HIGHLANDER: RICHIE'S SURPRISE

My AU world of Highlander assumes that Richie is 15 and was adopted by Tess and Duncan. I also assume that Highlander is taking place in 2010, so that we can have some current electronics and social media.

AND SO IT BEGINS:

Richie was sitting in his room on his laptop. He was surfing the net and checking in on Facebook. He typed:

Richie is like so totally bored. Mega homework. Hate school. Gotta get to it….

Richie sighed, he better get to his homework before Mac and Tessa started nagging him about it. Jeez! Parents or whatever could be such a pain in the ass. He loved Mac and Tessa like the parents he never really had, but they just drove him crazy sometimes. He really didn't have too many rules, he had a curfew, he had to do his homework, he had chores around the loft and on Saturdays he worked in the store. He sighed again, he guesses it wasn't really too bad. He had it better than most of his friends from the old hood, most of them didn't have anyone who cared about them.

He heard the door open, "Richie?" he heard Mac call.

"Yeah?", Richie yelled from his room.

Mac shook his head. How many times had he asked Richie to drop the "Yeah" and shouting from his room? Mac made his way to Richie's room. "Richie?"

Richie looked up from his computer. "Yeah?"

Mac rolled his eyes as he noted the boy was on the computer. "Richie, please say "Yes, Mac" or "Yes Dad" or "Yes Sir" or anything but "yeah"."

Richie looked at Duncan and grinned, "Yes, old man."

Duncan took a swat at the back of his head, but Richie quickly moved out of the way. Duncan grinned, "What am I going to do with you?"

Richie just laughed. "What's up Mac?"

"Your homework done, yet?"

Richie suddenly looked guilty. He stared down at his computer. He knew he wasn't allowed on Facebook or on the computer until his homework was done. He knew he was about to lose the laptop. That was one rule he hated. If Duncan or Tess caught him on the computer before his homework or chores were done, no laptop, no cell phone, no nothing.

Duncan raised his eyebrows. "Richie?"

Trying for brownie points, "Sir?" asked Richie.

Duncan smothered a laugh. Richie only used "Sir" when he was in trouble or was trying to save his backside from getting chewed out or worse.

"I take it your homework isn't done. Hand it over." Duncan stated flatly holding his hand out for the laptop and the cell.

"Awwwww, Mac. You can't be serious?" Richie whined.

Steeling himself, Duncan sighed. "One, two…."

Richie quickly handed the cell phone to Mac. "Mac, I need the laptop to do my homework." Richie pleaded.

"Really? Why is that?"

"I've gotta submit my homework via the web portal to my teacher." Richie explained.

Duncan huffed, "Ok, you get that work done and get it submitted. I checked Gradespeed and you are missing 3 assignments in Math and 1 in English. I want them done today."

"Yeah, yeah, sure Mac." Richie said sarcastically.

"You want to change your attitude, son?" asked Duncan. "Because I can change it for you."

Richie looked around the room nervously. He knew that Duncan wasn't above swatting him on the butt if he got out of line. Although Richie didn't think this homework thing was that serious of an offense, he wasn't taking any chances. And jeez, who spanked kids any more? Wasn't there like some kind of child abuse law or something. Not that a spanking from Duncan was really abuse, it was more of an attention getter.

"I'm waiting for an answer, son. Do you need me to assist you in changing your attitude?"

"No Sir." said Richie quickly.

"Fine. Get your homework done before dinner." Duncan said as he took his leave and Richie's cell.

As Duncan walked down the hall, Richie's phone chimed signaling a text message. Unable to resist looking at his son's phone and because Richie had forgotten to lock the phone, Duncan looked at the text: Please get me out, I can't take it. AJ

Duncan wasn't sure what to think. Who was AJ? Get him out of where? Can't take what?