You guys seriously, SERIOUSLY do not know how much I appreciate all the reviews and favorites and subscriptions! You guys ROCK on SO MANY FREAKING LEVELS, IT JUST WARPS THE BRAIN! Thank you, THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH!

And a special thanks Fade for clearing that up for me. Thank you so much for helping understand that. Maybe one day, I will eventually finish reading Homestuck.

Chapter 3: First Encounter

*knock knock*

"Dave, can you get that? I think that's Dad.", Dirk called else where from the apartment, trying to pick up the last bit of clutter from around the place before their old man showed up. He didn't want the old man to think that they were t-total slobs. You can never go back on a first impression.

"Sure thing Bro.", Dave got up from the table from doing his, dare I say it, homework.

That's right, Dave Strider was doing homework. He had every intention on winning that bet their dad made him. And so far, he had kept to it. His teachers were shocked when he started turning in his homework on time and started participating in class for often. His math teacher asked him who bribed him. In which Dave proudly proclaimed, "My father did!"

Dave really wasn't tall enough yet to see through the peep hole, so he easily poked his head out the door to the man standing outside of it.

"Can I help you?", Dave questions, not recognizing the tall, dark headed man behind the door.

"Well, you could start by giving your old man a hug.", Derrick Strider smirks, looking down at his youngest son.

"Dad?", Dave looks up at the man and immediately senses something odd about the man. He just had this intimidating feel to him.

"Hello David!", Derrick leans down and opens up his and embraces his arms around his small frame. Dave slowly wraps his arms around his father's shoulders, really unsure of what to think of the man.

'C'mon Strider, he's your dad after all. Give him a chance!'

"Hey Dad! It's, it's good to finally meet you!", Dave through on a smile. "It's good to finally meet you too Son!", Derrick smiled.

"Dave? Is that Dad?", Dirk said coming to the door. "Why hello Dirk!", Derrick said as he released Dave. Dirk smiled, "Hey Dad!". The elder Strider sibling embraced their father, "It's so good to meet you!" "Oh Dirk, it's so good to finally meet you! Meet both of you, both my boys!"

"Oh please, come in!", Dirk invited the man in, "Sorry, it's not a mansion or anything, but it's all we need." "That's perfectly alright, Son. It looks quite cozy if you ask me.", Derrick said looking around the room. "Can I get you anything Dad?", Dirk asked. "No, no son I'm quite alright. Tell me, how have you two been?", Derrick smiled as he sat on the futon. "We're been good.", Dirk joined him on the futon, "It's been tough at times, but we made it." Derrick looked at his eldest son with somber, apologetic eyes, "Son, I am so so sorry for not being there for either of you. I know that there is nothing that I can do to make up for all the time I've lost. But maybe, we can make a start. Please, if there is anything, ANYTHING that I can do for either of you, PLEASE let me know." Dirk smirked a little, "Well, you could start by taking us out to eat." Derrick laughed a bit, "Alright. We can go anywhere you two want to go. My treat." Dirk and Dave looked at each other and smiled.

"Oh dear Lord,", Derrick leaned back in his seat stuffed from his meal, "That was the best steak that I have had in a long time." "What did I tell ya Dad? Best steak this side of Amarillo.", Dirk said. "Dave, how was your steak?", Derrick ask. Which Dave responded by looking up from gnawing the bone on what was his steak. "I'll take that as a good.", Dirk said. "So Dave, how's are the grades coming?", Derrick asked. "Good,", Dave said, wiping his mouth, "I made an A on a history test Friday." "That's wonderful! Making good on the bet, huh?" "Damn skippy. My teacher said that she studied it three times to make sure that it was right." "That's great Dave. I'm real proud of you. Keep it up and you'll be getting a car for your 16th birthday. And always remember that you can do and be anyone you set out to be." "I intend on it." "That's my boy.", Derrick smiled at his youngest son.

"Dad, that was delicious!", Dave said as the trio made their way back to the apartment. "I'm glad you enjoyed it Dave.", Derrick wrapped his arm around his shoulders as Dirk opened the door to the apartment. "Make yourself at home Dad.", Dirk said as the three walked onto the living room. "Do you want any coffee?", Dirk asked. "Actually, I would like a cup. Thank you." Dirk poured their dad and himself a cup when it was done. "Here you go.", Dirk said handing him the cup. "Thank you Son."

"So Dirk, how have you been?", Derrick said, taking a sip from his coffee. "I've been doing good. Working, taking care of Little Man. Basically same thing, different day." "And what exactly is your occupation?" "I mostly D.J. at this club downtown called Stringer, but recently I've been getting requests to D.J. in other cities. The farthest one was in Miami." "My goodness." "I manly work on Fridays-Sundays, sometimes Wednesday-Sunday. From about 8-4 most nights. And on Spring Break, I can easily find myself working 7 days a week." "And who watches Dave while you work?" "No one. I let him stay by himself." Derrick gave him a rather displeased look. He didn't like the idea of his youngest son staying by himself alone at nights. But, he didn't say anything in protest. "All I'm going to say is that it's not a very wise decision to leave a young boy alone at night by himself." "He's fine Dad. I check up on him and if he needs anything, he calls me." "Okay.", Derrick simply stated.

"So Dave, what do you want to be when you grow up?" "I wanna become a music artist and create sick beats like Bro." Derrick didn't approve of that either. But, like with Dirk, he didn't protest in the manner. Instead, he put on a fake smile for his son. "Are you looking to release albums?" "Yeah." "Good, and who knows. Maybe someday, Dirk will be spinning your records." Both Dave and Dirk laughed at that.

The next few hours were spent conversing about each other's lives. Derrick explained how he and Cynthia had met. It was just an accidental run in that brought the two together. Cynthia was just 17 when she ran into Derrick Strider almost 31 years ago. Cynthia was a high school drop out due to her father's death and now the partial bread winner of her family. Derrick was 19 and a freshman at Harvard Business School. He was walking by the diner where she worked as a waitress; when the beautiful, striking blonde caught his eyes. He immediately rushed into the diner and sat down with her. The two talked and talked for hours until the diner closed. Cynthia told Derrick of her situation and offered to help her any way he could. He then gave Cynthia enough money to pay for her family's expenses for a month. After that night the two just clicked. The began dating, and on Cynthia's 18th birthday, Derrick proposed to her. But, his father found out about the engagement, and told him that if he didn't break it off, that he would be completely disinherited. Caught between a rock and a hard place, he very reluctantly broke off the engagement. When Cynthia told Derrick she was pregnant, with his child, Derrick told her that after the baby was born to change her last name to Strider. Even if he couldn't marry her, she and the baby will have his name, and he will always be able to care for them. After the baby was born, Cynthia told him that she named him after him, Dirk.

Derrick goes on to tell them that after Dirk was born, he began to see Cynthia less and less frequently. He worked for his father's company and his father always kept him on a tight leash. Making him do this and do that, giving him little, if any spare time to write let alone see Cynthia and his child. He tried to make up for it by sending them a healthy sum of money each month. Where Cynthia didn't have to work, so she could stay home and take care of their son.

When he did manage to find time to meet with Cynthia, he jumped at it. He said he regretted deeply how he didn't include Dirk in those times. He said the last time he and Cynthia saw each other was in May of 95. Six months before Dave's untimely birth and Cynthia's death.

Upon hearing their dad's story, Dave felt bad for the man, and was a little angry at himself. Here was this man, trying to reconnect with his sons after so many years; and here was Dave barely wanting to give the man a chance at first. He felt so guilty that he didn't hardly want anything to do with the man when he first laid eyes on his just hours ago. Dave felt that he could finally accept the man as his father.

Like Dave, Dirk also felt guilty for not hardly wanting to give the man a chance. Just 24 hours ago, he was angry at their father for not being their for them and could careless if he ever saw their father. Now he could honestly say that he was ready to accept the man into his and Dave's lives as their father.

Both Strider siblings embrace their father in a huge, warm Strider family hug.

"I love you both, always!", Derrick said embracing his sons. "We love you too Dad!", both siblings said simultaneously.

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