Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was another cold Canadian winter night at the homestead. Besides the crackling fire, the only sound coming from the vicinity was the laughter of five beer filled 20-something year olds. It was ritual, even now that they were in different places in their lives, they always came back to the Earp Homestead on Friday nights.

Henry still lived in town, helping his father run the family saloon. Robbie was going to go to the big city for school, but when Henry’s dad offered him a job too he couldn’t pass up the chance to stay with his boyfriend. Mercedes stayed to take care of Beth and Tucker, which worked out in Wynonna’s favor. Nicole had just scored a position as the Purgatory Sheriff Department’s new rookie. And Wynonna, well, Wynonna knew she could never leave without the people sitting around the same fire. They were here, so she was here.

They had been friends all throughout high school. Friday night fires became a regular after-football game event. They’d all go to see Dolls play, even if they were freezing their butts off. They waited for him outside the locker room, and all rode back to the homestead to celebrate win or lose. When they lost him senior year everything seemed hopeless, like the group wasn’t complete anymore. Friday nights became their salvation, and a way to honor their fallen member. No one ever missed one after that. Now in their early 20’s, they were still going strong, always raising their first glass to Dolls, and leaving an empty seat so that they could all sit together.

This particular Friday night was just like any other. They had all been sitting around the fire that was tricking down. Henry got up to get more wood out of the barn. Robbie knew that was his opportunity I have a few minutes of alone time. Along the same lines Mercedes was complaining about being cold, and although Wynonna was literally sitting on top of her they both went inside to “get more blankets”. Nicole was left to watch the fire. She didn’t mind, she liked to be alone with her thoughts, but it was times like these that she noticed just how much she missed Dolls. She took it the hardest, they had been friends since they were three and played on the same pee wee football team. He always had her back, even through high-school when she came out, he never let anyone say one bad word toward it without consequence. Losing him truly was like losing a brother. In times when she looked at Henry and Robbie or Wynonna and Mercedes, she wished she had someone like that, that she could share her feelings with. Dolls was that for her, even if it wasn’t romantic, he was there. Except now, he wasn’t.

The headlights pulling up and tires crunching through the snow brought her out of her daze. The Jeep? Waverly? She was never home this early, especially on a Friday night.

Nicole turned in her chair to meet the gaze of the small Earp against her car, holding herself in a tight hug. She had no jacket. Miss four blankets, plus a bonus blanket had no jacket, and was back at 9 o’clock on a Friday night, something was definitely wrong. They stared at each-other for a moment, long enough that Waverly knew Nicole could tell something was wrong. She was out of her chair and over to the smaller girl now. Her jacket came off on the walk over and found its way onto Waverly’s shoulder. Their gaze hadn’t broken, but no words had come from either of their mouths either. Nicole just stared, Waverly’s eyes were tired, and red from crying. Nicole waited. A sigh left Waverly’s mouth, all she could to was wrap her arms around Nicole. They stayed like that for a while, holding each other. Nicole didn’t need to know what was wrong, but she did need to make sure that whatever it was Waverly was ok.

The first time they met they had only been kids. Nicole was 14, she and Wynonna were just begging to realize how much they needed each other. It was before the rest of the group had formed, but the two instantly knew that they were two sides of the same shitty coin called life. Waverly was only 9 but Wynonna kept her close even then. Soon becoming Wynonna’s best friend, Nicole has the chance to see Waverly a lot. Waverly immediately took a liking to her. The first time Nicole came to the homestead They were all sitting at the kitchen table. Waverly was reaching for the last cookie and Willa took it out of her hand. Nicole, in her true fashion gave her cookie to Waverly. When they walked down by the lake she’d carry Waverly on her back, and back home over her shoulder after the young girl had fallen asleep from the exhaustion of the day, and It only continued with time. Waverly loves curling into her favorite red heads side. As they got older Nicole became her go to person for everything. When Wynonna forgot to pick her up, she called Nicole. When she had a homework’s question, Nicole helped her work through it. Nicole made everyone of Waverly’s cheer competitions that she could, and when deciding what college to attend, Nicole was the first one she talked to. Even when Waverly began staying out with her boyfriend (who was a jerk in Nicole’s opinion), she still leaned on her favorite red head.

Now, at 21, she is in her arms, tears still falling from her face onto Nicole’s jacket around her. She feels safe in her arms, but worried for how she’ll react with what she has to tell her.

“Inside”, is all she manages.

They walk through the doors to find Wynonna on top of Mercedes on the couch. Nicole just pulls Waverly along up to the smallest Earpers room. Wynonna saw them walk up the stairs and began to follow, but decided against it in the end. She knew how much Waverly needed to talk to Nicole when she was upset. Wynonna was the same way, she loved Waverly, but couldn’t always express everything she wanted to talk about to her sister.

Upstairs, Waverly sat on her bed, still holding onto Nicole’s hand. She hadn’t said anything more yet. Nicole broke their hold to get Waverly a blanket, when she offered it around The smaller girls shoulders Waverly only snuggled further into her jacket.

“Waves”, she offered, trying to get her to voice her feelings

“I..I cant, I don’t know, wh- how”, Waverly was never this speechless. Especially around Nicole. For some reason she couldn’t tell her, she couldn’t face the embarrassment.

“You can tell me. You don’t have to, but you can”, Nicole whispered running her hand up and down Waverly’s back, hoping to calm her breathing down.

Waverly sighed. She moved to face Nicole, tears streaming down her cheek. She took Nicole’s hands in her own and closed her eyes, barely able to breath out her next sentence,

“I’m pregnant”.

Chapter Text

“I’m pregnant”, the words fell out of her mouth quickly followed by a flow of tears.

Nicole’s mouth hung open. Waverly dove into her side, wrapping her hands around Nicole’s waist. Nicole took a deep breath, and continued to rub circles onto Waverly’s back.

“It’ll be ok Waves”, she said in attempt to reassure her. She knew Waverly didn’t believe her, she knew that she didn’t believe herself, and she knew that she was probably going to have to go kick Champ Hardy’s ass. Waverly sat up, her tears had run out, but Nicole wiped away their remnants.

“What am I gonna do Nic? Champ doesn’t want anything to do with a baby”, she whined. Nicole pulled her back into her side. She hated Champ.

“I’ll talk to him. If that’s what you want.” Anything for Waverly. If she wanted Champ in her life Nicole was going to go over there and make him want to be a father.

“Don’t bother. We broke up. He said he didn’t need a baby right now. He thinks I do? I’m alone Nicole.”

“Waverly Earl you will never be alone. I’m here”, she stroked her cheek, “I’m here, and Wynonna is here and we-“

“No”, Waverly demanded. She pulled herself from Nicole’s side again. She looked into Nicole’s perfectly green eyes.

“Wynonna can’t know. Not yet.” Waverly knew the position she was putting Nicole in. Asking her not to tell her best friend of over ten years that her little sister was pregnant, and that the boy-man she was dating slipped out. Yeah, that was going to be hard. But she also knew Nicole. She’d never betray her.

“Okay.” It was all Nicole needed to say. She gave Waverly her word, and she would stick to that.

With a sigh of relief from Waverly, Wynonna bursted through the door. She couldn’t sit downstairs any longer pretending her sister wasn’t upstairs crying her eyes out. Waverly knew that.

“I’m fine Nonna. Champ...we just..we broke up that’s all”, that was technically true. It was enough to cover her tracks without lying, because she sucked at lying. Wynonna always knew.

“Babygirl, I’m sorry. I am. I know you know how much I hated him but that doesn’t make me any less sorry to see you hurt.” Wynonna moved toward the bed as Waverly stood up to wrap her in a hug.

“Now come on, Haught and I will cheer you up. Come down to the fire.”

“That sounds good, I’ll be down in a minute”. Wynonna shook her head, accepting Waverlys proposal. Nicole didn’t move. She still sat on Waverly’s bed watching Waverly close, *and lock* the door. Waverly turned to face her. She stuck her arms out for Nicole to hug her. Nicole sprang from the bed pulling the girl into one last hug before they’d go down stairs. Waverly feel just left the ground, Nicole was so much taller that it usually happened where the ended up picking Waverly up right off the ground.

“I’m here.”

“I know.”

They broke apart. Waverly moves to her closet, peeling off her jeans. She pulled up a pair of sweatpants over her toned legs. Nicole avoided her gaze, looking rather out the window at the fire. It was impossible no to fall for Waverly. Nicole has managed to keep it under wraps for the years in which she realized her feelings. But it was moments like these, seeing her in her jacket, trusting her with something she couldn’t manage to tell her own sister. These were the moments she found it incredibly hard not to cup Waverlys face and place a soft kiss on her lips.

Waverly was going to need her more then ever now. She had no time to admit her feelings. Waverly needed her as a friend, and that’s exactly what she’d be. A friend.

“You’re letting me drive you to appointments right?”

“You’d do that for me?”

“I’d do a lot of things to you” smooth Nicole. Just what you didn’t want to do.

“For-for me?”

“Yeah that too”

“You don’t have to do th-“

“Waves. I want to.” She moved to grab Waverly’s shoulders, “ I’m here. That means 100%”

“Nicole, I lo-“

Waverly was cutoff again, only this time by Wynonna’s pounding at the door again.

“We better go”, Nicole whispered

They moved out of the door and down the stairs. The first was still going, but it was dwindling down. Wynonna was poking at it, “how about a movie instead”. No one protested.

Wynonna curled into Mercedes in one couch. Robbie and Henry were fast asleep within 20 minutes in the big chair. That left Nicole and Waverly on the loveseat. Nicole laid herself out, attempting to actually watch the movie, with Waverly next to her curled into her side. It wasn’t necessarily unusual for them to be in a position similar to that, but Wynonna sensed something was up.

“Is Waverly asleep?”

“I think so, why”.

“Haught. You’re my best friend. I gotta know, did you finally tell Waves how you feel.”

Of course Nicole told her. She’s her best friend. Wynonna didn’t disapprove, the opposite actually, she’d been trying to get them together for months now.

“No, why?”

“I think you should. She finally got out from Champ, bows your shot. I mean she’s literally on top of you. She’s hurting right now and I think she needs you.”

She had no idea. What was Nicole supposed to say? Uh yeah don’t think it’s the best time to confess my fondness of your sister, shes got other things to worry about?

“I don’t know Wyn”.

“Just think about it”, she tinder back to Mercedes and continued planting kisses on her neck.

Tell her? It might be good. Nicole wasn’t ready for a child either, but she loved Waverly, and she would do anything for her. Even if that meant getting thrown into the parent mix. Right now it didn’t matter, right now Waverly was asleep on her chest. Right now, all she could do was stroke her thumb across Waverly’s hand.

Right now, frankly, the situation was balls.