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Charlene sputtered and jolted to a stop, black smoke billowing from the tail pipe.
“I can’t believe you convinced us to ride in this thing. It needs to go to the scrap yard, like yesterday,” Waverly said from the back seat, barely keeping her head from smacking into the back of the driver’s seat.
“You do not put such a fine steed out to pasture when she has so much life left to live,” Doc shot back, his piercing blue eyes shooting daggers at Waverly in the rearview mirror.
“We should’ve brought the cruiser,” Nicole muttered, opening the door and stepping out into the frigid December air. The door closed on Doc’s indignant response.
A request for the cruiser not to come had left the trio with only Charlene. Wynonna had left earlier with the truck and Waverly had left her Jeep in Arizona where she was currently stationed with BBD.
“God it’s cold,” Waverly said, shivering as she walked over to Nicole. The red head wrapped her arms around Waverly and held her close.
“It’s a good thing you left all your winter stuff here,” Nicole said, kissing the top of Waverly’s light pink winter hat.
“Now come on you two, we can not be late,” Doc said, shoving his hands into his pocket and hunching over against the cold.
They walked into the large covered arena. Doc scanned the area, searching for Wynonna among the mass of people in the stands.
“She said she’s underneath the bull dick,” Nicole said wrinkling her nose slightly at her phone. “Oh, now she says ‘look to your left you’” Nicole paused, reading the rest of the text message, ”... well that was rude.”
“What’d she say?” Waverly asked, grabbing Nicole’s hand and trying to see the phone.
Nicole pulled it away, her face turning even redder than it had been from the wind.
“I do believe I have spotted our fellow comrade,” Doc said, motioning towards the bleachers to their left.
Waverly and Nicole followed him up the bleachers to where Wynonna sat, her jacket over one of the two unoccupied seats to her left, glaring at anyone who came close to the other two vacant seats to her right.
“What took you so long? I’ve come this close to pulling out Peacemaker on some punkasses,” Wynonna said, glancing at the list of names on the board.
“Doc?” Nicole said, raising an eyebrow in his direction.
Doc flushed and started to protest when Waverly shushed him and looked down into the arena.
They all fell silent as the figure walked into the center of the ring.
The arena hushed. The shrill beep of a starting timer shattered the silence.
The world slowed as Doc watched, mesmerized, as the gunslinger danced around the arena. Shots firing faster than he could keep track. Faster than he could ever imagine possible. The popping of the steel lost underneath the rapid cracks of gunfire.
Doc looked up at the clock as the final buzzer rang out over the crowd.
Cedar and cinnamon hit Doc and strong fingers interlacing with his wrenched Doc’s attention from the time.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the faint outline of the man who once owned his heart.
Wyatt.
Was that a smile on Wyatt’s lips? Doc resisted the urge to turn and face the spectre staring down at the gunslinger in a battered black cowboy hat standing still in the center of the arena, head bowed.
What if Wyatt disappeared if he looked? Doc couldn’t do it. He couldn’t take the chance. His eyes bore into the gunslingers, heart swelling as the shooter ran their thumbs over the butt of their guns. Over the initials carved by his own hand many, many moons ago.
W.B.E. on one. J.H.H. on the other.
The gunslinger raised their head, eyes searching the crowd and instantly finding his. Piercing blue met piercing blue. The gunslinger smiled and tipped her old, battered hat in his direction.
“Well there you have it folks. With a new world record, standing in the ring is your U14 steel challenge champion, Alice Earp-Holliday!” The announcer exclaimed into the microphone.
Doc leapt to his feet, whooping along with Waverly, Nicole, Wynonna…and Wyatt. He felt Wyatt’s strong shoulder pressed against his. Try as he might, Doc couldn’t hold back the tears that threatened to escape.
“That’s my girl,” He hollered. Alice smiled up at him.
“You’ve done good, old friend,” Wyatt’s voice whispered into Doc’s ear, whiskers tickling sensitive skin. “Until we meet again.”
Lips brushing Doc’s cheek tested the strength of Doc’s will. He wouldn’t turn away from Alice. Not now as she waved up at him, demanding his attention.
The spectre dissolved. Wyatt was gone. Doc hadn’t even had the chance to say goodbye.
Again.
Heartache threatening to crush his chest fought and lost to the overwhelming rush of pride as his daughter took his old black hat off of her head and waved, smiling, to the roaring crowd.
Alice Earp-Holliday - Fastest gunslinger the world would ever see.
Doc Holliday’s daughter.
His immortality.