Walt tried to read the emotions that played out on Vic's face. Her initial smile had warmed his heart. Now he watched as she bit her lip and raised an eyebrow. Her eyes becoming big and unfocused. He reached out, lightly put his hand on hers and smiled, bringing her attention back to him.

Keeping their eye contact, Vic got up. She stepped down and then stood in front of him, tapping his knees with hers and nudging them open. She then walked in between his legs, turned around and sat down on the porch step below the one he was seated on. She leaned back into him, and then reached up and grabbed his left hand in hers, pulling it in front of her.

She held his hand. Turned it over. Interlaced their fingers.

"Do you think every relationship has a window…a window during which it can start up? And if you miss that window, you miss the opportunity for the relationship to become something…something more…or even something at all?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.

She paused, but before Walt could respond, she continued.

"I found a cd of Sean's the other day. And as I held it in my hands, I was thinking of Sean's and my window. That maybe our window had shut, or maybe never really opened…but maybe we had ignored that truth. Forced it open. Tried to make our relationship something more, anyway."

She paused again.

"I started thinking in 'what ifs.' What if Sean and I hadn't married? What if we ended our relationship before he was transferred out here? What if we split up when it first became clear that our second chance here in Durant wasn't working? And the thought scared me…at how easily everything could have changed…how easily your and my window might never have opened. If I never came to Wyoming. Never even met you. Or worse, came here, but threw off the timing. Separated from Sean before we were ready…ready to become us. Ready to become something more."

"Today, when we were in your office…there was a moment where I just found myself looking at you and thinking how…grateful…I was that we found our window. That all the things that have happened to us, both good and bad, enabled us to find each other at the right time. And then you smiled at me, and I found you in that moment…irresistible. I've told you before, I can't seem to keep my hands off you. And when we're together, and alone, it seems to be becoming a habit that I just reach out. To connect."

She paused, once again playing with his hand.

"I am really sorry that I caused us to be in a compromising position in front of Lucian and Ferg. That I put you…us…in that position. That I didn't keep my promise…to keep our personal relationship separate from our working relationship. I wasn't trying to push you outside your comfort zone, or make our relationship more public. I was…I was just in the moment with you. I just wanted to be closer with you. Right then and there. Show you how grateful I was…for us."

"And I see why it's a big deal. I'm sorry that I said it wasn't. I promise that I will do my best and not let something like that happen again. And I will talk to Ferg. Apologize to him. For putting him in that position. I don't want him to feel uncomfortable around us or about coming into the office."

"And I need to talk to Lucian about knocking," Walt cut in.

Vic paused and then turned around to look at him. It had grown darker as evening started to settle in. Without the porch light on, Vic had to lean to in closer to see him clearly. A smile greeted her. His eyes asking her for forgiveness before his words.

"I'm sorry too, Vic. For making such a big deal of it, without stepping back and thinking it through."

He squeezed her hand, which was still in his.

"And I'm sorry for being so much in my head throughout it…instead of sharing what I was thinking. Instead of asking you for your perspective. I…I want to be more open with you. I'm trying. But I'll need your patience…as it will take time."

Vic stood up, this time nudging his knees closed. She sat down on his lap, straddling him.

"I'm an incredibly impatient person, Walt," she said as she leaned her forehead against his. "Except when it comes to you."

Their foreheads still touching, Vic placed her hand along his jaw. Her fingers traced his sideburn. Ran through his hair.

"Of course my patience may not seem apparent…what with the yelling…and the curse words I throw around. I'm working on those. So if we are both patient with each other, we'll be able to…" she trailed off as Walt slid a hand along her back, placed the other to the side of her face and brought his lips to hers.

His kiss was slow at first. Exploratory. Appreciative. Telling her that he was grateful too. As Vic wrapped her arms around him and scooted closer, the kiss grew more intense. He lowered the hand he had placed on her back to the bottom of her t-shirt, pulling it up and then taking a moment to pull the edges of her base layer out of her jeans.

"I don't remember you having this thermal shirt on earlier," Walk said, pulling back for a moment.

"When I left the room to…pull myself together…I put it on. I wanted to put on a little more coverage. Partly for your sake. Partly to get Lucian's and Ferg's thoughts off anything that may have been…revealed…when they first burst in on us."

"Well, now I'm thinking there's a little too much coverage," he said. Vic smiled against his lips as his fingers finally loosened her shirt and found her skin. She sat up, bringing her own hands to the bottom of her shirt, looking at him before proceeding. His hands came and surrounded hers taking the shirt edges from her. He thought about how cool the evening had grown. He thought about how close they were to the road out front. Before he could convince himself not to, he lifted both shirts up and over her head. He could just make out the smile on her face. The desire in her eyes. Next he brought his hands up her back to unhook her bra. After removing it and placing it on the pile with her shirts, he brought his hands back to her hips. Ran them up her sides. Along the curve of her breasts. Up her neck, settling on both sides of her face.

Face-to-face, they looked directly at each other. Walt felt Vic shiver slightly.

"You're cold," Walt said.

"It's not too bad," Vic said, not wanting them to stop.

Walt removed his hands from her face and leaned back a bit, pulling off his coat and placing it around her shoulders.

"Better?"

"Better."

His hands went inside the sides of his coat, and up her back, pulling her to him. As his lips claimed hers again he felt her hands in his hair. The sensation of her fingers along his scalp. He brought his lips to her earlobe. Along her jaw. Down her neck. As they arrived at her breasts, Walt felt Vic arch her back against his hands, her hips grinding in to his. When he arrived back at her lips they were both breathing heavily.

Vic brought her hands down to his belt line, pulling at the bottom of his shirt to loosen it. Struggling to free the shirt, she began working on his buckle.

"You cowboys sure like to keep things all buttoned up. Make a girl have to work for it."

"Us cowboys? How many other cowboys are you having your way with?" he said with a laugh.

Vic laughed in response.

When she got the buckle unlatched, Walt brought his hands down to help untuck his shirt. He then reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet and placed it next to him.

"You're one to talk," Walt said as he began to work on loosening her belt buckle.

"My belt is part of my uniform. Yours is part of you, cowboy."

Once he had the belt undone, Walt pulled her zipper down and then stopped.

"Yeah, I'm not going to make much more progress in our current position, given how tight your jeans are," Walt said.

Vic leaned in and kissed him and then stood up. She leaned down and unlaced her boots. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she lifted her feet, one at a time, enabling Walt to pull each boot off. Once she was standing in her stockinged feet she stepped between his legs and placed his hands at her hips.

"Ok, cowboy. You've been practicing removing my jeans for a while. Let's see how well you do," she said with a smile.

"Yeah, but never from a seated position," he said with a laugh.

"I think the skills are transferrable. I have confidence in your capabilities," she said as she brought her hands to his shoulders.

Walt finally managed to free one of her legs, and began working to pull the other pant leg down.

"This would be the perfect moment for a car to drive by," he commented, not looking up.

"I think you are well versed in public displays after this afternoon. I think it would be no big deal," Vic said, trying not to laugh.

Walt momentarily looked up at Vic.

"Too soon?" she asked?

Walt laughed, returning to the work at hand.

When he successfully removed her jeans he raised them triumphantly and then threw them onto the growing pile of clothes.

He looked back up at Vic, who was looking down at him, her face still somewhat visible in the near darkness. Without breaking eye contact, Walt brought his hands back up to her sides, hooking his fingers in each side of her panties and pulling them slowly down. She stepped out of them and then straddled him again.

Vic immediately brought her lips to his, and at the same time began to work on his jeans, making quick progress with the zipper and finding her way through the opening of his boxers.

Walt pulled back for a moment and picked up his wallet, removing a small package.

"Walt Longmire, ever the 'boy scout.' Always prepared," Vic said, laughter in her voice as she took the condom, opened it and put it on him.

Vic then grew quiet as she brought her eyes back to his. It had grown completely dark, the moonlight the only source of illumination. She brought her hand to his face, tracing his lips. His facial scruff. His jawline.

She leaned her forehead against his and paused.

"Are you too cold? Do you want to take this to the bedroom?" Walt asked against her ear.

"Just keep your arms around me and I'll be good."

Walt complied, moving his arms under his coat and wrapping them around her.

She raised herself up on her knees, lowered herself on to him and then covered his mouth with hers. They fell into a rhythm that escalated as their kissing became more vigorous. Their breathing more erratic. Their hands roving…everywhere. Bringing each other to the edge and over.

Afterwards, Vic put her arms around his shoulders, laying her head in the crook of his neck. Walt held his arms along her lower back. They sat in this embrace. Their skin flushed. Their breathing slowly returning to normal. Unmoving. Despite the chill. Despite the possibility of someone driving by.

"I love you too Walt," Vic whispered into his ear. "I'm glad we found our window."