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In hindsight, Waverly probably should have seen this coming. Daddy had told them a dozen times not to play on the lake. “If I have to freeze my ass off pulling yours out of there I’m gonna paint it red when I get out.” He always said. But Daddy was passed out drunk and Waverly was bored so when Willa said they should go play by the lake Waverly didn’t think twice about it. Besides, the incident in the barn was just a game, Willa would never intentionally hurt her, right?
“Come on, slowpoke!” Willa called, sounding too irritated to be in a gentle ribbing way.
“I’m comin’, Willa!” Waverly said as she trudged through the snow, clutching her stuffed bunny to her chest. Reaching the edge of the frozen lake and standing next to her sister. “So what are we doin’ out here?”
“We’re gonna play a game,” Willa smirks as she yanks the bunny from Waverly’s hands and throws it across the thin ice.
“Hey! What’d you do that for?”
“It’s part of the game, go get it.” Willa sneers.
Waverly looks out to the lake, her worn stuffed bunny landing a few feet from the edge, far enough that she would have to walk onto the surface. “Why do you gotta be so mean all the time, Willa?” She sniffles.
“Why do you gotta be such a baby?”, Willa retorts, “Now go!”
Before Waverly can move or respond, a low growl comes from behind Willa, causing her face to drop and freeze. Both girls turning and seeing a shock of red in the white snow. A rust-colored wolf stands with its teeth bared and ears back, clearly in a defensive stance. Its gaze seemed locked on Willa as if daring her to take a step closer to it or Waverly. Much too small to be an adult wolf but big enough to frighten two young girls.
“Daddy!” Willa screams and takes off running for the house. Almost immediately the wolf’s demeanor changes. Relaxing its lips and lifting its ears just a bit before lowering its belly towards the ground in a submissive gesture as if to put Waverly at ease. The wolf takes a step back, walking towards the lake, sniffing the edge and gently walking across the icy surface with practiced gentleness. Nails clicking on the ice as it reaches the stuffed bunny, grabbing an ear with its mouth and trotting back towards Waverly and dropping it at her feet. Wolfish gold eyes looking up at her, tail wagging slightly like a dog.
“T-Thanks.” Waverly gently praises the wolf, making its tail wag a bit faster, ears perking up. Holding a small hand out, Waverly slowly reaches down and makes contact, feeling the soft copper fur as she brushes its ear back.
“Waverly!” Wynonna’s voice rings out from the house, making the wolf growl a bit, causing Waverly to remove her hand quickly.
“It’s ok, that’s Wynonna, she’s nice.” She tells the wolf, seemingly making it calm down. “But I need to go back now. Will I see you again?” Waverly asks, the wolf wagging its tail before trotting off and disappearing in the trees surrounding the homestead.
Waverly knows she hasn’t told the kindest things about Willa to Nicole, but the way she acts around Willa seems a bit much.
Ever since Willa’s been back Nicole has been sticking to her like glue. Not that she minds, they’re still very much in the honeymoon phase of their...relationship? Well, she’s not sure what they officially are, but she’s not complaining about having Nicole around. When Willa catches them in the barn, on her way out Nicole turns to Willa, lip twitching up a bit, showing off a sharp canine before leaving.
When Willa stands too close to Waverly in the homestead, Nicole grumbles...or growls softly. Normally she would be concerned that her almost-girlfriend is being so hostile to her sister, but she’s not so sure about this new ‘Willa’ and even if it really is her, well to say she was mean to Waverly growing up would be a massive understatement. So sue her if for once she’s happy to have someone on her side.
Once again, Waverly finds herself thinking that she should have seen this coming. Willa’s inevitable turn. It’s like she’s 4 all over again, only instead of just her, Willa seems to want to take Wynonna down with her. Just when she thinks she couldn’t have more deja vu, suddenly standing between her and an armed Willa is an angry copper furred wolf.
“I knew I recognized that mangy mutt from somewhere.” Willa laughs, only making the wolf bear its teeth and growl.
Suddenly it clicks, the growling, the sneering, the overbearing protectiveness for Waverly lately. After all, how many wolves had she seen with that same shocking red color. “Nicole?” She asks, the wolf- no- Nicole, wagging her tail just slightly to acknowledge her, but not taking her eyes off of Willa.
“Give me peacemaker or I punch a bunch of holes in Waverly’s guard dog.” She demands, earning a louder growl, pointing the gun at Nicole’s hulking canine form.
“She won’t.” Wynonna tries.
“What do I care about some filthy fleabag cop?”
“Wynonna she’ll do it.” Waverly pleads. “Please, I love her.” Watching Nicole’s ears perk up, it would almost be funny at how she’s trying to stay threatening if hse wasn’t pleading for her girlfriend’s life.
“If I don’t have it in 3...2...1.”
“Fine!” Wynonna caves, handing peacemaker over. “This isn’t over, I’m coming for you.”
“Well then I better slow you down,” Willa says before Waverly’s whole world comes crashing down. A shot ringing out and then a pained whimper as Nicole collapses.
“Nicole!” Waverly screams as she scrambles over to her, Willa taking the opportunity to storm out, Wynonna quickly following Waverly to Nicole’s side. The large form of the red wolf shrinking as Nicole transforms, holding her side, a bit of blood staining her shirt and hand.
“I’m ok, baby.” Nicole grunts out, “It’s just a graze and it takes a lot more than that to kill me.” She manages a smile. “Go, I’ll be ok.” Waverly smiling an leaning down to kiss her.
Later that night, trying to still process the events of the crazy day they’ve had, Waverly patches up the bandages on Nicole’s side. “You know, I would have thought I hallucinated that day,” Waverly starts. “But I found this a couple days ago.” Leaning over and grabbing a piece of paper out of her nightstand drawer and handing it to Nicole. Smiling as she looks down at a childish drawing of what appears to be a young Waverly holding a stuffed rabbit and next to her is a smiling red wolf.
“Willa was always a horse girl but I was more of a wolf girl,” Waverly says, making Nicole snort.