Ch. 11: the darkness got a hold of me

"The Blue Moon Bar."

Vic tapped her finger on the screen of her laptop. It hadn't taken long to find the bar once they were back at the office. Ferg was running background on Cole Lassiter while she tried to locate the bar his uncle said he spent time out. She reckoned if the old man knew Lassiter must be there a lot. That might be their best bet in finding him.

There was no information on the bar. Only the name and address, which she looked up.

"Never heard of it."

The comment came from Ferg as he worked at his own desk across from her.

"I'm not surprised. This place looks like a dump. I wonder if they even have a liquor license."

The image she looked up on Google maps showed a building that looked like it was an old shed that had been added onto. 'In town' was technically true, but it was nowhere near the main part of Durant. This was not a place that tourists would find. It was the kind of place that people would go who wanted to go unnoticed and be left alone.

"He's got a record."

Vic stood up and walked around to Ferg's side.

"For what?"

"Some minor stuff. But…"

Ferg leaned back in his chair so that Vic could see his computer screen.

"…he's been in a couple of bar fights."

"Nothing with women?"

"No, but that doesn't mean he hasn't done it. Just that he hasn't been caught or no one has pressed charges."

That was true enough.

"Find anything?"

Cady emerged from her office looking for an update. Vic raised her eyes.

"Yeah. Cole Lassiter drives a truck locally. Has a criminal record and several outstanding traffic tickets. Not exactly a boy scout. Last known address is at a house that has since been razed."

"Does he have a history of violence against women?"

"Not according to his record. But…you know how that goes."

Cady nodded.

"Find out where he is?"

Vic shook her head.

"No, I called the company he works for and they said he's not working right now. They wouldn't give me anything else."

Cady frowned as Vic continued.

"He does frequent a bar according to his uncle."

"Do you know it?"

Vic gave her a mildly amused look.

"You ask me that as though I'm some sort of expert on bars around here."

Cady smiled.

"Just wondering if it's one we know."

"It's not. Looks like the kind of place to find cheap liquor and a fight."

Cady was quiet for a minute.

"I assume you want to ride over there."

Vic glanced at the time.

"Not right now. Kind of early unless you're a professional drinker."

"If he's not a work, he just might be. How do you want to handle it? I don't want anyone going alone."

Vic considered the question. If this bar was the kind of place she thought it was, walking in dressed in uniform was going to immediately attract trouble and Lassiter would likely bolt if he was guilty of this crime…or any other.

"I say we scope it out first. Go in…and look around."

"Not in uniform?"

"Yeah. Plain clothes."

"Undercover?"

Vic shrugged.

"Not necessarily. I just think it would be a good idea to see what we're dealing with."

She could see Cady thinking it over.

"Okay. Have Zach go with you. Ferg, you wait outside just in case they need backup. Drive the Trans Am so that no one thinks you're a cop."

"Sure."

Vic could see the apprehension on Cady's face.

"Don't worry, Cady. We know what we're doing."

Cady gave her a smile.

"I know. It's just…you're all my responsibility now."

It was true in the professional sense, although Vic always argued with Walt that he couldn't protect everyone all the time. Not everything was his fault. There was something to be said for making the right choice in certain situations.

"We won't make any noise. We've got a picture. We'll be in and out. If he's there, we'll pick him up when he comes out. Or…we'll pull him over once he leaves."

"Sounds good."

Cady left them to their work. Vic glanced at Ferg.

"Can you call Zach and have him get some clothes?"

"Yep."

Vic pulled her phone from her pocket and stepped outside the office where she took a seat on the bench that sat along the wall. She dialed Walt's cell phone and hoped that he had it with him.

"Hello."

Vic smiled to herself. He always answered the phone the same way regardless of who it was. And, he had to know it was her because she helped him set up her name on his contact list.

"Hey, how's it going?"

"Quiet."

"Did you find anything else?"

"No. I did ask Henry to have a look."

"No luck?"

"Some. Nothing groundbreaking."

He seemed reticent to get into it over the phone. In that moment Vic didn't mind. That really wasn't the reason she called him.

"Busy?"

"Not really. Need something?"

"I need you to bring me some clothes."

"Don't you have extras at the office."

"Yeah, work clothes. I need…street clothes. For this case. We need to check out some things and don't want to attract attention."

"You almost always attract attention."

Vic bit her lip at the comment. She opted not to take the bait.

"Can you bring them?"

There was background noise like he might have been moving the phone around.

"Yep. Tell me what you need."

She was glad he didn't question her too much on what exactly they were doing. This whole dance was still new to them both and they admittedly struggled with it at times. His worry was not something that she needed anymore of right now. There was enough of that in their non-work lives thanks to whatever the hell was going on with these notes and phone calls.

"Vic?"

She realized she'd gone quiet on him and cleared her throat.

"Hmm?"

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah."

Vic didn't expect him to let it go, but he did.

"Okay, I'll bring the clothes by."

"Thanks."

"Yep."

The call ended and Vic closed her eyes, letting her head bump back against the wall.

xxx

Retiring created an odd new balance that Walt needed to find once he officially left office. It was a place he'd gone nearly every day for so long that it felt strange to try and distance himself from it. But that was what he did early one when Cady first occupied his old office. Everyone in town knew their name. Even before he was born, the name Longmire was known and established in Durant thanks to his father and grandfather.

He knew the kind of expectations that came with a name like that in a small town. He'd watched Cady deal with it as she grew up while he was Sheriff. Her desire to go to college out of state was deeply rooted in her need for independence from that name. Walt never blamed her. Wanting to assert one's own identity was part of life and especially young adulthood.

More recently, he watched as Branch struggled with his own family name with consequences that would never really go away.

Early on, he stayed away. He kept his opinions to himself unless Cady asked him something specifically. Part of that was at Vic's urging. Her complicated relationship with her own father gave her a unique perspective that balanced out his.

"Cady needs to find her own way and be her own person."

That was her most consistent to him on the matter. He knew that she was right even though the advice went against his instincts to help his daughter. Cady was a smart woman and she needed the opportunity prove that to those who voted for her because she was the daughter of Walt Longmire.

He did stop in once in a while to say hello to Ruby, Ferg, and Zach. He met Vic and went to lunch sometimes when he was in town. What he didn't do was hang around and try to do their jobs.

That was hard for him.

As the days stretched into weeks, he didn't worry as much about and Vic didn't seem to either. Cady was staking her claim to the office and running it her way. The novelty of a new Sheriff wore off and things returned to business as usual.

Walt had to admit it still felt strange to be on the outside looking in. It wasn't his department anymore. They weren't his people. The only person he was really in charge of was himself.

He took the stairs up to the office with a bag in his hand. As a husband for over two decades and the father of a girl, a woman's familiarity with her own wardrobe shouldn't have surprised him. But, the preciseness that Vic displayed when she told him which clothes to bring did actually catch him off guard.

In all honesty, she didn't have that many clothes. She naturally had work clothes. The bulk of her wardrobe was made up of the casual clothes she wore everyday both in public and when she was home. Her time in Wyoming had changed the way she dressed to a degree. It was subtle and he sometimes wondered if it was a conscious thing or just adaptation. She also owned a few dressy clothes and formal dresses that only made appearances when she had to testify in court of go to an event like a wedding.

The clothes contained in the bag he carried were the ones that reminded him that she was from the east coast and would never fully blend in here.

She was at her desk when he walked in and looked up to flash him a smile. Walt placed the bag on her desk as Vic stood up.

"Thanks."

Walt removed his hat and ran a hand over his hair.

"No problem. You…doing something undercover?"

Vic's expression told him little as she leaned over and peered into the bag.

"Not really. We're just…scoping out a bar."

"A bar?"

"Yeah."

"Who's we?"

"Me and Zach. I mean…Ferg is going, too, but he's staying outside."

Walt didn't vocalize the fact that he was glad all three of them would be there. Backup was always good.

"You're making progress."

He didn't express it as a question.

"Yeah."

When she didn't elaborate, Walt didn't push. He did take a moment to let his eyes wander around the office. It was mostly the same. All the desks were in the same place and the setup was the same as it always was. The biggest change seen to be technology. Cady didn't share his reluctance to embrace it and had gotten everyone on her staff, including herself, a laptop. She'd also managed to get the county to upgrade the phone system.

Walt reckoned it was a testament to her skills as an attorney. Before becoming Sheriff, it had been her job to be persuasive where the facts were concerned. After having to deal with his reluctance to bring the department into this century, it wouldn't surprise him if the county was grateful to finally have someone who was willing to take those exact steps.

In spite of the fact that the office hadn't really visually changed since he left it, he still felt a bit like a stranger here now.

"I should go."

Vic met his eyes with an accepting nod.

"Okay. I'll see you later."

Walt dipped his chin slightly.

"Be careful."

She didn't reply verbally. She simply nodded again.

Walt left the office and stepped outside. He adjusted his hat as he walked towards the Bronco. For the first time in a while since he retired, the lack of the old decals on the sides of the vehicle seemed to stand out more than ever.

xxx

Vic tucked her hands into the pockets of her black leather jacket and waited as Zach got out of his unmarked truck and came around the hood. She didn't bother looking, but knew that Ferg was somewhere in the poorly lit parking lot sitting in his Trans Am.

Parking lot was a kind word. The bar sat on a dirt lot. The parking area was uneven gravel that had clearly been dumped and not very well spread out. It crunched under her boots as they walked towards the front door. From where they stood outside with the door closed, Vic could hear the loud thump of music. It wasn't the familiar drone of country music or classic rock that most of the bars in the area seemed to prefer. It was louder. Faster.

She was going to leave here with a headache.

Vic certainly didn't mind hard rock. She actually liked it over most other genres. Just now in a situation where she needed to think and work in a potentially dangerous place.

Vic reached out and pulled the door open. The small room that made up the bar was smoky as they stepped inside. Vic smelled cigarette smoke, the skunky odor of marijuana, and a trace of cooking meat. The mix was not a good one.

The two of them paused momentarily to take in the room before they started for the bar that ran along one wall. A myriad of liquor and beer bottles were strewn on shelves behind the bar. It was nothing like the organization that Henry maintained at the Red Pony.

She'd been right about the music. It was incredibly loud and seemed to make even her teeth vibrate. She wondered how anyone even ordered a drink in the place without shouting. The answer to that question was that you didn't.

They both ordered beers they had no intention of really drinking. The bottles were placed in front of them by a wiry man with colorful tattoos running up and around the exposed skin of his neck, arms, and shoulders. His hair was buzzed off. Vic noticed the way that he looked at them when he didn't think they were looking. She doubted this was the kind of places where new faces popped up very often. The bartender didn't say anything and moved away. Vic made a mental note to keep and eye on him just to be on the safe side.

They sure as hell didn't see any surprises.

Vic lifted her beer to her mouth.

"You see him?"

Zach shook his head just a little.

"Not yet."

Vic took a very small sip from her bottle and placed it back on the bar.

"Never seen you here before."

Vic groaned internally when she heard a voice off to the side. She looked over to see a man that she didn't know sidling up to the empty seat beside her. Vic didn't bother smiling. There was no reason to encourage him. He looked like he needed a shower or three and she could smell the weed he must have just smoked. His greasy dark hair was pushed back from his face messily.

"I'm with someone."

Zach had turned to face the unfolding conversation. The man gave him a dismissive look.

"Doesn't mean you can't leave with someone else."

Vic sighed.

"Not interested."

"I bet I can…"

"She said she's not interested."

The comment came forcefully from Zach. The man smiled at Zach, but it wasn't friendly at all. Vic started to feel dread creep through her.

"I wasn't talking to you."

"You were talking to me and I told you I wasn't interested. So…why don't you fuck off."

There was a possibility she was about to start a fight they didn't need. But, she knew that being nice wasn't going to work with a man like this. Simply telling him no wasn't going to work either. He was the type of man who didn't care.

The smile he'd tossed at Zach faded from his face when Vic spoke with a tone that needed no interpretation. For a second, she thought he was going to either grab her or hit Zach. Instead his expression darkened.

"Bitch."

He muttered the word at her and left. Vic shook her head as she turned back to Zach with a relieved look.

"Ouch."

Zach suppressed a laugh and focused his attention back on the bar patrons. They'd seen a picture of the man they were looking for and Vic was fairly certain she would know him if she saw him. He was the kind of man who stood out in most crowds. Maybe not this one.

They continued to sip their beers and watch the ever changing crowd of people. With every minute that passed them by, Vic felt less optimistic that they would actually find Cole Lassiter. She was just about to express that to Zach when the door opened. There was a brief moment of cold air before the door closed. Vic watched the man who entered and nudged Zach with her elbow.

"By the door."

"Yep. That's him."

Vic placed her bottle on the bar.

"Thought so."

Lassiter was slowly making his way towards the bar, stopping to speak to people he clearly knew. Both Vic and Zach turned so that they were facing the bar. Cole Lassiter stopped one stool over and yelled to the bartender. A couple of minutes later and there was an empty glass and bottle of whiskey placed in front of him. Vic noticed him look her way and say something to the bartender.

Another empty glass.

He looked at her again.

Their plan had been to simply locate him and go outside to stake the place out until he left. Who knew how long that would take. She was suddenly being presented with an opportunity to move the situation along.

"Drink?"

Lassiter had moved closer and slid a glass in her direction. He had one large hand wrapped around the bottle. She offered him a smile and pushed the beer bottle away.

"Sure."

He smiled at her then and poured some whiskey into the glass. Lassiter lifted his head slightly and gestured at Zach, who was watching, with his chin.

"That your guy?"

Vic shook her head.

"Just a friend."

"Here."

He gestured at the glass. Vic lifted it and brought it to her mouth. She down the drink in one swallow and it burned its way down her throat. Lassiter was clearly impressed and downed his own.

"More?"

Vic leaned in and pushed the glass in his direction.

"What's your name?"

"Cole."

Her head tilted slightly towards him.

"I'm Vic."

He ran his eyes over her and she knew that she had him. Some men were just so damn predictable.

"More."

He made the offer again. Vic looked around and briefly made eye contact with Zach. The confusion and worry were clear on his face. But, he was pretty good at rolling with the punches and she knew he would figure it out.

"Yeah, but not here."

That got his full attention.

"You got something else in mind?"

"I do. It's so fucking loud in here. Hard to…talk?"

"You want to talk?"

He sounded skeptical and Vic changed the tone of her voice.

"Not at all."

Lassiter's throat bobbed with a swallow. Vic pushed away from the bar and he followed with bottle and glasses in hand just like she knew he would. Again. Predictable. As she walked, Vic considered the gun she wore in a holster at her back tucked into her jeans. Hopefully, she wouldn't need to use it.

The air outside seemed colder after being in the bar. Vic exhaled and saw her breath in a dissipating cloud. The door closed behind Lassiter and walked backwards as she spoke.

"I don't think you're supposed to take glasses or bottle out of bars."

She said it flirtatiously and pulled a smile out of him.

"They won't care. So…"

It was then that he heard the quickly approaching footsteps of Zach behind him and turned. It was too late to matter and Cole Lassiter was presented with a gun being held up at eye level.

xxx

Cole Lassiter was a big man. He was as tall as Walt and burlier. His hair was dark and messy both on his head and the beard he wore. His eyes were dark like his hair. He wore old jeans, a sweatshirt, and a flannel coat over that. He was seated in a chair in Cady's office with a surly look on his face.

"You can't keep me here. I haven't done anything. I know my rights."

Vic rolled her eyes and walked around the chair. He eyed her.

"I shoulda known that you were a cop. Only women that come in that place are ugly bitches."

"Do you always talk about women like that?"

He lolled his head towards Vic.

"I'm not answering any of your questions. As a matter of fact, I want a lawyer."

"Do you have one?"

"No, but…."

"Does your uncle?"

"No…"

"Good luck with that then? You got some money we don't know about?"

"You're required to provide me with one."

Vic rolled her eyes.

"In court."

He blew out a breath. Vic shook her head at him.

"You should know that, though. We looked you up. You're a bad boy."

"That's all minor shit. I never bothered with lawyers. You're fucking accusing me of murder."

Cady shifted in her chair.

"We're not accusing you of anything. We're simply working a case that led us to you and your truck."

"It's not mine."

"Your uncle's truck which you drive."

Cady corrected herself and forge ahead.

"Now…if you're really innocent, all you have to do is provide us with a DNA sample and we can clear this up."

"I'm not giving you shit. I know how police are."

"How are we?"

The question came from Vic.

"You frame people so you can pretend like you solved a case."

"We frame people?"

"Yeah."

"Right. You know…we can subpoena your DNA. It'll take a day or so, but…we don't have to have your permission."

"You have to let me go until then. Good luck with that."

The insinuation was clear.

Cady cleared her throat.

"Actually we don't. We can hold you for forty-eight hours. You tried to assault my deputy."

"He put a gun in my face. That was a normal reaction."

"Trying to him with a glass bottle?"

"Self defense."

"Take that up with a judge. It'll be at least a day before you appear before one. By then…we'll have a subpoena."

Lassiter went quiet.

"Why make this harder than it needs to be?"

He shrugged at Cady.

"To piss you off."

Cady nodded and stood up. She waved Zach over.

"Put him in the cell."

Zach nodded.

"Sure thing."

He pulled Lassiter to his feet and led him from the room. Cady waited until he was gone before speaking to Vic.

"What do you think?"

"I think we need to run his DNA."

"We will. You know what I mean, though."

"He certainly seems capable. Also like a dumbass, but some of that could be an act. Let's just get the subpoena tomorrow and go from there."

"Alright. I'll have Ferg stay with him tonight."

"Okay."

Vic started for the door.

"Vic."

"Hmm?"

"You took a risk by not sticking to the plan."

It wasn't an admonishment. Vic could tell that by Cady's tone. It almost sounded like a question that Cady didn't really ask.

"Sometimes you have to read a situation and change the plan. It worked out and no one got hurt. He's locked up and we're all going home. At the end of the day that's what you want."

Cady considered her for a long moment before she nodded.

"I guess you're right about that."

Vic smiled slightly.

"Don't sound so reluctant to admit that. It does happen."

Cady tried not to smile.

"You know what I meant. Look, go home and get some rest. If he's the guy we're looking for…he can't hurt anyone else."

If.

Vic hated that word.

"Goodnight."

"Night."

xxx

"How'd it go?"

Vic removed her jacket and hung it up. She toed off her boots and took a seat beside him on the couch. He noticed that she had locked the door and given the knob an experimental turn to be sure.

"We found him. We're getting a subpoena for his DNA tomorrow to see if it matches the same found on the victim."

"Guess he wouldn't give one voluntarily."

"No, he would not."

Vic pulled her feet up and angled herself so that she was facing Walt. He studied her with a practiced eye. She looked tired. Naturally.

"You think it's him?"

She seemed to give that question some real thought. Some part of him was surprised she didn't answer him quicker.

"I think there's a good chance. We've got the truck description which is how we found him in the first place. He's got a record. No issue calling women bitches. There's a mentality there, you know."

"Yeah."

He knew exactly the kind of man she was talking about.

"Was he hard to grab?"

Vic shook her head.

"Not really. Men like that are too…easy. He did try to hit Zach with a whiskey bottle."

"A whiskey bottle?"

"Yeah, he missed."

"What happened?"

She took a breath and turned her eyes towards the fire he had built up not too long before she got home. It gave the cabin was coziness that he always appreciated.

"Originally…"

She started to relay her story with her eyes still on the fire.

"…Zach and I were just supposed to locate him at the bar if he was there. Ferg was out in the parking lot just in case we needed him. Once we found him, we were to go outside and wait for him to come out. Either grab him in the lot or pull him over."

It sounded like a sound plan. And one that apparently hadn't quite unfolded that way.

"So what actually happened?"

She looked at him and smiled just the slightest bit.

"He came in after us and offered to buy me a drink."

That didn't shock him in the least. Vic was the kind of woman who drew the attention of men even when she wasn't trying.

"You accepted?"

"Yep. Figured we could grease the wheels. I accepted his offer and then suggested we leave."

That story told itself. He knew exactly what version of herself she would have shown him. He knew the smile that she would have flashed the man and even the tone of voice that she used.

"Men are all the same."

That comment pulled his attention back to her.

"Men?"

Good thing he wasn't easily offended. She smiled at him. Genuinely.

"Not all men. But…most."

She amended the statement, but continued to grin at him.

"Although…with enough persuasion…maybe you are all the same."

"That doesn't seem like a fair assumption."

Vic shrugged off his comment.

"Not my fault that so many of your brains short circuit the minute a woman shows you some attention. He was in the kind of place that people don't just wander and never thought to question that he'd never seen me there before. He thought he was going to get laid and that's all he cared about."

"He might not make that mistake again."

"If his DNA comes back a match it won't matter. Anyway…that's where we are. Cady said to hold him for attempting to assault Zach. That should give us time to get a subpoena and get the ball rolling."

"It'll still take some time. He's probably a flight risk and you can't hold him indefinitely."

She frowned at him. He regretted the tension that he saw enter her features.

"You don't have to tell me that. I know. But…I can't solve all the problems at once."

Walt nodded to her in what he hoped translated was understanding.

"I know you can't. I didn't mean it like that."

Something in her eased.

"I know. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I don't know if you heard, but our new Sheriff is a lawyer. That skill does come in handy and she certainly keeps us all honest."

"The old Sheriff didn't?"

Vic breathed out a laugh.

"I guess that's open to interpretation."

Her expression grew serious again as she shifted gears.

"How was the rest of the day?"

"Same."

Her brow furrowed.

"Nothing?"

"No."

Vic sighed.

"I was hoping for some better news. Guess I should know better."

Walt reached over and placed his hand on her knee.

"Try not to worry so much."

Vic huffed.

"Yeah right. Is that what you're doing? Not worrying."

"Let me worry about it. You have enough on your mind at work."

Vic shook her head.

"Walt, you can't honestly expect it to be that easy. There's not some magic switch that I can flip."

He knew that.

"No, I don't expect it to be that easy. I am handling this, though. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

He doubted his reassurance truly hit the mark. Not in these circumstances. The look she gave him was dubious at best.

"I believe you. But…who keeps you safe?"

He should have expected that challenge.

"Me."

Vic tilted her head to one side.

"So…you're keeping me safe and you safe and I'm not supposed to worry because that's your job. That's sexist."

"Well, so was your comment about men earlier."

The comeback pulled a smile out of her.

"That still bothering you?"

"No."

Vic sat up some and stretched out her feet until they almost touched his leg.

"Did you like science in school?"

Her question confused him.

"Science?"

"Yeah, did you like science in school?"

"I liked reading more. And history."

"Figures. I actually liked lunch the most. But…I do remember it was interesting when we would do experiments in science class."

Walt felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle slightly. She was using a specific tone of voice that he was more than a little familiar with these days.

"Science experiments?"

"Yep."

Vic pushed herself up and over in his direction. Within a few seconds, she was straddling his lap with her arms around his neck. Walt leaned his head back until it touched the couch. Vic leaned forward so that her face was close to the side of his head. She bent closer to his ear and whispered.

"You know…"

Her breath was warm on his skin and it sent a shiver down his spine in spite of the fact that the fire in his fireplace was warming the cabin nicely.

"…I really don't want to talk about criminals anymore. Not the ones that I'm looking for or the one that you are looking for."

"No?"

His voice came out uneven. He could picture the satisfied look that would bring to her face. She knew the effect that she had on him and she liked to exercise it often. Not that Walt minded. He felt her mouth press into the skin around his ear and his hands landed on her back. Walt swallowed as she continued to kiss her away along his jaw and to his neck. Then, her face was back in his line of sight and peering at him. He could feel his heart thumping and the rate of his breathing increased.

Walt leaned forward to kiss her. Vic was too fast. She planted her hands on his chest and pushed herself up and away quicker than he was able to process what was happening. He blinked up at her.

"What…"

Vic smiled at him.

"See?"

"See what?"

Walt cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"It takes almost nothing to screw your brain up. Not you…personally. You in general. Men."

Experiment. He should've known. He supposed that proved her point. Walt ran his hands over his legs as he stood up slowly.

"That was dirty."

Her smile softened.

"But…?"

Walt sighed.

"You're not wrong."

She nodded with satisfaction.

"Don't you forget it. I'm going to get a shower."

She started for the bedroom and he tailed her.

"Seriously? After all that?"

She tossed him a look over her shoulder.

"Still a little bothered?"

A little?

"C'mon then."

xxx

Vic opened her eyes and looked around. The bedroom was still dark. She could hear Walt snoring lightly. Her mind felt sluggish and her eyes felt sticky with sleep. Vic released a breath and rubbed at her eyes. She didn't have any idea what woke her up and felt a sense of dread when reality hit her. Middle of the night wakeups hadn't exactly been mundane lately.

She really wanted to close her eyes and simply go back to sleep. The newfound paranoia brought on my current events would not allow that. Vic cast a look over at the sleeping form of Walt. He hadn't stirred. Vic sat up and pushed the blanket off. She eased out of bed and looked at Walt again. He was sleeping soundly. Vic felt a pang of jealousy. She could sure as hell use the sleep.

The bedroom door was open as Vic carefully moved through the doorway. The living room was partially lit by the dying fire. There was a slight chill in the air with the fire having burned itself mostly out. She paused to scan the room. Nothing was amiss and there was no sound other than the hum of the refrigerator.

Vic ambled over to the fireplace and carefully added a log to the fire. She used the poker to stoke the embers and help the flames resurrect enough to accept the newly added fuel. After the fire was going again, Vic placed another log in and stood up. She wiped her hands on her pajama pants. As she stood there watching the fire, Vic crossed her arms over her chest and tucked her hands into the fabric of her shirt for some warmth.

There was heat coming out now, but it would still take some time to ward off the chill. Vic left the fire to check the door. It was locked and she knew that. She'd locked it earlier when she came in from work. Stepping up to the window, Vic peered out. Much like the inside, the night outside seemed quiet and peaceful.

Seemed.

She never took anything at face value anymore. She could see the white blanket of snow that possessed a sort of glow thanks to the moon. Nothing seems to move. Nothing grabbed her attention. Vic lightly placed her palm on the glass pane to find it as cold as she expected.

Vic shook her head and left the window. What she needed to do was go back to bed. She had work in the morning and this case was finally looking up. She hadn't slept great lately and could use a full night. Not like that was going to happen now.

Vic returned to the fire and allowed the warmth to soak into her. It felt good and it gave her a level of comfort that wouldn't make sense under different circumstances. She closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. Vic opened her eyes slowly and let her gaze settle on the flames in front of her.

Walt would appreciate that her fire tending skills were improving. That was something she never would have thought of back in Philly. Life was so much different here in more ways than just the obvious.

Vic shook her head and forced the thoughts away. When did she get so damn so…sentimental? Wistful? Vic gave the living room one more look and retreated to the bedroom where Walt still slept away. She slipped back into her now cooled spot and tugged the covers up over her. She slid in closer to Walt and the effects of his body heat were instantaneous. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to settle back in.

Vic was on the verge of falling back to sleep when she was jolted out of the quiet by the ringing of her cell phone. Her eyes snapped open again and she reached out to snatch the cellphone from its spot on the bedside table. She felt Walt move beside her for the first time as her eyes saw Cady's name on the screen.

She answered the phone and flopped back onto her pillow with a low…

"Fuck."