Notes: I'm a little sad to say goodbye to this story which just started out as a random dream that I had a couple months ago and somehow evolved into all this. I wrote the second half of this chapter before I wrote anything else with the story and I still love it the most. Thank you all for reading, leaving kudos, and/or commenting! It's been a really pleasant experience jumping back into the world of fanfic writing.
Shorty's
Nedley, Wynonna, and Nicole rushed through the doors of Shorty's to see that the place was full of people, mainly hollering men. Nedley and Wynonna pushed their way to the front as Nicole spotted Paul in the crowd and made her way to him to ask him what was going on. As Nedley and Wynonna reached the bar, they were surprised to see a bunch of the locals and Shorty smiling proudly and joking around.
"What the hell's going on here? We got reports of a shooting," Nedley said, looking around to see if anyone was injured.
"You should've seen her, sheriff," Ed replied to Nedley's question. "She chased both of them out of here with that shotgun that's almost as big as her."
"Who did what now?" Wynonna yelled, frantically looking all around for Waverly, but not seeing her anywhere.
"Waverly," Shorty said, filling her and Nedley in on what happened. "Seems Tim came home and found Champ upstairs with some girl. So Tim came down here, handed Waverly his shotgun, and told her to go show Champ how to properly treat an Earp." Wynonna looked over towards the end of the bar where Tim is seated. She smiled at him as he raised his glass to her before wandering off towards the pool tables to mingle with his friends.
"And by golly she did just that!" Ed exclaimed. "We heard her yelling all the way down here. She fired a shot at the pair, called that girl a skank, something about a coma, and then boom. She fired again. And you could barely count the seconds it took for Champ and that topless girl to shoot out of here with their tails between their legs."
"So no one was hurt?" Nedley asked, still playing the sheriff.
"Not a scratch on 'em, Sheriff, except maybe that boy's ego," Bruno replied from the other side of Ed.
"Well he better not ever try to come back in here or he will get more than a scratch," Shorty replied.
"Pretty sure Waverly would put a hole in him long before you even had a chance to get near him," Bruno said. "She's a firecracker that one."
"She sure is," Wynonna said, smiling proudly. Wynonna turned to see where Nicole had gone and whether she had heard the story when the doors to the kitchen opened and everyone in the bar started hollering.
"HEY! HEY!"
"THERE SHE IS!"
"WAVERLY!"
Waverly stopped in place and turned bright red at all of the people cheering for her in the bar. She walked up to the bar, a big smile on her face as a bunch of people offered to buy her a drink and to celebrate. Shorty wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze before he started pouring beers for all the men waiting in line by the bar. The place was packed.
"Well it's about damn time you got rid of that boy-man," Wynonna said, leaning over the bar towards her sister. "Round of shots."
"I'm working, and in case you hadn't noticed, we're packed," Waverly said, lining up shot glasses and starting to fill drink orders that Shorty was yelling to her.
"Well then round of shots for me," Wynonna said. Waverly smiled and lined up a couple shots for her sister on the bar. Wynonna pounded one back as Nedley talked to Waverly.
"Waverly, now I know what that boy did was wrong, but how about no shotgun next time, huh?" Nedley said as he looked at Waverly.
"I'll try, Sheriff, but no promises," Waverly replied.
"I'm starting to think Wynonna has become a bad influence on you," Nedley said.
"Most definitely," Waverly replied, smiling at her sister before looking back at Nedley.
"Earps," Nedley muttered before he tipped his hat and moved off to the left to weave his way out of the crowd. Waverly watched him go before her eyes shifted back in front of her and she caught sight of Nicole. Waverly felt as though her heart had stopped with the way Nicole was looking at her. There it was – that same sultry look, but this time, there was no filter as Nicole stared at her with nothing less than pure lust, an unabashed desire in her eyes. There was a slight, proud smile on her face which took Waverly's breath away. She felt the smile fade from her own face as her heart began racing and chills ran down her spine. Haught damn, Waverly thought.
Nicole took a step towards the bar, but was stopped by Nedley who Waverly heard say something about manning the phones at the station while Nedley took a few witness statements for the paperwork. Nicole nodded and looked back at Waverly, shrugging and pointing towards the door. She saw Nicole flash one more smile at her as she moved towards the door and slipped out of the bar.
"To the Earp sisters, conquering the world one asshole at a time," Wynonna said, picking up another shot. Waverly chuckled, grabbed her water glass, and clinked it with her sister's shot glass.
"Here here," Waverly replied.
Wynonna leaned in a little closer to her so no one could hear her but Waverly. "Pretty sure Haughtstuff couldn't take her eyes off of you after she heard the news." Waverly lit up, a blush creeping over her cheeks as she thought of Nicole.
"Hey Waves, how about a round down here?" Ed yelled towards the girl from the end of the bar.
"I'm on it," Waverly said as she filled up a pitcher and suddenly felt very free. It was a good night and maybe a chance for a new beginning. Talking to Nicole would have to wait though as the crowd was getting bigger and Shorty kept yelling drink orders at her, but soon enough, they would have that talk, Waverly was sure of it.
The Homestead
After several hours at Shorty's, Wynonna caught a ride home from Gus and Curtis who had wandered down to Shorty's to check on Waverly after hearing she'd been involved in a shooting. Wynonna stumbled out of the truck, feeling the effects of the numerous shots even though Waverly had forced her to only drink water for the past hour. She thanked Gus and Curtis before walking towards the homestead. She instantly noticed David's car in the driveway and a light on inside. Once she got near the front porch, David came out to greet her.
"Hey you," David said, walking out of the front door which he closed behind him.
"Hey there," Wynonna said, giving him a courteous smile. Things were still awkward between them since she couldn't remember anything about him, but there was also a sort of trust that had been built. He was a very warm, friendly, and comforting man which Wynonna had recognized right away. And something about his presence made her trust him completely. He took a seat on the front porch steps and motioned for her to come sit next to him.
"Is your baby sister okay?"
"She's better than okay," Wynonna replied, taking a seat next to David. "Thank you for staying in the city until all of this was done with Willa and Steven."
"Well, I wish I could've been here, but it sounds like it was something you needed to do on your own," David replied.
"It was," Wynonna answered.
"I can't believe they're gone," David replied.
"You and me both," Wynonna answered.
"How's the memory coming along?" David asked gently. He was looking for a hint that she remembered him, but when she looked at him with a guilty face, he got his answer.
"Nothing," Wynonna replied. "But I did find out something." She proceeded to tell him about her conversation with Tim and how she had found out from the doctor that she was barren and that was part of the reason for her distance. She watched his expression change from worry to sadness to hope as he took her hand in his. He had always wanted children, but reassured her that there were always other options if they ever chose to go down that path, if she still wanted to marry him one day.
"I know I can't remember a lot of who you are, but there is…something here," Wynonna replied. "You don't annoy me to the point where I want to punch you in the face every time I see you which is saying something."
"That is something," David replied with a chuckle. "I'm not going anywhere, Wynonna." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Oh, I almost forgot. I picked up something for you."
"Is it a pony? Ooohh a motorcycle?" she asked jokingly.
"Better," he said as he pulled out a long jewelry box and handed it to her. She slowly opened the box and her breath caught. "You uh…you lost yours when we were in Greece. I had some trouble tracking it down, but finally found one on Etsy." She slowly pulled the gold-chained necklace out of the box and ran her fingers over it. The key with the same letters on it, the purple and white beads, and the small tassel. It was the same necklace she wore every day in her "other life."
"It's perfect," she said, putting the necklace around her neck and smiling up at him. She wasn't sure how long this moment would last and whether she would ever see the sorceress again and be returned to her "other life" so tonight, she decided to just enjoy David's presence, even if it was only for a little while.
Saturday morning
Shorty's
Nicole let out at a big yawn as she stopped the cruiser just outside the bar. She hadn't gotten much sleep the past two days and after pulling another all-nighter at the sheriff's department, she was in desperate need of some rest. Somehow, the people of Purgatory had managed to keep her and the rest of the deputies busy all night with mundane tasks like a stop sign being knocked over, a dispute after a couple people had too many of Marshall's beers and were pushing each other in the street, missing animals, fears about Steven returning and taking vengeance on the town. The list was endless.
After Nedley shooed her from Shorty's telling her to go man the phones at the station, she was hoping things would be slow so she'd have time to text Waverly. But by the time things had finally slowed down, it was well past two in the morning which was much too late to just drop in at the bar and probably too late to text the brunette, especially since she heard Shorty's had stayed packed for quite a while after news spread that Waverly had finally kicked Champ to the curb.
That's why the deputy was now parked out front of the bar, surprised to see Waverly's jeep parked out front and the door slightly ajar. The bar wasn't open quite this early on Saturday mornings, especially if it was open late. She moved closer to the bar door and heard the faint sound of music and Waverly singing. When she poked her head in, she saw Waverly in a white, sleeveless shirt and very tight shorts, the top half of her hair pulled back, wiping off the bar. She looked like a happy woman without a care in the world as she bobbed to the music and bounced around, clearing glasses. Nicole leaned against the doorframe and just admired the sight for a minute, her stetson in her hands. Damn, she thought as she watched the youngest Earp twirl around.
Waverly wiped off another section of the bar before she moved to the beer taps which were greasy and sudsy after the busy night before. After a moment, a jet of beer shot out of the tap, soaking the front of Waverly's shirt as she let out a quick "ahh" and scrambled to shut it off. "Jeez" she let out as she finally got the damn thing to turn off. "Ugh, perfect…" she muttered as she looked down at her soaked shirt.
"I didn't know Shorty's had wet t-shirt competitions," Nicole said from the doorway, slightly startling Waverly with her presence. "You okay?" Nicole moved closer to the bar. Waverly smiled and moved to grab a towel.
"Yeah I'm uh just a bit jumpy. Had a…crazy night," she said as she dabbed the towel against her shirt, trying to soak up some of the liquid.
"Sorry I couldn't stay to see it," Nicole said, setting her stetson on the bar and taking a seat. "Apparently it was quite a lucky night." Nicole lifted up a stack of napkins with phone numbers all over them. Waverly smiled and shook her head.
"Every eligible guy in town decided last night was apparently the perfect night to give me their phone number and…to trash the place a bit. Told Shorty I'd come in and clean up some before we opened since I'm the cause of this place being such a mess for the second time this week."
"Well, Waverly Earp being single is big news around here," Nicole teased, a big smile on her face. "How many did you get?" She started counting the napkins.
"12, unfortunately," Waverly replied, setting the wet towel down on the bar and grabbing another one, trying to soak up more liquid. Nicole couldn't help but notice her shirt shift as Waverly dabbed at it, the slight hint of cleavage showing more and more as Waverly tried to get dry. Nicole's face reddened when Waverly caught her eyes lingering on her chest.
"Ohhh you got me beat. I only got 2 after my break up," Nicole said, setting the napkins back down on the bar. "And one of them was from Mrs. Kowalski telling me I can call anytime and come keep her and her cat company if I get lonely." Waverly laughed.
"Well considering the quotient of eligible women in this town is much lower than men, I'd say you still win, Officer," Waverly joked, a big smile on her face. Waverly felt her face flush as she made eye contact with Nicole. It definitely was not warm in Shorty's, particularly with her shirt all wet. Goosebumps ran up her arms forcing her to break the lingering eye contact. "God I'm sopping wet." Nicole chuckled as Waverly squirmed. "You know, I keep telling Shorty he needs to fix the darn taps. Sorry, do you mind just…" Waverly motioned for Nicole to cover her eyes.
"Oh," Nicole smiled and turned around in her seat as Waverly attempted to remove the wet shirt. She heard a slight tear followed by…
"Oh, oh crap. Ummm, Officer, I'm stuck so…" Nicole turned to see Waverly's shirt half way off with her arms above her head, the shirt apparently stuck on her hair.
"Oh jeez, let me help you," Nicole said, slightly laughing as she quickly moved behind the bar to rescue her. "I gotchya."
"Oh god," Waverly said, laughing at herself, as Nicole helped remove the garment. "Good job you're the only one in here or this would be really, really awkward." After she said it, Nicole looked surprised but had the largest smile on her face as she handed Waverly her shirt.
"Being topless in front of me isn't awkward?" Nicole asked, mostly amused at the conversation, staring inquisitively at Waverly. She never imagined it would be so easy to get Waverly out of her shirt, but here they were. Waverly looked like a deer in headlights as she tripped over her words.
"Uhh….well…" her gaze shifted to the floor before she looked up at Nicole again who was still smiling, her dimples on full display as she waited for Waverly's response. "Umm, I…" Waverly looked around suddenly realizing she was very topless and also very cold, "did not plan this out well. Bbbbrrr." She rubbed her cold arms.
"I got you," Nicole said. Waverly watched as Nicole unclipped her radio from her shoulder strap and pulled off her jacket, opening it up for Waverly to put her arms in. "It's not the cleanest since I just got off an overnight shift, but definitely warmer than the alternative."
"Hey thanks," Waverly said, a smile crossing her face as she spun into the jacket. Nicole helped her zip it up as Waverly pulled her hair out from under it and let it flow back over her shoulders. "Mmm, so warm. And it smells like you." She nestled into the jacket before looking up at Nicole who was smiling, but reddening. "I uh…I owe you one."
"Well, what did you have in mind?" Nicole teased. Waverly seemed taken aback for a moment but then began contemplating something as she looked up at Nicole. Her smile slightly turned more serious as Nicole watched her move closer. Nicole was still. She felt Waverly reach up on her tip toes and press soft lips to her right cheek. She involuntarily held her breath as she felt Waverly's warmth against her. And all too quickly, Waverly stepped back and looked up at her, a softness in her eyes. "Better?" She quietly asked, waiting to see Nicole's reactions. Nicole let out the breath that she had been holding and smiled. Let's see how far I can push this, she thought.
"I don't know," she joked with a slight shake to her head. "It's pretty cold out there and now…I don't have a jacket." It was a challenge. A playful challenge, but still a challenge for Waverly to make another move. Nicole was trying to figure out how far this could go, how brave the girl could be when prompted. After all, Wynonna had said not to give up on her. What would the brunette's response be if she pushed her? Waverly nervously laughed, pressing her lips tight together, again looking as though she was contemplating something.
Nicole saw Waverly's eyes move to her mouth, then back to her eyes. Waverly gulped and then slowly moved towards her, her left hand moving up to gently rest on Nicole's shoulder as she pressed her lips against Nicole's. The kiss was soft and light, but enough to make Nicole's head spin. She felt Waverly start to pull back ending the kiss, but she wasn't ready for it to end. Her hands came up to the small of Waverly's back and she pulled the girl back towards her, causing their lips to crash together, taking Waverly by surprise. Waverly let out a small moan as Nicole deepened their kiss. She felt Waverly's mouth open wider, her hands moving into Nicole's hair, pulling her impossibly closer. Their desire for one another becoming obvious as their lips continued their battle.
Nicole couldn't contain herself anymore, reaching down and lifting the woman up. Waverly's legs instinctively wrapped around her stomach as Nicole walked them the couple of steps to the bar, setting the brunette on top of it. Waverly's legs stayed wrapped around Nicole's torso as Nicole's hands roamed up into her hair and down her back, their lips never parting. She felt Nicole's hands run underneath the jacket, her fingertips gripping the brunette's back, their bodies pressed firmly together. Waverly's tongue brushed against Nicole's bottom lip causing Nicole to moan which sent chills down Waverly's spine.
Nicole pulled away briefly for oxygen, but Waverly wasn't ready to end their kisses yet and grabbed the top of her uniform shirt, pulling the redhead eagerly back towards her, connecting their lips again. Waverly had been thinking about this moment for a long time, dreaming about it, and yet the reality was even better than anything she could've imagined. Nicole's soft hands seemed to move all over her as Waverly's hands stayed at her neck, making sure their lips stayed together. Both women were panting when they finally broke apart, pressing their foreheads together. Waverly felt Nicole's left hand run along her leg which was still wrapped around the redhead's torso and it sent a fire through the brunette. They both took a moment to calm their breathing as Waverly's hands moved to rubbing Nicole's shoulders.
"Guess I won't be needing that jacket after all," Nicole whispered. Waverly smiled and looked up at Nicole.
"It's strange how comfortable this feels," Waverly said.
"Yeah," Nicole whispered, a big smile on her face. "Why did we wait so long?"
"I have no idea," Waverly replied. She felt Nicole's hands slowly unlace her legs from around her torso as she let out a small whimper. Nicole chuckled.
"If we're…doing this," Nicole said softly. "I want to do it right." She placed a chaste kiss against Waverly's forehead.
"What does that mean, Nicole?" Waverly whispered, softly running her fingertips along Nicole's collarbone, exposed from those top two buttons being undone which was a usual occurrence with the redhead.
Nicole's breath caught at the mention of her name again and the stroke of Waverly's fingertips. "Would you…" She hesitated.
"What?" Waverly quietly asked, returning her hands to Nicole's shoulders and looking up into the redhead's eyes.
"Have dinner with me tonight?" Nicole asked, her eyes soft as she licked her now dry lips. She was nervous, but hopeful and wanted more than just a make-out session with Waverly.
"Yeah," Waverly said, nodding.
"Yeah?" Nicole replied, smiling so big that her dimples stood out against her cheeks. Waverly nodded again, smiling at the look of glee in Nicole's eyes. Waverly touched their noses together and heard Nicole sigh.
"In the meantime, why don't I get you a cup of coffee while I clean up the bar? It's the least I can do after you rescued me…twice."
"I'd like that," Nicole replied. She felt Waverly squeeze her arms, a subtle way of showing Nicole she wasn't ready to break the contact, but did have to clean the place up for Shorty before they opened for the day in a couple hours. Nicole helped her off the bar and walked back over to her seat, watching Waverly grab a cup and pour some already made coffee which she must've brewed before Nicole got there. Waverly set the cup down in front of her and smiled as their fingers touched before playfully intertwining. "Hey how did you even know I was here?" Waverly gave Nicole's fingers a squeeze before slowly moving away, picking up a dry towel and getting back to work.
"Oh I saw your jeep out front and the door was open," Nicole said, taking a sip of her coffee. "I came in to make sure everything was okay after last night."
"Lucky me," Waverly said. She smiled again at Nicole before clearing away more dishes. "Soooo…tell me more about your new love affair with Mrs. Kowalski." Waverly joked causing Nicole to smile while she sipped her coffee.
"Well…" Nicole started.
Unknowingly to both women, a pair of eyes had been watching them from the outside. Wynonna smiled as she leaned back against the door. She had come by to talk to Waverly, realizing that the last thing that would bring her peace in this "new life" would be seeing Waverly pursue her relationship with Nicole. But after not finding her at Curtis', she wandered by the bar and was pleasantly surprised to see that fate had already brought the brunette and redhead together. She didn't want to interrupt the pair as they shared an intimate moment so she quietly snuck back out of the door.
She turned around to see the sorceress standing on the sidewalk in front of her.
"You again," Wynonna said. "Anyone ever tell you you're a pain in the ass?"
"Yes," the sorceress replied. "But I merely gave you what you asked for."
"In a very roundabout, asshole kind of way, I guess," Wynonna replied. "This isn't exactly how I thought things would be." As she said the last words, her hands rubbed over her stomach again.
"They never are, dear," the sorceress replied.
"So what, are you going to 'Wizard of Oz' my ass, tell me to chant 'there's no place like home', and three clicks later, I'll be back in revenant-infested Purgatory?"
"Not exactly," the sorceress replied. "Now, you get to make a choice."
"A choice?"
"You get to decide if you want to stay here in this version of reality or return to your former life," the sorceress replied. "If you stay here, all of your memories of that previous life will be replaced with your memories from this version."
"I can stay?" Wynonna asked. The sorceress nodded. If she stay here in this life, she would still have Waverly as well as her father, Shorty, and Curtis who had all passed before; a life without revenants, perhaps a new job with Dolls, a future with David, and part ownership of a beauty supply shop she really wasn't sure what she was going to do with. But…that meant no Doc, no Jeremy who she was starting to like, no possible future beyond friendship with Dolls, no baby, no heir, no peacemaker…a changed future. Not just for her, but for all the Earp women. If there was no curse here, there would never be a curse. They would be free to live their lives how they chose.
"I…" Wynonna said, as she contemplated all of her options.
"It is a big decision," the sorceress replied. "But unfortunately, one that you have to make now." Wynonna took a deep breath. It may seem selfish, but she had to do it.
"I've made up my mind," she replied. "As good as my life is here, I have to know what she looks like." Wynonna rubbed a hand over her belly. She wasn't sure the sex of the baby, but she still had to know. Maybe she'd forget the memory of carrying the baby in her belly, but it would be her biggest regret if any sliver of the memory remained. She looked up at the sorceress. "I'm ready to go home."
"As you wish," the sorceress said, placing her pendant in Wynonna's hands as the world went dark yet again...
The Homestead
Wynonna looked around her. She was back in the barn, the sorceress' pendant in her hand and peacemaker sitting next to her. She looked down and smiled. The baby made a small movement in her belly which sent a happiness through her that was indescribable. She slowly walked out the door of the barn, closing it behind her, and walked back towards the homestead.
When she walked back into the homestead, she paused in the doorway of the kitchen at the sight of Waverly and Nicole. Soft music echoed through the kitchen as Nicole washed dishes and Waverly sat on the counter with a glass of wine in hand. Waverly was laughing with a smile that seemed to take up her whole face. She watched as Nicole moved towards Waverly and sneakily rubbed a couple of bubbles on her nose before a shocked Waverly grabbed her face and kissed her, rubbing the bubbles all over Nicole afterwards. Judging by the streaks of bubbles on her shirt, this was probably not the first time that night that a bubble war had started between the pair. They giggled as Nicole went back to washing the dishes. Waverly looked up when she noticed Wynonna.
"Hey you," she said at her sister. "We were getting worried about you." Nicole turned and smiled at Wynonna. "Is everything okay out there?"
"Just dandy," Wynonna replied. "The door of the bar just came open."
"We left you a plate," Nicole said, motioning towards the plate on the table, "if you're hungry." Wynonna smiled at the pair.
"It's good to be home," Wynonna said as she took a seat at the table and rubbed her hand over her stomach.
"Oh man, my shirt is all wet from these bubbles," Waverly said, looking at the streaks of water down the front of her shirt.
"Aw baby, you could just…" Nicole started to say, but Wynonna cut her off.
"Please, do not take your shirt off," Wynonna replied. "I don't need a repeat show of you two in Shorty's." She meant to mumble it to herself, but both Waverly and Nicole overheard her.
"Wait, how did you know that story?" Waverly asked as she jumped down from the counter and walked towards the table. "I don't remember telling you about that."
"What story?"
"How I got your sister out of her shirt within five minutes of meeting her," Nicole said, teasing the brunette.
"Hey, the stupid tap exploded," Waverly remarked. "It had nothing to do with your charm."
"Mmm hmm," Nicole replied as Waverly poked the redhead in the side before clearing more items from the table. Waverly was taken aback as she watched Wynonna stand up, move towards her, and wrap her up in a big hug.
"I hope you two always stay cute and disgusting," Wynonna said sincerely.
"Ummm, thanks," Waverly replied, not sure if she should be flattered by that comment.
"I love you, baby girl," Wynonna said.
"I love you too, Wynonna," Waverly said as she hugged her sister back. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Hormones," Wynonna yelled, breaking the hug as Nicole and Waverly both looked at her skeptically. "What? I can still put you both down with Peacemaker. And don't you ever forget it." She grabbed her keys, and stormed out of the room as a surprised Waverly and Nicole looked at her.
"Where are you going?" Waverly yelled after her.
"Got to talk to Doc," Wynonna replied. "Don't worry and don't wait up." Wynonna closed the door to the homestead behind her as she headed back out into the night.
"Cute and disgusting, huh?" Nicole asked as she wrapped an arm around Waverly's waist. "I think we can do that," she whispered, catching Waverly's mouth with her own, moaning as their kiss deepened. She lifted the brunette up, Waverly's legs wrapping around her waist as she carried her out of the room.
THE END