A New Name:

After a few more moments of rest, the group continued.

They all had names which they favoured. On a lark, Cady suggested they write their preferred name on the white board above Henry's desk. She thought they might all like to see the names that they would choose. She knew that some categories would resonate with her dad. She thought that Walt would be really intrigued or influenced by the Native American, Literature and Historic groupings.

In spite of a forced beginning, the session had morphed into a rather pleasant experience for all four of them. Henry, Cady and Vic were pleased to see Walt actively engaged in the process after the lunch break. The anger had dissipated early on. It had been replaced by curiosity and determination. And maybe the Rainier reward had something to do with it. Henry had promised more beer for Walt, once the name had been selected.

Their favourite names were:

Henry – Holden

Cady – Dallas or Baron

Vic – Sputnik (just kidding) – Magnus or Magnum

Walt – (preliminary list) – Baron, Virgil, Helios, Kronos, plus 1 name held in reserve

He was leaning towards Virgil, who had been Dante's guide in the Inferno. But it didn't seem like a strong enough name. He sort of wanted to pick a name that wasn't very obscure. He really didn't want to have to keep explaining or justifying the name to others later on.

He also liked the name Atlas, which was synonymous with strength.

The group chatted freely about their preferences. Each person was invited to speak about their favourites and why they chose them, and what they meant.

To the group's surprise, Walt asked for a moment on the laptop. "Henry, you have internet service here don't you?" Walt asked. "I wanna check something."

"Yes, of course," Henry replied, walking over to the laptop on the desk. He minimized the Power Point presentation and called up his preferred search engine. "Here you go," he gestured for Walt to sit down at the desk.

While Walt spent a few minutes using the computer to do some research, Henry, Cady and Vic sat down on the couch, watching him.

"Fascinating," said Henry.

"Unbelievable," said Cady.

"Who knew," said Vic.

"Ha ha," said Walt, pretending to be insulted by their teasing.

After about ten minutes, Walt closed down the search engine and returned Power Point to the foreground.

"Well, I'm ready. I have a name," he said, with a big smile on his face. He looked really pleased with himself.

From behind the desk, Walt rose to speak to the group. He debated whether to pick up the wooden pointer that Vic had used earlier. He took a deep breath and said with conviction, "I've selected the name STARBUCK for my horse. I've always been a big fan of Melville and Moby Dick."

He continued on to explain that it was a strong yet straightforward name. It could even be shortened to Star on occasion. The character from the book was thoughtful and intelligent and was not vengeful. This latter trait was particularly significant for Walt. His horse had previously experienced violence and trauma and yet remained loyal and calm. The character from the book was known to be decent and reasonable. These were all very important character traits to Walt. And were an excellent fit with his horse's character. And he really liked the notion of taking name from literature. Books were a huge part of his life.

Henry, Cady and Vic were pleased. None of them had guessed that Walt would have selected that name. They offered congratulations to Walt for completing the task at hand. And for being a good sport about the process.

With a flourish, Henry stood up and unlocked the door. Well, opened the door. It had not been necessary to actually bolt the door after lunch. They all said goodbye. Henry shook Walt's hand and said "no hard feelings. Your relationship with your horse will now improve greatly. You will now have to teach him his name. I wish you much enjoyment." Henry offered no apologies as none were required. He knew full well that Walt had often needed prodding to pursue goals. And as always, Walt would be thankful for a friend who knew enough to prod when necessary.

"Henry. That was a bit tacky you know. Making me pay for my own lunch," Walt said with a grin.

"Walt. I feed you all the time for free," Henry replied, laughing. He indicated that he wished to depart, knowing that his services in the kitchen would be appreciated by his staff.

Walt gave his daughter a hug. "Thanks, Punk. I guess you know your old dad pretty well, huh?"

"Dad…" Cady replied softly. Her face was pressed into his neck. "We know you pretty well, and we love you anyways," she continued, laughing. A misty eyed Walt smiled at his lovely daughter. Cady moved towards the door, saying goodbye to Vic.

But then Walt spun on his heels faster than any of them thought possible. He had Vic pushed up against the wall in a wrist lock. His handcuffs came out quickly. Vic was immobilised before she could even catch her breath and realize what was going on.

Walt pressed the full length of his body against Vic. He pressed one knee between her legs to put her off balance and make her comply. He whispered into her neck, "Gotcha. Now you're mine." His lips lingered at her neck long after his whispers were heard.

Vic blushed but did not move. She turned her head and said "Henry and Cady. Will you excuse us please? We have some personal Sheriff's business to attend to."

Henry looked at Cady, made a motion with his head, and they left the office together. Out on the main floor of the bar they chatted for a moment.

"I think that went well," offered Cady trying not to think about her dad and Vic together like that, just on the other side of that door, fooling around with handcuffs. "He seemed pleased at the end. I was surprised at the name though."

"Yes, I noticed a little bit of optimism creeping in there before lunch. He became invested in the process. As always, it takes time for him to review, absorb, adopt and decide."

"Yeah, for sure. Hey, do you think he and Vic are going to get together?" Cady asked.

"I think so, particularly with the handcuffs like that." Henry laughed, reflecting privately for a moment. He had definitely noticed the looks Vic and Walt kept giving each other all morning. "They have a close bond. They challenge each other, which is good. And they support each other, which is even better."

"I think they are good for each other. Well, I've gotta run. Thanks Henry. I'm really glad we did this. You know my dad appreciates a prodding now and then, although he'd never admit. I wonder how long it takes for a horse to learn its name," Cady pondered. "I kind a like the name now."

"Yes, it is a good name. It will not take long for the horse. I am sure that your father will spend quality time with STARBUCK." He smiled at the sound of the new name. He gave his goddaughter a hug and they parted company.

Back in the office, Walt decided to show a little mercy towards Vic. But in his own plodding way. He guided a still-handcuffed Vic over to the couch and helped her get seated. He received an eye roll for that.

"Here, sit down for a while. I have a Power Point presentation prepared for you," he said, laughing at Vic, who, by now, was growing irritated. She too had had little first-hand experience wearing handcuffs, maybe at a training session years ago at the police academy. Well, there was that time with Ed Gorski, but she didn't want to think about that.

Vic's shoulders were beginning to ache. She started to squirm on the couch. "Didn't know that you knew what Power Point was."

"Yeah, I'm just full of surprises."

"Um…Walt…My arms are really starting to get sore. Can you get these off me," Vic pleaded.

Walt, knowing very well how uncomfortable Vic was getting, took a step. He sat on the coffee table in front of Vic and put his hands on her knees. "What's in it for me? If I remove the cuffs," he asked, grinning. He squeezed her knees, wanting to move them apart a little so he could move closer, but he hesitated.

"Please," Vic moaned. "Pretty please. I'll do anything."

"Anything?" Walt raised one eyebrow as only he could do. He was met with another eye roll. But he was intrigued by Vic and her interest in him. But feeling bad, he motioned for Vic to lean forward. He quickly unlocked the cuffs and said, "turn sideways a bit…I'll rub your shoulders. I know how it feels."

Vic turned away from him on the couch while Walt massaged her neck, shoulders and upper arms. He could feel her begin to relax under his ministrations. He liked that this event had brought them closer together.

"Ooh, that feels good. Thanks," Vic moaned a little. "You're not mad are you?"

"Nope, I'm good. It was a good day."

"You seem pleased. You know…we meant well. It's an interesting name," Vic commented.

"I AM pleased. I have to admire the effort you guys went to…the research and the presentation. Coulda done without the handcuffs though."

Vic relaxed further and leaned back into Walt's body. It seemed like a very natural thing to do. He put his arms around her and held her there for a long time. They chatted about the presentation. Vic told him about the initial idea (Henry's) and their research and planning sessions. And that they had had fun putting it all together. She made a point of letting Walt know that it was never their intention to upset him or truly force a name on him. Repeatedly throughout the planning process, Henry had reiterated that it was meant to steer Walt to a place that he wanted to go, but could not get their by himself.

Walt sighed at Vic's last comment. He wondered what it would be like to be the kind of person who didn't need to be pushed into doing something.

"Vic," he said, burying his face into the side of her neck, playing with her hair. "I like this. Being close to you like this, I mean."

"Yeah, me too. Feels really good. I wasn't sure there, whether you'd be mad at us. You feel pretty relaxed to me now." Vic smiled as she held onto Walt's hands on her stomach.

"Well, I was irritated at first. But then I saw this look on Cady's face. I could tell that all she wanted was to help her old dad. And then I saw something a little like that, with you and Henry too. And then I realized that you had put all this energy into doing something to help me – to help me achieve a goal. Maybe it was a goal I didn't even realize that I wanted or needed. But you knew me well enough to push me a little. Sooooo…thanks for that. I'm also really happy with the name."

They sat there without speaking. They felt a warmth from each other that wasn't really about the temperature. Although they were enjoying some private time alone, Walt still sensed Henry's presence on the other side of the office door and then things didn't seem so private. After a few more minutes, Walt suggested that they go to the cabin. It was only mid-afternoon and there was plenty of daylight left. They could visit with Starbuck and start getting him acquainted with his new name. "Vic, stay for dinner?"

They gathered their things and left the office. Henry, who was standing behind the bar washing glasses, raised his arm as if to check his watch. They had been alone in his office for a long time.

"Say goodbye, Henry," Walt said with a smile as they walked towards the exit.

"Goodbye Henry," said Henry in return.

They drove out to the cabin, holding hands the whole way. Both of them were a bit nervous, not wanting to spoil the mood with serious questions or jolting thoughts of a return to work where they would have to pretend to be just Sheriff and Deputy. Neither was sure of where they were headed. It made them nervous.

Walt hopped out of the Bronco and headed right for the stable.

Vic held back for a moment to give Walt some time alone with his horse.

As Walt approached the stable he called out softly "Hi Starbuck." The horse pricked his ears at the expression on his friend's face and at the new word.

"Yep, that's your name," Walt crooned softly, scratching under his horse's chin. "Starbuck, that's you." Walt got a handful of treats from a bucket in the shed.

He looked back at Vic, who was leaning against the Bronco with a broad smile on her face. She was very pleased to see Walt looking so happy. She also really liked the new name. As a child she was glued to the TV set and was always a fan of science fiction programs. She had actually never read Moby Dick, but now felt very inclined to seek out the book.

"Hey, Vic, come here. I want you to meet Starbuck," Walt called out, with an equally big smile lighting up his face.