Ch. 23
"What are we gonna do?"
Vic sat on Walt's couch at an angle that allowed her to look at him fully. Her feet were bare and pulled up on the cushion. It didn't escape his notice that she said "we". Walt ran his hand over his leg.
"I have a meeting with Dave first thing in the morning."
She bit her lip and dipped her chin a little.
"We're out of time. We can't actually let him go public with any of this. It was never meant for…that."
She was right and he knew it. One way or another, this was about to end. The question of how was the current mystery.
"Crane won't do anything until we talk again. He won't risk it. Not just yet. Not as long as he has an out. He knows it would look bad for the county and that's not what he wants."
Vic sighed and leaned back.
"If nothing else, we've got him for bribery. Not to mention blackmail. And recruiting me to dig up dirt on you. He's not coming out of this unscathed. That's for damn sure."
Walt nodded.
"Yep. I'll be glad when it's over."
"Yeah, me too. I'm not very good at all this fake shit."
He smiled.
"I disagree. You've been…very convincing."
She laughed.
"Right. I just really want things to go back to normal."
"Normal?"
He echoed her thought.
"Yeah. What's wrong with normal?"
Walt shook his head.
"Nothing. But…once this is resolved, there's still the matter of us."
She looked at his face for a few seconds.
"You mean…going public."
Walt nodded.
"Yeah. There's no rush. But…we would have more freedom if people knew."
Vic considered his words.
"Are you ready for that?"
It was a heavy question. They both knew there were those who wouldn't be happy about their relationship. Those who would object to Walt having a personal relationship with one of his employees. That was a fact that they would need to deal with. Not everyone would be receptive to the idea. It would fall more on Walt, since he was the Sheriff.
"It won't be easy. But…what has been?"
She nodded with an eye roll.
"That's the damn truth."
Vic inhaled and let out a soft sigh.
"It's like you said. No hurry. If it's easier, we can just keep on like we have been."
He heard the words, but he didn't hear any real conviction behind them. She telling him what she thought he might want to hear.
"Is that what you want?"
Walt decided to force the issue. Vic shrugged.
"Maybe it's what's best."
Walt shook his head, refusing to accept that explanation.
"Is that what you want?"
Vic eyed him.
"This isn't about me."
"Isn't it?"
Vic narrowed her eyes.
"What…do you want?"
Again, Walt shook his head and refused to give up any ground.
"We're talking about you right this minute."
"But, it's not just my decision."
She was countering admirably. Some part of the conversation made him sad. He wondered at what point in her life she started to hesitate and just say what she wanted. He also wondered if her past with him and all of his issues had anything to do with it. That thought only strengthened his determination to find out what it was she really wanted from all of this. How she wanted to go about it once they had the freedom to make their own choices and not be forced to hide what was between them.
Walt inhaled and kept his eyes on her.
"Vic, I want you to tell me what you want. I want to know."
His said it slowly and softly, trying a new tactic. He could see her stance softening a bit.
"I already have what I want."
"Which is?"
His prodding was careful now.
"You."
He smiled a bit.
"What else do you want? This time, I want you to answer. I need you to."
She considered him and shifted around a bit.
"I…don't like this sneaking around. It feels…dishonest."
There it was.
Walt nodded slowly.
"Then, we won't. Not after this is finished."
She tilted her head.
"You're not worried?"
"Yes."
"So, you are worried. About what people will say?"
Walt leaned towards her.
"Vic, do you care what people say about you?"
She gave him an eye roll.
"No. You know that. But, I do care what people say about you. And, I don't want to be the cause of it."
He sighed.
"Don't worry about me. I'm a big boy. We shouldn't have to hide anything about ourselves."
"I know. But you know how people are."
He shrugged.
"Let them be that way."
She didn't look convinced.
"That's what you say now. But, what if you run again? They will hold me against you."
"That's my problem. Let me worry about it."
She let out a breath.
"Right."
Leaning her head onto his shoulder, she closed her eyes.
"Right now, I just want this to be done with. We can figure everything else out after that."
Walt tipped his face until it rested on her.
"I know. But, once this is done, I think we're done with all this secrecy stuff. I don't like it and I know you don't. Whatever happens, we'll deal with it. Together."
She took a deep breath and inhaled the scent of him. She had forgotten how the presence or the smell of a person could bring such a deep level of comfort. It was a feeling that had abandoned her marriage well before it ended. But, with Walt, she could feel it again and it threatened to overwhelm her.
They sat that way for a while before Walt finally spoke up, lifting his head away from hers. His hand trailed through her hair.
"Are you staying tonight."
"Unless you plan to throw me out. And, I might break in if you do."
Walt smiled at the sound of her voice, her words.
"That's not very likely."
xxx
Milgrom leaned back in his chair and looked at the two of them over the coffee table in Walt's living room. His eyes shifted between them before finally settling on Walt.
"So, how do you want to play this?"
Walt glanced at Vic, who sat on the couch beside him.
"That depends. Do we have enough?"
Milgrom inhaled a deep breath and then exhaled slowly.
"You've definitely got a solid case for bribery and blackmail. He is a mayor. So, it doesn't look good for him. If you went public with this, it could hurt his reelection chances. Is it enough to convince him to back off, that's hard for me to say. I don't know the man. He might be willing to call your bluff or he might not."
Walt nodded slowly.
"Sawyer is all about public image."
Vic spoke up.
"Yeah, but…if we can't tie him to Baggett, then we can't get the case dropped."
Walt looked her way again.
"That…all depends. This…could start an investigation. And, not by us. The county commission could call in their own people. Sawyer might be willing to roll over on Baggett. We might not know until we try."
Vic sighed.
"If we do this now, we'll be showing him our hand. All of it. But…if we don't, then you could be up shit creek."
Milgrom nodded and gestured at Vic.
"What she said. It's all in how you want to play it. What you're willing to risk."
Walt grimaced.
"I'm almost to the point where I don't have much to lose."
Milgrom gave him a sympathetic look.
"Take some time and give it some thought. Let me know what you plan to do. Please."
Walt nodded and stood up, walking the man to the door. Vic sat on the couch while he walked Milgrom outside and watched the man get into his expensive car and drive off. When he went back inside, he found Vic sitting just like he left her. He stopped just inside the closed door and studied her.
"What are you thinking?"
She looked up and met his eyes. He saw a new determination there. One he hadn't seen in days. It gave him a measure of comfort.
She inhaled deeply.
"I think we should just go for it."
She swallowed after the words left her mouth. Her willingness to tell him that without hesitation warmed him. Especially after their conversation the previous night. She was laying all her cards out on the table and offering him what he was asking her for.
Walt nodded slowly.
"I think you're right. I think we should, too."
Vic stood up and offered him the best smile she could muster under the circumstances.
"So…are you gonna call him."
Walt shook his head.
"No. I like our odds better if we surprise him."
Vic smiled.
"I like how you think. You just gonna go over there?"
He shook his head again.
"We are going over there."
Walt smiled.
"Yes. We."
xxx
Walt stopped out of city hall, nearly causing Vic to collide with him. She gave him a questioning look.
"What?"
He shook his head.
"Nothing."
Vic watched him, unconvinced.
"Really? Come on. We've got this. Just like we talked through."
She started to reach for his arm, but corrected herself and cast a quick look around them on the sidewalk. Her attempt at a pep talk pulled a smile from Walt.
"Were you a cheerleader in school?"
Vic scowled.
"God, no."
He laughed.
"Good."
Vic rolled her eyes and slapped at his arm.
"Come on. Let's nail the jackass. That better?"
Walt nodded and took a breath.
"Yeah."
He started walking again with Vic beside him. Sawyer Crane's secretary didn't look happy to see them. Walt placed his hands on his hips in front of her desk.
"I need to see the Mayor."
She looked up at him.
"You don't have an appointment, Sheriff."
Walt shrugged.
"Make one. For right now."
Something in his tone spurred the woman to her feet and through the closed door into Crane's office. She closed the door behind her, leaving them alone in the outer office. Vic nudged Walt with her elbow and a quick smile.
"Look at you being all badass. It's kind of hot."
He tried to keep a straight face and didn't look her way, knowing that would make it impossible.
"Kind of?"
She shrugged nonchalantly.
"Let's see how you handle Crane."
On cue, the door opened and the secretary emerged from Crane's office.
"He has a few minutes."
Walt nodded.
"Good."
He cast one quick look at Vic and strode into Crane's office with purpose. Vic trailed behind him and pushed the door closed as soon as she cleared the threshold. It was clear from the look on his face that they had caught him off guard and he was trying to recover from the unwelcome surprise. He stood up as they came in.
"Walt. Deputy."
His eyes flicked to Vic. She smiled at him.
"Good morning."
He looked back to Walt.
"What is this all about, Walt. I have a lot to do today."
Walt shrugged, his face stern and unflinching.
"I thought about our meeting yesterday and I wanted to share."
Crane's face reddened slightly.
"Then call and make an appointment. And, why is she here?"
Vic smiled again and came around Walt.
"You don't look happy to see me. I thought we were friends? Or, at least, people who worked together. Wasn't that what you said? Something like that?"
Crane looked between the two of them.
"What is this?"
Walt folded his arm across his chest.
"My answer is no. I will not retire, resign, or otherwise step away from my job."
"Wa…"
Walt broke in.
"I'm not finished. Have a seat, Sawyer."
Crane gave Walt and indignant look.
"This is my office, Walt."
Walt held up his hand.
"I'm here on official business, Mayor. So, maybe you should call me Sheriff. Let's not make this personal."
Crane's jaw flexed, but he took his seat and leaned back, trying to maintain some illusion of control.
"Fine, Sheriff."
He spit the word out like it tasted bad.
"Would you like to tell me why you've been meeting with my deputy behind my back and asking her to spy on me? Feed you information that can help you push me out of office? "
Crane looked to Vic.
"Whatever she's told you…isn't necessarily the truth, Walt. She's playing both sides, it looks like."
Vic looked at Walt and smiled.
"Both sides? That's a lot of credit for someone who talks down to me all the time. Don't you think?"
Walt turned his eyes back to Crane.
"I know everything. She's told me all of it."
Vic cut her eyes back to Crane. Crane sat up taller in his chair.
"Did she tell you what she told me? She's dropped some pretty incriminating tidbits, Sheriff."
If he was trying to get a reaction out of Walt, his attempt failed.
"Everything."
Crane looked between the two of them.
"So…you're in on this? Together?"
Walt nodded.
"Yes. So…the question is, what are we going to do about it?"
Crane gave him a dirty look.
"Anything I said to her will come down to my word against hers. Who do you think the people of Durant will believe? Their mayor or some outsider?"
Vic mocked hurt.
"Outsider? Ouch."
Sher reached behind her and pulled the recorder from her pocket. Taking one step towards Crane's desk, she tossed it and let it skitter across the surface before coming to a stop in the center.
"Actually…it's your word against your word?"
He glanced down. Vic pushed on.
"Every conversation that we had. Every offer you made me. Every threat. All of it. And, we have copies, so don't be stupid."
He looked from the recorder up to Vic.
"You were playing me? The whole time?"
Vic nodded.
"The whole time. Did you really think I would drag the name of a good man through the mud just so I could have his job? Maybe you need to brush up on your people skills because you had me all wrong."
His jaw tightened.
"I see that."
Walt spoke up.
"We also have the conversation you had with me. The one where you tried to blackmail me out of my job."
Crane huffed under his breath.
"Walt…"
Walt shook his head.
"The time for that is over, Sawyer. I have enough to arrest you right here. For bribing a law enforcement officer and blackmail."
Crane tilted his head.
"So, why haven't you arrested me?"
"Because there's still a deal to made here."
Crane looked skeptical.
"A deal? What deal?"
Walt held his eyes.
"Tell me who is working with you on this. Is it Tucker Baggett?"
Crane held his ground.
"What makes you think I'm working with anyone?"
Vic rolled her eyes.
"Because you said it. More than once."
She reached over and placed her hands on her cuffs.
"Or…we could just book you and talk about it at the jail."
Crane held up his hand at Vic.
"Just wait. What's in this for me?"
Walt frowned.
"Why should I do anything for you when all you have done is try and ruin me?"
"Because that's how this works. I give you something. You give me something."
"What do you want?"
Crane swallowed, knowing that his back was against a wall.
"I give you the information you want, and you don't arrest me."
Walt glanced at Vic.
"What do you think?"
Vic shrugged and smiled.
"Maybe that depends on what he tells us?"
Crane looked to Walt.
"Walt, you're always saying that you're a man of your word. Give me your word that you won't arrest me and I'll tell you what you want to know."
Walt stood quietly, like he was considering it. Finally, he nodded.
"Fine. I won't arrest you."
Crane nodded.
"Tucker Baggett came to me. He thought if we could force you out, ruin you, it would help his case."
"Why is this so important to him?"
Crane sighed.
"He wants your land. For development. If you were to lose this case, he figures you would be forced to sell."
Walt looked to Vic and back to Crane.
"That's why he wouldn't discuss a settlement."
Crane nodded.
"Yeah. That's why. He wants to build a golf course or something. Some kind of resort on it."
Walt studied the man in front of him.
"And, you went along with it. Not caring what it would do to me. Or my family. Or this town."
Crane gave him a scornful look.
"This town would be better off without you, Walt. All you do is hold back progress with all your old fashioned bullshit. It might work in the movies, but this is real life. In real life, people want progress, a good economy, jobs."
Walt didn't flinch at the attack.
"You will drop this."
Crane shrugged.
"Doesn't look like I have much choice now. But…you gave me your word, Walt."
Walt dipped his chin in acceptance of that statement.
"I did. And, I am a man of my word."
Vic walked over to Crane's desk and picked up the recorder. She held his eyes for a minutes before walking back over to Walt and holding it out.
"So…what should we do with this? Give it to the county commission, maybe?"
Walt smiled at her.
"Sounds like a good idea."
Crane stood up.
"Now, wait a minute…"
Vic gave him a look.
"God, shut up. No one cares about your posturing and bullshit threats. He said he wouldn't arrest you. And, you could learn a thing or two from him about how to be an actual civil servant. But, there's nothing to stop the commissioners from conducting their own investigation. I'm willing to bet they'll find all of this very interesting. So, will the people who elected you. Maybe Tucker Baggett will represent you. Unless, he's facing ethics charges of his own."
Crane turned bright red and came around his desk.
"You bitch!"
Walt's arm shot out and grabbed him, his hand closing around the front of Crane's shirt and pulling him away from Vic roughly.
"You don't talk to her like that. And, don't put your hands on her or you won't need an attorney. You'll need a preacher."
Crane did have the good sense to look intimidated at Walt's stern threat, nodding his head.
"Alright! Let go."
Walt released him and Crane made a show of pulling away and smoothing his shirt with his hands. Walt took a step back.
"I'm sure we'll be in touch. My next stop will be the commissioners."
Vic smiled again at Crane.
"Don't leave town."
With that she followed Walt out of the office into the hallway. She slid the recorder back into her pocket and fell in step beside him. Walt kept his face down and his eyes averted when she sidestepped close to him and said in a low voice that was almost a whisper.
"I changed my mind. Definitely hot. Definitely."
She bumped him with her arm as they left the building.
xxx
"All this quiet makes me nervous."
Vic looked at the screen of her phone and then laid it down on the coffee table in Walt's living room with a sigh. Walt looked her way, a small time on his face.
"Give it time."
She huffed as Walt reached out and placed his hand on her back, his palm warm through her shirt.
"How much time can it take? Really?"
Walt's hand slid up her back and then back down.
"He's not gonna make any kind of a decision until he talks to anyone else who might be involved, be it Tucker Baggett or someone else. He's probably also talking to his own attorneys. This…could have a lot of repercussions, depending on what the commission is thinking."
Vic turned her head towards him.
"How are you so calm?"
Walt shrugged.
"I figure either way, this helps my case. It makes it pretty clear that there's an agenda."
Vic rubbed one hand over her face.
"Yeah. Nothing from your lawyer?"
Walt shook his head.
"Nope. Not yet. Probably be tomorrow. These things take time."
Vic rolled her eyes.
"Time. They've taken up enough of your time."
There was no way for him to keep the smile off of his face or prevent the warm feeling that flooded around his heart as it beat inside of his chest. Her defense had been steadfast through everything, even with all the other things that were happening around and between them. Vic's belief in him never waned. He wasn't sure made him deserving of her faith in him, but he was certainly appreciative of it. Walt couldn't name anyone who had ever stood by him the way she did in all of this.
That was something that he wanted to express to her, although he was certain he could never repay her. Not really.
"You know…paperwork, deals, that kind of thing."
She shook her head and rolled her eyes yet again.
"Right. Red tape and all that. I'm sure they're looking for a way to get Crane off the hook and out of the way quietly."
He knew it was probably true. No one liked this kind of attention. It made the entire town and county government look bad and inept. He was already prepared for Sawyer Crane to not face any real punishment for his part, if he faced any consequences. Walt had been around long enough to know to always expect the unexpected and never assume a situation would turn out like he expected or thought it should.
There was a lot hinging on what happened that day. Not just for him
But, he didn't want focus on that in the moment. There would plenty of time to deal with the fallout and with whatever was coming his way next. This time away from work, he wanted to address what was in front of him and what was inside him. What he felt he needed to say and express, despite the fact that he knew he wasn't particularly good at it.
"Vic."
The way he said her name grabbed her attention immediately. Her features softened and she seemed to recognize that he was switching gears and turning to something of a more personal nature. Vic leaned back, Walt's hand sliding away as her back pressed into his couch and turned herself so that she was looking more squarely at him.
"What?"
The word was soft and inquisitive. Sitting there in his living room with her hair down and dressed simply in cotton pants and a t-shirt, he wasn't sure he could appreciate her more than he did in that moment. Or love her.
"I don't feel like I've thanked you for…"
She lowered her face and flapped a hand at him.
"Walt, you don't…"
Walt forged ahead, determined to get out everything that he wanted to say to her whether she liked it or not.
"Let me finish."
Vic fell silent and nodded a little, giving him space to say what he needed to say, even though she knew where he was going with this line of conversation.
"I know I don't have to. But, I want to. There is…so much than I can't repay you for. No real way for me to thank you the way I should. The way you deserve. But…thank you…for…everything. It means…more than you know."
Vic bit her lip and he saw the bob in her throat when she swallowed.
"You don't owe me anything, Walt. It's nothing you wouldn't have done if the situation was reversed."
He couldn't attest to that because there were times he was guilty of not standing by her the way she stood by him. But, that was all in the past and he was determined to not make the same mistakes again in the future.
Their future.
Those words seemed to have a deeper meaning in the moment, possibly on the cusp of their nightmare being over.
So, here merely shrugged.
"Still. Thank you."
She smiled a smile that seemed to spread across her face like the sun stretching over the horizon, lighting up everything in its path. Walt leaned in and kissed her, softly at first. His hands came up to her face to hold here there as he deepened the kiss. He felt her hands resting softly on his sides, her fingers curling inwards and pressing into his shirt.
Walt's mind started to fog over and the days events started to become more distant as he leaned more into her and started trying to get her onto her back. Vic seemed to get what he wanted and started to lay back when the cordless phone chirped from its cradle and both of them jumped at the sudden intrusion.
Walt pulled back, his breathing labored as he sat up and wiped his sleeve across his mouth. Vic cleared her throat as he pushed up off the couch and grabbed his phone, his eyes still on her.
"Hello."
Vic watched Walt's end of the conversation play out in front of her and deduced fairly quick that it must be Dave Milgrom. Walt's eyes stayed on hers as he spoke and nodded. Setting the phone down, he inhaled deeply.
"He wants to come by in the morning."
Vic tilted her head.
"Here?"
Walt nodded.
"Yep."
He could see the curiosity that was written all over her face.
"About the case?"
Walt's shoulders rose and fell.
"He didn't want to get into it over the phone and said it was too late, anyway. Said he would be here around 7:30 in the morning."
She sighed, knowing there was more waiting ahead. A whole night of it. Vic stood up.
"You want me to go?"
Walt gave her a puzzled look and shook his head.
"No. Why would I?"
Vic shrugged.
"Just wondering. I can be gone before he gets here."
Walt shook his head again.
"I…would rather you stay. For all of it."
She raised an eyebrow at him.
"You sure?"
Walt's hand closed over her shoulder as he approached her.
"Yeah, I'm sure."
He tipped his face down and kissed her again. Vic's hands returned to his sides as he started to steer her towards his bedroom with clear intention. Vic smiled against his mouth.
"Still in the mood?"
"Mmm-hmm. Need a distraction."
She pulled her head back a little as he continued to walk her slowly backwards to his bed.
"Well…I'm really good at that."
xxx
Walt lay in the quiet of his bedroom. The only sound he could hear inside the room was the steady breathing of Vic beside him. She was on her side, facing him and seemed to be sleeping soundly. He was grateful for that, at least. There was no reason for both of them to be up worrying about things they couldn't really change at his point.
For a while, he looked up at the ceiling. Or, what he could see of it. The room was dark around him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't turn off his brain. There was too much rolling around inside of it tonight and no off switch that seemed to work. It felt like everything was on the line and he had little control over his own fate. At least, that was how it felt. He had to admit, it had been empowering too take back some control earlier when he and Vic had gone to Sawyer Crane's office. Regardless of whether the man was involved with Tucker Baggett or not, Crane was clearly trying to push him out of his job for his own gain. He was the kind of man that Walt had no use for.
He turned his gaze away from the ceiling and rolled towards Vic. The blanket was pulled up a little past her waist, leaving her arms bare, with one underneath her pillow and the other stretched down her side. She looked relaxed. More relaxed than she did awake lately. That was for sure. He hated being the reason that she was under so much stress. As much as he told her that her miscarriage was likely related to something medically wrong with the baby, some small part of him wondered if stress played a factor. Stress that his presence and his problems brought into her life.
He knew that she was still struggling with it and he worried for her in regards to that. Right now, it was easy enough to shift her focus to his problems. But, what about when it was resolved. It was entirely possible they were on the cusp of that very thing. The thought made him pause and planted a fresh seed of worry in the pit of his stomach.
She shifted in her sleep and made a low humming noise as she readjusted her head. It was the moments like these that gave him pause and stole away his breath. He wasn't an overly romantic man. He never was. But, there was a stirring inside of him that made him want to wake her up and confess his undying love. Despite what Vic would roll her eyes at and insist wasn't true, Walt didn't feel like he deserved her. At all. Still, he wasn't going to argue with the unseen forces that brought her into his life and gave her enough staying power to put up with everything he put her through early on. When they were first starting this thing between them.
She was a gift he gladly accepted.
Her face scrunched up and her eyelids began to flutter. Walt gave the clock a quick look. Despite, the fact that it was still quite a few hours from dawn, she seemed to be waking up. Maybe his thoughts were loud enough to penetrate her sleep. Walt watched face relax again and her eyes opened, blinking several times in rapid succession.
For a moment, he could see that she was trying to orient herself to place and time. It was nothing short of adorable as far as he was concerned. Not that he would ever voice that thought. It would surely land him a smart comment and an eye roll. Maybe, even a shove at his arm.
Her eyes moved around in the dark room before she seemed to see him there, hovering near her.
"Walt?"
Her voice was husky with sleep.
"Hmm?"
He was hopeful she would drift back off fairly quickly.
"Everything okay?"
Walt let his head come to rest on his own pillow, so that they were face to face and almost nose to nose.
"Yeah."
"Why are you awake?"
He reached over with one hand and smooth it over her cheek, causing her eyes to flutter closed momentarily before they opened again.
"Just thinking."
"Bout what?"
"Life."
Her brow creased with the small frown that crossed her face as his answer.
"Kind of late for that."
He smiled and let his hand still on the skin of her cheek.
"Yeah, it is."
She sniffled and moved, the sheets rustling around her.
"Wanna talk about it?"
Walt gave his head a barely perceptible shake.
"No. Go back to sleep."
She looked at him, there in his dark bedroom. The lack of any real light made her eyes seemed dark and it gave Walt an unsettling feeling. They were normally much brighter and seemed to hum with energy, almost like they held some kind of electricity. When she looked at him with those eyes and let all of her honesty and true feelings seep out of them, it gave him a warm feeling. One of reassurance. He hadn't ever told her that. He wasn't sure he ever would.
"You sure."
Walt let his thumb scrape across her lips before he pulled his hand away.
"Yeah. Go to sleep."
She hummed again as she started to move around and settle back in to a comfortable position. There was no reason to keep her up or fill her head with his problems. There had been enough of that lately. Whether she would admit it or not, her body and her mind still needed time. Time to recover. Time to process. He wasn't foolish enough to believe there wouldn't be more bumps on her emotional road to recovery.
She didn't need his burdens added to her own. Not anymore than they already had. If anything, he needed to try and shield her from what was or might happen to him.
She inhaled deeply as she scooted a little closer to him and pressed her face into his chest. The arm she wasn't laying on reached out and draped over his side, relaxing almost completely. She took in another deep breath and he could feel the warmth of her exhale as she started to slip back into sleep. Walt lowered his chin so that it rested on her head and took a nerve steadying breath of his own. She was warm. She felt good. She smelled good. It was easy to focus all of his senses on her and push his thoughts to the back of his mind.
Distraction, indeed.
He wasn't sure she knew how true those words were. Walt allowed his own eyes to close as he settled in beside her. Within a few minutes, the rhythm of her breathing again settled into sleep.
xxx
Vic buttoned up her shirt as she walked into the kitchen, dressed for work. Walt, as usual, was already up and she was met by the welcome smell of coffee. Good coffee. Walt was leaning on the counter, sipping from his own mug when she appeared. He smiled at her over the rim of his cup.
"Morning."
Vic stifled a yawn with her hand and shook her head as she poured herself a cup and started to add milk and sugar. Walt set his cup down and watched the familiar scene play out.
"You should try a little coffee with all that other stuff."
Vic shot him a look as she lifted the cup to her mouth and took a sip.
"Smartass."
Walt smiled and looked around the otherwise quiet room.
"Want some breakfast?"
Vic shook her head.
"Not hungry."
It was close enough to the truth. She wasn't hungry. Of course, that was because her stomach was tied up in knots with worry about what Dave Milgrom wanted so early in the morning. She wasn't naïve enough to believe automatically that it was good news. They were both beyond that and she knew it. Still, there was no reason to add her own doubts to the pile she already knew Walt must be feeling. He tried to present a calm and collected demeanor, but the small tells were there. He was nervous, even if he wouldn't admit to it.
Either way this meeting went, it was still likely to be an arduous process with a stupid amount of paperwork and a week's worth of headaches.
His eyes were on her and there was little question in her mind that he could see through the nonchalant attitude she was attempting to give him. She half expected an argument or something. But, Walt must have been feeling the same way she was because here merely nodded and took another drink of his coffee. He glanced at his watch.
"Dave should be here in about fifteen minutes."
Almost as if to challenge that very idea, there was a knock on the door. Vic shook her head.
"He's early."
Walt grimaced as he set his cup down and pushed up off the counter where he was leaning.
"Let's hope that's a good thing."
Vic picked up her coffee and started to follow behind him as she walked towards the front door. He cast one look at her over his shoulder as his hand closed around the doorknob.
"Might as well get it over with."