WALT

He rasped a hand over his jaw, thinking for a moment before responding "You stayed in Durant after your divorce. Yes I asked you to stay but I never really gave you any reason to. Why are you still here Vic? What are you waiting for?"

Vic stared up at him helplessly and shook her head and vaguely shrugged. Walt left his leaning perch in the doorway and sat near her on the sofa, gently taking one of her hands in his calloused scarred paw, and ran his thumb over her knuckles.

His voice rumbled like distant thunder "We work somehow, both as a team at work and ….something …..beyond that" he risked a side glance to see the faint beginnings of a smile and continued "Henry said it was obvious to everyone except for us how we felt about each other, but he also said we were both too damaged with too much baggage to ever be able to do anything about it".

Her hand tightened around his as she said "Cady said something very similar to me too". She took a deep breath and moved a little closer to him on the sofa "Walt, what are you afraid of, if we make this 'something' real?"

It was his night to answer impossible questions from this impossible woman apparently. He sighed, unaware he was still caressing her hand with his thumb

"It's a small town and people talk. Love to gossip and make a big deal of nothing" He cast a worried glance at her "Not to say that we would be nothing, I mean that it is nothing to do with them what the Sheriff does in his spare time"

Her voice was very amused as she said archly "Or who the Sheriff does in his spare time?" Walt could feel the blush up the back of his neck but nodded and continued

"Eventually some other scandal would take over but for a while it could be pretty unpleasant and uncomfortable. Of course the age difference between us would be a juicy tidbit, your divorce" his voice hitched for a moment "Martha".

Vic squeezed his hand with both of hers and tugged on it til he was looking her in the eyes "Walt, you just talked about everyone else, but the one person you didn't mention was me" and he stared at her, surprised again at her perception as she followed up, now cradling his hand in both of hers "Does that mean you aren't afraid of me?" She moved a bit closer on the sofa and now their knees were touching.

Walt shook his head, throat suddenly dry and took a large gulp out of the nearest glass of wine and his tone was rueful "Hell no Vic, I'm terrified of you!"

Her laughter rang out clear and bright, and she took her time about it, leaning back and holding one side. He was happy she was happy but a bit uncertain at exactly what he had said that was so damned funny!

VIC

Wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her top, Vic regained her composure and there was a glint in her eye, her voice still trembled with humour "Before I got here I was seriously wondering if it was possible to die of embarrassment, but your honesty and total lack of bullshit saved the day there, Big Guy".

Slowly she leaned forward and slung one leg over his and sunk down into his lap and they were shockingly close, face to face as she whispered "I'm going to kiss you now, are you going to get weird about it?"

He appeared to give this due consideration for a long minute then threw his devastating grin at her "I dunno, how about you kiss me and we find out"

So she did

xxxxxxxxxx

In the end they didn't need Henry's firewater after all, but chose to share a glass in celebration, naked, wrapped in blankets in front of the fire in the dark.

Vic was glad she had packed the overnight bag, and didn't comment at the obviously freshly made bed (he still made it military tight after all these years), mind you at the time she had been otherwise occupied and hadn't noticed til much later.

They fell asleep, she on her side and he wrapped around her. Neither dreamed at all that night or any other night they spent together and the dreams they did have only added spice to the next encounter.

Henry and Cady were predictably smug. Walt was right in that the town buzzed with gossip for several weeks and Vic ground her teeth in restraint on several occasions but eventually something else rose to take the spotlight.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Come spring Walt took a week off and did some serious work on the cabin, including steps on the porch and much needed maintenance. He even paid some professionals to do the bathroom after Vic refused to sleep over until he did something about the "feral" state it was in.

They kept her place in town, it was closer in winter and a nice quiet place for naps after pulling an allnighter, but most of the time she lived at the cabin.

Of course there were fights and arguments and when it got really bad Henry would pull out a familiar round glass bottle (that always seemed to be half full) and would glare at them

"Behave like the grownups I know you are"

Vic would smother a laugh and Walt would apologise and Henry would sigh, again.

Every year on a certain date, they would take Henry and Cady out to celebrate. Once, memorably Walt cooked, and Henry was like a nervous new father, but it was a success, in fact Walt's Pot Roast became a regular event for family dinners.

If you ring the Longmire residence you will get the answermachine most days, where Vic chirpily says "You have reached the Longmire cabin in the ass end of everywhere" and Walt rumbles shortly "Leave a message".

There you are possums, a nice little HEA for your pleasure, I hope you enjoyed it.

Apologies if I confused anyone by changing my username, Im job hunting at the moment and wanted to ensure my username here was less obviously linked to my activity elsewhere, won't be changing it again.