The two didn't know it, but Walt had heard Ferg leave the office and bound down the back stairs. Walt, being quite concerned about Vic, walked over to the window by her desk, and looked out to the town square below. He immediately noticed Vic across the street, exchanging car keys with Ferg. Walt felt annoyed at being left out of the transaction.

Walt rushed through the last of his administrative chores and made his way to Vic's place. He pounded on the door. Vic was not surprised to see that it was Walt making all that noise. "Geez, Walt. Could you make any more noise?"

"Vic," Walt said. "I need to see you. I need to know that you're ok." He didn't wait to be invited inside. "Come in then," Vic said to Walt, who had already made his way inside her house. He was acting very strangely. Vic didn't feel like getting into a big discussion with him, but she soon realized how upset he was. Maybe she was being unfair about it – after all, she had been injured on the job and he was her boss…. maybe, she thought, she should just let it play out? So, a very stubborn Vic allowed a very stubborn and upset Walt to get just a little bit closer. She invited Walt to sit on the couch and offered him a beer. He seemed very wound up about things.

"Vic, why were you avoiding me earlier?" Walt demanded, frustrated but trying to keep aggression out of his tone of voice.

Vic tried to stifle a glare at him. She walked over to the fridge and grabbed a couple of beer. "Here," she said, "Sit." She had already downed one herself and started guzzling the second one. Her hand shook a little bit. Walt took it all in.

"Vic," Walt said gently, placing one of his VERY LARGE hands on top of hers. "You're shaking," he whispered, seeing that Vic was also upset. He knew she would want some time to gather her thoughts. He sat close to her on the couch and then leaned into her just a bit, letting her know he was there. She squirmed slightly when he brushed up against her left side, but didn't move away. He wasn't sure where she was sore because she had revealed no details to him.

"Vic", he said softly. "Where are you hurt? Let me see."

Vic knew that he wouldn't let up, so she allowed him to fuss a bit. "Mostly the right side, where I hit the railing and wall." She pulled the neck of her t-shirt down to reveal the bruise on her right shoulder. Walt gently traced his forefinger along the bruise. "Did you ice it?" he asked. He then looked at the bruises on her face and quizzed her briefly looking for any signs of a concussion. They agreed that it seemed unlikely that she was concussed.

"Yeah. I've had a few rounds with the ice packs. And I just took a couple of Advil. With the beer, I'll be feeling no pain soon enough."

"Vic. That's not a good idea. You know that."

"Look Walt. I've had a really shitty afternoon ok. I didn't accomplish what I wanted to with Ruby. And I have no idea who tackled me or why. Am gonna be really pissed if it was a 90 year old man in a diaper," Vic said with a sigh. "And now Ruby's there all alone."

"Vic, you should have something to eat. Can we get a pizza? I'm worried about Ruby too."

The pair agreed and ordered a pizza to go with the beer and Advil.

The pizza came soon enough, and they devoured it in silence, each having another beer. Walt could see that Vic was starting to relax, although she was still a bit uncomfortable. He decided to let her know that he was a little puzzled and bothered by being left out of the little interaction with Ferg back at the station. He thought that Vic would have stopped by the station, at least to check in, and say hello.

Vic explained that she was embarrassed by the whole thing. Being a police officer and then assaulted at an old folks' home wasn't exactly something to brag about. Although Vic had appreciated Ruby's fussing and first aid, it was a bit much and made her feel a bit like a child with a skinned knee. Vic's thoughts about her own injuries had soon morphed into concern for Ruby's safety. Ruby, the ASD's ever present and capable receptionist had never been exposed to hand-to-hand combat. Vic shuddered at the thought of Ruby being vulnerable and ill-prepared, should anyone try to harm her. The two discussed whether they should pull Ruby out of the home and end her assignment there.

Vic, becoming more relaxed, allowed her thoughts to drift back to Walt. She could see by his expression that his concern for her went beyond that of a caring boss.

Walt, seeing what might be a receptive look on Vic's face, decided to take a chance and level with her.

"Vic. This isn't easy for me to say, but I care about you. As a boss, of course, but much more than that. I panicked when Ruby told me that you'd been hurt," he confessed. "I just had to come and see you. And I got a bit upset that you didn't come inside the station to see me."

Vic put her hand on his forearm. She communicated with him through that, even though they exchanged no words. They sat like that for a while, and then Vic, in turn, admitted that she had feelings for Walt. He reached for Vic and held her in his arms. She relaxed even more. They remained there, enjoying the physical contact and warmth, for a long time.

Eventually, Walt felt the need to switch modes, from the personal back to the professional. He mentioned that he put in a call to Don before he left the office. All he got, though, were rather vague comments from Don, who seemed disinterested or deceptive to Walt. Vic too, expressed the suspicions that both Ruby and she had felt after the attack. They had both felt that Don may not be forthcoming with any video footage of the attack.

After the discussion about Don, Vic remembered that she promised to check in with Ruby that night. She was slouched on the sofa, leaning comfortably against Walt, who was trying his best not to fall asleep. He'd had a long stressful day, then had been worried about Vic, and then his stomach was full of beer and pizza. He was getting drowsy. Vic called Ruby, and held her phone out in front of her, so both she and Walt could listen to the conversation.

"Hey, Ruby."

"Hi Vic. How are you doing honey? I've been worried about you," Ruby asked.

"Um…ok…I'm a little sore. Walt's here," Vic replied.

"Hello Walter."

"Hi Ruby."

"Walter, did you make sure that Vic was ok?" Ruby asked, knowing full well that he would have already done that.

"Yup. Lots of bruising," Walt responded, looking at Vic, who was amusing herself by making a face at him. He resisted the urge to make a face back at her. The beer had helped lower their inhibitions.

"I'm ok, Ruby. I just had a bunch of pizza and beer, so I don't really need anything other than a good night's sleep," Vic said, closing her eyes with fatigue. "Ruby, please make sure you keep your door locked. We don't know yet who this person is, or what motivated him to attack me. We don't even know if he knew I was a cop. So please keep safe. And we also don't really know how many people have a key to your room. So maybe put a chair in front of your door, so you would at least have a little warning if someone tried to enter your room," Vic pleaded with Ruby. "And phone one of us if you are the least bit worried about something, ok?"

"Ok, dear," said Ruby. "Get some sleep now. I want to speak with Walter."

"Goodnight Ruby," said Vic as she handed her phone to Walt. Vic snuggled down on the sofa, putting her head on Walt's thigh. He held the phone in his right hand, and put his left arm on Vic's shoulder, rubbing her back. He was quietly thrilled to be this close to Vic.

"Hey Ruby. You should DEFINITELY block your door, until we figure out what's going on down there," Walt said with authority in his voice. He wanted to add that he was considering pulling Ruby out of the home, for her own safety, but he said no more.

"Ok, Walter. I'll drag the kitchen table over to block the door tonight," Ruby said with laughter. "Seriously, Walter, I hope you're going to watch over Vic tonight. I think she was really downplaying her injuries. She was tackled pretty hard on her left side, and then she smashed her right shoulder and face into the wall. I saw the bruises and they were terrible."

Walt frowned at hearing that new detail. He thought Vic was only bruised on her right side.

"Will do, Ruby. Thanks for that information. I was planning on that. I'll call you in the morning. Might come to visit you myself," added Walt. "It's getting late now, so have a good night and stay alert," Walt finished.

"Ok, goodnight Walter," Ruby added with a lilt in her voice. "Now enjoy your time with Vic," she said, knowingly teasing Walt a bit. She knew they were a little sweet on each other.

"Um…Ruby…uh…" Walt fumbled with his words. He knew exactly what Ruby meant by her words, but would not admit it to anyone. That made him squirm a little bit.

"Bye Walt." Ruby ended the call with her laughter being the last thing Walt heard. She didn't see the blush rising on his face at her last comment.

After the phone call ended, Walt wanted to see all of Vic's bruises. He knew that she had not fallen into a deep sleep yet and it wouldn't really be disturbing her to ask. He asked to see her right side again. She allowed him to gently pull back the collar of her t-shirt, revealing a livid bluish-purple bruise on her right shoulder. Walt gasped at the size of it. "That must really be sore, Vic," he said in a whisper, ever so softly running a finger along the length of the bruise. "Can I get you a cold cloth or some ice?"

"Nah, I'm ok. I just want to get some sleep," Vic replied, yawning.

Walt also wanted to see her left side. He gave her a hard time about not telling him about that. Vic felt a twinge of annoyance. She pointed out that on many occasions, he had come back to the office injured and covered in blood and wouldn't allow anyone to help him or apply a bandaid. So how could he possibly hold her to a standard that he didn't hold himself to?

But then she saw the look on Walt's face. She relented, since he seemed really upset about it all. Since she was beginning to have a better understanding of his feelings for her, she allowed him to lift her t-shirt to see the bruising on her ribs on the left side.

"God, Vic. This is almost as bad as your shoulder. Did you see this one?" Walt asked, now getting really upset at the thought of Vic being more injured than she admitted. "No, I didn't really see that one." She walked over to the mirror near the front door and winced as she saw the bruises on her left side. "Yikes."

They chatted a bit longer, mostly about Ruby. Vic felt that Ruby should be very cautious, but would be safe enough. After all, there had been no assaults on any residents to date. But then Walt pointed out that Vic had just been assaulted. It appeared as though things were escalating. Walt was beginning to think that he should extract Ruby for her own protection.

Vic fell asleep with her head on Walt's leg. He rubbed her back for a while, mindful of where he thought she was bruised. He too fell asleep, contented to be with Vic in any way that presented itself. As the night progressed, they both turned several times in their sleep. The couch was small but they managed.

In the morning they woke up and found themselves lying together, knees bumping, limbs entwined where possible, Walt's face nuzzled down in a hollow curve of the side of Vic's neck. Both were totally relaxed and happy to be that close. Walt took a chance and gently kissed Vic's neck. She responded by turning her face towards him and gently captured his bottom lip with her mouth. The two engaged in some tentative kissing. It was simple and delicious.

Although they were enjoying themselves, Walt could see that Vic was getting uncomfortable. He asked to look again at her bruises. They had another tender moment as Vic moved her shirt to expose her shoulder. Walt gently grazed her skin with his finger and then his mouth.

They talked in whispers a bit more. Walt expressed that he felt weird, worried that Vic might have thought that he was using her situation as a way to come onto her. Vic didn't see it that way. He was concerned and had been very tender. Vic said she had felt a bit embarrassed the day before and that she was not entirely sure why Walt would have felt a need to rush over to see her just because of a few bruises. He reiterated for her that he was so worried to hear that she had been hurt. His concern became magnified because she didn't seem to want to see him. He felt that he could no longer ignore his feelings for her. He admitted again that he was a bit hurt that she didn't come in and say hi to him in the office. In turn, she said that she didn't want a fuss, particularly in the office but then admitted it was extremely nice and pleasant of him to come over. She appreciated the way he comforted her and it was very nice to wake up in his arms...if truth be told.

Walt's heart soared at Vic's little confession. He moved closer to her, knees already bumping and did his best to wrap his arms around her. It was very nice but painful for Vic. Their foreheads touched and they looked into each other's eyes for a while. They enjoyed a tender kiss. And then another, less tender and less tentative. They lay there for a while longer, breathing the same air, so comfortable in each other's protective warmth.

Eventually Walt said that he should probably get going to work. He had to get home to feed his horse and have a quick shower. With Ruby out of the office and Vic probably not going to work, he had to make an appearance at the shop and keep on top of things with Ferg. He told Vic she should take the day off.

Vic said "Well, I'd have to talk to my boss about that." She smiled.

Walt replied, "What's your boss like? I bet he's very handsome," he ventured, a small smile on his face.

"Well," said Vic. "He's very tall." She laughed.

"I bet he's really intelligent, well read," said Walt, a bigger smile on his face now.

"Well," said Vic. "He wears a hat." She laughed some more.

"I bet he's well-liked by his deputies," Walt speculated, with a bigger grin on his face.

"Well, he's got big feet and brown boots," said Vic, playfully leaning into Walt, laughing loudly.

Vic's laughter was contagious. Walt found himself joining into the laughter. He found it remarkable how easily he could laugh again, thanks to Vic. Even when she teased him, he found it funny. It made him feel light and young again. He remembered a long time ago, his mom telling him that when someone teases you, it means that they like you. He was comforted by that thought.

After they shared a good laugh, Vic concluded by saying "My boss is tall, dark and handsome, intelligent and kind. And he's well-liked by his deputies, one in particular. I think he'd understand it if I called in sick today," she said, leaning towards Walt again, planting a big wet kiss on his lips. This time she was more assertive.

"Mmm…sounds like a nice guy," Walt said, with a big smile on his face, returning the kiss. "Handsome too."

Vic gave him a quick poke with her finger. She suggested a quick breakfast for Walt. She made coffee and some toast. They shared strategies about what was going on with Don. Walt thought that back in the office he and Ferg would evaluate whatever information was forthcoming from Don. They would determine whether it seemed inclusive and valid. They would also begin a background check on Don, including looking into the financial state of the old folks' home, Don's personal finances, and they would look into the background of any of Don's relatives. And Walt would keep Vic and Ruby in the loop.

Although Walt felt like staying with Vic for the day, he knew he had to get to work. And check that Ruby was safe. He left Vic's place, vowing to return that night, if she would let him. He gave Vic a broad smile as he waved goodbye.