Barely 2 hours into the second half of Nicole's shift and the report radio flared up from the deputy who was currently on patrol.

"Deputy Officer Haught. We have reports of a bear sighting and attack on two campers in the woods. How should we proceed?"

"Officer East, head back over to the station. Send over the location from your GPS, I'll get some backup and head out there myself."

"Dammit Haught, why do you get all the action?"

"East, people getting attacked isn't action, now head back to the station and wait for my updates."

"Yes ma'am!" The rest of the officers in Purgatory did look up to Nicole they just wouldn't openly admit it, she knew what she was doing and she was a damn good deputy. Purgatory's finest.

'Who the hell camps out in 'Sunny Purgatory'' She thought to herself.

Nicole was straight up pulling on her jacket and looking up Dolls number through her phone. A bear sighting wasn't exactly 'supernatural' or a 'revenant' but since when did anyone in Purgatory get attacked by a bear? Except for the creepy religious guy from the cult where Willa was held captive, but he was already sent back to hell.

"Hey Dolls, think I've got something for BBD. Bear attack. Totally normal right? Call Wynonna she's already with Waverly, and I'll send you the location once it's been confirmed."

"Got ya', and Nicole? Don't go barging in there before we arrive!" He did care about the officer, especially since her life was put on the line after being attacked by Mercedes.

"Wouldn't dream of it Dolls.." Nicole wasn't one to wait for backup, but she wasn't going to go chasing down what could be a bear.


By now, Deputy East had sent her the location of the incident, which she forwarded to Dolls, and was pulling away from the station in her cruiser. It was going to take her about a 15 minute drive to the destination and she couldn't exactly get caught for speeding, that would definitely not look good. She put the cruisers sirens on and drove as fast as she was allowed.

Not long after she arrived at the scene, Dolls and Wynonna were pulling up alongside her cruiser which she hadn't yet left. The last thing she wanted to was be stuck outside and get attacked by a wild animal.

Banding together to stop from being seperated, and ready to cover each other if someone were to attack, they made their way through the trees, on full alert, towards the tent site. Wynonna had taken to Dolls side with Peacemaker drawn, and Waverly had taken to Nicole's side with her trusty shotgun she fired at Champ and Wynonna that one time.

Waverly and Nicole would always be drawn to each others sides, which was proved when they were sent to a different universe thanks to Greta, the Iron Witch. The brunette was supposed to be marrying Perry yet her and Nicole still managed to find a way back to each other and be together. That was the only time Waverly had admitted that she loved Nicole, she didn't say it directly to the redhead, but instead used it to explain her actions. It was still enough for Nicole, despite it not being said to her face, she knew that Waverly loved her, and she never doubted that, only her actions beforehand.

Through the gaps in the trees they could see the remains of a tent huddled into a messy pile of remains. It was clear that something had taken a disliking to the tent, bear or no bear. Upon approaching and checking the outer area, Nicole signalled she was going to check if there was anything left inside. It was clearly destroyed but that doesn't mean that there couldn't be something still lurking in there.

"I'm gonna check inside the tent."

"Eyes on you, go ahead." Dolls made sure that he was focused on the tent for the possibility it wasn't empty.

Circling around the tent to find the best opening, she placed her hand towards a large rip across the entrance, pushing her gun up right in front of her and pulled the rip down so she could get a good look inside. The adrenaline was ready to take over if something were to jump out at her, but she only found the inside of the tent to be empty.

"All clear inside"

Everyone decided to holster their weapons, except Waverly, who could do nothing except hold the giant shotgun next to her. Examining the rips in the tent and how many of them there were, it was clear that this wasn't anything revenant, they weren't done by knives and nothing other than an animal could make such distinct claw marks.

"So what we're dealing with more than one bear here? They do know they're not gonna find any porridge this far out right?" Wynonna couldn't help but laugh at her own terrible joke, but no one else found the situation funny.

After a long pause, it was Dolls who broke the silence.

"I don't think we're dealing with a bear here. Bears aren't usually something to attack without cause, and since when did Purgatory have bear attacks? Nicole take some snaps of the rips, we're gonna need Jeremy to look at them later."

"If I may, look at the prints left behind. There are placements to correspond with four legs, not two." Nicole thought she was at least on to something here.

"Come on Haughtpants.. Bears do have four legs you dummy!" Wynonna looked genuinely disappointed in the officer, but she just laughed it off.

"Yes Wynonna! But they attack on two legs, their back ones. There aren't enough prints to show that something was on two back legs whilst attacking.."

"Well Haughtdamn! Waverly, you really did pick a smart one!"

The awkwardness rushed over Nicole and Waverly before they could fully register what Wynonna had just said. They exchanged a brief, awkwardly smiled look with each other before Waverly turned to Wynonna and gave her a disapproving look.

"What?!" Wynonna tried to defend herself but she couldn't wait for the two of them to get back together, she couldn't handle Waverly following her round like a lost puppy all the time anymore. "When are you two gonna get back to it? You were made for each other you know? It's about time you skipped to the make-up sex!"

"Wynonna oh my god! Shutup!" Waverly was appalled at what she was saying.

Nicole just carried on taking pictures of the rips in the tent, and of the prints in the little snow that remained before walking back to the cruiser without exchanging another look at either Waverly or Wynonna. She wanted nothing more than to go back to normal with Waverly and maybe she should try to move forward a bit sooner. They should 'talk' again during their lunch tomorrow she thought. That gives her tonight to think and something to look forward to tomorrow.

After a brief conversation stating they'd all head back to the station and call Jeremy on the way to join the meeting, Nicole got back in her cruiser and started driving before Dolls had even got into the driver's seat of his jeep.

Waverly couldn't help but watch Nicole drive away, too fast for an officer of the law actually, and think that Wynonna had completely stuck her foot in it. She'd see her again when they got back to the station but she was left alone to her thoughts in the back of the jeep refusing to speak to Wynonna.


Upon arriving back at the station after catching up with Nicole, they rounded the corner to the main desk to find a woman waiting there for them. Nicole in the lead, abruptly stopped nearly causing Wynonna to knock her off her feet.

"Jeez Haught what's got in your knickers? Oh, we have company? Hey, can we help you?" She shouted out to the dark haired woman as she turned around realising she wasn't alone.

"Ah good afternoon! I'm sorry for the early attendance, but you can call me the new Sheriff! I'm Alex Ripley. Now that we're all together, why don't you start by filling me on everything else I need to know?" She came across as a very confident woman, who clearly took no shit from anybody. First impressions do count and this certainly wasn't a friendly one, but she wanted to skip formalities and get straight down to business.

Before anybody had a chance to respond, the new Sheriff had made a clear statement of giving Nicole a full look up and down, clearly appreciating the member of staff she was going to be working with.

"You must be Nicole, I've been told you're the best deputy this place has to offer, Haught is it? Won't argue with you on that one.. Now if you'd all like to take the lead, I'm happy to follow!"

Waverly had followed Alex's eyes from the minute she'd clearly checked out Nicole and felt the wave of nausea and jealousy hit her hard. Who did she think she was, turning up and almost making a blatant move on the love of her life? Waverly could tell these next couple of months with the new Sheriff was going to suck, but she wasn't going to let this, gorgeously attractive, tall, confident woman get in the way of her and Nicole. Damn.