Ferg brought Vic's unit back to Walt's cabin late Sunday night. Ferg had been off on a three day, two night campout with some local teens as part of a new Sheriff's office and county outreach program.

Early the Friday before, Ferg had left with five teens in the borrowed department unit. Vic had refused to get up at the 'ass crack of dawn' to switch cars with him, so she talked Ferg into switching vehicles with her after work Thursday and they agreed she would leave his car at Walt's on Sunday because Ferg would be getting in late the teens would be getting picked up at the Red Pony. It seemed silly for Ferg to go the Red Pony, then all the way out to Vic's, just to turn back and go home; which wasn't far from the Red Pony. That was reason enough, but when Vic learned Ferg was off Monday, she didn't think he should have to spend it running all over trying to switch the cars. Besides, she wanted to be as accommodating as possible to him because she did not want to have to take the teen group out anywhere. Playing nice with Ferg was the best way she could think of to get him to deal with the teens she would just as soon avoid. Vic dropped the Trans Am back at Walt's cabin early Sunday morning; Walt took Vic to work with him and then dropped her at home at the end of her shift.

Walt helped Ferg transfer several bags of equipment and supplies into the trunk, backseat and passenger seat of his car. Ferg asked if Walt thought Vic would mind him leaving the last two bags until he could pick them up at the station. They were packed and ready for next time and he didn't want to get them mixed up with the ones he needed to repack, repair or wash. Walt told him not to worry about Vic that he would handle it and Ferg could pick up his equipment his next day at work. The younger man thanked him again and left for home, looking very tired but truly satisfied with the success of the weekend.

Walt went inside and called Vic to tell her that her truck was at his cabin and he would pick her up early the next day. He apologized for it having to be so early but he needed her to bring him back to pick up the bronco, he had several appointments that day and did not want to leave her without a vehicle on a Monday; they tended to be very busy days around the office. He did not want to hassle with it so late in the evening and Vic seemed to have the same opinion of letting it wait until the next morning.

Vic was more than happy to put off the car swapping until the next morning. It was really cold out and she had already showered and dressed in her warmest, fuzziest, coziest pajamas and had no interest in going back out in the freezing cold. Besides she knew without a truck she would likely have the whole night off. She planned to finish a book she had been trying to read for more than a week. Curling up with a glass of wine, reading her book, and going to sleep early sounded like a plan; especially if Walt was coming over at the 'ass crack of dawn'. Hell the sun wasn't even up until after seven these days, she was going to enjoy every minute of the evening; to make up for the early morning, in the dark, crisscrossing town, before work escapade slated for first thing the next day.

On his way to pick Vic up in the morning, Walt heard a radio dispatch call from the highway patrol requesting assistance just off of the highway at the far end of town. When he arrived at her house, Vic was already dressed head to toe, ready for work. She had had the scanner on and was waiting just inside the door; it was too damn cold to wait outside. As soon as she saw him pull up she stepped out the front door locked it quickly and rushed over to her truck.

She jumped in the passenger seat, "I heard let's go," and yanked her seatbelt around and latched it into the buckle.

Walt turned the truck around and headed out to the highway.

Vic grabbed the mic then hung up again. Walt glanced at her and she shrugged, "I forgot, it's too early, there's no one in the office yet."

Walt smiled when he caught her trying to stifle a yawn.

"What?! So, I need more coffee. Okay?"

"Okay." He answered as though she had made a request and handed her his thermos. Vic took the container and just held it. He glanced at her, "Thought you needed more coffee?"

She rolled her eyes at him just before he looked back out the windshield, "Well, since I'm sure you don't have cream and sugar in your pockets, I'll wait."

Walt grinned to himself as he gave her a short sidelong glance, "I would think the cream and sugar in there should be enough." He held the look on her just until her eyes snap to his and then he let his smile broaden across his face as he returned his attention to the road.

She wasted no time removing cap and pouring the hot, pale, sweet coffee into the cap cup. Vic blew at the steam before taking a tentative sip. The coffee was hot but not scalding as she took a long swallow of the warming liquid before turning in giving Walt a brilliant smile and a simple, "Thanks."

"Yep."

They reached the scene of the accident at about the same time as two tow trucks arrived. A friend of Walt's, Roger Ryan, was the senior highway patrol officer on scene. He nodded to Vic and as she nodded back she smiled thinking they were no more than 'nodding acquaintances'. They had met a couple of times before, usually in similar situations; calls out for added assistance on the highway for some issue or other. However, in this case, by the time she and Walt had arrived, everything was pretty well under control. Roger and Walt spoke for a few moments, Roger thanked Walt for arriving so quickly to lend assistance but explained that with the first tow truck, its driver, and trainee, the two extra tow trucks and drivers available as well as his other officers they should have everything taken care of in fairly short order. He clasped Walt on the back and shook his hand, thanking him one more time, before looking over Walt's shoulder and giving Vic another nod, she dutifully nodded back before chuckling to herself at their 'nodding acquaintance'.

Walt turned to Vic's unit and saw she was still in the passenger seat so he walked around and climbed in behind the wheel. He looked at her as he fastened the seatbelt and started the truck, "Sorry, kind of a false alarm I guess."

"That's alright."

"Uhm Vic, would you mind if we took a slightly longer route out around Durant on our way back to the cabin?"

"No, I guess not, why?"

"The extremely cold weather in the last few days has me concerned with the 'triple bridges' on the far end of town."

"Triple bridges?"

"Just off the highway at the opposite end of town. I've been meaning to get out there to look at them, but haven't had a chance."

Vic rolled her eyes at him, "I think that's a wonderful idea. I'm surprised you haven't checked on them before now." Her tone dripped with sarcasm and she added, "It isn't like you haven't had anything else to do."

Walt gave her a sideways glance and shook his head as a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"What?" she asked. "

"Nothing." he replied his smile laced his words.

"Well shit Walt, I mean I know you're the sheriff but now you've gotta check every road too?"

"Come on. Vic, you know that we don't have enough county resources to have all of the roads checked and inspected at regular intervals and part of it falls to me to help augment the checks that need to be done."

"No it doesn't, you just think you have to do it. You think you have to do everything everybody else doesn't do in this county."

He sat in silence, he didn't know if she was mad at him, mad because it was early in the morning, or mad because she was cold. Worse yet she could have been mad at all three.

A 'mad Vic' was at times a 'scary Vic'.

Without answering her, Walt simply reached over and turned the heater up higher. He drove the stretch of highway that skirted Durant and had started to slow, as he came near the turn off for the triple bridges section, he noticed the truck slip a little.

Vic's head snapped in his direction. "What the hell was that?!"

Walt calmly stated, "Black ice."

"Shit! Walt, slow this thing down, I don't want to go all Wyoming countryside tilt-a-whirl in this truck."