Better

Summary: Waverly is done waiting to find out who Bobo is to her. Future fic.

The look he was giving her was equal parts amused and put out, like he couldn't quite decide which side he fell on. She watched his gaze slide past her, pinpointing the others in the bar before leaning back in his chair and letting his gaze lock with hers. He didn't say anything for a long moment, and as they sat there in painstaking silence Waverly was beginning to question bringing it up at all. They were all in a relatively good place and the last thing she wanted to be responsible for was spooking Bobo away from their group before the final showdown with Bulshar. Not that he was going anywhere. Surely one question asked after several shots between then wouldn't send him running for the hills. Even if it were That Question.

Bobo pushed a long breath out through his nose, tongue flicking across thin lips before he reached for his glass. "I won't tell you that I've never lied to you," he drawled slowly, carefully, as if he were tasting each word as it left his mouth, "but I never once said that. Not to you, not to anybody." He took a drink, and frowned when he finished it off, reaching for the bottle between them.

Waverly bristled. "You did your damndest to imply it," she snapped. Okay, so the whisky was starting to get her better judgement. Right.

The Revenant hummed a little, closing his eyes like he was sifting through memories. After a long moment they popped open and he flashed her a wolffish smile. "Nope. Can't think of a time."

"Bulkshit." She blinked hard. "Bullshit," she corrected a beat later and reached for the bottle.

Bobo beat her to it, pulling it away. "Probably a sign you've had enough," he murmured, a small wink in her direction likely meant to lighten the mood, but instead all it did was infuriate her more. This was exactly the kind of bullshit she was talking about.

"It's not funny," she argued, tugging the bottle away and if he let her have it or if she actually pulled it away, she couldn't be sure, but she liked to think it was the latter. "I've got all night."

He quirked one off-coloured eyebrow. "There's a redhead that might disagree with that statement."

"I mean I'm not going anywhere until I get some answers. I've been patient. Really patient."

Bobo sighed and she saw an expression settle over him that said he was tired of the game. "Exactly what is it you think I know?"

"Why you wanted me to think you are my father."

"I never wanted you to think that," he said quietly, a hint of sadness in his voice that Waverly wouldn't have brushed passed on another day.

"Then why?"

"Why what, Angel?"

Waverly wasn't sure what expression flashed across her face, but it was enough that it made him flinch back from her. "That," she pressed. "You. The way you treated me as a kid. The fact that I was the only one you told the other Revenants was off limits. The fact that you…" She pulled in a breath, shaky and deep, and memories of her younger days flittered across her mind's eye. He'd been so gentle with her, so kind. She's never been afraid of him. When Willa was mean, Bobo was the one she'd gone to. When her father has treated her like he could barely stand to look at her, Bobo was the one that had gathered her up in his arms, wrapping that giant fur coat around them both, and let her cry into his chest until his shirt was soaked through. He'd been her playmate, her confidante, and the one that had first encouraged her love of history with a few well chosen antiques that he'd just happened to have from the days of Wyatt Earp. He'd let her paint his nails and listened to stories that a four year old found most interesting. He'd saved her life.

"Waverly?"

She looked up, his voice low and stressed, and it was only then that she realized her vision was blurring. She blinked hard, the tears escaping, and she wiped at them irritably as they fell. "You're such an asshole," she growled. "I don't know what you think you're getting from this… keeping it from me. Is it some sort of a joke to you? Toy with the kid, make her dance, and when she's old enough to get it see what new ways you can manipulate her?"

Bobo's eyes narrowed a little. "No."

"Then what? Why…. when the man that was raising me couldn't even be a father to me, why did you…." She swallowed hard against the rising emotions and the words were drowned away with it.

It took a long moment for her to look up at him and she found that intense blue gaze locked on her. Something was playing across his memories behind those icy eyes of his, but she didn't know what. Like everything else, he kept it locked away. "You know what… fine."

"It's complicated," he breathed. "Dangerous, maybe."

"How can it be? Everybody but me probably knows. You told Doc we were kin, traded me off to Bulshar like you had some right to-"

"I got you away from him."

"That's not my point," she snapped, slamming both open palms against the old, wooden table so hard as she stood that the sound probably drew the attention of other patrons in the bar, but she didn't care. "Don't you get it? Everybody knows more about me than me!"

A small sound escaped him and she found herself quickly losing hope that he was going to give. Finally she shook her head and started to turn, but his hand reached out to snag hold of her wrist. The touch was light, and she could have broken it with only a little effort on her part, but she saw the conflict in his eyes. He stood, speaking so lowly that she had to take another step closer to hear him. "You are kin. You're not my daughter, but you're kin. I'm…. responsible for you."

Waverly rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that… some promise you made to Wynonna in the vision quest-"

"No." He stopped, his head bobbing a little from side to side. "Yes, but no. I didn't know your new name 'till Michelle said it."

The floor might as well have dropped out from under her. "What?"

"I had you brought to Purgatory, but I couldn't…. I needed you safe. I wanted you safe." He met her eyes and she could see the strain there, the determination it was taking to force the honest words out. "So I asked the only two people who lived on protected land to take you."

"Ward and Michelle Earp."

"Yeah."

"But why?"

"I was all you had left," he said softly. "Not what you deserved…. Some demon as your only kin, but life ain't exactly fair. I did the best I could. Tried to, anyway."

Waverly let the words rattle around for a moment and she realized that his grip had closed a little tighter. She reached over, her hand on top of his, and she tried for a smile even though it was a weak attempt. "Hey." She waited until blue eyes flickered up to meet hers. "Thank you. For being honest. I know… it's probably not easy for you."

His lips twitched downward. "You deserved better 'n Ward."

The words were heavy with guilt that she wasn't used to hearing from him and Waverly moved forward without warning, wrapping her arms around his middle in a fierce hug that would have rivaled the ones she'd given him as a child. He froze, every muscle tensing under it, but she didn't let go. "I got better," she promised. "You made sure I did."