Prologue

Walt rolled up, on the call of shots fired to the Cowan farm, less than three minutes ahead of Vic. The Cowan farm had been abandoned for a couple of years. It wasn't unusual to get a trespassing call from one of the neighbors or a disturbance call for a loud party being held in the old barn. 'Shots fired' was a new one for the place though. Walt had been able to ascertain that the house was still securely boarded shut and uninhabited. He was headed for the front of the old barn when he heard the report of a handgun along with a bullet zinging past his head.

Vic arrived just in time to see Walt being shot at; his hat flew off with a bullet through the edge of the crown. She jumped from her truck and ran toward him as he turned toward the side of the barn for cover. A shot whizzed passed them both and Walt saw her jacket wave unnaturally as a bullet pierced the area of fabric near her lower left side.

Walt reached his right arm out and threw it around Vic's waist, pulled her to him and up with him toward the side of the barn. The toe of his boot tilted into a low trough along the side of the barn and he stumbled. Walt quickly shifted his weight so he could soften the blow for Vic as they fell to the ground. He landed on his back with Vic sprawled at an angle across his chest. Carefully rolling to his left side, he held Vic tightly against him, so he could place her between himself and the side of the old barn.

The sounds of people bounding into a vehicle and spinning tires indicated their assailants were likely retreating. They laid still and listened carefully. There were no other noises, no sound at all; no cars or people and no immediate threat to their safety.

Rising up slightly Walt stared down at her, his hand still around her waist. One of her hands clutched at the chest of his coat as the other ran through his hair checking for any signs of a bullet track.

Vic breathed, "Are you okay?"

"Yup, fine. They missed me."

"Well they didn't miss your hat, saw it fly off your head."

"Yeah, felt that." The hand at her waist made its way to the edge of her jacket and he stuck one finger into the bullet hole as he asked, "You alright? Are you hit?"

She denied being hit and didn't understand why he was so concerned. When he looked down toward her waist she followed his line of sight and saw his finger sticking through the side of her duty jacket. He lifted his head and her eyes locked on his; she stared at him and swallowed hard, "I don't think I'm hit. Didn't feel anything"

Walt didn't hesitate; he yanked his finger free from her jacket and grabbed at the edge of her shirt. He pulled the tales of her shirt loose from the waistband of her jeans.

Vic noticed his hand moved urgently but was strangely gentle at the same time. She looked in the direction of her lower side but could not see anything because Walt's head blocked her view.

Carefully slipping his hand along her side he looked and felt for any sign of bullet hole or moisture from blood; his eyes and hand scanned the fabric and her flesh in intense inspection.

He heard the trimmer in her voice, "Am I hit?"

Walt breathed a sigh of relief as his eyes and his hand confirmed she was fine, he shook his head 'no' as he crushed Vic to him in a tight embrace and breathed across her hair, "No. You're okay."

Vic pushed him back just slightly as she eased her fingers into his hair on both sides of his head, moving her fingers all over to reassure herself he was not hit. "Thank God, they missed you."

Walt leaned his head toward her to submit to her inspection. When he tilted his head back to look at her their eyes met and the adrenaline, fear, and relief all boiled together and propelled him toward her. Vic grabbed his collar with one hand while she clutched at his hair with the other to pull him to her. They closed the rest of the gap when Vic raised herself to him and he angled his head toward hers; their mouths melded in a frenetic desperate kiss. Walt couldn't pull her close enough and Vic couldn't kiss him deeply enough. They were both panting for air when they broke the kiss. They stared at each other while attempting to regain their breath. In a matter of only few seconds they were locked together again, clutching and kissing each other in a fervent attempt to convey their relief to, and seek further reassurances from, one another.

Fallout

For the two weeks and four days, following their being shot at and revealing the depth of their feelings to each other, Walt had put more and more distance between them. It had started when they returned to the office and he found a reason to leave for some call or other without her. He had taken Ferg with him a couple of times over the next several days, saying something about the younger deputy getting more experience 'in the field'. When they did have to go to a call together he tried to think up reasons they should take separate vehicles. That lasted until Ruby questioned him about the need to take two vehicles so often. When they did ride together their conversations stuck strictly to business and Walt did not look at her much. She noticed he had completely abandoned, what had become a regular habit in previous months, the practice of placing one of his hands at her lower back when they walked anywhere together. It was a rare occurrence for him to even call her into his office; usually he came into the outer office or called Branch or Ferg or both in with her. And he constantly had his door closed, often slipping in and out through the 'private' entrance; presumably in yet another attempt to avoid her.

Vic was ready to leave the office for the night and knowing the next day was her day off, she risked poking her head inside Walt's office to remind him. She wondered why she bothered, the way he had been acting lately, he probably had her days off highlighted and looked forward to each one more than she did. As she expected, she received the briefest of nods and nothing more than a single 'yep' to her reminder of her being off the next day. Vic muttered to herself as she turned to walk out of the office. With a quick 'good night' and 'see you later' to Ruby and Ferg respectively she was mindful not to stomp or slam the door when she left. Branch was coming up the stairs as she was headed down; again Vic was mindful of her tone and her footsteps. Once she said good night to Branch she all but sprinted to her unit. The other's she worked with did not deserve her wrath and she did not want to be put in a position to explain; especially when it wasn't her fault anyway. As far as she knew the other three had no idea what had transpired between Walt and her out at the Cowan farm. The problem was not that they had kissed each other; so what? The problem was Walt pushing her further and further away; shutting her out more and more.

A Half an Hour Later

Vic called the office, to her relief Ruby answered and she was able to stop Ruby from saying her name when she greeted her. Vic asked if the others were around and Ruby answered in the affirmative, so she asked the older woman if she would call her back when she had some time and couldn't be overheard.

"I can do that when I get home if that's not too late?"

"That'll be great Ruby, thanks."

"Okay I'll talk to you later then?"

"Yep, 'bye."

"Goodbye."

Later that evening

Ruby called Vic from home. She knew things had been 'off' around the office lately. The younger woman calling back that afternoon, with her cryptic request not to mention her name or let anyone know they had spoken, had more than piqued her interest into what was going on. The two chatted amiably as Ruby confirmed Walt was first in and last out on days Vic worked but was often last in and first out on Vic's days off; at least it had been that way the last two or three weeks.

After Ruby had imparted the information Vic sought, she boldly asked, "Vic did something happen between you and Walt?"

Silence.

Vic was unsure how to answer and finally said simply, "Yeah something. But I really don't know what exactly."

"Around the time you two were shot at?"

"Yeah."

"Have you tried talking to Walt about it?"

Vic let out a heavy sigh, "Oh yeah but if it isn't case related he doesn't seem to hear me these days."

"Not responding and not listening or two different things. I'll call you when he leaves tomorrow.

Being it was Vic's day off both women expected he would leave the office early the next day. "Talk to him away from the office."

Vic sounded skeptical, "You think?"

"Couldn't do any harm. Not any more than has already been done and it could help. You won't know unless you try."

Vic sighed yet again, "I guess."

Ruby urged gently, "Talk to him Vic, keep talking to him, until you get him to talk with you. And remember just because he hasn't been talking doesn't mean it hasn't been listening."