Extraordinary // Wayhaught

Everybody Hurts

"Honey, I'm home!" Waverly said cheerily as she stepped into the bedroom she shared with her girlfriend. She saw the back of Nicole's head on the bed, her hair looked like fire. As she got closer she noticed Nicole body was shaking and heard a sob. She rushed forward, climbed onto the bed and wrapped her girlfriend into a tight hug. "What's wrong, baby?"

"It's nothing. It's silly," she said, muffling a sob. She turned into Waverly who kissed her forehead. Her face was blotchy and her eyes were red and puffy.

"Please tell me, Nic, I just want to help."

"I don't want to talk about it!"

"Okay, that's okay. You just cry, let it all out. I've got you and I'm not going anywhere. You'll be okay," Waverly spoke softly, soothingly. Nicole cried harder than Waverly ever seen her cry. Tears gushed down her face and soaked into Waverly's shirt.

After almost an hour, the crying died down to sniffles. When Nicole finally spoke again it was to ask for water. Her throat was hoarse and her head throbbed from crying for so long. She gulped down the glass of water Waverly brought for her and then lay back down.

"She's dead," Nicole mumbled. Her eyes welled up again.

"Who's dead, baby?" Waverly said, trying to hide her slight panic.

"My mum! I- I hadn't spoken to- to them in years and I got a letter from dad today. He says she was sick for a while. And he said I was a terrible daughter because I never even came to say goodbye! I didn't know, Waverly! I didn't know she was sick!"

"I know, baby, I know. You couldn't have known. You're a perfect daughter."

"He never liked me! And Mum must've died hat-hating me!"

"I don't think she would've hated you. But it's their own fault, they never treated you right. You know that."

"Am I just being stupid?"

"No, baby, not at all. Not at all. You're allowed to feel sad about this. It's not stupid at all," Waverly said. Her hand stroked up and down over Nicole's back slowly. She kissed her forehead, then twice on each cheek and then her nose. Nicole just wept quietly and every so often Waverly would drag a thumb across her cheek, wiping a tear.

The crying only stopped when Nicole fell asleep. Waverly stroked her head soothingly; tan fingers glided through orange hair. There was a creak on the staircase and a moment later Wynonna appeared in the doorway.

"Everything okay, baby girl?" she whispered with a small glance at the sleeping Nicole. "I thought I heard crying earlier."

"Nicole got a letter from her father," she explained quietly, "her mother died."

"Oh, shit. I didn't think she spoke to her parents anymore."

"She doesn't. They're assholes to her. Her dad said she was a bad daughter for not going to say goodbye to her sick mum. You know, the one she didn't know was sick because they don't want anything to do with her," Waverly struggled to keep her voice down as she got angry. "She cried for so long and I don't even know how long she was crying before I got home. God, I wish I could help her."

"You are helping, just by being here for her," Wynonna said then yawned, "goodnight, Waves."

"Night, Nonna."

Sometime after, Waverly drifted off to sleep and woke barely in time to get ready for work. She just had her hand on the front door handle when Nicole came down the stairs. Her face was blotchy and there were fresh tears in her eyes.

"You have work?"

"Yeah, baby. I had to take a Saturday shift this week, will you be okay?"

"Yeah," she sniffed. She ruffled her hair and sat down on the bottom step. Wynonna walked in with two steaming mugs.

"Have a good shift, baby girl," she turned to Nicole, "Hey Haught, want some coffee?" She sat down on the step beside her. Waverly smiled at them and went out the door.

"Thanks," Nicole mumbled. She took a sip of coffee and swallowed it with a loud gulp and then a sigh. "You don't have to stay with me, I'll be fine."

"Don't be silly," Wynonna said. She put an arm around Nicole and kissed her forehead. "This is what family is for. Besides I have nothing on today."

Nicole smiled, "family? I didn't think you liked me that much."

"Of course I like you. Waverly's been pretty much my only family for a while now and I don't want to lose her to someone unworthy of her. That's why I've been overly protective and maybe a bit of a dick. But you're perfect for her, the only one good enough. So good that I know I won't lose her; I gained you."

"You're really just a big softie, aren't you?"

"Don't you dare tell anyone."

"Hey, I've waited a long time for a decent family, do you really think I'd screw that up by spilling your secret?"

Wynonna smiled, hugged her one-armed and kissed her head.