//You know, one of these days, I'm actually going to be happy with a story I publish and leave it alone! //
Early Morning. The birds were barely awake and singing their morning tunes and the rest of the world was still sleeping, and yet there was one house in Purgatory that was wide awake. The light was pouring from behind all the closed curtains of the Earp homestead as Wynonna Earp, the elder of the two remaining Earp sisters, was running around the lower story, frantically, as she tried to find her missing bags. She was due to be leaving on a business trip in less than 30 minutes and as she came downstairs earlier that morning for her scalding hot coffee, she noticed, even through her half-asleep haze, that her suitcases and assorted bags that she had placed right by the front door just a few hours prior, before collapsing into bed, had mysteriously disappeared.
Wynonna tried to remember her breathing exercises that her therapist had suggested she tried whenever she got overwhelmed, and ran her hands through her hair, pushing all the little strands, that had fallen out during the panic, back underneath her hairband. Wynonna hadn't even bothered to get dressed that morning, just opting for comfy sweats and leaving the hairband, that she always slept with, in her hair.
Once she had got her breathing and heart rate back under control, she yelled upstairs to her younger sister. Normally, Wynonna wouldn't be able to call for her sister as Waverly wouldn't ever dare to be up at this ungodly hour, she was rarely up before 9:30 am, even when she was working, but Wynonna dragged her lazy ass out of bed so she could be there to wave Wynonna and Xavier off.
She waited for a few seconds, and when she heard no answer, she yelled again.
"Waverly! Big sister down here, having a major crisis!"
Wynonna made sure to yell louder so Waverly heard her. Unbeknownst to Wynonna, Waverly was in the middle of a shower and couldn't hear anything over the pattering of the running water hitting the bottom of the bathtub. While she waited for an answer, Waverly spun herself back around towards the door and stared at the empty spot where her bags were, with her hands on her hips and her left leg jutted out slightly, leaving all her weight rested on her right hip. She just couldn't figure out where the bags had gone even if it would've saved her life in a hostage situation.
About 5 minutes after her left attempt at shouting for Waverly, the bathroom door opens then closes again quietly and the soft padding of feet can be heard coming downstairs. Wynonna whips her head around the door frame and watches as an exhausted Waverly trudges her way downstairs, finishing wrapping her towel around her hair. When Waverly catches Wynonna's eye, she chuckles at her sister's confused expression.
"What's the matter with you?"
Wynonna pointed at the door. Waverly turned herself around and stood next to her sister, so they were at the same vantage point.
"What exactly am I looking at?"
This was a brand new guessing game that Waverly had never had the honor of playing with her sister, and now they were both standing there, staring at the blank spot near the door, just as confused as each other.
"What's wrong with this picture? What's missing from it?"
Wynonna looked at Waverly and Waverly just wanted to laugh, thinking the sleep deprivation of being a Black Badge Agent and a mom had finally got to her, but Waverly quickly realized that Wynonna was deadly serious. Waverly frowned slightly and turned her head back over to where she was just staring at and took a proper look before shrugging, still entirely stumped.
"OK, I officially have no idea what I'm supposed to be looking at."
"My bags! I put all my stuff by the door last night and when I came down this morning, they were gone!"
Wynonna exclaimed, her arms flying up above her head in exasperation. Waverly stifled a laugh when it was finally explained to her.
"Oh! Right, OK. Now I know what you're talking about, Xavier already put them in the car."
"He did? When?"
"Erm... Right after you went to bed I think? Or it wasn't long after that anyway. He thought it would save time in the morning, but obviously not since you've wasted 25 minutes looking for the bastard things."
Waverly chuckled softly. Wynonna grumbled at her younger sister and nudged her, jokingly.
"Oh shut up. Anyway, why would he do that? I'm perfectly capable of moving a couple of suitcases."
"Seriously? You've spent way too much time alone... He did it because he's your husband. And this is the sort of thing that good husbands do, they take the time and use their initiative to help their wives. I don't know why you've got a problem with him doing this for you, you've usually got no problem with him doing things for you. Or to you."
Waverly wiggled her eyebrows knowingly with a teasing smirk. It took Wynonna a couple of minutes for it to register what she was talking about. When it clicked, she gasped and lightly laughed.
"It's such a good job you're in a towel and I don't want to see your titties or your puss. Or you'd be running away right now."
Waverly burst out laughing then threw her hand over her mouth to keep herself quiet as Wynonna threw her some sweats and panties from the clean laundry pile in the kitchen. Waverly caught them, nearly dropping her towel in the process, and shuffled into the other room to quickly throw them on. When she was changed, she threw her towel over the back of one of the chairs and put some socks on to warm her feet up.
The laughter that broke out between the pair must have woken up Wynonna's daughter because not long after Waverly had finished changing, there was a tiny voice that sounded out from halfway down the stairs.
"Mommy?"
Waverly and Wynonna poke their heads around the door and smile softly when they see a very small and very tired Alice standing on the stairs, wrapped up in her blanket off her bed and clutching her rabbit teddy.
"Hey munchkin, Why are you awake this early?" Wynonna smiled and spoke softly, heading over to the little girl and lifting her onto her hip. Alice instantly put her head on her mom's shoulder and cuddled into her chest.
"I got scared mama..." The little girl whimpered slightly.
"Got scared of what, sweetie?"
Waverly came over this time and asked the small child the question in a soft, reassuring voice.
" I thought Mommy left without saying bye-bye."
Alice sniffled slightly and Waverly reached up and wiped a small tear off her face. Wynonna felt her heart break a little bit and she kissed her daughter's head, running her hand, soothingly, over her back.
"No baby, I'd never do that to you. I would've come and woke you up with Papa when we were ready to go."
"You promise?"
Alice's little voice was just breaking both women's hearts bit by bit.
"I promise, peanut. But I'm glad you're up now 'cause that means I can give you a massive squeeze before Papa comes to join in!"
Wynonna exclaimed, hugging her daughter as tight as she could go that wouldn't hurt her. Alice giggled and hugged her mom as tight as she could.
"I'm gonna miss you, mommy..."
Alice mumbled, her face buried in Wynonna's chest.
"I'm gonna miss you too peanut, but you're gonna have the best time ever here with Auntie Waverly, right?"
Alice looked over at Waverly then back at Wynonna and nodded hard. Wynonna and Waverly looked at each other and smiled softly, nodding at each other. The little nod to say that Wynonna knows Waverly will do anything to keep Alice safe and happy, like always.
Waverly had been the best Auntie to Alice throughout the four years of her life. Waverly moved out of the homestead for a while after Alice was born and her sister and Xavier got married, to give them some space as a family. But after a year and a half, Wynonna missed her sister way too much and begged Waverly to come home. Waverly eagerly agreed and it had been the four of them in the house ever since.
Alice was Waverly's little pal and the pair were inseparable. Even when Wynonna was home, Alice was glued to Waverly's side 24/7. It was pretty cute for Wynonna to see. Just as Wynonna had put Alice back down on the floor, after her wiggling to get down, Xavier sauntered back into the house after prepping the car with the last of the things that they needed for the drive.
"Do I hear my little princess's voice?"
You could hear Xavier's grin in his voice as he spoke. Alice looked up when his footsteps changed from the wood of the porch to the soft laminate of the house. She dropped her blanket, which Waverly caught before it hit the floor, slinging it over her left shoulder, and took off running towards Xavier, crashing into his arms and nearly sending him flying.
"Oof! There she is! Is it Papa's turn for hugs now?"
Wynonna stood by Waverly and watched the two interact. One of her favorite things about Xavier and Alice's relationship was that Xavier never tried to push Alice calling him daddy. He tried once and she said no, cause Doc was her daddy, even if he wasn't around much right now. The pair sat down that night and came up with other names that she could call him, and they agreed together on Papa. She's called him that ever since and he's just happy she sees him as her other dad.
"I am gonna miss you so much, princess!"
"I'm gonna miss you, Papa..."
Xavier let Alice go and stood back up as she scurried back over to Waverly and hugged her legs. Xavier looked over at Wynonna.
"We'd better go, It's a long drive and there's some road closures, which is gonna make the drive even longer."
The pair gave Alice one last hug each before Xavier stepped back outside to get the car warmed up while Wynonna said goodbye to her sister. Wynonna hugged her sister tightly, then pressed her forehead against Waverly's.
"Keep her safe?"
"I always do."
The pair whispered to each other. They'd always been close as kids but after the death of their father and sister, and their mother going into prison, they only had each other and Wynonna had to learn how to look after a kid while still being a kid, which made them even closer. Wynonna closed her eyes for a second then kissed Waverly's forehead gently.
"Love you Waves..."
"I love you too. Now go!" Waverly chuckled, trying to not get emotional. No matter how many times she's seen Wynonna go away on cases, it never got any easier, knowing that she might not come back. Wynonna smiled softly and nodded at her sister, bent down to kiss her daughter on the cheek then left the house.
Waverly picked Alice up, wrapped her back up in the blanket, and followed Wynonna to the door to wave them off as they drove down the path and out to the main road. When the pair couldn't see Wynonna's car anymore, Waverly took them inside, shutting and locking the front door behind them.
She looked at the little girl, who was still attached to her hip, and smiled when she saw that she was falling back to sleep. Without another word, Waverly walked upstairs, carefully placing the toddler back into her bed, and tucked her and her teddy in for another couple of hours of sleep. She slowly crept out of the child's room and left the door open a crack, so the light from the hall would seep in enough that the room wouldn't be in total darkness, and then went back into her room.
Waverly's hair was totally dry by now so she just fell back into bed, setting her alarm for 7:30 a.m., and instantly fell back asleep.