AN: Okay, this is it guys. Hope you enjoyed. No bad guys, no real
immortal issues, just resolving the ending of University Love. Please
review. Thumbs up or thumbs down, I'd love to hear what you all think!
Duncan went into the room he was sharing with Richie and found the younger man already in bed.
"You and Connor have a good chat?" Richie asked.
"Yes."
"Does Anthony have to give back his present?"
"He can keep them. I just gave Connor a piece of my mind."
Richie grinned and rolled his eyes. "You're horrible. He's just spoiling him a bit."
"You would defend him." He took a swing at Richie's head.
"Hey!" Richie blocked the blow. "Just doing what I'm supposed to."
"Sure you are," Duncan teased. "You're just on his side because he came with presents."
"Don't bite the hand that feeds you, Mac."
Duncan sat down on the twin bed across from Richie. "I just can't wait to see how he tops this for your centennial."
Richie laughed. "If I make it that long."
"You will; you're good."
"Thanks."
"Connor also gave me some advice," he said, his tone turning serious.
"Yeah?"
"I owe you..."
"Owe me what?"
"An apology."
"For what?" Richie asked, sitting up and leaning against his headboard.
"I felt that you still had a lot to learn when you left. That's why I was so worried about you. I didn't think you were ready. Not knowing where you were just made it worse. I should have been happy when you came back; I shouldn't have snubbed you at the airport after Joe's funeral. I'm sorry."
"Mac..."
"I'm not done, yet."
"Sorry."
"I also have to accept that you've grown up. You're nearly forty years old now and even though I don't want you to be, you are an adult. I still want to take care of you and protect you. But I have to step back and let you make your own decisions. Even if I don't agree with you. That's your prerogative. I'm sorry I didn't see that before and I promise to work on it."
"Thanks, Mac."
"And I also want to tell you how proud I am of you. You really made things work. You've learned a lot more than I thought you had. You've done great things with your life. I should have known from the start you'd be fine."
Richie smiled awkwardly. "As long as we're bearing our souls and making apologies... I owe you one or thirty, too."
"Rich..."
Richie put up his hand. "No, hear me out. I should have been straight with you from the start. I'm sorry I didn't trust you enough to just tell you the truth. I should have had faith that you would do what was right and back off. Instead, I ran away to prove something I didn't have to prove in the first place. I worried you for no reason. I deliberately kept you in the dark. Family's not supposed to do that, Mac. And I'm sorry."
Duncan smiled. "Thank you."
"You really mean a lot to me, Mac. I shouldn't have ever put you in the position I did. You're not the bad guy. You were supposed to be the one guy I could always turn to. I don't know why I pushed you away like that. And I guess I didn't call you sooner, 'cause I didn't know if you wanted me to."
"Richie. Don't ever think that."
"I know, Mac. I should know you better than that."
"Don't worry about it. We're even."
"Well...there is one more thing I need to say."
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry...that I don't think of us like you do, or did. But I can't help the way I feel. I was too old for a father when I met you. I needed a friend... you were...are... the best friend I ever had. You were also the coolest big brother I ever had. And I really hope that's good enough, 'cause it's all I got."
Duncan reached across and put his hand on Richie's knee. "Richie, whatever you're willing to do, say, or give... is always more than enough. Except..."
"Except for what?"
"Ten years between phone calls. That is unacceptable, young man." He pulled Richie into a head lock and ground his fist into the immortal's scalp. "Do you hear me?" Richie laughed and tried, unsuccessfully to break Duncan's grip. "I said, do you hear me?"
"Yes!" Richie choked out.
Duncan let him go. "Good."
On an odd, sudden impulse, he took hold of the chain around Richie's neck and held onto the flat, round, engraved stone hanging there. Richie's hand gently closed around his.
"I didn't want to loose it. At work, if you drop something, chances are you'll never see it again. I wasn't going to risk it. I should have thought to put it on before you got here."
"Rich, the point of this wasn't to give you something to wear. It was the feeling that I was more worried about."
"Mac, Connor gave you this."
"I know he did. I'm not asking you to loose it. But just remember that the meaning is more important than the object."
"Don't tell me I'm gonna start talking like a fortune cookie when I get as old as you," Richie grinned.
"Just one of the many things you have to look forward to."
. . . . . .
Three days later, the five immortals stood at baggage check in at the airport. Connor, Brandon, Duncan and Anthony were all flying to the big island together then Duncan and Anthony were going back to Wales while Connor took Brandon back to LA with him.
"Are you sure you can't come with?" Duncan asked Richie. "At least to the next island?"
"I gotta get the house ready before I have to be back here to pick up my roommates. I don't have time."
"Come see us, then. Next break you have, I expect to see you on my doorstep."
"Yes, sir."
They started to shake hands, but Richie pulled Duncan in for a hug. Duncan slapped him on the back a few times before they let go.
"Will you come to my graduation next spring?" Richie asked, still holding Duncan's hand.
"Just tell me when and I'm here."
"You," Richie looked at Anthony. "Give 'em hell for me."
"I will."
They shook hands.
"Thanks, Connor."
"Any time, lad. And don't you go ten years before you call me."
"I didn't see any messages from you, you know."
Connor smiled. "Fair enough." They clasped forearms and gave each other a hug. "And I loved the picture," he whispered in Richie's ear.
Richie smiled as he pulled back. "Thought you might. Just don't tell Mac about it 'til you're in the air?"
"Deal."
Richie turned to Brandon who was standing uncomfortably at Connor's side.
"You ready?" he asked him.
"I think so."
"It's not gonna be bad at all. And when Connor says you can, come see me. Maybe we can even convince Mac to send Anthony, too. I can show you guys a real good time."
"Okay," Brandon nodded stiffly.
"You, need to lighten up," Richie told him giving him a noogie. "You're gonna be just fine. And if you think Connor does anything wrong, you call me. I'll straighten him up."
"Thanks, Richie."
"Anytime, kiddo."
Brandon sighed and put out his hand. "I guess this is good-"
"Ah ah!" Richie interrupted. "There's one thing you really need to learn." He cast a quick glance at Duncan. "MacLeods never say goodbye."
Duncan went into the room he was sharing with Richie and found the younger man already in bed.
"You and Connor have a good chat?" Richie asked.
"Yes."
"Does Anthony have to give back his present?"
"He can keep them. I just gave Connor a piece of my mind."
Richie grinned and rolled his eyes. "You're horrible. He's just spoiling him a bit."
"You would defend him." He took a swing at Richie's head.
"Hey!" Richie blocked the blow. "Just doing what I'm supposed to."
"Sure you are," Duncan teased. "You're just on his side because he came with presents."
"Don't bite the hand that feeds you, Mac."
Duncan sat down on the twin bed across from Richie. "I just can't wait to see how he tops this for your centennial."
Richie laughed. "If I make it that long."
"You will; you're good."
"Thanks."
"Connor also gave me some advice," he said, his tone turning serious.
"Yeah?"
"I owe you..."
"Owe me what?"
"An apology."
"For what?" Richie asked, sitting up and leaning against his headboard.
"I felt that you still had a lot to learn when you left. That's why I was so worried about you. I didn't think you were ready. Not knowing where you were just made it worse. I should have been happy when you came back; I shouldn't have snubbed you at the airport after Joe's funeral. I'm sorry."
"Mac..."
"I'm not done, yet."
"Sorry."
"I also have to accept that you've grown up. You're nearly forty years old now and even though I don't want you to be, you are an adult. I still want to take care of you and protect you. But I have to step back and let you make your own decisions. Even if I don't agree with you. That's your prerogative. I'm sorry I didn't see that before and I promise to work on it."
"Thanks, Mac."
"And I also want to tell you how proud I am of you. You really made things work. You've learned a lot more than I thought you had. You've done great things with your life. I should have known from the start you'd be fine."
Richie smiled awkwardly. "As long as we're bearing our souls and making apologies... I owe you one or thirty, too."
"Rich..."
Richie put up his hand. "No, hear me out. I should have been straight with you from the start. I'm sorry I didn't trust you enough to just tell you the truth. I should have had faith that you would do what was right and back off. Instead, I ran away to prove something I didn't have to prove in the first place. I worried you for no reason. I deliberately kept you in the dark. Family's not supposed to do that, Mac. And I'm sorry."
Duncan smiled. "Thank you."
"You really mean a lot to me, Mac. I shouldn't have ever put you in the position I did. You're not the bad guy. You were supposed to be the one guy I could always turn to. I don't know why I pushed you away like that. And I guess I didn't call you sooner, 'cause I didn't know if you wanted me to."
"Richie. Don't ever think that."
"I know, Mac. I should know you better than that."
"Don't worry about it. We're even."
"Well...there is one more thing I need to say."
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry...that I don't think of us like you do, or did. But I can't help the way I feel. I was too old for a father when I met you. I needed a friend... you were...are... the best friend I ever had. You were also the coolest big brother I ever had. And I really hope that's good enough, 'cause it's all I got."
Duncan reached across and put his hand on Richie's knee. "Richie, whatever you're willing to do, say, or give... is always more than enough. Except..."
"Except for what?"
"Ten years between phone calls. That is unacceptable, young man." He pulled Richie into a head lock and ground his fist into the immortal's scalp. "Do you hear me?" Richie laughed and tried, unsuccessfully to break Duncan's grip. "I said, do you hear me?"
"Yes!" Richie choked out.
Duncan let him go. "Good."
On an odd, sudden impulse, he took hold of the chain around Richie's neck and held onto the flat, round, engraved stone hanging there. Richie's hand gently closed around his.
"I didn't want to loose it. At work, if you drop something, chances are you'll never see it again. I wasn't going to risk it. I should have thought to put it on before you got here."
"Rich, the point of this wasn't to give you something to wear. It was the feeling that I was more worried about."
"Mac, Connor gave you this."
"I know he did. I'm not asking you to loose it. But just remember that the meaning is more important than the object."
"Don't tell me I'm gonna start talking like a fortune cookie when I get as old as you," Richie grinned.
"Just one of the many things you have to look forward to."
. . . . . .
Three days later, the five immortals stood at baggage check in at the airport. Connor, Brandon, Duncan and Anthony were all flying to the big island together then Duncan and Anthony were going back to Wales while Connor took Brandon back to LA with him.
"Are you sure you can't come with?" Duncan asked Richie. "At least to the next island?"
"I gotta get the house ready before I have to be back here to pick up my roommates. I don't have time."
"Come see us, then. Next break you have, I expect to see you on my doorstep."
"Yes, sir."
They started to shake hands, but Richie pulled Duncan in for a hug. Duncan slapped him on the back a few times before they let go.
"Will you come to my graduation next spring?" Richie asked, still holding Duncan's hand.
"Just tell me when and I'm here."
"You," Richie looked at Anthony. "Give 'em hell for me."
"I will."
They shook hands.
"Thanks, Connor."
"Any time, lad. And don't you go ten years before you call me."
"I didn't see any messages from you, you know."
Connor smiled. "Fair enough." They clasped forearms and gave each other a hug. "And I loved the picture," he whispered in Richie's ear.
Richie smiled as he pulled back. "Thought you might. Just don't tell Mac about it 'til you're in the air?"
"Deal."
Richie turned to Brandon who was standing uncomfortably at Connor's side.
"You ready?" he asked him.
"I think so."
"It's not gonna be bad at all. And when Connor says you can, come see me. Maybe we can even convince Mac to send Anthony, too. I can show you guys a real good time."
"Okay," Brandon nodded stiffly.
"You, need to lighten up," Richie told him giving him a noogie. "You're gonna be just fine. And if you think Connor does anything wrong, you call me. I'll straighten him up."
"Thanks, Richie."
"Anytime, kiddo."
Brandon sighed and put out his hand. "I guess this is good-"
"Ah ah!" Richie interrupted. "There's one thing you really need to learn." He cast a quick glance at Duncan. "MacLeods never say goodbye."