69. A Blessing and a Curse

       “ WHAT ?!” Nicole screamed into the phone, immediately getting to her feet. 

       “Yea- Yep. Very much in labor. My water busted all over the kitchen floor. Gus is driving me and Doc to the hospital.”

       Nicole rubbed her hand on her forehead as she looked into Waverly’s wide eyes. “Oh, God. Ok. We’re on our way.”

       “ WAIT !” 

       “WHAT?!” 

       “Did you- have you . . . ya know ?!” 

       “W- Yes, Wynonna, like 5 minutes ago, great timing.” 

       “Ok, good,” she breathed. “I thought I interrupted- OH MY FUCKING- ” She groaned loudly into the phone as a contraction hit, so Nicole grabbed Waverly’s hand and they quickly began to head towards the cruiser. 

       “WE’RE ON OUR WAY, I’LL ESCORT YOU THERE!” She hung up the phone and shoved it in her pocket as they jogged down the rest of the way, jumping into the car. Nicole fired it up and did a quick u-turn, mashing her lights and sirens as they took off. 

       “ Holyshitholyshitholyshitholyshit- NICOLE, WE’RE GONNA BE AUNTS!” 

       The Sheriff smiled at her as she rubbed her thigh, swerving around a line of cars that had pulled to the side. “Baby Earp’s birthday is gonna be on our anniversary,” she laughed. 

       “Of course it is,” she sighed. 

       They both were on the lookout as they drove in the direction of the hospital for Gus’ navy blue sedan, knowing that’s what she’d be driving them in. “There!” Waverly shouted, pointing up ahead when they came up on a hill. Nicole pressed her foot harder on the accelerator to catch up to them, going around them and maintaining a constant speed that was easily 35 over the limit, seeing that Gus easily sped up to match it.

Babygirl: How far apart r ur contractions? 

Nonna: Idfk

Babygirl: Wynonna, u r  supposed to be timing them!

Babygirl: R they at least 10 min apart?

Nonna: I’ve had 2 more since I called ur wifey put it that way

Babygirl: K, ya ur in labor

Nonna: WOW THX SIS I DIDN'T REALIZE 

Babygirl: Start timing them Dumbass

Nonna: Ya kinda more focused on not throwing up all over Gus’ car

Babygirl: THEN GET DOC TO JESUS U ARE DIFFICULT

Babygirl: That is the very first thing they are gonna ask when we get there, trust me

Nonna: OK GOD DAMN

       Waverly groaned as she set her phone on her lap and rubbed her face. “I pray for this child.”

.  .  .

       Nicole found a spot to park close to the entrance of the labor and delivery side of the hospital, and they both quickly climbed out of the car when Gus parked next to her. Doc climbed out of the passenger’s seat and walked over to the trunk, pulling their hospital bag out. Waverly opened the back door as Gus exited as well, looking in at a very uncomfortable Wynonna. “Babygirl.” 

       “Nonna.” 

       They made silent eye contact for a minute before she felt Nicole’s hand on her waist as she bent down to look in the car beside her. “Do you think you can walk, Earp?” 

       “Nope, she’ll slide right out.” 

       “That’s not how it work-”

       She immediately cut the redhead off. “ Nicole , I can feel her head comin’ down already, get me a damn wheelchair.” 

       Both of the couple’s eyes went wide. “Yep, ok, got it.” Nicole went around the car and jogged up to the front entrance to go and grab one. 

       Waverly grabbed her sister’s hand, helping her scoot over towards the door. “Waves, I’m scared,” she said with a helpless laugh. 

       The brunette knelt down beside her, squeezing her hand. “You’re ready. I know you are.” 

       She shook her head, dropping her chin to her chest and Waverly cupped her cheek. Nicole quickly returned with the wheelchair, so the younger girl moved out of the way as she helped her into it. 

       “Is everybody ready?” Gus asked, throwing Wynonna’s go-bag over her shoulder. 

       Nicole shut the door and pushed her towards the front of the car. “I hope so because this baby’s coming right about- now .” Wynonna threw her head back, pushing her hands into either side of her stomach with another groan. 

       “Alright, yep, let’s go,” the redhead nodded with wide eyes. 

       They hastily made their way into the hospital, immediately being taken to a labor and delivery room. Nurses began to fly in and out of the room, one giving her a hospital gown, one trying to tell her things that were going in one ear and out the other, and another that said there could only be two people in the room during the birth. 

       Wynonna quickly shook her head as Waverly helped her begin to get changed, handing Peacemaker to Nicole with a huff as the nurse watched with wide eyes. “Yea, no. They’re all staying.” 

       “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but it’s for the safety of you and the baby. Too many people will put too much stress on the both of you.”

       “These people,” she circled her finger around as Waverly yanked her boots off her swollen feet, “are all I have. They already stress me out on the daily. They are staying .” 

       The nurse pursed her lips as she glanced around at all their faces. “If I get in trouble, that’s on you,” she grumbled, walking out of the room. 

       Waverly looked at her sister with a smile as she pulled her shirt over her head. She slipped the gown on her and then unsnapped her bra, moving to her skinny jeans that she had no clue how she was able to fit into. 

       Nicole stood behind Doc, rubbing his shoulders as he sat blank-faced in the chair by the hospital bed. Gus was talking with her OB/GYN that was going to be delivering the baby, seeing that everyone else was a little busy in one way or another. 

       10 minutes later, things had calmed down a bit. Wynonna was in the bed with a bunch of drugs pumping into her, and the doctor was at the foot of the bed, getting a little handsy under the sheet that was protecting everyone else’s eyes. “Alright, you’re 10 centimeters dilated!” She grinned, standing up from her chair. 

       That certainly caught everyone’s attention. 

       Wynonna’s eyes went wide and she swallowed as she looked over to the little bed that a nurse was getting set up on the other side of the room. They drifted to Waverly, who had peeled herself away from Nicole’s side on the couch and was walking towards her. She stood next to her and grabbed her hand. “It’s ok,” she whispered. 

       Within 5 minutes, a new gaggle of nurses decked out in scrubs were in the room and two of them were propping her legs up on the stirrups. Doc was holding one of her hands and Waverly was holding the other. Nicole moved next to Waverly and Gus to Doc as the medical staff got the last minute things completed.

       “Ok, rule,” Wynonna announced through her labored breathing. “Babygirl, you’re the only one who can talk to me until this baby is out of me. Got it?” 

       They all nodded at her as her OB/GYN got settled at the foot of the bed. “Alright, Wynonna, are you ready?” 

       “ Nope ,” she quickly shook her head. 

       She raised her eyebrows above her mask. “Yea, well, I think Baby has different ideas. The next contraction should start any moment now. When it does, I need you to push for a good ten seconds for me, alright?” 

       “Ten seconds?!”

       “Ten seconds,” she confirmed. 

       Wynonna was about to complain again, but the contraction quickly came over her. 

       And then she pushed. 

       She could barely hear the doctor counting and feel Waverly’s hand pushing the hair out of her face. And when she heard her get to ten, she felt as if cotton was stuffed in her ears as she took a breather. “Good, good. Just like that. Alright, again in 5 . . . 4 . . .” 

       The next 15 minutes were almost an out of body experience for her as the routine continued. Contraction, push, breather, push, breather, push, wait, contraction, push, breather, push, breather, push, wait. 

       “You’re doing great, Wy. I can see the top of her head!” Waverly smiled as she leaned into Nicole to look when her contraction ended.

       “Not the vag you were expecting to see tonight, huh, Haughty?” She breathed as a nurse gently wiped her face down. 

       “Shut up , Wynonna,” they both huffed, rolling their eyes at her. Of course she’d be the one to make jokes while pushing out a baby .

       The older brunette laughed, which ended up giving the baby a little boost. “If you push hard on the next one, she should be out,” the Doctor informed. Waverly looked at her with bright eyes, giving her hand an assuring squeeze. 

       The next contraction came quickly. “ Shit, fuck, ok .” She squished her eyes closed as she gave it her all, hoping and praying that it would soon be over and done with. 

       “Keep going, keep going, keep going!” 

       She suddenly felt a pop of release and then some pulling and then.

       She heard a cry. 

       She opened her eyes just as the pink and nasty crying machine was dropped onto her chest. Her eyes got soft as she looked down at her, faintly hearing the commotion as everyone else watched Doc cut the cord. “Hi, Baby,” she cooed softly, tears beginning to run down her cheeks as a nurse wiped her down. 

       “Congratulations, Mama,” the doctor smiled. 

       “Oo, she’s got some big lungs on ‘er,” the older nurse to her left laughed as she positioned her to lay right on her bare chest, head near her neck. 

       The three women backed away, standing close together as they watched Doc kneel next to the bed to meet his daughter. He stroked a finger up and down the back of her hand. “Why, hello, Little Girl,” he smiled, tears in his own eyes when her tiny hand grasped his finger. 

       A couple of minutes later, the nurses took her to be weighed and measured, along with a deeper cleaning and some general health testing. The measurements read a whopping 9.2 pounds, 21 inches. She seemed to have a clean bill of health, so they put her in her first diaper before wrapping her up in a swaddle and popping a little pink and white hat on her head, handing her over to Doc and giving the family some alone time. 

       “Babygirl, c’mere,” Wynonna said softly after a minute, waving her over with a smile. 

       Waverly slowly walked over and Doc stood, offering her up. She looked at him with unsure eyes, balling her hands at her chest. “It’s ok,” he said with a soft smile, holding her out some more. 

       She gave in after a second, letting him gently set her in her arms, head resting in the crook of her elbow and body being held up with her forearm. She felt Nicole’s hand on her hip and her chin on her shoulder as she stood behind her, smiling down at the newborn already sucking away at a purple pacifier. “Your cheeks are so chubby!” The brunette giggled, running the thumb of her free hand across one of them. 

       “You make a cute baby, Earp,” Nicole smirked, looking up at her. She turned her head towards the cowboy. “You, too, Doc.” He chuckled with a tip of his hat. 

       Waverly tipped her head back to look at her. “Our babies’ll be cuter,” she winked. Nicole grinned, leaning into a kiss. 

       “Hey!” Wynonna shouted, making them pull away with a jump. “She’s been alive for thirty minutes and you’re already making out in front of her!” 

       Waverly threw her a dirty look but looked down when she heard a cry. She quickly turned around. “Take her,” she whined. “She doesn’t like me.” 

       “She does too, Babe,” Nicole huffed as she lifted the little one into her arms, pulling the blanket down that was riding up her chin and bouncing her softly. “Shh, I know . . . Your Mom needs to learn how to be quiet around your sensitive little ears.” And with the soft kiss she pressed to the top of her head, she stopped fussing. Nicole looked up at her fiancée with a dimpled smile, offering her back up, but she shook her head, deciding to let her have her first chance with her. 

       “It’s cause you smell like donuts,” she whispered, leaning her head on her arm. She laughed a little as Gus walk over and stood beside her with a smile. 

       “These aunts of yours are gonna spoil you rotten,” she sighed with a shake of her head. 

       Waverly grinned, running her finger up and down her stomach. “I have a feeling Auntie Cole’s gonna be getting in some trouble with you when I’m not around to supervise.” 

       Nicole gave her a guilty smile, dropping her voice to a mock-whisper. “Aunt Wavey doesn’t know your Mama lost a bet and now has to bring you home in the Rangers onesie I bought you.”

       “Oh God ,” both of the sisters groaned at the same time. 

       Nicole smirked and turned towards Gus, handing the baby over when she sat down on the bed next to Wynonna. She set her down on her legs, propping her head up with her hand. “Lord, Alice Michelle, sometimes this family’s a blessing and a curse.”

.  . .

       The couple and Gus had decided to head home for the night, leaving Wynonna and John Henry to fend for themselves during their first night of parenthood. They were told that if Alice could make it through 24 hours with no problems then she could go right home. 

       And she did.

       In her Rangers onesie. 

       The first week with the baby went by rather smoothly. She was sleeping decently and was obviously a good eater, being the daughter of Wynonna Earp. But the brunette’s sass had definitely been passed down in the gene line, for she certainly knew how to get her way.

       Nicole and Waverly had been over to see her every day so far, even staying over two of the nights, offering their help with whatever needed to be done. And Waverly was quickly reassured that Alice did, in fact, like her.

       The redhead was sprawled out on the couch, bored off her ass as she scrolled through Netflix for the 1935th time. She had a day off and had planned on spending it in bed all day with Waverly, for she also was off, but she had gotten a call from Shorty within 10 minutes of said activities because one of the waiters was taking off for a vacation to Rio and he needed the shift covered. 

       Thus, she was home alone all day. 

       That was until she heard the knock on the door. She cocked an eyebrow as she went to the door, pulling her baggy sweatpants over her hips so they weren’t sagging before opening it. 

       “Hiya, Haught Sauce!” Wynonna smiled. 

       “Hi . . .?” She answered slowly, tracing her eyes over all of the things in her arms. 

       “So. There’s a perverted Revenant running around and Jeremy thinks he’s got him cornered. Doc’s at Black Badge and Gus is at Shorty’s, so you, Ma’am, are emergency babysitter numero tres!” She stuck out her right arm that was holding a lunch box that she carried her bottles of breast milk in. Nicole took it and grabbed the handle of Alice’s car seat that was resting in the crook of her elbow. Her left held the diaper bag, so she took it and threw the strap over her shoulder. “I fed her before I left, so she should be good for the next hour or so.” She gave her a double thumbs-up before turning away and jogging down to her truck. “Thanks, Haught Shot! Love ya!” And with that, she jumped into the truck and floored it down the road. 

       Nicole stood at the still-opened door for a second, looking down at the baby fast asleep in her car seat and thinking about how that whole interaction had happened in less than a minute and now she was going to be looking after a newborn by herself for the next who knows how long. 

       She finally let out a sigh as she turned and closed the door with her foot, walking off to the kitchen. She set the carrier on the counter and shoved the five bottles of milk in the fridge before walking back into the living room and setting the diaper bag down on the floor, plopping herself in the recliner, pulling the blanket that was draped over her off and gently removing her from the seat. She shook her head at the sleeper she had on, the front reading, I’m not milk drunk, I’m tit faced .

       After digging through the diaper bag, she found a black swaddle blanket with white sheep on it. She laid it flat on the coffee table and laid her down on it, wrapping her up in it snugly before grabbing the remote and popping the feet out on the recliner and resting her in her arm, starting her 1936th scroll through. “Looks like it’s just me and you, Kid.” 

.  . .

       Much like Wynonna had predicted, about an hour later, she felt her start to stir before hearing her let out a tiny whine. She looked down at her as she began to bounce her slightly and Alice’s little brows furrowed tightly as she let out a loud wail. Nicole sat up in her chair with a sigh, unwrapping her from the swaddle and setting her on her legs, letting her stretch out her little limbs for a second before the crying continued. “ Somebody’s hungry,” Nicole mumbled, pushing herself up and wandering into the kitchen. 

       She grabbed a bottle out of the fridge and walked over to the sink, turning on the hot water. “I hear you,” she assured, sticking her finger under the tap and adjusting it until it was hot enough. She held the bottle under it for a minute or so, letting it get to a desirable temperature before walking back to the living room and propping her up more on her arm. She poked her lip with the nipple until she stopped screaming and took the bottle. 

       The redhead relaxed as Alice sucked away, leaning back again. She looked away from the TV, though, after feeling a weight crawl onto her legs. Her eyes widened down at Calamity as she sat down and stuck her head out, taking in the scent of baby . She slowly stood with an intrigued look on her face and began to creep up her legs, stopping once again once she got to her knees. “Calamity, you better be nice,” Nicole warned. 

       The cat seemed to ignore that she had even spoken as she took a few more steps closer, sitting on her thighs right next to Alice. She stuck her nose out again, taking a whiff of her bent-out knee, pulling back when her slightly waving arm bumped her in the head. She then, of course, sniffed at her hand. Alice’s fist hit the top of her head again, but this time it stopped wiggling, opening a little as she touched her fur. Calamity Jane didn’t seem to mind her experiment and ended up laying down next to her after a couple of seconds. 

Earp: Hows it goin?

Haught N Bothered: *Picture of her lap with Calamity and Alice laying together*

Earp: Ur fucking cat is bigger than my baby

Haught N Bothered: Ikr

Haught N Bothered: U catch Pervy yet?

Earp: No. Chetri decided to leave out the part about how he’s in the middle of a forest

Haught N Bothered: Am I supposed to be surprised or…

Haught N Bothered: Wait how do u have service in the woods

Earp: See the thing about having a baby is that everyone treats you like your a fragile snowflake afterward

Earp: So I get to wait in Dolls’ nice warm SUV while him and Doc trample through the snow

Haught N Bothered: You’re*

Earp: Calm down Waverly

Haught N Bothered: I’m just sayin

Earp: Saying*

Haught N Bothered:

Earp: This is y I don't talk to u

Haught N Bothered: U realize I’m feeding ur baby ur tit milk rn right?

Earp: True true

Earp: Hey, after her next nap is tummy time 

Haught N Bothered: Mk

Earp: Mk, ttyl, don’t kill my kid

Haught N Bothered: Mk, I’ll try my best

       After several minutes, Alice pulled back from the bottle, wiggling her legs a bit to make sure Nicole realized she was done. "All done, Kiddo?" She poked her lip again, but she turned her head away, so she knew she was finished. "You was hungry," she chuckled after she checked how much she drank as she popped a towel over her shoulder and set her on it, burping her as she walked to the kitchen and set the bottle back in the fridge. "Throw up on me, I dare you ." 

       Thankfully, she did not. 

       She sat them back in the recliner and curled her knees up, laying Alice on her legs. "Aunt Wavey'll be home in a few hours!" She smiled as she pedaled her tiny legs. Her bright blue eyes blinked up at her as she ran her fingers up the soft texture of her outfit, letting her grip onto her pointer fingers. She wiggled them a bit on her stomach, getting a lopsided smile out of the newborn. “Was dat a smile ?” Nicole giggled, stroking her hand down the bit of brown hair on the top of her head. “I think it was.” 

       She multitasked watching Netflix and playing with her for a good twenty minutes. That was, until she started to get a little fussy. She lifted her from her legs into her arms. “What?” She questioned softly as she continued to let out little whines. “Is your diaper dirty?” She grabbed the towel she had been using to wipe her drool and stretched it out on the coffee table as she tugged the diaper bag closer. She sat on her knees in front of the table as she unsnapped her sleeper, seeing that the yellow stripe on the front of the diaper was blue, indicating she needed a change. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her head as she tugged her legs out and grabbed the wipes and a clean diaper out of the bag. 

       Alice continued to cry throughout the whole changing despite Nicole’s attempts to calm her down. She rolled the used one up, quickly beginning to button her back up. “It’s cold, I know, I’m sorry.” She lifted her back into her arms and walked into the kitchen, grabbing a plastic shopping bag out of the cabinet and tossing it in there, knowing damn well she was going to give it to Wynonna when she came to pick her up. She tied it and set it by the trash can.

       “What’s wrong, Ali?” She asked with a furrowed brow as she continued to cry just as much as she had been five minutes ago. “I just fed you two seconds ago, there’s no way you’re hungry.” Even with her doubts, she continued to grab the bottle out of her fridge, warming just the nipple part before offering it to her. She rolled her head towards her chest with a wail, pushing at her arm slightly. “Didn’t think so.” 

       She walked back in the living room and grabbed the swaddle blanket, but right as she began to wrap her in it, her screams got louder. She looked down at her with a frown. “I don’t know what you want, Honey,” she mumbled as she unsnapped her outfit again, testing to see if she was too hot. She lifted her out of it, pushing her head sideways against her shoulder as she began to pace the room, rubbing her hand gently up and down her bare back as she cooed softly to her. 

       And even a couple minutes of that didn’t do anything. 

       She brought her out in front of her with a frown, looking at her scrunched up face. “Alice,” she complained. “I’ve tried everything!” She suddenly looked up at the wall in front of her, blinking slowly. “If this is what you want, I swear, Girl.” She set her gently on the seat of the recliner before pulling her shirt off and picking her up as she sat down. She reclined the seat all the way back before setting her on her chest, head turned away from the base of her neck to make sure she was getting enough air. 

       And lo and behold, Alice Michelle stopped fussing. 

       “You just wanted to suck all my body heat up, huh, you little cuddle monster?” The redhead asked as she tugged the blue blanket that had gotten stuffed down the side of it out, pulling it over both of them. She pushed a few kisses into the side of her head as the baby grabbed onto her thumb. She had never realized how relaxing it was to have a warm little furnace lay on you. 

.  . .

       Waverly had texted Nicole, telling her that she was bringing some take out home for dinner, but she never got a response. She shrugged it off, figuring she was busy or something. But when she walked in the front door and saw the sleeping duo, she almost cried out of adorableness. 

       She set the bag of food on the counter and quietly walked back over, pulling her phone out and snapping a picture of them before taking another moment to admire them. Nicole’s hand was gently resting on her back over the blanket and her little hand was peeking out of the top, still holding onto the thumb of Nicole’s other hand. She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss into the sides of each of their heads before sitting on the couch and immediately gushing to her sister after sending her the picture. 

       10 minutes later, she looked up at the sound of a few grunts, seeing the newborn stretching out her limbs, eyes slowly blinking open. She got up and was going to take her, but her movements woke the Sheriff. She let out a noise similar to Alice’s as she stretched her arms over her head, reaching down and lifting the baby up, holding her above her face with a sleepy smile. 

       “Did you two have a good nap?” Waverly giggled. 

       Nicole quickly looked over at her, sitting up with a smile and laying her down on her legs. “Yea,” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. “When’d you get home?” She pulled her phone out of her pocket, seeing that three hours had passed since she had last been up. 

       “Not that long ago,” she said as Nicole scooted over, letting her sit down next to her. She lifted up Alice with a big smile, peppering kisses all over her face. “Hi, You!” The baby gave her one of those kinda-sorta smiles as she propped her up on her knees. “Look at you,” she cooed, stroking her thumbs on her cheeks. 

       “She’s done that a few times now,” Nicole informed as she ran her fingers across her stomach. Waverly looked towards her with raised eyebrows and she gave her a soft, dimpled smile, leaning into a kiss. “How was work?” 

       “Slow,” she nodded. “But good slow.”

       The redhead smirked a little as she pushed up on her foot, feeling her giving a little effort to push it back. “That’s good.”

       Waverly smiled, running her finger along the shell of her little ear. “I brought dinner home.”

       Nicole’s eyes went wide. “ Dinner .” 

       The brunette laughed, sitting up and grabbing the sleeper off the table, going to put it back on her. But the baby let out a whine, pulling her arms in. “No?” 

       “She’s probably a little hot,” Nicole mumbled, reaching around her and grabbing the diaper bag. She sorted through it for a second before finding a onesie, setting the bag down and unrolling it. “Jesus fucking Christ,” she muttered, shaking her head at it. “I don’t know what’s worse, tit faced or Straight Outta Mommy .”

       Waverly laughed as she slipped it on her as an alternative, and she accepted it. They stood and made their way into the kitchen. “It makes you a little warm layin’ on Red Haught, don’t it? Yea, I know.” 

       Nicole tipped her head at her as she began to pull the Chinese boxes out of the bag. “We’re gonna be gettin’ a whole lotta warm after Wynonna picks her up,” she said with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Waverly turned her head towards her with a smirk as she grabbed Alice’s bottle out of the fridge and held it under the tap.