Disclaimer: Characters don't belong to me, they are all Syfy's, just thought I would have a bit of fun.

I wondered what would happen if a favourite scene turned out slightly differently. This is an intro, to be followed up with a further part in the near future.

Can't Go to Hell...

archaeobard

The front desk of the Ghost River County Municipal Offices was so badly designed Nicole Haught was thinking of going for a promotion just to get away from the thing. Desks were manned by people, people had legs, and legs needed to go under desks. She rubbed at her knee, which, for the last half hour, had been pressed painfully up against the woodwork. The desk, however, was the least of her problems. The lines of the report in front of her blurred and a spot of ink bled a little on the page.

"Shit." She blotted at it with a Kleenex and then dealt with the source. It was bad enough she had to account for every mile of gas for the squad car, let alone be reminded of her failings as she did it.

Subject was recovered wandering aimlessly on the outskirts of town during inclement weather.

"Subject gave me the brush off and made me feel like an idiot," she mumbled, giving vent to her true feelings. "Subject wants to be maybe just friends." She put her pen down and stared around the empty squad room. The small town was supposed to be a fresh start, not an excuse to make the same mistakes over and over again.

Everything had been fine, just peachy, until she had walked into Shorty's and tried to get a cup of coffee to go. Maybe she should switch to tea, Shorty's didn't serve tea. Who was she kidding? She'd drink air out of an empty cup if it was served by Waverly Earp. She picked up her pen and finished the entry, tearing it from the report pad and slotting it into the sheriff's in tray with a flick of her wrist.

She sat back and contemplated how her maybe just friends relationship with Waverly would play out. Wave would be fine, life as usual, while she would pine away, desperate for any scrap of attention and affection that might be thrown in her direction. She might even enter into a disastrous relationship with some woman and pretend that everything was alright. She might flaunt it in front of Waverly to show her what she was missing and then end up mortified by her actions whilst successfully alienating Waverly at the same time. What was wrong with her? She slumped over the front desk, head in hands.

"Get a grip, Officer Haught, you're better than this," her voice was crumpled paper.

"A grip?"

Nicole's head snapped up. When had Waverly strolled in? She cleared her throat, "Yeah, I need to get a grip...I'm going to take an advanced firearms course...grip is very important, especially with the bigger...weapons, you don't want them to get away from you..."

Waverly looked at her a moment, "If you say so. Nedley in?"

"Happy hour at Shorty's, same time every day, like clockwork."

"Right," Waverly pushed passed Nicole into Nedley's office and started clattering about.

"Wave, what-" Nicole started after her but was pushed aside with a quick Excuse me.

"Hey, what is your problem? I don't understand-" but her words were cut off by a set of lips and a hand at the back of her head pulling her down into that kiss. It wasn't just any kiss, it was fierce, primal in is execution and it said, "I want you." Nicole found her own hands on Waverly, and for a matter of seconds she allowed herself to submit, then reason trickled in and she pulled back, gasping, holding Waverly at arm's length.

"No, Waverly, you don't get to do that."

Waverly looked at her, the fire in her eyes slowly being replaced.

"But I thought-"

"Then you thought wrong." Nicole broke away a couple of paces and stood with her arms crossed, "What was that anyway? This isn't some kind of game for me, Waverly. You can't just come in here and throw yourself at me like I'm some guy. It doesn't work like that."

"You think I'm playing some game?"

"What would you call it? First, you let me know I have no chance, then you dump your boyfriend, then I think there is some hope, you stare at me with something in those eyes of yours, you cry when I get hurt but you make fun of me. I've still not figured out that unicorn thing. But then, and this is the clincher, then you tell me exactly where I stand, that you want to be maybe just friends, yet you come in here, to my place of work, and assault me?"

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow. I should arrest you."

"Did it ever occur to you, Officer Haught, that I might not be as strong as you, that I might be a little confused? That I might just now, after twenty-one years of living in Hicksville as you'd probably put it, be figuring some things out about myself? And that perhaps that scares the crap out of me? So excuse me for acting irrationally, but I'm kind of flapping in the wind here."

"Waverly, I-"

"No, don't say anything," she held up a hand, "just...go to hell."

With that Waverly spun on her heel, threw open the door and ran out of the station. Nicole watched her leave. She should have run after her but she couldn't leave her post, not for another two hours and twenty-seven minutes.

"Shit!" She scrubbed a hand over her face, "Can't go to hell when you're already in it."

To be continued…