Waverly grabbed another wet whisky glass from the drying rack. Her fingers were pruned from all the polishing. It had been a long and slow evening at Shorty's and the night was not moving much faster. She stared blankly at the far end of the bar; her hands maneuvering the towel and glass on autopilot while her thoughts drew her back to that moment in Nedley's office; the sofa's cool leather; Nicole trailing her neck with kisses; her hand stroking the contours of Waverly's thigh. These welcomed distractions had been getting Waverly through the long work week without Nicole.

"Are you hopin' a genie is gonna fly out of that?" Gus asked without even needing turn her head from her paperwork. "You've been working on that same glass for quite some time now."

Waverly had not even realized that she had stalled on her polishing. She wondered how the heck Gus did.

"Don't pay any mind to Champ over there," Gus assured, "I bet he's just here to blow off some steam."

In all honesty, Waverly had already forgotten that Champ and a handful of his rodeo buddies were across the room. They had been playing rounds of pool since the late afternoon and were nursing what, by that point, must have been warm, unpalatable pitchers of beer. This was the first time she had seen him since their breakup and to say that it was awkward as a Donald Trump handshake would be putting it lightly. Champ must have anticipated that she would be working that day. Waverly was beginning to suspect and dread that he was gearing up to talk with her. She unintentionally let out what must have been an audible sigh.

"If you're getting bored back there I'm sure I can find plenty for you to do," Gus offered.

Waverly returned the polished glass to its shelf. "Bring it, Gus." At this point, she would have been willing to tar the roof at Shorty's. Anything to keep her busy.

"You can start by greeting that patron who just walked in," Gus smiled.

Waverly turned around and saw Nicole standing at the entrance; she almost did not recognize her out of uniform and with her hair down. Nicole left her heavy winter coat on a hook near the entrance revealing a fitted black top and a long, sleeveless red jacket.

"What are you waiting for… Christmas? Get out there, Earp!" Gus playfully ordered.

"Right." Waverly composed herself. "Welcome to Shorty's," she said, subduing her excitement. She placed a ramekin of mixed nuts on the bar as Nicole took her seat.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Nicole said as she settled.

Bashful, Waverly's glance darted towards Gus to gauge her reaction. She seemed oblivious; preoccupied in her paperwork. Waverly leaned in towards Nicole and lowered her voice. "I was about to say the same thing," she smiled with delight. "This week has felt endless."

"Tell me about it," Nicole agreed. "I definitely need a drink after the schedule I just pulled."

"How about a Bourbon?" Waverly offered; a glass already in hand.

Nicole hummed with pleasure and leaned in, "A girl after my own heart."

Gus was suddenly overcome by an uncontrollable cough that seemed too theatrical to be legitimate. "Oh my—" she coughed some more. "I'm going to go ahead and find myself a tall drink of water." She walked behind Waverly and spoke quietly into her ear. "I'd get one for you too, but, it would appear you already found one." She squeezed Waverly's shoulder and smiled before excusing herself into the kitchen.

Waverly was floored and slightly dumbfounded by Gus' support. Her stomach continued to flutter with excitement as she poured Nicole's drink. She intentionally brushed the back of her hand against Nicole's as she slid the glass in front of her.

"—Who else do I have to plow to get a drink around here?" Champ yelled to the amusement of his entourage of pool players. He staggered as he approached the bar.

Waverly looked up to the ceiling, nearly praying for strength. "Is there something you'd like, Champ?" she asked with as much tact as she could muster.

"Uh, yes, actually." Champ almost lost his balance as he leaned against the bar next to Nicole. "But, you've made it pretty clear that what I want doesn't matter, so there's not much point in my asking."

Waverly could smell the alcohol on his breath from as far back as she stood.

"But, my boys over there are completely dry," Champ continued, "I guess I shouldn't act so surprised; you've got a real knack for leaving people high and dry, Waverly Earp."

Hollers echoed throughout the bar. Nicole looked back at Waverly with concern.

Waverly was mortified. She tried diffusing the situation. "You really want to get into this right now?" she asked calmly.

"Funny," Champ raised his voice, "your sister asked me the same thing just last night!"

The retort caused an outburst of laughter from his gang of half-wits.

Waverly rolled her eyes, but, tried not to take the bait. While she knew he was just trying to get a rise out of her, she was beyond embarrassed that the entire bar was in on such a personal conversation between them, especially Nicole.

"Is that all, Champ?" Waverly could not resist adding, "Did my sister ask you that too?"

An audible reaction erupted throughout the saloon. Champ looked back at his crew who were all laughing hysterically at his expense.

"Because, if that's all you have to say," Waverly continued, "you might want to ask 'your boys' to take you elsewhere; you've obviously had quite enough to drink and we will not be serving you another drop of beer tonight."

"Why? Because the fuzz is here?" Champ motioned at Nicole. "Yeah, I could have been a cop too you know, but, they needed a token female on the force."

Nicole shook her head and took a sip of her drink, brushing off his excuse.

Waverly, on the other hand, was unable to let the comment go. "You failed the preliminaries!"

"Three times," Nicole added calmly, not even looking up from her glass.

"They needed a fucking girl!" Champ yelled as he slammed the bar stool to the floor with enough force to snap one of its legs. Nicole intuitively jumped from her seat into a defensive position.

"Champ!" Waverly scorned. She was used to his tantrums.

The entire bar went silent. Gus rushed out of the kitchen in response to the commotion.

"Look," Waverly took control, "I'm the one you're upset with, alright? Leave Nicole out of this."

"Jesus, Waves," Champ sized up Nicole, "since when are you on a first name basis with the police?"

They stared each other down. Waverly wondered if Champ was beginning to suspect something between her and Nicole.

"Champ Hardey!" Gus called out. "You settle down this instant or I'll be callin' your ma' again."

The silence that ensued was deafening.

Champ clenched his jaw as he stared at the women before him. "A fucking girl," he said under his breath. He bumped into Nicole's shoulder quite intentionally as he made his way towards the exit. "Get over yourself, Waves." Champ said in passing.

"Why? Because you can't?" Waverly retorted. The entourage snickered as they ushered Champ to the exit, clearing out the bar.

"You tell Champ he's gonna have to come back and pay for that bar stool," Gus lectured the one who stayed behind to pick up the tab.

Waverly sighed as she collected the broken stool leg.

Nicole placed a hand on Waverly's back. "You alright?"

Waverly looked around the bar. "I'm fine. Embarrassed more than anything else," she admitted.

"Don't be," Nicole assured. "He only embarrassed himself. You handled it well."

The gratitude Waverly felt in that moment had her longing for even a brief moment alone with Nicole.

"Well," Gus said from across the room, looking around at the empty bar, "I don't know about you two, but, I think I've had enough excitement for a Sunday night. Maybe we should close early, just this once. What do you gals think?"

This coincidence felt like some sort of synchronistic, Oprah-esque, law-of-attraction crap that Wynonna once spouted. Waverly could hardly believe it. "Uhhh, I think that's a —" she looked at Nicole who had a twinkle in her eye, "— fine idea, Gus."

"Alright, just bear with me, ladies." Gus said opening the cash register "I'll need to close out first, but, then I can give you both a ride home."

"That's okay, Gus. I'm heading to Nicole's." Waverly glanced at Nicole who appeared pleasantly surprised at this plan.

"Oh. Right." Nicole smiled widely.

"Okay then. You girls be safe and have yourselves a good night." Gus gave a wink only Waverly noticed.

Waverly wasted no time in flipping chairs before grabbing her things and bee-lining towards the exit.

The streets outside of Shorty's were covered in a fresh blanket of snow. "I hope you don't mind the walk," Nicole apologized. "At least it's not as cold as it has been lately."

"Well, I hope you don't mind that I totally invited myself over," Waverly feigned an apology.

Nicole's dimples were irresistibly prominent as she smiled. "My schedule is ass-backwards after working nights all week, so, I'll likely be up for hours anyway." They walked a bit further. "But, I can think of a few ways we could pass the time," she said coyly.

Waverly stopped in her tracks. Nicole was grinning as if this was all part of her plan. Their lips met.

As Waverly pulled back, Nicole was still smiling. "Um, perhaps I was unclear. What I meant was that we could play Crazy Eights or something."

They both laughed, still in each other's arms.

"Well then," Waverly began, "this is super awkward now, isn't it?" She wiped a snowflake from her eyelashes and noticed someone in the distance. She squinted to be sure her eyes were not deceiving her. There was instantly no doubt; Wynonna was coming their way. "Aw, balls!" She was unsure of how much Wynonna might have already seen, but, she was not ready to explain herself to her older sister. Nor was she about to let another obstacle come between her and Nicole.

Nicole turned around to make sense of Waverly's change in mood. Before she had a chance to turn her head fully, Waverly was already pulling her in the opposite direction.

"Waves?" Nicole sounded puzzled, but, ran with her anyway.

Waverly held Nicole's hand as they ran, cutting through residential lawns and backyards.

"What's going on?" Nicole asked, looking over her shoulder.

"I'm not going to let Wynonna or anybody else come between —" Waverly stopped abruptly when she saw what was in front them. She smiled deviously.

Noticing Waverly's reaction, Nicole took a closer look. Staring back at them were faded portraits of Richard Nixon, Ringo Starr and Richie Rich. "Wait, is that the graffiti shed?"

Waverly was already looking for ways to break in.

"Waves," Nicole quieted her voice, "I don't know that this is a good idea. I mean, I am a junior officer. I'm still new to the force... I could get in a lot of trouble for this."

Waverly examined the padlock on the door and circled the shed. "Not if you are apprehending someone who is trespassing on private property," she said coquettishly. She wedged her fingers in the crevasses of the window's edges and pulled upward. To her surprise, the window moved with her. "Seriously?" she said under her breath in disbelief.

"Wait. You want me to arrest you?" Nicole sounded confused.

Waverly calculated how she would climb through the narrow window. She unzipped her winter coat. "If it means you'll have me in handcuffs," she looked back at Nicole and smiled, "then... yes." She removed her coat and threw it into the darkness of the shed. She then hoisted herself up into the open window before Nicole had a chance to object. She wiggled her way through the frame and managed to fit both legs inside. Her dismount was far from graceful when the ankle of her leggings got caught on the latch.

"Waverly, this is crazy!" Nicole peeked through the window, trying to make out the details inside.

In the darkness, Waverly herself could not quite make sense of her surroundings. She thought about using the light from her cellphone, though, it was tucked away in her jacket pocket that was now on the floor somewhere. As far as she could tell, it was surprisingly spacious and felt well insulated against the cold winter air. It was no wonder kids were always breaking in. "There's room for one more!" she invited. She watched as Nicole hesitated.

"Yeah… okay," Nicole gave in. She removed her coat and jacket and handed them to Waverly to better her chances of fitting through the narrow window. She managed to pull her upper half through; her legs being longer than Waverly's, however, were posing a problem. She stalled. "Okay. So, here's the situation," Nicole began, "I. Am. Stuck."

"What?!" Waverly approached the window.

"Yeah. Like... totally, utterly stuck." Nicole reiterated. She tried shimmying within the unyielding window frame.

"Oh shit. Okay. Uhhh." Waverly assessed the situation. "I am going to have to pull you in."

"I think it might be easier to be pulled backward from the outside," Nicole offered.

"The door is locked from the outside," Waverly reminded.

"Great," Nicole said with sarcasm, "I am blocking your primary exit."

"Don't worry." Waverly held Nicole's face in her hands and kissed it softly. "Just hold on."

Nicole's eyes grew wide. "Wait, what?"

Waverly wrapped her arms tightly around Nicole's torso. She took a step backwards and pulled. After a several strained seconds, Nicole was freed from the window. In the process, Waverly lost her balance and fell backwards, squealing as she landed on her backside with Nicole on top of her. Luckily, the pile of winter coats broke their fall.

Nicole raised her head, "Oh my God, Waverly! Are you okay? I haven't crushed you, have I?"

Waverly laid on her back with her eyes closed and laughed. The effort of whole ordeal left her slightly out of breath which made her laugh even harder. Nicole began to laugh with her. Waverly opened her eyes to Nicole's adoring gaze and smile. She raised herself slowly and met Nicole's lips with her own. Nicole kissed back with increasing passion. Waverly could not quite catch her breath.

As they kissed, Waverly ran her hands along the length of Nicole's arms; her skin was smooth to the touch. Her hands then wandered under Nicole's top, grazing the dips and curves of her back.

Nicole began undoing the buttons of Waverly's blouse in succession, exposing her chest. Her fingers outlined the lacing of her brassiere and it was enough to take away the little breath Waverly had left.

She pulled upward on Nicole's top, prompting her to remove it. Her hands caressed Nicole's firm stomach, running up and around to her back to unclasp her bra strap. The street lights beaming through the window were enough to illuminate the provocative view before her as Nicole shed the garment.

Nicole slid Waverly's bra strap away from her shoulder and slowly traced the area with kisses.

Waverly reached for the backside of Nicole's fitted jeans and pulled her in tight. The pressure of Nicole's leg between her thighs left her longing for more. She exhaled as she felt a warm touch reach within the waistband of her pants.

Nicole freed Waverly of her leggings. She caressed the length of her body with a feather touch that gave Waverly a pleasant shiver, while the other hand eased gently between her legs. A continuous circular motion had Waverly gasping with pleasure. She kissed her way down Waverly's stomach; locks of auburn hair trailed her skin tantalizingly. As her tongue made contact, an intoxicating pulsation began to build within.

Waverly gripped Nicole's shoulders with fervor, eliciting a soft hum from Nicole that pleasurably reverberated throughout her body.

Nicole shifted, pressing her forehead against her own, allowing for the perfect vantage point to delve deeper; faster. "Just like that... like that," Waverly said between breathless moans. She could see Nicole's breath in the cold air as she panted with each rhythmic motion. Waverly looked into Nicole's eyes that were filled with desire before she undulated with absolute satisfaction.

As the blissful haze of the moment languished, Waverly began to feel her other senses return. She wrapped her arms around Nicole and held her close, savouring every minute. Nicole kissed her forehead and her cheek lovingly.

Nicole spoke up, "Would it be considered ironic?"

Waverly paused. "Would what be considered ironic?"

Nicole rested her head in her hand. "Is it ironic that this all happened in a shed that is infamous for Dicks?"

Waverly playfully pinched Nicole's arm. Nicole retaliated with a nibble to Waverly's earlobe. She kissed Nicole back as she began to refasten the buttons of her blouse.

They both froze as they heard footsteps crunching in the snow outside.

"Shit!" Nicole heard it too.

"Mr. Johnstone." Waverly dared not say another word out of fear of being discovered. The weight of the potential consequences were beginning to sink in. Not so much for herself, but for Nicole. Waverly knew what the police force meant to her. She gestured for Nicole to stay low.

Nicole dressed in a hurry. Waverly kept her eyes on the window. She stood slowly, barely pulling up her leggings.

"Baby Girl, are you in there?" Wynonna sounded panicked.

"Wynonna!" Waverly jumped at the unexpected face. She then looked down to double check that she was fully clothed.

"You had me worried! I was on my way to Shorty's when I saw you bolt," Wynonna explained, "I thought you were being chased by a revenant, so, I ran to Shorty's to see what was going on. When I got there, the doors were locked, which is unusual for this hour on a Sunday night. So, I tried calling you, but, you weren't answering your phone. That's when I followed your tracks which led me here and I –"

"We're fine. Listen, Wynonna –"

"We? Who else is in there?" Wynonna questioned.

"Nicole." Waverly spoke quickly. "Wynonna, I need you to –"

"Officer Haught? Why?" Wynonna interrogated. "And where's your jacket? It's fucking winter."

A porch light illuminated at the Johnstone house.

Waverly struggled to stay calm. "I took it off to fit through this window, but, that's not important right now! Wynonna, listen to me. I need you to create a diversion. Mr. Johnstone can't know that Nicole is in here. She could lose her job."

"I'm on it." Wynonna said with full confidence. She poked her head further into the shed "Is that a spray can on the work bench? Toss it my way."

Nicole threw the can. Wynonna shook it. "Officer Haught, I plan on cashing my Get Out of Jail Free card tomorrow." She moved to the front of the shed. The sound of the spray can was intermittent.

Waverly turned back to Nicole "We've got to move quickly. I'll hold the window open for you."

Nicole shimmied out with far more ease than she had getting into the shed. Her top was on backwards and her hair was a perfect mess. An endearment filled Waverly's heart at the mere sight of it all. She handed Nicole an armful of coats before pulling herself up through the window. A screen door slammed nearby. Waverly caught a glimpse of Mr. Johnstone in the distance, holding a flashlight and wearing nothing but a bathrobe and winter boots.

"Awww, for Pete's sake... step away from that shed!" Mr. Johnstone's voice echoed angrily throughout the neighbourhood. "I see you, Earp!"

Luckily for Waverly, he was referring to Wynonna. Waverly managed to get out of the shed and make a run for it before he approached.

Now at a safe distance, Waverly looked back at the scene. Wynonna had already disappeared. The beam from Mr. Johnstone's flashlight illuminated Wynonna's artwork. Beside the faded portraits was an unnecessarily detailed illustration of a vein-laden penis.

"Sweet Jesus, Wynonna," Waverly said, feeling as disgusted as she did grateful.

"Subtle." Nicole joked.

Waverly grabbed Nicole's hand as they fled once again. They eventually slowed their pace and walked for several blocks without speaking.

"That was a bit too close for comfort," Nicole said breaking the silence. "I can't believe we almost got caught."

"I'd say," Waverly agreed. "I'm pretty sure Wynonna will likely be okay with it, but, I just don't think I'm ready yet."

"Oh." Nicole sounded a bit guarded. "I was referring to being caught breaking into Mr. Johnstone's shed. Not about being... outed."

Waverly felt foolish. "Oh. Right."

"Do you really think your sister wouldn't be okay with it?" Nicole asked, "She seems pretty cool to me; not like my family at all."

Waverly considered the question. "I don't know. My relationship with Wynonna is weird." She watched her feet make new prints in the snow as she walked. "We hadn't seen each other for years until recently. In some ways, I feel like we are just getting to know each other and it's been pretty great," she smirked. "I see her making the effort now. She's really trying and it means the world to have her back in my life. Though, I can't help but feel like I'm holding this fragile relationship of ours in my hands. I am afraid it will drop and shatter if it turns out that she has strong opinions against this."

"This?" Nicole inquired, her voice uncertain.

Waverly reached for Nicole's hand. "Whatever 'this' is between us, it's amazing. You've helped me understand something that I, alone, wouldn't have had the courage to explore. It's exciting and terrifying… but, mostly exciting. I just hope I am able to stay as true to myself as you have." Waverly looked away.

Nicole stopped in front of Waverly and placed her hands on her shoulders. "I think you're incredible, Waverly Earp. Anyone worth knowing will respect you for who you are."

To hear Wynonna's words echoed by Nicole filled her with the reassurance that she so desperately needed. At a complete loss for words, she kissed Nicole tenderly as the winter's snow fell before them.