By that evening Viv’s mysterious friend still hadn’t replied. Since she had been up so ‘late’ that morning she didn’t wake up again until Mac came up after closing the dojo.

“No one call?” Viv asked.

“Not for you. You sure this friend of yours is reliable?”

“He’s family, if he isn’t reliable Great Aunt Ethel will have words. And no one wants that.” Viv said sleepily.

She looked around. Richie was still asleep in Mac’s bed, hardly stirring when Mac came in. >>Must be more used to sleeping in company. >> Viv thought. >>Course, looking like that he would be. >> He looked rather cute lying there asleep.

She got up and got ready for her ‘day’. By the time she got out of the bathroom Richie was awake, and eating. Viv had pulled on a vest and shorts, and was wearing an overall with the top half hanging down behind her. She sat on the couch and got some Doc Martens out of her bag.

“Viv, is there anything you don’t pack?” Richie asked, grinning.

“I got stuff for work, rest and play. Cos you never know.” Viv answered, and thought somewhat wistfully of a certain lacy garment that fitted in a side pocket, and wearing it for present company. Either of them.

“So when will we hear from this mysterious contact of yours?” MacLeod asked her.

“Oh, I’ll see him at work. If there’s anything urgent I’ll call you right away, no worries. If not - Rich, how about I meet you at lunch time. That’s about eleven o’clock for you strange diurnal creatures. there’s this all night diner we usually go to,” Viv said, scribbling down the address. “I’ll see if M wants to talk to you, or if not I’ll just pass on the message.”

“We’ll be there.” MacLeod said, taking the paper.

“I don’t recall inviting you.” Viv said, then realised that sounded a little too snippy. “Look, Mac, M doesn’t like just anyone turning up near work. He gets a bit skittish if people he doesn’t know figure out how much he knows. And you’re sort of intimidating at the best of times.” he looked less than convinced. “You still worried about his neck?” waving in Richie’s direction. “If I wanted to do you in I could have done it by now. He’s a mate, I’ll look out for him like he was one of ours.”

Richie looked mildly puzzled, then a little annoyed. “Mac, you haven’t been thinking she would...” Mac obviously had. “Viv could have taken my head a couple of dozen times by now. I trust her, okay? Viv, I’ll be there.”

Richie took the paper from MacLeod’s hand and shoved it in a back pocket. Viv nodded, then got up, put on her sword, shoved pyjamas and yesterdays clothes away and left.

Once she was gone Rich decided it was time to have a few words with Mac.

“Mac, what is your problem with Vivianne? Exactly what has she done that put her on your bad side?”

MacLeod sighed and tried to think of a way to say this that wouldn’t sound like he was being paranoid. “It’s nothing specific that she’s done, it’s more.. things she hasn’t done. Like do you know where she lives? Or where she works?”

“She fixes cars. And you didn’t exactly invite her up here in a hurry, why should she ask you back to her place? Or is that the thing she hasn’t done that’s got you in a bad mood? Not every girl in the world wants to jump into bed with you MacLeod.”

“Rich, don’t be stupid. I don’t think of her like that.”

“Yeah, right. Now I’m stupid.” Rich paused to try and stop the argument going completely ballistic, then thought of something. “You think she’s like Felicia, don’t you? Or like Kristin. Another immortal woman seems to like Richie, oh well that just proves she’s after his head. I guess it’s just an alien thought to you that she might just like me.”

“Rich, I didn’t mean it like that. Just when she came in here and we didn’t know anything about her, she starts off practically asking for a duel..”

“Finding somewhere she could fence!”

“..and then she starts making nice with you, I didn’t know what to think. So I just had a quiet word..”

“You asked her if she was after my head? Jesus, Mac, why not just get Joe to check out all my dates? Set a detective on them! Or maybe you could just trust me to look after myself.”

“I do trust you. It’s just.. Rich, so many times I’ve nearly lost you.” Mac gulped and took a breath. “Anyway, it’s a good thing I did ask her. That was when I found out she didn’t know about the Game. I said I’d teach her, Rich, it’s not like I sent her away to figure it out on her own.”

“Oh, yeah, and you had the best of motives. You sure it wasn’t just to keep an eye on her? Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”

“Let’s face it, Rich. There’s a lot about her that should make us worry. Like this shooting business, how is she going to find out more about that? If she can solve it why doesn’t she go to the police?”

“Maybe to keep our little secret quiet. God knows we don’t go telling the police about all the murders we could solve.”

“That’s different.”

“How is it different Mac?” sigh. Trying to be calm. “Look, Mac, you think she’s older than she says? We’ve talked about stuff. High school, films, music, all that sort of stuff. She sounds about my age to me. And I trust her. She’s just trying to help, Mac, give her a break.”

“Maybe. Just.. watch your head, okay?”

“Hey, always.” Rich grinned. He finished his food then went down to the dojo to wait for a call.