After having the most amazing date with Nicole on Friday, Waverly couldn't stop thinking about the redhead.
Nicole wasn't doing much better either.
As they both anticipated getting to see each other again that following Monday, Nicole and Waverly did their best to maintain focus at their respective jobs. Whenever they had breaks or were off from work, they talked constantly through phone calls, texts, and video chats.
When Monday finally came, Nicole was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement while she counted down the hours until she got to see Waverly again. Jeremy playfully made fun of the redhead throughout the day and even joked about asking Waverly if she had a 'friend' that she could set him up with.
Although it was intended as an off-handed comment, Nicole stored that little nugget of info away for future use.
Once the clock struck noon, Nicole briskly clocked out, said goodbye to Jeremy, and eagerly made her way home to do some last minute housekeeping before Waverly arrived. She had pretty much cleaned her entire apartment from top to bottom the previous day, but the redhead felt that a little touch-up in the bathroom and living room areas wouldn't hurt.
After Nicole had finished scooping the litter box, feeding CJ, and vacuuming the living room, she still had about an hour to kill. Feeling a little gross from working a full 8 hour shift and then running around her place to make sure it was in pristine condition, Nicole felt that a shower was much needed.
20 minutes later, Nicole felt a lot better. As she walked out of her bathroom, toweling off her wet red hair, Nicole nearly jumped a foot into the air when she saw Waverly innocently standing in the doorway of her bedroom.
"Hi..." Waverly shyly whispers as she gives a small wave to the stunning redhead.
"Holy shit, Waves! You nearly gave me a heart attack," Nicole exclaims as she holds her hand against her chest and tries to regulate her breathing.
"Sorry... I guess you didn't see my last text?" Waverly rhetorically states as she slowly steps into the room further. "When you didn't answer the door after a few minutes, I got worried, so I let myself in. I hope that's okay."
Nicole found it endearing that the brunette was so concerned about her. In one of their previous conversations, Nicole had mentioned the hide-away key she kept in the plant outside of her apartment. She had told Waverly that she was welcomed to use it if she needed to gain access to her home for whatever reason; she just didn't think it would happen so soon.
Seeing the guilt-ridden look on Waverly's face, as if she had done something wrong, Nicole quickly throws her towel onto the bed and wraps her arms snuggly around the brunette. Waverly instantly melts into her embrace.
"It's fine, baby..." Nicole softly coos into Waverly's hair as she momentarily gets lost in the feeling of having the shorter woman in her arms again. "You definitely surprised me... but it was the best kind of surprise."
Nicole looks at Waverly so tenderly; her eyes so open and honest. This was definitely something that the brunette was not used to, but she welcomed it with open arms.
"I'm just really happy that you're here."
"Yeah?" Waverly questions as she slightly pulls away from the redhead so that she can see her face.
All Nicole can do is positively nod her head as she lightly grasps the sides of Waverly's face and gently connects their lips. The spark of electricity she feels makes Nicole long for more. As their kiss deepens, Waverly tightens her grip around Nicole's waist. Feeling the dampness of Nicole's porcelain skin against her arms, Waverly suddenly remembers the redhead's state of dress — or undress — when she exited the bathroom.
"You're wet..." Waverly whispers out in between kisses.
"Huh?"
Nicole hears the words, but doesn't register the actual meaning behind them. She was trying her best to keep her head out of the gutter. Instead, she just keeps on kissing the beautiful brunette.
"You're wet," Waverly tries again as she lightly nibbles on Nicole's lower lip. "I'm guessing you were taking a shower and that's why you didn't hear me knocking."
"Damn... you're so smart," Nicole replies giddily as she plants one last kiss on Waverly's lips and then one on her forehead, just because. "Perhaps I should finish getting dressed?"
Waverly takes a step back and holds Nicole at an arm's length, raking her eyes up and down Nicole's toned physique as she stands in front of her with nothing on but some running shorts and a sports bra.
"I mean, you don't have to..." Waverly says in a sultry voice as her eyes scan each of Nicole's individual abs.
"My eyes are up here, Earp..." Nicole teases as she hooks her index finger under the brunette's chin and delicately lifts it up so she can place a tender kiss against her lips.
"You got me," Waverly replies with faux guilt before countering back. "I'll be sure to remember that the next time I catch you staring at my legs... or my ass."
Nicole opens her mouth to retort such an accusation but then quickly closes it, knowing full well that her defense would be fruitless. It wasn't her fault that Waverly's golden legs looked like a goddess with those khaki short-shorts she decided to wear on their first date. It also wasn't her fault that Waverly's ass looked perfect, no matter what kind of bottoms she was wearing.
It's a top shelf ass, Nicole thought to herself before coming back to the present.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare," Nicole says in a panic as she begins to apologize profusely. "I don't want you to think that I'm some creep th—"
Waverly silences Nicole's worried mind with a soulful kiss that instantly soothes the redhead.
"I was just messin' with you, Cole..." Waverly says after they break apart, noticing Nicole's sigh of relief. "But just for the record..." The brunette starts up again as she leans forward to whisper into Nicole's ear, "... I like it when YOU stare at me; just you."
Nicole is at a loss for words. Everything about Waverly Earp made her body feel overwhelmed with emotion, but in the best kind of way. Slowly, Nicole tilts her head forward and kisses the shorter woman with such softness that Waverly felt like she was floating on air.
As Waverly lightly grips just above Nicole's waist, she can feel the redhead's body heating up. She loves the way Nicole feels against her skin and how soft and delicate she is when she kisses her. Letting her hands linger on Nicole's bare skin for longer than she expected, Waverly starts to feel a little warm now herself and decides that maybe it would be best if they both cooled down a little before she pushed things too far.
"Maybe you should put on some more clothes," Waverly states a little breathlessly as she pulls away from Nicole. "I'm gonna get some water and try to regain some self-control. See you in few minutes, ya?"
Nicole can't help but grin at the adorableness that is radiating off of the brunette right now. Clearly, Waverly was a little embarrassed about whatever thoughts were running through her head at the moment. Instead of teasing her about it and possibly making her feel even more self-conscious, Nicole just smiles back at her with that damn dimple on full display and easily says, "okay, Waves."
A few minutes later, Nicole exits her bedroom wearing some sweatpants and a t-shirt. She finds Waverly playing with CJ on the couch.
"Better?" Nicole inquires as she gestures towards her attire.
"For my sanity... yes," Waverly replies, causing the redhead to chuckle.
Nicole then takes a seat next to CJ and she and Waverly fall into an easy conversation. As they catch up on the events that took place earlier on in the day, all of the heat and sexual tension that was lingering in the bedroom previously seemed to vanish. The two women just genuinely enjoyed talking and learning more about each other so much and looked forward to spending some time together in person, now that Waverly was back in town.
For a brief moment, lust filtered through the air between them due to their incredible attraction towards each other. However, neither woman would let that deter the emotional and intellectual relationship that they were building into a solid foundation before anything more physical happened.
Besides... they had only gone on one date so far. Neither one of them were in a rush.
After chatting about miscellaneous topics over the next couple of hours, Nicole and Waverly feel their angry stomachs demanding to be fed. As Nicole prepares a small salad for them to snack on, she pulls out the ingredients she had purchased at the grocery store the previous day.
"What's all this?" Waverly questions.
"Well... I was looking up different recipes over the weekend and came across one for a vegan deep dish pizza," Nicole explains. "I thought that we could make it together."
Completely gob-smacked by Nicole's thoughtfulness, Waverly is taken aback for a moment.
"Is that okay?" Nicole asks after a beat, hoping that she hadn't upset the brunette.
"No, no... it's fine," Waverly says once she snaps out of her trance-like state. "You didn't have to go through all of this trouble."
"Waves... it's no trouble at all," Nicole promises as she tangles her fingers with the brunette's. "Veganism is something that you're really passionate about; it's a part of who you are."
Slowly, Nicole takes her free hand and hooks her index finger underneath Waverly's chin until their lips meet in a delicate kiss.
"... and I wanna know all there is to know about you, Waverly Earp."
Waverly grins as she leans in to plant another kiss on the redhead's lips. "Smooth talker..." she says teasingly.
"Only with you, Miss Earp. Only with you…" Nicole replies with her deep, Southern drawl.
After the pair steal a few more innocent kisses, they finally get started on making their pizza. As Waverly preheats the oven, Nicole begins to measure out the ingredients needed to make the dough. Meanwhile, Waverly starts dicing the herbs going into the red sauce while Nicole chops up the vegetables going on the pizza. Once the dough had rested, the two ladies assembled the pizza and popped it into the oven. 25 minutes later, they were met with a delectable-looking pie.
Once the pizza had cooled down, Nicole and Waverly enjoyed their meal on the couch with a glass of sparkling white grape juice. After they were stuffed to the brim, they cuddled up while watching a movie.
As it got later in the evening, both women were dreading the part when they would have to say goodbye. As much as Nicole wanted to ask Waverly to stay, she felt it was way too early to make such a request. And as much as Waverly would've accepted the offer if presented, she also felt that it would be best if she just made the 45 minute drive home like she had originally planned.
Besides... if Waverly stayed, Nicole wouldn't really get to maximize her time with the brunette, seeing that she had to be up at an ungodly hour for work the next morning.
So instead, the two women just enjoyed what little time they had left before they parted ways.
"I like this..."
"Hmm?"
"I like this... being here with you," Waverly clarifies.
Nicole smiles to herself as she squeezes Waverly's hand and plants a kiss on the crown of her head through her brunette locks.
"I like it too, Waves; I like it too."
Over the next three weeks, Waverly and Nicole developed a routine.
On Mondays, after Waverly finished up with her research at the university, she would go over to Nicole's and hang out with her and CJ.
On Wednesdays, Nicole would drive down to Benson and hang out with Waverly (and sometimes Chrissy) at her place.
On Fridays or Saturdays (depending on Waverly's work schedule), both ladies would alternate who drove out to see who and then enjoy an early dinner at one of the local restaurants before returning to their respective homes.
It was during their latest Monday hang out that the topic of Nicole meeting Waverly's family was broached.
"You okay?" Waverly carefully questions as she and Nicole were lounging on the couch with CJ snuggled in between them. "You've been pretty quiet since dinner."
Nicole takes a second to consider her response. She knew that Waverly would eventually ask her if she was alright since she was very smart and observant; however, the redhead still wasn't sure if she was just overthinking things and/or reading too much into an issue that really wasn't there.
In the end, Nicole decided to just be honest and put her insecurities aside.
"Do you not want me to meet your family?"
The question is said so quietly that Waverly barely heard it.
"Cole?!" Waverly exclaims worriedly as she moves closer to the redhead, taken aback by the inquiry. The sudden movement scares CJ off the couch and down the hallway. "What would make you think that?"
As Waverly brushes some of Nicole's hair away from her face, she then lightly strokes the redhead's cheek, trying to catch her eye.
"It's just that... you've told me all of these entertaining stories that makes me excited to meet them in person, but I haven't yet. Not even one of them, besides Chrissy," Nicole begins to explain. "We've been seeing each other for about a month now and it's been really amazing, but... maybe you don't feel the same?"
Nicole takes a chance and finally locks eyes with the brunette. As much as she hated sounding so needy in this moment, she also knew that being fully transparent with Waverly was the only way to resolve this uneasy feeling that had been festering inside of her.
"Baby... no, it's not that at all," Waverly states with conviction as she grasps Nicole's face in her hands and kisses her chastely. "Of course I want you to meet them. I talk about you all the time," she bashfully admits.
Truth be told, Waverly had been asked the exact same question by all of her friends and family at some point since she and Nicole started dating. At first, Waverly brushed it off as it being too early in their relationship for that, but as the weeks went by and her connection to Nicole grew stronger, she could no longer fall back on that lame excuse.
Feeling the lull in their conversation, Nicole removes Waverly's hands from her face and tangles their fingers together.
"Look, Waves... I'm not trying to pressure you or push you if this is too fast," Nicole tries to clarify. "I know if my parents lived closer, I would probably be a little hesitant for you to meet them, but not because of you."
Waverly looks at Nicole curiously, waiting for her to continue.
"I know I don't talk about my family a lot; I just don't have the same relationship with them like you do with yours," Nicole starts again. "Don't get me wrong... they're nice people, but they can be very judgmental. That's why we're not particularly close."
"Do they have a problem with you being gay?"
"Surprisingly, no. They were more disappointed about my career aspirations," Nicole answers. "It only pissed them off more when I didn't move back home after the whole policing thing didn't work out."
"Sounds like they had a lot in common with Shae."
Nicole chuckles. "Yeah, they adored her. They thought she would be the one to finally open my eyes to my 'foolish' dreams," the redhead admits. "Needless to say, they were also disappointed when I informed them that we had broken up. I'm pretty sure they blame me for that too."
All Waverly can do is shake her head in disbelief.
"I guess it's a good thing they live 1,000 miles away."
Nicole just shrugs her shoulders and smiles weakly at the brunette.
It was in this moment that Waverly realized something.
Although she was the one who had initiated the conversation, it was Nicole who had unknowingly made the younger woman feel better, despite her own insecurities about this particular situation.
Waverly didn't think she would ever stop being amazed by how wonderful Nicole was. Finally, she had met someone who treated her as an equal; who was incredibly thoughtful and genuine.
Waverly wasn't quite ready to leave her bubble of complete and total bliss just yet... but she knew that she needed to.
Although Waverly loved her family to death, the prospect of them being overly protective and possibly scaring Nicole away did not sit well with her. And even though she knew that her family had her best interests in mind, Waverly feared that their crazy antics would be too overwhelming for the redhead.
But still... she knew the only way to move forward with Nicole was to inform her of this little fear of hers.
"I'm scared, Nicole..." Waverly whispers out.
"Of what?"
"This past month has been amazing, and that's because of you," Waverly attempts to explain. "Things are going well... almost too well, so I guess I'm just waiting—"
"... for the other shoe to drop?" Nicole states, finishing the brunette's sentence.
"Exactly," Waverly confirms. "Things like this — good things — don't usually happen to me."
"But what does that have to do with your family?"
"You meeting them makes this real, and in my experience, it's only a matter of time before something bad happens... and you leave," Waverly bravely replies. "You are so important to me, but the prospect of you meeting my family scares me because they can be a bit much at times. They can be absolutely crazy. And by crazy... I mean Wynonna."
Nicole lightly laughs to herself at the brunette's last remark. Meanwhile, Waverly takes a long, deep breath to settle herself before finishing her spiel.
"I don't want them — or anything else, for that matter — to scare you away."
"Waves, baby..." Nicole delicately says as she slides down from the couch so that she is kneeling directly in front of the younger woman. "I'm not going anywhere... unless you tell me to," she assures. "Where you go, I go..."
Overcome by her emotions, Waverly lunges forward and captures Nicole's lips in a passionate kiss that leaves them both wanting more. The sudden force of Waverly's actions caught the redhead off guard, making her lose her balance so that her back is now flat against the carpeted floor.
The two young adults would've gladly continued exchanging languid kisses if it wasn't for a puffy feline that was feeling a bit left out.
"CJ... get outta here," Nicole playfully scolds as she attempts to shoo away her cat from chewing on Waverly's beautiful tresses. Once Calamity Jane finally takes the hint, Nicole focuses her attention back on the brunette. "Are we okay?"
Waverly nods as she softly kisses Nicole again.
"I'm sorry for making you feel like that. It was never my intention," Waverly apologizes. "I just really, really like you."
"I like you too, Waves. And whenever you're ready for me to meet them, I'll be ready," Nicole supplies.
"How about Wednesday?"
"As in this Wednesday? Wednesday that's like two days from now?" Nicole questions, just to be sure.
"Yes, that Wednesday," Waverly confirms. "Instead of meeting at my house after I get off of work, why don't you meet me at Shorty's?"
"Are you sure? Like I said, I don't—"
Waverly silences Nicole's offer with another kiss.
"I'm sure."
Nicole looks deeply into Waverly's hazel eyes, searching for any signs of doubt. When all she finds is genuineness staring back at her, the redhead relaxes with a dopey grin on her face.
"Okay, then... it's a date."
Waverly smiles warmly at Nicole, happy to know that they were on the same page. She was very grateful that she could have an actual adult conversation about her fears and concerns and know that everything would be alright in the end.
Glancing down at her wrist, Waverly sees the time and is a little disappointed that she would have to be heading back to Benson soon.
"Is it that time already?" Nicole inquires although she could already tell by the brunette's facial expression.
"Unfortunately, yes."
As Nicole attempts to sit up so that she can get off of the floor, Waverly stops her by pressing her full body weight against the redhead, placing her arms on the sides of Nicole's head.
"We still have a few more minutes," Waverly lowly states as she begins to pepper tiny kisses across Nicole's face.
"Oh yeah... what did you have in mind?" Nicole responds, eagerly awaiting for the next kiss that the brunette places.
"Well... I was thinkin' we could make out for the next five minutes," Waverly bluntly states, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
As Nicole wraps her arms tightly around Waverly's waist, she gets a smug look on her face.
"I like the way you think, Earp."
As Nicole pulls up outside of Shorty's, she feels a little anxious. Although she had been wanting to meet all of the people that Waverly spoke so fondly of, she also wanted to make a good first impression. Nicole wouldn't go as far as changing her personality or any other key element to make Waverly's family like her; however, whatever they thought of her was a big deal.
Nicole saw a bright future with Waverly and now that she was about to meet the most important people in the brunette's life, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
"Here goes nothing," Nicole mumbles to herself as a half-hearted pep talk, taking one last deep breath before stepping out of her car and entering the saloon.
Taking in the atmosphere and the decorations that just screamed the Wild West, Nicole hums in appreciation. As she scans the bar, her smile widens as she spots Waverly wiping down one of the booths in the back corner.
It was nice to see Waverly in her work environment, especially wearing those high-waisted jeans with her red and blue Shorty's raglan tee that was tied off at her midriff.
Just as Nicole was about to approach the brunette to say hello, she noticed the look on Waverly's face. Even though Nicole could only see her side profile, it was pretty clear that the expression on Waverly's usually angelic face was not currently a pleasant one. As the redhead takes a step forward, she observes a man with tattoos up and down his arms talking to the brunette.
Well... he was talking, but Waverly didn't seem like she was really listening. If anything, the younger woman looked annoyed.
"C'mon, babe... I didn't know she was your sister," Nicole overhears the man say.
This seems to irritate Waverly even further as she throws down the rag that she was using to clean the table.
"Do NOT call me that!" Waverly warns as she points at the tattooed man. "And really, Champ... you think that makes it any better that you didn't know you were hitting on my sister?! You're nothin' but a dog."
As Waverly snatches the rag off the table, she brushes passed the man and heads back towards the bar. Unfortunately, Champ was following closely behind.
"I said I was sorry," Champ pleads as he tries to grab Waverly's hand. She quickly pulls away. "C'mon, babe... y'know we had some good times."
"Oh my God! You don't listen... EVER!" Waverly says exasperatedly. "Just leave me alone. We're done, Champ; we have been for a long time. Move on."
Although Waverly was clearly unhappy about her ex's sudden appearance and his lame attempt to win her back, she handled herself calmly and professionally.
After all, she was still at work.
For her part, Nicole wanted to jump right in and help Waverly out, but she also didn't want to overstep any boundaries. Waverly was tough and could hold her own.
On the other hand... even though Waverly's closest friends and family knew about her and Nicole dating, that didn't mean that everyone else in this small town did... let alone her super-terrible ex.
The last thing Nicole wanted to do was to inadvertently 'out' the brunette, especially if she wasn't ready.
"You know you'll never find someone better than me in the sack," Champ brags. "Let's sneak upstairs to your old apartment and I'll prove it to ya."
As Champ steps a little too closely into Waverly's personal space, he dips his head and tries to kiss her.
Watching this happen from afar makes Nicole's blood boil; however, she restrains herself.
"No, Champ!" Waverly sternly states as she pushes the tattooed man away. "For the last time... we're done! Order something or fucking leave."
Nicole is torn. On one hand, she wants to beat the shit out of this jackass for trying to kiss her girlfriend(?); on the other hand, she feels incredibly turned on by Waverly's assertiveness and her use of the F word.
Focus, Nicole! The redhead quietly berates herself.
Clearly not that bright, Champ attempts to grab Waverly's arm again.
"Hey! We're not done here," Champ says forcefully as his hand wraps around the brunette's forearm. "Don't walk away from me."
Waverly tries to pull her arm away from the tattooed man, but he tightens his grip.
"Champ, you're hurting me," Waverly tells her ex as she tries to pry his fingers off of her arm. "Let me go!"
"No! I'm not going anywhere until we talk about this."
Before Waverly can say or do anything further, Nicole finally steps in, not being able to sit idly by in the background any longer.
"The lady said to leave her alone; I suggest you listen."
Hearing the redhead's voice, Waverly is surprised — since she wasn't expecting Nicole to be there for another 15 minutes or so — and relieved. Seeing that they now had a small audience surrounding them, Champ loosens his grip enough for Waverly to pull her arm away from him.
"We're just having a conversation here... a private conversation," Champ tells Nicole as he puffs his chest out. "So why don't you mind your own business."
"I would gladly leave you to your private convo, but you kinda brought me into it once you started puttin' your hands on folks that don't want your hands on 'em," Nicole coolly explains.
Champ just stares at Nicole, completely dumbfounded.
"Whatever," Champ says dismissively. "Get lost dyke."
Nicole grits her teeth together, trying to maintain her calm and steady demeanor.
This wasn't her first encounter with an ignorant man-child trying to flex his muscle and use cruel words to try and assert his dominance. However, Nicole just really didn't want to deal with this type of bigotry, especially on her day off; a day that was supposed to be filled with smiles and laughter because she would be spending it with Waverly.
"Champ! What the hell is wrong with you?" Waverly asks, scolding the tattooed man.
"Nothin', I'm just trying to get this butch away from us so we can finish talkin'," Champ defends. "This ain't none of her business."
"Wow, Champ... I never knew you were such a raging homophobe," Waverly says disappointedly as she shakes her head. "And for the record, Nicole has every right to be here."
"Why?" Champ questions, clearly confused.
"Because, she's my..." Waverly pauses, taking a moment to look at Nicole in her green and navy plaid buttoned-up shirt and her dark-washed jeans. Waverly knew the word she wanted to say, but the look of pure and utter trust she saw staring back at her from Nicole's coffee eyes gave her the strength she needed to finally say them aloud. "She's my girlfriend."
Champ scrunches up his face as he looks back and forth between Waverly and Nicole, all the while shaking his head.
"Nah, you're lying," Champ says definitively, focusing solely on the brunette now. "I know you, Waverly. You're not like that."
"I have no reason to lie to you, but if you're lookin' for proof..." Waverly starts to say to her ex before turning to Nicole. "Are you my girlfriend?"
Although Nicole and Waverly had had several deep and meaningful conversations over the past month that they had been dating, the one topic they never discussed was the status of their relationship. They were both very committed to each other, but no one had ever officially asked the question... until now.
Looking back into Waverly's hazel eyes, Nicole knew what her answer would be; she knew it from the first time their hands touched. This wasn't about putting her on the spot to help the brunette out of a jam; it was about an unspoken truth that was long overdue.
"Damn straight," Nicole immediately replies back with a dimpled smile and a wink.
"That's disgusting," Champ says with venom, aiming it directly at the redhead.
Not backing down one iota — and feeling extra confident with Waverly by her side — Nicole takes a step forward, putting herself in between her girlfriend and the bigot standing before them.
"You know what I find disgusting?" Nicole states rhetorically. "An arrogant boy-man with too much earwax built up, thinkin' that he's God's gift to women."
Champ's nostrils flare up as he balls his hands into fists as they hang by his side. Nicole carefully watches his every move, prepared to act accordingly if the tattooed bonehead decided to lift his fists into the air.
Seeing the tension building up, Waverly then steps in between Nicole and Champ to create a little distance.
"Hey Cole, why don't you go have a seat at the bar while I finish cleaning up?" Waverly poses to the redhead as she nods towards the opposite end of the bar where her Aunt Gus was now standing, looking on at the scene precariously.
Feeling uncomfortable and a little uneasy about leaving Waverly alone with her clearly unstable ex, Nicole lightly places her hand against the brunette's shoulder, silently asking, "Are you sure?"
Once she receives an affirmative nod in conjunction with Waverly's hand on top of hers, gently squeezing it for reassurance, Nicole slowly begins her retreat. However, before the redhead could make it to her seat, another commotion ensued.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Champ yells in Waverly's face. "You're not gay!"
"You know what, Champ?" Waverly begins, feeling the most irritated she's ever felt in her life. "You need to get outta my face and take your drunk ass somewhere else. I'm done."
"Or what?!" Champ challenges, grabbing Waverly's bicep. Before he can apply any pressure and possibly hurt her again, Nicole swoops in.
"That's it!" Nicole states as she swiftly snatches Champ's hand away from her girlfriend and twists it behind his back while roughly pressing his face against the bar top. "Since you seem to be such a slow learner, let me break it down for you..."
As Champ struggles against the bar top and tries to wiggle his way out of the redhead's hold, Nicole tightens her grip on his arm and applies a little more pressure against his face.
"When a girl tells you to leave her alone, you leave her alone. When a girl says no, she means NO!" Nicole slowly explains. "And if I ever see you puttin' your grubby, little callous hands on another woman without her consent... I won't be so nice."
"Damn, that's sexy!" Waverly whispers to herself as she continues to watch the scene play out in front of her.
"So, you got two options: A) You can walk out of here on your own accord or B) I can escort you out," Nicole says calmly, but firmly. "The choice is yours."
Once again, Champ tries to gain enough leverage to pop himself up and out of Nicole's grasp, but the redhead isn't having that. Every time the boy-man moves, Nicole just smashes his face further into the bar top.
"Alright!" Champ finally grumbles out. "I'll leave."
Once she hears the magic words, Nicole releases her hold on the tattooed man and takes a step back. Again, the redhead positions herself in between Waverly and her ex and makes sure that Champ has a clear pathway to the door.
After Champ stands to his full height, he shakes out his wrist and massages his right shoulder in an effort to loosen up the pain and stiffness that was still radiating there from Nicole's strong hold on him.
As Champ takes two sluggish steps towards the exit, he quickly turns around and throws a fist in Nicole's direction. Anticipating the cheap shot, Nicole dodges the sucker punch and replies back with her right elbow connecting to Champ's face.
"Ahhh! You bitch!" Champ yells out in pain as he stumbles backwards and covers his face with his hands. His eyes begin to water as blood starts rushing out of his nostrils.
After stumbling around for a few seconds, trying to find his bearings, Champ takes another run at Nicole. As he lunges forward in an attempt to tackle her, the redhead gracefully steps aside like a matador reacting to a charging bull. Using his momentum, Nicole pushes Champ as he passes by her, sending him crashing into a couple of bar stools before he hits the floor.
Once the boy-man is finally able to pick himself up, he feels embarrassed and angrier than before. As Champ wipes his bloody hands onto his ripped jeans, he spots Waverly off to the side, watching the entire scene play out with wide eyes. Something inside of him snaps as Champ sets his sights on the brunette now.
Seeing the new focus of his anger and frustration, Nicole intercepts Champ as he runs full steam ahead towards Waverly, yelling out random obscenities.
As their two tangled bodies slam into a nearby table, Champ lands a couple of weak blows against Nicole's back as he flails his arms wildly. As his attention is solely centered on trying to cause pain to the redhead, Nicole takes advantage of Champ's one-tracked mind and is able to deliver a swift leg sweep, bringing them both to the ground.
As Champ scrambles around like a fish out of water, Nicole is able to gain top position on Champ's prone body and leverages his right arm behind him while shoving her knee into his back and pressing his face against the cold ground. The more that Champ struggles trying to get up, the more pressure Nicole applies with her knee and the higher she cranks his arm.
"Look dude, I'm not trying to hurt you..." Nicole begins to say as Champ continues to struggle beneath her, "... but I need you to calm down."
"Fuck you!" Champ exclaims. "You stole my girl!"
"Waverly doesn't belong to anyone!" Nicole fires back, getting more irritated with the boy-man and his lack of respect for the brunette. "She's not a piece of property."
"Aargh!"
"Champ, please stop!" Waverly tries to reason with her ex. "You're just makin' things worse."
Ignoring all reason, Champ continues to yell and struggle on the ground, trying to break himself free, until he hears the unmistakable sound of a shotgun being racked.
Halting all movements from every patron in the bar, Nicole looks up to see an older woman with gray hair standing behind the bar, holding a shotgun.
"I've had just about enough of your shit, Hardy..." the woman grunts out. "The Sheriff will be here shortly."
"Ah, c'mon Gus... you know I would never hurt Waverly," Champ cries out as the pain in his face and his arm continues to radiate.
"We all know that's bullshit," a fiery brunette with dazzling blue eyes states as she joins the party. As Gus tosses her the shotgun, she then points it down towards the boy-man. "I'll take it from here, Red."
Shocked by this turn of events, Nicole dutifully listens and releases her grip on Champ as she slowly stands up.
"You finally picked a smart one, Babygirl," the woman says to Waverly, causing the younger woman to smile.
"Nicole... this is my sister, Wynonna," Waverly introduces.
"Sup," Wynonna responds with a head nod, seeing that her hands were currently occupied.
"Hey..."
"And the lady over there," Waverly states, pointing at the woman behind the bar, "is my Aunt Gus."
Nicole gives a small smile and wave towards the older woman.
"So, this is the family, huh?" Nicole says as she looks around the room and sees the regular patrons returning to whatever they were doing before the commotion broke out.
"Yup... well, at least a part of it," Waverly answers. "Do you get why I wanted to wait a little bit until you met them?"
"Hey! I resent that," Wynonna interrupts, feigning mild offense. Seeing the pointed look from her younger sister, Wynonna shrugs her shoulders. "Whatever, I'm awesome."
Before the Earp sisters can begin to bicker, the saloon doors open and in walks the Sheriff and one of his deputies.
"Afternoon Gus," Sheriff Nedley says as he tips his Stetson. "Heard you were havin' a bit of a problem."
As Gus nods her head in the direction of where Wynonna was casually holding a shotgun pointed at Champ's back, all Nedley can do is shake his head.
"When did Hardy get back in town?" Nedley inquires.
"No idea, but I would really appreciate it if ya got rid of him, Randy," Gus responds. "Lord knows he's already caused enough turmoil to my poor niece. Now he's in here causing a ruckus."
"We'll take care of him," Nedley says definitively as his tips his hat again and then makes his way over to the boy-man still lying prone on the ground. "Earp... I think you can lower the weapon now."
"I don't know, Sheriff... what if this one starts gettin' squirrelly again?" Wynonna counters.
"Wynonna..." Nedley says in his gruff, authoritative voice.
"Oh fine!" Wynonna huffs out as she lowers the shotgun. "You're no fun, Nedley."
"I know," Nedley agrees with a hint of a smile. "Lonnie, why don't you escort Wynonna over there so you can get her and Gus' statement?"
"Yes, sir!" Lonnie replies as he does as he was told.
"Get up, Hardy..." the Sheriff says as he slides a chair next to the young man with blood still streaming from his nose. "What kinda trouble have you gotten yourself into now?"
"I didn't do anything, Sheriff!" Champ proclaims. "I was just minding my own business, talking to my girl, when this lunatic came outta nowhere and hit me in the face."
"Seriously, Champ?!" Waverly says disbelievingly. "You're really gonna sit here and lie your ass off in front of the Sheriff?"
"She did hit me!"
"Yeah... only because you swung at her first," Waverly corrects. "Nicole was just defending herself... and me, from you!"
"Anything you'd like to add, Miss?" Nedley inquires, directing his question at Nicole.
"Nicole. Nicole Haught. And Waverly's right. She asked him several times to leave, but he wouldn't listen," Nicole explains while simultaneously introducing herself. "When he got physical with Waverly, I intervened. He took a cheap shot at me so I defended myself. Then he ran at Waverly like a crazy person, so I protected her. I'd do it again if I had to."
After hearing that last comment, Waverly just looks at Nicole in complete awe.
"You can ask any of these patrons 'cause they were all watchin' the show," Nicole adds in. "And if they don't wanna talk to ya, I'm sure you can get what ya need from any of these security cameras pointed towards this area."
As Champ looks up, he's dumbfounded by the cameras that he sees, clearly unaware of their presence. Waverly is surprised by Nicole's astute observation while Nedley looks impressed.
"Mr. Hardy, any chance you wanna revise your statement before I take you down to the station?" Nedley asks.
"What?!" Champ yells out as he violently stands up, flipping the chair over in the process.
Instinctively, Nicole pulls Waverly behind her and away from possible danger. Before his actions can escalate, Nedley grabs Champ's arm and twists it behind his back, much like Nicole did to him earlier. The Sheriff then pushes Champ into a nearby post while he slaps the handcuffs on the tattooed boy-man.
"I can't believe you're gonna listen to that ginger butch over me!" Champ complains as Nedley tightens the cuffs.
"Now you watch your mouth, boy!" Nedley firmly states. "You don't talk about women — or anyone, for that matter — like that. Whoever this young lady may or may not be attracted to is none of your damn business. You pickin' up what I'm layin' down, son?"
Champ just rolls his eyes and huffs out. In response, Nedley cranks down on the silver bracelets slightly, causing the young man to yelp.
"I said, do you understand, Mr. Hardy?"
"Yes, sir!" Champ grumbles out.
"That's more like it," Sheriff Nedley says as he turns his head and yells towards the bar. "Lonnie! Get Hardy outta here. I'll meet you back at the station."
As Lonnie appears, he takes custody of Champ and escorts him out of the saloon.
"You two okay?" Nedley questions, addressing the young couple. They both nod their heads. "Good. Now, I take it you're not from around here, Miss Haught?"
"Ah, no sir. I'm originally from Texas," Nicole responds. "I live in Tucson currently."
"Tucson, huh? That's a pretty decent size city. What brings you out here to the boonies?" Nedley curiously asks.
"Uh..." Nicole begins to say, but then stops. She then looks at Waverly, who has turned beet red.
Again, just because Waverly had told her ex that the redhead was her girlfriend, Nicole didn't want to assume or prematurely introduce herself as such unless Waverly was okay with it.
Feeling slightly embarrassed standing in front of the man that was like a second father to her, Waverly shakes off her nerves and delicately grabs Nicole's hand.
"Nicole came to see me, Sheriff."
Observing the two young women's joined hands and replaying some of the comments Champ had made previously, a light bulb goes off in the Sheriff's head.
"Ahh, I see... well good for you, Waverly," Nedley replies before he focuses his attention back to the redhead. "It's nice to officially meet ya, Miss Haught. My daughter Chrissy is a big fan of yours; I can see why."
"That's very nice of you to say, Sheriff," Nicole responds, blushing a little at the comment. "Chrissy is a wonderful person and has become a good friend of mine."
Nedley gives one of his rare smiles towards the young couple before getting back into business-mode.
"I'm gonna go take a look at that security footage. Hopefully y'all won't have any more surprises this evening," Nedley says as he tips his Stetson and turns to walk away. "By the way… nice catch, Kid."
"Thanks. Oh, and Sherriff?" Nicole says before he's completely out of earshot. "You might wanna get Champ's nose checked out… I'm pretty sure it's broken."
"Will do," Nedley replies with a head nod.
As they watch the Sherriff walk away, Waverly pulls Nicole in the opposite direction towards a partially hidden staircase. As they make it to the top and pause in front of the first closed door they come across, Waverly pulls out a key from her pocket and unlocks the door. Once they enter what appears to be a tiny apartment above the bar, Waverly quickly shuts and locks the door before slamming Nicole's back into the wall and kissing her like there's no tomorrow. Nicole welcomed the passion displayed with each kiss Waverly laid upon her lips, but as things between the two ladies started to get a little too hot and heavy, Nicole breaks away from their intense make out session and stalls Waverly's hands from traveling any further up her shirt.
"Whoa whoa, slow down there Waves," Nicole says a little breathlessly. "What's goin' on? This isn't like you."
Waverly wasn't quite sure what had just come over her, but she knew it wasn't fair to just throw herself at Nicole without some sort of explanation.
"I... I don't know..." Waverly says after a beat, shaking her head at herself before resting her forehead against the redhead's shoulder. "I thought he was gonna hurt you..."
"Hey... hey... look at me," Nicole coos into Waverly's ear before she places a delicate kiss to the side of her head. "I'm fine, baby."
As Waverly leans back a little to look at Nicole's face, she notices the blood stains around the collar and torso area of the redhead's shirt.
"Oh my God! You're bleeding!" Waverly exclaims as her eyes widen and her breathing spikes.
Before she can freak out any further, Nicole gently grabs Waverly's face and forces the brunette to focus on her eyes.
"Waves, listen to me. I'm fine; it's not my blood," Nicole slowly says, trying her best to reassure the brunette. "I'll probably be a little sore tomorrow and have a couple of bruises, but other than that, I'm fine. I promise."
As Waverly takes a second to absorb Nicole's words and give her a once over, she lets out a strangled breath that she didn't know she had been holding.
"It's not your blood..." Waverly whispers to herself as she analyzes each speck of blood littering Nicole's button-down shirt.
"It's not my blood."
Waverly briefly looks up to catch Nicole's eyes. "Prove it," she lightly commands, needing something more concrete than words to ease her worries.
Nicole's facial expression morphs from confusion to clear understanding as she nods her head. Slowly, Nicole begins to undo her shirt. Once she reaches the last button, she opens her shirt wider, revealing the teal tank top that had been previously hidden underneath.
"Take it off," Waverly gently asks. Dutifully, Nicole agrees and removes the button-down shirt.
Again, Waverly studies Nicole's porcelain skin, looking for any blemishes. As she comes across some redness on the redhead's upper right arm, she lightly traces it with her fingers. Waverly then continues her path downward until she reaches the bottom of Nicole's tank top. As Waverly slowly lifts it up to just below the contours of the redhead's breasts, the makings of a nasty-looking bruise on her right rib cage and lower back was revealed.
"This is my fault..." Waverly disappointedly states as her eyes begin to water.
"No, it isn't," Nicole says firmly, using the pads of her thumbs to wipe away the unshed tears. "This is nobody's fault except for that dickhead. You did nothing wrong, Waves. And I will gladly wear this bruise with honor, knowing that he didn't hurt you."
Waverly just shakes her head. "Why are you so good to me?"
"I think the more important question is... why are you so surprised?" Nicole counters back. "Honestly, I haven't done anything special, Waves. I'm just treating you the way you deserve to be treated."
"But do I? I mean, just look at today. What was supposed to be a chill day with you meeting my family has turned into a complete shit show!" Waverly angrily states as she starts pacing back and forth. "And to make things worse, the first thing that pops into my head afterwards is to drag you up here and try to jump your bones? Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me?!"
Although the question was rhetorical, Waverly had expected at least some sort of response from the redhead. When she finally breaks her stride and glances at her girlfriend, she's surprised to see Nicole fighting extremely hard to suppress a smile.
"Cole, this isn't funny!" Waverly cutely pouts.
"No, not at all," Nicole quickly replies with a stern expression. However, her ploy doesn't last long as Waverly spots her famous dimple breaking through her stone cold facade.
"You're such a bad liar."
"I know..." Nicole softly agrees as she takes a step into the brunette's personal space, lightly wrapping her arms around her waist. In return, Waverly wraps her arms around Nicole's shoulders and rests her head there. "You're so freakin' adorable right now."
"How can you still think that after everything that's happened within the last 30 minutes?" Waverly questions. "I'm such a mess."
"You're not. We all have baggage, Waves..." Nicole frankly states as she begins to softly stroke the younger woman's back with her hands. "It sucks that some of yours showed up today, unannounced, in the form of your shitty ex-boyfriend... but he's gone now."
As Waverly's body relaxes into Nicole's, the redhead gently continues on.
"I know it may not have been the ideal way of me meeting your family, but we can't change that now," Nicole coos. "The most important thing now is that you're okay... and apparently, we're girlfriends?"
Waverly pulls back her head so fast that she almost gave herself whiplash.
"I meant it!" Waverly rushes out. "I know we haven't exactly talked about it and it probably seems like I only said it to make Champ jealous, but—"
Before Waverly could finish her adorable rant, Nicole silences her with a passionate kiss that makes the brunette's knees weak.
"I know, baby..." Nicole says with bated breath as their lips untangle themselves. "Honestly, I've been wanting to make it official for a while now, but I didn't want to rush you or put any unnecessary pressure on you."
"Always so thoughtful..."
"I'm serious, Waves... I've never felt this strongly for someone so fast," Nicole shyly admits. "Am I crazy?"
A ghost of a smile plays on Waverly's lips as her mind flashes back to the first conversation she ever had with Nicole, via text message. Waverly recalls feeling utterly insane for not being able to stop thinking about the redhead after their initial meeting and asking Nicole the same exact question.
"No, not at all," Waverly promises as she delicately grabs Nicole's face and plants a chaste kiss to her lips before resting their foreheads together. "I feel it too."
"Good..." Nicole whispers out before remembering something crucial that the brunette let slip out during her previous outburst. "So, about this whole 'jumping my bones' situation..."
"Oh, God!" Waverly whines out as she buries her head into Nicole's body. "Did I really say that?"
"Yeah... you did," Nicole teasingly confirms. "And as exciting as that sounds... I think we both know this isn't the right place nor time for it."
"You're right; I don't know what I was thinking," Waverly dejectedly states as she looks down, embarrassed by her actions.
"Hey... there's no need to rush this," Nicole softly says as she hooks her finger under the brunette's chin so that their eyes could meet. "This..." Nicole pauses as she gestures between their bodies, "... is special. We'll do this on your time table; when you're ready."
"But what about you?" Waverly genuinely ponders. "We're a couple; you should get a say in this too."
"Given who your ex is, I'm assuming that sex was probably fun, but more about fulfilling his needs... not yours. Am I right?" Nicole carefully inquires. In response, Waverly non-committedly shrugs her shoulders. "Is it also safe to assume that you've never been with a woman before?"
Again, Waverly just shrugs.
Although this really wasn't a surprise to the redhead, Nicole wanted to make sure that her girlfriend knew that she was in no way trying to make her feel bad or embarrassed about her inexperience with women.
"That's fine, baby. The point I'm trying to make is this..." Nicole begins to lay out. "Even though our hormones may be kickin' in and screamin' at us to fall into bed together, there is so much more I wanna learn about you before that happens."
Nicole briefly pauses as she tucks a rogue strand of hair behind the brunette's ear.
"I'm in this for the long haul, Waves..." Nicole starts again. "I wanna know your heart and your mind intimately before I even begin to get to know your body more physically."
At this point, Waverly is at a complete loss for words.
In the 3 years that she had spent with Champ, Waverly had never felt so cherished and understood. Their whole relationship was based on his wants and needs; never hers. Reflecting back on it now, Waverly knows that she was a fool for staying with that tattooed moron for so long, but she honestly believed that she didn't deserve better.
But now, standing here with Nicole looking at her with the most angelic and genuine expression... Waverly knew that all of the suffering she went through with Champ was worth it because it brought her to this moment.
"So… whenever you're ready, I'll be ready too," Nicole concludes.
"What if I said I was ready now?" Waverly challenges with a glint of mischief in her eyes.
"Did you not hear a word I just said?" Nicole chuckles out, placing a light kiss on the tip of Waverly's nose. Deciding to play along with her girlfriend's game, she replies to her inquiry. "And to answer your question… I wouldn't believe you."
Waverly's mouth immediately falls open with a 'how dare you?!' expression.
"I am highly offended," Waverly says, feigning how appalled she was.
"No you're not."
"No, I'm not... but I could be," Waverly cutely replies.
"God, I love your smile..." Nicole thinks to herself, but doesn't realize that her words were said audibly until she sees the amazed look on the young brunette's face. "I totally said that out loud, didn't I?"
"A little bit..." Waverly whispers back as she motions with her thumb and index finger, causing the redhead to playfully roll her eyes. She then leans into Nicole, close enough so that she can feel the redhead's hot breath on her lips. "I love how open and honest you are."
"I always wanna be honest with you..."
As Nicole and Waverly lean forward, their lips meet in a soulful kiss that they easily could get lost in. Although they both are craving more, they decide that it would be best if they returned downstairs... before someone — i.e. Wynonna — came looking for them.
"Wait here," Waverly breathes out once they break apart. She then grabs Nicole's bloody shirt off of the floor and retreats towards the kitchen area, presumably where the laundry room was located. A minute later, she returns with a navy blue shirt in her hand. "I don't keep a lot of clothes here anymore, but I figured you could wear this in the meantime."
As Nicole unfolds the shirt, she reads the writing on the front of it aloud.
"Blue devils?"
"It was our high school mascot."
"Ah..." Nicole replies as she slips the shirt on over her tank top. "How do I look?"
"Amazing, as always..." Waverly says dreamily as she admires her girlfriend wearing a piece of her clothing. "Sorry if it's a little short on you."
"It's all good; luckily I have an undershirt on," Nicole replies as she winks at the brunette while simultaneously grabbing her hand and leading her over towards the door. "Shall we?"
With a positive head nod, Waverly opens the door and quickly locks it after they exit. Before they make their trek back downstairs, Nicole gently tugs on her girlfriend's hand to halt her movements.
"Hey, Waves?"
"Yeah?"
"Just one more thing..." Nicole says as she grasps Waverly's free hand as well. "I am so happy and proud to be your girlfriend."
"Damn... how did I get so lucky?" Waverly ponders aloud as she wraps her arms behind Nicole's neck. Just as she's about to capture her girlfriend's lips, a familiar voice interrupts them.
"Yo, Babygirl... you up there?" Wynonna hollers from downstairs.
Slightly disgruntled, Waverly settles for a quick peck before she and Nicole emerge from the top of the stairs.
"Yeah, Nonna... I was just getting Nicole a clean shirt."
"Already wearing each other's clothes, huh? Interesting..." Wynonna teases the couple, making her sister blush. "Anyways, he was looking for you."
As Wynonna points over her shoulder, Waverly sees the 'he' that she was referring to.
"Daddy?" Waverly says as she instantly heads over to the older man decked out in full uniform, chatting with Shorty and Gus, unknowingly leaving Nicole behind. "What are you doing here?"
"Randy called me," Chief Earp replied, giving his daughter a hug.
"Figures."
"You sure you're alright?" Ward asks as he holds his daughter an arm's length away, giving her a once over for any bruises. "That knucklehead hurt ya?"
Gently grabbing her father's hands and removing them from her shoulders, Waverly responds. "I'm fine, Daddy. He grabbed my arm, but Nicole stepped in before he was able to do anything else."
As Ward looks passed his daughter, he finds the redhead standing sheepishly in the background, not wanting to interrupt their moment. Excusing himself, the Chief takes a few steps towards Nicole.
"You must be the young lady my daughter has been talkin' about non-stop," Ward casually states.
"Daddy!" Waverly exclaims as she covers her face with her hands, deeply blushing at her father's comment.
"What? It's true," Ward says nonchalantly as he shrugs his shoulders, enjoying his daughter's reaction.
"What are you even doing here? Isn't this out of your jurisdiction?" Waverly questions again, crossing her arms over her chest like a grumpy adolescent.
"I literally work next door, in the neighboring city," Ward humorously replies. "Besides, I'm the Chief of Police… I do what I want."
As Waverly narrows her eyes at her father for his childish remark, she catches a lopsided grin forming on the lips of her girlfriend.
"Hey! Whose side are you on?" Waverly inquires, scolding the redhead.
"I'm sorry, baby… he's funny," Nicole explains, the smile never leaving her face.
"Mm-hmm…" Waverly grumbles out, not impressed by her girlfriend and her father ganging up on her.
"What? I am funny," Ward agrees, much to his daughter's dismay. "Your girlfriend's a smart lady."
Hearing that comment instantly softened Waverly's demeanor. Given that she and Nicole had just officially became a couple less than an hour ago, it warmed her heart to know that her father already assumed as much and was totally okay with it.
"Forgive me; where are my manners," Ward suddenly says as he removes his Stetson and extends his hand towards Nicole. "Ward Earp… it's nice to finally meet you, Nicole."
"You as well, Sir."
"Thank you for protecting my little girl," Ward sincerely states.
"Of course. I wasn't gonna let that Neanderthal hurt her any more than he already has," Nicole responds with conviction.
"You got some nice moves, Kid," Ward adds in. When he sees the perplexed look on Nicole's face, he clarifies. "I saw the security footage. You could've done a lot more damage to that boy if ya wanted to, isn't that right?"
"Yes, sir..." Nicole simply answers.
"But… you didn't. You controlled yourself and your emotions. You used the necessary amount of force needed to subdue the suspect. Very impressive," Ward compliments. "You ever thought about a career in Law Enforcement?"
Knowing that this was a very touchy subject for Nicole, Waverly swiftly cuts in.
"Alrighty… I think that's enough chit-chat for now," Waverly quickly says, changing the subject. "Why don't we save some of that for dinner tonight, yeah?"
Taking the hint, Ward idly nods his head in agreement.
"Sure, sweetie… sounds good. I should be headin' back to Benson anyways," Ward slowly states, not wanting to make things any more awkward. "Again, it was nice to meet you Nicole."
"It was nice to meet you too, Chief."
"I'll see you ladies at 7 sharp," Ward says before kissing the top of Waverly's head. "Love you, Babygirl."
"Love you too, Daddy."
With one last smile and tip of his hat, Ward makes his way towards the exit. Once her father disappears outside, Waverly immediately grabs Nicole's hands.
"I am so sorry about that," Waverly begins to apologize. "Sometimes it's hard for him to turn cop-mode off and—"
Waverly's words die on the tip of her tongue as Nicole holds her index and middle finger against her lips.
"As much as I adore your cute little ramblings, it isn't necessary right now," Nicole starts to explain. "You didn't do anything wrong. Plus, I wouldn't expect your father to know why talking about police stuff is a sore subject for me."
"I know… but I'm still sorry though," Waverly mumbles out as Nicole removes her fingers from her lips.
"You're sweet," Nicole says as she gently kisses her girlfriend's forehead. "Now… why don't we properly introduce me to the rest of your family?"
"I would like that very much," Waverly giddily responds as she pecks Nicole's lips and then proceeds to drag her over to the bar.
Waverly and Nicole stayed at the saloon for another hour or so, chatting with Gus, Wynonna, and Shorty. Once Doc and Dolls arrived for their shifts, Nicole was properly introduced to them and made a little small talk with the guys before she and Waverly headed out towards the Homestead.
Once at home, Waverly banished Nicole from the kitchen so that she could prepare the big dinner she had planned for her family later on that evening. Much to the redhead's protests, Waverly assured her that she didn't need any help and that she just wanted her 'baby' to relax. Feeling pretty powerless whenever Waverly called her that, Nicole dutifully agreed and decided to catch up with Chrissy in the meantime.
After 30 minutes or so, Waverly joined them in the living room while their dinner was baking in the oven. As the three women chatted, Chrissy told them about her day and an encounter she had with this cute guy at the coffee shop. In return, Waverly updated her roommate on all the craziness that had ensued at the bar earlier. Chrissy was shocked to hear that Champ Hardy was back in town, but she was also thankful that Nicole was there to protect her best friend and put that loser in his place.
Slowly but surely, the other members of Waverly's inner circle — minus Doc and Dolls — arrived at the Homestead. To Waverly's surprise, Wynonna was the first to show up when she was normally known to be fashionably late. She even made an effort to help set the table.
"Okay... you're really freaking me out," Waverly confesses after the last piece of silverware is placed on the table.
"Why?"
"Seriously?"
Wynonna just shrugs her shoulders, genuinely confused by her sister's remark.
"You were early. You helped me set the table," Waverly begins to list. "You're not wasted. And… you've been really nice to Nicole."
Waverly pauses for a moment, staring at her sister intently.
"Seriously, who are you?!"
"Relax, Babygirl..." Wynonna declares with a chuckle, hanging her arm loosely around the younger woman's shoulders. "I'm trying to set a good impression for your girlfriend."
Waverly immediately pops up a suspicious eyebrow.
"I just have a feeling that she's gonna be around for a while..."
Hearing those words leave her sister's mouth instantly relaxes Waverly. As she looks up and towards the living room, a soft smile tugs at the corners of her lips, seeing Nicole easily making conversation with the different members of her family.
"I hope so..." Waverly wistfully replies.
After everyone's stomachs were stuffed from Waverly's lasagna (vegan for the tiny brunette), they all settled in different areas of the Homestead, breaking up into smaller groups to converse. While Ward, Shorty, and Nedley talked shop outside on the front porch, Waverly, Wynonna, and Chrissy chatted on the couch about miscellaneous topics, including what would be a good gift for Wynonna to get Dolls for their upcoming anniversary.
Meanwhile, Nicole and Gus found themselves in the kitchen; the redhead clearing off the dinner table and loading the dishwasher (upon her insistence) while the older woman portioned out the apple pie she had made for desert.
"Probably not the day you were expectin', huh?" Gus comments as she finishes plating the last piece of pie.
"Definitely not," Nicole chuckles out. "But overall, I think it was a good day. I'm really glad that I finally got to meet all of y'all."
As Nicole loads the last dirty dish into the dishwasher, she closes it and begins to wipe off the stove and countertops. All the while, Gus observes her closely.
Gus had always been a great judge of character. Based on what she already knew about Nicole (through Waverly's gushing) and what she had learned for herself (through the incident at the bar earlier and her own interactions with the redhead), Gus had a good feeling that Nicole would seamlessly fit into their quirky little family.
However, with age comes wisdom... and Gus could tell that there was something much deeper hidden beneath the surface.
As relaxed as her body appeared to be, Gus could tell that Nicole's mind seemed to be running a 5k marathon.
"What's on your mind, Kid?" Gus gently inquires, breaking Nicole out of her inner musings. "Looks like you're deep in thought."
"Oh, sorry..." Nicole sheepishly replies. "I was just thinkin' about how nice all of this is. I'm not used to it."
"How so?"
"I come from a pretty small family and we're not really close," Nicole elaborates. "We never had family dinners or just hung out with each other because we enjoyed spendin' time together."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Gus empathizes. "When's the last time you saw your folks?"
"Christmas, last year..." Nicole responds. "It's kinda hard getting the big holidays off at my job unless you have high seniority or it just happens to fall on your scheduled off day."
"That must be tough."
"Eh... I don't mind. I get paid time and a half," Nicole says nonchalantly. "Plus, most of my co-workers are married and have kids so it's more important for them to get to spend the holiday with their families instead of me being back in Texas, sitting awkwardly across the table from my parents."
"Point taken..." Gus concedes as she picks up three plates of pie and balances them using her hands and forearm. Just as she's about to exit the kitchen and head towards the front porch, she stops and gains Nicole's attention. "Well Kid, I guess you betta start getting used to it. As far as I'm concerned... as long as you keep puttin' that smile on my niece's face, you're family."
And just like that, Gus disappears like a fart in the wind, leaving Nicole with a bewildered but satisfying look.
Once the pie had disappeared, everyone started to make their way home. Nedley, Shorty, and Gus were the first to say their goodbyes while Wynonna was already passed out in her old bedroom.
"I guess I should start headin' out too," Nicole somberly announces, but makes no effort to get up from the couch or remove her head from where it was resting on Waverly's lap.
"Yeah, you seem really motivated," Waverly sarcastically replies, continuing to play with the redhead's locks with one hand as the other tangles itself with Nicole's fingers.
"Can you blame me?"
Waverly just shakes her head before leaning down to place a gentle kiss on Nicole's lips. As she sits upright again, an idea strikes her.
"What if you just stayed here tonight?"
The question catches Nicole off guard, making the redhead move from her very comfy position so that she could sit up and face her girlfriend properly.
"Uhh, yeah... I could do that," Nicole says a little hesitantly. Although she wasn't against the idea, this was the first time that the topic had been spoken aloud. "I can get Jeremy to check on CJ and then sleep in one of the spare bedrooms?"
Seeing the slight look of disappointment in Waverly's hazel eyes, Nicole prods.
"What?"
"Nothing..."
"Waves?" Nicole pleads, ultimately crumbling her girlfriend's resolve.
"I guess I was just hoping that you would stay with me... in my room," Waverly slowly requests, studying Nicole's facial expressions. When she sees the redhead's eyes widen with surprise, Waverly further elaborates. "Not to do any funny business, 'cause you're right... we're not ready yet. But... I still wanna be close to you, especially after everything that happened today."
"No funny business?" Nicole reiterates, cutely raising her eyebrow.
Waverly chuckles while playfully bumping Nicole's shoulder with her own. In return, Nicole wraps her arm around the younger woman, bringing her head to her chest.
"I just wanna know what it feels like to wake up in your arms," Waverly bravely admits. "Is that okay?"
Nicole smiles to herself before placing a delicate kiss on top of Waverly's head. "It's more than okay, Waves. I want that too."
As Waverly snuggles deeper into Nicole's body, their private moment is short-lived once they hear heavy footsteps down the hall, heading in their direction. As the Chief comes into clear view, the two ladies slowly untangle themselves from each other and stand up.
"Sorry to interrupt," Wards says apologetically. "I'm gonna head home, Babygirl."
"Okay, Daddy. I'll walk you out," Waverly replies.
"I'm gonna go call Jeremy," Nicole says as she squeezes Waverly's hand. She then turns to Ward and extends her hand for him to shake. "It was nice meeting you, Sir."
"You as well," Ward sincerely states as he shakes her hand. "And please, call me Ward."
Nicole curtly nods and then heads towards the kitchen to make her phone call. Meanwhile, Waverly walks her dad outside to his patrol car.
"Thanks for dinner, kiddo."
"No problem," Waverly replies. "You sure you don't wanna crash here?"
"Positive," Ward sadly states. "It's just not the same without your mother here."
Waverly sympathizes with her father, knowing that it was still a little difficult for him to be in the same house that he used to share with his wife.
During the years when Ward had plummeted into a drunken spiral of grief, his first step to recovery was to completely remove himself from the Homestead. With his wife and eldest daughter gone, Ward couldn't co-exist in their home where there were constant reminders of the loved ones that he had lost.
Although a lot had changed in the 11 years that had passed since their deaths, Ward still found it hard to be at the Homestead; however... he made an exception whenever they had family dinners there. Even though he couldn't bring himself to live there ever again, Ward was happy that the Homestead stayed in the family and had made a nice home for Waverly and Chrissy.
"I can see why you like her," Ward says after a long period of silence had fallen over them. "And I apologize again if I made Nicole feel uncomfortable with anything I said at the bar earlier."
"You're fine, Daddy. You didn't do or say anything wrong," Waverly attempts to explain. "Law Enforcement is just a bit of a sensitive subject."
"Am I allowed to ask why?" Ward treads lightly.
Waverly loudly exhales. "I wish I could say, but it's not my story to tell."
"I respect that," Ward states, pondering over this bit of information. "Nicole has a degree in Criminal Justice, right?"
"Yeah..." Waverly slowly replies.
"Does she have any hobbies, like boxing or marital arts?"
"She does kickboxing and studies judo," Waverly answers, eyeing her father curiously. "Why?"
"What? I'm just trying to learn more about your girlfriend," Ward says, feigning innocence. "Is that a crime?"
"Mm-hmm..." Waverly hums skeptically as she hugs her father, knowing that he was up to something. "Let me know when you get home."
As Waverly kisses her father's cheek, Ward steps into his patrol car and shoots a wink at his youngest daughter.
"Sure thing, sweetie..." the Chief replies. "Now, go on. Don't keep that lovely young lady waiting on my account."
Waverly smiles and nods her head. "Love you, Daddy."
"Love you too, Babygirl."
With one last parting smile, Ward closes his car door, starts the engine, and drives away from the Homestead. As his taillights fade into the darkness, Waverly turns around to head back inside. There awaiting for her on the front porch stood Nicole; her eyes sparkling under the moonlight.
"Everything okay?" Nicole asks as Waverly falls into her open arms.
"Yeah. How 'bout you?" Waverly questions. "I hope it wasn't too much of an inconvenience for Jeremy to check on CJ."
"Not at all," Nicole assures. "In fact, 'Uncle' Jeremy sounded pretty excited. I wouldn't be surprised if he's still at my place whenever I get home tomorrow."
Waverly giggles at the comment, just picturing a long list of shenanigans that Jeremy and Calamity Jane could get into.
"Well, I'm exhausted," Waverly says after unsuccessfully trying to cover up a yawn with her hands. "Let's go to bed."
Nicole smiles and extends her left hand out towards her girlfriend.
"Lead the way."
As Waverly grins back, she connects her hand with the redhead's and lightly squeezes it before guiding them inside the Homestead to retire for the remainder of the evening.
Author's Note:
Hey guys!
I know this update is long overdue. I apologize for my absence. Between my work/personal life and writer's block, it's been a little difficult to find the time to sit down and just write. I'll be honest… this uncertainty of whether or not we're gonna get to see our favorite WE characters in a Season 4 has depleted my inspiration. However, I'm trying my best to work past that and stay in the fight with all of you. For those of you still out there reading, thank you for being patient with me; thank you for continuing to fight. I hope this extra-long chapter makes up for my absence. #FightForWynonna
Happy Pride Month!
Disclaimer: I do not own SyFy, Wynonna Earp, or any of the characters used in this story. Emily Andras is a genius and I miss her and this show so freakin' much.
