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Chapter Text

Chapter One
Love Me Two Times

2002
“Shae,” Nicole guided the novel back to the young fan as her fiancé stood at her side. The smell of paperbacks and coffee grinds filled her senses and excitement percolated inside her. This was the first time she held a book signing and she could no longer contain her joy, even if it was in the smallest bookstore in downtown Chicago. She was hidden in the back of the store, tall aisles of books creating a haphazard line for those waiting for her autograph. “You will never guess who was here today!”

“Who, babe?” The tall woman questioned, slithering her hand on the redhead’s shoulder. The warmth filled the tall redhead and calmed her shaking nerves.

Nicole reached forward across the small folding table and grabbed the book from the trembling masculine hands in front of her.

“Can you make it out to Robin, please?” The young boy croaked. Nicole noticed the sweaty palm stains on the front cover and she could not help but smile.

“Of course Robin,” She opened the hard cover book to the first blank page and she scribbled long, fast, and messy, as if she had been doing this her entire left. “How did you enjoy the book?”

“I absolutely loved it!” Robin said as he licked his lips in anticipation and took a deep gasp of air. “Especially the part where Officer Swelt punched the bad guy and Whitney ran over and shot him with the gun. The team work between that group, Ms. Haught, is inspiring.”

“Well thanks, Robin.” The redhead told him honestly. She loved getting any type of comments on her novel and the ones she received today were totally inflating her ego. “I am glad you enjoyed it! Have a nice night!”

Shae stole Nicole’s attention as soon as Robin’s backside faced the table. “The suspense is killing me-”

“Robert Half, from the New York Times! He wants to interview me for the paper.”

“Oh my god, babe, that’s amazing!” Shae enveloped Nicole in her arms and together they swayed in excitement.

“He said he read the book and he loved it. His whole family did!”

“Because it’s wonderful, baby. I knew you were going to be a star!” The doctor to-be kissed the crown of Nicole’s head, her dark red lipstick staining the other woman’s pale skin. “Look, I’m going to go mingle while you tend to the masses, okay?”

“All four other people in line.” Nicole surveyed the small crowd in front of them.

“Six, I see at least see six. Watch out, in ten years you will be wishing your line was that small.”

“Ha ha!” Nicole said sarcastically, waving the next guest forward.

An elderly woman slowly hobbled over towards the autograph table, struggling with every slow and unsteady step. Nicole ripped from her seat and darted toward the woman, holding her arm out for support.

“Good evening, ma’am.” Nicole greeted her. The woman gently wrapped her soft, wrinkly hand on the redhead’s arm, her fingertips causing electricity to spark through all of Nicole’s body.

“Always such a gentle soul, Ms. Haught,” The woman articulated, her rickety voice mirroring her body language.

“Do I know you, ma’am?” Nicole inquired as she stared into large hazel orbs.

The woman plucked the book she had tucked under her free arm and passed it over to the young woman. “Would you be able to make it out to Wynonna?”

“Of course,” The redhead leaned up against the temporary table behind her and crossed her leg so she could write in her best penmanship. Still, the elderly woman did not remove her hand from her arm, the feeling stirring an unexplainable heat within the author. “Two N’s and an A?”

“Yes. My sister is going to love this.”

“Your sister? What about you ma’am? Can I get you another copy for yourself?” Nicole asked feeling a bundle of anxiety balloons floating higher and higher within her stomach.

“I already have everything I need.” The elderly woman took the book and finally released her hand from her arm. Her fingers traced Nicole’s signature, rocky but resilient. “I am proud of you Nicole.”

Their eyes locked as a warm, rousing, yet comforting feeling overflowed from Nicole’s heart to every tip of her body.

“Are you sure I don’t-”

“Have a great night, Nicole.” The elderly woman brushed past Nicole and dropped her most prized possession on the table. Without another word, she wobbled towards the front of the store.

“Who the heck was that?” Shae questioned as she slid into her fiancé’s side.

“I have no idea.” Nicole’s fingers traced the silver item on the table: a pocket watch. She grasped the chain and opened the jewelry; a note written in elegant calligraphy blew to the ground.

Come back to me

2012
“Nicole, what are you doing?” Xavier Dolls asked as he sauntered with her around the room. Shirts, pants, and even lingerie fell into a large pile in the middle of her blue suitcase.

“I’m going on a vacation. I need to get away.” She walked towards her nightstand and quickly flipped over her wedding picture as if it was aflame and the lack of oxygen would put it out.

“What about the newest novel?” He asked as he leaned against the doorway, crossing both his arms and legs, a stoic look etched across his face.

“It’s not happening.” Nicole announced as she disappeared into the master bedroom, reappearing with her toothbrush, toothpaste, and two bright orange pill bottles.

“Writer’s block happens all the time Nicole. You’ve written four novels back to back.”

“Which is why I think I need to get away. Get my flow back, you know.” She dropped the bathroom necessities into her suitcase and shoved them into the empty spaces, without any meaningful organization.

“As your boss, I should warn you against this.” Dolls told her honestly.

Nicole stopped ruffling through items and looked over to the almost-middle-aged man. “And as my friend?”

“As your friend I say good for you, you deserve a break.” A smile cracked across his normally hard exterior.

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“Do you know where you are going?” He questioned as he launched over to the bed and held the suitcase cover closed as she struggled to zip it shut.

“Wherever the wind takes me, I guess.” She answered, shrugging her shoulders.

“Shae going with you?”

“Actually, no, she’s not.” Nicole announced as tears pooled up in her eyes. “We’re getting a divorce. She was cheating on me.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nicole, what about-”

“I’m fine,” Nicole answered tension threading throughout her voice. “I’ve got everything I need packed. And I have a doctor’s appointment in two weeks. I’m okay, seriously.”

“But the headaches…”

“I’m okay, Xavier, really.”

“Don’t you think Shae deserves to know?” He asked, and she could see for one of the few times in her life that there was actual emotion hidden behind his pupils.

“Why, so I can receive her pity?” Nicole stated harshly. “She doesn’t deserve to know what’s happening with me or my body.”

Wind blew through Nicole’s hair as she traveled down the long, winding, quiet road, windows wide-open and fresh air filling her lungs. Trees around her swayed as the wind tickled their branches and bright green leaves danced around her. As the sun slowly set in front of her, exhaustion overtook her brain and her eyelids started drooping. She knew she needed to find a place to lay her head and fast. She never fell asleep at the wheel before, but she thought this might actually be her first. Her eyes blinked over and over, fighting to stay open.

Lights splattered her vision and hope flamed within. Did she finally find civilization? Would she be able to stretch her legs and lay down on a soft, comfy bed?

As she drove closer, the bright glare burned her retinas, but the words Ghost River Hotel came into view. Did she really want to stay at a place with the word ghost in its name? Before she could take another breath, her arms were spinning the steering wheel and she was turning down the driveway to the hotel.

Ghosts, really?

Hesitantly, Nicole drove into the first available spot as the skies opened and rain started to splatter across her windshield.

“You have got to be kidding me.” She muttered to herself as she stepped from the car and grabbed her suitcase. Within seconds, her hair was soaked and cold water was dripping down her back. If this was one of her novels, she would be swearing at the protagonist to turn away, but this was not a book, this was her real life.

She stepped through the automatic doors, her wet body instantly shivering as the cold air conditioning smacked against it. She sped toward the front desk; an older man in the same state as she, falling asleep.

“Excuse me? Sir?” She called out twice, but to no avail. Instead, a snore vibrated from his mouth. She reached forward and hit the hotel buzzer, a ring resounding throughout the empty lobby. The older man soared, startled.

“Sorry about that,” He said sincerely, wiping the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand. “How can I help you, miss?”

“I was hoping you had a room available?”

“Of course!” The elderly man turned around and grabbed the first brass key from the key box. “How long will you be staying with us?”

“Just tonight,” Nicole informed as he passed the key over to her. She rotated the antique brass key in her hand, the metal burning her palm.

“Of course!” He slid a large hotel registry across the table and handed her over a pen. “I know it’s a bit old school, but can you please sign in, Ms-”

“Haught, Nicole Haught.” Nicole grabbed the pen and signed the book. After doing thousands of autographs, this one was simple. She slid the book back to the older man, who quickly filled out the time and the room number.

“I’m Randy Nedley…” The older man glanced up again, his eyes locking with Nicole’s. “Have you ever been here before, Ms. Haught?”

“No, I don’t think so,” She disagreed instantly, “And please call me Nicole.”

“Of course, Nicole. You just looked familiar. It must have been my old age. We tend to have a lot of university students come around to enjoy the bar… and the rooms. I wasn’t sure if you had stayed with us in your younger days.”

“No sir, not that I remember. But that was a while ago, you probably weren’t even working here yet.”

“I’ve been here since 1940. My dad was a desk clerk here himself and as a toddler I would sit in the lobby while he was working.”

“Really?” Nicole questioned as she followed Randy to the elevator.

“I know; I’m younger than I look, huh Nicole?” He smirked. “I used to drive my father crazy. I had a basketball bounced it on the hardwood floor of the lobby. He got so mad sometimes, I don’t even know how I made it to six.”

The elevator door gradually opened, and Nicole stepped inside, her suitcase traveling beside her.

“Are you all set with your bags, Nicole?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay, take this to the 3rd floor. Your room is number 320.”

“Thank you, sir. Have a great night.”

“You too Nicole.” The door shut and Randy’s face slowly disappeared.

Nicole watched the numbers to each floor light up above her head as a resounding ding echoed across the metal walls of the elevator.

“Shit,” She cursed at herself. She accidentally hit the button for the fourth floor, yet her room was on the third. She must be sleepier than she thought.

Chapter Text

She woke in the wee hours of the morning, earlier than she ever remembered waking in her entire life. A small flock of cardinals was chirping outside her window and the sun was shining through the lace curtains dressing the frame. She groaned in frustration and held the pillow over her head, screaming in frustration. So much for a relaxing little getaway. How did she end up here? How did she end up like this?

Nicole dropped her warm feet on the freezing cold hardwood floor, shivers spiraling up her half naked form as she escaped the heat and comfort of the bed. She dragged herself towards the window, desperate to show her enemy who’s boss, and this time, it was the fiery ball of flames millions of miles up in the sky. Was it not pouring rain last night?

Her hands clutched onto the thin fabric, frantic to jerk the curtains closed and retreat from the blinding sun. Her eyes peered outside, flickering haphazardly throughout the picturesque view. Nicole could see the patio floors underneath her and in the far off distance, a lake, with the strong morning sun reflecting against the small wind made tides. Her hands stretched forward, and her fingertips traced the outline of the water, her sweaty digits dirtying pristine window. Everything looked so, familiar?

Nicole shook her head wildly, trying to rid her brain of any unnatural thoughts. Her pupils shifted to her laptop, sitting closed on the small desk beside the bed. She knew she should be writing. After four successful books in the ten years, her publishing company was becoming increasingly pushy, threatening her day after day to draft another masterpiece. She just felt stuck.

She sauntered over toward the nightstand beside the queen-sized mattress, her fingertips skimming over the cold pocket watch. It was one of the few things she treasured; she always carried it around in her pocket. She pressed the top of the button, the antique item opening and displaying the early time of 4:48 am.

With one last look at the bed chanting for her return, she pulled out a blouse and a pair of jeans from her small suitcase. Within seconds, she stripped from her pajamas and into fresh clothes. A hungry animal growled inside her stomach and she knew she had to grab some breakfast before she even thought about her next adventure. She opened the door, taking with one last glance around the room. Her eyes magnetically connected to her laptop. No, not happening.

She sailed down the hallway and stopped in front of the elevator. As she waited for it to arrive, her mind eyes fell upon the stairwell beside it. It was only four floors right? God knows she could use the exercise and additional time before for her brain to wake up.

Her feet sped down the stairs, pounding one after another after another. Thoughts flew into her mind about Shae; what they would be doing right now if they were together? Would they still be cuddled up under the warm comforter? She chuckled at the thought, knowing it was farthest from the truth. Maybe the old Shae would have been happy to lay by her side, but not the new Shae. She was always too busy for Nicole; too busy mingling with anyone and everyone who would give her a listening ear. And being married to a top selling author, well, that gave her a huge audience.

As she rounded the last set of stairs, her hands collided with her forehead and glided around her tough skull. She felt lightheaded and dizzy, the world spinning around her. She gripped onto the railing tighter, as if it held her in her current position. Shae would never know because she would never tell her, ever. The last thing she would ever want was for her to return for pity, because she felt sorry for her. That was not happening.

Nicole released the handrail as she made it to the final landing, her breathing evening out and the world standing still. The lobby was still a dead zone, and at five in the morning, she did not expect anything less. People visited the hotel for rest and relaxation, which was exactly as she should be doing.

“Good morning, Nicole!” Randy greeted from behind the front desk. He was much more alert than he was just those few hours ago. Nicole wondered if he ever left his post at the front desk. “How was your night, Ms. Haught?”

“It was pretty good, sir.” She replied as she stepped closer. “What about you, did you get any real shut eye? I mean besides when I caught you napping earlier?”

“No, ma’am, I did not. The person working nightshift called out, so I was stuck taking it over. Normally, I live in the bungalow out back. What about you, Ms. Haught? Do not tell me you came to check out already? Checkout is not until noon. There is plenty of time left.”

“No sir, I was hoping to grab some breakfast from the restaurant you mentioned last night.”

“Well, unfortunately the restaurant does not open until 6. You have about an hour left before it opens. You should peruse the grounds. There is a lake out back; you probably saw it from your room if you looked out the window. We even have our own little hall of history down on the right. You will be surprised at some of the famous people who stayed right in the same building as you.”

“Thanks Randy, I will be sure to check it out while I’m waiting.” Nicole turned on her heel and headed towards the French doors desperate to get some fresh air.

“Hey Nicole, did you say your last name was Haught?” Randy yelled, his voice echoing throughout the whole lobby.

Nicole stopped dead in her tracks and faced the older man. “Yes sir, I did.”

Randy shook his head in disbelief. “Never mind, enjoy your morning.”

Nicole grasped onto the brass handle of the clear glass door and heaved it open, wind shuffling inside the once silent lobby. She took a step outside, the cold air colliding with her body, like a thousand knives stabbing her insides. Her arms cradled her chest, desperate to radiate some extra warmth and stop the goosebumps from forming up and down her naked arms.

She took another step across the patio, her eyes devouring every minute detail of the world around her. While the inside of the hotel was nice, the outside of the hotel was gorgeous. She took another step forward, her romantic mind imagining what it would feel like to be getting married at such a beautiful place. This was why her last two novels had such strong romantic themes; she truly was a hopeless romantic in every sense of the word.

Her feet carried her further and further into the courtyard, as if there was a magnetic string pulling her, guiding her along. Still, the frigid, early morning wind shivered underneath her shirt and she could no longer stand the chill. She had a flannel upstairs in her room, why had she not thought to wear it?

She raced back inside, as if she could not get away from the icy air quick enough. She stepped through the French doors and locked the wind outside, her figure immediately thawing. A bright light on her left caught her eye and she found she could not look away. The words Hall of History etched into a large gold plate plastered on top of the doorway. She was not one interested in history or celebrities, especially as she was considered one herself. But, she still had time to kill, so why not?

She took a step inside, the red carpet absorbing her in. To the right was a dusty display, with one of hotel registries spread wide. Her fingertips glanced over the glass, her eyes reading every single name on the page. She chuckled, was she honestly expecting to find someone she knew? Surprise, surprise, she did not. I mean she did not know too many people living in 1956, did she?

Beside the registry was a feather-tipped pen with a small inkwell next to it. Did they not have pens in 1956? She was glad Randy did not ask her to write with one of those.

She followed the red carpet down, next examining a small model of the hotel. Nicole could only imagine it was used for the construction. She got down on her knees and analyzed the 3d blue print at eye level. It even included Randy’s bungalow. She touched the top of the Nedley household, wondering where her parents were at this exact moment in time. Would they even care that she was getting a divorce? Would they care what she was going through?

Another medium sized building with roman columns stood directly across from Nedley’s. Her fingers pranced around the building, as if they were a person stalking around the fake building. Was that building still there?

Nicole stood to her full height and stretched her back. She was getting to old for this type of exercise. Her eyes immediately locked with a large photo, framed in gold and hanging on the middle of the wall. Her feet struck the red carpet, her eyes not breaking away from the woman in the photograph. Her hazel eyes called to her, sang to her, and she felt as if she was floating closer and closer.

As she stepped in front of the photograph, her breath caught in her throat, as if the oxygen was leaving the room. Her fingertips outlined the young woman’s beautiful smile. Nicole felt as if her eyes were peering into her soul. The woman’s happiness made her smile and she could not help but feel as if a security blanket was wrapped around her. The woman’s knees crossed over each other in the perfect modeling pose, with her long, dainty skirt flowing down her beautiful legs. A small bit of tanned skin poked through the model’s clothes. The redhead’s mind went to uncharted territories as she wondered what was hiding underneath.

Her fingers traced the photo, stopping at the small gold plaque engraved below.

Waverly Earp: September 9th, 1922 to August 28th, 2002.

Her digits outlined every letter, every syllable, and every number. If she closed her eyes, she swore she could hear Waverly speaking to her, calling her. That was impossible, right? She never heard of this woman before. Sure, the name Earp sounded familiar, but that meant nothing, right?

Why was this picture calling to her, pulling her in? Surely it couldn’t mean anything; she couldn’t mean anything. Was it a coincidence that this woman died days before the New York Times article for her first book was released? The date would forever stick in her head. How she wished she could go back to that time, back to love, back to freedom, and back to Shae.

Her whole body shivered with the thought as she lowered her arm from the picture and slid her hand back into her pocket. This was nothing; it was only a sign she needed to get laid. Obviously it was something her relationship with Shae had been lacking.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

Wasted Time

“Hey, Mr. Nedley!” Nicole roared through the lobby. The atrium was slightly busier; by that, she meant there were now two guests sitting around the fireplace. Both turned their heads as her voice bellowed against the walls.

“Nicole, how many times do I have to tell you, please call me Randy.” He proclaimed when she arrived at the front desk. “Now, what can I help you with?”

“I was looking through the Hall of History,” Nicole began, her tongue outlining her lips, a nervous tick she developed as a child. “Who is the woman in the large picture? In the Hall of History? Waverly Earp, I believe?”

Nicole ran a hand through her hair, excited, nervous, and anxious for his answer. Also, a part of her hoped he did not consider her insane. Actually, why did she care? Once she left this hotel, she would never see him again.

“Waverly Earp?” Randy queried, raising his eyebrows in inquisition.

“Yes, exactly. Who is she? What does she have to do with the hotel?”

“Waverly Earp was a young and very talented actress rising to fame back in the 40’s.” Randy explained. “She came here with her agent and stayed for a little under a week before heading to her next show. She even performed in a play in the theater behind the hotel.”

“There’s a theater in the hotel? That is the other building in the model! Do people still perform there?”

“Not regularly, no.” Randy clarified. “The last show we had was about 5 or so years ago? People are not interested in plays anymore. They would much rather watch the television. Back in my day…”

“What ever happened to her?” Nicole questioned, cutting him off in an instant. She did not have time to listen to his blast from the past; she wanted to find out more about this Waverly Earp.

“I am not really sure. After that, she disappeared. She must have hid in seclusion for the rest of her life. She finished the tour for that play and she was never seen by the public again.”

“Really?” Nicole’s brain was spinning, thoughts flying through her head at high speeds. What could have happened to her? What could have made her give up her luxurious life to hide during the peak of her career? “Hey Nedley, is my room available for the next two days?”

“For you, Ms. Haught, absolutely.”

“Would you be able to help me find the closest library?”

“It is about two miles away. Just keep going straight down this road.”

“Awesome, thank you Randy!” Nicole turned to the door, her legs swiftly taking her through the lobby.

“What about breakfast, Ms. Haught?”

“I’ll just have to have a bigger lunch, won’t I, Randy?”

Nicole jetted through the parking lot, feet crashing one after the other on to the potholed cement ground. Within a blink of an eye, she hopped into her car, jet set on making it to the library as fast as possible. She felt like a woman on a mission and no one was going to stop her. Though what mission that was, she was not sure.

Her speedometer increased first by five miles, then ten, then twenty, as if she was rushing toward the library milliseconds before it closed. As she arrived into town, her eyes lit up as the sign speckled into her vision. As if by magic, her car parked in the spot closest to the building. Not many people were busting down the library doors at the crack of dawn; most students were fast asleep from partying the night before. Actually, any normal person would be doing the same.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Nicole called into the dead air of the still library.

“Excuse me, this is a library,” The elderly woman interjected. Nicole apologized, though she did not feel the need. She was the only living, breathing thing inside, besides the librarian, of course.

“Sorry. I was hoping to find a book on Broadway stars in the 1940’s. Would you be able to help me locate one?”

“You youngin’s,” The elder complained underneath her breath, thinking Nicole couldn’t hear, though she most definitely could. “Don’t even know how to use the dewy decimal system anymore. Too busy with your fancy technology.”

“Sorry, Ma’am,” Nicole whispered following the woman over to the organization system. She reached forward and lugged a small drawer, cards shifting in the small box.

The woman huffed in frustration as she slammed the drawer back into position. She held several different cards tightly within her hands. She walked through the library, Nicole following closely on her tail. The woman pointed at each book she passed and the redhead could only assume she was reading the numbers and letters assigned to each. Finally, she found a book, pulled it out of the tight display as several other books slid to the edge of the shelf. She handed the book to Nicole, who immediately skimmed through the index.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Nicole said graciously. Was she supposed to continue following the older woman, or was this it? There had to be more, correct? She had several different cards in here hand, right?

The younger woman continued behind as she turned down another aisle. If she looked socially odd; oh well. This was important. Finally, the woman passed her another book, and another, and another. Nicole took each, a pile forming within her arms.

“I think that is all we have, Miss.” The librarian told her as she handed her one last book. “If you want to bring those over to the table to read, feel free.”

If her hands were empty, Nicole most definitely would have scratched her head in confusion. The woman’s attitude went from the grumpiest grump to heaven’s angel! Instead, she smiled in appreciation. “Thank you for all your help!”

The woman took her leave and the redhead found a place at the long wooden, over-waxed table. She dragged an ancient wooden chair from underneath and slid into it. Her bottom cringed in pain as she flashed back to hours of sitting in hard wooden chairs as she studied for college finals, with Shae on her right and Xavier across from her. She shook her head, pushing those traumatic thoughts out of her mind.

She grabbed the first book and opened to the final pages, her eyes skimming each and every word on the index. Finally, her eyes connected with the correct name and she opened to the assigned page.

“One of the most revered actresses on the American stage…

“… for many years, she was the theater’s greatest box office draw.”

“Under the guidance of her manager, “Champ” Hardy…”

“Waverly Earp was the first American actress to create a mystique in the public’s eye.”

“Never seen in public in her later years…”

“… apparently, without an offstage life…”

“The absolute quintessence of seclusion…”

As Nicole spread the final book open on the table, she felt like there was a huge piece of the puzzle missing. There was more, there had to be more. She glanced around the room, making sure she was not taking some poor college student’s space. Once she realized she was still alone within the library, she stood up, leaving her books all across the table and journeyed back to the librarian’s front desk.

“Hi ma’am, I was just curious,” Nicole started. Her voice was shaky with unnecessary nervousness. What was her problem? She was usually confident, cocky even. “Do you have any theater biographies that aren’t in the racks? Maybe some rare books or magazines?”

“I’m sorry, Miss. Everything for the public we have out on the racks. Any other materials have been reserved for benefactors of the library, the media, politicians. Not someone like-”

“That’s perfect, ma’am.” Nicole told her excitedly. “I am an author and this research I am working on is for a new novel.” She lied.

“Oh really, Ms. I didn’t recognize you,” she said, her voice condescending and disbelieving. “What books have you written?”

“You probably have at least one of my books on the shelves. Nicole Haught? I won a publishing award in 2003, I believe. I was on the New York Times best sellers list as well.” Nicole continued shoving her credentials in the other woman’s face, though nervousness and anxiety was bubbling within her stomach. Normally, she was not one to boast her accomplishments, but it seemed like this was going to be the only way to get what she needed.

“Oh yes, Ms. Haught!” The woman’s eyes lit up in excitement and an entire different personality projected from within. “We do have some magazines in the back. I would have to go find them for you.”

“Oh, could you do that for me, please?”

“For you Ms. Haught, absolutely.”

Nicole took her place back at the table. She reread each article in front of her, ensuring she was not missing any word or any sentence which would divulge more about Waverly’s interesting past. Who was she? Why did she matter? Her fingertips drummed on each page, nervous energy building and threatening to spill out.

“Ms. Haught, I found one biography for you. It seems like this was the only one written about her.” The librarian tossed the light magazine on the table, not caring one bit about her precious, restricted material.

Nicole uttered a quick thanks, her eyes not looking up from the new reading material; the same picture from the hotel printed on the eight and a half by eleven cover, and she felt Waverly Earp’s eyes once again staring into her soul. Nicole couldn’t help but smile as she looked back at the younger woman; her smile was truly contagious. But who was she looking at.

Her fingers traced the font lining the bottom of the paperback; none other than Wynonna Earp wrote the magazine, Waverly Earp’s older sister. The biography was written post mortem, about five years after Waverly’s death. If Waverly was 81 years old when she died, could it be possible that Wynonna was still alive? People were living to be older and older with each passing day.

“My sister always told me it wasn’t going to be old age that killed her, but heartbreak.” The article began and Nicole’s eyes teared up with each word staring back at her, as if they were taunting her. “I always told her love was shit and that no man was worth her life. Her response? She completely agreed. She said no man would ever be worth it, especially since she was gay.”

A chuckle vibrated within Nicole; she already loved Wynonna’s narration of her younger sister’s life. She thumbed to the last page, her eyes dancing to the author’s biography. She read through it in an instant. She was astonished Wynonna had lived in a city several miles from the library she was sitting in. Was it possible she was still alive? She had to drive over to her home, right? Would that make her a complete stalker? Did she really care? Something about Waverly was driving her mad. It had only been hours, yet the brunette was all Nicole had been able to think about since her eyes laid upon her photo. This same photo.

“Excuse me,” Nicole called to the old woman, the biography clutched in her hands. “I have to run for an emergency. Is it possible I can take this magazine back with me? I promise I will bring it back, cross my heart, hope to die.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

Nicole took a deep breath as she stepped in front of the small, quaint home. She felt as if blood was no longer pumping through her body, causing a pile up in her entire brain. After several minutes of standing on the middle step, dumbfounded and ghost white, Nicole took the final step towards the home and knocked on the door, first quietly, but then louder and louder as she grew with confidence.

“What ever you are selling, we don’t want it,” The woman screamed from inside and Nicole heard feet shuffling closer.

“Who are you?” The woman questioned, her dark curly hair flowing down her face. Nicole’s eyes glossed over her body; something about her looked so familiar, but not at the same time. She was middle aged and at least a decade older than she herself was. “Excuse me! Are you alive in there?”

“Yes, sorry,” Nicole shook her head, trying to flee herself of the bizarre thoughts blocking her brain waves. She was seeking this older woman’s help, not trying to be sent to an insane asylum. “Sorry, ma’am. I am looking for more information on this book.”

Nicole passed the thin paperback over to the woman who took one look at it and shoved it back at the redhead.

“We don’t want it.” She said sternly. “Leave us alone.”

“Alice!” Nicole heard a shaky voice call from outside the door. “Who’s here?”

“No one, Mom, go back to sleep.”

“You know if it’s those kids selling donuts, I want four boxes!” The older woman yelled. She pushed her daughter out of the doorway with her heavy metal walker.

“Mom, go back inside-”

“Holy Haught damn!”

“Mom, what the hell is your problem? You were married.”

“Widowed, young lady. Now watch your mouth. Someone upstairs would be jealous if they thought I called this woman hot. No, I said Haught, as in H-a-u-g-h-t. Am I right, Nicole?”

“What?”

“Waverly was right you know,” The elderly woman sputtered nonsense. “She said I would see you again, and now here you are.”

“Again?”

“Mom! Go back inside!”

“Of course honey. Come on Nicole. Think of me as like your guardian angel-”

“Should her guardian angel be hiding a whiskey bottle in her pocket? And Mom, do you really think we should be inviting random strangers into our house.”

Wynonna just turned her head, sending glares at her sister. “This isn’t a stranger, we have met before. You remember, right Nicole?”

“Nope, sorry, Wynonna, did you say your name was?” Nicole asked. How did this woman know her name? She seemed to know more about her than just her name. “You were absolutely who I was looking for, though. I was hoping you would talk to me about your sister, Waverly?”

“Surprise, surprise. Are you surprised, because I’m not!” Wynonna trudged through the house. She let go of the arms on her walker to reach forward, her arms quivering as she opened the door. She stepped inside and switched on the light, which flickered before finally engulfing the entire room in brightness.

Nicole stepped inside and coughed from the amount of dust floating in the air. It was obvious the room had not been opened in years.

“I’ve been waiting for you Haught. I know I had barely-”

“Mom, isn’t it time for your television show?”

“Oh hell yes! I can’t miss my Judge Judy.” Wynonna spun on her heels, completely forgetting about this situation and Nicole altogether.

“Sorry about her,” Alice stated as she shut the door behind them, completely sealing them from Wynonna and the outside world. “She sometimes forgets to take her medicine. She has Alzheimer’s, so I constantly have to put up with things like this. Sometimes she swears she’s been out hunting dead people.”

“Like zombies?”

“No, she calls them revenants and she thinks it’s her mission to blast them back to hell.”

Nicole scratches her head, thinking it sounded slightly familiar, like the premise of the first book. The first book she ever signed for-

“Holy shit! This is my book!” Nicole screamed, completely ignoring the woman beside her. She reached forward and grabbed the book staring at her. She wiped the dust off the cover and onto her dark wash jeans. Shaking, she opened the first page of the book, and sure enough, there was her writing plastered on the first page. Her fingertips traced her own writing, memories flooding through her mind. That was Waverly, her Waverly.

“I need to sit down.” Nicole announced as the older woman toddled away. She pointed to a dirty, dusty rocking chair in the corner of the room. The redhead sat down in the chair, the remainder of her pants turning a musty gray.

“My Aunt, Waverly, got this for my mother, Wynonna.” Alice said as she leaned up against the wall. “I remember arguing with her about getting it signed, but there was no stopping her. She had been sick in bed for a week and the doctors weren’t sure she was going to make it. But, she told me she was going with or without my help. I guess there was some new author signing the book and she was desperate to meet them.”

Nicole pushed her thumbs into her tear ducts in disbelief. This was not possible. It wasn’t, it couldn’t be.

“Unfortunately, I think she pushed herself too far. She ended up dying in her sleep late that night, in a rocking chair just like that one at the Ghost River Hotel.”

“Did she- do you regret her going out that night? Do you think that was the reason she had passed?” Nicole slid her fingertips up her arm remembering the feeling of the older woman’s hands on her. If she had known- she would have never let her out of her sight, Shae be damned.

“To be honest, at first I did,” Alice told her truthfully, as Nicole fingered through each of the pages. The book was worn, as if each word had been memorized. “But my mom and I have talked about it constantly. She claims it was something Auntie Waves looked forward to. I guess she had been waiting for a signing as soon as the book released. It was as if she was waiting for this to happen so she could rest peacefully.”

“Do you know why she got the book autographed for Wynonna and not herself?” Nicole asked. She remembered chasing the elderly woman as she tried to give her an additional book, but she never caught up in time.

“I think maybe she knew at the time something was going to happen? Maybe she wanted to give Mom something to remember her by? I truly don’t know, but I have asked myself on countless occasions and I have come up with the same answer; I really haven’t a clue.”

Alice stepped closer to Nicole. “Look, I appreciate all the questions, but what’s got you so curious about that night?”

Nicole took a deep breath and cracked open the book once again. She skimmed to the last page, her shining face ten years earlier staring back at her. God she looked so young, so happy, and so full of life. Now she was anything but. “The person she rushed to see that night, was me. I wrote this book.”

“You are kidding?” The woman rushed to Nicole’s side and snatched the novel in disbelief. “Holy shit. Who are you? Why was she so desperate to meet you?”

“I had no clue who she was at the time. I had no clue she was an amazing actress! If I had known, I would have given her the red carpet treatment. But I didn’t know anything about her, and unfortunately, she was just another face in the crowd.”

Nicole knew that was a lie. For months the encounter haunted her, but in the best of ways. She wondered why there was a spark between her and this older woman. Why did she put a smile on her face as soon as they locked eyes? Why did her body fill with heat just from her touch? She tormented herself for years, wondering about this exact encounter. This woman was at least double, if not triple her age, and yet her she was, attracted to her? Would she even call it that? She did have a girlfriend at the time. Now here she was, alone again.

“What was she like?” Nicole questioned as Alice placed the book back into her trembling hands.

“When I knew her, she was kind and thoughtful, you know, but she was within herself. She… I don’t know, throughout the most of my life, she seemed empty. Like something was missing. She felt like she was constantly looking for something, and I don’t think she ever found it. She was empty. Even looking in her eyes, you could tell she was hollow to the core.”

Nicole remembered those big, beautiful hazel eyes. She remembered glancing inside of them; she thought she could stare into them for hours. She didn’t see emptiness inside, though, she saw hope.

“Well, she wasn’t always that way, was she?” Nicole asked.

“For as long as I can remember she was.” Alice answered. “But Wynonna told me she hadn’t always been that way. Mom always said me she was quick and bright, full of fun. Strong, willful even. Not at all the empty, emotionless woman she was throughout the majority of my life.”

“Do you have any idea what made her change?” Nicole stood from the chair and placed the book back in its stand. She leaned against the opposite wall, the nervous energy within her forcing her to move. She could not be still any longer; her body and mind would not allow it.

“I don’t know for sure.” The woman rushed her own frustrated hand through her hair. Waverly might have been emotionless, but she still loved her Aunt. Just talking about this, even years later was horrible. “According to Mom, it seemed to have occurred within 1943.”

“After her performance at the Ghost River Hotel?” Nicole asked. She seized the black and white picture frame on the dresser.

“Yes,” she agreed. The woman stepped closer to Nicole, pointing to the picture. “That right there was her manager, called himself Champ.”

“Do you know if he really was as strange as Wynonna indicated in the book?”

“I met him less than a handful of times, but every time I did, I was always left with the same impression. There was something really strange, not normal about their relationship.”

“Were they dating? Did he abuse her?”

“Not that I know of. It wasn’t mentioned too often, but my Aunt swung for the other team, if you know what I mean. People didn’t talk about that back in the day. It wasn’t as accepting as it is today.”

“Do you…” Nicole took a deep breath as she clutched the sterling silver jewelry in her pocket. She flashed it in front of the other woman’s face. “Do you know anything about this?”

“Oh god, do I?” Alice grabbed the small pocket watch and rubbed the pad of her thumb over it. “Where did you get this?”

“She gave it to me that night,” Nicole explained. “When I signed the book, she left it on the autograph table. I tried to chase her to give it back, but I swear, for an old lady she could move fast.”

Alice giggled. “I couldn’t agree with you more. This pocket watch never left her side the whole time I was growing up. I wasn’t even allowed to touch it as a kid. I wanted to put it in her casket when she passed, but I couldn’t find it. From what I remembered, it disappeared the day she died. This would definitely explain it. It was one of her most prized possessions, if not her only prized possession.”

Alice handed Nicole back the watch and she quickly put it back in her pocket. She was worried the woman was going to take it back; it did belong to her family. She loved it; it had made her feel safe and confident throughout the years. With a looming divorce and upcoming treatments, she was definitely going to be seeking comfort from anywhere she could.

Across the room, another book caught her eye, this one with a name of someone she definitely remembered all too well. Jeremy Chetri.

“Oh wow, look at this,” Nicole pulled the book out from the bottom of the pile. Adventures in Time Traveling by Jeremy Chetri. “This guy, Jeremy. He was a philosophy major at my University. I didn’t know he wrote a book.”

“Well he definitely did. I believe he is actually a professor now?” Alice informed Nicole. “This was one of Waverly’s favorite books, besides yours of course. I can’t even tell you the amount of times she read, reread, and reread that book.”

“I know this is a lot, but do you mind if I, you know, take this? I will make sure to bring it back.” Nicole asked politely.

“Go for it, all it’s doing here is collecting dust.”

Nicole nodded her head, beaming at the politeness of this woman. Waverly would be proud, wouldn’t she?

“Do you know, sorry I know this all seems odd, but maybe…?” The woman stuttered. She wanted to help Nicole, but she had no idea with what. She walked over to the small music box on the dresser and turned to Nicole. “Maybe this song means something to you? She would play this song for hours on end when I was a toddler. She ended up having this made and had it next to her on her nightstand for decades.”

The woman opened the music box, and familiar tunes vibrated in her ears.

“It’s by Bach; one of my favorite musicians. I would listen to him all the time when I was writing.” Nicole took a deep breath trying to stop the tears forming but one plunged down her cheek. This was all too much. “What is happening?”

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

Nicole walked through the hotel lobby, passed the back doors and straight to the patio, ignoring the world as it bustled around her. She felt as if she was floating on somewhere other than earth. The sound of dry, dead grass cracked under her feet with each weary step she took.

Her head was swarming; full of what if’s, why’s, and how’s. She wanted to investigate Waverly so she could understand how special she was to the world. Never did she even imagine she would be special to her.

The book slipped in her sweaty palm and her fingertips outstretched before it fell to the dirty ground. She knew nothing of this book, but it was one of Waverly’s favorites and she went to college with the man who wrote it. As soon as the small book hit her corneas, she knew it meant something to her. She had to read it! Time travel was a plot device she would have written about in her books, not something she could accomplish in real life. Her mind swirled of the possibilities and each one she knocked down with a hammer, as if she was playing whack-a-mole. She was trying to keep her hopes and expectations hidden deep underground, far, far away from reality.

A large oak tree splayed over the large lawn and Nicole took a seat underneath it. It’s long branches and thick leaves blocked her from the sun’s strong, heated rays. She leaned back up against the tree, her hand subconsciously running over her frontal lobe.

She slipped her fingertips underneath the soft cover and flipped page by page until she got to the first narration.

What do you think about time travel? Is it possible? A complete hoax? Well, as someone who has been studying physics and philosophy for the past ten years, I’m here to tell you that yes, if you want to time travel, go for it.

Nicole returned to the second page of the book as she looked to see what year it was copyrighted. Just two years after their university graduation? There was no way that he had been studying it for ten years while writing this book. He was probably in diapers ten years before that. Oh well, she was not going to let his slight exaggeration of time blur his knowledge and expertise in time traveling.

Now I know what you are thinking; you’re ready to hop into your flying car and drive over to the nearest Best Buy to go pick up your own time machine, just like in Star Trek. But this time travel doesn’t involve a time machine at all. No, no, you don’t need to run to Kay’s either to pick up a time turner like Hermione uses either.

Nicole chuckled. If she had any doubt Jeremy wrote this, those doubts were thrown out the window in a heartbeat. This was 100% Chetri, the same man who danced when he scored tickets to Comic Con.

The only tool, or maybe I should say vessel, you will need is your mind. That’s right, your mind can take you from now to 1776, to watch America gain independence, or to 2030, to drive in one of those fancy flying cars the Jetsons drove in back in the 60’s. You don’t need a million dollars and you don’t need to mine for gold, all you need is your mind.

How, might you ask? The answer is simple, hypnosis. No, I don’t mean you have to sit in a chair while someone waves a yo-yo in front of your face and whispers “You are getting very sleepy.” Because let’s face it, that totally does not work. (And when they get bored and end up attempting walk the dog and end up smashing you in the nose with the yo-yo, experiment ruined. What? No, that never happened to me before, what are you talking about?)

Prior to the 20th century, scientists, hypnotists, and even doctors have explored mediation and hypnosis, finding time and space are illusions of our grandiose mind and we are not bound to the limitations our bodies bring.

Okay, so let me try to explain this in some simple, not science geek terms for you (yes, even you in the back who hates astronomy, you got this boy!). Think about the last time you were outside in the pitch black, looking up at the stairs at night. As we all know, it takes millions of years for light to travel from space to our earth. Now think about this, the light being emitted from those stars have traveled for thousands, even millions of years before they reach our corneas. Some of those stars may have even burnt out before we see them! If that doesn’t make you think the next time you make a wish upon a shooting star high in the sky, I don’t know what will.

Even the large ball of fire you wake up to every morning and close your eyes to every night is actually 8 minutes older from the time the light emits from the sun until the time it hits your eyes. So what really is time? Space? Is it just a figment of our imagination?

Now, you might be sitting there, calling me a fraud as I spew about stars and flying cars, but I’m nowhere near. While this example does not prove such things as time travel, it does bring up the concept of observation. In the starry sky, for example, you are the observer, waiting millions of years to see that shooting star. In the case of the world you are living in right now, who is the observer, your body or your soul? Is the observer a physical being or an immortal and eternal spirit that exists forever outside of time and space?

Using hypnosis and out of body experiences, we ourselves can transcend space, time, and the physical world, and experience the past and the future in the form of time travel.

Dusk began to fall and yet, Nicole still lay beside the tree, until the light from the shimmering moon and diming sun were no longer enough to illuminate the words on the pages. She placed her palm flat on the rough, tree bark, her frail, body now needing help to get up after sitting for those hours on end. How long had she been there? She truly didn’t know, nor did she probably want to.

As she stood up, her hands slid up the tree, a small, yet purposeful indention causing tingles in her skin as her epidermis skated against it. She drew her hand away from the tree bark, as if she was stung. She brought her fingertips closer and closer, tracing the writing as if two teenagers etched in to the tree on prom night, without a care in the world for nature or their destruction of it.

Her fingers traced each letter, one after the other after the other, as her mind memorized each of the alphabet. As she made it to the end of the seven letters, she shook her head in disbelief. There was no way. So, she tried again, tracing each letter with purpose, with rhyme, with reason.

Her face turned ghost white as the realization hit her. Scratched into the tree bark was none other than the word WayHaught, with the last six letters scraped out in nothing more than her own penmanship.

“Hey Randy!” Nicole ran through the lobby at a little after eight at night, screaming at the older gentleman.

“Are you going to scream through my lobby every night, Ms. Haught?”

“Probably!” Nicole answered honestly, blushing in embarrassment. “Sorry.”

“No need to say sorry,” Randy told her, a smile cracking out from underneath his mustache. “Now that I’m prepared, I won’t have a heart attack every single time you do it. Now what can I help you with Ms. H- Nicole?”

Nicole’s tongue jetted out and did a quick pass around her lips, nervousness vibrating from within her. It was a new feeling for her, but one she should get used to. “You seem to remember everyone who comes and stays here?”

“I pride myself in that, yes. Though in my old age, I’ve probably misplaced a couple of faces.”

“Perfect.” Nicole threw the book flat on the table, opened it to the last page, and pushed it over toward her elder. “Do you remember this man at all, Jeremy Chetri?”

Randy unfolded his spectacles and placed them upon his nose. He raised the book to eye level and squinted at the picture.

“Ah yes, Professor Chetri. He was here just a few years ago doing a lecture in the restaurant. We had science geeks and nerds coming from all over just to see him speak. And we made a pretty penny, if I do remember correctly.”

“Do you remember, if it’s not too much to ask, what University he works for?”

“Of course!” Randy took his glasses off and refolded them, placing them on top of the hotel registry. “He works for the Ghost River University, about 30 miles away. Not too far.”

“Perfect, thank you!” Nicole nodded graciously. She turned towards the door and high-tailed it out of the hotel as soon as possible.

“Hey Nicole!” Randy yelled right before she stepped through the door.

“Who’s yelling across the lobby now?” The redhead joked and a grin instantly flashed across Nedley’s face.

“Don’t you think it’s a little late for Mr. Chetri to be teaching? I think you would probably be better off catching up with him tomorrow morning?”

Nicole grabbed her watch out of her pocket and sighed at the time. He was definitely right. She could not believe how late it was!

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Tomorrow then, first thing in the morning!”

It was another day; another day Nicole did not need to hear the loud, incessant ring of her alarm clock. Yet, it was another day the brightness from the sun consumed her pupils and woke her up from her deep sleep, only this time it warmed her heart.

Instead of dragging herself out of bed, she flew. She dashed around the room with her cold, bare-naked feet as she grabbed clothes from her suitcase. She threw her dirty clothes around the room without a care in the world. If Shae was by her side, she would be lectured for being such a slob, but guess what? She wasn’t, and to be honest, she was the furthest from Nicole’s mind.

After dressing to a suitable state, Nicole raced down the stairs and through the lobby. She gave Nedley a quick wave, who simply muttered something about her finally being on the right time. Nicole followed the familiar path to her car, at almost the exact same time she had left for the day 24 hours ago. She smacked the steering wheel in frustration; she should have told Nedley she was extending her stay. Indefinitely. There was something keeping her at the Ghost River Hotel and there was nothing waiting for her outside any longer. She doubted the nice man would give up her room right after check out time.

Nicole sang and bobbed her head as music emitted from her car’s speakers. Within no time, she found herself pulling into the University’s driveway. The long road was filled with students, backpacks loaded with heavy textbooks as they raced to their early morning classes. She drove around the crowds, pulled into the first available visitor’s parking spot, and dashed out of the car. She ran to the first student she could catch up to and without an ounce of hesitation, quizzed them for directions.

Following the young woman’s directions, Nicole found the School of Science Office building. Walking through the door, she headed straight to the directory and located Jeremy’s name. His office was upstairs on the third floor. Taking the stairs two at a time, she went up one flight of stairs, then the next. As she rounded the third floor, she started to grasp onto the dirty, disgusting railing, desperate to take the pressure off and catch her breath. When she made it to the third floor, she stood beside the wooden door, hands on her knees, desperate to fill her lungs with fresh, clean air. The last thing she wanted to do was meet with someone who was her exact age and in 100 times better shape than she.

She located Jeremy’s first and last name on a plaque on the wall, a closed-door right beside it. She formed a fist with her hand and rapped loudly on his door; she wasn’t coming this far to end up empty-handed.

“Nicole Haught,” Jeremy smiled as he opened the door and revealed his star wars decorated office, posters loitering the walls and glow in the dark stairs plastered all over the ceiling. She felt like she was walking into a teenage boy’s room.

“You remember me?” Nicole asked, surprised.

“Of course! How could I forget the only woman who stood up for me for four years in college. Come on, take a seat.” Jeremy ushered her inside the room. He gestured to a table beside his desk, Millennium Falcon replica in the middle of the table. “What can I help you with? I own all three of your books by the way; they are amazing. ”

“I have a question for you.”

“For a book? That’s awesome.”

“No, uh no,” The redhead stammered, embarrassed. Why couldn’t she have lied and said it was? He wouldn’t know! “It’s actually personal.”

“Okay, you’re killing me with suspense,” He joked. “What is it?”

“Do you think time travel is possible?” The words fell from her mouth and pooled down on the table underneath her elbows, waiting for Jeremy to pick up a paddle and row through them.

“That’s a loaded question.” Jeremy answered, sitting all the way back on the chair and folding his hands in front of him. “Did you read my book?”

“Yes, I did. Which is one of the reasons that brought me here today.”

“Well thank you…” Jeremy said graciously. “Let me tell you something, Nicole…”

Nicole leaned forward in her chair, hands gripping her kneecaps with such strength they were probably going to bruise. Her entire life seemed to have relied on the answer to his question.

“Several years ago, even years before I wrote that book, I was staying at a very old hotel. And I mean very old, older than the Rebellion. The structure of the hotel, the furnishings, everything was ancient. It barely had not been remodeled since its opening. Even the atmosphere was aged, if you follow me.”

Nicole shook her head in understanding, hinging on his every word. Did he successfully time travel? Could she do it too? Could she meet Waverly? Did Waverly want to meet her?

“Even in my room I felt like I was staying in a snapshot from a century earlier than the time period I was actually in.”

“So you are saying, the location you attempt to time travel from is important?” Nicole asked as strands of thread tied themselves into knots inside her head.

“The location is essential.” Jeremy ran a hand through his dark peppered colored hair and closed his eyes, as if he was reliving the moment himself. “One afternoon, I was lying down in that exact room. All the sights and sounds around me were all a part of the past. It was like I myself was part of the past. So I wondered, what exactly would happen if I tried to hypnotize my mind to believe I was in the past? What if I suggested to myself it wasn’t the current time period, but instead decades before. But…”

Nicole signed, knowing there was a problem coming. It couldn’t have been that easy, no way.

“I laid there. I closed my eyes and fed the suggestion into my brain over and over again. I repeated the date and my location, the time, every single detail I could think of. I continued to repeat it, countless times on end, again and again.”

“And?” Nicole questioned, so close to the edge of her seat that she was surprised she did not slip off.

“I’ll never exactly know, Nicole.” He told her honestly. “I thought maybe I time traveled, but I will never, ever be sure.”

“Have you tried it again?” The redhead questioned, her eyes sparkling with hope. There was a chance!

“I’ve never done it since and I’m not sure I would want to.” Jeremy told her, reading the motivation in her eyes. “I was exhausted afterwards. I was totally washed out, like I didn’t want to move, I didn’t want to breathe.”

“Yes, but…”

Jeremy shook his head, trying desperately to convince her otherwise. “If it really did happen, I was only there a fraction of an instant, if that. It was just a flicker of the past.”

“Yes, Jeremy, I understand that, but you were there.”

“For an instant, though…” Jeremy reminded her. “My experiment wasn’t perfect,” the man reminded himself, trying to convince him that it wasn’t a complete failure. “It wasn’t perfect by any means. There were objects around me clearly from the present. And in my mind, maybe in the back of my mind, but still in my mind, I knew they were there.”

“And if you were going to try again?”

“Nicole, I have no such intention,” Jeremy sighed. “But it seems like you do and it doesn’t seem like I can do anything to stop you… If I did, I would have to disassociate myself entirely from the present.”

“And how would you do that?”

“I would move everything out of sight, anything that could possibly remind me what time I was in. Anything and everything. Then, only then who knows if it would actually work.”

Jeremy reached across the table, placing his hand onto Nicole’s. “Please really think about this before you try, Nicole. Rest up. Make sure your body and your immune system is healthy beforehand. It’s either that or you are basically signing your own death certificate.”

“I will Jeremy, thank you for all of your help. And I’ll make sure to thank you in my next novel.” Nicole flashed her dimply smile and winked over at her co-conspirator.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6

The sun blurred her vision as she grabbed her sunglasses from the passenger’s seat. She threw the arms of the lenses open and shoved them on in the blink of an eye, desperate to keep the bright rays from burning her corneas. She had enough health problems already.

Following Randy’s directions, she turned at the stop light, a small, yet quaint town painted in front of her. There was no Abercrombie and Fitch, no Hollister, just small, unknown stores with large windows displaying their goods. She felt like she stepped back into the 40’s. She chuckled, wishing it were that easy. Well, she already felt tired.

Stifling a yawn, Nicole pulled towards the right into an empty parking spot behind a small Volkswagen Beetle. Stepping out of the car, Nicole checked the sidewalk beside her for a parking meter and was in disbelief when she found that there was none. Free parking, what an abomination! Nicole’s retinas swung from store to store as her mind took in the small town. Her eyes finally fell upon a small vintage store across the street; bingo.

Looking left, right, and then left again, Nicole dashed across the street. She laughed when she realized she had not seen another car pass and she probably would not until she left. Small towns, oh how she missed them!

Nicole glanced passed the jean jacket and boot cut pants on display and into the store, aisles and aisles of different styles of clothes lining the cleanly waxed floors. She took a deep breath and wrapped her hand around the cold, metal door handle. She hoped her first stop would be the lucky one. She was desperate to return to the hotel to stare at Waverly’s photo for a few additional minutes. (A few? Who was she kidding! She would probably end up sleeping beside the photo if she could. It was the only place she had felt safe in the past few years. Would Randy let her?)

“Is there anything I can help you with, Ms.?” A woman called from the back of the store as Nicole crossed the boundaries and stepped inside.

Nicole looked around at each of the racks; clothes mismatched and spread out everywhere. Gulping, she realized this was going to be a much longer task than she hoped.

“Actually, yes,” Nicole answered as the woman stepped from behind the desk and strode toward her. “I am looking for clothes from a specific decade. Would you be able to help me with that?”

“Absolutely, Ms.-”

“Please call me Nicole.”

“Of course, Nicole. What decade are you looking for?”

“Something from the early 40’s, not older than 1943 to be exact.”

“Oh my gosh,” the woman gasped in excitement, startling Nicole. “Are you going to a costume party? I love those.”

Nicole blushed, her tongue flicking from the corner of her mouth. “You can say that.” What, she did not need to know the difference!

“Well, you’ve come to the right Vintage Shop, Nicole,” She flashed her pearly whites. Smiles were contagious to Nicole, who grinned back. “We have clothes from the early 1900’s to the late 1990’s. We have it all. Come on, follow me.”

Nicole followed the woman through the store, trying to keep her long legs from causing her to pass the store clerk. She followed her to the back room, much smaller than the large storefront. This section was systematized, a prize for Nicole’s burning brain.

“Here we have everything organized by decade. You said you were looking for something from the 1940’s.”

“Actually,” Nicole interjected as she thumbed through some the clothes in the closest section. “Would we be able to look through some of the apparel from the 30’s? Just to be safe.”

“Absolutely!” The woman shuffled as she shifted over to the left. “Don’t want anyone to be dressed in the same outfit as you! I completely understand.”

“Yeah, that,” The redhead muttered as she stepped closer to the other woman, who began snatching outfits left and right.

“How do you feel about this one?” She asked, holding out a hideous blue flowered dress with long, flowy sleeves and shoulder pads. The dress looked more like it belonged to a man and not a woman. She knew she had to make some fashion concessions, but this was not it.

“Uh, no sorry, not that one. Just not my style,” Nicole responded, trying to put the woman down gently. The store clerk broadcasted dress after dress, some ankle length, some knee length, several with flowers, and quite a few with buttons, but nothing tickled the jean-wearing author.

“Do you have anything less, feminine?” Nicole asked politely.

“Oh!” A light bulb finally went off in the woman’s head. “Are you looking for pants? You should have said so.”

“Yes, pants would be lovely!” Finally, they were getting somewhere.

“Pants in the 30’s and early 40’s are probably not the same as the type you are used to.” She told her, not taking her eyes of the clothes rack in front of her. She slid item after item down the metal bar, desperate to find what Nicole wanted. “Pants were made to be worn high above the waist for women back then. There weren’t too many different styles either. Women wearing pants was not as much of a common place as it is today. Most pants were slightly baggy, much baggier than those tight jeans youngin’s where today. Here we go!” The woman plucked a pair of gray dress slacks from the rack, slightly bigger than what the redhead would normally pick out for herself.

“Now this looks like it should be your size, height and all. Now we need to find you a shirt. How do you feel about white? I think it would make the lovely color of your eyes and your hair pop.”

“White sounds perfect,” Nicole agreed, hoping the white shirt was plain and did not have some wild dragons on it or something.

“Got it!” The woman passed a white button up shirt over to Nicole, who took it graciously. The redhead took it in her arms and rubbed the fabric; it wasn’t cotton, but it was much softer than she expected.

“There’s a fitting room right to the left!” The woman told her. “Go, go, go!”

Nicole shepherded the pair of dress slacks from the woman and strolled to the dressing room. Mirrors lined the walls and Nicole found her reflection staring back at her. She caught sight of the large, dark bags under her eyes and turned away in an instant. The last thing she wanted was to look at her depleting figure any longer.

She shoved the long curtain shut and shredded off her clothes one by one. She slipped on the new outfit, surprised by how well it fit. Usually shopping in current clothing stores, she had a problem finding clothes of the correct length, but here? These clothes were as if they were made for her.

Listening, she raised the pants as high as she possibly could, probably the way she wore her pants in primary school and was made fun of for.

“How does it fit?”

“Perfect, actually!” Nicole responded, a smile forming as she glanced down at her long legs in the mirror. Could it be possible she looked better in these clothes than her recent apparel?

“Well come on out, dear!” The woman requested from outside the fitting room. Nicole recognized the excitement in the other woman’s voice; she knew she must not do this often. Deciding to humor her, Nicole slid the heavy curtain over and soared into the bright store light. The woman’s eyes smiled as she examined her own work.

“Wow, those really are the perfect fit.” She said as she checked the length of the pants. “I was a bit worried about them being too short. And how do you feel about the shirt? This one doesn’t have too thick of shoulder pads, so it shouldn’t frustrate you all night while you are trying to dance the night away.”

“What?” Nicole asked. “Oh yeah! I’m glad it’s not boxy like some of those dressed you were showing me earlier.”

“Now most women of the time would wear their shirts tugged in, exposing their high. It was said to help entice the men of the time. You probably should tuck it you want to be authentically from the time period.”

Without any hesitation, Nicole started to shove the dress fabric into her high-waisted pants, exposing her thin middle and hourglass shape.

“Wow, you look lovely Nicole. I bet if you were to go back in time, no one would even know the difference!”

Nicole’s tongue collided with her upper lip, gliding over its entire length. Instead of looking nervous, she tried to act as calm as she possibly could. She even forced herself to chuckle. “That’s what I’m looking for.”

“Now how do you feel about hats? With your bone structure, I have the perfect time period hat for this outfit.”

“That would be great!” Nicole agreed, not yet turning to change out of her new outfit. If she was going to be time traveling with it, she better get used to the material. “And actually, this might be a strange question, but do you have some undergarments from that time period as well?”

“Bloomers? Boy Nicole, you really are going all in with this, aren’t you? You know, I think I do have a few pairs of what you would need to complete this outfit. After being this dedicated, you absolutely should win the best dressed costume contest!”

Nicole blushed. “Ha ha, thanks!”

Nicole shuffled through the small town center, her eyes memorizing every storefront she passed. She still had one more stop to make before she was able to head back to the hotel, one more very important step.

With the town hall at the end of the road creating a dead end, Nicole took a deep breath. She hoped and prayed she would find the shop she needed. Her prayers were answered when a sign unveiled itself entitled Ken’s Stamp and Coin Shop. A huge grin flashed across the young woman’s face as she breathed a sigh of relief. Now what was the possibility they didn’t have the correct coin? It was a coin collector right? It was there job to collect coins, so they had to have some from 1943, correct?

Nicole took a step into the small shop, an old bell on the door ringing and disrupting the silence of the quiet store. As the redhead’s eyes flashed around the store, an elderly man walked into view and stood behind the display case. He cleared his throat, immediately giving Nicole a fright.

“Can I help you, miss?” He asked once he got the younger woman’s attention. He grasped the display case with his pale white, shaky hands.

“Yes, at least I hope so,” Nicole said, her confidence swaying slightly. “I was hoping I could buy some coins off of you, coins that were either minted in 1943 or in circulation at that time. Do you have any of those?”

“Do I?” The man responded excitedly, his graying mustache up ticking with his smile. “I absolutely do! Are you looking for coins in a certain type of condition? Does it matter to you? I have coins that are in pristine condition and others that are not so much.”

The man reached down into a cabinet located below the display case and pulled out a very large jewelry box. He opened the box and Nicole’s eyes took in the haphazard display of all different types of coins.

“Coins in better condition cost more money than those in fair condition. All these coins can still be used today, if that’s what you are looking for.” He explained.

Nicole grabbed one of the coins and held it between her fingers; despite its obvious aging, it looked almost exactly like the coins she currently had in her pocket.

“I think I’m going to need ones that look pretty new,” Nicole told the man as she was debating it in her mind. If the coins had just been minted in 1943, they had to look brand new in her pocket, right, not as if they were around for the past 60 years collecting dirt and debris.

“Of course,” The man nodded. “And in what denominations would you like?”

Nicole pulled a ten out of her pocket and passed it over to him. “What if you give me assorted denominations? Whatever I can buy for ten dollars.”

“Are you interested in coins only? What about dollar bills?”

“You know what,” Nicole thought as her mind raced. “Throw a couple in there too. Make sure they were in circulation during 1943. That is the most important part.”

“Of course,” He said. He grabbed a small Ziploc like bag. He investigated each of the coins and slipped them inside.

“Shit,” Nicole muttered under her breath.

“Yes ma’am?” He asked as he continued to collect coins.

“Sorry, sir, it’s nothing to do with you. I forgot to buy a change purse at the vintage store. No worries, I can head back before I go to the car.”

“A change purse, you say?” The man’s eyes lit up in excitement, as if this was the most business he had gotten in his lifetime. “And let me guess, something from 1943?”

Nicole sighed. There was so many things to remember. “You know it.”

“I actually have one of those here collecting dust.” The store clerk turned and went through the door, leaving Nicole drumming her fingers on the glass display.

“Aha!” She heard him stay. Within a second, he returned.

“Someone brought this in like 10 years ago. I don’t know why, but I ended up buying it off of her. I thought someone would be desperate for something this vintage, but I kept it in the display case for years, and no one even wanted to look at it. I ended up moving it in the back out of sight, figuring it was a lost cause.”

“And are you sure this is from 1943?”

“Absolutely. The woman who came in here made sure I understood the year that it was made. And also,” the man flipped the cotton coin purse inside out and pointing to the tag. “Right here, it says it was made in 1943. Perfect for what you are looking for.”

Nicole took the change purse in her hands and examined the fabric. It was in great shape for something that was the same age as a grandmother. “Do you remember anything about the woman who brought it in?”

“No ma’am, sorry, I don’t.” He told her, his eyes drifting to a distant time. “She was an elderly lady. She probably had it in her possession from her teenage years and she just wanted to get rid of it before she passed.”

Nicole’s fingertips grazed over the purse and without thinking, she raised the small container to her nose, inhaling the strong scent of dust, but underneath, she smelled a very familiar sweet scent, one locked away in the dirty depths of her mind for over a decade.

The young redhead started her journey back to the hotel as the sun painted bright pink haze against the late afternoon sky. Tomorrow looked to be another warm day in the Ghost River Triangle, but it meant nothing to Nicole. By tomorrow, she hoped to be somewhere far, far away, or at least in a time far, far in the past.

Nicole lowered the radio in her small, compact car, to the point where the only sound she could hear was the wind rustling outside her window. Taking a deep breath, she started to block out everything around her, every part of her brain that told her it was 2012.

“It is June 27, 1943.” Nicole uttered as she cleared her mind of all other thoughts. “You are staying in the Ghost River Hotel. Waverly Earp is in the same hotel as you.”

Nicole held back a chuckle at the nonsense of this, and then quickly shook her head to rid herself of any current thoughts. “It is June 27, 1943 at 5:52 p.m. Your mind accepts this absolutely.”

Nicole continued her chant as the streetlights lit up the darkened roadway, but only for a few minutes before she entered the darkness of the Ghost River Triangle’s woods. Talk about a place for complete isolation.

“It is 5:52 p.m. at June 27th, 1943. You are staying at the Ghost River Triangle Hotel. Waverly Earp is in this hotel preparing for her performance. Her manager, James “Champ” Hardy is in this hotel with her.”

A burning sensation started to flare up from within Nicole, but she used every bit of power to ignore it and continue the words escaping her mouth. She pressed her cold hands against her forehead, desperate to make the pain go away. Still, she continued.

“Waverly Earp is in this hotel, preparing for her performance of One Life, One Love. Her manager- her manager-”

Nicole ripped her hand away from her throbbing head, as if the burning sensation was contagious. She banged her cranium on the window in frustration.

“Nicole,” She chided herself. “Do not let this define you. You are stronger than this complication. And that’s all it is, a complication.”

Her hands shook as she tried to find the entrance to her purse in the dark. Her hand felt around inside, until they grasped onto a small bottle. Without taking her eyes of the road, Nicole pushed open the cap, thankful it wasn’t childproof, and swallowed the pill without water, a new talent she gained throughout the past few weeks.

She reached forward and raised the volume of the radio in front of her, a top forty hit filling her ears. She drifted away into the song, trying to erase the memory of pain and loneliness building within.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7
Time after Time

“Good evening, Nicole.” Mr. Randy Nedley announced as Nicole walked towards the front desk. “Did you have a good day in town?”

Nicole raised her plastic shopping bag to his eye level so he could see her treasures. “I most definitely did.”

“Did you find everything you were looking for?”

“Yes. It might be a small town, but everyone was very nice and helpful.”

“Perfect!” Randy said happily. He turned to the young woman by his side behind the front desk and gestured for Nicole to look. “This is my daughter Chrissy. She will be here for the rest of the night. I figured after working two days straight after that ass B-Train called out two days in a row I should get home and get some sleep.”

“Did you Dad?” Chrissy chuckled at his version of the story. “I am pretty sure I threatened you to take a night off or else I would be coming down and making sure you didn’t work for a month!”

“Yeah well,” Nedley scratched his gray mustache. “Potato, potato you know?”

Nicole raised her arm out towards Chrissy who leaned over the front desk and shook it, her warm fingers contrasting against Nicole’s still freezing ones.

“Nice to meet you, Chrissy.”

“Chrissy will be able to help you with whatever you need tonight, so make sure to give her a hard time.” Randy grabbed a cowboy hat from underneath the desk and placed it on his thinning haired head. “And I will see you tomorrow at 4.a.m.”

“I better not see you before 8!” The daughter yelled to her father as he strode to the back door.

“Your father is a great man,” The redhead told the other woman, though she knew she had probably heard it dozens of times before.

“Yeah he is,” Chrissy agreed. “Though he’s very stubborn you know? Never slows down to take a breather and enjoy the world. I worry about him.”

“He seems to be in great health though, so I don’t think there’s too much to worry about.”

“Looks can be deceiving, Nicole.” Chrissy sat on the tall chair once occupied by her father. “How are you enjoying your stay so far, Nicole? Anything we can do to make it better?”

“Oh god,” Nicole’s cheeks reddened as she remembered she should have checked out this morning. “I told your father that I was only going to be here last night, but I never checked out this morning. I was actually wondering if I could extend my stay.”

“Of course, Nicole, that’s no problem.” Chrissy grabbed the hotel registry books and started to flip through until she found Nicole’s name. “And how long are you going to be staying?”

“I’m not really sure,” The redhead told her honestly. “It’s just like something is calling me. Sorry, that probably sounds really strange.”

“Not at all, Nicole.” Chrissy grabbed a black ballpoint pen from the small cup in front of her and pressed the ink down to the page. “Oh look, Dad already put down indefinitely. Looks like he knew before you did.”

“Really?” Nicole asked as she leaned forward and looked at the writing.

“Yeah, he probably did so housekeeping wouldn’t go and empty out your room until you were officially checked out. We have some new workers here who take check out dates very seriously. For us, if someone is in the bed, we are happy. We have more rooms than you can imagine and the Ghost River Triangle isn’t really a hot spot for tourists. It’s not like we have a waiting list for rooms or anything. So anyways Nicole, stay as long as you need.”

“Thanks, ma’am.”

“Please just call me Chrissy.” She grinned.

“You really are your father’s daughter,” Nicole chucked as she waved goodbye. “Have a good night!”

The exhausted redhead turned to the stairs, hoping for a better night sleep than the one prior, but as soon as she reached the door handle, she deviated in the opposite direction. With her shoulders slumped after the long day of shopping, she felt her feet swipe the ground one after another as her heart lead her to the Hall of History. Placing her bags in the doorway, she trudged down the makeshift red carpet, her eyes locked on the picture at the end. Her eyes lit at the sight of Waverly and her exhaustion disappeared as a smile painted her face. She leapt forward, placing her hand on the woman in the photographs chest, desperate to feel her heartbeat. It was stupid, she knew, and it did not take her degree in English to tell her that there was no heartbeat, no person hiding behind her picture. That’s all it was, a picture.

“I’m trying, Waverly,” Nicole announced as she touched the young woman’s hands on the print. “I found your favorite book at your home and I brought it back to you. It’s like you are calling to me, but I don’t even know you, do I? I mean insanity was never one of the side effects, but it’s like I have an insane crush on a picture.”

Nicole slumped onto the ground beside the huge portrait, the medication starting to take effect and erase the pain from within.

“What would I even do if I met you?” Nicole asked the picture, forgetting she wasn’t talking to Waverly herself. “What would I say? Good Evening, Ms. Earp, you don’t know me, but you will?”

Nicole rested her head against the wall as her eyes started to droop shut. “Nothing like sounding like a creep, Nicole.”

Nicole was startled awake by a loud, incessant knock on her door, so startled, in fact, that she almost fell out of the clean, white bed she was laying in. Groaning, she looked at her pocket watch on the side of the bed. It was six in the morning. Who could possibly be bothering her this early? Normally, she was awake by four, but can’t a woman get a little extra sleep for once?

The loud knocking continued. Nicole smacked her forehead with her palm, desperate to rid herself from the headache boiling within. She didn’t know why, but for some reason she thought causing her head more pain would get rid of the current pain.

“I’m coming I’m coming, sheesh!” Nicole bellowed.

She walked past the foot of the bed, staring at the haphazard sheets thrown all over the mattress. No wonder she was still asleep, a bed that messy only meant she had a horrible, restless night sleep. Maybe it was housekeeping at the door.

Nicole’s eyelids recoiled as she opened the door; she was desperate to fall back to sleep. She wondered if she could sleep standing up. Now, that would be talent.

“Nicole Fucking Haught!” The young woman bustled through the door and into Nicole’s room, uninvited. “What the fuck do you think you are doing here?”

With a hand on the redhead’s chest, she pushed Nicole further into the room, until she collided with the edge of the bed.

“Shae- what, what are you doing here?” So much for that headache going away, now it was going to compound with a chest ache. She glanced over to the small bottle of pain pills on the opposite nightstand as pocket watch, but quickly turned away, deciding against it. They made her too groggy. She gave in last night, but not again. “How… How did you find me?”

“Xavier,” she answered nonchalantly, as if it meant nothing to her.

“Dolls, but he didn’t-”

“Oh, you don’t think the publishing company has some sort of tracking device on your car? They know where you are at all times. They aren’t going to let their prized possession run to Brazil and never be seen again.”

“But Dolls-”

Shae reached into her purse and grabbed a prescription bottle. She held it out for a second to flash in front of Nicole’s eyes and then chucked them onto the bed.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”

“What, no, I’m-”

“Bullshit Nicole, you aren’t fine. You leave home not telling anyone where you are going and you didn’t even bring the medication.”

“I brought those,” Nicole glanced over to the nightstand.

“Those are fucking pain pills, Nicole. They just take the pain away, not stop the infection from spreading!”

“Yeah, well, maybe I wanted to fell pain.”

“Feel pain, Nicole? Do you have any idea how much pain I felt when I found out you were sick? And if you don’t take these, you’re signing yourself up for a death sentence.”

“Pain!” Nicole rose to her feet and stood toe to toe with Shae, who she now towered over because of her height difference. “You don’t think I felt pain when I found you in bed with her!” Nicole sped around to the other side of the bed, desperate to separate herself from her wife. Well, soon to be ex-wife.

“How many times did you tell me not to worry, she was just a coworker? How many times did I lay in bed at night alone while you supposedly were covering emergencies, but instead you were fucking her senseless? How many times, Shae?”

“Babe,” Nicole felt a strong, yet soft and silky smooth hand reach out to hers just as her vision started to swirl around her. Without even a second thought, she felt her fingers intertwine with those in her hand and her body curl into the shorter woman, the other woman supporting her from crashing to the wood floor.

“Nicole, I need you to relax, okay.” Waverly Earp whispered into her ear, completely ignoring the other woman opposite them. “This isn’t good for you. Take a deep breath.” She rubbed her hand on the older woman’s back as a tear fell onto her shoulder.

“Oh, and you call me a cheater!” Shae yelled as she watched the intimate embrace from afar. Nicole pulled away from Waverly, her mouth slightly agape as she looked from one to the other. The brunette squeezed her hand one last time before finally dropping it to her side.

“We broke up three days ago and you already have some home wrecking slut in your bed.” The other woman continued. Waverly kept her eyes locked on Nicole, watching her breathing, her temper, her anger. She had to be in control of her emotions.

“You had the audacity to tell me I ruined our family, but it was you the whole time, wasn’t it Nicole?” Shae continued. She obviously didn’t take the hint and stepped closer to the couple opposite her. “I thought you loved me, but you’ve been nothing but a bitch who can’t keep her legs closed. You are a mother-fucking son of a bitch, you know that right? All this time I’ve been trying to take care of you, supporting your ass, and this is how I’m repaid. Catching you in bed with Waverly fucking Earp. How long have you know her Nicole, a night? Two nights?”

Waverly felt her own tension filling in her shoulders. Suddenly forgetting everything important, everything she had desperately tried to remember in her mind, she walked over towards, raised her right hand, and did what Earps did best; smacked Shae across the face. Well actually, punching was what Earp’s did best, but a slap seemed better in this situation.

“You little whore!” Shae yelled as she tried to take a stab at Waverly herself. Nicole quickly jumped in between the two, not wanting either woman to be harmed. Well, Waverly anyway.

“You think you can just step in and replace me?” Shae continued on her tirade. Nicole kept her eyes locked on Waverly, but her hand wrapped around Shae’s shoulder to keep her far out of the other woman’s reach.

“Shae, you are nothing to me and you mean nothing to Nicole.” Waverly lectured as she looked around the redhead and used her eyes to send daggers into Shae. “Just remember, I was here before you, and I will be here after you.”

“Wait, what?” Nicole immediately dropped her hands away from both women, completely forgetting about the argument. Waverly’s words, they weren’t just words, they were lyrics… Lyrics from a song written decades after Waverly Earp was alive. Who was she? Where was she?

Nicole felt all strength leave her body as her body collapsed on the floor, her feet curling underneath her as if her entire legs were made of jelly. Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hand and started muttering repeatedly. She was pushed to the side in an instant by Shae and her “I’m a doctor I can save anyone” mentality. Nicole felt her rip the buttons open on her shirt and check her heart rate, but all she could focus on was Waverly’s desperate screams as the world around her began to swirl, and then suddenly fade to black.

“Nicole, sweetie, I need you to stay here with me. Stay in this time. Okay? You are with me, and it is 2012. Do not let go okay? I love you.”

“Nicole, Nicole!” The redhead felt a sharp pain stab through her back, and an incessant shaking of her shoulders. Slowly, the young woman opened her eyes as the dark black faded and bright red and incessant bright lights burned into her corneas. Standing directly in front of her, on his hands and knees, was none other than Randy Nedley, looking as if he had just captured a ghost.

Nicole glanced around the room, red carpet still beneath her feet, dark red wallpapered walls still plastered all around her and a gorgeous picture of Waverly Earp directly above her head. She must have fallen asleep here, which meant everything she had witnessed was just a dream.

“Nicole, please say something,” Randy pleaded with the young woman. “I’m going to go call the ambulance.”

“No,” Nicole stuttered, feeling finally returning to her exhausted form. “No, no ambulance.”

Nicole got to her feet using slow and uncertain movements until she was standing at her full height. Randy stood up beside her, as if they had swapped places and she was the elderly one.

“Chrissy said she remembered you coming in here last night, but she never saw you exit. I was harassing her saying she probably fell asleep on the job, but she argued. I guess it was you who fell asleep on the job.”

“Yeah,” Nicole muttered as she stepped towards the exit. She took one last look at the picture of Waverly on the wall before she exited, her body shivering from the loss of the other woman’s arms on hers. It felt so real, but…

“Hey Randy, do you know if my wife had been here last night while I was asleep?” The redhead asked. She didn’t need her showing up and surprising her again. Not that she had any clue where she was. That dream, that dream was just too real.

“Let me check the registration book, but I believe Chrissy said we had not had any new arrivals.” Nedley made his way behind the front desk and skimmed the book for all yesterday’s entries. “The last entry was a man around dinner time. I don’t think that was her, do you?”

“No, no,” Nicole said as she held her hand up to her forehead to stop the bleeding. This is why she refused to take these pills. “Sorry, I just had a nightmare and it felt so real.”

“That happens to me all the time!” Randy agreed. “I think it has something to do with the lack of sleep. You should probably go lie down for a bit. Then maybe come back down here for lunch?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nicole agreed in her foggy haze. “That sounds like a plan. I’m going to go take a rest.”

Taking almost double the time as normal, Nicole walked up the few flights of stairs to her room, her feet feeling like they weighed over one hundred pounds apiece. She dragged her body over to her room, glad her short journey was recorded to muscle memory.

Nicole opened the door to her room, glancing around, as if waiting for two other occupants to be in the midst of a screaming match. But, she was met with was silence. Even the bed, which she had just seen as a mess only minutes before, was now tightly made as if it hadn’t been touched since the housekeepers had tended to her room over twelve hours before. And honestly, she hadn’t.

The young woman sat at the edge of the bed and closed her eyes, once again feeling Waverly’s arms against hers, feeling her warm breath tickle her earlobes as she whispered something for only her to hear. If only she could get back there.

Nicole’s eyes shot open and she quickly jumped off the bed. She could get back there, she could. Without any hesitation, Nicole started on her mission. She unplugged every electronic in the room, from the television to the blow dryer, and carried each into the small, thin closet beside the bathroom. She thanked god for her morning workout as she walked back and forth from the middle of the room to the closet, hiding everything from her vision that would remind her of the current century.

Stripping out of her clothes, Nicole stood completely naked in the middle of the room. One by one, she slipped on each layer of her new “costume”, as the woman at the vintage store referred to it as. She positioned the pants to their desired location, inches, maybe even a foot higher than she would wear her normal jeans. She ushered her arms into the shirt and then proceeded to button each up with her cold, trembling hands. She shoved the shirt into her pants, tugging it in in all the right places. Nicole grabbed the now empty plastic bag and ruffled it into a ball, tossing it into the closet and then closing the door behind her.

She took one last look of herself in the mirror, chuckling at how insane she looked in clothes that were decades old. Lastly, she plopped the 1940’s coins, dollar bills, and one of her pain pills into the small change purse. She dropped it into her right pocket and slid her pocket watch into the left pocket for safety measures.

Nicole took a deep breath, and grabbed the hat at the edge of the bed. Slowly, she surged into the bed, her mind clear yet full of thoughts of being in 1943 and only in 1943. She lay flat on the bed, on top of the cold covers. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and folded her hands around the old-fashioned hat. Not old fashioned- the current fashioned hat.

She locked her eyelids down, as if there were weights forcing them closed and making them impossible to open. She started to chant over and over again, quietly yet confidently.

“It is June 27, 1943.” The words escaped her lips as she spoke at a normal level, no hesitation in her voice. “You are staying in the Ghost River Hotel. Waverly Earp is in the same hotel as you.”

“It is June 27, 1943 at 5:52 p.m. Your mind accepts this absolutely.”

“It is 5:52 p.m. at June 27th, 1943. You are staying at the Ghost River Hotel.” She repeated yet again. She would repeat it all night if she had to. “Waverly Earp is in this hotel room preparing for her performance. Her manager, James Champ Hardy is in this hotel with her.”

Nicole could feel her body drifting, slipping further and further away from the present.

“Aghhh!” Nicole screamed at herself as she opened her eyes. “It’s not the past. There is no such thing as the past. The past is becoming the present.”

Nicole chided herself at her failure. Sweat perspired from every part of her body, in areas she didn’t even know could sweat. After sitting up for a quick second, Nicole laid back down on the bed, desperate to try again. Oh to feel Waverly in her arms again!

“It is June 27th, 1943 at approximately 5:52 p.m. Your mind accepts this absolutely. Waverly Earp is in this hotel, preparing for her performance of One Life, One Love. She and her company are in this hotel at this exact moment preparing for their opening performance tomorrow. Your mind accepts this absolutely.”

“It is 5:52 p.m.” Nicole continued her chant. She would do this all day. “On June 27, 1943. You have traveled back in time. Soon, you will open your eyes and you will walk into the corridor. You will walk downstairs and you will find Waverly Earp. She is in this hotel at this very moment. There is no question in your mind. You accept this absolutely.”

Relax and accept. Relax and accept. It is June 27, 1943.

Chapter Text

Chapter 8
Back in Time

“It is June 27th, 1943 at approximately 5:52 p.m. Your mind accepts this absolutely. Waverly Earp is in this hotel, preparing for her performance of One Life, One Love. She and her company are in this hotel at this exact moment preparing for their opening performance tomorrow. Your mind accepts this absolutely.”

“Damn it!” Nicole swore as she flung her body back down on the bed and pierced her eyes shut.

“Now, now, now,” She yelled at herself, threatening her mind from the continual fight it was causing. “It is 5:52 p.m. on June 27. There’s no question in your mind.”

“Waverly…” She breathed heavily as exhaustion fought to overtake her body. “Waverly is downstairs… Your mind accepts this absolutely.”

“It is June 27th, 1943…” She muttered for one last time.

Nicole jumped from the bed she was still laying directly on top of, covers still not touched from the several hours she had laid down. She was trapped inside her 1940’s outfit, sweat seeping through every fabric strand touching her body. Grabbing her pocket watch from beside her bed, Nicole walked down stairs and straight to the lobby, only to be face to face with Randy’s daughter, no doubt alive and kicking in the 21st century, but most definitely not in the early 1940’s.

“Good evening, Nicole,” Chrissy said as she watched the young woman walk slowly across the lobby. There was something different about her, something that looked, tired? “Actually, I should say good morning, Nicole. It’s 3 a.m. Couldn’t sleep?”

The young redhead plucked the hat from her head and rested it on the front desk, exposing her soaked locks. Part of her was glad Waverly was not seeing her in this shape. She felt horrible; she wanted to curl up in a ball and never wake again.

“Holy shit, I was asleep for that long?” Nicole asked her, trying not to look suspicious.

“I guess so. And you decided to get all dapper and come down and visit me?”

A curl formed on Nicole’s lip; she couldn’t help argue with the ridiculousness of it all.

“I guess you can say that, too.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m going to go check out the Hall of History for a bit. Maybe all the dirt and dust will me back to sleep.”

“If you aren’t out in two hours, I’m coming in!” Chrissy winked toward the young redhead. “But seriously, Nicole, if you need anything, let me know. I know I’m not as soft and cuddly as my father, but I can be a shoulder to lean on if you need it.”

“Thanks Chrissy,” Nicole said as she grabbed her sweaty hat and placed it back on her head. “I’ll let you know.”

Nicole’s feet followed the familiar path back down the fake red carpet, stopping in front of Waverly’s picture. She once again traced the curves of the younger woman’s body, the feeling of the young woman’s arms around her burned into her core memory. She knew no matter how hard she tried, she would never be able to forget the feeling of safety and comfort from her. But, it was just a dream, right?

“I’m trying Waves,” The nickname just fell out of her mouth, as if she had been calling the youngest Earp that for years. How could this gorgeous woman be a stranger, when every sensation in her was magnetically pulling Nicole to her?

“I’m trying, but I just don’t know if I’m strong enough.” Nicole sighed, her exhaustion spilling over in waves. “But I’m going to keep trying, okay? I’m not giving up on you, I’m not giving up on us. Even if I have to die trying.”

Nicole placed a kiss on her hand and pressed it to the picture’s face, as if the kiss could travel through time and space.

“I’m going to try again.” Nicole said heaving her long sleeves down as her body cooled. “I just needed a bit of inspiration. You are perfect for that.”

Nicole sauntered through the Hall of History with her eyes locked on Waverly, at least until her hip jerked the glass display. Brown eyes fell, locking with the signatures on the registry.

“What if-” With a new mission, Nicole darted out of the small museum, stopping only to glance at Chrissy, who was distracted with a late night guest.

Nicole opened the door to the patio, the nippy air contrasting against her sweaty skin, causing the small hairs on to stand on end. Ignoring her shivering body, Nicole ran through the patio and across the grass, her shoes slightly sinking in the dewy, muddy ground. Her eyes detected a small light hanging outside a home less than a hundred feet away.

Taking three steps on to the porch, the small woman cupped her hands on the glass window, looking past the curtains and into the large room. A nightlight shined through the fabric and singed to her corneas.

Knocking on the door as loud as possible, Nicole threw her passion and sympathy for the sleeping man out the window. She was desperate for his help; there was plenty of time to sleep afterwards. Right now, she needed to get back to Waverly.

“Randy, wake up!” She banged, alternating between knocking on the door and the window. A light flashed on in what Nicole assumed was a hallway. Her heartbeat sped faster and faster as she heard Nedley unlock the door and twist the handle.

“Hi Randy, look, I’m really sorry to wake you up,” Nicole started, suddenly feeling silly for interrupting his slumber. “But I think you are the only one who can help me.”

Randy gestured for Nicole to come inside. She took a step in as he shut the door, her feet glued to the ground.

“Listen, you know those things in the Hall of History cases?”

“Of course I do, Nicole. I am the one who arranged the museum.”

“Perfect,” she internally cheered. “Do you know where those items come from? Are there more hidden in storage?”

As Randy fully awoke from his sleepy haze, his eyes fell upon the young woman in front of him, wearing vintage clothes from an age she was not alive.

“Randy, please,” Nicole begged, pulling the man away from his far away state. She wasn’t sure exactly where his mind had ventured, but now was not the time.

“The attic, Nicole.” Randy pointed to a door on his right. “Please feel free to look around upstairs for whatever you are looking for. I am going to go back to sleep. Just shut the door on your way out.”

“Thank you!” Nicole screeched in excitement. She wrapped her body around the man, hugging him in appreciation. “You have no idea how much this means to me!”

Nicole swiped the light switch and paraded up the creaky stairs, each step cracking underneath her feet, displaying their decades of wear and tear. Reading stored box after box, Nicole was happy the Nedley’s were very organized; each box labeled with the contents. In less than a half an hour, Nicole unveiled the hotel registries in a box labeled 1940. One by one, she clutched each book, her eyes scanning for the beginning entry and the final entry, trying to locate Waverly’s arrival.

“Oh shit,” Nicole swore under her breath as she located dates from the summer of 1943. Fingers shaking, the redhead flipped page after page, the dates flying closer and closer to June. Her heart beat out of her chest as she stopped upon her arrival date. Using her index digit, she pointed to each entry, each name, her mind exploding when she saw none other than Waverly’s autograph staring back at her. “June 27th at 4:37 p.m.”

Her eyes ate through the names on the remaining page, glaring at one after the next, but not one was her name. She examined every name until June 30th, nothing. What if she didn’t make it? What if all of this was for nothing?

Looking yet again, Nicole started from the bottom of the entries on June 30th, her eyes squinting at the signatures of each names. Her signature had to look the same, right? As she rounded past June 27th and flipped to the page right prior, a name popped and erased all fears and doubts webbed within her mind.

Staring back at her was her own signature, barely legible after the thousands of best sellers she had to sign on her world book tour.

“Oh shit,” she swore again, trembling in excitement. She was there! She had successfully time traveled! The reason she wasn’t successful was because she was attempting to time travel to the wrong date, not because she was doing something incorrect! With new inspiration, confidence, and enthusiasm, Nicole shuffled everything back in its place, frantic not to leave a mess for the man who had been nothing but helpful to her.

In what felt like minutes, Nicole found herself standing outside her hotel room door, ready and willing for yet another try. Without a second thought, she grabbed the small orange pill bottle from the nightstand and swallowed a smooth tablet without a drop of water. She chucked the bottle under her bed, out of sight and out of mind. She dropped back in the bed, falling in the same position she was an hour ago. The sun threatened to rise outside of her window, but nothing was going to stop her now.

“It is June 26th, 1943,” She uttered confidently. “It is 11:27 am. There is no question in your mind.”

She took another deep breath, feeling the air expand and compress her lungs. “It is 11:27 am. You are at the Ghost River Hotel, in room 416. Your mind accepts this unconditionally.”

“It is June 27th, 1943.” She muttered yet again, her eyes rotating within her eye sockets. “It is 11:27 am. There is no question in your mind.”

Relax and accept, relax and accept. It is 1943. Relax and accept, relax and accept. Nicole felt the world spin around and all feeling drain from her body. Strength and power left every part of her, from the top of her head to her tiptoes.

It felt like one hundred pounds of weight collapsed on her chest, pinning her to the damp carpet below. Her eyes blinked once, then twice, the blinding luminescent light burning her retinas. Spinning her head left then right she examined her surroundings; she was still in the same room, but when did she fall off the bed? Rolling to her stomach, Nicole placed her palms flat on the red carpet and pushed her aching body up in the air. Clutching her back, she arched, feeling as though she had slept on a rock for hours of the night. Who knows, she might have.

A loud knock on the door caused Nicole to growl in frustration. Was this another dream? Before she could take a step forward, a figure ran across the room, causing her to freeze in place. Who the hell was in her room?

Quiet as a mouse but quick as a bunny, Nicole crouched down behind the large radio to the side of the bed, staying invisible to any new entrants. The redhead’s eyes glossed over in excitement as she took in the small changes around the room; the darkened wallpaper, the disgusting carpet, and even the radio she hid behind. A grin painted across her face as she shook her head in her stupidity. How did she not notice this before? She had made it.

“Doc freakin’ Holliday,” She heard the small woman contest at the door. The redhead watched the cowboy step through entryway and into her-well not her- room. Upon the presence of this woman, he quickly removed his cap and held it at his side. “Did you dog me all the way here, John?”

“Why yes, ma’am, I did.” He said politely. “I have not been able to stop thinking about you since you left, Rosita.”

Nicole’s eyes ping ponged to every area of the room, desperately trying to figure out how she was going to get away from this mess. She did not want to witness this conversation.

“Are you ready yet, Rosita?” The man, Doc, asked in his thick southern drawl. Even from her position on the floor, Nicole could see the strength and passion evoking from his eyes.

“No, John, I’m not,” She argued back. She walked further and further into the room, causing Nicole to shuffle to the other side of the radio as Doc followed behind. “I do not know why you act in such a manner.”

“Look Rosita,” Doc whined as the young woman entered into the bathroom, with the cowboy hot on her tail. “I am sorry I blew all the money a Poker game. I will win it back, I promise.”

Taking this as her only chance, Nicole ran to the door, opening it in a millisecond and disappearing into the hallway. She walked down, adjusting her shirt collar and fixing the buttons that burst open in the transition. She removed her hat and led a hand through her messy hair.

Smarter than her advisories, Nicole turned on her heel and journeyed back towards the room. Doc freakin’ Holliday opened the door, looking much less threatening than when she saw him earlier in his cowboy hat.

“Excuse me, dolly,” He called from the doorway. Nicole increased her speed and planted herself by his side. “Did you see someone come in here, ma’am?”

“There was a little boy who was running up and down the hallway.” She told him. She copied his previous behavior, took off her hat, and held it in her own hands. “I would suspect it was probably him.”

“I am sorry, dolly. We have not yet met, and I for certain would remember a dish like you.” John swiped his sweaty hands on his dark wash jeans and held his hand out. Nicole grasped his hand, and was surprised when the man brought it up to his lips, his mustache tickling her sensitive skin. “John Henry Holliday, but you can call me Doc.”

“Nicole Haught,” she stuttered, recoiling her hand immediately. “Nice to meet you.”

“What are you doing out for a walk so late at night, Ms. Haught? It is almost three in the morning. You must be beat.”

“I’m just getting in, sir.” Nicole answered. It was honest, wasn’t it? “Have a good night, sir.”

She spun away from the man, waving as she walked out of sight. She never had a problem with lying, but keeping herself grounded was a completely different story.

Nicole ran down the familiar flights of stairs (though they were in painted in a much darker color), taking two steps at a time. Her mind was wondering, spinning out of control as she tried to formulate what she was going to say to Waverly. What can possibly be said to someone amazing like her? Not to mention this little crush she had formulated just from looking at her pictures. Little… Crush… Yeah right… More like massive.

“Good morning, Ms. Earp,” Nicole muttered as she rounded the third flight of stairs. “I’ve traveled so long to see you…. No kind of creepy.”

The redhead grasped the metallic door handle and led herself into the lobby.

“Good morning, Ms. Earp,” she practiced again, trying to record her words to muscle memory. “Nice day outside, isn’t it?”

Yeah, that would work… Unless they weren’t outside. Nicole pulled her silver pocket watch out and checked the time. It really was only 3:00 am, what could she do if she couldn’t check in until 11? That gave her hours to kill with nothing to do. Nothing… unless…

“Excuse me, sir,” Nicole called as she stepped towards the front desk. Standing behind it definitely wasn’t Randy, and it for certain wasn’t Chrissy. Was it another Nedley? It had to be. “Has Waverly Earp checked into her room yet?”

“No ma’am.” He responds, folding his spectacles and placing them beside the registry. “Excuse me, Miss.”

Nicole watched as the short, stout man charged from behind the desk towards a little boy, no older than five. Could that be? Is it possible?

“Randall, why aren’t you upstairs in bed?” The clerk reprimanded. He turned the boy away from Nicole’s sight and whispered something in his ear. Within seconds, the young man ran back through the lobby, as if the encounter never happened.

“Can I get you a room, ma’am?” He asked as he stepped back to his position.

As much as Nicole wanted to, she wasn’t sure what would happened if she meddled with time. She could be ruining the timeline already.

“No sir,” the young woman shook her head, probably less certain than she wished. “I am actually staying with a friend tonight. But, I will most likely going to be needing one tomorrow. Is it alright if I step outside? Must have had too much of the hooch tonight.”

Hooch? Was that word still used?

“Sure baby doll, go on ahead. There is probably a bit of a nip in the air, though.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The redhead briskly walked through the French doors, wrapping her arms around her shoulders as the cold air shivered up and down her spine. She took a seat on the wicker chair, completely out of sight from the clerk’s point of view. After spending god knows how long on the floor, a couple hours in an uncomfortable chair couldn’t be that bad.

Curling her legs underneath her body for warmth, Nicole closed her eyes and rested her head on the top of the chair. She was exhausted and needed to sleep, but excitement was bursting through single her veins. She needed to sleep, though; she would be no use falling asleep tomorrow at Waverly’s side. That is, if she could even find her.

As her brain cells ticked away in excitement, the young woman began to count backwards, hoping and praying she could actually get a few hours of sleep. Just a few. Was that too much to ask?

“I cannot believe you are here!”

“Of course! I would not miss this for the world! This is your big break, baby girl.”

“Well, I am glad you think so.”

Nicole slowly stirred in her chair, but refused to open her eyes. Instead, she listened to the entire conversation playing out in front of her.

“What, does the boy-man not think so?”

“Wynonna, I wish you would stop calling him that.”

Wait, Wynonna? That means… Nicole cracked opened her right eye enough to take in the two women around her. Sure enough, standing feet away from her was none other than Waverly Earp. Nicole’s breath caught in her throat as she took in the young woman’s beauty. Her fingers twitched as she ached to reach out and touch the young woman, hold her in her arms and kiss her. She couldn’t, not when she was sleeping outside on a patio chair like a homeless person.

Even with her eyes closed, Nicole felt the young woman step closer into her personal space, as if electricity was sparking from the redhead to the brunette.

“Do you think this dish is cool?” She heard Waverly ask. Oh how Nicole wished she could reach forward and wipe away the worry wrinkles undoubtedly etched into her forehead.

“Do you even know who this broad is?”

“No, but still. I saw a blanket inside. I am going to go grab it before she catches cold.”

Nicole bit her lip to stop her from smiling.

“You are too nice, baby doll.”

Within seconds, Nicole felt the brunette’s fingertips ghosting against her as she draped a quilt over and tucked her in. The redhead was thankful the woman’s hands didn’t falter for long. There was no way she would be able to deny the speeding of her heartbeat or the sweating of her palms.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9
For the First Time

“Good morning, Ms. Earp,” Nicole practiced, pacing outside the dinner before breakfast was served. “You don’t know me…. No, no, no, that’s not right.”

“Good morning, Ms. Earp,” She removed her hat and shifted it back from one sweaty hand to the other. “May I please speak to you?”

“Yes?” The host walked towards the podium and scribbled on the notebook in front of him. He overheard Nicole and assumed Nicole was talking to him. “Yes, ma’am?

Nicole cleared her throat to make sure her speaking voice was clear. “Table for one please?”

“Of course!” The man ruffled through the paper menus behind the podium and gestured for Nicole to follow. Once they stepped in the restaurant, Nicole’s smile fell to the floor as she stepped and squished her own foot.

“Do you know if Ms. Earp is here yet?”

“Oh,” The host’s eyes glinted with excitement as he recognized what was going on. “Are you one of those kooky fans? Mr. Nedley warned us about you!”

“No, I just…I’m an old friend from her school,” The lies sputtered from her mouth before she had a chance to stop them. “She doesn’t know I’m here today.”

Okay, so not a complete lie.

“I am sorry, Miss. She walked through the back door.”

“Shit,” Nicole swore underneath her breath. “Do you know where she is?”

“I am sorry, ma’am. I have no idea where she could be.”

Fuck! She was wasting precious time with the beautiful, gorgeous Waverly Earp. Where could she possibly be now?

“Do you want a table?” The host asked as others lined up beside the door.

“Yes, sir,” Nicole answered, though she sighed in frustration. She didn’t want to sit and waste time, but her stomach was grumbling. She did not want to scare Waverly away with a tiny monster roaring inside of her.

Checking her pocket watch, the young woman kept track of the time for what seemed like the millionth time this morning. Only 9:00am, still hours before she could check in. Her eyes bounced around each wall in the lobby, checking for the stunning actress. Nothing. She was foolish to think the popular woman would be hanging around in public.

“Not inside, Randy,” The older man yelled from the front desk. A little boy feet away turned from his elder and continued bouncing the large basketball on the wooden floor.

“Randy!” The man whipped out from behind the front desk and grabbed the ball from the boy’s clutches. “You need to listen to me when I say something to you. No basketball inside.”

“But Papa!”

“No, Randy,” The receptionist grabbed the ball and hid it behind the counter. “Until you learn to listen to me, no basketball, period.”

“Excuse me, sir” The young Doc Holliday interrupted the family moment, pulling the eldest Nedley away from the front desk for assistance.

“Hey,” Nicole got on her knees next to the young boy. “Is your name Randy?”

“Yeah!” He shook his head excitedly. “And I’m four years old!”

“Well that’s awesome, little man!” Nicole patted his head, ruining his near perfect blonde hair. “Did you know I used to play basketball when I was a kid just like you?”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Nicole walked over to the front desk, checked to make sure the father wasn’t watching, and grabbed the ball. She passed it to the little boy, sparkles lighting up his eyes. “Maybe next time I see you, you can show me some of your moves on the basketball court?”

“Really?”

“Yeah!” Nicole smiled as he started to dribble the basketball on the wooden floor.

“That dame is going to be mine, you know,” The voice crushed her eardrums and caused shivers up and down her spine. She rose to her feet and stood at her full height, watching and listening to the conversation from the distance.

“No, she’s not, you fat-head” The woman argued with him. Nicole recognized her as none other than Wynonna Earp, Waverly’s older sister. “Not on my life, Champ.”

The Earp shoved the younger man, who sputtered backward from the contact.

“She is mine, you broad.” The man unfolded his arms and started to fail them in frustration, each one becoming dangerously closer to Wynonna’s face. “She has everything because of me. The clothes on her back, I bought. This show that she is performing, I got her that job. And the one before, and the one after. She owes me, and trust me, boob, she is not going anywhere. So I shall say it again, she is mine.”

“Oh wow,” Nicole stood beside the young woman, taking a deep breath. She wasn’t sure where she had found the balls, but somehow, she found confidence within. “I have never heard such a narcissistic ass. You do understand a woman is someone to be loved and cherished, right? Not a piece of property.”

“And who the hell are you?” Champ sizzled at the other woman daring to stand up to him.

“A woman, who sure as hell knows if you want to gain someone’s love and trust, you don’t regard them as a piece of property you can pick up and throw away whenever you want.”

“What the hell do you know, woman? I don’t see a man on your arm.”

“Damn right you don’t.” Nicole snickered. “Funny, I don’t see Waverly on yours.”

“Oh!” Wynonna celebrated, leaning over and giving the complete stranger a high five.

“I’ll show you, bitch.” Champ hissed. He slithered past the tall redhead, making sure to hit her with his shoulder so hard it would have made a normal woman cry. Nicole stood her ground and waved with a cocky grin as he passed.

“That was killer diller! I’ve never got him to shut up like that.” Wynonna held her hand out, and Nicole took it graciously. “Wynonna Earp.”

“Nicole Haught,” The redhead introduced. Bad thoughts were spreading like wildfire in her brain, chastising her for standing up to Champ. Now he was never going to let her get close to the young woman.

“Are you here visiting Nicole? Or here for the play?”

“Actually, I’m here to see your sister,” The taller woman admitted. Her tongue slipped across her top lip.

“Really? Well normally I would think you were some creep,” Wynonna explained, “But after you told off that fat-head, I think it is safe for you to meet her. I believe she is rehearsing in the theater.”

“Really?” Nicole’s eyes lit up in excitement.

“You are an eager beaver, aren’t you, Haught stuff. You act like I just gave you a new puppy. She’s only a 5 foot tall Virgo with hair for days.”

“And a gorgeous smile that makes me go weak,” Nicole muttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing! Just, thank you!” Nicole’s cheeks reddened in an instant. Before she could embarrass herself any more, she ventured from the lobby towards the theater.

“There is no way!” The gray haired man argued with the shorter, stubbier man standing upon the stage. “Not on my life is that going to happen!”

“But the honcho gets whatever he desires!” The shorter man reminded the others, a pained frown etched across his face.

“I guarantee you, he will not. Even if he gave me an extra dollar an hour, it’s not getting done.”

“I’m with you, sir.” The other man paced the stage floor as the actors bustled out towards center stage to prepare for their next scene. “How the hell does he expect us to be out of here within one hour after the show is over on Sunday? There is no way.”

Nicole’s eyes fell from face to face as each person circled around onstage. One by one she recognized the group as Waverly’s coworkers, but there was one problem; none of them were Waverly.

“That fool is insane!” The fight continued.

“That is what he wants. And with his lettuce, he always gets what he wants.”

“You know Champ; the asshole who signs our paychecks.”

Nicole smiled; it looked like she wasn’t alone in her hatred of Champ.

“I wish to god I didn’t,” The shorter man told the others honestly.

“All right,” The taller man decided. “If he’s that anxious to get us out of here that quick, let him tear down the entire set himself!”

“Excuse me!” Nicole walked down the ramp, passing aisles and aisles of theater seats. “Did you… Have you seen Ms. Earp?”

“Most likely walking by the lake, I presume.” The taller man announced. He turned to the cast on stage, and ordered them to take the scene from the top.

“I can’t thank you enough, sir.”

“May I speak to you, please, Ms. Earp?” Nicole practiced. This was it, the final dress rehearsal before opening night. Her shaky feet walked through the grassy ground, which slowly transitioned to a sandy beach. Her eyes traced the horizon, until they finally fell on one Waverly Earp.

Nicole took one final step closer, her eyes quickly devouring the younger woman’s form. She was wearing a long, flowy dress, which clung to her body in all the right places, leaving plenty to Nicole’s imagination, yet just enough to make her mouth water. Her hair was pulled back slightly exposing her luscious white neck. Closing her eyes, Nicole imagined placing her lips across Waverly’s neck, sucking on her pulse point, and making her moan in pleasure.

“Wow, you are even more beautiful in person.” The words fluttered off Nicole’s lips and fell into Waverly’s trembling ears. After the hours of practice, this was the last thing she expected to fall out of her mouth.

“Excuse me?” Waverly turned to Nicole. Their eyes connected within an instant, and neither could look away. “Do I… Do I…”

The younger woman blushed, losing her focus as she lost her mind and body within the deep pools of Nicole’s beautiful brown eyes.

“No, sorry, ma’am. You don’t.” Nicole broke eye contact as she reached out her sweaty hand towards the younger woman. She immediately chided herself for not wiping her wet palms on her pants before their introduction. “Nicole, Nicole Haught.”

Nicole reached forward as her calloused, yet still soft and smooth hands fell into Waverly’s small, silky, strong, yet graceful hands. “Really?”

“Would you believe that is my middle name?” Nicole cracked a smile, which quickly spread to the brunnette’s face.

“No?” Waverly chuckled.

“Phew, I knew I could never lie to you.” Nicole chuckled as Waverly caught onto her joke.

“Who could possibly be that lucky to have parents that gave them the last name Really Haught?”

“Parents who were too busy getting high in speakeasies during the 20’s?”

“Yeah, I guess you are right on that.” Waverly looked down, finally realizing that the redhead’s hand was still captured in hers. Captured? Well, she didn’t want to let it go, and it didn’t look like Nicole wanted to either. She dropped the other woman’s hand, her own tingling with loneliness as soon as it fell to her side.

“Sorry about that.”

“No, not at all.” Nicole said, her own cheeks reddening to match the early morning sun. “Would you like to go for a walk with me?”

“Nicole, I…”

“Don’t even know me?”

“Yes?”

“But what a perfect way to get to know me, Waverly. Walking side by side along the lake, warm morning ray’s shining over our faces.”

“Are you a poet?”

“God no. Writer, actually. All stuff you could learn if you, you know, go on a walk with me?” Nicole held her arm out to the younger woman, encouraging her to lean on her.

Waverly smiled and wrapped her hand around Nicole’s right arm. Electricity sparked from her fingertips to Nicole’s body. Was this going to happen every time they touch?

“Excuse me, Waverly,” A booming voice interrupted their tender moment. Waverly jumped away from the young woman, as if she had just been caught trying to steal a cookie from the cookie jar. “I’m here to take you back to rehearsal.”

“Okay, Champ,” Waverly didn’t argue, though hesitation was written all over her skin like a climax to Nicole’s world famous books.

“Can I… see you later?” Nicole asked to Waverly’s retreating form. The young woman just turned back towards her and waved, Nicole’s heart bursting from the conflict flickering across her face.

“Who was that?” Champ asked as Waverly walked by his side. He kept pushing his body closer and closer to her, causing her to tip toe further and further away.

“No idea,” Waverly told him. It was the truth, Nicole was just a stranger. Or was she?

“She gave no name?”

“No, Champ, she did not,” The youngest Earp lied. She glanced back toward Nicole one last time. The young woman was bending down, and Waverly’s eyes could not help but trace her fleeting form. She stood up tall and skipped a rock into the quiet lake. “There was hardly any time.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 10
Take Your Time

The young woman waited, twiddling her thumbs as the front desk clerk scrambled behind her. Her eyes wandered up to the clock repeatedly, anxious he wouldn’t turn before she had to register. With anxiety at an all-time high, she obnoxiously coughed, causing the entire lobby to turn towards her. Her pale skin went ablaze.

“Can I help you, ma’am?” The older man, who Nicole classified as Old Man Nedley, questioned.

“Yes, sir. I am in need of a room.” Nicole said. She was proud of using complete sentences in hopes of fitting in.

“Are you not already staying here Ms.-”

“Please call me Nicole.” Her eyes ticked to the clock again, watching the minutes wind down. “I stayed with a friend last night as I got in so late. Now I wish to have my own room.”

“Certainly,” The man grabbed a freshly sharpened pencil and scribbled information on the registry. “Nicole, what is your last name?”

“Haught,” Nicole answered, drumming her fingertips on the wood.

“One bedroom or two?”

“The next available, please?”

“Of course,” He reached over and grabbed the next available key, the room number immediately catching the young woman’s eye. 412. Not the room she needed.

“Um… What about-”

“Sorry, Nedley,” A woman appeared from nowhere, causing Nicole to jump in her own skin. “I have not cleaned that one yet. College kids seemed to make a ruckus in there last night.”

“Oh, sorry.” He handed her the key, then reached forward to the key box and swiped the next one in line. “That was a close room. Here you go, room 416.”

Nicole took the key into her palm, holding the precious cargo as if it was a golden ticket to the Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. She scribbled her name and the date in the book. There was no room for error from Old Man Nedley.

“What room were you staying in last night, Ms. Haught, so I can have someone fetch your belongings?”

“That’s not necessary, sir. Truth be told, I need the exercise. Thank you, though.”

“I know the feeling! My wife tells me that all the time!”

Nicole chuckled. With a quick wave of her hand, she turned on her heel, running straight into none other than Wynonna Earp.

“Holy shit, it is Haught Shit!” The other woman yelled excitedly. Her voice was too loud for a basketball game, never mind a hotel lobby.

“Wynonna,” The younger Earp chastised beside her. “Young woman are not supposed to swear like that.”

“Oh, who the hell cares? I am my own damn woman. You should try it to sometime, baby girl.”

Nicole couldn’t stop the smile that ran across her face as a blush darted around Waverly’s ears, cheeks, and possibly dipping down her chest. Her fingers tingled, daring her to reach out and touch the young woman. She wondered if the remainder of her skin was as silky smooth as her hands.

“Anyways, you are everywhere today, aren’t you, Haught Dog?”

Nicole rolled her eyes. She was in total disbelief that Wynonna freakin’ Earp just called her hot dog, and in front of the gorgeous Waverly, nonetheless. What was this world coming to?

“Yeah, just checking in for the next few nights,” Nicole explained. She hoped neither Earp would question why she hadn’t checked in sooner.

“We are off to lunch with Boy-Man ass-hat Champ.” Wynonna sighed in frustration. Looking to the left and then to the right, the eldest Earp took in the shy smiles beaming from both women. Looking suddenly nervous, Nicole placed her right arm across her chest and gripped her elbow, running her calloused hand up and down her arm.

“Okay well, have a-”

“I had the greatest idea!” Wynonna smirked sinisterly. “What if you come with us, Haught? It would definitely make the meal more interesting. Probably make the food taste a little better, too. What do you say, Wave, don’t you agree?”

“Yeah, the more the merrier.” Waverly agreed as she tried to look anywhere besides the redhead’s eyes. Their eyes finally met and she could not help the smile that formed from the warmth and comfort emitting from Nicole’s.

“Are you sure, Waves?” Nicole asked. The size of the youngest woman’s smile doubled at the adorable nickname the redhead had already given her.

“Of course she is, Haught,” Wynonna playfully shoved her. “Let’s go! I am starving!”

“You know, my first name is Nicole,” The woman explained. “You can call me that instead of Haught.”

“Now why the hell would I want to do that?”

Nicole slid into the small, intimate booth. Wynonna joined her directly to her right and Waverly right across. Nicole had no idea there was just going to be four of them dining or else she probably would have declined. The haggard boy-man joined them in an instant.

“So Nicole, what are you doing here?” Champ inquired. He took a roll out of the breadbasket and stabbed it forcefully with his knife.

“I invited her, you fat head,” Wynonna said, causing daggers to shoot from Waverly’s eyes.

Nicole giggled, causing another delicious smile to form on Waverly’s face. “I’m here for inspiration, actually. I’m a novelist and I hit a bit of a writer’s block. I was hoping something in the Ghost River Hotel would inspire me to keep going.”

“You are a novelist, huh? Have you written anything good? Have you written anything worth reading?”

“Champ, that was not nice!” The small brunette complained.

“It’s okay, Waves,” Nicole said. She reached across the table and placed her hand on top of the younger woman’s, if only for a split second to reassure her she could handle herself.

“No, I haven’t written anything ‘worth reading’.” The redhead used air quotations. “But someday, I will, don’t you worry.”

“I hope you write something good someday soon.” Champ shoved the entire remainder of the roll in his mouth, then proceeding to talk. “I heard in the future no one will want to buy books. So you better hurry your ass up.”

“Champ-”

“Oh, like onstage plays is not a dying breed as well?” Wynonna chuckled. “You should think again, Mr. Nine Seconds.”

Nicole’s eyes lit up as the words fell out of the eldest Earp’s mouth. Was that a sex joke or what? She had no idea.

“Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to order?” The waiter interrupted what Nicole was sure to be a pissing match between Wynonna and Hardy.

“Um…” Nicole grimaced as she looked at the menu in her hand. She had no idea what a majority of the menu items were. What happened to the classic burger and fries on there a few days ago?

“Yes, we are,” Champ said, thrusting the reigns in the air because of the male dominated world they were in living. “We are going to start with the crabmeat canapes, followed by the roasted duckling with holiday stuffing.”

“Oh wow, thanks for ordering for us all, ass.” Wynonna complained at the exact same time Waverly ejected: “I most certainly am not. I am a vegetarian.”

“No one can be a vegetarian during the war, Waverly, get over yourself.”

“Excuse me?” The woman fumed. Nicole had never seen Waverly this mad in the entire half day she knew her.

“Waverly can do and say and eat whatever she wants, Champ,” Nicole said, gritting her teeth when his name splattered out of her mouth. “Remember the conversation we had this morning about property, Hardy?”

“Thank you, Nicole.” Waverly flashed yet another one of her thousand dollar smiles and the redhead swore her heart melted right then and there. “I am going to have the grapefruit and avocado salad to start, with the cauliflower au gratin and sweet potato casserole as my main course. Wynonna, Nicole, would you like anything different?”

Wynonna ordered a laundry list of items, which Nicole was sure included every known meat to man. Nicole shook her head when asked to change her meal; she accepted Champ’s order and only ordered a bottle of coke in addition.

“How is everything looking for the play tomorrow, Waverly?” Nicole asked, trying to ease into some normal, easy conversation the table could agree on. They all had the brunette’s best interests at heart, right?

“The play is going so far so good.” Waverly announced. “There is one scene I am a bit worried about, but the other actors on stage are amazing. I know that if anything happens, they will be able to catch me when I fall, both literally and figuratively.”

“There is no such thing as failure, Waverly.” Champ announced as he shoved another bite of bread into his mouth. “Your entire career is hinging on this performance this weekend. It is sink or swim time.”

“Wow,” Nicole started as she grabbed her drink from the waiters hand and took a large gulp. “You are the most motivating person I have ever met. Why don’t you try this? Waverly, whatever happens, you are going to do amazing. If the people in the audience don’t see it, it’s their loss, because I know the truth. No matter what, you are going to be a success; I feel it in my bones.”

“In your bones?” Champ laughed. “What are you a man now? Do you have a boner?”

“Ew, gross Champ.”

“Yeah, real immature.” The woman beside him smacked him in reprimand.

Nicole chuckled. Champ was looking worse and worse as the dinner wore on; her work truly was cut out for her. She took another swig of her soda as the world beside her began to spin. She felt as though she was weightless amongst the sea. First, she thought someone had spiked her drink, until she spun the glass coke bottle around and read the ingredients. How the heck did she forget that Coca-Cola was laced with cocaine? Well, until the 30’s, but there was definitely some strands in there. Was she going to have manage the remainder of the dinner high?

“You okay there, Haught sauce?”

“Absolutely, Wynonna-Yonna.”

“Okay there, red, you should leave the puns to me.”

“Okay, sounds good.” Nicole took another sip of the drink as her face burned bright red. She was unsure if she actually wanted to drink it as fast as she could so she could sober up before she left, or drink it sparingly so she wouldn’t feel the buzz as hard.

“How long are you staying here for, Nicole?” Waverly questioned.

“However long you, I mean I’m needed here I guess. Could be days, could be weeks, could be forever.” Nicole told her, her focus spinning all across the room. What was she talking about again? Oh yeah, writing. “Being a writer, I freelance on the side, just picking up odd jobs when I can. It allows me to travel, a lot.”

“That sounds lovely, Nicole, where have you traveled?” Waverly asked a twinkle in her eye.

“Anywhere with-” Nicole caught herself and began choking on her own saliva. She took another large gulp of the soda to calm her throat, but she knew this was going to do nothing to help regain control of her mind. “I’ve only been around North America, but I would love to go over to Europe.”

“Me too,” Waverly agreed as their appetizers were placed in front of them. “I always dreamed about visiting Paris.”

“I know you will get there, baby girl.”

“No, she will not.” Champ disagreed as he started pulling the strands of cheese off of the younger woman’s plate. She wasn’t allowed to eat anything which might cause her to put on extra pounds. She had an image to pull off, after all. “Waverly is not good enough to stand out amongst those hot European actresses. The only way she is going to get famous is in North America. She will never be good enough there, right Waverly?”

Nicole’s blood was boiling, her mind was spinning, and her wall of tolerance was dwindling, and fast. Reaching across the table, she grabbed Waverly’s glass of cold ice water, picked it up, and flung it in Champ’s face, freezing cold water and ice cubes pelleting him at once.

“You bitch!” Champ screamed as he shook his head to rid himself of the water, looking like a wet mutt after a bath.

“Sorry, I-” Nicole stuttered, terror flashing across her bright brown eyes. How could she do that? She was usually so calm and completely in control of herself.

“Sorry?” Wynonna giggled. “You are a killer diller, Haughtsauce!”

Champ flung himself up and out of the booth. Like a two-year-old toddler, he huffed and puffed as he walked out of the restaurant.

“Wow, baby girl. If I knew we could get rid of him that easily, I would have tried that a long time ago.”

“Wynonna…” Waverly started. “I am sure he only went upstairs to change. There is no way he would leave a plate of food on the table.”

“Look, I should go.”

“No, Nicole, please do not leave,” Waverly pleaded. “We were having such a good time until that happened. He is a shithead who caused you to snap your cap.”

Nicole chuckled at Waverly’s use of a curse word. Her heart was telling her not to leave, but her head was telling her run, and fast. Not to mention the world was spinning faster and faster.

“I’m sorry Waves; I couldn’t handle him talking to you like that. He was getting on my last nerve.”

Waverly placed her warm hand on top of Nicole’s, her thumb rubbing up and down the other woman’s palm.

“No one has ever stood up for me like that before.” The younger woman explained, her eyes locking with the authors.

“Really?”

“Really.” A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Oh how Nicole wished she could lean over and place her own on top of Waverly’s. Her smile was absolutely breath taking and did she mention kissable?

“Hey!” Wynonna interjected. “What about me?”

The interruption forced Waverly’s eyes away from the woman across the table and her attention turned toward her sister.

“Yes, Wynonna, you do stand up for me, but you do not have a choice.”

“Yeah, but I still like credit.”

“Okay, I am sorry. Let me try that again.” Waverly rolled her eyes at her sister. “No one has ever stood up for me like that before, besides Wynonna that is.”

“Thank you, sis,” Wynonna chuckled. Her eyes glanced down, noticing that her sister’s hand had yet to leave the redheads. Could it be possible she finally found someone to make her happy? Wynonna shook the thought from her head; it was too soon to think like that.

“I’m sorry, ladies. As much as I would love to sit here with you, even when the angry ass comes back, I really am not feeling good. I think I should go upstairs and take a nap.”

“Are you sure?” Waverly quizzed hesitantly. Nicole could tell the other woman didn’t want her to leave and to be honest, neither did she. “You were feeling okay earlier, though?”

“Yeah,” the redhead explained. “I’m not sure what happened, but I hope a little bit of sleep will help. I traveled a long while to get here.”

“Well, if you are sure. You should at least get your food to go. You can eat it upstairs in the comfort of your own bed?”

“You sure?”

“Yes, she is sure!” Wynonna yelled, laughing at the two women’s politeness.

“You will let us know if you need anything?”

“For sure, yes. Thank you two, I mean it. I haven’t felt this happy in a while.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 11
It’s Time

Nicole stirred in the bed as her body woke slowly and her mind followed like a turtle behind it. She could hear two quiet voices outside her door, arguing in hushed tones and discreet whispers.

“What if she is still sleeping, Wynonna?”

“I think she will be happy to see you.”

“Do you really think so?”

“I know so.”

“But why would she be happy to see me?”

“Baby girl, if you do not knock on the fucking door, I will do it myself.”

“Okay fine.”

“Fine.”

“You still are not knocking, baby girl.”

Nicole sat in the bed and chuckled in the dark room. She rested her head on the headboard as she waited for the knock to arrive. Finally, it did! She rose from the mattress and shuffled to the door as she pretended, she hadn’t been waiting the whole time.

“Hey Waves, Wynonna.” Nicole greeted, a stifling yawn escaping her mouth.

“We are going dancing tonight. Would you like to join?” Waverly said in one gulp, barely taking a breath in between any of the words. She was nervous and Nicole couldn’t help but smile. Adorable.

“Is your friend coming?” Nicole rolled her eyes in frustration. The last thing she wanted to do was see Champ again, get threatened by him again, or throw water at him again. At least she knew this time not to drink Coke. Lesson learned.

“Nope, that fat head will definitely not be joining.” Wynonna answered for her sister. “It is just us, buttercup. We would love you to join. Right Waves, we would just love it?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, you don’t have to pull my leg.” Nicole smiled. “I must warn you though, I’m a horrible dancer.”

“Well Waverly is a total jive bomber.” Wynonna bragged. “She can definitely show you some moves.”

Nicole’s face flushed as she imagined her body centimeters away from the other woman, her arms wrapped around her hips… “Okay.” She choked.

“We will wait for you in the lobby,” Wynonna continued pulling the reigns for her sheepish sister. “We want you to look semi-decent before we go.”

“Alright,” Nicole said as she glanced around her darkened room. She had no other clothes but those on her back. “I’ll meet you down there.”

“Haught stuff, do not make us wait too long. Waverly is an eager beaver, and we both hate waiting.”

“You got it Earp.”

“She is totally joking,” Waverly stepped in. “Take as long as you need, okay? We will see you downstairs.”

“Okay!” Nicole waited for the women to walk away before she shut the door. She watched as Waverly spun around to glance at her, not once, but twice before she disappeared from her field of vision.

Within ten minutes, Nicole found herself downstairs, sitting in the back of Wynonna’s car (which was missing a seatbelt) and on her way to the town center to dance the night away. Internally, she was deathly scared of dancing, but she wasn’t going to let either of the Earp sisters know that. She wasn’t going to let them see her sweat. She was strong, she was smart, and she was confident. Dancing, pft, not a problem.

Nicole’s eyes lit up as she entered into the familiar downtown. Late in the night, most of the shops were pitch black and completely dead silent. At the edge of the street, though, bright lights contrasted against the dark night, drawing the car passenger’s total concentration.

“That must be it Waves.” Wynonna announced to her sister as she pointed along from the driver’s seat.

“I try to go out the night before a big play,” Waverly twisted in her seat and announced to the woman behind her. “It is a way to relieve stress before opening night.”

“I think that sounds awesome.”

“Okay, we are here!” Wynonna piloted the car in one fluid motion, the tires barely licking the curbside. She flew from the seat with the youngest Earp hot on her trail and followed lastly by Nicole. Wynonna chucked the car keys over to the author and Nicole jumped to catch them before the keys crashed to the ground.

“What am I supposed to do with these, Wynonna?” The redhead called as Wynonna stood at the front door of the club.

“You are the designated driver, Haught. I need you to get her home safely!”

“What?” Nicole called back. “What about you?”

The eldest Earp already disappeared into the thumping music.

“I am sorry about her,” Waverly told the redhead. They walked towards the hall side by side; Nicole’s hand swayed by her side, itching to reach out and grab Waverly’s own but she knew she couldn’t scare the young woman away. She didn’t even fully comprehend her relationship with Champ yet. Were they coworkers? Were they dating? Nicole didn’t have a clue.

“I can be the designated driver tonight.”

“Nope, the pleasure’s all mine.” Literally, Nicole smiled. The youngest Earp tried to remove the keys from the other woman’s hands, but she would not let it go. “It’s your night off to let lose. Let’s go!”

They walked through the doorway of the club, Nicole happy no one was at the front door checking ID’s. From the outside the dance hall looked small, but inside she saw it was the opposite. A packed bar lined the right wall, people shoulder to shoulder as glass bottles spun up in the air as cocktails were mixed.

“Let me go get you a drink!” Waverly said with excitement. “What are you drinking?”

“I’ll have whatever you are having.” Nicole told her.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely! I trust your taste.”

“Okay,” Waverly agreed without argument. She was glad the lighting was dreary enough that Nicole could not see her blush. “Would you grab us a table, please!”

“Are you sure you will be able to find me?”

Waverly wrapped her hand around the back of Nicole’s neck, her fingers playing with the hair at the base of her scalp. “With that gorgeous red hair, I bet I can find you in no time.”

Nicole’s frame vibrated in excitement. Her cheeks flushed at the intimate act, her mind flashing with images of her taking another step toward the younger girl, wrapping her in her arms, and kissing her senseless.

Before she could fully comprehend what happened, Waverly had dropped her hands to her side as if the touch of skin against Nicole’s set her aflame. The younger woman walked through the crowd, with Nicole watching her every movement until she disappeared out of sight.

The redhead walked through the dim dance hall, music pulsating through her veins and vibrating her heart. Tables lined the area around the dance floor, with plastic cups and glass bottles littering each white tablecloth as a claim to each. She rounded the corner of the building and finally found an empty table, secluded from the few spectators who wouldn’t dare to be on the dance floor.

Sitting opposite the dance floor, Nicole watched as women paraded around their men, hips gyrating with the pounding of the drums. Her cheeks blushed as images of dancing that close to the younger woman flooded her mind. She couldn’t think about that, not now.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Waverly asked as she pulled out a chair beside the other woman and took a seat.

“You found me!” Nicole broadcasted, flashing the younger woman a pure smile.

“Did you not trust me, Haught?” She cackled. She passed a dark brown martini glass over to Nicole.

“What are we drinking tonight, Waves?”

“We are drinking a sidecar,” Waverly told her as Nicole’s fingertips graced her own. “Have you ever had one?”

“Can’t say that I have?”

“You have not had a sidecar, really?” Waverly giggled as she took a sip of her own drink. “Have you been living in a ditch?”

“You could say that!” Nicole laughed as she took a large sip.

“And as much as I would love to hear all about that ditch,” Waverly started. She stood up and held her hand out to Nicole. “Not tonight; tonight, we dance.”

“Oh god, already?” Nicole hesitated. “I haven’t had even close to enough liquid courage.”

“Well you better drink up! There is no bringing the drink on the dance floor unless you want to lose it.”

“Really?” Nicole said. She raised the drink to her lips and took a long gulp. She shook her head as the strong alcohol hit her taste buds. She dropped the glass down on the table seconds before Waverly was lugging her through the maze of tables and into the throng of sweaty bodies. When they found the smallest amount of room, Waverly turned on her heels and faced the taller woman.

“What the hell is everyone doing?” Nicole yelled over the loud band playing behind them. “Hasn’t anyone heard of the waltz?”

“The waltz, really Nicole? That was so ten years ago.” Waverly laughed. “This is the rumba. But if you know the waltz, that is a start.”

“Know it?” Nicole asked. “I didn’t say I knew it! I just said that I’ve heard of it.”

“I know this might be hard since you are taller than me, but I am going to lead, okay?” The shorter woman continued shouting over the loud base.

“I’d follow you anywhere, Waverly,” Nicole muttered. Her volume was not enough for the younger girl to hear, but she most definitely saw her lips flapping.

“What?”

“I said where do I need to put my hands?” Nicole lied.

Waverly’s hand started at Nicole’s shoulder and slid down the older woman’s arm until she reached the redhead’s hand and intertwined their fingers. She brought both their hands up to her neck and released her hand. Nicole followed her lead and wrapped her hands around the tip of her shoulders. The redhead’s fingers trembled, and she had to force herself not to thread her fingers through the younger woman’s hair.

“I’m going to put my hands on your waist, okay?” Waverly asked for permission. With a dry mouth, Nicole could only shake her head in agreement. The young woman could throw her down on the floor and climb on top of her for all she cared. More like, yes please.

Waverly’s arm snaked around the older woman, the heat from her body transferring to Nicole. She drew the other woman in closer until they were flush against each other.

“Hi,” Nicole gulped as she looked into the other woman’s eyes, then down to her luscious lips.

“This okay?”

“Yes,” Nicole smiled, though she prayed Waverly wasn’t close enough to feel her heart beating faster than ever before.

“Okay, so the steps for the rumba are like the waltz,” Waverly explained. She took a step back, pulling Nicole with her, and then another. “It is two steps back at a normal pace and then two steps forward at double the pace.”

The younger woman demonstrated as Nicole followed along, though seemingly having two left feet.

“I’m sorry, I really am no good at this.”

“Nicole, you are perfect.” Waverly told her. Nicole looked into her eyes and she was captivated by the honesty twinkling brightly inside.

They continued the next two songs following Nicole’s slow and steady pace, as the older woman tried to keep up with the rhythm, the beat, and the dance steps. She was happy the rumba only consisted of four steps; she was fighting a losing battle with her mind as Waverly’s body grinded up against hers with every step.

“I love this song!” Waverly said excitedly as the drums began to beat in a much more Latin flare. “Do you trust me?”

“Absolutely,” Nicole said, for what seemed like the millionth time today.

Waverly grabbed the hand situated on her shoulders and led it down toward her waist, until Nicole was clutching the side of her body. Waverly replaced her own hand on Nicole’s shoulders and whispered into her ear.

“Keep doing the same four steps, got it?” Her breath rolled off of Nicole’s ear lobe, causing shivers underneath her skin. Once again, the taller woman could only nod.

With each beat of the drum, Waverly began to sway her hips, once to the right, then once to the left, her pelvis grinding into the older woman with each step. Nicole forced her eyes shut with every count of four, desperately trying to remember the next step, as her brain was short-circuiting with each movement.

“Are you okay?” Waverly questioned.

Nicole smiled and nodded, continuing her one, two, three, four steps, one after another after another. The younger woman released her hand from Nicole’s shoulder and spun around one hundred eighty degrees, until her back was up against the younger woman’s body. Her right arm, still connected with Nicole’s, was raised directly up in the air. Once again, she swayed her hips to the beat of the drum, feeling the other woman’s chest grind up against her back with each twist. Nicole couldn’t help but roll her eyes to the back of her head in pleasure.

As the beat started to slow, Nicole wrapped her arm around the front of Waverly’s waist and spun her back around, so they were once again face-to-face. Her glossed pupils fell to the younger woman’s lips. Waverly slowly traced her tongue around them, emphasizing their color.

The younger Earp brought her own hand to her head and ran her hand threw her now matted waves, pushing her long brunette hair to the side. With one side of her neck completely exposed, Nicole’s eyes fell to the sensitive, pulsating point. She bit her bottom lip, trying to stop the thoughts of bending her head down lower and sucking on the younger woman’s neck until she moaned in pleasure.

“You bum rapped! Y said you did not know how to dance. You are killer diller!”

“I don’t,” Nicole admitted yet again, her eyes never leaving the younger woman’s lips.

Nicole downed the entirety of her drink when they returned, hoping to quench her thirst. Unfortunately, it was not at all what she thirsted for.

“Wow, that was-” The redhead began.

“Hot?” Waverly finished, wiping her sweaty brow on the back of her palm.

“Another Haught pun?” Nicole giggled, trying to hold back the slight roll of her eyes.

“No,” Waverly said, her voice barely above a whisper. When the small word rang into Nicole’s ears, her cheeks blushed with embarrassment. Hot, hot! Waverly thought their dancing was hot. Not her last name, actually hot!

“Do you want another drink?” Waverly asked as the last drop slithered from her cup and passed her lips.

“Nope… Well maybe some water.”

“Wynonna was joking about the designated driver thing. And I am sure you can handle more than one drink. You are not even buzzed yet.”

“Nope, I am taking my job seriously.”

“Okay, what about a coke?”

“No!” Nicole shouted, taking Waverly aback. There was no way she was having alcohol and cocaine mix. Talk about a recipe for disaster. “How about a root beer?”

“One root beer, minus the alcohol, coming right up.”

Nicole held the younger woman in her field of view until she slinked through the large crowd of people at the bar. The redhead thoroughly expected the crowd to disappear as the night went on, but they had been dancing for about an hour and the dance hall had only gotten busier.

The older woman examined her surroundings, watching as the couple in front of her danced to the slow song played by a violin. The Waltz was totally what she expected to dance tonight. Not the rumba! Who had even heard of that?

She fell back into the chair, her ears perking up as she eavesdropped on the couple just two tables away arguing over the man glancing toward another woman. She rolled her eyes and clutched onto the glass in front of her, her hands shaking with terror.

“Here you go,” Waverly grabbed the empty margarita glass from the other woman’s shaky hands and slid the new glass into the other woman’s hand. “I saw Wynonna up at the bar. She is going to be busy for the rest of the night.”

“Busy or getting busy?” Nicole chuckled as she sipped her root beer; it was exactly as she remembered. There were no hidden chemicals or drugs.

“What?”

“Sorry, just a joke.”

“No really,” Waverly sipped her cocktail gingerly. “How would you feel if I said that is exactly what she was doing?”

“I would say go Wynonna,” Nicole told her honestly. “Why the heck not? She’s an independent woman and she can do what she wants. And if that involves pleasure, I say go for it.”

“Really?” The younger woman questioned, her eyes lighting up with excitement. “You don’t have a problem with her having sex before marriage?”

Nicole reached across the table, her hand connecting with Waverly’s. “Absolutely not. Like I said, good for her. There’s no reason to look down on her for that.”

“Wow,” Waverly smiled. “I have never met someone as open and free as you.”

“Don’t worry, there’s plenty more of us in the sea. I’m just the first of many. What about you, Waves? Sex before marriage? Yes or no?”

“Well,” The younger woman felt her left foot underneath the table begin to tap to the beat of the music in nervousness. “I used to be completely against it.”

“But now?”

Waverly flipped Nicole’s hand over and entwined their fingers. “If I were to find the right person, I would say absolutely. There is no better way to show your love than by pleasing your lover, right?”

Nicole coughed on her drink as images floated in her mind of the other woman on top of her like on the dance floor, but this time, she was naked. “Uh…”

“Okay, enough of this seriousness. You ready for more dancing?”

A slow song filled the airwaves throughout the entire dance hall. Nicole sat up in her chair, her ears automatically recognizing the slow, classical song filling her ears.

“I love this song!” Nicole said excitedly. Waverly could not help but smile at the happiness across the other woman’s face. “It’s one of the songs I always listen to when I’m writing. Would you be comfortable dancing to a slow song?”

“Absolutely, Nicole.” Waverly stood and took the other woman’s hands in hers.

“Lead the way, cutie.” Nicole followed as Waverly tugged her back into the thick horde of dancers on the floor.

As she felt Waverly’s body upon hers again and saw her hips swaying to the beat of the music, all her coherent thoughts disappeared from her mind and her brain melted into the other girl’s hands. The song transcended into a faster song as Waverly’s hips sashayed against her, heat flushing throughout her body. God she was going to need a cold shower tonight. An ice-cold shower.

Chapter Text

Chapter 12

Nicole woke later than ever, even when she was in college, partying until the wee hours of the morning; the sun was shining brightly almost directly overhead. Even the room darkening curtains were not enough to stop the golden rays from emitting light across the room. As she lay in bed, a loud knock stretched across the empty hotel walls. It had to be the same noise that had awoken her.

“Nicole, are you in there?” She heard a voice whisper behind the door. It was none other than Waverly Earp.

Flinging the warm comforter from her body, the cold, nippy air attacked her naked body and goosebumps appeared up and down her skin. As she tiptoed across the icy wooden floor, she grabbed the robe hanging in the closet and wrapped the fluffy material around her.

Nicole flung the door open, exposing her half-naked self to the younger woman. The redhead could not help but smile as she watched Waverly’s eyes travel up her smooth legs, to the curvature of her hips, the tautness of her stomach, and the exposed skin in between her breasts. Check, mate.

“Come on in, Waves,” Nicole said as she stepped to the side and opened the door completely.

“No, no,” Waverly said, gasping to find her own breath. “I just… I wanted… would you like to go for breakfast?”

“Absolutely, come inside while I get dressed.” Nicole gestured yet again. She was definitely trying. “It will only take a few minutes.”

“No, no,” Waverly repeated. Nicole snickered, debating whether she should wave her hand up in front of the younger woman’s face. Though Nicole could see her struggle, Waverly did not even try to stop her eyes kept venturing further and further down. “I’ll go grab us a table downstairs. Take your time.”

Without waiting for a response from the redhead, Waverly spun and ran down the hall toward the elevator.

“Well, that worked better than I expected.”

“Do you like joe or tea?” Waverly asked as the older woman slid across from her in the intimate booth.

“What did you call it? Joe?” Nicole chuckled. “Joe, as you called it, in the morning. If it’s later in the afternoon, definitely tea. Coffee will keep me up for hours.”

“Do you not call it joe where you come from? What do you live under a rock?” Waverly asked with a laugh. “I am sorry; I did not know what you drank when the waitress came over.”

“Hey, no worries,” Nicole said, reaching over and grabbing the younger woman’s hand yet again. How could another hand fit hers so perfect? “That’s what we are here for, Waves. And I would love to spend the rest of my life getting to know you.”

“Really?”

“Yes! You are beautiful, smart, and funny, Waverly, and anyone would be lucky to have you in their corner.” Nicole told her honestly, though maybe that was too much too soon. “And I can see by your drink of choice that you are a tea girl.”

“Tea all day every day.”

“Sugar? Honey? Milk? It’s important I have to know these things!”

“Usually I have my tea with just milk. I might throw in a teaspoon of sugar if I am feeling wild, but usually the milk is good enough.” Waverly explained as she poured a bit of milk from a small boat on the table. “What about you? What do you like in your joe? I mean excuse me, ‘coffee’. Do you like both milk and sugar?”

“Just sugar. I usually like to take my coffee black. I like it nice and strong.”

“Okay so if I decide to surprise you, say tomorrow, I know what to get.” The younger woman winked. Nicole so desperately wanted to sneak over to the other side of the booth and wrap her arms around her.

“So what’s on the agenda today, Ms. Famous Waverly Earp? Who am I going to fight for your attention today? Because I know you didn’t just come to this hotel to spend time with me.”

“No, though I wish. I have a dress rehearsal in about an hour and then an interview directly after that. It is a full day for me unfortunately. This might be the last time you see me for the day.”

“Look at my busy girl,” Nicole announced, cursing herself for the slip of the word my. She had barely known Waverly for 24 hours. “That’s okay, I completely understand.”

“Do you… Do you have a ticket for tonight?”

“No,” Nicole told her hesitantly. “I wish I did. I was going to grab one for your final show. I can’t be in the presence of Ms. Waverly Earp and not see her display her talent.”

“I wish I could get you a ticket for tonight’s show, but unfortunately I cannot. It is media night, and I believe even our standing room spots sold out.”

“No worries Waverly. Trust me; I would love to be there. It would be an honor to be in the audience every night of your play. But since you are going to be busy, I think I’m going to go on a date.”

“A date? Should I be jealous?” The youngest Earp tried to play it cool, but Nicole could see right through her false demeanor.

“Yeah, I promised a four year old Randy Nedley I would teach him how to shoot some hoops.”

“Basketball? Do you like basketball, Nicole?”

“Yup, I was on the varsity squad at my high school. Point guard.”

“Really? I would love to see you play some time.”

“And I would love for you to watch me play.” Nicole smiled. “But unfortunately, someone’s a little too busy with a huge expensive production tonight”

Unbeknownst to the two women, the server had snuck up beside their table, causing both of them to separate, startled. “Can I get you something to drink, ma’am?”

The day continued much more uneventful than it started. As Waverly went to work, Nicole turned into her room, exhaustion tugging at her eyelids until she was no longer able to keep her them open. Hours passed with the woman fast asleep, only waking to roll over to her other side and wipe the drool off of her face.

As the sun set in the cool night sky, the redhead woke up with a fright. She hurdled out of bed and threw her clothes back on, feeling as though she wasted hours in the past, hours she could have been with Waverly.

The young redhead walked to the lobby as if she was a woman on a mission, instead of a woman with nothing to see and nowhere to be.

“Excuse me, sir, is your son Randy here?”

“Yes, why?”

“I was hoping I could take him outside and shoot some hoops. He seemed excited yesterday when he was bouncing the ball inside. I wanted to show him how it’s really played.”

“Are you sure? That boy is a fathead sometmes.”

“Definitely! And I’ll probably wear him out enough so he will be fast asleep by bedtime.”

“Okay, if he gives you any problems, just send him back to me.” Old man Nedley turned from the young woman and screamed for his son.

“He goes left, and then he goes right, completely faking the defense. He jumps up towards the net,” Nicole pauses her announcements, grabs the four year old, and lifts him up to the basketball net. “And he dunks the ball into the net, and score! The Warriors are going to the championship. And the crowd goes wild.”

Nicole placed the young boy onto the ground, pretending to be the roaring crowd screaming his name. “Randy, Randy!”

“Are you done, boy?” The old man walked over to the small basketball court behind the hotel, completely unfazed by his son’s excitement.

“Dad, do I have to?”

“Yeah, Randy, it is past your bedtime.”

“Sorry, sir, I must have lost track of time.” Nicole got down on her knees and looked into the boy’s eyes. “I’ll still be here tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. We can play all you want. Just come find me.”

“You should not have said that,” the father grumbled. “He is never going to leave you alone.”

“That’s okay; I enjoy spending time with the little man, right Randy?” Nicole shuffled her hand through his bright blonde hair. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Go get some sleep.”

His father held out his hand, and Randy scrambled forward to grab it, almost tripping on his own two feet. Nicole couldn’t stop the smile painted on her face as she dribbled the ball on the cold, dewy black top. Dribbling the ball towards the net, she jumped off one foot and easily put a lay-up in the basket.

“You know, you are pretty good with him,” Waverly announced, walking out from the shadows. “And you are pretty good at that too.”

As the young woman stepped into the light, Nicole froze in place. The young woman was dressed down in lazy, tight pants, a form-fitting tee shirt top, but her makeup from the show just minutes ago was on point. Nicole couldn’t stop her eyes from journeying up and down the younger woman’s physique. Suddenly, she felt like a hormonal teenager laying eyes on a beautiful woman for the first time.

The young woman sauntered over to the redhead, seized the basketball, and shot it into the net, the rubber hitting the rope with no problem.

“I want to see your stuff, Haught,” Waverly challenged.

“What?”

“Come on, one versus one.” Waverly smiled as she bounced the ball in between her feet. “Let’s see what you can do. Unless you are scared.”

“Waves,” Nicole called her eyes barely able to tear away from the other woman to watch the ball hit the pavement. “You just finished performing a three hour play; I’m not going to make you play basketball.”

“You went dancing with me last night. Only fair that I do something you enjoy tonight.” Waverly took another shot, the basketball bouncing off the backboard and falling into the net. “Besides, maybe I just want another excuse to see you sweat.”

Nicole coughed, telling herself that she was choking on her own saliva, but she knew it was something else. More like a five-foot tall brunette standing right in front of her.

“Have you ever…” Nicole stuttered. “Horse, do you want to play horse?”

“Sure,” Waverly passed the ball to the other woman. “Ladies first.”

“Wow, since you’re so cocky,” Nicole started, finding her own confidence again. “Do you mind if we put a wager on it?”

“What did you have in mind, Nicole?”

“Truth or dare.” The redhead announced as she flung the ball into the net with ease. “For each shot we make, we get to ask the other one a truth or dare question.”

“Bring it on, Haught.” Waverly challenged as she bounced the ball back to the older woman. “Give me your best.”

The redhead walked nonchalantly to the free throw line and chucked the ball in; something she probably could have done with her eyes closed. She wanted to start easy. Get a few questions or dares in; she could let Waverly win later.

“Truth or dare, Waverly?” Nicole asked as the younger woman bounced the ball on the tar and stepped into the free throw position.

“Truth.” The Earp responded without hesitation. “I don’t have any dirty secrets to hide.”

“Dirty? Who said I was going to ask a dirty question?” Nicole raised her eyebrows in inquisition. “What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?”

“That’s an easy one,” she started. “Believe it or not, I face one of my biggest fears every single day; performing onstage. I know it is probably hard to believe, but I still get nervous every time I stand up there and see all those eyes on me. It is petrifying.”

“And yet,” Nicole casually slid her arm around Waverly and placed her chin on the younger woman’s shoulder, “You still do amazing each and every time.”

“Thanks,” Waverly said, resting her hand on of the other woman’s arm. “What about you? What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done?”

“Not uh, uh,” Nicole stepped away from her. “You have to make the shot.”

“You think I can’t make this shot, really?” Waverly tossed the ball from the free throw line and into the basket, no problem. “Scariest thing, go.”

“Okay, so I started mountain climbing and my friends and I decided to go climb the tallest mountain in the states. Unfortunately, my rope snapped a good ways up the mountain. I thought I was going to die. But I’m here now, and trust me, I’m more than okay.” Nicole twisted her body back and forth to prove it as the other girl tossed the ball back to her.

Taking several steps to the left, Nicole decided to try a slightly trickier shot, but still one she had been making in since she was a youngster. Hook, line, and sinker. No problem.

“Truth or Dare?”

“Truth,” Waverly asked again, making things simple yet again.

“Easy route yet again.” Nicole harassed the younger woman. “What’s a bad habit you have?”

“Ahh… Um… do I have to have one?”

“I mean, yeah, everyone has one. Mine is chewing my nails. I feel like they are never short enough.” Nicole responded and then blushed when she realized what she had admitted to. Yes, it was for sex, sheesh!

“Okay well,” Waverly dribbled the ball directly in front of Nicole, as if the ball had some kind of special powers. “I like to randomly break out in song, I guess? Champ doesn’t seem to like that.”

“Well Champ’s an ass,” Nicole announced matter-of-factly. “I would love for you to sing to me at all times. I’m sure your voice is heavenly.”

“Well I don’t kno-”

“Can I ask you a question? Off the record?” Nicole interrupted, not allowing the other woman to downgrade herself and her abilities. “Are you with Champ? Like with, with? Together?”

“He wants to be to be together,” Waverly said as she completed her second shot without any focus or concentration. “He claims it is better for our image. Which is why he only got us one suite this trip instead of two and why I did not check into the hotel until today. I slept in Wynonna’s room last night.”

“Did she ever come back last night?”

“Nope, but she rolled in this morning as hung over as a skunk.”

“Wynonna…” Nicole lectured, but in her head, she was laughing hysterically. Taking a step to the right, she almost set up a mirror image of the previous shot.

“No, no, Nicole,” Waverly wagged her pointer finger. “My turn to ask; truth or dare?”

“Let’s do another truth.”

“Okay, enough of all this kindergarten shit,” Waverly said, and Nicole could not help but smile at her swear. She had heard the other woman swear only once before. Is it possible it could be sexy? “Who was the last person you kissed?”

“My ex…” Nicole answered honestly, but debated uttering the next words. Oh well, she as all in, right? “Girlfriend. My ex girlfriend.”

“I’m sorry,” Waverly answered, not a hint of shock or astonishment in her voice over the fact that Nicole’s last spouse was a woman. “What happened?”

“She cheated on me.” She answered, for once the words never causing her skin to crawl with disgust. “It’s okay, it’s been a long time since it happened. I’ve worked through it.” Without another word, Nicole tossed the basketball into the net. “Truth or dare.”

“Let’s shake this up, since I am not a chicken.” Waverly joked with the other woman. “Dare.”

“Oh yes. You definitely are not a chicken.” Nicole rubbed her hands together greedily. “Let me see. I dare you to sing me all the words you remember to your favorite song.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” Nicole nodded her head. “Because I would love to hear your beautiful voice.”

“Okay, fine,” Waverly hesitantly agreed. With her eyes closed, she began to belt out a tune that was music to Nicole’s ears. Feeling the younger woman’s nervousness and anxiety, Nicole slipped her hand inside the younger woman’s, muttering repeatedly that it was just the two of them outside and no one else was watching.

“Wow that was-” Nicole paused for a split second to contemplate her response. “Brilliant? Amazing? Spectacular? All the above?”

“Yeah, right.”

“Seriously, you gave me goosebumps. You are wonderful. Is there anything you can’t do, Waverly?”

“Well you think I can’t play basketball.”

“And here you are, proving me wrong again.” Nicole answered as the other woman made another basket from exactly the same point she did. This really was going to be a long game.

“Truth or dare, Nicole.”

“Since I am so boring,” Nicole drawled the word boring out. “I’m going to stick with truth.”

“Have you ever had sex?”

“Woah, Waves, no stopping you now with those dirty questions.” Nicole smiled, her dimples causing Waverly to stop dead in her tracks.

“Sorry, was that too soon?”

“Nope, not at all. And yes, the answer to that question is yes.”

“Was it with a man or a woman?”

“A woman,” Nicole answered without a second of hesitation this time. “Though I should charge you a shot for that, I’m not going to.”

Nicole stood around the free throw line, did a slight dribble with the basketball as she ran through the court, then hopped off one foot and completed a lay-up with ease.

“Truth or dare,” She quizzed.

“Truth”

“Changing it up again, huh?” Nicole joked. “Okay let me see. Who was the last person you saw naked?”

“Err, my sister Wynonna. Just yesterday unfortunately. Thank you for burning my eyesight again.” Waverly complained as she scrunched up her face and shook it, as if the image would just fall out and disappear forever.

Nicole couldn’t help but laugh at Waverly’s disgust. “Sorry I was hoping for a hot sexy man…” she said, “Or woman.”

Waverly gave her a sinister grin turned, and mirrored the other woman’s movements. The ball slid into the net, not even touching the rim.

“Truth or dare, Nicole?”

“Alright I will stop being a pansy.” Nicole scratched the back of her head, hoping she wouldn’t regret this. “Dare.”

“Wow, finally Nicole, I’ve been waiting for this.” Waverly smiled as she bounced the ball in between her two hands. “I dare you to play the next two rounds, without your shirt?”

“Really?” Nicole laughed. “If you wanted to get my shirt off, you could have just asked.”

Slow and seductively, Nicole started unbuttoning her shirt, one button at a time, starting from the top. Her eyes connected with Waverly’s, who was having such a hard time keeping her line of vision on her eyes, instead of her newly exposed breasts. She bit the edge of her lip, trying desperately to keep her grin and excitement from spilling out of her face. Nicole slipped the shirt off both of her shoulders and dropped it by the basketball hoop pole.

“Don’t say you are too distracted,” Nicole joked confidently as she caught the younger woman drooling over her abs. “Though I think this might be the time for me to slide ahead.”

“Be quiet over there,” Waverly chided as she chucked the ball back to the other woman. “You are up.”

Nicole took two steps back, falling to the free throw line to a three pointer. With a bit more focus and concentration, she was able to get make the basket.

“Are you trying to beat me now, Nicole?”

“Possibly? I mean it’s a little nippy and I’m out here with no shirt on, so I was hoping you realized I mean business.” She wrapped her arms around her body, which only caused more attention to drop to her chest. “Truth or dare.”

“I’ll continue with dare.”

“Oh, oh, oh! Waverly’s not backing down!” Nicole joked. “Since you started with the stripping, I’m going to continue. I dare you to take off your bra without taking off your shirt. Oh yeah, and keep it off for the next two rounds.”

“Oh, your turn to ogle now, Nicole?”

“I mean it’s only fair right?”

Waverly pulled her bra out of her sleeve, her breasts happily falling out of their cups. Nicole couldn’t stop herself from licking her lips as the corner of her eyes caught hard nipples pressed against Waverly’s tight shirt. The younger woman dropped her bra directly beside Nicole’s shirt.

“Enjoy it while you can, Haught.”

“Oh trust me, I am.” Nicole held the ball out to Waverly, who grabbed the ball and then casually walked around the taller woman, her naked breasts sliding against the other woman’s back. Nicole inhaled, her eyes rolling back into her head. This woman seriously trying to kill her.

“Hey babe,” Waverly whispered in her ear, “You have to move so I can make my shot.”

The warm breath on her ear caused goosebumps to multiply across her entire body, with nothing to do with the cold air and her lack of shirt. Unable to find her voice, Nicole stepped to the side, her mouth slightly agape in arousal.

With a small jump, Waverly shot the ball, which bounced off the backboard and fell into the net.

“Look at that, Ms. Basketball star, got that one too!” Waverly celebrated, shaking her hips in excitement. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” Nicole squealed, though she wasn’t sure that was the correct answer.

“Wow Nicole, not giving up now.”

“No,” she squeaked. “Definitely not.”

Waverly’s eyes fell to the ground in nervousness and excitement. “I dare you to kiss me.”

The words hit Nicole like a flash of lightening and thundered throughout her brain. Did she really just say that?

Without another second to think and contemplate her next move, Nicole gently pushed the shorter brunette against the strong, thick basketball pole. Her heart was beating so fast within her chest, she felt like air wasn’t filling her lungs, and her brain was malfunctioning. The cold breeze tickled against her half-naked body, and the bright, incandescent light splayed across both of them, their tall shadows coming together on the pavement. Her mind was buzzing with excitement and anticipation as she felt Waverly’s warm breath brush against her cheeks. She felt the younger woman’s breasts pushed against her body, and she bit her lip to keep her from moaning in pleasure. Waverly pressed her lips against Nicole’s cheek, as if egging her on and showing her it safe. Nicole watched her eyes flutter open and then closed.

Without another second to ponder, Nicole leaned forward, her lips covering Waverly’s in a mixture of passion and hunger. The younger woman responded immediately, wrapping her arms around the neck of the taller woman, pulling her closer and closer, as if their bodies were becoming one. Waverly’s mouth was much softer, warmer, and tastier than she could have ever even dreamed or imagined. Nothing could have ever prepared her for the real thing. Tentatively, her tongue darted into Waverly’s mouth, tasting the sweetness found within. A small moan fell from Waverly’s mouth and felt like music to Nicole’s ears.

Breathless, Nicole pushed away from the younger woman, her heart speeding against her ribcage and her lungs desperate for more air.

“Wow,” Waverly said, in no hurry to move her arms away from Nicole. Her fingers played with the hair at the bottom of her neck, massaging her scalp. “Why didn’t we do that sooner?”

“Tell me about it,” Nicole said, recapturing Waverly’s lips with her own. The younger woman’s tongue slid right into Nicole’s without wasting another second, exploring the warm cavern that tasted like vanilla dipped donuts. Nicole wondered if Waverly’s heart was beating as fast as hers was, and if the seed of arousal was bubbling inside her as well. She felt the younger woman’s body began to grind against hers involuntarily.

“Nicole-”

“Come to my room,” Nicole cut her off, the words falling from her burning chapped lips. As her brain caught up with her heart, the redhead pulled away from the other woman in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Waverly, that wasn’t right.”

“Our kiss?”

“No,” Nicole said confidently, though her body was shaking with nerves. “Our kiss was perfect and I don’t want to stop. Which is why I asked you to my room. For privacy. So we could kiss and talk more. So we could sleep? Oh god not together, not like sex, I didn’t mean-”

Waverly’s lips assaulted Nicole’s, yearning for more of her smile, her lips, her tongue. “You are cute when you rant. Yes, of course I want to come up to your room. Even if it is only to talk.” Waverly said, placing air quotations over the word talk.

“I just- I don’t want you to think I’m pressuring you to do something you don’t want to do.”

“Sweetie, just let me put my bra back on and we can head upstairs. The last thing I want to do is to walk through the hotel lobby carrying that in my hands.”

Nicole laughed. “Okay deal. Guess I should probably put my shirt back on too.”

“Unfortunately.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 13

Nicole lay in bed, watching the rise and fall of Waverly’s chest and the way a small bit of drool slipped from the corner of her mouth. Her quiet snores were like music to her ears, like an ear worm she could never get sick of hearing. She was tempted to push the small amount of hair from the younger woman’s cheek so she could get a better view of her gorgeous face, but the last thing she wanted was to wake her up from her peaceful slumber.

She lay still for minutes, though it felt like hours, waiting for the beautiful girl to stir beside her. Waverly woke and immediately shimmied her entire body back in to Nicole’s arms, kissing her senseless. They cuddled together, lips reconnecting as they make up for the time they missed asleep.

“What time is it?” Waverly asked as she hesitantly separated, gasping for air. The redhead reached the nightstand, grabbing her favorite silver pocket watch.

Nicole squinted her eyes to read the antique clock from so far away, “10:30.”

“10:30? Really? Already? Shit I am so far behind.” Waverly flung the comforters off them, shuffling from the bed.

“What time do you have to go out?” Nicole said.

“I have a few interviews lined up early this afternoon. 12 or so? God, I have no time!”

“Hey,” Nicole slid her hand into Waverly’s and squeezed it. “Why don’t you go take a shower, and I can grab us some breakfast? Then you can eat before you go back to your room to get changed.”

“Really? You would do that for me?”

“Of course, Waves. We are a team.” Nicole said confidently, but then bit her own lip. “I mean, if you want to be a team, if you are okay with it.”

“I am more than okay with that.” Waverly leaned forward, kissing Nicole quickly and yanked herself away before ended up back in bed. “You are awesome you know.”

“Anything for you,” Nicole smiled and smacked the younger girl in the rump as she started to walk away. “Enjoy your shower!”

The redhead sat up in bed, resting her head on the headboard and closing her eyes, a huge smile plastered on her face. Never in her wildest dreams did she think things were going to go this well this fast. But with Waverly, it felt different, it felt like heaven, like magic.

She stepped from the bed and readjusted the same clothes she had been wearing for the past few days. She wished she layered several different outfits for her journey; her clothes were beginning to reek of sweat. Maybe today she could go to the shop and buy a few additional shirts and underwear.

A loud knock on the door extracted Nicole from her thoughts. Checking the corners of her mouth with the back of her hand, she strolled to the door, a spring in her step and a smile on her face. She flung the door open with a grin; nothing was going to disappoint her today. That was until-

“Champ,” She grunted as she opened the door to reveal the asshole turned manager yet still asshole.

“Where is she? I know she is in here.” He brooded, his face and ears reddened. Nicole stepped outside and shut the door behind her, hoping to save the younger woman from hearing this ass.

“I don’t know what, or who you are talking about,” Nicole answered smugly. She folded her arms against her chest and leaned against the door.

“Stop being such a fat head, Waverly, where is Waverly?”

“Oh, you can’t keep track of ‘your woman,’” Nicole said, using air quotes. “Maybe you shouldn’t have nice things if you can’t take care of them.”

“Are you busting my chops?”

“No, no, of course not,” Nicole rolled her eyes.

“Look, she has an interview with the New York Times in an hour and a half and she did not come home last night.” He explained. Nicole almost felt bad for how desperate and worried he sounded. Almost.

“If I see her I will let her know you are looking for her.” Nicole lied. “Though I’m pretty sure wherever she is, she remembers she has an interview later. I think she can take care of herself.”

“You think too well of that broad. Who the hell do you think you are?” Champ stepped closer to Nicole, his dirty disgusting breath pulverizing her face. “If I find out you were with her all night and lied to me,” The young boy (yes boy, because that’s how low Nicole thought of him), lugged his arm back and thrust it forward, pounding a hole in the door only centimeters away from Nicole’s face. “The next time, that will be your head.”

Champ rotated and walked away from Nicole, but not without sticking his middle finger at Nicole. She shook her head in disgust and reentered the room, trying to determine a story for Old Man Nedley as to why there was now a huge dent in her door.

“Who was that?” Waverly yelled from within the shower. “Was someone looking for me?”

Nicole glanced over to the closed bathroom door, her eyes imagining what it would look like if she were to open the door and step inside the warm shower with the beautiful woman.

“Nope, just the wrong door!” Nicole yelled back so the other woman could hear over the pounding of the hot water; hot water which was gliding down her skin. God, her mouth was watering from thinking about it. Nicole grabbed her small change purse before walking out the door, desperately trying to rid her mind of the dirty images plaguing her mind. For someone who was probably waiting until marriage, this was not the time.

“Okay, so I wasn’t completely sure what you liked,” Nicole said honestly as she passed a large mug of tea over to the younger woman. Milk and a small teaspoon of sugar, just the way she liked it. “So I just got us a bit of everything. No meat for the beautiful vegetarian girl.”

“Really, did you remember that?”

“Of course I did,” Nicole said as she took the many different pastries she bought out from the large bag.

“Champ never remembers.” Waverly admitted and Nicole could see the hurt in her eyes. “I swear, sometimes Wynonna does not even remember.”

“Well,” Nicole reached over and squeezed the younger woman’s hands. “You won’t have to worry about that again because I will try my best not to forget anything you say.”

“God Nicole,” Waverly said as she snatched a blueberry muffin. “How are you so killer diller? Where did you come from?”

“Trust me,” The redhead chuckled, “I am nowhere near perfect.”

“Could have fooled me.” Waverly answered, taking a large sip of her piping hot tea. She melted when her taste buds acknowledged Nicole had gotten her order picture-perfect. “Have you ever met someone and instantly known they meant something to you?”

“I think I’m feeling that now, yeah,” Nicole wrapped her arm around the base of Waverly’s neck, pulling her in for a kiss, completely ignoring the food flattening like a pancake underneath them. Waverly drove her back to the bed and climbed on top of her, her silky smooth skin as smooth as ancient river stones. Time disappeared as they lost track of it, lips devouring each other yet again.

“I’ve never felt anything like this before Nicole,” Waverly said in between her breathless state.

“Me neither.”

“Really?” Waverly questioned, insecurity fogging her vision. “You did not even feel this way with your ex?”

“Not even close.” Nicole told her. The younger woman sat up and grabbed her demolished muffin, shoving any remaining crumbs on the floor.

“I am going to be so late.” Waverly said as she grabbed the pocket watch from Nicole’s nightstand and checked the time yet again.

“Well, maybe if someone would be able to keep their hands off of me,” Nicole chuckled. “Actually, please, please don’t.”

“Do you have any plans for today?” Waverly asked, holding her hand over her mouth when she realized it was full of food.

“I think I am going to go into town and do some shopping while you are busy, you know.”

“Well, my interviews should only take a few hours, so if you would like to go for a walk around the lake afterwards, we can. I mean I know that sounds cheesy-”

“Waverly, I would love to.” Nicole squeezed her hand yet again. “I love spending time with you, even if it’s just to go for a quick walk. You are here for work; and I know that, I understand that.”

“You really are wonderful, you know.” Waverly grinned, causing Nicole’s face to redden. The older woman took another bite of her cream cheese bagel in attempt to soothe her embarrassment.

“Speaking of wonderful, is there anything I can pick up for you while I am in town? Anything you need?”

“Actually, you know what I have been dying for? Chocolate.” Waverly answered after thinking for several quiet, yet not at all awkward, seconds. “Champ does not let me eat it when I am on tours, so if you could sneak them in, you would be an angel.”

“Of course I will, Waverly.” Nicole said. Her mind already sorted through all the different types of chocolates she could buy Waverly to impress her. “And I’m pretty sure you are my angel.”

Nicole followed the familiar path outside the hotel on foot. With no car in her possession, she was forced to walk the several miles down to the town center. She could barely even imagine walking in a fresh pair of sneakers, never mind shoes that had wood for the soles. Still, she walked, step after step, mile after mile, her heart full of love and her head full of motivation.

“God damn it, how can these people walk this much on a daily basis?” Nicole complained as her foot collided with the new cement ground. “Almost there, almost there.”

The bell on the door rang as the young woman stepped inside the same vintage store, except it was not at all a vintage shop any longer. Rows and rows of racks lined the floor, filled with different articles of women’s clothing; from hats to scarves, from pants to dresses. Nicole dashed to a rack of trousers in the middle of the store, desperate to stay away from the hideous, frilly dresses at the front.

“Anything I can help you with, ma’am?” A middle-aged woman yelled to Nicole from behind the counter. Nicole shook her head as she pulled out her size pants from the rack. How many outfits should she buy? She hadn’t a clue, but the real question was, how much could she afford?

A little over a half an hour later, Nicole found herself at the register dishing out her coins. She ended up purchasing a grand total of four blouses and two additional pairs of pants. This would give her enough choices and alternatives for several weeks, if not longer. She could not wait to get back to the hotel and slip into some fresh clothes, instead of her smelly, sweaty, sticky close. That was no way to impress a young woman.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Nicole started after she received the hand written receipt from the employee. “Do you happen to know if there’s a floral shop around here? I am on foot, so I was hoping for somewhere close.”

“We have everything in this small little strip!” The woman said excitedly. “Maggie’s Floral Arrangements and Gifts is across the street. Take a left and it is about four or five storefronts down. Let Maggie know I sent you and she will be sure to give you a deal.”

“Thanks ma’am,” Nicole said, raising the front of her hat in appreciation.

Nicole grabbed her large plastic bag from the counter and dashed out of the store, the bag swinging at her side. She entered the small floral shop in an instant. Rain began to pellet the sidewalk just as she stepped inside. She sighed, wishing she had a chance to listen to the weather before she traveled four miles into town. Now how was she going to get back without getting everything soaked?

“What can I help you with, ma’am?” A short, blonde woman strolled from the backroom and leaned up against the glass counter.

“Yes, I was hoping to get a bouquet of flowers?”

“Of course, do you know what type of flowers you were looking for? Lilies?” The young woman asked as she started scratching down on a blank notebook.

“Actually, I was wondering if you had roses, red to be more specific.”

“Red? Of course, of course,” The woman scribbled more onto the pad as Nicole drummed her fingertips on the counter. Ordering flowers was something she only did for rare occasions, but for Waverly, she would do anything. “I just want to warn you ma’am, red roses usually indicate a romantic type of love. Probably not something you want to give your mother or your aunt.”

“No, no worries,” Nicole said, biting her lip as she tried to keep her mouth shut from muttering anything rude.

“So you still want the red roses?”

“Absolutely,” The redhead agreed. “And while we are at it, do you have any chocolates I could purchase to go with the roses?”

“No, I don’t,” The woman told her. “But there is a chocolatier across the road. Perfect placement, if I do say so myself. It will take me about ten minutes to make the bouquet if you want to go there and grab some.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back,” Nicole said with a spring in her step. She turned to exit, cringing as her eyes fell onto the pouring rain splashing the entire window. She was going to get soaked.

“Here ma’am,” The woman said grabbing her umbrella and passing it over to Nicole.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” She said politely, completely different from her lack of homosexual knowledge and sympathy earlier. “You will be right back for the flowers and I am not going anywhere before then. You can leave your bag here too, if you would like.”

After a half hour of looking around the chocolate store, Nicole found herself spending too much money on chocolate. Having no idea what Waverly really liked, she ended up purchasing a variety of candy, from dark chocolate to milk chocolate, to chocolate with nuts, to chocolate with coconut. The only thing she didn’t purchase was white chocolate, because she didn’t know of anyone who liked that anyways.

She returned to the flower shop with barely any rain droplets ruining her attire. She dropped the soaked umbrella in the stand beside the door, once again thanking the shop owner from her generosity.

“Hi there, sorry I did not get your name earlier,” The woman said politely as she tied a large bow on the bouquet.

“Nicole,” The redhead said as she examined the beautiful flowers from afar. Red roses, just as she had asked. “These are truly stunning.”

“Thank you Nicole,” The woman said as she spun the flowers around to face the taller woman. “Do you have anything you would like for me to write on a card? Most of our customers write a card for their loved ones?”

“Actually, can I just write it myself?”

“No problem.” She passed a small card and a pen over to Nicole. The young woman scratched the top of her head for a few minutes, contemplating what to write. She finally put the pen to the card and scribbled down a small but romantic note, and then passed the card back to the storeowner.

“Whoever has stolen your heart, Nicole, must be really lucky,” She said as she put the card on a long plastic stick and gently pushed it into the center of the roses.

“I think I’m the lucky one,” Nicole said, blushing. It was completely possible this was too much too soon for the young actress, but the redhead did not care. This was her one shot, most likely her only shot, and she would be damned if she gave up without giving it her all.

After paying for the flowers, the woman placed them in a plastic bag to protect them from the pelleting rain. Nicole did not have the heart to tell the other woman she would be returning to the hotel on foot. She was worried the woman would make a fuss and give her the umbrella yet again, or worse, close the shop and give her a ride back. Instead, she found herself trudging down the street as her thin shoes filled up with water, her socks became soaked, and her feet getting soggy, but the contents of the three bags at her side were completely dry. That’s all that mattered.

A car sped through the street and into a puddle right beside her, mud and water splashing. She was completely drenched and she was positive the bags were to. The car hit its brakes and its backup lights flashed as it sped backwards down the street. Keeping her head down as she was taught, Nicole paid no attention to the car that pulled up right alongside her.

“Hey Haught shit, was the hotel shower not good enough for you?” The driver of the car yelled. Nicole raised her free hand to her eyes to blocking the rain from impeding her vision, though she knew exactly whom the voice belonged to.

“No,” Nicole stuttered. She didn’t know how to answer the other woman; Wynonna was very intimidating, and the last thing she wanted was for her to think she couldn’t make her keep.

“Do you need a ride?”

“If you can, yeah, that would be great.”

“Here, let me pop the trunk for you,” Wynonna said, jumping out of the warm, dry car and into the pouring rain.

“Wynonna, you don’t need to do that.”

The other woman ignored Nicole’s argument, took all three bags, and placed them in the trunk, of course, not without ruffling through each one of them first.

“Flowers, chocolate, and new clothes,” Wynonna said as she slid into the driver’s seat and out of the rain. “Whose pants you trying to get into, Haught?”

Nicole opened her mouth to speak, but no words fell out. The last thing she wanted was to out Waverly to her own sister.

“Or should I say whose knickers are you trying to get into?” Wynonna chuckled. “And if you say anyone other than my sister, I might have to throw you on the curb. Don’t worry, I would take those flowers and chocolates, so they won’t go to waste. But you can have the clothes, they would be miles too long on both Waverly and I.”

“I didn’t-” Nicole uttered, but Wynonna promptly interrupted her. She really did love to talk, didn’t she?

“Did not what, think I knew about my sister’s fascination and admiration of the fairer sex?” The eldest Earp chuckled. “Well, trust me, I did. She has been swinging from side to side for a while now, but ever since she looked at you, I think she has made a decision. Or maybe her heart made the decision for her?”

“I-”

“So are they for her or not?”

Nicole took a deep breath. “Yes, of course they are. Please don’t tell her, please. I want them to be a surprise for the show tonight.”

“I will not utter a peep, Haught shot, but can you please let me know the next time you two decide to have a sleepover? The last thing I need is to be woken up at 4 a.m. by Champ’s little child-man attitude and insecurities.”

“I-”

“You are not much of a talker today, Haught Pants, are you? Just stutter, stutter, stutter.” Wynonna harassed the other woman. “Well, no worries, just sit back and enjoy the music. You know, if you hurt her, I will hunt you and hurt you.”

“I wouldn’t Wynonna. I lo-” Nicole hesitated. It had just been two days. It was too soon, way too soon to be dropping the l-word already. “I like her, I really do. I would never want to see hurt on that gorgeous face because of me.”

“First off, ew,” Wynonna said, her face cringing in disgust, “And second, you better not.”

“I won’t.” Nicole said. “I mean it. You are stuck with me for as long as Waverly will have me.”

Nicole found her way to the theatre, the sun shining high in the sky and drying the ground. She stepped inside the auditorium and nervously ran her hands over the new blouse, trying to straighten out any wrinkles. She snuck into a seat in the last row, desperate to stay out of sight while the performers dashed around the stage.

A rough hand itched against her neck and squeezed her shoulder in aggression. “Join me, Haught.”

Nicole spun, eyes locking with none other than Champ Hardy. With hesitation, Nicole took one glance at the stage; Waverly was nowhere to be found. Against her better judgement, she followed Hardy outdoors.

“Where are you really from, Nicole?” Champ asked, his voice laced with venom

“Chicago, as I told you the other day,” Nicole said, rolling her eyes. So he didn’t just not listen to Waverly, he didn’t listen to anyone. “Where are you from, sir?”

“And you really are an author, as you said?”

“Yes sir, I am,” Nicole said. Her words were polite, but her tone was anything but.

“No doubt you dream of having Waverly starring in a movie based on one of your books, yes?”

“That’s not-”

“I mean, I am assuming you wrote more than one book. I mean, what novelist only writes one book? But then again, you do not have money, so maybe you have not even written one.”

“I-”

“I doubt Waverly will ever lower herself to your standards, Haught.” Champ told her as he stepped into her personal space. “She will never play in a movie based on one of your low-life, pathetic novels you may or may not have already written.”

Nicole stepped away from the other man, hoping to get out of the way in case he decided to get violent. “You don’t really believe that’s why I’m here, do you?”

“Why are you here?” Champ asked. “Is it money?”

“You know that’s not it either, Champ,” “Nicole said condescendingly.

“There are laws, Nicole,” He told her bluntly. “I warn you, I will not hesitate to have you arrested.”

“Oh yeah?” Nicole said, running a tired yet frustrated hand through her bright red hair. “On what charge?”

“Convincing Waverly to take part in your perversions?” Champ said, as of it was as matter-of-factly as the color of her hair.

“What?” Nicole questioned.

“That is right. I know exactly who you are and what you are doing. I am not afraid to turn you in, no matter how much that would hurt Waverly.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Nicole replied.

“Excuse me, sir,” A teenage girl walked over to the two conversing, causing Nicole to quiet herself. “Champ, sir, the newspaper is looking to speak to you inside.”

Champ walked past Nicole, shoving his shoulder into his. “Don’t forget what I said, Haught, I am watching you. I have eyes everywhere.”

Nicole took a deep breath, desperate to calm the anger and frustration bubbling up inside her. She needed to be calm for Waverly. The last thing she wanted was for the other woman to think something upset her, even though, perhaps, it had.

Shoving her hands in her pockets, Nicole walked into the theatre. She took the same seat and glanced at the stage, waiting for Waverly to finish.

“Hey there sexy,” Hot breath tickled in her ear, her mind floating far, far away, to a place that involved Waverly’s naked body grinding against hers as she moaned in her ear.

The redhead ruffled a sexually frustrated hand through her hair; this was neither the time nor the place. “I didn’t even see you walk past!”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you.” Waverly said blushing as Nicole rose from her seat.

“No, good surprise, trust me,” She smiled, displaying her dashing dimples. “Great surprise actually. Shall we?”

Nicole held out her arm, ushering for the other woman to slide her hands around it, which she graciously did. Waverly was desperate to feel some part of the other woman’s body close to hers. It had only been a few hours since they lay awake in bed, but it felt like half a century.

“I have to give him credit,” Waverly said as they both turned their back to a fuming Champ, body resting against the doorway and a large cigar in his mouth. “He is like a bulldog.”

“Would you like me to speak to him?” Nicole said as she glanced behind them, checking to see if the asshole was following them. He was not, or at least, not yet. In all honesty, she couldn’t wait to lash out at him again, but this time, she waited for the Earp to give her permission.

“It would not do him any good,” She told her as their steps fell in sync, the sun shining brightly on their backs and reflecting off the bright blue lake in their field of vision.

“Okay well, if you ever need me to tell him to back the fuck off, let me know.”

“Nicole!”

“What?” The woman asked, immediately blushing. Did she interpret this the complete wrong way?

“Language!” Waverly chastised, though a huge grin painted across her face.

“Sorry.”

Waverly stood on her tiptoes, whispering in the other woman’s ear, “Do not be, I liked it.”

“Good to know.”

“So Nicole, unfortunately, we need to have a discussion.”

“Should I be afraid?”

“I definitely don’t think so,” Waverly said. “It is not easy being a successful actress. Over the years, I have learned being successful is more than talent and skill, you know? Unfortunately, I have an image I need to protect for audiences to see me as one of America’s Sweethearts.”

“Which is where Champ comes in?”

“Yes? No?” Waverly said her mouth speaking quicker than her brain could follow. “Champ has always been by my side as protection, you know? Him being around and our strange relationship helps keep other strange men away, because they think I am already in a relationship. You though…”

“Wouldn’t take no for an answer?”

“No, and I lo- like you for it,” Waverly told her. “I have never felt so connected to someone in my life. It is like, I know we just met, but I feel so much happier when I am with you. And when I’m not with you, I am constantly checking the time until I can see your beautiful smile again. It has not even been a week, it has not even been three days, and I do not know how I will be able to say goodbye when we leave tomorrow. I know it is too soon and I should not have even opened my mouth, god Waverly why did you-”

“Waves, baby, stop.” Nicole said, freezing in her place as they stopped just feet away from a large magnolia tree, where a blanket was splayed across the ground. “Take a seat.”

“Nicole, did you do this?” Waverly asked, her arms gesturing to the blanket, with two wine glasses, a bottle of wine, and a box of chocolates lying on top. She gently fell to the ground, with more grace than it looked.

“Yeah, I did. It rained earlier and I didn’t want you getting wet.” Nicole stated simply. “And Wynonna said you didn’t like a big meal before a play, so I was hoping that chocolate and wine would be enough? I hope this wine pairs with dark chocolate, because to be honest, I have no idea. Would you like a glass?”

“Nicole, you are amazing,” Waverly said in excitement. “And yes, I would love some. Not too much though, I have to be able to remember my lines tonight.”

The redhead pulled the cork out of the glass as Waverly held out a cup, which Nicole graciously filled to the other woman’s liking.

“And do not think this gets you out of the other conversation,” Nicole said as she poured the white liquid into her own glass.

“No, we do not, I just cannot keep my mouth-”

“Waverly, I feel the exact same way you do.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yes, this entire day, I have not been able to think about anything but you.” Nicole told her honestly. “And to be honest, I was worried I was going to freak you out and scare you away, because I don’t want to be anywhere without you. I want to be close to you, seeing your beautiful smile, hearing your gorgeous laugh. It’s like I’m addicted to you, and I can’t get enough of you. And I’m sorry if you think it’s too soon, but I can’t see my life without you either. Wherever life takes us, I want to be by your side, Waverly.”

“Really?”

“Yes, absolutely,” Nicole said, slipping her hand into the other woman’s and intertwining their fingers.

“I,” Waverly stuttered, glancing around the entire outdoor area. “I really want to kiss you right now, Nicole, but I-”

“Trust me Waverly, I know. If we are going to continue with this relationship, we need to be incognito. I will not do anything to harm either your reputation or your career.” Nicole finished, knowing exactly what was on the other woman’s mind. “But I want you to know I really, really want to kiss you right now myself.”

“This chocolate is delicious,” Waverly said, moaning as the delicious morsel melted in her mouth. “Where did you get this? I just mentioned chocolate earlier.”

“I went into the town, picked up some extra clothes and got you some chocolate.”

“Really? You did not have to do that.” Waverly told her.

“Trust me, I wanted to,” Nicole said. “And if I must admit, I actually came here with only one outfit and I desperately needed new clothes before I stunk out the theatre tonight. I wasn’t planning on meeting a gorgeous woman and hoping to spend my life with her.”

“I noticed you were wearing something different,” Waverly told her. “And god you look good. Why only one outfit, Nicole? Don’t tell me you were on the run or something?”

“No, nothing like that,” Nicole said, placing her empty glass onto the blanket and leaning back onto her hands. “Actually, Waverly, there’s something I should probably tell you.”

“You are not married with kids or something are you?”

Nicole chuckled. “No, not even close.”

“Okay, phew, you got me worried.”

“There is no need to be worried, at least I don’t think so,” Nicole said. “I actually decided to come and stay at the Ghost River Hotel because I found out I was sick, and I wanted to get away from it all. I wanted to forget about my life and everything that keeps me grounded. I wanted to get away.”

“What do you have, Nicole? Are you going to be okay?”

“I have a brain tumor. They are not sure if it is cancer, but it is spreading.” Nicole said, dropping the other woman’s hand and running her sweaty palms up and down her thighs. “It’s not quite a death sentence, but it’s going to be a long road between treatment and doctor’s appointments.”

“And I will be by your side, Nicole, through all of it. Like I said, I am not going anywhere.”

“Really? You mean it?” The other woman’s eyes misted with tears. Waverly snatched the other woman’s hand and pulled it into her lap.

“Yes, absolutely.” She reached forward and tucked Nicole’s hair behind her ears, glancing into her beautiful brown eyes. “God I wish I could kiss you right now.”

“Later, Waves, I promise.” She squeezed her hand tightly, hoping it was enough to convey her feelings, though she knew it wasn’t enough; it was never going to be enough.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea!” Nicole said, bouncing to her feet. She pulled Waverly up beside her as she stepped closer to the tree. “I know this is sort of a childish thing to do, but what if we etch our name into the tree, as a way to mark this special occasion.”

“I do not think that is childish at all, Haught,” Waverly said. “Do you have a pocket knife?”

“I absolutely do!” Nicole said, pulling one from of her pocket. “I took it away from Randy a little while ago. Told him it wasn’t a toy.”

“You really like that child, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I really do. He’s going to be a pro basketball player one day, I swear it.”

“Okay, so I have an idea.” Waverly said. “What if instead of writing our names, we combine our name to Wayhaught.”

“Oh my god, I love it.” Nicole said. “It’s like our secret code! And no one will ever know how special it really is to us.”

Waverly leaned forward and began pressing the sharp point of the knife into the tree, as Nicole watched from directly behind, as she etched the letters w-a-y, and then handed the knife to the other woman to finish off their engraving.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14
Like it’s the Last Time

“Hey Randy,” Nicole called out to the young man sitting on the couch, arms crossed and pout painted across his face.

“Hello Nicole! Are you here to play basketball with me tonight?”

Nicole leaned down and knelt beside the couch, getting to the young man’s height. “Not today, buddy, but tomorrow for sure. Actually, I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”

“Yeah!” Randy said excitedly, his disgraceful frown turning right side up and into a smile.

“Okay so I have this bouquet of flowers,” Nicole pulled the roses out of the bag, “And I was wondering if you could deliver them to Waverly Earp in the theatre.”

“Yeah!” Randy said, sliding off the chair and getting ready to run.

“No, sorry, little man,” Nicole gently placed her hand on his chest and pushed him back into his seat. “You see that clock right there?”

“Yes,” The boy folded his hands, listening to the redhead intently.

“I want you to bring this down to the theater when the small hand reaches the 9, okay? Can you remember that, Randy?”

Randy shook his head rapidly in excitement.

“Okay, so what do I want you to do?” Nicole questioned, hoping the young boy would remember.

“You need me to bring those flowers to the theatre,” Randy said, biting his finger. He raised his other hand and pointed to the clock on the wall in front of him. “When the small hand reaches the 9.”

“Perfect! And who do you need to give them to?”

“Waverly Earp,” He said, his voice practically screaming throughout the entire lobby.

“Shh,” Nicole quieted him, flapping her arms around wildly to get him to stop. “It’s a surprise.”

“Well, not anymore!” Nicole turned around and rose to her feet, face to face with Wynonna.

“Don’t tell me you ruined my surprise.” Nicole bit her lip and shoved her cold hands into her pocket.

“No I did not,” Wynonna said. “But not because I have not wanted to, only because I haven’t seen her. You ready to go grab our seats?”

Nicole checked into her pocket making sure the ticket was still there before she headed toward the theater and it was missing.

“Hey Randy, you remember what I told you?”

“Waverly Earp, bring these flowers to the theater, when the small hand hits 9.” He whispered, causing a smile to flash across Nicole’s face.

“You got it little man! And basketball, tomorrow, I promise!” She put her hand on his crossed knee and shook it excitedly.

“Come on Haught shit; let’s go see your girl.”

Nicole walked through the lobby at Wynonna’s side, turning back only to wave at Randy, who was staring at the clock with all of his short attention span.

“Wynonna, you really need to be quiet,” Nicole yelled in a hushed tone.

“Why, she likes you, you like her? What is the need to be quiet about? Do not tell me you have not done the deed yet? She did stay in your room last night, right?”

“Wynonna, be quiet!” Nicole yelled again, this time louder and in a more aggressive tone. “Waverly doesn’t want anyone to know.”

“Oh so you did do it last night! Go little sister.”

Nicole tripped on a small rock on the ground, catching herself before she fell flat on her face. “No, Wynonna, we haven’t. Not that I would kiss and tell anyways.”

“But kissing, that definitely happened. I am sure of it.” Wynonna told her and confirmation fell from the blush on the other woman’s cheeks. Nicole just shook her head in disgust, as if she didn’t want anything to do with the eldest Earp.

“Where’s your seat?” Nicole asked as she pulled out her ticket from her pocket and held it up to the bright light shining on the front of the theatre. “I’m row R, seat 17.”

“Like hell you are.”

“Wynonna, I just bought my ticket a little bit ago. All of the closer seats were taken.”

“I am not saying that is not what your ticket says, but,” Wynonna pulled her hand into her own pocket and grabbed the two pieces of paper stored there. “The woman who you will not admit to kissing gave me these for us. Looks like you are stuck sitting next to me for the entire night.”

“Really? She didn’t?”

“Oh trust me, she definitely did.” Wynonna said. “I think she wants to look out into the audience and see you there. It is gross if you ask me.”

“Excuse me?” Nicole shook her head as she grabbed the second ticket from Wynonna’s hand. “And where did you go the night that we went out dancing?”

“Where was I, you ask?” Wynonna chuckled. “Well I will tell you exactly where I was. I was at a man named Robert’s house getting his rock hard dick shoved into my wet-”

“Ah!” Nicole shivered in repulsion. She placed her hands over her ears to keep the burning words out. “Please be quiet, please be quiet. I’m sorry I asked.”

“Well, I am not embarrassed, and neither should you be, and neither should Waverly be.” Wynonna said, grabbing Nicole’s ticket and passing it over to the ticket attendant.

“Trust me, I am not at all embarrassed.” Nicole said, grabbing her ticket back from the attendant and slipping it into her pocket. “But I need to protect her and her image.”

The eldest Earp rolled her eyes as she trudged down the aisles. “I will show you where we are sitting, then you can head backstage to see,” Wynonna coughed, “her.”

“Backstage?”

“Yeah, I mean, just assuming you want to go see her before the play?” Wynonna said as she pointed to row c, and started filling in. “I mean if you do not want to.”

“No, no, I definitely do!”

“Then go! I suggest you get back before the lights flicker or else you are going to have a hard time finding your seat. And the attendants hate interrupting the show with their flashlights.”

“Okay, got it.”

“Now go.” Wynonna said. “God, what I do to make sure my sisters happy.”

“Alright Waverly, we need just a few more pictures, please,” The tall man with a top hat pleaded. Nicole quietly stepped inside, seeing the tired lines underneath Waverly’s eyes. She cursed herself for most likely being the one to cause her tiredness.

“Okay Waverly, don’t look at the camera,” He requested. “Look right over my shoulder and behind me.”

Waverly listened to the dashing man, looking just over his shoulder and-. Her eyes lit up and a smile brighter than sunshine rose onto her face when she spotted the young redhead casually leaning against the doorframe. Nicole’s face immediately reddened in both excitement and embarrassment. Her tongue flickered and made a quick pass against her top lip. She could not help it as her own vision dropped to the younger woman’s lips, as if they were calling to her. The bright lights from the camera illuminated the room.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” The man took his top hat off and exposing his balding head. “Can I help you with something? The general public is not supposed-”

“Nope, Ron,” Waverly said, jumping up off the small barstool she was sitting on, dropping her remaining skirt to the ground. “She is with me. Are we all set here?”

“Yes Waverly, I think I have all the pictures I need.”

“Great,” Waverly reached forward and grabbed the redhead’s hand, pulling her out into the hallway and into her dressing room.

“Break a leg tonight, Miss. Earp!” He called out.

“Break a leg, that’s not nice.” Nicole said as the younger girl intertwined their fingers.

“You really do not know show business do you?” Waverly asked, chuckling at her innocence. “It means good luck.”

Waverly opened the first door on the hallway with a star placed beside the frame. Nicole stepped inside, the other woman closing the door behind her.

“I mean why not just say-” Nicole’s thoughts were interrupted as Waverly shoved her against the door, capturing her lips before another breath was spared. The younger Earp wrapped her arms around the other woman’s neck and stepped closer until her body was on top of the redheads.

“Sorry,” Waverly said as she separated their lips but she refused to move herself, costume be damned. “I just really, really missed you. I mean I know it’s only been like three hours. God, is that sad? You must think I’m pathetic.”

She pulled apart, ashamed and blushing profusely. But Nicole reached forward and grabbed her just dropped hand and pulled her back into her arms.

“If you are pathetic, then I must be pathetic too.” Nicole said, placing a kiss on the woman’s forehead and then her nose. “Because I haven’t been able to stopping thinking about you. And those lips, my god.”

“Yeah?” Waverly’s heart melted as Nicole’s lips found hers yet again, her tongue darting out and licking the bottom of her own, as if begging for entry. Waverly’s mouth opened and Nicole’s tongue slipped inside her warm mouth, wrestling with the other woman’s tongue for dominance.

“Five minutes until show time!” There was a loud knock on the door, causing the two women to hurdle apart.

“Sorry, I got carried away there,” Nicole said as the shorter woman rubbed the excess makeup off the redhead’s face.

“Please do not be sorry. Please meet me at my room tonight so we can continue. I got my own room after breakfast this morning and I gave Wynonna the spare key to let you in.”

“I would love to.” Nicole said, a greedy grin flashing across her face. “Is your makeup okay? Will you have to get it touched up?”

“It is stage makeup, trust me there is plenty.” Waverly said. “No one will even notice. Now you better get going before you cannot get to your seat.”

“Yes, yes, I’m going.” Nicole said, leaning in for one final peck before she skated out of the dressing room door and into the bright hallway. “Break a leg!” She called back.

“Good evening, Miss,” The butler entered through stage right, bowing as he stood before Waverly.

“Not good at all,” she chided, flinging her arms up into the air. “It was particularly bad. I will not go down stairs again, George!”

“Oh no!” The butler, George, called out as he began to pour water into the small glass on the side table. “What is it, Miss?”

“I have just been dining,” Waverly sighed loud enough for the entire audience to hear and understand her frustration, “With the man my father is determined I wed!”

“Oh, banker Harwell,” George said, passing her the glass of water.

“Banker Harwell, yes,” Waverly agreed, putting the water up to her mouth and taking a quick sip. “All seventy years, five foot four, and several thousand pounds of him!”

“He does have money, though, miss.” The butler tried to reason with her, as he filled up her still full cup.

“And he never lets a soul forget it.” Waverly slammed her body into the desk chair towards stage left, her eyes still looking straight ahead.

“I am amazed he has the desire to marry.” Waverly continued her rant. “He is so happily wedded to his gold. How is there space for another?”

“Perhaps it will not be as bad, miss,” The butler picked up her glass she had settled on the desk and placed a coaster underneath it. “There must be something you like about him.”

“Yes! His absence!” Waverly said with a wicked grin on her face. The audience up roared into laughter. “The one of my dreams has almost faded now.”

“And what man is that miss?” The butler asked, not tripping up at all at Waverly’s slight slip of the tongue.

“The one I have created in my mind…” Waverly said as she rose to her feet and stepped toward the center stage, bright lights shining into her darkened pupils, but she was still able to push past the glare and find clarity in Nicole’s loving eyes in the midst of the audience. “The sort of person each woman dreams of, in the deepest, most secret places of her heart. I can almost see them now, before me.”

Waverly reached out to the audience, as if she was trying to grasp onto something, or someone, just away from her reach.

“What would I say?” Waverly asked her eyes still glued on the center of the audience, as if she couldn’t look away. “Would I say ‘forgive me,’ for I have never known this feeling? I have lived without it all my life. Is it any wonder then I failed to recognize you? You have brought it to life for the first time.”

Her eyes began to glisten with the softest and lightest of tears. “Is there any way that… that I can tell you how much my life has changed? Is there any way at all to let you know what sweetness you have given me? There is so much to say, I… I just cannot find the words. Except for these: I love you.”

In the audience, Nicole’s mouth fell open and her own eyes began to tear up from the beauty of the words Waverly articulated. She shook her head, reminding herself this was a play and these words were written on a piece of paper. Waverly was not speaking to her, even though she had never felt surer of something in her life. Waverly was an actress; all the audience members probably felt the same emotional allure she did, right?

“Wow,” Wynonna whispered into the other woman’s ear. “I am pretty sure that did not happen last night.”

Nicole ignored the woman beside her; Wynonna was tormenting her and her emotions all in one go. Instead, she turned her attention back to the stage, where Waverly had spun away from center stage and was speaking again to the butler.

“That is what I would say to him…” she started, “If he were really here.”

With one final look into the audience, Waverly walked off stage left as the entire theater went into darkness.

“What are you doing?” Champ bellowed over the audience’s shrieking applause as the younger woman became hidden by the curtain.

“Nothing,” Waverly said curtly as she dashed to her dressing room to change for the next scene.

“Nothing? That is what you call nothing?” Champ said with so much frustration that spit sprayed from his mouth. “You just rewrote the entire scene!”

“I got it back on course, did I not?” Waverly said as she grasped on the dressing room door handle. “You should just be happy I used the correct pronouns.”

With that, the younger woman stepped inside her dressing room and slammed the door in his face before he was able to open his big mouth again.

Waverly rushed off the stage, her voice finally getting a break from speaking and her eyes finally getting a rest from the bright lights burning into her corneas. She plowed her way to the dressing room as the stage crew clapped their hands on her back as congratulations for a good first act. Intermission was approximately ten minutes, which meant she had ten minutes to change her clothes, get her make up fixed, and possibly get a drink of water, if she was lucky. That was only if there was no media waiting for her to arrive.

Her feet slammed into the shiny vinyl floor, her heels making clickity-clack noises, as if there was a horse riding beside her. She was completely focused on her mission, that is until she almost ran directly into a three-foot tall boy standing beside her door, looking at it as if he was waiting for it to open.

“Can I help you there, little sir?” Waverly asked, immediately recognizing the little boy as Randy Nedley. She tried her best to scoop up her dress so she could kneel on the floor and be at his height. “Are you lost?”

“Waverly Earp!” He screamed excitedly. “When the small hand reached the 9, I had to bring these to the theater and deliver these to you!”

The young man held up the bouquet of roses high above his head so the other woman could see them.

“Wow, those are beautiful, Randy.” Waverly said as she grabbed the flowers from his small hands and smelled the beautiful roses. “How can I ever repay you for delivering these?”

“Nicole promised me we would play basketball tomorrow.” Randy told her. “What if you play too?”

“You drive a hard bargain, Randy, but I will see what I can do,” She ruffled the boy’s hair before returning to her full height. “Thank you for bringing these to me Randy.”

“You are welcome, ma’am.” Randy said. Without another word, he turned and ran back down the hall as fast as his short little legs could take him.

Waverly opened the dressing room and shut the door behind her, wrapping her arms around the bouquet of roses and breathing in their luscious scent. A huge smile bloomed upon her face as she placed the flowers on the small table. She grabbed the card, though she already knew exactly whom they were from.

Waverly,
You take my breath away, today and every day.
-N

Tears pooled inside the younger woman’s eyes, and they threatened to spill over and ruin her makeup. Her fingers traced over each letter, as if it was holding a special meaning in her heart, and she wanted to memorize each line and each curve.

A knock on the door brought her out of her trance, and she wiped the tears from the corner of her eye with the back of her hand.

“Makeup and hair, Miss Waverly,” The woman asked from behind the door. “Are we okay to come in?”

The audience erupted into cheers and screams as Waverly stepped forward to take her curtain call. She curtsied in center stage, her eyes beaming in joy. That same joy radiated off the redhead who had soared to her feet when Waverly reentered the stage, her heart swelling with happiness and joy. Never had she felt prouder of someone than she did right now, watching Waverly, her girl, on stage.

“Wow, that was, wow,” Nicole whispered, her hands clapping together so hard that she was certain they might have been bruised tomorrow.

“I told you she was awesome.”

“That you did.”

One by one, the cast and crew exited the stage and the lights turned from dim, to brighter, to finally shimmering bright.

“Well, it was nice hanging with you tonight here Haught Pocket,” Wynonna said as one by one, each aisle of the theatre began to drain out into the starry night. She stuck her hands into her pants pocket to shelter them from the cold, but she was surprised when she found not one, but two separate keys.

“Oh shit,” Wynonna cursed as she remembered what the spare key was for. “I forgot, I’m supposed to deliver you to my sister’s room for the night! For all those crossword puzzles you are going to do, right Haught?” She punched the other woman in the arm.

“Ouch!” Nicole said, gripping onto her shoulder. As much as she wanted to yell at Wynonna for mentioning her sex life, again, she couldn’t stop smiling because she knew she was going to see Waverly soon. Soon, but still not soon enough. “Can we stop at my room?”

“Lingerie?” Wynonna chuckled. “Yeah, Haught that is how we roll!”

“Wynonna!” Nicole coughed in repugnance. She looked to both the left and the right, making sure the crowd was flowing to the hotel. “You need to be quiet!”

“Hey, no one knows who I am, no one knows who you are,” She answered honestly, “And last but not least, no one cares who you are fu-”

Wynonna stopped midsentence when she felt a swift kick to her shin. “Holy shit Haught! That is going to bruise!”

“Your sister has a career she wants to keep, and I’m not going to have you ruin it for her, or for us.” Nicole lectured. “Come on, we are taking the stairs.”

“Really!” Wynonna complained as she started up the stairs, following several behind Nicole, taking one stair at a time. “Do you have an idea how much I drank last night? Fuck that, do you have any idea how much I drank this morning? How many of flights do we have to do?”

Nicole made it to the top of the fourth floor and stood outside the hallway, holding the door open for Wynonna, who was still complaining, huffing, and puffing as she complained with every stair she took.

“Stop laughing at me, Haught.” Wynonna said as she made it to the top of the stairs, Nicole glancing at her pocket watch as if it had taken her years to make it.

“I’m not,” Nicole said, a grin on her face as they stopped in front of her door and she pulled out her own key.

“What are we getting here anyways? Because I know you do not need clothes.”

“Chocolate.”

“Woah! Sex and chocolate! I like the way you think!” Wynonna called from the doorway as she watched Nicole prance around the room. “Do not forget the condoms.”

“Wynonna,” Nicole said through gritted teach.

“Actually, do you even need them?” She questioned. “I am not really sure how you lesb-ho ho ho, heyo!”

Nicole looked over her shoulder to as she rustled the remaining chocolate into the bag. Instead of Wynonna’s attention being on her, it had fallen to a six-foot tall cowboy walking down the hall.

“Hey sexy,” Wynonna said, tapping the tip of the man who Nicole recognized as the man she ran into a few days ago, when she ended up in his and his girlfriend’s hotel room.

“Hello, ma’am,” He said, his southern drawl making Wynonna’s eyes glaze over even more. He took his hat off and held it down by his side.

“Sorry about her,” Nicole said, grabbing Wynonna’s hand and carting her to the stairway yet again. “Nice to see you again, Doc!”

“Hey,” Wynonna complained. “If you are getting some tonight, I can too!”

“Because he has a girlfriend, Earp!” Nicole said. “So keep it in your pants!”

“That is more competition!” She said. “And you know I love a good competition.”

The redhead shoved her into the stairwell and stood in front of hallway door. “Get walking Earp!”

“We are on the seventh floor! You are going to make me climb up all those stairs!”

“Damn straight,” Nicole said. “Now go.”

After climbing more flights of stairs than Wynonna could ever imagine, they arrived at the seventh floor, each out of breath and huffing. The eldest Earp put her hands on her knees, trying desperately to refill her lungs.

“Haught damn,” Wynonna complained. “I hope Waverly has enough stamina to keep up with you. God damn”

Nicole trudged behind Wynonna, deciding to take a different route let the eldest Earp ramble. Without warning, the Earp froze in her place, causing Nicole to run into her and jolt her into the door.

“Holy shit, Haught! Calm down, I know you are excited.” She opened the door, exposing a much larger room, with not only a king size bed, but a large bathroom and a full-size sitting room. “Welcome to casa de Earp. Well, casa de little Earp. I am in the room right beside you and yes, our rooms connect. So please, keep it quiet tonight.”

“Only if you promise to, too.” Nicole said as she stepped inside and winked at the other woman. If you cannot beat them, join them, right?

“Hahaha, there you go Haught!” She said. She grabbed onto the door handle and proceeded to close the door behind her. “Do not do anything I would not do!”

“Which probably isn’t much,” Nicole muttered to no one in particular.

Stepping fully into the room, Nicole’s eyes bounced from wall to wall, devouring each piece of furniture, each piece of artwork displayed, each inch of wallpaper. The first room to her right included a huge walk in bathroom, almost double the size of hers a few floors below. She took a step inside, her mind fantasizing about what she would do if she got Waverly alone in the double sized claw footed tub. She ran a frustrated hand through her hair, hoping the erotic thoughts would slip out of her head like her fingertips slipped through her hair.

Glancing at the bed and then to the small couch beside a fireplace, she debated where she should wait for the younger girl to come home. The bed looked comfy, but did waiting on the bed make her look desperate? How romantic would it be if Waverly walked in and she was waiting for her by the fireplace? After lightening the fire, Nicole sat down and crossed her legs underneath her, her eyes boring into the flames licking the wood feet in front of her. As the clock ticked behind her, she casually grabbed the paper sitting on the small coffee table in front of her. Her eyes consumed the front page, which was folded over to a review of the play. The writer called it fantastic, and Nicole couldn’t help but nod and agree.

“Hey there, sexy,” Nicole felt arms wrap around her neck and hot breath tickling her ear lobes. She flung the newspaper back onto the coffee table and wrapped her hand around Waverly’s cold ones.

“I didn’t even hear you come in.” The redhead admitted, tugging the younger woman’s hand over to the couch. She wanted her close, and right now, she was way too far away. She held the younger woman’s hand tightly as she paraded around the couch. Nicole’s eyes devoured each curve of the other woman’s body, in the tight, yet obviously dressed down clothes. “Wow, you look really, really good.”

She plopped herself down in Nicole’s lap, who wrapped her arms around her. “You just saw me onstage dressed to the nines, and you think this looks good?”

“Babe, I don’t care what you are wearing, you are beautiful.” Nicole kissed the side of the younger woman’s head.

“And what if I was wearing nothing?” She asked, staring into the bright embers in front of her, her confidence increasing with each passing breath.

“I wouldn’t be able to look away.” Nicole admitted, though her cheeks blushing a brighter red than the fireplace in front of her.

Waverly whirled so she was facing Nicole, her legs wrapping around the older woman and pulling her closer. “God I have missed you.”

Their lips instantly connected, and Nicole could feel all her passion escaping her and pouring into the other woman. Her arms wrapped around Waverly’s neck, trying to pull her so close that their bodies became one. Fingertips threaded into her red hair, massaging her head and a small moan escaping her mouth. Her tongue darted past the other woman’s lips, desperate to explore her mouth and taste her, all of her.

Spinning her and pushing her down, Nicole felt her back slam against the cushions of the couch as Waverly climbed on top of her, her hands running the entire length of her body.

“You feel so good.” Waverly said, her fingers thumbing at the bottom of Nicole’s shirt.

“I’ve been thinking about you all day,” Nicole said breathlessly, but she couldn’t stop herself from leaning in for another kiss. It was as if the other woman’s lips were a magnet and she could not stop herself from being pulled forward. “Holding you… and kissing you… and touching you…”

“How would you feel if I were to do this?” Waverly asked, her fingers trembling as her fingers fiddled with the buttons on the other woman’s shirt. With one unbuttoned, she planted kisses down the other woman’s exposed skin, as she continued opening the satin material. She sat up and pulled Nicole’s shirt apart, her bright, beady eyes glossing over the other woman’s tight, soft abdomen, her royal purple bra, and her creamy, luscious breasts threatening to spill out of their cups. Her hands quivered in excitement; she wanted to touch everywhere but she couldn’t figure out where she wanted to touch first.

“Waverly, are you sure?”

“Nicole, I think I have wanted this since I first laid eyes on you.” Waverly told her, her voice cracking with honesty. “I know that sounds pathetic but…”

“Not pathetic at all,” Nicole said, pulling Waverly down so her body rested against her yet again.

“I am not…” The youngest Earp began. “I am not really sure what to do, though. I do not really know-”

“Don’t worry,” Nicole said as she slid her hands underneath the other woman’s shirt and dragged her short nails across her back, “I’ve got you, Waves.”

Nicole slotted her leg in between Waverly’s thighs, as the youngest Earp continued to paw at her chest. The redhead’s fingertips started to dance at the base of Waverly’s shirt, desperately waiting for permission to take it off.

“Please Nicole, off,” Waverly gasped, as her tongue slipped into her mouth. Nicole grabbed the hem of her shirt and flung it over both of their heads, her mouth reattaching to the brunette’s in an instant.

Nicole pulled away from the younger girl for just a split second, her eyes drinking in the sight of her, half naked and panting for her. Her hands fondled the other woman’s chest, her soft finger tips swaying across the top of her thin white bra. Waverly’s hips slowly start to grind into Nicole, desperate for any kind of friction between her legs. Without wasting another second, Waverly wraps her arm around her back and unclips her bra. The straps fall down her arms in a tantalizing pace.

“Waves,” Nicole groaned with bated breath. Her jaw fell slightly ajar as she took in the sight of the woman’s milky bare breasts, dark pink nipples jetting out against her smooth skin. She licked her lips, desperate to lean forward and capture each in her mouth. Not yet, she had to go slow, for Waverly.

“Can I?” Nicole asked, her fingers ghosting above the woman’s pert chest. She gazed into darkened hazel eyes, glossed over with arousal.

“Please,” Waverly begs.

The redhead touched her with featherlike touches until the brunette found herself arching for more. After several agonizing and teasing minutes, Nicole’s hand finally grasped onto her chest, squeezing and kneading the precious skin beneath her palm. She leaned forward, her lips attaching to her neck. Waverly let out a strong moan as her center grinded against Nicole with more purpose.

“Nicole,” Waverly called.

“Yes, Waves?” She asks, her digits teasing around the younger woman’s nipple, until finally, they grasp onto the rock-hard mountain. Nicole felt the other woman’s heat and started to rock her body against her core.

“Jesus, Nicole,” She pants again, heat flooding her center with each additional touch.

“You like that, Waves?” Nicole asked, her hands finding the other breast and giving it the exact same treatment.

“Oh god,” She sighed, unable to form any other coherent thought. As Nicole’s pace quickened between her legs, Waverly’s eyes rolled back in pleasure. Her body arched back and she pushed her middle against the other woman, harder, and faster. The outside world disappeared from her senses, until all she could hear, smell, and see is Nicole, grinding underneath her, their pants echoing against the bare walls.

“I’ve got you, Waves,” Nicole told her in between shaky breath, until finally, the younger woman stiffened and collapsed on top of her, heart racing and body trembling.

The couple laid together in silence as their breathing evened out, heartbeats slowed, and sweat dissipated.

“Nicole,” Waverly said when her voice returns. “I am so sorry.”

The younger woman tried to hide her face in between the couch and Nicole’s body.

“Why are you sorry?” Nicole asked in confusion. “That was easily the hottest thing I have ever seen.”

The redhead picked her head up from the arm of the couch and whispered huskily in the other girl’s ears, “I am so wet for you right now.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Nicole said. She slid from underneath the other woman and held her hand out for her. “Come on, let’s go roll around in the sheets. There’s much more room to do what I plan on doing for you.”

Nicole’s hand captured the other woman’s. She pulled Waverly from the couch, her body immediately crashing into hers. Her arms wrapped around her waist, but hesitation danced over her features.

“Are you sure about this, Waves?” The redhead asked for clarity. “We have all the time in the world. We do not need to do this right now.”

“Nicole,” Waverly started. “Be quiet.”

Waverly leaned forward and connected their lips, shattering any hint of doubt plaguing Nicole’s worrying brain. She stepped forward again and again, until Nicole had no choice but to fall on the pillow top mattress. Placing each knee on either side of Nicole, Waverly climbed on top of her, Nicole’s shirt sliding up as the brunette’s chest danced across her abdomen.

“You are going to need to lead, baby,” Waverly said as her fingertips swayed above the top of Nicole’s pants button. “I have no idea what I am doing.”

“You could have fooled me.” Nicole pushed her tongue through Waverly’s barely parted lips. She wrapped her arms and long legs around the brunette’s body, then rolled the two of them over until she was on the other woman, their lips never separating. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to get a bit more comfortable.

Waverly looked up at the older woman, confusion etched across her face, but her eyes widened in an instant when the other woman’s shirt and bra fell to her side.

“Holy shit,” She stuttered, her face brightening redder than a tomato. Her eyes wild, she tried and failed to look for only a few seconds.

“Hey,” Nicole called out as she touched Waverly’s chin and forced the other woman to look in her eyes. “Babe, you are allowed to enjoy the view. Trust me, I know I am.” She dropped her own finger to Waverly’s chest, her darkened peaks hardening the second Nicole’s finger came into contact.

“You are so beautiful.” Waverly admitted. “I just do not know what I want to touch and look at first.”

“We’ve got all night, baby.” Nicole reminded her. Her lips found the other woman’s yet again, as their tongue fought for dominance. She sucks on the strong muscle in her mouth, a quiet moan falling from the other woman’s lips. Her hands grabbed Waverly’s and she leads them to her chest, her hips immediately bucking once Waverly’s palm captures her breast.

“Baby,” Nicole groans as her arm shakes as she tries to find the strength to hold herself up. She drops her other hand to her side to stabilize herself as Waverly paws from one side to the other.

“How is that, Nicole?” Waverly’s husky voice asks with genuine care and concern. Using her index finger and thumb, she pinched Nicole’s stiff peak, causing the other woman to moan in pleasure and fall on the youngest Earp.

Nicole’s center pounded in between her legs, her hips jutting against the brunettes. “Waverly…”

Waverly wraps her arms around Nicole and shifts them on the bed, until she herself is climbing on the other woman.

“I want to be on top,” She whispered into Nicole’s ear, confidence compounding as she hears and feels the way Nicole’s body is reacting to her. The redhead moaned loudly as Waverly’s fingertips paint their way across her chest, pausing to roll and squeeze the hardened tips.

“Baby,” Nicole whimpers as her digits wrap around the base of Waverly’s neck and massage her crown.

Waverly leaned down to Nicole’s breast taking the darkened nipple into her mouth, her hand still kneading the other. Heat pooled from Nicole’s thighs, her center chasing friction from Waverly’s thighs.

“Waves, please…” Nicole pleaded. “I don’t know how much longer I can last. I need you to touch me, please.”

She felt like she was completely aflame; never had she felt this way in her life. She wanted to touch Waverly everywhere, and she wanted to be touched everywhere. But just a few minutes with the sexy woman’s body against hers and she was seconds away from exploding. Losing control was an entirely new feeling for her, but losing it to Waverly felt like paradise.

“Just show me what to do, Nicole.” Waverly told her. The redhead’s fingertips found the button on her pants, but the brunette shoved them away.

“Let me, please.” The younger woman whispered, hot breath dancing against Nicole’s ear. She flicked her tongue out, licking the small lobe, and then took it in her mouth and sucked. Nicole’s hips jerked yet again as Waverly finally mastered the button. The redhead lifted up her bottom half and as the brunette pulled her pants to her ankles. Nicole kicked them the rest of the way off, until they fell to the foot of the bed. Waverly’s eyes widened as she took in the other woman’s nearly naked form.

“Wow,” was the only word Waverly was able to formulate.

“This okay?” Nicole asked. “We can-”

“You in just your underwear is such a turn on,” Waverly told her, heat once again flushing her face. She placed her hand on Nicole’s inner thigh, her fingertips slipping underneath the edge of Nicole’s sopping wet panties. The redhead could feel her heart wildly beating out of her chest.

Waverly leaned down, her lips capturing Nicole’s and her teeth nipping at her bottom lip in wild fever. Without thinking, her digits slipped just underneath Nicole’s underwear, and she felt the other woman’s breath stop.

“Off,” she commanded.

Waverly watched as Nicole’s fingers grasped the side of her underwear and teasingly pulled them down. Her eyes widen at the sight of the light hairs culminating in the other woman’s center.

“Babe, what do I- What do you need?”

Nicole placed her hand on Waverly’s and slid it lower and lower down her abdomen until their palms were on top of her soaked center. She pushed their index fingers down, and she can feel Waverly groan when she feels the amount of wetness. Together, they rub their hand up in down her center, Nicole’s hips bucking each time they pass over her blood-pumping core. Changing the pattern, Nicole brought both their fingers higher as they begin to trace circles around her center.

“There you go, baby,” Nicole said, pleasure flooding her whole body. She let go of Waverly’s hand and slides her own fingers through the other woman’s slick, wet folds. The brunette moans, her arms giving out as she falls on top of the redhead. “You’re so wet for me, baby.”

Nicole’s fingers moved faster and faster against the younger woman, who finds herself gasping for more.

“That’s it baby,” Nicole told her positively as Waverly follows the speed of her own fingers.

“I am going to-”

Waverly felt Nicole dig her short fingernails into her back as their lips crashed together hungrily. Nicole pierced her eyes shut as stars danced behind her eyelids, her entire physique stilled and a husky moan escaped her lips. Her fingers continued to touch Waverly, until she felt her collapse on top of her.

“Wow,” Waverly said, her breath heavily escaping her lips. “That was-”

“Hot? Sexy? Amazing?” Nicole said as she wrapped her arms around the sweaty brunette, their bodies sticking together from the heat.

“That was everything.”

“The real question is, when will I actually get your pants off?” Nicole smiled.

“I don’t know, Nicole. Maybe you just aren’t trying hard enough.” The youngest Earp snickered.

Throughout the remaining hours of the night, the couple tossed and turned, fighting for dominance with their lips, arms, and legs. Lustful sounds and gasping breaths stretched across the room, their bodies heightening with an intense pleasure neither women would never be able to describe. As the sun’s bright rays spanned against the sky, sweaty skin and quick heartbeats slowed, until finally, their breathing evened out, and the only sound that heard was the slight snore singing from the women’s mouths.

Chapter Text

Chapter 15

“Oh shit, my eyes! My eyes!”

The words flew into the older woman’s ears and collided with her brain, like a plane crashing into the ground. Her head started to pulsate, pounding faster and harder than ever before.

“Shit Wynonna,” Nicole heard the voice beside her crack in exhaustion as the body stirred. “When I gave you a key, I meant let Nicole in, not yourself.”

“Well, it looks like you already did that, baby girl.” Wynonna rebuked.

Raising her hand to her head, Nicole rubbed her fingertips against her forehead and then her sleepy, sleepy eyes. She flipped over in bed, careful not to expose any of her nakedness to the disrespectful intruder. Her eyes fell upon the younger woman and all pain and frustration evaporated.

“Good morning, beautiful,” she said, shoving her arm from underneath the comforter to push the hair that fell in front of Waverly’s face during the night. Her eyes flickered from the younger woman’s lips to her eyes, and then back again until she couldn’t fight the tug any longer. Her lips tackled the youngest Earp’s, arms snaking around her neck and drawing her impossibly close. Her eyes fluttered closed and the only sound filling both their ears was Wynonna clearing her throat and coughing over and over.

“Something wrong over there, Wynonna?” Nicole harassed as she drew herself away from the younger woman, but still refused to give her attention to anything other than the beautiful Earp in her arms.

“Just wondering how long you were going to make me stand here and endure that nasty-”

“You can leave anytime you want, Wynonna,” Waverly said as her fingertips danced up Nicole’s upper thigh at a painstakingly slow pace. In less than a millisecond, the redhead’s eyes glossed over with a mixture of love and lust. Her legs shifted apart in just the slightest as her fingers sashayed higher and higher.

“I just thought you would want to know that it is 11:00 in the morning and you are expected to be downstairs in an hour.”

“Okay Wynonna,” Waverly said, ignoring her sister as her pointer finger met wet curls. A soft gasp fell from Nicole’s mouth and Waverly’s lips were there within an instant to capture it.

“I get when I am not wanted,” Wynonna said. “See you in an hour, sis! Just be quieter this time. I could not sleep at all last night.”

“Not happening,” Waverly muttered. As the door slowed shut, she climbed on top of the redhead, Nicole groaning in pleasure as her fingers dipped into wet folds.

“Waverly,” Nicole gasped. “Babe, do you need to get ready? I don’t want to-”

“Do not want to what, sweetie?” Waverly taunted, fingertips swirling around the other woman’s heat. “Do not want me to stop?”

Nicole nodded her head, lips finding the Waverly’s in a passionate samba.

Right, left, right, left. She kicked off the ground with the right foot and tossed the ball against the backboard. As Nicole feet collided with the tar, she watched as the ball fell swirled around the rim and fell into the net.

“Do you even know how to take a shower?” A voice terrorized her from behind.

Nicole grabbed the bouncing ball and held it at her side, wiping the sweat off her brow with her free hand.

“At least I know how to actually have some fun, Champ,” Nicole retorted. Didn’t have a shower? Is that the best he could come up with? Really? She just showered less than an hour ago with Waverly, who may have been only focused on a few, specific parts of her body. “What can I do for you, Champ?”

“You know she is mine, right?” He told her matter-of-factly.

“And I will say it again, Champ,” Nicole said through gritted teeth. “She’s not a piece of property. She can choose whoever and whatever she wants. And I really doubt that’s you.”

The redhead turned from the short-tempered man and channeled all her rage on the basketball in her hands. She slammed the rubber on the cement with strong force that it returned to her hands within a millisecond.

“I am the one who loves her!” Champ yelled as Nicole tossed the ball into the hoop.

“Sure you do, Champ.” Nicole said as she took a step back and threw the sphere back into a net with swish. “You only love her for yourself and for the success she brings you.”

“Give me this shit.” Champ, like a little boy throwing a temper tantrum, snatched the ball from the redhead’s palms just as it returned.

“I can provide her with love and happiness, with life experiences and pleasure.” Nicole said as she glared down at the man. “What can you give to her?”

“Do you have any idea how many years I have been with Miss Earp?” He asked. Nicole’s fingers twitched in anger and she wondered how much it would frustrate him if she were to smack the globe from his hands.

“Since 1937,” Nicole answered. Her research truly was impeccable.

“March 1937, to be exact.” He explained as his eyes traveled to far away distances. “She was only 16 at the time. There she was, on that dingy stage, in that pathetic play. It was a total disgrace! It only took a minute for me to realize exactly what she was going to be.”

“Your wife?” Nicole said with a snicker. She meant to pose it as a question, but instead it fell from her lips as more of a diss.

“Do you actually think I have raised her, cared for her, stood behind her, and developed her for all these years, just to groom a wife?”

“What then?” She asked, playing his game and falling right into his trap.

“A star!” He slapped his hands together in frustration. “Are you incapable of understanding she has it within herself to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, actor of her generation? And I will not have you ruin that for us!”

“Do you think I will not allow her to continue to act, to grow, and to become everything you want her to be? I will not control her, Champ, and if acting makes her happy, I will do everything in my power to encourage her to continue.”

“With you at her side?”

“I’m not going anywhere, as much as you would like me to.”

“And with you at her side, she will be nothing but a media nightmare, a rumor for the dining room table. Do you know what they do to celebrities like her?”

“Celebrities like her?”

“God damn it, Nicole!” Champ screamed at her. “Lesbians! Do you think they worship them in this day and age? No! She will be shunned, hated, made fun of. She will never be famous; she will never amount to anything.”

“I didn’t-”

“You think I did not know?” Champ asked. “I have been with her since they day she turned into a woman. I see the difference in the lust in her eyes when she sees a man versus when she sees a woman. Why else do you think I started this ploy to have her act as my boyfriend? But no, yesterday she barged into my room and demanded she have a separate room. I was doing everything I could to make sure the media saw her as a normal, twenty-two year old girl.”

“She is normal, Champ.” Nicole said, her pearly whites grinding together harder than she ever thought possible. “And I will make sure the media sees her as such. They will never see her as anything more than a star.”

“I will not allow her to stay with you.”

“And you think you actually have a say in that?” Nicole questioned. “My god, you really believe you own her, don’t you?”

“I have known who you since the moment you came here, Haught,” Champ told her. “You came here to destroy her. You do not care about her at all, do you, Haught?”

Nicole reached forward and snatched the ball from his clutches. “You are fucking out of your mind!”

She stormed off from the basketball court, leaving Champ alone to huff and puff in frustration, alone.

“Hey beautiful,” Nicole said as she busted through the dressing room door. Waverly spun in the dressing room chair, her eyes widening in excitement as she spotted the other woman. “Thanks for getting me another ticket for tonight’s show.”

“Do not be silly, Nicole,” Waverly said as she got up from the seat by the mirror and spread her body out on the couch. She grabbed the redhead’s hand and pulled her on her lap. “I did it for me. I perform much better with you in the audience.”

“Yeah, you believe that?” Nicole asked as she tried to read what was hiding behind the younger woman’s eyes.

“Yeah, I do.” She said honestly. “All I have to do is look out into the audience and see your face, and all of a sudden all my fears slip away and it is just you and I, and I can do and be whatever I want.”

“I like the sound of that,” Nicole said, her lips capturing the others for just a split second. Waverly chased them, until they reconnected with hers.

“Nicole, this might sound crazy, and I really do not want to scare you,” She started.

“Trust me, you won’t,” Nicole said honestly, grabbing her hand and intertwining it with her own.

“When the play is over,” She continued. “Not tonight, but the entire tour, I want to… I want to be with you, I want to sleep with you every night, and wake up with you every morning. I want to be there when you smile at my insanely loud laugh or when you roll your eyes at something ridiculous my sister says. I want to grow old with you by my side. God, I am not even sure what I am trying to say.”

“Waverly,” Nicole drew her hand to her mouth and kissed it. “I feel the exact same way. I didn’t think it was possible to fall in love with someone so fast, but it can and I did. Waverly, I am madly in love with you. I know it sounds corny, but my heart truly does beat for you. And I can’t wait to spend my entire life by your side, growing old with you, watching you blossom and flourish.”

“You too, Nicole,” Waverly said with tears threatening to spill. “I want you to be successful too. I will support you in whatever you choose to do. What books do you have on deck? Do you think any of them can be adapted into plays?”

A knock on the door caused the two women to split apart yet again. Nicole hated the feeling of distance, but she knew that was what they had to do to live. She would do anything to stay by her side.

“Five minutes until show time!”

“Guess I better get going.” Nicole said as she stood up beside the sitting girl. She tugged Waverly to her feet and gathered her in a large, tight hug. “Break a leg sweetie. Did I get it right?”

Waverly kissed Nicole, then proceeded to wipe away any makeup she had left behind. “You did. And I will meet you in my room after the show?”

“Absolutely. I’ll be waiting,” Nicole said. She leaned forward and whispered in the other woman’s ears, “Naked.”

“And how am I supposed to focus now?” Waverly bantered back.

Nicole opened the dressing room door, forming a heart with her fingers. She pointed back to the woman, a huge smile written across her face.

The stage erupted in wild applause as Act 1 ended. Nicole rose to her feet, clapping so hard for her girl that her hands stung. She felt a sharp pressure hit her on the right side of her neck, and she quickly slapped it away like a mosquito. As she looked to the man on her right, and the empty aisle on her left, she knew that was all it must have been, a mosquito.

She sat in her seat staring at the closed curtain as the intermission drowned on, her fingers twiddling with both excitement and boredom. As much as she hated waited, she wouldn’t change this for anything in the world. The pride she felt when she saw Waverly onstage was something she never thought possible, never mind even imagined.

As the lights dimmed and the curtains opened for the second act, the world in front of Nicole began to spin. Reaching forward to grasp onto the chair in front of her, instead of her hands connecting with metal, her hands collided with a man’s hollow shoulders. Apologizing profusely, Nicole quietly stood with shaky limbs. Her eyes tried to focus on Waverly, but her pupils could not stay focused on one object for longer than a split second. Slipping out of the back door, Nicole hoped the cool air would bring her back to her senses.

She stepped out onto the lawn and the cold air collided with her body. Instead of waking her up, though, she felt her form collide with the cold, dewy grass before blackness engulfed her.

Chapter Text

Chapter 16

“No more?” Waverly asked the stage manager as she glanced at Champ standing in the background. Their eyes connected; she knew he was behind this.

“No more,” The director agreed, glancing at the horror standing near the back curtain.

“One curtain call?” Waverly rolled her eyes in disgust. “The audience is going to be furious!”

She peeked out of the curtains edge, watching as the audience evacuated their seats in a slow fashion.

“Wynonna!” She called as her eyes fell on her sister. She rushed through the backstage area in her heels, desperate to shed her costume and tug on some normal clothes. “Did you find her?”

“No, baby girl,” Wynonna said sadly as they entered the younger woman’s dressing room for the final time.

“Are you sure?” Waverly asked, her face paling in worry. “Did you try her room?”

“She was not there,” Wynonna said. “I even broke in to see if she had just fallen asleep. Nothing”

“Did you ask at the front desk?”

“I sure did. For you baby girl.” Wynonna reached forward, curling Waverly’s hair behind her ear. She could see the heartbreak ticking on her sister’s face. “They had not seen her since she left to the play.”

“And there was no message?” Waverly asked, her voice cracking with pain and shredding with desperation.

“Nothing”

The younger girl banged her hand on the small makeup table in frustration. Tears welded in her eyes as her fist throbbed in pain. “This does not make sense. What could have happened to her?”

“I do not know baby girl, I really do not.” The eldest Earp told her. “Let me help you get dressed, then you can go out and look for her.”

“Wait, Wynonna,” Waverly said as the older woman grabbed her shirt from the couch and tossed it over to her. “Thank you”

Cold, she felt cold all over her body. Her head stung as if she had been stabbed repeatedly with a knife. Actually, screw getting stabbed with a knife, she felt as if she had been stabbed with the sword of Excalibur. And it smelled, god it smelled. Where the hell was she? A farm?

The redhead opened her eyes slowly, unsure what she would find when she opened them. The world whirled fast before her. Blinking once then twice, the forefront started to appear. She attempted to touch the ground with her hand, but as soon as she pulled, she found she was stuck; handcuffed to a thick pole.

She attempted to focus her attention on the world before her, her eyes widening when she found a large horse standing feet away. She crinkled her nose in repulsion as she comprehended what the smell really was.

Pulling on her arms once again, she rattled the handcuffs against the stiff lumber. There was no way, no fucking way she was getting out on her own. She rested her head on the structure, her neck popping as it twisted. She closed her eyes tightly hoping to stop the pain. She felt so groggy, so tired. Listening to her own breathing, she drifted to sleep yet again.

“Your performance tonight in Act 1, Waverly, I must say,” Champ began as he ran into the younger woman right outside the theater entrance.

“Where is she?” Waverly asked, shoving the pathetic man against the doorframe. “What have you done to her?”

“I have done nothing, Earp,” Champ told her simply. Waverly glanced into his eyes, wishing she could read him like a book.

“Nicole is gone.”

“Oh, that is all?” Champ asked. “That is what has you all worked up?”

Waverly glared at her manager, letting his body slip through her hands as his words stabbed her heart. “What do you mean?”

“She is gone from the hotel and your life, Waverly.” He told her as he stalked back towards the hotel lobby. “We both knew it was going to happen. I tried to warn you.”

“I do not believe you,” Waverly asked, wiping the stray tears away from her eyes. “Nicole would not leave me. She promised.”

“Promised?” Champ turned and stopped right at the front door. “What are you, twelve? I must admit, she was more charming than some of the others we encountered in the past. But where did she end up? Just like the rest of them Waverly, gone.”

“No,” Waverly argued, certain of herself. “I love her and she is going to make me happy, every day for the rest of my life.”

A sinister laugh escaped the short man’s lips. “You really do not understand, do you Waverly? She is gone! Gone and never to return.”

“I love her.” Waverly repeated, her eyes sparkling with love and happiness.

“What difference does that make, Waverly?” Champ punched his hand on the wooden bench in front of him, frightening the younger woman. “She is gone! What do you not understand?”

“I will find her, Champ,” She told him confidently. “And do not even dare try to stop me!”

“I guess I must remind you, then, that we leave in an hour!” Champ threated, grabbing the French glass door, and swinging it opened so hard that the glass inside rattled.

Nicole shook with fear as she heard a loud wooden door slam and vibrate the entire foundation of the barn. Looking to her right, she strained to find the source of the noise. All she could see was the large horse and the dirty, moldy bales of hay beside her.

“Help!” She screamed, her voice cracking from the dryness of both her mouth and lips.

“Help!” She tried yet again, her volume louder and stronger this time. She quieted her heavy breathing as she listened to the shuffled footsteps coming closer and closer.

“What the hell are you doing here? Hiding with the horses?” The Latina woman asked as Nicole came into view. Instead of coming closer to the other woman, she leaned against the opposing wall, with no aspiration to step closer. The redhead immediately recognized her as the second half of the couple she accidentally walked into arguing days ago.

“Oh, I just decided to become one with the horses and their shit tonight, instead of sleeping upstairs in my warm bed.” Nicole said sarcastically.

“Why would you do that?”

“I was joking.” Nicole smiled, reminding herself not to try that with this woman again. “What are you doing here at this time of night?”

Could she have helped Champ tie her up and lead her here? Was she sent to check up on her?

“I am going to steal my asshole boyfriend’s horse.”

“Woah, there is a lot to unpack there,” Nicole said, stretching her fingers. So maybe this woman didn’t hurt her, but she sounded like a criminal. “First off, why does your boyfriend still have a horse? Surely he realizes cars are the main mode of transportation these days.”

“He likes to feel one with nature and being a cowboy and all that prissy shit.” Rosita said, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I do not know why the hell I am telling you this.”

“And why do you want to steal his horse?”

“Because,” Rosita sighed heavily. “I caught him flirting with another woman yesterday, just like he was with you the other day.”

Nicole closed her eyes, desperate to try to remember what the other woman was talking about. “Flirting? With me? Look, I really doubt it. But I promise you have nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah right,” the harsh words fell out of her mouth like daggers. “That is what you want me to believe.”

“Look,” Nicole said, doing her best to look the other woman into her eyes. “Can you please just let me loose and we can talk about it? This is really starting to dig into my wrists.”

“And why the hell should I do that? So you can run straight to John again?”

“No,” Nicole shook her head, trying to remain calm. “Look, I don’t want to go anywhere near your husband. I’m a lesbian.”

The other woman stared at her, confusing waving entirely over her features. “What?”

“I like girls, only girls.” Nicole told her truthfully, as if it was as obvious as the color of her skin.

“You like-”

“Breasts and vagina, yes,” The redhead admitted. “And you couldn’t pay me to get anywhere close to your husband. To be honest, freaks me out a bit.”

“I did not know you could do that.”

“Rosita, honey,” Nicole tried a calmer approach, “You can love whoever you want.”

Rosita’s eyes lit up, as if she had just found a whole additional part of the world. “So you and that actress, I saw her going upstairs with you last night.”

“Shit,” Nicole swore under her breath, reminding herself next time, they would have to be much more discrete. “Yes, but look, no one can no. It’s not very, accepting to society.”

“I get that, really I do.”

“And Waverly; we are starting a new relationship and she probably finished her show a little while ago. She is probably looking for me and she will think I abandoned her. Can you please help me get out of here? I need to go tell her I love her, and I’d never leave her?”

“Oh god, you make me sick, red.”

“Waverly!” Nicole called as she ran through the lobby screaming at the top of her lungs. She felt like a baby fawn stepping on ice for the first time, her limbs slipping and sliding each way.

“Waverly!” She screamed yet again, her voice echoing off the empty lobby’s walls.

“Excuse me, miss,” The old man at the front desk called to the hysterical woman. “Would you please be quiet? Guests are trying to sleep upstairs.”

“Sorry,” Nicole whispered. Her eyes shifted to the clock right above his head, and her face went pallid when she realized how much time truly had passed.

“Do you…” The tall woman stuttered. “Did the theater company check out already?”

Without needing to check the registry, Old Man Nedley shook his head. “They certainly did, ma’am. Hour’s ago.”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Nicole said, not caring who heard her.

“Excuse me ma’am, do you speak to your parent’s with that tone?”

Nicole exhaled a heavy breath she did not realize she was still holding. “No, sorry sir.”

“Would you like to check out as well?”

“No,” Nicole said, her mind racing with ideas on how to track down the other woman yet again. “Not yet at least. Thank you, sir.”

Nicole’s body slumped as she walked towards the stairwell, slower than she even thought possible. Tonight would have been a perfect night to take the elevator, every inch of her body in more pain than she ever imagined. But still, she continued her normal journey up the stairs to her room. Eyes closed as she walked into the warm, comforting hallway; she could not wait to be lying in her soft hotel bed yet again. Opening her eyes, she blinked repeatedly, not believing who was walking down the hall from her room.

“Waverly!” She called her smile so wide that she was sure her cheeks would break. The other woman spun again, her eyes lightening up like Rudolph’s nose on Christmas Eve.

“Nicole!”

The redhead ran as fast as she could to the other woman, scooping her up in her arms and raising her off the floor in excitement.

“Oh my god, I thought you had left!” Waverly said, wrapping her legs around the other woman and placing soft kisses all over her face.

“No baby,” Nicole said, not able to stop herself from planting a gentle kiss on the other woman’s lips, public be damned. “I told you I would never leave you and I meant it. They told me you checked out!”

“No, they all left,” Waverly told her honestly. “The entire production, but I told Champ I was not leaving without you.”

“Oh god, I love you!” Nicole said, wrapping her arms even tighter around the other woman and lifting her into the air. “But what about your job, sweetie? I don’t want you to lose out on this opportunity. Especially not because of me.”

“Babe,” Waverly started as she was slowly lowered back to the ground. “The next show is not until this coming Friday. I have plenty of time to meet them. I figured I could just take a flight over there before the show.”

“Really?” Nicole said. “You can do that?”

“Yes, I can. And for the first time ever, I stood up to my manager and reminded him that he works for me, not the other way around. He might have discovered me, but me being successful is paying his paychecks. If I am not happy, I will not be successful, so he better keep me happy.”

“I am so proud of you Waves!”

“Nicole,” Waverly said as she finally caught sight of the cuts on the other woman’s hands. “What happened?”

“I’m not really sure?” Nicole told her. “Maybe I was drugged? I don’t really know. I remember seeing the end of act 1, and then next thing you know I woke up chained to the barn.”

“Oh god, it had to have been Champ,” Waverly said through gritted teeth. “I told him to stay away from you. He must have done this to keep you away from me. Next time I see him…”

“Waves, baby, it really doesn’t matter. I am here now and I’m not going anywhere. And I think you made it pretty clear to him where your priorities lie.”

“But you are hurt, Nicole, and I cannot-”

“I’m okay, really.” Nicole said as she looked into her eyes. Leaning forward, she whispered into the other woman’s ear, “And I think taking a bath with you will take all my pain away.”

“Good morning,” Nicole said as her eyes blinked away the sleepiness of the night. She woke up to find Waverly wide awake beside her, staring.

“Sorry, I just,” Waverly stuttered. “I cannot believe you are here and you are real.”

“I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” Nicole said. The redhead leaned forward, intent on kissing the younger woman’s nose, but her lips intercepted her.

“I had a really, really great night with you, but then again I probably always will.” Waverly told her, wrapping her arms around Nicole and pulling her close. “I’m sorry we couldn’t sleep up in my room last night. I know the bed is bigger.”

“A smaller bed just means the closer we have to sleep, right?” Nicole told positively. She kissed the crown of her head, a smile wide on her face. The redhead reached over towards the nightstand and grabbed her pocket watch. “Waverly, I want you to have this.”

Waverly grabbed the cold metal from Nicole’s trembling fingertips. “Nicole, no I cannot. This is too much.”

“Please Waverly. I want you to keep a part of me with you whenever and wherever you are.” The taller woman pushed the watch pack towards Waverly when she tried to hand it back.

“Okay,” The Earp agreed hesitantly. “Though I do not really need it as you will always be in my heart, even when you are miles and miles away.”

“Thank you,” Nicole said, placing a kiss to her forehead. “Do you have any plans tonight? Anything you want to do?”

“Do you mean we cannot just lie in bed all day?”

“I mean we can, if you really want to,” Nicole agreed, tucking a few stray strands of morning hair behind Waverly’s ear. At that exact moment, the younger woman’s stomach made a loud growl. “Someone’s hungry.”

“Yeah, I guess I did not realize how hungry.”

Nicole smiled; she honestly could not get enough of this life. “How about I go order us some room service for breakfast?”

“Sounds great!” Waverly said. “Do you mind if I take a shower?”

“Go ahead,” The redhead agreed. “Mi casa es su casa.”

“Thank you!” The youngest Earp said.

Nicole watched as Waverly’s naked, fleeting form got up from the bed and walked from view. Grabbing her robe from the closet, Nicole wrapped it around her shivering form. She snatched the small room service menu from the coffee table and dialed the number on the phone on the nightstand on Waverly’s side of the bed. Within seconds, their breakfast was ordered (Vegetarian for Waverly with a cup of tea, of course) and set to be delivered in less than a half an hour.

Opening the hotel room door, Nicole took the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign off of the knob and placed it on the opposite side. She grabbed the newspaper lying flat on the floor, figuring she could either read the news or complete the crossword puzzle while she waited for Waverly. It was better than imagining the brunette naked in the shower, with hot water dripping down her chest.

Nope, she was not going to think about that. Nicole slammed the door and returned to the bed, her mouth thirstier for the news than she actually imagined. Page after page, the redhead read about the current happenings within the town. How did such a small town afford a newspaper? How did they even have enough stories to fill it?

Maybe she could get a job as a writer or editor of a newspaper while she was working on her novels? That would be perfect. She could continue to write while Waverly traveled with the show.

A loud knock on the door disrupted the tall woman from her fantasy of the future. She shoved the newspaper off of her lap, haphazardly folding it into a pile. Tightening her robe’s strings, she opened the door and was welcomed with the pleasant smell of breakfast.

“Good morning, ma’am,” The young server said, removing his chef’s hat. “I have some breakfast here for you.”

“Perfect!” Nicole said, walking over and grabbing her small money clutch as the young man placed the food on the coffee table. Grabbing one of the few bills she had with her, she passed it over to the young man.

“Let me get you some change, ma’am.”

“No, no, sir,” Nicole said politely to the young teen. “Tip?”

“Unfortunately, ma’am, we aren’t allowed to take tips.”

“Can we just keep it between you and I?”

“No, unfortunately not ma’am. Let me get you that change.”

Nicole glanced down to the receipt. “No I think I have change. She reached down into her small change purse, pulling out a few quarters, nickels, and dimes. She passed it over to the boy, before reaching in for a few additional cents. She stretched into her purse and grabbed a penny. Glancing down at the money before handing it over, blood drained from Nicole’s entire being as she stood, frozen in time. 2006; that was the year engraved on the penny. She held it away from the server, but she could feel herself slipping away. The world began to spin and fade, and she could feel the energy slipping from her body.

“Nicole!” She heard Waverly scream through the blackness. She tried to reach forward, but she could not move, she could not speak.

“Nicole!” She heard the muffled screams one last time as her senses completely faded from the past and returned to the present.

The redhead opened her eyes, but she couldn’t move, she could barely breath. She took the quickest glance around the room, only to acknowledge the horrid fact that she was no longer with her soulmate; even worse, she was in a world where the she didn’t even exist.

Nicole ran her sweaty palm across her forehead, only to find another pool of moisture there. Her entire physique and the clothes she had bought from the vintage shop were covered in sweat.

“No, no, no!” Nicole cried out in misery. “No!”

She pinched her eyes shut, clearing her mind. With all the remaining energy she could muster, Nicole started to mutter, “It’s June…” she tried, her mind willing her to fall back to sleep, “It’s June… oh god please…”

Nicole took a large breath of cold air and tried again. “It’s June 1943. I am back at the-”

“What do you mean, you haven’t seen her in days?” Xavier Dolls complained as Randy Nedley walked beside him to Nicole’s room. He had become worried when Nicole stopped answering his phone calls and she stopped reading his texts. He knew she wanted a break, but she also had a health problem, and he was scared she had fallen ill.

Nedley knocked on the door repeatedly, but there was no answer. Even as he called her name, neither man could hear anyone stirring from within the room.

“Are you sure she is in there?”

“I thought so,” Randy said, scratching the tuff of his gray mustache. “Let me use my key and we can check on her.”

He grabbed the large silver key from his belt loop and slipped it inside the door. Turning the doorknob, he stepped inside the room, and they were met with complete darkness.

“Ms. Haught?” Randy called out. He flashed on the lights and both their eyes filled with worry. Nicole Haught was lying face down on the hardwood floor, not moving in the slightest.

“Oh my god,” Dolls stuttered as he stood slack jawed in fear.

“Can you help me get on the bed?”

Xavier nodded, his mouth still gaping in shock. She couldn’t be dead, she couldn’t. He bent down, grasping underneath the redheads wet underarms, lugging her to the bed.

“Easy now, easy,” Randy said as they positioned her on the wrinkled comforter, trying not to move her lifeless body in any odd way. He walked over to the nightstand beside the bed, dialing 911 in an instant.

“Operator, this is Randy Nedley from the Ghost River Hotel. Can you please send an ambulance up to room 320 as soon as possible? We have a woman, late 20’s, not responding, nor breathing.”

“We are on our way, Mr. Nedley,” Dispatch told the hotel owner.

Chapter Text

Chapter 17

“Nicole!” Waverly screamed as she dashed up the stairs and straight into her sister’s room, ignoring all common sense to knock.

“Baby girl, what is wrong?” A sleepy Wynonna asked as she poked her head up from the pristine white sheets. “And you should really be happy I did not have a man in here.”

“Wynonna, have you seen Nicole?” Waverly asked.

“Why the hell would your girlfriend be in my room?” Wynonna asked. Sitting straight up in bed, she analyzed her sister, noticing the worry lines wrinkled beneath her eyes, the tears in her pupils, and the worry hidden beneath it all.

“Wynonna, she is gone!” Waverly said, sitting on the edge of her bed, tears streaming down her cheeks as if the Nile River had finally overflowed.

“Baby girl, I am sure she just went downstairs or something. She will be back.”

“No Wynonna, she just disappeared. Like one minute, she was there, and the next, she was gone!”

“Wave, she went somewhere!” The eldest Earp told her with level-headedness. “People do not just disappear.”

“But she did, Wynonna, one minute, she was handing money over to the room service person, and then the next, nothing. There was empty space where she was standing!”

“Baby girl, I am going to get dressed and then we are going to go down and find Haught so I can kick her ass for scaring you like this.”

“Waverly, open up the damn door!” Wynonna knocked so hard she was sure the door would break. In her frustration and impatience, she kicked the bottom of the hard pine and then flicked her foot in pain. She knew her sister was inside; she could see both lights and movement.

“Hold your ass!” She heard Waverly yelp.

“Hold my ass? You have been ignoring me, baby girl! I have been here for twenty minutes.”

The door swung open and the eldest Earp bit her lip, desperate to keep her mouth quiet at the sight before her. Standing in front of her was less than a hundred-pound woman with eyes darker than the night sky during a thunderstorm. She could not have slept in over a month. She looked so frail, Wynonna was worried if she hugged her, she would snap in half.

“How have you been? I have been trying to get ahold of you.” Wynonna said. She did not want to scare the young girl away, again, but she needed to know! She was worried about her; it had been weeks, maybe even months since they had last spoken, and she couldn’t even imagine the last time her sister’s form filled her vision.

“Yeah, well, I have been pretty unreachable.”

“Can you let me in, baby girl?” Wynonna asked. The younger girl shrugged her shoulders, but slowly stepped aside, opening the door the smallest bit more. The house was littered with trash everywhere, from food containers to water cups; Wynonna could not believe her eyes. When was the last time her sister was outside?

“What can I help you with, Wynonna? I know you are not here to examine the state of my house.”

“I am here to check on you and to take care of you.” Wynonna asked. “Baby girl, you are slipping away. What is wrong? What can I do to help, Waves?”

“I do not know what is wrong with me, Wynonna!” Waverly told her, her voice laden with what came off as anger, but her sister knew as pain and distress. “Ever since we finished the tour and came home, I just, I do not know what to do anymore. I do not want to move, I do not even want to get up in the morning. I mean what is the point Wynonna! Tell me, what is it?”

“Your happiness Waverly. You will find it again, but you cannot give up. You cannot give up on yourself. You are full of so much hope and promise! You cannot give in to the pain and the hurt baby girl. You are stronger than that!”

“Open up the fucking door!” Once again, the door sounded like it was going to be bashed off the hinges. “You cannot keep ignoring me Waverly!”

“Oh no?” Waverly spoke as she opened the door only a few inches. “I am pretty sure I can and I will.”

“No, you cannot.” Champ argued. Waverly could tell by his face that he had aged horribly over the past few months. “You are still under contract, Waverly.”

“I made you more money than was included in that contract, Champ, so you can just rip that piece of shit up. We are done, both our friendship and our work.”

“I gave you a year, Waverly. A year. We had plays lined up for all of 1944, and you left. Well, you are not doing that again. I already have you scheduled for three shows in 1945 and there will be more.”

“Champ, what do I have to do to get it through your big fat head?” Waverly said, frustration and anger lacing every syllable. “I am done with you and I am done with us.”

“You cannot stay hidden in your home forever, Waverly. You need money, you need a job.” Champ told her.

“Well for your information, Champ, I have a job. So no, I do not need your pathetic job or your pathetic money. I can take care of myself.”

“Take care of yourself? Is that what you call this?” Champ asked. “This really cannot all be because that Haught bitch up and left you.”

Without another breath, Waverly slammed the door on the aging man’s face. He continued banging for several additional minutes, but the youngest Earp did not care. She went on with her chores around the house, tuning out the obnoxious knocking until it finally died down.

Wynonna woke to a ring vibrating throughout her entire house. She groaned in frustration, as she moved her tired, aching body from the chair in the living room. She walked slower than she ever thought possible to the front door, hoping the guest on the outside would not ring the doorbell again; she was quite certain it would burn through her ears.

“Waverly, baby girl,” Wynonna said, pulling the door open and ushering the younger woman inside. “I gave you a key for a reason.”

“And I have barged in on you enough times having sex to know never to just walk into your house, whether I have a key or not.” Waverly said as she shrugged her scarf off, followed by her coat, and hung them both up on the rack.

“Yeah, but that was before I had a newborn baby who barely gets any sleep during the night.”

“Wynonna, Alice is 6 months old. I’m sure she’s sleeping more than that.”

“She is; I’m not.” Wynonna said truthfully. “Please don’t tell me you brought her another present.”

“What? No!”

“Then why are you holding a Toys R Us bag in your hands? Decided to get in touch with your inner child?”

“Okay, you caught me, but I mean she is my niece, probably the only one I might ever have, so of course I have to spoil her. Do you expect me to do anything less?”

“No baby girl, I definitely do not.”

“Go baby girl go!” Wynonna screamed at the top of her lungs as her daughter snatched the ball from the opposing player and dashed toward the other side of the court, bouncing the rubber basketball with each step. The preteen pulled her arms up to shoot the ball, but another girl smacked the ball right out of her hands. “Knock her down, Alice! Push her to the ground!”

“Wynonna,” Waverly chided through gritted teeth. “That is not how this works.”

“What do you mean? That girl just stole the ball from her! She can’t throw her on the ground?” Wynonna argued. Never in a million years did she imagine she would be a single mother, cheering on her daughter at a sporting event. Yet here she was, about to lose her voice from screaming at a regular season game of basketball.

“No, Wynonna that would be considered a foul!”

“A foul? Really? Who the hell evented this pansy sport?” Wynonna asked. “And how the hell did you get my daughter interested in basketball anyways?”

Waverly slipped her hand into her pocket, fingertips slipping over the shiny metal pocket watch hidden inside it. God she missed her.

“Wynonna!” Waverly screamed as she barged into her sister’s house and plowed through the entire first floor.

“Holy shit, baby girl! Where’s the fire?”

“Do you believe in time travel, Wynonna?”

“Time travel? Really? Why would you ask me something like that?” Wynonna asked. “Besides, you are the smart one, Wave, not me. You should ask yourself that question.”

Waverly snatched a rolled-up newspaper from her back pocket and dropped it in front of her. Staring back at the eldest Earp was a small baby, wrapped up in a tight white blanket, with a pink cap on her head. It was in the congratulations section of the newspaper.

“Cute baby, Waves, but what does that have to-”

Waverly unfolded the paper and her sister’s eyes devoured the small paragraph, her pupils dilating with each word.

“Robert and Patricia Haught would like to celebrate the newest addition to their family, a bundle of joy which they named Nicole Haught.”

“Okay Waves, I get that’s suspicious but how many Nicole Haught’s are there in the universe? Probably a million.”

“Give me a break, Wynonna,” Waverly said. “How common is a name called Nicole Haught? Not very. And what makes this even more suspicious is this baby was born on Nicole’s birthdate, in the same city as my Nicole. Just a bit of a coincidence, Wynonna?”

“Holy shit, Waverly,” Wynonna said as she grabbed her reading glasses and examined the picture of the infant. “You might be onto something.”

Waverly raised her reading glasses as they slipped down her nose. She had read essays upon essays of entries for her self-funded scholarship, but she still had almost a dozen left to go. The clock continued to tick away, bringing midnight closer and closer. Why did she procrastinate for so long?

She flipped over to the next piece of paper, her eyes falling onto a paper written by Jeremy Chetri. As her eyes sped over the words, her mind began to race. The essay, written by a senior in high school, was about time traveling. Waverly shoved all the other applicants to the other side of her desk. Before she had even finished reading the essay, she was certain whom she was giving the scholarship.

“I’m dead aren’t I?” The redhead muttered underneath her breath, petrified of opening her eyes. Taking a deep breath in, she tried to use her other senses to determine her location. Something smelled so familiar. She could not stop herself from licking her lips.

“Nope, Miss Haught, you are definitely not dead,” A voice from beside her said, and Nicole could hear the smile on her face. “But most definitely still hot.”

Nicole opened her eyes and soared off the woodened bench, almost fainting from the sudden movement. She immediately looked down at her clothes; jeans and a t-shirt, definitely not 1940’s material. Her face deadpanned.

“No, no, no,” She paced the ground in front of the small girl, tears coming in her eyes. She bent down to her knees in front of Waverly, her arms on both of her legs. “Waves, please, I don’t want to leave you, I didn’t want to leave you the last time. But I just-”

Waverly placed a kiss on the crown of the other woman’s head. “I know you did not. Trust me, I know. It took me a while to figure out what happened, but you are okay now Nicole. You are safe. We are in your time now.”

“Wait, what?” Nicole looked at the other woman’s face, finally noticing several additional wrinkles, a few additional freckles, and a darkening of the roots of her hair. “How is that possible?”

Waverly gestured beside her on the bench and Nicole could not help but obey the other woman’s wishes. She slid back onto the bench, her back straightening against the cool wood. She slipped her hand into the youngest Earp’s, desperate for any type of contact. Waverly pulled their intertwined hands into her lap.

“Hope this is okay?”

“Okay? This is more than okay.” The redhead smiled. “I’ve missed you.”

“You’ve missed me? It’s been like fifty minutes for you,” Waverly chuckled. “Try fifty years since the last time I have seen you.”

“You waited?”

“Of course I did,” Waverly said. “You were my soul mate, even if I had to wait over half a century to see you again.”

“Was everything I saw true?” Nicole asked. “I just, it was like a movie or something. You and Wynonna, and Alice, finding my birthing notice in the paper, giving Jeremy a scholarship for college.”

“Yeah,” Waverly said, her face immediately blushing. “I am sorry you had to see some of that. I did not want you to see the dark times, but-”

“Waves, I wanted to be there for every part of your life, the good and the bad! Of course, I wanted to see the bad, though I wish I could have been there to hold you, instead I had to watch you crumble from afar.” Nicole told her honestly. “Did I mention I am so glad you meddled in Jeremy’s life? Can you imagine if he never wrote that book on Time Travel? That’s what gave me the idea!”

“I was desperate to find someone to research time travel.” Waverly said. “I would have funded his entire life if I could. I knew you had gotten the idea and the process from somewhere, baby. I mean you are smart and all, but words are more your thing.”

“You’re right on that one!” Nicole said, pulling their hands to her lips and placing a kiss on them. “But that doesn’t answer my question, sweetie, where are we?”

“You are at a crossroads of sorts,” The youngest Earp answered simply. “To the right is heaven, to the left is hell, and back that way is your life.”

Nicole hurdled from her seat and attempted to pull Waverly up. “Well what are we waiting for?”

“Babe, sit down, it is not that simple.”

Nicole hesitantly sat down beside her yet again, though she really did not understand why. “What’s there to talk about? One place, I get to spend the rest of my life with you, and the other, alone.”

“Nicole, that is it though,” Waverly said. “If you go down there with me, you are not alive anymore. You will never get to experience any part of life again. You will be dead.”

“But I have no one,” Nicole told her honestly. “What is life with no one to enjoy it with?”

“You are not alone Nicole,” Waverly reminded her. “You have Dolls. I have seen you together, and you have a great friendship. And as much as I hate to admit it, your wife would miss you if you did not come back-”

“Ex-wife,” Nicole corrected, causing Waverly to smile.

“Soon to be ex-wife. And I know Wynonna would love to see you again, especially after I forced her to spend a large part of her life helping me look for you.”

“I saw her a couple of days ago,” Nicole told her. “She barely even remembered me. And Alice told me that she was-”

“Alice is an evil little child.”

“Not much of a child anymore,” The redhead announced. “She’s older than I am.”

Waverly kissed the side of her head. “Sorry, I keep forgetting about that.”

“Waves, it doesn’t matter how many people I have waiting for me at home, you won’t be there, so I’m not going back.”

“Baby, you have your entire life waiting for you, you have more books to write, more friends to make, more lives to save. Nicole, your life is not over yet. You cannot give it up for me. And I will always, always be there with you, in your heart, by your side. This is not just a once in a lifetime love, Nicole, this is forever. We are timeless.”

“I’m not making you wait another 50 years for me to die.” Nicole said, though it probably should have sounded more somber than she made it.

“Fifty years is nothing, Nicole,” Waverly said, tears swimming down her reddened cheeks. “Not when I know I have forever with you. And at least now I’ll be able to watch from up here, so I will know you are safe and happy. Better than the first 50 years; I had no clue if you actually existed or if you were a figment of my imagination.”

“It doesn’t matter, Waverly,” Nicole said sternly. She could not look into Waverly’s eyes, knowing she would fall apart herself. “So what, I go back there for what, more surgeries and more medication? I’m dying anyway, Waves. I still have a brain tumor.”

“That is not a death sentence, Nicole, at least not anymore. You have science and technology on your side.” She said. “You need to remember to take your pills and take care of yourself.”

“Waves…”

“Nicole, please go back home. I know you will make me proud.”

“Waverly, home is wherever you are,” Nicole told her. She sighed deeply, brown eyes finally connecting with hazel. She just found Waverly, how could she really be leaving her? Tears streamed down her face, creating small pools on the cement in front of her. “I will go back and make you proud. As long as you promise me one thing.”

“Anything,” Waverly answered without any hesitation. She raised her thumb to Nicole’s face, wiping away the wetness spilling from her.

“Wait for me.”

“Of course, I am not going anywhere. I will wait another 150 years if I have to.”

“Really?”

“Yes, Nicole, I mean it.”

“Can I ask you for one more favor then?”

“Sure”

“Can I spend the night here with you? Just one night to last another 50 years.”

“I thought you would never ask.” Waverly said as she stood and held her hand out to the redhead.

Chapter Text

Epilogue

Nicole’s eyes fluttered open; actually, it was less like a flutter and more like a slow flap.

“Holy shit! Nicole! You’re alive!” The young man sitting in the hard hospital seat ran over to her bed. “I was so worried.”

Nicole tried to sit up in the bed, gasping for air and water.

“No, no, no, Nicole,” Dolls chided her. “Don’t try to move. Let me go get the doctor, and some water, you probably want some water.”

Nicole tried to speak as her friend dashed out of the room, but the only thing that sputtered out of her mouth was dry air. He returned in less than a minute, a jug of water in his hands and a doctor at his side.

“Good evening, Ms. Haught. Or should I say good morning to you,” The doctor asked as he pulled out his stethoscope and started examining the other woman’s vitals. “Do you know where you are?”

Xavier passed her a small cup of water, which the redhead graciously accepted. Before speaking, she took a long sip of water.

“The hospital, I’m assuming.”

“Do you know how you got here?”

“No,” Nicole said as he flashed a bright shining light in her eyes and examined her pupils. “The last thing I remembered was being in the hotel bed.”

“Do you know what year it is?”

“2012, unfortunately.” She muttered, mumbling each sound that fell from her tongue.

“That’s correct.” The doctor said. He pocketed his pen after jotting a few words down on the piece of paper. “You were extremely dehydrated when you were brought in here, so dehydrated, in fact, that your body was shutting down. Your cells were starting to shrink because you weren’t getting enough water, and your kidneys were being over exerted as they were trying to flush waste out from your blood. You probably had less than a few hours before your kidneys completely shut down. We estimated it had been approximately seven days since you last had an adequate drink of fluids. We have been pumping fluids into your body for the last four days, hoping to revitalize your body. Your organs and muscles are slowly on their way to full health. We will probably keep you in here for a few more days just to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Are you in any pain?”

Dolls watched from the corner of the room, his arms wrapped around his chest as he listened.

“Heartbreak,” Nicole muttered.

“What?” The doctor asked. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

“I have a slight headache,” The redhead answered, ignoring his previous question.

“That’s completely normal, Nicole.” The professional informed. “But you definitely don’t have a concussion. I will go get a nurse to bring you something for the pain.”

“Could this have been caused by the tumor?”

“It’s possible that it sped up your dehydration, but it wasn’t the cause. Let me know if you have any other questions Nicole. I will be back in to check on you later tonight.”

As the doctor turned on his heels, Dolls stepped forward again, pulling Nicole’s attention back to him. “Shae’s been here looking for you.”

Nicole bounded up in the bed, her head becoming light and the world spinning before her eyes.

“Hey, hey, hey, slow down there Nicole.”

“Sorry,” she uttered, her voice extremely hoarse. “Was she here with her new girlfriend? Did she bring my divorce papers?”

“No and no,” Dolls said. “She seemed really worried about you.”

“Well she gave up those rights when she cheated on me, Dolls.” Nicole told him. “And no, you don’t have to worry about me flying off the deep end any longer. This vacation taught me more than you could ever imagine about myself and love. And trust me, that was nothing like the real thing.”

“Knock, knock,” A woman in bright blue scrubs said as she stepped into the room holding a small cup of pills. “I’ve got some medication here for you.”

Nicole graciously took the pills from the cup one at a time, swallowing them with one gulp of water.

“The white circle pill is for your pain,” She informed the other woman. “And the tan pill should look familiar to you, it’s the medication that stops the tumor from spreading.”

Nicole nodded as she downed a large sip of water, the pills slipping down her esophagus and dissolving in her stomach.

“Hold your ass! I’m like 90 year’s old!” A voice from inside the house yelled as loud as her strained vocal cords would allow.

The door flashed opened and before the older woman could fully take in the guest, she had arms wrapped around her and hugging her tight.

“Holy shit, Haught, who said you could put your arms around me?” The elderly grandma like woman said, even though her arms wrapped around the tall redhead. “You’ve been back, haven’t you?”

Nicole drew away, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. This was the closest she would be to Waverly for the next half a century or so. Wynonna was her only real tie to the past, a past that to no one else but the two of them actually experienced.

“Yeah,” Nicole said. “Yeah I did. God Wynonna, I really love her.”

“Ew,” Wynonna said as the outside air blew into her house. “And you better. You should have seen her the first ten years or so you were gone. It was her mission to find you and thank god she finally did. I had never seen her happier than those few days she was with you. Even though it was just a few, you changed her life for the better.”

“Grandma!” A child came running to Wynonna and wrapping all three feet of his body around her the older woman’s legs.

“What can I do for you, buddy?”

“You got to come back so we can finish Candyland, please grandma?”

“I’ll just,” Nicole turned and pointed with her thumb back to her car. “Head out.”

“Don’t be silly!” Wynonna said. “I bet these kids would love to meet their Auntie Nicole, right Charlie? We can even deal you into the next round of Candyland.”

The little boy danced in excitement, disappearing back into the house screaming to his other companions.

“Wynonna, I really shouldn’t-”

“Come on, Nicole. We both know this is what Waverly would have wanted.”

Nicole bent down to a squat, wiping away all the dirt and overgrown grass from the front of the stone. “I’m getting to old for this,” she chuckled as her rear collided with the thawing spring ground.

“I still can’t believe you did this,” Nicole announced to thin air. Her hand reached out, fingertips tracing the letters engraved into the cement. Earp Haught.

“I’m sorry it’s been so long, babe,” The redhead said as she spun her body around, leaning her back against the grave. “But trust me, you’ve been in my heart, every day, every moment. And I know you’re probably really busy up there, dragging Wynonna from all the bars up in heaven after she’s had too many drinks. I’ve really missed her, not as much as I’ve missed you though.”

“So, I’ve brought you something,” Nicole told her as she reached inside her bag. She pulled out the small paperback and placed it into her lap. “It’s one of the first drafts.”

The redhead flipped through the pages with her thumb. “It’s about us, you know. About how I found your picture in the hotel, the time travel, us meeting, all of it. Science Fiction, they say. But I know differently, and you most definitely do as well. Dolls thinks it might be my best seller so far. I know it will be, because you’re in it.”

Nicole reached into her pocket and pulled out the black ink pen she always kept hidden inside. She never knew when novel ideas would spring into her mind and she would end up writing her entire book on a napkin. Who knows, it could happen.

The redhead opened to one of the first few pages, the printed words staring back at her. Dedicated to the Love of my Life, Waverly Earp. No matter when you are, know that you are always in my heart

“Now I know you don’t really need this anymore,” Nicole said as the felt tip of the pen hit the manila page. “I mean you have my heart, why do you need my autograph?”

Nicole’s eyes glanced over the finish product, reading over the short passage in her mind. Waverly, I miss you with every breath I take. I know you are watching up there and you are proud of me. I feel your love overflowing my heart with every beat it takes. I can’t wait to come home. Love, Nicole

The redhead felt a small buzz on her wrist, and she immediately looked down, her watching vibrating with power.

“It’s your great grandniece’s birthday party today, Waves. She’s just like you, you know. Always eager and learning. I think. And she loves the camera. I think she might end up following in your footsteps and becoming an actress!” Nicole stood beside the grave, kissing her hand and placing it on the grave. “I promised I would help them set up before all those rugrats come over. I’ll be back soon, sweetie, I love you.”

Looking back one last time, Nicole started to walk away from the site, a warm breeze wrapping around her and floating away in a fleeting second.

Just hours before her 73rd birthday, Nicole Haught checked into the Ghost River Hotel. Randy Nedley had past decades before, and he was replaced by his oldest grandson, Gracin. Nicole requested a specific room, room 416, which she had received without a second glance. With the success of her final novel, Nicole became a celebrity in the Nedleys’ eyes. She even did several events at the hotel in order to promote its business.

Nicole passed the door to the stairwell, her tired shins no longer able to withstand climbing flights upon flights of stairs. Once the elevator door dinged, Nicole slipped inside, a location she had probably only been in a handful of times. She had been spending her birthday year after year at the same hotel, in the same room. She knew there was no other place she would rather be as she turned another year older.

Opening the door to the room, Nicole tucked inside, the dim light a relief compared to the harmful incandescent lights she dealt with almost 100 years ago.

She slipped her tired, frail body into the cool sheets, her body exhausted beyond her wildest dreams. She shut her eyes, visions of her first visit flashing through her mind, the thought of Waverly beside her warming both her body and her heart.

Nicole Haught died just minutes after midnight, in the same exact room none other than Waverly Earp had passed over forty years ago. Some say the author had lived a long and successful life, while others said the woman was destined for more and had disappeared way too soon. To Nicole, she hated waited long enough.

Nicole walked on her tiptoes down the quiet street, slipping away from view and behind the same bench she last said goodbye to Waverly. She leaned down surprised when she did not hear muscles and joints popping, her body having taken on her prime age of 26.

Her warm breath tickled against the young woman sitting on the bench, and she whispered, “Hey there sexy.”

“Nicole freakin’ Haught!” Waverly jumped in fright and screamed. She turned her head and without a second of hesitation, wrapped her arm around the other woman and pulled her close, their lips connecting for the first time in over half a century. The kiss was sloppy and awkward, with teeth crashing and necks twisting from their strange position, but it did not matter. When neither woman could no longer breathe, they pulled apart, but their eyes did not disconnect.

“Don’t tell me you have been sitting here this whole time,” Nicole joked as she swung around, her bottom colliding with the wooden bench. She wrapped her arm around the other woman who rested her head on Nicole’s chest.

“I told you I would wait forever,” She joked right back. “But no, I promise I have not been. I actually woke up with a hopeful feeling this morning. Oh god, that sounds so bad Nicole. I did not mean I was hopeful you were going to die today.”

“Well I was,” Nicole said honestly as she kissed the crown of Waverly’s head. “I am so glad I don’t have to spend another second without you.”

“I read your book you know,” Waverly said. “Well, I read all of them, but the one you brought with you to the grave. I have it on display in our room. And no, you are not taking it down, ever. The book was amazing, and it made me fall in love with you all over again. I read it so many times, I probably know it word for word.”

“Thanks,” Nicole said bashfully. “But we might have to move it into one of the other rooms.”

“Not happening,” Waverly said.

“What is it like over there?”

“It is nice, peaceful. It is quiet when you want it to be or loud when you want to have a good time. Or when Wynonna randomly shows up in the middle of the night when you are sleeping.”

“Oh god, I have to get used to her interrupting again. And the sex jokes, oh god.”

“And she has read the book too, so get ready for more.” Waverly told her. “And Randy has been practicing his basketball skills waiting for you to get back over here. He thinks he is finally going to beat you.”

“We will see about that,” Nicole said with a grin on her face.

Waverly stood up, holding her hand out to the other woman. “You ready?”

Nicole outstretched her body and intertwined her fingers with the other woman. She smiled, her dimples on full display and she truly felt alive for the first time in more years than she could count. “Am I ready to spend the rest of my afterlife with you? I feel like I’ve been waiting an eternity.”

Waverly rested her head on Nicole’s shoulder as they walked down the quiet street. “You have been waiting 44 years; I have been waiting an eternity.”

“And now you are never going to have to wait again,” Nicole said, kissing the side of the woman’s crown.

Hand in hand, the couple walked away from their passed lives and into the void, ready to spend every waking moment in each other’s eyes, moments they didn’t get anywhere near enough of in the past.