SUMMARY: Dolls comes to the Homestead looking for Wynonna. Slightly A/U

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of Wynonna Earp

RATING: T

PAIRING: Wynonna/Doc

UNEXPECTED:

Deputy Marshal Dolls drove in his black suburban, heading towards the Earp Homestead. A new investigation had come in during the night that Sheriff Nedley and his small town deputies were ill equipped to handle. That meant he had to get his deputy, and get out to the latest demonic crime scene. This was usually the part where Earp would correct him, and tell them that the demons were called 'Revenants'. At first, when they started to work together, he hated when she corrected him. Eventually, though he didn't have the choice, he got used to it.

Pulling up in front of the homestead, Dolls put his SUV in park, and killed the engine. Getting out, his long stride carried him to the porch. He was about to knock when Waverly Earp, the youngest living Earp, opened the front door. She dazzled him with one of her radiant smiles. It always had the power to disarm him. "Good morning Waverly," Dolly greeted. He was putting forth and effort with the two Earp women. They responded better when he acted like an actual human being.

"Hello, Marshal Dolls," Waverly smiled again. When the Deputy Marshal showed up at their door, it meant that there was another gruesome Revenant murder that needed investigating. It needed the Heir. At one time, the thought of not being the Earp Heir would have filled Waverly with bitterness, but she let that go the moment Wynonna apologized. Her life had been on the line at the time. It still made her feel better to know being the Heir wasn't something her sister wanted to be.

"I'm here to get her, is she up yet?" Dolls asked, following Waverly inside the homestead.

"Uh," Waverly shut the door, "She should be, but you can go on back and knock on her door to hurry her." She chuckled, "Wynonna is a bit sluggish in the morning." Pointing to the closed barn doors down the hall, "Just knock and tell her to get her butt in gear. I've got to run, working at Shorty's this morning." And with that she was out the door, taking out into the cool Purgatory morning air.

Dolls shook his head, a small smirk tugging at his lips. Waverly Earp had a way of making anyone smile. Even him. By leave of Wynonna's little sister, Dolls walked down the hall to the closed set of sliding barn doors that cut Earp's room off from the rest of the house. Unfazed by knocking, he knocked his knuckles hard and sharp against the aged wood. "Earp! Up and at em!" There was a note of amusement in his voice; he wasn't sure why.

"Go away! We're still sleeping…"

Dolls tried not to feel shock as he processed Earp's sleep filled reply. So, he knocked again, "Come on, Earp. There are Revenants that need to be dealt with."

"I quit!"

"Earp, get up!" Dolls knocked again. He needed her up and out the door. She was the only one who could deal with the Revenant, she was the only one who could wield Peacemaker.

WYNONNA'S BED:

Wynonna grumbled, pulling the pillow off her head. Blindly, she reached out for her cell phone to check the time. It was too early in the morning for Dolls to be in her house, outside her door, yelling at her to get up. She didn't want to leave her warm covers, an even warmer Doc Holliday, to go to some gruesome crime scene and deduce what Revenant was behind it. With a swipe of her thumb, the screen unlocked, momentarily blinding her. She had a case of double vision from the rude awakening, making her close one eye. 7:30 am. Wynonna tossed her phone back to the night stand and rolled back over. Normally, she wasn't one to snuggle with a lover, but Doc was different. They were just alike.

Doc Holliday was still amazed how easily he took to bed with Wynonna; easier than any other woman he'd had liaisons with. Their first time had been heated, charged with so much emotion, it had taken his breath away and left him boneless. Last night, all they had done was collapse after sharing a bottle of well-aged whiskey. He woke to their bodies entwined, covered with blankets. They were cocooned in warmth. He was reluctant to leave, or to be woken by Dolls intrusion. Again, the Deputy Marshal knocked sharply. This time it was Doc who grumbled in annoyance. Getting out of bed, he went to the door, pushing it open a bit, "Keep it down, hombre. Wynonna had a rough night."

Dolls stared defiantly at Henry "Doc" Holliday on the other side of the door. He couldn't stomach the man being anywhere near Purgatory, let alone Wynonna. The former best friend to the famous gunslinger, by rights, should be dead right alone with Wyatt Earp. And yet, here he was, being a thorn in Dolls side. "There's a crime scene I need her at. Get her up and moving."

"No," Henry shook his head. Whenever he could manage it, he put himself between Dolls and Wynonna. The Deputy Marshal was a man of secrets. Doc already knew how far Dolls would go, had seen the report the man had completed about him. "Wynonna gets up when she's ready."

"You don't get to make that choice, Doc," Dolls pointed out. He was trying to keep his tone even, and his hands at his sides. Even though they had managed to come to terms, Dolls hated that Holiday had stayed close to Wynonna. The well preserved gunslinger was still a mystery, as well as a danger to Earp.

"And neither do you," Doc fired back. He had little to no trust in the Deputy Marshall. The man was holding tight to secrets that will, eventually, get Wynonna killed. He knew the man had the same feelings towards him.

"She works with me," Dolls reminded.

"For now," Doc shrugged. "She might grow tired of you sooner rather than later." He wanted Wynonna to have as much peace as she could get before being thrown back into the battle, forced to shed Revenant blood, and lose a little more of her soul.

Wynonna tossed back the covers feeling the tension in the room rise. Male testosterone. "God! You guys quit the pissing match." she shouted. Grabbing a long, baggy t-shirt, she slipped it on before she got out of bed to stand between Doc and Dolls. "Doc, go back to bed, and sleep off the booze. Dolls, I'll get dressed, and you're buying me coffee without argument." She placed her hand on his chest, pushing him back. Wynonna slid the barn door closed.

"You do not have to go," Doc said from his place on the bed. He was stretched out, one arm behind his head, the other lying at his side. He hated to see her so tortured over this curse. Killing was taking its toll on her, even though she was loath to admit.

"I do," Wynonna sighed, taking a seat at his side, and her hand resting on his right shoulder where the bullet wound had been. "If I don't finish what Wyatt started then…" her words died away. Wyatt didn't mean for his descendants to be cursed. How could he know? That's what made Wynonna angry. She was being punished. Willa had been punished, suffered and died because of this curse.

"You can't go full steam," Doc pointed out. "Even you require days to rest, to heal…" He could still see the lingering effects Jack's terror upon her. She did her best to hide it, and at best had managed to work through most of it so she could function during the day. He was the one to see her at night, when she couldn't hide from her demons.

At the most inopportune moment, Wynonna felt her heart stop, and her mind took her back to lying on that table where Jack was about to slice her open. She could still feel the heat of his claws as they came closer to her skin. The hand that rested on Doc's chest started to shake. He sat up, his arms coming around her, giving her what she needed. "Am I gonna lose my mind?" Wynonna asked sadly.

"You most definitely will not, little darlin'," Doc whispered, his lips resting against her ear.

"How do you know that?" Wynonna mumbled, her face buried in the crook of his neck.

"Because, you're Wynonna Earp," Doc said, giving the same answer he'd given her before. He knew the character that was Wyatt Earp, and his great-great-granddaughter held the same spark in her. She wasn't afraid to pull the trigger, knew she had to, and she would.

"What does that even mean?" Wynonna asked, reluctant to pull away from Doc, and his strong arms. She wouldn't admit it, to anyone, but she craved the feel of him. Even if he was only holding her.

"You have twice the determination as Wyatt," Doc stated with confidence. "You've set your mind to eradicating the Revenants, and you'll take down all seventy-seven outlaws." It had been a long time since he could place his faith in anyone. Then Wynonna came along, and she blew through all his defenses. "You made it through the Seven that destroyed your childhood. You'll get the rest of them."

Wynonna didn't say anything. What could she say? All she did was cuddle closer to him, hoping that the strength, and faith he had in her, rubbed off. She needed all the motivation she could take to get out of bed, and visit the latest Revenant crime scene.

"Should you wish it," Doc rested his cheek atop Wynonna's head, "I will accompany you and… Mashall Dolls to the latest grisly murder perpetrated by whichever Revenant that has become emboldened to take you on."

Wynonna pulled back, shaking her head. "No, gotta keep you two apart in case you two try to kill each other again." Reluctantly, she got up, and out of bed reaching for her pants. "You never told me what that was about."

"He was being an obstreperous jackass," Doc answered, curling his lip in disgust. He could not abide the man. Dolls was willing to give him over to his superiors. Time would tell if he would try again, or if he would betray Wynonna for whatever drug he may be addicted to. Doc would wait and see, and plan.

"Yeah, because you were being pillar of virtue," Wynonna shot back, teasingly. She wasn't blind. She knew Doc was keeping things from her, but so far, he'd been there for her. And that made her trust him.

"Oh, definitely not," Doc slid out of bed to go to Wynonna, placing his hands upon her hips to keep her from doing up her jeans. "He dared to imply that Billy the Kidd was the fastest gunslinger in the West."

Wynonna, feeling better now, slid her hands up his bare chest, over his shoulders, and tangled her fingers in his hair, "Well, I know that's not true. I've seen you shoot." She kissed him lightly upon his lips. A small chuckle slipped free when his moustache tickled her.

"The offer stands," Doc reminded, "I will go with you, should you want me to." He knew he'd follow her into the fires of Hell, if that was where her journey took her. She commanded more of his loyalty than Wyatt had, and Wyatt had been his best friend. Wynonna was so much more.

"No," Wynonna shook her head, "I want you right here, where I can find you." With that, she grabbed her Buntline special, and was out the door. It gave her a little boost to know that when she came back to the homestead, Doc would be there. She wanted him to stay in her life for as long as he was able.

THE END