Epilogue:

Walt chose Cole's first birthday as his retirement date. He was twice as old as he had been when Cady was born and would be a 'bonafide old man' by the time his son reached his daughter's current age. He didn't want Cole to have limited memories of his dad. Walt had been off so often and missed out on so much with Cady; out on a case or trying to prove something. This was his last chance and he wanted to get it right. He felt he had let his daughter down, no matter what Cady said to the contrary.

He had arranged to have Vic placed as his temporary replacement and was fairly sure she would get elected; because so many of the citizenry would read Longmire and know it was a name, person they could trust. He and Vic threw a party at the Red Pony and several people guessed she was pregnant again. She laughed when it was suggested and asked, "Have you met my son? In my family growing up it was Vic the father, Vic the son, and Vic the holy terror" She thumbed to herself on the last one and then added, "And my son is a tiny terror."

"Hey." Walt offered the single word protest.

She looked at her husband and gave him an indulgent look as she said, "Walt's son is a mellow, quiet, even tempered little boy." She scoffed goodheartedly and added, "That's usually only when he's a sleep though."

Walt tried suggesting, "I've tried to tell her I was a bit of a terror myself."

Vic rolled her eyes a little and then gave him a dismissive look like 'you have no idea how to be a terror'.

He visually appealed to Henry for conformation but his friend only shrugged and shook his head, knowing Walt would never succeed in convincing Vic he had even come close to her childhood antics.

Author's note: I gotta tell ya I've gotten very attached to little Cole and the relationship he has with his daddy. I had a terrible time finding a place to stop that I was happy with – those two just kept popping up in more and more cute scenes together. So Beyond this Epilogue I decided to post some of the little snippets that have come to mind, to give you all a little peek into the relationship between Baby Longmire and his Daddy. Cole is of varied, unspecified ages; all progressive as the snippets advance.

Cady had fallen in love with her baby brother instantly and had insisted, especially when Vic had returned to work, that she take her brother one night a week to give his parents a quiet evening together. They settled on Sunday night as the usual night but Cady was more than flexible about switching it to another night, or taking Cole a couple of nights in the same week. Cady had dubbed it their 'date night' but quite often Walt and Vic stayed in and literally spent time together in a quiet house. Vic would laugh and say it was their night to make the house noisy, when she found an opportunity to embarrass Walt. Vic always liked when she had a little something to apologize for when 'date night' rolled around. Sometimes they would go out for dinner, drop in to see Henry at The Red Pony, drive to Sheridan for a movie, take a walk around town, or ride the horses out for a twilight picnic in the hills beyond their cabin.

Walt begged and pleaded with Cole every chance he got, to make 'momma' his first word. He somberly told his son he would tell Vic it was his first word, even if it wasn't. Argued if they wanted to stay happy they needed to keep momma happy.

Cole took his first steps on his birthday and then nothing more for two months. Walt claimed he would get to it in his own time and Vic countered he wouldn't get to it all if Walt didn't put him down. He is down - Cole was playing on a quilt they had spread on the floor for him. They laughed over the nothingness conversation and watched Cole in contented bliss playing with his soft colorful toys, in Walt's old office; Vic's new one.

One evening as they sat in the front room, reviewing some case files, Walt tossed Vic a file; the timing was a little off and instead of catching it her finger tips bumped it. The folder tented on Cole's head, pages fluttering all around him; and event he found most hysterical. Cole's laughter was in response to something only he understood and Walt and Vic's laughter was at the sheer delight in their son's first real laugh. Vic wrote in detail in his baby book about their son's first 'real' laugh before going back to review the cases.

The next thing Cole got a big thrill out of happened a few weeks later. Walt and Cady had just come in from outside and Vic walked past them toward the kitchen carrying Cole on one hip. Walt reached out and dropped his hat on Cole's head as Vic walked by. He squealed and laughed when the brown felt drifted down over his eyes. Walt and Cady stepped around Vic so they could see Cole's face. When Walt lifted and dropped the hat on his head again they all laughed at Cole's overjoyed reaction. His little hand grabbing for the hat, as Walt lifted it again just letting the little fingers brush against the felt, Cole laughed harder and wiggled his fingers for the hat as he bounce against Vic. Walt brought the hat down slowly watching Cole's eyes open wider and wider in anticipation, and then he'd draw the hat back quickly eliciting a giggle and a little gasp for air from Cole. After the fourth time lowering and pulling the hat away Walt dropped it on his little head again and Cole burst into gales of laughter, bouncing against Vic's hip and clutching her shirt.

Cady gave Walt his old baby Levi's; they had been in a box of baby items given to her by her mom, when Martha first got sick. There was a tiny leather jacket surprisingly comparable to Walt's favorite in there and several little western shirts, but no cowboy hat. After the laugh fest when Walt dropped his hat on Cole's head Cady bought him his own, little brown Cowboy hat; not an O'Farrell but it looked remarkably similar.

Walt came to the office to take Vic to lunch. At her request, he had dressed Cole identical to himself. Cole had on Walt's old Baby Levi's, a tiny chambray shirt with mother of pearl snaps, and his baby Ropers. Topping off his outfit was his little brown low crowned cowboy hat his sister had gifted him that morning at breakfast. Walt couldn't wait to see Vic's reaction, especially after they had received so many comments and compliments from the park to the office.

Cole slept like his daddy. Vic's favorite all time picture of her boys was one she snapped of them napping on the bed in matching outfits each in a right leg cocked, side sleeping posture. Cole's forehead was tucked between Walt's elbows and chest, his little left leg in the gap where Walt's hips were up off the bed due to his own right leg propping him up slightly. Walt had his pillow bunched up under his head, with his arms wrapped around it a little higher than usual to make room for Cole's head. Cole was wrapped around his favorite quilt; one that Ruby had made for him. She smiled at the fact that Walt had matched them down to their white socks with grey toes and heels. She also snapped a pic of the four boots in a pile next to the bed; two grown-up and two baby Ropers.

Walt marveled at Cole's eyes and hair being almost the same colors. The boy had his daddy's hair and his mommy's eyes; both brownish in color but flecked and streaked with amber and blond. It never ceased to amaze him how often people commented on Cole's matching hair and eyes. Walt always commented back it was the best of both parents.

He watched Cole toddle across the grass in the park of the square; bumping the ball he was trying to pick up each time his little feet got close. Most kids would have given up or got frustrated and cried for help by that point. Not Cole, he was his mother's son and just got more determined. Walt learned his lesson earlier when Cole had done the same bend, bump, and chase with the ball before lunch. He had bent down and scooped the ball up handing it to Cole. The boy took it and threw it on the ground. Walt knew he had been trying to pick the ball up; however, in that moment he learned Cole was more than determined to do it himself. As he walked around, just keeping Cole within reach, he noticed his son sneaking glances at him and then at the ball. Walt swore that they were more like warning looks than anything else. He couldn't help but smile at how much the little fella was so much like his momma; right down to the determination and strong independent streak. Cole glanced at him again and Walt laughed out loud and slowed his pace, "Okay, okay I get it. That's your ball." Another hooded look from the tike and Walt threw his hands up as he added, "I promise not to touch it, but you little man are not getting more than five feet from me."

Walt replayed the adventure of the previous week in the barn and was not about to let Cole get farther than he could grab with a quick lunge. After they had all had breakfast and Vic had left for work Walt decided to take Cole out for a ride, something he relished and felt Cole enjoyed too. He had the saddle and blanket in hand when he realized his trusty shadow had let go of his pant leg. Something he had started practicing with Cole, as soon as the little boy had started walking, anytime they went to the barn; Cole was either to hold his hand or his pant leg. Walt quickly glanced left and right to be sure Cole wasn't underfoot before dropping the heavy saddle and the blanket at the same time he called out for his son. It could only have been a few seconds, but Walt knew that was all it took sometimes. Maintaining as level head as he could, he continued to call out to Cole, trying to keep any edge or worry out of his voice; no need to scare the boy too. He looked in all directions carefully scanning, as his eyes panned, looking for the odd shape or movement; knowing little kids could get into the darnedest of places. As his eyes reached the barn for the second time saw a flash of blue against the brown of the wallboards. It was there and gone, but it had been there. Walt sprinted in the direction in which he had seen the blue flash of denim, coming around the edge of the first of the two stalls just in time to snatch Cole by the seat of the pants. The boy had climbed to the top of the stable door and was beginning to titling himself over as Walt reached him. "Piiit." Came the protest as his little arms stretched out for the horse.
"I'll get Spirit out, that's one of my jobs."
"You have three, hold onto me, don't try to stand up on Spirit, and keep your helmet on while we ride."
He was both relieved at escaping the close call and full of awe over Cole's unending preferences for climbing up things instead of under or through them. There was more than enough room for Cole to have slipped under the stall door, but Cole being Cole he opted to climb to the top of the door. Walt scolded the wiggling spitfire and tried to figure out just how the tiny boy could have pulled off the feat in the first place. There was nothing he could get a foothold from anywhere near the stall.
"Piiiit."
He calmly set Cole on the floor next to him, took his little hand, and put it up to the fabric of his own jeans, "You hold on or we go inside and take a nap instead of a ride on Spirit" As he wrapped Cole's little fingers into his jeans, Walt punctuated his words with a pointed look; hoping the look worked better on his son than it ever had on his wife.

Vic was in a hurry for Cole to do everything that showed he was growing and getting bigger. Walt on the other hand was more than willing to let all of Cole's developments happen at their own pace; he was all too aware that kids grew up way to fast as it was. There was one thing that Walt made a concerted effort with though. Cole's pronunciations were a bit rough, but he would get there in time. His maee, daee, and Caee were easily lumped in with his uca Henee, uca Banch, uca Ucin, and Anee Ruee. Where Walt had trouble was when it came to Uncle Ferg. Every time Cole said uca Fug, Walt made sure to repeat and carefully enunciate "Uncle Ferg" with a heavy emphasis on the 'g' as he figured that was the sound most likely to be distorted if Cole did not stay focused on the pronunciation.

It had become a once a week routine for Walt to bring Cole into the station so Vic's boys could take her to lunch. One early afternoon as they arrived at the station, Cole slipped his hand from Walt's and charged the door of the old converted library just as Walt had turned the knob and opened the door. Walt stepped in quickly behind Cole in an attempt to reclaim his hand so they could go up the steps to the office. In the miniscule period of time it took the door the close behind him Walt noticed Cole used a four point contact approach on the stairs and was nearly up the midway landing. Both arms and legs working in tandem to propel the little boy up the stairs at lightning speed. Walt grabbed hold of the hand rail and pulled as he stepped, still hoping to reach his son before the boy reached the office door. Luck and the added length of his strides were no help. Walt made a last ditch lunge just as Cole banged on the outer office door, "I baaacccck! Hey! I back! Open me door! I Baaaccck!" Walt was just getting to his feet as Ruby opened the door to the office and Cole bounded past her, "Hi Annie Rooby. I back!"
"So I heard. How are you Cole?"
"I hungy. Mommy! I back! Less eat! Mommy?!"
Walt made a swipe to brush the telltale dirt from his knees, "Cole you know there's no yelling inside. Quiet down."
Ferg captured the excited little boy and sat him at his desk, "Mommy's on the phone. She'll be out of her office a little while." Talking quietly to him Ferg did his best to keep the boy corralled, at least for the moment.
Ruby gave Walt a curious expression with an indulgent smile, "Hello Walter. How are you?"
He dusted both of his hands against his thighs, "Ready for a nap."
His friend smiled brightly at him, "His or your's?"
Walt looked over at Cole who was trying to get Ferg to let go of him so he could stand on the desk instead of sit. He turned back to Ruby and sighed, "Maybe both."
Ruby laughed at him and gave him a hug, "It'll get better," she encouraged.
Walt gave her a smile as they stepped from the hug, "I know it's 'date night' and he's all Cady's later today." When he added a mischievous wink Ruby couldn't help but giggle at him.

Walt privately thought of Cole as 'monkey boy'; he always thought Cole climbed as fast and as agile as a little monkey. But he learned never to say it to Vic after her proud retort, one 'date night' at The Red Pony, that, "Cole climbs like a monkey because he was conceived during 'hot monkey sex'." Walt nearly spewed beer across Henry's bar and found himself looking to see who else may have heard her. Still the thought of 'monkey boy' made him smile; both because he thought that Cole was a bit of a monkey boy and he secretly hoped Vic had been right.