A/N: Basically some missing scenes from episode 12. Going over Nicole's thought process and a little bit of reasoning for why they both acted the way they did. Because I felt horrible for Nicole but I also kinda got where Waverly was coming from. Fluff, lots of fluff. And Nicole being all smooth and swoon-worthy.

No, I haven't abandoned my other fics, but Wayhaught has been my life for the past week and this little plot bunny was begging to be written. It's a one shot but if Wayhaught keeps killing me I might write more of them, who knows.

It was 7:05 on her day off when a text message woke her up. If it were anyone but Waverly, she might have been upset.

"Good morning officer haught-stuff"

She grinned. Only her girlfriend - was that what they were? They really need to have that talk - could make her smile before she was even fully awake.

"Officer haught-stuff?"

The reply was instantaneous.

"New nickname, I'm trying it out. What do you think?"

"I like it, can't wait to hear what it sounds like in your pretty voice."

Her phone hadn't even faded to the lock screen before it buzzed, Waverly's picture popping up on the screen. She swiped to answer.

"Hello." she grimaced at the way the sleep clouded her voice, deepening it to a gravelly whisper.

"Oooh, I like the early morning grumble, Officer Haught-stuff."

Nicole laughed at Waverly's early morning perkiness and the nickname made her insides tingle, especially when she thought about the smile she knew Waverly was wearing when she said it. Surprisingly enough, it was the first time anyone had come up that particular nickname and she liked the way it sounded rolling off Waverly's tongue.

"Hmm, well I'd like to hear what you sound like when you first wake up, Waverly Earp."

There was a sharp intake of breath and then silence on the other end of the line.

She closed her eyes, damning her quick tongue and it's propensity to get her into trouble. She didn't mean for that to sound quite so . . . sexual.

"Shit, Waves, that's not- I didn't mean - "

"Can you come over?"

"What?"

"I - my bandage needs changing and I could do it myself but I-" the other woman's voice trailed off for a moment before continuing. "I wanna see you."

Her heart thundered in her ears.

It made her warm to think that Waverly wanted to see her just as much as she wanted to see Waverly.

"I'll be right over." Her reply was quick, too quick but she doubted Waverly would notice. "Have you had breakfast? I could bring something over?"

"Breakfast sounds fantastic." There was a short pause. "Willa and Wynona are both out, so we'll have the place to ourselves."

Alone time with Wavelry Earp was a precious commodity around theses parts.

"Yeah," she cleared her throat. "yeah, just -let me brush my teeth and I'll be right over."

"Brush your teeth?"

She knew she had it bad when the girl's giggle made her blush - even from miles away.

"It's an important part of a morning routine, Waverly." She admonished with mock seriousness.

"Well by all means, wouldn't want Purgatory's prettiest officer getting any cavities. Goodbye, Nicole."

"Bye, Waverly."

She tossed the phone down beside her on the bed as soon as the call ended, groaning. She was in deep.

It didn't take Nicole long to get to the Earp homestead; two coffees and a bag with two chicken biscuits in tow. As soon as she stepped inside, Waverly was on her, grabbing the food from her hands and pulling her into a kiss as soon as breakfast was safely on the counter.

"I have to say, I could get used to greetings like this." She drawled the words out in the way she knew Waverly loved and she was rewarded with a smile.

"I wish I could do it all the time. Maybe I should tell everyone about us so we can make this a daily ritual."

"Only when you're ready. It's a big step, not just for us, but for you."

"I'm sorry." She hated the way those brown eyes filled up with remorse, like she'd done something wrong.

"Don't be. You've been going through a lot of change these past few months."

Waverly looked at her like she had hung the moon and the stars, and she wanted to kiss her, to show her how much she meant to her, in so many ways, but there would be time for that later. She brushed the hair out of the shorter girl's face.

"Breakfast is gonna get cold, and then I have to change that dressing - wouldn't want it getting infected."

"Have I told you how much I appreciate you talking care of me?"

"You can take care of yourself, Waverly Earp; don't let anyone ever tell you you can't"

"Oh, I know I can, I have; but it's nice that you care so much to do it for me. Nobody's ever- nobody's done that in a long time."

She pulled Waverly in for a kiss, soft and sweet with a promise of something more just under the surface.

"Taking care of pretty ladies is my specialty." She said when the kiss ended, and she found herself wishing she had her Stetson with her, because she would have tipped it.

"Such a charmer, Officer Haught," Waverly reached for breakfast and danced into the dining room, Nicole following as if there were some invisible cord tugging her. "I bet you tell that to all the girls."

"Haven't found any as pretty as you." She said honestly.

Waverly shook her head like she didn't believe the words, and Nicole vowed to one day get her to believe them.

Breakfast was an interesting affair, Waverly had some books spread out on the dining table; books written in languages that Nicole had never even heard of, and the youngest Earp spent a good hour telling her about them.

To be perfectly honest, Nicole probably would have swooned hearing Waverly read the phone book, but she couldn't deny that hearing her talk about all of these ancient stories with such passion was mesmerizing.

"Well, I guess you're probably tired of hearing me ramble on." Waverly's pretty face was blush red.

"No, not it's fascinating. I love - hearing you talk."

Waverly's eyes drifted down to her lips.

"You know what I like better than talking?"

"I bet I can guess." She smirked, and Waverly leaned in closer. "First though, I should really change that bandage, the doc said every twenty-four hours."

Brown eyes rolled.

"Does anyone ever tell you that you're too practical sometimes?"

"Aw, Waves, I thought you liked my practical side?" She chuckled as she stood to wash her hands and get the supplies.

"I do, just not when I'm trying to make out with my- . . . police officer."

"Your police officer?" she had caught the slip but she chose not to mention it.

"Yep, I'm claiming you."

"Well," She winked, sitting back down next to Waverly. "I rather like the sound of that."

Waverly lifted up her shirt, revealing the white bandage on her side and she pulled it off slowly, carefully watching Waverly's face for any sign of discomfort.

"Sorry, baby." she apologized after she hit a particularly sticky spot.

"Have you ever been shot?" Waverly's voice was low, and Nicole sensed something deeper in the words, but she just couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Fortunately, no."

There was a moment of silence as Nicole gently cleaned around the wound, and when she was finished, Waverly's hand covered hers; stilling it and drawing her eyes up."

"Purgatory may be a small town, but some weird shit happens."

"You can say that again."

"Just, promise me if you ever get a weird call or if you ever get . . . a feeling; you'll wear a bullet proof vest."

There it was, that something more. She could feel Waverly's anxiety rolling off of her and she wanted to take her up in her arms and reassure her, to figure out why this was so important, but now was not the time. So instead she settled for a smile and a quiet whisper of "Promise"; before she picked up the antibiotic ointment.

She should have heard it coming, but she was too far in her own head, too focused on the way that she could feel Waverly staring at her to catch the sound of the front door closing.

Willa's voice was cutting and snide, and it completely dissipated the mood that had been surrounding them.

When Waverly asked her to "pop out", she knew what that meant. This wasn't the first time they've had to sneak around, and while she doesn't particularly like it, she understands it. She knows what it's like to be new to the whole 'girls' thing. To feel so excited that you can barely contain yourself, but at the same time be afraid to let anyone see it. She gets it.

So she went to the barn and waited.

She tried not to think about Waverly. She didn't want to get ahead of herself. She knew she was falling, fast, but then she's known that since the first time she saw that smile and wave.

Luckily, she didn't have to wait long before Waverly slipped through the barn door, sheepish smile on her face.

"Sorry about that."

"Don't be."

She wrapped her arms around Waverly's middle, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I hate this." Waverly mumbled into her shoulder.

She stiffened and started to pull back, but Waverly only tugged her tighter.

"The sneaking around," The shorter girl continued. "I hate having to hide you."

Nicole felt herself relax.

"You don't have to hide me."

"I know."

Silence filled the air around them, as does the scent of Waverly's shampoo.

"Wynona - she wouldn't have a problem with it - she'd love you. Willa . . . well fuck Willa, I don't really care what she thinks. As for the town . . . they're not as backwards as they seem. People would talk, sure, but they already do; at least about me. And -"

"Wave!" She rubbed a hand down Waverly's back. "It's ok, I promise."

"No, it's not." Waverly pulled away, creating space as she went to kneel on the bed; and Nicole leaned against the wall.

"I don't know why I'm having such a problem with this." Waverly confesses before lapsing into silence

She wasn't a huge fan of silence, but she knew that Waverly needed it, to process. She wanted to fix everything, but sometimes fixing things meant waiting.

So instead she watched Waverly, watched as the expressions flitted across her face. Ever since Willa had come back, the youngest Earp had been different. Tense.

Wynona was . . . crazy, and she had left Waverly alone in this bat-shit town; but she was here now and she was trying at least.

Willa always had this underlying sense of . . . cruelty. Maybe she was just being over protective, but she didn't particularly like Willa, or the way that she treated Waverly.

Nicole Haught had never been one to back down from confrontation.

She had been tall and lanky since middle school, and being taller than everyone in her class - including the boys - had painted a target on her back. She never went looking for trouble, but if it came her way . . . well let's just say the other guy always walked away looking worse. She didn't take too kindly to bullies picking on other, smaller kids either. She always stood up for them and soon it became known around the school that Nicole Haught didn't stand for bullies.

It didn't surprise anyone when she chose a career in law enforcement - protecting people was just what she did.

She wasn't disillusioned though.

She knew that people didn't always want or need her protection.

She knew that sometimes they could take care of themselves.

In their own time and in their own way.

But the closer she was to someone, the more she could see their pain first hand, the harder it was for her to sit still and do nothing.

It was even harder when it came to emotional pain - there was nothing physical she could stop, no bad guy she could threaten. So she trained herself to be solid, someone people could count on, dependable. Her hug game was A+, and many a tear had been shed on her shoulder. She didn't ever feel like it was enough though. Especially now.

Because right now she wanted nothing more than to punch Willa Earp in the face.

Waverly's shoulders sagged in defeat.

"I'm exhausted."

That was her cue, and she pushed herself off the wall and towards Waverly. She tenderly brushed the hair away from the other girls face, leaning in to press her lips against the soft skin of her neck.

"I know, baby."

She breathed in the scent that was just so . . . Waverly, and she felt her earlier anger at Willa fade away.

Waverly turned in her arms, pulling her into a kiss, and she quickly lost herself in feel of lips locked on hers, on the tongue tracing tantalizing patterns in her mouth. Soft hands were on her face, tugging her impossibly closer, caressing her cheeks.

Hands tugged at her shirt and she allowed it to be pulled over her head before doing the same to Waverly's.

And okay, they were doing this, in the barn; and a small part of her wanted to wait for a better time, whispered that Waverly deserved better, but then her brain was screaming at her that anytime with Waverly was a good time, and Waverly had gotten shot for god's sake -

A movement in the corner of her caught her attention.

"Shit."

Willa was standing there - the exact person that Waverly hadn't wanted to find out about them.

She wanted to say something.

To have some sort of comeback for Willa's cruel words.

To protect Waverly.

But Waverly was looking at her with an expression that begged her to let her handle it, that it was her fight.

So instead, she left the barn with a 'call me' and headed to the gym where she pretended that the punching bag was Willa Earp's face.

Waverly didn't call.

Nicole tried not to let it bother her, she really did, but she couldn't help the little niggling of doubt at the back of her mind. Maybe they had gone too fast, maybe Waverly wasn't really ready for a girlfriend, Maybe that day in Needley's office had been a fluke - a moment of brazen action that she now regretted.

She knew that none of that was true.

She could tell from the Waverly looked at her, the way she kissed her, that what they had meant something.

But lying here on her couch with Calico Jane, mindlessly watching some show with the television on mute, her mind wandered to the more unsavory possibilities for Waverly's silence.

A knock on the door interrupted her sullen musings, and Calico Jane vaulted off her stomach to scurry behind the couch. She wondered who would possibly be here this late, and she found herself hoping that it wasn't some crazy Purgatory weirdness. She didn't want to deal with some wackjob. She just wanted to sit around and sulk about her girlfriend. Her kinda, maybe, almost girlfriend.

She trudged to the peephole to find -

"Waverly?"

She threw open the door to get a better view of Waverly Earp standing in the hall of her apartment building in one of her ridiculous fur coats, hands shoved deep in the pockets as strands of brown hair wisped around her face.

Nicole didn't think she'd ever seen anyone more beautiful.

"Nicole -" Waverly's eyes drifted down her body, no doubt taking in her worn pajama bottoms and baggy long sleeve t-shirt. "I - it's late, I shouldn't have come." She turned to leave but Nicole grabbed her arm.

"No, come in. Please."

She hesitated, just for a moment, before allowing Nicole to pull her inside and shut the door.

Nicole took Waverly's coat and hung it on the rack beside the door. Once it was off, she could see that Waverly too was decked out in pajamas.

"I snuck out."

"You. . . snuck out?"

"I know, I know it's stupid. And I should have called, but I just kept thinking about everything and I wanted to see you - to talk it out. So I waited until Wynona and Willa were asleep and I snuck out."

"Wave. . . "

"Just - let me talk . . . please."

She waved a hand in consent, but Waverly was already off, pacing the floor as the words tumbled out of her mouth.

"So, I didn't have the best childhood; as you can probably tell. And Willa, she didn't make things much better. And I feel bad, horrible, that all that happened to her, that she had to go through that. But a part of me is still mad at her; a part of me is still . . . scared. " She stops there, throat bobbing as she fights back tears; but Nicole can hear all of the things that she doesn't say, can see the pain screaming from her eyes.

She wants to say something, anything to ease the other girl's pain; but she doesn't, instead remaining silent to let Waverly talk it out.

"I always thought that Champ was as good as I was gonna get, and then you -" she flicked a hand in Nicole's direction, "you came in, with your white hat and your uniform and your 'I see somethin' I like an' I don't wanna wait'."

She couldn't help but laugh at Waverly's spot on impersonation of her, complete with air quotes; but the laughter faded as Waverly came to stop in front of her, eyes wide with sincerity.

"You are one of the best things that has ever happened to me. You see me for who I am; not just one of the Earp girls, but Waverly. I've never had anyone make me feel like you do, and I just want to hide you for myself. Maybe because I've been afraid of what people would say, maybe because I was afraid that you would decide that I wasn't that special after all; maybe a little of both."

"Waves, it's okay to be scared, but you should know that I could never in a million years think that you aren't the most special person I've ever met."

"I've been making you sneak around, you shouldn't be nice to me."

"Yeah? Well, I just think you've been dating too many shit heads."

Waverly grinned.

"Is that what we're doing? Dating?"

"I think so, I hope so. We can sneak around all you want as long as we both now where we stand."

The grin disappeared and she felt her stomach drop to her knees.

"You, being my girlfriend - exclusively?-"

Waverly's eyes are a giant question mark, so Nicole nods reassuringly and she continues.

"- Sounds perfect. But -"

There was the 'but' she had been waiting for.

"I don't want to hide it."

Suddenly, it felt like was flying, adrenaline pumping through her veins.

"You don't?"

"I don't. I don't exactly want to scream 'I'm a gay unicorn' from the rooftops either, but I just want us to be us. And when people find out, they find out; simple as that. Willa already knows, Doc knows-"

"Wait, Doc knows?"

Waverly shrugged, eyebrows lifting before she continued.

"Wynona - I don't think she would realize we were a couple even if we actually turned into unicorns. And everyone else, well, they can just figure it out."

She stepped forward, gripping Waverly's hands in her own.

"So no more hiding?"

"No more hiding."

"I can kiss you whenever I want?"

"Yes. Well, mostly - at appropriate times." She amended.

"What happened to pouncing on me in Needley's office?"

"That was . . . unplanned."

"I thought you liked to plan?"

"I do, you just - you make me all jittery and planning doesn't seem so important sometimes, and 'appropriate' becomes a much broader category."

"Hmmm. Well what about now? Is now an appropriate time to kiss you?"

"Now is . . ." Waverly's eyes drifted down to her lips. "Now is definitely an appropriate time."

"Good, cause I have been dyin' to taste what flavor chapstick you're wearing tonight."

"Vanill-" She cut her off with a kiss, one that didn't get interrupted until her alarm went off the next morning.

They showed up to the precinct the next morning with matching coffee cups, and when Wynona questioned Waverly about where she went the night before, her girlfriend responded simply.

"Nicole's."

Dolls shot them both a apprising look, and Wynona looked them up and down; no doubt taking in Waverly's too big clothes that she had borrowed from Nicole's drawer.

"You can't just show up at people's houses in the middle of the night and then use their clothes babygirl."

"Oh trust me, she used more than just my clothes." the quip came out before she could stop it, and she shot a look of panic at Waverly; but the younger Earp just laughed.

"I gotta go, Sheriff wants me on patrol." She bent down to peck a quick kiss on Waverly's cheek. "I'll come pick you up for lunch."

"You know, Haught?" Wynona's voice stopped her on her way out the door. "I'm really glad you and my sister are such good friends."

"So am I, Wynona." She dropped a wink at Waverly who was holding back laughter. "So am I."