Chapter Text
The library was quiet. Something that wasn’t unusual a lot of days, but Waverly didn’t mind. She liked the quiet as much as she enjoyed when people actually came in searching for books or resources. While running a library wasn’t exactly the ‘get paid to read all day’ job she had always assumed it was as a kid, she did have some time for it most days.
Currently, she found herself in exactly that sort of situation and was reading over the newspaper spread out on the front desk. She was carefully pouring over each word for every detail when she heard the door open.
“Hi, can I help-oh it’s you,” she cut off her greeting when she looked up and saw her sister approaching.
“Jeez, I hope that’s not how you greet all the eager minds who come in here.”
“No, that’s just for you,” she chuckled, “What brings you by?”
“Just popping by to see my favorite sister,” Wynonna said and held up a paper bag, “Grabbed you a muffin.”
Waverly tilted her head and teased, “Now I know you want something.”
“Nooo,” she exaggerated in denial, “What, I can’t bring you a delicious baked good just ‘cause I love you? I’m hurt.”
“Wynonna…”
“Fine,” she sighed dramatically, “I’m clearing all the junk from the barn this weekend and maybe I was hoping you could sweet talk your girlfriend into coming by to help. Could use her truck to haul everything to the scrap yard.”
“You have a truck, Wynonna,” she pointed out.
“Yeah, but two people with two trucks means I don’t need two trips.”
Waverly shook her head with an amused smile, “I’ll mention it to her, but no promises.”
“You’re a peach, BabyGirl,” Wynonna said, pulling the muffin from the bag and plopping it on top of the newspaper.
“Hey, I’m reading that,” Waverly said, picking it up and wiping crumbs off the paper.
“Huh,” Wynonna voiced as she bit into a donut, she’d grabbed for herself, “You know you can just watch the news. That way you don’t have to wait ‘til tomorrow to see what happened today.”
“There was a fire last night,” she said tapping the article, “A house in Monument.”
“So?” Wynonna shrugged.
“So, it’s the second house fire in the triangle in a month.”
“Again, so?” she repeated, “It’s a dry summer. The whole territory is a damn tinderbox.”
“But look,” she turned the paper around to face her sister, “The homeowner is a former firefighter. So was the last one. And they say that one was arson. This can’t be coincidence.”
“Well, they haven’t said this was arson, have they?” Wynonna pointed out after skimming the article, “IT could coincidence. I mean, stranger things have happened. Probably all it is.”
“But if it isn’t, and someone’s targeting firefighters- “
“Bup-Bup. I know what you’re thinking,” Wynonna interrupted, “And you said yourself it’s former firefighters. If that’s what’s going on, and that’s a big if, Hot Haught’s not on some weirdo’s radar. Don’t go there.”
Waverly sighed and swiped her hair back from her face.
“I just…I worry enough as it is when she’s working, you know? And now this?”
“This is nothing right now,” Wynonna assured, “Ok? Just remember Haught Shot knows what she’s doing. It’s literally in her name, for God’s sake. She’s built to fight fires and look good doing it. Does she seem worried about any of this?”
“No,” Waverly said after a moment, a smile started pulling at her lips, “And she does look good, doesn’t she?”
Wynonna smacked her arm, “Don’t get greedy, I already said it once. I’ll deny it if you tell her I did.”
Waverly chuckled and started folding the paper back up along the creases, thinking to herself before speaking quietly.
“She was burned before,” she said.
“What’s that?”
“She was burned before, bad. In a fire before I met her,” she explained, “Scars across her shoulder.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that,” Wynonna said and then spoke again before her sister could fall back into worrying again, “But she’s still standing, right? She still killing flames and taking names without a problem, right?”
“You’re right,” Waverly said and sighed loudly, “You’re right. If anyone would know if it’s something to worry about, Nicole would. And she’s the coolest cucumber in the garden.”
X
“Shit!” Nicole hissed as she sped through traffic in one of her station’s SUVs.
The siren blared, warning other drivers on the road to get out of the way as she weaved around the congested street.
“Shit! Shit!” she cursed and added the honk of the horn to the cacophony of noise she was creating as she drove.
Once she was finally free of the crowd of vehicles the rest of the route was easy and she was screeching to a stop in front of her destination within minutes. Killing the engine, she jumped out of the car and ran inside the building without hesitation. Hurrying through the lobby, she almost tripped over herself as she came to a stop in front of the door she needed. She opened it quickly and looked around the nearly empty room before a pair of brown eyes looked her way.
“Mama!” a little voice called right before a series of footsteps came along the carpeted floor and a weight crashed into her legs.
Nicole blew out a breath and bent down, sliding her hands under her daughter’s shoulders, and lifting her up.
“Elliephant,” she said, making sure to match her energy as she pulled her into a hug. She felt her little arms wrap around her neck tightly and rubbed her back in turn, feeling terrible for the late pickup.
“I didn’t know you were getting me today!” Ellie cheered happily.
“It’s a surprise,” she said, kissing her cheek and squeezing her again, “I’m sorry you had to wait so long.”
“I had the blocks all to myself!” she told her, apparently not bothered at all.
“You did?” Nicole asked, setting her on her hip, “Did you make a masterpiece?”
“Come see!” she wiggled to be put down and grabbed her mother’s hand once she was on the floor.
Nicole allowed herself to be led across the room towards the activity tables where Beth was clearing up and gave the woman an apologetic smile.
“Thank you so much for sticking around,” she told her, “I’m sorry I’m so late. The babysitter had a family emergency and couldn’t come, and I didn’t see her message until a few minutes ago and I- “
“Ms. Haught,” Beth held up a hand to stop her ramble, “It’s fine. These things happen. Especially in your line of work, I imagine.”
She gestured to the station shirt Nicole was wearing with an understanding smile.
“And Ellie’s a delight. I had no problem spending a little extra time with her.”
“Thank you,” she said again, feeling a little more at ease, and looked down when she felt the tug on her fingers.
“Look, Mama.”
Ellie stood on her toes and held up a structure made up of red blocks.
“Oh wow!” she knelt down to her level and took the creation in her hands, looking it over for a clue to what it was meant to be, “This is so good, sweetie.”
“It’s like the one you ride!” the little girl said excitedly, and Nicole’s smile grew now knowing the was her interpretation at a firetruck.
“It’s exactly like it,” she praised, “A masterpiece, just like I said.”
Ellie smiled wide and took it back, scooting it along the top of the nearby table like it was driving along before she looked up again, “Can I keep it?”
“Well, these blocks are for here so everyone can share them,” she told her, “But we can take a picture of it, and you can make one at home with your blocks. How’s that?”
“Yeah, take a picture!” she agreed happily, stepping back from the table so Nicole could snap a picture of on her phone.
“Now, hold it up so I can get one with the artist.”
Ellie giggled as she grabbed it, “It’s not art, Mama. It’s blocks.”
“Trust me, baby, it’s art,” she said and took a picture of Ellie holding her creation with a big toothy smile on her face, “Ok. Let’s get going so Ms. Beth can go home, too. Grab your bag.”
Ellie put the blocks in the tub before scurrying to her cubby and grabbing her little blue backpack. She strapped it on her shoulders and ran back to Nicole, immediately holding up her arms to be picked up again.
Nicole thanked Beth once more and picked her up, walking the two out of the daycare center. One she was outside, she saw the SUV and remembered she’d taken it from the station in her hurry to get there.
“We have to stop at the station really quick, but then we’ll go home. Ok?”
“K,” Ellie said, swinging her legs as they approached the car, “Is Wavely coming today?”
Nicole chuckled and bounced her daughter a couple times.
“She is,” she told her and emphasized her girlfriend’s name as she spoke, “Waverly is coming for dinner tonight. She wants to make some food for us.”
“With ‘tatoes?” Ellie asked making Nicole chuckle.
“I’m sure she’ll make sure there’s tasty potatoes, too.”
“Good. I like Wavely, Mama.”
“I’m glad, sweetie. I like her, too,” Nicole smiled as she set her down and grabbed the emergency booster from the back of the car and set it up on the seat.
“Is she gonna sleep over?”
Nicole grinned at the question, still thrilled and relieved that once her relationship with Waverly had reached a point to feel comfortably introduce her to her daughter the two had gotten along almost instantly. Ellie loved having her around and they were now in a comfortable point that allowed Waverly to stay over without any awkwardness. Her daughter looked forward to the ‘sleepovers’ and having her present at bedtime and breakfast.
“Probably,” she answered and patted the booster seat, signaling for her to climb in.
As she got settled and lifted her hands up so the seatbelt could be buckled across her lap she spoke again.
“Is she gonna be my daddy?”
Nicole coughed out a laugh, “Why would you ask that?”
“She sleeps over a lot. Jimmy’s mama has a friend who sleeps over, and he says now he’s gonna be his daddy.”
Nicole shook her head, amused at the simplicity of children’s points of view. She grabbed one of Ellie’s shoed feet and gave it a little shake.
“We’ll talk about that later, ok?”
“Promise?” she extended her hand and lifted up her pinky.
Nicole chuckled and wrapped her pinky around the little one offered to her, “Promise.”
“Don’t forget,” she said in a singsong voice.
“I won’t,” she assured, “And if I do, you’ll remember for me, right?”
“Elliephant never forgets!” she said proudly with a nod.
“Exactly,” she kissed the top of her head.
X
After dinner, which did indeed have some roasted potatoes to Ellie’s delight, Nicole sat on the couch with Waverly. Ellie was sandwiched between them, freshly bathed and in her pajamas, leaning against Nicole with her fingers absently running over the ears of her favorite stuffed bunny rabbit, as Waverly read from the book at the girl’s request.
“You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So, get on your way!”
Waverly emphatically finished the story and leaned down to tap her head against Ellie’s. The little girl giggled and leaned into her, hugging her rabbit tightly to her chest. She tilted her head back to look up at her mother.
“I’m gonna climb a mountain, Mama.”
“You will,” she agreed, “But first, it’s time to get on your way to bed!”
“Noooo,” she protested and curled up into a ball, “Elephants don’t have bedtime.”
“But Elliephants do,” Nicole teased, scoping her up with a swing as she stood up, “Ask Waverly.”
Ellie looked to Waverly, who smiled and nodded, “They do.”
“Yep,” Nicole said, bouncing her against her hip, “And you know she’s right ‘because she works at the library with all the books.”
“Aww, man,” she said, dropping her head against Nicole’s shoulder.
“I know,” Nicole smiled, kissing her head before putting her down on her feet. She gave her bottom a little pat, “Come on, cutie.”
Her feet pattered through the house towards her room and Nicole glanced at Waverly, noticing the way she was looking up her.
“What?”
“Nothing,” she shrugged, “Just…admiring. Sexy, strong Firefighter Haught being an adorable softie.”
“Sexy, huh?” she smirked, bracing her arm on the back of the couch, and leaning down so their faces were inches apart.
“So sexy,” Waverly whispered in the space between them.
“Mm,” Nicole hummed, placing a kiss on her soft lips.
“Mama!” Ellie’s voice called out, causing them pull apart, “We hafta do the calendar!”
Nicole buried her face into Waverly neck for a second, her breath tickling over her skin as she chuckled before lifting her head and answering.
“Coming,” she called back, then stood up straight and offered her hand to Waverly, “Come on. Come say goodnight.”
They went to the bedroom where Ellie was waiting in front of one of the pale blue walls of her bedroom.
“Okie doke,” Nicole said, clapping her hands together as they entered.
Ellie waited until her mom was with her to climb on the little chair she’d already moved in place against the wall. With one hand on her daughter’s back for safety, they looked at the calendar hanging on the wall.
“Ok, today is…”
“This one,” Ellie pointed at the square, “Three one.”
“That’s right, thirty-one,” she nodded, “Go ahead.”
Ellie put the thick blue marker on the page and drew a large, slightly wobbly X over the day. She stood back and looked at her mom excitedly, “Gotta turn it, Mama!”
“We do,” she agreed, removing the pin, and turning it over to the new month. She pinned it back as Ellie got a laugh at the picture of an orange cat with a flower on its head.
“It looks like CJ!” she laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.
“It does, doesn’t it? We’ll show her tomorrow and see if she agrees,” she joked and scooped Ellie back up, “But first, bedtime.”
She carried her across the room and put her on her bed. Ellie wiggled around to get under her blanket and pulled her rabbit towards her.
“Good dreams tonight, Mama,” she said softly.
“Only the best, baby,” she agreed, running her finger down her nose, “I love you, Ellie.”
Nicole’s heart swelled when her little finger ran over Nicole’s nose in return.
“Love you, Mama,” she said back. Her eyes moved to the picture in the colorful foam frame beside her bed, “Love you heaven Mama.”
Nicole smiled softly and kissed her forehead, “She loves you, baby.”
Ellie turned on her side and snuggled into the pillow.
“Wavely too,” she said to the woman leaning against the door.
Waverly smiled and crossed the room. She leaned over the bed and kissed her temple.
“Ellie, too,” she said softly.
“Goodnight, sweetie,” Nicole said, turning on the nightlight and crossing the room. She hit the main switch and pulled the door closed behind her.
In the hall, Nicole leaned on the wall, almost instantly feeling Waverly’s arms wrap around her waist and rest against her. Nicole returned the embrace and rested her chin on top of her head.
“You’re so good with her,” Nicole said in a sigh, running her hands up and down her back, “I love seeing you guys together.”
“She makes it easy,” she answered, “You’re raising an amazing kid.”
“Hmm,” she hummed, “I don’t know, today she asked if you were going to be her daddy.”
“She didn’t,” Waverly breathed out, pulling back in amused shock.
“Sure did,” Nicole laughed, “That’s a conversation I didn’t know I’d have to have so soon.”
“I believe in you,” she teased and gave her a quick kiss before stepping back. She took Nicole’s hand and started walking backwards with a mischievous glint in her eye.
“Besides,” she started with a smirk as she pulled Nicole with her, “If anyone’s a daddy…”
“Don’t,” Nicole laughed, looking quickly over her shoulder then back to Waverly.
Waverly grinned and continued leading Nicole towards her bedroom.
X
Late in the night as Waverly slept, Nicole sat at the desk on the far side of the bedroom. The computer screen cast a low glow across her face in the otherwise dark room.
She read over the latest article detailing what was known about the recent house fires. She glanced back at Waverly’s sleeping form for a moment before turning back to the computer. She braced her elbows on the desk and leaned her mouth against her clasped hands, closing her eyes.
After a few moments, she took a deep breath and wiped a hand over her face. Closing the window and shutting off the screen, Nicole cast the room back into darkness. She slid back into bed and wrapped her arms around Waverly, feeling her instantly turn towards her. Nicole held her close and focused on slowing her breathing to match Waverly’s, hoping it would clear her mind of worry and allow her some sleep.
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