133. Chapter 133

It almost felt like déjà vu to Nicole as she looked around their living room at the all stunned faces wrought by an innocuous-looking piece of plastic. At least this time the shock wasn’t hers… well, not as strong anyway.

Wynonna Earp. Alpha. Pack leader. Sister of her mate. Was, according to the five test kits Waverly had rushed out and brought, pregnant.

Even though it was something that Wynonna, Doc and Xavier had talked about and agreed they wanted to look into more they were all sitting on the couch looking like they expected someone to jump out and tell them they’d been Punked.

No, it was more than that, Nicole realised as she looked at their eyes, more particularly the way they refused to meet her gaze or anyone else’s. They were afraid?

An Alpha pregnant. It was so… unheard of. Nicole would have said impossible but as Waverly had explained repeatedly to all of them, and with a great deal of gesturing at the pregnancy test kit, all anyone ever said was that it was almost impossible… ALMOST!

“I-” Doc cleared his throat nervously, trying to shake his words and thoughts free as he looked up from worrying the lines of his hat. “I hope that what I am about to say makes no one feel any less of me but… I will admit that I am feeling more fear right now than I thought I would. Not that you are pregnant!” He assured Wynonna quickly as blue eyes whipped in his direction. “I am quite terrified that with how much I want it to be so, that there little stick thingy there is wrong.”

“They are made to test Werewolves, Doc.”

“And are they never wrong? And my sincere apologies for asking this, it is not a reflection on you or any other Omega but… are they quite suitable for testing an Alpha?”

Waverly unclenched her fist as Nicole’s thumb brushed across it. Apologies, sincere or otherwise, true or not, didn’t help when hearing an Alpha say she was weaker than them. “Both of those reasons are why I got so many, Doc. And no matter what they say we need to book you in with Doctor Navalar. Then you’ll know for sure.”

Nicole didn’t think it was possible for Wynonna to look any more stressed out than she was but hearing the Doctors name did it. She went from looking stunned to looking like she was about to get up and run for the hills.

Nicole thought she might actually do it too… and then at the same moment, she heard the girls waking up, she saw Wynonna’s eyes shift in the direction of the stairs too as she heard them. “Baby, can you deal with those two,” she gestured towards Doc and Xavier,” while we go check on the girls?” Hazel eyes narrowed slightly in query but Waverly gave her hand a squeeze and nodded. “Come on, Earp.”

Nicole led the way up the stairs and into the gentle peace of the nursery.

She saw the stress flow right out of Wynonna’s body. Her shoulders relaxing so suddenly they went from being hunched up around her ears to where they should be in less time than it took her heart to beat as she moved across the room and smiled down at Dom and Kat.

“It’s only been a couple of hours since I saw them and yet I swear they’ve grown more already.” Wynonna chuckled as her offered fingers were grabbed firmly by ridiculously tiny fingers and used to climb up to their feet. “So strong! Are they crawling yet?”

“Oh hell no!” Nicole laughed. “Little devils have decided that rolling is the way to go for them. C.J.’s taken to walking only on the furniture cause they speed roll after her.” She chuckled, gently halting Dom’s tumble with her hand to her back as she let go of Wynonna’s finger and flopped down onto her little-diapered butt to grab their favourite plush toy. “Someone wants their Wolfie, huh?”

Wynonna cocked her head to one side questioningly as Dom got a thoughtful look on her face and held the wolf toy out as she looked at her Mama.

“Oh, not right now Pumpkin,” Nicole swept Dom up into her arms, toy and all. “Mama will do it later.”

“Do what?”

“They like it when we turn Wolf for them. Waverly researched and she said it helps them get used to us being like that but I daren’t do it in the same room as them, especially not this close to the full moon.”

Wynonna nodded understandingly. She knew there was no way on earth that Nicole would hurt her girls. No way would she risk it unintentionally either. “I get that… what I don’t get is why you brought me up here?”

“Just to help you relax,” Nicole smiled. “I know that the thought of being pregnant must be scary as hell… God knows I think we both freaked out more than enough when Waverly was but… No matter if you are or not, no matter what you decide… we’ve got you, Earp.”

“What if I am and I screw everything up!?”

“Every parent worries about that… I still do.”

“You? But you’re so squared away and perfect with them!”

“Far from it,” Nicole chuckled wryly. “I was born into a Cult. Tortured. Beat up. Chased all the way across America to Canada. Faced packs of wolves, starvation, witches, demons, giant-assed-face-stealing spiders, been shot with silver and had my humanity stolen. And the scariest things I have faced and done have been the ones that have been the most worthwhile… falling in love, allowing myself to be loved, taking a mate and becoming a parent.”

“I’m not sure if that’s supposed to comfort me—”

“I’m just telling you it’s okay to be scared. We’ll be right there with you if you want us. Through everything.” Placing a hand on Wynonna’s shoulder, Nicole gave it what she hoped was a reassuring squeeze. “And I’m giving Waverly a chance to chew the boys out and book you in to see the Doctor.”

“You sneaky…”

“Do you think I should be punished for what Bulshar and his cult did?”

“Of course not! You were a kid!”

“And you were a kid when your Father did all those terrible things to you and when Willa was following in his footsteps. He should have protected you, and you weren’t to blame for his actions… I don’t care how much you were acting out either,” she interrupted Wynonna before she could give voice to her doubts. “From what you told me…”

“When you were faking…”

“When I was being a good friend and letting you get it out,” she corrected. “You saved Waverly so many times from him… You’ve always done your best to look after her…”

“I try.”

“And that’s what will make you a good parent as well as an outstanding Aunt.” She nodded to Kat gazing up adoringly from within the safety of Wynonna’s arms. “Okay,” cocking her head to one side, Nicole listened to Waverly. “You’ve got an hour to get your shit together… Waverly’s words… before your appointment.”

“An hour? No time to book a vajazzle then?” she winked saucily.

“First… Eww! Second, she won’t even need to go there. And finally, Ewww!”

“Just a trim then?”

“Earp!”

Chuckling at the expression on Nicole’s face, Wynonna reluctantly handed the soft wiggling warmth of Katherine over to her as she settled them down on a play mat with some toys to play with.

“Hey, Haught?”

“Hmmm?” Nicole glanced into the storm rolling through Wynonna’s blue eyes.

“You and Waves are coming in with us… right?” She could have hated herself for how unsure she sounded to her own ears… how too much like flat-out begging it sounded. But… well, she liked the other Alpha. She’d heard the worst of her and damn near suffered alcohol poisoning already just because she might be pregnant and still she offered her support and friendship and entrusted her with her children.

“Of course. Just one thing though, Earp.”

“Oh?”

“When the time comes… you are so not nesting in our bed.”

“But, it’s such a nice bed. Though, probably needs a damn good steam cleaning thanks to you two doing the nasty all in it,” Wynonna teased. “And Waverly already owns most of the decorative pillows in the whole county… maybe in the whole of Canada.” She smirked as Nicole made an affirmative mumble at that and instantly blushed and ducked her head as Waverly obviously chastised her for thinking they had too many cushions or something.

“Go on. Get!” Nicole shooed Wynonna out of the room. Shaking her head softly she listened to their chatter downstairs, hearing how much more relaxed it finally was as she returned to her daughters… picking up a rolling Dom on the way. “Wrong way kiddo.”

“Looks like it’s time to get the baby gates fixed up everywhere,” Waverly chuckled as Kat saw her and tried to roll right by Nicole to get to her. Scooping her up, Waverly bounced her gently and tickled her fingers into the softness of her daughter's tummy to elicit a giggle and earn the most adorable little pop of baby dimple. “Time to get you terrors ready to go visit the Doc with Aunty ‘Nonna.”

“Not asking Gus to look after them?”

“Naw. Thought I would save time and get their monthly check-up done at the same time. How’s your head doing?”

“It’s good…” Waverly’s raised brow told Nicole she wasn’t buying it. The problem and joy of having a mate that knew her and could read everything about her. “Okay, okay. So it’s a little tender still… didn’t want to complain too much and have Wynonna feeling bad about it,” she finished with her mind. “How did it go with the guys?”

“Okay. They’re so convinced that Alpha’s can’t get pregnant… that pregnancy test kits designed for Omegas aren’t good enough…” she took a breath, releasing the tension. “They’re trying not to be too happy so they don’t get their hearts broken.”

“Doc really didn’t mean to offend you by saying that the kits are designed for Omegas. Hey,” stroking her fingers along Waverly’s jaw, Nicole tilted her face up gently. “He really didn’t. Like you said, they’re just scared little Alpha’s,” she smiled as Waverly tried to contain a chuckle at that. “If anything he should be grateful that they are designed for Omega’s as you, Waverly Earp, are quite simply the strongest of us all.”

A soft look of wonder crossed Waverly’s face, her heart melting and swelling at the same time with more love than it felt possible for one body to contain for the remarkable Alpha that was her mate. Soft lips ghosted across her own, Nicole’s sigh a tingling heat that reached deep inside her and tugged on things a sigh shouldn’t be able to reach. “Ow!”

“Ow?” Drawing back, Nicole blinked at Waverly in confusion and then released a chuckle when she saw that Kat and Dom had managed to both get fistfuls of their mama’s hair.

“Less laughing, more helping,” Waverly winced, grabbing Nicole by the shirt as she attempted to step back and Dom just grabbed on tighter in protest. It wasn’t really hurting all that much but… “Guess they just want us to be closer,” she smiled.

“Smart girls. I like their thinking,” Nicole chuckled.

Hand sliding up, Waverly tangled her own fingers in fiery red hair, pulling softly upon it. “Maybe you need to grow your hair out again.”

Nicole pretended to ponder it while Waverly tried to distract the girls. “Hmmm, maybe not,” she smirked. Nicole pulled her family closer, claiming Waverly’s mouth in a soft kiss, their babies gently sandwiched between them. Releasing the softest of purrs, she rubbed her scent into all of them.

Waverly smiled as Kat and Dom gazed up in wide-eyed wonder at Nicole. Which, was probably pretty much how she was looking up at her too. She was just so beautiful. So much strength and softness in one gorgeous package. She, everything that made up her Alpha, aided with that sneaky purr, made Waverly want to just curl up and melt into her with one breath and ache to throw her down on the bed and ravage her with the next.

“Later,” Nicole whispered the promise against Waverly’s lips as she claimed the needy growl curling from between them and ate it down. She wasn’t sure if Waverly had even realised with everything going on but Nicole could taste it in the honeyed sweetness of her kiss, smell it rising from her body in soft waves of need… she was perched right on the edge of coming into heat.

In a way, it was too soon and it could even be a false start as her body returned back to a normal rhythm. Nicole was prepared though and had already made arrangements with work and both Alexandria and Gus just in case.

As for herself. Nicole hadn’t really sensed anything like a rut starting. It wasn’t easy to notice an increase in the need to be with her mate or increase in desire when she just wanted Waverly all the time already. Loving her, caring for her every wish and desire. To be on her, in her, filling her with release until her body swelled with it and the life they created.

Nope, no difference there in how she felt every day whenever she thought about Waverly. Saw Waverly. Touched Waverly.

“You’re growling,” Waverly teased as she nipped along the line of Nicole’s jaw with sharp teeth. She chuckled as Dom let out something that sounded more wolf growl than gurgle as she mouthed at Nicole’s shirt. “Making noises like that makes me very glad that you’ve been fed and that you haven’t got teeth yet young lady.”

Nicole gently gathered Kat out of Waverly’s arms. “Go. You get ready first while I see to these monsters.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yep. As wound up as they are right now,” a fact that was highlighted as Kat joined her sister in trying to gum a hole in her top, “one of us will have to watch them anyway. And… if we’re changing at the same time there’s just no way in hell I’ll be able to keep my hands to myself.” That fact was highlighted to her as just thinking about it sent a pulse of heat straight into her womb. “Go… then come rescue me from these two.”

Chuckling, Waverly gave each of her girls, all three of them, a quick kiss before leaving them, a little extra wiggle in her hips having a rich moan chasing her all the way to their bedroom.

Nicole wrangled their daughters and managed to finally get them into their clothes. Which was never an easy take even before they’d learned how to roll at speed. Not even Wolfie distracted them for long as they used the toy to make it clear that they wanted to see the full sized version instead by thrusting it pointedly in her face.

“All done?” Waverly froze in the doorway, a smile twitching at her lips as she took in the sight of Nicole sprawled out on her back on the floor while Kat and Dom played happily in their crib. All attempts to contain her laughter was lost as a plush wolf toy sailed out of the crib and whacked her mate in the stomach.

Reaching down, Waverly plucked the stuffed toy up and smoothed her fingers over its ears as she looked down at Nicole. “Having fun there, Nic?”

“Ugh! I just got beat up Waves… gang of ninjas disguised as babies,” she whined.

“Up!” Holding out a hand, Waverly grasped Nicole’s and pulled her to her feet. “Go… get changed,” she gave the firm curve of Nicole’s ass a pat and sent her on her way. “You two beating up on mama, huh?” Mimicking Nicole’s actions from the day they’d curtailed her speeding, Waverly lifted chubby fists and shared high-fives with them before settling back to watch them play with Wolfie and roll around the confines of the crib while she half listened in on Nicole getting ready.

She didn’t dare tune all the way in. Just the background sound of buttons popping open, the zipper on her sinfully tight jeans being lowered and the slither of fabric as it was removed was enough to have her twitching and chewing on her fist. Going deeper would have meant being able to see and feel it too and then she would have had to abandon her sister and just lock them away in their bedroom for the foreseeable future.

Thankfully for her nerves and desire to do right by her sister, Nicole was striding back into the nursery with a knowing twinkle in her eyes as she raised her hand and kissed the teeth marks she had laid into her own flesh that said she might as well of howled out her need.

“Come on,” Nicole lulled gently, “let’s get Wynonna checked out before she goes all chicken and tries to bolt.”

Nicole had to bite the inside of her lip as Waverly drove. Luckily, Xavier was the one driving the SUV ahead of them. He was more likely to keep close to the speed limit and that meant that Dom and Kat didn’t protest… too much. Every time Waverly forgot herself and pressed a little too hard on the accelerator… they let her know.

Fixing Nicole with a killer side glare, just daring the Alpha to let out a laugh, Waverly slowed down until the last wail from the back faded away like magic. “I swear to god, this is all your fault.”

“What? How?”

“I don’t know… were you thinking of ticketing me or something when we were making love?”

“Babe, the things I was thinking then, when I was capable of thinking, had nothing to do with slowing down or any kind of Police procedures… Every single part of me was focused on one thing… You, Waverly Earp.”

“Saying things like that just makes me want to pull this Jeep over,” she moaned softly, need and love burning higher and setting off an internal battle between wanting to curl up and bask in Nicole’s love and wanting to throw her down and ravage her.

“WHAAA!”

“Watch your speed, Waves.” Nicole bit down on a smirk and flashed a secret thumbs up to her girls for being able to do what she couldn’t.

“Traitors! And I saw that, Haught. Next, you’ll be getting them little P.S.D. onesies… which would be utterly adorable and I would approve of as long as there’s a classic khaki version too.”

“Ya know, you might want to rethink your fondness for the ole khakis. When Nedley is done with his physio he’ll probably be the only one wearing them.”

“Firstly, I had years growing up of seeing them on him and everyone else and they have never looked sooo good as they do stretched over your ass,” she gave a little growl of appreciation and clicked her tongue as Nicole blushed. “And… well… do you think he even wants to come back? Last time I was visiting, he almost sounded like he was thinking of just hanging up the Stetson and calling it a day.”

“I hope he will. It still feels weird when anyone calls me Sheriff. I’m still a rookie, Waves, I haven’t earned the title. No, don’t think I’m ready to take it all on just yet.”

“But you already are…”

“Yeah, but it’s different, I’m filling in for him and everyone respects him enough to let my lack of experience slide while it’s temporary until Nedley comes back or decides on what he wants to do. If he retires they will probably want to get someone in with more experience.”

“You would want the job though, right? Nedley said he wanted you to take over.”

“Sure,” she shrugged, shifting in her seat. “I mean eventually.”

“And not because Nedley got hurt by one of Bulshar’s cult members. Oh, Nic…” Waverly wanted to smack herself on the forehead for not realising sooner that Nicole was still feeling guilty. “You’re not responsible for what they did to him. You know that, right?”

“Yeah… doesn’t mean I can’t get to feel a little guilty sometimes though…”

“Actually, yeah, silly, it does.” Sliding a hand into Nicole’s, their fingers sliding easily together, she lifted it and pressed kisses across her knuckles. “No one here blames you for anything they’ve done in his name… apart from you.” She gave Nicole’s fingers a squeeze and lay them across her thigh so she could take the turning into the clinic car part at baby approved speed… which was usually an easy manoeuvre, even at speed, but Nicole’s fingers were dancing along the inside of her thigh, pressing and teasing along her muscles. She shot her mate a glare as she nearly turned them into the curb but Nicole’s face was turned away with only the hint of a dimple popping to suggest that she knew exactly what she was doing to her equilibrium.

“Something wrong, Waves?” Nicole knew she wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding her humour even before she saw Waverly’s eyes doing a little flicker between eyes, lips and cheek.

“Nope.” There was definitely more than a hint of dimples at that but Waverly chose to ignore it… mostly having no choice as she pulled into a space alongside Xavier’s S.U.V. and switched off the engine. Luckily there weren’t too many any other vehicles around. Wynonna wasn’t exactly the most patient of people at the best of times and twiddling her thumbs and stewing in her nervousness in a waiting room full of pregnant women and screaming kids was a recipe for disaster that would probably see her going ‘NOPE’ while running all the way back to the Homestead.

As it was, only distracting her with her duty as Aunt, got her through the door and into the building.

“Xavier, Doc, sit on her or something while Nicole and I get us all booked in.”

Nicole hid a smirk as the two men damn near snapped to attention in their rush to obey Waverly. “I think Xavier was about to salute you then.”

“You, come.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Nicole gave a little jaunty salute with two fingers and hurried after her.

“Ahh, I thought I heard trouble rolling in!” Imali crossed the waiting room two greet the two women and gently stroked the back of a finger down the downy cheeks of the smiling infants. “You two have grown so much in a month!” She glanced across to where the elder Earp was sitting between two handsome gentlemen in unusual silence. Usually, she would have burst out with an exuberant ‘what’s up Doc!’ the moment she saw her. But then, going by the call she had received from the young mother, this was no normal visit. “Come, I’ll see you all together.”

Wynonna looked around the Doctor’s room nervously. It had been bad enough when it had been Waverly being examined but now that it was her turn it was looking even more intimidating. “This is all a waste of time.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Alpha female don’t get pregnant, Doc.”

“So you’re on contraceptives? Those didn’t exactly work right for your sister…”

“No…”

“Then you have been abstaining for sexual intercourse?” Which seemed highly unlikely with the two men she was with… unless they were there for moral support or Alpha wrangling.

“No, Doc. Female Alpha can’t get pregnant. Okay,” she quickly held a hand up as Waverly revved herself up. “But my sister says that everything she’s read just says it’s almost impossible. But! When was the last time you heard of it happening huh?”

“And when was the last time anyone heard of a female Alpha getting a female Omega pregnant! Huh!” Waverly shot back.

Wynonna’s brows shot together as she tried to think of a comeback.

“How about! Sorry. How about we just run a pregnancy test and see what that says and then we can go from there, hmmm?” She handed the Alpha a tiny container and ignored her grimace as she pointed her in the direction of the small toilet.

“Really, you couldn’t find something smaller for me to pee in, Doc?”

“Sure. If you like I could. Probably got some test tubes around here… not for creating babies in before you comment either. Now go, pee in the cup.”

While they waited on what was an apparently suddenly shy bladder to get going, Imali turned her attention to the twins. Weighing, measuring… generally doting on them as they wrapped everyone, especially their mama’s around their tiny fingers, and having a laugh as they demonstrated just how well they could roll. “I guess they decided that crawling was just too slow. I’ve had babies before that could only crawl backwards… I guess they all just have to find their own way.”

Spotting Wynonna sneaking out of the bathroom, plastic container, on one hand, the other still trying to adjust her tight pants, Imali gestured for her to take a seat and took the container off her. She looked small, lost and unsure as she sat down, her brilliant blue eyes tracking over the posters on the wall and darting away as though she didn’t dare hope or dream.

“Okay, that will take a couple of minutes so, if it’s okay, how about we go through a few things while we wait?”

“Sure. You’re the Doc, Doc. Ask away.”

“How long is it since your last heat… sorry…” she waved her hands in apology. “Alpha… your last rut or period?”

“Rut, a month. Period… Ooh. Can’t say I miss the ol’ gal or have been tracking her visits.” Wynonna mumbled. At Doctor Navalar’s quiet, questioning gaze she grimaced and finally admitted… “A month too.”

So your rut and period were aligned?”

“I- I guess you could say that. You think that could be why? If I am that is,” her voice faded off to a whisper and a sigh. Glancing either side of her, she took in Xavier and Doc’s faces, seeing the nervousness she was feeling reflected in them. “I grew up thinking that children were something out of my reach, Doc. Then thanks to that adorable pair…” she smiled and paused to pick up Dominique as she tried to pull herself up using her leg. “Well, who wouldn’t start to wonder with these two around? But… well, now I’m afraid that that test will say I’m not and scared that it will say I am.”

“If it helps… you sound like every single mother to be that’s ever stepped into this office,” Imali smiled reassuringly. “And, I’m happy to tell you… that I will be seeing more of you.”

“You mean…?”

“Congratulations. You’re pregnant.”