"I'm back, Tess."

"Thank goodness, I was worried about you."

"So, what happened?" Richie asked.

"Well, Connor obviously has this more planned out than I thought, he's rounded up 7 other Immortals and they're all planning to battle Raoul at midnight on Friday, over by the docks," Duncan said.

"Duncan!" Tessa exclaimed.

"Oh come on Tess, you know just as well as I do that Connor's obviously told Richie about the Immortals, we're all pretty much adults here, so I think we can talk about it," Duncan said.

"He told you, didn't he?" Richie asked.

Duncan turned to Richie to talk to him, Duncan knew by Richie's face that he expected something to happen, Duncan knew because that was the same face he had in 1855 when he was ready to be lynched.

"He didn't have to, Rich, I know Connor, I know him well enough you can't trust him with anything," Duncan said.

Richie had a look on his face like he expected Duncan to hit him.

"Why didn't you just tell me he told you about Immortals? I've known about it for 370 years, I would've understood," Duncan told him.

Richie didn't answer him, Duncan could tell that his knowledge of this had been a shock to Richie's system, Tessa decided to get the ball rolling to break the silence, she figured maybe if she and Duncan started talking again, maybe Richie would lighten up.

"So what did Connor say?" Tessa asked.

"Connor? The whole asylum was on my back!" Duncan said, "7 other Immortals, all telling me it's only suiting they all get rid of Raoul because he's so powerful, and they told me I should join them."

"Was it anyone you knew?" Tessa asked.

"A couple of them, and they were no more help than all the rest! They kept getting on my back because I didn't want to go along with it because it was against the rules," Duncan said.

"So what did they say?" Tessa asked.

"They said whoever receives Raoul's Quickening deserves it, and they want me to join them!" Duncan said.

"And are you?" Tessa asked.

"YES! Even though I'm completely against it!" Duncan exclaimed.

"Then why in the hell are you even doing it in the first place?" Tessa yelled.

"To protect Richie!" Duncan replied.

Duncan and Tessa turned and looked at the boy, it just occured to them that during their conversation, it was the only time they'd even mentioned him.

"What?" Richie asked.

"The...the only reason I agreed to it is because Raoul's bound to find out sooner or later that you're alive, and I'm for keeping you that way, but if Raoul gets away again, none of us will be," Duncan said.

"God, Mac...you must be scared of the outcome of this matter," Richie said.

"I'm not scared, Richie," Duncan told him.

Duncan waited until Richie left to tell Tessa the truth.

"I'm terrified," Duncan said.

"Why? It's 9 of you against Raoul, one of you has to win," Tessa said.

"I know, but suppose this guy's got an army of his own and he's saving that for the fight? Tessa, I'm worried," Duncan said.

"About Friday night," Tessa replied.

"No...first I was worried because Richie couldn't remember who he was, then I was worried because he was getting out of here at night and it wasn't even his idea, then I was worried when Connor came around looking like spare ribs, then I was worried when Raoul almost took my head, now I'm worried about losing the 2 of you to that beast," Duncan said.

"It doesn't have to be that way, Duncan," Tessa said.

"All the other Immortals, have already lost the people who mattered to them most, I'm the last one on Raoul's list for the moment, so you can be sure he'll be trying again," Duncan told her.

"Just tell me this much...if it wasn't for me and Richie...would you still fight him?" Tessa asked.

"I don't know, if it wasn't for you 2, I probably wouldn't have come across him," Duncan said.

"How do you figure?" Tessa asked.

"Well, if I hadn't met you, I probably wouldn't have moved here, and if I hadn't moved here, I never would've met Richie, and if that hadn't have happend, Connor wouldn't come around here looking for us both and Raoul wouldn't have come into town looking for Connor," Duncan explained.

"That's some mighty complicated figuring, but I'm afraid you're right," Tessa said.

"Listen, I don't want you 2 thinking this is your fault, you're not to blame for this, and neither is Richie, someone has to kill Raoul and it might as well be one of us," Duncan told her.

"So you ARE going through with this?" Tessa asked.

"Yes...I never thought I'd be doing this," Duncan said.

"Killing an Immortal like Raoul?" Tessa asked.

"No, teaming up with 8 other Immortals, 3 of which I know, and those 3 of which, have already tried in the past, and succeeded in getting me killed," Duncan replied.

*************************************************************************************************

Later that afternoon, Duncan found Tessa and Richie in the living room.

"What're you two doing?" he asked.

"Playing cards," Tessa answered, "straight."

"Royal flush," Richie said, "pay up."

"Okay."

Tessa got up and started to undo her shirt, Duncan quickly became alarmed, grabbed Tessa and went into the next room.

"Tessa, what do you think you're doing?" Duncan asked.

"I'm losing, it's strip poker," Tessa said.

"WHAT!"

If Richie wasn't struck with amnesia, Duncan would've belted him.

"It was my idea, I decided to show him how to play cards," Tessa said.

"But why strip poker? For God's sake, he's a teenager!" Duncan exclaimed.

"Well, we've been trying to think of something that might bring his memory back...I remember one time, purely accidental mind you, we walked into each other in the bathroom one way, I was getting...trying to get a shower, I figured maybe he'd see something and it'd spark his memory," Tessa explained.

"That makes no sense to me, whatsoever," Duncan said.

"Anymore a can opener makes no sense to you whatsoever, that's not the point, the point is I'm trying to help Richie," Tessa told him.

Duncan didn't know what to do with them, one couldn't remember and the other he wished she'd forget some things.

*************************************************************************************************

In the next few days, Duncan realized that Richie's attention towards him had grown stunningly. Of course, Richie was hit with the fact that he could lose the only father he had.

Friday came rather fast, Duncan knew that the witching hour was approaching, so he got ready to meet the others at the docks.

"You will tell Richie I said goodbye," Duncan reminded Tessa.

"Why can't you tell him while you're still here?" Tessa asked.

"Call me a bad father if that's what it makes me, but I don't want to see him tonight," Duncan said.

"Duncan, this could be your last time seeing him," Tessa told him.

"I know...look, I know what I have to do, just bring him out here," Duncan said.

Tessa went to get Richie, Duncan was just being stubborn, he was never good at saying goodbye to people, and there was no guarantee that he and Connor, and all the rest would be enough to kill Raoul.

"Duncan!"

"What is it Tess?" Duncan asked.

"Richie's gone! I went in his room and he's gone!" Tessa said.

Duncan jumped at that, he and Tessa looked all over the building and they couldn't find him.

"Oh God," Duncan said.

"You think Raoul got him, don't you?" Tessa asked.

"I don't think, I know," Duncan said.

*************************************************************************************************

Duncan got down at the docks with fire still in his eyes and burning in his soul, maybe he came too early, or too late, but he saw no one.

"RAOUL! Get out here and show your face now!"

"As you wish."

Raoul stepped out into sight, Duncan was ready to behead him the second he was in his reach.

"Well, I didn't think you'd make it, I thought I'd just have to finish off the others without you being part of it," Raoul told him.

"You killed them off!" Duncan roared.

"Not yet, but that will be momentarily, so why did you decide to come?" Raoul asked.

There was so much anger and frustration building inside of Duncan, he could barely get the words to come out without sounding like a roaring beast, "To avenge the death of my son!"

"Your son?" Raoul asked.

Before Duncan could respond, Raoul pinned him in a motorboat and beat his head against the engine. It was a real shock to his system, Duncan's vision blurred, and he started going in and out of consciousness. Somehow, he managed to get back on his feet, and he grabbed Raoul by the neck, trying to choke him, but Raoul proved to have a better squeeze around someone's neck. When it seemed like there was no more life left in Duncan, Raoul swung him around and threw him on the ground like a rag doll. Duncan attempted to get up, but he only met that half way, when Raoul pinned him with his sword. What happened next, left Duncan in his tracks, Raoul's pretty much lifeless body fell to the ground, Duncan saw that he had been struck in the back with a sword, he looked up and came to quite a surprise.

"Richie!"

There Richie stood, alive and well, and full of wrath, Raoul mananged to partially turn around to face his fate.

"How did you...how could you..."

Raoul was too weak from the attack to get the words out, Richie stared at him with a glare like had lost all human emotion.

"No one hunts my father without dying for it!"

As the words left his mouth, Richie in the same instant, severed Raoul's head, Duncan knew what was coming next, but he didn't know who it would happen to. From Richie's view, it looked like Duncan had become a human lightning rod, it looked to him, like spontanous jolts of lightning were seeping through Duncan's body, when it finished, Duncan fell on the ground, seeming lifeless.

"Mac!"

Richie dropped the sword and ran over to Duncan to check for some life signs, but there was no need for that.

"I'm okay Rich."

Duncan felt his jaw practically tearing as he got the words out of his mouth, but he was glad that they survived.

*************************************************************************************************

On the way back, Duncan was still a bit jolted from the whole fight and aftermath, so Richie kept a hold on him so he wouldn't fall down on the way back.

"I thought you were dead," Duncan said.

"Sorry I had to leave you in the dark again, but I figured it was something I had to do," Richie said.

"How did you even know when to come?" Duncan asked.

"I didn't, I just knew that you had to be at the docks by midnight, so I left 20 minutes early," Richie explained.

"And you knew what happened to the others?" Duncan asked.

"Yeah, Raoul knocked the crap out of them, including Connor," Richie said.

"Yes, but fortunately, or unfortunately for us, depending on how you look at it, no sooner do I manage to get back on my feet, they get up and are ready to kill us," Duncan laughed.

"Well, it was nice to see Connor still alive, he must have a lot of trouble keeping his head," Richie thought.

"Some fights are more difficult than others," Duncan said.

"Mac, I've just got one question," Richie said.

"What's that?" Duncan asked.

"The blade on the sword isn't stainless steel, you think the blood will still come out?"

"Why?"

"Because...It's one I took from the display case at the store," Richie said.

"What?" Duncan asked.

"Well, I knew the Yanling sword was probably stronger, but I wanted to behead him as fast as possible, so I figured to make sure I don't miss, I better use the Damascus Tai Chi..."

"You figured that, today? The last time I heard you say anything like that was 3 weeks ago when we..."

It hit Duncan, the only way Richie could remember thinking like that would be if...

Duncan turned to Richie with a very confused look on his face.

"I'm back to normal, Mac!" Richie told him.

"You may be back," Duncan told him, "but normal, that you'll never be."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Richie replied.

*************************************************************************************************

"Oh my God, Duncan, what happened?" Tessa asked.

"Houdini got his memory back, he took a sword from the store and went out to find Raoul for himself," Duncan explained, as Richie helped him over to the table.

"What happened?" Tessa asked.

"What? Didn't you hear me? He beheaded Raoul," Duncan said.

"What!" Tessa asked, "Richie, you...you really got your memory back?"

"Ask me anything," Richie said.

"Okay, what's something you define that must go by the laws of science or whatever it was...something that you said could only be real by nature?" Duncan asked.

"Simple, if a girl likes me, the mother hates me, and it's not always the mother, sometime's its the dad," Richie replied.

"And 2 days ago, he didn't even know about the little black book he hides in that steel box under his bed," Duncan laughed.

"How did you know about that?" Richie asked.

"Easy, it's the only place that was left to hide it after we found it in your dresser, your jacket, your first aid kit," Tessa explained.

"I never knew you guys knew about all those places," Richie said.

"Well we just didn't say anything," Duncan said, "and Richie...don't worry about the sword, I'm just glad that you're alive. You and Tessa, and Connor and the others, you saved our lives tonight."

Richi was quiet after that, avoiding eye contact with Duncan.

"What?" Duncan asked.

"It's just that that's the first time anyone ever said that, all the time I always hear 'get out of here you punk! One of these days, you're going to be the end of me!'," Richie gritted his teeth, closed one eye and shook his fist.

"I see you well remember Mister Kane," Tessa said.

"Yeah, which reminds me."

Richie grabbed his jacket and headed for the front door.

"Where're you going?" Tessa asked.

"I can't sleep, I feel wired," Richie said.

Duncan waited until Richie left.

"Hear that Tess? He's wired, come 8 tomorrow, half the town will be complaining to someone ringing their doorbells and running off...It's good to have Richie back," Duncan said.