12. New High Score

“You wanna ride to my place with me?” Nicole asked, tussling a towel through her hair.

“Yeah, sure,” Waverly answered with a smile. “Wynonna said she needs me at the station today, anyway.”

“Alright, cool. We’ll go once you’re ready.” Nicole sat on the couch and put her shoes on as Waverly ran up and changed her clothes. 

After a few minutes, she came back down. “Ready!” 

Nicole stood up, head still pounding, and grabbed the trash bag containing her nasty clothes. “Thanks again, Chrissy,” she smiled, looking over at the girl standing in the kitchen.

“No problem,” she replied with a yawn.

The two girls walked out the front door. Nicole shielded her eyes from the sun and quickly put her Aviators on when she got in the car. “I can’t believe Dolls’ workout today was driving your car here then taking a run back to Shorty’s,” Waverly mumbled, shaking her head. 

“I don’t know how he does it,” Nicole sighed. “Like, yeah, I work out hard, but-”

“Obviously,” Waverly smirked, cutting her off.

Nicole looked toward her with a blush forming on her cheeks, rolling her eyes under her sunglasses. “But it's like he has superpowers or some shit with all that stamina,” she finished.

“He sure is special.” Waverly slid her hand under Nicole’s with a sigh and interlocked their fingers.

The rest of their drive consisted of bickering over the best way to survive a zombie apocalypse and Waverly demanding to know how she got her hands so soft. “Literally all I do is put lotion on them, Waves,” she said as Waverly closely examined one.

“I don’t believe you,” she grumbled, hiding a smile.

“Ooook, you do you,” Nicole sighed. “Let's go, we only have like 20 minutes.” Waverly looked up, noticing they were parked in front of a light blue house. Nicole opened her door and got out with a stretch. Waverly grabbed the trash bag and exited the car, staring at the house with an open smile. Nicole walked over to her.

“It's so cute!” Waverly giggled, wrapping her arm around Nicole’s middle.

“Thanks?” Waverly let out another giggle and gave Nicole a peck on the cheek. She skipped up to the front door. Nicole sorted through her keys and found the right one. She opened the screen door. “Someone’s gonna be mad,” she mumbled, unlocking the door and pushing it open, letting Waverly in first. She was overjoyed that the house smelled just like Nicole. It was simple but very organized. The books on the bookshelf were by color and the shoe rack was by style.

“You can set that crap next to the couch,” Nicole said, taking her sunglasses off and rubbing her eyes. They both paused when they heard a series of screeching. Waverly looked at Nicole and she clenched her jaw. “Yep, definitely mad,” she muttered, walking over to the direction of the noise. Waverly slowly followed, only to let out a laugh when she saw Nicole picking up a large orange cat off of the back of the couch. “God damn, Calamity, you’re fat,” Nicole whispered, walking towards the kitchen.

“And who is this?” Waverly questioned, scratching the orange fluff on the cat’s head.

“Waverly, Calamity Jane. CJ, Waverly,” she introduced, opening a food can. “Someone is angry that I wasn’t home to feed them last night. Ain’t that right, you brat?” Calamity meowed and walked across the counter closer to Waverly, disregarding the food.

“Why, hello there,” she cooed, stroking her new furry friend. She looked up at Nicole with a wide smile as the cat licked her face.

“Ok, you, come eat,” Nicole called, tapping the dish on the counter and placing in on the floor. Calamity hopped off the counter. “Well, now that you’ve met my child, I need to get ready." She reached her hand out to Waverly.

She took it and they headed down the hallway. “I can really see the resemblance." 

“Oooh, good one,” Nicole smirked. She led them into her room at the end of the hall. It was just as organized, if not more than the rest of the house, and it seemed to be ocean themed. There were pictures of sea life all over her walls and her bedding had realistic ocean waves on it. The only thing looking out of place was the Pac Man Arcade Machine sitting in the corner of her room.

“Woah!” Waverly flapped her finger at it. “Where’d you get that?!”

“My friend from back home bought it for me when I graduated from the Academy. You can play it if you want,” she offered, walking over to her dresser.

Waverly jumped up and down happy clapping before darting over to it. She fumbled with the joystick and the few buttons on the top for a bit, but the screen remained blank. “How do you turn it on, Nic?”

“Oh, right.” She walked up behind her, placing a hand on her hip and leaned down beside her, flipping a switch on the side of the system. Waverly’s eyes widened when she realized Nicole didn’t have a shirt on anymore. The screen turned, flashing bright neon colors. “There ya go.” She started to walk away but was stopped by a hand on her wrist. Waverly pulled her back to where she was before. She grabbed her other arm and pulled them both in front of her, placing her hands on the controls of the game. “Waves-”

“One game, please?” she begged, turning around and pulling Nicole’s hips towards her. She looked up at her with the best puppy dog eyes she could manage. “It will be quick, I promise.”

Nicole licked her lips. “One game . . . I can’t say no to a face like that,” she smirked, rolling Waverly’s bottom lip down with her thumb. She slid her hand to Waverly’s jaw and pulled her into a kiss, pushing her back into the arcade system. Nicole pulled back after a few seconds and the smaller one let out a giggle, spinning back around. Nicole moved her hands back to the system and pressed start. Waverly leaned back into Nicole, watching the little yellow thing move up and down the screen.

After a few minutes, Nicole finally died. The system made a celebratory noise and New High Score popped up on the screen. Nicole wrapped her arms around Waverly, pulling her close. “I guess you’re my good luck charm,” she muttered, kissing her neck.

Waverly let out a quiet moan, grasping her bicep. “No, that’s all you, Baby,” she breathed out, spinning around. She pulled Nicole into a kiss, and Nicole backed them to the bed, flipping over before they laid down. Waverly ran her finger down the seam of the blue sports bra Nicole was wearing before gripping her shoulder to pull her closer.

Nicole began sucking on Waverly’s neck, getting a few noises from her when she started grinding her hips down into her. Nicole moved her hands down and pushed one up under the bottom of her shirt. She felt her warm skin and how her torso moved with every breath, and Waverly’s hips pressed up into her. 

Nicole let out a sigh and detached her lips from Waverly’s neck, rolling off to the side of the bed. “Work,” she groaned. Judging by the time, she already knew she would be late. She sat up and looked down at Waverly, who was still catching her breath. She noticed the red blotch forming on her neck. “Whoops,” she mumbled, tilting her head for a better look.

“No, you didn’t.” Waverly sat up, placing her hand over it wide-eyed. Nicole gave her a nervous smile. “Ugh, Wy is gonna kill me and you,” she complained.

“Worth it.” Nicole winked at her and walked back to her dresser.

Waverly shot the back of her head a look. “Where’s your bathroom?” she asked. “I want to see how noticeable it is.”

“First door on the right,” Nicole answered. Waverly got up and walked to the bathroom. Nicole took this time to continue getting dressed.

She turned the light on in the bathroom, leaning against the counter and tilting her head up. She saw the mark on her neck. It was red around the outside and a darker red on the inside. She rubbed it for a few seconds, and then rubbed it with some water, but it wasn't getting any lighter. She sighed and walked back to Nicole’s room.

Nicole had only enough time to change her underwear and pull on a white cotton tank top by the time Waverly stomped back into the room. “What’s wrong?” she pouted sarcastically, crossing her arms.

“Nothing,” Waverly mocked, mimicking her stance and tone.

“Oh, ok, so I can make it darker then? Since it's nothing . . .” She jokingly started leaning towards her neck.

“Nicole,” Waverly laughed with a whine, slapping her hands against her shoulders.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll stop,” Nicole said, still laughing. 

“I’m gonna play Pac Man, Dracula,” Waverly huffed, hiding a smile. She walked back over to the machine and Nicole continued getting dressed. She pulled her khakis off the hanger and slid them on, doing the same with her shirt. She buttoned it, leaving the top two buttons open, and tucked it into her pants, buttoning them and slipping her belt on. After rolling her sleeves to elbow level, she began braiding her hair. She sat on the edge of her bed where she could see herself in the mirror on the closet door. This was usually the longest part of her morning because she had to make sure it was just right.

When it looked up to her standards, she walked around the bed to Waverly, who was still intently playing the game. “Does this look good?” she asked, turning around.

Waverly turned, looking at her hair for a moment but then shifting her eyes downward, sticking her tongue out between her teeth. She walked up to Nicole, placing her hands on her ass and resting her head on her shoulder. “Looks great,” she smirked.

“I meant my hair,” she informed.

Waverly turned her around. “Mhm, that too.” She pulled the Officer into a deep kiss, slipping her tongue in her mouth. Nicole groaned against her lips, sliding her hands down to her ass to pull her closer.

After a while, Nicole pulled away with a huff, smoothing her shirt. “Nedley is already going to shoot me, we need to get going." Waverly sighed and wiped the lipstick off from around Nicole’s lips carefully. She flipped the switch off on the game and wandered out the door. She sat on the couch, petting Calamity Jane as she waited for Nicole . 

Nicole came out and sat next to her, pulling her boots on. She stood and grabbed her Stetson from the hook by the door. She clipped her utility belt on and stuck her gun in the holster. “I’m ready, Waves,” she called from the door, placing her Aviators back on. Waverly said goodbye to CJ and walked over to her. She opened the door and stepped out, holding the screen door open for Waverly.

“Officer, so polite!” Waverly smiled, running her hand down her front.

She rolled her eyes and they headed towards her cruiser. “Depending on the time of day,” she said with a wink, running her thumb along the mark on Waverly’s neck.

Waverly moved her tongue along her top molars. “You’re so bad,” she muttered, climbing into the car.

Nicole closed her door with a chuckle and walked around to the driver’s side, starting the car. “Why’s Wynonna need you there today?” she asked, pulling away.

“I dunno, I think she needs more of my research about- . . . things.” She cringed at herself.

Nicole snapped her towards her, mouth dropped open. “You know about all that secret stuff, too?”

Waverly sunk down in her seat and looked out the window. “Maybe."

“Dolls said he needs to talk to me today, so maybe I get to be included for once."

“Hey . . .” Waverly placed her hand on her arm. “It's not that he isn’t including you, it's that he can’t. Nedley doesn’t even know why he’s here.”

“Oh.” Nicole hadn’t thought about it like that. There really must have been some serious stuff going on. She relaxed a little bit, trying to ignore the ache that was traveling around her whole body.

Nicole and Waverly rushed into the station after they arrived, for the officer was 30 minutes late for work. She had never been late before so she was quite terrified. “You’re late, Haught!” Dolls called from the BBD office doorway. “Both of you, in here!” Waverly looked up at Nicole calmly, trying to reassure her. They walked in and Dolls closed the door behind them.

“Where were you?” Wynonna demanded, taking a bite out of her donut.

“We . . .” Nicole started.

“Were looking for her cat.” Waverly finished, smiling at Wynonna as they sat down.

“Mmm, I see. So did it bite you when you found it?” Wynonna asked, blinking at her sister. Nicole slumped down in her chair, leaning into her hand to hide her reddened face.

“What?” Waverly asked obliviously.

Wynonna shook her head and stood, finishing off her donut. “Nevermind." She flicked her neck and made a purring noise when she walked behind her. Waverly gasped in realization  and Nicole snorted before standing and walking to the coffee maker, pouring herself a cup. “How’s your hangover, Miss Kitty?” Wynonna asked, leaning against the counter.

Nicole glared at her. “Could be worse,” she sighed. “You remember anything?”

“Nope . . . That means we had fun.”

“Maybe a little too much fun,” Nicole mumbled, taking a sip of coffee and rubbing her temple.

“Eh, at least we didn’t wake up in a middle-aged man’s living room."

“That’s very true.”

“Trust me, that’s when you know you’ve had a little too much fun.” Wynonna pushed herself off the counter and walked back to the table. Nicole stood there for a second, trying to clear the images swarming her head. She shivered and walked over to Dolls.

“So what d’you want to talk to me about?” she asked, removing her hat. She glanced behind him at Wynonna poking Waverly’s neck and teasing her before pursing her lips and looking back at him.

“Follow me,” he said, walking towards the corner of the room where a chalkboard was standing. “So, Haught, I’m sure you have been wondering who I am and why I am here, correct?”

“Uh, yes, Sir.” Her heart was beating 100 miles per hour.

“Well, I’m gonna reveal it to you. You’ve proved your loyalty to us and Wynonna and I feel that you’d be a great addition to this team.”

“How . . . did I do that?” she asked, shoving her thumbs into her belt.

“When you saved Waverly from Champ,” he answered, raising his eyebrows.

“Oh. Yeah. Continue.”

“I’m a special agent for a confidential joint-task force called the Black Badge Division. Our duty is to investigate things that are . . . unexplainable. And the Ghost River Triangle is full of it. It, in this case, being Revenants. What is a Revenant, you ask? Have you heard of Wyatt Earp?” Nicole nodded. “In his day he killed 77 people with his gun- Peacemaker, you’ve seen it. The one Wynonna carries around all the time?”

“The long one she pointed at my head the other day?”

“Uh, yeah . . . That’s the one. Well, Earp had a curse put on his family so that all the people that he killed would come back from Hell in an attempt to kill the Heir of the Family. The Heir, Wynonna, has to try and kill all of them to break the curse. Waverly has been helping us figure out who the Revenants are because she has been researching it her whole life. Wynonna has been doing the killing. And Doc, Doc Holliday, yes, that Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp’s right-hand man, has been helping us, too, or at least trying to . . . And we want you. You’re an extraordinary police officer with a keen eye for detail. So, while you are out doing whatever, we need you to watch for anything . . . unusual. They aren’t that hard to spot, their eyes glow red, they hate Wynonna. They do typical demon shit and are usually hanging out with Bobo.” Nicole was suddenly lost in thought. She was getting foggy images of the night before. She watched Wynonna shoot a man with red eyes and he fell through a fiery hole in the ground.

“I . . . she . . . last night . . . fire.” That was all Nicole could manage to get out.

Dolls put it together quite nicely, though. “Earp!” Dolls barked. Waverly and Wynonna looked up at him. “Wynonna, would you come here please?” he asked with a smile.

Wynonna slowly stood, not breaking eye contact with Dolls. She walked to him and stood next to Nicole, who was still trying to put it all together. “What did I do?” she asked.

“You shot a Revenant right in front of Haught, that’s what you did!” he snapped.

“I did?”

“Last night.” Nicole looked over to her with her brows raised.

Wynonna thought about it for a second before widening her eyes. “I did do that, didn’t I?” Nicole nodded slowly, and Wynonna looked back to Dolls. “Hey, she knows now, so it doesn’t matter.”

“But you can’t go around shooting people! Someone is going to catch you, Wynonna!”

“Fine, I’m sorry.” She threw her hands up and walked away.

“So . . . Bobo is a Revenant?” Nicole asked as all of the things he was shoving into her brain started to piece together.

He nodded. “Bobo Del Rey is their leader. Anything he says, they’ll do. Next weekend he’s hosting a party, and we need all hands on deck, so that means you, too." He pat Nicole on the shoulder and began to walk away. “Oh, yeah, one more thing . . .” He turned back towards her, and she saw a genuine smile on his face for the first time ever. “Agent Haught. Welcome to the Black Badge Division.”