77. Top Shelf, Man

       Waverly shoved her jeep in park, pulling her visor down and letting out a breath as she wiped under her eyes. She was well aware that she had royally screwed up. And she was also well aware that their conversation was far from over with. She just hoped that Nicole had some sense of forgiveness in her heart because she didn't know how she would live with herself if she didn't. 

       She flicked her visor back up after putting on about five minutes' worth of purse makeup, watching as the church crowd slowly but surely made their ways back to their cars. It was larger than the usual one-roomed churches in the area but certainly wasn't as big as the ones that looked more like a concert arena. But judging by the sign flashing through announcements in the front, Julian seemed to be the star of the show here. 

       After the last trickle of people seemed to be leaving and her eyes looked like she hadn't been crying for 30 minutes straight, she climbed out of her vehicle, glancing over at herself in her side mirror before biting the bullet and heading inside. 

       She wasn’t going to lie. She had never actually been in a church before. Well. Not that she remembered, that was. So seeing the inside was quite interesting because it was all new to her. It seemed to be a more up-to-date church, judging by the multiple TVs lining the walls and the large one in front. The ceiling was tall, decked out with a healthy amount of stained glass. There were a dozen, give or take, pews on either side, leading up to the front. On the right side of the stage was a couple of choir benches and a piano, and on the left was a couple of microphones, some guitars, and a drumset. Front and center, aligned with the huge Jesus up on the back wall, stood a podium. 

       And at the podium, stood Julian. 

       He was talking to the final two people in the room, but they seemed to be leaving as well. She walked up the middle, giving them a polite smile as they passed. Julian seemed to not be aware of her presence, for he was busy sorting through some papers on the podium, but it just gave her a chance to study him for a few seconds. 

       He honestly was more handsome in person than he had been in any of the many pictures she had seen of him. His light grey hair was short on the sides and shaped up on the top. His beard was trimmed nicely to follow his jaw. And he was tall and very muscular, judging by the way his Priest attire fit him. 

       She had to say, he looked pretty damn good for 51, so she hoped she had gotten those genes. 

       She let out a breath in attempt to calm herself down, feeling how fast her heart was beating. She swallowed before finally beginning, “I’ve got a question for you.” 

       He raised his eyes from his papers, looking at her for a second, for he hadn’t realized she had been standing there. “And I may have an answer for you.” His voice was deep; deeper than she had expected and smooth as Tennesse whiskey. 

       She took a few more steps forward and hopped up onto the stage, walking to the podium and leaning against it across from him. He stood up to his full height, lifting the papers and tapping the edge against the wood to align them before setting them down and leaning forward on his elbows, squinting slightly at her, almost as if he was trying to place her. “You look familiar . . .” he mused. “Have we met before?” 

       She raised her eyebrows a bit at that but gave him a shrug. “Not that I remember.” Technically , it was not a lie. 

       He gave her a nod with a smile, holding his hand out. “Father Julian.” 

       She shook it with a smile of her own. “Hi . . . Now to my question.” She tapped her fingers on the top of it slightly, shifting her weight to her right leg. “What’s your opinion on racism?” 

       He tipped his head, probably not expecting that to be her question. “Well, it’s certainly one of the biggest problems in the world at the moment.”

       “Are you racist?” 

       “Everyone to me is equal. That’s always how I’ve seen it.”

       “Women?” 

       He nodded with a little chuckle, “Of course. We wouldn’t be here without them.” 

       She smiled at that, tipping her head a bit and standing up a little straighter. “What about gay marriage?” 

       “Considering I just officiated one here last weekend, I’d say I’m favor.”

       Her eyebrows shot to her hairline. “ Really ?” She squeaked out before realizing it. 

       He nodded slowly, standing up straight and crossing his arms in front of himself. “Is there a reason why I’m being interrogated . . .?” 

       She looked up at him, widening her eyes a bit. “Well- I, uh . . . I heard about all your protest shenanigans and I wanted to see who else you were against . . . Besides, ya know, police and all.” 

       He grabbed his papers and made a gesture for her to follow. They walked down the steps and he led her to a room behind the main church that looked to be his office and setting them down on his desk. They were out just as fast as they were in, slowly walking back. “I’m against violence- It’s not necessary and never will be. There are so many other ways problems can be solved then going out and shooting people.” 

       “So that’s why you don’t like cops? They’re too violent?” 

       He nodded with a small scowl, putting his hands in his pockets as he went to go up the stairs to the stage. “Them and all murderers .” 

       Waverly looked towards him, chewing on the side of her lip. “So . . . It has nothing to do with Sheriff Earp?” 

       Julian stopped dead in his tracks, snapping his head towards her with bulging eyes. “How on Earth do you know about that?!” His voice was suddenly harsh, almost fearful. 

       She crossed her arms in front of herself, hugging her body. “. . . I was kinda there,” she mumbled. 

       His brow wrinkled tightly, strong lines forming on his forehead. “You were . . .” She watched the realization hit him like a freight train. “ Waverly ?” She gave him a small smile, tracing his face for his next move.  He continued to stare down at her in shock. “How did you- You were never- I didn’t-”

       “Michelle’s home.”

       He quickly shook his head. “She told me you would never kno-” 

       “She didn’t tell me,” Waverly corrected. “Well, she did . But only who you were. I had already known I wasn’t an Earp. Whole DNA test thing- long story . Anyway.” 

       “No. No one can know about you. It-” 

       She put her hands up slightly. “I know that. And no one has to, I promise.” She looked up at him with pleading eyes, begging him not to push her away. 

       She watched as he racked it over in his brain, the nerves working in his face. He finally pursed his lips, letting out a sigh, “ Lord .” He walked back down to her, standing in front of her for a second before gently placing his hands on her shoulders as he seemed to study her. “You look just like your mother- No wonder I thought you looked familiar.” 

       “I do?” She asked with a subconscious giggle. 

       “Pretty darn similar,” he confirmed with a soft smile. She blushed a bit and he removed his hands. “C’mon.” He began to walk towards the door. 

       “Where?” 

       “Outside. I think better with fresh air.” 

       She quickly followed, fast-walking to return to his side. Father Julian pushed opened the door, letting her out first. “What did-”

       He quickly cut her off with a grimace, “Why in God’s name is there a pig on my property?” 

       Waverly cocked an eyebrow, turning her head toward the direction he was looking, only to see a certain redhead leaning against her cruiser on the other side of the parking lot. Her eyes widened as she looked back up at him. “Don’t call her that.” 

       “Why not?!” 

       “Cause . . .” She got quiet with a huff. “She’s my annoyingly overprotective fiancee.” 

       “You’re what ?!” 

       She clenched her jaw, shooting daggers at her for a second. “Just- Gimme a second.” She began to walk towards her with an angry stomp in her step. "What the hell are you doing here?!" 

       Nicole pushed herself to a standing position. She didn't look as angry as she had earlier. She was more worried now. "Making sure you'ere gonna be ok when you left here," she mumbled, feeling eyes locked on her from 40 feet away. 

       "What- Did you follow me here?" She questioned, raising her brows. 

       "Of course I did." 

       The brunette crossed her arms. "Well, guess who's not a bigoted asshole?" 

       Nicole pursed her lips. "Waves,-" 

       "No. Don't Waves me. You had no right to follow me, Nico-"

       "Oh, I had no right , huh?" She crossed her arms with a look that shoved the brunette right back in her place. Waverly's face softened as she made herself smaller. "Yea, that's what I thought." 

       "Nic, I'm sorry." 

       "No. The only reason you're sorry is cause you got caught." The smaller one’s brow dipped, but she stayed quiet. "Do you even realize how this makes me feel, Waverly?!" 

       "Like I don't care about you," she mumbled. 

       Well, she sure nailed that one right on the head. 

       "Uh-huh. And that you don't take what I do seriously." 

       "I do, though.” Her eyes watered. “You know I do . . . And I’m sorry. I really am. I know I should have never even touched it. And I never will again. I wasn’t thinking straight- but that’s not an excuse and I know that . . . But I promise you, I won’t do anything like it again.”

       Nicole stared down at her, gritting her teeth slightly as she read her face, seeing nothing but truthfulness coming through her terrified eyes. She let out a sigh, grabbing her by the upper arms and pulling her into a tight hug. Waverly let out the breath she had been holding, melting into the curve of her front as the Sheriff rested her chin on the top of her head. “Wave, you can’t do something like that again.” Her voice cracked a bit halfway through. 

       “I know. I won’t, I swear,” she said, muffled into the front of her uniform. 

       Nicole released her, moving her hands to her cheeks and tipping her head up. “No. Look at me. You cannot do something like that again,” she repeated. “Do you understand me?” Waverly’s eyes widened, for she understood her underlying message loud and clear. She slowly nodded and the redhead ran her thumb across her cheek before pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. “Ok. Go on, I’d rather not keep him waiting.” 

       Waverly looked over to the Priest, seeing him leaned against the wall, seeming to be pretending not to be watching them. She then looked up at her fiancée, seeing some fear on her face. She clenched her jaw a bit. Her reasoning still stood. If he couldn’t be ok with the fact that Nicole was her everything, he wasn’t going to be in her life. 

       And no better way to find out then to introduce them. 

       She caught his eye after a few seconds and she waved him over. “Wave . . .” Nicole mumbled, visibly going tense beside her. 

       She ran her thumb across her hand. “Just be nice to him. There’s nothing not to like about you.” 

       Nicole threw her a look, but he was now too close for her to give a half-assed response. He came to a stop in front of them and the redhead stood up straighter, squaring her shoulders slightly as he looked her over intently. There wasn’t a whole bunch of people she was normally around that had a significant height advantage over her, so maybe a teeny tiny bit of fear was seeping through her otherwise relaxed face.

       She offered her hand with a smile when he finally made his way to look in her eyes. “Nicole Haught.” 

       He slowly shook it, flicking his eyes down to her nametag. “ Sheriff Haught?” He questioned, turning his head to Waverly with narrowed eyes as he kept hold of her hand with a firm grip. 

       “She wasn’t Sheriff until after we were dating,” she said quietly in an attempt to explain it. 

       He gave her a long nod, raising his eyebrows as he looked back towards the redhead for a second before letting go of her hand and using that arm to force her back into the side of her cruiser. Her eyes widened, snapping towards the brunette, who's were just as wide. 

       “I’m sure you’re aware I’m not a fan of your kind,” he spoke lowly. 

       She swallowed a bit, mouth coming open for a second, “Well aware, Father.” 

       “Do you know why that is?”

       “Cause you think regular citizens can handle all of the crimes in the world by themselves?” She said as politely as she could. “ And we’re too violent?”

       “You seem to disagree with that last part, aye?” He cocked his head slightly and she nodded. “Have you ever punched someone on duty, Sheriff Haught?” 

       “Wh- I have, yes.” 

       “Have you ever knocked someone out?” She gave a nod. He looked down, tapping the butt of the taser on her hip. “What about tased?” 

       “Only when necessary,” she assured. 

       “Do you only use violence when necessary ?” He questioned, raising a brow. 

       Her lips pursed a bit, for she had planned on being completely honest with him because she was sure he was able to read people like a book. “I try to,” she answered a little quieter. 

       She watched his eyes harden. “Have you ever hurt someone for no reason?” 

       “Not for no reason, no. If I’ve ever used excessive force, it’s only because I thought they deserved it.”

       “Why would someone ever deserve that!?” He snapped, adding more pressure with the arm across her shoulders

       “Well, I personally believe the man who tried to rape your daughter deserves Hellfire, but the beating I gave him was the best I could do.”

       “ Nicole ,” Waverly gasped. 

       He looked towards the brunette with wide eyes before looking back down at Nicole, shifting on his feet uncomfortably. “Have you ever shot someone?” He questioned gravely.

       Her face paled slightly. “. . . Y-yes. But I had to. Both times.” 

       The Priest inched his face closer to her’s, dropping his voice to a growl, “Have you ever taken a life, Sheriff?” 

       Waverly knew the redhead had been putting up with all of his other questions. He was just trying to prove a point. But judging by the look on her face with that question, he had triggered some memories she hadn’t thought about in a long time. 

       The man smacked his hand against the cruiser as the anger grew on his face, for her horrified expression had answered that question very clearly. 

       “That’s enough ,” Waverly snapped, grabbing his arms and pulling him off of her, using her body as a barrier between the two. 

       Julian’s face was flushed with fury. “How dare you plan to marry a murderer ?!” He roared with fire in his eyes. 

       She stormed towards him, pushing her hand against his front to back him up a dozen or so feet. “She is not a murderer! It was between her, two other officers, and a 13 year old boy or the man who had already shot through him at them. Don’t you dare tell me you wouldn’t have done the same thing!” His eyes softened slightly, for he realized the situation was reasonable, but there was still a scowl on his face as he looked past her at the redhead. “Go cool down or something. I need to make sure you haven’t just given her a panic attack from bringing that up.” 

       He let out a tut, “She’ll-”

       “ Julian . Go. Or I swear, you’ll never see me again.” Now she had taken up the fire in her eyes. He dropped his gaze back to her solemnly with a nod, turning back towards the church. She let out a breath as she turned back to her fiancée, rushing over and taking her face in her hands. “Baby?” She was still pressed against the cruiser like she had been when he was holding her there. “You’re ok, Honey. Look at me.” 

       The redhead brought her eyes to meet her’s, immediately clapping her hand over her mouth and snapping her eyes shut as she slid down the car to the blacktop. Waverly went down with her, placing her hands on her knees. She slid them down the sides of her thighs, rubbing them gently as she watched the first couple of tears escape her eyes. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t think he’d go that far.” 

       Nicole looked up at her, removing her hand from her mouth. “A-Am I a murderer, Wave?”

       Her eyes shot out of her head. “No!” She said it so loud, the redhead jumped. She gave her a look of apology as she scooted closer to her. “Baby, you did everything you were trained to do and saved three people in the process. And just like Nedley said, he deserved that and so much more . . . I promise you, you are not a murderer.” 

       She sniffled slightly. “But-” 

       “No but’s,” she said with a shake of her head. “Ok?” 

       Nicole nodded, and the brunette smiled as she pushed herself to her feet, holding her hands out to help her up. She stood and Waverly brought her hands to her cheeks, wiping under her eyes before bringing her head down into a soft kiss of assurance. She smiled when she pulled back, tapping her fingers on her collarbone a few times. “I’m gonna go tell him we’re leaving, yea?” Nicole nodded with a small smile of her own. “And then you’re gonna go to work and Ima bring you some brunch. Sound good?” 

       The redhead nodded as she wiped her eyes once more with her sleeve. “Sounds great.”

       After saying goodbye and getting a somewhat sincere apology from him, the couple left the church. 

.  .  .

       The month of May seemed to slide by for Purgatory, and before they knew it, it was June. 

       June third, to be specific. AKA, the day of Jessie and Topher’s wedding. 

       Things around the town had calmed down a bit, so it was perfect timing. Mama and Gus had talked it out, so they were finally getting along to an extent. Mama and Julian had also talked, clearing up some confusion between the two. Waverly and Julian were still trying to get to know each other, and he was also trying to get used to being around the family, for any newcomer feels a bit outcast from the group when they first arrive, considering the type of people that were around. And he was also working on being able to like Nicole despite the circumstances. 

       Since Waverly was one of Jessie's bridesmaids, she had left earlier that morning to go and get ready at the venue. And that meant Nicole was stuck getting ready with Wynonna. 

       “Haught Potato!” The brunette shouted from the other side of the Homestead. 

       “Yes, Wynonna?” She called back as she doused herself in hair spray. 

       She appeared at the bathroom door. “Does this make my ass look good?” 

       Nicole looked towards her, seeing her in the black and red dress that Waverly was forcing her to wear because it was a formal event and she couldn’t just wear her nice leather jacket. “Top shelf, Man,” the redhead nodded with an ok sign, turning back to her hair. 

       Wynonna grinned. “You want me to tell Waves you said that?” 

       “Go for it,” she sighed. “She already knows what I think of her ass.” The older one gagged loudly as she retreated from the doorway, leaving Nicole snickering to herself. 

       After they were both ready, they left the Homestead and headed to the venue. All Nicole knew was that it was a Harley Quinn and Joker themed wedding, for the couple was more than obsessed. So she had yet to see what Waverly would be wearing. All she knew was that she was very adamant on her wearing a purple suit over a green vest.

       So. 

       The weird looks she got when she filled up the tank on her cruiser weren’t unexpected. 

       They arrived and were instantly floored by the room’s decor. “Holy shit,” Wynonna gawked. It was a concrete building and it seemed that the walls had been spray-painted just for the occasion. There were blacklights shining down and the tables set about were each dedicated to a certain DC character. Everyone that was there was in formal attire but matched the red, black, purple, and green color scheme. They made their way towards the room for the ceremony, which was just as, if not more , awesome. “Y’all are gonna need to step your wedding game up. There’s no way you’re beating this.” 

       Nicole threw her a look and shushed her, hearing the microphone tone roll over, signaling it had been turned on. She looked towards a door opening on the left side as a little blip of music played through the speakers when Batman rolled through it, getting a laugh out of everyone in the room. He stood and walked up to the metal altar, setting the microphone stand in front of him. She realized he must be the one who was officiating the wedding and it made the whole thing 200 times better. 

       He said some nice words about the couple and about the day ahead, but a gasp left a few people when all the lights flickered when he stopped talking for a second. With a grin, he began again, “It seems they’re ready back there.” 

       The lights flickered again as the two doors in the back slammed opened as the beginning of Heathens trickled through the speakers. The lights cut, turning back on to reveal the first bridesmaid and groomsman in the doorway. 

       More specifically, the first bridesmaid and groomsman dressed in full costume as the first comic book appearance of Harley Quinn and The Joker. 

       Wynonna’s eyes widened in amazement as they strut their way down the aisle, each spinning a gun about their fingers. Nicole realized, though it wasn’t in its usual order, that it was Topher’s brother (his Best Man) and Jessie’s sister, (her Maid of Honor). 

       The lights flicked again as the second set appeared, now Cesar Romero’s Joker and a half-nurse Harley. The redhead wasn’t sure who either of them were, but the Harley was sure having a good time toying with the stethoscope that she had looped around his neck. 

       Up next was Jack Nicholson’s Joker and Harley with some red and black pants and a corset-like crop top. Nicole, once again, couldn’t put a finger on the guy, but she could tell a mallet-bearing Chrissy under 5 pounds of makeup from anywhere. She gave her a grin from her spot at the end of the aisle as she passed and the blonde threw her smirk, looking slightly over her shoulder. 

       The Sheriff’s eyes widened, for she only knew that meant one thing. 

       The light’s cut for a few seconds, and a cartwheeling Joker came flying through the door, landing three of them before rolling onto his back and holding the white and red baseball bat up as Harley bounded through the door with two frontflips, a backflip, and an aerial twist over his body, grabbing the bat in the process. She landed perfectly, throwing it over her shoulder with a beaming smile as she reached down and took his arm, pulling him to his feet before continuing on. 

       Nicole’s jaw had already smacked the floor, but she continued to watch as Heath Ledger’s Joker skipped with her fiancée, who was dressed in some red and black leggings, a black skirt, and a mesh-like top, towards the altar. All the girls’ hair had been in high pigtails and all the mens’ hair was colored green, but it seemed she was the only one that had dyed the ends of her hair bright red with some one-wash coloring. 

       This was the very last thing Nicole had expected to see. 

       As Waverly and the man skipped along, she threw her a wink and tapped her nose as they passed, turning her cheeks tomato red. “ Jesus ,” she breathed out. 

       “Ok there, Haughty?” Wynonna questioned with a snort. 

       “No.” 

       The song cut with a record scratch as the room went black before slowly fading in Sucker For Pain as the lights inched back on when boots were heard hitting the concrete floor as Topher entered the room. As the order stood, he was not surprisingly The Joker from Suicide Squad. He was in the tailcoat suit he had worn and had seemed to have actually dyed his hair green, unlike the others. 

       Everyone stood and he made his way down, greeting people on either side with a wicked metal smile. Nicole wasn’t going to lie, she wouldn’t be surprised if Jared Leto turned out to be the one under all of that makeup. Not only did he have his mannerisms down, but he looked just like the real thing.

       He arrived at the altar and took his position in front of all the other Jokers, who were standing in order. And now she could see that it was showing them together leading up to who they were today. And it was pretty damn cool.

       The music was cut again, and the Wedding March started up. But not the normal Wedding March. No. This one was eerie, and had sounds of maniac laughter and screaming barely audible in the background. A tiny Green Lantern ring bearer made his way up, followed by an even tinier Wonder Woman flower girl. And finally. Jessie and her father appeared. She was also perfectly matching Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad, and her father looked over the moon dressed as Superman. Rather than a bouquet, she held her bat in front of her like one as they took a few slow steps into the room, which got a laugh out of everyone. Walking in beat with the music was soon forgotten as Jessie also greeted everyone on either side.

       She stopped at Nicole and tugged her into a tight hug. “Waverly, amiright?” She asked with a grin when she pulled away. 

       “Was that her idea?” She questioned. 

       “Of course it was,” she scoffed with a laugh. “Wait until the Reception to see what else was her idea.” 

       The redhead stared at her with wide eyes as she walked away, a pit of fear bubbling up inside her. She had barely held it together now, but with the way she had said that, she was sure she wasn’t going to be able to later. 

.  .  .

       “I never realized I needed to watch Batman officiate a wedding until saw it,” Wynonna admitted as she got herself and Nicole a drink. 

       The redhead took a sip before tipping the cup at her. “Waves is going to try and replan everything we have now. So if you find me on the couch one morning, it’s cause I told her we’re not having a Toy Story themed wedding.” 

       The brunette snorted into her drink. “Aw, come on. I’d love to see you all Buzz’d up again.” 

       “Who’s buzzed?” 

       They turned at the voice, and Nicole smiled down at Waverly. “No one yet,” she smirked. Her eyes did a once over of her and she swallowed a bit as they landed back on her face. “That looks comfy.” 

       “It’s not,” she grumbled, taking a step forward and wrapping her arms around her middle. 

       Nicole chuckled, cupping her cheeks and tipping her head up into a kiss. “. . . I’m not complaining about anything.”

       “I bet you’re not,” she sighed with a playful eye roll. 

       “Well, I mean . . . I guess this could be a little shorter.” She slid her hands down to her ass, balling up the skirt in her fists.

       The smaller girl huffed, grabbing her hands and forcing them on her hips. “ Behave .”

       “You guys remember I’m right here , right?” Wynonna grimaced from beside them. 

       “Just wait until we’re dancing later,” the redhead winked. 

       “Speaking of dancing . . .” Nicole looked down at Waverly. “I came over here to tell you that you might need to find a chair to sit in or something.” Her eyes widened and the brunette grinned, turning her head when she heard Jessie calling her name. She looked back up at her and pat her chest before pulling out of her arms and heading back over to her. 

       “Oh no.” 

       The four bridesmaids and Jessie made their way onto the section of the room that had been turned into a dancefloor, clearing the small number of people that had gathered on it off. Nicole dragged a chair from somewhere else in the room and sat herself in it at the edge of it, right in front of Waverly, leaning forward onto the backrest and crossing her arms over the top of it. River by Bishop Briggs started up and she felt a pull deep down when she realized that maybe there was a reason why all the older members of the Newlywed’s family were busy distracting the kids that were there in the far corners of the room.

       And after they dropped it for the first time in complete synchronization, she wasn't thinking about a thing. 

       The first verse and chorus ended and the girls had delivered a completely Harley Quinn-esk dance, filled with just the right amount of insanity and racy-ness to have everyone clapping and whistling. 

       Nicole was sat with her hands put together in front of her mouth as she watched Waverly ad-lib some last moves as the song faded into a new one. The lights dimmed slightly as the groomsmen and Topher made their way onto the floor as You Don’t Own Me started, meeting with the girl they had entered earlier with. 

       Jessie and Topher were in the middle with the four others paired up near the corners of the floor, doing some subtle flirty moves as the chorus crept up. 

       But when it did hit?

       Oh, they waltzed. 

       And it wasn’t like a normal waltz with its elegance. It was still graceful, but the song’s lyrics and the couple they were dressed as really told it all. The version of the song that they were using had cut the rap part and added a little more singing to make it easier to flow with, but they probably would have been able to use anything, for they were all perfectly in sync. 

       Nicole now understood that the wedding planning Waverly had been going to over the past two weeks was just a cover for dance practice . But she could care less about that because watching them all glide across the floor had everyone awestruck. 

       Her phone began to vibrate in her pocket, but she was busy watching Topher’s cousin point her fiancée’s leg towards the ceiling, so she pressed the power button to make it stop. 

       By the time the song faded out, they had circled the floor a few times, but ended up exactly where they had started at, finishing strong with some teasingly-close faces and smirks. The room erupted into applause and Nicole finally had gathered herself enough to stand, so she did as all of the bridesmaids rushed over to Jessie with happy squeals and shrieks and the men all laughed with one another, giving Topher a couple of high fives and smacks on the back, for that was one Hell of a first dance for each of them. 

       People migrated back onto the dancefloor as a song started to play that they could all dance to and Waverly met halfway with Nicole, giggling as she lifted her a little with her arms wrapped around her when she went in for a kiss. 

       The Sheriff set her down and the brunette wiped around her lips to get some of the makeup that had rubbed onto her off. “That was fucking amazing , Baby!”

       She blushed deep under the white makeup. “Was it?” 

       “Yes!” She ensured with a laugh. 

       Wynonna came up beside them with her third drink refill. “Really, Waves, it was great.” 

       “I only choreographed the second one,” she mumbled. “Jess found the first one online and bribed us to do it.” 

       Nicole’s eyes bulged out. “Wait- You came up with that?!” 

       “Yea- Well, Chrissy helped a little bit, but . . .” She shrugged, the blush still burning her cheeks. 

       Nicole showered her face with kisses. “Oh, my Baby is so talented !” 

       She pushed her away with a laugh, and the redhead beamed down at her, but let out a huff, digging her phone out of her pocket after feeling it ringing again. She furrowed her brow, though, seeing that she had 5 texts from Lonnie, 13 from Pearson, 10 from Lucy, and now Pearson was calling her for the second time. Waverly looked up at her as she put the phone to her ear, not liking the look on her face. 

       “What’s wrong?” Nicole answered worriedly, pushing her left hand to her ear to deafen the noise of the room. 

       “Sheriff, you need to get here now ,” the rookie said, though it was almost toned as a demand. 

       “Why? What’s going on?” 

       “There- Lucy- We-”

       “Andrew, spit it out! What?!” 

       “Some kids found another body!” He finally blurted. “They called it in an hour ago.” 

       “ WHAT ?!” 

       “Same description. Only this time it’s in the woods by the park.” 

       “Oh my God,” she breathed out, looking between the two sisters. “Ok. I’m on my way. I’ll be at the park in 30. Tell Dolls to meet me there” 

       “He's already on his way there.” 

       She hung up the phone, shoving it in her pocket. “What?” Waverly questioned with a furrowed brow. 

       “Another body,” she said with a swallow. “Same guy.” 

       “Oh my- Ok, go. They need you.” 

       Nicole nodded, cupping her face and pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. “Tell Jessie I’m sorry and don’t let Wynonna get hammered.” The smaller one nodded, pushing her along. She jogged towards the exit, pushing past people with apologies as she went. She saw Topher chatting with some people so she stopped, putting her hand on his shoulder. He already was questioning her after seeing her expression. “We’ve got another body. I’m-”

       He cut her sorry off, shaking his head. “ Jesus , Haught, go. It’s ok,” he said in assurance. 

       She nodded, giving it a pat before heading back in the direction of the door. “Y’all better bring me something from Cancun!” She shouted over her shoulder. 

       “I wouldn’t count on it!”