She finds it sitting at her desk first thing that morning.
She's not going to admit aloud that the thing was rather adorable as she sets it aside to start on that morning's paperwork.
She might be the sheriff, but the stuff still piles up. Even in the Ghost River triangle.
"Aawww that's sweet."
Nicole's lips immediately curl into a smile at the sound of her wife's voice drawing closer to her as the door to the station swings closed behind her.
"I'm thinking Wynonna had something to do with it but she hadn't stopped in yet so I can't ask." She sighs with a small pout when instead of moving into her already held-out arms for a hug Waverly instead circles around to the other side of the office's front desk to pick up the not-so-subtle pride-themed gift that had been left there by persons yet to be clarified.
"Well, she sure had at least a say in it considering it's a rainbow frog, sweetie pie." Her angel reminds her setting said plushy frog in her lap as she takes her usual seat on the edge of Nicole's desk. "but these clothes are all Alice's doing."
Nicole can't keep the soft grin from her lips at the idea.
It was true she guessed considering the tie-dyed tank top and black athletic style shorts the colorful frog had been dressed in. even the denim jacket blended nicely with the intended effect of a cool pride vibe.
"I would have added some sunglasses but, whatever." Waverly goes on only to halfheartedly wave away her own comment as she runs a hand through soft fur.
"Honestly I go frog for one afternoon and she still hadn't let me live it down." Nicole huffed giving the plushy toy a sideways glare.
"I still haven't forgiven you either for using our special handcuffs to keep me from stopping you right away." The half-angel reminds now hugging the toy frog a little tighter at the reminder of the afternoon she'd much rather forget considering how close she'd come to losing the woman she loved.
"Waves." Nicole sighs guilt layering the whisper of her wife's nickname.
"Auntie Nic, Auntie Waves."
Both women turn their heads in tandem at their called names as the child saying them jogs closer a wide toothy grin already in place as she skids to a stop beside the desk. "Hi." Alice greets looking from one to the other.
"Hey, cutie pie." Waverly answers sliding easily from the desk for an anticipated hug from her niece.
"And who might this fine young pup be?" Nicole questions noticing the new addition of the stuffed dog poking its head from the drawstring backpack the younger girl was carrying. One she was positive Alice' hadn't had during their playdate the day before on one of her far fewer days off.
"This is my new friend." Alice answers pulling the black lab stuffed toy from her bag "Daddy help me make her."
"Does she have a name?" Waverly asks giving the dog's head a few soft pets much to her niece's delight the same time Nicole gives a teasing "Oh he did, did he?" as she eyed a chucking John Henry Holiday watching them a few steps away. "Was that the only new friend he helped with?" the cop probes but as she'd already expected neither Doc nor his daughter said a word in answer.
"Her name's Trouble." Alice answers instead hugging the dog against her chest with a proud grin. "but do you like your present auntie Nic?" the child asks shifting nervously now as she looked at the rainbow frog sitting once more on the corner of Nicole's desk to the woman herself.
"I love it." Nicole soothes rounding the desk to drop to her knees, so she was much more to Alice's height for the following "Thank you" hug she gave the much more relaxed younger girl.
"Like Mother like Daughter it seems." Doc cuts in pure amusement layering his more southern drawl as a huffed "Seriously, Haught sauce you already had one?" comes from the direction of the station's front door.
"Thanks for the warning, Holiday." Wynonna huffed easing her once again pregnant body into one of the softer of the stations offered seats. She wasn't showing just yet, but she hadn't exactly told anyone besides Doc about it yet. The two already agreeing if it was a boy his middle name would be Holt.
"I could take it if she doesn't want two of them." Rachel offers from behind the now pouting former Earp heir as she and Billy squeeze in to the station without letting go of either their half-finished ice cream cones or the other's hand as rejoining the group around the police station's front desk.
"Hey, Deputy." Nicole greets her eyes on Billy's now guilty expression considering the younger Clanton hadn't told her he would be stepping out for a little while before doing so. not that it had really mattered but it was still against protocols when he and Nicole were the only ones meaning the office so early in the morning. even a near the end of the weekday shift.
"We picked up some for you too." The young man defends much to Nicole's amusement.
"Rachie come meet Trouble." Alice insists tugging at Rachel's jacket sleeve.
"I think the place can handle a few minutes of playtime, Haught." Wynonna reminds with an overly exaggerated eye roll at Nicole's guarded expression after her wife's decided decision regarding the group's next few moments of free time.
