A/N: We have no idea if Vic's pregnancy will continue S6. I'm going to let it continue here as several threads begin to emerge and/or converge.
Chapter Two
Four shots of the Lagavulin hadn't helped. Maybe he should have tried five. The ringing phone persisted at the edge of consciousness. Walt grabbed his watch, which read 6:35, before he reluctantly threw himself out of bed and into front room to get it. He hoped desperately Vic was okay.
"Walter," came Ruby's voice, "I wanted to remind you of that meeting this morning with Dave Milgrom at 8 am sharp at your cabin."
He exhaled in both dismay and relief. "Maybe we should—"
"Into the shower with you now. I am sending Vic out now to wrangle you in case you decide to escape into the hills."
"Ruby—" whining wasn't becoming of a sheriff.
"Vic has orders to shoot to kill if you try it, because Dave says he needs to see you both."
Now that was odd. As Ruby signed off, he was already headed to the bathroom.
Showered and dressed in a half hour, he decided he could spruce up a bit, so by the time Vic got there, he had hot tea to hand her and the place at least looked tidy.
She wrinkled her nose at the tea. "I'm okay this morning, Walt, but thanks. That was very considerate. I am trying to keep it down to one cup of caffeine a day."
He shrugged. "Any idea why Dave would want to see us this morning? I planned to talk to him about the FBI. You have any dealings with him, lately?"
She shook her head. Her ponytail swung, and she looked absurdly young in the filtered morning light. In spite of his still slightly fuzzy head, he wanted to kiss her. The feeling from last night had not gone away, only intensified.
"Crackers used to help Martha in the mornings. I have some Cady left after Henry's party. Want some?"
She shook her head, but didn't look bothered. "I have no idea why, but it seems to hit worst around seven or eight at night, not in the mornings. Well, except by the river last week."
They heard a rumble, and Dave's powerful Mercedes AWD pulled up out front.
"Wow, nice car!" Vic said as she peered out, and he felt almost jealous.
"He already has a girlfriend, Vic. A fly-fishing one." She rolled her eyes at him.
Inside, Dave was all business, but Walt handed him a cup of coffee, anyway.
"Sugar would be nice."
"Sure." Walt brought him some. He added two packets before proceeding. "I won't mince words, Walt. I got a call this morning that the governor has approved your one-month suspension, or at least until the trial is over."
"Shit." It exploded from Vic.
"They of course want Deputy Moretti to take over for that month, and possibly longer, until they can hire a replacement if you lose."
He inhaled. "Am I going to lose, Dave?"
Dave shrugged. "As of this moment, I don't know."
He thought about the FBI flash drive and other items he'd copied and sent off a few days back. "Someone may send you some evidence soon. Maybe."
"Evidence I can use, or evidence illegally obtained, which gives fodder to their suit?"
"I obviously can't answer that, since I don't have it or know anything about it."
Vic looked to Walt. "Walt, can I see you on the porch for a minute?"
He finally looked to where her eyes were sending him urgent telegraphic messages.
They retired to the porch, shutting the door between them and Dave. She evidently wanted more space, jumped down the steps into the weeds and he followed.
"Walt. I'm benching myself. Immediately. I don't think they want me to survive until after the trial."
He could feel his brow furrowing. "What?"
"Walt, I didn't tell you…Chance's sister-in-law…she attacked me when I went for the gun at the river. So far, I haven't lost the baby, but what if that's the plan? You're gone, disable or kill me and my baby, and then replace both you and me?"
"She…attacked you?" Now, he saw red.
"In the river. Kicked me in the stomach. Tried to drown me."
He grabbed her arms. "We're heading to the hospital to get you checked out."
She pulled back. "Already did. It's where I got the ultrasound. Travis took me."
Travis again.
"You're right, you can't take over, you can't be in the field, anymore."
"I can still work the office, and do research and take meetings, I just need deputies to send out on calls."
"Deputies who carry authority. Sometimes a deputy doesn't."
They stared at one another, no brilliant solution surfacing. They went back up inside the cabin, where Dave was flipping through a file and sipping his coffee.
"So, you two want to tell me why I got a call from Tucker Baggett five minutes ago with "new evidence" that you are pregnant with the Sheriff's child, Deputy Moretti?"
All the breath whooshed out of her and she sat down hard on the edge of one of the armchairs. "Why the fuck would Tucker Baggett think that?" she demanded.
"I don't know," Dave said, making one of the faces he had thought humorous until today.
Walt had to put in his two cents. "Dave, that couldn't be further than the truth."
"It is my very pricey and professional opinion that at the very least there is a HIPAA leak at the hospital."
Walt thought of the nurse who had offered Ferg Tamar Smith's name.
Vic stared at him. It was one of those weird in-synch moments with her. "Walt…Ferg's girlfriend knows an awful lot…she was in your room earlier the morning…you know, um…"
"When you kissed me?" asked Walt softly. "I don't want to think that of her. I know he's happy…"
"I—I know. I don't want to think that, either."
"I guess my first question is," began Dave, "Are you pregnant, Sheriff Moretti? And, if so, is the Sheriff the dad? Because if you are, I really need to know that to change my defense."
"Wait—" Vic seemed to be thinking on the fly. "I have only discussed the pregnancy with two people other than the technician at the hospital, so far…Travis Murphy and Walt."
"Who is this Travis Murphy?"
"Uh. It doesn't matter, he's not the father." She sounded certain of that this morning, and Walt breathed a little easier at that admission.
"The Sheriff, then?"
He felt his face go warm, and the regret behind it. He would not be unhappy with the reality of that someday, yet, he didn't want it to happen this way.
"No," he said, maybe more gruff than he had to, or with more regret.
"No," she said, with equal regret.
"I'm assuming there is a dad, and this isn't an immaculate conception?"
Vic spoke up, much firmer than the night before.
"Yeah. My Ex-husband. He was back in town about two months ago, and we had sort of a…farewell fuck." She grimaced, maybe because both Dave and he winced when she said it.
"Vic…not the other person…?"
"Nope. Timing's not right. The ultrasound pinpointed it. He was back here on business on a low-producing well, the county still hadn't sent him the decree, so he visited the courthouse the next morning."
"Did you ever get the decree?"
She looked like she was thinking. "No, now that you mention it, I haven't. I mean, I moved twice, but I left forwarding addresses and all that."
Dave cleared his throat. "I'm going to give you an assignment, Deputy Moretti. Please see if they have issued your decree."
Walt asked, but afraid to ask it, "What do we do about the suspension?"
Dave shrugged. "Take advantage of the paid vacation and don't evade me when I say we need to prepare."
Walt ducked his head, not contrite enough. She smacked him. He grunted.
"Listen to Dave! Just because I had no time before my trial…" She suddenly looked perplexed, wondering…. "That was intentional…even with the prosecutor? They set me up, didn't they? With the Gilbert trial, moving it up?" They really want both you and me out of here, don't they? The prosecutor conspired with Tucker Baggett around those depositions?"
Dave cautioned, "They're certainly going to work on damaging your reputations…."
"Ah," said Vic. About that, I've got an ace in the hole—Sean's DNA from the Gilbert attack is on file at the station, the Chance Gilbert investigation. To prove it's his baby, I can get tested today and have that for you pretty quickly, Dave."
"Ah. Excellent. Now, Walt, why can't you be more cooperative like Deputy Moretti, here?"
Walt planted his hat on his head and took a stance. "Because I don't want her hurt in all this, and knowing me is going to hurt her? I…I don't know what to do."
"I don't know, either. Deputy Moretti, don't tell anyone but Walt or me, preferably outside somewhere, the DNA results when you get them, and for confidentiality, I'd go up to a clinic in Sheridan to get the test done." He looked around, "By the way, sheriff, have you had this place—?" He made the gesture of holding his ear to listen.
Walt nodded, without answering verbally. Held two fingers up. "Moles, spies, leaks…" He bunched his lips. His county was in big trouble.
"The FBI, too, remember?" she asked. "Everywhere. You think it's Malachi?"
"Maybe…or half a dozen others. Right now, I'm not sure." Right now, he trusted very little.
"And I can stay on in the office if we get some deputies back?" She was relentless.
"I'll talk to Ferg, see if he can locate Zach, and he's doing all right, also maybe Eamonn…?"
She made a face at him. "He is a trained deputy with a criminal justice background," he reminded her.
She rolled her eyes. She had nowhere to go with that.
"I could contact Lucian…"
She groaned.
The phone rang. Ruby.
"Walter, you have a meeting with the mayor at 2 pm today.
Walt looked at Vic. Even when it was all to shit, she was beautiful. Her concern, which he knew was genuine for him, was beautiful, and the glow from her pregnancy, which he was sure he could see, was the most beautiful.
"I want to protect you."
She shrugged and he could see her, trying to buck up for him. "Get me some deputies."
He looked at Dave. "We done here?"
"For the moment. Deputy Moretti, come to my office after you have your test results. I've had my office debugged just this week."
As they all went outside, Vic's eyes darted to Walt. "I think we need to do it every day or two at the station until this is over."
Walt met her eyes. "You're in charge." He'd never been so frightened for her, at the same time, for his own future, and yet, all he felt was helpless.
"Dave," he broached, as they walked him to the Mercedes, "You and I need to make a trip to visit the FBI."
Dave hung his head in dejection. "We're not done here, are we?"
Vic corrected him. "I am, I'm headed to the courthouse, then to Sheridan. I'll make it right with Ruby and Ferg."
Walt jerked his head toward where Horse looked expectantly over the rail, probably hoping for a carrot. "Let's talk over by the corral." They began walking.
Behind them, a both resolved yet perturbed Vic hopped into her truck and roared away.
XXX
The Mayor assumed a safe position behind his desk and smiled. To Walt, he rather resembled an alligator who was about to eat you. Beside him, Vic was in uniform, but all the buttons were up. She meant business.
"The Governor granted me your suspension."
"I heard."
"Deputy Moretti, you will report to me."
She cleared her throat. "No. I'm afraid not." Vic gave not a quarter.
"It may be irregular, but until the trial is over, I need to be privy to what is going on at the station. Or, some unsavory information might be made public…"
Really? Really? Blackmail? And he had voted for the Mayor, too…
"Well, I know there are a whole passel of lies going around out there," she began…
"About your baby with the sheriff."
She blinked but did not react. "You are mistaken."
"I'm afraid not, we have a recording of your conversation…"
I'm afraid you are. My husband is my baby's father. I've just contacted him via email today, after confirmation of the baby's DNA profile. At this time, I can't request spousal or child support."
"Of course you could, you mean your Ex-husband."
"I mean, husband. Ask your clerk Florence Joys. She managed to "misplace," my signed divorce papers for almost four months now. She admits, on a recording, that the Mayor's office requested her to mis-file the paperwork. I kind of call that losing it. Why would you do that? Just to make mischief with my already miserable life? I know the Durant Courant would be interested in that irregularity…"
"I—"
"Confusion to the enemy, sir. I will not report to you, nor will I relinquish command to this office, but I am officially benched in the field, due to the same pregnancy, of a little Keegan."
He couldn't help it, it warmed him, Vic was valiant in her defense, but…
"I have asked Sheridan County to come in on this if anything—anything–happens to Deputy Moretti or her baby. Since she is out of the field, there should be no violent acts against her. I have borrowed the services of four additional deputies in addition to Deputy Ferguson, who is very competent."
The Mayor looked fairly sick and shell-shocked.
"I am voluntarily recusing myself, but if any of my deputies are hurt while you will have me personally at the Governor's office for endangering county personnel. We played football against one another in college."
The Mayor turned white.
Vic whispered to him. "Walt…four additional deputies?" He handed her the names on a piece of paper. She rolled her eyes. Only Zack and Lucian weren't formerly in the running as baby daddies.
"I know all four will try and protect you when I can't. You should never go out on duty without one of them. Maybe you should consider living with Cady again?"
"Shit," she said in growing dismay at the restrictions. Walt knew it would be tough to be the grownup with that crowd, but he felt better with safety in numbers. "Shit!" she said again.
Vic's phone buzzed, only partially silenced for the meeting. She glanced at it briefly, took the call.
"You gotta be shitting me!" He heard Ruby's voice on the other end, but couldn't make out the words.
Walt waited, expectantly.
"We need to go. Henry's disappeared! He didn't show up for work."
Walt was already out of his chair, with Vic close behind.
"Wait! Walt, you're suspended!"
"You tell Henry that," he shot back over his shoulder. "If you dare."
They left at a a run. He looked around guiltily at her, hoping she understood. "I'll drop you at the station," he said to Vic as he gunned the Bronco.
"Don't be stupid. I'm benched as soon as the deputies show up. I told you, I'm not letting you do stupid shit alone, anymore, remember? That includes finding Henry while you're suspended."
Vic—"
He took one look at her mutinous mouth, and he gave in. For Henry.