After everyone had left the wake Wynonna had taken it upon herself to drink Shorty's dry. Waverly knew she blamed herself for what happened; she was trying to drown her sorrows. In Waverly's experience when Wynonna was like this it was best to just let it run its course. As she sat there watching her sister drink she caught sight of Nicole standing in the doorway, seemingly unsure whether to stay or go again.
"Hey, Officer Haught!" Wynonna greeted her. "Sit down, have a drink. This is an Irish wake after all!" Wynonna flung her arms out, she wasreallydrunk.
Nicole walked over to them. "I didn't know Shorty was Irish" Nicole replied.
"He wasn't" Waverly looked at her sister with concern.
"The Irish, now they know how to do funerals" Wynonna took a shot of whiskey from a near empty bottle. "They celebrate someone's life, they don't mourn...they don't cry...they drink" she took another shot.
"I aspire to be more like the Irish". She was really really drunk Waverly thought and that was saying something. She had seen Wynonna at nineteen drink a Hell's Angel under the table.
"Emm... Waverly" Nicole motioned for her to come over so they could talk more privately.
Waverly and Nicole moved away from Wynonna and over to the bar.
"I came back to ask if there is anything I can do?" Nicole looked at her with sympathy. "I can help with Wynonna" she offered.
She didn't even know them but was offering to help, Waverly was touched.
"There's nothing we can do until she passes out" Waverly said knowledgably.
"She seems to be taking it very badly" Nicole looked over at Wynonna who was using a shot glass as a telescope.
"She... blames herself for what happened". Waverly really didn't think it was her fault despite what Wynonna had to do.
"It wasn't her fault; Dolls said it had something to do with his heart?" Nicole questioned. Agent Dolls hadn't given her any satisfying answers to all the strange occurrences that had happened in the previous few days.
"She doesn't see it that way" Waverly looked at her sister. She knew this was bringing back horrible memories of that night their father died.
"You shouldn't be dealing with this alone, your mourning too" Nicole eyebrows furrowed with concern.
Waverly was again deeply moved. "I'll be fine...but thank you" Waverly placed her hand on Nicole's. "I really appreciate it" Waverly said with conviction. She wanted to really convey how much it meant to her. They stared at each other for several moments. She really had nice eyes Waverly noticed, they were like a deep choc- "CRASH"
Wynonna had finally lost consciousness, her head laying on the table. The crash had come from her knocking the whiskey bottle off the table. Waverly ran over to her and lifted her head.
"She's asleep" Waverly almost laughed.
"I can help you bring her upstairs" Nicole offered.
Waverly really appreciated the help. She had tried to drag the unconscious body of her sister on more than one occasion and knew it was beyond her capabilities. Between the two of them they managed to get Wynonna into the bed upstairs. Waverly carefully took off her boots and placed Peacemaker on the bedside table. They tiptoed back downstairs.
Waverly was about to clean up but Nicole took the broom and began sweeping up the shards of the bottle.
"You don't need to do that"
"I want to, now sit down and pour us both a drink" Nicole said firmly.
Waverly went behind the bar and took out a premier bottle of Shorty's finest bourbon. It was reserved for special occasions. She pulled out the cork and served it up in two glasses. Nicole deposited the glass shards in the bin and then came to sit by the bar.
"To Shorty" Nicole raised her glass.
"To Shorty" Waverly was close to crying again. There was a soft chink sound of their glasses meeting. Waverly downed hers in one. She was Wynonna's sister after all. Her face wrinkled as she felt the burn of the bourbon as it slipped down her throat. She poured herself another.
"Slow down or I'll be putting you to bed next" Nicole warned jokingly.
They shared a meaningful look again. Maybe it was the bourbon or the funeral or the forces of evil that seemed to be rising, but Waverly was filled with the need to feel...to feel anything other then what she was feeling. She stood up on her tiptoes and leaned over the bar and kissed Nicole.
Nicole was surprised. She wanted this and it felt...right. But she could also taste the twang of bourbon from Waverly's lips. She liked Waverly, she really really liked her. But Waverly was upset, she had a boyfriend (even if it was only Champ) and she was probably a little drunk. So as much as she didn't want to Nicole stopped it.
"We shouldn't be doing this right now," Nicole pointed out. "Your upset and you need time, I'd better go," she placed her hand over Waverly's briefly and squeezed it. "I'll see you around".
Waverly watched her leave. She didn't think it was possible but she felt even worse than she did before.