Wednesday afternoon

Walt and Vic made their way to the Busy Bee. They opted for a booth, sliding in opposite each other; in the booth farthest back in the little diner. Walt sat with his back to the wall, the end of the counter and kitchen entrance were just off his right shoulder.

Dorothy saw them sitting in the booth and came over with two iced teas, "Working a gory or top secret one?"

Walt and Vic had been staring at each other when Dorothy approached; Walt's response was delayed a beat before he swung his face to Dorothy, "Uh. What?"

"The case. You usually sit off from the counter when you're working an especially gory or secret case. I just wondered what it was today."

"Oh, uh, well, uhm."

Vic rescued him, mostly because she wanted to be as alone with him as was possible in the busy diner. "No case today, Dorothy." She smiled at the woman and hoped she didn't look as goofy as she felt.

"Oh, okay. There's a first time for everything I guess." She smiled at the pair and then questioned, "The usual?"

"Yep" the stereo answer came from both sides of the table at once.

"You got it."

"Thanks." Walt said but his gaze was back on Vic.

Vic couldn't help it she began to laugh, "You keep that up and you won't have to tell Omar anything."

"What?"

"Looking guilty and staring unabashedly in equal measure."

"Oh that." Walt smiled at her then chuckled as he began to blush slightly then he shrugged almost apologetically, "Can't help it."

She smile warmly at him, "Me either."

"Vic I just feel… I don't know… just…"

"Silly?"

"Yeah, a little. But good, ya know?"

"Yeah, I do."

They fell silent for a few minutes trying not to stare at each other with stupid grins on their faces. Walt would reach for her hand every once in a while and then pull his hand back. After he caught himself yet again, he said, "Probably not a good idea to be holding hands in public."

"No, probably not. Just like I probably shouldn't play footsie with you here either."

"Right."

"Hey what are you gonna tell Omar tomorrow?"

"Dunno. Thought we could discuss that over pizza tonight."

"Okay."

"Vic…"

Walt's hesitation worried her just a little so she asked, "What?" just to fill the silence.

"I was wondering. You said you preferred the direct approach to dating."

The statement sounded somewhat like a question but Vic couldn't figure out exactly what it was or how to answer it, so she settled for, "Yeah."

"But then you kissed me. How is that a direct approach to dating?"

She grinned, "Oh that. Well, that's more of the direct approach later in dating."

"Oh." Walt tried to keep his tone neutral, but one corner of his mouth ticked up slightly.

"What?"

"It just occurred to me we are still being silly with the way we are going about this dating business."

There was a slight edge to her tone as Vic denied his assertion, "No we aren't. I just skipped ahead earlier, that's all."

Walt gave into the impulse to hold her hand, if only for a brief moment. He reached out and gently squeezed it before releasing it and drawing his hand back. "Vic I was referring to the staring, blushing, and nervous conversation."

"Oh." Vic gave him a small apologetic smile.

"I was going to tease you about kissing me as a way to ask me out. But since I pretty much messed that up, can I say I'm sorry by seriously asking you if you would join me for a special dinner a week from this Saturday at the Red Pony?"

"I'd like that."

"It's the anniversary of Henry buying the Pony and we always get together, a sort of informal anniversary party Henry, Cady, 'n me. Used to be Henry, Martha, 'n me, then Henry, Martha, Cady, and me."

He was sounding like he was beginning to ramble and could not figure out how to stop. Vic jumped in hoping he wouldn't think she had interrupted, "Walt honestly, I would love to but I think maybe I shouldn't."

"Why not?"

"That's like a private thing."

"Not when it's in a public bar."

"No I mean it's a family thing."

He smiled a small, soft, warm smile, "Vic it's a friend thing."

"So you don't think this would bring up a lot of questions that maybe you're well we aren't ready to answer?"

"I don't want to hide us Vic, do you?"

"No not really but I thought maybe you did."

"Nope." He smiled at her as he continued, "I'm not taking out any ads or anything but if people figure it out good for them."

She winked at him, "And if they don't? Better for us."

Vic waggled her eyebrows for effect, causing Walt to actually laugh, just as Dorothy stepped up to their table. She held two platters filled in an identical fashion. Each held an extra turkey and bacon triple decker club sandwich and a mound of her special seasoned steak fries. "Here ya go." She set the platters down in front of them and then frowned, "Something wrong with the tea?"

"Huh?" Walt asked looking up at her as Vic said, "No, not at all."

The older woman looked from Walt to Vic, "You always down several glasses of my tea when you're here. You haven't needed a single refill yet. What gives?"

Vic's mouth drew up into a lopsided grin, "Sorry Dorothy, I guess I was just really focused on our conversation."

"You're sure? There's nothing wrong with it?"

"No, no honest. I just, well I haven't even had a sip of it yet. Sorry, but I guess I forgot it was sitting there."

"Okay." The chief cook and bottle washer eyed them both with some suspicion, "But you'd tell me if there was a problem right?"

Vic slashed and index finger across and then down her chest, 'crossing her heart', "Absolutely."

Dorothy turned her gaze to Walt who quickly held up a two finger salute, "Scout's honor."

"Alright," she acquiesced before walking away, but she kept looking back at them as if she didn't quite believe them.

"Oops" Vic smiled at Walt, "Sorry."

"For what?"

"I dunno, kinda feels like I brought too much attention to us or something."

"Nah, don't worry about it," Walt said as he picked up a section of his sandwich, "But drink your tea."

"Right." Vic snatched the glass from the table and took a long swallow before picking up part of her sandwich.

They each focused on their food for a while; neither wanting to offend Dorothy twice in one day. After several minutes of steady eating Vic asked, "So no hand holding, no footsie, what was all of that?"

"A delineation of personal and professional boundaries."

"Oooookay."

What tilted his head toward her, "What, what's wrong?"

"Nothing it just occurred to me that that's something we're gonna haveta talk about and talkin' doesn't always seem to be our best practice."

"I think we're improving."

"Maybe we are." Vic said and then took a long swallow of her tea before continuing. "So hand holding, kissing, hugging, playing footsie in public …" She gave Walt a look that said he should continue the thought.

"And in uniform it's just something we avoid."

"And out of uniform?" She asked suggestively.

Walt refused to take the bait, "Out of uniform, in or out of public we just go with what feels right."

She smiled broadly at him, "I think I can do that"

He smirked back at her, "I think I can to. Well I hope I can."

Vic couldn't help but laugh at him when he made a face at her; she wadded up her napkin and threw it at him.

He pulled the napkin from his lap where it had fallen and dropped it beside his plate then looked at her and said with feigned disapproval, "And no assaulting your boss while in uniform either."

Vic gave him a mock salute and a decidedly flippant, "Yes sir!" Pleased her nonsense had brought another smile to Walt's face. She looked around and raised her glass to Dorothy who was over with a refill in short order.

The café owner smiled broadly when she notice their meals had been well enjoyed, refilling Vic's empty glass and topping off Walt's she said, "Glad to see you two were able to focus on your meals for a while." Her tone was not harsh but Walt and Vic were both pretty sure they were not completely out of trouble with her yet.

Vic glanced up at her, "Yes we were, finally. Again I'm sorry about worrying you with the tea Dorothy. We just had a really unusual morning and I was really distracted earlier." She pulled the glass to her and made sure Dorothy saw she was in fact enjoying the tea, and then she popped a fry in her mouth as soon as she has swallowed her mouthful of tea.

Walt tried his best to look equally apologetic and tagged onto Vic's lead, "Yeah uhm, Vic and I had a couple of close calls with a step stool and toner cartridge this morning." Vic shot him a look that said he was not helping. Walt clamped his lips together. 'Leave it to the guy who doesn't say much to open his mouth and make things worse,' he thought ruefully.

Vic tried to salvage the apology, "Yeah I almost fell a couple of times and for some reason the whole experience just seemed to rattle me." Another fry in her mouth Vic offered a grin before covering her mouth with one hand and talking around the fry, "These are so good, I could make a whole meal outta these by themselves."

Dorothy smiled at her, "I'm glad you like them. Let me know when you need some more tea." With a quick glance at Walt she started to walk away.

Vic give her a quick, "You bet." Before Dorothy was so far away she'd have to shout. Taking a large bite of her sandwich, Vic reached on her lap for her napkin. Chewing quickly and swallowing she looked at Walt. The mayo she had felt squeeze out onto her face when she had taken the oversized bite hung at the corner of her mouth, "Could I have my napkin back, please?" She leaned over her plate to keep the glob of mayo from falling in her lap.

Walt lifted the napkin and with a twinkle in his eye he teased, "Promise not to assault me with in again?" Vic narrowed her gaze, all humor dissolving before his eyes, "Okay, okay here." He shoved the napkin in her direction.

Vic snatched it from him and wiped the mayonnaise from her face, looked down at the napkin, and then up at Walt, "I should throw it at you now," she turned her hand so he could see the oily condiment, "and let you deal with this."

For a spilt second he thought she was going to do just that. Fear flashed in his eyes and then his ears rang with Vic's laughter.

She lowered her voice, "Geez Walt! You are too easy."

Seeing the sparkle of mischief in her eyes and hearing the genuine humor in her laugh Walt relaxed. He stated to smile, but something told him he may have just been insulted, so he stared at her with an 'explain' expression.

Vic continued to smile at him. "Did you honestly think I would throw a napkin full of mayonnaise at you? Come on, that's extreme even for me."

Realizing that his fear of her really throwing the napkin and its offending contents at him may have been more evident on his face than he'd first thought. He offered her a shrug, "Kinda did for a second or two. Thought I'd pissed you off making you wait for your napkin."

"Nah, just wanted to make you think you did."

"You did." The self-satisfied smirk she gave him in response made him smile; he'd been played but he found he didn't mind at all.

They had finished their meal and Vic had asked Dorothy for a tea to go and box for the last section of her sandwich and the few fries she had leftover.

Getting up to leave, Vic waved the box at Dorothy as the older woman approached the pair, "Midnight snack."

Dorothy's mouth drew into a small smile, "Enjoy it Vic. See you both later, huh?" She directed the last to Walt with a shift of her gaze.

He handed her a couple of bills to cover their lunch. "Tomorrow, Dorothy," he answered and held the two finger salute up for her again, causing her to chuckle and shake her head at him at him.

They walked past her, not four paces later they heard Dorothy's raised voice as it pitched just slightly higher, "Walter?!"

They spun in unison to face her and Walt stepped toward the older woman, "What? What's wrong?" He quickly closed the distance between them; deeply concerned for his friend.

Dorothy reached out and grasped his left arm, turning him to his right as she leaned to her right to better see the shirt at the back of his neck.

Walt tried turning back to face her, "What?" Then he shifted and tried, unsuccessfully, to see what she was looking at, "What?"

Vic noticed what had captured Dorothy's attention and walked over to them; trying not to give in to a laugh.

Walt had twisted around and 'What?'ed several times before she reached them.

Dorothy was chuckling at him, "Walter just what on earth have you gotten yourself into?" He craned his neck again and again before Dorothy stopped him, "You can't see it, it's too far around the back of your neck."

"Well, what is it?!" He got frustrated in record time but allowed Dorothy to turn him again so she could get a better look. He stood facing Vic and gave her a questioning look.

Vic mouthed 'Toner ink' and raised her eyebrow as if to say 'Oops.' Walt rolled his eyes at her and dropped his chin slightly with a sigh. His gyrations had almost made her cave in to her laughter, but she had held herself together. However, the look he gave her pushed her resistance to the brink and Vic began to laugh, louder than she should; which in turn earned her another equally irked expression from him.

Dorothy's voice reached them both as she fingered the smudge on his shirt, "It looks like it's some kind of powered ink or something."

Walt turned to face her and Vic peeked around his arm and looked at Dorothy too. When Walt continued to stand in silence Vic shoulder checked him. He still said nothing, just looked down at her.

Vic had managed to curtail her laughter enough to speak, "It's okay Dorothy. It's just toner ink from the close call earlier." She said it as though her statement explained everything.

She gave Walt a subtle nudge with her shoulder, "Yeah its fine Dorothy, thanks."

He turned toward Vic indicating it was time to leave. She snickered at him again as she turned to lead the way out of the diner. Again Dorothy's voice caused them to hesitate.

"Walt it's smeared into your hair too!"

Without turning Walt called back, "See ya tomorrow."

Dorothy's loud laughter of understanding followed them out the door, "Watch out for those 'Close calls' you two."