Hey all! So. This kind of took on a life of its own and I decided to continue it for another chapter? If that's something you're into. Couple of things: No one has talked to Michelle. It's another universe and in that universe Alice stays and Michelle Earp has been away for 17 years. Um... Second. Okay, so it was just one thing I guess. But please let me know if you have any suggestions, criticism (constructive please:) ) or you think something felt wonky. I had a blast writing this chapter so! I hope you enjoy it too:)
Happy Thursday3
M
As Wynonna had expected, she was perfectly healthy, even given the unorthodox place she had given birth. Alice was a bit on the small side, but healthy and with 'the strongest set of lungs I've heard in a while" the doctor had said after administering a shot and receiving an answering wail. It had taken everything in Wynonna not to shove the doctor away as Alice screamed in displeasure, only calming down when she was bundled up in her blanket again and in her mother's arms.
She pulled into the homestead, Waverly's Jeep crunching through the snow and Alice asleep in the back. Dolls' and Doc's cars was still there, along with her truck, Nicole's cruiser and… An old station wagon Wynonna didn't recognize. Instantly, her hackles went up. Gus would have told them if she was coming for a visit and Nedley only came out if he absolutely had to. Other guests were virtually unheard of.
"What's going on?" She breathed, parking next to her truck and killing the engine. Peacemaker was in its usual spot, in her boot and she crunched carefully to the backseat, head on a swivel as she hoisted Alice out of her car seat. The littlest Earp blinked awake in the harsh sun but sensed the tension rolling off her mama and stayed quiet, curling in close to Wynonna's chest.
"That's my girl," Wynonna breathed, tucking Alice up close in the crook of her arm (she really was on the scrawny side) and drawing Peacemaker with her free hand. Everything seemed quiet and the house looked completely normal but… something felt off.
She decided to take the entrance in the kitchen, knowing the element of surprise would be more on her side from that direction, along with easier access to one of the bedrooms if there was a need to hide Alice.
The knob twisted easily and Wynonna crept into the house, taking care to miss the noisy floorboard and closing the door carefully. There was a murmur of voices, coming from the living room, dominated by a strong, low voice that Wynonna hadn't heard in years. But… surely not.
Tucking Peacemaker back in its place and gently lifting Alice to rest against her shoulder, Wynonna made her way to the living room, stomach suddenly in very tight knots.
Dolls and Doc were hovering in the doorway by the front door, both looking more uncomfortable than she'd seen in ages. Waverly was sitting with her back to Wynonna, tucked up as small as she could be in the easy chair, one hand tangled in Nicole's hair from where her girlfriend was sitting on the floor with her back pressed up against the chair. Jeremy was standing in the opposite corner, pacing and talking a mile a minute, gesturing and laughing a little bit hysterically. And then, in the middle of the couch, broad shoulders, long, dark braid down her back, shot with grey and a sweater Wynonna could remember burying her face in as a little girl, watching Waverly drift off when she was no bigger than Alice.
"Oh look, Wynonna, Wynonna's back. Hey Wynonna!" Jeremy spluttered, eyes wide as he tripped over himself to come to her side.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I… she knocked and I answered the door and she just walked in like… well."
"Hey, Jeremy," She stopped him with a hand on his arm, "It's okay. You're okay."
He nodded, swallowing hard and scurried to join Doc and Dolls.
Wynonna ignored the woman on the couch as best she could, instead crouching down by her sister.
"Hey, Waves," She murmured, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear with her free hand and continuing to curl it around her ear until Waverly turned and met Wynonna's eyes, "Hey. I guess this is what I get for going to the doctor, huh? Miss all the excitement." Her voice felt tight but it served its intended purpose as Waverly giggled a little, eyes brighter than usual.
"Yeah, what were you thinking? Taking care of yourself? Come on, Wynonna."
Wynonna smiled and pressed a kiss to her head, catching Nicole's eye and cocking her eyebrow. Nicole shrugged minutely and tilted her head, lips pressed together hard. Wynonna grimaced as she pulled back and then carefully set Alice in Waverly's arms.
"She needs Auntie Waverly cuddles. The mean old doctor gave her a shot and she is pretty pissed." That seemed to do at least a little bit. Waverly looked a little more anchored, holding Alice close and murmuring about all the good the vaccine would do. Nicole had twisted a little and wrapped a hand around Waverly's ankle. Waves was in good hands.
Slowly, Wynonna stood, and finally, because she had no other choice, turned and faced their guest.
"And where have you been exactly, Wynonna Grace?" Her mother turned and gave her the same head tilt and not-quite-glare as if she were six years old again and coming in after sundown because she was climbing around in the barn.
Wynonna's stomach rolled but she tried to steady herself, stepping forward a bit to block Waverly from view and cocking a hip, "Hey mom. Good to see you too."
"Don't you sass me, young lady," Michelle Earp straightened her sweater, "Not when I've come all this way to tell you some important information."
"Oh, is it that you're going out of town for, I don't know, 17 years?" Wynonna snarked, channeling childhood hurt into attitude that her mother never stuck around long enough to experience, "Or does it have to do with our sister being missing because, surprise. We found her. And another surprise, she's dead again. For real this time."
The tension in the room ratcheted up as Michelle stared at Wynonna, "You found Willa?"
"Oh cut the bullshit, you didn't care the first time we lost her, don't act like you do this time either."
"How dare you-"
"Oh my god. How dare I?" Wynonna's blood boiled and she tossed her hair over her shoulder, "Really? You left us, didn't come back to see how Waves and I were, didn't come get us when Daddy died. You didn't look for Willa. You were just gone," Wynonna gritted her back teeth and she could feel Waverly's fingers tangle in the back of her sweater, "We were your daughters and you just left! Waverly wasn't even five yet."
"Where was all this when we last met up?" Michelle's eyes flashed and Wynonna felt Waverly jerk her hand back as if she'd been burned.
"You went to see Mama?" She whispered, "And you didn't tell me?"
Wynonna spun and dropped down to her sister's side, "No, Waves, listen-"
But Waverly was already scrambling out of the chair, cuddling Alice up against her chest and she shot out of the living room.
"Shit," Wynonna muttered, "Thanks," She threw over her shoulder to her mother as she rushed to catch up with Waverly." Nicole looked like she wanted to jump up and go too but Wynonna shook her head and held up her hand, "I got her."
Waverly had already shut herself in her room by the time Wynonna huffed up the stairs. She tried the door handle which turned easily but there was something holding the door closed.
"Go away, Wynonna." Waverly did her best to hide the tightness in her voice but Wynonna knew. She always knew.
"Waves, come on, let me in," Nothing, just a sniffle and a wobbling hum of a lullaby. Wynonna's heart ached and she leaned her head against the door.
"Waverly, please." Still no reply.
Time for another tactic, "You've got my kid, you know. And I'm pretty sure all the love in the world won't make feeding her a possibility for you. Unless you have formula stock piled in there, but that's ridiculous," she forced a chuckle and then realized who she was talking to, "Wait, holy shit, do you have formula hidden in there?"
Not even a giggle. Wynonna slid down to the floor, forehead still against Waverly's door.
"Waves. Please. Just let me explain. It just. Happened and I didn't want to worry or upset you or-"
The door flew open and Wynonna toppled forward, catching herself on her hands. Waverly stood, Alice clutched close, tears streaking down her cheeks and fire in her eyes.
"What do I have to do to prove to all of you that I don't need protecting? Huh? What do I have to do to make you all treat me like a goddamn adult? For goodness sake Wynonna, I'm 23, I have multiple degrees, I fought off a demon that tried to take over my brain for almost two months, hell, I delivered your kid!" Alice looked slowly from her aunt to her mother but decidedly stayed quiet, "I can shoot and fight just as well as any of you," Not strictly true but Wynonna didn't think it was the right time to bring that up, "I've studied all the history of this and know it better than the dude who actually lived through it."
"I know!" Wynonna jumped in, louder than she meant to, "I know. It's just. You're my baby sister, Waverly. And back then… hell we barely spoke, let alone about her. Please. Will you just let me in to explain?"
Waverly's chest was still heaving from her rant but she nodded slowly, stepping to the side so Wynonna could come in.
"Thank you."
They sat on Waverly's bed, laying Alice between them and putting pillows on the other two sides to box her in, even if her mobility was limited to kicking her legs and waving her arms.
"Okay. So. I went to see her as a favor to Gus."
"What-"
"Waves, please just let me get this all out, it'll make a little more sense then. Okay?" Waverly nodded and Wynonna took a deep breath.
"So. I did it as a favor to Gus. About five years ago, Mama got blood poisoning somehow and Gus knew we were the same blood type. So, she called me and asked. And kept calling and asking for a couple of days before I finally gave in. Mama was over in the Big City and I was a little north of there so I went. She may have abandoned us but… I couldn't just let her die. And I've heard blood poisoning is a pretty nasty way to go…" Wynonna paused to clear her throat, and Waverly reached over and took her hand which did nothing to stem the waterworks she was already trying so hard to fight.
"Um. So I went, and I gave the blood and I wasn't even going to see her but. I was like, loopy from blood loss and…"
"You're allowed to miss her." Waverly whispered.
Wynonna laughed, still looking down at their clasped hands, "I really don't even think it was about that. I just had to know. What she looked like, if her voice sounded the same… I don't know. But before I could stop myself I was in her room and I just stared at her. And she stared back and finally, all she said was, 'Thank you'. And I couldn't even open my mouth. I just stood there for what felt like forever. And then a nurse came in and I ran."
"Why didn't Gus tell me? I would have helped-"
"I know you would have, and so does Gus. But you were just barely out of high school, Waves. None of us wanted to put that stress on you, Curtis and Gus knew you'd drop everything and you'd just started classes and… She doesn't deserve the good that you are."
"She doesn't deserve you either."
Wynonna scoffed, "Debatable."
"No, it isn't. You've done so much, selflessly and…"
"And I've got a lot of shit to make up for."
Waverly looked like she wanted to contradict but Wynonna plowed on, "You know, I remember, you must have only been about a year old, the first time Mama took us to the arch. Willa and I were scared because she'd just packed us up in the car and spun out of the homestead, trying to hide the fact that her nose was bleeding and her eye was almost swollen shut. But you…" Wynonna grinned at the memory, "You didn't know anything bad was happening. You were just so happy to be in the car and going somewhere. You were all smiles and babbling and looking at me and Willa and playing with our fingers," Wynonna paused to wipe her cheek, not entirely sure when she'd started crying, "It was like the sun came out and you were just at the center of the light. And I decided right then that no matter what, I was gonna protect you from whatever I could."
Waverly whimpered and leaned her head against Wynonna's shoulder.
"And I know I didn't always do a great job and I ganged up on you with Willa but… Making sure you stayed in the light was all that mattered. Even if it meant I had to be far away to keep it safe. And I just… I still see it sometimes and I can't bring myself to snuff it out even a little."
Waverly pressed her face into Wynonna's neck and clung to her hand, "You have to let me deal with it sometime."
"I know. I know and I'm trying, baby girl, I swear. But I am never, ever going to stop trying to protect you."
"Same goes for you, dummy," Waverly laughed wetly and pulled back, wiping her cheeks and then gently thumbing away the tears on Wynonna's face.
"I love you, Waves, and I'm sorry I wasn't here when she just… barged in. And for all the other times I wasn't here too."
"I love you too. And. I don't really know what good it would have done. No matter how much we tried to get her to leave she said she had to tell you something important and then attached herself to the sofa. I didn't really know what to do, I mean, I barely knew her. I kept remember so many silly little details that don't even matter, the way she smelled, the scar on her shoulder, how she looked when she picked us up. And I was suddenly four again and scared because she just. Left."
"It's not the easiest life, but here we are."
Waverly laughed, "More or less in one piece."
"More or less," Wynonna's eyes skated over Alice, blue eyes wide as she turned this way and that, trying to keep track of what sounds came from where.
"She's going to have it so much better," She breathed, "That's why I couldn't follow through with sending her away. I wanted her to know that she is loved and she has a family and no matter how or why that family is together, we still are one. And we stick together and love each other, no matter what."
"Wow… motherhood has made you such a squish," Waverly hummed, laying down next to Alice on the bed, taking her tiny hand and staring at her fingernails, "Can we just stay up here? I don't want to deal with whatever she's going to say. Not right now."
"I know dude, but we gotta." Wynonna hoisted herself off the bed and stooping to pick Alice up off the bed, "The sooner we talk to her, the sooner she'll leave."
Waverly groaned from the bed but Wynonna just turned and headed for the door, pausing when she realized her sister wasn't with her.
"Waves, please? I don't know if I can do this without you." Even though things were patched up with Waverly, her stomach still rolled violently at the thought of talking to her mother downstairs and it felt like her chest was in a vice.
"You're Wynonna Earp," Waverly snorted, "You can do anything." But she slid off the bed and joined the other two Earps at the door, kissing Alice's hand where it rested on Wynonna's shoulder.
"Actually, can you take her? Part of me doesn't want to… share her, ya know?"
Waverly nodded and took the baby, tucking the tiny face under her chin and adjusting the blanket around her.
"Alright, let's do this.
Slowly, the three descended the staircase, and turned toward the living room to find Dolls and Nicole standing guard at the entrance. Waverly touched Nicole's back gingerly and instantly had her full attention.
"Okay?" Nicole hummed, so low that Wynonna barely heard.
Waverly nodded, pressing her forehead briefly to Nicole's. Wynonna stood just over Dolls' shoulder. From her vantage she could see Jeremy and Doc leaning against either side of the entrance that led to the front door.
"What are you doing?" She whispered.
"She, ah… tried to follow you and we all kind of. Reacted. We weren't sure about the vibe up there."
Wynonna squeezed his hand hard, breathing out a sigh, "Thank you."
He just barely winked and then let go of her hand and relaxed his position somewhat.
"Finally," Michelle turned toward the girls, "Your friends have kept me in here the entire time."
Wynonna didn't respond, just sauntered in with a confidence she didn't feel and leaned against the side of the easy chair. Waverly had taken up her spot again but this time, Nicole squeezed herself into the seat too and ended up half sitting on the arm, fingertips just barely trailing over Waverly's shoulder. It didn't escape anyone's notice that Michelle's eyes narrowed at that.
"Alright, we're here, so start talking so you can start leaving." Wynonna drawled.
"Really? You're not going to introduce me to my grandchild?" Wynonna winced. She knew her mother couldn't have missed the tiny bundle she and Waverly had passed back and forth but 'my grandchild' grated against her ears.
"Um, nope. My kid is my kid, I get a say in who they meet and, oh look, it's not you. Don't need you breaking any other Earp hearts."
There was a flash of something in Michelle's eyes that looked like hurt but she hid it quickly and crossed her legs.
"Well this is a family matter so…" She cast a haughty gaze over those on the perimeter and Wynonna's blood boiled.
"Yeah, the family's all here. So start talking."
"I don't think you understand me, Wynonna-"
"Yeah, I do. So get on with it."
Michelle Earp pursed her lips but thankfully, didn't push the issue any further, "Alright then."
She cast one more dark look toward Nicole, who met her eyes fully and wrapped her arm more fully around Waverly, not breaking eye contact as she kissed her head. Michelle frowned a bit more but broke off first, instead turning to Wynonna.
"You're missing a Clootie."
Wynonna snorted out of reflex, "Yeah, okay. Pretty sure we got all of them. One's lost her head in the salt flats, one's trapped in an old mine shaft, thanks to the boys and Doc and I literally split a bullet in half midair to kill the other two."
"There is another." Michelle insisted, tight lipped.
"Wait, are you talking about the sons?" Dolls asked, earning a surprised glare from Michelle that he completely ignored.
"Yeah, because Waves made sure one couldn't come back," Wynonna said proudly, "and the revenants took care of the other one with an actual firing squad so."
"There's another child of Clootie." Michelle snapped.
"How the hell would you know?" Waverly muttered in a low voice, eyes locked on her mother's shoulder, not wanting to see her face.
"Because I was married to an Earp and there are some things that have been lost apparently."
"Wait hold on, another kid? Clootie? With who? Niether of the Grey Gardens girls ever said anything about having a kid." Wynonna dropped on to the other arm of the chair. It groaned at being piled three people high but held true.
"That's because it was out of wed-lock" Michelle answered, making it sound like it was ridiculous that Wynonna hadn't come to that conclusion first.
"That must have been hard," Jeremy tried to laugh. They all stared at him until he jumped and explained, "Um, you know. Polygamy. Already had three wives and-"
Doc clapped a hand on his shoulder, "We understand, son."
Michelle turned back to Wynonna, "Judge Clootie was a polygamist but he also had more extramarital affairs than anyone could keep up with. Only one produced a child though."
"Yeah, okay," Wynonna spun her hand, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"The child's mother was Wyatt Earp's sister."
Silence rang through the house as every (adult) eye fell on Michelle.
"No fuc-fudging way," Wynonna breathed.
"Wyatt didn't have a sister," Waverly snapped, "I've read everything there is about him and there was never any mention of-"
"Oh little darlin', that's where you're wrong I am afraid," Doc's eyes had clouded over and he tipped back the brim of his hat, "Wyatt did indeed have a sister. Greta. They were not close and grew even further apart when Wyatt arrested her husband, Richard, for horse rustling. She was a spiteful, mean little viper before then anyway."
If Michelle was confused about Doc's intimate knowledge of Wyatt's family, she didn't show it, "Spiteful enough to take up with Wyatt's arch-enemy just days after her husband's hanging."
"Come to think of it, no one saw her after that day. Everyone reckoned she'd run off or died of grief somewhere." Doc muttered, smoothing his moustache, "Truthfully, I didn't pay much attention to her, just tried to steer clear."
"Well she did run off. But only after she figured out that she was pregnant."
"Okay," Wynonna sighed, "So how do we know she wasn't just knocked up by her husband before he was hanged?"
"Her husband had been away for a month and a half before returning and they did not have a moment together. Wyatt arrested him on his way back into town." Doc supplied.
Wynonna blew out a sigh, "I don't suppose she was just… having fun sleeping around behind her husband's back? Could be lots of guys?"
"Greta was full of venom but she was devoted to Richard until his feet stopped twitching."
"Thanks, Doc, not an image I needed," Jeremy muttered and Wynonna bit back a sarcastic comment about literally all the other weird, gross, morbid shit he'd seen. Not now.
"So. This other kid. Is half Earp and half Clootie?" Nicole murmured, "Honestly, how has the world not actually ended yet?"
"And that's another problem," Michelle cut Nicole off, flicking her eyes over how Nicole's finger was wrapped in the baby's tiny grasp, "Since it isn't fully a demon or one of Wyatt's revanants, it can come and go from the Triangle as it pleases."
"It can leave the Triangle?" Dolls breathed, straightening, "How-"
"I don't know how, I just know it can. I've been looking," Michelle dug a flash drive out of her pocket, "This is all I know. It's not much, but it might be enough to get you started. It seems now that the demon Clootie has awoken, there's no telling who or what will be trying to gain his favor." She stood and took two steps toward Waverly before Wynonna jumped up and plucked the drive out of her fingers.
"Check it out," She hummed, tossing it to Dolls. He caught it deftly, nodding, followed to the kitchen by Jeremy and Doc. No one even bothered to ask Michelle how or why she knew. It wasn't important. If the information checked out, they were in a whole new shitstorm.
Michelle was still staring at Waverly who had finally locked eyes with her mother and had the same look as when she'd opened the door to yell at Wynonna, even though her chin wobbled every few moments.
"Waverly, I would love to talk to you about all the information I've found. Shall we go sit out on the porch?" Her voice was soft and sounded like something Waverly had forgotten. Wynonna saw her wince and the twitch of her jaw. Fuck. Michelle completely ignored Nicole and took another half-step closer.
Waverly opened her mouth and closed it several times and Wynonna was about to pull her mother away when her sister finally answered, shaking but loud, clear and firm, "No."
Michelle's eyes narrowed, "Waverly, this is important and-"
"She said no," Nicole cut in, standing and towering over Michelle by at least six inches, an intimidating sight in itself, but Michelle stepped in closer, mouth twisted.
"Listen here, girlie," she spit, "This is none of your business. Why don't you run along and arrest the town drunk? Or maybe the donut shop is still open?"
"Leave her alone," Waverly snapped, jumping to her feet and resting Alice against her shoulder. She shoved her way between the two of them, hair flying, eyes ablaze, "What the hell give you the right to come in here and ruin everything we've made? What the fu-"
"Waverly Amelia Earp," Waverly flinched again, taking a step back into Nicole's chest unintentionally, "You cannot talk to me like that. I'm still your mo-" But Wynonna had had just about enough. Clamping her hand hard around her mother's elbow, she yanked her away from the others and didn't release her vice like grip until she had pulled Michelle through the house and out the front door, slamming it behind her.
"Wynonna-"
"Look. I understand part of why you left. I really do. Daddy was… well he had a hard time even when he didn't drink. And he took it out on you which wasn't right. But you left three little girls alone with him and that wasn't right either."
"He never laid a finger-"
"No, no never. He wasn't there though. Willa mattered, I did sometimes and Waverly… it was like she didn't exist. And after he died and they took Willa, Waverly kept asking when you were going to come back, just like when you left. Asking if you were going to come get us now. She kept promising she'd be good and wouldn't sneak extra cookies or…" Wynonna sighed, running a hand through her hair, still haunted by the frail little voice of six year old Waverly, cheeks wet with tears, trembling from head to toe with grief and fear and everything in between as she climbed up onto the sofa to sleep with Wynonna when they were staying with Curtis and Gus at the beginning.
"She thought… I don't know what she thought, she was just a baby But I knew and I had to be the one to keep telling her you weren't coming back. And I was a kid, I wanted my mommy just as much as she did. But it was suddenly just me and her and I… did the best I could. Wasn't always great, but I did it."
There was true anguish in Michelle Earp's eyes and, it felt like for the first time in 17 years that she might, maybe have regretted leaving them behind. Wynonna tamped down the little ember of hope. You're not a kid anymore. She's not magically going to come back and change.
"Wynonna, I'm so sorry. It-"
"Look. I don't care about sorry," Wynonna cleared her throat and walked to the other side of the porch, "Waves might, but I'm past it. If you really want to prove it, keep coming back. Because I won't let you hurt her again, even if that means I never see you either. And if you ever break my kid's heart… you'd better keep running and pray revenants find me first. So think real carefully about what you do next."
"I still can't believe you're a mother," Michelle murmured, low and soft like she used to when she told stories and Wynonna's stomach swooped again, this time with the thought of her tiny Alice, cuddled up and warm inside, surrounded by love. She had no idea-
"Yeah, you and the rest of this town." Wynonna snorted, breath puffing out in clouds around her rosy cheeks.
"Although it does make sense." Michelle continued on as if Wynonna hadn't spoken.
She flared up, "Why, because I'm the irresponsible one? Or because of-"
"You were always the protector. Even as a little girl, you used yourself as a shield between most things that would hurt your sister. You even…" Michelle paused, clearing her throat, "You even tried to jump between me and your father. You couldn't have been more than five but-"
"I remember." Wynonna's teeth gritted. She could still see it all too well, Daddy drunk and screaming. Mama yelling back, tears streaming down her face, lip already bleeding. Wynonna throwing Willa's hands off her and running between them. It was the only time Ward had ever hit one of his daughters in malice, striking Wynonna across the cheek with the back of his hand as he swung wide and causing her to careen into the end table. It was the only time Mama had ever hit back. The black eye had lasted for weeks and matched the one on his daughter.
"Can I ask… what's the name?" Wynonna jumped, trying to reel everything back in.
She couldn't bring herself to look at her mother as she fiddled with the key around her neck, "Alice. Her name is Alice Michelle."
"Her middle name is-"
"Yeah, don't… It just flowed well, that's all." They were quiet again, Michelle trying to mask the quick catch breaths as sighs. They stood side by side in silence for a while, leaning against the railing and looking out at the homestead. Worn and torn as it was, it was still home. The little embers from earlier flared again and Wynonna ached for more.
"Just…" She started, "Just, give me another reason for that to be her middle name. That's all."
She saw her mother nod out of her periphery. Michelle wiped her cheeks and stretched slowly.
"Perhaps later this week." She whispered.
"Perhaps a specific day." Wynonna countered, arms crossed.
"Wednesday," Michelle supplied immediately, "Maybe I can bring you dinner? We can… talk?"
"Everyone is still gonna be here." Wynonna warned.
"I'll get enough. Waverly doesn't even have to eat in the same room with me if she doesn't want to."
Wynonna chuckled, "She will and you..." she started to say "know it" but that wasn't true, was it?
"You'll have to stop glaring at her girlfriend too," She said instead to fill the awkward hole, "And antagonizing her. Nicole's a good person, smart. She may be bossy but she loves Waverly almost as much as I do."
"How long have-"
"Long enough."
Michelle nodded absently, "I see." They stood in silence for a few more moments before she took a step toward the stairs, "Wednesday."
"Don't make me into a liar. Well," she acquiesced, "Don't make me a liar to my sister."
"I won't." And with that Mama Earp strode to her station wagon and crunched through the snow, away from the homestead, turning toward Purgatory as she went.
Wynonna stood and watched until her car disappeared, trying to fight the pit in her stomach. Hell of a day and it was barely noon. She groaned and dropped her face into her hands, scrubbing hard against her eyes.
"I wish I could drink." She groaned, head tilted back, hands still over her eyes. But that wasn't a possibility. Her baby was inside and would need to eat soon. Alcohol would have to wait.
With a sigh, Wynonna pulled the front door open again, finally shedding her winter coat and hanging it on a hook by the door. There was commotion in the kitchen, all three of the boys trying to out talk each other. She'd deal with that in a second.
Waverly and Nicole were still in the living room, though Alice was nowhere to be seen. Nicole had Waverly wrapped up tight to her chest and her lips pressed to her hair, murmuring low and dropping kisses in between.
"Where's my kid, love-birds?" Wynonna tried to sound blasé as usual but it fell painfully flat. She was just so fucking tired.
"Doc," Waverly mumbled against Nicole's flannel, not even raising her head, just turning her eyes to Wynonna, "They're in the kitchen."
"So I hear," Wynonna leaned against the entry way to the living room and shucked off her boots. Nicole was still draped over Waverly, eyes closed, bottom lip between her teeth and running her hands through Waverly's hair. Good. She learns quick.
"Beat it, Haught," Wynonna almost hated to break them apart, "I gotta talk to my baby sis. Go make sure the boys don't start a fight or something. Can't have them breaking the kitchen table again."
Nicole nodded, twitching her lips up into a gently, questioning smile and Wynonna nodded. She really was alright. Exhausted and annoyed and becoming more scared with every passing moment but. Alright.
Nicole kissed Waverly's head one last time and then strode into the kitchen, immediately telling Doc to back away from the computer.
Waverly stood in the middle of the living room, hands clamped in her sweater and staring at her socks, "Not the best start to a Wednesday." she hiccupped a laugh, head still low. Wynonna's heart squeezed and she ambled over to her sister, taking one of her sweater-paw hands.
"Definitely not. Not our worst. But still. Pretty shitty."
"Yeah."
They stood together for a moment, just hands clasped, feeling the weight of everything that had happened in that house.
"Hey," Waverly tapped Wynonna's cheek gently until their eyes met, "Are you okay?"
"Hey, that was my question."
"Too bad, I asked first."
Wynonna sighed, "Yeah. Just…" She didn't have the words for how she was feeling. Instead she pulled Waverly down onto the couch and laid her head against her shoulder.
"I know." Waverly whispered, leaning her head against Wynonna's.
"She wants to come back Wednesday," She felt Waverly stiffen, and hooked her arm around Waverly's, "She says she wants to bring dinner, talk."
Waverly didn't say anything.
"You don't have to see her. No one would blame you."
Still nothing. Sighing, Wynonna snuggled closer, trying to push all of the strength she had into Waverly.
"I should have talked to her." Wynonna sat back and stared at Waverly.
"Waves, you-"
"No, I should have. There's no telling if she'll actually come back and… I just froze and got scared."
"Dude. That makes freaking sense," Wynonna said, "She left when we were little. She never talked to us, never tried to come help. We don't owe her anything."
"But she's our mom," Waverly whispered, and Wynonna felt a band spring from around her chest. Ever since that day by the stairs, and then in Shorty's when Waverly had confessed to not thinking she wasn't an Earp, she had been terrified of losing another sister. But shooting Peacemaker seemed to have put her mind at ease, at least for a while.
"I know. It's so much easier said than done." Wynonna sighed, "But I really do think she wants to be around. I don't know why now and I don't know if it'll stick. But I made her aware that this is her last chance."
"Wynonna-"
"I didn't threaten her!" Wynonna whined, and then at Waverly's look, "That much…"
"Leave it to an Earp…" Waverly muttered but she was smiling.
"You think she was right about the Clootie/Earp thing?"
Waverly sighed, "I don't know. I'll have to look at that flashdrive. I don't know why she didn't tell us about it before but. It doesn't matter." She stood and pulled Wynonna up after her, "But we better get started." Her cheeks were dry and her voice was steady. Leave it to Waverly to bounce back at the thought of research.
The kitchen was still a flurry of movement. Doc and Jeremy had been shunted away from the table where Dolls was scrolling through documents, Nicole leaning over his shoulder, a hand on the back of his chair. Doc was telling Alice about how he and Wyatt had been trapped in a saloon in Montana, years ago, while he and Jeremy pulled out the ingredients for lunch. Pancakes by the look of it. Wynonna's stomach growled and she went to join them, mostly just to take back the baby.
Nicole turned to talk to Waverly as they came in, but she popped up on her toes, kissed Nicole with her hands on either side of her face and then shooed Dolls out of the chair in front of the computer.
Dolls and Nicole both smiled as she folded herself into the chair and chirped, "Alright. What have we got?"
