This chapter is longer than usual and I hope it makes up for the delay and makes the requester somewhat pleased. #LongLiveLongmire

Making my way back into the cabin, I head for our bedroom to peek in and see if Vic is awake and ready to start the day. She is stretching her arms up over her head, her hair mussed, and her face is glowing from the satisfaction and resolution of our lovemaking. I sit on the edge of the bed next to her and kiss her. "Good morning, sweetheart."

"Happy birthday, baby."

She smothers me with another long and lingering kiss.

"It's starting off pretty good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You got up early."

"Just talking to HT."

Vic smiles, happy her men are together again. She strokes my bare arm with the back of her hand.

"Oh, Grace is going to take you to the Bee this morning for breakfast. She wants you all to herself for a while. When you get back from breakfast Cady has plans for you."

"When am I going to see my grand-babies? You know I really miss them, Vic… A lot."

"Calm down, you will see them. They miss you, too."

I smile at her recalling the countless conversations we have had about moving to Philadelphia or somehow convince Cady and Michael to move to Durant. With Grace and Henry finishing their graduate degrees and being away, it makes me pine for my family. I want them about me.

"I don't like my family being scattered like the wind."

Vic reaches up and cups my face in her warm hand, "I know, hon."

I look up to the ceiling as if a magical answer will appear.

"Well, I better enjoy them while I can." I lean down for one more kiss. Before I get back up, I look at her, my hands pressed against her body.

"You and my family, here with me, are the best birthday gift I could ever imagine. Vic, thank you for making this happen. I love you."

"I love you." She pauses and looks deeply into my eyes, "Thank you for coming back to me. You are the love of my life. You are my life."

I lean down to kiss her once more and we are interrupted by a light knock on the door.

"Come in."

Grace brightens the room with her huge smile, I rise to meet her, and she falls into my arms.

"Happy birthday, Daddy."

"Thank you."

She kisses Vic good morning.

"Did mom tell you, yet? I want to take you to breakfast."

"Let's go."

Grace takes my hand and we head out.

"Just like old times, kid."

"It sure is."

The truck creaks and moans down the dirt road until we hit the highway. Grace slides over, sits next to me, and leans on my shoulder just as she did as a little girl. Whenever we would drive somewhere, HT would call shotgun, and the girls would be in the middle; without Vic though, Grace would end up next to me. Through the years, Vic would tease me, telling me that my right shoulder should be worn out from all the heads that lean on it for comfort and reassurance.

It makes me feel needed.

"How is my baby girl?"

"I'm fine, Daddy, just fine."

Of all of my kids, Grace, is the only one that calls me Daddy all of the time and she is very much my little girl. I can always tell her mood by the lilt in her voice when she calls my name. Cady and HT have a strong sense of self-awareness and independence and while Grace does as well, she is the one child that I know needs me emotionally.

She is just like her mother in that regard.

"I've missed you and mom."

I smile acknowledging how much I have missed her presence at home.

"How's school?"

"It's good."

Grace, like HT, is smart. I expect her to do well in school and am thankful she is grounded and not too distracted by the boys, surprisingly she hasn't brought home a serious boyfriend for Vic and I to meet.

"Grades good?"

"Yup"

"Care to elaborate?" Realizing as always my ways are engrained in my children.

"I start my thesis this semester and I have a 3.8 g.p.a. So, I'm doing ok, Daddy." Her voice rises ever so slightly at the sound of my name.

"You wanna tell me about it?"

"About my thesis?"

"About whatever is bothering you."

"What makes you think something is wrong?"

I just glance at her out of the corner of my eye and then shift my eyes back to the road.

"What's with this sixth sense thing, Daddy, I swear."

We ride the rest of the way to the Busy Bee in silence but there's nothing unusual about that. I think of how all of my children suffer from frequent introspection, which can be a blessing or a curse, and while GM is very outgoing, she is half mine so she comfortably retreats into the hallways of her mind and imagination.

At the Bee, we take our usual booth, and Dorothy fills two coffee cups for us then she reaches out and GM rises to meet her for a hug.

"Hi, GM, it's good to have you home. How long are you visiting us this time?"

"About three weeks. I will be here through Thanksgiving."

The ladies break their embrace and Dorothy turns to me.

"Walt, glad you're back down from that damn mountain."

I smile at the older familiar face.

"I'm treating you two to breakfast. It's nice having the Longmire's back together."

"Yup, sure is." I reach out and touch her wrist holding the coffee pot, "Thank you, my friend."

"You're welcome old timer"

GM reaches over the table and I take her hands in mine.

"I really miss you, GM, but I'm so proud of you and all that you are accomplishing at school."

She smiles and her eyes brighten as Dorothy comes over with two breakfast specials. This morning that consists of two identical orders of blueberry short stack pancakes and a side of fresh fruit.

"Funny, the special today happens to be GM's favorite." I banter with Dorothy as she winks at GM.

Our breakfasts are eaten in silence. Unusual for her but it only clarifies that something is on her mind or terribly wrong. Raising twins, I have grown accustomed to them being in the same place emotionally, so her silence and withdrawal is a concern but not a surprise.

"Grace," I put my fork down and look at my child, "whatever it is you can tell me." I don't avert them as she bows her head and looks up with me; her eyes are full of emotion and concern.

"Daddy, I don't know how to have this conversation with you."

"Just say it."

I can see her lower lip quivering and I don't know if she is upset or worse if she is scared. I put a ten dollar bill on the table, wait a moment but she doesn't speak. Concerned, I get up and hold my hand out, and she takes it.

Grace and I head outside. I stop and look up and down the sidewalk of my town. It's stopped in time, not much has changed since she was born, and I like it that way. I lead her to the park and sit on the walkway benches. It's cold. Cold enough to make her think about the cold and not what is on her mind.

"Daddy, it's freezing out here."

"Yup"

I pull up my coat collar and tuck my hat down lower. I know she will break in less than two minutes because, like her mother, she absolutely despises the cold. Grace takes a seat next to me and studies her boots.

She takes a heavy breath. "Hey this is your birthday. I don't want to talk about me."

"Having my kids here is my birthday present so spill it, kid."

Daddy, I want to come home."

Curiously, "When?"

"Now"

"Why?"

"Because"

"Why?"

"I don't fit in."

I wait for her to explain more but she doesn't.

"In what way?"

She holds her head down and I scoot over next to her our legs touching. I know something is terribly wrong just like I knew something was wrong with her brother.

"Did someone hurt you, baby?"

"Not exactly."

I put my arm around her and she falls into my chest and begins to cry. I suspect I know what it is but I don't know how to say it either.

"Is it a boy?"

I can feel her nod into my chest.

"What happened?"

She leans up and wipes her eyes. "You know what, Daddy. I don't want to talk about it. I'm ok. Let's go."

Pulling both of her hands in mine, "No." I look at my littlest girl, "Grace, honey, you can't be like me and stuff it down inside. You can't it will kill you. It's ok to tell me I promise it will be ok."

The tears start to fall and with it my heart breaks. GM looks just like her mother and her sadness permeates my tough exterior. She is strong like Vic but the Longmire blood that flows through her veins forces her to retreat and take refuge within.

"How did you know you were in love with Mom?"

My silence prompts her to add, "and tell me the truth."

I closed my eyes for a moment recalling the exact moment when I knew, not when I came to terms with it but when my feelings were revealed to my conscious soul.

"I threatened to kill a man."

She looks up at me, her eyes searching my face, "Did you do it?"

I shake my head no, "Didn't have to."

"He believed you?"

"Not the first time." I pause as I think about being hunkered down in the dirt with Gorski, "but I promised to kill him the second time."

GM wipes the remaining tears from her face as she contemplates what I said.

"Are you in love with him?" I think names aren't what's important right now so I don't ask.

"I don't know." Looking down like she is ashamed.

I lift her chin and look into her eyes.

"Grace, you know your Dad knows a little bit about being a man." She smiles at me and laughs. "Is he asking you to do something you're not ready for?"

She nods, "Yup."

"Is he being a gentleman or you know…ah…pressuring you?"

"He asks when we go out but he isn't forceful or anything."

Relieved that my girl hasn't been hurt, emotionally I deescalate from crazed armed overprotective father to normal rational empathetic father and offer, "Being nervous is natural but having doubt is also a natural protective measure. If you doubt you should, Grace, than you know you shouldn't. Trust yourself before you trust someone else."

"I'm so embarrassed."

"Why?" Getting up and taking her hand again she clings to me like she did as a little girl.

"Duh, I'm having this conversation with my father!"

I wrap my arm around her shoulders, "Think about me," pointing to my chest, "I'm having this conversation with my little girl!." We both start laughing at each other.

"So, when do I get to meet this nameless man that wants to sleep with my daughter?"

We keep walking in stride.

"You won't be meeting him, Daddy."

"Why not?"

"He doesn't look at me the way you look at Mom, the way you look at each other. After 24 years, I figure if you two can still look at each other that way, it had to be so obvious that you were in love, neither of you could have had any doubt."

She stops, turns and looks at me, "I want that. I want to be in love like that and that's not what this is."

We walk together back toward the truck and I am so thankful that GM hasn't inherited the sins of her parents; the sin of settling for the wrong man and the sin of not reconciling the hurt and pain of life. My little girl is going to be ok and while I want the Longmire's to be together I know they will be ok on their own.