22. I'll Give You A Hint

       Waverly opened her eyes, taking in a sharp breath as she stretched her legs out. She paused for a second, remembering she had fallen asleep on her girlfriend who was now nowhere to be found. She sat up, pulling her fingers through her tangled hair. Looking over, she noticed a note on the other side of the bed:

On a run.

Be back soon.

Made a pot of coffee for you.

Haha, that rhymed.

-N

       She smiled at the fact that she had known Waverly would be wondering where she was. She opened her phone, it was just past 10. Standing with a grunt, she and the blue blanket made their way into the kitchen and she found a mug next to the coffee maker Nicole had set there for her to use. She poured herself a cup and walked over to the couch, flipping through the channels on the TV.

       Nicole returned about 15 minutes later, clad in her workout gear. Waverly turned to her, watching her gulp down some water and pull her earbuds out of her ears. “Hi,” she said, stifling a laugh as she watched her trying to suck in all of the air in the house.

       “Hi, yourself,” she wheezed. 

       The smaller girl picked CJ up off her lap, setting her on the floor, and walked to the opposite side of the island from Nicole. “I would come and greet you, buttt . . .” She traced her eyes up and down her sweaty body.

       “Oo, yea, I would not recommend that. I’m real gross right now.”

       Waverly laughed. She sat down as Nicole poured herself a mug. “How in the world did you manage to not wake me up this morning?”

       “I really don’t know,” she admitted, taking a sip and leaning forward on her elbows. “You were wrapped around me like a koala, so I just sat up, unhinged your death grip, and laid you back down. You are a very sound sleeper, ya know.”

       Waverly dipped her head, hiding a blush. “Sorry,” she mumbled, looking up bashfully.

       “No, it's ok. I liked it actually. You’re like a little heated blanket,” she laughed. Waverly shook her head, pursing her lips to hide a smile. They made decent conversation as they finished up their coffee.

       “So . . .” Waverly tapped her fingers on the outside of her empty mug. “What’s the plan for today?”

       Nicole gave her an evil smirk, taking their cups to the sink and rinsing them out. “I guess you are just going to have to wait and see,” she replied coolly.

       Waverly let out a whimper. “You know I hate surprises!” 

       She gave her a pouty face. “Here, I’ll give you a hint.” She lowered her voice to a whisper and raised her hand to the corner of her mouth. “You might get to ride in a pretty dope car.” Waverly smiled ear to ear and the Deputy let out a chuckle, rounding the other side of the counter. “Ok, you go get ready, Ima shower real fast.” Waverly gave her a mock salute and followed her into the bedroom, watching her gather some clothes for the day and head off to the bathroom. She set her phone down on the bed, humming along to the music it played as she pulled her clothes out of her bag and laid them out on in front of her. She found her perfume and looked at the bottle with a smile. Walking around to the other side of the bed, she sprayed one mist onto Nicole’s pillow. She was very proud of herself, knowing that would make Nicole go crazy later.

       She started to slowly sing the opening to Closer as she put on her dark blue maybe a little too skinny jeans, meaning she had to lay down on the bed and force them up her legs and had to jump up and down for a little while to get them over her hips. She sang the chorus a little winded as she pulled a loose white t-shirt with black horizontal stripes over her head. Finishing the look with a dark tan cardigan, she propped her phone up, using the selfie camera as a mirror (totally forgetting Nicole had a big one on the back of her open closet door), and began to brush her hair. She was still singing along every now and then with her music as she continued on with her routine.

.  .  .

       Nicole hopped out of her much-needed shower and rubbed a towel through her wet red waves. The sound of water pouring over her head now gone, she could faintly hear Waverly singing from the other room. She dried her body off with a smile, trying to listen to lovely sounding bits and pieces that were making their way into the bathroom.

       She was now fit in a tight grey baseball tee, black sleeves hugging her biceps, and grey camo jeans that weren’t skinny, but still showed the curves of her legs and hips quite nicely. She finished up fixing her hair, letting it fall over her shoulders. After doing her makeup, she brushed her teeth and very, very quietly made her way out of the bathroom, not wanting Waverly to hear her and stop singing. A new song had started. Her voice was filling her ears loud and clear now, sending a chill down her spine with the slight raspiness she could now pick up on.

You shout it out,

But I can’t hear a word you say

I’m talking loud,

Not saying much

       Nicole made her way to the door. Being a Police Officer and all made sneaking down the small walk of the hallway pretty easy. She could see Waverly now, sitting on the floor with her phone camera on, doing her makeup. Nicole’s eyes widened and smile broadened, hearing more soul added as she continued along with the song, music she could now hear from her position, too.

I’m criticized,

But all your bullets ricochet

You shoot me down,

But I get up

       Waverly’s talking voice had always somehow managed to make Nicole’s heart flutter, but her singing voice? Her singing voice seemed to place a spell on her, enchanting her to do nothing more than listen. She knew she was too focused on whatever she was doing to notice if Nicole leaned in on the door frame, so she did so. It wasn’t until now that she realized that this was a slower version of the song, more feeling, less dubstep. And feeling was what Waverly delivered.

I’m bulletproof,

Nothing to lose

Fire away, fire away

Ricochet,

You take your aim

Fire away, fire away

       Nicole’s heart skipped a few beats as she listened to her carry the notes, far better than Sia was if she was honest. She couldn’t for the life of her wipe the dopey grin from her face. She watched Waverly close her eyes as she began the next verse.

You shoot me down,

But I won’t fall

I am titanium

You shoot me down,

But I won’t fall

I am titanium

I am titanium

       Waverly unzoomed the camera she was now holding close to her face and rubbed her lips together, fluffing her hair. In the corner of the camera, she saw someone standing at the door behind her. With a shriek, she spun around, now realizing the figure was Nicole. The redhead let out a little laugh.

       “You scared me!” She gasped, trying to calm her racing heart.

       Nicole stepped in the room, walking towards her. “Sorry, was just . . . enjoying the show,” she said with a smile, locking her hands around her back and pulling her closer.

       She flushed red, looking down and pushing her head into her shoulder. “Was I really singing that loud?” She asked, raising her eyes to Nicole’s.

       “Well, in my opinion, it wasn’t loud enough, but to answer your question, yes, yes you were.” Waverly dropped her head again, letting out a groan. The redhead furrowed her brow, raising her head again with her finger. “I have no idea what you are ashamed about, you have the voice of an angel.”

       Her face blushed again. “You’re just saying that,” she mumbled.

       “Would I ever lie to you, Waverly Earp?” She asked in her drawl.

       Waverly put forth a small smile, stepping up on her toes to give her a kiss. She pulled back, bringing her mouth to her ear. "I’d worry about your future physical health if you were to,” she whispered threateningly, digging her nails into her hips. She dropped back to the flats of her feet, giving the redhead a toothy smile.

       “I guess I won’t have anything to worry about then, huh?”

       “Good girl,” she smirked, patting her chest.

       Nicole rolled her eyes playfully, stepping away from her to grab her phone and wallet from the nightstand. “Are you almost ready to go?”

       “I am ready,” she confirmed, slipping her shoes from the day before on. She walked down the hallway with Nicole following behind her. The Officer grabbed her black combat boots from the rack and sat down on the couch to put them on. When she stood back up, she saw Waverly leaning forward on the counter with her butt sticking out, texting somebody (most likely Wynonna). She smirked at the opportunity that she had laid out for her.

       Silently walking up behind her, she grabbed her hips, pulling her into her. Waverly’s breath hitched in her throat. “You should really wear these jeans more often,” she whispered when Waverly stood up straight, back flush against her body. She dipped her head, leaving a trail of kisses along her neck.

       “If that would be a regular occurrence, I just might wear them every day.”

       Nicole smiled as she began to scrape her teeth against certain points, getting a few breathy sighs out of the smaller girl. Waverly slowly turned around, moving her hands up Nicole’s front and to her neck, pulling her head down and locking their lips. The kiss was slow, lasting long enough to make them have to pull back for air. The redhead smiled down at her girlfriend, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Let’s get going, I don’t wanna be late for the second part of our day.” She threw her a wink and Waverly rolled her eyes, turning towards the door. The Deputy gave her a smack on the ass, making her face flush for the countless time that day. They both walked out of the house and towards the cruiser.

       “Your cast really makes your outfit come together,” Waverly joked as Nicole opened her door for her.

       “Why, thank you,” she deadpanned, shutting the door and walking around to the other side. She pulled away from her house and Waverly leaned forward, flipping through the channels on the radio. Her mouth curved into a big evil grin as she heard the beginning beat of What Makes You Beautiful start up. She looked over to Nicole who let out a dramatic groan. She turned it up and began scream-singing the words, leaning her head back onto Nicole's arm. The redhead tried her best to hold back her smile, but just couldn’t. She was being adorable. Right before the chorus started, Nicole kicked the volume up another 10 notches and joined her girlfriend in her scream-singing, belting out all the words.

       The rest of their ride consisted of the expected: scream-singing the songs that had been making people’s ears bleed for the past few months and Waverly singing the slower/less annoying songs while Nicole sat there, glancing over at her with heart eyes. She pulled up in front of a metal barn-looking building with two large garage doors on the front and a regular door on the side. She stepped out and went around, opening the brunette’s door for her. This was not what Waverly expected when she said she kept her cars in a garage.

       Nicole swung her arm over her shoulder. “You ready?” She asked with an excited grin. Waverly matched the grin with a nod. The Officer walked them up to the door, unlocking it and pushing it open. Waverly was hit with a smell of rubber trying to be covered up with some type of clean linen scent. Nicole punched a code in to shut the intruder alarm off and flipped on four light switches.

       The brunette's eyes wandered around the large area. The floors were concrete and the walls were covered in steel diamond metal with various pictures of cars and motorcycles scattered around. The far right corner contained a black leather couch sectional with some tables and a TV mounted on the wall. In the opposite corner, there was a bar area with a small kitchen. And in the middle between the two was a large sound system and she noticed there were speakers placed all around the room. A set of stairs let up to a small room, she didn’t know what it contained though. Up front, in the corner closest to them, sat a workbench, some car jacks, and three spare tires. The other contained multiple red toolbox shelves and regular shelves that had bottles of “car liquids” sitting on them. Against the back wall hung a neon light sign that read “Haught-Rod’s Garage”. Sat in the middle of the room were 3 beautiful vehicles. Far right was a motorcycle, decorated with purple and red paint with chrome trim and two helmets sat on the seat. The middle was a shiny red convertible. And the far left was a kick-ass electric blue Lamborghini. It wasn’t until now that she realized her mouth was slightly agape. She shut it, looking back at her girlfriend, who was smiling with her arms crossed, leaning against a wall.

       “I like your sign,” she breathed, gesturing to it.

       Nicole pushed herself off the wall and joined back at her side. “Jer got me that for my birthday last year. I hated it at first, but I think it brings the room together now.” Waverly nodded. Nicole noticed her eyes glancing back and forth between the cars and her. “You wanna go look at them, Baby? They don’t bite.” Waverly let out an excited giggle and Nicole sighed, taking her hand. She first walked them up to the Harley. “This is the ‘06 Harley Davidson Fat Boy, Screaming Eagle edition. Rides pretty smooth, being a Fat Boy and all. I haven’t got to ride this year yet, though, cause it’s been too damn cold,” she ended with a huff.

       “Gotta love Canada,” Waverly sighed, looking up at her with a smile and a squeeze of her hand.

       Nicole walked them around to the red car and leaned back on the door. “This baby,” she said, smacking her hand on the top of the windshield frame. “Is the 2000 Chevrolet Corvette. She looks brand new with ‘er new paint job, though.”

       “2000? It's in great condition!” Waverly leaned over, peeking inside at the shiny leather interior.

       “Yea, that was all Aunt Liz, this car was like a kid to her. She even scolded me when I called it names, mostly “The Mystery Machine” or “Gumby”.”

       Waverly laughed at that, smacking her on the arm. “How dare you insult a car!” She scolded sarcastically.

       Nicole stood up straight. “My point exactly,” she sighed. She walked them over to the blue car and Waverly saw the huge smile on her face. “This is my second child, brother to Calamity. 2013 Lamborghini Aventador. They said she bought it a month before she passed. I think it was kinda a midlife crisis type of deal, but hey, now I own a Lambo.” She let out a sigh, rubbing a smudge off the mirror with the bottom of her shirt.

       Waverly took a step towards her, pulling her close, knocking their hips together. “You should feel very lucky. I almost like your cars more than you,” she whispered with a smirk, pulling her head down into a kiss.

       She ran her fingers up her back before pulling back and pushing their foreheads together. “I feel like the luckiest girl in the world,” she smiled, kissing the tip of her nose. She pulled her back into the kiss, turning them and walking her back until the smaller girl hit the side of the Corvette.

       The younger girl kissed her way to her ear. “Impossible, I’m the luckiest girl in the world,” she whispered back, voice wavering the slightest bit, showing how much that statement meant to her. Nicole cupped her cheek, looking at her with soft eyes when she saw her’s fill with tears. Waverly pushed herself off the car, wrapping her arms around Nicole’s middle and burying her face into her shoulder. 

       She wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, now feeling silent sobs start to shake through her. “Waves? What is it?” She asked softly. She moved her hands to her shoulders as she felt her pull back.

       Waverly met her worried eyes, still crying. Nicole brought her hands to her face, wiping her cheeks. “Nic, I . . .” She began to try and say something but another rush of emotions came over her, making her knees buckle.

       She lurched forward, grabbing onto Nicole’s upper arms, making her stumble back a step. “Oof, ok . . . up,” Nicole breathed as she scooped Waverly into her arms somewhat bridal style. She was sobbing again by the time Nicole got them to the couch. She sat them down and the smaller girl resituated herself on her lap, pushing her feet behind her back and wrapping her arms around her neck, hugging the Officer tight. Nicole leaned her head on her shoulder, slowly rubbing her hand up and down her back. “Shhhh . . . it’s ok, Waves . . . you’re ok . . . I got you, Baby.”

       After about 10 minutes, Waverly had stopped crying. She was just trying to gather her thoughts. Nicole dropped her hands to Waverly’s lap when she leaned back. “Sorry if I ruined your plans,” she mumbled, wiping her fingers under her eyes.

       “Noo, you didn’t,” Nicole assured, rubbing her thumbs on her thighs. “I actually planned for us to have 30 minutes to spend here. And by the looks of it, we still haveee . . .” She pulled Waverly’s phone out of her back pocket. It read 10:52. “8 minutes.” Waverly let out a sigh, fear that their whole day was ruined now gone. “Now, are you gonna be able to tell me what’s shooting around in that big brain of yours?”

       “It’s just . . .” She fixed Nicole’s sleeves, making them even and pushed away some of the folds, working her way up each arm, feeling how her muscles relaxed under her touch. “Ok, I’m just gonna say it . . . Nicole, I . . . I love you, I really really love you. Like, more than I’ve ever loved anyone else before. I don’t think I would have been able to get through this last week without you. And, frankly, I don’t think I will be able to get through the rest of my life without you . . . And that’s what scares me . . .” Waverly’s eyes welled up again, but she pushed it away. “Everyone I love always gets taken away from me . . . Mama left when I was four . . . Although he was a horrible man, Daddy died when I was six . . . Wynonna left me all alone when I needed her most . . . It just always happens, and I wouldn’t be able to handle it if you left or-or died! You’re a cop! It’s your job to put yourself literally in the line of fire! . . . And I just can’t lose you, Nic. Y-you’re my everything, and without my everything, I’d be nothing.”

       Waverly looked into Nicole’s eyes, waiting for her to say something. But, she didn’t. She just wrapped her arms around her middle, pulling her into a tight hug. Waverly wrapped her’s around her neck again. They held the silent embrace for a few seconds before Nicole spoke. “I hope you know that I don’t plan on leaving you . . . ever . . . I think you’re stuck with me, Waves.”

       Waverly pulled back with a wide smile. “I think you’re the one stuck with me,” she giggled. Nicole let out a happy sigh, placing her hand on her cheek and giving her a gentle kiss. She moved her hands under Waverly’s thighs and stood up as the smaller girl pulled her in for another kiss.

       “You ready to hit the road, Darlin’?” Nicole asked, looking over towards the cars.

       “Mhm,” Waverly answered, giving her one final kiss before unlocking her ankles from behind her back. Nicole set her down. “I’m ready to do anything if you keep calling me that,” she smirked, tracing her finger down her front.

       “I guess I’ll keep that in mind then,” the redhead muttered lowly with a sly smile.        

       Waverly took her hand and they walked over to the cars. “Is my makeup all screwed up now?” She asked, pushing up her lashes.

       “Nope, you look perfect as always,” she sighed, squeezing her hand.

       Waverly blushed. “Which one are we taking?” She asked, turning back to the cars.

       “You pick.”

       Her face lit up. “Really!?”

       “Yea, really,” she laughed. The brunette pondered over her two options. She really loved both cars, so it was hard to decide. She finally stuck her arm out, pointing to the Lamborghini. “Good choice,” she smiled, kissing her temple. She walked over to the workbench and unlocked the top drawer, pulling a set of keys out. She then flipped all the lights off and walked back to Waverly, ushering her to the passenger side and pulling the door open.

       “Holy . . . wow,” Waverly gasped, seeing the door open upwards, not outwards.

       “Cool, right?”

        “Uh-huh,” she breathed, eyes still wide. Nicole climbed in the other side and started it up. She looked to Waverly and licked her lips. She cocked an eyebrow. Nicole gave it a little gas, hearing the engine rev. The brunette’s mouth dropped open and Nicole laughed, pressing a button on the roof, making the garage door open.

       “You like?” Nicole asked, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

       “I love,” she answered with a wide smile.

       Nicole smiled back and pulled out of the garage, hitting the button again to make the door close behind them. “We got a bit of a ride ahead of us, so get comfy.” She spun a knob on the console, flipping through the radio stations, finding the one they were listening to on the way there.

       “Are you still not gonna tell me where we’re going?” Waverly asked, pushing her bottom lip out.

       “Well, right now we are going to the gas station cause we need gas,” she answered, biting her cheek to hold in a laugh.

       “Niccccc! Please?!”

       “Nope,” she ended, popping the p.

       “You’re mean,” she huffed.

       “And you’re cute,” the redhead returned, waggling her eyebrows at her. Waverly shook her head. She dropped her hand to her casted hand, picking it up and examining it. She squeezed each of her fingers, making sure they returned to their normal color, proving they were getting enough circulation.

       “Does it still hurt?” she asked, bending her pinky, the only finger not casted up.

       “Yea, but I’ve gotten used to it by now,” she shrugged.

       “I’m doing your laundry when we get back. I want that sling back on."

       The Officer went to complain but stopped at the look thrown in her direction. “Fine,” she mumbled. She pulled up to a pump at the gas station and hopped out. Waverly took a second to figure out how to open the door and walked around, standing next to her. The redhead pulled her wallet out of her pocket and thumbed through it, pulling a $5 note out, handing it to her. “You wanna run in and get us drinks? Grab whatever you want, I’ll take a sweet tea.” She closed her eyes. “And don’t you dare try to pay.” She opened them and placed her hand on her cheek. “Everything today is on me, ok Wave?” Waverly sighed, arching her body into Nicole when she came in for a kiss.

       She pulled back after a few seconds and rested her hand on her chest, fingers tapping on her collarbone. “One of these days you will let me pay for something,” she said as she turned away.

       “I wouldn’t count on it!” Nicole called to her, making her roll her eyes with a smile. Waverly made her way into the gas station, heading back to the drink section. She got Nicole’s tea and grabbed herself a black cherry flavored water. Paying, she put the change in the charity bucket and walked back out to Nicole, joining her in the car.

       She opened her tea for her but withheld it for a second. “What’s this called?” She asked, pulling her top lip in with her tongue.

       “Sweet tea?” The Deputy said slowly, cocking her eyebrow.

       “One more time?”

       “Sweet tea,” she repeated, very confused.

       “Mk, here you go,” she ended with a large grin, handing it over.

       Nicole took it, still looking at her funny. “Why?” 

       “I just like how you say it,” Waverly sighed, bumping her with her shoulder. “With your southern twang.”

       “Oh jeez,” she mumbled, face reddened as she pulled out of the lot.

.  .  .

       45 minutes later, Nicole was driving on the highway, entering Calgary. “You haven’t been in the city since you were 5?!” She asked, eyes widened at Waverly.

       “I’ve never had a reason to come here, I guess."

       “Dang, I used to live here,” she mumbled, looking around at the familiar buildings.

       “This is where you lived before Purgatory?!”

       “Yea. I wanted to be close to college.”

       “Oh right, I forgot people actually go to classes. I did all my college online.”

       “Oh wow,” she said, looking over at her.

       “You go to any crazy parties?”

       “Every weekend,” Nicole sighed, only slightly sarcastic.

       Waverly laughed, slowly fading out as she thought about Nicole living here a little more. “Wait, you were a Big City cop?!” 

       “Why else would I be such a hardass?” She asked with a smirk. “But, yea I was. Only for like a year and a half, though. I rose up in the ranks pretty quick, that’s why I was already qualified to be a Sheriff's Deputy when I transferred.”

       “And how’d you do that?” She watched Nicole’s face change.

       “I, uh, handled an armed bank robbery . . . by myself,” she answered, putting the car in park.

       “You what!?” 

       “I’ll tell you inside,” she said with a smile, pointing to the building she parked in front of.

       She looked out the window, seeing a little diner. “Are you proposing brunch, Officer Haught?” 

       “I am, Ms. Earp.” Nicole stepped out of the car, walking around and opening her door for her. Waverly stepped out, and her wrapped her arm around her waist. “You see that building up there?” She asked, pointing to a tall apartment building a few blocks up the road.

       “Yes.”

       “That’s where I used to live, and I would come here every morning,” she said with a smile, thinking back to years past.

       “Well, let's hop to it before I starve to death!”

        The Officer led them inside and got them a table. She faced out the front window and Waverly faced the inside of the diner. “Get whatever you want, Babe,” Nicole mumbled, skimming over the menu. Waverly was doing the same. “Just don’t get something too filling cause our next adventure might involve eating a little more.”

       Waverly shot her a glare and Nicole smiled, looking back down. “How the heck am I supposed to choose when it all sounds so good?” She grumbled.

       Nicole chuckled. “Why do you think I always came here?” She shut her menu, having decided what she wanted. The younger girl decided on something right as the waiter came back with their drinks. They placed their orders and he wandered off to go put it in.

       “Ok, now spill. What happened?” Waverly asked, propping her head up on her hands, elbows resting on the table.

       “It was a Friday morning. I was off work and had some running to do, one of those things was going to the bank. I was waiting in line when I heard 3 shots go off. Everyone dropped to the ground, so I did so too, seeing that there were two men, both with guns. The security guard tried to get them to drop their weapons, which was a stupid move and they ended up just shooting him. I was packing, obviously. Living out here, I always was. So, I had it ready if I needed it. One of the guys was walking around, zip-tying everyone’s hands and the other was getting the money from behind the counter. By the time the one doofus got to me, the other was walking back to the vault with the manager. I knew I had to do something because one man resisted the restraints and he shot him, so I knew he was not scared to kill people. When he was tying the lady next to me, I grabbed the gun out of his hand and slid it away. I raised mine to his head and ordered him to get on the ground quietly, which he surprisingly did. I restrained him with one of his zip ties and pulled my badge out of my shirt. We were required to wear them on a necklace at all times. I showed it around the room, and everyone calmed down a little bit. I made my way towards the back, where the other guy went and I saw him with a gun to the lady’s head as she was working on opening the vault. I made my presence known and he did the opposite of what I expected. I thought he would hold her hostage and I’d take a shot at his shoulder and it’d be over, whatever. But noooo, he decided he wanted to open fire on me. I got behind the wall and peaked a few times. He had pushed the lady away and was hiding. I began to shoot back and ended up knocking him down with a shot to the gut. He dropped and I rushed over and restrained him. When I walked back around, dragging him along with me, 4 members from my precinct rushed in. The scumbag made it, along with the security guard. The only casualty was that guy that resisted. My Commanding Officer awarded me for handling the situation and I was on the news and stuff like that.”

       “That was really brave, Nic. I’m proud of you,” she said with a smile, reaching out and rubbing her hand.

       “Thank you, Baby. It was s-” She was cut off by an arm wrapping around her neck in a chokehold. In .5 seconds, she was up with the culprit’s arm pinned behind their back. Waverly’s eyes went wide.

       “Ooo, you’re still a feisty one, Haught!” The blonde freckled lady said. She was dressed in a dark blue Police uniform, fit with the hat.  

       “Goddammit, Meyer, I’m actually gonna end up hurting you one of these times!” Nicole huffed with a smile, giving the lady a shove. Now Waverly was now very confused.

       “Eh, it's worth it. Your face is priceless every time,” she smirked. Nicole rolled her eyes. The police woman shifted her glance to Waverly, now noticing Nicole was not here alone. “Holy shit, Haught! Did you finally find someone to settle down with?!”

       Nicole gave her a piercing glare before looking over to Waverly, holding her hand out, signaling for her to join her. Waverly stood and walked to her side. “Meyer,” she said through her teeth. “This is my girlfriend, Waverly. Waves, this is Melody Meyer, my old knucklehead of a partner.”

       Waverly held her hand out and shook the other officer’s hand. “Nice to meet you!” 

       “As to you,” she responded. She reached out and picked up Nicole’s casted arm. “So, who’d you fight this time?” Nicole gave her yet another piercing glare and pulled a chair up to the table for her.

       “She got into a fight with her cruiser,” Waverly sighed as she sat down.

       Melody raised her eyebrows. “Oooh.” She looked up at Nicole with the slightest bit of concern in her eyes. “What’d they say?”

       “Just some nasty comments when we were at dinner, ticked me off, same ol’, same ol’,” Nicole said, waving her hand around. Waverly assumed that something like that had happened before.

       The other officer let out a groan. “Is it screwed up pretty bad?”

       “I get surgery in a few days, so I’d say so yea . . . Oh, and the icing on the cake . . . guess who my doctor is?”

       “Oh my God! Is it Long Neck?”

       Nicole nodded with a snicker. “She finally signed the papers, though, so that’s good.”

       “Took her long enough . . . Did you get to meet her?” Melody asked, looking at Waverly.

       “Well, I left the room for literally 5 minutes and came back to them going at each other’s throats in the middle of an ER, so if that answers your question,” Waverly said, looking over to Nicole, who was looking back at her with a toothy grin.

       Melody laughed. “She’s really a bitch,” she mumbled.

       “Really?” Waverly and Nicole asked sarcastically at the same time, making the whole table erupt in laughter.

       “Ahhh . . . so how’s it going with you and Tucker?” Nicole asked.

       “Mmmm, I’d say pretty good,” she smirked, holding her hand out, revealing a shiny ring.

       Nicole snatched her hand up, bringing it to her face. “When?!?!” She asked with a huge smile on her face.

       “Like 2 weeks ago . . . He did it in the station on our anniversary!”

       “Aww, congrats, man, I told you ya’lld last!”

       Melody smiled and placed her hat back on her head and stood.“Thanks, Haught . . . I should get going. Webb hates when we’re late,” she said, rolling her eyes.

       “Ugh, glad I don’t have to deal with his wrath anymore,” Nicole sighed, standing up. “It was really nice seeing you again, Mel.” They did some kind of “bro hug handshake” that made the corners of Waverly’s mouth turn upwards.

       “You need to call me more often,” Meyer grumbled, bumping her with her arm.

       “10-4,” the redhead sighed, rolling her eyes.

       “It was really nice meeting you, Waverly!” Melody said with a smile.

       “You, too!” The shorter officer stepped up and whispered something in Nicole’s ear, and whatever it was made Nicole’s face turn red with a smile. She smacked her on the shoulder and turned away with a wave. Nicole joined Waverly back at the table. “She’s really sweet, Nic.”

       “Sweet might not be the best word to use, but yea, I love ‘er. We were in Academy together and ended up in the same Precinct.” Waverly smiled, glancing behind her, seeing their waiter carrying a tray of food while walking towards them. He set their food down and moved on to his other tables. “They called me, her, and Jer the Three Musketeers. We never left each other’s sides. They were the only two there for me after . . . I never told you that either, huh?” She asked, taking a bite of her wrap.

       “Told me what?” Waverly asked.

       “Why I transferred?” The brunette shook her head, sipping on her milkshake. Nicole stuck her straw in it, snagging a sip before she could react. “Jer let it slip that I was gay and none of the guys took it well . . . being dicks to me . . . even going as far as setting up a false call so they could beat up on me . . . I quit after that.”

       Waverly rubbed her thumb along her hand. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

       “No, it’s ok. I’m over it now . . . I’m glad it happened actually cause now I’m here,” she said with a smile. They continued on with their brunch happily.

       “Can you tell me now?” Waverly pleaded as she stacked their dishes at the edge of the table.

       Nicole sighed, finishing up the rest of Waverly’s milkshake for her. “You know how you have a weird obsession with Disney movies?” Waverly noticed she was looking out the window behind her. She cocked an eyebrow, turning to see what she was looking at. She saw that the building across the street was a movie theater. The show list had Zootopia in big letters at the top. She gasped, looking back at Nicole, who had a goofy smirk on her face as she stood up and dug cash out for a tip, grabbing the check off the table.

       Waverly skidded over to her, bouncing up and down. “Really?!?!” 

       “Uh-huh.” 

       Her grin grew impossibly wider. “Oh, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you!!” She showered Nicole’s face in kisses, making her giggle. She knew Waverly would enjoy her surprise, but she didn’t figure she’d be this excited.

       “Mm, I love you, too, Baby,” Nicole mumbled into her lips when her landed hers there. They walked up to the counter and Nicole paid. Waverly practically pulled her out the door and ran them across the street to the theater. They walked in and Nicole handed her previously bought tickets to the usher at the door.

       “Luxury showroom is the last room down the left hallway. Enjoy your movie!” The young teen said with a smile, handing her back her ticket stubs. Nicole smiled back and Waverly gave him a wave as they walked up to the snack counter.

       “What do you want?” The redhead asked, wrapping her arm around her middle and pulling her close. Waverly looked over the many screens on the wall above the counter, watching them flash through food options.

       “They got cheese fries!” She gasped under her breath.

       Nicole chuckled, looking down at her. “You wanna share an order of those? It’s pretty huge.” Waverly nodded ecstatically. “Ok. And you want a thing of popcorn, too?”

       “Ya.”

       “Mk.” Nicole walked them up to the counter. She noticed Waverly eyeing the slushie maker.

       “Long time no see, Officer Haught,” the older woman greeted.

       “Hey, how’s it going?"

       “Pretty good, how about yourself?”

       “Fantastic.”

       “Alright, what can I get you?”

       “I’ll need a medium popcorn, large cheese fry, a large slushie, and a large soda please.”

       The lady punched it all in on the register. “What color slushie?”

       Nicole turned to Waverly. “Nic . . .” She started to complain.

       “What color slushie, Waves?” She asked with a grin.

       Waverly bumped her with her hip. “Blue, please,” she said to the lady.

       “Ok . . . and butter on your popcorn?” She asked.

       “Yes, please,” Nicole said, pulling her wallet out. She paid and took her soda cup to the fountain.

       “Are you trying to make me fat?” The smaller girl grumbled.

       “Yes, I am . . . What kind?” She asked, gesturing to the soda options. Waverly sighed dramatically and pointed to the Root Beer.

       “Oo, she really does have good tastes,” she chuckled, pressing the button and filling her cup. They walked back over to the counter and grabbed all their food. Nicole led them down the long corridor to the theater their movie was playing in and held the door open for her girlfriend. Waverly heard the usher say luxury showroom, but she hadn’t expected recliners as their chairs. They sat somewhere in the middle and got themselves situated right as the lights dimmed and the previews started to play. It wasn’t until the movie started that they realized they were the only people in there, which wasn’t that surprising. The movie had been out for about a week or so and it was the middle of the day.

.  .  .

       They enjoyed the movie. They really did. They just got a little distracted about 15 minutes before it ended. Let’s just say they walked out of the theater with blue lips and blue rings all over their necks. They climbed back into the Lambo and sat there for a few seconds in silence before breaking out in a fit of laughter.

       Nicole turned to Waverly, smacking her hand on the wheel. “Oh my God! That usher's face! I can’t!”

       “It looks like you made out with one of the guys from the Blue Man Group!”

       “With how much is on you, it looks like you are one of the guys from the Blue Man Group!”

       “The slushie was your idea!”

       “A very good idea!”

       They calmed down after a few minutes. “That was . . . the best movie I’ve ever been to,” the brunette sighed as Nicole started the car.

       “Me too . . . Do you wanna, uh, wash up before we get back to Purgatory?” She asked with a smirk.

       “Yea, Wynonna’d never let us live this down . . . ever.” They both shuddered at the thought of Wynonna finding out.

       Stopping at a gas station, the couple quickly rushed to the bathroom and began scrubbing at their lips and necks. It came off mostly, wasn’t noticeable unless you were looking for it.

       “Good? Waverly asked, tilting her head around.

       “Good,” Nicole confirmed, looking it over. “Me?”

       “Yep.” They headed back to the car and took off towards Purgatory.

.  .  .

       “Hey . . . do you mind taking a pit stop before we head back to your house?” Waverly asked nervously as they crossed the Purgatory sign.

       “Sure, where to?”

       She shifted in her seat a little bit before looking over to Nicole. “Shorty’s.”