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Friday November 23, 2018
2:55 PM
It started out as any other normal Black Friday in Purgatory. The city was bustling with citizens going from store to store taking advantage of the sales which meant that the Purgatory Police Department had a full day on their hands. Crime rates had been at an all time low but that didn’t keep the PPD from worrying; Black Friday had one of the highest crime rates of the year universally, after all. Sheriff Nicole Haught was sitting in her cruiser parked on the side of the street on the busiest side of town. The street was lined with several small shops and restaurants on both sides. Traffic duty was never a fun one considering almost everyone in town either walked or rode their bikes to and from their destinations.
Hour three of her five hour patrol was approaching and Nicole was running low on caffeine. Sighing and setting her empty coffee cup in the cupholder, she did a quick sweep of the street with her eyes. There were no cars in sight, only bikes and the occasional skateboard. Nicole decided that it was best to go grab another coffee, and maybe something to eat, now while nothing was happening. Quickly getting out of the cruiser, Nicole locked the doors and jogged across the street to a local café where she purchased another coffee and a bagel.
“It’s on the house today, Sheriff Haught,” the café worker, a small man with tanned skin and dark brown hair, smiled at the redhead causing his moustache to curl up at the sides.
“Oh there’s no need for that, Mr. Chetri,” Nicole smiled and swiped her card in the card reader after leaving a somewhat generous tip. “I always enjoy my visits to your establishment. The least I’m able to do is help your business grow, especially on such a hectic day like today.”
“Thank you, Sheriff,” Jeremy smiled. “Enjoy the rest of your day, and be safe out there on the field,” he mock saluted and Nicole chuckled quietly.
“You too, Jeremy,” Nicole smiled and headed back to her car.
The next hour that past was just as the other three had been with nothing exciting happening on the streets. The quiet time gave Nicole some time to think and reflect on herself over the past year. Since the beginning of the year, the redhead had managed to get the promotion of a lifetime by being appointed Sheriff of Purgatory per Randy Nedley’s request and she got out of a toxic relationship with a woman who wanted nothing more than to get into Nicole’s pants just to say that her partner was the town Sheriff. For the first time in two years Nicole had no obligation to get a gift for anyone special and, although the idea was quite pleasing, she couldn’t help but feel sad. She and Shae had exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve for the past two years and part of Nicole just wasn’t ready to let go of that tradition yet.
More time went on and Nicole found herself getting more and more lost in her thoughts. The sound of her police scanner crackling to life pulled her out of her head and she looked down at the radio.
“Calling all units. We have a Code 211 at the local antique shop just off of Purgatory Avenue. I repeat we have a robbery in process at the local antique shop. Immediate action is needed.”
Nicole’s head shot up and her eyes landed on the shop. It was as if someone could sense her boring day and decided to spice things up. She felt the familiar rush of adrenaline begin to course through her body as she picked up her mic to respond.
“This is Sheriff Haught. I’m going to scope out the scene, standby for instructions.”
“10-4,” the dispatcher replied.
Nicole double checked her belt to make sure everything was in its respective place before exiting the cruiser. She headed towards the antique shop with timid steps, her right hand resting on the hilt of her gun ready to draw it at a moments notice. Entering the shop, Nicole pulled her gun from the holster and held it out in front of her. The place was quiet, too quiet, and the officer was positive that you could hear a pin drop. There was some rummaging from a nearby isle, the sound of metal and porcelain being shuffled around filling her ears, and Nicole slowly made her way to the front of the store. Standing behind the front counter was a small woman with light brown hair who looked like she was about to have a heart attack. Nicole locked eyes with the woman and nodded her head telling her that everything was going to be alright. The woman held her hand out in front of her with her pointer finger and her thumb up, indicating that the intruder was armed. Nicole’s eyes flitted to the nametag on the woman’s shirt and caught a glimpse of her name.
Waverly.
Nicole took a few more steps towards Waverly and held her gun up higher. She could hear Waverly’s unsteady breaths behind her and knew that she had to take care of this now before the small woman fainted.
“Come out with your hands in the air!” Nicole demanded, her voice booming. “Purgatory Police Department. Drop your weapon and reveal yourself!”
There was some grunting as the rummaging stopped and heavy footsteps filled the silence. A tall, lanky man emerged from the shelves with a pistol gripped tightly in his left hand. His bald head was wrapped tightly in a black bandana and he wore baggy black pants with black boots and an old t-shirt. He was enveloped in a leather jacket that, Nicole soon came to discover, had the insignia of Purgatory’s most notorious gang on the back; he belonged to the Revenants. Nicole stiffened her stance and held herself taller.
“Drop your weapon,” the Sheriff repeated.
“Empty the register in the bag, Earp. Now!” The man demanded pointing his gun at Waverly and shoving his bag in her direction.
Earp? Waverly Earp? Was this the sister that Wynonna was always talking about down at the station? It had to be. How many other Waverly Earps would there be in Purgatory?
“Waverly, don’t,” Nicole ordered.
“Give me the cash or I’ll make swiss cheese out of you!” He put his finger against the trigger and Waverly froze out of fear. “Give me the cash!” He repeated.
“N-No!” Waverly yelled trying, and failing, to find some sort of strength in her voice.
“I don’t have time for this bullshit. I’ve got places to be and people to meet,” the man pulled the trigger and it seemed as if time had slowed down.
Nicole jumped into action immediately without thinking. She lunged forward and threw herself over the counter, in front of Waverly. She pushed her to the side and the brunette fell to the floor with a gasp. It was at that moment Nicole knew she had made a major mistake. The bullet made contact with her body, penetrating her shirt and going straight through her stomach and to her spine. She fell to the floor with screams of pain and dropped her gun beside her as she desperately gripped at her stomach. The gang member took the opportunity to flee the scene but neither Nicole nor Waverly noticed as the attention was now on the Sheriff that was bleeding out on the floor.
Waverly bent over Nicole and cupped her face in her hands. “Sheriff Haught, can you hear me?” Her voice was frantic. “Sheriff Haught?” She began to check Nicole over, and soon realized that the officer was not wearing any body armor.
Nicole cursed herself for being so impulsive and throwing herself in the line of fire with no protection. But it was either her or Waverly. Her job was to protect and to serve.
The world around Nicole was beginning to become foggy and muffled. She heard Waverly yelling but found herself unable to respond. Her heart was beating in her ears and she could feel the blood spilling from her side, oozing between her fingers as she applied pressure to the wound. She began to lose feeling in her toes but paid no mind to it. She tried to focus on Waverly’s voice to let her know that she was listening, but her eyes were drooping and she was having a hard time keeping them open.
The edge of Nicole’s vision started turning black and she reached up to grip Waverly’s arm tightly in her hand. Nicole’s breathing became rapid and unsteady and before she knew it, her world was going completely dark.
The last thing she remembered hearing was Waverly’s cries for help on the phone calling for an ambulance.
- - - - -
6:00 PM
Waverly’s trembling fingers dialed 9-1-1 and pressed the phone to her ear. After one ring, Dolls’ voice filled her ears.
“Purgatory Police, how may we be of service today?”
“Dolls,” Waverly nearly cried, “I need help. Get an EMT to the antique shop now. It’s an emergency.”
“I’ll send Doc straight there. What is the issue?” Dolls’ voice was calm which only made Waverly panic more.
“It’s…It’s Sheriff Haught. She was shot and she isn’t wearing any body armor. It looks like bullet went through her stomach…hit close to her spine,” the brunette’s voice began to crack. “She’s out cold.”
“Is she still breathing? Check her pulse. Doc is on his way right now.”
Waverly leaned down and brushed some of the taller woman’s hair away from her face. She placed two fingers against the pulse point on Nicole’s neck and was relieved to feel something. She counted the seconds and determined that her pulse was quicker than it should have been, which made since considering the amount of adrenaline that must still be coursing through her veins.
“She’s still breathing. She’s alive,” Waverly let out a deep breath and closed her eyes. “She saved my life, Dolls.”
“She would take a bullet for anyone, Waverly,” Dolls replied. “Let us know when you reach the hospital. I’ll inform Wynonna and we’ll meet you there.”
“Thank you, Dolls,” Waverly spoke with a voice barely above a whisper before the line cut off.
It felt like hours, days even, until the paramedics showed up but it had really only been a few minutes. Doc came inside and checked all of Nicole’s vitals before turning to Waverly.
“It’s too deep of a wound to tell if she’ll be okay or not. This was too close of a call to make assumptions by. She needs immediate care and potentially surgery.”
Waverly nodded and stood up, leaning against the counter for support. She watched as Doc and his team gently lifted Nicole onto the gurney and rolled her out of the store. She was given the okay to ride in the back of the ambulance to the hospital so she quickly grabbed her things and locked the store. The ride to the hospital was long and painstakingly quiet. The entire time Waverly was looking down at the unconscious woman before her. Nicole looked pale – paler than usual – and tiny beads of sweat had begun to form on her forehead. Her brow was scrunched in pain and the look on her face made Waverly’s stomach churn.
Waverly took hold of Nicole’s hand tightly between her own two hoping that the contact would put her at ease. All it ended up doing, though, was make her more anxious. The sheriff of Purgatory was potentially going to die because she saved her. Waverly had never personally met this woman and yet she took a bullet for her. Sure, Waverly had seen her around at the station when she’d go to visit Wynonna, but other than that they knew nothing about each other except for their names. That wasn’t going to stop Waverly from doing whatever she could to let the officer know how grateful she was, though.
The ambulance’s doors being swung open brought the brunette out of her thoughts and was immediately sucked into the chaos of the standard operating procedure for situations like this. She exited the vehicle and waited for the gurney to be removed from inside. Doctors rushed out the doors of the hospital and immediately surrounded Nicole. Waverly was whisked away by Doc and was brought into the lobby of the hospital.
“Are you alright, darlin’?” He asked. “You seem a bit shaken, which is more than understandable.”
“She could die because she saved my life,” Waverly spoke in a whisper. As soon as the words left her mouth she broke down into tears.
“I cannot tell you that Sheriff Haught will be alright at this very moment,” Doc wrapped his arms around the smaller girl holding her in a tight embrace, “but I can promise you that we will do anything, we will give anything, to ensure it.”
“Thank you, Doc,” Waverly choked out as she pulled away from the hug.
“I shall do my best to keep you updated, Miss Earp,” Doc tipped an imaginary hat and took off in the direction of Nicole.
Waverly stood by and watched as the woman was wheeled back behind two large swinging doors. She found her way over to the waiting room and sat down in an empty seat. Resting her head in her hands, Waverly willed the tears streaming from her eyes to cease but such a task proved to be next to impossible. Knowing this woman or not, Nicole still saved her life and Waverly was in debt to her. She’s a cop, and it’s her job, but that doesn’t make a difference. The way Nicole had looked at Waverly when she first entered the store stuck with Waverly. Her eyes were hard but there was a softness to them that only the brunette picked up on; a look that told Waverly that she was going to be kept safe no matter the cost.
Waverly wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her coat and looked around the waiting room, searching for her sister and Dolls. Her eyes quickly found the familiar face of Wynonna and the two deputies quickly made their way over to Waverly. Wynonna sat down next to Waverly and wrapped an arm around her.
“Baby girl…” She spoke softly, her overprotective big sister mode switching on. “Are you okay? Did you get hurt at all?”
“No,” Waverly squeaked and shook her head, “but Sheriff Haught – ”
“We aren’t talking about Nicole right now. We’re talking about you,” Wynonna never used the officer’s first name so it was apparent that she didn’t give a flying flapjack about Nicole at the moment; her attention was on Waverly.
“I’m okay, Nonna,” Waverly nodded. “She saved me before he could get to me.”
Wynonna nodded and looked up at Dolls, sending a silent signal to start asking questions. She was going to sit this round out, opting to console her shaken sister instead.
“Waverly,” Dolls started as he took the seat across from the smaller woman, “what exactly happened?”
Waverly jumped into an elaborate story about her day. It started out as a normal day, she arrived at the shop and moved some things around before opening. Crowd levels were a little larger than they usually were but she didn’t mind it. It was when the crowds hit a lull that everything went to complete shit. The bald gang member walked into her shop and went straight to the front counter. Waverly recognized the jacked immediately and froze on the spot, her hand quickly moving to the panic button on the underside of the counter and contacting the police. He had demanded she empty the register’s contents into his bag but she was too afraid to move. So he told her she had five minutes to make a decision or he would open fire. The man had made his way to the back of the store and began collecting items he felt were worth more than they were being sold for (currency for gang leader Bobo no doubt) and that’s when Nicole entered the scene.
She walked in as he disappeared behind the shelves and Waverly was thankful for her impeccable timing. Purgatory Police always had a knack for showing up to the scene of emergency in record timing. The two women locked eyes and Nicole had conveyed a message of safety to Waverly with just a simple nod. Waverly proceeded to tell Dolls the story up until Nicole got shot, using great detail. Wincing, she dove into what the wound looked like.
“It was a mess, Dolls. I couldn’t see much of anything except for blood seeping through her shirt. A lot of blood. Her gun was discarded on the floor and both of her hands were applying pressure to it. I know that’s what you’re supposed to do, but it only seemed to make it worse.” Waverly shook her head and raked a hand through her hair. “I was trying to get a response out of her, to see if she could hear me, but before I could comprehend what was happening she was out.”
“This man,” Wynonna questioned, “what did he look like?”
“Bald,” Waverly shrugged, “tall, long legs and arms.” She grew quiet for a moment before continuing, almost afraid to speak the next part, “A Revenant.”
Wynonna and Dolls shared a look and Wynonna’s hand starting rubbing small circles on her sister’s back. The Revenant gang had been quiet for two months now, too quiet, and Dolls was positive that they were planning to strike again soon. Sadly, he was correct. The only thing Wynonna couldn’t wrap her head around was why they would target Waverly.
“Possibly because they know she’s a weakness for you,” Dolls looked at the raven haired woman knowingly. “If they took her, they know you’d go after her without a doubt.”
“Those bastards are dead,” Wynonna grumbled.
“Wynonna – ” Dolls tried but was cut off by the eldest Earp.
“No, Dolls. This isn’t the first time they’ve come for my family. They wanted Waverly, and almost got her. What if they succeed next time and get her? Or me? Or you? Or any of us!” Wynonna stood and looked down at her sister. “I’m going to find that man, Waves, and I’m going to kill him. We all love Nicole, baby girl, and there is no way in hell that she is dying today,” she took off towards the exit leaving Waverly and Dolls alone.
“Thank you for your statement, Waverly. I think we have enough information. Stay here and keep us updated on Haught, okay? Doc said he won’t leave when his shift is over unless you want him to,” Waverly nodded and Dolls took off after Wynonna.
Time dragged on in slow motion and Waverly didn’t dare leave. She didn’t know why, but she felt as if she owed it to Nicole to stay at the hospital. Doc came and found her and explained that Nicole had just gone into surgery. The procedure was to last at least a few hours so he advised her to go home and get some rest. Much to his dismay, Waverly declined his orders and stayed sitting in her chair. Hours ticked by and Waverly was left alone with her thoughts once more. Every now and then Doc would stop by to chat or bring her food and coffee to keep her awake. When his shift ended for the night Waverly insisted he go home since he had been at the hospital since early that morning.
Day quickly turned into night and Waverly soon found herself to be one of four other people still in the waiting room. She checked her watch and sighed, rubbing her face. Nicole was still in surgery and Waverly knew she would be for at least another two hours, so she did the one thing she knew would calm her mind: she read.
- - - - -
Saturday November 24, 2018
12:00 AM
Bright lights. Cold air. The smell of disinfectant. A steady beeping noise.
Nicole cracked an eye open and was immediately blinded by the bright, white lights on the ceiling above her. She closed her eyes tightly and groaned in pain as she brought her hands to her face.
What the hell happened?
After composing herself and gathering her thoughts, Nicole slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She discovered that she was alone in a hospital room hooked up to a heart monitor and various IV’s pumping fluids and medicine into her system. She tried to sit up but winced in pain; a pain so bad that it caused her to see stars. Moving a hand to her stomach, Nicole realized that she had bandages wrapped around her abdomen. At that very moment, everything came flooding back to her in an instant. The coffee. The antique shop. The Revenant gang member. Getting shot.
Waverly Earp.
She saved the life of her co-worker’s younger sister and she was paying the price for it big time. She knew her job came at a cost but she was always extremely cautious when it came to situations like that. So why had she acted on such impulse and jumped in front of that bullet without a second thought? Before she could answer her rhetorical question the door to the room opened and a doctor walked in, followed by a nurse.
“Sheriff Haught, we’re glad to see you’re awake,” the doctor, a woman no older than herself with brown hair, gave a warm smile. “My name is Chrissy Nedley and I’ll be your doctor during the duration of your stay.”
Nedley’s daughter is a doctor? Huh. You learn something new every day.
“And this is Robin,” Chrissy continued, “he’ll be your nurse.”
“Robin Jett,” the nurse smiled and extended his hand toward Nicole who gave it a weak shake. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you personally, sheriff.”
“Please, call me Nicole,” the redhead offered a weak smile to the two medical professionals.
“Alright,” Chrissy smiled and nodded, “well, Nicole, we have a couple of things we feel you’d like to know.”
“Tell me anything you can,” Nicole braced herself for the worst.
“Let’s see,” the brunette flipped through the pages of her clipboard. “For starters, the surgery went very well. Perry Crofte, your surgeon, said that they were able to extract the bullet from your stomach without further injuring you.”
“Oh good,” Nicole nodded. “That’s good.”
“The recovery is expected to take a bit longer than usual, though,” Chrissy lifted her gaze to Nicole. “There was a bit of a speed bump that was hit.”
“What kind of…speed bump?” Nicole swallowed hard.
Chrissy took a deep breath before speaking again. “The bullet nearly took out part of your spine and damaged several nerves. So,” she set the clipboard down and looked at Nicole with a grave expression, “there’s a possibility that you may not be able to walk again. That you’ll be permanently paralyzed from the waist down.”
- - - - -
12:30 AM
While Chrissy was speaking with Nicole, Robin slipped out of the room and made his way to the sitting area in search for the familiar face he hadn’t seen since high school. Upon reaching the almost empty room Robin spotted Waverly right away and made his way over to her.
“Want some company?” He asked and sat next to the small woman.
“Robin?” Waverly lifted her head from the book she was reading. “You work here? As a nurse?”
“Yeah, crazy right?” He smiled. “Turns out a degree in Jazz History won’t get you much anywhere. So I went back to medical school and here I am.”
“That’s wonderful, Robin,” Waverly smiled but it quickly faded.
“She’s awake now, you know,” Robin nudged Waverly with his shoulder, knowing what caused the sudden change in her demeanor. “You can go see her, talk to her.”
“How did you know…?”
“I saw you come in with her. I could only assume that you were the one who made the call. Come on,” Robin stood and held his hand out to Waverly. “I think it’s time that you and Officer Heat have a proper introduction.”
Waverly giggled quietly at the name as she took Robin’s hand and the two made their way to Nicole’s room.
- - - - -
3:45 AM
“Paralyzed? What happens if that’s the case? What does that mean for your career?” Waverly was sitting in a chair next to Nicole’s bed and was running through all of the possible outcomes for a situation like this.
Nicole shrugged. “My career would be over. I wouldn’t be able to live on my own anymore.” The redhead kept her eyes glued to her feet poking out from under the blanket covering her legs, willing them to move.
“You’d really be forced to step down as sheriff? As an officer in general?”
“What good is a cop who can’t walk, Waverly?” There was venom lacing Nicole’s words but Waverly shook it off.
“Well you’d be going to physical therapy. That will help.”
“It makes no difference,” Nicole shook her head. “I’d be a shit cop if I couldn’t walk.”
“I think you’d still be an amazing cop. Maybe not a field agent, but definitely still just as important.”
A silence fell over the two women as the severity of the situation sank in. Nicole was most likely going to have to give up her entire career because she took a bullet for Waverly. If she didn’t think she was in debt to the redhead for life before this moment, she definitely knew now that she was. Minutes turned into hours and before Waverly realized it, Nicole had fallen asleep. The brunette rose from the chair and gently pulled the blanket up to Nicole’s chin before she made her way to the door.
With one last look at the redhead, Waverly spoke a quiet promise both to herself and to Nicole. “I’m going to come back here every single day until they release you, Nicole. You’ll get through this. I’ll make sure of it.”
And with that the youngest Earp headed back to her car and drove home trying to keep her eyes open.
- - - - -
Friday December 7, 2018
12:45 PM
The past two weeks had been full of hospital visits, late night conversations, and movies. Waverly visited Nicole in the hospital every single day and stayed until she was asked to leave. It was awkward at first, to say the least, but soon enough conversation started to flow easily between them. Waverly found out about Shae and the mental abuse that came with the seemingly perfect relationship. Nicole found out about Waverly’s degree in history and ancient languages (which she was more than impressed with). They talked of Wynonna and police work, and Waverly couldn’t help but admire the redhead and her passion for the law.
“So did you always want to become a cop? Or was it something that ran in your family? Or…?” Waverly shuffled through the cards she currently held in her hand. The two were deeply engrossed in a game of Go Fish with the brunette in the lead. “Got any sevens?”
Nicole shrugged as she tossed Waverly two cards. “When I was in high school, I always had my mind set on being a professional basketball player. I mean, I was so good at it. My mom had to pry the ball from my hands when I went to sleep.”
“What happened that made you change your mind?” Waverly looked up at Nicole. “Aces?”
“Go fish,” Nicole grinned. “And it was my dad. He was on the force and had gotten into a bad accident. Some guy with a passion for hating police officers ran his cruiser off the road. We got the call during one of my basketball games my senior year,” her eyes began to gloss over. “I haven’t played basketball since.”
“Oh Nicole,” Waverly set her cards down and placed a hand on the older woman’s arm. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I was just…I was curious.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Nicole shook her head and met Waverly’s gaze. “It’s in the past. His accident has made me into the person I am today.”
“He’d be so proud of you,” Waverly spoke softly.
“Your father would be proud of you too, you know,” Nicole kept her eyes on the smaller woman even though her gaze wasn’t met. “Wynonna has told me everything about him. I know he wasn’t a good man to you, to either of you, but he was still your father. And if he could see the beautiful woman you’ve turned into today he’d regret ever hurting you,” Waverly’s grip on Nicole’s arm tightened.
It was strange how easily Nicole was able to talk about such heavy things with Waverly. Her dad’s accident was something she never talked about with anyone, yet she had no problem telling the entire story to Waverly. There was something about the younger Earp that enthralled Nicole and she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
- - - - -
Sunday December 9, 2018
8:00 AM
Nicole sat in her wheelchair in the middle of the room she had become all too familiar with since her hospital stay began. Ever since Perry gave her the clear for physical therapy, the redhead had been pulled from her bed three times a day to begin the slow process of attempting to get her legs working again. Since the surgery, Nicole had regained some of the feeling in her feet. She was able to move her toes but that’s as far as she’s gotten and it was starting to aggravate her. She needed to walk and she needed it to happen now, and staring at her legs and silently screaming at them wasn’t helping.
“Nicole, I’m going to need you to stop trying to force your legs to move,” Rosita, Nicole’s physical therapist, knelt down in front of the redhead. “Despite what you may think, you have made some major progress this week. A few days ago you weren’t even able to move your right big toe. Now look at you. Moving all ten toes and your left ankle without any trouble.”
“I need my legs,” Nicole muttered. “I can’t be a cop if my legs don’t work.”
“Hey,” Rosita placed a hand on Nicole’s knee, “you can’t think like that. You have to stay positive. You’re the sheriff of Purgatory, this is nothing compared to the other shit you’ve been through. Consider it a minor setback.”
“A minor setback that will most likely ruin my career.”
Physical trauma was something Nicole was used to, it’s basically what you sign up for when you become a cop, but mental trauma was something she had no experience with. She had no idea how to cope or how to fight it, so she just let the thoughts consume her.
“You’re making major progress,” Rosita repeated firmly. “We’ll see you back here this afternoon. Get some rest and save your strength. Waverly is outside waiting for you.”
Nicole swiveled the wheelchair to face the only door of the room and saw Waverly standing right outside, peering in through the window, with two cups of coffee in her hands. The sight brought a smile to Nicole’s face immediately. She didn’t know why it surprised her that Waverly was there since she had practically been by her side since all of this started, but every time the brunette came to visit, Nicole’s heart fluttered. She rolled over to the door and Waverly opened it for her to exit.
“So chivalrous,” Nicole looked up at the brunette and placed a hand over her heart.
“I do try my best,” Waverly giggled. “How was therapy?” She asked as they made their way back to Nicole’s room.
“I can move my feet now,” Nicole smiles slightly. “And I’m starting to gain more feeling back in my legs.”
“Nicole that’s amazing!” Waverly squealed. “I told you that things would turn around.”
“You did,” Nicole nodded as they entered the room. “I’m still having a really tough time adjusting to all of this, though. You know, mentally and such. I’ve never experienced something like this before.”
“Well it’s a good thing I’m here then, yeah?” Waverly asked as she sat the coffees down on the small table across the room. “To help you and to keep you staying positive on the right track.”
The task of getting Nicole from her wheelchair and back into bed was a very difficult one, and one that both women knew should be done by a doctor or a nurse, but neither wanted that. They enjoyed the closeness of it all. Waverly placing her hands under Nicole’s arms and lifting her into a standing position, the closeness of their faces and their hitched breathing. Sometimes Nicole thought she saw Waverly lean in slightly but brushed the thought aside as she was gently sat on the bed.
Normally, this would be the part when Waverly would step back and let Nicole try to move on her own. But today, as she went to take a step back, Nicole gently grasped onto Waverly’s hand, keeping her close.
“No,” Nicole said softly. “I want…I want your help today,” she looked up at Waverly, brown eyes meeting hazel, and cursed herself for starting to fall for someone so quickly. She couldn’t help it even if she tried.
“Alright,” Waverly responded in a whisper. “What do you want me to do?” Their faces slowly inched closer.
“Never stop coming back here,” Nicole closed her eyes tightly. “I need you with me, Waverly.”
Waverly shook her head and squeezed Nicole’s hand. “I’m not going anywhere,” she gently kissed the ginger’s forehead. “I promise.”
- - - - -
Tuesday December 11, 2018
6:15 PM
Dinner that night came from a small Chinese place about five minutes from the hospital. Nicole was grateful for not having to eat anymore hospital food, not that she had been eating much of it anyway. Waverly was seated at the end of the bed with her legs crossed and her box of tofu and veggies resting in her lap. It wasn’t a date, but boy did it sure feel like one.
“Rosie said that you tried standing on your own today?” Waverly asked.
“Well I wouldn’t say ‘on my own,’ she had her arms around me to help, but yes. I attempted to stand,” Nicole picked up a piece of sesame chicken and popped it into her mouth. “It actually wasn’t that bad. I just had to think really hard about it.”
“Thinking about standing and walking is something that you’re going to have to become very good with,” Waverly pointed a chopstick in Nicole’s direction. “Since some of the nerves in your back were damaged by the bullet, your brain is going to have to make up for the work.”
“So you’re saying that you think it’s possible for me to still walk even with all of this crap they’re saying is wrong with me?”
“Nic, you’re the most stubborn person I know next to Wynonna. Of course I think it’s possible. You just have to keep being you and let science do the rest.”
“Science?” Nicole raised an eyebrow. “So I see Chrissy has been telling you about the whole electrotherapy thing, eh?”
“She’s my best friend. It’s all she ever talks about when I see her,” Waverly laughed lightly.
“Do you think it’s a good idea?” Nicole asked after a few minutes of silence. “That it’ll help?”
“I certainly don’t think it could hurt to try,” Waverly shrugged.
“I’m kind of nervous about it, though. What if it doesn’t work? I don’t want to get my hopes up only for it to backfire.”
“I’m going to be right there with you the entire time,” Waverly reached forward and took one of Nicole’s hands tightly in her own. “I told you, I’m here until the end. You saved my life. And I’m going to be here to watch you get back on your feet…literally.”
Nicole stared down at their hands and a smile slowly grew on her face. The warmth spreading through her body from the contact made the redhead trust Waverly’s word even more than she did before.
- - - - -
Tuesday December 11, 2018
8:30 PM
Wynonna and Dolls’ visits to the hospital started becoming more frequent when they got the news that Nicole was making a quick recovery. Waverly had been keeping her sister updated with various pictures and long text messages about the day’s progress made. Ever since the shooting, Wynonna had done nothing but lock herself in her office trying to track down the Revenant gang member. Going off of the information Waverly gave to Dolls, Wynonna was able to locate the attacker, a man who went by the name of Ralph. When they were able to track the whereabouts of this man Dolls set out on a mission to infiltrate the gang’s territory. Wynonna had conducted many stakeouts, only getting caught twice, and had successfully incarcerated three of the gang members.
“You’ve taken three of them down,” Nicole looked at the eldest Earp, “but none of them are my shooter?”
“He’s a quick one, Red,” Wynonna shook her head. “But he’s next on my list. I’ll put him behind bars for good even if it’s the last thing that I do.”
“Don’t say that, Wynonna,” Waverly stood across the room with her back to the group, lost in thought. “Please.”
“He came after you once, baby girl, and he almost killed Haught. There’s no way in hell that I’m letting him roam the streets much longer. I promise you that he’ll be taken care of by Christmas.”
“And by ‘taken care of’ you mean…” Nicole gave Wynonna a knowing look.
“Sheriff please,” the taller woman rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to kill him. I just want to hurt him. Really, really badly.”
“Just locate him and lock him up, Earp,” Dolls glanced between Nicole and his partner. “We don’t need to be starting anymore trouble this close to Christmas.”
“Fine,” Wynonna scoffed, “I’ll just find him and lock him up.” Dolls’ phone began to ring from his back pocket and he looked at Wynonna upon reading who was calling.
“It’s Lucado,” he said. “I guess that’s our signal to,” he motioned with his head towards the door, “head back to the station.”
“I’ll be right there,” Wynonna said. “Go get the car ready and I’ll meet you,” Dolls nodded and left the room.
Wynonna looked down at Nicole who had her eyes locked onto Waverly. The look in the redhead’s eyes was unlike anything Wynonna had seen from the sheriff before. It was a look of vulnerability and fear and Wynonna knew that the accident wasn’t the sole cause of these emotions filling her friend. Ever since all of this started something had changed within Nicole and Wynonna knew exactly what that was.
“Treat her right, Haught,” Wynonna told her, voice barely above a whisper. “Shoot your shot and see what happens. After everything with Champ, she deserves happiness. And the ways I see you look at her, I know you can give that to her,” Nicole blinked a few times and followed Wynonna’s retreating form exiting the room.
- - - - -
Saturday December 15, 2018
8:00 AM
“I can’t do it,” Nicole muttered.
“Come on,” Rosita responded gently, “you’re almost there, Nicole. Just a few more steps.”
“I said I can’t do it!” Her voice was shaky and breathing became labored. “My career is over. I can’t do it.”
“Nicole,” Rosita waited until she had the attention of her patient, “I will not let you give up. Not now. You have come so far since our first session. You can do this.”
Nicole looked at herself in the wall-length mirror across the room and stared at the various wires and pieces of machinery sticking to her body. The idea of electrotherapy didn’t appeal to her much at all but Waverly had told her that she felt it’s what needed to happen. Waverly seemed to know a lot more about it than herself which gave her no valid reason to not listen to the fiery brunette. Nicole felt stupid and weak. The point of all of this was to think about being able to walk, and that her brain would send a signal down to her legs and aid her in moving via electrical energy coming from the machine. The whole thing was giving Nicole anxiety and she had no idea how to cope with it.
“Nobody ever said this would be easy,” Rosita said, “but we all know you can do this. You are the strongest person in this room. I need you to keep pushing. Can you try to take one more step for me?”
Nicole caught Waverly’s eye in the mirror and was thankful to have her in the room today. She would typically wait outside but she was given permission to sit in today. Looking back at Rosita, she closed her eyes and nodded before taking a deep breath. Rosita took a small step back, dropping her hands from Nicole’s arms.
“One step, Nicole. You can do it,” Rosita held her breath as Nicole moved her right leg in front of her left taking a small step, but a step nonetheless, forward. Nicole opened her eyes and looked down at her feet and felt a small smile start to tug at her lips. She looked back up at Rosita and began to take another step, one slightly bigger than the last, but stopped short when a sharp pain shot down her spine.
“Nicole!” Waverly yelled as the redhead started to fall, a grunt escaping her mouth. Waverly jumped into action and lunged toward the taller woman, catching her before she fell to the floor. Nicole broke down into tears the second their bodies made contact, letting the anxiety take over her completely.
“I can’t do it, Waverly,” she whimpered. “I’m never going to walk again.”
“Hey,” Waverly cooed into her ear, “that’s not true, don’t say that.”
“I can’t even take one step without falling over. It’s like I’m learning to walk for the first time, except I know how it’s going to end.”
Waverly glanced at Rosita, silently asking to give them some privacy. “Nic, you have to stop being so hard on yourself. I can’t even begin to think about how hard this is for you, but I know that you can overcome it,” she gently moved to sit on the floor, bringing Nicole into her lap and making sure that her wound was okay.
“Make it stop,” Nicole whispered, her eyes closed tightly. “Waverly, please make it stop.”
“Make what stop, love?”
“Everything. It’s all too much.”
Sensing that she might be referring to the various electrodes sticking to her body, Waverly carefully began to remove them. She could feel Nicole shaking in her arms and it broke her heart that she couldn’t empathize with her. Waverly placed gentle kisses to each spot that once held an electrode. When they were all removed, Waverly held Nicole tighter and peppered the taller woman’s face with soft kisses.
“Better?” She whispered. Nicole shrugged. “Can you breathe with me? Maybe if we get your breathing back to normal, you’ll be able to calm down quicker.”
Nicole nodded and Waverly jumped into various breathing exercises and instructed her to breathe in, hold it, and breathe out. They did this for a few minutes before Nicole was finally able to slow her heart rate. Anxiety was not something Nicole Haught was used to experiencing. Being a cop for many years had given her nerves of steel and she was thankful for it while out on the field, but in times like this Nicole cursed herself for becoming so strong. Nothing broke Nicole, nothing was ever able to get the best of her, but here she was sitting in the lap of an angel.
Having a freaking panic attack.
“I’m not strong enough for this, Waverly,” Nicole buried her head in the smaller girl’s chest. “It scares me.”
“You know what I’ve always wanted?” Waverly asked as she ran her fingers through Nicole’s hair. The redhead hummed in response. “To parachute out of a plane at fifteen thousand feet, yeah; and to swim far, far out into the ocean until I can’t see the bottom anymore; to eat geoduck.”
Nicole lifted her head slightly. “Isn’t that the one that kind of looks like a p – ”
“Yeah it is,” Waverly nodded. “The point is that I’ve always wanted to do things that scared me. And, although I have yet to do any of those things, I have done many other things in my life that have terrified me. And all they’ve done is made me a stronger person. Trying to walk again scares you,” Nicole nodded. “So all the more reason to push yourself to do it. Do the things that scare you.”
“All of this scares me,” Nicole positioned herself so she could look Waverly in the eye, “hell, it actually terrifies me. It’s giving me all of this anxiety and I have no idea how to cope with it all because I’ve never had a panic attack like that before. I have no idea where to even begin with tackling this situation. And yes, I’m scared to death that I might not be able to walk again, but that isn’t anything compared to the fear I have of losing you.”
“Me?” Waverly looked at Nicole with wide eyes. “Y-You’re afraid of losing me?”
“Yes,” Nicole nodded, “yes, Waverly, I am. I never knew I could feel this much for someone I’ve only known for a few weeks. And call me crazy but I think jumping in front of that bullet was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
“You nearly died because of it,” Waverly laughed lightly, causing the tears welling in her eyes to fall. “It was the dumbest, yet the most heroic thing anyone has ever done.”
“Wynonna is always talking about you down at the station. Dare I say it, but I think I’ve been falling for you since the first time I ever heard your name,” Nicole reached up and wiped the tears away with her thumb.
“Wynonna never mentioned how cheesy you were, Nicole Haught,” Waverly giggled.
“Sometimes I don’t think about what I’m going to say before I say it,” Nicole admitted embarrassed. “And if I’m being honest here, I really have no idea what the hell I’m doing right now.”
“I think we both know that you know exactly what you’re doing.”
“Maybe I should just stop talking,” Nicole winced at how awkward she knew she was making things.
“Yeah, maybe you should,” Waverly rested her hand against Nicole’s cheek.
“Well maybe you should make me, then,” the redhead quirked an eyebrow.
Waverly grinned and shook her head as she leaned down, cupping Nicole’s face with both of her hands, and connecting their lips in a kiss that has been anticipated over the course of the last few days. The world around them ceased to exist as their lips met, and Waverly tried to convey all of her emotions into their kiss. Emotion took control of Nicole’s body and she wrapped her arms tightly around the smaller woman’s torso, bringer them even closer together. The moment was ruined, though, when Nicole abruptly pulled away with a grimace of pain slipping through her lips. One wrong move and she was in complete and total pain.
“Shit,” she muttered. “That stings.”
“Crap, we need to get you back to your room so we can clean your stitches. Come on,” Waverly gently set Nicole on the cold floor and stood up, “up you go,” she extended her hand to the officer and slowly helped her back into the wheelchair.
“Thank you, baby,” Nicole bit her lip testing out the nickname, unsure if it was the right time for it. Waverly just smiled and kissed her cheek before wheeling her out and back to her room.
- - - - -
Wednesday December 19, 2018
11:30 AM
Waverly wasn’t supposed to be changing Nicole’s bandages since she wasn’t a doctor but that wasn’t going to stop her. Waverly Earp was as stubborn as they come, and she was even more stubborn when it came to Nicole. So after a lengthy conversation with Chrissy and a phone call to drive her point home, the fiery little brunette was given the green light.
“How does it feel?” Waverly asked as she walked over to the bed, supplies in hand, and sat down next to Nicole.
“A lot better than it did the other day, but it’s still pretty tender,” Nicole replied, her eyes closed and her head resting against the pillow. Waverly couldn’t help herself and leaned down, planting a gentle but firm kiss to the redhead’s lips. Nicole opened one of her eyes and looked at Waverly. “What was that for?” She grinned.
“I missed you,” Waverly stated simply. “And I don’t want you to hate me if I accidentally hurt you while doing this.”
“I’ve endured worse pain, Wave,” Nicole placed her hand over one of Waverly’s and gave it a light squeeze. “I could never hate you for trying to help.”
Waverly smiled and nodded as she leaned over Nicole and pushed her shirt up, revealing a bandaged abdomen. The process was simple: unwrap the wound, clean it, and wrap it back up. Waverly gently unwrapped the bandages and stared down at the scar that was starting to form on Nicole’s stomach. Her fingers danced a delicate dance across the stitches and the area around the scar as she applied the ointment in the correct areas.
“My poor, brave baby…” Waverly whispered.
Nicole winced slightly as the medicine began to burn, keeping her eyes closed. “It was worth it, for you,” she said and blindly grabbed for Waverly’s hand, intertwining their fingers.
“Just please don’t ever do that again,” Waverly squeezed Nicole’s hand tightly.
“Do what? Take a bullet for you?” Nicole opened her eyes.
“No,” Waverly shook her head and pulled Nicole’s shirt back down after replacing the bandage. “Don’t ever leave the station without protection. Even if it’s just stupid traffic duty.”
“That’s a mistake you only make once,” Nicole sighed and gently pulled Waverly closer to her. The brunette laid down and curled into her and buried her head in Nicole’s shoulder. “I promise, I’ll always be wearing body armor,” she assured and kissed the top of Waverly’s head.
- - - - -
Wednesday December 19, 2018
1:00 PM
Waverly had opened shop late that day, not wanting to leave Nicole’s side unless she had to. Her original plan was to just remain closed until after Christmas, but Nicole had made her go. Wynonna was currently keeping the redhead company which terrified Waverly to no end. Her sister was probably interrogating her girlfriend (were they girlfriends yet?) and scaring the shit out of her. Nicole might have been the sheriff, but that didn’t mean she got off easy with Wynonna.
Every time Waverly would walk into the antique shop, she shuddered.
It took her weeks to scrub the floor behind the counter and clear it of any traces of Nicole’s blood that was left behind. The very thought of having to stand in that general area made Waverly sick to her stomach so instead she busied herself with tidying things up around the store. Every now and then she would get a text from Nicole saying how much she missed her, or how Wynonna was talking her ear off about the most random things. Waverly smiled to herself as she continued to clean up around the store, looking over her shoulder every once in a while out of habit. It was only a matter of hours until Waverly could close up and head back over to the hospital.
- - - - -
Friday December 21, 2018
10:30 AM
“I come bearing coffee and good news,” Waverly announced as she entered the hospital room. Nicole muted the TV and looked over at the brunette.
“Two of my favorite things,” Nicole smiled and hummed. “Thank you baby,” she kissed Waverly’s cheek after taking her coffee.
Waverly smiled and sat in the chair after pulling it up next to the bed. “Wynonna texted me this morning while I was in the shower. She told me to call her immediately, so I did as soon as I got out,” she began. Nicole nodded and sipped on her coffee, urging her to continue. “Turns out Ralph was planning to hit up a bank last night and they caught him in the act. They’ve got him, Nic. Wynonna has Ralph behind bars. For good.”
“Are you serious?” Nicole’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. “Now I can finally go to sleep at night without worrying about him coming back for you when you’re at your apartment.”
“You’ve really lost sleep over that?” Waverly looked at Nicole, concern filling her eyes.
“Of course I have. You’re alone at night and he was still roaming the streets. I’m unable to protect you and I would die if something happened to you without me around to stop it, baby.”
Waverly bit her lip and glanced up at Nicole, the question she had been dying to ask all week burning a hole in her chest.
“Nicole, what are we?” She began softly. “I mean…our relationship? Because we’ve said things and done things and…and I don’t want this to just be some heated fling stemming from a life or death situation. All of the promises and stolen kisses and all of the talk about the future and…I just don’t want to hang onto something like this if it isn’t going to be real,” Waverly kept her eyes on her hands resting in her lap, too afraid to meet Nicole’s eyes for fear of facing the truth she didn’t want to hear.
Nicole reached over and grasped Waverly’s hand tightly, uttering six words that would forever change the youngest Earp’s life forever. “I’m crazy about you, Waverly Earp,” she waited until their eyes met. “I have been forever, I think. And I was always too damn stubborn to approach you when I saw you, so it took a bullet for me to finally speak up. I don’t want this to be some stupid ‘I saved your life now let’s sleep together’ kind of thing. I want the real deal. I’m all in with you, Waverly Earp.”
“I have never wanted something in my life more than I want this, Nicole,” Waverly wiped her eyes and climbed onto the bed, instantly curling into the taller woman. “Nobody has ever cared about me the way you do and no one certainly has never made me feel the way you do.”
“Let’s just hope that I can continue to make you feel that way,” Nicole wrapped an arm around the smaller woman and kept her close. “Waverly, will you be my girlfriend?”
“I would be more than honored to hold such a title, Sheriff Haught,” Waverly sighed into Nicole’s chest.
- - - - -
Sunday December 23, 2018
9:30 PM
Waverly and Nicole had spent the entire day cuddled together under many bonus blankets and watching movies. It was the closest thing they could get to a date considering Nicole was still on bed rest outside of her physical therapy sessions. The TV was currently playing the Christmas classic A Miracle on 34th Street but neither of them were paying any attention to the movie whatsoever. Somehow, at some point during the beginning of the film, Waverly had managed to move on top of Nicole. She was straddling her and leaning over at an awkward angle so as to avoid touching her stomach, but the kisses they shared made everything else irrelevant. Waverly’s fingers were threated through Nicole’s red locks while the other woman’s hands were planted firmly on Waverly’s waist.
Their lips glided together in a dance that felt like they had been doing it forever when, in reality, it had only been for a few days. A soft moan escaped Waverly’s mouth as Nicole ran her tongue along her bottom lip, asking for entrance which Waverly graciously granted by opening her mouth slightly wider. Nicole’s hands slowly moved down Waverly’s hips and slipped into the back pockets of her jeans, pulling the smaller woman impossibly closer to her. Waverly immediately broke the kiss, fearing that she might hurt Nicole.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” she spoke softly.
“You won’t baby. I’ll stop you if you do,” Nicole responded and began to kiss along Waverly’s jaw.
“Okay,” Waverly sucked in a sharp breath. “Are you sure that you’re going to be alright by yourself for the next couple of days?” She managed to ask between heavy breaths.
“Mhm,” Nicole hummed against Waverly’s neck as she kissed her way down the column of her throat.
“I hate the idea of you being alone on Christmas,” Waverly pouted before covering her mouth to stifle a moan.
“Let’s not think about the time we’re going to be apart right now,” Nicole kissed back up to Waverly’s cheek. “Not while we’re together. And most definitely not while we’re making out like this.”
Waverly bit her lip and giggled. “You’re so cute,” she cupped the redhead’s face in her hands and placed a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose. “How about I come and visit you tomorrow night on my way home from Gus’? And then I’ll stop by Tuesday night. Maybe bring you some food from home?”
“Convince Chrissy to let you sleep here Tuesday night and you’ve got yourself a deal,” Nicole grinned.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Waverly giggled.
“Yeah?”
“Mhm,” she smiled and connected their lips again, relishing in the warmth that spread through her body every time they touched.
Yeah, this Christmas was going to be a good one.
- - - - -
Christmas Eve
5:45 PM
To say that the day had gone by at snails pace would be underselling it. Since the moment Waverly opened her eyes that morning she had missed Nicole. It’s not like she didn’t enjoy spending time with her sister, or her aunt, but she felt bad for going out and having fun on Christmas Eve, eating good food and sharing stories, while her girlfriend was locked up in the hospital, having to go through her physical therapy sessions alone. Waverly and Wynonna came together to Gus’ so one could imagine the amount of aggravation the brunette was experiencing when her sister told her that she wasn’t ready to leave yet.
“Nicole is fine, baby girl,” Wynonna said patting her sister on the back. “She has movies and that amazing cafeteria food,” she joked, “and that super sexy physical therapist there to keep her company while you’re away.”
“Not helping, but thanks,” Waverly huffed from her spot on the couch, arms crossed.
“What’s all the rush to go visit Nicole?” Gus asked as she walked into the living room bearing a tray of coffee.
Wynonna grabbed a mug and sat next to Waverly. “She and Waverly are uh – ”
“We’re dating. And she’s in the hospital alone on Christmas Eve,” Waverly stated.
“Oh honey, that’s wonderful,” Gus smiled. “The dating part, not the hospital part,” Waverly shrugged and took small sips of her coffee. “Why don’t you invite her to dinner tomorrow night?”
“She won’t be discharged for another day or so.”
“That’s a shame,” Gus sighed and shook her head. “I’ll have to make a plate of food for her as I’m sure you’ll be going to visit her tomorrow?”
“If that’s okay?” Waverly smiled slightly, hoping she wouldn’t mind.
“Honey, as long as I don’t have to see or hear anything about Champ Hardy ever again, I don’t care what you do,” Gus leaned forward and placed a hand on her niece’s arm. “I can already tell that this Nicole is making you happier than he ever did.”
“Sheriff Haught is a hoot, let me tell you,” Wynonna spoke up and Waverly braced herself for the vulgar words that were about to come out of her sister’s mouth. “She’s super loyal and hella considerate. She’s had eyes for you since the first time you walked into the station, baby girl,” Wynonna threw her arm around Waverly. “She just never advanced because she didn’t want to have to go through me.”
“Are you serious?” Waverly looked up at her sister. “She was afraid to talk to me because of you?”
“Because she knew getting involved with my baby sister was out of the question. What she didn’t know was that rule only applies to douchebag rodeo clowns who skip town with my sister’s ex-best friend.”
“You’re such a softie, Nonna,” Waverly hugged the older woman tightly. “Thanks to you and your stupid meddling in my love life, I have discovered a newfound happiness I never knew could exist.”
“I love Nicole, Waves. If you’re going to be with anyone in this shitty town I want it to be her,” Wynonna replied with a smile. “She’s crazy about you.”
“And I’m crazy about her.”
Gus looked on and listened as her nieces conversed about their lives, and thanked whatever higher power was watching over her family for finally giving her girls what they deserved.
- - - - -
Christmas Eve
9:00 PM
Waverly’s shirt was on the floor, Nicole’s hands roaming up and down her bare back, and her mind was racing a thousand miles a minute. They always seem to end up entangled with one another without even realizing it. It was awkward, there was a pillow between them protecting Nicole’s stomach, but they made it work. All Waverly wanted was to kiss her girlfriend for as long as possible before she would be forced to leave. Wynonna, who eagerly agreed to drive Waverly to the hospital for a little while, was currently distracting Chrissy so as to buy them some more time. Waverly had managed to convince her sister to talk to Chrissy about letting her stay with Nicole tomorrow night and her fingers were crossed that Wynonna would work her magic.
Waverly ran her hands up Nicole’s exposed arms, feeling the toned muscles of her biceps, and rested them on her shoulders. She silently thanked whoever had brought Nicole clothes for the day from her apartment, probably Nedley, and for bringing her a tank top. It was below freezing out but it was almost a sauna in the hospital room. Nicole rested her hands on Waverly’s waist and squeezed lightly, causing Waverly to giggle and pull away.
“What?” The brunette went in for another kiss and pouted when Nicole moved her head back.
“Hang on,” Nicole whispered. “Let me just…let me just admire my girlfriend for a second. Please.”
“You’re such a cliché,” Waverly bit her lip and blushed.
“I might be,” Nicole reached up and pushed some hair behind Waverly’s ear, “but I’m not wrong when I say that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”
Waverly reached a hand up to cover Nicole’s hand which now rested against her cheek, and opened her mouth to say something, but the door swung open and Wynonna walked in with Chrissy behind her. “I hope you’re decent!” She yelled.
Waverly shrieked and nearly fell to the floor trying to grab for her shirt. “Always such a prude, Wynonna,” she muttered and pulled her shirt back on.
“Good news, Red,” Wynonna placed a firm hand on Nicole’s shoulder. “You and Waves can get all Haught and bothered tomorrow night because I convinced baby Nedley here to let you two have a little sleep over,” she winked and smiled proudly.
“You know exactly what I’m going to say to you, Nicole, so I’ll save you the lengthy speech and just tell you to be smart,” Chrissy winked at her patient before exiting the room. Waverly noticed and tossed a curious glance in Nicole’s direction.
Wynonna wrapped an arm around Waverly before she could ask Nicole any questions regarding Chrissy and pulled her to her feet. “Alright, baby girl, I think it’s time we head out. We’ve got a lot of cooking to prepare for in the morning.”
Waverly frowned but nodded, knowing she had to go. She leaned down over Nicole and smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she gave her girlfriend a quick kiss and stood up straight. “Bye baby.”
“Goodnight, Waverly,” Nicole smiled and watched the Earp sisters leave the room. When the door closed, she threw the blanket off of her legs and smiled.
Tomorrow was going to be a day neither she nor Waverly would ever forget.
- - - - -
Christmas Day
12:00 PM
“Wynonna, will you get off your ass and come help us finish prepping the food?” Gus called from the kitchen.
“Coming!” The raven haired woman yelled. She finished typing out a text and sent it before entering the kitchen.
“Who have you been texting all day?” Waverly asked as she cut up some vegetables. “You’ve been on your phone since you woke up this morning and have barely spoken a word to any of us.”
“Oh, uh, I’ve been talking to Xavier. He said he would be a little late. Got caught up at the station.” There was a knock at the door and Wynonna’s eyes grew wide. “And by running a little late I mean exactly on time. I’ll get it,” she hurried off towards the door.
“What was all of that about?” Gus looked at Waverly who just shrugged and turned back to the vegetables.
Wynonna threw the door open and sighed when she saw Doc and Dolls standing on the other side. Dolls held a bottle of wine in his hand and Doc had a tray of cookies.
“You two quite possibly just blew my cover and ruined Christmas,” Wynonna hissed.
“Pardon our bad timing,” Doc rolled his eyes. “We do apologize.”
“What’s got you so uptight and on edge?” Dolls quirked an eyebrow.
“Nothing you need to know. It’s my business. Now come inside, I’m freezing my tits off and Gus is going to yell at me for letting the heat out,” she stepped to the side and motioned for the men to enter. “Tell my annoying vegan sister that I’ll be in there in a minute. I just have a quick phone call to make.”
Doc and Dolls exchanged a look before shrugging and walking into the kitchen to join Waverly and Gus. While everyone was distracted, Wynonna snuck off onto the back porch. She pulled her phone out and dialed Nicole’s number.
“Hello?”
“Hey! Haught-Shit! Everything going according to plan?”
“What did I say about the nicknames, Wyn?” Nicole sighed only slightly annoyed. “But yes, everything is going as it shall.”
“Chrissy there with you?”
“Yes, Chrissy and Rosita are both here. Robin is coming too, and I think he’s bringing Jeremy if that’s okay?”
“As long as operation Miracle in Purgatory gets accomplished then I don’t care who the hell shows up.”
“Alright,” Nicole chuckled. “I’ll keep you updated. What time again?”
“Come for five. We’re doing gifts at six.”
“Wynonna!” Waverly called.
“Calm your tits, baby girl, I’m coming!” Wynonna rolled her eyes. “Gotta go, deputy dipshit. Keep me updated!” She hung up and went into the kitchen.
- - - - -
Christmas Day
4:30 PM
The Earp-Gibsen Christmas celebration was always a quiet one. It was never more than Gus, Wynonna, and Waverly unless Dolls could manage to get off early at the station. Dinner was served and presents were opened and the three of them thought that it was the most perfect thing in the world. They weren’t used to so many people being present. Robin and Jeremy had shown up about an hour ago and were currently engrossed in a conversation about Jeremy’s café, so Wynonna took the opportunity to pull Gus, Doc and Dolls to the side and explain what was about to happen.
“Nicole is going to be joining us for dinner this year,” Wynonna started.
“I thought Waverly said that she wasn’t to be discharged from the hospital until the twenty-seventh?” Gus asked.
“That was a lie. We needed Waves to believe that her girl would still be cooped up in the hospital today. I wanted to do something special for her.”
“So she’s able to walk again?” Dolls asked.
“Yes,” Wynonna nodded. “Well, not exactly. She can stand and walk, but she needs heavy support. Which is why baby Nedley and Rosita are coming with her. When she gets here, we’re going to have to give them space. Nicole is still really anxious about all of this. She’s only doing it for Waverly.”
“Miss Haught has always been a chivalrous one,” Doc smiled. “If space is what they need then space is what we shall give them.”
Wynonna grinned when there was a knock at the door. “That should be her. Go keep Waverly distracted with the gay squad over there,” she took off towards the door and opened it. She stepped outside and closed the door behind her.
“Someone’s excited,” Chrissy smiled.
“When was the last time you’ve see Waverly this happy?” Wynonna directed her question at the doctor.
“Never,” Chrissy shook her head.
“Exactly,” Wynonna smiled and looked at Nicole. “Everything good, Nicole?”
“Actually, yeah,” the redhead smiled. “I’m not in any pain for the first time in weeks and walking is getting a lot easier thanks to Rosita.”
“I try,” Rosita smiled at Nicole.
“Good good,” Wynonna nodded and glanced behind her. “Now that we’ve gotten all of that out of the way, let’s get inside. Waverly has been in a sulky mood all day because she misses her girlfriend. Baby girl deserves a happy Christmas this year,” she smiled.
Chrissy and Rosita helped Nicole walk through the door, taking small steps at her own pace. Wynonna was thoroughly impressed by the amount of progress she had made. Nicole always was a tough one, not even a bullet could keep her from accomplishing her goals. Nicole leaned against the wall and nodded at Chrissy telling her that she was alright. Wynonna smiled and dragged Chrissy and Rosita into the living room after making sure Nicole was ready.
“Baby girl!” She shouted as they entered the room. “Look who decided to stop by!”
Waverly looked over at her friends and broke out into a huge smile. She squealed and ran over to them and hugged them. “I’m so glad you guys could stop by. I know the medical life can be tough.”
“We were fortunate enough to snag the night off,” Chrissy smiled.
“That’s wonderful!” Waverly clasped her hands together and smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She was happy her friends were there, but she longed for Nicole to be there. She was now completely alone at the hospital and all she wanted to do was leave and go see her.
“Hey Waves, can you go put Chrissy’s coat up by the door?” Wynonna asked handing Waverly the coat.
“Um…Yeah, I guess,” Waverly took the coat and headed towards the foyer by the door, where Nicole was.
Wynonna watched with a smile on her face and waited for the inevitable scream of surprise. Chrissy stood beside her and draped an arm over her shoulders.
“She’s going to lose her shit when she sees Nicole.”
Wynonna smiled when she heard Waverly’s squeal. “We did good, Chrissy. We did good.”
- - - -
Christmas Day
4:30 PM
Waverly took Chrissy’s coat from Wynonna and headed for the coat rack. She was kind of annoyed that her friend couldn’t have just hung it up herself, but she knew she should cut her some slack for taking care of Nicole.
Nicole. God she just wanted to go see Nicole.
Maybe no one would notice if she left now. Waverly hung the coat up and leaned against the wall, rubbing her face.
“Oh Nicole…Just a few more hours…I’m coming, I promise. I’ll make it up to you when I get there.”
“Why don’t you just make it up to me now?” The familiar voice caused Waverly to jump.
“Nicole?” She stood up straight and looked around. Her eyes landed on Nicole and she couldn’t believe her eyes.
Nicole was standing. On her own. She was leaning against a pair of crutches, but she was standing nonetheless. Tears welled in Waverly’s eyes as she let out a squeal of excitement.
“You…You’re standing.”
“I can do more than just that, baby,” Nicole smiled and leaned the crutches against the wall. Slowly, she walked over to Waverly. She was slow, and she had a major limp, but she was walking and Waverly wanted to cry.
“You can walk! Oh, Nicole I knew you could do it!”
The redhead reached Waverly and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. Waverly broke down and buried her head in Nicole’s chest. It was all so overwhelming in the best way possible. Nicole had struggled so much with physical therapy and her anxiety only got worse as the days went on. Waverly had no doubt that Nicole could do it, but she was beginning to worry that she wouldn’t allow herself to. Seeing her girlfriend standing and walking on her own was something Waverly didn’t expect to see for months.
“Hey, it’s okay…I’m okay,” Nicole whispered into her hair.
“I was getting worried that you wouldn’t do it…”
“I know, baby,” Nicole brushed some of Waverly’s hair back and kissed the side of her head. “And I didn’t think I could. But then you came along and turned my world around. You motivated me and you kept me from retreating into my doubts and fears. This is all because of you.”
Waverly looked up at her girlfriend with wet eyes and and a runny nose. Nicole thought she’d never looked more beautiful. She brought a hand up and wiped the tears from Waverly’s cheeks and cupped her face.
“You call me your hero,” the redhead whispered, “but you may not realize that you are my hero,” she brought their faces closer and spoke again, even softer, “I love you, Waverly Earp.”
“And I love you, Nicole Haught,” Waverly whispered, more tears falling. She closed her eyes and connected their lips.
The kiss was soft, passionate, and full of emotion. They both knew things were only beginning, and that one couldn’t possible love this soon into a relationship, but they knew that they were meant to be. They were in this for the long run, and they were positive of their feelings. They were in love and no one could tell them otherwise.
“A toast!” Wynonna yelled and smiled. “I think it’s safe to say that there truly was a miracle in Purgatory tonight,” she lifted her glass of champagne in the air. “To Wayhaught!”
“To Wayhaught!” Everyone else yelled in unison and erupted in applause and cheers. Nicole and Waverly broke apart and laughed.
“Wynonna was behind all of this?” Waverly asked.
“Of course she was,” Nicole smiled and connected their foreheads. They closed their eyes and swayed to the music.
“This last month has been the best month of my life,” Waverly smiled. “Aside from the whole almost dying part.”
“Well we’re safe now. Ralph is locked up, over half of the Revenants are taken care of. I’m never leaving the station without a bulletproof vest and we’re talking about hiring security for your store.”
“God I love you,” Waverly sighed, relief overtaking her body.
“Wave?” Nicole asked after a minute of silence.
“Yes baby?”
“Can I stay here tonight?
“Oh you’re not leaving my sight ever again.”
“I know it’s Christmas, but I wasn’t able to get you anything,” Nicole frowned. “This isn’t how I imagined my Christmas to go this year for many reasons, and the only one of them that disappoints me is that I wasn’t able to give you anything.”
“Nicole, this,” Waverly motioned to the length of Nicole’s body, “you standing and walking after an accident like that is the best and only thing I could have ever asked for.”
Nicole wiped her eyes before wiping Waverly’s. “Well then…Merry Christmas, baby.”
Waverly smiled. “Merry Christmas,” she whispered and kisses Nicole again.