Waverly's eyes snapped open. She looked around the familiar well-lit homestead bedroom. Taking a deep determined breath she threw the extra blankets off of her and headed for the shower. Again, Waverly didn't truly wash but stood in the hot water counting down the minutes until she could get out.
Stepping out into the steamy bathroom Waverly began replaying the plan in her head, trying to remain focused on the important tasks ahead; not on the previous evening she had spent with Nicole.
After the two had eventually fallen asleep closely entwined it was an annoyingly short amount of time later that they were awoken by a vigorous knock on the front door. Jeremy had arrived to check on his potion.
From there it was only an hour or so until Wynonna rolled in with Doc and Dolls. Then all too soon Waverly had found herself sitting on Nicole's squishy armchair while her fiancée was settling herself on the floor.
At first Waverly and Nicole had showed reluctance to trying to travel back in time so soon. While Nicole felt rejuvenated from her evening with Waverly she was still terribly shaken up from having her throat torn open. Jeremy however, cut their protests short.
"The longer we move away from the actual event." He had pointed out. "The less time we have back there." Something Waverly hadn't truly considered.
"If we don't fix Nicole's fate in the past today." The scientist had said, writing out several equations on his board. "My crystals won't be strong enough to get us back far enough."
Now Waverly was standing in the shower, feeling almost too much pressure about the task she needed to accomplish in the next hour. She just kept trying to tell herself that this would work, she'd save Nicole and all of this would be behind them. Trying to push the oppression feelings of doubt that kept permeating her.
Finally her showering time was over; Waverly readied herself and got into the jeep. She made it to Purgatory while driving with precision and parked in Shorty's parking lot. Then, with a deep breath she made her way to the station.
She had decided before taking the potion that the best way to ensure the Wynonna missed her shot and the rat didn't kill Nicole was to immediately tackle the rat once she'd redirected Wynonna's shot. That would rob the Revenant of any chance to retaliate.
As she neared the alley she once again heard Wynonna and Nicole yelling. And there was Rosita, sneaking her way towards them. In a fluid punch Waverly cause Rosita to collapse unconscious on the ground. Then she moved towards Wynonna.
"Shoot her!" Nicole yelled. "Shoot her Wynonna."
Wynonna raised Peacemaker. Waverly surged forward and forced her sister's arm upwards. The shot rang out. Then, without hesitating Waverly lunged shoving the rat woman off of Nicole.
"Waverly No!" Wynonna yelled. The rat woman began to scurry away. Retreating. "Waverly move!" Wynonna was raising her revolver again, aiming at the rat. If the Revenant was pulled into hell then the time line would be disrupted and who knew what would happen.
"No Wynonna!" She cried in horror flinging her arms up to try and stop her sister. "Stop!"
The world started moving in slow motion. Wynonna moved the gun towards the rat. Nicole seeing her partner's attempts to stop the violence and save the rat; pushed Waverly off and put herself between Wynonna and the retreating Revenant. Just as Nicole placed herself Wynonna fired.
Before Waverly could even yell she found herself back in Nicole's living room staring at Jeremy's hopeful face. Another failed attempt.
XXXXX
An hour later Waverly was holding another steaming cup of potion.
After relaying the events of the last time travel to the group they deduced that not only did Waverly need to redirect Wynonna's shot but she also needed to get Peacemaker away from the heir. Then she would need to immediately tackle the Rat Revenant. Disarming Wynonna would hopefully give the rat enough time to escape.
Together the Earp sisters practiced a simple self-defense technique that resulted in Waverly forcing Wynonna to release Peacemaker. A few times they practiced Waverly even managed to throw the gun several feet away. Exactly what they needed.
While Nicole was definitely looking grey after being shot in the head once already that day; delaying the next attempt was not an option. Time was ticking away and Jeremy kept reminding them all that their window to travel back was closing. So, techniques practiced, and plans laid. Wynonna and Nicole were both back down on the floor and Waverly was settled in the chair.
"To Life" Wynonna said as they drank their potion.
"Lechaim" Jeremy chimed in.
Then Waverly was back in her bedroom. Bonus blanket weighing down on her reminding her of the massive responsibility pressed on her shoulders. She knew everyone was trying to be patient with her but tensions especially from Wynonna were starting to mount.
Waverly's shower and drive seemed to take no time at all despite the younger Earp ensuring she did not deviate from the original timeline. All too soon she was approaching the alley.
Once again she grabbed and knocked Rosita out cold.
Nicole yelled for Wynonna to shoot. The heir was raising her gun.
"Make your Peace." Waverly grabbed Peacemaker how they had practiced. She clamped onto the revolver with one hand and onto Wynonna's wrist with the other. Then using both of her strong arms she forced Wynonna's arm to shoot upwards. Her sister's grip on the gun failed. Waverly tossed Peacemaker behind them ignoring Wynonna's confused protests and charged the rat woman. The force of her collision successfully knocked the rat woman off Nicole. Now it was Waverly her was laying on top of her partner. Nicole blinking upwards at her completely bewildered. Waverly saw the Revenant complete her transformation into full rat and scurry into a nearby storm drain, disappearing from site. Waverly exhaled. The rat had missed its chance to rip Nicole's throat. She was safe.
"No!" All heads turned to far entrance of the alleyway. Rosita was standing at the entrance fully conscious.
Wynonna was standing between the couple and the Revenant, clearly still trying to understand what had just happened. Peacemaker was sitting where Waverly had thrown it, near the back of the alley, closest to Rosita.
The Revenant saw the gun and the world seemed to move in slow motion, at least to Waverly.
As Rosita's hand closed on the supernatural gun it started to burn. Rosita braced herself for the pain and did not drop it.
Enraged by a Revenant getting their hands on Peacemaker Wynonna lunged forward, she too clasped her hand on the gun and the two women began to struggle.
"Wynonna!" Before Waverly could protest Nicole was on her feet and running towards the struggle. She had just managed to get hands on the gun when it fired.
Waverly slowly stood herself up. Somehow already knowing what had transpired. Rosita released her grip on the gun and ran off. Wynonna shooting rounds off in her direction. But it was Nicole Waverly had eyes for. The redhead was slowly stepping backwards, hands on her abdomen.
"NO." Waverly screamed in frustration more than actual grief when she saw the blood.
"Shit." Wynonna said, finally noticing the the bullet wound in Nicole's abdomen. "Haught!" She turned to Waverly. "Waves call 911".
"Here." Waverly pressed herself into Nicole's back and eased them both to the ground so Nicole was leaning against her. "You're gonna be okay." Waverly said looking at Nicole's panicked eyes.
"Waverly, I'll call an ambulance." Wynonna's phone was out but Waverly didn't care. She already knew what was about to happen.
"It's gonna be okay in a minute." Waverly said calmly holding Nicole, watching as the light started to fade from her eyes. "You're going to be okay."
"Hello?" Wynonna had gotten through to the hospital. "There's been an acci"
Waverly sat bolt right up in the armchair in Nicole's living room. Nicole and Wynonna mirroring her motions.
"What the hell?" Wynonna yelled to Waverly. "I thought you knocked her out."
"I did knock her out." Waverly retorted, frustrated at her sister trying to get the image of Nicole's blank eyes out of her head.
"Earps!" Dolls cried over Wynonna's angry retort. "What happened?"
"Rosita woke up." Nicole said, still sat up on the floor. "She got her hands on Peacemaker and I got shot when Wynonna tried to get it back." The woman was pale and had a sheen of sweat on her forehead. Dying twice in one day was taking the good out of her.
"I did hit her hard enough." Waverly said, glaring at Wynonna. "No one should have woken up. She didn't wake up before."
"Well she's a Revenant." Wynonna was glaring back. "So hit her harder."
"Guys." Nicole said getting to her feet. "It doesn't matter. It didn't work." She looked around the room. "How are we going to fix it? We've only got 2 more crystals."
The Earp sisters fell silent. Waverly feeling guilt pressing into her chest. She'd failed again, and judging from the white shade of Nicole's skin; getting shot in the stomach had done a number on her. The younger Earp made her way over to her partner and wrapped an arm around her waste. Nicole smiled gratefully and leaned slightly against her. Waverly could feel the taller woman's body shaking.
"Waverly." Jeremy said after a moment. "Do you guys have any chloroform at the Homestead?"
"What?" Waverly said, slightly distracted by the sway in Nicole's stance.
"Chloroform." Jeremy said. "Like the chemical."
"To make her pass out?" Waverly realised. She side glanced at Wynonna. "I think we have some industrial floor polish."
Wynonna nodded abandoning her anger. "It's under the sink."
"If you douse a rag in it." Jeremy began.
"And hold it to her mouth." Wynonna cut him off. "It'll make her pass out."
Doll's raised an eyebrow at her. "What? I watch spy movies." The heir smiled. "Let's do it."
XXXXXXX
Again Waverly found her eyes snapping open in her bedroom. She would not shower again she immediately decided and instead threw the blankets off and went straight down to the kitchen. Sure enough, under the sink was a bottle of floor polish. Who knows why they had it. The floors hadn't been cleaned in years but they were lucky they did.
Not long later Waverly was in the jeep and parking in Shorty's; taking a moment to pour some polish into a cloth.
Feeling almost as if she was going insane for seeing the same scene played over and over again Waverly slowly snuck up behind Rosita.
In a sudden movement she flung the rag over the other woman's mouth. For a moment the Revenant silently struggled against her, then went limp.
"Shoot her. Shoot her! " Nicole yelled.
"Make your Peace." Wynonna said raising Peacemaker.
Dropping Rosita on the ground Waverly ran towards her sister, needing to get this right. She couldn't afford to make any mistake.
Then for no comprehensible reason Waverly felt herself falling forward. The ground was rushing up at her. She fell arms out stretched at Wynonna's feet just in time to hear Peacemaker fire.
"Shit Waverly!" Wynonna glanced down at her feet to see her sister. "What are you doing? Are you okay?"
But Waverly didn't care about her sister; she was instead looking at Nicole. The rat woman was gone, scurrying down a sewer by now. But Nicole, Nicole was bleeding from her chest. Waverly had failed again.
"Haught!" Wynonna yelled, seeing Nicole's blood and running to kneel beside her.
Waverly looked backwards in the direction she'd come from. There were no bits of raised concrete, no debris, no reason she should have tripped. Absolutely none. Unless…
"Waverly, call an ambulance." Wynonna was yelled hands applying pressure to Nicole.
Suddenly Nedley was there yelling and the two were carrying Nicole's limp body.
The world around her was falling silent as Waverly watched the scene; feeling completely and entirely disconnected.
Then she wasn't in the alley anymore, she was in Nicole's living room. And she knew it was hopeless.