Chapter 4

Nicole

It was 3:27am when a buzz from her burner phone woke Nicole up. She groaned, rolling over in bed and reaching for the cell on her nightstand.

Unknown number: we need to talk

Waverly. Nicole thought about how to respond, knowing full well she and Waverly needed to get their stories straight and put a plan in place for this mission, now that they were essentially partners once again. She took a moment to save the number in her phone before replying.

NH: can it wait until morning?

WE: fine. our old spot, 8:30

Nicole stared at the screen, her eyes lingering on the word "our". She sighed, resolving herself to get through this mess of an assignment in whatever way was necessary for her emotional survival.

NH: see you then.

She put the phone down and rolled back over in bed, her mind now wide awake and sleep nowhere to be found.

The last time Nicole had been to Jefferson Park had been with Waverly, when the two of them were working a case an hour or so outside of town and had decided to take a day trip to their old stomping grounds and have some time to themselves. They both loved this place, the huge oak trees and shallow creek that wound quietly through the expansive grounds of rolling hills and forest. It really is beautiful here.

Nicole strolled down an old but familiar path, one that descended from the parking lot, disappeared into the thick woods, and eventually ended at an open meadow with a small pond. She was early, as was her norm, and when she checked her watch she figured she had about 15 minutes before Waverly would show up. She was more than a little surprised when she rounded the last curve in the trail and saw Waverly already sitting on the bench that overlooked the meadow, one arm slung over the back, facing away from the trail.

Nicole had a brief flash of the last time the two of them were here, in their own private sanctuary, taking a chance and shedding clothes to go skinny dipping in broad daylight on one of the hottest days of the summer. She shook her head and continued to walk towards Waverly. That was another life.

"So you're an early bird now? That's new," Nicole said, rounding the bench and coming to stand next to the end of the seat, glancing at Waverly and taking in the tank top and yoga pants she was wearing, eyes lingering where her long neck met her bare shoulder. She had her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail today, leaving her face more open than it had been last night, hazel eyes shining brightly in the morning sun. Still refusing to wear sunglasses, god help me.

Waverly looked up at her, unsurprised by her sudden appearance. "I guess some of your habits rubbed off on me," she said simply, eyeing Nicole briefly before turning her gaze back to the water.

Nicole followed her line of sight. "Remember the last time we were here?" Shit. She hadn't meant to say it out loud, her words betraying where her thoughts had been moments before. She kept her eyes on the water, not wanting to see Waverly's reaction to that stupid question.

"Of course I do." Nicole released the breath she didn't know she'd been holding since the words slipped out, her shoulders relaxing in what must have been relief.

She still refused to look towards the bench, where she knew Waverly was undoubtedly watching her every move. She stuck both hands in the pockets of her sweats, looked at the ground briefly then back over the water. Fuck it. "I don't know how to do this, Waverly," she admitted, so quietly she didn't know if Waverly had even heard her.

The silence was deafening. Nicole immediately regretted choosing to show any hint of vulnerability to someone who clearly still had some absurd power over her emotions. This is ridiculous, you're better than this, Haught. Put it back in the box and close the lid. She took a deep breath, resolved to get through this and get back on track.

"Ok, so what do we know? Fill me in." She turned away from the water and chose to finally take a seat next to Waverly, removing her sunglasses as she did so and pushing them up to rest on top of her head.

It took Waverly a moment to respond. "Um right, well let's start with why are you here, Nicole? Dolls told me he would look into sending me some support, but he didn't say when, and he sure as hell didn't say it would be you. Then you just waltz into my bar last night and…" Waverly shook her head, confusion plain as day on her face. "What's the plan here?"

"Classic Dolls not to fill either of us in on this little surprise." Nicole rolled her eyes, noting the look of surprise on Waverly's face. "Yeah, we were both in the dark on this one, I only found out last night that you were involved with all of this. From what Dolls told me, he wants you to introduce me to Hardy as a potential seller from out of state, someone who can supply him with a lot of product he can then move out of the country or wherever he's pushing this stuff. He's hoping since you've hit a wall that a new player can shake out some new information, potentially get close to this kid and see what's really going on."

Nicole realized her mistake the second she saw Waverly's eyes narrow and her hands ball into fists, but the words were already out of her mouth.

"Hit a wall? Well thank god that you're here to save the day then, huh, Nicole? I'm sure you just love this whole thing, getting to be the knight in shining armor to rescue poor Earp who can't handle this case on her own!" She was fuming, her leg bouncing up and down so fast Nicole thought she may bolt at any second, or maybe take a swing at her for that matter.

Nicole reached out and put her hand on Waverly's forearm, trying to steady her and make amends before this whole thing went south. "Waves, I'm sorry, you know that's not what I meant, and I did not mean that the way it sounded. You're an amazing agent, I know all the cases you have single-handedly solved, and you certainly have never needed rescuing from anyone, especially not me." She stared hard at the side of Waverly's face, the younger woman refusing to look at her, still shaking slightly with residual anger.

"Don't call me that," Waverly's voice was quiet, her eyes still avoiding Nicole's face.

Huh? Nicole's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't know what you mean." She realized her hand was still on Waverly's arm, and she had been unknowingly stroking small circles into her skin with her thumb. She placed her hand back in her lap, immediately missing the warmth of her skin, waiting for Waverly to respond.

"You called me Waves. Please don't call me that," she said, finally looking squarely at Nicole, her hazel eyes flashing bright green with the sun slanting across her face.

Nicole's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm sorry, I didn't even realize I had said that." What is wrong with me right now?

Waverly's eyes briefly lowered to Nicole's hands in her lap before returning to her face. "It's fine, Nicole, I'm sorry, I overreacted. I just wasn't expecting it." A moment passed before Waverly took a deep breath, and Nicole could physically see her putting the walls back up, mask back in place. We're a goddamn mess, the pair of us.

"Ok, so here's what I suggest," Nicole was back to business, trying to get them both out of this uncomfortable situation as quickly as possible. "Why don't you mention to Hardy that you know a high profile dealer, an old friend who lives out of state but would be interested in meeting with him to discuss a potential partnership. We'll see if he bites and go from there. If he does, give him my burner cell number and have him contact me to setup a meet. If not, we'll regroup and try another approach."

Waverly looked puzzled for a second. "Burner cell?"

"Yeah," Nicole said, unsure where the miscommunication had been. "The number I left you last night? You texted it this morning?"

"Right, of course that's not your actual cell phone, I knew that. I probably still remember your real number from back in the day," she said with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Nicole didn't understand where this conversation was going, but she played along. "I haven't used that old number in years. In fact, I've probably had more than a few new phones since last time you saw me, I seem to keep breaking them," she said with a humorless laugh. Remember how many nights you spent wishing you had memorized her number?

Waverly's head snapped up at that, her eyes looking so deeply into Nicole's she was taken aback. "You got rid of your old number? When?" She asked in earnest, and Nicole was even more confused than before.

"God, I don't know, Waverly." That's a lie, you know exactly when. "Pretty soon after you left I guess, about 8 years ago now." Nicole pictured her broken phone in pieces all over the floor of her old apartment, just after she woke up to find a note on the pillow next to her saying simply, "I'm sorry" and no other trace of Waverly Earp. Turns out throwing a phone at a solid wall does a pretty good job of requiring you to get a new number.

Waverly eyed her for another minute, then seemed to drop whatever train of thought she had been pursuing with the question. "Ok," she said, standing up from the bench and officially marking the meeting adjourned.

Nicole stood as well, and there was an awkward pause where she didn't know if they would walk back to the parking lot together or not. Why do I feel like I'm in high school all over again? She put her hands back in her pockets, making no move to follow Waverly, who had turned to walk up the path the way she had come.

She saw Waverly turn around, looking almost expectantly over her shoulder at her. "You go ahead, I think I'll stay here for a bit longer," Nicole said. Coward.

Waverly cocked her head at her for a moment, then shrugged and kept walking. "Suit yourself. I'll text you when I have news."

Nicole watched her take a few more steps until the trees took her out of sight. She turned and walked back to the bench, sitting heavily and putting her head in her hands, taking a few slow, deep breaths to calm her racing pulse. Ever since Waverly had left her all those years ago, Nicole had struggled with intermittent anxiety attacks. She could feel the familiar heat climbing up her neck and face, the subtle shaking of her hands against her skin, the panting breaths. Deep breath in…1, 2, 3, 4, hold…1, 2, 3, 4…and out 1, 2, 3, 4. She did this a few more times until she felt her complexion cool down, the pounding of her pulse slowing to its regular rhythm.

Feeling back to normal, or as normal as could be expected given the circumstances, she stood up tall, stretching her arms above her shoulders and taking one last look at the calm water reflecting the sun. And now we wait, she thought, turning up the path and heading towards her car, once again waiting for a text from the woman she had once loved. The universe is fucking hilarious.

Waverly

Waverly finished wiping down the bar and flipped off the lights at 3:05am. She drove to her apartment in a daze, still unsure of what the hell Nicole Haught was doing back here, and casually visiting the bar where she was undercover no less. Freaking Dolls. That man has some explaining to do.

Waverly took a quick shower and got ready for bed in record time, thankful for the thousandth time that her apartment was so close to Shorty's. She glanced at the clock, 3:18. She's got to be asleep. Waverly reached over to her nightstand, picking up her phone and the now crumpled business card with Nicole's neat handwriting on it. She typed the number into her phone and saved it, then opened a new text message before she could change her mind.

WE: we need to talk

She waited a moment and was surprised to see the bubble pop up that meant Nicole was actually responding.

NH: can it wait until morning?

Waverly caught herself smiling at the bluntness of the text. Nicole was never one for being woken up in the middle of the night, and Waverly loved how cute she looked when she was grumpy and tired. Get a grip, Earp, this is business. She considered where the two of them could meet in person without being seen by anyone in Champ's crew, then started typing.

WE: fine. our old spot, 8:30

"Shit." You could've just called it Jefferson Park, dumbass. Waverly smacked her forehead, but it was too late to take it back. There was a longer pause than necessary before that bubble popped up on her screen again.

NH: see you then.

Great, so this is happening…Waverly set her phone down, turned off her bedside lamp and slid down further into the covers. She stared at the ceiling for a long time before finally drifting off to sleep.

Waverly got to the park early, knowing that Nicole wouldn't expect her to beat her there. Keep her on her toes, well done, Earp. She smiled to herself as she walked down the winding path towards the pond. This place was really something, and Waverly still came here from time to time for the stunning views. You mean the memories…

She finally reached the bench, her and Nicole's old favorite spot, relaxing into the surprisingly comfortable old wood and taking in the water before her. Waverly remembered well the last time the two of them had been here together, and all the times before that, too. The picnics, the night swims, the peace and quiet, the warmth of Nicole's hand around hers. That's all in the past. Don't forget why you're here.

It wasn't long before Waverly heard soft footsteps coming down the trail that signaled Nicole's arrival. Are you ready for this? She hoped so.

"So you're an early bird now? That's new," she heard from over her shoulder, seeing Nicole emerge from behind the bench a split second later, glancing her way but choosing not to sit. So that's how we're doing this?

Waverly looked up at her. Nicole was wearing sneakers, gray sweat pants and a Washington Nationals t-shirt, red hair down around her shoulders, aviators ever-present over her eyes. I wish she would take those damn things off. "I guess some of your habits rubbed off on me," she replied, turning back to the water while Nicole remained standing by the bench.

"Remember the last time we were here?"

Waverly's eyebrows shot up, her gaze whipping over to Nicole, who was standing in the same spot looking towards the water, eyes hidden behind her sunglasses.

"Of course I do." She saw Nicole's shoulders drop slightly, as if she had been tensing her muscles but suddenly relaxed. Interesting. She watched Nicole place her hands in her pockets.

"I don't know how to do this, Waverly." It was so quiet she almost missed it, but she could have sworn she just heard those words come out of Nicole's mouth. What. The. Hell. Waverly was stunned into silence. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Nicole Haught did not do vulnerable confessions, and Waverly was having a hard time reconciling the person in front of her with the woman she knew almost a decade ago.

She watched Nicole's shoulders rise again before turning around abruptly and sitting next to her on the bench. "Ok, so what do we know? Fill me in," Nicole was all business, and Waverly felt like she had whiplash from the sudden change in topic and Nicole's demeanor. I'm going to regret that, Waverly thought, but the moment for her to respond to Nicole's admission had passed.

Nicole had taken her sunglasses off as she sat down, and Waverly could finally see those deep brown eyes looking intently at her. I wish she would put them back on.

"Um right, well let's start with why are you here, Nicole? Dolls told me he would look into sending me some support, but he didn't say when, and he certainly didn't say it would be you. Then you just waltz into my bar last night and…" And upend my entire life, again. "What's the plan here?"

"Classic Dolls not to fill either of us in on this little surprise," Nicole said with her go-to eyeroll to emphasize her point. Waverly was surprised. So she didn't know about this either, thank god. "Yeah, we were both in the dark on this one, I only found out last night that you were involved with all of this. From what Dolls told me, he wants you to introduce me to Hardy as a potential seller from out of state, someone who can supply him with a lot of product he can then move out of the country or wherever he's pushing this stuff. He's hoping since you've hit a wall…" Waverly lost focus and went from zero to furious in a heartbeat. What the hell did she just say?

"Hit a wall? Well thank god that you're here to save the day then, huh, Nicole? I'm sure you just love this whole thing, getting to be the knight in shining armor to rescue poor Earp who can't handle this case on her own!" Waverly could feel herself shaking with rage but couldn't get it under control. Special Agent Nicole freaking Haught, so much better than you'll ever be, here to save your sorry ass from ruining another mission and –

She froze, feeling the sudden pressure of a warm, strong hand on her forearm just before Nicole's voice broke through her thoughts, catching her breath on the first word out of her mouth. "Waves, I'm sorry, you know that's not what I meant, and I did not mean that the way it sounded. You're an amazing agent, I know all the cases you have single-handedly solved, and you certainly have never needed rescuing from anyone, especially not me."

Waves. She closed her eyes for a moment, flashing back to the last time she'd heard that nickname from Nicole's lips, the night before she'd had to leave her without so much as a goodbye. She didn't look at Nicole, didn't want to see those warm familiar eyes on her in all of their intensity. When she became aware of Nicole's thumb rubbing soft circles into her arm, she shuddered visibly. Jesus, I can't do this.

"Don't call me that," she said quietly, more to the pond than to Nicole, still avoiding eye contact but feeling concerned brown eyes on the side of her face.

"I don't know what you mean." She felt Nicole remove her hand and watched her place them together back in her lap, heard the confusion in her voice. She called me that out of habit, after years of not seeing each other.

Waverly cleared her throat before speaking. "You called me Waves. Please don't call me that." She looked at Nicole finally, seeing her eyes widen in understanding and surprise.

"I'm sorry, I didn't even realize I had said that." Nicole spoke quietly, so as not to spook her or send her into a rage again no doubt. Probably for the best.

Waverly glanced at the hands folded in Nicole's lap. "It's fine, Nicole, I'm sorry." So freaking sorry, you have no idea. "I overreacted. I just wasn't expecting it." She took a deep breath, gathering her defenses so they could get back to the real reason they were here.

As always, Nicole was on the same page, never missing a beat when it came to Waverly's moods. "Ok, so here's what I suggest." Her voice was strong, in command, and Waverly knew they were ok again. We'll be ok. "Why don't you mention to Hardy that you know a high profile dealer, an old friend who lives out of state but would be interested in meeting with him to discuss a potential partnership. We'll see if he bites and go from there. If he does, give him my burner cell number and have him contact me to setup a meet. If not, we'll regroup and try another approach."

Hold up, burner cell? She said as much out loud to Nicole.

Nicole looked surprised by the question. "Yeah," she said. "The number I left you last night? You texted it this morning?"

You are such an idiot, Waverly Earp. "Right, of course, that's not your actual cell phone, I knew that." Stop rambling for the love of god. "I probably still remember your real number from back in the day." I-D-I-O-T.

"I haven't used that old number in years." Wait, WHAT? This was news to Waverly. Potentially very important news. "In fact, I've probably had more than a few new phones since last time you saw me, I seem to keep breaking them." Nicole laughed quietly, shaking her head.

Waverly stared at Nicole so hard she thought she might burst a blood vessel. "You got rid of your old number? When?" This might explain everything. Please let this explain everything.

"God, I don't know, Waverly." Nicole tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She's lying. Why is she lying? "Pretty soon after you left I guess, about 8 years ago now." She stopped speaking, and Waverly's entire world went upside down.

If that's true, that means that she never… Frickity frick frick! I am such a goshdarn idiot. I can't do this, we cannot have this conversation right now.

"Ok," she said, standing up and ready to get out of there as fast as humanly possible. She started abruptly back towards the trail, turning around when she realized Nicole wasn't following, instead standing right where Waverly had left her with her hands back in her pockets.

"You go ahead," Nicole said. "I think I'll stay here for a bit longer." Waverly was surprised but said nothing, taking a moment to really study the woman before her, looking uncharacteristically unsure of herself. Odd.

"Suit yourself. I'll text you when I have news," and with that Waverly turned on her heel and started back up the path to her car. The further she walked, the more she thought that something about Nicole had seemed off, so before she could think too hard about it she turned around and headed back towards the clearing.

She froze when she saw Nicole, hunched over on the bench with her head in her hands, breathing hard. Waverly could see her entire body shaking from where she stood, and her gut reaction was to take another few steps forward and see what the hell was going on. She's not yours to comfort anymore. Waverly stood in silence for a few minutes, waiting to see if Nicole was ok at least. She had so many questions about the scene she was witnessing, unlike anything she had ever seen from Nicole in all of their time together. Nicole was a rock, she was solid, strong. What on earth happened to the Nicole I used to know? Waverly knew she wouldn't find out the answer to that question anytime soon, if ever.

Finally, Nicole stood, stretched her arms overhead and stood looking out at the water for a moment. And that's my cue. Waverly turned and started to jog up the path, not wanting Nicole to catch her there spying on her private moment. What the hell was that?

Waverly shook her head, climbing into her car and speeding out of the parking lot. Time to get to work, Earp.