I apologize for the wait between posts. My son was sick and my schedule went crazy.

Ch. 33: Divergence

"This place is…interesting."

Victor Moretti looked around the Red Pony, taking it all in.

"It's a bar."

They took a seat.

"Not like any I've seen in Philly."

Vic sighed.

"We're not in Philly."

"No, we're not."

A waitress came over and they both ordered a beer. The bottles were brought out. Her father was quiet until he had taken a long drink of his beer. He set it down and gave the bar another look before he settled his attention on his daughter.

Vic tried to remember how she felt the first time she saw the Red Pony and couldn't really pull the memory from her file. She'd been in and out of here so much over her time in Durant. Her father wasn't wrong. It wasn't like any of the places back in Philly she might have frequented.

"And…that's the problem."

It wasn't a question. Her father's mouth turned up just a bit. Vic turned her bottle around in her hands. She resisted the urge to start peeling the label, a nervous habit that went back to childhood. Although, back then it was bottles of soft drinks or water, not beer.

"You can come home, Vic. I told you when I was out here before…you don't have to go back to the department. There are other jobs that someone with your experience can get without issues. Jobs that pay well. Jobs that are less dangerous."

She considered him.

"Do you get on the boys about how dangerous their jobs are? Or, do you save that for me because I'm not a boy? Because, I've been on this job for a long time, and it's never not been dangerous."

"You were never shot before."

"I could have been. Easily. You know how that goes, dad. It's part of this job. We get jumped, we got shot at, people try and stab us. No one joins the police force thinking it's a safe job. I don't remember getting this speech when I worked in Philly."

"In Philly, I could keep tabs on you. I knew what you were doing and who had your back. Out here…"

"So, it's about control. You never answered my question. You have three sons who are currently cops. Do they get all this preaching?"

"I tell them to be safe."

"Do you tell them to quit?"

He sighed.

"You are my only daughter."

"Oh, I see. So…which of your sons is expendable and do they know?"

"Don't turn this around?"

"It needs to be turned around? You can't have different standard for me because I'm a woman, dad. For…all kinds of reasons. What that says to me is that you don't think I can handle myself."

"I know that you can."

"Doesn't feel that way."

"You said it yourself, Vic. This is a three man department…"

"Four now."

He gave her a look.

"That's no better. You don't have the support that you should have. There are no resources here."

She shrugged.

"Is that why you came here? To try and get me to come home again? You're wasting your time. I am not moving back to Philadelphia just because you come out here and demand it."

He drained the last of his beer and pushed the bottle away. Vic's eyes dropped to her own bottle. It was only half empty.

"I'm worried about you, Vic. Your mother is, too. You…have a history of self-destructive behavior. This feels like it fits that pattern."

Her eyes snapped up and anger surged up in her.

"Self-destructive? You mean like going to IA over dirty cops?"

"No, you did what you felt was necessary…"

"What I felt was necessary. It was necessary."

Victor held up his hands.

"Okay. I wasn't talking about that anyway. Your…relationship decisions…"

"Jesus."

Her voice was sharp.

"Vic…"

"Being with Walt is not self-destructive. If anything, it's the opposite."

"He damn near got you killed."

"No, dad. I damn near got myself killed. And if it wasn't for Walt…"

She broke off abruptly when she realized where her words were taking her. Victor leaned in.

"What?"

Vic shook her head. She wasn't going there. Walt was the only person in her life who knew how close she came to the edge of a precipice from which there was no return. Walt, alone, knew that she was so overcome with darkness that she put her own gun to her head and very nearly pulled the trigger.

It felt like forever ago. There was still darkness. There always would be. It just didn't overwhelm her now like it did that night. Her father was watching her with the eyes of a detective. He knew there was something she wasn't telling him. He might even be trying to figure out what it was. He would recognize the resolute expression on her face.

The question was, would he push her?

"Forget it."

She took a breath.

"This isn't like before, dad. Walt…is a good man. He's good for me. If you would just give him a chance…you might see that."

He gave her a doubtful look. Vic looked down at her hands.

"When are you flying back?"

"Tomorrow afternoon."

Vic nodded slightly.

"So…you did come here to try and talk me into coming home."

"I'm not going to apologize for trying to keep you safe, Vic. Your family is back east. Everything that you've ever known. I just don't understand why you insist on staying here. Because of a man."

"Stop."

She pushed the word out firmly. Her father went silent.

"Walt…loves me. He supports me. And, he certainly doesn't try and bully me into doing things that I don't want to do. This…is probably the healthiest relationship that I've ever been in. And, if you care about me as much as you say you do, then you will let me live my own life on my terms. Otherwise…we don't have anything else to talk about."

She stood up and fished in her pocket for money. Victor beat her to the punch and laid down the money to cover their drinks. He rose and walked around the table.

"You are my daughter. Don't question if I care for you. Of course, I do."

Vic's chest expanded with a breath.

"Then, stop."

He didn't look at all pleased by her words. Vic walked outside with her father walking along beside her.

Victor shifted gears suddenly.

"Let me take you out for dinner tonight."

Vic paused in the parking lot and looked out at the cars.

"Dinner?"

"Yeah. I can pick you up if you want. You still in your trailer?"

His off the cuff question caught her off guard. She didn't respond quick enough.

"Did you move?"

Vic bit her bottom lip and faced her father fully.

"Dad, I…"

Her words faded out. Victor's intense eyes didn't really give her any reprieve from his questions.

"What is it, Vic? You didn't need to be living in that trailer. If you've found a house, I'd like to see it."

"I…have moved."

She ventured the start of her confession carefully. Based on how her father felt about Walt, she didn't need to be told what his reaction would be to the fact that she was living with Walt now.

It wasn't going to be good.

xxx

Walt didn't expect to see Vic back at work that day. When his private door opened, he lifted his eyes as Vic came in and closed the door behind her. Walt stood almost immediately and walked around his desk.

"Vic, I told you to go for the day."

She nodded.

"I know. But…"

She stopped talking and cleared her throat.

"I told him that we're living together."

She blurted the words out as though she were trying to exorcise them. Walt shifted his weight.

"Alright."

She flexed her jaw and gave her head a very slight shake.

"No, it's not."

Walt studied her.

"He take it bad?"

She looked up into his face. He wished that he could erase the stress he saw there, knowing he was the cause of some of it. Maybe all of it.

"He wanted to come over here and…I don't know…beat your ass."

Walt brow furrowed.

"Really?"

He wasn't surprised. Not entirely. He knew the man didn't like him. That reaction still felt extreme.

"Well…he didn't say that. He was pissed, though. I'm…sorry, Walt. I don't mean to drag you further into this. I wasn't even gonna tell him. I just…"

Walt shook his head.

"Better than lying to him."

"I guess."

Walt put his hands on her shoulders.

"He would have found out the first time he went to the trailer park."

She released a breath of frustration and paced his office.

"He acts like I'm some kid making stupid choices."

"He doesn't like me."

Vic turned to him.

"No shit."

The comment was to be expected. He was stating the obvious.

"He wants to have dinner tonight. And, he offered to pick me up. I said I'd moved and it just…unraveled from there. The good news is…he's going home tomorrow. So…all you have to do is survive tonight."

"Tonight?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, he now wants to have dinner with…us."

He felt dread and surprise equally. Not a good surprise.

"Dinner with us?"

"Yep. Although, if you don't want to come…"

She sounded unsure and he couldn't blame her. Victor Moretti made no secret of how he felt about Walt as her boss and as the man in her life. Finding out they had taken such a serious step wasn't going to alleviate any of that.

It was proof that they were serious. He was sure her father would like nothing more than for Vic to end this relationship. From his perspective, things were headed in the wrong direction. Were he being honest, he really didn't want go. What man would?

On the other hand, what kind of man would he be if he let her handle this on her own? He certainly wouldn't gain any respect from her father that way. Not that he really expected it. It just felt like taking the coward's way out to tell her that he didn't want to have dinner with her father even if it was the truth. Vic probably didn't really want to go either.

She was watching him closely. He wondered when she looked at him like that if she was capable of reading his mind.

"I have to go. You don't."

Maybe she really could see his thoughts.

Vic exhaled audibly and her shoulders sagged a bit.

"You know…I wish I didn't feel that way."

He understood.

"I know."

She gave her head a slow shake.

"It would be nice if my family could visit me without all this bullshit. And, they wonder why I don't come home more often. Who the hell wants to have every choice they make second guessed?"

"No one. I'll come."

Her eyes lifted up to his at his words.

"You sure? Could be brutal."

Walt raised his shoulders in an attempted shrug. He wanted to seem unconcerned. He wanted to convey confidence. He figured he was failing at both based on her expression.

"I'm sure."

She seemed relieved, although she didn't voice it.

"Okay…I'll call him and figure out a time."

She unconsciously reached around and touched her back pocket where her phone was. Walt nodded.

"Let me know."

Vic backed up towards the door.

"Sure."

She offered him a smile and left, pulling the door closed behind her.

Walt slapped his hand against his thigh as he walked around his desk and sat down. Leaning back, he looked at the door that Vic used.

Brutal.

It was an interesting choice of word. It made him wonder what her father actually said to her when she told him that they were living together. He prickled with anger. Just because the man was her father didn't give him the right to treat her any way that he wanted to.

Walt took a breath and pushed it out.

Slow and measured.

That was what he would need to be.

xxx

"Are you sure about this?"

Vic tossed him the question with a slightly tilted head as they stood in the parking lot of the restaurant Victor Moretti had suggested. It was a newer one that they weren't familiar with near the edge of town. It seemed more of a tourist destination that attracted the casino crowd who wandered into town than a place that locals frequented. But, it was also neutral territory and Vic was willing to concede that much.

Walt reached up and adjusted his hat.

"Nope."

She let out a humorless laugh as she took his arm and tugged on it.

"Me either."

Vic could admit that it made her feel better that Walt was here with her. It was akin to having backup where her father was concerned. But, it also gave her a feeling of apprehension in the pit of her stomach. At this point, she was just hoping that her father wouldn't make a scene in a public place.

As they walked in, Vic let go of his arm and scanned the dining area for her father.

Her eyes landed on him sitting at a booth along the wall with a glass of water in front of him. He was drumming his fingers on the table and his face was set in an expression that didn't make her feel any better.

Walt removed his hat as they crossed the restaurant. Vic noticed her father stiffen a bit when he saw them. Vic took a seat across from him and Walt sat down beside her. Victor's eyes shifted between them as his chin dipped.

"Sheriff."

"Chief."

Vic resisted the urge to sigh. Addressing with titles wasn't exactly getting them off to a good start. She was given a momentary reprieve by their waiter appearing to take their drink order. Then, they were alone again.

Vic rested her arms on the table and leaned forward.

"How was the rest of your day?"

He considered her.

"Not much to do around here. Make me wonder how you don't get bored out of your mind. You're not exactly the type to sit around and twiddle your thumbs."

Vic raised and dropped her shoulders in a shrug.

"Work keeps me busy. It's not like I sit around at home all day."

Their drink arrived. Once they ordered their food and the waiter was gone again, her father picked up the conversation.

"Have you truly considered that?"

"Have I considered what?"

"How you would feel about this place if you didn't have work to occupy yourself."

"Don't start, dad."

He gave her a look.

"It's a valid point, Vic. Whether you like it or not."

She dismissed his comment with a shake of her head.

"It's not like I just moved here. I think I know if I like it or not."

Her father took a sip of his beer and turned his attention to Walt.

"What do you plan to do after you retire?"

The question was direct and gruff. Before Walt replied, Victor clarified.

"Please don't tell me you don't know. I don't believe you're the kind of man who would retire from his job without some kind of plan in place. Vic says you're smart so…"

Vic flexed her jaw. She heard Walt inhale slightly.

"I plan to work on my cabin. It needs some…finishing touches. I'm taking a trip to…"

He paused and Vic could feel him thinking over how to word his treasure hunt. She could almost see her father's reaction and his lack of understanding at the idea behind it. The true meaning.

…scatter the ashes of a friend."

"A trip? Going far?"

Walt shook his head.

"No. It's local. But, it'll take some time. Rough country."

"So…you get her…"

He jutted his chin towards Vic, but kept his eyes on Walt.

"…to move in with you. Then, you leave her alone to go traipse around the woods. Is that right?"

"Dad."

Her voice came out sharp and with a warning. Her father kept his eyes on Walt, unwavering in his stare. To his credit, Walt's face stayed neutral and didn't really betray anything. He was employing every tactic he used when he was in Sheriff mode.

"It's important to me."

"She's not?"

Vic pressed her lips together. Walt shifted his hand from where it rested on the table, dropping it underneath the table and placing it lightly on her thigh. His fingers flexed in gently before he removed his hand from her leg and replaced it on the table.

Reassurance.

She knew what he was doing. She was grateful for it.

"She is. And, she supports me in this."

"My question is, do you support her?"

"Dad."

She increased the volume in her voice and pulled her father's attention from Walt.

"Stop interrogating him. I mean it."

Victor looked at her for a long moment.

"These are relevant questions, Vic."

She leaned in so that she could lower her voice.

"Do you remember that conversation we had about you treating me like a grown woman?"

Something around his edges softened up just a bit.

"Vic…"

She shook her head at him.

"No, dad. If you can't respect my choices, we have a problem."

Another long look ensued. Walt was quiet, his face dipped.

"Let's just…have dinner."

As if on cue, their food arrived. It provided a welcome distraction and something to do other than talk. She knew that her father wasn't happy with her pushing on this matter. Honestly, she didn't care. She had put up with this from her parents for too much of her life. The lack of confidence. The second guessing. The questioning of what she wanted to do with her own life. It wasn't like she was a damn kid. She was closer to forty than anything. She could admit to making her fair share of mistakes in life, but she felt like she learned from those mistakes. Especially recently.

They ate in blissful silence for a few minutes before Victor laid down his fork, the metal clinking lightly on the plate. He lifted his eyes and looked over at Walt. Vic looked up and started to say something, but Victor held up his hand.

"Let me say what I want to say, Vic. After that, I'll leave it."

She cast a look at Walt before wiping her mouth and dropping the napkin on the table.

"What?"

"I don't like this at all. I don't like the idea of you being isolated out here with him."

He gestured at Walt.

"I'm not convinced that he's not using you."

"Using me for what exactly?"

He didn't answer, but his expression said enough.

"I've known too many men like him in my life to see this ending well. I just want you to know…that you can call me if you need me, Vic. I don't care how much space separates us. You call and I'll be here. You can also come home."

Vic pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and shook her head.

"What you're really saying…is that you expect me to fail. Thanks. Thank a lot."

xxx

"Well…that was fun."

Her voice was filled with sarcasm as she shrugged out of her jacket and dropped it over the back of the couch. Walt placed his hat brim up on his desk and watched her flop down on the couch with a thump.

"It's over."

That was about all he could offer her. The rest of their meal was tight with tension and he could feel the dislike that radiated from Victor Moretti in his direction. There was more than a twinge of guilt that she was being pulled in two different directions. She shouldn't feel like she had to choose between a good relationship with her father and being with him.

That was how it felt.

He sat down by her, his arm touching hers.

"I'm sorry."

She hadn't responded after his first comment. His apology pulled her attention to him.

"For what?"

What was he sorry for? He hadn't done anything. He had been civil with her father each time they met. It was Victor who came in as though he were ready to toss Walt out of her life. Still, he knew he was the reason there was so much between Vic and her father that was distressing.

Vic didn't give him a chance to answer.

"You didn't do anything wrong. It's not your fault he doesn't like you. I'm sorry you got dragged into this."

Walt smiled gently.

"You didn't do anything wrong."

She rolled her eyes at him and he could tell she was trying not to smile. Walt bowed his head.

"I understand where he's coming from. You're his daughter and he loves you."

"He should want me to be happy."

"In his own way, he does."

"On my terms."

"That's the catch."

"Yeah."

"It can be hard for parents to let go."

She shook her head.

"It's more about control with my parents."

"Maybe. Or…maybe he sees me as the older man who has lived a good portion of his life and is now keeping you from yours so that he can have the attention of a younger woman and…what that brings."

She frowned.

"What?"

"He thinks I'm using you…"

"Yeah, I got that. For sex. He wasn't exactly subtle. But, he's wrong. About all of it."

"Is he?"

Her frown deepened.

"You're using me?"

Walt shook his head.

"Course not. The rest of it."

"You're not keeping me from anything, Walt. This…is what I've chosen. Whatever comes next…"

Her voice faded out.

"How much have you thought about the future?"

He knew the answer.

"Not very much."

He knew that, of course. That was how she operated these days. While it worked, he wasn't sure how sustainable that mindset was. Or, how healthy.

"That's what he doesn't like. He's not thinking about your feelings. He's thinking about what you're giving up in all this. A normal marriage, family. Things I've already had. Things he perceives you won't have if you stay with me."

Her eyes stayed on his for a long time. There were question behind them. Questions that she wasn't giving a voice to.

"You…should probably give that some thought."

Vic's mouth opened, but she didn't say anything. Her expression shifted.

"Are you really trying to talk me out of all this right after you get me to move in?"

There was a hint of disbelief in her question.

"No. I want you here. More than anything. But…you keep saying you don't want to think about the future. You should, Vic. You should think about what you want."

"What I want."

"Yep."

She lifted her hand and gestured around.

"This is what I want."

She could see that he was about to say something else, but she shook her head.

"This is what I want, Walt. I don't know what kind of mindset I'll have in a year. Neither do you."

He was quiet for a handful of heartbeats.

"Do you want children down the road?"

"I…"

Her voice faltered. It had been some time since they broached this topic. He didn't like bringing it up. But, here he was doing just that.

"Because your down the road is longer than mine."

Her brow furrowed.

"Why are you doing this? Now?"

"Because…because…you won't."

He went quiet after that. Vic considered him for a long minute before she released a breath. Slowly, she stood up.

"I'm…gonna get a shower and lay down."

"Vic…"

She shook her head. He stopped. Maybe he pushed her too far. Right now, he was having a hard time reading her. He was struggling to decipher the look on her face. The one that she was trying to mask. Walt almost stood up to follow her, but stopped.

"I don't want to talk anymore right now."

Well, that answered his question. He did push too hard.

She left him sitting on the couch and walked into the bedroom with a silence settling over her that he could actually feel from his seat.