A Fraternal Visit by KlingonCat

Vin rolled his eyes as he heard Chris coming up the stairs to Nathan's.

Could this get any worse?

It started so well.

A telegram arrived that said his father was not only alive, but coming to Four Corners to visit him, no explanation as to how he'd found him or where he'd been. Just that he was on his way.

A mystery that might finally have an answer.

And Vin didn't even know who he was, since Tanner was his mother's family name. And, of course, while he waited for the arrival, the doubts started, who was he, where had he been all those years and why contact him now?

After running hundreds of possibilities through his mind, Vin had never even come close to the truth.

He winced as he heard another gasp and curse from Buck as Nathan worked.

No, there wasn't any way things could get worse.

The door opened and Chris entered, glaring at Vin and the stranger who stood beside him. The man was tall and wore a long, dark coat and high boots. His face, like Vin's looked like it could use a shave and he wore a hat that wasn't that different from the one Vin wore.

"This your father?"

A nod.

"He do that?" Chris indicated Buck.

Another nod.

But before Chris could say any more Vin spoke up. "It was a mistake, Chris."

"Yeah, right."

"Look, Buck was in wolf form and when he ran into my father he thought...well he thought that Buck was a werewolf."

"Werewolf?"

"Yeah, over in Europe there are these men who turn in to wolves during the full moon, and they are killers."

"So?"

"Well, that's why he was gone all these years, he tracks those things down and kills them, and other things."

"Other things?"

"You know, Vampires and stuff, it's probably part of the reason I'm a good tracker -- it's in the blood."

Chris paused, not sure that meeting his father hadn't sent Vin 'round the bend, if this was the story the man had told Vin, Chris had to wonder just what was going on. Besides, the man looked like he was barely old enough to have fathered Vin.

Chris looked to Nathan then, and nodded to Buck. "He gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," Nathan muttered, "just sore, got a backside full of buckshot."

"He's lucky." Vin added solemnly, "if dad had his big guns unpacked..."

Chris glared. "So you gonna introduce us?" His voice heavy with skepticism.

"Oh, sure, Chris, I'd like you to meet my dad, Gabriel Van Helsing."

THE END