Richie just stood there for a moment looking down at the blade sticking out of his stomach then doubled up and fell to the ground with a moan of pain. Viv tugged TLF free and then just stood there, sword held out away from her like she didn’t want to own it right then, staring fixedly at the wound, totally shocked at what she had done.

Richie clasped at his stomach and tried not to moan. >>Damn, why can’t it hurt less too.. >> He looked up and saw Viv standing there looking sick. >>I guess this wasn’t on purpose. Probably. I must be scaring the hell out of her.. >> so he made some attempt at a joke. “Damn, Viv, this was a new shirt.”

Viv dropped her sword and dropped down to kneel next to him. “Are you.. of course you’re not, I mean.. are you going to be all right?”

“What, this? Just a scratch.” he said, wincing, pain showing in his voice. He was healing already though.

“Rich, I am so sorry. I just.. I wasn’t thinking.. It was just so easy..” she babbled, staring at where her sword had gone right through him, then the long cut him falling over had made. It had only been moments but he was already looking a little better.

“If it was easy I better work harder. Just don’t make a habit of this, okay?” Meaning did she make a habit of this. He didn’t like dying enough he wanted to do it any more often than necessary.

“Absolutely.” Viv replied, going from sick to wide eyed frightened. “I’ve never killed anyone by accident before. I just.. I mean, you were too good, I.. I guess I got scared. I couldn’t lose. It got too serious. Rich, I am so sorry. Really.”

“That’s okay.” Rich replied. He was looking so much better already. The cut had healed over though it was still a dark crimson colour. “Think you could kiss it better?” Richie smiled slyly.

At that Viv actually looked up at his eyes. Then she giggled. “You are something else Ryan. Lying there with your guts showing one moment and the next you’re chatting me up? I nearly killed you!”

“Hey, if it works...” Richie grinned. Viv’s normal colour and some of her spark was returning.

“Well I suppose I owe you at least a kiss.” Viv almost grinned, then kissed the end of one finger and then pressed it gently against the now almost healed cut.

“Oh you call that a kiss.”

Viv grinned and leaned forwards, moving as if to kiss him on the lips then bending down and kissing the newly healed wound. Richie gasped, discovering the area was still sensitive even though it looked healed. Viv smirked and kissed him again lower down the cut, then again, lower... almost to the top of his trousers, where the cut had ended... then she dragged her tongue back up along his stomach.

“Mmm, Viv, now that is a kiss...” Rich said breathlessly.

Viv grinned. “Now you’re all better.” she said, and lightly brushed her lips against his. He reached up to hold her closer but she dodged away, stood up and walked over to get a towel.

>>Damn, what is wrong with me? >> she thought, burying her face in her towel and trying to calm down. >>Feeling this turned on with the taste of his blood in my mouth? I’m not a bloody vampire! >> She realised Rich was standing next to her, close to her.

“Viv...” he started to say, reaching for her.

“Look, Richie... this isn’t a good idea.” Viv said, stepping away hurriedly.

“Seems like a pretty good idea from here.” he said, lightly touching her arm but not crowding her.

“Ryan... I’m not good for you. I mean...” she waved vaguely at the gash in his shirt, stained red. She took a breath and started again, tried to explain. “We’re friends.”

“Friends can date.”

“Yeah, but you’re a good friend. And if we dated and it didn’t work out and you dumped me, then I would have to hurt you. A lot. And then you wouldn’t ever want to talk to me again and everything would end up a total mess.”

“I think I’ll take that risk.” Rich smiled, and moved closer.

“No, Rich. I’m serious. Look, Ryan, with a figure like mine do you think I’ve got any shortage of guys chasing me? But how many friends do I have? I’ll tell you how many. Five. And four of those don’t know anything about all this with the swords, let alone me being a witch. I just need a friend right now a hell of a lot more than I need a boyfriend.”

Richie sighed and nodded, stepped away again. “I guess I can understand that. But if you change your mind..”

“Yeah, I know. You’re always available, right?”

“Hey, I’m a very busy guy. But for you...” he gave her one of his killer smiles, and Viv very nearly changed her mind.

Then they heard the car and realised Duncan was pulling up outside, and Rich and the dojo floor were covered in blood. They looked at the door, they looked at each other.

“I’ll get changed, you get the mop.” Rich said, hurrying off, and Viv hurried to comply.

They weren’t quite quick enough. When Duncan came in there was rather a lot of pink water still on the floor. But Viv was cleaning it up, and with Rich in a new shirt there was no proving who cut whom, so they just both got a disapproving glare as Duncan took his groceries up in the lift.

Then he trained Viv until she was totally worn out, and she still had to go to work that evening. For once though she didn’t complain.

“Rich, I was wondering... um, I’ve got the night off tonight, Marcus is having a birthday party and his uncle is letting him loose in the big house for it so everyone is invited. I was wondering, maybe we could go. I mean, you haven’t met many of my friends yet, we don’t hang out much outside of the dojo. I figured, why not?”

“A party sounds like fun. Yeah, why not.” Rich replied, smiling.

“Well, should be fun. Could be dire. M’s parties are always half family gathering, half business meeting. There’ll be about a dozen people there who are actually his friends, and he won’t have time to talk to any of us long. But, there are a load of cousins who have heard him describing you who have been bullying me to bring you to meet them. You won’t be short of company.” Viv grinned.

“You won’t be trying to marry me off to some spinster cousin, now will you?”

“Well, I won’t, but you better avoid the aunts... Anyway, meet you here?”

“Sure, see you then.”

She stood in the doorway for a moment, waiting for Richie to pick his jaw up off the floor and stop drooling, and glanced over to check MacLeod’s reaction. After Mac saw who it was, he ignored her. Viv appeared mildly peeved, but recovered quickly.

“Well, Ryan, you ready to party?”

“Uh, yeah, of course.” Richie said, walking over to her. He noticed that for once the only metal on her was her somewhat battered brooch, the cat face one that looked like the kind of tom cat that never turns down a fight. “Not wearing your sword?”

“Forgot to mention, strictly no weapons allowed. They’ll be checking at the door. If you don’t want to go then I understand...” Viv replied.

“No, no, that’s fine. I’ll leave mine here.” Richie said, more or less managing to talk to her face, and he slipped his sword out of his coat and left it on a bench. “Mac will keep an eye on it. Let’s go.”

“Richie..” Mac called as they made to leave.

Rich turned and gave him a very level look. “Yeah?”

Mac reconsidered slightly, just glanced over to Viv and back, warning clear in his eyes. “Have a good time. And look after yourself.”

“Of course, Mac.” Richie replied, then turned and walked out. Mac watched him go, worried, but there wasn’t much he could do about it.

As they walked to Richie’s bike Viv said jokingly “So is MacLeod your boss or your mom?”

“He’s just used to looking out for me. He used to be my teacher, and before that I lived with him and Tessa. He worries.”

As Vivianne sat behind him on the bike she noticed the scar on his neck. “You get scars like that, I’m not surprised he worries. You never mentioned, how did that happen? Or is that another long story?”

“Yeah, you could say that. Just a close call. I’ll tell you about it some other time.” Richie said, passing Viv a helmet and pulling his helmet on.

Viv shrugged and gave the back of his head a rather fed up look, then pulled on her lid and settled in for the ride, putting her arms tightly around his waist.

Richie started the bike, thinking >>If this is how she treats you when you’re just friends... >> then really trying not to finish the thought. Or in this position she would definitely notice his reaction.