For reasons she could not completely fathom, Waverly felt a flutter of excitement as Nicole refused her hand, a repressed desire bubbling to the surface. She had buried the feeling for so long it took a moment like this for the feeling to be brought back to life. Ever since that day when another took her hand and led her to a secluded spot where they kissed for the first time. It was the most blissful feeling she had ever felt, nervous at first, relaxing as their lips remained locked, like every Christmas rolled into one. She had felt the girl's right hand pulling at her top, breaking away, asking what she was doing. The girl had winked, moving her hand higher until she found where she was heading, Waverly's eyes closing, her breathing becoming faster, every nerve in her body alive.

It lasted no more than a few moments, a noise behind them making the girl stop abruptly, Waverly left to tuck in her top, calm her breathing. They hadn't done it again for a month, the girl occasionally making eyes at her whenever they passed, Waverly desperately trying not to blush, looking away, looking anywhere but at the gorgeous girl who fancied her.

One Friday afternoon at school the girl had come up behind her, tapping her on the shoulder. "I'm having a party at mine," she began. "Saturday. A few friends. Parents are going to some boring event."

Waverly smiled, unsure whether she was being invited or told. "Great."

"There'll be beers."

"I don't drink."

"Everyone drinks. Seven. Here's my address."

Waverly studied the piece of paper, too far from where she lived to go unless Wynonna gave her a lift. "I can't make it," she said. "I've...I'm going..."

Before she could finish, the girl had taken her hand pulling her towards the same spot where they first kissed. Checking no one was near the girl began pulling at Waverly's top, her hand reaching up inside. "I've been thinking about you. You've got to come."

Waverly felt the girl's hand cup her breast, offering no resistance. "It's too far."

"I was hoping you might stay over. My room's big enough. My parents won't mind."

"I want to. I really do."

"That's settled," the girl said, removing her hand. "Do you want to touch me?"

Waverly nodded. She had thought of nothing else since their last encounter. The girl pulled the bottom of her shirt out from her skirt allowing access, gasping as Waverly's fingers touched her skin. Shaking, not knowing what to do, Waverly moved her hand upwards until she touched the edge of the girl's bra, stopping, too afraid to go on. Her cheeks burned, too shy to look the girl in the eyes. It happened so quickly, the girl's hand slipping inside her pants finding her, Waverly letting out a small shriek as fingers began to move slowly at first, increasing in speed until her mind went blank and the lower half of her body exploded.

She hadn't meant to let out such a loud moan, but she did, unable to stop herself, the pleasure beyond anything she could ever imagine. She opened her eyes to see the girl backing away, pleased with herself and what she had done. That is until two guys appeared from nowhere, wolf whistling to let them know they knew exactly what they had been doing. The girl fled, Waverly left to fend for herself against the jeers, and the taunts. She ran sobbing, her whole life crashing before her, no longer sure what to feel other than dirty.

News quickly spread around the school, the girl ignoring her, telling her friends it was Waverly who had a crush on her, had tried to kiss her, that she had slapped her. They believed her, a few friends siding with Waverly, her confidence shattered because of one blissful moment. She buried herself in her studies, didn't go to parties, kept herself to herself as much as she could, unable to deal with the shame that came with others knowing her secret. She understood why the other girl had lied, yet it hurt to think the girl would rather do that than admit she was the one with the crush, the one who made the first moves, who had done things to her, made her feel things, things she now understood she wanted.

Waverly led the way to the woods, taking them deeper into an area Nicole now recognised, finally emerging at the clearing, which was further than Nicole remembered, much further for the music she heard on the first night to have reached her ears. Admittedly, the area where she walked had been quiet that time of night, but still. Wynonna was right, she hadn't found Demetri, it was Demetri who found her, wandering, in search of something more substantial than a burger, adrift in a world where he could smell another's heartache. And, for the first time she was grateful he had.

Fairy lights still dangled from the trees, unlit given the time of day, and the remains of what was once a fire in the centre. The old rusty chair was there too, as was the stump, along with a dozen or so empty beer bottles, and a shabby looking cool box. The lid was off, Nicole peering inside just in case the money might be there. "We used to come here as kids," Waverly informed, picking up the bottles, placing them in the box. "It was a place to think, to dream."

Nicole took up position on the stump once more. "What was it like, growing up here?"

"Small," Waverly replied, eyeing the rusty chair. "Everyone knows everyone's business."

"Is that why you left?"

Waverly took a chance on the chair. "Not many TV stations in Purgatory."

"What was high school like for you?"

"Like...like, everyone else."

"Not like mine. I had my face reshaped, remember."

Waverly held in a laugh. "No, not like yours. At least I didn't require facial reconstruction."

"Only my nose," Nicole replied, winking. "Rest is all me. So, Waverly Earp, tell me who was your first high school crush."

Waverly shifted in the chair. "You first."

"Skye. Year older, the one who got my nose broken for me. Brother found us in his pick-up truck. Your turn."

Waverly placed the lid on the cool box. "It's getting cold."

"She wanted to keep seeing me. Skye. Her family put a stop to it."

"Did you like her?"

Nicole shrugged. "You're right it's getting cold. Anywhere else you fancy going?"

"Lauren."

Nicole banged her hands together. "Lauren who?"

"My first crush."

"Guessing you broke her heart."

"Nope. She ripped mine out in front of the whole school."

"Guess a broken nose isn't so bad after all."

"Did it not bother you?"

"The nose, not really. No point being any other way. Simply learnt to dodge the punches."

"I wish I had."

"We can't stay here," Nicole announced. "We'll freeze to death. Trust me, I'm your weather girl."

"There's a quiet diner a few minutes away," Waverly offered.

"There is. There's also my room. And no, before you slap me for the hundredth time, there will be no, I repeat no touching, or anything, even if you're desperate to rip the clothes off this perfect body of mine. Scouts honor."

"You were never in the scouts were you?"

"I cycled past once. Does that count?"

The stroll to the guesthouse was pleasant, Nicole still refusing to hold Waverly's hand. Her strategy of fast and furious had failed too many times for her to take the risk of spoiling what they had today. Her room was a mess, apologising as they entered, grabbing the unopened bottle of red from the dresser to start them off. Waverly declined, a little worried Nicole was considering drinking that early in the day.

Leaving her in the room for a few minutes Nicole sought out the guesthouse owner, asking if food could be sent to the room. The owner looked anxious, explaining she didn't usually allow food to be consumed beyond the dining room, Nicole knowing full well she had eaten in her room on numerous occasions. She slipped the woman a hundred dollar bill saying this was a one-off occasion, and she would never do it again. Half an hour later the owner wheeled in a selection of pastries and coffee.

Waverly remained on the couch enjoying the spectacle of Nicole playing mother, still wary of her even though the distance between them was closer than it had ever been. She wanted to believe the Nicole she met that morning was the real deal, except she couldn't be sure. There were enough rumours about Nicole's temperament circulating within the TV station to make her not want to abandon her guard too soon. She also had the memory of their drink together, sensing Nicole had asked simply to weigh her up, find out if she was game, which she most definitely was not.

She wasn't like Nicole, able to take it on the chin, or the nose about who she fancied. In many ways she admired her for that, being able to take the punches thrown without cowering, or hiding a part of her defining who she was. Nicole's comments, about being dirt poor, similarly melted her heart. Nicole was right, you would never know by looking at her now she grew up without more than one pair of shoes to her name at any time. Even in Purgatory, where money was tight, her aunt made sure they had what they wanted. Her only hope, as she sat in Nicole's room, was that this wasn't some play to get her, get her to feel sorry enough to get her into bed.

Her eyes darted momentarily to that one emotive piece of furniture, Nicole catching her. "Can I be honest?"

"I don't know, can you?"

"In the past," Nicole stopped, smiling at her own joke. "Sorry, before I would have given anything to get you in that bed. Actually, I would have given precisely one hundred million dollars."

"What!"

"The sum I was offered in that wood of yours for one day of my life. Demetri takes one day, I get the bucks."

"Sorry, who?"

"Demetri. Guessing you haven't been acquainted."

Waverly shook her head. "Nope. So, this Demetri offered you a hundred million. Some random person in a wood offers you an obscene amount of money and you believe them."

"He's quite persuasive. I thought that's what I wanted. You know, I think...what am I saying, he knew that's what was holding me back. Chase the dream. Be the best. Be better than everyone else."

"Some random guy-"

"Cowboy."

"Okay. Some random cowboy offers you a lot of money, and you're okay with that."

"Was."

"You don't want the money."

Nicole sat next to Waverly. "I was prepared to give some random cowboy in the woods one day of my life for it."

"I think I understand."

"You don't. And, that's okay. There's no way you could understand."

"Don't patronize me. Of course I understand."

"Waverly, you really don't. Have you ever come home and found there's absolutely nothing to eat?"

"Well, no. Not as such."

"Have you ever been so hungry you chewed on spit balls in class to stop your stomach rumbling?"

"I...I can't imagine what you went through."

"I had to hide so many other parts of my life, when it came to who I am and who I like it was the one thing I never wanted to hide. It gave me something to fight for. Even if it got me a broken nose."

"I...I lost my father," Waverly said, lowering her head.

Nicole reached out to take Waverly's hand, holding back. "How?"

"His job."

"I'm sorry."

"They came to the house."

"Who?"

"Bad men. My sister...she. We never found out where they took my other sister."

"Oh God, Waverly, I'm so sorry."

"Gus fought to keep Wynonna with us. If it wasn't for her."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Waverly, you don't have to tell me."

"She blames herself. And, me. I'm sure of it."

"Why you?"

"Willa was her favorite. If it had been me instead of Willa."

Nicole rested the mug of coffee in her hand on the tray, heading to the bathroom. There she sat on the edge of the bath and let the dam break.

When she returned Waverly was gone.