A Winter Stampede by KlingonCat

This is a re-written version of a little story I wrote last winter for the stampede challenge - since it's cold out there again - I thought I'd post the re-done version for the C/V Deluge - It's not slash just the boys being the boys...

It was the coldest winter anyone in Four Corners could remember and it seemed to be getting colder each night. And despite the bitter nights, Chris and the five other regulators couldn't convince one scruffy, ornery, stubborn as a mule tracker to use his room at the boarding house. Every time they tried to get him inside he insisted that he was plenty warm in his wagon and to mind their own business.

This morning Mrs. Potter had found old Mr. Shelton, one of the town drunks, dead and frozen behind her store when she opened. Chris was determined that he would find a way to get the younger man to move inside.

Inez had even asked the men to hang a heavy oilcloth inside the batwing doors of the saloon. The bar was frigid. Even with the extra door most of the tables were clustered around the stove as the seven drank coffee and ate breakfast.

Vin sneezed a number of times as he arrived and Nathan had given several long looks before the Texan growled at him, saying that he was fine and to leave him alone. Chris watched and worried, he had tried everything he could think of over the past week and Vin was still sleeping in his cold, drafty wagon. He also knew that the more he pushed the less likely it was that Vin would give in. So he was racking his brain for a way to trick the man inside until it warmed up.

Seeing the looks that Chris was giving him Vin decided to set the man straight before he started in on how it was too cold to sleep in his own wagon.

"Turn that glare somewhere else, Larabee," he rasped, then sneezed before continuing, "I ain't gonna be moving inta that boarding house. I done told old Mrs. Smeed to give that room to someone else."

The town was over full and with the cold spell, all the rooms at the hotel were full as well as every other accommodation. No one wanted to be out at night in this weather.

Well, no one but one long haired tracker who, according to everyone who had an opinion, should know better.

"Damn it, Tanner," Larabee growled, "You ain't got the sense of a mongrel dog, didn't you hear... old man Shelton froze to death last night 'n I don't want to have to look in that wagon and find your sorry ass frozen solid tomorrow."

Tanner's eyes turned that icy blue they did when he'd been pushed too far, "then don't look inta my damn wagon tomorrow cause it ain't none of yer business where I sleep." He stood up and stalked out of the saloon.

Buck leaned over Chris's shoulder, "Smooth, Larabee. You know maybe he's not even staying in that wagon, maybe he found someone warm and soft to cozy up to and just don't want to let on. I'll bet he's keeping warmer than you think with some sweet little woman."

Chris responded by rising, leveling his glare at Wilmington and replying, "Fine, but if he *is* in that wagon, you better figure out a way to get that fool inside, I've had it, if he wants to freeze his ass off who am I to stop him."

The day passed slowly, most folks staying tucked inside, avoiding the freezing wind and getting caught up on those chores that were waiting for just that kind of day, mending socks, cooking up a big pot of stew and other close to the fire activities.

By five thirty it was getting dark out and the temperature was dropping. The seven gathered at the boarding house for dinner. It was Thursday and that meant chicken and dumplings. Even though the meals were included with their monthly pay and rooms, Vin didn't always show up preferring to hunt and cook for himself much of the time.

But he never missed chicken and dumplings.

The conversation was steered away from the standing conflict by Josiah who knew that neither man was likely to back down. But that didn't stop them from communicating. Both men spent the entire meal glaring at each other.

By the time they were done the other five almost wished that they had argued aloud, the air was bristling with the unspoken words.

After dinner the men headed to the saloon for an evening of cards and drinks. Except Tanner, who was headed out for a late patrol. He was surprised and a little annoyed when Chris joined him.

"Just keep yer mouth shut about the damn room, Larabee." He rasped out, knowing that the man was just concerned for him, but still annoyed that he wouldn't let it drop.

Chris spent the patrol in silence, trying to figure out how he could convince Vin to stay in his room tonight. Once Vin had given his up it had been rented to some travelers who wouldn't be leaving 'til the stage left on Saturday afternoon.

They arrived back in town an hour later, chilled to the bone, and Chris still had no idea how to keep the younger man warm overnight.

They joined the rest in front of the stove at Inez's for a few hours. Until the others gradually headed off to bed. Finally there was only Ezra and a traveling salesman locked in an ongoing card game, and Vin and Chris.

As Vin rose to leave Chris reached out and put a hand on the buckskin covered arm, asking softly, "Vin... you know I'm just worried about ya?"

The younger man nodded and replied just as quietly, "Know that, Larabee, iffin I didn't I'd a taken yer head off by now...but I really am okay. I got my buffalo hides and a wool blanket and it's right cozy." He smiled, started to say something more, then shook his head and ambled out. Pulling his coat closed and his collar up as he stepped out into the frigid air.

Chris just shook his head and swore softly, resigned to the fact that there was nothing else he could do short of hog-tying the stubborn fool, not that that didn't have a certain appeal about now. He finished his drink and headed up to his room. Even inside it was cool tonight. He stripped down to his warmest longjohns and two pairs of socks and crawled under a thick pile of blankets.

He woke sometime later, aware that it was still the middle of the night. He shivered wondering why he was even colder now but soon found that one of his blankets had slipped off and was letting in a draft. He pulled it up and lay there for a bit. He was finally warm, but couldn't get back to sleep. Not with Vin out in the cold. He sighed, grabbed his warmest blanket and rose, wrapping up as he walked to the window. His room looked out over the street and Vin's wagon was only about halfway down the block but he couldn't see a thing, the windows of his room were totally iced up. Even the fire that still burned in his fireplace couldn't keep the windows clear. He tried to scrape a space so he could see out but soon gave up.

He stalked back to his bed, crawled in and pulled up the covers.

And couldn't sleep.

He got back up, paced to the window, and still couldn't see anything

He went back to the bed, muttering as he did... "God damn, uppity, stupid, stubborn, scruffy..." He started to get back into bed, stopped, cursed some more and reached for his clothes.

As he exited the boarding house he saw that Ezra was just starting to close down for the night. He stalked away before the snoopy southerner noticed him and asked him what he was doing up at this hour.

As he reached the wagon, moving silently, he told himself that all he was going to do was peek in and see if maybe Buck was right, maybe Vin wasn't even in the damn wagon, maybe he was tucked in with a warm and willing woman.

He didn't think that Vin was interested in any of them, but he was a private man so maybe... Well he'd know soon.

He leaned over, listening, and thought he could hear a soft snore. It wasn't like Vin to sleep so soundly that someone could approach his wagon. He leaned closer, and could definitely hear something... Was it a wheeze? Larabee was already worried when he'd left the boarding house, now he was close to panic, he remembered how Vin had sneezed this morning and now, hearing the odd whistling noises he was sure the man must have pneumonia. He pulled open the canvas curtain at the back, put a knee on the floor of the wagon and eased himself inside. His eyes gradually adjusted to the dark and he could see a large mound covered by the bufflao hide, he leaned over and placed a hand gently on the hide.

It was hot. Well, maybe not hot but warm anyhow, how could that be, was Vin running a fever too?

He started to move closer, putting his knee down on the edge of the hide...and was attacked.

First there was a blood curdling shriek and, as he jumped in startlement, the bed of the wagon exploded into motion as first one dark body leapt up and over him, then another and another... then there seemed to be dozens of careening bodies. He jerked back trying to avoid the sharp claws that raked across his chest and left gouges on his arms and face. As he pulled his colt from its holster he overbalanced and fell ass over teakettle back and out of the wagon. The gun discharged as he landed with a thump on the hard, frozen ground.

He lay there for a moment, stunned as he watched as numerous small bodies flew out of the wagon and ran down the street.

"What the hell!" Chris yelled, just as Ezra came running up.

Ezra had noticed Chris as he left the boarding house and headed down the street and, being an innately curious person, Ezra watched as Chris approached the wagon. He was expecting to see the inevitable fight as Larabee once again tried to strong arm Vin into the boarding house.

The last thing Ezra was expecting to witness was a banshee shriek followed by Larabee flying out the back of the wagon onto his backside as a dozen or more cats came flying out of the small wagon like the hounds of hell were after them.

The gunshot, which luckily missed hitting any of the fleeing bodies or, as far as Ezra could tell anything else would, no doubt, wake half the town. He fully expected to see them out there, in the street any minute now.

Then he heard the voice from inside the wagon.

"God damnit, Larabee," Vin's voice drawled out, "Ya jist had ta stick yer nose in... We jist got all curled up an warm and now ya scared 'em all away..."

His voice dropped off as he reached the back of the wagon and saw Ezra standing there watching. As he watched, more figures appeared as first Buck, then JD, Nathan, and Josiah arrived to find out who was shooting and why.

By the time they arrived, most of the cats were long gone, except for a couple who were still cowering under the blankets and a couple of the most curious who peeked out the back from beside Vin.

All they saw was Chris laying on the ground at the back of the wagon, Vin sitting up inside, and Ezra watching with a wide grin on his face.

"Aw Hell, Chris," Buck scolded, "didn't I tell ya to leave that boy alone. Did he finally get smart and shoot ya?"

"Didn't shoot anyone, Bucklin," Vin groused, "one minute I's fast asleep then the next minute he's got the whole place in an uproar and he's shooting at an innocent kitten."

"I never shot at a kitten!" Chris protested. "And what the hell are all them animals doing in that wagon with you?"

"Well someone fired yer gun, Larabee, and it weren't me." Vin grinned now, enjoying Chris's discomfort as yet more people showed up wanting to know what all the excitement was about.

"As fer the cats and me, we were...unlike certain individuals, minding our own business trying to get a decent night's sleep."

"All I was doing was checking to see if you were frozen solid yet and then those demon-spawned cats attacked me."

Vin just stared at his friend, who was finally picking himself up off the street. He tried to figure out why the animals had panicked, then realized what had happened.

"You crawled into the wagon?"

Larabee nodded, "Just to check..."

Vin nodded, pondering a bit, then he continued. "I'm thinking ya stepped on someone's tail... that would make 'um cry out like that, and then the others, well, with that shriek and you shootin' at them, well they jist got scared...you know what ya did, Larabee?" Vin stated, grinning even wider... "Ya started a cat stampede."

Larabee just glared while everyone else laughed.

"That'll teach ya to go sneaking inta other folks beds uninvited." Buck chortled.

"As fer why they were here," Vin continued, "when it gets this cold they come in and curl up under the hides with me ta keep warm. And they's about the best bedwarmers around, like I said, I don't need to be inside to stay warm."

Forty minutes later the town was quiet again, everyone back in their respective beds. Vin snuggled down in his wagon and, gradually his living blanket was returning. He greeted each small body as they arrived, petting and calming them.

"Hey, Miz Lily," he greeted the small furry cat as she curled up, "sorry that big ole cowboy scared ya." Looking up he saw yet another of his gang arrive... Lil' Bucklin, who got his name for his moustache-like markings...and the fact that he had the biggest balls that Vin had ever seen on a cat. Then Ginger arrived, a half grown orange cat and old Walter, a black and white cat with the rattiest coat and kinkiest tail Vin had ever seen. A little while later came Louise, Parnell, Blossom, Ruby and Inez, who earned her name by constantly smacking Lil' Bucklin when he made advances at her.

And finally Vin's favorite, though he'd never admit it out loud, the toughest cat in town, a sleek, solid black cat with the greenest eyes he'd ever seen, except for his namesake... Cowboy.

THE END