To the Ends of the Earth, a longmire fanfic

A/N - This got a bit longer than intended but I have a lot of Longmire feelings! Thanks for reading and I always appreciate feedback!

I was a-ready to die for you, baby

Doesn't mean I'm ready to stay

What good is livin' a life you've been given

If all you do is stand in one place

The glow of the Christmas tree lit up the windows of the cabin on the dark, cold Wyoming night. Cady still couldn't believe her dad wanted to put a tree up, but ever since he came to her about taking his place as sheriff, his actions were pretty damn unpredictable.

"Wow, he put lights on the tree and everything," Cady said after she and Zach got out of his truck.

"It looks nice," Zach said. "Can we go in now or do we have to stand outside until we freeze? I'm just askin', I don't know the traditions around here."

Cady laughed. "I get it, you're cold. Let's go in."

Cady was still trying to process these new developments. A few days ago, her dad had called her at the office, where Vic was giving her an ongoing lesson in Being a Cop 101. Vic had answered the phone when Walt called and said, "Yeah, she's right here. She's my star pupil! She's going to be the first rock star sheriff of Absaroka County. Oh, come on, you weren't a rock star-you were the bad ass cowboy."

Cady rolled her eyes. She wasn't used to this new dynamic yet, and it had been months now.

"Hey Punk," Walt had said predictably when she got on the phone.

"Hi, Dad. What's up?"

"Well, I was thinking that we should all get together for Christmas Eve," Walt said. "Vic will make dinner. I was thinking about getting a tree, too."

"A tree? You haven't had a Christmas tree since Mom..." Cady didn't finish the sentence. Vic looked up at her with curiosity, and she could hear her dad's brooding over the phone somehow.

They hadn't had a tree since before her mother got sick and didn't feel like doing anything other than sleeping. When Cady was a kid, Walt and her mom loved celebrating the holidays. They'd get a huge tree and decorate it with all their favorite sentimental ornaments. Martha cooked for days and Walt would spend way too much money on presents. Walt hadn't so much as acknowledged any holiday since Martha's death. The fact that he was moving on shouldn't have hurt Cady so much, and yet it did.

"I know, but I'm feeling the spirit this year. We'll invite everyone. And of course, you can bring Zach. What do you say, Punk?"

Cady knew it was important to Walt that she agree to this, and so she did. He sounded so content when he hung up that she almost wasn't dreading the whole ordeal.

Walt's feelings towards Cady and Zach dating were probably similar to Cady's feelings about him and Vic. She's okay with it, and she knows it makes them both obscenely happy, but... it's so weird.

Cady knew something was up with Walt in the weeks following Malachi's death. She thought it was just that he was relieved the whole ordeal was over, but Vic was also acting strangely, too. Cady noticed Vic wouldn't look her in the eye, for one thing, but Vic also had this bizarre smile on her face all the time. Literally all the time. Cady was getting a bit freaked out by the whole masquerade, so she did what she usually does and asked Henry.

She met him at the casino to have lunch, and whistled when he walked into The Grill wearing a suit. She was proud of Henry; he really seemed to be in his element as a casino owner.

"Looking good, my friend," she said when they sat down to eat. She enjoyed seeing all the employees trying to impress the boss as they buzzed around the restaurant.

"Thank you, Cady. You are also wearing that Future Sheriff look well."

The election for sheriff was in a few months, and so far, Cady was running unopposed. She wasn't ready to be sheriff-she didn't even know if that was what she wanted-but as the weeks flew by while her dad transitioned in and out of the office and Ferg and Vic did their best to educate her, Cady found that it wasn't as scary a prospect as she feared. She could be good at this, maybe. She at least wanted to try.

"Yeah, well, I've had a good example."

Henry nodded and looked at her sternly. "What is up, Cady? You have that look on your face. That determined look that says you want to ask me something serious."

Cady laughed. "You know me so well. I'll just get to the point-have you noticed anything weird about my dad lately?"

"Yes, he does seem unusually happy these days, actually. Maybe it is because no one is actively trying to kill him at the moment."

"True. That does seem to be good for his state of mind. But that's not it. I'll just put it out there-I think Dad and Vic are seeing each other."

Henry considered this, and then nodded. "That would make sense. The two of them have been more secretive than usual-sneaking off a lot when they think I am not looking. And they cannot seem to stop smiling, which in the past have not been their strongest traits."

Cady scoffed. "You don't think that's weird? And gross? And wrong?"

"No, I do not. I can understand why you do, but he is happy. You have observed that he is absolutely elated to be alive, right?"

Well, that was the problem. Cady could see that her dad was in a good place. In the four and a half years since her mother died, Walt hadn't smiled so much or seemed so carefree until now. But she had to work with Vic, like, every day. And Vic was just a few years older than her. And... Vic! Who once asked her why she had to be such a "goody-goody." Vic, who was basically the exact opposite of Martha. Maybe that's why Walt was so intrigued by her. Cady decided not to think about it any more than she had to.

Cady sighed. "Yeah. I guess I'll give him a pass this time."

And she had. Instead of letting them pretend that they weren't disgustingly in love, Cady called her dad and gave him her blessing, and told Vic at the office, too. Neither of them tried to deny it, either, which was another weird thing for Walt-he would tell her the earth was flat if it helped keep her safe from the cold, hard truth.

Once she and Zach came inside, she heard laughter coming from the kitchen. That wasn't a sound she was used to hearing at her dad's house in a long time, but it was welcomed. After her mom's death, and then also losing Branch, Cady sometimes wondered how she could ever be happy again. it was so hard. But things can change; the thoughts become easier with time. And Cady could definitely get used to this, she thought. Being sheriff, protecting the interests of a county her dad had put his heart and soul into; she could get used to that. But more importantly, holding hands with her handsome and capable boyfriend, hearing joy come from a home that hadn't seen a lot of it in the past years, and seeing her dad smiling and passing out cups of hot chocolate… she could get used to it.

"Hey, hon," Walt said as she and Zach entered the kitchen.

"Hi, Dad. The place looks great."

"Doesn't it? Vic did most of the decorating," he said, smiling in Vic's direction. Vic was at the stove, stirring something that smelled delicious. Cady enjoyed one moment of wondering why Vic thought she could come in her dad's house and take over the kitchen like some kind of monster, but she shook it off. This was the new normal, and that was okay.

Zach came in and shook Walt's hand, complimenting him on the decorations, as well. Then he took Cady's hand and squeezed it, and she knew that somehow he understood. Yep, she could get used to this.

When Walt suggested they have a Christmas Eve party, Vic volunteered to cook. Walt had looked at her with such surprise that she couldn't help but laugh.

"You don't think I can cook, do you?"

"It's not that I doubt you can, but I've never seen any evidence that this is the case," Walt had said, smirking.

"Walt, I am from an Italian family in Philadelphia. Of course I can cook. It's all my mother ever did growing up-my brothers were like human vacuum cleaners when it came to food. I learned a lot from her."

"Well, good. Thanks for volunteering."

"Of course," Vic replied. "I think the party is a great idea."

Walt nodded, and had a cute little smile on his face all day afterwards. Vic liked when Walt was happy and proud of himself. The first year or two she knew him, it looked like he was constantly on the verge of leaving one day and never returning. But he's here now, and while he might leave often to continue his treasure finding journey, he always came back.

During the party, Vic greeted everyone as they came in the kitchen-Cady and Zach, Ruby, Henry, newly engaged Ferg and Meg, along with Beverly. Mathias even stopped by for a minute, but he left before he gave anyone the impression he was having a good time.

While Vic chopped some bell peppers and onions, Walt came over and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled and sank into him for a moment. Vic obviously didn't need a man to make her feel safe; she carried a gun with her at all times and knew how to use it. But just being in Walt's presence made her feel peaceful. Every other man in her life had the opposite affect.

"Careful, I have a knife."

"I'm not that worried, I have 13 scars already," Walt said, and she laughed. She turned around and kissed him, a very impolite kiss in front of all their friends and co-workers.

"That's really gross," Ferg said as he was passing by. "I mean, we're all happy for you, but it's exceptionally gross."

"I think it's cute," Meg said, punching Ferg in the arm. "They are in love. Like we are!"

Ferg smiled at his new fiancee like she had just recited a Shakespearean sonnet and said, "You're right. As usual."

Vic shook her head as the two of them walked outside to look at the sunset, appreciating their young love. Once upon a time she and Sean were googly-eyed and in love, but it wasn't real, and not meant to list forever. Her feelings for Walt were so different; like she was finally ready for a mature, steady kind of love.

"Having fun?" Walt asked her.

"Yeah. I like being in a house full of people and laughter and friends," Vic said, realizing how much that was true. There was always so many people at her house-idiot friends of her brother, her dad's cop associates, her mom's friends from church. When she and Sean came to Wyoming, she enjoyed the peacefulness for a while, but it was always nice to be reminded of her past, too. Someday she was going to have to tell her dad about Walt, which she was not looking forward to for a number of reasons. But she eventually wanted to take Walt to Philadelphia and show him her side of things.

A year ago, she never would have imagined she'd be at Walt's stove, cooking gravy for a Christmas Eve feast. She wouldn't have allowed herself to think it was possible. But the second Walt handed her a bulletproof vest and then pulled her to him in the world's best first kiss, Vic knew everything was about to change. And that was utterly terrifying for her to think about. Okay, so hunting down Malachi Strand was a little scarier than the man she'd loved for years finally kissing her, but once that was over and everyone escaped relatively unscathed (except Malachi, of course), Vic could barely comprehend what came next.

She'd thought about that moment for a long, long time. When she was married, when she was divorced, when she was having her flings with Eamonn and Travis, when she was pregnant, and when she was not pregnant anymore. Walt was the center of her universe; she was always trying to save him when he was too busy to care about protecting himself. And especially for the past year, he was the only one who was always there for her. When he helped her through the miscarriage; when he held her while she cried-nobody else could have done that for her. Sometimes she thought he was her best friend, which didn't make any sense-he was her boss, for crying out loud. He was older, he was so much more experienced, and most of all, he didn't think of her that way. Except... maybe he did? Every single goddamn day, Vic felt like he was looking at her and considering if it was worth it or not. It was exhausting, and not only because she knew it would be worth it, and not only because she never stopped trying to prove that to him in their truly frustrating unspoken conversation understanding.

But then Walt kissed her, and Vic knew nothing would be the same. She inherently understood that she was finally about to get everything she wanted. She knew from that single moment when he grabbed her and pulled her up to him, that he would never stop protecting her, and she would do the same. There was a promise in that kiss, one that she silently took him up on. It was a promise that he was finally ready to do this, and he would give up everything if it meant he could kiss her again. Yep, Vic got that all from one kiss-that's how good it was. Not to mention the sex that followed that night-the headboard grabbing, rigorous sex that made Vic feel like it was all worth waiting for; that they both earned this night, this passion, this... love.

Although, like she told Walt, Vic wasn't sure if she was ready to completely devote herself to a relationship quite yet. She was still reeling from the miscarriage, and if she was going to do this, she wanted to do it right. Both she and Walt deserved that much. But Walt was patient. He went off in search of treasure and she stayed back to find herself. Vic went to therapy, and went back to the grief group, too. Helping Cady figure out Sheriffing 101 was also more rewarding than Vic thought it could be, even though she knew Cady was having some trouble herself with this new relationship. There wasn't much Vic could do about that—she was pretty damn unapologetic in her love for Walt Longmire.

Vic was basically living with the man, too. Her trailer was still there for her when she needed some quiet alone time, but inevitably she'd miss Walt too much and he'd welcome her back with open arms. It was funny; it seemed like she'd know everything about Walt after spending so much time with him at work, but now she was always finding out new things about him. Like, he left his damn boots in the kitchen all the time, and she'd trip over them. Or that he never threw his wrappers away—actually he hardly ever threw anything away. Vic knew that he was equally as dismayed by her bad habits, like humming whenever she's not talking, or playing music—mostly eighties hair bands or something else Walt couldn't identify but just knew he didn't like—at levels past what was decent for human ears. So they weren't giggling teenagers 24/7, but they were pretty excruciatingly and disgustingly happy together.

And maybe later, after everyone left, they could get back to some of that headboard grabbing sex.

Walt had always considered himself a content man until Martha died. He had a good childhood; his father taught him everything he knew, and his mom gave him more love than he probably deserved. He learned about the law and how to be a sheriff from Lucian, although he obviously did things much differently than Lucian. He liked to read; he enjoyed writing down his thoughts and being a published author. Walt also loved being a dad. Cady was the cutest baby, and she was an easy child to raise-she always wanted to do the right thing, which he knew she got from her mother.

Martha loved sunsets; almost every single night she'd stop whatever she was doing to watch the sun set from the back porch of the cabin. And then she got cancer, and then she was murdered, and life stopped mattering.

He wouldn't claim that Vic is the one who saved him; that's the kind of stuff found in fairy tales and the Disney movies Cady grew up watching. But she certainly was the one who helped him wake up from his stupor. Six months after Martha died, he found himself needing to hire another deputy. Vic came in for the interview, all strong and mouthy and beautiful (of course he noticed her looks-he wasn't completely dead inside), and somehow Walt knew that he needed this woman in his life. Not only was she smart and competent and exactly what Walt wanted in a deputy, but from the second she got in a car with him to go to a scene, she was looking after him in her own way. Walt knew Vic wouldn't agree, but she was so nurturing from the beginning.

Somewhere along the way he had become aware that she harbored a bit of a crush on him, but it was harmless. He had his flings with Lizzie and then Donna and shortly thereafter realized they weren't going to be the miracle he selfishly wanted them to be. And then when he started realizing he couldn't live without Vic; that every time he thought she was in danger he would lose his mind... yeah, that was a problem. But it wasn't anymore. They were in love. It wasn't always easy-Vic was probably right when she said he'd never love her as much as Martha. And at times, Walt could feel her tensing up when he was touching her, like she was quickly building more walls to protect herself against the love she knew wouldn't match what she felt for her baby. But in time, they'd let each other in completely, and until then, they could do it this way. It was working, and why mess with a good thing?

"Walt? Hellllo?" Ruby tapped him on the shoulder. Walt realized he'd been spacing out, thinking about how he never knew this night would be possible.

"What's up, Ruby?"

"I just wanted to say that this was a lovely party, and I'm going home now."

Walt hugged his old friend Ruby and said, "Thanks for coming. Have a safe trip home. Drive really slow, okay? It's snowing."

"It's not snowing, Walter. I'll be fine."

Walt got his cell phone out of his pocket and showed her the weather app. "It's going to snow in the next 45 minutes. So I can get Ferg to drive you home if-"

Ruby laughed. "Oh, Walt, put that darn phone away. I knew you'd eventually get as addicted as the rest of us. Anyway, You're sweet, but I'll be fine. I'm not exactly a racecar driver as it is."

Walt smiled and helped her into her coat. She looked like she wanted to say something else, but was hesitating.

"What is it, Rube? I know that look."

"Oh, Walt, I just wanted to tell you that I'm glad you had this party, and I'm glad you're happy. I wasn't sure what to think about you and Vic at first..."

Walt nodded. He knew Ruby was conflicted when she learned about the situation. She was not exactly encouraging him to pursue it like she had when he was using her computer to look up pictures of Donna.

"But I've seen how the two of you have gotten so close over the years, and I'm glad you have each other. You deserve it, Walt. I'm proud of you."

Walt was touched in spite of himself. "Thanks, Ruby. I love ya. Get home safely. Have a good holiday."

"Love you, too, Walt." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and then left.

After dessert-a peanut butter pie that Beverly made-most everyone stuck around to play some Cards Against Humanity and drink the last of Walter's Rainier. He and Vic sat next to each other, laughing and holding hands and stealing kisses when nobody was looking. Walt loved hearing all the laughter at his house. After everything that happened recently-the trial, Vic getting shot by Chance, Buffalo Bill being Buffalo Bob, Malachi's last stand-he thought he may never hear it again. But somehow, life still happens, and people do heal. Walt had actually visited Bob in prison a few days ago, and was able to give him the good news that his son was out of rehab, completely sober, and had gotten a job on a ranch nearby. Bob was so happy, he almost didn't care he was still stuck in prison.

Slowly, the party was winding down and his friends and family left to begin their own traditions. Walt hugged Cady and shook Zach's hand again when they were ready to take off-Walt tried not to think about where they were going together. At least she'd be coming back for dinner tomorrow.

Before Henry left, Walt grabbed his arm and said, "You're welcome to stay here, you know. It's a long drive back to the casino." Walt was actually kind of glad Henry would be working at the casino during Christmas. It gave him something to do; a way to be productive on a day that might have otherwise been kind of sad.

"Thank you, Walt. I would, but I do not want to hear what is about to happen in your bedroom."

Vic, who was picking up all the beer bottles and leftover pie, laughed from across the room. "We appreciate that, Henry."

"I wish you happiness for your Christmas day, and I will see you before the new year," Henry said, and Walt nodded and said, "I wish you the same." And then he left, and Vic and Walt were alone again.

"Ughh, I have so many dishes to wash," Vic said. "I better do them before I go to bed."

"I'll do them tomorrow," Walt says. "Right now, I have other plans for us."

Vic grins. "Why Sheriff, I thought you'd never ask."

The two of them took their time getting to the bedroom, and then took their time in the bedroom.