Nicole is so done with this day, and it’s only 4pm.
So far she and Doc (who strangely volunteered his services as her sidekick today, but hey if they’re going to work on Black Badge stuff together, they may as well get some field experience in) have broken up three drunken fights, responded to two calls for gunshots fired (it was fireworks both times), and one B&E at the old Walker barn.
The B&E turned out to be just two teenagers looking for a place to hook-up.
Nicole may have gone the slightest bit easy on them, since she doesn’t really think she has a leg to stand on when it comes to judging people who give in to their baser instincts in a barn; she would just prefer that said barn actually belonged to one of the people engaging in such activities…
Now she and Doc are responding to a noise/drunk and disorderly conduct complaint.
Nicole really, really, just wants this Fourth of July to be over.
She recognizes the road they’re on, it’s where Sheriff Nedley lives. The house party is just two doors down from where her boss calls home.
When they round the corner to the backyard the first thing Nicole notices is the huge pile of fireworks sitting out in the sun.
The second thing she notices is the large amount of intoxicated people who should be nowhere near a pile of fireworks.
A murmur goes through the crowd when they notice the police presence, and someone is pushing through the throng of bodies to get to Nicole and Doc.
Nicole is surprised when Chrissy Nedley approaches her, though she supposes she really shouldn’t be. It’s her neighborhood.
Chrissy stops a few feet away, swaying on the spot for a moment, red solo cup in her hand sloshing a bit.
“Officer Haught, how nice to see you!” Chrissy’s voice is a little too loud for polite conversation, which tips Nicole off that she’s had her fair share to drink.
“Did my dad send you over?”
“No ma’am. We got a call complaining about the noise and drunken behavior.” Nicole makes sure to keep her voice calm and neutral. This is her boss’ daughter after all.
Chrissy looks confused by the statement.
“Oh? Huh, I didn’t think we were being that bad. Surely Officer you could just – “ she makes a gesture with her finger back towards the road, “- turn the other way on this? After all, my dad is the Sheriff.”
Nicole has to squash the tiny bit of temper that flares up inside.
She cannot believe Chrissy is asking her not to do her job properly because of who her father is.
And yet, in a town as small as Purgatory, she knows it’s not a great idea to ruffle too many feathers.
“I’m afraid I really can’t do that Chrissy.”
A knowing glint comes to Chrissy’s eye, and Nicole is honestly not sure what to expect from her next.
“I see. Well Officer, what if I persuaded you in other ways. Ones you might enjoy more, hmmm?”
Before Nicole even has time to register what she could possibly mean by that, Chrissy Nedley is lifting up her shirt to reveal her breasts.
Nicole absently notes Chrissy is wearing a nice bra before her eyes fix themselves resolutely just over Chrissy’s right shoulder.
Doc, who Nicole sort of forgot was standing right next to her, lets out a chuckle.
“Well, I certainly would be willing to let you off the hook for such a sight.”
Nicole smacks him the gut, hard, before turning back to catch, and hold, Chrissy’s eye.
“Chrissy, please put your shirt back down. Now.”
Chrissy pouts her lips as she lowers her shirt, getting it momentarily caught up in the strapping of her bra.
Nicole waits the moment out, not offering any assistance, because there is only one girl in Purgatory who she is willing to help when it comes to stuck clothing.
Once Chrissy manages to get everything back in order, Nicole fixes her with what she hopes is a firm, but not unkind, gaze.
“I’ll tell you what Chrissy. If you guys can keep it down, and you can keep your clothes on, I’ll forgo the citation for indecent exposure, and I’ll let you continue having this little party.”
At this point, Nicole would really like to just get out of here and forget all about being flashed by her boss’s daughter.
Chrissy beams, swaying on the spot a bit more.
“Oh thank you Officer! Waverly really did pick a good one in you.” She winks with both eyes.
Nicole barely suppresses an eye roll, although she does feel a warmth in her chest spread at the mention of Waverly.
“I’m also going to have to confiscate all the fireworks. Drunks and explosives do not mix.”
Nicole ignores the ‘heh’ she hears come from Doc.
The party goers groan and grumble their annoyance, but Chrissy seems more than happy to comply, given she’s still technically getting her way.
It takes a few minutes to get all the fireworks loaded in the cruiser, but once it’s done, Nicole gives one last directive for the music volume to be turned down, and then she and Doc are off, probably to some fresh new Fourth of July hell.
Once they’ve made their way back out of the neighborhood Nicole let’s out a casual “Maybe don’t mention that little incident back there to Waverly, huh Doc?”
Doc laughs gruffly, before abruptly ceasing. “Maybe let’s not mention it to Wynonna either?
“Deal.”
Nicole’s lips curl into a small smile as they head back towards the center of town.
Doc clears his throat in a peculiar way, and Nicole waits for whatever is coming next.
“If I may…I might have an idea of just what we could do with the contraband in the trunk?”
“And what might that be Doc?”
“Well, follow my directions, and you’ll find out Officer.”
Nicole takes a moment to mull it over, before uttering “What the hell.” This day has been crappy, and she’s already bent enough rules, why not one more?
Doc directs her to turn off the main road onto an old dirt path. It’s a bumpy and dusty ride, but eventually they’re at least 5 miles out of town surrounded by nothing but dirt and rocks and tumbleweeds.
Once Nicole pops the trunk on the cruiser Doc gets to work carrying arms full of fireworks at a time far away from the car.
Nicole just watches him make the first two trips before Doc stops in front of her, spitting on the ground.
“You going to lend a hand there Officer, or just stand there like a mule in heat?”
Nicole has absolutely no idea what the hell that means, but it spurs into action, following Doc with an armful of fireworks herself.
Once they finally have them all piled up, Doc turns to her with a grin.
“Time to pace it off.”
He calls off fifty paces, and Nicole follows his lead, matching each stride.
Once he reaches the desired distance, he turns and draws his gun.
"Think you can hit the mark from this distance Officer?"
There’s a teasing glint in his eye, and Nicole can feel the competitive spark jump in her belly.
It feels just like the time in second grade, when Bobby Graham told her she couldn’t make it all the way across the monkey bars like the boys, because she was just a stupid girl.
In fact, up to that point, Nicole had never actually made it all the way across the bars, but she did on that day, just before jumping down on the other side and punching Bobby in the gut. It cost her a phone call home to the parents, and a grounding, but it had been so worth it.
A grin stretches across Nicole’s face. “You bet your ass I can, cowboy.”
She draws her gain, and they both line up the fireworks in their sights.
“3…2…1…”
BOOM.
The explosion is big, and rather pretty, Nicole has to admit. She can feel the heat of it on her skin even from the long distance.
“YEEEEEEEHAAAAAW! Now that is what I call fun dynamite.” Doc whoops. He takes his hat off and does a little jig in the dirt.
Nicole laughs at his enthusiasm, holding out a fist for a fist bump.
Doc stops his antics, his brow furrowing in confusion at Nicole’s fist.
“You want to fight me after that? I thought it was a bonding experience?”
Nicole rolls her eyes. It takes her a minute to explain a way Doc understands, but then he's bumping her fist with his own, and they're making their way back to town, both unable to keep the big smiles off their faces.
A couple more hours, and a whole lotta mayhem busting later, Nicole and Doc finally arrive at the Earp Homestead.
Nicole is happy to find the sisters outside enjoying a fire in the fire pit. It’s a nice night for stargazing.
“Hey baby.” Nicole greets Waverly, leaning in for a quick kiss.
Waverly gives a nonchalant ‘Hey’ back, but the smile stretching across her face is tight.
Nicole looks to Wynonna, and finds she sports a peculiar looking expression as well.
“Ladies, how is your evening going.” Doc asks, reaching for the bottle of Whiskey Wynonna holds in her hand.
Wynonna pulls it away, the brown liquor sloshing noisily.
“Our evening is going great, but we’re more interested in hearing how your day went.”
Wynonna narrows her eyes at the both of them, and Nicole swallows when she sees an identical look on Waverly’s face.
They couldn’t possibly know about the fireworks. They’d driven miles out of town, no one should know.
Nicole scrambles to come up with an alternative explanation for the Earp sisters generally cold and suspicious demeanor, but she finds none.
Doc has a quiet look of panic in his eye when he turns to Nicole, and she really wishes they could communicate telepathically in this moment so they can straighten out their stories, because next thing she knows they’re tripping over their own words and talking over each other.
“Oh it was just a small explosion, no need to get all riled up –“
“We were just having a little fun –“
They both stutter to a stop when the Earp sisters look to each other with raised eyebrows.
“Explosion?” Wynonna asks, and Nicole’s heart sinks in her chest. “Chrissy Nedley must have some boobs if she caused you to have a small explosion Doc. And I can’t believe you would admit to finding her boobs fun Nicole, at least not in front of Waverly.”
Oh.
The silence stretches out, all four of them looking from one to the other to the other, before Doc and Nicole start talking over each other again.
“Oh they were terrible lady parts to behold, I assure you –“
“It was the worst moment of my policing career so far, I swear –“
Nicole and Doc sport matching looks of shock when the Earp sisters start cackling.
Wynonna is laughing so hard she’s leaning over heaving, and Doc takes the opportunity to walk over and yank the bottle of Whiskey from her hand, taking a long swig.
He hands the bottle over to Nicole, and she doesn’t hesitate to take a gulp herself.
“You should...have seen…the looks…on your faces!” Wynonna can barely get the words out.
Finally, the sisters wipe the tears out of their eyes from laughing, taking the time to high five each other, twice, before addressing them again.
“Wow, you guys are too easy. “ Wynonna grins. “Seriously, please try to be less pathetic in the future. Now, sit your asses down and explain what this explosion you’re talking about is…and then I really do want to know how Chrissy Nedley’s boobs are.”
Nicole lets out a long breath and feels relief when Waverly gives her a small smile and pats the chair next to her.
When Waverly mutters against her lips “You’re really cute when you’re nervous” Nicole thinks maybe this wasn’t such a bad Fourth of July after all.