Author's Note: Someone requested an Epilogue to this story, so hopefully it is good enough to answer any questions readers might have. So, without any further waiting (because being patient sucks), here is the Epilogue!
Nicole kept her eyes on the long winding road, wind blowing in her hair from the open window, and the distant sound of music filling her ears. She wasn't really paying attention to any of those things, as the thoughts of a single person kept her mind preoccupied. Five months had passed since Nicole found Waverly in the bathroom, since she performed C.P.R. and felt ribs cracking below the pressure of her hands. Five months flew by, leaving Nicole in the middle of an extremely hot day in May, on the road with only one place in mind.
The first month after Nicole and Wynonna managed to save Waverly from her inner demons was filled with constant trips to the hospital. Not only did the Doctors want to keep Waverly to make sure her stomach healed properly, but they also needed to complete psychological evaluations due to the suicide attempt. Both Nedley and Wynonna believed Waverly needed Nicole during each step of the process, much to Nicole's protest, which is how she ended up sleeping in an uncomfortable hospital chair most nights.
Nicole walked into the front doors of the hospital with a small smile on her face while being greeted by some nurses and doctors who recognized her. Today had been the first night in a week Nicole was able to go home and take an actual shower without worrying about leaving Waverly. Wynonna threatened Nicole with a shot from Peacemaker if something happened to Waverly due to the stress of Nicole going home. So Nicole endured back pain, cold five-minute showers, and flavorless hospital food for Waverly.
Holding the small box in one hand, a bouquet of flowers in her elbow, and a cup of coffee in the other hand, Nicole managed to open the door to Waverly's room without dropping anything. The smile on her lips grew larger and softer when Nicole turned towards Waverly laying in the bed on her side, eyes closed in a comfortable sleep. Waverly had been wearing the pair of pajamas Wynonna bought her since the doctors said healing works better with comfortable clothing and surroundings.
Nicole silently walked to the table at the end of the bed before setting the items in her arms down, not wanting to wake the youngest Earp. Ever since that night, Waverly had issues falling and staying asleep. In order for Waverly to get a decent amount of sleep, either Nicole would have to hold her hand until she drifted off or the doctors would have to give her something to make her sleepy. On the nights Nicole held Waverly's hand, she usually fell asleep herself sitting in a chair next to the bed, head resting on her arm.
"Don't touch me... Champ please stop... No! Get off me!" Nicole watched in shock as Waverly started talking in her sleep, fighting against the nightmare. Once Nicole finally realized what had been happening, she moved quickly to the side of the bed before reaching out to comfort Waverly.
"Waverly, baby, wake up. It is just a dream. Champ is not here. Just focus on me baby, please," Nicole spoke softly as she sat on the edge of the bed, holding a shaking Waverly close. Although she didn't wake up immediately, Waverly stopped shaking slowly as Nicole continued to reassure her safety. Ten minutes passed by as Waverly continued to sleep when Nicole gently placed a kiss in Waverly's hair.
"You know, the feeling of those lips any where on me is enough to wake me up," Waverly said with a smirk on her face. Sitting up, Waverly moved her hand to caress the back of Nicole's neck as she moved closer, their foreheads touching gently. Nicole held her eyes closed and focused her hearing on the sound of Waverly's heartbeat and the air going in / out of her lungs. "Nicole... I... I'm so sorry about everything... It's just, you know about Willa and Daddy, but what Champ did to me..."
"Wait a minute Waverly... What did Champ do to you?" Nicole asked, interrupting the younger Earp with great concern and worry in her voice. The two had talked greatly about how Waverly broke after losing her sister and her father. But whenever they started going towards the topic of Waverly's relationship with Champ, Waverly either changed the subject or shut down completely. Nicole didn't want to push Waverly past her comfort zone, knowing they would talk about it when Waverly was ready: however, Nicole didn't know if she had been ready to hear the truth.
Before another moment passed filled with Waverly being hesitant, tears began falling down her face as she told Nicole about the night Champ took one of the most important things away from her. Waverly held onto Nicole's shirt extremely tight as she told the story of the party, how Champ spiked her drink and ended up raping her in his truck. She broke down as she explained the memories of how it happened started returning to her all of a sudden, when she couldn't remember any of it the day after it happened.
"I ran home from school that day without telling any one. I felt utterly disgusted with myself, as if there was something on me I couldn't get off. Once I got home, I did what I thought would be best for everyone... What I promised not to do again until recently," Waverly took a moment to catch her breath and put her thoughts together so she could understand them. Nicole sat with Waverly in her arms, burning holes into the wall with the stare of her eyes, thinking of twenty different ways to murder Champ without anyone knowing.
"When I see Champ again I swear-"
"Don't. He isn't worth risking your job," Waverly said quietly into Nicole's side. "Plus, Wynonna already beat the shit out of him. She was the one... who found me in the bath tub that day. I remember being in and out of consciousness, hearing her screams for me to wake up... Once I finally came to in the hospital, I told her everything in private, begging her not to press charges against him. I was afraid of what the town would say if they found out the truth, how everyone would look at me. So instead of doing things legally, Wynonna went up to Champ in the middle of school later that month and beat the shit out of him. Champ needed stitches and had a minor concussion when they were finally able to pull Wynonna away."
Nicole shook her head, trying to break her thoughts as she reached her destination. After turning off her car, Nicole stepped out and just stared at the house on the Earp Homestead. This place, with all of its flaws and hidden perfections, started feeling like a safe place to call home. Of course, the memories still flooded Nicole's mind every now and then, but it didn't bother her as much. As long as Nicole could look into Waverly's eyes at least once a day, feel the other girl against her lips, and hear her voice, she would be okay.
"Hey Haughtstuff! Waverly is up in her room taking a nap. Be careful with my baby girl," Wynonna said as she walked past Nicole to her truck. "She will probably want something to eat when she wakes up, so feel free to use the kitchen. Just clean up after yourself!" Nicole understood what Wynonna had been implying with the food, as getting Waverly to eat some days had been a challenging battle. The doctors said her stomach only suffered from a couple of scars, meaning she could eat but it might hurt every now and then.
Nodding her head, Nicole walked inside the house before silently closing the door and taking off her shoes. She wanted to reduce the amount of noise she makes as much as possible to avoid waking up Waverly. Nicole walked into the kitchen and grabbed a pot from one cupboard before grabbing a can of tomato soup from the other. Grilled cheese and tomato soup is really hard to pass up on, especially when it is the Haught-Family recipe. So hopefully Waverly will eat it.
Nicole grabbed the rest of the supplies she would need in order to make the food before putting her earbuds in; listening to music while cooking always make the food taste good. Hitting shuffle on her playlist, Nicole shut out the rest of the world, intently focusing on the lyrics in her ears and the cooking food in front of her. However, after ten minutes passed (filled with waiting for the soup to warm up on the stove), Nicole felt two comforting arms wrap gently around her stomach.
"Jesus Waverly!" Nicole said as she jumped slightly. "You should be happy I knew it was you. Otherwise you might have ended up with hot tomato soup all over you," Nicole continued before turning around to meet Waverly's eyes. Her heart skipped a beat and her breath stopped in her throat for a moment due to the sight of Waverly. Her hair had still been a mess from the nap while her eyes showed signs of sleep building up in the corners. However, what made Nicole nervous the most, was Waverly's gorgeous smile.
"I am just happy that you are here with me," Waverly replied softly as her hands reached up to caress Nicole's face. Nicole leaned into the embrace, enjoying the Waverly's touch against her skin. "I love you Nicole Haught."
"I love you too Waverly Earp."