Polaroid - A Wayhaught Fanfiction

Pass Me the Whiskey

"Yo, Haughtmess. Where's my coffee?" Wynonna tapped on the edge of Nicole's desk, snapping her back to reality. It's 11 o'clock, they're at the station, and it's been a rather quiet morning so far. Dolls is away on some 'super secret spy stuff, according to Wynonna, and Nedley's got the afternoon shift, so he's not here yet.

"Oh gosh." Nicole's eyes widened. "I totally forgot all about it. I'll go buy--"

"Whoa. Okay. No." Wynonna pursed her lips together. "You forgot. It's okay, Haught."

"I am so, so, sorry Wynonna--"

"It's just coffee. I'll live." Wynonna gave her a reassuring nod and walked on, though she stopped after a second thought. "Speaking of coffee, you look like you could use some. Is... everything okay there, Haught? "

Nicole just stared up at her and blinked with a dull look. Wynonna's never exactly tried to actually talk to her before. "Not really, but I can still work, I promise."

"Rough night?" Wynonna raised a brow and leaned against the side of her desk, interested.

Nicole's lips parted, but it took a moment before she collected herself to speak. "Ugh, yeah. Yeah, kinda."

Wynonna crossed her arms, looked around at the few officers and administration employees who wandered about the station, and then looked back at Nicole with a glint of idea in her eyes. "You drink?"

"Drink?"

Wynonna looked at her like she was a moron. "Yes, drink... Alcohol."

Nicole had to snap the image of kissing drunk Waverly her out of her head before she could answer: "Sometimes. I mean, not much since I don't have much money to spare, but--"

"Cool. I'll go get my bottle."

Nicole let out a small, nervous laugh. "It's only 11 a.m."

"It's 11 pm somewhere." Wynonna gave her a dismissive wave before walking off and returning with a whole bottle of whiskey, raising it to Nicole's display.

"It's a crappy morning, Haught. Nothing like a good chug of whiskey on a crappy morning. Or night. Or anytime of the day, really."

"But--" Nicole looked around cautiously, making sure no one's looking at them. "Will I get in trouble for this?"

"Pfft. Please. I drunk my way through college. You're alright, kid. Now come on. Off your ass. It's an order."

------

They sat on the floor of Wynonna's office, passing the whiskey to each other while casually learning the current files of the case they're working on. It's a burglary down at 5th street, and they've got no new lead on the case. They've round up three suspects so far, but no warrant has been dropped to clear an arrest. So now all they could do was wait.

"So," Wynonna started after a contemplative silence. "I'm bored. Let's not talk about breaking and entering for a sec, will ya? Set down that file and tell me stuff."

Nicole did put down the file like she'd asked, but felt confused as to what she's supposed to say now. "Well what do you wanna hear?"

"I don't know. I just feel like an asshole for not knowing anything about you despite seeing you almost everyday for like, 5 months now."

"I've only been here for 3."

"Yeah. 3 months. Whatever. So. Tell me stuff, Haught! A lame joke, or your favorite plant, or your go-to bumper sticker."

Nicole flinched as she took another gulp of the whiskey. The liquid burned in her throat and slowly crept up along her veins, sending her head to a soft, diluted sensation. Not exactly the best whiskey, but bearable enough, and it does the job, so why the hell not? "I'm out of jokes-- I don't even know the difference between a shrub and a bush, and, what's up with you and the bumper sticker jokes?"

Wynonna rolled her eyes flippantly. "Dude! You totally speak like Morgan Freeman. You're all about inspirational quotes. If we ever run out of printer ink you'd be like, oh, printer ink equals LIFE. "

Nicole bursts out laughing. "I'm pretty sure I do not speak like that."

"Ugh. Yes you do. You should meet my sister Waverly. I'm sure you'd have a quote or two about that assholey boyfriend of hers. Hell, you probably could talk her into breaking up with that doofus."

Waverly. Nicole gulped. Lucky Wynonna was busy taking sips of the whiskey to notice. Nicole took a big gulp when Wynonna passed down the bottle. Here she was trying to drink her way out of remembering Waverly and the total insanity from last night, only to be reminded again by her big sister. Perfect.

"You should totally come over sometime! Waverly only hangs out with woo girls and jackasses. It'd be nice if she starts hanging out with you."

"Oh, you don't have to do that-- we've met." Nicole said, trying her best to sound casual, though her lying skill's next to lull. Waverly didn't call, didn't ask you to stay, she reminded herself, and she has concluded that whatever happened might just be a drunken mistake, and nothing more.

"Cool. At the uni?"

"No," she muttered, with a dark tone to her voice. "it was at a party. Last night."

"Ohhh. That party. She did mention it the other day. Did it look like she was having fun?"

Nicole's not sure what to say. She's not sure how much she's allowed to say to not make Waverly upset. But then again, Nicole's never been a good liar. "She was really drunk when I saw her. We--um, talked. For a bit."

"And was Champ with her?"

Nicole hated herself for being such a bad liar. "No he wasn't."

"Wait, you said she was drunk."

Nicole kept her mouth shut. You've said too much, Nicole.

"She was drunk, and Champ's not with her? Where was he?" Wynonna's voice grew louder, sounding a little more than agitated now. "Nicole, tell me."

When Wynonna's sharp eyes fell on her, Nicole couldn't keep up the truth away anymore. "He left early. She was alone."

"Wait, what?" Wynonna stood up now, setting down the bottle on the table and picking up her leather jacket in an abrupt manner. "How did she get home? Did she even make it home? Haught, YOU SAW MY SISTER, DRUNK, AND ALONE AT A PARTY, and it didn't occur to you that you should do anything? I expected better of--"

"I TOOK HER HOME." Nicole blurted out, rising up from where she sat. Wynonna just looked at her from the doorway with a confused frown and a surprised look.

"You did?" Her voice went quiet, awfully quiet when she said it. She bit her lip and let out a deep breath she'd been holding. "Wow, that-- that's-- wow." Wynonna was lost for words for a moment. "Then why didn't you just say so?"

Nicole shut her eyes and leaned against the wall behind her. "She didn't want you to know Champ left her at the party because she knew you would flip out." Nicole grunted, "I shouldn't have said all this. She trusted me not to. Fuck."

Wynonna wasn't even listening to her at this point. "She's alone now at the apartment. Shit strumpets. I gotta run. Cover for me if anyone needs me."

"Wait, Wynonna--" Nicole went after her, but Wynonna was way past the point of listening.

Wynonna stormed out the door, heading straight home with Nicole standing there, not knowing how to react to all this.