"Remind me again why we think this is a good idea?" Wynonna called from here seat.
They were back in Nicole's living room, except now the centre table was rid of bubbling cauldrons and purple crystals and instead housed several open books, journals, and maps. Somehow in the less than 12 hours since leaving Shorty's both Jeremy and Waverly had compiled at least a dozen references to puritan crystals, like the one Rosita had informed Nicole about.
"Because it's our only idea at the moment." Nicole groaned from her couch. While the new prospect of turning her mortal again and taking down two Revenants was exciting Nicole was completely and utterly exhausted. She'd barely slept the night before and while Waverly's researching brain was cute it was absolutely tiring to spend large spans of time with. "Do you have any better ideas?" Nicole called back to the heir.
"Mmmrf." Wynonna grunted, taking a sip of coffee from a pale blue mug, that Nicole immediately recognised as the one she had brewed for herself minutes before.
Resisting the urge to smack the coffee out of Wynonna's hands Nicole opted to sitting on the couch, arms crossed glaring at the heir.
"Guys." Waverly called from the centre of the room where she was pouring over a map of Purgatory. "You can kill each other after we make it so Nicole can actually be properly killed." Wynonna snorted. "Now both of you turn on your brains, we need to talk about tonight."
With on final residual groan Nicole hoisted herself up off the couch and made her way over to the table. Wynonna taking a moment to take a long drag from her coffee, eyes on Nicole before standing and joining them.
The plan was to attack the address Rosita had given them as soon as it was dark. Though they were all exhausted there was unanimous concern that Rosita would lose her nerve and warn the Revenants she'd given a death sentence to and they'd lose their chance at them.
"Are we sure we can trust her?" Dolls said from his chair, a map of hiking trails spread out on his lap.
Once again, Waverly turned to Nicole for an answer. The red head swallowed. Understandably losing confidence in her decision each time she was questioned about Rosita's faithfulness.
"I think we can." Nicole nodded. "She is definitely sorry for the part she played in turning me, and really doesn't want to get sent back to hell."
"I too think we can trust her." Doc added. "While Rosita can be dangerous she never wanted to be part of this curse and wants it to end. Under the pretext of course that she isn't sent back to hell in the process."
"Right then." Dolls said satisfied. He folded up his map and joined the group huddled around the large map of Purgatory. A large red circle had been drawn around the address Rosita had given. It seemed to be a fairly isolated house on the edge of large field.
"It used to belong to Cheryl's' parents." Waverly said, examining old deeds and declarations. "We never though to check there because the actual house was burned to the ground about 50 years ago."
"Then what's this?" Wynonna said, giving the house on the map a small jab with her finger. Jeremy cringed as a crease appeared in the map.
Gently, but not subtly Waverly moved Wynonna's finger off the map. "This was rebuilt about 12 years ago by a private contractor."
"Let me guess." Nicole spoke up. "Montague's contracting corp."
"Bingo." Jeremy and Waverly said together, giggling slightly at their synchronization.
"So this seems like the real deal." Wynonna said choosing to ignore the nerds. "Well, why don't we divide and conquer then?
She looked expectantly at the group. "Why don't I go and shoot these guys in the faces and the rest of you can go off and grab the crystal. Easy peasy."
"Not easy peasy." Dolls replied impatiently. "Earp you aren't going after these two yourself. Plus, while it does look promising it could still be a trap. We can't risk sending you in alone."
"And don't think." Nicole added, "That you are getting out of what I am sure is going to be an entertaining hike for us all to go and get the crystal."
Wynonna gave a groan of disappointment and plopped herself back into the squishy armchair. "So the plan is just to kill some Revs tonight."
"Ideally yes." Dolls said. "But seeing as one of our targets can turn into a rat and sneak away, I think we should work on flushing them out of the house first." He began to point out sections on a printed photo of a Google maps search of the house. "If we put members of our team here and here." He pointed to the back two windows. "And have them set fires through the windows, it will force the Revenants out through the front door."
"Where I will be waiting, cock and pistol drawn." Wynonna concluded, making a gun shape with her hand and mock firing.
Doc's eyes faltered. "I am not exactly sure that that is the correct term."
"Shut it Holiday." Wynonna said pointing her finger gun at him. "I stand by it."
"Alight then." Doc raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Sounds like a great plan Dolls." Nicole pushed forward, getting them back on track. "I've got some whisky we can use as accelerants to start the fire."
"You've got whisky?'
Ignoring Wynonna completely, Dolls began to divide up the team. He and Waverly on one window, Doc and Jeremy on the other. Nicole and Wynonna taking the front door.
"Why do I have to get stuck with Rev Head over here?" Wynonna whined.
Nicole rolled her eyes.
"Because." Dolls defended. "Haught's a great shot and."
"And we don't want you accidently shooting me in the cross fire." Nicole finished Doll's thought, having arrived at the same conclusion before he even began pairing them up into teams. "Which will hopefully be significantly harder to do if I'm standing beside you."
Wynonna opened her mouth to retort but then thought better of it. "Makes sense."
The crew spent the next hour creating and repeating their plan on how to (with the lowest risk possible) take out two Revenants quickly and quietly. All throughout this Nicole found herself watching Wynonna, the cogs in her head turning. Worry brewing in her.
Once the group was fully satisfied and clear on the plans and instructions for the rest of the evening they began to disband; some citing a trip to the police station or Homestead to gather materials, others citing a need for rest or food.
"Hey Wynonna." Nicole called to the heir just as she was making to follow Doc out of the living room. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Wynonna shrugged non-chalantly. "Sure Haught-stuff."
Waverly eyed the two suspiciously but didn't object. She left with the rest of their troupe, leaving her partner and sister alone in the house.
"What can I do you for?" Wynonna said sitting herself comfortable back in her chair of choice.
"Do you remember when I was in the hospital?" Nicole said turning her back on the Earp. She felt Wynonna tense, feeling the seriousness that was about to come.
"Dude, you've been in and out of the hospital so many times who can keep could." While Wynonna's voice on the surface sounded light enough Nicole could hear the avoidance in it.
"Wynonna. "I'm serious." Nicole needed to get through to her.
The other woman's face faltered. The smile slinking away. "I remember you telling me to pull the plug on you, even if Waverly didn't want me to."
"Exactly." Nicole turned to face her comrade. "Now that things have changed."
"No more plug to pull."
"I'm gonna ask you something else." The officer ploughed on, needing to get through this conversation she'd spent the better part of the last hour rehearing in her head. "If this doesn't work. If we never find a way to… you know, turn me back." Wynonna's eyes were darkening with understanding.
"I'm not going to shoot you Nicole." Wynonna said firmly. "This is going to work."
"It might not!" Nicole's voice was starting to rise despite herself. "And if it doesn't I can't just stick around like this. Like some obstacle to you breaking this curse and getting on with your life."
Wynonna just stared at her for a moment before slowly saying. "Nicole, you won't be stopping me from getting on with my life." The heir could sense Nicole's heightening emotions and was determined to stay calm. "You aren't trying to kill me. At least not today. Presumably tomorrow, hopefully. So!"
Nicole opened her mouth to retort but Wynonna cut her off. "So I don't need to kill you. You can help me get the rest of Revenants. Then! Then Nicole we can just keep on living! I can get Alice and you Waverly can get married. Life can start up and go on and we can all get our happily ever afters and shit. It'll be fine!"
"No Wynonna it can't" Nicole shouted, between the nerves involved of actually making her request and now Wynonna's refusal, it was becoming a bit too much for the officer.
"You're mortal! Wynonna, you're human. You can die! You could get hit by a car, fall of a cliff, have an aneurism. People die everyday when they weren't planning on it. I've seen it! " Nicole could feel her face reddening, sure that those of her party who were still outside could hear all of this. "Then what happens? If I'm still here when you die? What happens?" Nicole of course knew the answer to the question but needed Wynonna to answer it.
"They all come back…" Wynonna muttered, eyes to the floor.
"And who is responsible for getting rid of them?" Nicole pushed.
"Alice…" The brunette admitted.
"Exactly!" Nicole's voice cracked. "You're daughter. An innocent child" Tears were forming in her eyes. Nicole knew she should have slept more to help gain control of her emotions. "Your daughter and Waverly. Because hell knows she will still be around and has been cleaning up your messes for years."
This Nicole knew was a low blow but she didn't care. She needed to hear Wynonna promise.
"So yes. If this doesn't work and we can never make me human again, you will shoot me Earp. You will." Nicole was shaking her hands in fists, feeling completely disconnected from her body.
Wynonna just stared at her in silence, the reality of it all smashing against her like a tidal wave. Nicole was right. Somehow she had been thinking that she could at least keep Nicole around for a few years after the rest of the Revenants were gone. Let them all have some calmness in their lives. Let Waverly have some happiness.
In truth She hadn't thought about the risk of her own demise and the repercussions to it. She couldn't put Alice through what she and her family had gone through for generations.
"Fine." Wynonna said finally. "Nicole… When the time comes I will shoot you." Nicole let her shoulders drop in relief. "I promise."
"When the time comes?" Nicole prodded sceptically.
"When you are the last Revenant." Wynonna answered. "If you think I am letting you out of this mess early, you are out of your mind. We need you." Wynonna hated to admit it but this was truth, not only did Nicole provide Waverly with comfort and love but she was also well suited to the task of hunting the supernatural. Their years together had proven this. "But I will shoot you Nicole."
"Okay then." Nicole held a hand out to the woman who would have eventually become her sister in law.
Wynonna reached out and instead of grasping Nicole's hand she reached further and took hold of the woman's inner elbow. Nicole took the cue and clasped Wynonna's elbow as well. A true bonding promise.
"Right." Wynonna smiled, letting the seriousness flood out of her like a draining tub. "Now let's go kick some Demon ass."
Nicole smiled too. For all that Wynonna was a jerk off she really could save a mood from begin serious and stoic for too long.
Taking the Earp's lead, as they began to leave the living room Nicole spoke up. "Hey Wynonna."
The heir turned, dread in her eyes, waiting for the next bomb to drop.
"Yeah Nicole?"
"I know you just promised and all, but try your best not to shoot me tonight?"
The two laughed, letting the last of the tension leave their bodies.