Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Nicole Haught parked her car, and took her time to look around her while she left her seat and closed the door, putting on her stetson hat. Always paying attention to details most people weren't inclined to notice, she read carefully the markings in big letters on the upper fronts of the two brick buildings she was facing. On the one on the left was written "1925 W. G. Liesemer", on the other one it was "1925 J. V. Berscht". The two-story buildings were identical, sister buildings like sister ships still moored at the same pier, she thought. The letters of the two different names were from the same typeface. Same height, same display.

"Well I guess you were friends." she whispered.

Above the wooden doors of the Liesemer building's ground floor, she could see another sign : Shorty's Saloon, painted on a wood panel. She realized that whoever had painted it had taken care to match the colors and the letters to the older markings on the wall. There were people in there that cared about harmony.

One of the doors was propped open with a chair. This early in the day, it was a clear indication that the bar was still in its morning prepping. However, Nicole knew that it was usually a good time to wander into such businesses, when you wanted to have a serious talk with the landlord, without being constantly interrupted by drunken louts. She was aware that in such a town as Purgatory, all the residents knew since childhood that they weren't supposed to walk into the bar as long as the doors were open. One of those seemingly absurd rules that were so interesting about the ways of a society. She also knew that ignoring purposely such rules while being respectful and direct in her behavior would give her an edge over the people she would meet inside.

But of course, a saloon landlord knows a great deal about gaining the upper hand over people, too, she thought.

The tall, athletic woman used the car window as a makeshift mirror to check her appearance, and touched lightly the back of her head under her hat. After the short drive, her red hair was still in a perfect braid. With long strides, she walked to Shorty's entrance.

Nicole slipped around the chair, and went through a small entryway with another set of double doors. Reaching the inside of the saloon, she stopped for a moment, leaning on the door frame, already taking her hat off, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dim light. Some music was playing, a slow song. Wooden furniture, wooden walls, decorated with framed sepia photographs and pre-industrial farming equipment, horse collars, a lasso… an Old West-themed bar. The place was clean, and equipped with two things that Nicole liked in a watering hole : a juke-box, and a pool table. Perhaps a nine on the Dive Bar scale, but the expertizing committee will still have to see the toilets to reach its definitive decision. No one greeted her, but some movement behind the counter caught her eye.

She was not prepared to see the young woman. Because of the name of the bar, she had formed in her mind, for the barkeep, the preconception of a diminutive man, bow-legged and big-bellied, with the face of a heavy drinker, like an embarrassing, aging relative in a wedding movie. Instead she was now beholding a somewhat short, yet lithe girl, with light brown hair, who was wiping clean the beer taps with a rag.

A somewhat beautiful girl.

Nicole decided to make her presence known. "Hello," she said, going down the short stairs leading to the main room, "I… I have been meaning to introduce myself, I'm Nicole, Nicole Haught." The woman behind the counter looked up at her. She didn't do it the way the other citizens of Purgatory had done it those last few days. They had greeted her with a distant expression, the this-one-in-new-around-here look. But the barkeeper was sending in her direction something strikingly different : a small wave, a huge smile and the direct gaze of sparkling, cheerful hazel eyes that made Nicole's heart skip a beat.

A more than somewhat beautiful girl.

"Hello ! I'm Waverly. Waverly Earp."

Nicole stepped closer, reaching her hand over the counter. They shook hands. Nicole noticed the young barmaid's firm, yet friendly grip. When those thin fingers left her hand, she grasped them for one more second, reluctant to let go of the contact.

"Well, I'm here in Purgatory as the site manager of an archaeological excavation," the tall redhead began, placing her hat carefully on the counter. "A place used by ancient Blackfoot people has been found not very far from here, and we will be searching the soil hoping to find traces or objects, and learn more about the way they were living, what they…"

"Nicole ! It's Nicole you said, isn't it ? I know what an archeological excavation is done for. I'm very interested in all things historical. Please tell me what I can do to help you."

A more than somewhat straightforward girl, too.

She was already back to her work, making sure the taps were spotless, rubbing the piece of cloth all over the chromed parts until they were reflecting every light in the room. Her sleeveless top allowed Nicole to see the toned arms of a sportsperson.

"Okay, Waverly, this place is open most of the time, and very easy to find in Purgatory. You serve food and drinks… Our excavation is not started yet, but we will be working there for the whole summer, and we are sort of a school for young archaeologists, like a two or three weeks internship for anthropology and archaeology students of the Big City University, but also for students coming from other, more distant places, and there is also a permanent team of professionals. Some of them will begin to arrive in the very next days, and I'll also be waiting for various trucks coming with machines, modular buildings, containers, aaand…"

… and the young bartender stepped away from the counter, turning her back to Nicole, nodding to mean that she was still listening. But Nicole was unable to speak for the time being. The girl had very long hair, reaching the small of her back, and she wore cut-off denim shorts revealing wonderful legs. She was now bending over in front of a stainless steel box under another part of the counter. Her figure was so easy on Nicole's eyes that she knew instinctively she must close her eyelids, close her mouth - realizing it had been gaping open for a few seconds - and initiate an emergency reboot of her brain. When she dared to look again, she was startled to find the bartender back right in front of her, holding the rack of a glass washer full of clean pint glasses, gazing at her intently, waiting for Nicole to finish her sentence.

"Well," she finally managed to say, "I'm looking for a place I can use as a rendezvous, because the excavation site is really out in the sticks."

"And I thought this place was out in the sticks already !" the bartender quipped playfully, arranging the glasses.

"There will be students and others coming and going, and I can't neither spend my entire time waiting for them on Main Road, nor simply explain our exact location, some will get lost, some will show up with vehicles that can't reach the site… And I can't be sure to have always good phone signal. I suppose it can be packed here on certain evenings, but during the day, when newcomers would arrive, your bar could be a place to wait for me." And I've got the feeling it could be delightful for me to be waiting for them, if I ever happen to be here first, she thought, keeping this last opinion to herself.

"You have to know I'm not the landlady, landlord's name is Shorty, hence Shorty's Saloon," Waverly explained, suddenly taking back her piece of cloth to wipe energetically the handle of one of the taps, as if she had spotted a stain on it. "He will probably be here a little later if you really want to talk to him, Nicole, but you're basically saying you will be sending us new customers, am I right ? That's OK, of course, and I might add that it'll be a pleasure to help you." She looked again straight at Nicole, with this luminous smile. They should put a warning, Nicole mused, noticing a hint of green in those eyes. Caution, wet floor for your heart !

The fascinating Purgatorian was now struggling with another tap handle that seemed to be a bit loose, and in need of some minor repair. While trying to put it back into the right position, she was rubbing it squeaky clean like the rest of the system.

"Well, that's great, Waverly. I'm looking forward to see you again in a near future, then," Nicole said with a big smile, testing the waters. "I'll give you my card, so you can contact me…" she left deliberately her sentence floating a bit in the air before concluding : "… whenever you stumble upon lost archaeologists !"

"Will do, will do," the younger woman answered, still fiddling with the faulty tap handle. "And don't worry, I will tell everybody working here about you and your lost archaeologists," she added with a charming giggle. "Will you open the excavation to the public, perhaps for special visiting days ? I'm sure a lot of people would like to learn more about the past of the First Nations in the area. I, for sure, would like to learn more. Do you know if it's a truly ancient site ? Were the Niitsitapi already using horses ? What is the site like ?"

"Wait ! You know the real name of the Blackfoot people is Niitsitapi ?" Nicole interjected.

A more than somewhat educated girl, also. And a smart one, too : she had not taken the bait about a more personal contact, reminding her instead that they were both parts of their respective workforces, and deflecting the conversation away from flirting undertones. She can get the upper hand over me, even if she's not bow-legged at all, Nicole realized.

"I told you I'm really interested in history," the bartender said. "And in archaeology too," she added with a wink.

Did she wink ? Yes she just did. Interested in archaeologists ? Interested in this archaeologist ? Was she flirting ? Or only being nice and carefree ? It took Nicole a few seconds to resume her thoughts, again. Her brain was having hiccups in this young woman's proximity.

"We don't know much about the site yet," Nicole answered. "And I'm not the person who knows best about it. I'm here to manage the material aspect of the dig, I mean, the excavation. I'm very excited about what we can learn here, of course, but we have a scientific director, Professor Lucado, who is in charge of the anthropological research. She's the one you would have to ask. But I promise I'll tell you all I can learn about the place."

She was ready to use any pretext to talk again to this intriguing woman. And if she had a genuine interest in archaeology, Nicole was the right person at the right time, wasn't she ?

"And as far as I know, we didn't plan any special days for visits for the public. It won't be my decision, but I think your idea is a very good one, though…" Nicole said.

The young woman in front of her smiled and tilted her head, moving all her hair on her left shoulder, then yanking the tap handle again with a concerned expression. Nicole was wondering, suddenly, how it would feel to stroke this hair with her hand. Just for a second, in the interest of science !

She couldn't stay much longer. Today was Big Drop Day.

She had been in town for two full days already, getting acquainted with the area without much to do. The first day, she had spent a few hours walking around the site, getting a good look at the stretch of land before the beginning of the excavation. Hills with steep slopes and scattered evergreens, above the typical Albertan bleak plain, barren except for a few groves. Thanks to a rainy weather, the slopes had proven to be quite slippery, and the lower ground to be quite swampy. While she was driving back to Purgatory, tired, with wet and dirty clothes, she had decided to focus on indoor activities for her second day, like adjusting the layout of the future camp according to her personal survey of the place. And washing her clothes at the launderette.

Early this morning, on her third day, she had woken up in her sleeping bag, on her thin mattress, in an almost empty room in the small community center where she slept since her arrival, as a transitory solution as long as the camp wasn't ready. She had showered in the sport facilities of Purgatory High, about one kilometer away, after a jog on the school's tartan tracks. Nicole had made arrangements with the city council several weeks in advance, and had met on her arrival an elderly councillor awaiting her with a set of keys, a welcoming smile, and views to share on the state of the town, the state of society, the state of the state, and a few more topics.

Today was the day several modular buildings were scheduled to be delivered and installed. Dormitories, ablution blocks, portable offices, a power center, a canteen, tool sheds. She had to be present to meet the convoy, observe the installation, and make sure everything would be ready for the following steps. Of course it wouldn't.

During her morning run, pondering over the time she would probably spend in her car, waiting for trucks and cranes, she had noted on her mental to-do list that she had to find some coffee on her way.

"Can I get a cappuccino to go ?" Nicole asked, looking for a reason to linger some more in the saloon.

"Oh, I'm sorry, we're not actually open yet, so the coffee machine is not in working order, and…"

"Oh, my bad !" Nicole said, pretending she had not been aware. "Perhaps later, then. And I could buy you one too ! How about tonight ?" she went on, feeling bold.

Waverly finally stopped trying to fix the defective beer tap, and looked at the taller young woman, with a confused smile. "I have plans for tonight. Yeah, I'm a planner. I'm in a relationship… with a boy… man !" she blurted.

"A boy-man ? Yeah, I've been there." Nicole said with a cheeky grin. "It's the worst. Okay, well, some other time ! I mean it !" she added, taking back her stetson from the counter, and leaving.

The young bartender watched her walk out of the bar, putting on her white hat with a precise gesture.

Then, arranging once again her light brown hair, she lowered her eyes to the counter and picked the business card left on the wooden surface. "Nicole Haught…" she read. "Of course…"



In the street, squinting against the sun, Nicole got slowly back into her station wagon, shaking her head. Asking for a date after less than five minutes, how sensible ! Some other time ! I mean it ! What a ridiculous exit !

She drove two blocks from Shorty's, where she knew she would find an espresso bar. Waiting for her order to be ready, she was still brooding over her lack of tact in the saloon.

This Waverly Earp was young, very pretty, and worked in a bar. Obviously, a lot of customers would come on to her, and obviously she was used to brushing them off. She was also obviously straight. Yeah, Haught, did you know ? Fun fact : many people are straight. Usually, they won't tell you about it right away, though. First they will see if they can trust you.

Furthermore, such outright flirtation was not very professional. To ensure that the archaeological camp could run smoothly, she had to foster as much goodwill as possible among locals. So many things could go awry. She had seldom seen an excavation run for several weeks without a string of accidents, conflicts, and calamities, big or small. Her job was to anticipate those, or find solutions when they would arise. She needed all the solidarity and the potential help she could muster.

She must not alienate people with unwelcome attentions. But what can a girl do when she sees something she likes ? Was I supposed to wait ? No ! At least the brunette had not seemed shocked, she had not reacted like she was offended. Hope. But she had clearly picked up on her intentions, though, and had chosen to mention the boy-man. Un-hope.

After paying for her coffee, on her way back to her car, Nicole allowed herself to let out a sigh of self-pity, then decided to focus on the task at hand. It was going to be a long day. Come on, Haught, you can substitute work for a dating life. It's been quite effective since… let me see…

As Nicole was gloomily trying to remember the last time she had lived something she could genuinely call romance, she started the car, and got out of her parking space on reverse. Her state of mind was making her driving a bit jerky, and she heard her tool boxes jingle in the back of her car.

She recollected herself, and headed out of Purgatory, towards the mountains.

Chapter Text

Waverly woke up with a start. The sun was bright outside, streaming in through the window of her chamber above the bar. A dream had startled her, but any memory of what was happening in it was already fading and escaping from her grasp. She left her warm bed with a wince, still dazzled by the light, and scooted almost blindly to her yoga mat. Breathing deeply, she began the first stances of her morning session.

During yoga, she usually tried to avoid rehashing anything negative. But last night had been a sour one. It was a quiet evening at Shorty's, rolling by rather tediously when Chrissy Nedley had come into the bar, staying at the counter, drinking a beer. Having a chit-chat with Chrissy was in most cases a good moment, but after a while her long-time friend had glanced at her phone, texted quickly, and told her that Stephanie, Rachel and Sonia were going their way. Stephanie and her clique were always doing the same act since high school : they came to see people only to brag and entertain themselves by being casually insulting.

When they did arrive a few minutes later, the conversation had focused rapidly about Steph getting engaged, and the inevitable revelries that were to ensue.

Stretching on her mat, Waverly recalled the remark a tipsy Sonia had made, speaking to Chrissy. "You and Waverly, you two are useful, she can give us free drinks, and then if one of your father's deputies stops us on the road, you can get us out with just a slap on the wrist !" And all of them had laughed. A little too loud, a little too long. Because it was the truth. Because it was exactly what the three young women expected from a bartender and the daughter of Purgatory's sheriff. And Waverly knew that being seen as a way to get out of trouble with the sheriff's office was something Chrissy didn't like.

But Chrissy had answered :
"Well, first of all, you'll have to get a free drink from Waverly. She's been raised by Gus and Curtis, you know…"

Each time Stephanie was around, Chrissy was under her spell, and teamed up with her. Waverly was quite aware that Gus and Curtis were not the most affluent couple of Purgatory. To say the least. But they were living honestly, and had not hesitated to provide for Wynonna and Waverly, even if that meant a real sacrifice for them.

Even during her sister's worst years, even in their angriest moments, they had never even hinted at any regret for taking them both into custody. After this terrible night when a twelve years old Wynonna and her, only six years old, had seen the death of both their father and their big sister Willa, a lot of people had been ready to help and to express sympathy. But as Wynonna's behavior deteriorated rapidly, those persons' initial compassion had become wariness, and then wariness had become contempt. Waverly didn't want to think about what Wynonna's destiny would have been without an unwavering support from Gus and Curtis.

Last night, instead of giving those so-called friends a piece of her mind, Waverly had simply asked Shorty to serve them the next drinks (and make them pay), and had made herself busy elsewhere for as long as the four women were still in the bar. Perhaps she should have said something. But what she had to say involved a lot of profanities and generally not the kind of things she had an habit of saying out loud, and not the kind of things a bartender should say to customers either, come to think of it, she mused as she got on with her exercises.

Of course, much to Waverly's irritation, Stephanie's engagement had made the young bartender think about her own boyfriend. Her romance with Champ Hardy, on-again-off-again since high school, was becoming more and more a situation rather than a relationship. There was no such plan as a marriage with Champ. After closing the saloon, she had taken the stairs to her apartment on the first floor of Shorty's, rather relieved that he had not chosen to show up. Imagine he had come to propose, like Stephanie's dumb boyfriend… ugh ! A shiver ran down her spine. Share a house with Champ ? Perhaps bear Champ's children ? Family gatherings with his dysfunctional folks ? And I know what it means to have problem relatives, believe me, she thought. Being with Champ must be what they call a romantic entanglement.

Champ was big and strong, but that was about all. Well, he can be relaxing, she mused. But what she was doing with her yoga mat right now was relaxing, too, albeit very different. If her apartment was on fire, or, say, attacked by revenants, what would she grab before running for her life ? Champ or the yoga mat ? Well, the latter didn't snore, to begin with. And in such occurrences, the mat would really need help, having no legs and all… Sniggering, she stood up and ended her exercise session, going to the bathroom for a quick shower.

Dressed for the day, and after her breakfast, Waverly went down to the saloon to begin with the morning routine. As usual, the previous night had ended with a thorough clean, but there were always things you saw in the morning light that you couldn't believe you had missed before.

As she was wiping the taps to make them shiny like liquid silver, the one with the wobbly handle burst open, gushing foamy beer over her. By the time she reacted and shut the valve down, her top was soaked, and she had to get back upstairs to change. Shorty was a good man, and more than decent as an employer, but he had a tendency to procrastinate about maintenance issues. She kept telling him he had to fix the darn taps ! And the slanted step in the stairs to her flat, where she had once again almost stumbled on her way down this very morning. And the kitchen's extractor fan, that made noises like someone put carrots in it. And the light above the pool table, that blinked on its bad days like a low-end stroboscope.

She was lucky the tap didn't blow the morning before, when the archaeologist was talking to her while she was doing the same cleaning. It would have been really, really awkward to make a first impression like she was a contestant in a wet T-shirt competition.

In her apartment, she discarded her top in the laundry hamper, and went to her closet to take one of her Shorty's™ long sleeved jerseys. They were comfortable, practical, but a bit too big for her petite frame. She quickly tied up the loose fabric in her back, as usual, before going back to the saloon.

Coming downstairs and going about sorting glasses under the bar, she still had the red-haired archaeologist on her mind. Nicole Haught was the name, she had pined her business card on the cork board behind the counter. She could spot it there right now, next to a few tabs from regulars and various phone numbers scribbled by Shorty on pieces of paper, bits of napkins or strips of wrapping. What was a site manager supposed to do on a excavation site ? She wondered if she was going to see her again soon, so that she could ask her about her line of work.

Archaeology wasn't something Waverly knew a lot about. Her college studies about ancient civilisations and languages had put her in contact with the findings of a lot of diggings, stelae with the tales of past lives, rare or mundane objects left behind in unnumbered graves, temples, battlefields, or basements of houses destroyed by time. Archaeology was the source of a great deal of her knowledge, but she didn't really know how it was done. She had been studying things "found here" or "unearthed there", but the actual methods used by archaeologists were not clear in her mind. The action films, comics and video games with heroes jumping and running around in ruins, centuries-old traps and lurking demons were probably a bit exaggerated.

The presence of a digging site near Purgatory was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about it. Nicole Haught seemed willing to give her some information, and perhaps it would be okay to ask her to see the place. Where was this site, exactly ? Perhaps the manager didn't want people to know ? Was it supposed to be a secret ? I think she will be okay to show me the place if I ask her, Waverly thought.

And when Haught had said that only Professor Whatshername was able to tell what was going on on the site, she had only been prudent. She was careful not to brag about things she would only guess about this Blackfoot settlement. I'm sure she knows as much about archaeology that I know about bartending and alcoholic beverages. And who is Purgatory's flavored sake specialist ? It's Waverly Earp !

The tall young woman had left Waverly with a strange impression. She was a interesting mix of roughness and charm, like the clothes she wore, sturdy, made for working outdoors, but fitting her so well that Waverly knew the archaeologist had bought them knowing she would look good in them. Confident and flirty, this Nicole Haught wasn't coy. She was definitely asking for a date over coffee with her. And the cowboy hat ! Perhaps this was a bit too much, but some would find it alluring… Still, Waverly recalled also her attentive eyes and her honest smile. If she was a good judge of character - and she knew she was an excellent one - there was more to find in the site manager than a strong body and witty banter.

Witty banter. That was one of the many things Champ lacked…

"Looking at you, I had the impression you were daydreaming about Prince Charming," she heard suddenly, said by a husky voice, "but you just made that sad face right now. You must have been thinking about that Hardy boy instead. Well, I've some work for you."

Her aunt Gus had slipped by the kitchen door and was looking at her.

"Hey, Gus ! Are you already back from Big City ? Did you get all the supplies ?" Waverly asked.

"Don't worry, kiddo ! I know you're anxious about those really ripe bananas you asked me to get you. Got them ! Planning another batch of your signature muffins, aren't you ?"

"I will have you know, we have customers coming here specially for my banana muffins, Gus."

"That's true. But a lot more of'em come for the booze. Now come to help me to unload back there"

"Gus, are you trying to say that I should stop making my pastries ?" Waverly asked with a mock whiny tone. "Yeah, tell me how it's hard for you to have to taste them for quality when I get them out of the oven, sooo warm with the scent of hot butter, and looking sooo good, and…" Her aunt was already going back into the kitchen, shaking her head. "I see you, Gus, you know, when you're so eager that you get your fingers burned !" she hollered. "Oh, fudge nuggets, I almost forgot ! Hey ! Gus ! We've got a broken tap !" she remembered, walking fast to catch up with her aunt.

As she was finishing to carry the supplies into the bar, she heard the sound of a message on her phone. A few minutes later, taking a break outside the front doors, she saw it was a text from Chrissy Nedley.

CN : Didn't see you much yesterday. Hope you ended your shift OK. Had a crazy night with Steph and co. What about movie night you and me ?

Waverly texted quickly :

WE : Movie night OK, but late shift for me tonight. Tomorrow ?

Chrissy was ready to answer :

CN : Tomorrow OK. My place ? Choose the movie but please not one of your old films.

WE : You mean not one of my classic movies ? OK I'll find something recent. Wine ?

CN : Wine. See you tomorrow. 7PM ?

WE : Deal. Have a good day !

CN : You too.


Waverly was happy to see Chrissy for a movie night, without Stephanie around making the air toxic. They were going to watch two, perhaps three movies if they were both in the mood to stay up late, drinking a decent amount of wine, making comments about what they would see on-screen… Her idea of fun !

Gus was calling her, she went back inside Shorty's.

Chapter Text

Nicole was sitting with her feet on another chair, eating noodles with chopsticks out of an instant soup, careful to balance the book laying open on her right thigh. She still had five or six days to get everything really running, and had already made a few arrangements today, but right now, she was waiting for someone.

Being alone in a new camp was a sensation that Nicole knew well. She had spent holidays on archaeological sites since the age of sixteen, and she liked the hustle and bustle of a camp accommodating many people, but she also did appreciate the strange feeling of peace in the weekends when no one, or only very few people, would be there. She had realized after a few years that those quiet moments could be experienced, too, in the periods taking place before the proper digging, when a small crew had to prepare the place for a large number of workers, and after it, when it was time to end and close the excavation.

Nicole had proven herself useful for such activities. Useful enough to get a small reputation as a young, up-and-coming site manager. Useful enough to get a decent salary. In fact, Nicole knew she was a relief for archaeologists who didn't like those quiet moments at all. Dull moments ? Scary, lonely, help-I'm-feeling-like-in-a-horror-movie moments ? And her current boss, Professor Lucado, seemed to display all the symptoms of a woman who had better things to do than supervising the set-up of her own diggings.

The day before had been indeed very busy, and not lonely at all. She had spent hours watching the crews during the installation of a dozen modular buildings, and many other elements like a dumpster or cisterns. Thanks to a rather generous funding, the diggers would not have to make do with inadequate lodging and offices. Nicole had also listened carefully to a flurry of technical advice. A lot of it. About wastewater collection and power generator reboot, about fire hazard, about why you don't want to dance on the roof of a modular building, and much, much other things. She had written down all that she could, she had taken photos to annotate them later, even recorded some of the recommendations. To tell the truth, most of those guidance speeches had been clear and short, and that was a blessing.

In the afternoon, she had received a short phone call from Professor Lucado, who wanted to know if everything was OK. It was, surprisingly. Except about a hundred issues. Some of those issues were big ones, like the two missing sleeper units, but she had been promised she would get them before the end of the week. Or like the absence of a laundry on the camp, a problem she had to address quickly. Most of the rest was trifles, but it was easy to get drowned in a hundred of them. Nicole liked this aspect of her mission, having to keep a cool head while juggling multiple tasks. That was the essence of her job.

In the evening, she had returned to the Purgatory community center to sleep, and now she was back among the portable buildings, enjoying the end of a sunny morning, reading a crime novel. She had made a small fire to get the boiling water for her soup. The scent of smoke made her feel like a pioneer of the past. Well, a bit…

The noise of a motor on the road made her raise her head, and she saw a van coming her way. Another pioneer, she thought. Still holding her noodles cup in one hand, she took the book in the other, and stood up. Here comes the cook ! His name was Xavier Dolls, she had never seen him, but she knew he had already been cooking for several other excavations. And he was punctual, showing up exactly at the time he had texted her early this morning. She put her book on the chair and slurped some more of her soup.

The van stopped near one of the offices. In a place where Nicole had decided no car should park, because it was the lane for the supply trucks that would have to come and go for deliveries, water, garbage et cetera. She had some signboards to make about that, before the rush of the next week, but it was not a problem if the path was obstructed now. A young, burly black man got out, walking in her direction with a straight, even stiff posture. Perhaps he had back problems and the drive had taken its toll.

"Hello. Are you Nicole Haught ? I'm Dolls. The cook." he said, lowering his eyes and looking at the ramen noodle cup in Nicole's hand, then calmly looking at her face again. He didn't say anything more, but she felt like she had committed some treason. She put the cup on her chair, and they shook hands.

"Hi, Dolls ! I hope you had no problem while driving here. Do you want to rest, or shall we see the kitchen ? Or do you want to visit the whole camp first ?" Nicole said.

"Let's begin with the kitchen, please." Dolls replied.

He spent about ten minutes examining every appliance, looking at every detail, without saying what he thought about the kitchen he would have to work in. Nicole watched him, saying not much more. Only factual things on the lines of "The butane gas cylinders are not here yet. I hope to get them today, then we can get them connected", or "We have to discuss about where you can buy food around here."

"The sooner the better," Dolls had answered, and "Yeah, sure." A man of few words, Nicole thought.

Dolls went quickly to his van, coming back with a coffee maker and a few mugs. While the java was brewing, they got back out of the kitchen and began to discuss the way meals would be served. Dolls insisted that he wanted to serve the meals just outside his kitchen, even if there was a building that was supposed to be the dining hut.

"Look at this place," he said, "we have a wide, flat place at our disposal, we ought to eat outdoors, weather permitting. The building will be our backup plan."

"What do you have against eating in the hut ?" Nicole inquired. "Perhaps your food smells so good that we will need a lot of fresh air to survive the experience," she added, trying to sound light-hearted, but knowing that she was sounding like a bit of a sneerer. The constrained manners of this man were getting somehow on her nerves.

"That's not the reason. But yes, my food smells good. Eating outdoors will be better than being cramped in a hut, perhaps having to take turns to eat. I prefer that everybody eats together, at the same time. If the tables are just in front of the kitchen, I can get help easily. Anyhow, it's easier to carry the food to the tables. And we won't have to worry about cleaning the floor. And we won't get angry when we will discover that the tables inside the hut have been commandeered for archaeological work. Inevitably." This was the longest speech Dolls had said this far.

"OK," Nicole answered. Let's show him I can be brief, too.

Doll's bearing was not the result of a back problem. He stood there, at the meeting point of the Great Plains and the Rockies, his shoes in a puddle, like a sentry guarding a royal palace. But his point of view about where the meals were to take place was convincing. Sawhorses, planks, perhaps benches to make. Some work for a certain mustachioed craftsman I know, who will be there on Thursday, Nicole thought.

After drinking the very good coffee the cook had made, Nicole was not idle for the rest of the afternoon. She first helped Xavier Dolls to unload his van, and move his things into his room. One of the portable buildings was reserved for the personnel that would stay the whole summer, where she had her own room too, even if she hadn't slept in it yet. All there was in it for the moment was her laptop, charging, she still had to get her own things back from Purgatory's community center. Moving her sleeping gear was on her to-do list for the end of the afternoon.

Nicole spent some time on the phone making sure the butane was coming, and in fact she saw a truck finally delivering it a bit before four o'clock. Even if she was strong enough to move the cylinders by herself, she was pleased to see Dolls materialize suddenly and take part in the transport and the connecting, the latter proving trickier than expected. During the whole gig, Dolls kept his dignified manner. It was well past five when the site manager and the cook finally had the relief to see all the fires of the gas stoves working correctly, and the water running hot in the showers. Dolls was so ecstatic, he smiled for a whole half second.

It was more than time for Nicole to go to Purgatory and fetch her things. She left Dolls at the camp, after he said solemnly he needed to rest.

During her drive to the small town, Nicole was thinking about the cook. The man seemed to know his trade, and he apparently knew how to keep a schedule, another important quality, but he didn't seem to be quite the party animal. Or perhaps he was only a shy boy, and would need time to thaw out. Soon he would be dancing on the tables, shaking margaritas… Nicole chuckled thinking about Dolls turning into a provocative entertainer. She had not seen this side of his personality yet, if said side existed at all.

A good cook is essential to a camp's atmosphere, Nicole reflected while gathering the few things she had left in the community center and putting them in her car. Dolls wasn't there to amuse the diggers, his job was to make good food. It was the cook's mission not only to feed the diggers, but also to keep their spirits high by serving really good grub. The young woman had seen in other occasions how bad food, or even just dull food, could destroy the collective mood on an excavation. Could someone like this Xavier Dolls care about collective mood when he forgot to smile ? Or talk ? That was a nagging doubt in Nicole's mind while she drove away from the community center.

She hoped that Dolls would be at least efficient enough to provide meals the workers would look forward to, especially on those days at work when the weather would be bad, or when arguments and discord would arise. On such moments, if the diggers were to sit at the table to find unsavory food or scanty portions, problems would inevitably escalate. And scanty portions of unsavory food would trigger full-scale mayhem, she thought, when she finally reached Purgatory High and got out of her car. She wanted to have a long shower, and then she would get something to eat somewhere in town.

Worries about the future gastronomy at the Chez Xavier restaurant went away, under the steaming hot water, when she began to think about her evening meal. She had found a small diner where she knew she could get a pretty good Caesar salad. And it was in walking distance of Shorty's saloon, the better option if she wanted to have a beer, in the apparently not very hopping nightlife of Purgatory. She could pass by…

Who are you kidding ? You just want to see her again, she scolded herself.

Well, to be perfectly honest, a certain hazel-eyed girl would perhaps be there working, and it would be the perfect opportunity to give a better second impression than the first one, less flirty, more friendly, without any sentimental agenda.

You know you are going to flirt… She's straight and in a relationship, you must not flirt, Haught. You're going to be clean, professional, reasonable.

She decided she would go there only to prove to herself that she was able to handle the presence of beauty without losing her self-control.

And perhaps Waverly wouldn't even be there.

Well, of course she won't be there.

Still lingering under the hot shower, pressing again and again the button on the wall, Nicole just knew that the beautiful brunette would not be working tonight. It was a rule, when you got back somewhere in hope to see someone again, they were never present. Ever.

Probably Waverly was only in charge of the morning cleaning, and there was a whole team of other picturesque bartenders. It was a saloon, wasn't it ? Nicole could already imagine a crew straight out of a spaghetti western from the seventies, with sweaty faces and various defects, physical and moral. There would be Spotty-Jane, Greg-With-The-Wooden-Peg, an old hag called Tiffany with a greasy apron, and the One-Eyed-Bobs, because why would there be only one One-Eyed-Bob ? To be able to differentiate one from the other, the regulars would have to nickname them, again. You'd be served by One-Eyed-Bob-The-Hunchback on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and by Rotten-Smile-One-Eyed-Bob from Thursday to Saturday.

Yes, that would be just one drink for Nicole, handed by One-Eyed-Bob (the one with the good teeth and the bad back, because tonight was Tuesday night), in a welcoming-but-not-romantic-at-all atmosphere.

About one hour later, after she ate, she walked into Shorty's saloon. There were a dozen people at the bar, and more seated at the tables, some of them eating, and also pool players in the back. A man was working behind the bar. He had the face of a heavy drinker, looking like a aging, embarrassing relative in a wedding movie. Shorty, I presume ? So much for the spaghetti western ambience, then, Nicole thought. The man looked at her as she was approaching the counter.

"Hi ! Are you Shorty ?" the redhead asked, seating. "I'm Nicole Haught," she said after he made a nod, "I came yesterday morning and talked with one of your employees, I'm working for an archaeological dig… Did she tell you about it ?"

"Hello ! Yes, she did. Do you want something to drink ?"

Nicole asked for a pale ale. Shorty went to the taps to fill a glass, and Nicole noticed that one of the taps was dismounted from the counter, the one that was wobbly the day before. Coming back with her glass, the landlord looked calmly at her.

"So you'll be here for the summer, and you intend to use my bar as a hub for throngs of transiting archaeologists, Waverly told me." he said finally.

"Did she really say something about throngs ?" Nicole asked laughing, "I hope it won't be a disappointment for you, but we are only expecting a few dozens of them. Let's say scores of archaeologists to sound optimistic… Are you OK with them coming here so I can collect them easily ?"

"Yes, of course, but there's one condition. It's a saloon here. What you'll have to say is that you come here to round'em up." Shorty said with a serious face, and then a chuckle. Nicole chuckled along. She felt at ease with the landlord, and she was beginning to think that she had made a good choice for her meeting point.

Suddenly, Shorty looked behind her.

"Here she is !" he said, "Hey, Waverly, didn't you promise me there would be hundreds of diggers coming here ?" he asked with a wink. Nicole spun on her stool to find herself face to face with the young brunette that had snuck behind her, now crinkling her eyes and smiling at her.

"Hello and welcome back, Nicole !" she said, playfully nudging Nicole with an empty tray she was carrying.

Waverly had a red and blue top, sporting a huge "Shorty's" on the front, that left bare a notable portion of her midriff. Nicole only had a short glance at the bartender's tummy before quickly looking up again at her face.
Not a tummy. The proper vernacular was abs. The young woman had abs.

Clean, professional, reasonable.

"Hello, Waverly…" Nicole said. An internal panic was sweeping her brain again. Hey ! Words ? Words to say ? Please come back here !  "Er… You remember me ?" she finally managed to utter.

"Well of course I remember you. You came here yesterday, new faces are rare around here, and you're quite a presence, you know ?" Waverly said.

Shoot. Of course she remembers my performance.

"How is your camp doing ? In fact I think I saw one of the portable buildings you were waiting for, passing on a truck yesterday." Waverly continued.

"Yes, they came yesterday, well, almost all. It looks like it's going to be alright. The camp is quite ready now." Nicole answered back, happy to feel able again to play her part normally in the conversation.

The two young women went into a discussion about how the buildings had been placed on the ground by a crane. Waverly seemed to be quite interested in the way it had been organized, and she stayed in front of Nicole after getting back behind the counter. Nicole felt great, speaking of her job with the clever and beautiful woman.

The young bartender had to serve the other customers, of course, and she regularly left Nicole for a few minutes to do so, before coming back and asking new questions about the way they had planned the job, so that they would not be blocked by something they would have already installed. Each time Waverly went away, Nicole was dutifully not looking at her walking around the place, taking orders and refilling glasses. Clean, professional and reasonable. It had been perhaps two minutes since Waverly had left again with a tray full of drinks, when Nicole saw a man coming to the bar holding an empty glass. He was about twenty-five, he wore a denim jacket, and trousers so dirty from long days of use that they were beginning to shine. Trying hard to look casual, he turned to Nicole :

"Hi, I'm Jimmy ! You surely just arrived here because I would remember if I had seen you before…"

"Would you ?" Nicole said, channeling a psychologist with a clinical tone, speaking to a delusional patient in a group therapy. Let's stay calm, she thought, he has to do it, he's been assigned a project for the class he took : picking women up for beginners.

"Well, sure, you look like an angel, so you must come from the sky, er, heaven, you know. I mean, do you come from heaven, because you…"

"Hey Jimmy !" Waverly exclaimed, suddenly back on the other side of the bar, "I didn't have the time to speak with you when you came in. Tell me, is your car already repaired ? You went into that ditch what… three days ago ?" she said, taking the glass from Jimmy's hand, waiting for his answer with apparent eagerness.

"I… I found another car," Jimmy answered, looking uneasy.

"Whose car is it ? Your mother's car, like last time when you drifted because there was ice on the road ? Into a tree, wasn't it ?" Waverly asked, like she was waiting for the whole story.

Oh, crafty lady, Nicole thought, Casanova drove here in his mama's car. And Waverly had just disclosed it for her.

"Waverly, stop, you make it look like I am a bad driver !" Jimmy complained.

"Well, I don't really care anyhow. I've got my own car." Nicole interjected, looking straight into his eyes. That was the moment that Waverly chose to go to the taps, refilling the young man's glass, and placing it on the counter in front of her instead of coming back with it, signaling Jimmy to come to get it with a big, fake smile.

Something happened in the man's brain. Something like lucidity. He left Nicole to get his beer, still mumbling about him being a good driver, and then went away slowly, leaving the two young woman looking at each other with mischievous grins. Nicole mouthed a silent thank you to Waverly, who just shrugged lightly and came back in her direction.

"So tell me, Nicole, I'm wondering if you are doing a full-time job as a site manager, or if you are still studying archaeology. Are you a student at the BCU ?" the young bartender asked.

"It's a summer job for me. I just graduated, but not from the Big City University, and not as an archaeologist. I was studying law, basically…" Nicole said. "Archaeology has always interested me, but I don't really feel like making a career about it. And what I'm doing currently as a manager, not a digger, has much appeal too. I love all the challenges I've got to rise to. Right now, my current problem is dealing with a mute cook."

Waverly was taken aback. "The site cook is mute ?"

"No, not mute-mute ! I mean he is not talkative. Not talkative at all, and I wonder… We will have a lot to do together this summer…" Nicole said, not ready to worry too much about Dolls in front of the pretty brunette.

"Did you try to ask him to make you a meal ?" Waverly enquired.

"No ! Hey, I think it's a very good idea, Waverly !"

The bartender gave Nicole another of her radiant smiles. Nicole felt like she could stare at Waverly's face for hours, and still want to stare some more. Was there a part of this nice, intelligent woman that Nicole could look at without feeling an instant attraction ?

Waverly's hair was catching the lights of the saloon and Nicole was sitting there, wishing to be able to behold such hair in other lights, at other moments. In a sunset. Or on a sunny day under the trees. Or under the falling snow. Or glistening and wet after a very hot and steamy shower and drops of water like beads on her skin and whoa, whoa… down, Haught. Stay calm.

Clean, professional, reasonable.

Suddenly, Waverly fished her phone in the back pocket of her trousers.
"A text from Champ." she said looking up.
"My boyfriend," she explained. And she went away from Nicole to type a message, looking at the screen.

The boy-man, Nicole thought. A timely reminder of the reality. I'm falling for this girl, but when you can't get happiness, you'd better not stand too close, watching it.

Nicole felt very alone all of a sudden. She was. When a middle-aged man sat near her and leaned like he was going to start a conversation with her, Nicole decided she didn't want to deal with him, stood and caught a glance from Waverly. The redhead smiled, raising her open hand in a salute, and said goodnight.

She went back to her car. She still had to drive a little less than half an hour to get back to the camp. It was the first time she would drive by night there. She had to be careful. Clean, professional, reasonable.

The night was so dark.

Chapter Text

After the coffee drinkers of the morning, they made a pretty decent mealtime at Shorty's. With Gus having a lot to do in the kitchen, Waverly couldn't rest for a minute before the lunch crowd was on the wane.

It was about half past two when she saw her boyfriend Champ entering the saloon, with the York brothers in tow, no less. Those two were a few years older than Champ. If she remembered well, they were in fact the same age as her sister Wynonna… The three of them were now lingering near the door, perhaps having second thoughts, or trying to remember why they came in. Not here for muffins, that's for sure, Waverly thought.

Champ had texted her the evening before, right in the middle of her shift, telling her to "come bcz its Dave birthday", prompting her simple answer : "Working". Because she was, like every Tuesday evening. Because her dumb boyfriend didn't seem to be able to remember what days she worked in the evening. Or perhaps he simply didn't care at all.

It was probably that - he didn't care - because he had replied rapidly, urging her to simply leave the bar.

Truth be told, Champ was equally careless about his own work, i.e. when he found someone willing to give him a job. He didn't show up, or left at whim. He only thought about pleasing himself. Employers, they were not amused.

Waverly did remember the exact moment they had been in touch on the previous night, because she was in the middle of an interesting conversation with Nicole when her phone had buzzed. The tall redhead had left, looking a bit sad, while she was answering Champ's messages. The archaeologist (or was she a lawyer ?) was a very sympathetic person, even if she had visibly fleeting moments of confusion. The conversation was easy with her, but for a second she seemed to lose her focus, either closing her eyes or gazing at her strangely. Under the confident persona, Nicole was probably a shy woman. All the more endearing, Waverly reflected.

The brunette mused for a moment about the way she was more concerned about Nicole Haught than she was about Champ Hardy. She was his girlfriend, but she had been only annoyed when he had asked her to come at the birthday party. And once again very satisfied not to hear again from him for the rest of the night.

I'm with Champ, but what am I with him ? I'm in a rut with Champ… I'm fed up with Champ…

And now Champ was back, still chatting with the two other men near the entrance. Waverly had spent enough time working as a bartender, she was able to spot instantly those classic problem customers : the ones who came already drunk. Well, slightly drunk in that case. But the afternoon was only beginning.

Day drinking. Her older sister was a day drinker extraordinaire. At this very moment, Wynonna was probably slightly drunk too, like she always was, but somewhere in Europe. The last news from her sister had come from a small island of Greece, about two months ago. "Hot sun, hot guys, cold beers". Not much for her only sign of life since the winter. What time was it in Greece ? Was it the time when Wynonna was completely drunk ? Under a scorching sun, surrounded by a bunch of male admirers ? Or under a pale moon, surrounded by a bunch of… Waverly shook away those thoughts, and focused back on the bunch of males finally approaching the counter.

She made a smile and a wave.
"Hey, Pete ! Hey, Kyle ! And hey to you too, Champ. How was Dave's birthday party last night ?"

"Yeah…It was cool… Had a lot of fun." Champ replied, looking anywhere but at Waverly.

The York brothers snorted. "A lot !" blurted Kyle and both began to laugh, but Champ glanced at them angrily, before looking to Waverly, steadily this time.

"Tell me about you baby. What have you done yesterday evening ?" he asked her with an easy smile.

Yeah.
The York brothers lopsided grins.
Champ asking for news about her life.

Waverly chose to ignore this.

"Not much. Business as usual, Champ. I reckon you came for a little pool game, am I right ?" she moved on.

"Yes, you are," Champ said. "What are you guys drinking ? Beer ? Beer ? Care to give us three beers, baby ?" And off he went to the pool tables with his friends. If the Kyle brothers were afraid to play gooseberry while Champ and me would share a tender moment, they must be relieved now. We certainly are two lovebirds !

As there were only a few other customers in the bar, Waverly had plenty of time to reflect on the way she was somehow stuck with Champ Hardy. Purgatory wasn't much of a hunting ground for lovers. It was sad to admit that the main advantage of her relationship with the Hardy boy was that it was low maintenance. Their unsaid agreement was that they met only in parties or at the bar. She never went to his family's home. It was very clear that he was not welcome at Gus and Curtis' house. Gus, especially, was not fond of him, even if she never stated anything precisely, she only sneered. Sex happened in Waverly's apartment above Shorty's, after closing time, and Champ had to leave early in the morning, that way the brunette didn't even need to make conversation with him.

Speaking with Champ was like diving in a dark, cold, bottomless pool. Waverly had become very good at avoiding talks with him. Usually, she would let him get drunk on his own, finally yielding to his offensive requests for sex at the precise level of intoxication that suited her, between talkative-drunk-Champ and passed-out-Champ. Between those two states was silent-lover-Champ, and there were nights when it was OK.

Well, Waverly thought, I wish I had much more than that, but who around here could give me more, give me real love ?

Then the door opened with a light crack and Nicole Haught stepped into the bar, making a beeline for her.

Waverly's musings about Champ popped like a soap bubble. Seeing the red-headed archaeologist was a strange happiness for Waverly. In just a few days, the intriguing and melancholic stranger had become a frequent presence in her train of tought. And she was becoming a regular at the bar, too. And she still hasn't tried my muffins, Waverly thought. When she will…

Presently, Nicole was holding a big heavy plastic bag. Waverly noticed the strength of the tall redhead, who didn't lose her balance in spite of the weight.

"Hey, Waverly ! I'm happy to see you here !" the redhead said, smiling. In the afternoon light, Waverly saw that pretty dimples formed on Nicole's cheeks when she made a true smile.

"Hello, Nicole ! What's in this huge bag you're carrying ?"

"Well," the archaeologist said, with a quick glance at the big pouch, "it's a few things I had to buy for the camp. Mainly electric stuff to illuminate the place at night, the camp is pretty dark at night. Our cook - his name is Xavier - has convinced me to make an outdoor dining place. I hope to make something that will feel like a beer garden."

"I'm sure it will be lovely," Waverly said. "Do you want something to drink ?"

"Can I have a coffee ?"

"Yes, you can. You are a cappuccino girl, I recall. You want one ?"

"Yes please," Nicole said. "And as I said last time, if you want one too, I will be glad to offer it to you."

Waverly was precisely hoping such a diversion. And such an occasion for…

"I will have a cappuccino too, then ! Would you care for a muffin with your coffee ?" Waverly proposed slyly.

"No thanks, no muffin, perhaps another day…" Nicole said.

Damn ! Failed for this time, Waverly thought.

She quickly went to the kitchen to say to Gus she would take a little break. Her aunt would keep an eye on the customers, it would be her own break from scrubing the pans. Then Waverly made the two best cappuccino she could, and led Nicole to a booth. The two woman sat quietly for a minute, neither of the two was feeling the urge to say anything. They enjoyed the first taste of the cappuccinos, looking at each other contentedly.

"So, a beer garden ?" Waverly began, raising a eyebrow. "Are you trying to be some competition with our saloon ?"

"Oh ! Only an honest place, serving honest diggers !" Nicole answered playfully.

"I don't know if I can trust ya on this !" Waverly said with her best mock cowgirl accent. In fact, she was not in the mood to play this game of arguing for fun with Nicole. After a few seconds of silent reflexion, she went on : "To be frank, I hope not to be too forthright, but I would like to see your site, if it's all right with you, Nicole. I just keep thinking about this Blackfoot settlement, I'm very interested in that kind of things, could you please let me see the place ?"

"But of course I can show you the place !" Nicole said immediately. "And you will be able to inspect the future beer garden, you must make sure I wont ruin Shorty's saloon," she added with a wink.

But this wouldn't happen today. Waverly still had a long shift ahead of her, and then a movie night with her friend Chrissy, and Nicole had a meeting with Professor Lucado later. They decided they would surely find another time for a visit of the site in the best conditions. After ten more minutes, the site manager left the saloon, hauling her bag, and Waverly went back to her counter.

Just before reaching the doors, Nicole looked back and smiled at the bartender.

I'm sure we will become good friends, Waverly thought.

At the pool tables, Champ asked her, by gesture, for three more beers. A second round this fast, this early was a dark omen for the way the afternoon would roll by. Boys will be boys, she sighed internally as she went to serve them the beers and take back the empty glasses. Anyhow, she would not be with Champ tonight. She began to ponder about what movies she would bring for her evening with Chrissy.



Meanwhile, on her ride back to the camp, Nicole was half scolding herself, half giving herself kudos.

The scolding Nicole had the voice of an old chaperone : "You want to spent time with the pretty girl. What were you doing at Shorty's ? Yesterday, you decided to get some distance. And today you're back at the saloon. Where do you think it's heading ? Never fall in love for a straight girl. In the end, you will only make a fool of yourself. Stop pretending you're only looking for a friend, you're not deceiving anyone !" Scolding Nicole was a pain in the neck.

The enthusiastic Nicole was singing a very different song : "Excellent control, you didn't woo her again since the first encounter, you're so friend-zoned you should get a special award about it ! And she likes you, it's clear ! She is such a great girl ! Whoop ! It will be a marvelous summer in her company !" Enthusiastic Nicole didn't know very precisely what she wanted, but she was enjoying the ride, especially since Waverly had asked to come to see her. Or the camp, or the site. Same thing, didn't matter.

Nicole was a bit schizophrenic, if you had to be really honest. Or simply a bit in love.



One hour later, Nicole was essentially feeling boredom and a little anger. Professor Lucado had been waiting for her at the camp, not Nicole's fault, it was Lucado who had come earlier, but clearly to get rid of their meeting sooner. Lucado had greeted Nicole at her return from Purgatory with a sour face, like she had been living la vida loca in town. She was buying electrical equipment ! (and okay, having a cappuccino with an Very Interesting Person…)

They had driven to the site, where Lucado told her she wanted to begin with several test diggings to try to get a better understanding of the importance of the Blackfoot settlement. The discussion was stopped several times by Lucado looking at her phone, checking for notifications and sending messages.

Lucado seemed quite satisfied about the way Nicole had been organizing things. She didn't really care about the camp, apparently. She announced to Nicole that she had made her how arrangements for board and lodging in Purgatory, in an elderly couple's house where she would rent a room for the summer. One more free room in the camp, Nicole thought.

"I've been discussing about our excavation with a few people around here, of course, and many of them have been interested about it, some asked if we were planning to organize events so they could visit the site…" Nicole said, looking at the professor's face to gauge her reaction.

Nicole thought it was better to ask Lucado about visiting days making it seem like a issue of general interest. It sounded better than saying "I met a gorgeous girl I would like very much to impress, and she gave me a great idea." In fact, Nicole was feeling a bit guilty about this. This was Waverly's idea. Of course visits of excavations were not uncommon, but nevertheless Nicole felt an urge to acknowledge the input of Shorty's radiant bartender.

Lucado pursed her lips.

"I don't see the point of doing such a thing," she answered back. "What is our interest in this ? We've got to be cautious about too many people knowing the exact place of the diggings. We don't want treasure hunters, mystics or vandals on the place."

Does she really think people won't know where we are working, in a small town like this ? I would bet half Purgatory's population will be able to find their way to the dig, even on a moonless night, before the end of next week, Nicole thought, but she was not going to try to dispel the professor's illusions.

"We dig, we analyse, we publish. It's a university research." Lucado went on, "I know what you think, Nicole, you would like to involve the locals, let them satisfy their curiosity, but we are a scientific mission, not a roadshow."

No, you don't know what I think, Professor Lucado, Nicole reflected, looking at her boss as she was once again fishing her phone out of her coat. And it was for the better if Lucado wasn't fully aware of what was on her mind, because her motivations were less pure than she would care to admit. Even if she was sure it was a good thing to associate more people from Purgatory with the excavation, she was only eager to involve one very precise local.

"We should talk about the road to the site, some parts are potentially dangerous, especially if the weather turns bad," Nicole said, moving on. "I think we should make an effort to make the surface more solid, before we get vehicles stuck in the mud. I would like to divert a few diggers into this for a day or two."

Lucado hummed, eyes glued to her phone's screen, probably not really listening to what Nicole was telling her. The redhead turned to Dolls, who was piling some wood near the fire ring. He looked at her, then at Lucado, with a inscrutable face. Nicole had hoped he would chime in something to get Lucado back with them, but he didn't seem to be thinking about doing that in the foreseeable future.

"So it's OK then, about the road ?" Nicole enquired.

"Mmm." Lucado stated.

"I… I'll be right there if you have anything else to tell me." Nicole said, before drifting to the kitchen, intending to make herself some fresh coffee. But the pot was full, smelling very good like every time Dolls had been making it. How was he able to make a beverage so different while using the exact same ingredients ? Nicole would have to spy him. Or perhaps she could just ask him. She poured herself a mug and walked towards the fire ring where Xavier had lighted a small fire.

Lucado was already leaving, only yelling a goodbye in their general direction. Did she even speak to Dolls about his work ? Nicole wondered.

Dolls was whisking eggs in a big bowl, adding thin bits of vegetables and spices in the mix. He put a pan on the fire.

"Would you like some omelette ?" Dolls asked.

"Yes, please !" Nicole agreed eagerly, remembering Waverly's advice about the cook. Let him cook you a meal…

The omelette was ready just a few minutes later, and the cook made slide a slice in the redhead's plate. After the first bite, Nicole paused and looked at the young man, nodding in appreciation. It was very, very good. Even a simple dish like this was proving that Dolls knew his job. She ate the rest quickly, realizing she had been quite hungry.

"Hey, Dolls," she said, "you make a pretty decent coffee, I noticed. Would you care to teach me how to make it myself ?"

"Easy. I will show you. But first, do you want seconds ?" Dolls answered, holding the pan.

"I think I do, Mr Dolls, I think I do."

Chapter Text

Randy Nedley, sheriff of Purgatory, had a demanding job. It involved sitting at his desk looking grumpy, attending Shorty's saloon happy hour, and making sure someone did respond to the various calls for help that reached the sheriff department. As the PSD was short on personnel, it frequently involved driving himself to enquire into the quirky events that seemed to happen a little bit more often than expected in this community.

Waverly knew that when an order for two burgers and fries came from the sheriff's office a good two hours after lunchtime, it meant several things :
1 - Sheriff Nedley had been forced to go somewhere, and had not been yet able to eat,
2 - He was hungry, hence extra grumpy and would only be soothed by the view of a complimentary muffin,
3 - Waverly was not to say anything to the sheriff's daughter about this meal. Chrissy was trying to persuade her father to have a more healthy diet, but his stance on the matter was different. Officially, if her friend asked, Waverly was ready to swear she had seen Randy Nedley only licking a dried apricot for his lunch.

As she was walking out of the sheriff's office after delivering the burgers, she saw across the road a strange vehicle coming. It was an old, pink, very pink, Lincoln of the 1970s towing a utility trailer, and carrying a bundle of very long poles fastened on a roof rack. The poles, slim wooden poles more than six meters long, were jutting out from both the front and the rear of the car. Several big cylindric bags were also stacked on the roof rack.

The driver seemed to be struggling with their car, or looking for directions, driving slowly past Shorty's, and suddenly deciding to park alongside the sidewalk. From where she was standing, Waverly could hear the screeching noise of tires scraping against concrete. The Lincoln apparently stalled, and came to a halt with one last jolt. Two men got out, stood a few seconds having a stretch and observing the street, and then walked into the saloon.

Glancing from side to side, she made sure there was no other car coming before running across the road. When she pushed Shorty's doors, the two newcomers were just sitting down in one of the booths against the wall. Like most people that came into Shorty's for the first time, they were taking in the many details of the place that made its special, welcoming atmosphere.

Waverly went behind the counter, looked around to see if anyone was waiting to order something. After serving drinks to three customers, she turned again to the two men from the pink Lincoln, who had been reading the menu and had now a decided look. She took the notepad and a pen, and approached the newcomers.

What would have those gentlemen ?

"Hi ! I see that you serve mac and cheese, don't you ? I'll have one, with a small bottle of water to drink, please," the younger of the two men said. "You spoke about a beer and a burger," he added, turning to his companion. "Is it still what you want, because if you changed your mind I'm totally cool with that, they have a whole lot of other foods and drinks here, look at this list ! Hey, check this out, do they really have basil muffins as today's special? I wonder what they taste like ! Well, silly me, they taste like basil…"

The man speaking was very, very cheerful, with a light brown skin and beautiful curly black hair suggesting familial origins somewhere near India. Waverly noticed he wore a necklace with the bubble vial of a spirit level held at both ends, as a pendant.

Well, not really a pendant since it's horizontal. Well, it's not really horizontal since the bubble is not right in the middle. Oh, get a grip, Waverly Earp !

The second man was tall and slim, and his complexion pointed to a mainly European ancestry. In fact, Waverly thought he looked like a European ancestor himself, sporting a huge mustache and a soul patch, like a frontiersman of the old days. The Lincoln must be his. He has gotten hold of this ride sometime between the nineteenth century and today, Waverly thought.

The first visitor was still rambling about the menu, until he was interrupted by his friend raising a hand in a relaxed way :

"My dear Jeremy," the tall man said with a slow drawl, "I beg you to have some consideration for the concerns of this young lady whose time you are consuming liberally, while you speculate about the specialities of this honorable establishment. As for me, like I did declare, any light beer and a very classic burger should suffice, if you please."

Waverly went to the kitchen to hand over their order to Gus, after coaxing the young man called Jeremy into giving a try to a basil muffin. One of her basil muffins, she just knew he would soon be asking for another. She made a trip to the taps, then to the fridge to get their drinks, carried them to their table, and went back to the counter.

A few minutes later Gus rang the bell to signal the meals were ready and Waverly was greeted with smiles when she brought the hot plates to the two travelers.

From behind the bar, the young bartender was still observing the two men from time to time, while she was making everything clean and orderly behind the counter, since her shift was ending in the next half hour, to be replaced by Shorty. Her boss was already here, chatting in the kitchen with Gus.

The man named Jeremy had visibly appreciated the basil muffin, if one could judge by the sounds he had made eating it.

Waverly was coming back from collecting a few empty glasses and used napkins in the back of the room, when she saw Nicole Haught standing next to the two men's table. In her rugged way, she was dressed appropriately for a sunny day, with black jeans and a sleeveless t-shirt. Her athletic frame was on full display. And she wore her cowboy hat !

"Hello, Nicole !" Waverly said, coming closer, "How are you doing today ?"

The two women stood for an instant just smiling to one another, until Nicole seemed to remember about the two men sitting there, who where both looking at them.

"Waverly, those two men are Doc," and the mustachioed man gave a nod, "and Jeremy." Nicole said, pointing to each of them. "They come here for the whole summer too, and will be two essential pillars of our excavation."

Her assertion prompted various noises and gasps from the two newcomers, trying to look modest but grinning from ear to ear.

"I wasn't sure of my schedule today, it was safer to tell them to meet me here," Nicole said, blushing noticeably for a reason Waverly couldn't quite make out.

Waverly felt suddenly the urge to follow those three people. Her shift was nearly over…

"Nicole, you told me yesterday you were okay to let me visit the site, and your camp," Waverly said.

"I'm still okay with that," Nicole said.

"I'm almost done here," she continued boldly. "Do you think it's a bad time to show me around? I could follow you in my car, and have a peek. I won't bother you for long, I have to be back here around six."

"You know what ? I can drive you to the camp and then drive you back here. I have to come back in Purgatory this evening too, I have some of my things still left at the community center, I must take it all and clean the place."

"Okay ! I will just tell Shorty I'm leaving," Waverly said, walking briskly to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, the young woman and Shorty came out of the kitchen together, the landlord taking his place behind the bar. As he turned his head to look at Nicole, Nicole smiled at him and said hello across the room.

At the last moment, Jeremy asked Waverly if he could buy a few more muffins to go. Waverly was happy to oblige, and made another trip to the kitchen, coming back with two paper bags. She gave one to the young man, and kept the second with her.

They left Purgatory, Waverly sitting in Nicole's car, Doc and Jeremy in the pink relic following them. Nicole told Waverly that Jeremy was the excavation techie (whatever it meant) and Doc was "well… Doc, you'll see".

After a few kilometers out of town, they left the main road for a gravel road heading towards the big hills.

"So the site is in those hills, Nicole ? Do you know my family has an old house not very far from here ? We call it the Homestead, in fact, it's the house I used to live in when I was a little girl…"

"Did you ? And were do you live now ?" Nicole asked back.

"Mainly above the saloon. There's a whole lot of room on the first floor. Tell me, when you told me the other day that you were a law student… I was wondering if you will become a lawyer ?"

"No, not a lawyer," Nicole answered. "I plan to become a cop," she stated with a little wince.

Waverly understood well why Nicole felt suddenly awkward. She must have the experience of people getting colder when she shared that piece of information.

"I can easily imagine you being a cop, and a good one !" Waverly said quickly to dispel any doubt in the redhead's mind. In fact Waverly could picture Nicole sporting a police uniform, driving a patrol car like she was driving her station wagon at the moment, calm and focused. "So you will enter an academy after the summer, will you ?" and as Nicole nodded, Waverly felt compelled to ask :

"Why aren't you celebrating, having a true vacation ? I mean, you graduated, and now you are on a summer job…"

"Well, first I need the money," Nicole answered, "and I like this job. If I guess correctly, I probably won't be able to do it again for a long time. And it's a good experience for the future cop I am. It's not only running after bad boys, it's also knowing how to coordinate things in a community, being involved with people, taking responsibilities. I feel better doing this than being drinking in Florida."

They were approaching the camp, and soon they parked in front of a portable building. As they got out of the car, they watched Doc and Jeremy stopping nearby. A black, handsome young man came out of another hut, that Nicole introduced to everybody as "Dolls, the cook". Dolls the cook greeted everyone and then drifted away back into the building he came from. Waverly gave a knowing glance at Nicole, who shrugged and nodded, implying that she wasn't worrying anymore about her taciturn coworker.

After a quick survey of the area, Doc asked them all for a little help to carry his strange cargo of poles and bags at a stone's throw from the rest of the camp. It was a tipi !

"My habitation on this camp, suiting both the place and our occupation," Doc stated.

With the help of Jeremy, Doc unpacked several ropes, and after making obscure calculations and markings on the ground they began to assemble the three sturdiest poles to form what they called the tripod. Nicole asked them if they needed further help from her and Waverly, and as they assured her they didn't, the two women drove on the trail to the future digging site.

"There is not much to see, you know, it's just a hill slope," Nicole said to Waverly, gesturing towards a nondescript sector as she stopped the car.

"How do you know there's even something here ?" Waverly asked once they were out of Nicole's ride.

"An old hiking enthusiast came to the Big City University a few years ago and told one of Lucado's colleagues that he had spotted the traces of an old building, like the Indians did, he said. They came here to have a look and they did find the remnants of a Blackfoot corral and some sort of ditches. They are pretty sure it's a part of a large settlement that was used regularly, like a seasonal camp. What they were doing here, we don't know yet."

"It's exciting, you'll solve a mystery," Waverly responded. "It reminds me an article I read about places were archaeologists were having a hard time guessing what ancient people had been doing in the past, because what they were doing was mainly waiting, you know, waiting for hunting parties to return, or for wild herds to migrate."

"I gather you know a lot about such matters, Ms Earp."

So Nicole remembered her family name… Well, she remembered Nicole's. Haught ! A part of her brain was cranking out jokes about this name. When Nicole had said she wanted to be a cop, she had instantly thought about Haught-Pursuit. But Nicole was probably fed up with that kind of jokes, and Waverly didn't want to annoy her.

"The slope of this hill is quite uneven…" Waverly went on, quite aware that she was rambling, "there's this caved in area over there, do you see, just below the pines ? What were they doing precisely here ? I mean why right here and not elsewhere in the area ? What's special here ?"

Nicole was looking at her, clearly impressed. "You would be a good recruit for our diggings, Waverly. You have an eye for those things !" the tall woman said, smiling. "You see this little pond in front of us, Waverly ? I reckon it was already here. Perhaps it was even bigger ? For the moment, I'm wondering if we are at the limit of an ancient lake." Nicole added.

That woman is as much an archaeologist as the others, Waverly thought. She's here to manage the camp, but she understands the research too !
 
After a while wandering around the place, they settled on a fallen tree trunk that was laying on the ground, and gazed at the scenery. A warm breeze was swaying the reeds of the pond and the foliage around them. Waverly was feeling good, very relaxed. She had been proud to show to Nicole that she wasn't just a silly bartender, and she was happy that Nicole seemed genuinely interested in what she said. Occasions to share ideas about history where scarce in Purgatory.

A noise made Waverly glance at their right as a big bird took flight above the reeds. White, with a long neck, it flapped its wings in an effort to lift itself, and then began to fly towards them, slowly, in the light of the late afternoon, like it had all the time in the world.

Waverly looked at the bird, its neck now coiled up for the flight, the long yellow bill, and the black legs, extended behind the rest of its silky white body. She knew what species of bird it was. She put her hand on Nicole's forearm, squeezing it gently to get her attention. Nicole was staring at the bird, not making any move that could startle it.

"It's a great egret !" the two women whispered at the same time, in perfect unison.

Ooh ! She likes birds too !

The egret flew past them about twenty meters away, heading to their left. The moves of its wings were full of power and grace, but at such a low speed that one had to wonder how so big a bird could maintain a perfect course, so smoothly, without the slightest wiggle.

As the bird was about to reach a clump of high herbs, now some two hundred meters from Nicole and Waverly, it glided down to land, and disappeared.

Grinning, Waverly turned to Nicole, who was now looking at her with a big, soft smile. Looking in each other's eyes, they shared without a word the joy to watch such a simple beauty. Waverly realized she still held the forearm of the taller girl sitting at her side. She could feel lean and firm muscles under the soft, warm skin. She slowly loosened her hold, and felt a light tingle when the contact stopped.

They parted their gazes, and the silence lingered for a peaceful minute. Waverly was dreamily taking in the landscape, taking note of the smells in the wind, a bit of bark and sap from the trees, and a bit of dusty and a bit of damp from the soil, and a bit of sugary vanilla coming from the redhead close to her, looking at the sun still well above the horizon, still a couple of hours before the sunset… Shoot ! It's time to go !  The brunette made an effort to shake away her reverie, she had to get back to the town for her shift at Shorty's.

"Nicole. Hum, I'm sorry, but I have to leave, you know, you told me you would drive me back…" she said.

Nicole took a few seconds to come back from her how thoughts, then stood up. "Of course ! Shall we go right now ? I just need to make sure I've got the keys of the community center with me, I think I left them in the glovebox…" she trailed away as she began to make towards her car.

Waverly followed Nicole to the station wagon. A few steps behind, she could appreciate the tall archaeologist's walk. She was fit, with strong but slim, long legs.

Waverly's brain really made something like the ripping noise of a needle scratching a vinyl record. Nicole was making her feel… interested. It was not a neutral gauging glance from a woman to another, she had just been male-gazing Nicole. Well, first of all, technically I was female-gazing, she thought, unsettled.

Nicole walked along the passenger's side of her car, and opened the front door. She looked quickly into the glovebox, pocketed the keys she was looking for, then stood waiting, still holding the door.

"My pleasure, milady !" Nicole said, with the stiff nod of a butler in a period drama, then with a wide smile showing her charming dimples, as Waverly got into the car.

Nicole sat in the driver's seat and started the car. They drove in a comfortable silence towards the camp. Lowering her eyes, Waverly saw the bag she had left in the car.

"What about a little muffin, Nicole ?" Waverly proposed, "I bake them myself… it's basil flavored, so I don't know if you like basil…"

"I love basil, but I'm not used to taste it in a muffin. I think I'll try it !" Nicole said.

Waverly looked carefully at Nicole when she took her first bite. She saw the taller woman's eyes open wide, and she moaned.

"It's very good ! Very good, Waverly ! Gosh !" Nicole said to the brunette, who was inwardly bowing to a cheering crowd, a toque on her head…

When they reached the camp, they saw Doc apparently struggling with the tipi cover, moving the fabric to avoid wrinkles.

"Going back to Purgatory !" Nicole yelled to Jeremy who was walking between two huts with his left arm passed through several rolls of electrical wiring of different colors. Jeremy just waved in return.

"So what do you think of all this, Waverly ?" she asked after a few more minutes of silent driving. "You seem to be in a pensive mood, suddenly."

"I think your camp is quite big. When will all the students arrive ?" Waverly asked, disclosing only a part of her reflections.

"Tomorrow is Friday, and I'll be waiting for only two more persons to come. The beginning of the weekend will be quiet, but between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, about thirty people are going to show up. If I remember well, we are supposed to be thirty-seven on Monday evening, but there will probably be some unexpected changes. Some will call to say they will make it only on Tuesday, some others won't show up at all. We'll see…"

"So I suppose Shorty's will be full of Indiana Jones wannabes on Monday, then !" Waverly teased.

"Hey ! Do I look like an Indiana Jones wannabe ?"

"Well, there's your hat…" Waverly said with a cheeky grin.

"It's not the same hat ! Indiana Jones doesn't have a stetson ! Ah !"

"Yeah, yeah ! Big difference !"

"You don't like my hat."

"No. I like your hat, Nicole. It's just that… I'm wondering why you wear this type of hat."

"Well, I probably love a bit too much western films, and a big hat is a good thing when you work outdoors, you know. If you come to see us when everybody will be here, you will see every kind of hats : baseball caps, berets, straw hats, bucket hats, you name it ! Once, I worked with a gal who had an Asian hat, you know, like in the documentaries about the rice fields." Nicole said.

"You mean one of those conical hats ?" Waverly asked.

"Yes. She said it was very comfortable and practical. I remember that when it was very hot, she poured water on it from her bottle, to cool the brain, she always said. And by the way," Nicole added with a more serious tone, "I really hope you will come back to see us."

"Oh, I probably will. I had a good time." Waverly answered quickly. The rest of the ride to town was spent speaking about a few eccentric archaeologists Nicole had worked with, especially those sporting uncommon clothes. Diggers seemed to be quite often unconventional people, and Nicole had a very funny way to describe the most bizarre ones.

Now they were entering the town, and soon enough Nicole stopped the car in front of Shorty's saloon.

Waverly opened her door, "Do you fancy a drink inside ?" she asked Nicole, and she saw her hesitate, but Nicole finally shook her head with a half-smile. No dimples this time, Waverly noted.

"Well, then thanks again for showing me the site, Nicole, and for the ride, too ! Hope to see you around soon !"

"It was a pleasure, Waverly. Good evening." Nicole said.

And then she left.

Waverly watched the car going away, feeling a bit disappointed by this rather abrupt end to a pleasant excursion.

Then she turned towards the saloon's doors, and walked inside with a big smile.

Chapter Text

Many, many things to do today, and again tomorrow, but for the moment Nicole was focusing on the sensation in her neck, her still damp hair kept cool by the morning wind. Her hands were warm around her coffee cup, and she was looking at the scenery around the camp, and at Doc across the table. He had emerged from his tipi just as she came back from her morning run. She still had a lot to discover about the tracks around the camp, some roads used by farmers, some paths in the wilderness that often were dead-ends, ending in bogs or disappearing in the shrubs.

"A very pleasant morning, I must say, Nicole. Was the shower as invigorating as your early jog ?" the tall man in front of her said, bringing her back from her musings.

"It was, thank you," Nicole answered, not willing to complain about the tepid water. "What about your night ?"

"Oh, my sleep was deep and I woke to the sounds of nature, what more can a man ask for ? In only a few days, there will be much agitation around here. So we are waiting for Rosita and this other guy, with the big truck. At what time are they supposed to reach our humble settlement ?" Doc enquired.

"The time is as early as possible, it's not very definite I know…" Nicole replied. She didn't feel like going into long explanations before the caffeine kicked in.

"I'm looking forward to seeing Rosita Bustillos again, it has been about a year since we last worked together," Doc said, gazing at the horizon just like he had known her in another life. "The other fellow - Loony is it ? - I know nothing about, I must confess."

"His name is Lonnie, and I don't know much about him. Lucado told me that he is a well meaning guy, which sounded a bit weird. Where did you meet Bustillos ?"

"You will soon call her Rosita, like everybody else - not really a sweet girl, mind you, but a dependable one. I don't really remember where we met for the first time. We have been together on about half a dozen digs."

Voices were coming their way, and they looked to the buildings as Jeremy and Dolls appeared, walking at some distance and talking animatedly about the main technical issue of the moment : no phone, no internet.

"So I guess the internet is still not working ?" Nicole asked loudly, waving her arm to make them approach.

"No, it isn't. I spent most of the night testing the hardware, and it works." Jeremy Chetri asserted, and his strained face showed indeed that he had not slept much. He looked tired, but still had this spark in his eyes that rarely left them. "It's a programming issue, and at this stage, I basically need the internet to help me put together the internet."

"Excuse us laymen, but what do you mean exactly ?" Dolls interjected.

"I need to get somewhere with good internet connexion, to consult people and documentation, and test the relay. When it's working, I come back here, I reboot the relay, and we have warp-speed wifi, it will be internet-a-palooza. I expect a Seoul-grade connexion !" Jeremy said, smiling in anticipation.

"So you need someone to drive you to Purgatory." In Nicole's brain, a Las Vegas-sized neon sign had lit. It read Pretext To Get In Touch With Waverly. Shorty's must have wifi. It has to have wifi.

"We can get you there later in the morning." Nicole went on. "My plan is : we wait for the truck, we unload it, and when we go back to Big City to find supplies for Doc, we drop you en route at Shorty's saloon…"

"Yeah ! Muffins !" Jeremy shouted, spooking everyone.

"And then we get you back… when we come back, I reckon. That means several hours in the saloon. If they have wifi…" Nicole trailed off.

"Hey, Jeremy, why did you shout something about muffins ?" Dolls asked.

"There's a girl that works there, she makes the best muffins…" Jeremy said. "Yeah, I tasted them too, they are out of this world !" Nicole said perhaps a bit to fast. She cleared her throat. "So Doc, we are speaking of tables and benches for the open-air dining area," she said nodding towards Dolls, "can you guys think about anything else ?"

"We need a shelter, and probably storage boxes at the site." Doc answered immediately. "Do you remember the Grassy Lake diggings ?" he asked, reclining on his chair. "Two solid weeks of rain and twenty fine men and women huddling together under a tarpaulin ! Oh what a joy it was ! But still I'd rather avoid a similar fate here. Don't you ? The practical thing to do is to have at least one big strong shelter right next to the excavation, and since it seems that we can't get one there, we have to build it. And we must be able to move it if we have to… it as to be dismantled easily."

"OK, Doc. You are in charge of the design, we all know you're the best here for this task. What supplies do we need to get to make all this ? I want a list, and I want it before the end of the morning, so we can go to Big City this afternoon with the truck. And that way tomorrow we will only have to fetch what we will have forgotten."

"A list ? You didn't even say please, I must point out…" Doc said, smirking.

"OK." Nicole took a breath and, with the booming voice of an herald in a cheesy medieval movie : "All hail Doc-the-Builder, whose upper lip no one ever saw, and please let him be magnanimous enough to bestow on us his Sacred List of Supplies !"

Nicole was pleased to see that Jeremy and Dolls played along, whining loudly like supplicants.

Doc couldn't help laughing. "That will be enough praise, Nicole Haught, and you too, my dear fools. Tables, benches, shelter, storage trunks… I need an hour or so without disturbance, and there will not be anything forgotten." He filled again his mug with coffee, and walked back to his tipi.

After both Dolls and Jeremy excused themselves and went to their own businesses, Nicole decided to drive to the potholes. The potholes on the road to the site, that she wanted to have mended, but how exactly ? She was looking at a nasty cleft made by rainwater that threatened to turn into a canyon if the weather turned bad, when her phone ringed. Lucado.

"Hello, Professor Lucado," Nicole said. "Where are you ?"

"Er, for the moment I'm in Big City, I have some work to do at the university. Listen, you told me you had many contacts in Purgatory, right ?"

"Yes, ma'am," Nicole answered carefully. Where is this heading ?

"I told you I have rented a room in town, in a house owned by the Blanks, Gareth and Bill Blank. Do you know them ?"

"No, ma'am", Nicole said again, wondering if her boss expected her really to know already the whole population of Purgatory.

"I spent the night there, and it won't do, finally. It's too noisy. Perhaps you know people in town that could find another place for me ?" Lucado said casually, as if Nicole was her personal assistant.

"Well I sure can ask, professor," Nicole replied. And suddenly it's a good thing to mingle with the locals, eh ? "I'll try to find you a proper accommodation," she went on, trying to sound calm and confident. The Pretext neon sign was lit again. Nicole had barely enough mental strength not to run to her car, yelling "I go fix that now !" into her phone, and drive at full throttle on the road to Purgatory. Her attraction to the petite brunette was something unusual, that she found hard to keep under control.

However, Lucado's problem was not really urgent. And Nicole felt a growing dislike of her boss. After all she could sleep at the camp, too… And by the way, if she had slept in Purgatory last night, how come that they had not seen her ? Nicole decided to put aside this mystery for the time being.

"We plan to go to Big City today, too, Professor," Nicole told Lucado, beginning to explain what they intended to achieve before the weekend. But the redhead soon realized that her boss was not feeling any interest anymore in the conversation, only dropping random monosyllabic words, uhs, hums, and yeahs, from time to time. When they were face to face, she was hypnotized by her phone, and when they were speaking on the phone, what was she doing ? So much for my delusion of being entrancing, Nicole thought. The call ended with vague hints from Lucado about coming on the next day.


It took one more full hour before the truck they were waiting for finally made its way into the camp. The driver got out of the cab first. She was a brown-haired woman, apparently very pissed. She walked briskly to Nicole, introducing herself :

"You must be Nicole ? I'm Rosita. Hello. We're a little late, my copilot had problems with the navigation." she said, rolling her eyes. "Let me guess, Doc is inside this thing over there…" she said, pointing to the tipi.

"You're right ! Welcome here, Rosita !" Nicole said, but the woman was already gone, treading angrily to the tipi. Well, another success for my magnetic self, I'm at the top of my game today, Nicole mused. She approached the truck, going to the passenger door.

"Hello, you are Lonnie, aren't you ?" He was. The man was absorbed in the study of a road map.

"Rosita told me you had problems finding your way ?"

"Yeah, we got lost two or three times." Lonnie answered quietly. "But the maps are bad, and I couldn't zoom on my phone's GPS…"

"Okay, we now have to unload this truck", Nicole said, eager to move on. "But you should go over there, in the kitchen, and ask Dolls to show you your room." She shouted to call Doc, and opened the back doors of the truck. It was full of working gear, wheelbarrows, racks of shovels, bags of trowels, hard hats… A digger's treasure.

Doc soon came and helped her taking everything out of the truck.
"I daresay Rosita will reappear only after a little rest, if it's not too much inconvenience," he said.
"I did think about this shelter we have to build…" Doc added. "I have been on a lot of excavations in my long life, so you have to answer only one question, Nicole : do we have the money to actually buy building materials, or will we rely on scavenging, begging and petty theft, as we archaeologists usually do ?

"Well, Doc, we are in luck, in fact we are in the best situation we could imagine, for I've got money and an absentee supervisor."

"Money… that is indeed a rare thing in our line of work, I have to admit." Doc said pensively. "You know, I wanted so much to experience utter lack of funds in my job that I once thought that I would have to go on the stage and become a starving actor. But archaeology does the trick, too."

"And we don't get annoyed by fans, or celebrity… That's a relief !" Nicole joked along.

"Indeed it is. Do you know, Nicole, that I plan to spend my next vacation at the bottom of a well to ensure I get all the loneliness and obscurity I crave ? As for our dear Professor Lucado, spending the summer with us was probably not her first choice…" Doc said finally.



It was almost noon when they finally reached Purgatory on the way to Big City. Nicole was driving the truck, not even willing to know what Doc could do if he took the wheel. John Henry 'Doc' Holliday had many talents, knew many trades and crafts, but car mechanic was not among them, and he was a terrible driver. Jeremy was on the third seat of the cab, a cardboard box on his knees containing a dozen of electronic appliances. The young technician didn't seem to be able to drive any vehicle, a very distinctive attribute among the general population of Alberta.

They parked the truck and went into Shorty's. The landlord was there, helped by a grey-haired lady that Nicole didn't know. The redhead was disappointed when she realized that her favorite hazel-eyed bartender was nowhere to be seem in the room. After asking if wifi was available in the saloon, and it was, Jeremy found himself a comfortable booth and opened his laptop, already looking for a solution to their problem.

"We don't have much time, Nicole, we should get going to Big City right now." Doc said behind Nicole, with a soft, slow voice.

He knows. Nicole understood it would be pointless to argue with Doc, who clearly had psychic abilities. How did Doc know about her little crush, and since when ? Since yesterday, first second he saw us, dummy ! Your cunning plan to lure Jeremy and Doc to the saloon to get an excuse to come and see Waverly was transparent. Doc was not the kind of guy who would tease, or mock her about this, but now he had to recall her to the job they had to do. And he reads me well enough to understand that I'm ready to waste hours in this place, asking everybody where Waverly is. He knows that too. I'm busted !

It was a reluctant Nicole that climbed back into the truck and left for Big City with his mustachioed companion. Doc was good-hearted enough not to say anything for about half an hour, until he finally began to comment on the music that was playing on the somewhat antique radio of the truck, a topic that was safely remote from any conjecture about Nicole's sudden interest in a certain resident of Purgatory.

Clenching the steering wheel a little bit more than necessary, Nicole was asking herself many questions. Would they find everything they needed at the hardware stores they were going to visit ? Would Doc be reasonable ? If he had his way, he would soon build a wooden version of Toronto's CN Tower to install his buddy's internet relay, and Nicole just knew he was going to squeeze materials for a few special projects in today's errands. Would the final cost be acceptable ? Would Lucado turn into a meddling accountant after a full week spent avoiding her responsibilities ?

And when would be the next time Nicole would be able to slink off to Shorty's saloon ?

Well, the young woman thought, her eyes fixed on the road, that sure is a lousy cliffhanger…

Chapter Text

As if the summer was a bit lazy and not willing to give its full force so early, it was almost ten o'clock, and Waverly was forced to bundle herself up in a sweater and a huge coat. To tell the truth, the sweater was a crop top… but it would be super adequate for the afternoon's weather. Right now, however, the brisk wind that was blowing in Purgatory's streets was a bit too cold. The walk on the parking lot between her Jeep and the entrance of the supermarket had even made her regret not to have taken a big scarf.

Waverly hadn't been seriously buying groceries since quite a long time. Those last weeks it had only been quick expeditions to get this or that, but today she had spent some time carefully thinking about all that she had to buy. Her list, organized by aisles, was testimony to her planner abilities.

Her shopping cart was filling slowly, fresh and preserved food, lots of beverages, shampoo, candles, she was going to refill her cupboards for good !

A flash of red at the other end of the aisle made her stop dead in her tracks. Was it Nicole ? Was it this tall archaeologist she had spent such a good time with the other day ? Whoever it was, they had moved to the right. Like a huntress circling her prey, she went back to her end of the aisle and looked quickly on the other side of the gondola, right before hiding back behind the endcap.

Nicole Haught ! Nicole Haught shopping !

Okay, Waverly, keep a cool head, it's not the more newsworthy event of the year… Waverly glanced around, but no one was watching her while she was making a fool of herself, crouching behind canned food. Beans and meatballs, she noted. It will be an interesting detail when I'll be writing my memoirs : Thrill and Shame, My Hunts in Albertan Shops, by Waverly Earp. Precisely hunting Nicole Haught in the convenience food aisle. An exciting setting for a great chapter.

Looking gingerly around the endcap, Waverly saw that her prey was gone ! She went to the place that Nicole Haught had just left, and came closer to the display offering instant soups. So Nicole liked this kind of food… Waverly was happy to learn another fact about the intriguing redhead. She began to read the labels on several cups, comparing ingredients.

"Do you like it mild or spicy ?" she heard suddenly in her back. She yelped and dropped the two ramen cups she was holding, looking over her shoulder to see the smiling face of Nicole, very, very close to her own. In fact, her nose was brushed by Nicole's woolen scarf, because of their height difference. It smelt vanilla dipped donuts, the redhead signature scent.

"Sorry to startle you, but I had the impression you were following me, weren't you ?" Nicole said, smirking, and already bending to fetch the cups that had rolled on the shop's floor, handing them to Waverly.

"Okay, you caught me !" Waverly shot back. She didn't feel like denying what she had been doing, and Nicole didn't seem angry with her. It was amusement that she could read in the tall woman's eyes. She put back the soups back on the shelf. "So you like ramen noodle ? You know you can easily cook yourself much better soups than that, Nicole, without fuss," she added, trying not to sound too disapproving.

"Hey, you found out my darkest secret, I like noodle soups ! Please, please don't tell anybody, especially Dolls, he already saw me eating one of those on the first day we met, and if he learns that I was buying some more, he will probably try to kill me with his glare." Nicole had a pleading tone, but she was clearly enjoying this moment.

Waverly decided to play along.

"Aha ! So now I can do a little blackmail. If you don't want me to tell everybody about your shameful deeds, you'll have to accompany me back to Shorty's to help me haul all this," she said gesturing to the content of her cart, "into my apartment above the bar. If you accept, I can offer you a tea, or even a cappuccino, if you are a cappuccino-only girl ?"

"First, I'm not a cappuccino-only girl. Secondly, Ms Earp, you should be ashamed to coerce a poor girl like me into helping you." Nicole said. She paused. "A tea with you will be perfectly fine, and if you want my help, then all you have to do is ask for it, Waverly," she added, with an earnest tone that drove right into the small brunette's heart.

"I just need to take a few more things here, and it will be okay," Waverly said, choosing to keep her own tone matter-of-fact. "What about you, Nicole ? And are you sure you've got the time to help me ?"

She was not ready to acknowledge the weird feeling she had when she was with Nicole Haught. There was something impressive in this woman, her presence was strong but not threatening, and she seemed full of kindness. Nicole felt… right.

"Almost finished too, ma'am !" Nicole said, "and I'm here precisely because I have some free time this morning. So I only went to the hospital and then here shopping."

"What's happening ?" Waverly interjected, looking at Nicole and failing to find any wound or bandage. "Are you hurt ? Why did you have to go to the hospital ?"

"Oh no, don't worry, I went there for nothing. I mean, I wanted to know the way. Each time, at every dig, I learn to get fast to the hospital, so today I saw where the entrances are, the way to ER… It's very important. Accidents are not uncommon on an archaeological digging, it's a pretty dangerous job. I prefer to be prepared."

"It's a relief !" Waverly sighed. "And you're very serious concerning your job, aren't you ?"

"Yes, I suppose I am, Waverly. Shall we go on with the shopping ?"

"Yes. So tell me, what is your favorite soup flavor, Nicole ? I'll tell you mine first, it's sweet-and-sour with a dollop of peanut butter, and now you know my own darkest secret too !" Waverly said, bumping the smiling redhead with her shoulder.

About twenty minutes later, Waverly and Nicole came into Shorty's saloon, carrying big bags full of the brunette's shopping. The bar was manned by a woman. Nicole recognized her as the one that was working with Shorty the day before, when she had dropped Jeremy at the bar with his bulky wifi paraphernalia. Waverly made the presentations :

"Nicole, this is Gus, my aunt," she said, "and this is Nicole Haught, the ramrod of the archaeological diggings, I told you about her." She winked at Nicole to soften the blow of calling her a ramrod, adding her best smile for good mesure. Nicole seemed to respond well to her smiles.

"Hello, Gus, I'm happy to meet you," Nicole said, shaking hands with Gus. "I am indeed the taskmistress of the excavations. Diggers will work. So it shall be written, so it shall be done," she said with solemnity, her fists on her hips, looking straight in the distance.

"Hey, you're quoting The Ten Commandments !" Waverly interjected, aware that Nicole was mimicking Yul Brynner. "Do you like old movies ?"

"I generally do. The Ten Commandments are quite something, don't you think ? The sets, the costumes, every single actor chewing the scenery !"

"Yes, it's true, everything is over the top !" Waverly giggled. It's too good to be true, she thought. Perhaps I could propose her to watch classic movies with me ?

"Since we are here," Nicole said thoughtfully, "I would like to ask you something, to you, Waverly, and to you too, Gus. My boss has rented a room in Purgatory for the summer, but she told me it's too noisy and asked me to look for something else for her. She was… let me remember the names… with two people named Bill and Gareth…

Waverly couldn't help laughing, and Gus was laughing too. "The Blanks !" the older woman said. "Your boss has been scammed," she went on, "no one can sleep at the Blank estate !"

"No one sleeps near it either !" Waverly put in. "Bill and Gareth have been married since an eternity and they have always been arguing all day long. And at night too ! They are now pretty deaf, both of them, and they yell so much Shorty once told them that he didn't want them together in the bar. If one is already in there, usually it's Bill, and if his wife comes in, they must at once exit the saloon. Gareth was making us lose too much customers, she has a shrieking voice like a cartoon witch. Without her husband, she's quite OK to have here, though…"

"I suppose they argue and also watch television at home. I can imagine the sound level ! We could look for some other place for your boss, ask around, yeah," Gus said. "Now just let me work, girls, and go put your groceries in the apartment."

Waverly nodded for Nicole to come with her. Smiling at Gus, the red-haired woman grabbed back the two bags she had left for an instant on the counter and followed her.

"Say, Dolls is supposed to build a massive barbecue outside his kitchen, and we have to test it for our lunch tomorrow before Monday's rush. Nothing fancy… would you like to come ?" Nicole asked from behind Waverly's back as the two young women were climbing the stairs.

A barbecue ! Tomorrow's weather was supposed to be quite sunny, it was a good idea !

"Yeah, thank you for inviting me, I will be glad to come !" Waverly said, turning towards Nicole while still going up.

And she stumbled into Nicole. Or more accurately hurled herself into Nicole.

The slanted step ! In a mere second, she cursed herself, cursed Shorty for not repairing the stairs, and cursed destiny. She saw Nicole, as quick as a flash, put the bag she had in her right arm with the other one, on her left arm, in the same time rising her right foot on the wall, putting her left hip against the baluster for support. Nicole stopped the smaller woman's body on her right leg and arm, withstanding firmly the impact in spite of several items hitting her out of Waverly's bags.

"Fudgenuggets !" was all that Waverly said, watching her groceries still crashing down the stairs as Nicole arm held her securely.

"Hey !" Gus hollered, "What's happening ?"

"It's OK, Gus !" Waverly shouted back, still clinging to Nicole. The taller woman was very strong, she could feel it against her own body. She stood back up, full of gratitude. Nicole was still holding her two bags.

"Oh no, Nicole, you're bleeding !" Waverly said, pointing at Nicole's forehead.

Nicole touched her brow. She winced when she felt the little wound. "I think it was a can," she said to the brunette.

"Come upstairs, Nicole, wait a minute, I open the door, the keys, the keys, ah ! Okay !" Waverly rambled, guiding Nicole into her apartment. "On your right, it's the kitchen, leave your bags on the table, sit on this chair. Wait here, I grab the groceries that felt, and I come back to treat you, okay ? Don't move, I'll be right back !".

Waverly spent about two frantic minutes grabbing the fallen groceries and going back to her place with them. She found Nicole standing in the kitchen, dabbing her forehead with a paper towel. "Nicole, sit down. What if you faint ?" she said, concerned.

"Come on, Waverly, I won't faint. All I need is something to disinfect, and a Band-Aid. And a cup of tea, do you remember ? You promised," the redhead shot back, cocking her head and smiling.

Waverly understood that Nicole was trying to lighten her mood. She went quickly into her bathroom to fetch her first aid kit, and began to tend to Nicole's wound after making her sit again. Nicole was right, it was only a little cut, but she took all the time she needed to make sure it was perfectly clean. So close to Nicole, she couldn't fail to notice every detail of her face, her pale and soft skin, those tiny dimples that appeared on her cheeks each time her new friend was expecting Waverly to touch her near her wound.

"Don't worry Nicole," the small brunette breathed, "I try to be as light as a feather. You should have let me fall, look at your brow, I'm so sorry you were hurt because of me !"

"If I had let you fall down the stairs, you would have been hurt very badly. I didn't want to go back to the hospital so soon for you, and I only got a scratch," the tall redhead said, looking into Waverly's eyes. Waverly was still thinking about the moment when she was leaning against Nicole's body in the stairs. She knew well what she had felt. Attraction. She was nervous as she applied a bandage with the utmost care, her fingers were shaking slightly. Waverly, calm yourself. Her ears were feeling hot. I must be red as a beet. Nicole was still looking at her…

"Okay, done ! What about I make that tea, now ?" Waverly said, very aware of her somewhat squeaky tone. She danced around her kitchen, preparing everything, and starting a conversation about movies. As they shared their common interest in old movies, moving ones and cheesy ones, she felt more relaxed and noticed with great pleasure that Nicole was less tense, too, discarding her scarf, then her vest, leaning on the back of her chair and soon putting her long legs to rest on another chair. As they drank their tea slowly, Waverly couldn't help but stare at Nicole blowing softly on the surface to cool it down. She had beautiful lips. She forced herself to look instead at the archaeologist forehead, were a little dot of blood was showing through the bandage. Greeting your visitors with a traumatic brain injury, that's how it must be done ! A great welcome for Nicole's first visit at her place.

As they were parting finally a few minutes later, Waverly decided to walk down to the saloon with her victim, as she called her. As they were going down the stairs, they both noticed a trace left by Nicole's foot on the wall. She was beginning to apologize about it when Waverly silenced her, simply placing gently her hand on her friend's arm and stroking it.

"Oh, Nicole, you know, about tomorrow, is it a problem if I come with a plus-one ?" Waverly asked when they reached the kitchen back door. "My boyfriend, Champ… we have nothing scheduled, but if I tell him I go to your barbecue, perhaps he will want to tag along…" Waverly explained, feeling awkward. She had had a good time at the camp on her first visit, and she was sure it was going to be interesting to discover a bit more about the other diggers. But she just knew that Champ would only embarrass her.

"It's not a problem at all, Waves ! We will be happy to meet your boyfriend if he comes ! Not a problem at all ! See you !" Nicole said with a fully dimpled smile, before walking away to her car.

Nicole had smiled while saying it was okay to help her carry her shopping, and later when she was casually dismissing a can in her face as something unimportant. But this smile was fake. Nicole was lying right now, and Waverly knew it.

It's strange, she doesn't even know Champ…

Chapter Text

It was later that day in the afternoon that Waverly found Nicole's scarf on the kitchen floor. It had slipped from the chair as they were drinking tea and chatting, and the archaeologist had forgotten it when she had left, since the weather was so much better than in the early morning. It was a simple scarf, but it had this sugary vanilla scent that was so good, Nicole Haught's perfume, no doubt. Breathing in through the fabric, Waverly felt at ease. She put the scarf on her little table, and decided not to call Nicole. The archaeologist's number was still behind the saloon's bar, just under her apartment, but there was no use to call her, especially since Waverly was supposed to meet her the following morning for lunch at the camp. It would be much easier and practical to bring the scarf to the barbecue, no real need to hurry, there had been enough emergency between her and Nicole with their acrobatics duet in the stairs.

She took back the scarf in her hands, burying her nose in it, and she inspired once again the scent. It was so good ! If the plan was to give it back the next day, it was logical to use this scarf for the best until then, for example to alleviate stress after her Saturday evening shift. She would certainly have a better sleep tonight if she could drift into dreamland with the fragrance of vanilla dipped donuts around her…

That's how Waverly persuaded herself it would be very normal to spend the night with Nicole's scarf in her bed.



The Saturday night shift had been packed with customers and rowdy, as usual. When it ended, finally, Waverly was left alone in the deserted bar, listening to the cars of Shorty and Gus starting in the back door parking lot of the saloon and leaving in the night.

Back in her apartment over the saloon, she was relieved to take off her shoes. She didn't feel like going to bed right away, so she made herself a light tea, sat in front of her laptop and began to peruse an article about trading posts in ancient Mesopotamia. Her mind drifted to the diggings that were to begin in the next days in her home town of Purgatory, of all places ! Could it be a settlement used by merchants ? The ancient nations that lived in the Great Plains were not as isolated and backwards as many people thought.

She was interrupted by a call on her phone. So late in the night, it could be only one person…

"Champ ! Hello !" she chirped. A booty call from the boy-man… Waverly recalled the term coined by Nicole, it fitted Champ like a glove.

Her boyfriend simply told her he was at her door. She put back her shoes, wincing, went down the stairs, through the bar, into the kitchen, and opened the back door.

"Hello, babe," Champ said, smiling but standing slightly slanted, his eyes in a haze. He made a step forward and kissed Waverly's lips. His breath was a mix, lots of vodka and a few mints. He put one arm around her shoulders, already beginning to grope her with his free hand. Waverly averted her eyes, looking past him as she pushed gently to free herself.

"Do you have a feud with Mother Nature, Champ ? Why didn't you turn off your engine ?" Waverly asked, noticing that Champ's pickup truck was idling on the small parking lot, near her own Jeep.

The young man looked behind him and walked slowly to his car. He patted his pockets, looking worried, then nodded, opened his car's door, and reached over to shut the motor off. Was he looking for his ignition key ? Did he forget it was obviously in the truck and not in his pocket, since the engine was running ? Champ, you're baked.

"I suppose there was nothing left to drink where you come from, isn't it, Champ ?" she said, but Champ was already coming back and entering the kitchen, almost pushing aside the small brunette. "Hey, Champ, would you care to talk to me ? How was your day ?" she asked, locking again the door and walking behind him. He doesn't act like his usual drunk self. Had Champ been taking something else than alcohol ?

"Where were you ?" Waverly asked again.

"I went to Marcus' place, we had a few beers…" Champ said. He was slurring his words. Marcus the rodeo clown. Waverly didn't like Marcus, a thirty-something lout, one of the friends Champ had made in the regional rodeo circuit. Marcus worked on a cattle lot some fifty kilometers from Purgatory, and like many rodeo clowns, Marco had first tried to be a real rodeo champion, before he had got too many injuries to go on trying, and not enough sense to leave completely the industry. Truth be told, Marcus had an IQ slightly above the average horse. Waverly was beginning to think about a few horses she knew that were clearly more intelligent than Marcus, when she spotted her boyfriend gazing at the bottles shelved on the wall.

"No, Champ, I believe you drank enough for tonight," she said. "By the way, do you remember I told you about those archaeologists that are going to work here this summer ?" she went on, trying to change Champ's train of thought and to make him think about the next day instead of the next drink. "Well, their camp is almost ready, and they are planning a lunch tomorrow."

"I don't care about those damn archao… archielo… shit ! They make their holes, I don't care, looking for old stuff. They will dig up dinosaur bones with feather bonnets… hey !" he said, laughing, "you wanna see a bone…"

OK, so much for the diversion.

"Look at the state you're in ! What happened to you tonight ? You had more than a few beers… Any surprise with Marcus ?" Waverly enquired. Partying with Marcus was always full of surprises, generally leading to costly damages to appliances, or wounds.

"I had this interview with Nedley this afternoon…" Champ said with a sour face as Waverly began to lead the way towards her apartment. "We talked, and talked…" Champ had already been trying several times to get hired by the sheriff's office, and Nedley took charge each time to flunk him personally.

"You didn't learn the regulations he told you to study, did you ?" Waverly asked calmly.

"I read them !" he shouted. Waverly knew about his learning methods since their high school days. What he called reading was what other people called staring at a book. Champ would never work for the sheriff department, and it certainly was good news.

"So you were angry, I guess. And you decided to run to your old pal Marcus…"

"Yeah, and he wanted to go to the Pussy Willows…" Champ told after an hesitation.

"So you're coming straight back from a strip joint, Champ Hardy !" Waverly interjected. "So this is why you didn't call earlier," she went on after a pause. "I would have heard the music, I would have guessed where you were !"

Waverly looked at his boyfriend's face. He was cross about her disapproval. He had spent the evening leering at strippers, and soon he was going to say she was some kind of party pooper !

"Hey, relax, baby. I just went there because it was Marcus' idea, you know. Come on, it's only you I want to see stripping."

"Not likely to happen tonight… You're sleeping on the couch, Champ. Or in the bathtub, I don't really care." Waverly said, stomping off in the stairs. She was fuming, but still had enough focus to mind about the treacherous slanted step.

"Hey, you're my girlfriend ! I get to be in your bed !" Champ hollered behind her, making her stop and roll her eyes in exasperation.

"Am I really your girlfriend ? I think I'll have my say in this," Waverly said, "and frankly I do have second thoughts about that."

"If you leave me, you'll be sorry. People only like you because you're with me. Without me, you're just a Earp girl," Champ sneered.

Waverly was taken aback by such an statement, and she turned to face Champ that was a few steps lower than her, having a hard time climbing. She was preparing herself to answer to her very rude and despicable boyfriend when she saw him trip and fall harshly on the stairs.

His clumsy effort to grasp the rail made him lose his balance completely, and he rolled down the whole flight of stairs, ouching loudly on his way.

A part of Waverly registered that she should have been worrying about Champ, that she should have been rushing to comfort him and check if he had sustained any injury. But overwhelmingly, she was fed up. She had so much things in her life that she'd rather be doing than watching Champ Hardy proving again and again how much beneath her he was. Metaphorically and literally, she thought as she was looking down at the boy-man squirming in pain on the floor.

"Enough. You aren't even able to climb those stairs !" Waverly said, noticing that he had tripped right where Nicole had caught her in the morning. The mark of her foot on the wall was at the exact place where he had stumbled.

"Hey, baby, I tripped." Champ slurred.

"I said enough ! Get out, go sleep your booze off in your damn car, Champ. Go away !" Waverly hissed.

"You can't ask me to…" Champ began, but Waverly was already reaching him, half helping him to stand, half walking him towards the back door of the saloon. She pushed and shoved Champ into the kitchen.

"I said out, Champ !" she said, opening the door, sending off Champ into the night, and slamming the door.

"Hey, open this damn door, Waverly !" she heard, Champ's voice a bit muffled through the steel, "I came to see you tonight because I love you, and you're acting like a bitch ! Ooh, you're not romantic enough, that's your fucking problem, you can't understand how much I…"

Champ stopped talking suddenly with a huge sigh, and Waverly heard the unmistakable sound of vomit hitting the pavement. She shook her head. Her Sunday morning would begin with a mess to hose down just outside the kitchen. And he could have been doing that in the middle of my apartment if I hadn't kicked him out !

Waverly realized that she wasn't feeling bad for leaving Champ in this state. She could still hear him, barfing again and again between moans, spilling out his stomach's content. When he would have emptied himself, he was going to do like any other drunk : he was going to settle in his car and sleep there for the rest of the night. Or he would have the very bad idea to drive away. But that was not her business anymore. She just hoped Champ and his truck would have vanished in the morning when she would have to leave for the barbecue. In fact she didn't want the boy-man to be there at all for tomorrow's lunch. Or perhaps she could sneak out early while he would still be passed out ! Her own car was parked near Champ's, but if she was quick and careful, he wouldn't wake up, and surely he wouldn't be able to follow her.

She would have to make sure he didn't follow her, with a few tricks like in the movies !

Preparing herself for sleep, Waverly planned her twisty itinerary for the morning.

I just hope Nicole and the rest of her bunch won't mind if I show up in advance…

Chapter Text

Nicole was finally seeing the end of her loop. She was feeling good after this long run, in spite of her fall. A dumb fall, on the treacherous slope of the hill, her left elbow was bruised but working and her left calf had stopped bleeding already. She was now rapidly reaching back the camp.

They are all still asleep I guess, she thought. I'm an early bird running like a cheetah… Indeed she felt great, even as she gave an extra effort in the end, running just a bit more rapidly than it was comfortable for her in spite of her growing exhaustion. Nicole knew she would be sore afterwards, but the good kind of sore.

A red car was parked near the restaurant building. Waverly's Jeep. Yes, she did recognize the bartender's ride. So early in the morning ? No one sitting in the car…

Waverly was supposed to come much later, for the BBQ test meal scheduled on this last Sunday before the arrival of the diggers. The tall redhead couldn't guess why the very charming Purgatorian was so much ahead of schedule. I hope Waverly doesn't have a problem, she thought. She slowed her pace in a few strides and stopped at a few meters of the car. Waverly was somewhere around, for sure. She looked right, then left. Then down at her soaked top and dirty shoes.

She's going to see me right at the end of a run. Doomed ! Must shower now ! she thought, ready to bolt to her room to get some fresh clothes.

She looked behind her, just to be sure. Waverly had apparently turned around a building and was now staring right at her, standing still, her eyes wide open in shock. Nicole knew she must be a awful sight.

"Hello, Waverly," Nicole managed to say, catching her breath.

"Good morning, Nicole, I hope I don't intrude too much. So early, surprise !" she said with her joyful sing-song. "I see you're running. Well you were gone running. I mean I came and I didn't want to wake up anybody so I was just waiting for someone to wake up…" she rambled with a sadder tone.

The petite woman in front of Nicole was incredibly attractive. Her long hair in a tight bun, she complimented her fit legs today with a pair of short jeans and sturdy leather shoes. She's ready for a bit of rough terrain, I like that, Nicole thought. Waverly wore also a red sleeveless top with tiny white polka dots, but that was not all. The devilishly seducing woman had decided to wear another shirt over it, a lacy one, the kind of loose shirts that slip constantly down over the shoulder. Oh my, the tall redhead thought, I will spend the day resisting the urge to put it back in place.

"I was supposing you… were going to come later in… the morning, but it's a… pleasure to see you. Excuse me, I'm a… bit out of breath. Do you want some coffee ? Tea ?"

"Yes, tea please," Waverly said as she walked closer to Nicole. "Hey, you're hurt !"

"Just a scratch…" Nicole interjected, somewhat uneasy as Waverly was examining her legs. Blood and sweat. And mud. I'm ready for the Miss Gutter pageant.

"You're bleeding," Waverly said with a hushed voice. "Look at your leg ! And your arm is badly bruised. Oh, Nicole, you must be in pain !"

"Really, Waverly, it's nothing… I assure you. It'll be gone in a few days," Nicole went on.

The brunette was looking at Nicole, pondering. "It's like I bring you bad luck, you get hurt every time you meet me," Waverly added, pointing at the band-aid on the redhead's forehead.

Not speaking about my poor heart, Nicole mused.

"The kitchen is this way, Waverly," Nicole gestured, keeping awkwardly at a distance from the smaller woman as she was litteraly dripping sweat, heavy drop making their way on her face before falling on the dirt. Can I be any grosser ? I must not get sweat on her ! Red, huffing, I must be a vision… Let's speak about something else that body fluids and injuries.

"Hey, Waverly !" Nicole asked suddenly as they reached the kitchen, "What about your boyfriend ? Is he coming along like you said ? He isn't here right now, is he ?"

"No, he won't be here for the barbecue," Waverly replied with an awkward side glance, as she sat on a chair.

Something pinged in Nicole's brain. Does this boyfriend really exist ? Half registering it was some kind of cop instinct kicking in, the tall archaeologist made a quick review of the boy-man case : he was only hearsay from one single person. Not seen, not heard, the brunette had claimed once to be reading a text from him, but perhaps… Did Waverly invent herself a boyfriend ? Well of course she did, she said she was in a relationship on our first encounter, to defend herself from your predatory behavior, Nicole Can't-Keep-It-In-Your-Pants Haught ! Now she's stuck with her lie, and she will give you some flimsy excuse to explain why he can't be seen today. Illness, job emergency, abducted by aliens… the tall woman pondered while she was putting the kettle on.

"In fact, I think we split up last night." Waverly said with a small voice. Not what I anticipated, Nicole thought.

"I dumped him and it's probably for the better," the brunette went on, but her voice was shaking, and huge tears were forming in her eyes. Hey ! Not what I anticipated at all ! Don't cry ! Well done, Haught, you wanted to change the mood, you did wonders !

Nicole sat quickly in front of Waverly, who was now sobbing. Nicole felt a lump forming in her own throat. She realized that she didn't want to see Waverly cry. Quick, say something funny ! No, not funny, not a good time for funny ! Say something soothing, Haught !

A list of soothing lines presented itself in Nicole's mind, things about fishes in the ocean, true love still to be found, good and bad decisions… Nothing seemed useful right now. She simply took Waverly's hands in hers, and said : "I'm so sorry." They stayed a minute like this, Waverly slowly calming down, until the water was boiling. It was time to prepare the tea.

"I'm sorry Nicole, I didn't mean to be so dramatic," Wavely said at last. "You know, you're the first person I see since I made Champ leave last night. I've been with him for years. You must think I'm dumb to be so sad about that. You barely know me, and I bother you with my shitty love life."

Nicole was having an hard time keeping a cool head, so she was focusing on making the tea, lest she tried to hug Waverly back to happiness.

"I see nothing dumb in you." Nicole stated. "It's the end of a story and of course you have the right to feel sad… Listen, I hate to have to leave you now but I have to shower. I promise you it'll be the quickest shower in history, OK ?"

"Of course, Nicole, go, go !" Waverly said, her bright smile contradicted by her puffy eyes.

Nicole came back five minutes later, much much cleaner. Waverly had obviously washed her face to make the traces of her tears disappear. Water droplets on the floor in front of the sink and discarded paper towels in the trash can confirmed Nicole's intuition.

"Hey, you were quick ! This tea you made for me is very good, it's just what I needed to relax," the brunette said. "Nicole, are you sure I don't disturb you ? I could go back to Purgatory for a while and come back later." Waverly was again her bubbly but somewhat shy self.

"Don't leave !" Nicole replied a bit too fast. I must not show her I've got perhaps a tiny bit of a crush on her. Deflect, deflect ! "Besides, I never gave you that tea. I didn't know you were here before this very instant ! Wait…" she paused, making a worried face, "Did you see me already this morning ? Someone looking like me gave you that tea ? I must tell you I have an evil twin, Waverly. Her name is Nicruel and she looks exactly like me, but she is bad, very bad ! Me, I'm Nicole, I'm the good twin, you can trust me," she said, with the best lunatic smile she could muster.

The laugh of the smaller woman in front of her felt like a song to Nicole's ears. "Yeah, an evil twin. And how come you've got the same wounds that her ? On your leg, on your face. You can't fool me !"

"You're too clever for me," Nicole said sheepishly, in spite of her malicious grin.

A new tone, less gloomy, was set. Soon enough, Nicole went to her room again to fetch her laptop, and they sat side to side watching silly videos for some time, as the other members of the team began to show up in the kitchen. Lonnie was first, then Rosita. Dolls came a bit later, visibly having done his own morning run. It was about ten when a visibly hungover Doc made his way to the coffee. Jeremy was still missing. Probably a very late night again with whatever technical or nerdical thing he was engrossed in.

"So you finally have good wifi here," Waverly said, pointing at the screen.

"Yes, thanks to Jeremy ! Before that we were kinda low for phone signal. And if you go only a little more to the West, there are places were you can be assured you won't get a call." Nicole said.

"Hey, perhaps that's the reason why the Blackfoot camped there, because they wanted at least minimal reception ?" Waverly said, sticking out the tip of her tongue as in intense reflexion.

"That's a great explanation, Waverly… Still I would wait some time before sharing this theory with the others." They both laughed mirthfully.

Around eleven, Dolls came back to basically expel the two young women from the kitchen, giving them vegetables to prepare for the BBQ. "Just go outside !", he said, and out they went, sitting at Doc's prototype of the dining tables and benches he was planning to make. Still giggling while they were peeling and slicing. Spending time with Waverly was doing wonders to Nicole's spirits, she just couldn't stop smiling. She's having a good time too, she reflected, looking at the small brunette laughing eyes. Nicole was making an effort to refrain from ogling at the charming girl. And that damn lace shirt was dangling again off Waverly's shoulder !

As everybody began to gather around Dolls' smoking barbecue, Nicole made a deliberate choice to busy herself and to leave Waverly alone, and naturally the bartender began to mingle effortlessly with everybody, including Jeremy who finally made his appearance. The Purgatorian announced proudly she had brought them banana muffins as a dessert. Nicole was hoping they were as good as the basil ones she had already tasted.

Dolls barbecue proved to be a success. He tried various meats, fish and vegetables, served with plain white rice. He was using a painter's brush to lather what he was cooking with various spicy liquids he had prepared in the seclusion of the kitchen. It was finger-licking good. Attempts from several people to pry into his recipes where met generally with silence and cold stares. "Don't even think about imitating this. I am the secret sauce !" he said though, to Rosita who was asking for too much details.

Waverly had a strange, mischievous smile when she produced a bag full of muffins from her car. She gave one each personally, and began to eat one herself, nodding in self-approval.

Nicole looked down intently at the muffin she was now holding gently in her hand. It was soft, its color yellowish-brown, like a golden tan. Its shape was perfect, and Nicole just dove into it. She began with a small bite that made her realize the full softness of the muffin, along with the aroma of banana, butter and some other fragrances that made Nicole salivate. The whole flavor was dazzling, sweet, spicy and tropical, terribly enticing. Nicole took a bigger bite, gently tearing the cake open and she was surprised by a thick liquid that came oozing from the gap. Some of it fell on her chin, and she quickly removed it with her forefinger, and put it in her mouth. The muffin's pastry was really delicious, but this creamy filling was something else already. It felt like pure, strong fruity pleasure. Nicole was ravenous now. With an expert tongue, she licked some more of the filling, letting it melt on her tastebuds with a shiver of ease. A part of her was feeling a urge to devour the whole muffin this very instant, but another part of her knew better. I must make it last, I must slow down, she decided.

A loud moan on her left made her open her eyes. When did I close them ? she wondered… The noise was coming out of Jeremy's stuffed mouth, he was literally writhing his body in delight.

"Well, Miss Waverly, I must confess I am not usually partial to cakes and pastries, but this is indeed a food worthy of great praise !" Doc chimed in with his signature solemn drawl.

Rosita was simply half eating, half laughing in joy.

"It tastes like banana," Lonnie said.

Dolls was just staring at Waverly with wide eyes, apparently he was trying to read her complete recipe directly in her brain, through her skull. He seemed a bit anxious, so he probably wasn't succeeding.

"I hope it's not too bad ?" Waverly said coyly. Her eyes were full of pride, and she even had a little jump of excitement. Nicole wished she could make this minute stand still, with this perfectly happy, radiating woman in front of her. She shook her head. Soon Waverly was going to think again about her break-up. Perhaps she'll mend things with this Champ boy, or find herself another lover. I will end up watching her fall in love again. We get on so well I'll even sit at the front row, but no popcorn. It was Nicole's turn to feel depressed.

The lunch ended, Doc and Rosita volunteering to do the dishes, Jeremy and Dolls discussing the best way to clean the barbecue. Nicole found herself seated face to face with Waverly, enjoying the sunny weather. Waverly asked if everything was ready for the diggers' arrival the next day, and Nicole began oversharing. The showers were working, but she had to say that hot water was coming in a thin stream, as she had experienced it again this morning trying to rinse quickly her tall frame. When she was sleeping in Purgatory's community center, she had those long showers at the high school, but now it was really too far. I sound like a whiner, she thought, as Lonnie, who had vanished at the end of the meal, came back and sat at the table with a piece of paper Nicole recognized as the list of the camp's diggers.

He was now reading and muttering.

"What are you doing, Lonnie ?" Nicole felt compelled to ask.

"I'm learning the names of the people coming here tomorrow," the young man answered. The two women looked at each other in bewilderment. What was the use to learn this by rote ? How much time was he going to stay here like a fly in the ointment ? Two minutes to stay polite, and we both leave, Nicole thought. I have to find something that he can't do with us. Think, Haught !

"Hey, Lonnie !" Doc yelled from behind her. "May I ask for your assistance, I fear it's a most urgent matter. You know I've been measuring the wood for the tables and benches, so we are ready to cut it first thing tomorrow. But I have a nagging doubt, what if I made mistakes ? I'd be much obliged if you came with me and helped me double-check everything."

Lonnie stood up reluctantly and walked to the building where he had found the list.

"Poor boy already tried to help me yesterday," Doc said to Nicole with a wink. "I'm afraid measuring wood is not is forte. We will spend some time on it, the both of us."

Nicole was half relieved, half worried. Doc was obviously stepping in as her wingman. What if Waverly notices ? She didn't want the younger woman to feel uneasy.

Lonnie was coming back. "Let's go verify this, Doc, I hope we'll have the time to go through this before Lucado arrives."

"Lucado's coming ?" Doc and Nicole blurted.

"Yes, she called yesterday to say she would be here around four."

"And you forgot to tell us, didn't you ?" Doc said, nodding slowly.

"Sorry, slipped my mind…"

Nicole looked at Waverly. She knew that her boss was not going to be pleased to see a local woman here. The redhead began to list ways to justify the beautiful Purgatorian's presence.

"I clicked with her. But really, really clicked, you know." True, but too true.

Or "We found her on the site, she could be a Blackfoot artefact, I intend to study her thoroughly." Scientific-sounding, but hard to believe.

Or "We lured her here to get the recipe of her banana muffins, it will boost the digging's productivity once Dolls can bake some too." No, Waverly would be offended.

Or "Can you just look at her, Professor ? I can and I will, all day long !"…

"I'd better be going," Waverly said, standing up, interrupting the taller woman's reflections. "I think it's better if your boss doesn't find me here, right ?"

"No, not at all, Waverly !" Nicole shot back not very convincingly, as she stood up too. Doc and Lonnie were still there, watching…

"Come on, Nicole, I understand your position. What good reason, I mean work-related reason, can you give to explain why I'm here ? I leave now, it's simpler." Waverly was pocketing her phone, looking around to make sure she didn't forget anything.

"There are still some muffins, you know…", she said, pointing at the bag she had brought.

She hugged Lonnie, then Doc, and went to the kitchen to thank Dolls for his wonderful BBQ and take her leave.

Both women were now walking to Waverly's car. The small woman opened her door, paused, then came closer to the archaeologist. Their bodies almost touching, Nicole tensed up, feeling the proximity of the brunette, who stood on her tiptoes, put her smiling lips close to Nicole's ear...

"I'll be your secret friend, Nicole," she whispered.

And like this, she drove away.

Nicole was feeling a bit weak in the knees. When even the dust had settled, she realized she had been standing there, looking at a now empty road, perhaps a bit too long for her own good.

Walking back to the dining area, she found the whole gang standing around the table, chomping on the last banana muffins.

Chapter Text

Monday morning shift was a boring one. Few customers would show up before lunch hour. Shorty's was not precisely the place where people went for an early caffeine shot, and drinkers would wait before indulging on the first morning of their workweek. Even those playing a hard game would usually never show up before eleven. So Waverly wasn't really prepared to see people waiting for her to open the bar.

Still, as she was opening the doors from the inside, letting in the cold air, she saw two men getting out of a car and walking hesitantly in her direction, then she heard the loud screech of another car's door begging for some oil for its hinges, and a woman got out. Three customers she had never seen. As an avid cinephile, Waverly understood it was either a stick-up, or the beginning of Invasion of the Archaeologists, a promising B-movie, starring a ragtag cast she had even spent a few hours with the day before.

The two men were about her age and seemed unsure of what they were supposed to do. The woman, a tight-lipped blonde in her forties or early fifties, had a no-nonsense aura around her.

"Hello. My name is Lucado," she said. So the famous professor Lucado… "I'm in charge of an archaeological team from the Big City University. I've been told this place has been selected for rendezvousing with diggers that come here for the first time. Like those two here," she added with a gesture in the direction of the pair of clueless young men.

She was dressed like a banker, not the kind one that helps you fill a form, the one that tells you that your overdraft led the bank to sell your soul to a supernatural being. Waverly could imagine her saying things like "The Entity will soon contact you," or "Good news is that since you'll now live with vampires, your insurance premiums are redundant expenses." With a quick nod, she brushed past Waverly and made her way into the bar.

"We're not really opened yet…" Waverly said in her back, as the two boys followed Lucado. The three newcomers were now near the bar, and Waverly joined them to ask : "Coffee ? Tea ? Cappuccino ?" She had recently begun to start the coffee machine first thing in the morning, just in case some early customer…

Yeah, it's all about customer service ! Baloney !

Every time Waverly had the opening shift, she hoped to see Nicole walking into her bar, with this confidence she had, and those tender eyes. Seeing the tall woman arriving from her run in the Sunday early morning had made things to Waverly. Long legs with defined muscles, panting from exertion, sweat making red locks stick to the camp manager's face… Waverly couldn't stop her mind drifting to thoughts about Nicole even as her hands were handling mugs or tea bags, and operating the expresso machine. Ooh, what's happening to me about this woman ? Yesterday, when Nicole had turned around and spotted Waverly leering at her just after running back into the camp, what an embarrassment ! And the scarf. Still in my bed ! She had not given it back at all. Instead, she had woken up grasping it less than an hour ago.

Grabbing her coffee from the counter, Professor Lucado left there the two young diggers-to-be and went away to sit alone in a booth. She wasn't the kind of teacher that appreciated chit-chatting with students, obviously. Just above the woman's grim face, Waverly saw her own writing on a chalkboard advertising her last batch of muffins. This was going to get her busted. Perhaps Lucado was going to deduce that she had been at the camp the day before.

"Would you like a muffin with that ? Have you ever tasted a banana muffin, for example ?" Waverly asked carefully from the counter.

No, she had not. Judging by the sudden frown on Lucado's face, the young bartender gathered she wasn't interested. That meant that the archaeological crew at the camp had not kept any muffin for her the day before. Gluttons ! All the better for keeping her own presence at the test-BBQ secret.

The two young men at the bar were not very talkative either. Waverly went back to her chores, and soon enough the three customers paid and went out to drive to the digging site. Waverly had to make a little effort not to give them some message for Nicole. Perhaps I could text her ? She's probably awake… perhaps running… Keep your self-control ! Just a little message.

WE : Good morning ! Just saw your boss and two diggers at the bar, coming your way now.

NH : …

NH : …

Okay Waverly you seem to be a bit needy there ! Put that phone away and go on with your work.

Waverly's shift proved rapidly to be more busy than expected. Seven new faces appeared in the bar in the following hour, showing various levels of sleepiness. She asked each one if they came for the dig, and of course they did. Casual conversation and serving drinks made time fly until the door cracked again and here she was. Nicole. Waverly drew a quick breath. The camp manager was in sturdy working clothes, denim pants and steel-toe boots, a long-sleeved button-up and she was holding her white stetson hat ! How dashing !

"Hello ! I got your message earlier, Waverly, sorry I didn't reply, I was dealing with a problem at the camp, and then I thought it was better to come here and surprise you," Nicole began with a dimpled smile.

"That's against etiquette !" Waverly answered, snatching the stetson and putting it on her own head. Nicole's eyes went wide. "Do you want a cappuccino, Nicole ?"

After Nicole began sipping slowly her cappuccino, Waverly decided two things. One, she wasn't going to make a fool of herself watching the whole time Nicole standing at the counter and drinking her coffee. Two, she ran to her place upstairs and came back with the scarf, coming near Nicole on the customers' side.

"Here's your scarf, you left it in my kitchen…" she explained. And I transferred it to my bedroom, she thought, blushing.

"That's where I left it ! Even this morning, it's a bit cold today, I was wondering," Nicole said, holding her cup with both hands and not making a move to take the scarf back. Waverly was feeling dizzy. She put the stetson hat back on Nicole's head, then began to arrange the scarf herself around Nicole's neck. Her fingertips were brushing the redhead's skin. It felt so intense and yet so familiar. Waverly Earp, what are you doing ? Nicole had put down her cup and was smiling seriously with her arms half raised. Waverly had not noticed that the archaeologist's lips were looking so soft… And her eyes…

"So you don't say hello, babygirl ?" a voice yelled behind her, and she almost stumbled on Nicole as she felt a violent slap between her shoulder blades. She turned around to look...

"Wynonna !" Her big sister was smiling smugly. "What are you doing here ? You were in Greece. Were you ?" Waverly blurted. "Where were you ? I mean you were… Now come here, we must hug !" she said embracing Wynonna in spite of the sudden flicker of panic that showed in her sister's blue eyes.

"Yeah, OK enough PDA, babygirl, I got a reputation to stand on, you know ?" Wynonna said. "I just came back, spent about three hundred hours in a stinking bus. Sniff me if you don't believe it. Not even speaking about the ladies' room. Had to pee in the forest…" she trailed off, finally acknowledging Nicole's presence. "Interested by our family reunion, Red ? Don't you have elsewhere you're supposed to move your a…"

"She's a friend and a customer," Waverly interrupted. "Her name's Nicole."

"Well, hello Nicole, then," Wynonna said with a scornful tone, shaking her head. "Listen, sis, do I have to beg to get a beer ? I could go to the Pussy Willows, I would already have a pitcher in front of me, but I think it's not open yet so I'll be boozing here I suppose."

"The Pussy Willows ?" Nicole interjected.

"Yes, it's… it's a strip club," Waverly explained, uneasy.

"I didn't know there was a strip club in Purgatory," the redhead stated.

"There are several of them !" Wynonna snorted. "The Pussy Willows, the Hon'AB, the Foxy Bunny…"

"The Chinook Gust and the Wildest Rose" Waverly chimed in.

"The Mountains View, the Cloud Nine…" Wynonna went on, enjoying Nicole's shocked expression.

"No, the Mountains View burned to the ground last year !" Waverly corrected her sister.

"What ? What happened ?"

"Well, Chrissy told me it was unclear. Testimonies were sketchy to say the least," the small brunette said, getting behind the counter and taking a bottled beer from the fridge.

"Yeah, I suppose a strip joint isn't the place were you get the best witnesses. They came there to stare, though !" Wynonna said, laughing.

"The voyeurs didn't see anything !" Waverly added, opening the cap.

"Yeah… Whatever," Wynonna said, grabbing the bottle and taking a long gulp.

"Er… Waverly, gotta go…" Nicole said, leaving the counter and beginning to assemble the diggers. Waverly had a little wince when she realized Nicole was giving her some space to bond again with her sister. Yet it was a testament to the archaeologist's tact, even if she wished to… spend as much time as possible with you, Nicole. You are a lucky find.

Wynonna was looking intently at the tall woman… "Red Carpet's a drunkard for sure. Did you notice the wound on her forehead ? Must have been shit-faced, stumbled into some door frame ! Tries to hide it with a hat, but she can't fool me !"

Waverly opened her mouth to retort, but then closed it. Not the right time for full disclosure on her burgeoning friendship with the beautiful redhead. If she told her big sister about her stairs diving attempt and her rescue by Nicole, she would not hear the end of it. Wynonna was back in Purgatory and the most urgent thing to do was to catch up with her. She had been in Greece, one of the places on Earth Waverly dreamed to travel to, after studying so much about its past. That, that was a real topic for a conversation.

The following minutes made clear that her big sister hadn't spent much time visiting ancient ruins, and when she had, it had been invariably in a stupor. One day, one day I'll go there, Waverly told herself. Instead, Wynonna had plenty of information to share about what Greece had to offer concerning the pleasures of the flesh, from food to sex, with lots of brows-wiggling on top. Soon, the raven-haired young woman left her little sister to get some rest in Waverly's place above the bar, and before that a most necessary shower.

Around noon, Shorty took over manning the bar, while Gus had already been in the kitchen for a while, prepping for the lunch. They both didn't knew Wynonna was coming, but decided that they would let her sleep. Waverly went upstairs to find Wynonna drooling on her couch. She let her have a good rest and settled with a few cushions, her back against the wall, half reading, half watching her sister's face rippling from vivid dreams.

Three hours later, the two sisters were both seated on the couch, enjoying a moment of regress playing an old kart video game, hurling abuse at each other. The first one to win three races was Wynonna, shouting in triumph when she reached the finish line.

"OK babygirl, now it's time to find some grub. Something real, let's go to the kitchen ! Not yours, I guess you only have sun-dried tomatoes, I mean downstairs. And I want to see Gus," the tall brunette decided. Both of them went down the stairs.

Champ was at the counter, leaning on his elbows, examining the glass of beer in front of him. He lifted his eyes when he heard the sisters' steps.

"Hi Wynonna," he said, looking a bit confused to see her here, but rapidly dismissing it. "Waverly, we've got to talk, baby."

"You're still with Chump ?" Wynonna asked, turning to her sister.

"It's Champ," the young man said.

"Yes, we've got to talk," Waverly conceded, ignoring Wynonna's comment. She had to tell Champ face to face that their relationship was over. It was a necessary conversation that Waverly knew she couldn't avoid.

"Listen, I'm not mad at you for the other night," Champ began with a large, forgiving smile. "You were pissed about me, I understand that, and I don't blame you about it, but I was drunk."

"You don't blame me ?" Waverly blurted.

"I do blame you Waverly," Wynonna interjected. "Isn't there really any man around, and I say any man, that you have to hang out with Schlump ?"

"It's Champ !" Champ shouted, glaring at Wynonna.

"Schlub !"

"Piss off, wacko brain," Champ spat, "I've got serious things to say to Waverly."

"Let him speak, Wy !" Waverly demanded. And so Champ began to speak. But Waverly had the strangest sensation. She was just watching the scene. She was focused on Champ playing his role. Like an actor. A bad actor. No, he's a good actor, he has been a good actor for a long time… but his acting couldn't be good in such a preposterous scene : I regret, I promise… all he wants is having sex and boasting about his silly self. Champ's text was awful. Did he just say "Now I understand how much I love you" ? With a flash of pride, Waverly realized that she was seeing through Champ's lies, but she felt also ashamed to have been such a fool for so long.

"Stop, Champ. I'm not your girlfriend anymore. You should leave…" Waverly said after a while, interrupting the pathetic speech.

"No, you're my girl, I won't…"

"Zip it, Schlock, the lady told you to get out !" Wynonna hollered, stepping in Champ's direction. Now the whole bar was silent. All the customers were straining to hear.

"Wynonna, that's none of your business. She's my girlfriend and I stay. You go away or I'll…"

"No, Champ. You don't own Waverly and you won't threaten Wynonna. Leave my bar. Now." Shorty said, coming in his turn from the other side of the room.

"I'm a client, you can't talk to me like that."

"No you aren't," Shorty said, visibly making an effort to stay composed. "Next time, come here as a client, and ask only for a beer. Today you came asking for something else, something you won't get anymore. And take your time before you come back. I won't mind if you don't come back at all"

"You'll regret it, Waverly. You're mad just like your sister. I will tell everybody what a dumb bitch you are !" Champ said, but an unexpected, high-pitched whir behind him made him turn around in a sudden jerk. Gus had slunk in his back, and was wielding the kitchen's old electric knife, looking at his crotch with an evil grin.

Waverly saw Champ step back slowly towards the exit, mouth agape. "There's a lot of girls out there, normal ones, that will see I'm great, that will love me properly. You, you'll never find another man ready to love an Earp. An Earp !" he said with disgust as he yanked the door open. "You'll be asking for me to take you back, you'll see !" he added with a victorious grin. He was visibly going to say something else, but as Gus and Wynonna were coming closer he just shook his head and went out for good.

Wynonna was the first to come to a conclusion, in a manner that was so peculiar to her : "Babygirl, we've got to celebrate this ! Whiskey !".

Chapter Text

It was Wednesday and Nicole was already fed up with this week. Not even half past nine in the morning and she was already fed up with this day. She reflected that it was probably a bit hard for her to adjust to the new activity, as the camp was now full of unexperienced diggers, contrasting strongly with the atmosphere of the previous week. But it's always like this when a dig begins, I should be only a bit annoyed, Nicole thought. She just had to shift her mood, and look at the comical side of things, instead of focusing on the annoyance of young students discovering the realities of an excavation.

Right now, she was watching a young man clearly using a shovel for the first time in his life. He was wincing in pain while managing only to move a spoonful of dirt at a time. What was his name again ? Gregor, she believed. About thirty new faces. Most of them were removing the upper layer of the soil in places that Professor Lucado had decided were potentially interesting. She could spot Rosita and Doc at the foot of the hill, both managing their own team of diggers. Another half dozen of students were under Jeremy's orders to complete marking out the grid system they would be using for plans and computer imaging. They were placing pegs and altitude marks with great precision, learning to use the theodolite.

Jeremy didn't seem as nervous as she was. In spite of the clueless students having a hard time making the calculations and using their equipment, he was still smiling and cheerful.

Professor Lucado's mood was the opposite, surveying the excavation with a surly expression. She had asked again early this morning to Nicole if she had any idea about another place for her to stay in Purgatory. Her elderly and noisy landlords, the Blanks, seemed to have a devastating effect on her already morose temper.

Nicole decided to get things done. First, she spent a few minutes trying to explain the best way to shovel to Your-name's-Gregor-right-?-Gregor. He would get better at this, but probably not today. Then, the tall redhead made her way to her boss.

"Hey, Professor ?" she asked. "I have to go into town for the laundry, so I'll be heading back to the camp. Is there anything you need me to do ?"

"No… I don't think so… And you can stop looking for another place for me, I've found it myself," she said, pointing to her cell phone. "If you've ever been looking for anything," she added with a sour voice. Truth be told, Nicole had done nothing about this, except laughing about it at Shorty's with Waverly and Gus. But her boss had a way to discourage people from helping her.

Before leaving the site, she made a quick tour of the excavation. Jeremy was making exaggerated hand gestures to make her come close to him.

"You're going to Purgatory for the clothes, don't you ? I gave a few things to wash…" the techie began.

"Don't worry, Jeremy, it will be returned clean and dry this afternoon."

"Yeah… Listen, when you'll go to Shorty's, I was wondering if you could buy me some muffins, you know, banana muffins… Mmmh ?" Jeremy said with a conspiratorial tone. "Do you want some money right now ?"

"Well…" Nicole said awkwardly, "I'm not even sure I will go there. But if you want some muffins…" The redhead answered him, avoiding his gaze. Her ears felt so hot she was sure they were emitting light right now.

"Yeah, sure !" Jeremy said, nodding with a mocking smile. "You'll go to Shorty's just to humor me. Have a good time !", he concluded with a wink. "Hey ! Leslie ! You've got to have this pole really vertical, please, use the level !" he shouted, turning to a girl about thirty meters from him.

Nicole chose to ignore the young man's remarks and walked to her car. She had no news from Waverly since Monday, when her sister had come back. Wynonna. Back from Greece apparently. It was best to step back and leave the two sisters have some time for themselves. Nicole didn't want to be an unwanted bystander, and she had simply left with the diggers. She had made two more trips to Shorty's that day, first at the end of the morning, and then later in the afternoon to get three stragglers, but Waverly was not working and she didn't want to bother the lovely hazel-eyed woman. She hadn't texted either, waiting for Waverly to do it.

Nicole was quite aware that she was acting weird. She knew damn well she wasn't so shy usually. And if the point was to give Waverly some space, then she shouldn't be thinking about her all the time.

She was now driving on the short part of the dirt road that needed some work. After conferring with Doc the day before, they had agreed it was necessary to divert somehow the water in case of heavy rain. Doc was supposed to go "find a pipe", he had said with an ambiguous smile, and Nicole was hoping he would not get caught red-handed by the local sheriff, dismantling the city's sewers. Perhaps he was just messing with her.

The woman's thoughts went back to her Purgatorian crush… It's ridiculous, she chastised herself. Straight, heartbroken, hazel eyes, the recipe for a wreckage. She's a great girl, but there will be no love for you here, Nicole. Really, she had just asked Waverly for a coffee before she even knew she was straight, and she had done the same kind of chance flirting many, many times, with a lot of other women.

Yeah, I'm just a hyperactive Cupid riding an unicorn, shooting love arrows in all directions, as usual. Ladies beware !

Yes, Haught. Very convincing. So who are all the other girls you’ve been busy shooting your arrows at, lately ? You’re doomed, Haught, very doomed ! It’s all about Waverly… The redhead felt a cold shiver. This will end badly. She had to keep her distance. And she had to stop speaking to herself, too.

Stopping at the camp, she made a dash to Dolls' kitchen to tell him she was headed to Purgatory on her laundry mission.

"Are you with us for lunch ?" the cook asked.

"Well I'm not sure, it's already rather late, I don't think I really can make it…"

"Okay… Well, when you're at Shorty's, could you check if you can get some of Waverly's banana muffins ? She said to me she had made a whole batch for the bar. It was a couple of days ago, perhaps she has done another."

"Industrial espionage ?" the redhead shot back, raising an eyebrow.

"Er… They are very good," Dolls answered slyly. "Or you could ask Waverly about her recipe ? Even a few details would be precious…" he continued with an awkward wince.

"Come on, Dolls ! You should be ashamed ! I don't even plan to go to Shorty's today, and if I would, I wouldn't dare ask that !"

"If you would ? You won't meet Waverly ?" Dolls uttered with an incredulous tone. "Well, see you later !" he said finally, focussing back on his work.

Sulking-Nicole went out of the kitchen and walked to the restaurant building to collect the bundle of dirty clothes she had to get washed.

First Jeremy, now Dolls. What are they all implying ? I can perfectly go to Purgatory without paying a visit to Waverly. I've seen her two days ago and I'm fine, thank you very much ! Nicole huffed to herself as she was making sure the bundle's knots were secure, a bit too roughly. And is there anyone around here that doesn't know I'm crushing on her ? I must be quite a laughing stock. But I have enough willpower to keep away from this girl if I have to.

Exactly twenty seconds later, Nicole was texting :

NH : Hi Waverly ! Coming to Purgatory around lunchtime. Maybe we can meet ? If you can't it's OK.

No it's not.

…

Answer, answer please…

WE : Great ! Lunch ? Picnic ? I bring a chicken salad ?

Nicole's heart was beating fast. A picnic with Waverly sounded great.

NH : OK. I get water and fruits ? Pick you up around noon ?

WE : At the back of Shorty's, text me when you arrive. Water and fruits OK. See you !

It sounded wonderful ! Nicole took her ice chest out of her room, got to her car but suddenly thought better of it, went back to fetch her stetson, and finally made the drive to Purgatory with a smile plastered on her face.

She stopped first at the supermarket, got water, ice and a half-dozen of the best-looking fruits she could find, and put all this in her cooler. The sun was already hot, it was going to be worse at lunchtime, she could already imagine Waverly slowly passing a cold bottle on her face, sighing in relief as the condensation would leave a wet trail on her skin. Then she will look at me full of gratitude… and give me a kiss… for bringing fresh water… Yeah, a bit far-fetched. Stop fantasizing, Haught.

The laundromat was empty the whole time, except for a woman who came to wash a blanket and left the place as soon as the machine begun her program. Nicole had everything washed and dried in a bit more time than she thought, but she was only ten minutes late when she drove to Shorty's backlot after texting Waverly.

After two minutes, the kitchen's door flung open and the energetic brunette walked right to Nicole's car, a wide brim hat on her head and carrying an heavy basket. Nicole got out of the car to greet her and to open her the door to the back seat, so she could put her basket next to her own ice chest, secured with a safety belt. Waverly was fit, Nicole could see it in every move she made, and she didn't flinch as she put her hat on the roof and dove into the car to fasten her burden. Still keeping the door open, the tall redhead's eyes lingered along her new friend's lithe body, clad today in jeans and a T-shirt she had tied in the back, revealing in this instant a toned back and side as she extended her arms to lock the safety belt. Nicole knew she had to say something, anything to hide her sudden want.

"What's in there, Waverly ?" Nicole asked, clearing her throat. "You only said you were bringing a salad."

"And the blanket, the plates and glasses, forks and knives, I intend this to be a civilized picnic. Napkins, too. We will do the full barbarian picnic another day, with grease stains, spilled vino and bawdy songs, I promise," Waverly said as she opened the passenger's door and got seated.

"And we must absolutely have dogs fighting for leftovers, oh and a muddy pond so we can stumble drunkenly into it !" the tall redhead added as she took her place in the driver's seat. "So where are we heading for today's fancy and respectable picnic, dear contessa ?" Nicole enquired as she started the car.

"Please take Main street, we're heading east, my dear" Waverly said with a faux-Brit accent, suddenly sliding down her seat as they were passing in front of Shorty's.

"Are you hiding from someone, Waverly ?" Nicole asked, glancing rapidly at a few people discussing on the sidewalk before focussing back on the road.

"Guys. Boys. Men. Them all." Waverly began to explain. "You know I've dumped Champ, my boyfriend, right ?"

"Yes, I was even the first one you told about it, if I remember well." Nicole answered softly, remembering the tears rolling on the bartender's cheeks that morning.

"Well he came back to… win me back," Waverly said making air quotes. She paused for a few seconds, visibly recalling the scene, then shaking her head. "Well he finally left saying that I am a dumb bitch, no less, and that he was going to tell everyone about it."

Nicole felt a pang of hatred for this man she had never even met.
"Oh, Waverly, I'm sorry for you, what a…"

"Wait ! Let me explain the current situation," Waverly interrupted. "I first noticed it yesterday morning, because a lot of local young men came, each and every one alone, to have lunch at Shorty's. About a dozen. Most uncommon. I didn't know right away what to make of that, but they all wanted to talk, and talk with me. And there were more guys in the afternoon. I got invited to a dozen parties, meals, bowling nights, and all this don't-you-want-me-to-take-you for-a-ride-in-my-car bullshit." Waverly said, rolling her eyes.

"The word on the street seems to be that you're back on the dating market, I reckon…"

"I could do without all this attention. I'm an happily single Virgo with hair for days !" the small brunette said waving her mane with a satisfied smile. "And I won't elaborate about those who ask me if I need some plumbing to be done, or some fine tuning of my engine… Do you know Champ told me no one else but him would ever want me ? Well he was wrong !"

"His loss ! You are kind and beautiful and clever, Waverly, I think you're…" Nicole didn't end her sentence. Careful, Haught. Don't rush into a declaration. "I think you're able to find someone better than this guy. Soo… that's why we're having a sneak picnic today ?"

"Even you think I'm attractive, don't you ?" Waverly asked in return.

No is a lie. Yes is a risk.

"Well… You guessed for sure that I like women, don't you, Waverly ?" Nicole risked.

"Last week, you were hitting on me when you first came at Shorty's."

"Sorry. I was a bit out of line there… I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. Listen, Waverly," Nicole said after taking a big breath. "I swear I won't be drooling. I'm here as a friend, without any further agenda, OK ?"

"OK, Nicole. I wouldn't be here with you today if I didn't feel great in your company, you know ? We're approaching. You'll turn left at the next road. And… no drooling, you said ? Then you'll be doing already much better that most of those guys," Waverly chuckled, pointing to a small wood. "You see those trees over there ? That's where we're going."

As they drove near the place Waverly had chosen for their picnic, Nicole was exhorting herself silently. She must be a real friend, just like she had promised. Waverly didn't need to know she was falling hard for her, and it was better that way for both of them. Waverly had enough problems with a toxic ex-boyfriend and a swarm of horny guys chasing her. Nicole had desires, but she could be a friendly and supportive presence when the woman at her side needed it, she could do it, she had to do it, she was going to do it.

After they reached the wood and parked the car, Waverly led Nicole under the trees to a creek. The young woman knew an ideal place, a flat half-moon clearing on the bank of the small river. They spread the blanket and began to place the food on it.

"I made the salad with extra pickles. You like pickles ?" Waverly asked, looking at Nicole.

"Yes, I do," Nicole lied. Well, I do now. I'll eat them bravely. Yuck ! Pickles !

"Great, I prepare them myself !" Waverly said, smiling proudly.

Tasting carefully the chicken salad a moment later, Nicole realized that the young Purgatorian had nailed it. Even her pickles turned out to be delicious. And of course she made her how pickles from scratch ! For someone like Nicole, who cooked only when she really had to, Waverly's talent was intriguing.

The picnic was one of those magical moments with regular flashes of despair for the redhead, as she watched the woman in front of her doing things. She watched her frowning in concentration as she sliced an apple. She watched her smile as she drank water. She looked at her as she was basking in the summer light. Luckily, Waverly didn't seem to notice anything wrong about Nicole's behavior, and that was a relief for the archaeologist, as she did all she could to seem relaxed and to keep an active part in their conversation. But it was hard to stay cool in presence of such a mesmerizing girl. Nicole felt like her every move, her every stare, was betraying her condition of the heart.

Nicole's tension between joy and ache reached its highest point when Waverly began to make photos. She first took snapshots of Nicole, but then came closer and put her back right against Nicole, to shoot them as a pair. They made it all, the smiles, the duckfaces, the international spies fingerguns, the brooding, the ditzes, the wrestlers confrontation, and they laughed their hearts out.

Back in her head, a little voice kept telling Nicole that there was things she had to do that day, but all she wished for was to stay in this grove with the brunette. They were now quietly watching the dragonflies hovering above the stream, when Waverly suddenly got called. Nicole made out it was Gus, with bad news apparently.

"Gus needs me at the bar, Nicole, I'm sorry, but my sister is awake and came down from my apartment. Gus can't man both the bar and Wynonna. We've got to leave."

"It's OK, Waverly," Nicole shot back, standing up. "Let's grab everything then !" She gave her hand to Waverly to help her stand up in her turn. Stealing another contact, Haught… It's a friend she needs. But it feels so good when we're touching !

"Wynonna just got beamed down in Purgatory." Waverly explained as she collected the plates and cutlery and put them back into the basket. "She was supposed to be roughly on the other side of this planet but bam ! Here she is now ! Handling that situation is a dirty job, but someone has to do it. You don't know her, but trust me, if I don't deal with her quickly, the fire squad will have to step in."

"Sounds like she's a handful," Nicole said.

"You can say that again !"

Fifteen minutes later, they reached back Shorty's. As she put her car into a stop in front of the bar, Nicole spotted a certain horrid pink car that was parked there as well. As if a little cloud was raining only for her head, she was busted again.

Chapter Text

The men were loitering in front of Shorty's, four of them. Myles-from-Moose-Jaw, Devin Thiess, both present at the bar since about eleven, Stephan McKay and Tom Lawrence. Their noses in the sun, apparently exchanging important views about the tires of a battered pick-up truck. Waverly sighed. She should have said to Nicole to park again in the back of the bar. They were going to either mock her or pretend to help, only to try to stop her. Zonked Suitors, A Barmaid Tells All, by Waverly Earp.

"If you don't want them to block you, you should let me take the basket," Nicole offered calmly as she killed the engine. "I'm confident they won't try to help me, and that way you still can keep interaction with them to a minimum."

"Are you some kind of telepath ?" Waverly chuckled.

"More like some kind of woman. I've been dodging this kind of gentlemen for a long time, like you…" Nicole stated.

They came out of the car, and Nicole nodded in the direction of the pink Lincoln, before she shrugged with an uncertain look. She had no idea what Doc was doing at Shorty's. Waverly watched Nicole lifting the heavy wicker basket, and walking alongside her with an easy gait. The camp manager's athletic body was also shielding her from the four guys, as she saluted them with only a smile (and a little wave), eliciting in response a few cheers and grunts. The doors of Shorty's were propped open by chairs, as Gus used to do on such sunny days, and the two women just dived into the main room.

Of course there were a few more young men inside, nursing drinks at the counter. Seated at a booth on the left, Doc and Rosita were staring at Waverly and her redheaded partner-in-crime. Well, if picnics were a crime. Her escapade into the woods with Nicole had cost the brunette a few extra efforts, prepping the chicken salad, gathering everything they needed to enjoy their meal, but she felt elated now by this solid moment of joy.

"Hey there…" Nicole said half-heartedly to her colleagues, still holding the basket with her left hand.

"Come here, Nicole, I suppose you're in for a coffee ?" Rosita said, smiling. "My treat. And for you too, Waverly !"

Honeyed words to get to know what they both had been up to, for sure. But Waverly knew better than to approach the bar and the half dozen of bachelors ogling her right now. And she was curious to know what dark deeds Rosita and Doc were doing here.

Beyond the customers, Gus was at the bar. Her big sis Wynonna was at the bar. Gus looked squarely at Waverly, with an half-smile and a little tilt of her head, then a side glance at Wynonna and then again a serious look at Waverly. Glad you're back, kiddo ! I'm happy to see, looking at you, that you had a most pleasant moment with this new friend you're so eager to spend time with, yes I noticed, but could you just remove this young lady, your sister Wynonna, from our stash of alcoholic beverages before it's sucked down into a whirlpool of hair, black leather and profanity ? You just couldn't believe how much Gus could say without speaking.

"Wynonna !" the younger Earp called, "come here to meet my friends." She saw that Wynonna parted reluctantly with the counter.

"Who are those so-called friends, babygirl ?" the dark-haired heir of the Earps enquired.

"Wynonna, my big sister," Waverly proclaimed, "and this is Rosita, archaeologist extraordinaire, Doc, mustachioed gentleman, and Nicole… where's Nicole ?" The basket was on the floor next to her. No more Nicole attached to it.

"Well, hello there !" Wynonna said to the two diggers in the booth, already seating herself literally against Doc.

Looking around, Waverly spotted Nicole in front of the juke-box, selecting some music. After a few seconds, she left the machine and walked slowly towards Waverly with an dimpled smile. The first chords of a country ballad filled the room as Nicole's selection started to play.

- So you wonder what it might be like
- If we close our eyes and give in…

"And I'm Nicole, the ramrod," the tall redhead said, winking to Waverly. "Nice to meet you again, Wynonna."

"Hey, redhead, white cowboy hat, I remember you !"

"Er… Nicole, sorry to ask you… but could you get us two coffees and anything you want for yourself ?" Waverly asked as she sat down next to her sister to block her lest she went back to the counter. She feared that Nicole would snap at her, but instead she looked at her, nodded and left to talk to Gus.

Waverly had just the time to make proper introductions and to explain to Wynonna a little bit more about the excavation, when Gus and Nicole came to the booth with two cappuccinos and two black coffees. Nicole sat down next to Rosita, opposite to Wynonna. She smiled at Waverly and gave the young bartender one of the cappuccinos, keeping the second one for her. Gus took place next to Nicole and handed to Wynonna one of the black coffees.

"I'm Gus. The aunt of those two. Well, Nicole," Gus said with a dissecting look. "How's this diggin' doing ?"

"Well, we had a good start. I was in town for the laundry…" Nicole trailed off, visibly flustered by the old woman staring out at her.

"May I say that we visited your fine establishment today hoping dearly to see you, Waverly," Doc interrupted. "Me and Rosita came to buy a few things for the camp, nothing expensive I want to dispel any doubts about that," he said in an aside to Nicole, "and we found a perceptive, albeit unsettling business partner in the person of one Bobo, head of the respectable trailer park and junk yard just north of your town…"

"Stay away from Bobo Del Rey," Gus said. Waverly nodded in approval. Wynonna sneered loudly.

"I'm used to see people looking at me, trying to guess my measurements, but he… well he just seemed to try and guess the money he could get for our kidneys," Rosita said.

"Anyhow, we found the pipes we needed, and… some parts for one of my experiments, thanks to Rosita's expertise in the field of mechanicals" Doc continued, looking again at Nicole, "and then we decided to come here in hope we could get a few muffins…"

"Banana muffins," Rosita felt important to point out.

"Back at the dig, some people did ask me also about this …" Nicole chimed in.

They love my banana muffins… It's Lonely at the Top - A Baker's Story, by Waverly Earp.

"Sorry folks, not today. Perhaps in a few days. I'll try to make a special effort, to support scientific research !" Waverly quipped.

She began to hum softly. "Yes ! We have no bananas... We have no bananas today..."

"Hey, it's this song in Sabrina, the record Audrey Hepburn listens to with Bogart !" Nicole interjected. Oh, I must definitely watch films with her, Waverly thought.

"I'm sure scholars are more able to appreciate the good things than the average Purgatory rabble we get in this bar," Wynonna said, shamelessly locking her blue gaze into Doc's eyes, and now frankly leaning on him.

"Ah ! The customers we have here at Shorty’s !" Gus said. "One day you’ll be depressed because you’ll realize they are, well, the majority of them, a bunch of freeloading loafers and Prairies rubes. And the day after that, you’ll look at them and realize they are, well, the majority of them, good people doing the best they can to live a decent and happy life in the boundaries of their imagination."

"Wait, Gus. Aren’t those two notions mutually exclusive ?" Waverly put in.

"No they aren’t, kiddo. But you’ll probably need time to realize that too. Now, what I really want to say to you is : imagination. You’ve got plenty of it. And it’s all the better for you when you have to take decisions about your own happiness… Now if you'll excuse me," Gus said, standing up and taking back her coffee mug with her, "I've got patrons to attend to."

"So what about this bod of yours, Doc ? You into sports ?" Wynonna asked turning to her neighbor, who was now trapped with his back against the wall.

"I have to say I stay away from any sport venue. My only exertions are done during archaeological work, I fear," Doc drawled.

"Same for me, I'm not the team spirit type. And what about you, Waverly ?" Rosita asked.

"I only do daily workouts, but I was a cheerleader in high school. So I guess I'm all in for team spirit, and rooting for your friends. It was great to give them support, show them I believed in everyone's chance to make a difference on the field…"

"Waverly, you've always been a bundle of optimism," Wynonna stated, "you're able to see what is better in everybody. Hey, you even found something good in Champ ! And this man… Wait ! Did I say man ? Is it really a man ?"

"Wynonna !" warned Waverly.

"Well I guess he has some places a bit like a man's body parts. Were those the better ones ?" Wynonna asked, wiggling her brows.

"Wynonna !"

"So he got into your bed using only his wits and his manner, babygirl ? You won't make me believe that !" the dark-haired woman sniggered.

"Am I trying to ? Am I trying to ?"

"I rest my case !" Wynonna said with her most solemn tone. "And you Nicole, I bet you're into sports, too. For basketball, I guess you just have to reach out a hand," she moved on.

"I never cared much about playing basketball, though I enjoy watching it. Go Raptors !" Nicole cheered.

"No sports at all ?"

"Well, I've been into roller derby in recent years…" Nicole said.

"You roller girls always have funny nicknames ! Tell me yours !" Wynonna shot back.

"Well, it was Last Wheel, you know, like the wheel of a roller skate," the redhead confessed.

Speak of the devil, Waverly thought, her mind drifting away from the conversation at the table. She was perceiving some kind of raucous business outside the doors, and she was quite sure to make out Champ's angry voice. I've got to see what's going on, she resolved, sliding out of the booth and walking towards the commotion.

Sure enough it was Champ, turning his back to Shorty's door as he was arguing with Devin. "You just came here to bill and coo with my girl. Waverly's mine ! Get lost, Thiess !" he hissed, unaware of the brunette behind him.

"I'm pretty sure she dumped you, Champ !" Devin said back. True, but still a wrong answer, Waverly thought.

Champ's fist was already striking Devin's face. The young man staggered.

"Champ, stop that now !" Waverly shouted, grasping her ex-boyfriend's shirt to make him step back.

"I'm here to protect you from those creeps, Waverly," Champ spat, barely turning his face towards her. "Go back inside," he ordered, shoving her harshly. Wavery lost her balance and fell on the pavement.

This shit ticket ! Seeing red, Waverly stood back up, seized hold of the chair that served as a doorstop and slammed it into Champ's back as he was ready to hit Devin again. The chair broke on the impact, pieces falling on the pavement. Crap ! Champ had stumbled, and gasped in pain, looking back at her with astonishment.

The props were betraying her, but still she had two chair legs in her hands.

"You are the trouble here !" Waverly yelled, brandishing the rods, "I'm not a damsel in distress, Champ Hardy ! I'm the damsel…" she shouted as she struck him on the knee with the left chair leg, "…and the distress !" she concluded, hitting him squarely on the shoulder with the other rod. "Go away !" she hollered.

She saw Champ loosing all confidence, and he retreated both from surprise and pain. He hopped across the street to his car, looking at her with dread, and drove away. Waverly was shaking with rage. Looking around, she saw Wynonna, Nicole, Rosita and Doc crammed in the doorway, staring at her. She dropped the wooden rods, and walked straight to them.

"Did you enjoy the show ?" she barked. Doc walked past her and picked up the chair legs from the pavement. "I will keep'em for you, perhaps you'll need them one day for another lover…" he mused.

"There won't be another lover !" Waverly snapped. "I'm through with this. Look at this one," she gestured at Champ's car already a few blocks away, "I've been such a fool to even go near this guy, to even talk to him. Ooh, and I thought I could read people !" she whispered bitterly. She pushed her way back into the bar, straight to the kitchen, but she knew there would be someone to follow her there, so she went out by the back door and spent five minutes walking angrily in the street, before returning, somewhat calmed down, and quite embarrassed.
 
Wynonna slapped her on the back. Gus just shook her head.

The three archaeologists were still there, but they took their leave as soon as they saw her, saying they had to get back to work at the excavation. They must think I'm crazy ! Nicole looked at her with a concerned expression as she left. Waverly felt like she was going to be sick.

Waverly was a nervous wreck for the rest of the afternoon, and blew off steam by scrubbing the kitchen for two hours. As she was taking some rest upstairs, Gus came to ask her to come and speak to Nedley, the sheriff. As usual, he was there for happy hour like any day, but he wanted Waverly to shed light on the fight with Champ. Some meddling law-abiding citizens had called Purgatory's sheriff office. Nedley listened to her version, but he had some details to check.

"I've been told several of the workers from this Blackfoot archaeological diggings were also present at the scene," the old sheriff asked. "Did they take part in the scuffle ?"

"No, they were there but only witnessed the end of the fight… they were there because they tasted my banana muffins," Waverly added, feeling compelled to provide an explanation. The sheriff looked at her in thoughtful consideration.

"Did you just bake some of those ?" he asked with a little twitch of the eyelids.

"No I didn't, Randy. They tasted them a few days ago, they were coming back for more." Waverly answered. "But I didn't bake another batch yet. Next time I do I could keep some for you, OK ?" Yet another one that was after her banana muffins.

"You must understand that you can't bludgeon people in the street and get away with it by offering pastries around," Nedley stated calmly. "But of course I'm quite aware of Champ's less-than-courteous behavior. Let's simply hope he won't want to press charges against you, but I think it's unlikely. And yes I would be pleased if you make sure I can buy you some of those muffins on the next batch."

Lots of Dough ! How I Made My First Million, by Waverly Earp.

After the sheriff left, it was time for Waverly to take her shift at the bar. A bunch of eligible bachelors from Purgatory and beyond came this evening, but they probably had heard on the grapevine that Shorty's radiant bartender was bellicose today, and they stayed prudent in their words and deeds.

Much, much later this night, in her chamber after saying goodnight to Wynonna, Waverly couldn't help herself replaying again and again the events of the day in her head. Lying on her bed, she sorted the photos taken during the picnic, smiling at the pictures of Nicole and her goofing around. There were so much things she wanted to do this summer, and especially with Nicole, but she was afraid that the righteous redhead would push her away after this afternoon's violent outburst against Champ.

Waverly was more and more conscious of the pull she felt, the way Nicole's confident charm was making its way to her heart, but it was also true that she had to question seriously her judgement. The whole Champ debacle, a result of several years of blindness, was proof of her lack of sense. Yet she felt it was Nicole that had given her the strength to stand her ground against Champ. And that couldn't be wrong.

But Nicole was a woman. A pretty one, with womanly features Waverly was attracted to, and that was new. What was happening ? She had been into guys until then. She was into guys. And everybody knew about that. So she put a snapshot of her and Nicole together as the new wallpaper of her phone. Their two heads were touching as they smiled at the camera and hid one half of their faces, Nicole with the brim of her stetson hat, Waverly with her long hair. It's just the photo of two friends, that's what it is. That's what people will think if they see my phone.

All this because I've got this attraction for Nicole… What a day ! I had a wonderful picnic with her, I worked at the bar, I got in a fight, it was frantic, I feel exhausted, but I feel like I've been doing the right things… And I want to spend at least a great summer with Nicole. Both our jobs permitting.

She relaxed for one more minute, half laughing, half worrying about how much energy she would need to juggle all she wanted to do. But an awful realization made her sit up suddenly, her fingers covering her open mouth.

Wait a minute ! The hectic schedule… the nosy friends and relatives… the brawls and slapsticks… the disgruntled ex making a fool of himself ! Oh no ! she realized to her dismay, my life has just become a cheesy lesbian rom-com !

Chapter Text

Music and conversations were making a confused background noise, as the diggers were enjoying the still lukewarm night air. Nicole had been in her bunk since the evening meal, sorting things on her computer, trimming useless bookmarks on her browser, watching bit of videos. She was well aware that she was only trying to resist the temptation to just take her car and go to Purgatory.

Since the beginning of the afternoon, when she had left the small town after Waverly's fight against Champ, she had been thinking about the young woman who seemed to tighten a little more each day her grip into her heart. And her brain. And her guts. She had worked on automatic pilot, mostly daydreaming, idling among the diggings.

As the sun was downing, Doc had called to ask her to inspect the road work, the repairs on the way to the site. In only a few hours, with a handful of clumsy students, he had made two deep ditches on both sides of the road, connected by a few pipes he had got buried under the track. Doc seemed confident about what he had done. Confirmation would come after the next rainfall.

Looking at the blank wall of her very small private quarter, the redhead smiled and shook her head. At least she had coworkers that had got some job done today. To be honest, that had got her job done. While she was musing about a certain enchanting small army-of-one woman. Waverly was perhaps under arrest right now. "For boy-manslaughter," Nicole sniggered alone.

She felt guilty. Guilty not to have leaped into action to help Waverly. As they all were sitting in the booth at Shorty's she had of course noticed Waverly slinking off because, well, she was noticing Waverly all the time. But she didn't want to betray her special interest for the beautiful bartender. And even as she heard the noise coming from the street, and even as she saw Waverly taking one of the chairs and the door closing, she had made a conscious effort to stay composed and had asked the others, Rosita, Doc and Wynonna, to come with her to see what was happening, instead of listening to the voice within her that shouted to rush outside right away.

She was so concerned about concealing her longing for Waverly that she didn't even act like a true friend would have.

And after that she had left the saloon like any stranger would have done, instead of staying to see the aftermath of the fight and to support Waverly.

Nicole sighed and put her laptop on her small table. OK, a woman's got to do what she got to do. Crossing her long legs on the bed, Nicole took her phone and began texting.

NH : It's late, but I worry. Are you OK ? Did you get arrested ?

…

…

She's in the slammer. Or perhaps she's asleep. Or she doesn't want to answer. She doesn't want to answer me anymore. Why would she want to answer me ? I failed to defend her against her boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend. Or perhaps they're back together after the fight. Oh no. No, no, no. Or it's Gus, she doesn't like me and told Waverly to stop seeing me. Or it's Wynonna. No it's Waverly. My stetson was a faux pas. I brought the wrong fruits to the picnic.

The redhead tried to stop her thoughts for a second.

The wrong fruits ? You're coming unglued, Haught !

As Nicole was reaching gloomy conclusions about her mental state, the phone pinged and a reply appeared.

WE : In my bed but awake. Had just turned off light. Very OK not in jail.

NH : Sorry to disturb you.

WE : Not sorry to be disturbed by you. I only got questions from sheriff. Told him it was you started the fight.

What ? Waverly did say what ?

WE : Kidding. Just kidding. I offered muffins. Got off scot-free.

NH : Shame ! Shame !

WE : Me bribing the sheriff or me pranking you ?

NH : Both. Especially you pranking me. Truth is I'm relieved. Goodnight Waverly.

WE : Goodnight Nicole.

Nicole went to the ablution block to get prepared for the night, beaming. Smiling even as she was brushing her teeth. Smiling as she stopped a few minutes near the tables outside Doll's kitchen, looking at the starry sky for a few minutes before saying goodnight to the diggers that sat there enjoying a few beers, and off she went back in her room.

As she put her phone to charge up, she read again the messages. Goodnight Nicole… She turned off the light and let her mind drift into dreams where Waverly's real voice whispered those words in her ear in the dark.



The following morning, the first thing she did was to reread once more the SMSs. She had it bad indeed. The redhead could picture Waverly's face as she was typing that she had incriminated Nicole. Crinkled eyes forming dark half-moons above a wide, mischievous smile. If she wanted to tease, Nicole had to find a way to show her that two could play this game…

There was of course the delicate problem of how long Nicole should wait that day before she could text Waverly again without blowing her cover (The Concerned Friend) and revealing herself as The Hopeless Admirer. She got ready for her morning run and made it a littler faster than usual, to exert herself out of her sentimental uncertainties.

Upon her return, the camp's life distracted her as she went into the restaurant building, where food and beverages were at the diggers' disposal in the morning. She wolfed down her breakfast before going under the shower's meager and tepid spray.

The first incident of the day happened right as the diggers were heading towards the excavation. Lucado's lemon of a car, although it had been able to get her to the camp from whatever place she was now in residence in Purgatory, wouldn't go further up the road. The boss was ready to call for a repair shop when Rosita Bustillos stepped up to the plate and rummaged for a few minutes under the car's hood.

Rosita soon declared that the trouble was the distributor and that the part was all she needed to get the car back on the road. She quickly disassembled the faulty piece and wrote down the specs for getting a new one.

That was Nicole's cue to begin to do her job. She took her phone and texted Waverly, asking for help. Did she know someone, somewhere, to get auto parts quickly ? After about twenty minutes, she had a call from Gus, who told her, with her usual jaded voice, to turn to a man named Juan Carlo, owner of the Ectoplasma Auto Shop, that Gus described as "the least dishonest mechanic in the area". Nicole loved that aspect of her work, resolving problems on the phone. She was in her element.

The redhead was on the excavation site since a good hour and a half when said Juan Carlo finally decided to answer his phone, and told her that she wouldn't get this distributor anywhere near Purgatory, but that he could get it from Big City "probably" on the next day. OK, then.

Nicole had just got promoted, she was now officially Professor Lucado's driver for today and tomorrow, "probably". She was annoyed but happy, or happy to be annoyed : she now had an opportunity to get in touch with Waverly and a reason to thank her. She would drive to Purgatory at the end of the day, she had to drive Lucado home. And on the way back…

On the way back, Nicole made a stop at Shorty's.

Rosita had come with her in Nicole's station wagon, as they escorted Professor Lucado back at the incredible place she had found in a derelict farm. She now rented the upper floor of a barn, hastily transformed into a sort of rural loft, with a charming upper view of the pigsty. Lucado hadn't seemed eager to keep them in her company any longer that strictly necessary, visibly mortified to reveal her sordid sleeping quarters.

"Well look who's here," Gus exclaimed as the two archaeologists came into the saloon.

Me, ready to have my feelings trampled on, Nicole mused. You must like it, Haught, since you come back again and again. She knew she should stay away from that Waverly Earp, for self-preservation. But this is better than deciding not to see her anymore.

All of the tall redhead's negativity disappeared when she saw Waverly coming close. She wore her working attire, a Shorty's top and a very hugging pair of jeans. She had her hair in a long braid that hung over her left shoulder. And she smiled at Nicole. And Nicole felt all her wariness being dispelled by the radiant brunette's presence.

All that Nicole needed was her daily dose of Waverly, after all. Who, me, doctor ? Addicted ?

While Nicole and Rosita were having a beer at the counter, they had the opportunity to express their gratitude to both Gus and her niece for their help about Lucado's car. Waverly announced she was going to bake a huge batch of banana muffins on the next day, and suggested she could drive to the camp to offer some, and sell some more. The wide grins and frantic nods of both Rosita and Nicole were enough of a yes to her proposal.

On the drive back to the camp, Rosita decided to put her foot in it.

"So do you think you can get her ?" she asked calmly.

"No… It's a bad idea anyhow," Nicole answered, not even bothering to pretend she didn't know who her passenger was talking about.

"Look at the fool she was dating… Perhaps you stand a chance," Rosita argued.

"Looking at the fool, I notice he's a guy."

"You could be a pleasant change. Even if she's clearly out of your league," Rosita shot back.

"Thank you so much for your support, Rosita," Nicole answered, turning briefly her eyes from the road. "You like to get straight to the point, don't you ?"

"Yes, that's why I've got few friends."




On the next day, Nicole spent her morning driving back and forth. Her early run was replaced by a drive to Professor Lucado's lodging, that Rosita had decided to nickname the Hog-Gazebo Farm on their way back the previous night. Rosita was blunt, but funny and resourceful. Nicole recalled Doc had told her she would come to that conclusion. Rosita was pretty, too, let's say attractive, even, and it made the redhead feel a bit uneasy to realize that she wasn't attracted, in fact.

Nicole was aware that Waverly was becoming an obsession. The revelation at Shorty's of the bartender's past as a high school cheerleader had not been helpful at all, and thoughts about her lithe body doing flips in a miniskirt had since fueled many ruminations. Right now, among the diggers scraping the soil, she was musing on the mix of beauty and intelligence she had found in the charming young woman.

And her aptitude for street fighting was a plus that rocked Nicole's Lust-o-Meter even more that she cared to admit.

A bit later, Juan Carlo called her from his garage to say the distributor they needed had been just delivered, and she drove to Purgatory with Rosita to get it. It took them a good hour to get there and drive back. Lucado's car was repaired at the end of the lunchtime, much to the professor's satisfaction.

The afternoon dragged. Nicole was waiting for news from Waverly, news that didn't come. But as the whole diggers team reached the camp back from the excavation, she saw the Purgatorian waiting for them with Dolls. She was tapping fingers on a big cardboard box. The muffins. As she got out of her car, Nicole made an effort to first get a few diggers to help her take about twenty plastic crates out of her trunk. Objects and odd bits of materials needing to be processed and held in store. No she didn't feel the urge to walk to Waverly. Not at all.

You're so obvious. Look at the others, do they waste their time ? Nicole reflected as she watched from afar the other permanent members of the dig rushing the brunette like a pack of wolves. A pack of wolves looking for banana muffins. Barefaced greed ! Nicole was indeed feeling very proud of her self-control. Jeremy was grabbing other diggers to get them to taste the muffins.

When finally Nicole came nearer, Waverly embraced her in an earnest hug just as the redhead was hesitating to cross the last feet between them. Just as they parted, the small woman snatched Nicole's stetson hat, again, and danced to a distance as she put it on. The camp manager felt a sudden urge to chase Waverly, but what would she do when she would seize her ?

"How are your sales so far ?" Nicole chose to ask instead, careful not to disclose the pang of desire she felt running through her whole body.

"Hey, not bad. And I get in touch with a whole bunch of new customers, here," the brunette shot back. "Don't worry, there are still some I kept for you. How have you been since yesterday, Nicole ?"

Even hearing Waverly say her name was putting the tall redhead in a romantic haze. "Today was alright. What about you, Waverly ?" Nicole asked in return. Both women began to stroll around the camp.

"Peachy, everything is just peachy. Even more young male customers than before. I didn't realize there were so many lonely hearts around Purgatory. Shorty and Gus told me I shouldn't work tomorrow night, as they put it Saturday nights are rowdy enough, I think they fear an excess production of testosterone. Yesterday they told me to go upstairs quite early, I just couldn't work normally."

"Well you can spend the evening here tomorrow," Nicole heard herself utter. To Haught, from brain ! What did you just say ? Just act like you didn't and hope she misunderstood !

"Here ? Tomorrow night ?" Waverly asked. Brain here : OK, she understood perfectly. Now you must bite the bullet.

"The camp will be quiet, most of the diggers will leave for the weekend. And we can spend some time… we could watch some movies… " Nicole trailed off.

"Yes, you mean like some old movies, Nicole ?" the brunette asked, and she beamed when Nicole nodded assent. "Great ! Anyhow it's better if I leave not only the bar but my apartment too. Do you know Champ came to see me last night ?"

"What ? He didn't hurt you, did he ? What did he do ?" Nicole prompted.

"Oh no. He came to serenade me," Waverly clarified, rolling her eyes. "From outside. He parked in the back of Shorty's, he wanted to do it like in Say Anything, you know the boombox scene, but it was a bluetooth speaker."

"Was he wearing a coat ?" Nicole enquired, raising a brow.

"Oh, he never paid attention to details like this." Waverly said.

"I suppose he wasn't playing this old Peter Gabriel song either, was he ?"

"I don't know…" Waverly said, looking up at Nicole with a impish grin. "It's supposed to be the song they heard when they first made love, but our first time was… a bit improvised… at a party. Please don't judge me ! I just remember it was shitty music." She paused. "However, I do remember Champ's first performance, and it was over in mere seconds. So his song yesterday night was probably just a very short jingle, or a sample that he had to play on repeat."

"You didn't hear it… " Nicole concluded.

"I was working out, listening to disco," she said, blushing, "perhaps I could have heard him if he had used a gong or a church bell…"

"If I want to woo you, I'll keep in mind to bring some of those," Nicole interjected.

"What ?" Waverly asked, confused.

"No, nothing, er… please go on Waverly,"  Nicole answered quickly.

"He was drunk, of course he was, and he climbed on the roof of his pickup to be closer from my window. Champ was parked right against our dumpster, and well… he fell into it. He got lucky because Shorty found him, he got out of the kitchen to smoke a cigarette. I only realized what was happening when I saw the lights outside, I mean from the ambulance Shorty had to call. He would have broken his neck if the dumpster hadn't been here, or if it had been empty. He was already on the gurney when I looked. Gus asked a friend of her at the hospital today, he just spent the night there and went home with a few bruises, apparently."

"Didn't he come back to get his car ?"

"No, Shorty's clever ! He drove Champ's pickup to the hospital last night after closing time, and Gus took him back. But I wonder what will be Champ's next great idea…"

As they were walking around the corner of the ablution block, they stopped at an unexpected sight. Doc and Rosita were assembling some light wooden beam structure.

"Working when it's already the weekend ? I suppose it's some of your special projects, Doc ?" Nicole asked, taking in what looked like the skeleton of a garden shed. On the ground, she spotted the rolls of plastic sheeting that her enigmatic coworker had insisted on buying when they had made their trip to the hardware stores.

"Indeed it is. We are assembling what was clearly missing hitherto in this otherwise charming camp, and a well arranged one, I have to say, Nicole…" Doc said,  staring at the tall woman with his blue eyes wide open and an easy smile. "Behold our future steam room. Many groups of the First Nations used steam bath for hygienic as well as ritual purposes, and I wanted to build one since so long I can't remember."

"Two words, Doc : fire hazard," Nicole shot back. "I don't want a live fire in a wooden building here, sorry."

"That's why we will produce steam in a small metallic box well outside the steam room, connected with heat resistant hoses. Auto parts I found in the junk yard," Rosita interjected, obviously very proud of herself and looking squarely at Nicole's hat on Waverly's head.

"Ah… You got this covered of course… Well…" Nicole said, seeing nothing more to object.

"We designed it big enough to accommodate two people comfortably," Doc chimed in.

"Or three if you don't mind being a little cramped…" Rosita mused.

Nicole just couldn't dare to look at Waverly right now. The image of both of them in a cloud of hot steam had made her stop dead in her tracks. And Doc was looking at her, smirking, clearly enjoying Nicole's confusion.

"It's a healthy way to clean oneself, and an economic one. And it's even better if you add essential oils. It's a fascinating historical experiment, too !" Doc felt obliged to add thoughtfully.

"Well, go on then. It'll probably be useful for the camp," Nicole said, trying hard to sound matter-of-fact and turning around slowly to go back towards the kitchen. "Are you coming, Waverly ?"

"Some say it's best to immediately get a massage afterwards," she heard Doc yell in her back as she retreated. Right at this moment Waverly caught her foot on something and almost tripped, but luckily she didn't loose her balance completely.

The redhead was raking her brain to find some new topic for the conversation, but it's Waverly that provided one.

"Soo… Roller derby, is it, Nicole ? I did some research since you talked about this. Last Wheel is a cool nickname…" she begun.

"Yeah, some people told me to choose Ginger Hell, but I wanted my name to still make sense if I changed my hair color," Nicole explained.

"You have beautiful hair !" Waverly blurted. They went on walking in silence for a few seconds. Nicole regretted she had spilled the beans about her passion for roller derby. That could lead to the discovery of certain videos where she was seen showcasing a viciousness she didn't have outside the track.

But still…

"Do you know how to skate, Waverly ?"

Chapter Text

Professor Lucado's car was driving on the digging's camp access track towards the asphalt road. When she reached the crossroads, she turned East and went full throttle towards Purgatory and probably the Big City, barreling towards one of Sheriff Nedley's favorite speed traps and leaving behind a small cloud of black smoke.

Waverly sighed. Bad engine maintenance. She put away her birdwatching binoculars near the bag of her Stakeout Special™ mixed nuts and stood up from her all-purpose outdoor blanket. She gave a quick look at her outfit to make sure there were no creases on her floral shirt or on her short faux-suede skirt.

A bit scanty but a part of her wanted to oppress a bit a certain redhead tonight. She had a good coat in her jeep, in case it got cold. And a pair of trousers to change into if she had to stay somewhere windy for a long time. Waverly always felt cold at night, when she stopped moving around.

Her hair was braided carefully and she had taken a little time to accessorize before leaving her flat, choosing a few bracelets and, after some reflection, the old necklace that was one of the few things left from her mother. A big necklace when she was a little girl, it was now just big enough to allow her head through, but it had beautiful pearls shinning with little specks of colors. She hoped Nicole would like it.

The coast was clear now and she could go to the archaeologists' place without stumbling into the excavation's director and her sour smile. Still looking from time to time to the professor's car, now only a small speck on the road, she took her things and walked to her own car, parked behind some bushes.

Phase one was a success thanks to Waverly's outstanding psychological skills.

Nicole had told her that Lucado had asked the senior archaeologists to help her on the site on this Saturday afternoon. Rain was supposed to fall around Sunday night and some preparations were necessary. The professor had announced everything would be finished at 5 PM, but Waverly just knew Lucado would slink off before that time. And Nicole would probably be last, or one of the last to leave the dig.

That meant she had the opportunity to get to the campsite before the redhead.

She wouldn't admit to a living soul why it was so important.

The shower.

Of course someone like Nicole Haught would shower after work on a sunny afternoon and before a movie night with a friend. Waverly simply had to be there when the tall woman would get out of the ablution block, wet hair and squeaky clean dimples, perhaps she would have forgotten her change of clothes and she would be draped in a towel…

Oooh…

Waverly steadied her grip on her jeep's steering wheel and let out a breath. She had to keep composed and stop this nonsense. Why those shower fantasies about Nicole ? It had been an obsession since she had seen the sweat on the redhead's body after her morning run.

Waverly's running gear was in the jeep, too. Perhaps tomorrow morning, if Nicole felt like it, together… Keep realistic, Waverly, you don't even know if you're going to stay for the night… It was going to be a movie and then Nicole would be all "well, then… goodnight !" and Waverly would have to get back to her car and drive to oblivion.

Her flimsy excuses for arriving in the camp so early were going to be so transparent ! Not much to do at home, wanting to enjoy the end of a splendid afternoon, coming to help some before taking advantage of the diggers' hospitality. Today all this conviviality phooey was a lie.

She felt silly with her infatuation with the beautiful redhead. Just the day before, when Nicole, Rosita and Doc had been discussing the design of the steam bath, she had been standing there, mouth agape, visions rushing through her brain, unable to chip in anything. Doc speaking about massages had made her almost fall on Nicole as they walked away.

Since this moment, a new string of fantasies about Nicole involving the steamroom had been arousing her, as if there weren't already enough of those. In one of those reveries, probably the most satisfying one, an invasion of uncouth felons raised from the dead was sweeping the Purgatory area and Waverly's research proved that said revenants couldn't see or move through steam. She had to take refuge with Nicole in the hot cloud. As they fought side by side against the army from beyond, the steamroom was the only safe place to console and comfort each other… There was that particular moment when…

Oooh !

She had felt the increasingly familiar hot shiver, this time from her belly to her fingers and her toes. This was weird. She didn't recall ever being so aroused by mere thoughts. Simply the result of an unchecked sex drive, and heedless viewing of sleazy supernatural horror movies, she rationalized as she parked her car in the informal parking lot of the campsite.

Waverly's thoughts came back again at the impending evening's program : it was the first time she had a first movie night with someone. With her whole life spent in Purgatory, she had been watching movies with the same people since childhood, sliding seamlessly from afternoons and animation and cookies to evenings and films and wine. That's why she was not sure about what to choose for that night. A bad selection could mean rejection. That's why I feel so nervous. To be sure, she had a whole hard drive full of movies, old and new. They would decide together. Of course, there was also the tiny little detail that it was her first movie night with the first woman she felt attracted to.

Slowly, she hit the steering wheel with her forehead. Attracted to a woman ! Here's something new !

New and vain. Waverly knew she mustn't rush to fill the void left by the end of her relationship with Champ. And obviously Nicole had other things to do than starting romancing.

Soon, she was going to leave.

I didn't even find the nerves to ask her how long she will stay in Purgatory, Waverly reflected. But the real questions were "How long will I be able to see you, to feel you near me ?"

Now here she was waiting for Nicole, like a pervert. She got out of her car and began to pace the camp. Nicole deserved better than a fake friend with a mind full of improper thoughts. And a car full of everything needed in case the movie night morphed into a sleepover. She had PJs, blankets, her favorite shower gel… Shower, shower, shower ! Stop thinking about showers, Waverly !

Nicole hadn't made a move since the first day and however friendly she was, clearly she wasn't interested. Perhaps she had been on their first encounter, but she wasn't anymore after a glimpse of Waverly's heavy baggage. Waverly had even taken her to a picnic in the woods, no less, and nothing had happened. That was a clear reality check, although it had been a very cheerful and pleasant moment. Tonight's invitation was out of pity.

Perhaps it won't be so intimate. Perhaps we will be dozens of people watching a movie. Perhaps they have some big screen and I won't even be seated near Nicole, she has some good friends among the archaeologists, I was invited only because it felt appropriate.

But no, there wouldn't be dozens of people watching the movie. Or perhaps the movies. Only a few vehicles were there, Nicole's station wagon, Doc's pink ride, also a van and two other cars. The camp that bustled with people the day before looked all but deserted now.

Fudgenuggets. Get a grip, Earp ! You're confused after realizing you're terrible at choosing a partner. And you feel strange things because you're going through a phase.

A woman as attractive as Nicole had probably already found a girlfriend in town. Waverly had also seen a lot of girls among the archaeology students. University girls that had to be fawning over Nicole as the magnetic camp manager walked around the site with her freaking stetson hat.

Waverly knew she could be a good archaeologist too, scraping the soil, looking for clues from the past. She could imagine herself digging a hole carefully with Nicole watching and guiding her with her soft voice. Waverly's hands would be dirty, so if she touched Nicole she would probably smear her clothes and then she would have to…

Oooh !

"Hey, Dolls !" Waverly called out a little too loud as she saw the cook coming out of his kitchen. A conversation was going to put her mind back on tracks. "Do you plan on cooking something special tonight ?"

"It's a day off for cooking, I only cleaned stuff today, people here will take care of themselves," Dolls said.

"Oh ! I didn't bring food…" Waverly trailed off. How long could she survive on her mixed nuts ?

"Well, there's always Nicole's noodle soups secret stash," Dolls shot back, looking straight into her eyes.

Just as Waverly was at a loss for words, the archaeologists' big truck was heard, then entered the camp and stopped at a distance with Rosita behind the wheel and two front passengers Waverly didn't know. A few seconds later, Doc, Nicole and Lonnie came out of the back.

Nicole was in full work attire and dusty from head to toes, wearing dull orange bib-and-brace overalls and a white t-shirt, carrying a camera tripod and what seemed to be the corresponding camera's bag. Her toned arms were on full display and it was hard for Waverly to stay composed.

It was just happenstance, wasn't it, that everybody greeted Waverly, including the unknown diggers whose names were Lindsay and Jason, while Nicole was casually waiting her turn, last in line. And all that time, Waverly could see the taller woman smiling at her. She's checking me out !

Waverly braced herself when Nicole finally came closer.

"Waverly ! How are you ? I didn't think you'd be here so soon ! No ! Don't !" Nicole let out when Waverly approached to embrace her. "I'm so dirty. Well, Waverly, you look…" she trailed off, eyeing the Purgatorian's outfit.

"We can hug after your shower !" Waverly blurted out. Great ! I just couldn't be more obvious !

"Er… yes. Why not…" a wide-eyed Nicole answered. "How was your day ?" she added.

After a few instants catching up with Waverly, though, Nicole excused herself "to freshen up", understatement of the year. Waverly stayed a minute to speak with Rosita and the student named Lindsay. They explained to Waverly they had prepared the site, covering a few sensitive places they didn't want to be affected by the incoming rain.

"I suppose you would like the whole place to be under a giant dome," Waverly said.

"Not really," Lindsay shot back. "The rain reveals things on a newly scraped surface. The water can affect some places in a weird way, or give them different colors to let us see filled holes or other structures that we couldn't see on a dry soil. Perhaps we'll learn things on Monday morning !" she continued with a wide smile.

Lindsay seemed to have already some experience about excavations. She was also a young woman with beautiful blue eyes and an attractive body, Waverly reflected as she observed her drifting away towards a small group of trees at the limit of the camp.

"Would you like a cold beer, Waverly ?" Rosita asked, still by her side. "Well I want one for sure. See you later !" the brunette said when Waverly shook her head to refuse.

This Lindsay girl was certainly able to catch Nicole's interest, Waverly thought. Still looking at the student, she saw her remove her shoes and hop on what appeared to be a tightrope rope attached between two trunks at knee level. Lindsay began to walk back and forth, falling and hopping again on the line several times. And a decent acrobat, too...

After a few minutes, Lindsay left the rope and walked away. Waverly made her way to the trees, and looked at the rope, that was in fact a metallic wire, steel probably. She took off her shoes and climbed on it, but her skirt wasn't very practical for this, and she only made a few steps before jumping back on the ground.

As she turned back towards the camp, she saw Nicole walking in her direction in a clean pair of jeans and a black shirt.

Well poop ! I forgot to stalk her outside the ablution block !

"Hey, Nicole, feeling better after a good shower ?" Waverly asked, like an hypocrite she was.

"You said we could hug…" Nicole said hesitantly.

A hug. This redheaded wonder was proposing her a hug.

Without a word, Waverly hopped in front of Nicole, who was smiling at her, and those soft eyes.

She's just a acquaintance, remember ? You're deceiving yourself, Earp !

One more step. Nicole had her arms open. Waverly could already smell this distinctive vanilla dipped doughnut scent that had lulled her to sleep for a few nights in the silence of her apartment above Shorty's.

You're feeling alone, is all. She has an endless string of Lindsays to choose from above you.

Waverly couldn't believe she was being possessive about Nicole, a woman she had no reason at all to consider hers.

Still she closed the gap. And Nicole put her arms around her. And suddenly she felt at peace. Except Waverly's body decided to go shaking. There was no way Nicole wouldn't notice.

"Are you alright, Waves ?" she heard the taller woman ask above her head. As she felt Nicole releasing her, she took a step back and made her best effort to look collected. Nicole had just called her "Waves" and that made her feel special.

Don't fall for this, Waverly. Don't expect more than friendship.

"Peachy ! Peachy ! So tell me, Nicole," she said as she struggled to chill out, "did you decide on what movie we will watch ? Perhaps we can watch two ?" she asked shyly.

"Ah. I didn't decide anything. First I have to ask you if you plan to go back to your place tonight, or if you want to sleep here."

"I don't want to impose, and…"

"You don't. And finding a place to sleep here for people is basically my job description. And we could have a good time. So can you stay ?"

"I've got my running gear !" Waverly blurted.

"What ?"

"Sorry… I mean, I would be glad to stay here, Nicole. I hoped you would propose this, and I thought also we can perhaps run together tomorrow. I brought my running shoes. Yes, I'm a planner. That is, if you feel like running. I mean…" Waverly rambled on.

"Running together ? Yeah !" Nicole seemed pleased with that suggestion. "But tonight we have two possibilities. Either you sleep in one of the bedrooms of the permanent team building over there, or…" the redhead said, pausing to get Waverly's full attention "… or you can have Doc's tipi. Doc won't be here tonight, he offered to lend us his tipi for our movie night, and you can sleep there," Nicole explained with a hopeful look.

It would be an experience, but Waverly dreaded to spend the whole night shivering. A big tent with a hole at the top. Drafty. Perhaps a regular room was better. But Nicole would be disappointed.

"I've got plenty mattresses and blankets to make you a warm nest," Nicole chimed in.

"You got me at blankets !"

"Yeah ? That's great, Waves ! I spotted the three neatly folded blankets on your couch in your living room the day you tried to sucker-punch me with your groceries. You are sensitive to cold. I would bet you've got a blanket in your car right now, don't you ?"
 
Two. Two blankets. "Hem ! You're really cop material, Nicole. And by the way, I notice that's the second time you're calling me Waves…" Waverly interjected. "I'm okay with that !" she said quickly as she saw Nicole ready to apologize. "I like it in fact…"

Nicole gave the brunette a big smile again, then took her phone out of her pocket and made a call. "Jeremy ? Operation tipi is a go !" She shut down the device and looked at Waverly. "Okay. Let's find Doc. He's probably in his tent, but we'll have to check, he usually doesn't answer his phone."




Doc was chatting with Rosita outside his tipi. He took a solemn posture when Nicole nodded to him to say his invitation had been accepted.

"Waverly, welcome in my abode, please come in," he said, gesturing the three women to come inside the tipi. The interior was very spartan, carpets on the floor with a few boxes and a thin mattress the tall mustachioed man began to roll and tie. "Although some visitors object to it being bereft of frippery, I do hope you'll enjoy this place. I will leave in an hour or two for your hometown, glorious Purgatory, where I am to join an assembly for a friendly game of poker. I shall return on the morrow, a bit richer than today, I expect. But I must be most insistent that you partake in a small ceremony before I let you sojourn here. We must share either a puff of my good weed, or a shot of my best whiskey. Or both. I'll take both myself, as a benison for this evening."

"If it's the same rotgut you gave me when I drove here, no thank you, I'll have the weed," Rosita stated. "Took me a while to recover last time."

"Not the weed, I'll take the whiskey," Nicole said. "I intend to enter the police academy real soon. Federal law on pot hasn't budged, sadly, and I don't want to dread a drug test," she clarified.

"I'll take both !" Waverly announced. "As a benison for this evening," she added, looking at Nicole and studying her reaction. A dimpled smile.

Producing a bottle and three shot glasses out of a box, Doc first served the whiskey. Waverly took her shot and gulped it like an Earp. A burning sensation overwhelmed her tongue as if there was a prairie fire on her taste buds, and she couldn't help yelping. Do they sell this ? she wondered. All of the sudden she couldn't see clearly with her right eye, and she was feeling Doc's hooch going down her esophagus like in a drain cleaner commercial.

Doc drank his shot without any apparent trouble. Waverly turned to Nicole, who still had her own shot in hand. She looked alarmed, but she gulped the drink. Her eyes went wide, and she gasped for air for a second.

Doc was already preparing a bong. Rosita let out a little laugh when she saw Nicole trying to dab her tears discreetly with her sleeve.

"Don't worry, Waverly," Rosita said, "Doc's grass is smoother than this sludge."

"Do you happen to have some water around here, Doc ?" Nicole asked with a raspy voice.

He didn't.



Doc's grass was indeed smoother, and Waverly was feeling quite alright when she exited the tipi, lingering a bit to look at the landscape while Nicole had already hurried away to organize her accommodation (and to find something to soothe her throat). She soon saw Jeremy coming in her direction with a screen in his arms and a rucksack bursting with cables. That's when she really noticed the electric cable on the ground that ran from the nearest building to the tipi. There's no reason not to have electricity in a tipi, she reckoned. Nicole came back balancing two mattresses on her head, and found the time to tell Waverly to enjoy the place while they were installing everything.

She spent some time watching Lonnie tightrope walking. It was his equipment and he was indeed a splendid acrobat. After a while Nicole joined them with three cold beers.

"Are you trying to get me drunk, Nicole ?" the Purgatorian brunette prompted.

"Not really. If I meant you harm, I would bring some more of Doc's whiskey," the redhead said, laughing. "I want you to spend a great evening here, with us, Waves. Do you feel like eating something ? Dolls is preparing some pasta and a vegetable curry. Is it okay for you ? It's only vegetarian…"

"Oh, it's great. I thought Dolls didn't cook today ? And I am a vegetarian, so it's perfect," Waverly said, and then, noticing Nicole's raised brow, "yeah, the chicken salad at the picnic, right ?" Waverly looked at her feet. "Awasjustryingnottofreakyouout…" she mumbled.

"Come again ?"

Waverly took a deep breath. "I didn't want to freak you out with my diet. I eat meat when I'm eating with people, common meals stuff, because it's easier and it doesn't end with a debate or a fight…" she trailed off.

"You don't have to hide who you are from me, Waverly," Nicole threw in. "Oh, and Dolls, he grumbled about cooking himself being easier than letting everybody making a mess of the kitchen. But I think it's a lie. I think he likes to cook !" she said with a wink.




All those still at the camp on this Saturday night had more or less their evening meal together.

Nicole and Waverly were seated side by side. In front of them Doc was scarfing down what he called a sauté, but was Doll's pasta and vegs mixed with scrambled eggs. He was explaining his views to Jason about card games. Most poker players, he claimed, came at the table to look smart while losing money and to pretend they had a personal relationship with Lady Luck, which they hadn't.

Waverly finally pushed her idea for the movie they were going to watch, the James Bond spoof of 1967 called Casino Royale. The film caught Nicole's fancy.

"I've seen this movie before, a long time ago, but I'd be happy to watch it again tonight ! I remember David Niven hamming it up, lots of hot girls and a silly story," Nicole mused.

"That's what we need," the brunette replied, finishing a bottle of beer.

"Hot girls ? Oh my !"

"Come on, Nicole !" Waverly shot back playfully. "I mean we need something entertaining. We'll watch The Elephant Man or Schindler's List another day, I promise. Tonight, I want fun."

She wanted to have fun, but something was annoying Waverly at this precise moment. It was Doc taking lingering looks at her breasts for the last five minutes. She decided to challenge him the traditional way.

"My eyes are up here, Doc !" she said abruptly.

"Sorry, Ms Waverly," Doc answered calmly. "Respectfully, even if I must pay homage to the charms of your figure, I'm merely looking at this strange necklace you're wearing. Would you please accept to accompany me to the place where we stock our finds, perhaps you could come too, Nicole ?" he said, already raising from his bench.

The two women followed Doc to one of the buildings, where Doc quickly found among the many plastic crates what he was looking for. It was several pieces of stone that the archaeologist rubbed with his fingers to clean them a little more. They shone faintly with little specks of colors.

"It comes from my sector on the site. It's plain to see it has been cut by man. I don't know what this is yet, but perhaps Ms Waverly does, because this here jewelry is made with the same stone…"

"I don't know how it's called," Waverly said, taking off her necklace. "My mom made this necklace, she made the pearls herself with stones of the Homestead. It's my family's old house," she clarified, "it's not far from here, there are places where you can dig up those." The necklace passed from the brunette's hands to Doc, then to Nicole who examined it intently.

"It's not a job for tonight… but we'll have to do some research about this. We should ask your mother, Waverly," Doc said.

Well good luck with that.

"Here, Waverly, take it back," Nicole said. As Waverly reached to get back her necklace, their hands touched. Rising her hands to put it back around her neck as Nicole was observing her, she began to shake again and the string snapped. Pearls fell and bounced noisily on the floor.

The three of them spend a few minutes getting back the pearls that were scattered across the room, collecting them in a zip bag. When all the pearls were found, Waverly walked to her car, left the bag there and took the opportunity to don her yoga/running pants instead of her skirt, as the air was getting a bit chilly on her legs. She walked back to the dining tables with her movies hard drive and one of her blankets. Just in case.

Waverly felt good, and even better when Dolls gave around after-meal shots of a chartreuse knock-off. She went to the tightrope rope and decided to try again now she had pants on. Waverly felt a buzz from the alcohol, but it was right at the level where it made her feel like it improved her equilibrium. Soon Nicole came, looking up at her and walking alongside, without a word. Feeling the eyes of the redhead on her body was making the young woman feel warm. As she moved her arms to keep her balance, Nicole caught her hand and they looked at each other, smiling.

"Hey, I didn't fall and injure you this time," Waverly quipped, jumping down.

"We're getting better," Nicole replied. It was getting dark. They went back to the tables to help with the cleaning, and like when they had their picnic near the stream Waverly found out that working together with Nicole was easy, like a rehearsed dance. Don't carry a torch for her. You are the secret friend. F-r-i-e-n-d.

The two young women finally went to the tipi, where Waverly found several mattresses arranged to form a makeshift couch. And a pile of blankets. And a big screen, a laptop, everything was ready. Waverly plugged in her drive and started Casino Royale, then settled on the couch where Nicole was waiting for her with a glass of wine.

The two girls laughed through the whole movie, making outrageous comments about the equally outrageous things that were happening on-screen. When it ended, Waverly coaxed Nicole to watch the pilot episode of Mozart in the Jungle, as the camp manager obviously needed a crash course about the struggles of young oboists in New York. As they began to watch the second episode after a rapid snacking expedition, Waverly found herself drifting slowly to sleep, her eyelids heavy. Voices from the series floating away, Nicole's vanilla scent mixed with the spicy one of the noodle soup she had brought back to the tipi, the inviting softness of the improvised couch…




"Wake up, Waverly. Wake up !" Nicole said, shaking gently Waverly's shoulder. On the screen Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard were bantering in silence. Breakfast at Tiffany's. So Nicole really likes the oldies. Waverly had a blanket on her. There were voices outside. "Doc is here, I think your sister's here too…" she heard Nicole say.

Suddenly Waverly was perfectly alert. Doc was talking loudly, a bit too much for a man speaking in the middle of the night in a place like the camp.

"What a lovely night indeed, Wynonna," he exclaimed, saying the woman's name even louder. They were probably still near the buildings, but Doc didn't seem to mind waking up the sleepers. What's Wynonna doing here ? Poker ! Of course !

"Stoolgloop !" Waverly said.

"He's trying to warn us," Nicole whispered. "Er… to warn you that he's coming… He wasn't supposed to come back tonight."

"Hoo ! What a night !" Doc hollered outside. "Wynonna, I hope you're as happy as I am that we finally arrived in this here campground."

"Let'sh get to your t-tipi, man !" Wynonna slurred.

"Soon, my dear, but I remember I must, I insist, show you something, a most curious building I've been working on lately. A steam bath. It's this way over there… Please bear with me, I really wish to show you this at once."

"Hey, don't push me like this ! I'm coming, huh…" Wynonna huffed. The two voices faded in the distance.

"It's our chance to escape !" Waverly exclaimed, slapping Nicole's shoulder.

"Ouch !"

"Quick, Nicole !" Waverly said. "I don't want to see Wynonna tonight. Let's scram !" She scrambled to find her things. Telephone… Shoes back on... The hard drive didn't want to get unplugged without resistance. She was frantic with vexation as she yanked the cable. She was sleeping so well only a minute ago !

"You were watching the film on mute ?" she asked to the redhead.

"You fell asleep and you looked so quiet and happy. I know this movie backwards, I can enjoy it without the sound…"

"Let's get out !" Waverly ordered. But as she was pushing away the flap door of the tipi, she suddenly remembered her bonus blanket. The one with dinosaurs. No way Wynonna wouldn't remark it. And how didn't she see my car ? She must be pretty sloshed. I don't want to explain to her what I'm doing here, not now.

She grabed her blanket and pushed Nicole outside. But just as they began to walk towards the buildings, they saw in a distance Wynonna and Doc coming in their direction. Panicked, Waverly was turning to get back into the tipi when Nicole caught her hand and lead her around the tent to hide behind it. A tactical mind, Waverly appreciated. And she's less drunk than I am.

The two newcomers were heading for the tipi, Wynonna cussing and Doc apologizing loudly for bothering her with his unfinished sauna. They entered the tipi as Waverly and Nicole stood silent on the other side of the fabric. Waverly was clutching her things in one arm, her other hand still holding Nicole's hand. It felt like a small, soft fire in the cold night. She didn't want to let it go.

"It'sh nice here," they heard Wynonna say, along with the sound of a body flopping down the couch. "Hey there's wine there ! Gosh, you've got a pile of blanketsh, looks like my sister's place, ha ha ! But didn't you t-tell me about some whiskey ?"

"Indeed here it is, my dear," Doc's voice answered. They were going to drink Doc's dreadful firewater. Waverly felt Nicole's hand squezzing her own and the taller woman's breath as she pressed against her to whisper in her ear : "Let's go ! I'll find you another place to sleep near my room. Come now, Waves, quietly."

"Gimme that bottle, man, I don't need a glassh !" Waverly heard her sister request as she began to follow Nicole.

Then they heard Wynonna scream, and they began to run in a fit of the giggles.

Chapter Text

Hands behind her head, lying on her bunk, Nicole was staring at the ceiling when she heard a rap at her door. In spite of her reluctance to answer, she grunted and rose to see who it was.

It was Jeremy, asking her to come to the dining area for a quick meeting with the crew. They left the dorm of the permanent crew and went towards the so-called beer garden where the diggers had probably just finished their lunch.

The young tech wizard was sporting since this morning one of his many home-made T-shirts. This one showed a huge stylized black trowel and a big red heart, several words completing the catchphrase.

Don't be trowel to an heart that is true.

Jeremy's technique was impressive, the fabric was really well printed. If his career in archeology ever turned out to be short-lived, Jeremy would at least find his way in the novelty T-shirt industry. He might need some help for the puns, though. This one seemed a bit anti-archaeological to Nicole.

"You should make one with It's A Trowel, Trowel World ! written on it," the redhead said, gesturing to her companion's chest. "You would sell them…" she trailed off. Like hot cakes. Like Waverly's muffins… The image of the Purgatorian's smiling face was once again on her mind.

It's over, Haught. You must forget Waverly Earp. Focus on work. No, not forget her… renounce her.

"So what is this all about, Jeremy ?" the camp manager sighed. "What's the problem ?" Everything seemed okay on the digging site, everything was running smoothly at the camp. Except hot water in the ablution block that was only trickling smoothly.

"Er… Doc here will explain you," Jeremy answered as they arrived to a table where Rosita, Lonnie and Dolls were waiting for them, looking serious. "Sit, sit, Nicole !" he added as he took himself a place on a bench.

The mustachioed Western pioneer lookalike cleared his throat, looking at Nicole. "Yet another meal alone in your bedroom, Nicole ?"

Dolls leaned in her direction, sniffing lightly at her. "Noodle soup."

"Nicole, we are here as your friends and coworkers," Doc continued, "to express our concern about your recent melancholia. I shall begin with this simple question : how long has it been since you last shared a meal with us ?"

Nicole looked around the table. She suddenly understood what was happening. "Are you guys staging an intervention on me ?" she cried out. "Well f…"

"We decided," Jeremy interrupted visibly very proud of himself, "that I was the one to come and get you to the table because you wouldn't suspect me !"

"You're inconversable, Nicole, you eat alone, whatever chow it is," Doc said, giving Dolls the side-eye. "You haven't engaged in any civilized social behavior since last Sunday. It's been four days now. You run alone in the morning…"

"I always run alone in the morning !" Nicole chimed in.

"Yes, but now you also run alone every evening after work and that's new, looong runs and then you disappear in your bunk room."

"Apparently no one had a conversation with you that was not strictly work-related since last weekend," Rosita went along. "What happened with Waverly ?"

"No. Nothing ! It's not about Waverly !" Nicole shot back.

The reactions around the table were clear. Scoffs, eye-rolling, hands thrown to the sky. They will never believe it's not about her, Nicole thought.

"It's none of your business anyhow," she hissed.

This time the reactions were outright smirks. "I told you she would say that !" Lonnie said.

"Of course she would. It's the process," Doc stated. "Nicole, you must react."

Nicole was trying to remember the successive stages of an intervention. She had read about that. The subject will deny there is a problem, then claim it's only his problem, then…

"Let's skip to the part where you prove that it has something like a negative impact on you ! It hasn't. I. Do. My. Job," Nicole challenged her friends. Friends ? Snoops, yeah ! 

"You don't interact with the students. You roam over the dig looking dejected, avoiding everybody, you spend half the time up the hill or near the pond," Lonnie pointed out.

"And all that yoga !" Rosita spat.

"You have to eat with the rest of us, Nicole," Dolls said in his turn. "Mealtimes are crucial moments in a digging's day, it's bad for the team's morale when you slink off to eat alone."

I can't believe he's giving this lecture to me, Nicole thought.

"On Monday morning, I overheard the conclusion of your quick welcome speech to the newcomers, do you remember it ?" Jeremy asked Nicole. "Here," he said with a low and gloomy voice, "people lived, loved, hoped, and now it's only dust. That's what you told them. A great pep talk."

"On Saturday night, I came back to my tipi with Wynonna to find it deserted, and in the morning you went to run with Waverly," Doc recapped. "When you both came back and had breakfast with us you said you were so drunk that night, that Waverly had been forced to take you to your room. You sure looked exhausted, Nicole…" Doc prompted.

"You know damn well that we fled when you arrived with Wynonna in the middle of the night ! If she had found her own little sister and another woman waiting in your tipi, when you both came canoodling…"

"Canoodling !" Doc laughed. "Heavy petting would be more of a precise vernacular. You also said that Waverly slept in another bedroom…"

"It's true ! Waverly had fallen asleep in your tipi, she didn't want to speak to Wynonna in the middle of the night. I just prepared a spare room for her," Nicole assured.

She recalled that moment when they had said each other goodnight. In spite of her nap in the tipi, Waverly was still light-headed from the alcohol she had consumed in generous amounts in the evening and it was making her luscious. When Nicole had said in conclusion the customary "I'm next door, you just have to knock if you need anything," the mesmerizing brunette, after yawning and stretching with a sensuality that made it difficult for Nicole to remain composed, after pecking her on the cheek, after locking her gaze in Nicole's eyes, had only said "Same here," then had closed her door slowly. Nicole had been unable to get to sleep before the wee hours.

"I think I did send you a dozen messages from Purgatory when I understood Wynonna wouldn't relent about coming to my lodge. I expected you to be the ones canoodling," Doc explained, pretending not to see the shocked look Nicole felt compelled to give him. "But you had elected to shut down your phone !"

"I didn't want us to be disturbed," Nicole confessed, staring at the table's wooden surface. "Anyhow we had to leave your tipi and then find some good reason to explain all this to Wynonna in the morning ! We didn't know exactly what you had told her about our movie night," Nicole explained to Doc and the others. "Wynonna believed me when I told her we left the tipi because I was crocked."

"Then, if I remember well, after breakfast you went for a stroll with Waverly," Doc moved on. "Next thing we saw was her leaving in her car, you withdrawing to your room and it's been the last time, correct me if I am wrong, the last time anyone heard about the whole conundrum. Since then, you've been woebegone, a ghost among the living…"

"Easy on the poetry, Doc," Rosita sneered.

"Okay…" Nicole said, deciding to share about her feelings for once. "After this breakfast with Wynonna and you, we talked. Waverly began to ramble about things going too fast around her, Wynonna coming back and wanting the two of them moving back to the old house they call the Homestead…"

"True, Wynonna told me about that too !" Doc chimed in.

"…and how she had just left Champ and felt overwhelmed, and then I blew it off !" Nicole said, bowing her head. She took a deep breath. "I told her some bullshit like It's-Gonna-Be-OK, she blamed me for being kind with her even when she had screamed at me, I told her she had probably dated too many shitheads, and then she told me we weren't dating, and, and…" Nicole was holding back her tears now, "and she told me she wanted us to be maybe just friends ! There !"

Jeremy gasped, hiding his mouth with both hands.

Dolls said "Ouch !" and frowned, Rosita was shaking her head vehemently.

"Fools in love," Doc mused, tsk-tsking.

"Friends !?" Lonnie laughed aloud, but he stopped dead under the collective stare of all the others. "Hey, it's an intervention for her, OK ?" he argued, pointing at Nicole.

"Thank you for sharing your side of the story, Nicole," Doc said finally, seeming rather at ease as a master of ceremonies. "Now I must tell you that on Tuesday I had a conversation with Wynonna when she freely admitted that she had assaulted Champ, Waverly's obnoxious ex-boyfriend, after she had stumbled on her disheartened, crying little sister. A most fascinating woman, Wynonna, but I am of the opinion that being in her bad graces can be a cause of worry." 

Waverly is sad. Waverly is sad because of me.

"When I asked Wynonna if Waverly had indeed declared she was crying because of Champ, she told me that Waverly had declined to comment on her sorrow, but Wynonna was adamant it was Champ's fault because, and I quote," Doc said with a pointed look at Nicole, "who else could be enough of a rotten motherfucker to make cry her baby sister ?"

"Look at her y'all, she's turning ashen," Rosita said. "Yes, you realize Waverly is hurting too…"

"Did anyone see her ?" Nicole blurted.

"I did, yesterday, at Shorty's," Rosita went on. "She was cheerful, smiling, keeping herself busy. Did a very good job at not mentioning your name at all. Did also a very good job at not looking at me in the eye after I did mention your name."

"Even if I notice that no one here enquires after Champ," Doc said after a short lull in the conversation, "by all accounts he has now an arm in a sling because, and I will use again the very words uttered by Wynonna, he fell kinda hard when she sucker-headbutted him. I hate to say, if any explanation about the current sentimental dilemma between Nicole and Waverly was to reach Wynonna, I fear that a sister as protective as she is could feel compelled to admonish our camp manager…" Doc added, looking straight at all those around the table in turn, ending with his blue eyes aimed at Nicole.

"Perhaps it's dangerous for you too, Doc !" Rosita interjected.

"Indeed, perhaps it is ! What will happen to poor John Henry if she discovers I have been deceptive about this whole affair ?" Doc conceded. "Nicole, you will go to Purgatory and find a way to solve this amorous deadlock that perils not only your own life, but the lives of others. Every intervention ends with an ultimatum, a refined word for blackmail. You go tonight…"

"After the evening meal with us !" Dolls interrupted. "Fish kebabs, white rice, vietnamese-style salad."

"You go tonight," Doc said again, "or I tell the truth to Wynonna next time I see her. Which is supposed to be tonight too."

"And when I will be there ? I suppose you'll have suggestions about how I'm supposed to act ?" Nicole asked, indignant.

"Wear your stetson hat and let Waverly do the rest !" Rosita quipped.

"Talk to her. Talk together about your feelings, put an end to both your miseries," Doc said. "Be just friends, be strangers again, or be anything you like, but if I dare say so, make your peace… We must soon drive back to the dig. Oh ! I almost forgot ! A good conversation starter : the stray pearl from Waverly's broken necklace that I found in the stockroom and gave you on Monday ? You should give it back to her. I surmise you still have it ?"

Yes, Nicole still had the sparkly pearl. She felt herself blushing. The pearl had been in her pocket all day long every day, from dungarees to jackets to shorts. Always checking for it or toying with it at the tip of her fingers since the moment Doc gave it to her. Except for the time spent gazing at it gloomily. My precious, she thought. They are right, I'm turning into a creepy thing.

Grasping the saloon's door handle, Nicole felt how clammy her hand was. It was already late, but a solid half-day of reflexion still hadn't been enough to be prepared. You knew it was a mistake from day one, Haught. Now it's time to clean up your own mess.

All you had to do was to keep your distance and you wouldn't be here. She still couldn't decide whether she had to curse or thank Doc for coaxing her into finally meeting with Waverly to stop this pantomime. Anyhow, if Waverly was in pain by her fault, she had to make it go away.

The plan Nicole had hatched was simple : play the I-just-pass-by routine (her favorite), deliver the pearl and then… well that was the end of the plan and Nicole was painfully aware it didn't encompass the necessary discussion. The one with Nicole saying she was sorry to make Waverly feel uncomfortable. The talk with Nicole acknowledging that it was better for both women to keep some distance between them.

The camp manager was wondering if Waverly would remain simply hostile or if she would speak about her own feelings. Because Nicole couldn't believe the beautiful Purgatorian wasn't aware of their chemistry. More than just chemistry, a real connection. Well there was also lust on Nicole's part… However that was probably going to be their last real conversation. Nicole knew the score when a straight girl decided to stop short a friendship with her. Embarrassment was going to work wonders, they would never ever again talk about anything but the weather.

Breathe. Exhale. You'll make Waverly happy again if you step back. That's the point.

As soon as she entered the room, Nicole's Wavedar® instantly spotted her heart's obsession walking towards the bar with a tray of empty glasses after serving some drinks at one of the booths. It was a busy evening for the saloon. As Waverly stepped back behind the counter, she seemed to resume a chat with a female customer. Nicole felt a rush of both sadness and admiration. Trying to look more assured that she really was, she walked slowly to the counter. On her way she waved to Shorty, he was talking with several old men playing pool in the back.

"Hey, Waverly," the tall redhead said as she reached the counter.

"Hey, Nicole," Waverly greeted her with a strange mien. Her smile was there, but her body was tense, one hand grasping the side of the bar, she glanced quickly at the woman she was chatting with. A tall and sophisticated-looking woman about their age.

"Nicole, may I present you Steph ? Steph, this is Nicole…"

Nicole could feel the smaller woman's discomfort. Like she could read Waverly's feelings directly from her eyes. Waverly was happy to see her tonight but this other woman named Steph was an inconvenience… no, a liability, a danger. Waverly disliked Steph and dreaded the conversation the three of them were going to have. Waves probably wants me to act like a regular customer. We'll talk later… when this girl won't be there. 

"Hello, Nicole ! Nice to meet you ! Are you one of those female construction workers ?" Steph asked, frowning as she was taking in Nicole's outfit. The feathers-ruffling kind, apparently, Nicole thought. Let's stay composed. Well, yes, she was sporting her favorite bib overalls, the orange ones. Clean from the last laundry, eye-catching and practical, thank you very much ! But Waverly's reaction startled the redhead.

There was that old film with Bruce Willis where he's playing a seasoned contract killer and Jack Black, one of his accomplices, tries to blackmail him. And you got to watch the moment in their conversation when the killer makes the serene decision to brutally murder Black's undiscerning character as soon as possible. That was what was happening now in Waverly's eyes as she smiled quietly at Steph. The movie's title was The Jackal, Nicole recalled. A inferior remake of a better seventies film. Willis finally got caught because he left behind a string of clues to be collected by a struggling-to-sound-Irish Richard Gere. Obvious clues like the bullet-riddled corpse of Jack Black. One of those lazy films with a blundering villain. The same type of character had been portrayed much more convincingly by John Malkovich in In the Line of Fire a few years before if she remembered well, and…

Nicole came back to her senses. It was no time for a movie club and the two other women where looking at her, probably expecting her to say something. Engage Steph, but keep at arm's length.

"Hello Steph. Nice to meet you ! I'm more the demolition worker type recently. Please, Waverly…" Nicole said turning back to the woman she longed for, "…can I have a beer ?" And can you see I'm not here for the beer ?

"A beer ! 'Got it !"
 
"So… Nicole. You're new here," Steph stated as Waverly left to get her drink. "I know everyone ! Well everyone interesting ! I see you already met Waverly, our town sweetheart. Heart of gold, thrift shop clothes, ha ha !"

Gossipy. Prejudiced. Nicole decided she could very well not answer this, simply giving an half-smile and taking her wallet out of her jacket as she watched Waverly coming back.

"What are you doing in Purgatory ? You said demolition…" Steph probed.

"I was joking. I work on an archaeological site in the area. It's not really demolition, but we do destroy what we dig. What about you, Steph ?" Nicole asked as she silently thanked Waverly for the drink and put a bill on the counter.

"Aah. Archaeology…" Steph trailed off. Not interested. Not eager to speak about her job either.

"Nicole. I didn't know you would come here tonight !" Waverly interrupted, decidedly lovely in her Shorty's jersey.

"I knew you would be here, Waverly. You work here every Thursday, clocking in around six, don't you ?" Nicole answered.

"What, you remember my schedule ?" Waverly asked, smiling.

"Why is her schedule important ? Pff !" Steph interjected.

"Yeah, I guess I do," Nicole said, ignoring Steph's comment. "That was on a Thursday we saw the great egret." The first day Waverly touched me. She had her hand on my arm. She probably doesn't remember, but it's like I can still feel it.

"What regret ?" Steph asked.

Nicole felt a cold anger growing.

"We are working on a Niitsitapi seasonal camp, Steph," Nicole said, glad to spot the fleeting worry that showed on the woman's face when she heard the nation's name. "By the way, do one of you girls know where I could get local climatological data about this area ?"

"Climactoli…" Steph began.

"What you need here is a dendrochronologist," Waverly interrupted.

"A dendrochronologist, you're right !" Nicole answered right away. "If we can find one who can tell us things about the climate history around here. But first we'll need to establish correctly the time frame of the Niitsitapi occupation."

An geek-trampled Steph was already walking away, mumbling vague excuses. The two remaining, they smiled. "That was Stephanie Jones," Waverly commented. "Too proud to look at a tree, too proud to care about birds…"

"You don't like her, do you ?" Nicole prompted.

"She came here to gloat," Waverly explained, "she told me that if so many boys came here to see me, it's because Champ tells raunchy tales about me… but I don't believe her. When Steph has no bad news to tell you, she invents some."

"You don't think Champ would…" Nicole began but didn't knew how to continue.

"Probably not. I don't know, really… But Steph lies a lot. If she tells me one day that seawater is salty, well I never went to see the ocean, Nicole, but I will have to go there and taste the water," Waverly said, dipping her finger in an imaginary sea that would be a bit above the counter. 'If Steph said it was salty, that day it will taste like mango. Or chocolate… Chocolate mango… Hey I think I've got an idea about some new muffins !"

Waves never went to the ocean ! We will go together. No we won't. Remember why you're here, Haught ! It's a farewell.

"Nicole, I'm happy you are here !" Waverly started again. "I want to speak with you, but tonight is a busy night…" she trailed off.

Waverly stopped talking for a few seconds and Nicole watched her thinking, looking around the saloon, smiling to some customers already gesturing at her. Then the barmaid reached across the counter and put her hand on Nicole left arm. It overwhelmed the tall redhead's senses, like all the cells of her body were suddenly homing in on those fingers' contact. She recalled when the smaller woman had been holding her hand out of the tipi. Nicole struggled to focus on what Waverly was about to say.

"Can you wait until closing time, Nicole ?" the brunette asked, "in about an hour ?" As Nicole nodded, Waverly let go of her arm and left to tend to the other customers' needs.

Nicole decided to drink her beer very slowly, she wanted to keep a clear head for their later discussion. This delay until closing time was giving her some time to prepare her speech.

"Waverly, I want you, I have been lying to you all along because I think you're hot and clever and funny and…"  Like a guts-spilling machine.

Or "They threatened me at the camp so here I am !" True. Also, embarrassing. Also, not relevant to the issue, Nicole decided, feeling a bit deceitful about this one.

Or "Perhaps I'll see you around ?"  Expectations management 101.

Or "I've been wondering what you've been up to those last few days…" A lie. Like they are some kind of spying agency, my pals gave me TMI-grade intelligence on you and your sister, then sent me here under duress.

Or "I am sad when I can't see you." Simple. Simply clingy.

Anyhow, at this point, I don't have to worry because Waverly is going to ask me to be one of her bridesmaids, Nicole reflected. Or I'll have to pretend to be her girlfriend for some preposterous reason. Or a natural disaster will happen and force us to share the same bed…

The archaeologist was coming to the conclusion that she had to cut down on watching mushy movies, when Shorty stopped in front of her on the other side of the bar.

"Long time no see, Nicole ! We were worried not getting news from you, but of course we didn't dare to reach out to you…" the old man told her, looking embarrassed.

Shorty wanted news from me ?

"After all, we can perfectly well spend a few days without you coming to see us," the landlord went on. 

Is he this possessive with all his customers ?

"Of course we can always keep in touch with messages on telephones… but sometimes we don't seem to even have the courage to write," he added with a deep sigh. "And still we're all fretful and huffy, waiting for news that won't come."

Wait. He's not speaking about himself, is he ?

"And the poor dudes that came here of late to see us, looking for romance," Shorty continued, nodding saddly, "how we eighty-sixed them !"

Okay, definitely not speaking about himself.

"Well it's no good for the saloon, sure !" Shorty sighed again. "But when we ain't got no reason to be cheerful, sometimes it's hard to keep our winsome smile !"

"Waverly told me she was happily single," Nicole chimed in, deciding to skip the Virgo stuff. No need to pretend with Shorty, apparently. He certainly did not sound like a boss speaking about an employee. There was evidently a bond between Waverly and him far more intimate and concerned.

The smile Shorty gave to Nicole wasn't winsome at all and made her feel uneasy. The kind of smile you give to people you know are lying. Or to people you know are fishing for information about your bartender having or having not found yet another lover. Or perhaps Shorty knew about the Virgo stuff too.

After a glance at her glass, still not empty, Shorty went away without any more comment. Nicole decided it was better for her nerves to simply observe the bar and its customers. Waverly was coming and going, always busy. Looking at her felt already like nostalgia. But still their eyes met from time to time and they smiled at each other like it was the only real thing in the world. And Shorty had implied that Waverly had a crush indeed. Perhaps he misread the whole thing. Perhaps Waverly was simply upset. I'm constantly dealing with people looking for hearts and flowers by proxy, prying into Waverly's life and mine.

Into our lives… she mused as she exchanged one more glance across the room with the chestnut-haired barmaid.

When Shorty finally closed the saloon, ushering out the stragglers, Waverly told Nicole to stay behind and seated herself on a stool next to the camp manager.

"I've something that is yours, Waves," Nicole began. "Doc found a pearl we missed when your necklace snapped," she said, producing the small sphere of stone out of her front chest pocket and putting it on the bar. It shone a few sparks in the saloon's lights.

"Oh." Waverly paused for an instant. "I've already repaired this necklace," she said looking up at Nicole. "Would you like to keep it, Nicole ?"

Waverly took the pearl and put it in the taller woman's hand, gently closing the fingers around it.

The physical contact once again made Nicole feel like her hair stood on end. She doesn't know what it does to me.

"But it was your mother's… I can't have this !" Nicole said finally, but the sadness clouding suddenly Waverly's face gave her pause for thought. This necklace, those pearls seemed to be bittersweet keepsakes for the young Purgatorian. Nicole chose not to dwell on that. "By the way, Waverly, Jeremy found out what kind of stone it is," she chose to say to deviate a bit the conversation. "It's called ammolite, and it's shinny because it's the fossilized shells of ancient molluscs. Those pearls are the bottom of a prehistoric ocean !"

Nicole stopped her explanation as she noticed the way Waverly was looking at her. With a very serious look.

"Keep it, I said, please," Waverly insisted. "If you really want to give it back, wait until you leave Purgatory. Humor me please, I know it sounds ridiculous. Will you leave soon ?"

This pearl was now in Nicole's hand by Waverly's own will, an artefact of this wonderful evening of their first and last movie night. Nicole could still remember the shock that evening just after her shower, when she had seen Waverly, so elfin, walking a few steps on the tightrope with this skirt, what a sight ! And again later as they finished their dinner, she was so beautiful. And the long time spent in the tipi beholding Waverly as she was sleeping in the ever changing lights of the screen. And she was at her side right now. On the stool next to her. Words ! It's time to say words, Haught, she's looking at you !

"I'm here until September, Waves. I'll keep it as long as… well, until I leave Purgatory, then." Nicole could feel they were doing something much more important that bickering about a trinket. 

"Until you leave Purgatory…"Waverly said slowly. Then suddenly excited : "Nicole, listen ! I've got to clean the place before my job is done here, but I don't want you to escape and go back to your camp. I missed you, Nicole. Now…" Waverly said as Shorty was making so much noise behind the bar he seemed to be breaking all the glass he could find, "…what about a nice, long, hot bath upstairs ?"

"Er… But, hum…" Nicole stuttered.

"I'll be doing the cleaning down here, silly, don't get me wrong, you'll be alone in the bathroom."

"Hey, I didn't… Waves, I…"

"Hush Nicole ! You'll take this bath. I know you want to. I took a shower in your lousy ablution block on Sunday morning after our run, remember ? I know you must be desperate for a good bath. Upstairs I've got a big bathtub, candles and I'll even propose to add a complimentary cocktail into the bargain. What do you say ?"

This evening was taking an unexpected turn. Nicole was shuddering at the thought of a real bath. "Yes ?" she said hesitantly. A proposition I can't refuse, she's right…

Waverly squealed, tugging at the taller woman's shirt. "And your favorite cocktail would be ?"

"Will I disappoint you if I prefer a cold beer ?"

"No you won't… Shorty !" Waverly yelled in the direction of the kitchen where the landlord had taken away the trash, "I go upstairs for ten minutes, then I'm back, OK ?" An indistinct answer was heard. The young bartender grabbed a bottle of beer from the bar fridge.

"Waves, I'd rather help you here…"

Waverly cupped Nicole's cheek with her hand. "Of course you want to help me… Oh Nicole !" and just like that she began to push the taller woman towards the stairs to her apartment.

"Oh Nicole" ? What, "oh Nicole" ? I came to talk and now I'll be taking a bath… Nicole thought as they climbed the stairs, Waverly reminding her of the slanted step with a pointed finger.

"Er… Waverly… It's very nice, this bath and all, but I think we should talk…" Nicole tried once again.

"Yeah, yeah. Later. Bear with me please." Waverly interrupted her. "Come in, Nicole… The bathtub is this way," Waverly said as Nicole was following her in the bathroom. The brunette put all her hair on one side before opening the tap and expertly adjusting the temperature as she sat for an instant on the rim of an indeed respectable clawfoot tub.

"Bubble bath, Nicole ?" Waverly asked, already reaching for a box on a nearby side table. 

The redhead nodded, smiling. Waverly let fall a generous amount of colored flakes in the water, closing the lid carefully.

Then she jumped on Nicole and kissed her lips with abandon.

Nicole left herself slide in the bathtub until her nose was just above the foam. She had spent about five minutes standing alone dumbfounded after Waverly had left, before finally undressing and stepping into the decadent hot bath.

How am I supposed to relax, now ?

After her whirlwind kissing attack, Waverly's explanation speech had seemed a bit improvised, but the general meaning was crystal clear : she didn't want them to be just friends after all. Nicole was very, very okay with that. Waverly's plan to convince her to stay was decidedly an efficient one. A bath and a declaration of love, plus a dizzying making-out session that had wrecked its way in first position on her list of Favorite Eventful Ten Minutes In Her Life.

It's happening. It's happening.

"I'll be downstairs, we have the whole cleaning to do, Nicole, it will take a while. When you're done with your bath, you'll just have to get downstairs to tell me. Enjoy !" Waverly had finally half-whispered before leaving. Without even another kiss !

Okay ten minutes in this bath and then I…

No, no… Don't screw this up, Haught.

In the worst-case scenario, Waverly was finally going to ask her to leave, out of fear. Then I leave. But I hope not, oh Waves don't get scared please… In another worst-case scenario, the fascinating young woman was slashing Nicole's tires right now to make sure she wouldn't leave. As if I'm wanting to leave !  Another worst-case scenario came to the mind of the archaeologist, this time Waverly was torching her car. With a flame-thrower. A logical choice for an efficient woman like Waverly.

Still basking in the hot water, Nicole laughed at her own paranoid bout. This bath was so good, so good, so good…

Noise in the stairs, the apartment door opening… Waverly was arguing with someone else, a woman… "No, don't go into the…"

The bathroom door was flung open and Wynonna barged in, stopping dead as she noticed Nicole's head floating above a white sea of tiny bubbles.

"Hi Wynonna !" Nicole said as cheerfully as she could.

"Wynonna ! What part of you-can't-use-my-bathroom-now didn't you understand ? Come here with me, Wynonna," Waverly said before she appeared in the door frame, already trying to wrestle her big sister out of the bathroom.

"What is Ginger Giant doing here ?" Wynonna asked as she was holding fast to the jamb.

"Nicole. Her name's Nicole !" Waverly reminded her sister, looking at Nicole with eyes wide with embarrassment. "Mmmh, she wasn't feeling well…"

"Yeah, say no more ! She's drunk again, ah !" Wynonna interjected. "Like the other day… Can't hold your liquor, Red ? Seriously Baby Girl the moment I need your bathtub, you chose to detox Miss Booze-and-Barf in it ? I just wanted a quick shower, dammit. Got some moves to show to…" She only mimed a giant mustache to Waverly. "And Shorty already got on my nerves. Like he wants me out before he leaves ? What, can't I visit my own sister ?"

"On Tuesday morning, Shorty found Wynonna downstairs passed out on the pool table," Waverly explained to Nicole. "Shorty told me she was holding an empty bottle of our best whiskey in her arms like a little baby," she went on with a mischievious smile.

"Hey, I was simply meditating, okay. Meditating. No reason to call me a hooch leech like he did when he woke… er, stirred me from my quiet time. Especially when you let in the likes of…" Wynonna trailed off, waving her arm towards Nicole. "All this steam ! Are you trying to cook a carrot soup in there ?"

"I swear there will be some minced Wynonna if you don't leave now," Waverly hissed. "Stop insulting Nicole and get out of here. Please."

"Well okaay," Wynonna huffed, looking at Nicole with contempt. "I'll leave Souse McSoak here to steep, if you don't prefer your own sister !"

"There are showers where you're going. I'm sure the camp manager won't object," Waverly suggested, pushing her sister out with a last apologetic glance at Nicole and slamming shut the door.

"Off you go, Wynonna ! Tell me the truth, you came back from Greece because they decided to deport you, didn't they ?" Nicole heard Waverly's muffled voice asking.

Apparently, Doc was going to learn very soon that Nicole had fulfilled her mission. Fulfilled my mission, hooey ! I've been manhandled. Bullied into kissing and bathing by the most marvelous girl I've ever met.

Bending her knees some more, a wide smile across her face, Nicole slided further down the bathtub until her whole head was under the surface.

I wonder if Waverly has planned something for the rest of the night…

Chapter Text

"Wait. Wait a second, Nicole," Waverly said as she put her open palm on the redhead's belly. She unlocked the saloon's out door, wincing at the noise. Hinges needing some TLC there, Shorty… Grasping the fabric of her bathrobe with her other hand to close it better around her neck to cut out drafts, she looked to the right, taking in the emptiness of Main Street at three in the morning. Then she looked at the left. No one this side either, yep. Then she closed the door and turned to Nicole.

"Are you trying to stop me from leaving, Waves ?" the taller woman asked, still maintaining the contact with Waverly's fingers splayed on her shirt. The young Purgatorian could feel the fabric moving gently with Nicole's breathing.

"I'm just checking. I feel like I'm in a freaking Tex Avery old toon and in about two seconds Wynonna will be right behind me saying peekaboo. I… Nicole… Are you sure you're okay about not saying anything for now about…" Waverly trailed off, pointing in turn to her and Nicole. A part of her wanted the redhead to stay for the night. A part of her wanted to wake up with Nicole in the morning. In a few hours. A part of her wanted to keep Nicole awake…

"Of course I get why you want to keep this hush-hush," Nicole said. "It's new for me too, I mean we… you know, oh I'm so happy Waverly… but I understand it's very, very new for you."

"Yeah, it is !"

"Don't worry, I will act like nothing happened, I'm okay with the secrecy thing, but like I told you, there's already people in the know at the digging. Doc, Rosita, Jeremy, Lonnie… looks like I was pining for you quite obviously… They knew I was coming tonight to see you and they will certainly ask…"

"Don't confirm anything, Nicole !"

"I won't… You're the only one I want to confirm something to…" Nicole said before leaning towards the smaller woman's lips.

As they broke their kiss, Waverly saw Nicole staring down. Her bathrobe was gaping open.

"Nicole ! Are you objectifying me ?" Waverly challenged.

"It's more like projectifying you, Waverly. It's hard to go but I have to, when there's so much I would do here…" Nicole said with a husky voice. A sigh. "Okay, I go now."

"Don't tell them anything tomorrow, please," Waverly repeated.

"Don't worry, I won't," Nicole repeated too before coming close to the brunette's ear. "I'll be your secret girlfriend," she whispered, then stood back, "but I'm almost sure that I'll find one of those busybodies sleeping right across my door at the campsite. It'll be Jeremy, with a shitty excuse for being there, I could wager !"

"If you were a wagering woman, Nicole", Waverly quipped.

"Yeah… This happens when you work with Doc. Tends to make me speak all old-fashioned too sometimes… He's bad influence. Anyhow. Tomorrow morning I'll get up in the camp and no one will be the wiser about what happened tonight." Judging by Nicole's smile and dreamy eyes, she was obviously replaying bits in her head right now !

"I guess they will let their imaginations go wild about us…" Waverly said.

"Well I suppose they will."

"But I want you. Oh, Nicole, you'll leave and I know… I feel like we're… in a way I never…" Waverly trailed off.

"Waverly…"

"Yes ?"

"I feel that too. I even believe you can see it. I'm smitten with you, Waves." 

Nicole finally went out after a last embrace and Waverly stood for a minute alone in the dimly lit barroom, getting back her emotional bearings as she listened to the engine going away.

A cloak-and-dagger affair with Nicole. That, that is some research worth doing. A steaming hot research with a certain ginger subject. Go back to bed, Waverly. Need rest then reacquire subject… Affirmative ! she mumbled, walking Terminator-style towards her apartment.

A few hours and not much sleep later, Waverly was back in the barroom with different clothes and different people. A few late morning customers were scattered across the room, drinking coffee and eating her fresh batch of butter muffins. Shorty was already there, prepping food in the kitchen.

"…and of course she said it was on purpose but you should have seen her dog !" Chrissie said.

Chrissie Nedley was keeping her company and was unloading a fresh batch of chronicle about the residents of Purgatory and neighboring communities. Waverly was constantly losing the thread of the conversation as she was mulling over the most recent news about her own love life, news she wasn't eager to share. Chrissy was a good friend and ultimately a well-meaning one, but she just couldn't resist a good gossip.

"… but I think he does that just to get on his father's nerves…" Chrissie said.

No, let her learn about Waverly and Nicole having a thing and she would be making proclamations from the rooftops the next minute with her old blue plastic Go Devils cheerleading megaphone.

Extra ! Extra ! Area Girl's Hot Night With Unexpected New Lover ! All Dets In The Chrissie Bugle !

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a researcher in possession of an entrancing subject, must be in want of a publication. But Waverly was not ready, not ready at all to face the inevitable consequences of divulging her recent involvement with Subject Haught. Two distinct groups of people could evidently make her pay dearly any truthful account of her love affair with Nicole. The first group was Wynonna. Her sister would tease, cackle, overreact and be a general embarrassment. She must not know, not now. The second group was potentially everyone else in Purgatory.

"You just don't want to ride a horse with a boob tube !" Chrissie interjected.

And there was also the problem of what Waverly was going to do next with the Subject.

Waverly felt like her planning abilities were fading of late. Of course she had anticipated, those last few days, about the possibility of getting physical with Nicole. In fact she had anticipated about it a lot. She had anticipated in her bed, also in the bathtub… But now she was raking her brain about the following steps.

First, Waverly had to find a cute message to send to Nicole this very morning. It had to be both romantic and enticing. Perhaps even provoking ?

I could write "I'll need you tonight for some research" ? Surely Nicole will guess what kind of research I mean…

"Another sheep mauled, not far from where it was last time, Dad said !" Chrissie stage-whispered.

Or I could send "Hi Nicole ! Last night was sweet. Perhaps we can meet today ?" Yeah, like I'm going to give this ginger goddess some space !

"…and all this time she was behind the door !" Chrissie said, laughing.

Or "Hello. Hope you can rest a bit today. You will need it later !" A bit overblown. Nicole had clearly demonstrated last night that she was able to tenderly wreak havoc on Waverly's body and mind… Waverly was probably the one needing to rest. She was still having aftershocks this morning, spooking the customers with her crooning moans. But Nicole seemed very responsive to Waverly's ministrations, too. The young bartender was nodding and smiling, thinking about when…

"…his hand right on the paint ! Can you believe that ?" Chrissie asked.

Or I can write "Good morning Nicole ! You said you had some projects involving me ? Care to elaborate ?" That was good, this way the ball was in Nicole's court and all she would have to do was to wait for some suggestive answer from the charming redhead. I'm sure she's good at that too… Not like Champ. All he knew about being suggestive was sending pics of his… Wait, why am I even thinking about him ?

"Waverly, do you hear me ?"

"Mmmh ? Oh Chrissy, I wasn't listening, sorry !"

"I was telling you about Champ's dislocated shoulder. Stephanie said he tells everybody that Wynonna attacked him because you want to go back with him."

Well that calls for a careful answer…

"I don't even know for sure if Wynonna really attacked Champ ! But I sure never told her I wanted to go back with him !"

"Do you want it ?"

"No !"

"Waverly ? Is there another boy already ?"

Waverly was walking on eggshells now. Chrissie knew her since kindergarten and she was a bad liar anyway.

"Another boy ? Poppycock !"

"Come on, Waverly !"

"Nope !" Waverly said as breezily as she could. "No boy at all !"

As if there was some kind of divinity protecting her evasive half-lies, Waverly's phone began to ring. Trying hard to look like she was sorry, she glanced at the caller's ID.

"Gus ! Hi ?"

…

"Well I don't know where she is right now, Gus. I saw her last night at closing time, but she left for… I didn't know she had your car !"

…

"Come on Gus, you know what it means when Wynonna says she borrows something for a few hours. You'll be lucky if she didn't drive already to Tijuana… She was heading to the archaeologists' camp… Yeah the tall guy… Listen Gus, let me try to get some info. I call you right back !"

Now she was already texting to Nicole.

"Good morning Nicole ! Did you happen to see a turquoise pickup in your camp today ?" Well that is romantic and enticing !

Nicole must have been waiting for a call because she texted back immediately.

"Hello Waverly ! Ford pickup with white band ? Check ! Also : what do you plan for the rest of your day ? Anything that could concern me ?"

Now Waverly was the one having to find some bawdy reply. Haught, you smooth cheat ! 

But before that…

"Gus ? I know where your pickup is… Yes I can drive you there, I think Shorty can cope here without me, slow day so far…"

I'm coming, Nicole…

"Sorry Chrissie ! Gotta go !"

When she stopped her car in front of Gus and Curtis' house, Waverly's aunt was already out, ending a call on her phone and putting it back into her denim jacket. The gray-haired woman sat into the jeep, nodding with her signature wry smile as she heard the country music coming from the radio.

"What's that ?" Gus asked, pointing at the white donut box propped between the two seats.

"I made a pit stop to buy some donuts. They'll give us leverage if we have to parley with Wynonna," Waverly said, proud like always to showcase her planning abilities.

"I took the spare key for my pickup, kiddo. If it's still parked at those archaeologists' camp, all I've got to do is drive away. She'll wake up in a few, hungover and stranded and that'll be enough of a parley for me."

Waverly had to concede it was a better plan that waking up Wynonna. "Okay… I suppose she'll find someone to take her back to Purgatory…" she trailed off.

"Or you'll be the one to drive her back. I was just discussing with Shorty and we agreed that you should spend as much time as you can with those diggers," Gus said carefully.

What ? "But…" 

Oh ! She knows for Nicole. They know for Nicole ! Shorty understood yesterday and now they want to… throw me into Nicole's arms ? 

That didn't make sense.

Extra ! Extra ! Guardians In The Hole, No Circus In Town, Sold Her To The Diggers ! A Shocking Report by Chrissie Nedley.

"But you need me at the bar…" Waverly said.

"No. We do need help at the bar and we'll need more. We're not getting any younger, Shorty and I. But that doesn't mean you're the only one who can help. We'll ask Lucy Connor and probably Vic Marlon too. It's time for us to let them do some try-outs."

"Wait ! You don't want me anymore at the bar ?" Waverly asked, taken aback. Let go and already replaced.

Outplanned ! Old Timers Double-Cross Barmaid In The Saloon Of Treason ! A Complete Coverage by Chrissie Nedley !

"Of course we ain't firing you," Gus said, "but you're clever enough to realize it gets on your nerves. Of course there's your break-up with Champ. You need at least some kind of vacation. You've been acting quite crabby lately, kiddo."

Waverly had to agree that her secret sentimental hiatus with Nicole had put her in a bad place. She could have been more collected those last few days at the saloon. Especially with those customers who tried to get into her pants. But I did nothing very… Well there had been the tray in Mike's face. Yeah. This one was long overdue ! And Teddy Muñoz… "Don't come back before you're really completely impotent !" she had said… OK, she had shouted across the crowded bar… Jimmy "Squint" Skrobar she had refused to serve after yet another hand on her lower back… Well even his dense chums had told him to stop trying. And the beer poured on Stan-from-the-sawmill's crotch. Really there's a bit of a pattern here, Waverly.

"OK, perhaps I could use a few days off, Gus," the young woman conceded.

"Money ain't an issue right now, is it ? I see your way of life, I think you've been saving quite a lot. Hold on," Gus asked with a sharp stare, "you didn't lend any money to this Hardy boy, did you ?"

"Gus, do you think I'm a fool ?!" Waverly shot back. But Gus just went on with her stare. You've been enough of a fool to sleep with this jerk for ages, kiddo. I'm just wondering if you funded his cheating sprees to top it all. And his gambling habit. And his attempts to outdrink his dimwit friends.

"What have you been saving for, kiddo ?" Gus finally asked.

"For college," Waverly answered right away. It was the first time, she realized, that anybody asked her this simple question.

"Then since you know what you want to do with your life for the next few years, look at the present situation," Gus went on. "You're far too smart to be a barmaid in a backwater. You've got to do something real with those online courses you took. Get real work and get noticed by other academics. This dig is an opportunity you've got to grasp. Ain't gonna happen while you're busy slinging beer."

"Do you mean I should join the dig ?" Waverly said. And spend my days with Nicole ?

"And why not, pray ? Think about that : Wynonna is spending her time there. She won't do anything but come on to every boy and try to hustle everyone, but she sees the opening. You should be the one hanging around with those archaeologists."

Waverly couldn't find much to object. She even had some other reasons to hang around that Gus wouldn't guess.

"Well if it's what you think I should do…" she began, but a harsh laugh from her aunt made her stop.

"Isn't it what you think you should do ? It's yours to decide, Waverly. Stop doing things you believe other persons expect you to do. It's like this music," Gus spat, pointing at the jeep's head unit. "Country 101, really ? Probably Big City's worst radio station, a bunch of self-appointed hillbilly yokels pretending they're the real deal. You tune to this each time you drive me somewhere. I don't like country music. I don't like music, kiddo. I play country in the bar because it's supposed to be a saloon. It's your car. Listen to what you like."

"OK…" Waverly slowed the jeep and bluetoothed her phone to the car. The stereo began to blare Hand On The Pump.

Lifestyle : 10 Things Your Phone's Random Shuffle Reveals About You. Number 6 Will Blow Your Mind ! (Brought to you by Nedley Infotainment)

"By the way, Gus," Waverly said a bit loud in a futile attempt to cover B-Real's nasal delivery, "about that, I mean about the excavation, they've found bits of ammolite, shiny stones that my mother used to make pearls and wind chime-like mobiles with…" As Gus nodded, she went on. "I was wondering if you know were she found the stones ?"

"Oh, I know the place ! It's quite close from the Homestead. The holes Michelle made were used later to bury the dogs and even a pet hamster you had…"

"Pikachu ?"

"Yeah, must be this one. Your mother told me you just had to dig around this place to find… how d'you call it ?"

"Ammolite, Gus. So the pet cemetery…"

"Apparently the whole area around the house, she said," Gus clarified, as she pointed at the stereo and gave the thumbs up, smirking. "Those stones are brittle, though. You want to put some varnish and whatnot on it or they chip off and break…"

Waverly swerved her car into the dirt road that led to the camp. She winced in anticipation when Cypress Hill's song stopped. As she identified the beginning of Peach Pit's Alrighty Aphrodite, she let out a sigh of relief. Greek gods can't be wrong, eh ?

Gus' pickup was indeed on the parking area, along with several other vehicles including Nicole's car. It looked like the diggers were not digging for some reason. Waverly called Nicole as she got out of her jeep.

"Nicole ? I'm here at the camp, with Gus ! Where are you ?" she asked as soon as the call was answered.

"Right here ! Wait a sec !" and soon enough Waverly saw the tall redhead coming to her. Waverly watched her approaching like you can with someone you have slept with. Without guilt or embarrassment, just admiring the easy gait of Nicole, the wide dimpled smile she had, those curves she had explored last night…

"Hello Nicole, how you doing ?" Gus rasped, bringing Waverly back to Earth. "I'm here to take back my car. I suppose Wynonna is conked out somewhere…"

"Gus, nice to see you. Waverly ! Nice to see you too," Nicole said with a controlled tone. But her eyes where asking "Gus doesn't know, does she ?"

Waverly shook her head. "Hi Nicole. Why are you all here ? I mean not at the site ?"

"Rain is forecast for this afternoon. It's the last day here for a dozen students, so we begin to fall back here for storage work, instead of offering them an awful last day of muddy misery," Nicole explained. "Doc and Lonnie are still on-site to oversee the covering of the digging, if you wanted to see them…" she added slyly.

"Well I hope I can see them later… I may stay here for a while if it's not a problem for you, as the camp's manager," she bluffed for Gus' benefit.

Nicole smiled. "Not at all. Not at all… Would you care for a coffee, ladies ?"

"Thanks, Nicole, but I'm leaving right now," Gus shot back. "You go and have that coffee, kiddo," she added, turning to Waverly and squeezing softly her arm. And indeed she was walking already to her pickup, leaving Waverly tête-à-tête with Nicole.

"She knows, let me tell you," Waverly heard Nicole whisper as she watched her aunt get into the pickup. Nicole was very close to her back, she could feel it like a magnet.

"I'm not sure…" Waverly trailed off, turning to Nicole. They were so close. Nicole was looking down at her, she could sense the redhead's breath on her forehead. She wanted Nicole to hug her right now but they couldn't. She was feeling awkward. Awkward and paranoid. Three diggers were chatting at a short distance outside of one of the buildings and all she wanted was magically teleport Nicole somewhere secluded.

I must find an idea for this weekend. Somewhere far from any prying eyes. Not here, too many people. And why do I live in a place with a bar as an entrance ? I need an idea to keep Wynonna away. Gus and Curtis won't be happy if I simply give her a bottle of whiskey or two while she's at their place. I'm not even hundred percent sure that would idle her.

"Waverly ?" Nicole said, touching the brunette's shoulder in a way that could have been just friendly if the redhead's hand had not been just a bit against her neck, her thumb gently grazing her skin there. "Waverly, you know it's a bit hard not to kiss you right now… but it's worth waiting. I know it's worth waiting," Nicole added with a low voice. Nicole was not helping at all to stay collected !

Nicole hesitated. "But you're here now and I kinda hope…" she said, "you didn't answer my message earlier… Are you here just for the business with your aunt's car ?"

"No, Nicole. No," Waverly said quickly as she saw worry fleeting across the taller woman's face. "It's just… I didn't find the nerves to send you my reply… I was not sure…"

"And your reply was ?" Nicole asked.

"That…" Waverly breathed, "… that I wanted to carry out some research on your lips today."

"Mm, naughty…" Nicole said, "but if you want to keep it dark, we should pretend you're here for… er…"

"I know it will sound strange, perhaps a bit of a stalker," Waverly interjected, "but what would you say if I asked to join the excavation ?"

"A stalker ? No ! We could see each other… mmmh… more often… You need to convince Lucado, though, and I don't know how you could…" she paused, pondering and then smiling. "After all you are a student in history and ancient things. It's more your place than mine, come to think of it !"

"Gus just told me where to find the ammolite at the Homestead, our old house. So you'd be OK with me on the dig ?", Waverly asked, trying to discover any shadow of a doubt in the soft mocha eyes of the taller woman.

"Easy question ! That would be great ! I want to be with you, Waves. It's simple as that. You mean to use the ammolite to introduce yourself to Lucado. That's clever. Lucado's desk is over there," Nicole said, pointing towards one of the buildings. "She's compiling stratigraphies right now and it doesn't seem to be her favorite pastime. Either she'll tell you to shove off or she'll welcome the interruption," Nicole added as they began to walk towards the director's workstation. Waverly was nervous and had to make an effort not to grasp Nicole's hand.

"Hey there !" the two young women heard from behind as they walked past Doll's kitchen, startling them both. Turning around, they saw Rosita at the door of one of the buildings. "Waverly ! Come here," the young archaeologist said, a wiggling index inviting Waverly to come inside.

A trap. Waverly and Nicole glanced quickly at each other. "It's the dining hut, but right now it's our processing room for everything we've found lately…" Nicole explained as both walked back towards Rosita.

"Hey, Jeremy, look who's here !" Rosita yelled as they entered. Not even trying to sound innocent. Across the room, among about fifteen students hunched over the tables, the tech wizard lifted his eyes and nodded slowly. "Hey, Waverly !" he said. "What a surprise !"

Like In A War Movie ! Astute Diggers Spot Infiltrated Lover In Ten Seconds. The Truth They Wanted To Hide, by Chrissie Nedley.

"Rain is coming, Waverly, so we are falling back here. Plenty of things to do : photos, bagging, indexing, maps and so on, it's part of a dig too," Jeremy said, approaching. "I'm on Lonnie's altitude calculations… Everything's wrong. If you trust his measurements, he dug out holes that were floating in the air," he told Nicole, shaking his head. "Waverly, what do we owe the pleasure ?" he asked smiling like a Cheshire cat.

"I came here about the ammolite," Waverly stated, trying to channel a special agent of a Ministry of Geologic Affairs. "I intend to meet Lucado. I was going to see her. With Nicole. That's why she was with me outside. We were walking to where Lucado is. I just met Nicole on the parking lot. I was surprised, I didn't know she was going to be here. So I told her hey Nicole can you show me the way to…" She stopped as Nicole jabbed a finger furtively in her back.

"Guys ! It's almost lunchtime !" Dolls interjected from the door, hopefully distracting everyone's attention from Waverly's rambling. "You should begin to put all this stuff away and clear the tables, I'm not sure it won't be raining before the end of the meal, OK ?"

As the diggers began to tidy their stuff away, Nicole turned to Waverly : "Shall we ? Let's go talk to Lucado !"
 
"Oh… That'll be interesting. Mind if I come with you ?" Jeremy said, and Waverly could read on his face that nothing was going to prevent him from tagging along.

When they arrived at Lucado's door, she was clearly having a bad time comparing things between her laptop and a heap of papers. Waverly decided to crank her smile up to the max and make it simple. She was from Purgatory (remember me at Shorty's bar ?), a student in history and ancient languages (speaking and reading four of them, yep !), very eager to take part in the dig (I'm not afraid of hard work, oh no !) and able to grant Lucado access to a place where recent ammolite mining had taken place (could be useful to have a look, don't you think ?).

Lucado listened to her patiently. Looked around her desk, taking in all the notes and hand-drawn maps cluttering it. Looked at Jeremy and Nicole, who were nodding and making faces like yeah-you-can-take-this-one-trust-us.

"We could use more manpower. If you come to work here, I want you to stay for at least ten working days. No use training you if you leave too soon. Can you be here on Monday morning ?" she asked. "Good. Dress for wet weather. We'd better go and see this Homestead of yours before the rain comes, if you're OK with driving us there right now ?"

And just like that, Waverly was an archaeology intern ! Nicole sent her a radiant smile. Waverly felt giddy.

Breaking News ! Local Asset Enables Major Scientific Breakthrough ! About Nicole Haught's Lips ! Chrissie Nedley News Exclusive! Stay Tuned !

Chapter Text

The red jeep was driving quite fast ahead but Nicole was staying on her tail, just far enough to give most of the dust a chance to fall back on the road.

"Sorry, Rosita, I just can't hear you…" Nicole shouted, gesturing to the rear of her car. The noise of the clattering tools was deafening on this neglected dirt track, but essentially she was trying to buy time. Now Nicole knew for certain why Rosita had told Samir and Killian to get into Waverly's jeep along with Lucado. She didn't want the two students present during her questioning.

"I said : with Waverly, did you do it or didn't you ?" Rosita hollered. She was not the kind of woman who gives up easily.

"Listen, Rosita. Yesterday y'all told me, no, forced me to straighten out my relation with Waverly, I went there and I did it, OK ? But there won't be a debriefing now," Nicole said using what she believed was her future cop voice. Firm and assertive. It wasn't easy because she had to keep from smiling when using the word "straighten" about what had happened last night.

"Straighten out ? So would you say you're now in a straight relationship with Waverly ?" Rosita quipped as a follow-up question.

"Stop your innuendoes ! You've got a dirty mind, Bustillos, a dirty mind let me tell you !" Nicole said. Just like me. She was smiling again now, too late to do anything about it. She did her best anyhow to send her passenger a sidelong glare, shaking her head for good mesure.

A part of Nicole wanted to rave about Waverly and the unexpected and enchanting turn last evening had taken. The Purgatorian brunette who had charmed her on their very first encounter was wonderful, attractive, caring, wise, tender… But now was not the time. To keep her promise to Waverly and not disclose their brand-new love affair, she knew she had at least to look despondent. After her morning run, she had tried to mope about the camp to put on a depressed front but she simply couldn't keep to it. Bliss was constantly making her break character. She had found herself simply breezing around ! Talking to everybody with a bantering tone ! Smiling ! Waving ! I've been waverlized ! she had finally understood.

"What did you two do last night ?" Rosita insisted.

"We talked. No debriefing I said," Nicole shot back. True ! We talked. Well, among other things ! The redhead's mind was already drifting back to memories of Waverly's kisses, the touches, both of them sighing…

"Still not buying it, hermana ! I'm sure you've been getting it on."

"Well there's not much I can do to change your opinion, I guess," Nicole said. "Oh, Rosita ?"

"Yeah ?"

 "Please don't try to corner Waverly with that kind of conversation…"

"You're no fun at all, Haught. No fun at all."

The Homestead was an isolated house in shabby condition, with a barn close to it, Nicole observed as she drove under a simple wooden gateway. She got out of her station wagon, put on her stetson hat and joined the little group around Lucado. Waverly guided them quickly towards a very low enclosure that defined a square shape on the ground.

"I know for sure there was ammolite right there," she said pointing to what was obviously a pet cemetery, "but please don't dig precisely here… you'd find some bones of… er…"

"Don't worry," Lucado interjected. "We're used to finding bones in our line of work, but we'll dig elsewhere. No pipes or drains around this place you would know of ?" 

As Waverly shook her head, Lucado turned to the others. "Okay, Nicole, come closer with your car, we'll make a test trench from here…" the excavation director ordered, striding the place, "… to here."

Nicole jogged to her car and drove back to the team in reverse. Soon enough they were unloading picks and shovels. Samir began to break up the soil in a straight line, Rosita watching him for a minute, propped on her shovel. Then the brunette put on her gloves and followed him, putting aside the first layer of earth.

Nicole called Dolls to tell him the six of them wouldn't make it for lunch and to ask if he could keep something for them that they could eat later. "Can you have a vegetarian solution for Waverly, please ?" she asked.

After a few minutes, Nicole took Samir's pick and proceeded to deepen the trench. Rosita stopped her shoveling and gestured to Killian to replace her.

Stopping her pick swinging for an instant, Nicole glanced at Waverly. Her beautiful chestnut hair was cascading in her back as she was speaking animatedly with Lucado. Nicole drank in the view of her graceful body for a few more seconds before getting back to work. Nicole felt limber today, strong and agile. She already had experienced the same wonderful sensation during her morning jog, in spite of the lack of sleep. She attributed this surprising energy to Waverly's touch. The young woman's hands felt like magic.

We've got to find a place to be alone together. Certainly not the camp. The apartment above the saloon wasn't a safe place either with the big sister's constant prowling. I've got to find a place where Wynonna won't come. A motel is out of the question, Waverly deserves so much better. Or do we drive all the way to Big City ? Expensive but tempting… But I need an idea. We must go there separately or everybody will understand…

After fifteen minutes they were knee-deep in the trench. Nicole took a length of rope in her car and tied a bucket at each end. She grabbed a few trowels and got back to the trench. "Time to widen this a bit", she told her fellow diggers and Rosita began to collapse the trench walls with a pick. Then, putting aside the pick, she kneeled to put the loose soil in a bucket with a trowel while Nicole, holding the rope, hauled the full buckets out of the trench one after another, emptying them on the spoil pile and lowering then back near Rosita.

"OK, rock, guys," Killian announced as he was digging at the other end of the trench. His pick was stopped by an harder layer.

Ten more minutes of work later, Nicole was resting a bit, standing near the lip of the trench, when Waverly walked to her side. A slab of rock was appearing gradually on the trench's floor as the team was removing the rest of the top soil with trowels, brooms and small shovels.

"I can see you are all very practiced !" the Purgatorian said.

"We're not expecting to find anything archaeological on our way, so we can go fast." Nicole said. "If you learn something in this line of work, it's to dig holes in any kind of ground, with any kind of tools…" Nicole trailed off, she didn't want to sound like a boaster.

"OK, it looks like this is ammolite," Lucado said after a short examination at the bottom of the trench. "Get the digging bar and try to get some chunks of this."

"Y'all are also very fit !" Waverly whispered, eyeing Samir who had taken off his dirty T-shirt and was now dabbing sweat with it on his bare chest.

"We call him Goku on the dig," Nicole said leaning close to Waverly's ear, having to restrain herself from gently worrying her lobe. "Because he's always shirtless…" both girls completed together, smirking.

"Care to take a little walk ?" Waverly said, "I don't have the keys to the Homestead with me today, but I can still show you around a bit." There was a glint in her eye. Yep, a walk ! Let's do this right away !

"I spoke with Lucado about the excavation but it's a bit hard," Waverly said as they began to stroll away from the others, "I must remember I don't know officially what the site is like. You didn't tell your boss I already had a private visit with you, did you ?"

"Of course not ! Our VIP service comes with total confidentiality, ma'am," Nicole shot back, tipping her hat.

They began a slow walk around the house, but as soon as the two women were out of sight, Waverly's soft lips where chasing Nicole's as the smaller woman found purchase on her nape, half grabbing her hair and pushing up her stetson hat. It had been a mere few hours since they had kissed and Nicole couldn't believe how much she had missed it. Waverly was on her tiptoes, every inch of her body leaning against Nicole and now fidgeting her way on her waist, unbuttoning the redhead's shirt to reach bare skin.

"Come, I'll show you the barn, come," Waverly whispered when they finally stopped, gasping for some air.

"Waves, no ! Be careful, I'm sure Rosita will try to track us," Nicole said, smoothing her shirt back into her jeans with trembling hands.

Just at that instant, they saw Rosita coming around the corner of the Homestead. "Hey, what are you two doing here ?" the brunette asked as she walked closer. "Waverly, are you giving Nicole the tour without me ?"

"Well, there's not much to see, you know. Just our old house…" Waverly answered, smiling.

"Yeah… I was looking for you because work will be finished here quite soon. The ammolite is just asking to be broken with a bit of effort. We already have plenty samples. I will get to play at mad scientist with Jeremy. Okay, I go back there… Don't be too long !" Rosita said as she went away.

"Wait… It's a trick," Nicole warned as she saw Waverly turning slowly back to her with a mischievous smile. "She'll be spying on us. I'm sure she just hid right behind the corner. We'd better go back with the others."

They looked for an instant at the old house. I guess there's a lot of work to do on this house. And a lot of money to spend, Nicole thought.

"So Wynonna still wants you to move in here with her ?", she prompted.

"I've got bad memories here," Waverly said slowly. "And Wynonna isn't the easiest housemate I can think of. I don't know…"

They walked back toward the test trench. Of course Rosita was right behind the corner, pretending to lace her shoes. Nicole glanced at Waverly. We've got to be extra careful…

On the way back, Nicole did what she could to neutralize the Rosita threat. She told the snoop to get into her car but asked Samir to come along, pretending she wanted to ask him questions about Quebec, his hometown. When they finally reached the camp, Dolls was waiting for them in the dining hut. They sat around a single reserved table with Dolls who still had to eat, too, the rest of the place being already used by the diggers who had resumed their post-digging work.

Lucado quickly helped herself to a plate of chicken and pasta before hurrying back to her own desk. Doc and Lonnie came to sit with the ammolite explorers.

"Ms Earp, what a joy to see you here. I must confess I missed you and I am confident other hearts than mine were languishing too. Take Lonnie here, he could be heard keening on several occasions and I believe he…"

"Keening ? I haven't been…" Lonnie began to interject.

"Hush, my dear Lonnie. I love to josh you, please pardon me," Doc said. "Now, Waverly, did you find what you were looking for ?"

"What I was looking for ?" Waverly hesitated.

Is this paranoia ? Nicole asked herself. Today, every sentence said by her coworkers felt like it had a double meaning.

"I mean at your residence or hacienda," Doc went on, "I've trouble to recall how you name it… Did you find the ammolite ?"

"Oh, yes, we found a layer of ammolite at the Homestead," Waverly replied.

"We've got a lot of stone, we'll be able to try to work on it," Rosita said.

"What will you do with all those samplings ?" Waverly asked to the archaeologists.

"Now that we have a good quantity that wasn't found on-site, we can carve it, cut it, hone it, burn it… learn what you can and can't do with it," Rosita explained. "Get to know the material… Jeremy will get to play with his microscope…"

The lunch was ending when the clouds finally decided to burst. A heavy, noisy, rain began to fall.

"You know what, I'm going to make some coffee !" Nicole said, on a sudden inspiration. "You'll have to thanks Dolls, he's the one who showed me how !" she added as her companions where beginning to thank her. She ran across under the rain to the kitchen and began to prepare the coffee, hoping Waverly had gotten the hint.

She smiled when she heard quick footsteps and someone entering Dolls' lair. Turning her head, she saw the young Purgatorian walking to her.

"What did you tell them ?" the taller woman asked.

"I told them I was going to help you. We're supposed to be friends officially, aren't we ? No use pretending anyhow… They don't call us liars outright, but they're chuckling at our pretense. I just hope they won't follow us with this rain."

"I kinda hope that too," Nicole said, wiping a offending raindrop on the brunette's cheek. Waverly's hands were already everywhere. Nicole felt on fire. She pushed Waverly backwards and quickly had her seated on the table, nudging her way with her hips between the brunette's thighs. Holding tenderly Waverly's chin and nape, Nicole let their kisses grew hotter and hotter.

"Babygirl ! I saw you from the tipi," a distinctive voice shouted in her back. "Hey, what's happening here ?"

Nicole felt Waverly shying and giving a sudden jerk, ready to jump from the table, but she blocked her, holding her where she was. "No, I don't see this eyelash, Waverly," she said aloud. "Perhaps it's already gone ? Do you still feel it in your eye ?"

"No, no, perhaps you're right, Nicole," Waverly said, playing along and looking at Nicole with wide eyes. Then, leaning sideways to look behind Nicole : "Hey, good afternoon, Wynonna ! We're making coffee…"

"I was sure it was you, Babygirl. Damned rain woke me up, I was just looking outside from the flap door and I saw you going in there." Wynonna said. "I hate this fucking rain !"

"Hi, Wynonna !" Nicole said as she turned to the older Earp, feeling Waverly getting down from the table behind her.

Water ! That's what we need to keep this one at bay. Me and Waverly on a island… or on a boat ! I need a bayou asap with lots of swans just as in The Notebook. Not likely to find that on the Ghost River…

"Hoy ! Don't hi-wynonna me, and you, Babygirl ! You !" Wynonna shouted, suddenly very upset. "How could you decide to hide this from me ? Did you think this could go on forever without me finding out ?"

Shit ! Shitshitshit !

"Er… Wynonna…" Waverly stammered.

"If Doc had not spilled the beans last night… well I'm sure you knew it already when I came back from Greece and then you decided not to tell me ! I lost so many days of fun because of you" Wynonna hollered, pointing at her little sister.

Fun ?

"Fun ? Wynonna, what the…" Waverly begun.

"Haught ! This one's name is Haught ! No use to deny ! And you were all hey-Wynonna-this-is-Nicole ! So much puns ! So much puns I could have made for so long !" the tall brunette cackled.

"Aaah ! I didn't think…" Waverly said, red as a beet.

"Haught-Sauce ! Haught-Beverage ! Haught-Pants !" Wynonna chanted, smirking.

Nicole's bloodstream was trying hard to exit its fight-or-flight response mode. She didn't give a damn about any pun on her name right now.

"Wait !" Wynonna said, suddenly nervous again. "Do you guys know where Doc is ?"

"In the dining hut !" both women said.

"I must go see him. Bring me coffee when it's ready, losers !" Wynonna shouted as she walked outside, hunching her shoulders against the rain.

Nicole turned to Waverly, who was looking at her, mouth agape with incredulity and relief. Then the brunette's eyes became half-moons as a dazzling smile formed on her face.

Nicole felt herself bending down slowly to meet her girlfriend's lips.

When the coffee was ready, they finally decided to get back to the dining hut. But first Waverly ran to her car to get a big box full of donuts she had bought in the morning. Their arrival with fresh coffee and sugary treats was greeted warmly.

"Hey !" Waverly said, swatting at her sister's hand. "You don't get first choice ! Nicole made the coffee, so she gets dibs on those donuts !"

Taking her time as the older Earp was huffing, Nicole picked a choice-looking strawberry donut.

"Tut-tut, I helped her !" Waverly said, batting again Wynonna's eager fingers away and snatching for herself a vanilla-dipped one. "They're my favorite !" she declared. Then the box was left at the mercy of the pack of gourmand archaeologists led by a hooting Wynonna, they made quick work of the donuts like in an African wildlife documentary.

After a few minutes, all the diggers had left the table or were preparing to leave, except for Doc who was lingering near Wynonna. The older Earp was visibly nursing a bit of a hangover she was trying to cure with generous splashes of her hip flask into her coffee. "Dietary supplement," she explained.

"Smells like whiskey to me," Dolls said before standing up and going back to his kitchen. Waverly was face to face with Nicole, as a part of their gaslighting scheme. Just friends, not lovers, look we're not even seated side by side ! Yeah, top credibility ! Nicole watched the beautiful young woman nibbling her donut, seeming rapt with pleasure.

"So, Babygirl, did you really get rid of Champ the Chump for good this time ? He'll come back groveling again, I'm sure… Oh, he did already, I see it in your eyes," Wynonna told her little sister. "Don't fall for it ! Red-Haught, listen to me, since you seem to be best buddies with my baby sister now, you can do something for me. Just knock this douche out if you see him coming around Waverly and doin' the copter with his…"

"Wynonna !" Waverly shouted.

"Well you get my drift, Haught-and-Bothered, don't you ? Waverly, no offense but we both know you've got a leaning. She's got needs," Wynonna went on, wiggling her brows to help Nicole to understand, if it was necessary. "A few days without you-know-what and she's a mess, it's been like that since her puberty ! Quite early, I remember, she knew what to look for in a guy, it's like therapy for her and it has to be : Serious. Physical. Action," the fiery raven-haired woman explained, standing from her chair and gyrating her hips in a hula hoop spin.

"Wynonna, just shut your mouth !" Waverly said, visibly embarrassed.

"My dear, perhaps we could eschew delving this much into your sister's springtime," Doc tried.

"No sweat, we're all adults here ! Hey Doc, why are you leaving ?" Wynonna asked to the already retreating man. "Well anyhow, listen to me, Haught, now it's only between us women."

"Er… No it's not, Wynonna," Nicole interjected, gesturing to the dozen other people in the room. Truth be told, half of them had their earbuds. Waverly was looking very nervous and Wynonna had the look of someone ready to talk at length. The whiskey is loosening her tongue…

"Gus and Curtis' house has fairly thin walls and I still can't explain Champ's longevity, I mean his life force should have been drained already since high school. Babygirl here," Wynonna said, pointing her thumb to her sister who was now hiding her face in her hands, "Babygirl is an all around nerd, but to function she has to get her fair share of…" 

"… cucumbers, cucumbers here to slice and dice if you'd like to help, guys," Dolls said coming in, holding a crate. "Since you seem to be idling… Let me show you," he told the three women, taking a newspaper and a cutting board from under his arm, producing a vegetable scraper and peeling with amazing speed one of the cucumbers above the newspaper. Then he cut it in half, scraped out the seeds and began to mince it like he had done this all is life.

"Look at the size I want, bigger than a grain of rice, smaller than a grain of corn," he said finally.

"Well, thank you but no thank you," Wynonna said, her gaze fixed on the cook's muscular arms. "I'm not the manual worker type, except for… er…" she trailed off, snickering. "Whatever ! What are you going to do with half a ton of minced cucumber ?"

"I will make some tzatziki and some ezme, too. I plan to put a Mediterranean twist in next week's meals."

"I know tzatziki, I lived in Greece for a while. What's the other thing ?" Wynonna shot back.

"Ezme is Turkish, it's a spicy sauce, tomato, onion, pepper and vinegar, cucumber and…" Dolls began to explain.

"Perhaps you could make me try it," Wynonna interjected with a suggestive tone.

Dolls gave himself time to ponder. Then he flashed a sly smile. "That's an idea… Why not a meal with the crew here tomorrow night ? Let's make it Greek-themed… your sister is also invited !" he said, looking at Waverly. "She's a good cook and I could use her advice about a few things… Deal ?"

"Deal !" Wynonna said. "Come on," she nagged Nicole and Waverly as Dolls left, leaving them with a huge salad bowl to fill. "Those cucumbers won't mince themselves ! Where was I ? Ah, I remember, Babygirl's sexperiences" she said, putting a foot on a chair, poised like a storyteller ready to captivate the audience.

"Oh no !" Waverly groaned. She shot a desperate glance at Nicole.

"If Waverly doesn't want to speak about it…" the redhead interjected.

"No one's asking her to. I, I will do the speaking !" Wynonna shot back.

Wynonna began to itemize her sister's early love life with incredible precision. Names, dates, what the weather was like and what kind of sounds had emanated from Waverly's bedroom, Wynonna's memory seemed uncanny after so many years. High school rumors and careless confidences from a younger Waverly completed the spoken chronicle. Remaining silent in an attempt to discourage Wynonna, Nicole decided to do something for Waverly, who looked horribly downcast and was mincing cucumber with murderous eyes.

First, Nicole came to sit at Waverly's side and pressed her leg against Waverly's leg under the table. Under the guise of vegetable co-management, she grasped every opportunity to graze Waverly's skin. I'm here, Waves. I'm here for you.

Since the silent treatment was not working on Wynonna, who kept on drinking more of her mix of coffee and whiskey, Nicole began to interject, reacting to the racy tidbits.

"Waverly. Earp. Whipped cream ! Oh !"

"See what I do right now ?" she whispered to Waverly with a wink. "I'm playing straight-man." That earned her a smile.

From the corner of her eye, as she interrupted the older Earp with a changing tone, sometimes surprised, sometimes shocked, sometimes even distraught, always very serious, she saw Waverly beginning to relax.

"In October, in the woods... Brrr ! Nonplussed. I'm simply nonplussed !" earned her a giggle on her side.

"In the Albaway Park, while in the Spiral ? Well what do you know !" earned her a punch on the shoulder. Good, good !

"Well here's some sound advice," she heard Waverly put in. "Don't try to get kinky on a rollercoaster, those machines just weren't designed with that in mind…"

Waverly thawed out enough finally to give the last details of a story that Wynonna did not know completely, her disastrous date on the shore of the Big Deep Lake with Michael Jenkins, the one her big sister, after all those years, still insisted on calling Spotty Mikey.

"Making out in a small boat…" the young Purgatorian mused. "Let me tell you : rhythm is key and when your partner is not a natural, you might as well jump into the water already. Poor Mike, he did rock my boat but not figuratively. I dumped him after that. Never stay with someone you can't trust in a canoe !"

I've got to find a boat, really, Nicole thought, realizing she had never done anything like this before. If I want to do this Love in the Swan Bayou routine, I'd better train. But how ?

But Wynonna, tipsier by the minute, was already lost in another train of thoughts.

"Nicole, I hope you feel Haught-to-trot about having two Earps here tomorrow night ? I've got plenty Greek metal for a good ambience. You'll help Waverly to choose from all those young males here. She needs strong and healthy, remember ! I think I need a bit more shuteye, back to the tipi ! Babygirl, tomorrow's objective : L-A-I-D !" Wynonna hollered, spooking even the diggers who had their earbuds on.

As Wynonna stumbled on a few chairs on her way outside the dining hut, the two lovers looked at each other, holding bits of cucumber.

"We need a plan to get out of this, Nicole. There's no way we'll be able to keep this charade tomorrow if Wynonna tries to play matchmaker ! And all that she said about me, you must think… Oh, Nicole…" Waverly said, sad again.

"I'm all in for misbehaving with you, love. And about tomorrow night, Waves, I'll be in the best position to block your sister's project to get you l-a-i-d…" she paused, "I mean with someone who's not me," she whispered in the brunette's hear.

"Nicole. Haught." Waverly deadpanned.

Chapter Text

Looking at the drizzle making the world out of focus through her window, Waverly didn't feel perfectly righteous about the way she had just lied during her quick texting exchange with Wynonna, but she rationalized this lie as a retaliation for her sister's undue bean-spilling back at the diggers' camp. The last thing I needed was her WaverLeaks operation about all those silly boys, right in front of Nicole.

Of course, Waverly was aware that her last lie, the one about her plans for tonight, was only one more on top of the pile of lies she had already told her sister to cover up her love affair with Nicole Haught. Waverly felt like she was in a bobsleigh racing down to disaster. All that she really wanted was simple, though. Nicole in her arms, in her bed, right now. Simple and healthy.

There was the problem of her bed sheets, of course. Red hair and pale skin needed a good backdrop for the best optical effect. What was the best color to use with Nicole ? Her usual white or beige sheets didn't quite cut it. She needed new sheets… green ones… or blue ones ? But what tones ? She was going to have to coax a shopping trip to Slumber, Shower & Yonder from Nicole, to judge the effect before buying. Will Nicole be shocked if I just tell her I need her as a color reference ? A slow grin came on Waverly's face as she thought that sweet Nicole could just be OK with that. The unwelcome mental image of dumbass Champ sulking in homeware shops was dispelled in a huff. Anyhow I'll make Nicole's time worthwhile afterwards… She should also buy a few coordinating pillows, of course she should. Perhaps some golden or ocre ones to compliment Nicole's beauty. Then back to her place, she would get the redhead to disrobe and lay comfortably on her purchases and then she…

Oooooh !

Stop ! Stop. Definitely not the time to indulge in fantasies ! Especially bedroom fantasies that can easily become reality if you first ask Nicole to drive here…

Anyhow she'll leave soon, we won't be buying bed sheets together. Perhaps it's already over and you just don't know it yet. Pessimism was making its comeback in the young Purgatorian's mind. Perhaps Nicole was already getting tired of her. Well, well… she didn't seem tired this afternoon while they were making out in Nicole's tiny bedroom just before Waverly left the diggers' camp.

But, but… perhaps Nicole was travelling with a big bedpost full of notches in her big station wagon and Waverly's was going to be only a tiny, tiny notch. There was the Wynonna problem too. So much guys she had put to flight ! Perhaps that night was going to be the only night before being ditched because of her big sister. Or perhaps Nicole had already decided that she had enough with both Earp sisters, the closeted nerd and the loutish dipso.

Waverly forced herself to calm down. For the moment being, the coast was clear. Tonight is No-Wynonna certified ! I'll see that Big Red Riding Hood won't escape this Small Bad Wolf… Awoooo !

Waverly took a few deep breathes to clear her mind. OK, now is booty call time !

With a few flicks of her thumb, Waverly made the call to her redhead. My cute, big, sweet, redhead. Well okay Nicole is her own person but I don't care she's mine mine mine ! Waverly was jumping on her toes waiting for Nicole to answer. Steamy peebles, why doesn't she answer ? Come on come on come on ! One more ring and Nicole took the call.

- Hey Nicole !

- …

- Nicole ?

- Good evening sir !

- Nicole, it's me, Wav…

- You're calling about the hot water supply, right ?

- Nicole, what the… Are you alone ?

- Well not at all, sir !

- Er… What about coming to my place tonight ?

- Oh ! Certainly, certainly…

- They are all there, listening to what you say, Nicole, aren't they ?

- Yes, lots of people are involved, sir.

- I'm sorry, I should have sent you a message instead… I hang up now and we'll text…

- No, no. Let's do it this way. I don't want to further delay our conversation.

- And what are you pretending I am ? A sort of plumber ?

- Exactly, sir. That's… the best that could be done at such short notice. Now… about this business…

- Listen to me, Nicole. If you want, you can spend the night at my place.

- Yes, of course, that could be beneficial… Do you intend to be present too, sir ?

- Yes, silly ! I intend to be present…

- That would be a decided plus.
 
- …and to have my way with you, Nicole.

- Er…that sounds practicable…

- Practicable ! What do you mean, practicable, Nicole ? Practicable, really !

- Ah, hum… we are glad to do business with your company.

- That's better. Come to do business tonight, Nicole. I suppose you'll eat your dinner at the camp ?

- It's a sensitive issue for some persons right here with me.

- So you'll be at my place about… eight ? Nine ?

- I don't know yet…sir.

- Well I'm a bit impatient. It's been already hours since I last saw you. There's a lot of kissing me to do that's waiting for you over here.

- Well I will do my best to make this happen.

- But listen… I'm not sure only kissing will be enough, Nicole. There might be also some fondling to do. Are you up to this ?

- Er… I'm confident we can work this out. Thank you for your call. See you soon, sir.

Nicole hastily ended the call with an hint of a reproaching tone, but Waverly could also hear the thirst in the redhead's voice. Well, this should give her something to look forward to until later tonight, she thought as she dropped the phone on her couch. All she had to do now was pick out what she would wear tonight. Nothing too hard to take off… Perhaps just a big sweater and one of those night shorts… Nicole was going to have her hands on her in a jiffy. Motion is adopted !

Tonight, they were going to sleep-sleep together for the first time. I just hope she's not one of those blanket thieves…

Almost three hour later, Waverly was alone and quite fidgety, bordering on frantic. Nicole had texted her arrival in Purgatory, but she was still no-show more than twenty minutes later. Champ used to do this, getting lost on his way to her place. He would re-emerge hours later, drunk as a skunk. Waverly was restless, pacing barefoot around the apartment, sitting on her couch, standing again. Suddenly she felt more than she heard someone climbing up her stairs. She knew it was Nicole. It was her gait… Waverly walked to the door. A little pause, that was Nicole avoiding the slanted step. Waverly unlocked her door.

Nicole was here, her fist already raised to knock. Waverly felt herself grinning. She beckoned silently to the redhead, luring her in. Said redhead stared at her, smiled in appreciation, and stepped inside.

Nicole's jacket and pants were soaked and she kept away from Waverly, waving her hand at her sodden clothes with a sorry smile.  As forecasted, the rain was still falling, heavier now, drumming hard on the kitchen window.

"What happened to you, Nicole ?" Waverly said, feeling a bit silly to ask. Instead of answering, Nicole put an heavy-looking duffel bag on the floor, bent to put her dripping Stetson on top of it and unlaced her boots as Waverly closed and locked the door. Then they kissed. Nicole's mouth tasted like coffee. Then they kissed again. But Nicole must feel cold with those sopping clothes…

"You should get out of this clothes right now… er… I mean you're all wet and…" Waverly said before stopping to avoid further embarrassment.

"Sorry, Waverly," the redhead finally said. "Sorry to be so late, but I had trouble leaving the camp without the others noticing."

"They will notice your absence in the morning, won't they ? What will you tell them tomorrow ?" Waverly asked.

"I'll tell them I got invited by a squirrel family in the forest and spent the night there. They will make a few jokes about my hair and squirrels and that'll be that. Whatever I'll say, they won't believe me… They know... Everybody knows, or will know very soon…" Nicole said, a bit shivery.

"It's raining for real outside," the redhead went on, "I parked my car, er… a bit of a way away. I don't want someone to spot it here, two nights in a row…" Nicole trailed off. "... and then I had to stop downstairs a little while. Gus insisted on giving me something, I had a coffee. She was watching me with a strange look. Like she knows. I'm damn sure she knows. I swear she was telling me with her eyes that I get one chance to prove I'm worthy of you but if I screw it up she will kill me and convert me into moonshine with her secret still and then give me to drink to her customers, free of charge."

"Gus has a way to look at people, hasn't she ?" Waverly said with her best sing-song voice. "Don't worry about Gus. She won't distill you. At least not tonight. First, you get a quick shower and some dry clothes, Nicole. Oh no, no buts. I'll just have to find you something big enough…" but the young woman's brain was already going into overdrive as Nicole was taking off her jacket, because the tee-shirt beneath it was just a bit wet and clingy and a bit transparent too.

"I've got a spare change of clothes here with me," Nicole said, oblivious to Waverly's train of thoughts derailing. "…and I took my running gear too if you feel like it tomorrow, rain should stop in a few hours. I really liked running with you last time, Waverly. That's if you're okay with that, of course !"

"Good idea… but go get this shower now, Nicole, you know the way… I don't want you to be taken ill. I have some plans… some plans that need you to be in the pink…"

"Is that so ? When you asked me to come over, I thought we were going to play scrabble or something…" Nicole said with a straight face, but an impish glint in her eye was betraying her.

"You couldn't be more wrong. Now you're trapped in my den of depravity !"

"Woe is me !" Nicole wailed as she took her dry change of clothes and headed to the bathroom.

You won't have the time to put those dry clothes on, Nicole…

Waverly was gently, so gently, scraping the fair skin with her nails so that Nicole couldn't forget her presence for a mere second as the redhead was still panting, splayed on the mattress. Waverly felt perfectly sated. She seems happy too ! she thought, looking down at Nicole who smiled at her, then began to pat Waverly's back with a worried look, rising slowly to look at it.

"What's the matter with my back, Nicole ?" Waverly asked, hearing her own voice mellowed by endorphins.

"Just checking, just checking. I was looking for your wings, but I can't see them…" Nicole said, flopping back down.

"Little wings fluttering in my back, Nicole ? Now wait a minute !" Waverly said, pretending to inspect the inside of the redhead's ear. "Yep ! Just like I thought !"

"What ?"

"It's full of cheese in there !"

"Oh ! Waverly, you're so mean ! About your wings, I'm not sure anymore those are angel wings. I guess it's black wings, you know, bat-like little w… Ouch !"

"Don't you ever dare, Nicole Haught ! I'm an angel and that's final !"

"Yes you are…" Nicole mused, her eyes closed and her smile at full dimple force. "Mmmh… You smell good… Do you remember when we met at the store, the scarf I left here ? When you gave it back to me, after a few days in your apartment it smelled like you… t'was so good…" Nicole said lazily.

"Aaah ? Really ?" Waverly whispered, trying to keep a straight face. Busted, busted, busted ! 

"Waverly ?"

"Yeah ?" Waverly mumbled, nuzzling into Nicole's neck.

"Can I ask you something ? I know it may be a buzzkill but…"

"What's the matter, Nicole ?"

"Are you sure it's a good idea ? I mean me spending the night here with you ?" Nicole asked softly.

Wham ! Bam ! Thank You Ma'am ! She doesn't want to stay the night. I've been a fool. A fool ! Of course she wants to keep it casual. Did you really think you were enough for such a woman ? She'll be leaving soon and you'll just stay on the shore. The shore of the sea of your tears. Like a duuumb boondocks barmaid. No ! Ex-barmaid ! And Nicole will just take her knife and notch her travel bedpost and…

Waverly felt the sudden urge to get out of this bed and stay out of Nicole's way while she would leave but Nicole must have felt something was wrong because she genuinely caught her, like greased lightning, with both arms.

"No, no, no, Waves. You're getting it wrong," Nicole said, peppering Waverly's neck with soft kisses as she released her arms and began stroking soothing circles. "I don't want to leave, I want to stay here with you, just like this. I want to sleep with you, Waverly. Every night… I was asking this because of Wynonna. "

Wynonna ! I knew it ! Couldn't she stay a little longer in Europe or wherever she was ?

"But Wynonna is at your camp, isn't she ?" Waverly asked.

"Well, she was there when I left, speaking about tomorrow's party, the Greek theme and her own experience there…" Nicole said before pausing for a second. "I think you should know she was busy trying to rope Jeremy into a get-rich-quick scheme…"

"She has a plan ? That's bad news !"

"…Jeremy was speaking about his printing skills and your sister asked him for help about duplicating Greek identity papers she somehow got her hands on, then selling them to high school students wanting alcohol… she also mentioned potential buyers among bikers…"

"What ?! Oooh just wait till I see her ! Jeremy doesn't want to get involved in this, Nicole, you have to tell him he…"

"Relax, he's not going to do it, Waves. But what's bothering me for the moment is Wynonna's habit to teleport right when and where we are together. Tonight, we've been lucky until now," Nicole went on, "…but somehow I know, I know your sister will be banging at the door any minute."

"No she won't…"

"Please listen to me, Waves. We've been almost caught already a number of times. And by the way, almost every time, we've been hinting at me being drunk or hungover to explain it away and well… I don't want Wynonna to think I'm that kind of girl and…"

"Hey ! We've been hinting also at you being sick and it's Wynonna who always thinks it means being drunk or hungover. But I already thought about that problem and I've got plenty other ideas ! You know I'm a planner. We could say you've got a phobia or some kind of PTSD and you're afraid to leave my place, or we could say you're a narcoleptic and…"

"I'm not sure this is better than passing for a sponge !" Nicole cried out. "Say, what about I got food poisoning after tasting one of your pastries ?"

"What ? Impossible ! Me, food poisoning…" Waverly trailed off, noticing Nicole's smirk. "Oh ! You're making fun of me !"

"Sorry, only joking, sorry, Waves," Nicole said, "…I would never use such an excuse, of course. I just mean I would like to keep a little bit of prestige, too. Don't burden me with too much traumas and vices, if you can, I'd like to be able to look people in the eye…"

"Yeah… Point taken," Waverly conceded.

"…you can't imagine Wynonna won't discover about us. She will, probably real soon…" Nicole went on.

"Nicole, I know I'm being ridiculous with all this, but…"

"No, you aren't ridiculous. Is she an homophobe ?" Nicole asked with a serious tone.

"No… no she isn't. She is just very, very annoying. She will rag you… you can't imagine. And Wy won't shut up, she'll tell it to everybody. Everybody ! The moment she knows, that's when you'll leave me…"

"No I won't," Nicole stated.

"You won't ?"

"I've been insulted a lot of times and I already know your sister. Bring it on ! I don't think she can tear me away from you. Perhaps you just want her to be the last to learn about us ? That can be arranged !"

"You think I'm holding some kind of a grudge against my sister ?"

"I don't know much about your life, Waverly, and please don't get angry at me. But from where I'm standing, that's how it looks, a grudge or something more like the fear that she would be somehow disappointed. I mean, you worry about your sister's reaction much more than about anybody else's," Nicole stated, looking very nervous.

Poopyfunk ! It's true ! Oh Nicole, so perceptive and brave… Waverly thought. She leaned and kissed softly her girlfriend. "You know, I think you're right…"

"Do you feel okay when you're with me, Waverly ?"

"I feel more than okay, Nicole. I feel real."

"If you think I'll just run away at the first problem, then I also understand why you want to keep it dark for people around you," Nicole went on, "…I know I wasn't born and raised here, I'm a stranger with a short-term job. You think I'll leave you here after making a mess of your life…"

Waverly just couldn't look into Nicole's eyes right now. She just nodded, and felt Nicole's arms hugging her again. "I don't want to leave you here at all," she heard Nicole whisper. They stayed embraced for a while, without a word.

"You don't have to make a big disclosure ceremony for Wynonna, you know ?" Nicole said slowly. "We can just, I don't know, show her…"

"What ?! What do you mean show her ?"

"I mean a touch now and then, perhaps a little kiss," Nicole clarified. "Make her realize… Ultimately you know Wynonna won't turn her back on you because of… us. Will she ?"

"You're right," Waverly said, "Worst case scenario, she'll tell everybody and then maim anyone who won't cheer." She paused to ponder her outing to Wynonna. "We'd better do this tomorrow, at the camp. That Greek party is the right opportunity."

"Your pace, your moves, Waverly. I'll do nothing to rush you or make you uncomfortable," Nicole said.

Low-key obvious couple. That's a plan but an awfully sketchy one, Waverly thought. "Yes, I trust you, Nicole," she said out loud. Hey, that the first time I'm with someone sensible. I believe it will work out.

"And she won't be coming tonight. My sister, I mean," Waverly said finally. She sat cross-legged on the bed. "I cast a powerful spell a few hours ago, we are in a high-level magic Sphere of Protection Against Wynonna," she went on, tracing mystic patterns in the air with her fingers.

"Concretely ?" Nicole challenged.

"Do you remember Stephanie Jones, you met her yesterday evening before we… er… at the bar…"

"That Steph girl you were talking to when I came in, yes I remember her…" Nicole said, frowning.

"This one, precisely. Well, I told Wynonna that I have invited her here tonight !" Waverly said smugly.

"Aaand ?…"

"And in fact I didn't invite her, but she's Wynonna's kryptonite. You promise not to tell anyone ?" Waverly asked, and as Nicole nodded, she went on : "Wynonna won't come someplace she thinks she will meet Steph. They have an old feud. It was years ago, Steph said to Wynonna she needed a butt-lift ! Since then, they simply can't be in the same room."

"A butt-lift ? That's ridiculous, your sister's ass is top-sh…"

"Tut-tut ! I simply don't want to hear your opinion about Wynonna's tushy," Waverly interjected. "Anyhow, I told her I invited Steph tonight, that perhaps she's going to crash here instead of driving home… We're absolutely safe until noon, I guess. Perhaps even well into the afternoon, Wynonna will want to let some time for this place to be somewhat de-stephanized… Only problem is I can't pull this stunt every day."

"So we really have all the night for us ?" Nicole asked, smiling.

"And at least the whole morning, yes…"

Nicole didn't answer anything. She was just staring into Waverly's eyes.

"Yes… I want you looking at me, Nicole, I want your smile, I want your voice," Waverly breathed, coming closer slowly. "Let see…," she said, approaching her lips. The little gasp she heard and the twitch of Nicole's abs against her fingers was all she needed for now.

Waverly woke up later, at the familiar sounds of Gus' ride leaving after closing time. She realized she was more than half resting on Nicole, so warm and soft. She felt her lover's chest moving and also heard a very faint mumbling coming out of Nicole's lips. Nicole was dreaming. Perhaps Waverly's position was hurting her, too much weight. Reluctantly, she gently moved away and laid on her back slowly. But Nicole whined and darted a hand on Waverly's chest, then rolled against the smaller woman, holding her with an arm and drawing her closer. Waverly let herself get settled as the little spoon, with a small shiver of pleasure as Nicole's heat began to flow again.

"You'ye wo pwety and I wike you so mush…" she heard Nicole sigh behind her.

For a minute, Waverly laid still and felt Nicole drifting back into a sounder sleep.

Then she mouthed it, silently, into the darkness : "I like you too, Nicole."

Chapter Text

"Squirrels. Squirrels, really ?"

"Yep. Squirrels."

"Come on, is this all you could think oooff !" Jeremy said as Nicole shoved another bag of rice in his arms, a bit more roughly than the first one. The young techie didn't wait for a third bag and went straight into Dolls' storage room.

They were emptying Dolls' van, putting the result of his Saturday supply trip to Big City on the shelves and in the fridge. Of course, the topic of the moment was how Nicole had spent her night away from the camp. While helping the cook store groceries, Doc, Lonnie and Jeremy were pressuring her for a full account.

"Do they have names in this squirrel family ? Wasn't one of them called Squiverly ?" she heard Dolls jeer from inside.

Not a single student in sight, typical Saturday morning, well midday… Only those gossips. Speaking of which…

"Where is Rosita, by the way ?" Nicole asked.

"Rosita left quite early this morning, much before your enigmatic reappearance," Doc drawled as he came back. "With three young men, namely Denis, Rabie and Nicola, she set forth to visit Banff and live there the full touristic experience of midsummer ski resorts. They were unambiguous about driving back here in time for our Greek-themed revelry tonight and I predict, for this evening, inebriated students producing tawdry wares bearing alpine mottos," he explained while piling methodically into a tray the tin cans Nicole was passing him from inside the van.

Then, with a much softer voice : "About your night with those squirrels, Nicole… did you by any chance happen to encounter Wynonna there ?"

"No, of course not, Doc," Nicole said, sticking to her version. "So she didn't sleep here last night either ? Well she was not with us."

"Who wasn't with who ?" Loonie said, coming closer.

"Wynonna, she wasn't with me and the squirrels."

"But you, you were with the squirrels, weren't you ? Why don't you just tell us what you've been doing, for real ?" Lonnie challenged, obviously less interested in Wynonna's whereabouts than Doc.

"I surmise Nicole doesn't want to share with us a secret that is not only hers, but also someone else's, only a noble reason could justify such a bunkum onslaught from our usually truthful camp manager," Doc said.

"OK, so what kind of an evening did you spend with those critters, anyhow ?" Lonnie huffed.

"Well, we just watched Nutflix," Nicole answered as casually as possible. Let them meet Nicole 'Verbal' Haught in my personal remake, The Useless Suspects.

"This is just ridiculous…" Lonnie began.

"You see, I was strolling in the woods," Nicole interrupted, "…and I met this friendly bunch of squirrels, is all… They invited me… It happens all the time, you know, not only with squirrels. Badgers, blue jays…"

She felt her phone making a short whir in her pocket. A text. Maybe it's Waverly ! I can't look now and break the charm… And now Jeremy was coming out of the storeroom, approaching slowly as he tried to make sense of what she was saying.

"I had this quite long friendship with a raven, once," she droned on, "but people began to think I was a witch ! That only one of the many problems when you hang out with animals. Finally we agreed it was better for us to be seen together in public less often, and then it moved to Vancouver. We still video chat from time to time. Speaking of the Pacific coast, would you believe I was once involved with salmons, too ? One of them had a crush on me I think, but with all this cold, cold water, I wasn't inclined to…"

"Hey, there's nothing coming anymore ! Did you fall asleep or what ?" they heard Dolls shout from inside, jolting her captivated auditors out of their trance. With a sigh, Doc carried his tray towards the storage's door, as Lonnie grabbed several bags and followed him.

"Guys, don't you want to hear the rest of my story ?" Nicole asked, smirking.

There was a lot of groceries still left in the van. Nicole took two big crates of vegetables, Jeremy at her heels with several bags.

"And what about this tent you just pitched over there, in the grove ? Do you expect visitors ? Squirrels, again ? You can't have salmons sleeping in a tent, I suppose…" she heard Doc asking in her back as she stacked the crates in the fridge. Of course someone had to see me pitching this tent !

"Personal use, personal use, Doc. I feel cramped in my little bedroom, I always travel with my trusty old tent. Felt jealous about your tipi, too…"

"But why the two mattresses, then ?" Doc prodded again. Come on ! Can't a girl have an affair ?

"Er… I splay out when I sleep…" she answered without turning her head. Lame ! Lame ! she thought, remembering to look at her phone. It was indeed a text from Waverly.

WE : Checking on the Homestead. Perhaps small detour and see you at camp around two ?

Nicole typed her reply as surreptitiously as she could, like a conspirer she was.

NH : Great ! Can't wait !

She was finally leaving the now fully stocked room, brushing her fingers against her lips as she was still thinking about Waverly's soft skin, when Dolls called her back.

"Did you see Wynonna since yesterday afternoon ?" the cook asked her quietly. "I believe she found some students to give her a lift to town in the evening."

"You know she lives in Purgatory, right ?" the young woman answered. "She probably slept at her aunt's house. I don't know !" Two guys in the camp trying to keep tabs on Wynonna's movements. Storm alert for tonight… Nicole thought.

The most effortful part of her day seemed done. The tent was pitched, Doll's groceries were stocked up, all she had to do now concerning her job was oversee the waste management guys coming for their routine grey water extraction in about an hour. She got time to shower and put on something fancy, no way she was going to welcome Waverly in yesterday's clothes.

Fancy meant the best digger-chic outfit Nicole could find. Waverly didn't seem to object to her lumberjack look… quite the contrary ! Fitting jeans and sturdy but clean footwear, her kelly green light hoodie zipped over a black sports bra, a small piece of jewelry, hoping Waverly would like it… The whole ensemble had no Greek vibe at all for tonight's party but Nicole had bought a jar of black olives on her way to the camp to quell any remarks. Anyhow it wasn't a costume party.

A few students were loitering around the camp, now that they weren't needed to unload Doll's van. Let them have a quiet week-end. I for one am having a wonderful time, Nicole thought as she yawned in the sun. She was lacking sleep lately, but for the best reasons indeed.

She fetched a good cup of coffee in the kitchen and sat in the alleged beer garden outside, feeling the grain of the table under her palm, almost completely dry now in spite of the heavy rain of the previous night.

What now ? she thought, seeing a car coming slowly into the camp, a patrol car of the Purgatory Sheriff Department that stopped near the tables. Law enforcement visits were rarely good news, but sometimes it was only bored cops looking for a few moments out of their treadmill.

A rather old, uniformed, overweight man with a weary mustache got out of the car first, looking around with a curt nod to Nicole. The passenger door opened and a sullen Wynonna appeared, stretching.

"Hello, I'm Randy Nedley, I'm the Ghost River County sheriff," the man said.

"I'm Nicole Haught, I manage this camp," Nicole said in return, walking the short distance to shake hands with the sheriff.

"Hey !" Wynonna complained, "Look, I'm right here, Red ! Care to say hello ?"

Both Nicole and the sheriff turned to the petulant brunette.

"Hi, Wynonna,.. What's happening, sir ?" she asked warily.

"Only driving Miss Earp here, she asked to…" Nedley answered.

"Is it common occurence for you to give a lift…"

"Well, after a few hours in our drunk tank, she felt a bit better…"

"Er, sorry…" Nicole interjected, "drunk tank you said ? There's a bit of a story there. Do you want some coffee, Wynonna ?" An approbative grunt. "And what about you, sir ? Care for some too ?"

"No, don't invite him !" Wynonna moaned.

A few instant later, the three of them were seated, each with a good cup of java, Wynonna, her nose almost into the hot liquid, apparently trying to inhale caffeine. The diggers had disappeared again. Cops do that.

"I was supposing Wynonna would ask to go to her aunt's house, she's a respectable woman, I mean her aunt, mind you, but she stated she had some business here…" Nedley began before taking a sip.

"Wynonna is kind of a guest in this campsite, she's not really part of our operation. What happened, Wynonna ?" Nicole asked finally.

"I was abducted by this abusive cop, arrested me for no reason…" Wynonna mumbled.

"She was walking with some difficulty in the street. She spent most of the morning in a cell, with the door open I must say, sleeping after what seems to have been an eventful night," Nedley said.

"He's inventing all this ! Don't listen to him !" Wynonna interjected.

"When I came to the station this morning there were a few reports left by my deputies during the night. Some trouble at the Pussy Willows, it's a… nightclub. A out-of-towner had a complicated interaction with a young woman, he described her quite accurately, who coaxed him to buy a whole bottle of whiskey then disappeared with the bottle and the man's car keys. Of course his car was gone too. As usual, the manager didn't know the woman, didn't recall anything. That's Pussy Willows for you."

"Are you implying that…" Nicole asked, pointing to Wynonna.

"I won't make any assumptions. Anyhow, our patrol found quickly the man's car abandoned on a sidewalk, with the keys in the ignition. The guy wasn't eager to press charges against this mysterious foul-mouthed, black-leather-clad, long-haired brunette, he probably didn't want his family to learn about his wild Purgatory night… No trace of the whiskey bottle in the car, though…" Nedley said to Nicole, only interrupted by a snort from Wynonna.

"Also a number of posters promoting Bunny Loblaw, one of our council women who's running for another term, were defaced during the night. Blackened teeth, pirate eye-patches, devil horns, the kind of things teenagers do sometimes, you see…" Nedley went on.

"Loblaw's an evil bitch," Wynonna asserted.

"I was able to verify it was done with a deep blue permanent marker, probably quite the same kind as this one who fell from Wynonna's pocket when she shuffled into my car," Nedley said, producing a marker pen.

"Well, it does look like one of the pens we use here for marking the plastic bags on our excavation," Nicole reproached Wynonna.

"Abducted, I was abducted…" the young woman groaned again.

"I asked her to get in my car saying I needed her assistance as an expert about someone suffering from alcohol poisoning at the station," Nedley said with a smirk.

"He tricked me, see ?" Wynonna huffed, as she took her hip flask out of her jacket and put some of its content into her coffee. "He took advantage of me being helpful !"

"Also, vain," Nedley threw in.

"Is this whiskey, by any chance ?" Nicole asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, duh," Wynonna answered, extending her arm towards Nedley's cup and pouring some alcool into his mug after he nodded.

"When we arrived at the station, there wasn't anyone to save, but she settled for a blanket and a pillow in our most comfortable cell. Her aunt wouldn't pardon me if I left her drifting in this state."

"I met Gus, sir. She seems to be someone to be reckoned with," Nicole said.

"He's got a couch in his office, keeps it for him !" Wynonna complained, turning her head as Waverly's Jeep came into the parking area.

"Well, another Earp," Nedley stated, unfazed. "At least this one comes by her own means, in her own car…"

As her girlfriend was parking some distance from them, Nicole saw her evaluating the situation. She could read Waverly's thoughts. Now in what kind of trouble had Wynonna put herself ?  Waverly finally got out of her car with a smile that didn't feel very real and a charming crop sweater, greeting everyone with one of her signature waves.

Nicole made her best relaxed face, trying to channel a Morgan-Freeman-level of composure.

Nedley, looking very serene himself, seemed ready to wait patiently to understand why Waverly was here.

"Way to ruin the mood, babygirl !" Wynonna exclaimed. "You're just spoiling a nice talk I was having here with Haught-Favorite and sheriff Whatshisname ! I thought you were still with Bitchy Stephanie ! What !?" she asked when her younger sister huffed, "… it's just a warning to the public, people have the right to know. "

"Well, I'm very sorry to break into your bubble this way, Wynonna," Waverly said with a cheery voice, "but I'm here to discuss… about work… with Nicole… You remember I'm supposed to work here next week, do you ? How are you, Randy ?"

"Hello Waverly," Nedley said, "I'm just here as Wynonna personal driver, I found her this morning in town…"

"He's delirious, he's raving again !" Wynonna interjected, "Nurse ! Nurse !"

"I'm only here for a short time," Waverly said to Wynonna. "I have to be at the bar this afternoon to coach my replacements, since I'll be here next week," she said more for the sheriff's benefit. "But I've got some matter to discuss with Nicole now about… tools and stuff."

"Huh. Yeah. Er…" Nicole said, trying to allay suspicion. Looking at Waverly, she was flashbacking to their early morning, waking up because of some light noise Waverly had made in a corner of the bedroom, doing yoga. Well, doing yoga until she realized Nicole was watching her and she decided to demonstrate how bendy she was. The following moments had been a blur.

Haught ! Back to reality, now ! But this morning was real, she was able to hold Waverly in her arms now and she felt herself smiling at full force.

"Well, Waverly, I didn't know you were part of this digging," Nedley said, "though I should have guessed that you would be interested in…" but he was interrupted by the growing sound of a truck approaching. "There's a lot going on here !" he said louder to Nicole.

"Yeah, it's our wastewater collection," Nicole explained as the tank truck made its entrance on the parking space of the camp. A poker hand, the company's logo, was painted above its name on the side of the tank : Straight Flush Waste Management. Nicole guessed the boss was a gambler.

As the truck made an abrupt stop, Nicole saw the middle-aged man she was used to deal with for every gray and blackwater collection since the digging's inception, Mike, hop from the passenger side, saying hello to all of them but walking close to Nedley who rose from his bench to greet him. About the same age, they must be friends since kindergarten, Nicole mused.

"I've got an apprentice today," Mike said with an eye roll. "Turn around now !" he shouted to the driver, but instead said driver opened his own door and got out. Champ.

Well shit, Nicole thought as he came near the tables, dressed in the company's coverall, Wynonna baring her teeth at him. Waverly was looking at her ex with a mix of surprise, contempt and anger that Nicole didn't want to see directed at her, ever.

"Hi, Waverly ! I'm a truck driver now !" he said proudly. Waverly just crossed her arms and looked away, revealing a bit more of her midriff that Nicole tried not to gawk at overtly. "I was right to leave my job at Dunleavy's, he's just a loser, doesn't know how to run a farm !"

"We're just giving you a shot, Champ," Mike reminded. "The boss called Dunleavy, you know, and he told him a whole different story."

"I've been thinking of you all those days, Waverly," Champ said, ignoring Mike's remark. "What about we reconnect tonight ? Some beers at Shorty's ?"

"I won't reconnect with you in any imaginable way, Champ," Waverly stated.

"Yeah, scram, schnook !" Wynonna added, speaking into her empty mug.

"Let me handle this, Wynonna, okay ?" Waverly snapped at her sister.

"Okaay… I think that's my cue to leave such an interesting crowd. I've got a date with a mattress. So see you all much later. Nedley I know I should thank you but I won't. It's a matter of principle," Wynonna said as she left, making almost a beeline for Doc's tipi.

Nicole turned back her head to look at the two older men. Mike and Nedley were enjoying the show, looking ready to ask where the concession stands were to get snacks while they were at it.

"Just leave me alone, Champ, and simply do the work you came here to do," Waverly said to Champ as he was opening his mouth for yet another dumb come-on. But the boy-man couldn't take no for an answer. He made a strange frown : he's having an idea, Nicole thought.

"And who's your charming friend ?" Champ said turning to Nicole and leering at her openly. "If you want to make a tour of Purgatory, gorgeous, I can show you the best places…" he went on with a lecherous smile. He couldn't help glancing at Waverly to see if his stupid attempt at making her jealous was succeeding.

"I'm Nicole Haught. I manage this campsite where you've got a job to do that I'm here to supervise," Nicole responded. "And I may have found the best that the town has to offer already," she added after a pause. Hoping that Waverly was getting the message.

"You should make your U-turn now, Champ, so you don't get blocked if another vehicle comes, and then you pump, I'll show you where the outlet is," Mike said as he began walking towards the ablution block.

Huffing, Champ went back to the cabin and drove forward. Mike made a gesture of exasperation and went running after the truck.

Waverly exchanged pleasantries with Nedley, glancing at Nicole from time to time, smiling. The rumble of a pump began to roll across the camp, Mike came back to the beer garden and began to pan Champ for the sheriff, who seemed willing to add his own touch to the portrait.

Nicole observed that Waverly refrained from expressing her views on the boy-man, although she was obviously a prime witness of Champ's shortcomings. Instead she walked away and beckoned Nicole to follow her behind the kitchen.

"Hello again, stranger," Waverly said. "What's this ?" she added, pointing at Nicole's right ear.

"Just a little thing I got made…" Nicole shrugged off, smiling, "…one of our diggers is into crafts and jewel making."

"It's my ammolite pearl ! As an earring !"

"I hope you're not angry about it ? I wanted to have your pearl with me all the time... I asked Jaime to make something that can be taken apart, no glue or anything like that, so if you don't like this…"

"No, silly, I like this a lot," Waverly interrupted, leaning against the kitchen wall. "In fact," she whispered, pulling slowly at Nicole's belt loops to make her come one step closer, their bodies almost, almost touching now, "I think it's turning me on just a little…"

"Ho ! I don't know if we want that. Do we want that ?" Nicole asked smoothly. Waverly's hand left her waist and crept up to caress her neck.

"Yes I think we do. I know I do," Waverly said, fiddling gently with the pearl now. "What about you, Nicole ?" she breathed.

A sudden noise around the corner made the two women give a start. Champ had just popped up with the unmistakable stance of a man who's getting ready to piss on a wall. But his scowl told Nicole that their own stances were unmistakable, too, he had grasped instantly what was going on here.

"Hey ! You can use the toilets even during maintenance !" Nicole said to gain control. But Champ wasn't going to have none of that.

"What the fuck are you doing ?" he asked rhetorically even if he didn't know the word for it. "Get away from Waverly !"

"Shut up, Champ !" Waverly barked out. "I'm perfectly okay with Nicole right where she is. That's none of your business, go away and use the john !"

"I saw all that, you know ? So you two are like… together, hey ? That's disgusting, disgusting !"

Says the guy pissing on his clients' walls.

"You just swoop in and steal my girl !" Champ rambled on. But looking down at his hands as he was struggling to close is still half-open fly, he seemed to realize how ludicrous he looked and retreated, furious and red as a beet. Before disappearing, he looked around him at the portable buildings and grinned.

"All this won't be here long, you won't be here long," he spat, looking at Nicole. "You'll soon regret this, you'll regret me," he said to Waverly, thumbing to his chest. Then he stomped off.

Champ was a douche, but he sure knew how to play on Waverly's insecurities. Nicole took the younger woman's hand.

"Well, I suppose we won't invite him to our wedding," Nicole said to lighten the mood, before realizing she had just betrayed her… intentions ? long-term plan ? elopement fantasies ? She scanned Waverly's face, quite embarrassed.

"No we won't !" her girlfriend fumed, still looking at where Champ stood the moment before. Then, with a serious tone, "We must discuss this. The future. After this summer."

"Now ?"

"Soon. I want to know where this is going, Nicole. Before you came things were quite shitty, but it was familiar. I knew what to expect…"

"I threw a wrench in your plans…", Nicole said softly.

"No Nicole. You made me realize I hadn't plans of my own. And now I want a plan… a plan with you. That's what I want, right. Is it too much ? Perhaps you just want it casual and short-term, perhaps, and I know it's a lot but…"

"No it isn't ! The summer will end, yes, but I know I don't want short-term or casual with you. I hope it's not what you're looking for, Waverly ? I for one don't know anymore what I'm going to do. I don't know what I'm going to do with you. But being with you is great. I don't want to leave you."

"Good. Good. We will talk, yes ? Tonight ? Tomorrow ?"

"Your pick, love," Nicole said, hugging Waverly. The noise of the pump stopped, leaving a weird silence behind. As they soon heard the truck engine starting, they went back to the beer garden where they joined Nedley and Mike, looking at the tank truck coming back in reverse from the ablution block.

Champ was visibly having problems driving the long and heavy truck, he had to stop and re-aim the cistern several times to make his way between the kitchen and the restaurant/archaeological lab. When he finally reached the parking area, he could at last maneuver comfortably in the wider space and began a rapid U-turn in reverse that went right into Nedley's car.

As Champ was trying to disengage the truck from the patrol car, a brownish sludge began to gush from the rear of the tank.

Mike ran to the cab, shouting a stream of expletives to make Champ stop the truck, grabbed a face shield and long black gloves like in a mad scientist movie, put them on and ran to the rear where he began to struggle to stop the foul-smelling flow. Most of the sludge was falling onto the ground, but a lot of it was also going into Nedley's car through the smashed side windows.

When Mike finally succeeded in stopping the spill, they were in front of a mix of car crash and biohazard. Champ had left the driver's seat and was looking at the wreckage. Roused by the commotion, some students from the camp, also Dolls and Jeremy, were already there, taking in the disaster.

"You didn't secure the valve, you moron !" Mike yelled at Champ.

"But it's hard to lock the lever and my shoulder is still hurting…" the young man argued. "This is all because of them," he said pointing at Nicole and Waverly, "I was angry, I saw them kissing back there," he whined.

"Well, I guess that would be their own private business," Nedley stated, unflappable but with his mustache somewhat more tense than a minute before. "But you were the one driving that truck into my car and goofing up with the valve, weren't you ?"

Mike was having a fit of rage, it wasn't clear if he was going to assault Champ or to have a seizure, but he decided finally he'd rather make a phone call to his boss.

Waverly and Nicole looked at one another. Champ had just outed them and no one was giving a damn.

"If I'm looking for a job in the area, there might be an opening for me in the waste management industry. I think Champ's job trial pretty much ended two minutes ago," Nicole said to her lover along the lines of the conversation they had just before the accident.

Waverly stroked up and down Nicole's back and said she was already a bit late. She was leaving now, going to Shorty's. After a last long smiling look at Nicole and a "See you later, sweetie pie !", the young woman walked to her Jeep and left the stinking confusion behind her in a small cloud of dust.

Nicole allowed herself an instant to revel in the thought of seeing again her marvelous new love in only a few hours, then switched into her camp manager mode.

Okay…

Send Jeremy and Dolls with the van to the digging site to fetch barricade tape and stakes to mark off the contaminated zone, shovels, pickaxes, wheelbarrows in case they decided to remove or cover the contaminated ground.

Call the Fire Department. Find someone who recalled her visit on her first days in Purgatory when she had warned them of the camp's presence. Ask them how they felt about soil contamination.

Don't ask Champ how he felt about soil contamination. Tune him out as he kept telling everybody it wasn't his fault.

Order a few loitering students to put gloves on and remove the tables and benches nearest from the reeking PSD car, organize a thorough cleaning of said furnitures. They were going to eat again on those tables.

Get a chair and two fingers of faux chartreuse for Mike, he was having a hard time settling down.

Make sure Nedley didn't need anything. Except a tow truck right now and someone to drive him back in town later.

Clear the parking area of all vehicles before the arrival of a fire truck and a wrecker would liven up the place some more.

Wrestle the bottle of faux chartreuse out of Wynonna's grasp after she came back asking what all this noise was about.

It was going to be a busy afternoon after all.

After a long phone call with his own station's dispatcher, Nedley walked to Nicole.

"I believe it will slide downhill fast for Champ now. He doesn't realize, he'll probably never realize, that a lot of people, including me, have put up with him because he was Waverly's boyfriend. But now that it seems to be over for good, people won't hold back," the sheriff said, staring at Nicole. "Waverly had her share of sad things in her life, Champ not respecting her as been one of those. A lot of Purgatory's citizens like her, want to protect her and will get back at anyone hurting her."

Nicole nodded, understanding the implicit threat.

"Miss Haught," he moved on, "you know how to handle a crisis. Have you ever considered a career as a first responder ?"

Chapter Text

For a few seconds, Waverly stopped her reading on the laptop to look at Marion Yang, from Purgatory's fire station, the third person on this afternoon to come at Shorty's to break the news of the day : Champ's a-poop-calypse on Nedley's car.

The young Purgatorian looked back at her screen. It was better to avoid making eye contact, as Marion wouldn't resist the urge to prod Waverly into commenting on her ex's stupidity. Yes, Waverly had detailed files on that matter.

The problem was she appeared in those files too, usually as the patsy, the pushover or the apologizing girlfriend. 

But this time I didn't stay to help clean his mess, and what a mess it was ! I hope Champ will get the message. We're living separate lives now.

She grabbed carefully her herbal tea on the bar, taking a sip.

Still no talk of me and Nicole kissing. There was no way Champ wasn't going to dish about it. It was bound to get out. People are perhaps discussing it already, out of earshot. Such a prime piece of gossip was going to create a huge buzz, but Waverly felt strangely relaxed about this. She had determined that kissing Nicole was good, so there.

Nice weather was going to keep most people outdoors until the evening, the current customers were either very thirsty or in need of company. For a moderately busy Saturday, the bar was overstaffed with Waverly, Gus, and Lucy and Vic, the rookies, working.

So overstaffed that Waverly had finally fetched her laptop upstairs and was now roughly 20% watching the newbies, 80% discovering the contents of a book she had just downloaded, Ewers' The Horse in Blackfoot Indian Culture, a 1955 compendium about all things equine among 19th century Blackfoot. Answers to questions she had never asked before. Her appetite for research was all yum-yum.

"Remember, the customer is always right to give you all the details you know already, you can say you've heard of it alright, but you pretend you never know the details," Gus said quietly to the greenhorns, as Marion finally left to seat in a booth, "…look at Waverly, she was there, she saw it all, but she didn't butt in. This, this is professional bartending."

"We trust you two, I'm sure you'll ace it !" Waverly shot back, pointing at her trainee replacements. Lucy was sorting glasses behind the counter, fast enough for a first day, but she seemed uneasy…

"What's the matter, Lucy ?" Waverly asked, acknowledging the young woman's silent request. Lucy and Vic were just a little younger than her, not as young as she was for her first shifts at Shorty's.

Of course they didn't have Waverly's easy style and they still had to learn their way behind the bar, finding things and avoiding unnecessary efforts, but they weren't serving their first beers and even if they were a bit clumsy with the tray, no glass had been broken yet.

"Well… It's just… I thought you'd be telling us more about the customers. I mean, what they drink, what they like…"

"Oh. No, no briefing about this… Patrons want you to ask them what they'll have and they don't like you to… how can I say, to show them how predictable they are. It's not because you're new here. A few of them will just ask for their usual, and you've got to know what it is, but those are rare birds and of course they will tell you the first times you serve them."

"So I'm supposed to play dumb…" Lucy mused.

"Not dumb. Open to any unusual order," Waverly replied. "Customers will usually ask always for the same drinks, depending on the time of day, same with food. But if you seem to decide what they'll drink, a lot of customers will feel like you know too much, or like you're encroaching on their privacy."

"They mustn't feel spied on…" Lucy said.

"And they want to feel quirky or inventive. Take Kate Thompson over there and her whisky with ice cubes up to the rim. What a surprise ! It's been her summer Saturday afternoon ritual for as long as I can remember. And you, Vic, Dennis Dalphond asked for his beer in a chilled glass ten minutes ago, and of course, of course he told you why. He loves to explain he lived in Germany and came back with a lot of notions about beer. Don't be fazed when he tells you again and again. Part of the job."

"So they must feel special here," Lucy concluded, looking at Kate Thompson, her hand around the lowball, chatting with Marion Yang.

"It's very important," Gus said, "customers must feel like they decide here, they must also feel like their secrets are safe."

"Secrets like ?" Vic asked.

"What they drink, how much they drink, how often they come, who they meet. You must never tell anyone, and never show them you know either," Gus stated coldly.

"Bartending 101," Waverly put in. "If they think you rat on them, you lose them, so you don't say anything either about the drinking habits of the other customers."

"Since those mobile phones, the bosses and spouses stopped calling us asking for every drunkard in a ten miles radius," Gus recollected. "You had to remember the customers who wanted to be put through, the he-just-left-customers, the not-seen-lately-customers, the who's-that-customers… a headache."

Speaking of phones… Waverly thought seeing a message notified on her device. A message from Nicole ! I hope she managed to…

On her way to Shorty's with Nedley, she read. Yesss…

"He wouldn't miss happy hour…" Gus said with a thin smile when her niece relayed the info. "Now look at that, kids, because you'll have to do it everyday before the sheriff comes," she went on, taking an empty coffee mug, pouring a finger of whiskey in it and putting back the mug on the shelf. "So you ask him what he wants, he orders a coffee, you pour his coffee in this mug. He knows the price…"

Gus was laying bare the whole operation for Lucy and Vic. And Shorty an hour ago, telling them the secret ingredients of our mac-n-cheese in the kitchen. Those two were going to be hired permanently, for sure.

"… and you, kiddo, don't forget to send those archaeologists here while you're at this dig, we can use more customers, you hear me ?" Gus rasped.

"I'm already on it, Gus. Nicole is driving Nedley here, but I'm sure she will tag along and have a drink."

"I don't count this girl. Where you go, she goes. We won't see her anymore as soon as you'll leave," Gus stated.

"Yes… You're probably right, Gus," Waverly admitted, aware that she was acknowledging for the first time her relation with Nicole. 

Gus was staring at her niece. It took the landlady only a few seconds to send away the rookies tending tables.

"This woman likes you for sure… coming at night in the pouring rain to see you, drenched but stopping to drink coffee with the old aunt. Making conversation. Then she climbs up the stairs and doesn't reappear. Her car nowhere to be seen either in front of the bar or parked on the back lot…" You two were pretty obvious from the start, Waverly read in Gus' eyes. This, this is professional bartending too, kiddo. Now, for you to drop your bogus just-friends act, do I have to wait for one of youse being pregnant ?

"We're…" Waverly began… "I think we're in love," she said with a new sense of purpose.

"Oh. Are you leaving with her at the end of the summer ? You don't know yet, do you ?" You could always rely on Gus to ask the good questions … The young woman just shook her head.

"Speak of the devil," Gus said. The sheriff was pushing the door, with Nicole in tow. Waverly felt her pulse going faster as the tall woman walked to her, putting her elbow on the bar and smiling at her while Nedley was exchanging pleasantries with Gus about his biohazarded car.

Waverly touched gently the redhead's forearm, satisfied by the goosebumps forming in the wake of her index finger. Seeing Nicole's alarmed glance in Gus' direction, she just smiled at her girlfriend, nodding to say she came clean already with her aunt.

"It's okay," Waverly hummed, now fiddling with Nicole's fingers.

"You think I'll get a shovel talk from her ?" Nicole whispered.

"Oh no, issuing warnings is not her type… and we don't use shovels around here. We've got something we call wildlife."

Nicole looked mildly uneasy, but mostly tired, yawning between two sips of (unadulterated) coffee.

"You had a long day already…" Waverly said, "perhaps you should go upstairs to rest a little bit… for later… for the party…"

"So, Nicole, I see you're getting along with Waverly", Gus said materializing suddenly at her niece's side. She pointed to Nicole's ear and the pearl. "I know who gave you this."

Nicole looked at Waverly for help. Waverly decided to enjoy the show.

"I had a sister," Gus went on, "she fled, I still don't know if she fled because she went mad or if she was mad to have stayed before… anyhow she left three daughters and a few pearls behind and that's about all…"

"Er, it's temporary," Nicole stammered, "Waverly only lended me her pearl for as long as I'm here…"

"So that's how you kids call it these days ?"

Waverly burst out laughing, laughing twice as much when she saw Nicole's distraught face.

"Okay, Gus, please give Nicole a break," Waverly finally sing-songed, already beckoning her girlfriend towards her apartment. " You, let's get you to bed… er…"

Nicole was soon asleep in the middle of the living room, after a little goodnap kiss. The redhead laid on her belly, her feet raised over the couch arm. Waverly sat cross-legged, reading on about Blackfoot nomads and horses, with Nicole in her line of sight. She mused about spending time roughing it with Nicole, who definitely had an outdoor vibe, why not with their own tipi ? On a beautiful autumn day, she would sit inside the tent by the fire, wrapped stark naked into a big blanket like in that weird Dustin Hoffman western, waiting for Nicole to realize, then she would…

Oooh !

Okaaay, time to focus on tonight's plans about this big girl over there. Nicole can still sleep while I shower, I have to dress too…

When she woke up Nicole, she let the redhead check out her tunic for the Greek party.

"You look like in a sword-and-sandal, Waves ! Where did you get this outfit ?"

"I played some classic theater in Grade 12, hence the costume, but the sandals, precisely, I bought them later…" Waverly explained.

"Well you are… you were very sexy…"

"It still fits me but I'm a bit taller, and I, er… grew my boobs too, so it's a bit higher over the knee now. Is it okay ?" Waverly asked, making a twirl for Nicole.

"Oh. Oh. Yes. It's okay…" Nicole replied, a bit agitated.

"Chrissy's mother, sheriff Nedley's wife, she sewed this for me. She fell ill and died the following year," Waverly recalled.

"Sorry to hear that. Was she buried ? I'll have to put some flowers on the grave of this good woman…" Nicole mused.

"It wasn't supposed to be a costume party. I only bought a jar of black olives this morning, to blend in…" Nicole said as they drove to the archaeologists' camp later.

"What's important is to have fun. I was at the Homestead earlier today, cleaning up, we could spend some time there…"

"Mmmmh…" Nicole put in, focused on the road.

"But I don't think it would be cool to drive there tonight, after the party. I want us to both enjoy the party, drink a little…"

"I don't want to end the night in a ditch with you, Waverly. I can very well enjoy your company without drinking. But I may or may not have pitched a tent for two a bit away from the rest of the camp…"

"Mmmh… It reminds me of something I kind of planned… Blankets ?"

"Multiple !" Nicole answered, still looking straight ahead.

"Good, very good… Oh, something important. Whether you drive later or not, you don't want to get into a drinking contest or any kind of drinking game with Wynonna."

"Noted."

The party was already started when they arrived. The permanent crew and about twenty students were trying, at least the adventurous ones, some ouzo Dolls had found. Wynonna was giving her point of view on how to drink it, jeering at those who stuck to beer. The two newcomers accepted the aniseed-flavored drinks, Nicole sitting on a bench and Waverly sitting on Nicole's lap. The young Purgatorian, a niche sake enthusiast herself, asked the cook how he managed to source unusual alcoholic drinks.

"There is always a way with booze, every food wholesaler as a stock of odd bottles waiting somewhere. You only have to ask around… I had much more trouble finding quality herbs to flavor tonight's food. But I've got a good stash now, I think the next party can have a Cajun-voodoo theme, I'll be able to prepare some mean marinades, a huge jambalaya… I know how to cook a vegetarian jambalaya for you !"

"You're so kind ! Hey ! What's this ?" Waverly asked, seeing a bunch of students wearing hard hats lining up, wielding picks and shovels. As Jeremy, who was in charge of the music, began to play some generic bass-and-drum, they made an obviously badly rehearsed choreography with equally badly learned lyrics.

The hook was "We won't vacate ! We excavate !"

"Just like chippendales, but with clothes on. They can do better," Waverly heard her sister state loudly at the end of the show. "By the way guys, I must point out that my little sister here is painfully single and you can…" but the rest of her speech was drowned out by music played again by Jeremy. Waverly send him a kiss over the table.

About half an hour later, as the two young women were helping to set the tables, a buzzed student splashed Nicole's whole front with a bowl of dressing. The camp manager announced she was going to change clothes. Waverly went back to the car to get a shawl for later, even if the evening was still pleasantly warm, then she waited for the return of her girlfriend while chatting with Rosita who had had a blast spending the day visiting Banff with three young men. When Nicole returned she had indeed changed into something else. She sported a short black dress with black leggings and still her work boots. Waverly felt quite warm alright.

The meal was delicious, dominated by the scent of grilled meat, red wine, thyme and rosemary. Doc and Rosita were bickering about the strange pattern of probable fences on the site.

"It doesn't make sense for me," Rosita said, "we have no clue what they were doing with those fences… if it's even really fences !"

"My dear Rosita," Doc drawled. "I think you should ponder over this question before so hopeless a declaration. With all modesty, I can find a decipherable rationale behind those ancient people's endeavors." He paused, looking around. "It's obviously… a ritual !"

Among those who sat around the table, Waverly was one of the few that didn't erupt in laughter. She turned to Nicole, expecting an explanation. Nicole put her hand on Waverly's thigh, smiling.

"Perhaps it's time for your first lesson in archaeological humor, Waverly," Nicole said. "When bad archaeologists find something they don't understand, artefacts or traces of a past activity that don't seem to make sense, they'll say it's part of a ritual and make up any religious ceremony they need to explain what they found. So saying something is a ritual is like being lazy."

"We can understand what they have done, but we can't understand why they did it," Lonnie said gravely.

"But sometimes it's true ! I mean there are things that are done that are rituals," Waverly put in.

"We generally can't be sure if something is a religious or social ritual and even so, we must be wary before thinking that we can understand a culture or a religion only with what's left behind for us to find," Rosita said. "Imagine a dig where you'd find remnants of sundry objects wrapped in paper left around the remnants of a fir tree and you know it's been done during winter. Were those people making offerings to the forest gods ? Were they trying to get supernatural help to survive the cold season ? Is it evidence of a tribe of tree worshipers ? Did they use eggnog as a trance-inducing drug to communicate with guardian spirits through round snow statues ?"

"I do have a sister who has been known to experience mystic visions after drinking enough eggnog…" Waverly countered.

"Hey ! Rude ! You can't analyze me, I'm like a historical thing… I'm a site, I'm a site !" Wynonna made known, her speech a bit slurred.

"The same kind of joke can be made when you find a collapsed building. Only this time the lazy explanation is you say it's because of an earthquake." Rosita said. "Then again, sometimes it's true… But cultures are complex things, you can't deduce a religion from artefacts only."

"There's one thing I know about rituals and this evening, Dolls," Waverly said to the cook, "Greek gods were said to love the smoke of grilled meat from the sacrifices. I'm sure they like tonight's scents !" Everyone agreed.

As they lingered over desserts, the smoke of Mediterranean herbs was replaced by the smoke of other herbs, tobacco and hemp.

"You could be our Pythia tonight, Waverly," Doc said suddenly. "You dressed the part. I'm sure the Greek gods could inspire you some…" he added, handing her his bong.

"I know you're divine…" said Nicole in her ear. The redhead kept steady, Waverly noticed. Nicole was avoiding to drink as much as the others. Champ would have been already a lost cause at this time of the night. Waverly puffed out this annoying thought towards the sky, Enjoy a bit of this Indian smoke, Olympus ! and felt ready to channel.

"Okay, folks, if you want it… Akouse ! Akouse !" she chanted.

"Oh shit, she'll speak Greek !" said Wynonna.

"What did she declare ?"

"Akouse means listen, so you listen, Doc !"

"When first snows fall, tuque sellers shall rejoice !" Waverly shouted. "Come and ask your questions ! I, Apollo, will answer by the voice of this Pythia ! Birds shall chirp, cats shall mew ! Akouse, akouse !"

"Do you have a lover ?" Rosita had to ask first.

"I, Apollo, have many lovers, all the Muses, Branchus the shepherd and prince Hyacinth, Daphne and so many more !"

"Can I hope to open a successful restaurant one day ?" Dolls asked.

"Tacos… shall… be tasty !" Waverly ululated.

"Can you lend me your Jeep tomorrow ?" Wynonna asked.

"Mount Olympus to Wynonna : I am Apollo, remember ? I don't need a mortal's vehicle, I fly and teleport as I fancy. And of course I've got my solar chariot."

"Shit, I meant, hey Apollo, will Waverly lend me her jeep tomorrow ?"

"You shall ask only one question to this Pythia"

"Come on, Babygirl !"

"My name is Apollo. You shall say : come on Apollo."

"Well, come on, Apollo !"

"The careless borrower shall walk the Earth with a booted foot," Waverly asserted. "Any other questions, mortals ?" she went on, "those who bump their pinkie toe shall hop and cuss ! Akouse, akouse !"

A bit later, as the party went on, as the music was good thanks to Jeremy, and Waverly felt in the mood, she asked him for a specific song.

"Mmh. Oldies but goldies, Waverly…" the techie approved.

And as Charli XCX was beginning to sing about her Superlove, Waverly took Nicole by the hand and began to dance for her. She used the best of her cheerleading routines to spice up her moves for Nicole's benefit.

At the end of the song, she found that her girlfriend was standing still, a dopey grin on her face. She had to restart Nicole with a kiss.

"Wow, Waves. I never saw you dance before… I think I can die now…"

"Nope ! I've got many things planned ahead that imply you being alive, Nicole," Waverly shot back, full of mischief.

"An item !" they heard Wynonna say from a distance with some difficulty. "They... are... an item !" she repeated, shaking a stoic Doc by his shoulders.

"You spoke about a tent somewhere, Nicole, I recall…" Waverly said to her lover.

"They are an item !" they heard again as they walked slowly away from the lights.