FAMILY REUNION

BY CHARLI911 & LARABEELADY

Disclaimer: Thanks to Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide, CBS, TNN and Hallmark Channel for bringing this wonderful show to us. And thanks to those seven wonderful actors for bringing their characters to life.

Thanks Rowan for the beta when we originally wrote this story all those years ago and for all the assistance you gave us in completing this story. Your help was immeasurable.

This is Story #4 in our C-SET AU (if you don't count the 'missing scene' Movin' On and the one-shot, A Little Christmas Mischief, which could basically fall anywhere in the AU's timeline.

In order the C-SET Universe so far is:

#1—Assembly the Team; Movin' On is a missing scene for this story.

#2—Vengeance is Mine

#3—Jule in the Ruff

Originally archived at Lady Angels

A/N: And yes, this AU does bear some resemblance to High Mountain Rangers. But the Hawkes boys won't appear in these stories. We have separate stories for them!

/

CHAPTER ONE

She sat at a table near the window of the diner, sipping a glass of iced tea and watching the building across the street. That's where he worked, she'd discovered just yesterday. After several months of searching, she'd finally found him. Her hand shook slightly as she lowered the glass back to the table. Taking a deep breath, she patted her lips with a paper napkin.

"Have you decided what you want, hon?" The voice startled her since her focus had been outside the window. She looked up at the waitress.

"Um, yeah, a grilled cheese on wheat and the salad with ranch dressing please," she replied softly.

"Do you want fries or rice with the sandwich?"

"Rice, please."

"Okay, hon. Should just be a couple of minutes. I'll bring you a refill on the tea."

The girl nodded and turned her attention back to the building across the street. She driven almost two thousand miles to meet the man and now wasn't sure how to approach him. As she waited for her meal, she opened up the large envelope she'd carried in with her. Pulling out the papers, she spread them out across the table.

Her dark hair fell into her face as she leaned over to read the papers for what seemed like the hundredth time since she arrived in town. After lunch, she planned to return to her motel room and call her father, let him know she'd arrived safely. It was because of him that she'd been able to locate the man she'd been searching for.

She didn't know too much about him. She knew his name of course and had been able to track down a date of birth. And she had some information about his time in the military. And she knew he was some kind of cop. But most of what she knew of him she'd read in her mother's journals. Thinking of her mom brought fresh tears to her eyes.

Only dead for a little over six months, her mom's passing still brought grief that was overwhelming at times. Especially now, so far from home. It had been her father's idea to try and find the man. Over the years, she had expressed an occasional interest in meeting him, a curiosity that usually passed quickly in the day-to-day happenings in her life. On holidays and birthdays, she felt it most noticeably. But her life had been a happy one, so the desire wasn't oppressive.

But now she was here, in the town where he lived and worked, and she wondered what he was like. She wondered if he'd changed from the man she'd read about in her mother's journals. She wondered if he'd welcome her into his life after so many years.

She looked down at the papers and briefly closed her eyes, praying that this wasn't the biggest mistake of her young life. She looked out the window again, at the mountains and the trees. It was so different here from what she was used to. She'd been raised in the suburbs. The closest she'd ever gotten to a mountain was when she went skiing on a high school trip. It was beautiful here and she thought it would be a nice place to be for a while. But it was far from the familiar. No shopping malls, no fast food on every corner.

Her friends were back home. Her father was back home. She smiled when she thought of him. He was the most wonderful man she knew. He'd been her father since she was seven, the year he'd married her mom.

The waitress returned with her food, giving her a small smile as she set the plate down. The girl gathered up her papers and began stuffing them back into the envelope, dropping some onto the floor in her rush.

The waitress stooped down to pick them up, glancing at them as she handed them back. The name on the pages was familiar. She looked up at the girl, who grabbed the pages back from her and stuffed them into the envelope.

They didn't say anything to each other for several long seconds. "Is that why you're here, hon? Looking for him?"

Staring out the window again to the building across the street, she bit her bottom lip. "Yes," she replied softly.

"Well, then, you've come to the right place," the waitress said with a smile. "He drives that shiny truck parked across the street. And he and his friends come in here a lot to eat." She patted the girl on the shoulder and walked away.

The girl's quiet "thank you" followed her back to the counter. The girl picked up her sandwich and took a bite, her thoughts once again drifting back to her mom and the things she'd read in her journals.

/

"Hey, Vin, when is Chris coming back?" Buck Wilmington yelled across the room.

"Saturday, Buck, like I told you the last two dozen times ya asked me." Vin Tanner rolled his eyes, causing Casey Wells to laugh. Chris Larabee, the leader of their team, was in Washington, D.C., giving the powers-that-be a run down on how the team was progressing. Since this team was a brand new concept, they were watching it closely and funding for the next fiscal year depended on the report Chris gave them and the documentation he provided them about their cases.

Larabee hated dealing with bureaucrats and he'd been at it for over a week. He called every day to the office to check on current cases, and each time Vin spoke with him he could feel the tension had gotten worse. Their leader was due to return in two days and Vin knew he'd be in an awful mood.

He'd convinced the others not to bother Larabee over the weekend, knowing his friend would want some peace and quiet. He planned to give the man some space himself, which wouldn't be easy, seeing as how they shared a house. He thought about just bunking in with Buck and JD Dunne for a couple of days, but since the weather was supposed to be nice, he's decided to just camp out overnight in the forest surrounding Chris' ranch.

Chris had invited Vin to move into his house when Vin's cabin in the mountains had been burned to the ground by an escaped con with a grudge against the ex-bounty hunter. Tanner was grateful for his new home and gave his roommate the solitude he needed, whenever he needed it. And Chris returned the favor when necessary. The two men had become close friends soon after meeting each other.

Chris appreciated Tanner's quiet and unobtrusive support. And Vin relished the friendship and strength he received from the older man. They had become the family each had lost.

At the end of the day, Vin followed his friends and co-workers out of the office. They called out 'goodbyes' and 'see you tomorrows' and climbed into their vehicles, driving away in different directions.

Tanner pulled into the long drive in front of the log house. When he'd first come to live here, he'd felt at home almost immediately. He didn't know if it was because of Chris or just because the house was set in the woods away from traffic and a crowd of people. He was used to living a solitary life miles from the nearest neighbor and he welcomed the tranquility here.

As he exited the truck he breathed in deeply. The pine scent surrounded him and relaxed him. The next day was Friday. He'd be picking Chris up at the Sacramento airport early on Saturday morning and then he'd pack up his horse and hit the hills. He found that he was looking forward to getting out into the woods again.

His hearing picked up the sound of a car start up the long drive, then stop. He caught a glimpse of blue metal through the trees, but the car never came all the way up to the house. He figured it was just someone who got lost and was able to turn around at the only wide spot in the road. Shrugging his shoulders, he walked into the house.

/

She couldn't do it. She'd gotten almost all the way to his house and then found she couldn't drive the rest of the way. She'd quickly turned around and drove back to her hotel and called her father, sobbing, telling him that she couldn't go through with it. He calmed her down and let her explain what had happened.

"Now, honey, you knew it would be tough. But you have the strength to go through with this. Just like your mom. Remember everything she went through in her life."

"I know, Daddy. But I'm scared. What if he slams the door in my face?"

"If he is anything like the man your mother knew and loved, he won't do that. He may not welcome you with open arms, not right away, but once he gets to know you he won't be able to keep from loving you."

"Thanks, Daddy."

"You're welcome, baby. Now you get a goodnight's sleep and try again tomorrow. I wish I could be there with you, honey."

"I have to do this alone."

"I understand. You call me, anytime, if you need to talk. And tell him to call me, too, if he has any questions that you can't answer."

"I will. Talk to you tomorrow, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you too, baby. Goodnight."

She hung up the phone and lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "Tomorrow," she whispered. "I'll talk to him tomorrow."

/

Vin was up early to feed the horses, beating the rising sun. He wanted to get an early start on the paperwork to assure that everything was done before the boss came back. The less hassles Larabee had when he got to work Monday morning, the happier everyone would be.

He heard a car drive up as he left the barn. Rubbing his hands together to rid them of any dirt, he walked around to the front of the house. Stepping onto the porch, he saw a girl about sixteen or seventeen years old, standing in front of the door, her hand poised and ready to knock. As he watched, she put her hand back to her side and started to turn away. She stopped, shook her head and turned back to the door, once again ready to knock. Once again she didn't.

"If you don't knock, I won't know you're here," he said quietly. A startled gasp proceeded her fast turn to face him, a look of fright in her eyes. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya." He smiled and walked closer to her.

"Uh, I, uh…"

"Good morning. I know you can't be the Avon lady, cuz nobody here buys the stuff and we're a bit off the normal path for them. And you're a bit too old to be selling Girl Scout cookies." He looked over and noticed the car she'd driven up in, the same metallic blue that he'd spotted through the trees the night before. "What brings you all the way out here?"

"I was…ah…I was looking for you." Her voice was quiet and nervous. She was a beautiful girl, with long auburn hair and light green eyes.

"Well, you found me. What can I do for ya?"

"I wanted to meet you. My mom told me so much about you and I read her journals, and dad, my stepdad, told me it would be okay to find you, and he helped me look and then we found you and I drove out here and I've been trying to get the nerve to walk up to you for two days and finally I just had to come out and do it! And, oh damn it, this isn't the way I wanted it to be!"

He was amazed. She'd said all of that in one breath. He started to chuckle and she looked up at him, angry at first that he would laugh at her. Then she saw the humor of it too and started to laugh with him. It eased a little of the tension, although she still felt nervous and awkward.

"Well, since you've driven all the way out here…twice…you may as well come in and tell me what you came to see me for." She looked up at him, only then realizing that he must know that she'd driven out the night before. She blushed and looked at her feet, nervously tucking a few stray hairs behind her ear.

He opened the front door and guided her in. "Oh, wait! I forgot the papers!" she cried and ran back to her car. She opened the door and grabbed her purse and the large envelope from the front seat. Straightening back up, she closed the door. Taking a deep breath, she turned back and followed him into the house.

/

Vin got them each something to drink and then settled onto the sofa. She sat down in a chair across from him, a large coffee table between them. She set the envelope and her purse down on the table.

"My name is Danielle McCarter. I drove all the way out here from Ohio to find you."

"Okay. So why would Danielle-McCarter-from-Ohio be looking for me?"

"Do you remember a woman named Amy Flannery?"

Vin thought for a moment then shook his head. "Can't say that I do? Who is she?"

Danielle was surprised. He didn't remember her mother?! How could he have forgotten her? Her mom's journals had made it sound like the love-affair to end all love-affairs!

"I can't believe you don't remember her!"

"Where was I supposed to have met this Amy person?"

"You only dated her for two years in high school!" She was angry now. How does someone forget a person they spent so much time with for two years? Mom had said they almost got married! She got up and started pacing back and forth.

"So, I knew her in Texas then?"

"Texas? No, not Texas! My mom was never in Texas! You went to high school together in Indiana!"

"No, darlin', I didn't. I've never been east of the Mississippi, except when I was working." Then it hit him. Oh, lord. "Danielle, you said you came looking for me. Specifically?"

"Well of course."

"I think maybe you got the wrong man, here. What's the name of the person you're looking for?"

Danielle stopped. Could she have gotten it wrong? Had all her research been wrong?

"Danielle, are you still with me here?"

She snapped her head up. "Uh, yeah, I'm sorry. I thought…"

"Danielle, who is it that you're looking for?" he asked softly.

She dropped into the chair and reached for the envelope. She clutched it and looked up at him. "What's your name?"

"Vin Tanner."

"Oh, god! I'm so sorry! I thought you were…" She jumped up and ran toward the door, but was stopped when he grabbed her arm. "Let go of me!" she yelled.

He let go. "Calm down, Danielle. I think I understand what happened here. If you just sit back down, I think maybe I can help you."

She was scared now. She was in a stranger's house, in the middle of nowhere. Her eyes darted around, looking for a phone, just in case she needed to call for help. She edged toward the door, nervously. But then she noticed the look of concern in his eyes and she relaxed just a bit.

"Come sit back down and tell me your story," he offered. He moved away from her, giving her the opportunity to leave if she wanted. That helped her relax a bit more.

She hesitated, but then nodded and walked back to the chair, handing him the envelope as she passed him. He opened it up and pulled out the sheets as he took his place back on the sofa. Reading through the material, he nodded his head.

"I think I see where the misunderstanding happened," he said. "Danielle, the man you're looking for does live here, but he's not in town right now."

"The lady at the diner pointed out his truck to me and I saw you leave…"

"And you just assumed I was Chris," he nodded. "I take it you don't have any pictures of him."

"No. Mom said that her father destroyed all the pictures she had of Chris after he left for college. When granddad found out Mom was pregnant, he sent her away. He wanted her to give me up for adoption, but she refused and Grandma made him see the light."

Vin laughed at that then got serious. "That would have been about what, eighteen years ago? I was about eleven years old then."

She blushed again. Now that she took a good look at him, she could see that this man was much too young to be the man she was looking for. Her hopes had blinded her to that fact. But he knew Chris Larabee. Maybe he could tell her about him. Maybe she could get some idea about how he'd feel about her.

"Why are you looking for Chris, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I…I…he's my father," she said quietly.

He nodded and wondered why the idea didn't surprise him. But before he could say more the phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. Vin got up and walked over to the kitchen.

"Hello."

"Hey, Tanner. Glad I caught you before you left."

"Hey, Chris," he said, glancing at Danielle.

"Look, I need a favor. I need the Dempsey file faxed here in the next hour. So when you get into the office, can you do that first thing?"

"Sure. I'll have Casey do it," he said with a smile.

"Ah, delegating authority. I see I've trained you right."

"Yep. I'll give Casey a call. I'm gonna be a little delayed getting in this morning."

"Something wrong? You're not sick are ya? Problem with one of the horses?"

"No, none of the above. I just got an early morning visitor…" his voice trailed off as he saw Danielle vigorously shaking her head.

"Are you watching the deer again, Vin? I told you, you can't use that as an excuse to be late to work."

Vin chuckled. "No, a lady friend came to visit." He winked at Danielle, who sighed in relief and shook her head at his remark. She was beginning to like this man.

"The deer excuse is better, Tanner. I think you've been spending too much time around Buck. He doesn't even use that excuse anymore."

"Don't worry, pard, I won't be that late. Just some things I need to discuss with her."

"Someone I know?"

"Not yet, but I imagine you'll meet her eventually. I think you'll like her."

"Look, Vin, I gotta go. Make sure Casey gets that file sent. Use the same fax number I gave you earlier. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, Cowboy, tomorrow. And don't worry, you'll get the file." After hanging up with Chris, Vin called Casey at home and asked if she would mind going in early to fax the file to Larabee and told her to let the others know he'd be a little late. He hung up then walked over to the fridge.

"Hey, Danielle, are you hungry?" he called out to the girl in the other room. "I haven't had breakfast yet. I could rustle up some eggs and bacon."

"That would be great!" she said as she joined him in the kitchen. "I was too nervous to eat this morning before I came out here. And you can call me Dani."

"Okay, Dani, have a seat then and I'll get something started. Then I need to shower and get into work."

"Why don't I start the food while you shower? I really don't want to make you late for work."

"Well, okay, if you're sure you don't mind. I won't be long." He showed her where the skillet was and headed down the hall to his room.

Over their meal, Vin told her how he'd come to live with Chris and about the job they did. He talked a little about the men they worked with. She asked a lot of questions about Chris, but Vin told her that any personal questions would have to be answered by Chris himself.

She told him about her mom and stepdad, showing him pictures of her growing up. It seemed like a happy family. She noticed a sad look on his face when he flipped through the pictures.

"What's the matter, Vin?"

"Hmmmm?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It looks like you've had a great life."

"Yeah, I did. I still do, even though Mom's gone now." She was staring at a picture of her mom taken about a year before she died. She felt the tears well up in her eyes again. A hand on her arm brought her back to the present.

"You okay, kiddo?"

"Yeah. It's still hard sometimes."

Vin nodded. "How long has she been gone?"

"Six months. She was killed in a car accident. I miss her so much."

"I don't remember much about my Ma. I was only five when she died. She'd been sick for a while. A lot of the memories I have of her are from when she was sick in bed and couldn't do things with me."

"What about your dad?" she asked, wiping the tears from her face.

He hesitated a moment. "I never knew him."

"I'm so sorry. I'm glad I have my dad now, my stepdad," she corrected.

"He's your dad, darlin', he's the one that raised ya."

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "He's pretty cool. Vin…how do you think my father…Chris…will react?"

"I don't know. I think I know Chris well enough to know he won't just kick ya out. Can I ask a personal question, Danielle?"

"Sure, I guess."

"Does Chris know about you? I mean, did your Ma ever tell him she was pregnant?"

She shook her head. "No. She told me that her father...well…granddad lied to her, told her Chris had been killed then sent her away. By the time she found out he was still alive, he was in the Navy and she didn't want to burden him with a child. Then later, she found out he was married and had a son. She didn't want to mess things up for him. I think she always loved him, wanted him to be happy. And then she met Michael, my Dad. They really loved each other and she told me she was glad that things had worked out like they did. She regretted that I never got the chance to meet my biological father, but she never kept it from me, never lied to me about him. And Daddy, well, he always told me that if I ever wanted to find him, he'd help me."

"Sounds like a good man."

"He's the best." She smiled wistfully and pulled out her favorite picture of her and her stepfather together and handed it to Vin.

He looked at it for several moments then handed it back. "Danielle…why are you looking for Chris now? I'm curious. You don't have to answer if it's too personal. But it's something he'll want to know."

Vin usually wasn't so personal and nosy about other people's business, but he didn't want to see his friend hurt. He knew Chris was still not completely over the death of his wife and son—probably never truly would be. And he wanted to be sure this young woman wasn't trying to find him only to hurt him.

"I…Daddy…He's sick. Oh, he hasn't told me himself, but he's been going to see the doctor a lot and he's lost a lot of weight since my mom died. At first I thought it was just because he missed her, ya know. But then I started noticing him taking more and more pills. And I checked them out on the internet, to see what they were for. All of them are used during cancer treatments or for pain."

"I'm sorry." He squeezed her arm again.

She smiled at him. "I think that's why he was so encouraging when I started talking again about finding Chris Larabee. He doesn't want to leave me alone. He wants me to have family to be with." Her smile faded.

"I'd like to meet him someday. He sounds like a wonderful man, to be able to put his own feelings aside like that and help you search for your father. You're a very lucky girl." Vin stood and walked over to the sink, setting their dirty dishes in it and running some water in it. He quickly washed, while Dani dried, stacking the now clean dishes back in the cupboards where they belonged.

"Well, I need to get to work. Do you have some place to stay?"

"Yeah. I have a room in town."

"I'd offer to let you stay here, but…"

"No, that's okay. I don't want to push Chris into anything. I'd rather meet him and be able to leave easily if things …don't work out."

Vin agreed with a nod. "Awright. Why don't you leave me a phone number? I'll be picking Chris up at the airport in the morning. He's been in D.C. talking to politicians, so he won't be in the best mood when he gets back. He gets cranky dealing with the paperwork involved in our job. After he gets a chance to relax and unwind a bit, I'll give him your number, but it'll be up to him if he calls you or not. I'll let you tell him who you are."

"Okay," she said, writing down a number. "I'm in room 312. I'll stay close to the phone tomorrow."

He put the number in his wallet and they walked outside. Vin climbed into Chris' truck, which he'd been driving while his friend was out of town, and drove down the long drive, followed by Danielle. His thoughts strayed to his friend. He didn't know how Chris would react to finding out he had a teenage daughter. He only hoped that the girl didn't get hurt. He also hoped Chris didn't get hurt.

/