chapter 24: Unspoken

"There you guys are, I thought one of these vampires here decided to lock you away in the blood bank."

Nicole joked as soon as soon as the three Earp girls walked into the room and before she could even understand what was going on, she found herself choking back a yelp of pain as arms wrapped around her.

"Waverly, sweetheart. I love you but can you please loosen your grip? I'm not at one hundred percent yet." she grumbled, pressing a kiss to Waverly's temple

"I'm Sorry. I just...I was so scared, Nicole. You had lost so much blood and..." Waverly choked out, pulling away and wiping at her eyes.

Nicole didn't need her to finish to know what she meant and pulled her back into a tight hug, ignoring her own discomfort.

"Hey, I'm still here okay? I'm a bit sore and I'm pretty sure I've gotten at least two new scars but I'm here and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, Okay?"

She knew how close of a call it had been for her, how that man-no, the demon had almost killed her. How she had seen him sent back to hell by a blast of a gun. The gun that currently hung on Wynonna's hip.

But Waverly didn't need to be reminded of that.

Wynonna watched as the redhead tried to calm Waverly down before she walked over and put a hand on Nicole's arm, careful not to touch anywhere that had been cut or bruised.

"How you feeling haughtstuff? You had us all scared half to death."

Asked Wynonna, surprising Nicole with how shaky her voice was.

"Like I got hit by a bus but I'm here and that's all that matters, right?" Nicole retorted, a slight smile coming over her face as she added: "Besides, you're the badass who came in with guns blazing, I should be thanking you."

Wynonna rolled her eyes at that, lightly cuffing her in back of the head.

"You're not going to even let me try to be sentimental are you?"

She quipped, although she totally didn't prepare for the answer she got in return

"Because you don't to be Wynonna. I mean, you stayed the night and slept in the most uncomfortable position. That means Besides, we hang out all the time in one way or another. I think I can understand what you necessarily say. Even if you do grit on my last nerve sometimes."

Nicole's answer caused the knot that had been forming in her throat to nearly choking her although she managed to choke back the emotions in order to speak.

"Yeah well, you might as wells get used to it Haughtpocket because you're basically family now. Hell, you've been staying at the homestead more than you've stayed home this week!"

Waverly, who had pulled away slightly during their conversation was surprised to find tears suddenly in Nicole's eyes. After all, Nicole had told her the whole story about how she had ended up in Purgatory without so much as choking up. Yet one compliment from Wynonna broke her.

But Waverly understood why because deep down she knew that all three of them: herself, Wynonna and even Nicole had felt the same bitterness before, the same loneliness.

And then her mind turned to Willa, who stood near the door watching them.

Waverly thought, offering the woman in question a small smile but like usual it wasn't returned even though Willa's eyes did seem to brighten slightly.

Or maybe it was just Waverly's wishful thinking.