Nicole's knuckles were white where she gripped Wynonna's steering wheel. Her body shook with barely repressed sobs as she made her way down the road towards the interstate.
"Fuck fuck FUCK!" She screamed in rage and sadness and guilt and she couldn't even really keep up with her emotions anymore. Purgatory had brought her some comfort but no peace, and Waverly was bringing a tingle to her chest that she could not deal with. She just could not.
The truck screeched to a halt at the on ramp to the interstate. She looked at the mostly empty highway, leading her towards home, towards her memories of Beth and the life she had lost. Beth's absence was like a knife in her gut.
She glanced down at the leather wrapped steering wheel, then looked the other direction, back towards Purgatory. Decision made, she turned the truck toward town.
To her enormous relief, Doll's SUV was gone and the bail bond's office was empty. She parked Wynonna's truck in front and slid her keys through the mail slot. Around the side Brunhilde sat waiting. She went to throw her leg over the seat, then paused, considering. A few moments later she'd popped the truck of the side car and pulled out her tools. She worked quickly to disconnect the sidecar from the bike, pausing at one point to run her hand over all the scuff marks left by Rowdy's claws along the top edge of the sidecar.
"You gotta take care of them for me okay, buddy?" she whispered. "I know you've taken a real shine to Waverly, and Wynonna, well, Dolls could use some help keeping her line."
She shoved the tools back into the sidecar and kicked the bike into life. Her helmet and glovers were locked inside the office but that hardly mattered at this point. She needed her wife, and she wasn't going to stay away any longer.
—-
Wynonna leaned precariously over the edge of the bridge. "I can't see shit down there," she muttered.
Doc peered over as well. "I believe it's too dark to be able to see much of anything until the moon rises higher," he commented. "But I also think if she'd gone over there'd be more sign of it."
Waverly shot them both a filthy look. Nicole Haught could not be dead. There's no way that beautiful, amazing, generous woman could be gone. She couldn't imagine the world being with out that adorably dimpled smile, or the way she ducked her head behind her glorious copper locks, or the way—
Her head shot up. "Listen!"
The low rumble of an engine was just audible.
"Sounds like it might be a motorcycle," Doc observed.
Wyonnna scoffed. "Well, it's not her. She wouldn't have gone through the trouble to get her bike." She frowned. "Would she?"
"Nona," Waverly gritted out. "Brunhilde is a Valkyrie."
Doc's brow furrowed. "A chooser of the valiant dead, if I do recall my Wagner."
"It's what she named the motorcycle she got after her wife died." Waverly swallowed and stared hard into the darkness, eyes straining against the gloom. After a few tense moments she could just make out the faint glow of a headlight filtering through the trees.
Wynonna's phone beeped.
"Dolls, anything?"
The moon rose higher as the sound of the motor grew closer, and Waverly relaxed as she could just make out a single rider on a lone motorcycle. No sidecar. She turned back to her sister in relief, then frowned as she saw the look on Wynonna's face.
"Dolls found my truck at the office." Wynonna said softly. "And the sidecar. She unhooked it from her bike."
Waverly took off running.
—-
What are you doing, honey?
Nicole gritted her teeth and gripped the handlebars even harder. Her fingers ached in the cold, and her eyes stung with unshed tears and the unrelenting wind in her face. The moon had risen and lit her surroundings with an ethereal glow.
You're running scared, deputy.
"I don't know what the hell I'm doing anymore," Nicole muttered.
Sure you do. You're Nicole Haught, ruler of the world.
"That was you," Nicole shouted desperately. "I can't do it without you."
Oh honey, Beth's voice was sad. It's okay to move on, you know. You need to live your life.
Nicole took the next turn a little faster. Her stomach churned and bile burned her throat and she could barely see through her tears.
You need to live for both of us.
"I—I can't…"
You can and you should, honey.
Ahead of her she could make out the glow of lights. Another turn and she could see a car stopped near a brightly lit bridge crossing a small canyon. Two figures stood near the rail and a third was running toward her, right in the middle of the road.
"What the hell?" She throttled back, astonished. As she coasted closer her heart clenched when she could just make out the newly-familiar form of Waverly, her long hair streaming behind her as she ran.
Would you you look at that. Seems you got more going for you than you thought.
"No! I'm not— She's—"
Honey, slow down and let yourself be happy.
Nicole's teeth clenched. "She can't replace you!"
I'll always be in your heart, my love, but you have to let me go…
Her grip tightened and the bike swayed under her as her speed inched back up.
Waverly's despairing cry reached her.
"Nicole! Stop! Please!"
The smaller woman continued to race towards her, arms spread wide as if to catch her. Nicole just stared at her astonished, until she saw Waverly's eyes widen in fear as she approached at full speed.
"Fuck!"
She swerved hard, not trusting old brakes to stop in team and suddenly terrified she'd hurt the woman who only wanted to help her. With a sickening lurch she felt Brunhilde's wheels skitter in the loose gravel then with a painful jolt she was sliding along the road, surrounded by the sparks kicked up by the old bike's metal parts grinding against the asphalt. She felt incredible pain everywhere, and soon the sensation of sliding was replaced one of falling, until she felt an enormous jerk and a wrenching in her leg.
The sound of Waverly's scream rang loudly against the canyon walls.
Darkness took her.
—-
"Hang in there, Haught!"
Nicole blinked, confused. Why was Wynonna shouting at her? She closed her eyes. So tired.
Stay awake for me.
"H-hurts."
I know baby.
"Dammit, I'm losing my grip! See if you can grab her arm—"
"I can't reach it! Oh God, Nona, her leg— Doc! Where's that ambulance?"
"They're coming now, Miss Waverly!"
Honey, you need to open your eyes.
She forced her eyes open with a groan. She squinted and tilted her head. The walls of the canon were tilted. No, she was tilted. She was hanging, from the side of the bridge. As awareness grew, so did the pain. Her body felt like a thousand knives were stabbing it over and over again.
She whimpered.
"Nona, she's conscious!" Waverly's voice was breathless, pleading. "Nicole! Oh God…"
"Come on, Haught!" Wynonna roared. "Don't you be thinking stupid thoughts now! Hang on!"
Reach out your hand, my love.
"I— can't— move—"
Come on. Look at me, honey.
Nicole peered around her blearily. She realized she was dangling high above the canyon floor. Below her the shattered remains of Brunhilde smoldered fitfully, and her stomach lurched at the sight. She took a deep breath and lifted her head slightly. The moon was high and glittering in the sky, lighting up Wynonna and Waverly above her — the sisters each had a death grip on whatever part of her body they could reach, desperately trying to lift her back onto the bridge. Their voices were muffled by the buzzing in her ears.
Behind her heads, she also caught sight of a vision. "Beth," she breathed.
Her wife smiled warmly, her shape almost invisible. She blew Nicole a kiss, then tilted her head towards Waverly's outstretched hand.
Grab on, honey, and hang on for all your worth.
"Come on, Nicky, give me your hand!" Waverly's voice was choked with tears as she pleaded.
You're breaking her heart, Cole.
"I'm— sorry—"
"Please, Nicole. Reach for me!"
Just make it right. For both of us.
"Love— you—"
I know you do. But you have a lot of love left to share. Be a sin not to share it. The only sin, really. Spite your parents by living happy and well, wasn't that the agreement?
Nicole smiled wanly, despite her predicament. She summoned will from somewhere and with a grunt lifted her arm. Slowly, painfully, she stretched until her fingertips brushed up against Waverly's outstretched hand.
"Come on, sweetheart," Waverly urged her, her voice shaking but strong. "Take my hand. You can do it."
Nicole stretched up with the last vestiges of her waning strength until she felt Waverly's strong grip on her wrist.
"Good girl, Nicky, you can do this."
A siren grew louder followed by the rumbling of diesel engines.
"Over here, gentlemen," shouted Doc from somewhere behind the sisters. "I suggest you hurry!"
Footsteps pounded across the cement and several head's leaned out over the damaged guard rail, taking in the scene.
"Holy fuck!" swore one of the paramedics. "Get the ropes and the stretcher!"
Nicole couldn't help but cry out as her battered body was hoisted onto the stretcher and the paramedic dangling next to her strapped her down.
Waverly had grudgingly given way to the paramedics but Wynonna refused to relinquish her grip on Nicole's jeans until she was safely accounted for. As the stretcher was lifted up she saw how the bounty hunter herself was only on the bridge due to the Herculean efforts of Doc, his boots braced against the side and his arms holding Wynonna's shins to his chest. They were both gasping for breath from the strain.
Her eyes closed as the darkness swirled around her again, the voices growing indistinct as they loaded her into the back of the ambulance. She needed to reach out, though, one more time.
It was important.
She struggled to get a word past her lips.
"Wa—ver—ly."
She felt a soft kiss on her forehead.
"I'm here, Nicky. I've got you."
You did it, honey.
"I won't leave you, okay sweetheart?"
Another word. "Pro-mise?"
Another kiss. "I promise you."
Don't let go, Cole. Never let go of life.