I'm glad you guys are enjoying Walt's side of the story, most of you seem to like this one better than Vic's! Here's the next chapter, it's a bit short, but more to come tomorrow! :)

It's another sleepless night at the cabin. Despite being a little more comfortable around Vic lately, I still haven't been sleeping very well.

I'm wondering how long it's going to take her before she gives up on waiting for me and moves on. She's young, and there are plenty of other guys that could probably make her happy. Granted, there aren't a ton to choose from in Durant.

I'm trying to get my crap together, but I need more time. Vic is like a little firecracker for this old man, and I'm not sure I'm ready for that. Then again, I'm not sure I'm ready for her to give up on me just yet. She sure does make life interesting.

I'm laying on the couch reading a book when the phone rings.

I check the clock. 10:42 pm.

I lean over and pick up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"What's wrong?"

"What? Why does something have to be wrong?"

"It's late, natural reaction."

She doesn't respond, which makes me nervous.

"Vic, what's going on?" I say as I sit up on the couch.

She waits a moment before replying. "Nothing, I can't sleep."

I let out a sigh of relief and lie back down. "Me either."

We fall into a comfortable silence, but I can hear her moving on the other end. It sounds like she's rolling around in her bed.

She finally speaks again. "I don't know why I called. I just wanted to hear your voice, I guess."

Vic is almost always honest, but rarely vulnerable. I have to smile at her openness. "I'm glad you did."

"Yeah?"

I nod my head like she's in the room with me. "Yeah."

We fall silent again.

There's so many things that I wish I could say to her. I want to tell her that I think I've known for awhile that I had feelings for her. I told myself that I cared too much for a woman that was married to another man, so I pushed those feelings away.

I want to tell her that I'm trying to sort out the doubts in my head as fast as I can. I'm just not sure that I can let go of the fact that she's so many years younger than me, and also that she's my deputy.

She interrupts my thoughts, "Actually Walt, umm…" She pauses briefly until she finds her words. "Well, I called because… I wanted you to know that I get nervous, too. When I'm away from you, I worry that things will be completely different the next time I see you."

She pauses, like she's waiting for me to reply. When I stay quiet she continues. "I get scared that this will all be over before it even really begins. It's probably crazy to worry about it, but I do. So I uh, I just wanted to let you know that it's not just you who's nervous about all of this. I'm not always as tough as I act."

I like that she's tough, it's one of my favorite things about her. I just wish she knew that she didn't have to be. Most of the time I think it's natural for her, that it's just part of her fierce personality, probably influenced by growing up in a household full of male cops. But sometimes I feel like she forces herself to act the part because that's what she thinks people expect from her.

"You don't need to be, you know."

"What, nervous or tough?"

I find myself smiling. "Both."

She pauses slightly. "Thanks."

I roll over on the couch so that I'm resting on my side. I'm picturing her laying in her bed, probably in sweats and some sort of Philly t-shirt. Her hair is in a messy ponytail. She's twirling stray hairs between her fingers, another habit she has when she thinks no one is watching.

I'm always watching.

I listen to her breathe for a couple minutes before speaking. "Feel better?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Good, maybe we can both sleep now," I say as I fight back a yawn.

"I hope so. You need it, you looked like shit today."

I laugh. "Thanks for the honesty."

"Anytime." I can see her smiling all the way from my cabin. "Goodnight, Walt. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You will. Goodnight."

She hangs up but I keep the phone up to my ear. I'm suddenly very tired, but I don't even get up and move to the bedroom. It's as if all I needed to fall asleep was hear voice. After being alone for so long, you start to forget how simply wonderful it is to say goodnight to someone you care about.

I close my eyes and imagine what it would be like to be next to her right now. Usually, I try not to think about Vic before I go to sleep. The hope is that if I'm thinking about something else, then I'll dream about that instead of her. But tonight I close my eyes and welcome her into my dreams with open arms.