A/N: Hi everyone! I've been posting some fic over at AO3 for awhile, but I realized I should probably be cross-posting here as well. To that end, I'm going to start porting some of my one- and two-shots over. Including this one! This in particular is a partial rewrite of episode 3.02, "When You Call My Name." The idea kind of came from the collision of two ideas:
1) I started seeing people speculating on whether there was going to be payoff for that thing where Waverly seemed to never directly tell Nicole she loved her. There are some close enough calls (when Willa has them at gunpoint, when Gretta restores their memory in the hockey trophy AU) that I honestly think it's more headcanon than canon, but I did love the idea of it becoming a small plot point. So I just opted to overwrite an existing episode where I thought it would work. It's plot-light, but like I said, it's mostly just an excuse for me to imagine how it could have played out under different circumstances.
2) The cast had a number of very amusing behind-the-scenes conversations via Twitter about the "murder-cabin" in this episode, so I plucked some of that as well.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it!
Like a Shotgun Blast
Nicole paced the Black Badge room in the police station, still flipping through the file over and over again. The symbol carved into those people. The shape of their bodies. The overwhelming smell of their blood, and the way it made her heart hammer with panic. The way it made her hear screaming in her head. That word: Bulshar. Every time, like a shotgun blast. Bulshar.
It was like something out of a nightmare. Like something out of a hundred, a thousand nightmares. Twenty years' worth of nightmares. That symbol. That name.
She paced.
Wynonna had wandered in a little while ago, explaining in the vaguest terms possible that she had needed to have a "sisterly talk" with Waverly about a very serious but very non-life-threatening family thing. Then she had immediately set up shop in front of a box of donuts and hadn't done anything useful since. Nicole had been curious, but her head was still pulsing with that word. Bulshar. The blood. The screaming.
"Is she okay?" Nicole summoned enough of herself to ask. Wynonna shrugged, looking guilty and ashamed. But she was still sober, so Nicole figured things couldn't be that dire.
"She's not thrilled with me right now. I'd been keeping something from her. Something kinda really major. She said she was going for a drive to clear her head," Wynonna sighed.
Nicole frowned at this, feeling a little slighted in spite of herself. While she always wanted Waverly to do what was best for herself, deep down, she wished her girlfriend had come to her for comfort, or at least called or texted an update. She was so tired of always being out of the loop. Always the outsider. Still. After everything.
"Did she say if she was coming back here after, or going to the homestead?"
"Given that she was still wearing that vampire party dress when she drove off, I'm guessing the homestead." Wynonna was still in her dress as well, but with a long, heavy coat over it, in deference to the freezing temperature outside. Nicole had changed into her uniform as soon as she'd returned to the station, partly as a matter of comfort and partly to avoid looks and comments if any of her coworkers spotted her there.
Nicole looked down at the file in her hands and considered relocating. She could pace and stare at pictures anywhere, and Waverly might want a sympathetic ear or shoulder when she got back home. But her eyes wandered over to their whiteboard, where images and notes about the massacre had been tacked up, and she thought about the storage room full of case files, and it seemed worth staying for at least a little longer.
Two hours later, Nicole was still flipping through files, trying to sort out all the thoughts and feelings that seemed to appear magically in her head with each photograph. More blood. More screams. Trees. Water. A guitar. A river. And something else. A deep, rasping voice. A dark shape, made out of a hundred smaller, darker shapes, flying together like a swarm of bats. The sound of a blade on flesh and bone, ripping and slicing. The sound of a name.
Bulshar.
Boom. Shotgun blast.
"If you don't stop, you're going to wear a hole in the floor, and there's no way Nedley has the budget to have it fixed." Wynonna's voice penetrated the fog of images and made Nicole glance up from her file, blinking and shaking her head like she was waking from a dream. The gunslinger was still playing with her phone, although Nicole suspected it was an excuse to keep her eyes on it in case her sister called to forgive her.
"Has Waverly texted you?" Nicole asked, knowing it was a longshot.
"Nope," Wynonna said immediately. "But that's normal. She probably needs time. Space. Blankets. Booze. All that jazz."
"Maybe I should call her, just to check on her," Nicole suggested. Wynonna shrugged, but visibly perked up at the suggestion.
"Maybe. I mean, it doesn't have anything to do with you, so there's no reason for her to dodge your calls. And maybe she'll talk to you about it. I assume you guys talk about a lot of feelings crap, judging by your…" She gestured vaguely towards Nicole, sweeping her hand up and down. "…everything."
"Okay. I'll call her," Nicole said decisively, ignoring the implicit insult.
"Do me a favor and dial up that unbearable mushiness you two are so good at. She likes that, and she's probably kind of upset right now." Wynonna continued fixedly staring at her phone as she said this, like she could pretend she never said it as long as she didn't look up and acknowledge Nicole directly. With an amused smile, Nicole set the file on the table and pulled out her phone.
"Who'd have thought we'd ever see the day? Wynonna Earp, telling me to be sappier," she taunted. Wynonna rolled her eyes.
"It's not for me, it's for our favorite girl."
"Right, the love of both our lives. I got it." With a fond smile, Nicole placed the call. It rang and rang without answer, and a cold, worried feeling bloomed in her gut. But then it picked up, and Waverly's cheery voice was in her ear.
"Hi, Nicole!" Waverly chirped, sounding bright and bubbly, not at all upset like Wynonna had said. Still, if there was one thing Waverly was good at, it was feigning happiness for the benefit of others. "Sorry, I can't really talk right now. I'm a little tied up at the moment."
Nicole frowned at the phone, processing both the words and the tone. There was something incongruous there, combined with the day they'd had and Wynonna's assumption about her emotional state. It made her wonder if Waverly was more upset than they'd thought. Just in case, Nicole pitched her voice to be extra gentle and sweet.
"Oh, uh, that's okay, baby. I just wanted to see if you were okay. I mean, a lot happened today, and some of it was pretty intense, and Wynonna thought you might be upset. So… I'm here if you need me. For anything." She tried to fill her voice with as much caring and understanding as she possibly could, to let Waverly know that it was okay to drop the act. Wynonna mimed throwing up into a trash can, but also gave her a thumbs-up. When Waverly's voice answered her, it kept that same false cheeriness.
"I'm fine! But I really am busy right now. Call you later?"
Pressing the phone to her ear as though she could force herself through it and appear at Waverly's side, Nicole's frown deepened. It was unusual for Waverly to cut her off like that, especially if she really was upset about something. And it seemed unlikely that she could actually be busy with anything right now, given the circumstances. The deputy went back to pacing the floor, trying not to feel overly offended or concerned.
"Um, sure. Okay. Just… call me if you need to talk, or if you need me to come over, or if you need… anything. At all. Okay?" she said reluctantly, not wanting to push her girlfriend if she really didn't feel like talking. Waverly would come to her when she was ready. Hopefully. "Love you," Nicole said by way of goodbye.
"I love you, too. Bye, Nicole!" The line went dead, but Nicole was frozen in place, paralyzed by Waverly's final words ringing in her ears. Her brain churned, Bulshar all but forgotten, processing all possible options in this shocking new development. New words echoed in the back of her head. New shotgun blasts.
I love you, too.
I love you, too.
"Wynonna… I think Waverly is in trouble," she said finally. It was the only thing that made sense. Wynonna bolted upright, immediately alert.
"What do you mean? What kind of trouble?" she asked, in one sharp breath. Nicole hesitated at that, reluctant to give the real reason.
"I'm not sure. She just… was really weird on the phone. I think something's wrong," she said evasively. Some of the tension left Wynonna's stance as the adrenaline stopped pumping.
"I told you, she's probably just still mad at me. I had to talk to her about some really heavy stuff. She'll be over it soon. Hopefully."
"No, she said something… something not like her. Just now. I think she was trying to send me a message."
"What did she say? It wasn't 'tacos are tasty,' was it? That's our secret codeword." Wynonna's eyebrows knitted in concern, but Nicole shook her head.
"No, uh, it was something else."
"Like what?"
Stifling an internal groan, Nicole gave up.
"Well, I told her I loved her and she said… 'I love you, too.'"
Wynonna immediately rolled her eyes and flopped back in her chair, scoffing. She turned her attention back to her donut.
"Oh yeah, clearly she's in some kind of mortal danger. Why else would your disgustingly besotted girlfriend ever say such a thing?"
"No, Wynonna, that's not… she's, uh… she's never said that to me before. Ever. Ever." Nicole said quietly, trying not to look too embarrassed by that fact. Wynonna scoffed again.
"The hell do you mean, she's never said it? She tells me she loves you like three times a day, against my will I might add. Why wouldn't she—"
"I don't know!" Nicole snapped, embarrassed, then softened her voice. "But she doesn't. Not in those words. She says other things, just as good, but never that. Even when I was in the hospital, she couldn't…" Nicole rubbed the back of her neck, trying to pretend she wasn't humiliated, and Wynonna stared wide-eyed at her donut, trying not to look shocked. Both attempts failed. Nicole pressed on impatiently. "Look, I'm sure she has her reasons. I've accepted that. I'm okay with it. I know she loves me. She doesn't have to say it thirty times a day like I do. But why would she say it now, in a random ten-second phone call?"
"You think she's trying to send you a secret message?"
"Yeah, maybe." Nicole replayed the conversation in her head, her brain still stalling out of the sound of Waverly's voice saying those impossible words. I love you, too. Boom goes the shotgun. "I mean, she must know that saying it out of the blue like that would get my attention. And she sounded a little weird anyway. Way too happy, and not like herself." Nicole snapped her fingers and pointed at Wynonna, remembering something else. "Oh, and when she first picked up, she said she couldn't talk because she was too tied up." She raised her eyebrows in a silent come on, seriously now.
"Classic evil villain dad joke. Damnit, Haught, you might be right." Wynonna slapped the tabletop and rolled to her feet, looking convinced and ready for action. "I don't suppose you have her phone bugged?"
Nicole froze.
"Um…" She rubbed the back of her neck uncomfortably, trying to think of a good answer. A smile crept across Wynonna's face
"Haught… C'mon. It's me. It's Wynonna." The gunslinger held her arms out demonstratively and gave her a knowing look. With a reluctant sigh, Nicole gave in.
"Okay, fine, yes. But only for emergencies like this," she was quick to clarify.
"See, I knew I liked you for a reason. Let's roll."
They both rushed over to Jeremy's computer, where Nicole tracked the location of the bugged phone, Wynonna looking over her shoulder the whole time. A green marker blinked on a map of the Ghost River Triangle.
"The middle of the goddamn woods. Shit, Haught, you were right, someone does have her." Wynonna's eyes filled with a new, furious energy, and Nicole was just a little reassured, knowing that they would both walk through hell itself to get Waverly back safe and sound.
"At least we know she's alive. Weird or not, it was definitely her voice on the phone," Nicole said, trying to fortify both of them with the sentiment.
"Okay, time to go." Wynonna threw a jacket at her, and Nicole ducked into an equipment room for supplies. Within a minute, they were racing into Nicole's patrol car. Siren wailing, they sped out of Purgatory towards the woods at top speed, eventually swerving onto the access road closest to the bug's location. From there, they continued on foot, crunching through the icy snow. Wynonna was still wearing her dress and coat, but Nicole had convinced her to at least borrow a pair of boots for the trip.
"We're definitely getting close," Nicole said, checking the coordinates as they picked their way down a small slope. "Are we trying a stealth approach, or guns blazing?"
"You know me, Officer Haughtpants." Wynonna fired Peacemaker into the sky. "WAVERLY!"
Nicole drew her sidearm and followed her deeper into the woods, listening for any sign of Waverly's voice.
"Wait, Wynonna—" Nicole pointed up and to the left. "Is that smoke?"
"Waves," Wynonna murmured. "Let's go."
They took off at a jog towards what turned out to be a tiny, rustic cabin. As soon as they were within reach, Wynonna kicked the door in.
"Eat shit, revenant!"
Inside, the only person they could see was Waverly, trapped in a disturbingly human-sized cage, looking scared but alive.
"Waves." "Oh thank God." They both tried to step in, but Waverly shook her head and frantically motioned for them to stop.
"What is it? Are you okay?" Nicole asked, concern and fear and relief all warring in her chest.
"Yeah, and where's the bastard who did this?" Wynonna growled, still looking around for any sign of a red-eyed demon. The room was cluttered with hoarded junk, piled all around the room seemingly at random. Waverly made the 'stop' motion again, and pointed at her throat frantically, making emphatic but silent motions with her mouth. "Holy shit, you can't talk."
Waverly nodded, looking relieved that she understood. She mimed pulling something out of her throat. Nicole just blinked at her, confused, but Wynonna seemed to follow.
"That revenant pulled a Little Mermaid on you? What the actual hell?" Wynonna looked like she was ready to start shooting. Nicole's expression melted into realization.
"That explains the phone call. He must have answered using her voice. That's why it didn't sound right. He was just guessing what she would say, or what I would expect to hear. He didn't know…" Nicole said. Waverly winced, looking guilty and ashamed. "No, Waves, it's okay. We'll talk about it later."
"Yeah, deal with the relationship drama after we get you out—" Wynonna started to take a step forward, but Waverly banged on the bars of the cage, miming pushing her back. Wynonna glanced at Nicole, but slowly took a step away, to Waverly's visible relief. "What's wrong? Why can't we come in?"
Waverly tried to point at different spots in the room, making energetic gestures with her hands, but Nicole and Wynonna both shook their heads in confusion.
"There's something here?" Wynonna guessed. Waverly nodded, then suddenly perked up as though she'd had an epiphany, and grabbed her breasts in both hands. Wynonna and Nicole exchanged a confused, worried look, but Waverly continued frantically indicating her chest. Wynonna shrugged and started guessing. "Breasts. Bra. Underwire. C-cups." Her sister shook her head, pointing at her chest more emphatically. Wynonna turned to Nicole. "This has got to be your area of expertise, right?" she asked hopefully, although Nicole looked shell-shocked and red-faced at this new development.
Waverly nodded encouragingly at her, then cupped her breasts again and made her fingers make a 'chomp' motion, like a bear trap.
"Um… Oh! Boobs! Booby traps! The cabin is booby trapped!" Nicole said, still blushing, and Waverly nodded, slumping against the cage in relief. "Okay, so it's not safe for us to cross the room unless we know where the traps are, right?" she asked. Waverly nodded. "Do you know where they are? Can you show us a safe way across?"
Waverly hesitated, looking nervous, but nodded.
"Okay, baby girl," said Wynonna. "We'll follow your lead. Then we'll get you out of that cage. And then Haught and I will take turns shooting this revenant in the dick until he begs us to send him back to hell."
"Yep, I approve of this plan," Nicole agreed immediately.
Waverly began pointing them across the room, motioning for them to jump in some places and duck in others. It was painstakingly slow, but it got them there. As soon as they were in reach, Waverly's hands were reaching out for each of them. Wynonna squeezed one, while Nicole held the other.
"Okay, sis, we've got you." Wynonna reluctantly dropped her hand and instead yanked on the lock, which held fast. She fought with it, rattling it and cursing colorfully. Meanwhile, Nicole took both of Waverly's hands in her own.
"It's okay," Nicole told her gently. "We'll get you out. And we'll get your voice back. And we'll go home and make tons of hot chocolate and you can get under all the blankets we can find."
Waverly smiled sadly at her, wiping at her watering eyes. Nicole pulled off her scarf and gloves and fed them through the bars of the cage.
"Here. To keep warm." She kissed the back of Waverly's hand once before turning to Wynonna. "Hey, what's the holdup?"
"The holdup is that I don't have the key and this cage is made of freaking titanium or something."
"In all your years of criminal and criminal-adjacent activity, you're telling me you never learned how to pick a lock?"
"Sorry, officer, but I left my lockpicks in my other cocktail dress. And I assume Booby Traps McGee will be back soon," Wynonna snapped irritably.
"Hold up for a minute, then. If we can't break the lock, then let me see if I can get the hinges off." Nicole pulled a large folding knife out of her pocket, flipping it open in one sharp, practiced motion. The blade was iridescent, and Wynonna gave her a smirk.
"You carry a rainbow knife with you everywhere?" she teased. Nicole, trying to work the tip of the blade into the crack in the hinges, rolled her eyes.
"It was a gift. And this is Purgatory, what do you expect? I have a hatchet, a half-dozen flares, ten silver bullets, and a flask of holy water in my backpack. And now I apparently need to add some wooden stakes. And lockpicks." She wiggled the knife, and there was a small but promising creak of metal. "I think I can get these off, but it'll take a minute. Worst comes to worst, we break out the hatchet."
"This house looks like it probably has a full-sized axe somewhere in it."
"One that we can get to without being killed?"
"Fine, Plan A it is, spoilsport."
Waverly seemed reassured by their banter, and shifted closer to Wynonna, leaning against that part of the cage. Wynonna took the hint, leaning against the same spot so their shoulders touched.
"Hang in there, baby girl. We both know that Haught will tear this cage apart with her own hands and teeth if it comes to it."
Waverly gave a teary but fond smile in Nicole's direction, but then turned her attention back to Wynonna, pulling some kind of ID tag out of her pocket. Nicole glanced at it curiously, especially when the sight of it caused Wynonna to visibly blanch, but there wasn't time to question it. She had to get this cage open first. Everything else could wait. Wynonna blew out a long breath and hung her head, looking guilty and sad. She avoided Waverly's eyes, still watching the door.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I should have told you. It's just… we were just kids. And you were so small. And she told me I couldn't tell you. And Dad and Willa told me I couldn't tell you. You remember what they were like. And I didn't totally understand what happened, but I knew it would break your heart." She cleared her throat, blinking furiously. "But anyway, you're right, when I came back, when we started doing all this heir stuff together, I should have come clean. You deserved to know."
The trio clustered together, the cabin silent except for the metallic clicking of Nicole taking apart the cage's hinges, finishing with one and starting on the next. All three of them jumped when they heard the sound of Waverly's voice screaming outside, calling for help. Help! Somebody help me! Please! Wynonna drew Peacemaker in preparation for the fight, and Nicole clenched her jaw, looking like she was about to set the cage on fire with only the power of her thoughts.
"That dirtbag better hope he gets to hell before I get a turn with him." The redhead glared at the final hinge, prying at it with the flat of the blade with renewed force. From behind the bars of the cage, Waverly gave her a small smile, and Nicole breathed out heavily, tempering her anger. "I've almost got it, baby. Just hold on." She glanced over at Wynonna, who was cocking Peacemaker's hammer and turning towards the sound of Waverly's voice. "You got this, Earp?"
"You know it." Wynonna aimed at the cabin door, waiting for the right moment. When it opened, a huge revenant stood in the doorway, wearing a coat of matted furs, covered in dirt and mud. For a second he looked surprised to see them there, then he seemed pleased, on the verge of laughing at his good fortune. Until he saw the glowing tip of the gun pointed at his head.
"Hey, moron, when you get back to hell, make sure everyone knows— don't mess with my sister." The gun glowed, the bullet pierced his forehead, and he was sucked down into the burning flames. Wynonna nodded to herself, satisfied. Behind her, a deafening clatter alerted her that Haught had succeeded in taking off the cage door. "Sorry we didn't get to take turns shooting him in the dick. I thought faster was better."
"No arguments here," Nicole's breathless voice sounded from behind her. Wynonna turned and saw that her sister was already in the deputy's arms and wearing her coat. Waverly was shivering, her face buried in the crook of Nicole's neck, and Nicole looked like she could have died from relief.
"You alright, baby girl?" Wynonna asked, reaching out and briefly stroking her tangled brown hair. "Is your voice back?"
"Yeah," Waverly said into Nicole's shoulder. "I think my leg is hurt, but I'm okay."
"Good, then let's get out of here. Can you walk?"
"Yeah, I think so." Waverly said. "I don't think it's broken." She gingerly put weight on it and winced, but didn't fall.
"If you think you can't, or if it hurts too much, just say the word," Nicole said, pressing their heads together.
"Thanks for coming to get me," Waverly said quietly. "I feel like I can probably guess what tipped you off that it wasn't me."
"As much as I never thought I'd say this, Wynonna's right. We can talk about it later." She pulled back enough to kiss Waverly's forehead. "Let's get out of this creepy murder-cabin."
"I don't know, it's so cozy. You guys don't want to start a time-share here?" Wynonna snarked as they picked their way around the traps.
"Probably a good way to avoid junk mail," Nicole said offhandedly, helping Waverly over a bear trap. "Might be hard to vacuum with all the tripwires, though."
"We'll get a Roomba," Wynonna tossed back.
"We'll need a chores wheel for the murder-cabin," Waverly contributed, still leaning on Nicole's arm. "Although whoever picks cooking should probably know that all the food stored here is made from people."
"I wasn't going to cook anyway," Nicole said. "I can barely make pancakes on a good day."
"You're not that bad—" Waverly started to protest, but Wynonna interrupted.
"God, I could murder a stack of pancakes right now. You guys want to stop for pancakes on the way back?" With Waverly safe and the revenant taken care of, the heir was back in high spirits.
"I'd rather get Waverly's leg looked at, but after that, I'm game," Nicole said, still watching with concern as Waverly limped at her side.
"I think it just got twisted when he was dragging me," Waverly tried to reassure them. Nicole squeezed her shoulders in a sideways hug.
"Still, could be a sprain or a hairline fracture. Better safe than sorry." They had reached the door, and Waverly shivered harder as the winter air blew in. She huddled into her girlfriend's side for warmth, and Nicole gathered her closer.
"Can we at least stop for different clothes first? If we're going to drive out to the Emergency Room, this is not the most comfortable dress in the world. Or shoes, for that matter," Waverly said through chattering teeth. Nicole looked down at her feet and saw that she was still wearing the same heels she had been wearing to the vampire party.
"Yeah, those aren't what I would have chosen for a trek through the woods in knee-high snow." Nicole looked back into her eyes and gave her a slightly pleading look. "I think we need to find a better way."
"Unless you pair of flats hidden somewhere, I don't really see another option."
"I'd bet money that Officer Dimples here has an extra pair of shoes in her car. They wouldn't fit great, but they'd be better than those. One of us could go back and get them. It would just take awhile," Wynonna said. Waverly seemed to consider the offer, casting another dubious look at her almost-bare feet
"Or I could just do this." Nicole, in one fluid motion, bent down and scooped her girlfriend up into her arms, bridal-style. Waverly let out a surprised giggle. Wynonna looked over and rolled her eyes.
"Gross, but effective. Come on, losers, let's blow this joint." She stomped off uphill, and Nicole followed, careful to avoid any overly jarring motions. For her part, Waverly wrapped her arms around Nicole's neck and cuddled close.
"You really think you can carry me the whole way?" she teased, making Nicole grin, dimples showing.
"Yeah, just try to lean on my shoulders a little." She shifted her into a more comfortable hold, apparently unfazed by the weight. "Nothing beats climbing for upper body strength. Besides, you're light." Nicole held her a little closer as she stepped over a rock, following Wynonna through the woods. "Is this okay? I'm not hurting your leg, am I?"
"It's fine. Just sore." Waverly tucked her head against Nicole's neck and sighed contentedly. "You're always so warm."
Nicole beamed down at her.
"It's one of my best qualities." She pulled Waverly in a little closer as they ducked between a few trees. "We brought my patrol car, so once we get there, I have some blankets and a change of clothes in the back. And shoes. But Wynonna was right, they'll be way too big for you."
"I'm just glad you're here," Waverly murmured, closing her eyes sleepily as the day's fear and tension drained out of her. "How did you know where I was?"
Nicole blushed and gave a nervous smile.
"About that… I may have at some point… just for safety reasons, of course… hidden a tracker in your phone. Just for emergencies."
Waverly peeked her eyes open to give her an accusing glare.
"And you didn't think it was worth telling me that?"
"I didn't want you to think that I thought you couldn't take care of yourself. I know you can, but… I mean… there are a lot of abductions and stuff around here. I thought it might pay off someday. And it did."
"Always prepared," Waverly sighed. "You're lucky you'd look cute in a boy scout uniform." She pressed a chaste kiss to a ticklish spot under Nicole's ear, making her squirm and tighten her grip. "And I can hardly be mad now, when it got you here faster. So I guess I can forgive you. But tell me next time."
"Oh, I'm leaving the tracker there. And also putting one on your car. Just so you know."
"And is there a tracker in your phone, Deputy Haught?"
"Mine?" Nicole asked, confused. Waverly rolled her eyes and groaned, lightly smacking Nicole's shoulder.
"Yeah, yours, doofus. In case you're the one abducted who we need to track down?"
"Huh. I hadn't thought about that," she admitted, frowning. "Hard to imagine anyone considering me important enough to abduct."
"Well, I consider you important. So when you put a tracker on my car, assuming it's salvageable, we're putting one on your phone, too. If anything happens to you, I want to be able to find you, too."
"Okay. That sounds good."
"Good." Waverly settled again, comfortable in spite of the cold. Nicole's body seemed to radiate a little aura of heat that surrounded her and kept her warm, and she felt perfectly safe in her arms, especially with Wynonna and Peacemaker leading the way in front of them. Nicole's coat was heavy and smelled like her, and even with the coarse fabric, it was better than any blanket. She let her eyes slip shut.
"Almost there," Nicole murmured reassuringly.
"I'm okay," Waverly breathed, on the verge of sleep. "Aren't you cold without your coat?"
"I've told you before, I don't get cold easily. Besides, I'm wearing a bulletproof vest under this shirt, and it's heavier than you are."
"Aw, baby, you wore your bulletproof vest?" She tapped on Nicole's chest to feel the extra padding.
"Standard operating procedure. We didn't know what we were walking into." Nicole shifted a little, trying to adjust the heft of the vest. "But god, I'll be glad to take it off."
"We've got to be getting close, right?"
"It's just up here!" Wynonna called from a long way ahead of them. "Hurry up, slowpokes!"
"Hey, I'm carrying precious cargo here," Nicole shouted back. "Uphill through the snow, by the way, so you could cut me some slack."
"That was your choice, Haught-shot."
"Wynonna!" Waverly called. The darker girl stopped instantly, swiveling around to check on her sister. "Play nice. I'm still mad at you."
"Noted." Wynonna nodded tersely and paused for a moment to let Nicole close the distance between them. Once they were back to a more reasonable gap, she continued on.
"I know I wasn't talking to you, technically," Nicole said in a low voice as they followed. "But the offer still stands. If you need to talk to someone about what Wynonna told you, I'll always listen."
"Did she tell you anything?" Waverly asked, not meeting her eyes. Nicole shook her head.
"No, just that it was something big and that you were going to be mad at her for awhile."
Waverly sighed, looking a little relieved and a little resigned.
"I don't think I'm ready to talk about it yet. Not today, anyway."
"But… you will someday, right?" Nicole tried to not sound so desperate, so needy, but it was a hopeless cause. "I mean, if it's something that's upsetting you…" She trailed off awkwardly, like she couldn't find the right words. Waverly shot her a curious look, but Nicole evaded her gaze, focusing on the trail ahead.
"Of course." She reached up and trailed a few fingers down Nicole's cheek. True to form, the redhead instinctively turned into the touch, her eyes sliding half-closed. "Nicole, were you worried I wouldn't tell you?"
Nicole shrugged, using the motion to shift her grip a little.
"I mean, I hoped you would."
"When I said no more secrets, I meant it. This is just… kind of a doozy. I need to talk to Wynonna some more about it first. It's… not something I ever expected."
"Family thing?" Nicole guessed.
"Yeah."
"No more evil sisters coming back from the grave, right?"
"Nope."
"Is it… about your father?" Nicole asked gently, looking concerned. Waverly felt herself grow warmer just from the softness in her eyes.
"No. No, I don't think Wynonna knows anything about that." Waverly squeezed her shoulder, the most reachable part of her. "It's about our mom. I promise, I'll tell you more when I know more. For now, it's just…" she trailed off, blinking the anger and sadness out of her eyes. "I don't know what it is."
"Okay," Nicole said softly, her voice almost a whisper. "I, uh… think there might be something I need to tell you, too. But… also not today. I want to talk to Dolls about it first."
"Dolls?" Waverly echoed, frowning. Her expression telegraphed that she didn't much enjoy this taste of her own medicine.
"I think it's related to what happened at the bar. That… massacre."
"The thing with… what was that name… Bulshar?" When she said the name, Nicole visibly flinched, nearly tripping over a tree root. Waverly grasped her shoulder, even as she immediately regained her balance. "Woah, baby, are you okay?"
Nicole flushed with embarrassment, or even shame.
"Yeah, I think so. I just… Like I said, I need to look into some stuff first. It might be nothing."
They finally made it to the car, where Nicole did indeed store several spare articles of clothing in her trunk. By the time they pulled away, Nicole and Waverly in the front seat, Wynonna relegated to the back of the patrol car (on the basis that it would hardly be her first time there), Waverly was bundled in one of Nicole's college sweatshirts and two spare pairs of socks, still in Nicole's coat and with a blanket on top for good measure.
"Thanks for coming to get me," Waverly said shyly as they drove back towards Purgatory. Nicole turned her head and took her eyes off the road just long enough to give her a soft, adoring look.
"I will always come for you, Waverly Earp. No matter what," she vowed. She reached over and squeezed her hand once before returning her grip to the steering wheel.
"I…" Waverly started, but her voice died in her throat. Again. Still.
But, as always, her eyes told the full story when her voice couldn't. She looked at Nicole like there was nothing in the world she would rather be looking at. Like if there was anything good and pure and happy and beautiful in the world, it was named Nicole Haught. Like she alone gave the world light and color and music. Like there was no one she would rather be with, anywhere, ever. Like she owned her entire heart. Like she was home.
"I know," Nicole promised, as they drove towards home. "I love you, too."
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"Hey, if you two are going to start scissoring or whatever right here in the car, could you at least have the decency to let me out first?" Wynonna asked from the back seat.
"No," said Nicole, at the same time that Waverly squealed "Wynonna!"
"Look, it's just a question. I've been forced to hear enough of your sex life without having to see—"
"—Wynonna!"