"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Waverly said, the warm water from the shower cascading over her. Though this was technically her 4thshower of the day, she still felt like it was necessary. She felt like she needed to cleanse the poor experiences from time traveling.
"No." Nicole replied facing her. Too, Relishing in the feeling of the water as it washed away sweat and grime left behind from her near death experiences. "I'm not sure Waves."
Waverly pouted. Nicole was still a revenant. Still technically dead and a demon, still standing in the way of Wynonna breaking the curse and brining Alice home. Yet here they were planning on spending the night, not working but rather at the least productive place possible. Shorty's.
"But." Nicole rested her hands firmly on her partner's shoulders. "I think we need to do this." Waverly crinkled her nose in disagreement. "Today was a big set back." Nicole released the younger woman and went back to rinsing her hair, white suds cascading down her face as she spoke. "And I'm not about to go back to being Jeremy's lab rat without at least one evening of fun and escape."
Waverly picked up the soap and begin begrudgingly scrubbing Nicole's front. The bullet wound's scar on her chest staring back at her like an evil eye. "Come on Waves." Nicole said good-naturedly, gently rubbing the scar. "What's one night going to do? Kill me?"
To Nicole's relief Waverly's wall came down at the comment.
"Really Nicole?" She raised her eyebrows, and looked up at her partner. "Death jokes? I thought those were solely reserved for Wynonna."
Nicole shrugged and turned Waverly away so she could shrub the brunette's back.
"What can I say? Near death experiences change you or so they, and I've had about 6 of those in the last week." Putting on a tone mock seriousness, she continued. "I'm surprised I haven't gone out and dyed my hair or gotten a some huge tattoo by now."
"Ha, ha." Waverly said sarcastically, secretly enjoying Nicole's playfulness.
"So Ms Earp." Nicole said turning Waverly so their bodies were pressed tightly together. "Do you think you will be able to relax and have some fun tonight?"
"Hmmm." Waverly roguishly glided her hips against Nicole's, letting all resistance leave her body. "Well, Ms. Haught. I just might need some help in the relaxing department."
Nicole answered her request by lowering herself down and pressing their lips together.
"I'll see what I can do about that." The taller woman replied as they kissed, her hands firmly holding Waverly's back, closing any space between the two.
XXXXX
When Nicole had suggested they all convene at Shorty's she had truly somehow forgotten what exactly an experience at Shorty's as a whole was. Perhaps it was the fact that she'd barely left the house in a week and needed to see other humans or maybe she had convinced herself that the Purgatory pub couldn't truly be that bad, despite all of her memories of drunken townies and blasting country music. Whatever it was Nicole Haught had voluntarily agreed to this. That was what she had to keep telling herself as the twanging music blasted in her eardrums, as strangers kept knocking into her, and Wynonna kept getting more and more drinks.
Waverly on the other hand despite her earlier resignations seemed to be having an absolutely fantastic evening. Nicole reminded herself that Waverly too had been cooped up inside for the last week, but contrary to the officer had grown up in and worked at Shorty's for years. This was her natural habitat. These were her people.
Nicole caught her partner's eyes from across the room and did her best to mirror Waverly's wide smile before taking another swig of beer. Despite this being her ubteinth drink Nicole barely even felt buzzed. Another con to being a Revenant she assumed taking another large drink grudgingly. Not that she needed to be drunk to have fun, A that would be a problematic way to move through the world and B Waverly who was the designated driver was having a great time chatting and dancing with the locals. Nicole knew she needed to loosen up. She needed to have fun.
The officer could feel Waverly's eyes still on her as she sat alone at a table off to the side of the bar. Clearly still holding stress in her body.
The brunette's gaze was starting to turn a bit reproachful. Again, this had been Nicole's idea. With a determined sigh Nicole stood up and began to weave through the crowd towards her girlfriend; an aggressively dancing Wynonna splashing her with whisky as she passed.
Nicole had just about made it to Waverly, readying herself to muster any and all dancing skills she had when she was blocked by the back of a broad, tattooed brown haired boy. Champ Hardy.
"Surprised to see you here" She heard him slur to her partner. Waverly's face had instantly changed from one of joy to disgust. "Thought you'd be all in mourning. Ya know since your dyke girlfriend bit the dust."
Before Waverly could even open her mouth to respond. Nicole, suddenly feeling completely brazen said aloud from behind. "Did I now?" Given that Waverly did not immediately shut down Nicole's comment, the officer took it as permission from her to actually have a bit of fun. She was after all on leave from the Purgatory PD.
Champ slowly turned to face the sound of the voice. And Nicole was happily reminded of how she was taller than the man-child. "Doesn't look that way to me does it?" She confidently advanced towards Champ who expectantly staggered backwards.
"I heard you were dead." He stuttered. " Everyone's been saying it."
"Well Champ." Waverly said smugly over the music. "Your hearing is about as bad as your memory retention."
"Shut up." Champ fired back.
"You're not going to talk to her like that." Nicole said, hooking her thumbs in the loops of her jeans, comfortably settling into herself.
"Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it?" Champ fired back, brandishing his fists at her.
So glad he asked, Nicole reached out her long arm and seized the boy's collar. Feeling Revenant strength ripple through her body, the tall woman effectively lifted him off the ground, leaving his feet to dangle beneath him.
"What the?" Champ struggled useless against Nicole. "Put me down."
"Well I don't know Champ." She toyed. "What am I going to do about you?" Nicole could feel the burning embers of her Revenant self-purring at the use of her strength. Encouraging her forward.
Suddenly Nicole felt a hand on her shoulder. She could already tell by the firmness in which the hand clasped her that it was Dolls. Sure enough she glanced back and was met with Doll's reproachful eyes.
"Fine" Nicole said, dropping Champ so suddenly he didn't have time to brace himself, causing him to crash painfully onto the bar's sticky floor. "Watch yourself Champ" Nicole growled down at him "or your homophobic ass won't last long in this town and unlike me, you wont come back from the dead." Nicole felt the slightest bit of ember burn in her eyes as Champ scampered away. Waverly was absolutely beaming; Nicole could sense a flush in the younger woman's chest.
"Having fun are we?" Dolls asked, eyebrows raised.
"The best." Nicole smiled back, actually meaning it for the first time in the night. Her revenant strength was still burning brightly in her strong chest.
"All right then." He replied. A sudden crashing an whooping from the other side of bar caught both of the their attention. "Duty calls." Dolls sighed and he began to make his way over to whatever trouble Wynonna was causing.
Nicole felt slight arms sneak over her shoulders and settle, playing with the hair on the back of her neck.
"That." Waverly said gazing up at Nicole, cheeks flushed. "Was one of the hottest things you've ever done." She leaned up and the two kissed, further kindling Nicole's fire. Allowing her to forget that they were in a crowd of drunken people, allowing her to, for a few moments at least, show Waverly just how hot a girlfriend she could be.
XXXXX
Several hours later Nicole had finally extracted herself from the bar and was able to catch a breath of clean air by sneaking out the side door usually reserved for smokers. To her fortune no one seemed to be occupying the space leaving her to deep breath, the cool air chilling her fiery lungs.
After she and Waverly had shared several delightfully steamy moments on the dance floor, her partner had been regretfully dragged away to join her sister in a game of pool. Wynonna had apparently wagered a significant amount of money and had no hopes of winning without Waverly's skills.
Then, feeling oddly cramped Nicole had sought her way out of the bar. Now Nicole stood alone in the dark, slowly flexing her arms. While one could tell from looking at her body, Nicole felt and was strong. The same way she had when she had attacked Rosita in the woods all those days ago. Then she had thought it was some form of fresh Revenant adrenaline. But no, it seemed that her near super strength had stuck around. Feeling quite bold the officer walked over to the full dumpster outside the door, crouched down, and gripped the base of it firmly. With barely a grunt Nicole managed to hoist her side of the dumpster several feet off the ground. The unit must have weighed several hundred pounds at least.
"Cool." She said letting the hunk of metal drop with a bang that echoed down the empty alley.
"You get used to it." A familiar voice said from the street. Nicole turned to see Rosita hovering under the nearest street lamp.
Somehow knowing this wasn't the time for a fight; Nicole stuck her hands in her jean pockets and leaned unthreateningly against the brick wall of the bar. Inviting the peaceful Revenant over.
Rosita took her hint and slowly approached.
"So it's normal." Nicole said, in reference to her muscled arms.
"Yeah." Rosita said leaning against the wall opposite Nicole, holding nothing but a small messenger bag. "A lot of us have some form of extra power, strength, speed, night vision; usually something you had in your living life that has just become a bit more enhanced"
Nicole nodded. Happy to have been granted over all things, strength. "What about you, anything special?" She asked her fellow.
Rosita smiled. "My mind." Nicole raised an eyebrow. "Before I was killed I was unusually intelligent." The woman explained. "So when I came back I found that my mind was stronger and sharper than before. Took me a few decades to finally be able to explain it, that I'd been given an eidetic memory."
"You remember everything you've ever read." Nicole was impressed, she'd only heard of rare geniuses possessing the trait.
"Bingo." Rosita said, hands held tightly over her bag.
"So what brings you here?" Nicole gesturied to the bar's side door. "Pretty risky for you, Wynonna's here."
Rosita eyed the bar door warily before speaking. "I'm here with an offer." This caught Nicole's attention. "I think I have a way to turn you human again."