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I lit a fire with the love you left behind
And it burned wild and crept up the mountainside
I followed your ashes into outer space
I can't look out the window, I can't look at this place
“Baron Samedi is the chief Loa of death and resurrection in Haitian folklore and Vodou beliefs. He is often depicted dressed in a black top hat, black suit, and smoking a cigar with a glass of rum in his hand. His face is either painted white like a skull, or sometimes is shown as a skull itself. He is the patron of death, tombs, gravestones, obscenities, dead relatives, healing, smoking, drinking, and disruption.”
Sounds like him and Wynonna would get along.
Waverly chuckles a little to herself as she closes the book. Interesting information, sure- but not what she needs. She places the old volume at the top of a stack that has formed on her coffee table. She leans back on the couch and rubs her neck that’s gotten stiff from bending over, staring at scribbled words on pages for- 3 hours? 5 hours? She can’t remember.
I can’t stop until I figure this out.
Nicole had been investigating a case involving this Baron Samedi. Why she hadn’t told her she can’t understand-
Yes she can. She would have shut Nicole out of the case as soon as a whiff of the supernatural came up-
-but she needs to know how far she got. This Baron was all she had left, and everything Waverly had read so far on him pointed at one certainty:
He can resurrect the dead.
“Hey Baby Girl.”
Waverly jumped at the sound of her sister’s voice, and turned to see Wynonna standing at the base of the stairs. She looked at Waverly with soft, sad eyes, and something about that look- was it pity?- made her scoff.
“Hey to you too- little asshole not letting you sleep?”
Probably a bit harsher than necessary.
Wynonna gave a small smile.
“No. I actually slept great- for once. You, on the other hand, don’t look like you’ve slept for days. Can you even tell me what time it is?”
Waverly rolled her eyes. “Of course I can- it’s probably 2 or 3 am right now.”
I’m not in the mood for this Wynonna.
Wynonna raised an eyebrow and walked over to the living room curtains, and when she pushed them back some weak rays of sunlight entered the Homestead.
“Kinda bright for 2 or 3 am don’t you think?” She paused and sat next to Waverly on the couch, “Waverly it’s 9:30 in the morning. You need to sleep. Dolls can take over with this case-”
“No! No no I’ve- I’ve got it Wynonna I can handle it it was Nicole’s and..now it’s mine and I have to finish it for her. You- you don’t understand I have too.” She felt her voice breaking and the tears coming.
I have to bring her back, Wynonna, I wish you could understand.
Wynonna wrapped her arms around her sister and held her close.
“I know you miss her Baby Girl. Hell, I miss her too. So damn much. But you know she’d want you to take care of yourself. Can you at least promise me you’ll eat some breakfast and sleep before you continue with...this?”
Waverly looks at the stack of books. The scattered files. The portable whiteboard she’d nabbed from the BBD office to sketch notes. Her only hope of saving Nicole. All she has left.
“Yeah. Sure.”
It’s almost too quiet to hear, but Wynonna gives her a final squeeze and gets up to head for the kitchen. “I’ll make some pancakes. I’ve been improving, you know- even Doc can eat them without wishing he was back in that well.” She smiles with her joke, hoping for at least a chuckle from her baby sister. When all she gets is Waverly staring at the now open window with a distant look on her face, she sighs and turns to head back into the kitchen. But she stops short and turns back to Waverly.
“Waves?”
“Hmm?”
“I asked Dolls about this Baron Samedi and...I know what he can supposedly do. But he’s dangerous, Baby Girl, even Dolls says he’s not worth messing with. It’s just...please, please don’t do anything you’ll regret.”
“I won’t.” Maybe she says it a little too fast, But Wynonna seems to accept it and leaves the room. It wasn’t a lie anyways.
I will never regret saving her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can't look at the stars
They make me wonder where you are
Stars, up on Heaven's boulevard
She fidgeted in her seat at the table in Purgatory’s only tiny coffee shop, twirling her necklace between her fingers. She shouldn’t even be nervous.
It’s just a thank you coffee. With a woman. You hang out with lots of women and there’s nothing different about this.
But there was. And a small part of her already knew that. She found herself staring at the door every time she heard the bell ring as someone entered the cafe. And with each ring her heart skipped a beat with anticipation.
This isn’t a date-geez. Calm down.
But when Nicole finally walked through the door, she couldn’t hold back the wide grin from her face. And she found it returned with the smile she had already grown so fond of as the deputy walked over, clearly just having gotten off of work. She took off her stetson as she sat in the chair across from Waverly and placed it out of the way on the table.
“Hey Waves. Sorry I’m late we got a call in at the station 20 minutes before I was scheduled to leave and since Wilson was already out on a welfare check I had to take it. Luckily it was pretty short though so I don’t think I’m too late. Hey, you good?”
“Uh- w-what?”
Waverly was startled back into reality and when she realized the whole time Nicole had been speaking she had just been staring. Her face turned red with the realization she had been imagining what the officer’s hair would look like out of that french braid. She was positive it would look beautiful, because how could the woman in front of her be anything but.
“Oh I’m fine. I’m fine. I just...guess I had another crazy day.”
Act cool.
Nicole smiled. If she had noticed Waverly’s blush she chose to ignore it.
What a gentleman...woman? Gentlewoman?
“Well, Waverly Earp, it sounds like crazy days are just an everyday thing with you. Should I be worried that coffee will take a turn for the worse?”
And there was that smile.
Put those damn dimples away.
“Oh no no no. Coffee will be totally, completely normal. Promise.” She tried her best to give a calm smile back but she found herself feeling lost again.
Get it together.
“Sooo....you gonna get us some coffee? You did promise the cappuccino would be on you. Not actually on you though we don’t need a repeat of the bar tap incident.”
“Right! Right, I’m sorry I just seem to be out of it today. Umm..I’ll go get that for you.” She started to get up to head to the register when Nicole’s hand on her arm stopped her. It was gentle, and she felt herself freeze.
Not a date.
“You know, you don’t have to worry about being awkward or anything. It’s honestly pretty cute, and I’m just glad I get to have coffee with you.”
Waverly let out a sigh or relief, “Yes of course. I mean, I’m not awkward because of you, just so you know. I’m just...for some reason really awkward today. But um, I’ll go get your cappuccino and I’ll be back in a minute?”
“I’ll be waiting.” And another smile.
Waverly turned and walked up to the counter, a small smile creeping up on her face.
You know you’re pretty cute yourself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Waverly marched into the BBD office and as soon as he saw her Dolls knew why she had come.
“Waverly-”
“Dolls don’t you dare tell me not to. You said I should have made the deal with Widow Beth and don’t you dare tell me this Baron Samedi is any more dangerous than the demon Clootie.”
Please understand.
Waverly could tell Dolls was choosing his next words carefully. But before he could speak she continued.
“I know you miss her too. I know you know she didn’t deserve to die and she shouldn’t be dead and Baron Samedi is the only one who can fix it. Dolls this is her only chance.”
More silence. A few moments passed, and he finally spoke.
“Does Wynonna know?”
Waverly shook her head. “She suspects, of course. But no, she thinks I’m just trying to finish up Nicole’s case.”
You must understand.
Dolls sighed, “Waverly, Baron Samedi won’t resurrect someone out of the goodness of his heart. He’s a Loa- thousands of people have called on him over the years to do exactly what you’re asking, and it never comes free. He will want something in return and it won’t be anything good. I have to agree with Wynonna on this one.
No you don’t.
“Except I have something to trade, Dolls. Something he wants. What Theodore Roosevelt stole from him- his hat.”
At this Dolls’ eyes widened. “Where did you find it?”
“My secret. But I bet he’d resurrect anyone to get it back.”
Waverly held her head up. She knew she’d won.
“Jeremy!” Dolls called behind him.
The young scientist jogged up to his superior, “What’s up? Oh- Waverly.” His demeanor changes when he sees the younger Earp. She must have had tears forming in her eyes because his nervous rambling started.
“Waverly, I am so so sorry. You know Nicole was-”
“Jeremy I need you to help Miss Earp research summoning Baron Samedi. I have some notes from my time with him back in the office.” Dolls interrupted.
Jeremy stopped with his mouth still open. “Summoning Baron...Samedi? Wait are you sure?”
“Positive.” Dolls said with a curt smile, “But let’s keep this on the down low why don’t we?”
“Oh you bet Dolls I will keep this soooo low on the down low,” Jeremy laughed awkwardly, bending his knees slowly to emphasize just how down low.
“Okay Jeremy come help me. Please?” Waverly interrupted this time.
“Right! Yes- this way.” He gestured towards the back of the room where an office was situated and headed in that direction.
Waverly started to follow him but first turned to look back at Dolls.
“Thank you,” she mouthed with a small smile.
Dolls nodded, “Go get her, Earp.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All those times we looked up at the sky
Looking out so far, we felt like we could fly
And now I'm all alone in the dark of night
The moon is shining but I can't see the light
“Waverly wait up!” Nicole yelled from behind her as she ran away from the road and out into the open field.
“Hurry up slowpoke! You’re gonna miss it!” she yelled over her shoulder.
They were running out into the middle of a field well away from Purgatory, and far away from the town lights. Waverly’s jeep was parked alongside the road, where she had stopped abruptly, proclaiming to a startled Nicole “This is it! It’s perfect!” And subsequently she had jumped out of the parked car and took off running with the bewildered officer not far behind.
Waverly stopped and fell to the ground, spreading her arms and legs in the soft grass like she was making a snow angel, though it wasn’t quite snow season yet. Nicole came to a stop and looked down at her winded friend.
“What are we doing here, Waves? It’s the middle of nowhere.”
“Exactly. Now get your butt down here, Officer Haught.” She patted the grass next to her body.
Nicole smiled and rolled her eyes, but she fell to the ground as well, spreading her arms and legs like Waverly had. And since her hair was out of its professional braid, it went everywhere just like Waverly’s.
“So what are we doing here?”
“Shhh!! Look!”
Waverly pointed up at the sky and for a moment, Nicole couldn’t tell what she was pointing to. But then she saw it. A streak of light flit across the black sky. And then another. And another. And another.
And with each passing meteor Nicole’s smile grew wider.
“A meteor shower? Waves I had no idea.”
“Oh yeah? What do you think?”
Nicole turned her face towards Waverly, where she found the other woman already staring at her with a soft, but expectant smile.
“Beautiful.” Nicole breathed. And silently, they both knew she meant more than the meteors.
Waverly grinned and scooted closer to Nicole, close enough that she could nuzzle her head into the other woman’s shoulder. Nicole wrapped her arm around Waverly in response, and for a time, they just were.
After what seemed like an eternity of quietly watching the meteor shower, Nicole broke the silence, “You know, I was always told growing up that stars are angels. Little angels who were your loved ones on Earth. And when there’s a shooting star, it’s an angel coming to Earth to grant a wish for you.”
Waverly looked up at Nicole as she spoke. They were so close now. Almost impossibly close. So close Waverly could feel Nicole speaking. Could feel her heartbeat.
And damn does it feel right.
“Well, it feels rude to not give them a wish to grant, especially when there’s so many angels coming to Earth tonight.”
“Well I don’t know about you, Waverly Earp, but I have definitely already given them a wish to grant.”
Waverly smiled, “And now I have too.”
“What was it?”
“Don’t you know, Nicole? A girl never wishes and tells. I want it to come true after all.”
“Aah right. My bad.”
“It’s okay. You’re forgiven.”
And I wish you’ll wait for me. Because I know I want you to be mine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The meteor shoots by in the night sky as Waverly walks up to the barn on the Homestead land. It catches her eye and she stops, wishing almost on instinct:
Come home, baby. I’m coming to get you. Hold on.
When it disappears into the inky black again, she continues to the barn door and pulls it open. The old wooden door groans in protest but she squeezes her way through into the old building. Dust is visible floating in the moonlight, but she barely registers it.
Waverly heads straight for an old chest in one corner of the old barn. Lifting the lid she gets a face full of dust and coughs, wiping her face. The chest is full of old garments and fabric scraps. It was the dress-up chest from her childhood. She remembers putting on one of the little blue dresses to play tea party with Wynonna.
But that’s not what I need now.
She digs down through the old, moth- eaten clothes, searching for a familiar shape.
“Aha!”
She pulls out a black top hat from the pile of clothes. It has a few holes where the bugs got to it, and a thick layer of dust coats its felt, but it’s still recognizable.
“Funny to think I was using an ancient Loa of the dead’s top hat to dress my snowmen,” she murmured to herself, brushing the dust off carefully and inspecting the hat. And on the inside of the brim she found what she was looking for: a small, intricately embroidered veve in bone white thread. The cross made it unmistakable:
Baron Samedi’s hat.
Waverly smiles and places it gently back in the chest.
First he resurrects Nicole. Then I show him the hat. But for now, it’s safe here.
With finality, she closes and locks the chest.
You’re coming home tonight.
She adjusts the ring on her finger, its blue stone glistening in the rays of moonlight. And as she got up she picked up a backpack heavy with everything she needed. Everything she and Jeremy could find that was needed to summon a certain Loa of the dead.
Making one final check that the lock was secure on the chest, Waverly turned and left the barn.
Last stop, the graveyard.
And if I know you at all,
I know you've gone too far
So I, I can't look at the stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She fidgeted with the ring in her hand. It had only been a week since that day in Nedley’s office. The day when she had put herself out there and everything had been perfect. Scary, but perfect. And today was another scary day, but she hoped it too would be perfect. She sat at their table in Purgatory’s only tiny coffee shop. Spending Nicole’s lunch together their had quickly become a tradition, one Waverly wanted to continue for a very, very long time.
The door rang as Nicole walked in and she immediately spotted Waverly at their table. Waverly balled her left hand into a fist in her lap, hiding the ring. Nicole sat across from her at the table and gently held her right hand.
“Hey Waves. How has your day been? I hope not too crazy.”
Waverly smiled, “No, not crazy, luckily. It’s been pretty normal, actually. But...I’m hoping it’s about to become a lot more special.”
The last part she said on a whisper, and Nicole’s smile faded into a look of confusion.
Just do it.
Waverly put her left hand on the table, and between her fingers she held a silver ring anointed with a round, blue stone. It looked antique, but the care it had been given gave it the shine of a ring brand new.
Nicole’s eyes widened and jaw dropped when she saw it, and that’s when Waverly felt the panic hit her.
“I’m not proposing, just so you know. No, that’d be a little too fast I think but...but I want you to understand that I’m serious. I mean, we both know I’m new to all of...this,” she gestured between them with her right hand, still holding the ring up in her left, “I’m new to it but I’m serious. This isn’t me..experimenting or, or having some fling, Nicole, I really, really want to have a..a relationship with you. And I thought, you know, I wanted to have some way to show you that and I thought, why not give you something you can wear whenever you like. So you can always remember that I’m here. For all of it.”
When the words finally registered, the smile returned to Nicole’s face.
“You know it’s really hard for me to be serious when you keep flashing those cute dimples,” Waverly pouted.
Nicole laughed and grabbed Waverly’s right hand again.
“Waverly Earp, are you giving me a promise ring?”
“Well now when you put it that way I feel like a teenager. But...yes I guess you could call it that if you want.”
“Well in that case, I do.”
They could barely contain their giddiness as Waverly slipped the ring on Nicole’s right index finger, and even once it was in place, they held on a few moments longer.
I promise I’m all in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stars
Stars, they make me wonder where you are
Stars up on Heaven's boulevard
And if I know you at all,
I know you've gone too far
So I can't look at the stars
“Baron Samedi mwen konvoke ou pou sa a grav tonm aswè a pou monte yon nanm tort pran. Mwen vle pou fè pwi ak tou sa li pran. Foseyè detere sa a nanm aswè a.”
Haitian Creole was not one of her strong languages, but she hoped it was good enough.
She was standing in Purgatory Cemetery, next to a new grave bearing an all too familiar name:
Nicole Haught
On the grass next to the grave she had drawn in chalk the Baron’s veve. The outlines of the veve had then been soaked in rum and a single cigar was place in the center. Only once everything was in place did Waverly begin the incantation.
For a few minutes, nothing stirred.
Where are you?
Starting to panic she looked down at the ancient volume in her hands and began again. Maybe her pronunciation was off or she spoke to quickly-
“Your pronunciation was atrocious please don’t say it again.”
Startled, she looked up across Nicole’s grave to see a man standing there. He was tall, Haitian, wearing a dark suit and smelled of tobacco and rum. Two cotton plugs were up his nostrils and his face was painted white like a skull. His voice was higher pitched, almost nasally, and not at all what she expected.
That didn’t mean her knees didn’t tremble at the sight of him.
“B-Baron Samedi,” she began, taking a breath to regain her composure, “I summoned you here to resurrect the wrongfully taken soul of Nicole Haught.”
He blinked slowly.
“Well I figured as much from your terrible summons. So what? Why should I? Do you know how many people pray to me a day to resurrect their loved ones? If I answered every prayer, the graveyards would be empty! Death happens, little girl. I find it helps to embrace it. Now get out of my sight.”
Oh no you are not doing this.
“You didn’t even ask what I’m willing to bargain. Cause I bet this is an offer even you can’t refuse, no matter how jaded you are.”
“Oh really? And what on Earth could you possibly offer me that would make the whole fiasco of resurrection worth my time?”
“Oh, it’s not something of Earth. A little birdie told me you’ve been looking for your hat that lets you travel freely between the worlds of the living and the dead. Without it you’ve been stuck, and from the looks of it, that has not been agreeing with you. I only knew about your hat because of Nicole’s work. And I found it. I have it hidden somewhere safe. So my terms are this: Nicole’s life for your hat. What do you say?”
At the mention of his hat the Baron seemed to grow taller, and the sky a bit darker.
“You would dare use my hat, my rightful property stolen from me by your ancestor’s friend, as a bargaining chip for one woman’s life? Tell me why I shouldn’t just dig your grave to lay beside her as punishment for the mouth on you?”
Her heart beat rapidly with fear and she felt her hands tremble but she continued.
I’m coming for you.
“Yes. Yes I do dare. And kill me if you want but with me goes all knowledge of your hat’s location. So guess you’ll just have to wander in this world until someone else this crazy finds it and summons you. How long do you think that’ll take?”
The Baron’s eyes narrowed.
Waverly allowed herself the smallest smirk.
Got you.
With a heavy sigh and a shake of his scowling head he answered, “Kontra a te asepte. The deal is accepted. Now stand back and let me work.”
Waverly took a few steps away from the grave and watched as wispy shadow figures, almost like dogs, separated from the Baron’s shadow. The hounds circled Nicole’s grave and began digging. In no time they had uncovered the dark brown casket. A few lifted the lid with their muzzles and threw it open, so Nicole’s body was once again exposed to the world. With the digging done they retreated into their master’s shadow once again.
The Baron looked down into the casket.
“I need something that ties her to this Earthly. It’s the only way I can call her spirit back.”
Waverly began to panic.
I didn’t read about an earthly possession.
She rubbed her hands together in the nervous habit she’d had since childhood, and upon feeling the smooth stone under her fingers, an idea hit her.
She took the ring off and handed it to the Baron, who took it delicately in his long, skeletal fingers.
“This will do.” He nodded, and began in incantation of his own.
“Syèl la pi wo pase mwen sipliye ou, kò sa a yo te pran tou Talè. Mwen fouye leve l’fòs. Men kò li bezwen Lespri Bondye a. Mwen rele lespri Nicole Haught tounen pou domèn terrestre a ak mèt letanp sa a nan posesyon.”
He bent down into the grave and slipped the ring onto Nicole’s finger. He then ran his hand over her eyes, from her mouth upwards, and with his hand her eyes opened. She gasped and clutched at the sides of the casket.
“Oh my god, baby!” Waverly ran forward and sat where the Baron had been. He had already left, presumably still close by waiting for his hat. Nicole had been buried in her uniform, per her request. Her short hair was disheveled and dirt smeared into her skin from where it had seeped through the casket corners.
Before she could process what had happened, Waverly pulled her into a long kiss. When they parted, it finally dawned on Nicole where she was.
“Wait, Waves. Why- why am I in a grave? Did I...oh my god I died. Waves I was dead! How..how am I here?”
Waverly just smiled because it was hard to speak through her tears. She held Nicole’s face in her hands and gently rubbed the graveyard dirt away.
I said not today.
And she kissed her love again.
Not today because we have so much left to do.
“Waverly how did you do this? Please tell me you’re okay aren’t you? You didn’t..you didn’t hurt yourself getting me back did you?”
Waverly laughed through her sobs. “Still trying to look after me huh? Even when you have been dead for weeks. But no, I didn’t hurt myself. I just traded a hat for you.”
Nicole’s brows furrowed. “A hat?”
“Don’t worry you are worth so much more than a hat to me. And hey-” she held up Nicole’s hand with the ring once again placed on it, “I told you I promised to stay by you, for all of it. And I wasn’t about to let Widow Mercedes change that. Not now, not ever.”
I promise to be here forever.
And with the sun starting to rise on the new day, Waverly looked up at the sky and knew that, for the first time in weeks, tonight she could look at the stars again.