[Takes place after the pilot episode]

Walt liked being on the road with Vic. They had covered a lot of miles together during her first month. After that she went on her own for routine calls. There hadn't been a case big enough to demand his involvement until a few weeks ago. It was odd that he enjoyed her company so much because she wasn't a restful person to travel with. He never knew what she might say or where the conversation would lead.

He'd backslid after his good intentions six months ago. Not completely because he didn't drink to excess and he was usually in the office, but he wasn't very productive. He was angry when he first saw Branch's campaign sign but as much at himself as with Branch. Only when he was in danger of losing his job did he realize how much he wanted to keep it. There was time to turn things around but if the election didn't go his way, he could accept that he deserved defeat.

Riding down a road with Walt had become one of Vic's favorite things. There were often a lot of miles to cover on the job and he tended to take her with him even now that she wasn't a rookie anymore after six months on the job. The first serious case since she started had wrapped up two weeks ago.

They passed one of Branch's campaign signs with one of Walt's opposite it. Neither of them mentioned the election. Vic liked Branch well enough. He was a little cocky and overestimated his abilities but they got along and he hadn't been openly resentful of her although he must have felt displaced when she joined the team. Vic was in favor of Walt's reelection because she truly thought he was the best man for the job but she was also secretly glad that Branch was running. Walt needed that motivation to show that he wanted the job enough to fight for it.

Walt had been great her first month on the job. Then, as she began finding her own way, he cut her loose. Which was exactly what should happen but he hadn't done it so that he could concentrate on his own duties as sheriff. Instead, he had absented himself in spirit if not body. This was to say that he was in the office regularly but not really taking care of business. Vic had learned that it wasn't the first time; in fact, it had become a habit after his wife died a year ago. Vic was sympathetic. The man had a long, happy marriage to a woman he loved. His answering machine message was still recorded in her voice. But enough was enough. Get laid and move on! And then she felt bad about being impatient with his grief even though she was careful not to express that impatience. And she felt guilty because somewhere deep inside she knew that her marriage didn't have that level of devotion on either side. Or maybe she was being cynical because things weren't so good with her husband lately. She loved Sean and was sure he loved her, too, but they were going through one of their periods of sniping at each other. Meanwhile, Walt had taken charge again when Grant Parkford was killed and Vic thought he would stick with it this time. If not, she would say the things she had not said so far. And if that didn't snap him out of it, she'd vote for Branch.

Vic spotted a swirling cloud of dark wings that reminded her of something Walt had said when they found Parkford's body. "Is that another unkindness of ravens?"

Walt took a look. "Nope. Those are crows."

"So if ravens are an unkindness, are crows a kindness?"

Walt shook his head. "A murder of crows."

"Are you fucking with me?"

The question lay between them for a moment. The stark phrase 'fucking with me' brought a far different picture than what the words meant in context.

Walt broke the stillness with another headshake. "A group of crows is called a murder of crows."

"Who comes up with these? Why not just call birds a flock, animals a herd and fish a school?"

"A school of fish sounds funny when you think about it, but we're used to it. Not all fish are a school. Sharks are called a shiver."

"Are you making this up?"

"I'm not that quick."

"Yes you are. Or you might have been planning it for a while."

"You give me too much credit."

"A shiver of sharks – you surely must be shitting me."

"All that alliteration off the cuff. You're quick, too."

"Just trying to keep up. And I'm going to look it up." Vic pulled out her phone and started googling. "Huh."

She glanced over in time to watch Walt's slight smile turn up the corner of his mouth.

"How do you know all this?"

"I read a lot. And I'm sure I don't know all of them."

"You wouldn't have to know them if you had a phone with internet. You could look up what you want to know."

"Easier to just know it."

Vic was scrolling. "Okay, I get it. You're a buffalo about cell phones."

Walt smiled again. "An obstinacy of buffaloes."

Vic didn't pursue his obstinate tendencies. She was already on to something else. "What are some animals in Wyoming?" she muttered, scrolling again. "A gang of elk. A destruction of bobcats. A pack of wolves. That one I knew. A sleuth of bears? Are these detective bears? Should we put them on the payroll?"

Walt was still smiling. Vic had noticed that he smiled quite a bit when they were together. Not a big grin, just an upturn of the mouth that she had started watching for.

"I believe they're also called a sloth of bears," he said.

"That doesn't seem right. A sloth is an animal. They shouldn't use an animal name for another animal's group. I'm sticking with a sleuth of bears. Oh, you're also a rhinoceros, Walt."

Walt frowned. "I thought it was a crash of rhinoceroses."

"Alternate name is a stubbornness of rhinoceroses. A congress of salamanders. Well, that fits Washington DC. So does a bloat of hippopotamuses." Vic grinned at Walt. "Do you regret getting me started on this?"

"Yep." But he was smiling again.