82. It's a WayHaught Wedding Pt. 1

       Nicole flipped over with a huff for the millionth time, staring up at the ceiling as she pushed her hands under her head, stretching her legs out until she felt the cold air of the room hit her feet. The mix of her stomach swirling with nerves and her brain running a marathon had kept her up for half the night. 

       Ok, maybe it was also because she knew Waverly was asleep downstairs, yet she wasn’t allowed to even see her. 

       But that wasn’t the main reason. 

       She turned her head and felt around on the nightstand until she found her phone, pulling it off the charger as she squinted at the blinding screen to read the time. 5:43 AM. On their wedding day . She dropped it onto her chest, rubbing her eyes and blowing a raspberry. She wasn’t someone to be extremely nervous, but God she was so fucking nervous. She couldn’t tell you why she was nervous. She knew nothing would go wrong. Waverly had planned every last detail to a T . And, Hell, she was marrying her best friend, so she really didn’t know what it was. Maybe it was just because it was a very important day or just the fear that she was going to somehow screw something up, but either way, she was. 

       She tossed and turned for another half an hour before she finally gave up. The few hours of sleep that she did manage to get were going to have to do. She sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed, standing with a stretch and yawn before making her way to the door. 

       Michelle and Wynonna made it very clear the night before that she was not allowed downstairs under any circumstances , but she knew damn well nobody was awake and she could kill for some coffee. 

       She silently made her way down the stairs, looking to her right when she was about halfway down to check to see if anyone was in the kitchen. She stopped, eyes widening.

       She realized that she must not have been the only one who couldn’t sleep, for Waverly was leaning forward over a cup of coffee on the counter, slowly pushing her hands through her hair. Nicole looked around, seeing that Gus must have been awake somewhere outside because she wasn’t on the couch, for she had given the brunette her bed. And she figured Michelle was still asleep out in the barn because Nicole had been in her room. Wynonna wouldn’t be awake until she was woken up and Doc was most likely sleeping up there with her. 

       Leaving them both the only two awake in the house. 

       The redhead swallowed as her eyes traced up Waverly’s body; the body that she hadn’t seen in person in over a week. And the matching grey sports bra and leggings set that she slept in was definitely not helping matters. She licked her lips, and before she knew it, her feet were carrying her feather-light down the rest of the stairs, across the kitchen, and right up behind her. 

       She grabbed onto her upper arm with her left hand and pulled the coffee mug out of her grip with the other, moving it out of the way as she jerked her around and crashed their lips together. 

       Waverly let out a startled shriek into her mouth and pushed her hands against her chest, but relaxed back against the counter when she realized who it was. She grabbed her hips and tugged her flush against her, sliding her hands up her front and gripping them around her neck. 

       “God, I missed you,” Nicole breathed out when she pulled back for air for a second. 

       The brunette sighed into her lips, pushing her hands into her hair. “So fucking much.” 

       Nicole let out a growl, scooping her off the ground by her thighs and turning, shoving her up against the wall beside them. She pulled away, chest heaving against her as she met her eyes for the first time. “ Tradition . . . can kiss my ass.” 

       Waverly cracked a grin, running her thumbs up her jawline as she tugged her back in, opening her mouth to let her tongue in. She looped her arms around her neck, sliding one across the top portion of her back and letting out a soft moan, feeling the muscles that were pushing out against her tight long-sleeved top. 

       Nicole bucked her hips up into her, smirking into her lips as she felt her nails dig into her shoulder blades. She trailed her mouth down her jaw as she did it again. “ Fuck ,” Waverly moaned, head rolling back to hit the wall. The Sheriff hoisted her up a bit more, sliding her tongue across her windpipe and moving her hands to her ass as she began to grind into her. The smaller girl let out another moan, hand coming down and gripping around her right bicep. 

       Nicole let out a hiss of pain, pulling back from her neck to meet her eyes for a beat. 

       She quickly pulled her hand off, resting both on her shoulders as she looked down at her with a worried brow. “What?” 

       The redhead shook her head. “Nothin’,” she mumbled, pulling her off the wall. She turned around and walked her to the kitchen table, laying her down and jumping up on it. She pushed her legs apart and leaned down into her as she met her lips, rolling her hips forcefully to make her completely forget about it.

       Waverly let out a shaky sigh, pushing her hands up the back of her shirt to pull her closer and slide her nails all over her back. Nicole groaned, jerking her hips again and roughly gripping the bottom of her jaw as she bit down on her bottom lip. She opened her eyes, looking up to watch the brunette’s eyes roll back as her nails dug in. The redhead smirked, running her tongue across it to sooth it, catching her lips again in the process. She slipped her hand from her jaw down in between them, pushing up the bottom of one side of her sports bra, gripping her chest as Waverly pushed her tongue deep in her mouth with a breathy groan. 

       Both of their heads snapped up at the sound of the front door opening. Nicole’s eyes widened as Gus narrowed her’s at them. She looked down at Waverly and quickly pulled her hand back, sitting up off of her. 

       “ Lord ,” the older woman grumbled as she walked towards the kitchen. 

       Waverly sat up and adjusted her bra slightly, clearing her throat. “Morning . . .” 

       She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Your mother is going to beat your ass .” 

       “She started it,” she mumbled, looking up at Nicole, who was sitting within inches of her front.

       “ Hey !” 

       “I don’t care! Get the hell off the table ! People eat there! And Nicole, get your ass back upstairs before Michelle gets in here and whoops the both of ya!” 

       She moved to do so, but Waverly wrapped her arms around her middle to keep her from it. “Noo,” she whined. 

       “Wave,” she mumbled, pulling at her arms. 

       “Nooo.” She pouted her lip, softening her eyes.

       She let out a sigh, moving her hands to her cheeks and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips until she felt her arms loosen. She quickly pulled them off of her and climbed off the table. “I love you,” she offered with a smile of apology. 

       The brunette pursed her lips at her. “I love you, too,” she mumbled. 

       Nicole turned, heading for the stairs. “Go on. Go get pretty. I’ll see you la- ter OW !” She threw an offended look to Gus, putting her hand over the place on her butt where she had just whacked her with a wooden spoon. 

       “Get!” She shooed her away, pointing towards the door with a look. Nicole looked towards it, seeing it come open. Her eyes bugged and she dashed upstairs to safety. 

       Waverly watched with wide eyes as Michelle walked into The Homestead with a yawn. She entered the kitchen with a smile, “Good morning, Angel.” 

       She breathed a small sigh of relief, knowing she hadn’t seen Nicole. “Morning, Mama.”

       The older woman walked over to the cupboard and pulled a mug down, pouring herself some coffee. “May I ask why you are sitting on the kitchen table?” 

       Waverly looked down, noticing she was still sitting there. “Uh . . .” She looked to Gus with scared eyes, figuring she was going to tell on her, but she stayed quiet, making herself busy refilling her own mug. “I don’t know, actually.” She hopped down and walked over to her own mug, taking a drink of the now-room temperature coffee. 

       Michelle walked over to her and wrapped her arm around her waist, and she leaned her head on her shoulder. “I’m sure your mind is racing, Dear. Go relax until Chrissy and them get here to help you get ready.” 

       “I was actually gonna get in the shower here soon.” 

       “Oh. Well, d’you mind if I get in there first? There ain’t no loo in the barn.” 

       She shook her head, standing up straight with a smile. “Go ahead. There’s no rush.” 

       Michelle smiled, turning her head and pushing a kiss to her cheek, giving her waist a squeeze. “I’m so happy for you, Sweetie.” Waverly blushed a bit as her mother pulled away, turning down the hall with a smile. 

       She took a chance and looked towards Gus, eyes questioning why she hadn’t said anything. “You’re damn lucky I love the both of you,” she mumbled into her cup. 

       Waverly gave her a bashful smile, finishing off the rest of her coffee before setting her mug in the sink and walking towards the room so she could get a change of clothes. She let out a yelp, springing ten feet in the air when the older woman got her smack on the ass in. She threw her a look, and Gus hid her smirk until she disappeared down the hall. “Damn girls going at it like they’re 17,” she sighed with a shake of her head. 

.  .  .

       “Oh my goodness! You are one !” Nicole cooed as she tossed Alice in the air a few times.

       “Haught Sauce, c’mon,” Wynonna said, taking her pale blue dress shirt off the hanger for her. 

       “Your Mama is making me be productive, I’m sorry,” she mumbled to the baby, setting her down in her playpen with a kiss to her cheek. 

       “Mama,” Alice babbled, flapping her hands at her. 

       “I’m a little busy, Kid,” Wynonna pouted, running her hand through her hair after she handed Nicole the shirt. She pulled it on and buttoned it up as the brunette took her white dress pants off the hanger, handing them to her. “So why am I stuck in here helping you instead of your Bridal Posse?” 

       “Well, one. Only one is a female. Two. They are all still getting ready. And three.” She paused fixing how her shirt was tucked in and looked up at her with a swallow. “ You are the only person I know that can somehow make me not scared shitless right now.” 

       Wynonna’s brow furrowed and she set her tie back down on the dresser. “Why’re you scared?” The Sheriff let out a small sigh, hooking her suspenders on and pacing to the other side of the room, sitting down on Wynonna’s bed and dropping her head to her hands. “Hey.” The brunette walked over and sat next to her, rubbing her hand up and down her back. “Look at me, Nic.” She raised her head, but more for the fact that she was wondering why she called her that. “What’re you scared about?” 

       She stared at her for a few seconds as she tried to get her thoughts in order. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I feel like I’m going to screw something up. I always screw something up, Wy, always . And . . . And I don’t want to ruin this for her. I can’t ruin this for her.” 

       Wynonna tipped her head at her. “You’re not gonna screw anything up, I promise.”

       “You don’t know that!” 

       “Yes, I do. This is an Earp wedding. If anyone is gonna screw anything up, it's gonna be me.” She gave her a crooked smile and Nicole lifted her head from her hands, pushing them slowly up and down her thighs. “You are fine, Haughty. I know damn well you are disgustingly in love with my sister. And it's even more disgusting back. There is nothing you could do that could ruin this for her. Trust me.” 

       She chewed at the inside of her cheek as she stood up, moving in front of the mirror as she buttoned her sleeves. “I don’t know,” she mumbled. 

       “Hey.” Wynonna pushed herself up and moved in front of her, putting her fists on her hips. “Remember how they say this is supposed to be the happiest day of your life? Quit worrying about what could happen and focus on what is happening.” She moved her hands onto her shoulders, shaking her slightly. “You are marrying Waverly Earp.” 

       A smile pushed onto the brunette’s face when she saw a smirk come onto Nicole’s after a couple of seconds. The redhead slid her thumbs down the inside of her suspenders, hooking the part in front of her chest as she let out a long breath, “Damn right I am.” 

       The older one clapped her shoulder, turning and tossing her silver bowtie at her. “That’s more like it.” 

       “See, I told you your pep talks work, Earp,” she said with a grin as she stepped closer to the mirror so she could see what she was doing. 

       “ Mama ,” Alice whined. Nicole looked up, seeing her little lip quiver in the reflection. 

       “What?” The brunette asked softly as she picked her up. The baby curled her hands around the front of her dress that they had successfully made with two bridesmaid dresses, the top half being sky blue and the bottom a silver-grey. Alice leaned her head on her shoulder. “Naptime, huh?” Wynonna stroked her hand down her hair, hugging her closer.

       The Sheriff walked over to the hangers, grabbing the white vest and slipping it on, buttoning it up as she went over to the two. “Birthday’s wear you out, huh?” She pouted, running her thumb over the shell of her ear. 

       “Auntie Cole and Aunt Wavey are getting married on your birthday , Dude. Ain’t that cool?” The baby responded by reaching out and grabbing at her now-tied bowtie in wonder. “Auntie Cole looks Haught in a tie, don’t she?”

       She reached for it again. “Coe,” she mumbled quietly to herself, looking up at her as she wiggled it around. 

       Nicole beamed up at Wynonna, who was staring down at her daughter in shock. The redhead let out a squeal as she scooped her out of her arms, wrapping her in a hug. “Ali! You know my name!?” She pulled the corner of the tie out of her mouth. “Hey, who’s that?” She pointed to Wynonna. 

       “Mama,” she answered, flapping her hands at her. Nicole handed her over. 

       “Alice, who’s that?” The brunette questioned with a grin. She looked up at her, pointing to the redhead. “Uh-huh. Who is that?” 

       She looked towards Nicole, then back to her mother, then back to Nicole, then back to Wynonna again. “. . . Coe.”

       The Sheriff giggled like a schoolgirl as she pulled her from her arms again and spun around. “Yes! Oh, you are the smartest little thing-” She whipped around to face the brunette. “We have to go show Waves-” She paused, face falling when she remembered the rules. 

       Wynonna smirked, lifting her child from her arms. “Looks like I will be showing my sister how smart my one year old.” Nicole threw her a glare as she walked towards the door, almost getting smacked in the face when it opened at her.

       “Oops, sorry, Hun,” Gus apologized, looking up at her as she entered the room with a basket of hair products. “Hi, Birthday Girl,” she smiled, pushing a kiss to the baby’s head when she walked into the room, Jessie following close behind with a makeup bag. The older woman slowed as she looked the Sheriff up an down, smiling up at her in awe. “You look wonderful, Sweetheart.” 

       She blushed a deep red, giving her a small smile. “And I guess you two are here to make me look even more wonderful?”“Sure are, Haught.” Jessie smacked the chair in front of the mirror. “Sit.” 

       Wynonna pulled the door open the rest of the way and stepping out of it, “Y’all have fun now. I’m gonna, y’know, talk to Waves .” 

       “Earp, I swear to God,” Nicole warned, shooting her a glare. She let out a chuckle, throwing her a wink as she pulled the door shut behind her. 

       Gus plugged a hair curler into the wall, pulling her spray bottle out of the basket. “Did you tell her about this morning?” She questioned the redhead, raising a brow as Jessie pulled a chair up in front of her. Nicole’s eyes widened, face darkening again guiltily.

       “What happened this morning?” The brunette questioned, looking up at the older woman as she started misting her hair with water when she began to brush it. 

       “Gus . . .-”

       “I walked in after somebody snuck downstairs and tried to start her honeymoon with somebody on the kitchen table.” 

       “ Ok- ”

       Nicole was going to try and defend herself, but Jessie cut her off. “No you didn’t !” She said with a laugh, smacking her thigh as she opened a container of some kind of powder and started dabbing it all over her face. 

       “I, uh. I very much did do that, yea.” She looked up to Gus. “And no I did not tell her, so let’s keep it that way so we are not burned at the stake.” 

       “My lips are sealed .” Jessie made the motion of zipping her lips. “Well, I’ll mess with Waves, but that’s it.” The two shook their heads with smiles as Gus rolled the first portion of her hair around the curler.

___

       “Here, Wave, hold this.” Wynonna pushed her phone into her hand and took a step back. 

       “Nonna, I need to finish-”

       “Shh. Watch.” Waverly rolled her eyes, looking down at the phone to see a picture of an obviously drunk Nicole smiling with a can of beer balanced on her head. “Hey, who is that?” She reached out and zoomed in on the picture. 

       Alice reached for the phone, whining a bit when she couldn’t get it. “ Coe .” 

       Wynonna snapped her head up to Waverly’s face, seeing the big smile that popped onto it. “Oh my goodness!” She reached out and took her, pushing a bunch of kisses to her face. “You are so smart!” She set her on her lap, propping the phone up in front of her. “That’s your Auntie Cole.” She looked up at Wynonna. “And that’s your Mama.” Her eyes traced the room until they landed on Doc as he pulled his sky blue jacket over his matching vest and light grey shirt, adjusting the white bow tie around his neck. “And that’s your Dada.” 

       He turned at the sound of his given name, smiling widely when his eyes landed on his daughter. “Hello, Sweetheart!” He gave her a little wave. She kicked her legs around with a squeal. 

       “Ok!” The door opened and Chrissy stepped into the room, carrying Waverly’s dress. “Men, out!” Doc and Robin looked towards her, giving her a nod as they moved towards the door. Doc took the baby, heading upstairs to put her down for a nap before everything started. The door closed and Chrissy hung it up, unzipping the bag that it was inside of.

       A huge smile popped up on Waverly’s face as she stood, happy clapping. “Oh my God, I’m so excited !” 

       “Did Gus do your hair, too, Babygirl?” Wynonna asked, turning her so she could see it. It was half up half down, the back hanging down in loose curls below a waterfall braid wrapping around the top portion of the back of her head. There were a couple of small white and light blue flowers pinned about the braid as well. 

       She nodded, “And Jess did my makeup. D’you know she almost went to beauty school before deciding on Pediatrics?” 

       Wynonna raised her brows, slowly shaking her head. “I did not.” 

       “Wave, c’mon. We’re doing Bridespeople pictures in 15 minutes,” Chrissy said as she gently pulled the two parts of the dress off their hangers. 

       Waverly’s eyes widened a bit, pulling her phone out of her sweatpants pocket. “Dang, did it really take them that long to fix my face?” She unzipped the jacket she had on and shrugged it off, stripping her pants before cautiously stepping into the bottom part of the dress and pulling it up.

       Wynonna smiled as Waverly moved in front of the mirror, letting Chrissy zip up the top part in the back. She simply couldn’t deny that her baby sister looked every single synonym for gorgeous . The dress was more modern with the dress part just touching the floor on all sides. It was two layers, the outside being sheer white and flowy, and the inside was opaque with a thicker fabric that still was rather movable. The top was a crop top, leaving an inch or two of her stomach exposed. It was a long-sleeved v-neck with lace sleeves, the neckline dipping only a bit to keep it modest. 

       Waverly turned and picked her white lace heels up from the floor, sitting down on the bed to slip them on. She stood and walked once more to the mirror, doing a last once over of herself before turning to Chrissy. “Ok. I think I’m ready.” She turned her head to look at her sister, furrowing her brows at the look on her face. “What?” She asked, stepping towards her. Wynonna shook her head with a breathy laugh, pushing her fingers under her eyes. “Wy . . .”

       The older Earp reached out and grabbed her arms, pulling her into a hug. “I’m just so fucking happy for you, Babygirl.” 

       Waverly pulled away after a second with a huff, rolling her head back with her eyes, “Stop that, you’re gonna make me cry already.”

       Wynonna gave her a gentle smile when she looked back down, giving her arms a pat. “You . . . You really picked a good one, Wave.” 

       The brunette blushed, dipping her head slightly before rewrapping her arms around her sister. “I love you, Nonna.” 

       “I love you, too.” She pulled back with a grin. “Now let’s go. You’ve got a narc to marry soon.” 

.  .  .

       The guest filed to the backyard of the Homestead where the ceremony was to be held, taking their seats in the rows of chairs set up. Only those of value to the couple had been invited, so the small space of flat land that they had to work with was perfect. A white aisle laid from the back porch steps to the altar, decorated on either side with a white stand holding a bouquet, patterning from white to blue flowers, and they were all connected by a silver strip of linen. 

       Nicole had built the altar herself, Waverly giving it the finishing touches at the end. From the old material of the Homestead, she picked the pieces out of the pile in the barn that were still in the best condition (preferably without any bullet holes), putting them together in the traditional rectangular shape and gave it a good stain and polish. A piece of light blue linen was hanging from the top and tied to the left side, while a silver one hung from the right. They were united at the crossbar at the top with some white, and it was decorated with flowers across the top and on either side. 

       At the bottom steps of the back porch stood a set of sliding barn doors that they had found and fixed up. They threw the same weathered oak stain that Nicole had put on the altar on it and painted the details with white. It was now perfect to conceal those before they came down the aisle.

       The redhead let out a breath, sliding her hands down either side of her white jacket as she stepped away from the window, having seen Julian walk up to the altar and tap the microphone in front of him. The couple had given him the honor of marrying them. It was the least they could do considering he couldn’t act as Waverly’s father at the risk of his reputation. And they had both agreed that they would be more than happy having someone as close as he had become to them doing the job.

       She turned at the knock on the door, smiling when Nedley peeked his head in. “It’s go time, Kid.” 

___

       You & I by John Legend trickled through the speakers placed around the yard after Julian made the announcement that it was about to begin, getting everyone to settle. Heads turned at the sound of Shorty and Jorge pulling the doors open for the first time. The first two coming through, hooked at the arm, was Orion and Alexa. He was in a silver-grey suit with a blue undershirt that matched the redhead’s and a white bowtie that matched Doc’s. What he had on was what all of Nicole’s bridesmen had on. Alexa, on the other hand, was in a blue dress that matched exactly the color of the suits for Waverly’s bridesmen, and the flowers in her hair were the same as Waverly’s. They split at the end, Orion going to the right and Alexa to the left. The doors opened again, and in walked Romeo and Calli. They were followed by Mallory, in a grey dress to match the suits, and Doc, Joseph and Robin, Dolls and Jessie, and finally, the Man and Maid of Honor, Jeremy and Chrissy. 

       The song faded rightfully into the Wedding Edition of Yours by Russell Dickerson, and the door opened, Apollo walking down the aisle with the rings and a blinding smile. He moved to stand by his brother at the end, and he looked down at him with a wink, giving him a high five. 

       They pulled the door open and awes filled the yard as Alice toddled through, holding tightly to Gus’ hand for support. The woman brought the basket in her free hand down in front of her as they walked and Alice reached in it with a huge grin, releasing a handful of flowers to the white path. Wynonna had worked very hard with her in teaching her how to be the perfect flower girl, and considering the number of petals she had dropped before Gus picked her up at the end and stood by Alexa, it had paid off. 

       Several moments passed before the doors opened again, and everyone rose, watching Nicole walk through with Randy at her side. 

       The Sheriff’s eyes traced from side to side as a dimpled smile tore her face in half as she looked at all the familiar faces. Her head dipped slightly after landing on one. She looked back up at her and Shae gave her a nod.

       She looked towards Nedley when they reached the end, throat tightening after seeing a few tears rolling down his cheeks. She let go of his hand and turned him, wiping them away with her thumbs. “Quit that,” she mumbled. 

       He let out a huff with a smile, pulling her into a hug. “Not my fault. You’ve got me blubberin’ like a baby here, Haught.” 

       She tightened her grip around his shoulders for a second before pulling back. “. . . Thank you, Sheriff.” 

       “Anything for you, Kid.” He gave her arm a squeeze and took a few steps back as she moved to stand by Jeremy with a watery smile. 

       Nicole felt her heart pounding in her chest as she clasped her hands in front of herself, letting out a shaky breath as she looked up from her feet at the barn doors. She watched as Jorge and Shorty stood with their hands at the sides for only a few seconds longer before they reached up and grabbed the door handles, slowly sliding the doors open to reveal Waverly with Wynonna at her side. 

       The power of it all sent the redhead back a step, bringing her chin to her chest when she squished her eyes shut as if to pinch herself. She raised her head after a moment, righting her position as she pushed her palms together and brought them up in front of her mouth, fighting back tears. 

       Waverly’s breath caught in her throat as she looked the Sheriff up and down. She gripped Wynonna’s hand a little tighter as she tried to pull in some slow breaths to keep her emotions in check, but it really was no use when she met Nicole’s teary eyes. 

       The redhead bounced her knees a bit, huffing at herself as she wiped at her face, bringing her hands back down in front of her. She bit onto the inside of her bottom lip as she managed a smile.

       Waverly and Wynonna reached the end and she let go of her sister’s hand, stepping away to hug Nedley as Wynonna moved towards Nicole. 

       The redhead gripped her hands tightly into her waist, letting out a loud, shaky sigh into her shoulder. The brunette ran her hand up and down her back. “Jeremy owes me 20 bucks thanks to you, Haught Shit. He told me you wouldn’t cry.” 

       Nicole let out a little laugh, rocking her a bit as she tried to pull herself together. “I didn’t think I would cry.” She pulled away and Wynonna gave her a smile, putting her hands on her shoulders. “But here we are.” 

       She gave her cheek a pat. “We are here, so I mise well say it. I’m giving you my baby sister, so if you ever go wrong by her-” 

       “I’m gonna wish I never left Texas, yea, I know. But I think we all know I don’t plan to.” 

       Wynonna gave her her signature shit-eating grin. “Let’s hope not.” And with that, she took a step back, looking towards Nedley, and they took their seats by Michelle and Rebecca respectively. 

       Waverly walked to her spot and Nicole turned towards her, a new wave of tears forcing their way out of her eyes as she looked her over up close. Chrissy reached into the bouquet in her hands with a sigh and pulled out a tissue, handing it to the brunette. She smiled as she took a step towards her, cupping her cheek as she gently pat under her eyes. “It’s ok, Baby,” she said with a sniffle of her own. 

       “You look beautiful,” she mumbled, leaning her cheek into her hand. 

       She gave her some heart eyes, folding the tissue over and wiping her own tears. “You do, too.” 

       Nicole let out a breath, shaking herself out to gather her emotions as Waverly handed the tissue back to Chrissy. She turned back towards her and took her hands, each of them looking towards Julian. 

       “Are we ready?” The couple looked back towards one another and nodded their heads with beaming smiles. “Alright.” He cleared his throat and set his booklet down on the stand in front of him, adjusting the microphone as he looked up to the guests. “Today . . . Today there will be no dearly beloved or ancient hymn to begin this ceremony. There will be no dead languages to solidify the vows that are very much alive and will remain so for eternity. And this day is not about the words said or the rings exchanged, nor is it about the final announcement. No . . . Because if you know anything about Nicole and Waverly, you know that none of that really matters to them. And, thus, this ceremony will be about what does matter to them. And, above all else, what matters to them is love.” 

       Waverly ran her thumbs over the back of her hands, swallowing the ever-present lump in her throat as she looked deeply into her eyes. 

       “And for them, love isn’t just a word , it’s an action . It isn’t something they say , it’s something they do . And there are many different types of love; almost, if not, all are visible here today . . . Not only do Nicole and Waverly love each other romantically- Don’t get me wrong, they do .” 

       “Mmhmm,” Wynonna grumbled from her spot in the front row, getting a laugh out of everybody. Waverly shot her a look as the redhead rolled her eyes.

       Julian flipped the page of his booklet with a chuckle. “. . . You can see it in every look, every touch, every single moment they are together . . . But they also love each other as friends. Because they are the best of friends. There is no shy moment of laughter and adventure and teasing between them as they make new memories with one another. Because, to them, there is no way to truly be in love than with your best friend . . . Someone that makes you happy when you are sad. Someone that picks you up when you fall. Someone who will annoy the ever-loving shit out of you without fail.” 

       They each raised their eyebrows, tipping their heads at one another with grins. 

       “And all of that is what will help seal the bond of this day. Because if you cannot find enjoyment within one another, there is no point at all . . . And Waverly and Nicole’s biggest adventure starts today. Marriage . It may be testing and difficult at times, but what other way to face hardships than with your best friend right by your side?” 

       The Sheriff lifted her hand to her mouth, pressing a kiss to the back of it as she closed her eyes to try and ease the ache of emotion in her chest. 

       Julian shifted his gaze from the crowd to them directly. “Marriage is so much more than scribbling your names on a legal contract. You are promising in front of all of these people that you care about that you want to be with each other and only each other for the rest of your lives, and that you will do everything in your power to honor the promises you are making here today.” He looked back up at everyone. “And that’s why all of you are here to watch them. So thank you for joining us on this day of happiness and good fortune. Because you and I both now get the opportunity to witness the as the love between this beautiful couple is sealed for life.” 

       He flipped the page once again, looking between them with a smile. “Now, I’m sure this moment is what you two are both most excited for.”

       Nicole sucked in a breath, tipping her head at him. “Excited is a very strong word.” 

       That got a laugh. He smirked slightly, grabbing the microphone stand and twisting it around to face her. “Well, since you are so excited, we’ll have you go first.” 

       “ Perfect ,” she said with a scared smile and wide eyes, looking at the woman in front of her. She gave her hands a squeeze with an assuring nod. 

       “Ok.” Julian lifted his book into his arms. “Repeat after me . . . I, your name , take you, her name .” 

       The redhead tipped her head back for a second, letting out a long breath before clearing her throat. “I, Nicole Haught, take you, Waverly Earp.” 

       “To be my wife, my partner in life, and my one true love.”

       “To be my wife, my partner in life, and my one true love,” she repeated, voice cracking a bit at the end. 

       “I will cherish our friendship, and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.”

       “I will cherish our friendship, and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.” She reached out and wiped a tear from the smaller girl’s cheek. 

       A small whoop passed over the yard. “You have some vows of your own prepared, don’t you, Nicole?” 

       She cleared her throat again, letting go of one of her hands as she reached into the inside pocket of her jacket and pulled out some note cards. “I do, yea.” She ran her hand down her face, skimming her eyes over the first one for a second. “Uhm . . . I, uh. I’ll start this off with something not to you , but to everyone.” She looked out with a grin. “I vow to try to somehow get to the end of this thing without ugly crying.” Wynonna let out a bark of laughter. “Some would say I’ve already done that, though, so don’t have too high of hopes on that one . . .” 

       She looked back to Waverly and she shook her head at her. “Father Julian, here, started this thing off talking about how the most important thing to us is love. And that is true. But . . . The three words to me stronger than I love you are I choose you. And I do choose you, Waves. I am giving you everything I am today. The good, the bad, and the ugly with everything in between . . .  I promise to always be your biggest fan and your partner in crime. Your dance partner and your backbone. Your genie and your therapist. I promise to create and support a family with you in a house filled with laughter, patience, and love. I vow not just to grow old with you, but to grow with you . . . But, damn, do I promise to love you when you’re all grey and wrinkly.” Waverly scrunched her face with a giggle.

       “I promise that you will always be more important to me than coffee, all the episodes of Friends, and The Rangers put together.” An ‘oo’ passed over the yard. She looked out, raising her brows. “Right?” The brunette rolled her eyes. “I promise to always be your bonus blanket . . . even if we already have four and you are still cold.” She pouted her lip at her with a little laugh and Nicole blushed, turning to the next card.

       She chewed at her lip as she looked down at it, psyching herself up for a second. “I . . . I promise to support you, push you, inspire you, and accept you for who you are, for better or for worse, in sickness and health, as long as we both shall live . . .” She swallowed, looking up for a second to clear her eyes. Waverly gave her hand a squeeze. “And I vow that I will try with all my power to return home to you after work every day. B-But if I don’t, no matter what happens, I need you to know that I have never loved anyone the way that I love you.” 

       Waverly broke.

       Nicole quickly moved the microphone stand and set her cards on Julian’s stand, reaching out and taking the tissue that Chrissy handed her from behind the brunette. That last vow seemed to dropkick her over the line of holding any emotions back, seeing how she was now crying into her hand. “It’s ok,” the redhead whispered, gently pulling her hand away and tipping her chin up to she could dry her tears. 

       “Oh my God , w-why’d you do that to me, Cole. Jeez ,” she mumbled, squeezing her eyes together to rid them of tears, then pushing up on her lashes to make sure they didn’t get screwed up. 

       She gave her an emotional attempt at a sorry smile. “Cause I mean it, Baby.” 

       Waverly let out a small groan as Nicole pat her face down one last time before stepping back and righting the mic stand and grabbing her cards, letting out a raspberry. She looked up at the younger one and she gave her a nod as a go-ahead. “. . . Although today marks the start of the rest of our life, I know it will not be enough time with you. There could never be enough time for me to show you how much you mean to me . . . But that's not going to stop me from loving you . . .” She looked up and met her eyes with a teary smile. “ To infinity and beyond. ” 

       Nicole tucked her note cards back away with a swallow to keep herself in check. Jeremy reached up and squeezed her shoulders, and she turned her head, giving him a thanking smile. She traced her eyes around, landing on Wynonna, who seemed to be crying into her mother’s shoulder. She gave her a smug smile, proceeding to be flipped the bird. 

       “That was very touching, Sheriff, thank you,” Julian said with a smile as he grabbed the microphone stand and turned it towards the brunette, shortening it to match her height. She gave him a nod. “Alright, Waverly, can you repeat after me?” 

       “I can, Father.” 

       He nodded, looking down at his book. “I, your name , take you, her name .” 

       The brunette swallowed, “I, Waverly Earp, take you, Nicole Haught.” 

       “To be my wife, my partner in life, and my one true love.”

       “To be my wife, my partner in life, and my one true love,” she repeated.

       “I will cherish our friendship, and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.”

       She laced their fingers together for a second. “I will cherish our friendship, and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.”

       “And you may read your vows as well,” he informed. 

       She smiled, turning her head and taking the paper that had also been stashed in Chrissy’s bouquet. She let out a breath, looking up at Nicole with a smile. “When you first walked into my life, or rather, up to my car . . . after you pulled me over . . . love did, too. Though it was not until the next night when you saved my life that I really realized it.” Nicole pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, looking down and shifting on her feet a bit. 

       “Some might call us your typical U-Haul Lesbians. First kiss before our first date, first I love you’s within a week of meeting one another, moving in together after four months, adopting a fur baby at 10 months, engaged at one year, and now getting married at two. And some might say that I’m moving too fast, considering that I’m only 22. I don’t know what I’m doing. I have my whole life to live still.” She shook her head. “None of that matters. None of it. Because, Nicole Haught, I knew I would love you till the day I died the second you chose to save me. And the second you chose to stay with me. You showed me your big, beautiful heart in that very second, and I knew there wasn’t anything I wanted to do more than to fill it with just as much love and compassion that you gave to me.” 

       She reached up and tipped up the redhead’s chin, wiping a few tears with her pointer finger. “You have taught me that two people joined together with pure trust, respect, and open communication could be far stronger and happier than they could ever be than with someone without. You are the strength I didn’t know that I needed and the bundle of joy that I didn’t know I lacked . . .  And that is why today I choose to spend the rest of my life with you. Because I don’t ever want to lose what I’ve only just gathered.”

       Nicole sniffled, squeezing her hand, and the brunette squeezed it back as she flipped the page. “You've always been my favorite Deputy. And I promise that you always will be, even though you’re off pursuing higher duties now . . . Falling in love with a police officer is probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done. Our lives are never certain. Our future is never guaranteed. Because you walk that thin blue line every day. You put everything on that line every single day . . . But there is not a thing I admire about you more than your bravery. And I vow to you to understand and accept the requirements of your job. I vow to understand that they may get in the way of important things, they may get in the way of our family now and our future family, and they may even get in the way of me. But I vow to accept that things that come with it are far more important than me and everything else.”

       Nicole stood up straight with a deep breath and a nod. “I promise to always remember that you are human . That you may sometimes make questionable decisions- Decisions I don’t quite agree with, like, I dunno . . . handcuffing all of my bras to the ceiling fan and turning it on? . . . Twice ?” The redhead let out a snort, smirking down at her proudly as she rolled her eyes. “And I promise to always root for The Rangers, even though I truly couldn’t care less who wins.” The smirk faded into a soft smile as she lifted her hand to kiss it again. “But, above all else . . . through health and sickness, sorrow and success, for all the days of our lives, I promise that I'll always love you . . . to infinity and beyond .” 

       Waverly handed her paper back to Chrissy and took a step closer to the redhead as she kept her hand pulled to her face, pushing her forehead to it as she gathered herself for a moment. She looked up at her with teary eyes and a smile as she brought it down to push one last kiss to it before releasing it. 

       “Man, you two sure have a way with words,” Julian mumbled as he turned the microphone back towards himself. They both gave him some bashful smiles. “I was going to say some things, but I think you both covered most of it yourselves. So . . .” He looked towards his daughter, clearing his throat. “Waverly Earp, do you take Nicole Haught to be your lawfully wedded wife?” 

       She looked up at the Sheriff with a beaming smile and a nod, “I do.” 

       “Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her forevermore?” 

       “I do.” 

       He turned his head towards Nicole. “Nicole Haught, do you take Waverly Earp to be your lawfully wedded wife?” 

       She matched her smile with bright eyes, “I do.”

       “Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her forevermore?” 

       She nodded her head quickly. “I do.” 

       The Priest smiled, leaning his head forward. “May the ring bearer please present the rings?” 

       Apollo carefully walked over to the front and held the silver box up. Nicole smiled, bending down and wrapping him in a hug as she took the box from his hand. “Thank you, Buddy.”

       “You’re welcome,” he smiled. She stood up straight and gave him an encouraging push back to where he had been standing. She let out a slow breath as she opened the top and pulled out Waverly’s ring, allowing her to grab her’s before handing Julian the box. 

       “These rings are a symbol of your unbroken circle of love. And May these rings always remind you of the vows you have taken and promises you shall keep.” He looked towards the brunette. “Repeat after me . . . I, your name , take thee, her name, to be my wife, and I promise my love to you with this ring.” 

       She looked up at her with nothing but adoration in her eyes. “I, Waverly Earp, take thee, Nicole Haught, to be my wife, and I promise my love to you with this ring.” She swallowed as she took her hand and slipped it onto her finger. 

       Julian looked to Nicole. “I, you- ”

       “I, Nicole Haught, take thee, Waverly Earp, to be my wife, and I promise my love to you with this ring.” She looked towards him with a guilty smirk and he simply put his hands up, allowing her to take the brunette’s hand and slide it on.

       “I don’t think I want to make them wait any longer, so I’ll make this quick . . . To make your relationship work, it will take love. This is the true core of your marriage and why you are here today. But it will also take trust, dedication, faith, and commitment in order to hold true to the adventure you both have pledged to today. And it is my honor to allow you to start it. So . . . By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you wife and wife !” Waverly about crushed Nicole’s hand with the force she used to squeeze it, and the smile on the redhead could blind an army. “You may kiss each other .”

       The yard erupted into cheers as Nicole gripped Waverly by the hips and tugged her into a mind-numbing kiss. She cupped her cheeks, arching into her as the Sheriff tried to pull her impossibly closer. They pulled away after several seconds, chests heaving against one another as they pushed their foreheads together, staring deeply into each other’s eyes. 

       Waverly pulled away, but only to wrap her in a hug, looping her arms around her neck. Nicole pushed her face into her neck, rocking them from side to side as she squeezed her waist. They pulled away and Nicole took the brunette’s hand, looking back at Julian. 

       “ Ladies and Gentlemen , allow me to introduce you to Mrs. and Mrs. Haught !” 

       Marry You by Bruno Mars started through the speakers as Waverly’s bridesmaids began to squeal incoherently in excitement, though it seemed everyone was having the same reaction if they were honest. 

       Nicole smiled at the pure look of excitement on her wife’s face as she looked right back up at her. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips, squeezing her hand and looking back at Jeremy as they started a trot down the aisle, curving at the end away from the barn door and heading around the side of the house to the front. They jogged over to Nicole’s cruiser and climbed in. She reached up and pushed the buttons for her lights and sirens, laughing as she turned her head to look out the back window to see their bridespeople sprinting to their cars, followed closely behind the rest of the herd. 

       Nicole gave her thigh a squeeze, looking towards her with a grin. “Are you ready for this, Mrs. Haught?” 

       “I was born ready, Mrs. Haught,” she smirked. 

       And with that, they were off to Shorty’s for the reception.