Longing

One

Victoria let out a long sigh as she leaned back against the sofa in the Sheriff's office. Even though she wasn't supposed to be there, it was the only spot where she could get some peace and quiet from the chaos outside.

As she sat there, she heard the unmistakable sound of Cady's footsteps approaching the office. "Hey there, Vic," Cady said. "What brings you to the Sheriff's office?"

Vic sat up straight, feeling embarrassed that Cady had caught her in the act. "Oh, nothing really. Just needed some quiet time away from everything," she replied.

But Cady wasn't fooled and noticed that something was off with Victoria. "Is everything okay? You don't look too good," she asked.

Victoria gave herself a shake, trying to pull herself together. "Thanks for asking. But don't worry about me. Is there something that you need help with?"

Cady nodded. "Actually, there is. My dad's birthday is coming up and I need your help keeping him in the dark and getting him to The Red Pony on the night. Think you can do it?"

Vic smiled. "Absolutely. He won't suspect a thing."

Cady was glad to hear that Victoria was on board with the plan for her dad's surprise party. "Thanks, Vic. You're a lifesaver. So... do you have any plans for tonight?"

Victoria was taken aback by the question. "Well, I'm going on a date with a guy from the hospital. We met when I had to go get patched up. It's just our first date, nothing serious. He asked me out, so I said yes."

Cady sounded surprised, and maybe even a little disappointed but Victoria couldn't be sure. "That's great! I'm sure it'll go well," she said with a smile.

Just as Cady was about to say something else, a call comes through on the radio, interrupting their conversation. It was Walt, and he needed Vic to investigate a break-in at the local store.

***

Victoria drove to the scene, looking for any signs of trouble. When she arrived, she saw that the front door of the store had been smashed in. She cautiously entered the store, not wanting to disturb any possible evidence.

As she moved through the store, she felt a pang of anxiety as she realised that the perpetrator might still be inside. She drew her weapon, ready for any possible confrontation.

As she neared the back of the store, she heard someone coughing. She approached the source of the sound and found a young man hiding behind a stack of boxes. He was clearly terrified and confessed to breaking in to steal food for his family. Victoria sympathised with him, but still had to cuff him and take him back to the station to be processed.

The moment Vic stepped through the station door, she heard Cady's voice before her eyes could focus on her. Sitting on the leather couch with files strewn around her, Cady had an air of command as she declared "Come on, Vic! You know you can drop these charges and get this kid and his family help. He may have used the wrong methods but he was just trying to make ends meet!"

Vic released a deep sigh, knowing that there was nothing she could do to restrain Cady from advocating for this young man. Secretly though, Vic admired Cady's courage and determination to reach out and help those in need.

***

It was a warm and balmy evening, Cady sat on the porch with a glass of wine, looking out at the landscape. She couldn't shake the sense of unease settling in the pit of her stomach about Vic going out on her date. But she took a deep breath, reminding herself that Vic was her friend and could make her own choices. It was only a date, not a committed relationship.

Pushing the thought aside, Cady decided to call some friends and invited them out for drinks at her favourite bar, hoping to enjoy the night a little bit. As she walked into The Red Pony, she was surprised to see Victoria there on here date. She groaned inwardly, still feeling unsure of how to handle her emotions towards Vic. Finding a corner booth, Cady sat down to wait for her friends, trying to distance herself from Vic.

As Cady sat there, staring blankly into space, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw her two closest friends, Macy and Sarah, standing before her. A smile slowly crept across her face as she felt a sense of relief and comfort wash over her, knowing she had her best friends there to support her.

As they sat down in the booth, they ordered their drinks and caught up on each other's lives, talking about everything from work to family and relationships. Cady felt herself relax and let go of the tension that had been building inside of her all day.

But as the conversation drew to a close, Macy and Sarah decided it was time to head home. "I've got an early morning start," Macy said with a yawn. "As much as I'd love to stay, I really should head out."

Sarah nodded in agreement. "Me too. I've got to get the kids lunches ready for school."

Cady stood up to hug them both, feeling grateful for their presence. "Thank you for coming out tonight, it means a lot to me."

They paid the tab and said goodbye to Henry at the bar, Cady walked them to the door, hugging them each one more time. "I'll text you both tomorrow," she said with a smile as they walked out into the night.

As Cady walked back to her car, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She had wanted to avoid seeing Vic again, but she found herself walking back into the bar to say a proper goodbye. However, when she walked back into the bar, she saw that Vic's date had already left.

Cady hesitated for a moment before walking over to Vic's table. "Hey," she said softly from behind Vic.

***

Vic sat across the table from her date at The Red Pony, trying to engage in meaningful conversation. However, her constant thoughts about Cady and the emotions that have been consuming her since she rescued her made it impossible to concentrate. Just as she was on the verge of refocusing on her date, she noticed Cady and her friends at the bar talking to Henry. The room's ambiance suddenly shifted as the focal point went from the warm and dimly lit interior to the intriguing figure who had just entered. Victoria couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt for neglecting her date, yet she couldn't tear her gaze away from Cady, whose presence seemed to exude an enigmatic aura that fuelled her curiosity.

Mike, Vic's date, was not oblivious to the change in Vic's demeanour and knew that he had lost her attention. He decided to end the date, knowing that nothing he could say or do would regain her focus. "Vic, I'm glad we got to spend some time together. But I can tell that you're not into this. Give me a call when you're in the right headspace to make this work." Mike said to her before getting up and going over to the bar to pay the bill.

Vic feels a wave of guilt and shame wash over her as she realises how she treated Mike who was obviously a great guy, just not the guy for her. She knows that she owes him an apology, and makes a mental note to make it up to him.

As Mike walks out of the bar, Vic's gaze shifts back to Cady.

"You're staring," says Ferg surprising Vic, causing her to jerk in her seat.

Vic quickly tears her eyes away from Cady, blushing in embarrassment at having been caught. "Sorry," she says.

"Don't be." Ferg places two frothy beers on the table before taking the seat just vacated. "Want to talk about it?"

Vic takes a sip of her beer, enjoying the way the cool liquid slides down her throat. "Talk about what?" she asks, playing dumb.

Ferg smiles knowingly at her.

Vic glances back over to the bar and notices that Cady is gone. Sighing she turns her attention back to Ferg and his all too knowing smile.

Vic hears "hey" said from behind her causing her to jerk in shock for the second time that night. Ferg gives a chuckle from across the table as Cady puts her hand on Vics shoulder and apologises. "No worries,' Vic says with a slight chuckle of her own while surreptitiously wiping a small amount of beer from her hand onto her jeans.

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A/N

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