Richie’s ear
“No problem, Ducky. Just let me finish this call and I’ll be right with you,” Richie said and turned his attention back to Abby.
Except Abby was now speaking 100 miles and hour. Well so much for quiet he thought. The only words he caught were ‘Ducky’ and ‘no way’.
“Abby! Hey stop...I can’t understand word you’re saying.” Richie practically yelled into the phone. He made a mental note never to call her on the phone. Conversations with Abby worked much better in person when you could physically restrain her from talking.
He noticed Ducky looking at him funny as he struggled to get a word in edgewise with Abby. Flustered Richie pulled phone from his ear and looked at it as if willing her to be quiet might work better than asking.
“She’s a little excited.” Richie explained sheepishly.
Ducky eyed Richie suspiciously and gestured for the phone. Richie shrugged and figured why not. He was going to have to explain Abby soon enough.
Ducky took it, pressed the speaker button and said. “Abigail? Is that you?”
She giggled madly and said “Ducky. Oh my God, Ducky. It is you! This is so cool.”
Now Richie was surprised. No way. They know each other.
Ducky was smiling now. “Yes Abigail. It seems you already know my great nephew Richard.”
Joe had created a background for Richie as a distant relative of Ducky’s including a false name. Richie mentally smacked himself when realized that he’d neglected to use it when he’d met Abby and had actually given her his real name. Considering what she knew about him, that wasn’t going to be the biggest issue.
“No way! He’s your nephew. Then you must know….” Abby’s voice stopped abruptly.
Richie realized that she didn’t want to betray his trust. He leaned over to speak into the phone. “It’s okay Abby. Ducky knows everything too. He’s my Watcher; the one who keeps track of my history.”
Richie could see the understanding dawn on Ducky. He looked at Richie. “She was the one who saw your fight. She knows the truth?”
Riche nodded reluctantly.
Ducky sighed. “Abigail. It seems I’m going to need your account for Richie’s Chronicle. What are you doing for dinner tonight?”
Abby squeed. “Oh Cool. I’ll be right there.”
Ducky snapped the phone shut and gave Richie a stern look. So, much for building trust with his new Watcher, Richie thought ruefully.
“I can explain, Ducky. She saved my life and I owed her the truth. And she was very persistent.”
Richie was sure he saw Ducky trying not to smile. “Yes, Abby can be that way but that’s not the point. And now my co-worker knows your secret,” Ducky stopped abruptly. Richie waited for the reprimand to continue but Ducky seemed lost in thought.
“Ducky, I understand you’re angry. I should have told you the whole truth but…” Richie drifted into silence as he noticed a smile spreading across Ducky’s face. “What?” He prompted and now he was really confused.
“Abby would be perfect. I should have thought of this before.” Ducky was speaking as much to himself as to him and Richie wasn’t sure where he was going with this train of thought.
Ducky continued to mumble. “She loves this kind of thing. I see no reason not to bring her fully on board.”
“What are you saying?” Richie pushed for clarity
Ducky grinned at him. “I think Abby needs to become a Watcher, too.”
Author: strangevisitor7
Beta: idontlikegravy
Prompt: AU for HL_Flashfic - Archangel never happened
Also, Prompt #5: Outsides for crossovers100. My table is here
Fandom: HL & NCIS
Characters: HL: Richie Ryan; NCIS: Ducky, Abby, Mrs. Mallard and a special appearance by the Corgies: Tyson, Countessa, Nelson and Elizabeth (yes, I named the last two)
Summary: Richie finally meets the Mallards and moves in. He is still unaware that Ducky and Abby are co-workers.
The Highlander/NCIS series: No title for this series yet.
If You Can Take the Peanut from My Hand...
Empty Nest
Abby and The Immortal
Educating Abby by idontlikegravy
Meet The Mallards
Richie waited until around lunch time on Sunday morning to pull into the Mallard’s circular driveway. He looked at the house in front of him. It was a huge three story mansion with immaculate gardens. What was Joe thinking? How could he live in a place like this with the kind of people who live in houses like that?
He pulled off his gloves and shoved them into the pocket of his leather jacket. He just stood staring at the gateway to his new life. His cell phone went off startling him from his musings. Fishing it out of the pocket of his ratty jeans he looked at the caller ID: Joe. He sighed and flipped it open. “Hey Joe.”
“Richie, where are you?” came the demanding tone of his former Watcher. “Ducky was expecting you yesterday.”
Richie groaned. “I’m fine Joe. I just ran into a little trouble on my way into town but I handled it. I’m in front of the house now, actually.”
“A challenge?”
“Yep. You know me, never a dull moment.” Richie forced a laugh but in truth the whole night had rattled him. He leaned against his bike and thought about his close call. If Abby hadn’t interrupted, his stupid misstep might have cost him his head.
Joe chuckled. “Well, obviously you’re ok. Tell me what happened.”
“Oh no, Joe. You’re not my Watcher any more; you’ll just have to wait for Dr. Mallard’s report.” Richie was not in the mood to talk about it. Besides, it would give him and his new Watcher something to discuss other than how there was no way he was living here.
“You’re right. Well, call us again once you’re settled. Okay.” Joe insisted.
Richie smiled. “You’re as bad as Mac sometimes. You know that right.” They said their goodbyes and Richie shoved the phone back into his pocket.
Richie would never really be bothered by all the “fatherly” attention. He’d spent the first seventeen years of his life bouncing around in foster care without any one even caring if he came home at night. No, he did enjoy the attention he had from Mac and the others. But that family-like attention was also what had made him put his life on hold, staying safely in Mac’s shadow, until Methos told him to go out and get a life of his own.
Joe hadn’t had to work very hard to convince Richie to stay with Dr. Mallard, Ducky he reminded himself. After tuition and all the other college expenses, he couldn’t really afford any decent place off campus and there was no way he was sharing a small dorm room with some teenager. Immortality and secrets were not ideal conditions for close quarters.
He stared up at the house again. Well, it was all he had for now. He’d go apartment shopping next week before classes started. If Ducky really had found him a job maybe he could afford something with more than one room and air-conditioning.
He walked up the brick steps and rang the bell. He could hear a dog barking - no make that dogs - as he waited. An old woman, who would have been ancient twenty years ago cracked open the door. Definitely Mrs. Mallard.
She eyed him with suspicion. “Who are you?” She demanded.
“Mrs. Mallard,” he began tentatively. “I’m Richie Ryan. Your son is expecting me.”
“Who?” She repeated.
“Mother, I’ve got this,” came a man’s voice. The door was flung open wide and an older gentleman in a bow tie was grinning at him.
“You must be Mr. Ryan.” He smiled and held out his hand. “I’m Ducky, please come in. Or, as you’re supposed to be my nephew, I suppose I should call you Richard.”
“Uh, I prefer Richie.” He responded, shaking Ducky’s hand and stepping into the foyer. There were antiques and breakables everywhere Richie looked. The house was decorated in stifling “Old Person” circa 1850.
“Donald, why are you letting him in?” She asked and leaned closer to her son to whisper. “He’s Irish.”
“Mother,” Ducky said loudy. “This is Richard Ryan. He’s going to be staying with us for a while.”
Still staring at Richie, she announced, “I’ll go lock the liquor cabinet.” She pointed an accusing finger at him. “And I’ll know if you’ve been into it.” She turned and slowly headed into another room.
Richie stifled a laugh. This was going to be fun he thought ruefully. That woman was definitely a few fries short of a happy meal.
“Mother!” Ducky sighed. “Forgive her she’s a little befuddled sometimes. Come in. Come in.” He encouraged.
“Please call me Richie,” He said again but figured it was a losing battle. No one had ever called him Richard; that was going to take some getting used to. One more thing for the list, he thought, and one more reason to beat a hasty retreat at the first opportunity.
As he began to follow Ducky down the hallway, he was immediately accosted by two growling dogs. “Nice doggies.” He said as he backed away from the small, brown balls of anger.
Ducky shooed the dogs away. The animals preceded them into the room on the left and continued to growl at Richie. “That’s Tyson and that’s Nelson. They are quite the guard dogs.” Ducky acknowledged. “Be careful, Tyson bites.
“Oh great.” Richie groaned.
“But not once he gets to know you. They are a handful but Mother loves them like children.” Ducky assured him. He waved Richie to one of the overstuffed floral couches in the living room. “Please have a seat.”
Richie settled on the sofa opposite Ducky and noticed that there were now four dogs in the room. “Uh…how many dogs do you have?”
Ducky glanced around. “Oh there are four. Those two are the girls Countessa and Elizabeth.”
“Terrific. I love dogs.” he lied. Well, actually he’d never owned one so really he wasn’t sure how he felt about living with dogs. But these four did not seem the lovable type and they’d already made it clear they weren’t too fond of him.
This living arrangement was just getting better and better. He was really gonna kill Joe when he saw him again. Richie pasted on a smile and waited for Ducky to start the inquisition.
Ducky looked at him very sincerely. “I want very much for you to feel at home here. You have your own suite upstairs. It used to be Mother’s but she stays in the living room now.”
Richie was confused as he looked around the living room. “She sleeps in here?” He asked.
“Oh no, this is the parlor. She uses the living room across the hall.” Ducky said as he pointed vaguely over his shoulder.
How many rooms did this house have? “Oh, sure the parlor, I knew that.” And they each had a different name.
Ducky must have recognized his discomfort and was quick to try to put his mind at ease. “I realize that it may take awhile for you to feel comfortable but I promise unlike Tyson I don’t bite and Mother really is harmless.” Ducky smiled.
“Hey sure it will be great. I’ll be at school and stuff you probably won’t even know I’m here.” Richie said but added silently, I wonder if I can sleep in the school library.
“Really the house isn’t that big. I’ll give you the tour and you’ll see. Oh and I shall have to make sure you meet Cook and Mother’s nurse tomorrow. Wouldn’t want them to think you didn’t belong here.”
“Cook?” Richie prompted.
“Well yes Mother requires such an unusual diet. It seemed prudent to hire someone full time.” Ducky explained. “And Mrs. Simmons, her nurse, will be here while I’m at work. Mother really shouldn’t be left on her own these days. You understand.”
“Of course,” Richie responded automatically. The more Ducky talked the less comfortable he was feeling. He wasn’t too put off by the hectic reception and certainly he and Ducky would be working together over the next few years. He just had trouble picturing the kind of fatherly relationship he had with Joe developing with this man and his weirdo household.
“Good. Before the tour, I should like to know why you were late in arriving. Joseph told me to expect you yesterday.” Ducky chastised.
Riche was feeling a little guilty about not calling but he didn’t want his first conversation with his new Watcher to be; Hey, just got challenged and if I don’t show up tomorrow I’m probably dead.
“Yeah, I should have called. Ran into a little Immortal trouble.” Richie said sheepishly.
Ducky perked up at this news. “Well, you’re here so you must have been victorious.”
Richie looked down at his hands. “Not exactly. What happened was…” He was about to launch into the story when Ducky held up a hand, stood and left the room.
“One moment, Richard.”
He watched him go and really, he was going to have to do something about this whole “Richard” business; it was starting to grate.
Ducky returned moments later. “Let’s move to the table in the dining room. I might as well get the story down as you tell it.” He smiled indicating the tablet he’d retrieved. “I wouldn’t want you to have to repeat yourself.”
Ducky led the way across the hall. Richie sat down opposite him in one of the highback dining room chairs. More antiques and more old furniture. Richie wondered if Ducky owned anything that wasn’t older than him.
Without preamble Richie launched into the events of the night before. This he could do; he’d done it with Joe often enough. Talking about a challenge, while not exactly comfortable, was familiar and that’s what he needed right now.
“Then he stabbed me through the stomach,” Richie said. “I had slipped on something. Lost my balance completely. My own fault, I should have been more aware of my surroundings.”
Ducky stared at him wide-eyed. “My goodness, how did you hold him off long enough to heal and regain your footing?”
Richie hesitated. There was no way to explain why both Immortals were still alive without mentioning Abby’s interruption. He certainly didn’t want to admit that he’d blabbed his biggest secret to a near total stranger his first night in town.
“We were interrupted by a girl. She screamed and my Immortal buddy fled.” Riche lied. As lies go, he thought it was pretty good. The facts were almost true. “By the time she calmed down, I was healed and able to make a hasty retreat.”
“Your opponent is still alive then or did you chase him down?” Ducky asked as he scribbled furiously on his legal pad.
“Wow. Yeah, he is and I assume he hasn’t left town.” Damn, he thought, in all the craziness with Abby he’d forgotten about the rogue Immortal. “I guess I’ll have to go out looking for him soon.”
Ducky looked up from his notes. “Really, I don’t think that’s necessary. I suggest that you let this go for now. I expect that your life will be quite hectic over the next few weeks and there is no reason to go looking for trouble.”
Richie was surprised by the tender tone of Ducky’s voice. Ducky didn’t know him at all and yet he was concerned. Maybe even cared. “Sure, if you think that’s best. I’m all for avoiding challenges.”
Ducky smiled. “Yes, Joe explained that the Game had evolved away from constant, mindless violence. He told me about Duncan and his friends, including you, who have helped lead it that way. I must say I am glad to hear that. Immortals have so much to offer to the world through their life experiences. I find it tragic when that is lost. I remember one time when I was first part of the Watchers in Paris over 30 years ago…”
Richie smiled. Joe had warned him that listening to Ducky’s stories was going to be a full time job. As Ducky spoke, Richie found himself very entertained. He supposed that by the third or forth retelling it might get old but Richie was content to simply enjoy Ducky’s reminiscing.
As story drew to a close, Ducky seemed genuinely touched that Richie had sat enthralled the whole time and had have even asked him questions that encouraged Ducky to elaborate on additional points.
“Richard, my boy you are a very good listener.” Ducky said
Richie laughed. “You may be the first person to ever tell me that.” As he warmed to the older man, Richie found he didn’t even mind being called Richard any more.
Ducky smiled. “I think we are going to get along just fine.”
*******************************
After the grand tour and the basic house rules, Ducky allowed Richie to retreat to his room to unpack. Ducky had even supplied him with his own front door key.
Richie looked around the large bedroom. He’d had whole apartments smaller than this room. It was dominated by a queen size four poster bed. No florals. He breathed a sigh of relief. Richie suspected that the navy blue bedding was new and that the striped wallpaper would probably reveal those awful florals if he were to peel it back. All of which meant that Ducky had gone to the trouble to redecorate.
There was a large eight drawer dresser along one wall and a comfortable looking leather recliner in the corner. Richie set down his two small duffels on the bed and walked to open the doors on the opposite wall. One was a walk-in closet but the other opened into a private bathroom, complete with Jacuzzi tub. Standing in the middle of what had to be the most luxurious rooms he’d ever had, he was amazed at the effort Ducky had made to make him feel at home.
Richie wasn’t sure what to make of such generosity but he was feeling less uncomfortable with this arrangement and he was trying to remember why a few hours ago all he could think of was escaping.
He walked over and began unpacking his meager possessions. While he worked, he wondered if Abby were free tonight. It had only been twelve hours since they parted ways at the diner but he had a real desire to talk to her again. He’d never had a friend who knew his secret who wasn’t an active part of the Immortal world.
Actually he had a good reason to call her. That Immortal he’d fought was still out there and he should warn Abby just in case the guy had followed them.
He pulled his phone out and dialed her number. She picked up on the second ring. “Hey you,” came her distinctly cheery voice.
She must have already put his number in her phone to know it was him. He was a little flattered. “Hey Abby, I just wanted to make sure you got home okay last night.” He said as he flopped down on the bed.
“Yep. No worries. And no more encounters with sword wielding crazies.” She giggled.
“Hey, I’m not crazy.” He pretended to sound indignant.
“Well that remains to be seen. College can have a strange effect on people.”
“I’ll be careful. Thanks for the warning. Actually speaking of warnings,” he hesitated. Standing again, he began pacing around the bedroom. He hadn’t thought this out. What kind of warning could he give her?
“Yeah Richie. Is something wrong?” Abby asked.
“You know that other guy is still out there…” He paused hoping she might pick up on his meaning.
“Oh, are you going after him. Can I come? I’d love to watch. Please Richie. I promise to stay out of the way. Unless you’re losing then….”Abby continued to ramble on
“Abby.” Richie tied to interrupt.
“…of course I’d have to do something. Are you very good? No that’s silly you must be…”
Richie wondered how she could say so much and never pause for breath. “Abby!” He said a little more forcefully.
She stopped. “Sorry. What were you saying?”
Richie grew serious. “I just want you to be careful. I will go after him but if you even think you see him around you have to call me. Understood?” He commanded with a little more force than he’d intended
He could hear her laughing. “Yes Gibbs!” She giggled. Richie didn’t understand.
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Nothing. Just my way of saying yes, I will call you.” She explained.
There was a knock at the bedroom door. “Hold on a minute Abby. I have to get the door.” Abby went quiet. Richie was shocked that she could. Smiling at the thought of quiet Abby, he opened the door to find Ducky standing in the hallway.
“Sorry to interrupt. I just wondered what you might want for dinner and…” Ducky began but stopped when he saw the phone at Richie’s ear
“No problem, Ducky. Just let me finish this call and I’ll be right with you,” Richie said and turned his attention back to Abby.
Except Abby was now speaking 100 miles and hour. Well so much for quiet he thought. The only words he caught were ‘Ducky’ and ‘no way’.
“Abby! Hey stop...I can’t understand word you’re saying.” Richie practically yelled into the phone. He made a mental note never to call her on the phone. Conversations with Abby worked much better in person when you could physically restrain her from talking.
He noticed Ducky looking at him funny as he struggled to get a word in edgewise with Abby. Flustered Richie pulled phone from his ear and looked at it as if willing her to be quiet might work better than asking.
“She’s a little excited.” Richie explained sheepishly.
Ducky eyed Richie suspiciously and gestured for the phone. Richie shrugged and figured why not. He was going to have to explain Abby soon enough.
Ducky took it, pressed the speaker button and said. “Abigail? Is that you?”
She giggled madly and said “Ducky. Oh my God, Ducky. It is you! This is so cool.”
Now Richie was surprised. No way. They know each other.
Ducky was smiling now. “Yes Abigail. It seems you already know my great nephew Richard.”
Joe had created a background for Richie as a distant relative of Ducky’s including a false name. Richie mentally smacked himself when realized that he’d neglected to use it when he’d met Abby and had actually given her his real name. Considering what she knew about him, that wasn’t going to be the biggest issue.
“No way! He’s your nephew. Then you must know….” Abby’s voice stopped abruptly.
Richie realized that she didn’t want to betray his trust. He leaned over to speak into the phone. “It’s okay Abby. Ducky knows everything too. He’s my Watcher; the one who keeps track of my history.”
Richie could see the understanding dawn on Ducky. He looked at Richie. “She was the one who saw your fight. She knows the truth?”
Riche nodded reluctantly.
Ducky sighed. “Abigail. It seems I’m going to need your account for Richie’s Chronicle. What are you doing for dinner tonight?”
Abby squeed. “Oh Cool. I’ll be right there.”
Ducky snapped the phone shut and gave Richie a stern look. So, much for building trust with his new Watcher, Richie thought ruefully.
“I can explain, Ducky. She saved my life and I owed her the truth. And she was very persistent.”
Richie was sure he saw Ducky trying not to smile. “Yes, Abby can be that way but that’s not the point. And now my co-worker knows your secret,” Ducky stopped abruptly. Richie waited for the reprimand to continue but Ducky seemed lost in thought.
“Ducky, I understand you’re angry. I should have told you the whole truth but…” Richie drifted into silence as he noticed a smile spreading across Ducky’s face. “What?” He prompted and now he was really confused.
“Abby would be perfect. I should have thought of this before.” Ducky was speaking as much to himself as to him and Richie wasn’t sure where he was going with this train of thought.
Ducky continued to mumble. “She loves this kind of thing. I see no reason not to bring her fully on board.”
“What are you saying?” Richie pushed for clarity
Ducky grinned at him. “I think Abby needs to become a Watcher, too.”