AN: Here's the next installment. Another long and somewhat transitional chapter. Thanks for reading!

Ch. 19

Saturday morning dawned, the sun bathing the land in gold and shadows. The temperature was in the high 50's and climbing. Walt sat on porch in his leather jacket watching the sunrise. Henry was due to come by later this morning to have breakfast. Since the day they had Henry over for the impromptu get together, they have made a habit of this. Often it was only 2 or 3 at a time because of schedules, but they all made the effort regardless of who could be there. Vic was supposed to be off in about 30 minutes, having covered the office overnight.

Walt was up before the sun, unable to sleep well having grown accustomed to having Vic at his side. She was out of sorts yesterday, he could tell, but she didn't say why. He had called her late that evening to check on her, as he always did when she was there overnight, and she had apologized. She assured him she would explain later and said that it was part of her past, not her present that was causing her bad mood.

He often worried about Vic. Whether he, Cady, and Henry would be enough for her without the support of her family. She came from a large, Italian family and they numbered half of just her immediate family. She confirmed his assumption that she had always struggled to prove herself, growing up in the shadow of the Moretti men who were all cops before her. The fact that they chose their fellow officers over their own flesh and blood made him angry. Livid even. Which reminded him of the letter he had put in his jacket pocket, unopened. It was addressed to him and had a Philadelphia postmark. He supposed he should read it now so he has time to deal with his emotions before sharing it with her. He took out his pocket knife and sliced the envelope open. The paper tore away revealing a hand written letter. His curiosity surged ahead of his apprehension at the salutation of Mr. Longmire.

Mr. Longmire,

I've been thinking about your call and the things you said about Victoria; as her boss, her mentor, her partner, her friend and as a man. I can tell that you have filled those roles in her life by what you told us. It's clear that you think very highly of her as a person and an officer of the law.

I'm ashamed to say that I have been blind when it comes to my daughter. I wanted her to be a boy and when I realized she wasn't, I named her Victoria after me and called her Vic, just like me and my son before her. I treated her like a son, but not like my other sons. More like a younger brother who would never measure up.

I know why you hired her. Because she's a damn good cop. I wasn't willing to acknowledge that she had more strength, honor and courage than any of us. I don't blame her for fleeing the city. She feared for her safety and we did nothing to protect her. She fled and we continued to harass her. I'm ashamed of what I did and what I have failed to do. What we have done and have failed to do. I haven't spoken with the rest of the family about this letter or my intentions, yet. I fear it will make a complicated situation even more complex and take my focus off of my goal.

Now, Sir, I must also say thank you. While I'm not at all comfortable with the fact that you and my daughter are in a relationship, I must thank you regardless. You gave her a job knowing the circumstances of her departure in Philly. It means you run your department with the same level of integrity as you spoke about in my daughter. I was surprised not only that you would choose her as a partner, having not had one at all, but also that you would trust her with your own problems. I guess she gained a lot of insight and wisdom when I wasn't looking. Thank you for building her up when we were tearing her down. Thank you for mentoring her and protecting her on the job. Thank you for being there for her when we abandoned her. Thank you for loving her. These things are not easy for me to admit or say, but they need to be said.

So, I have honored your request that correspondence go through you. I have stopped all correspondence of any kind from the family unless it goes through me first. While I trust that my family will follow my orders in regard to Vic, please know if anything shows up from anyone except me, know that it is without my consent or knowledge. I hope you can recognize the sincerity of my words and the shame I carry having treated my only daughter in this manner. I would like to travel to Durant to see the both of you, if she will allow, and apologize in person. This can't be fixed in a short time. I know that. But I don't want to spend another day on this earth with Vic thinking I don't love her, because I do. I want, no I need to start showing her now. Please show her this letter and maybe help her consider allowing the same opportunity for us to heal as you and your daughter had.

Victor Moretti

Walt exhaled slowly and thought about what Vic's father had said. He sounded sincere and what he said meant that he would have to swallow his pride to admit he was wrong. But he worried that this was a ploy to get close to her. To what end he didn't know. More harassment maybe. Or maybe forcing her to go home now that she was single again, well in her father's mind anyway. He figured as long as he was with Vic while her father was here, then he could determine whether the man was sincere or just trying to do an end run around him.

He looked up and saw Vic's truck coming down the drive. A smile graced his features, as it often did now when he observed her at home. She hopped down from the truck and jogged up to the porch.

"Mornin' Vic."

Standing up on her toes, she pulled his shoulders down a bit and planted a kiss on his lips.

"Morning, Stud. What have you got there?"

"A letter from your father to me. I think you should read it, but it can wait until you get some shut-eye if you want. It's not in the same vein of what you've been getting."

She sat down on the bench and leaned forward on her knees. He sat next to her and rubbed her back, giving her his support while she processed this new information.

"Hey."

She looked up at him and took his hand in hers.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to. I will be by your side every step of the way, Vic."

"I know you will. I just don't know if I care anymore."

"Let's start with breakfast. Here comes Henry."

Her lips found and met his in a lingering kiss.

"I'm going to grab a quick shower while you and Henry get things going."

His eyes followed her as she left the porch and then shifted to Henry. He got up and accepted the bags from Henry so he could get the rest out of the truck. He and Henry exchanged pleasantries while setting up breakfast at the kitchen table and waiting for Vic.

Walt put the letter at Vic's place at the table in the envelope, then sat down with Henry.

"Where is Cady this morning?"

"She had to work."

"And Vic?"

"Cleaning up after the overnight shift."

Walt knew Vic entered the room when Henry rose to greet her. They embraced and sat down. Henry and Walt laughing as she dug in. Around a mouthful, she mumbled an apology.

"Sorry, I'm starving."

They all chatted about inconsequential items as they ate. Once satisfied, Walt removed the plates and topped off their drinks. Sitting back down, he noticed Vic fingering the envelope as she read the letter.

"Henry, has Walt told you what happened before I left Philly?"

"He mentioned that you had some problems on the force before you left, but no details."

"Anything about my family?"

"You're Italian, your 4 brothers and father are in law enforcement and they haven't come out here yet."

Walt looked between Vic and Henry, wondering where she was going with this.

"Well, long story short, I turned in a fellow cop for corruption. I got harassed by people close to him, my whole precinct and I was basically disowned by my parents and brothers. My family still harasses me here, but not quite as bad as back in the city. To get away, I married Sean and came out here, the former obviously not a great decision."

Henry went to say something but she held her hand up indicating for him to stop. Walt and Henry made eye contact as she looked down for a moment. They both turned and looked at her, waiting. Her gaze returned to Henry.

"What I'd like from you Henry, since you're my family...my brother."

Walt saw her expression change and grinned at her. He could see the tenderness in her eyes when she called Henry her brother. She was holding the envelope in her hand and waving it.

"I'd like you to read this letter and give me your opinion on it. Walt and I are both biased."

"Of course I will Vic. Are you sure?"

"Really, Henry?"

Vic rolled her eyes, Henry looked chagrined and Walt laughed out loud. Vic held out the letter and Henry took it, donning his glasses. Walt stretched out his hand and took hers. He fingered the ring and held her gaze, lending her what support he could while they waited. Finally, Henry took off his glasses and set down the letter.

"I do not know the man, but I believe he is genuine about this letter and what he wants to do. That said, there is a history here I know nothing of and I would strongly advise letting him meet Walt alone first, though implying you will be there. His reaction to the unexpected should tell you a great deal about his motives."

"Henry, I'd like it if you went along too. To the first meeting and any others I may have with him. I want you both there."

She stretched her other hand across the table and Henry took it in his.

"I will be there, with Walt. And if you decide to give him a chance, I will be there with you both."

"Thanks Henry."

"There's no need to thank me, Vic."

Walt saw that the issue with her family was settled for the moment so he brought up the engagement.

"Henry we've got one more thing we need to discuss."

He nudged the ring on Vic's finger to see if she would get the hint. She did, holding up her left hand and wiggling her ring finger around.

"You finally did it. I take it you didn't stray far from home."

"Nope."

"So the where wasn't an issue after all."

He saw Vic look at him with a raised eyebrow. He let out a sigh.

"I was kinda worried about where to propose. You know I have a long history here, and Philly didn't seem right with your history there."

"I get it. The porch was perfect. We even had our own light show and entertainment."

He grinned as his memory went back to that night. She was right…it was perfect. They all got up from the table and went out on the porch, knowing Henry would be taking his leave. Walt trailed behind the two of them as they chatted with one another. He chuckled at the banter between Henry and Vic.

He waved as Henry left and drew Vic into his embrace to kiss her.

"I'm glad you're here, Vic. In Durant. In our home. In my arms."

"Me too. I really didn't think there would be anything for me here. I'm glad I was wrong. About yesterday…"

He smiled as she yawned.

"Come on, you. We can talk later."

He led her to the bedroom and took off his boots, before propping himself up on the headboard next to her. She put a pillow on his legs and laid next to him. He set a hand on her shoulder and felt her breathing even out. He enjoyed this time with her. Being next to her while she was sleeping and at peace. Occasionally, she would have unsettling dreams and he would calm her. Most of the time, though, she would wind herself along the length of him in slumber and he would lose himself in the pages of a book. He enjoyed these lazy mornings with her, whether she's sleeping the morning away from an overnight shift, he's doing the same or if they just don't feel like doing anything and happen to have the same morning off. Their mornings off together are few and far between so he savors them. Losing Martha had taught him that he needs to be more present in his life, especially now that he's not isolating himself in a cloud of misery.

He let his fingers trail through her hair as his thoughts turned to her. He had given up on his book for now and focused on her instead. She has been adjusting to their life together very well, but he could sense an undercurrent of melancholy in her. It was in the quiet moments that its presence made itself known to him. He suspected that's what had her snapping at him yesterday. He felt it must have something to do with her family, but he didn't know for sure. He wondered if her extended family shunned her as well.

His thoughts turned to their life together. He was pleased to find that after their bumpy start, they were well suited to one another. She didn't mind the quiet at the cabin. In fact, as fidgety as she was while on the job and in a vehicle, she really wasn't that way at home. Vic was at ease when they were home, which pleased him. While he had an unofficially enforced rule of no technology, she had insisted on Internet access and a decent sound system with bass, which came as no surprise to him. The lack of stations in the Bronco was a continual source of frustration for her. When she did come across a clear station, her whole demeanor changed. Music was an outlet for her. Music was also important to him, before and after Martha's passing. In the past year or so, he's gotten away from it. Listening and playing.

He still hadn't played for Vic, though the piano was a fixture in the cabin. He often wondered why she never asked about it. Then again, he never brought it up either. His desire to play had left him before Martha got sick. Being Sheriff was almost a 24-7 job and with Cady, his spare time was almost nonexistent. After Martha passed, he would play for hours. Though he tried to drink his way to a mind numbing haze, there were countless hours with nothing he cared to do. He couldn't sleep. He didn't eat. He didn't feel like working on the cabin. Playing was the only solace he found. The notes expressing his grief when no more tears were left, his anger that no one understood, and the emptiness in his soul. He hasn't played since she moved in, in part because he was enjoying spending time with her.

His gaze was drawn to her as she stretched out and groaned.

"How long was I out?"

"A couple hours. How do you feel?"

"Like I was run over by a truck."

"Yeah."

He knew the feeling well. He maneuvered himself into a prone position and drew her into his embrace. Head propped up on his elbow, he rested his arm across her torso.

"Feel like sleeping some more?"

"Not really. I think I slept enough to make it to bed at a normal hour. If I sleep more, I'll be up all night again."

"Can I get you anything?"

"No thanks. We do need to talk. I'm sorry about yesterday, Walt."

"I know. You don't need to apologize again. I'd just like to know why."

"Yesterday was my grandmother's birthday. I called the house to talk to her and my brother answered. Told me she didn't want to speak to me and that she was disappointed in me, among other things."

"Maybe I need to pay a visit to the Moretti clan in person. This whole thing is ridiculous."

His hand found hers and he brought it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

"You shouldn't have to endure this constant barrage of sanctimonious crap from them. It's one thing to treat you that way. It's another thing to interfere in your other relationships. Why don't you let me call your Dad. If he's serious about reconciliation with you, it will reflect in how he handles this."

"Only if I can listen in this time. I missed out last time."

"Come on then. Where's your cell?"

He smirked when she rolled her eyes and handed the phone over. They both went to the couch in the living room and placed the phone on the coffee table. She dialed her Dad's cell and put it on speaker.

"Vic?"

"No, Mr. Moretti."

"Hello. I take it you received my letter."

"I did. Both Vic and I have read it and we appreciate your candor. She is taking time to consider your offer to come to Wyoming."

Walt heard the man breathe a sigh of relief at the knowledge that Vic is considering his offer. An indication that he is sincere about setting things right.

"Good. Good. How is Vic?"

"Actually, she was a little out of sorts yesterday. When I asked her why, she explained that it was her grandmother's birthday."

"It was. The family got together at her house and had a party for her. I was surprised, actually, that Vic didn't call."

"She did call."

"Damn. One of her brothers answered, I take it. I'll take care of it now. Did she say who?"

"No."

"Doesn't matter. I'll find out. Will she be available in about an hour to talk?"

"Yep. We'll be here."

"Mr. Longmire…"

"Call me Walt."

"Walt, tell her that whatever was said isn't true. Tell her I'm sorry."

"I will. We'll be waiting for your call."

He looked at Vic as she hung up the phone and saw her trying to process what just happened.

"Dad sounded sincere. More so than I've heard from him in a long time. Maybe there is hope that we can move past all of this."

She sat across his lap and clung to him.

"Thank you for making this a possibility. I know it's still early, but this wouldn't have happened at all without you."

"He would've come around eventually, Vic."

"I don't know. Would you have things fixed with Cady yet? Men are stubborn creatures and hide their hurt behind anger. You and Cady live in the same town and were estranged for months."

She had a point. He and Cady had the same stubborn streak.

"I would like to think so, but time slips away so fast and with how we avoided one another, I don't know."

Her lips found his. A gentle reminder she wasn't criticizing him.

"Can I change my comment then, Vic?"

"Mmmhmmm."

"You're welcome. I'll always have your back."

"Much better. Now we wait."

She kissed him again, then nuzzled into the space between his shoulder and neck. He wrapped his arms around her and sighed. All this turmoil shouldn't have happened to her. It made him think about Cady and all the turmoil he had caused her. Vic's phone startled them both out of their thoughts. It had only been about 15 minutes by his count. She reached out to grab the phone and put it on speaker, but he is the one that answered.

"Hello."

"Walt, I'm with Vic's grandmother and I briefly explained what happened. We'll be having another discussion later. She would like to talk to Vic."

"I'm here, Dad."

"Vic. It's good to hear your voice. Here's Nonna."

Walt could hear the emotion in Victor's voice and knew instinctively that this man was completely sincere about healing his relationship with Vic. He listened as the two women spoke and relaxed when he realized that this woman had nothing to do with the others' actions against Vic. He could feel the relief that Vic felt as her grandmother reassured her that she never felt Vic was a disappointment. He would have to arrange a trip out there for them to visit her soon, given her advanced age. He whispered to Vic for her to ask to speak to her Dad when she was done with her grandmother.

"This is Victor."

"I wanted to say thank you for resolving this so quickly. I know it's a relief to Vic and it is to me as well."

"Please don't thank me. None of this should've happened. Nonna has already called a family meeting and I can assure you, we will all have our tails between our legs afterwards."

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I miss you."

"I miss you, too. Once I finish handling things here, I'm coming out there to see you and Walt. I know it may not mean much to you right now, but I love you."

Walt answered for her, knowing she was trying not to lose it while on the phone.

"It means a lot to her, Victor. Let us know when you've made travel arrangements."

The line went dead and Vic finally let go of her tears. Months of hurt, anger, sadness and insecurity came out. All he could do was hold her and reassure her that at least some of it was coming to an end. Once her emotions settled, she went to freshen up. He decided maybe it was time to share his love of music with her. So he sat down and started playing Moonlight Sonata while waiting for her, feeling that it fit the mood. He lost himself in the music until he felt her put her hands on his shoulders as he played. Finally, he played the final notes and she joined him on the bench.

"So you do know how to play, then."

She nudged him, letting him know that she was pleased he would share it with her.

"Yep."

"I'm impressed. You play very well and Moonlight Sonata happens to be my favorite piano piece."

He watched transfixed as she placed her hands on the keys and took a deep breath. The opening notes to Ode to Joy, another Beethoven composition, filled the room as she closed her eyes and played from memory. He had no idea that she also played and was surprised that she didn't mention it when she saw he had a piano.

"You never said you played, Vic."

"No. Neither did you. I figured it you'd mention it sooner or later. I thought about playing, but I wasn't sure that it would be ok."

"I told you this was our home now."

He was surprised that she felt as if parts of their home were inaccessible to her. He wondered if she felt the same about anything else. He couldn't bring to mind anything else she had avoided.

"You did. Yet you've never so much as touched the piano in my presence, much less talked about it or played it. You barely look at it, except to dust it off when I'm not here. I've wondered if you play when I'm not here. If the thought of me touching or playing it bothers you. I can give you time alone to play, if that's what you want. I don't want to overstep."

He was genuinely shocked. He did keep the piano dusted, but surely he had done it at least once in her presence. Apparently not. He hadn't realized he'd built a wall around it.

"I don't need time alone to play and I have no problem if you want to play. I didn't realize I was avoiding it. I'm not sure what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, unless this is a problem for you. Is it?"

He took a couple minutes to think about it. He wasn't avoiding it. More like he didn't think about it when Vic was around. It was when he was alone in the cabin he would notice the buildup of dust and take care of it. Playing just now actually felt good. Hearing her play was something altogether different. He never heard anyone play on that piano except Cady as a child. Hearing Vic play was intimate. Private. And it was certainly something he wanted to explore further.

"No. It's not."

He glanced at her and saw the question in her eyes.

"It's not a problem, Vic. I was given lessons starting at age 5 until I left for college. I've never played for anyone as an adult other than Martha, Cady and now you. I didn't have much time with the job and family life. Once Martha passed, I had endless hours to fill so I played. A lot. The piano was an outlet for everything I was feeling. The loss, anger, emptiness, and grief were all reflected and released through the music."

She nodded and put her hands in her lap, so he returned his hands to the keys and started playing Clair de Lune. It felt good to play for a reason other than grief. He stopped and looked at her.

"I haven't played for enjoyment in a very long time. It feels good to play for you. Natural. I've never had anyone play for me on this piano. Hearing music from it is different in the best way. It's private. Intimate. Like a secret known only to us."

She kissed him.

"Special. I felt it too. Thank you for sharing this with me."

"You don't have to thank me, Vic."

She gave him the look that said stop being contrary. He grinned.

"You're welcome. Is that better?"

"You know it is, Cowboy."

TBC