5. Breakfast Time!

Nicole read the paper over and over again. She rubbed her eyes, wondering if her drowsiness was causing her to hallucinate.

She wasn’t hallucinating. What she read actually happened.

Date of crime: 9/21/11. Type of crime: Attempted Sexual Assault.

The incident report said something along the lines of his girlfriend was mad at him for cheating on her. She broke up with him. He then got angry and drunk. He knew she was going to be with her friends that night, so he found her at the park where she was alone making a phone call. He grabbed her and explained to her that he was sorry. She told him to go away. He started assaulting her, but one of her friends came up and stopped him before it could go any further. They then called 911. At the bottom of the paper, the charges were listed.

Or rather lack thereof.

The original charge of sexual assault had been dropped not even hours after he was booked.

Apparently his ex changed her story and had said she was just upset with him and he really didn’t do much to her.

Nicole’s mind was overrun with emotions. She was upset that there was another girl just like Waverly that he tried to hurt, but she was also mad that Waverly dated him, most likely knowing what he did to another girl. Yea, it was almost 5 years ago, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t do it again. She quickly read through the rest of the reports. They were mostly bar fights and public intoxication, typical Champ.  

Nicole wiped her sweaty palms off on her pants and stood up, walking back to Nedley’s office holding the paper. She tapped her knuckle on the door. “Sheriff?”

“Yes, Haught?” he asked, looking up at her with tired eyes since it was now nearing midnight.

“I, uh . . . Sorry to bother you again, but in his file, it says a few years ago he was taken in for attempted sexual assault, but the charges were dropped almost immediately?” She shook her head with a furrow of her brow. “What else d’you know about that?”

Nedley let out a heavy sigh, locking his jaw as he ran a hand down his face.  “Get in here and shut the door.” Nicole slowly closed the door and sat down in the chair n front of his desk. “As we know, Mr. Hardy is one problematic young man, and, as I’m assumin’ you noticed, he’s been in and out of this station his entire life.”

“Yes, Sir,” she mumbled, listening attentively to what her boss was telling her. 

Nedley crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair.  “Well, he had this girlfriend in his teen years named Jessie Reyes. She was best friends with my daughter all throughout school, still is. He wasn’t the nicest to her. Always unfaithful, starting fights, ya know. One day she finally had enough and broke up with him, and, uh, . . . you read what happened. Well, some of her other friends got it in her head that if she followed through with the charges, she would never be taken seriously by a man in Purgatory again. She believed it and dropped all of it. Chrissy tried to convince her they were fillin’ her head with bull, but she was too scared so she just went with it. Nobody really talks about it, but everyone knows what happened. Even his girlfriend now, Waverly, she knows. She started datin’ him less than a year after the incident. She didn’t believe it actually happened . . . I fear for the day she breaks up with him,” he sighed, slouching down in his chair. He shot right up, though, seeing the look on Nicole’s face. “Officer Haught, did he-” He was cut off when she dropped her head in her hands. “Oh lord,” he mumbled, walking around the desk and giving her a soft pat on the back.

.  .  .

Waverly couldn’t move.

The mix between his strong hand holding her wrists above her head and his body pushing against her left her paralyzed. She tried to get away. She tried to scream in hope that someone would hear her. But no one came. She was helpless. She didn’t know what he was going to do to her. His free hand was now trying to pull her shorts down. When they were down as far as he could get them, he moved to his own jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping them, whispering provocative slurs into her ear. Waverly was trying to kick her legs at him, but his knees were holding her legs in place. He inched his boxers down just below his waist, and Waverly looked down, realizing what was about to happen. She tried with all her might to break free, and she was screaming as much as he was allowing her to get out. His free hand went over her mouth and he-

“Waverly!” Wynonna shouted. 

She was straddling her sister, trying to hold all of her flailing limbs down while also shaking her at the same time. Waverly’s eyes shot open, and she let out a wail and darted her eyes around. It took a moment, but she realized she was in her room and that Wynonna was holding her down. “Babygirl, look at me,” Wynonna said, obviously out of breath. Waverly stared into her sister’s teary blue eyes. “He’s not here. It's just me and you. You’re at home. Just breathe, Waves, you’re ok. It was just a nightmare.”

“I was- he tried to- I thought- oh my God,” she stuttered out in between sobs.

Wynonna climbed off her lap and pulled her into her arms. “Shhh, Babygirl, I know. I heard you.” She wrapped her arms around her, pulling one hand through her hair as she slowly rocked her.

“You heard me?” she asked, only then realizing that her throat was sorer than it was when she went to sleep.

“Yea, you were screaming and calling my name and calling Nicole’s name. I climbed on you to try and wake you up, but-” Wynonna sucked in a quick breath with a shake of her head, hugging her closer. “It was a good five minutes before you came to.”

The bedroom door was suddenly kicked in. Waverly rolled off Wynonna’s lap with a shriek and shielded herself with the blankets. Wynonna jumped off the bed, grabbing the shotgun off the floor and aiming it at the figure in the door. She saw Gus standing there, pistol raised at her.

“What in God’s name is goin’ on in here!?” Gus shouted, lowering her weapon. Wynonna put the gun back on the floor and rushed to the door. Waverly brought the covers away from her face, and let out a sigh of relief. 

“Jesus fucking Christ, Gus,” Wynonna breathed out, giving the woman a bear hug. “Don’t do that! I almost shot you!” 

Gus huffed as she pushed her off and walked further into the room “Well, I almost shot you, too. Do you blame me!? I decided to pop by and bring my two favorite nieces breakfast , but as I pulled up, I heard Waverly screaming bloody murder. What the hell was that all about?” Gus looked towards Waverly with raised brows, realizing her face was stained with tears. “Oh, Waverly.” She rushed to the bed, setting her pistol down as she scooped her into a hug. Waverly hugged her tight but looked up at her sister with fear in her eyes.

“Hey, Gus? How about I, uh, help you get the breakfast out of the car and set the table?” Wynonna mumbled, gesturing for her to follow her.

Gus narrowed her eyes at her as she stood back up straight.  “I think that’s a great idea,” she agreed. She cupped Waverly’s cheeks and kissed her forehead. “Get dressed in some loose clothes, I’m gonna make you eat your fill.” She gave Waverly a loving smile and walked out with Wynonna.

The duo walked outside to Gus’s car. Wynonna went to open the car door, but her aunt stuck her hand out and shut it, sliding between her and the car. “You are gonna tell me what is going on right now, young lady. There is no reason my baby up there should’ve been screamin’ like that! What did you do to her?!” Gus demanded.

“I didn’t do anything,” Wynonna mumbled.

Gus crossed her arms with a tip of her head. “Then what was it?” 

“Waverly broke up with Chump yesterday,” she said quietly, looking down and scooting a rock around with her foot.

“Well, good riddance. She finally got some damned sense knocked into her head. That still don’t explain why she was screamin’, Wynonna.” The brunette looked up at her, tears starting to roll down her face. Gus slowly let the anger seep from her face, knowing something was definitely wrong now considering she could count on one hand the number of times she had seen her cry. She slid her hand down her arm. “Wynonna . . . What- What happened?” Her voice was soft as she pulled her into a hug. Wynonna clutched her arms around her, burying her face into her shoulder. “Oh, Honey . . .”

Wynonna pulled back, sucking in a labored breath. “He- He tried to fucking rape her, Gus! Last night in the bathroom at Shorty’s. The new fuckin’- Officer Haught knocked him out before he could actually, but he scared the living shit out of her! . . .” Wynonna shook her head as she let her arms fall limply to her sides. “She was having a nightmare about it and wouldn’t wake up. That’s why she was screaming . . . I just- I’m so s-sorry I wasn’t in there to stop him. She never should have dated him in the first place. S-She knew what he did to that Jessie girl.” 

Gus stood frozen, her chillingly hard eyes locked on Wynonna’s face for a long couple of seconds.  “And where is he now?” she asked with a low growl.

“Doc has him somewhere . . . He’ll get what he deserves. I promise.”

She let out a breath, some relief sliding across her face. She knew Doc would be able to do just that. “. . . He better.” She sighed as she moved away from the car door, meeting Wynonna’s eyes as she cupped her face and wiped away her tears. Wynonna swallowed, and Gus turned to pull the car door open. “Help me bring this food in ‘fore it gets too cold.” They grabbed the McDonald's bags and headed inside.

The table was set and Wynonna’s face was free of any evidence that she was crying when Waverly made her way downstairs.

“Woooo! Let’s eat some food!” Wynonna screamed as she slammed her butt down on the chair and grabbed a few hashbrowns.

“Jeez, save some for the rest of us,” Gus said with a chuckle, sitting down across from her.

“It looks like you bought out the whole restaurant, so I think we're good,” Waverly smirked, sitting down next to her aunt.

“Well, you know how that one eats.” Gus nodded towards Wynonna, who had just shoved an entire hash brown in her mouth to prove her point. “I kind of had to. Now, you, Dear, need to put some meat on those bones!”  

The ladies had a nice and happy family breakfast. Wynonna was leaning back in her chair moaning and groaning in pain after they finished. She had eaten maybe a little too much, which was a shock to absolutely no one . 

Gus and Waverly were gathering the trash, and obviously she was being no help to them. “Get up, Wy, you have to help, too,” Waverly groaned, punching her arm as she walked past her.

“I am helping. I’m staying outta your way,” she said matter-of-factly as she stood, walking over to the couch and turning on the TV. 

Waverly rolled her eyes and continued to put the leftovers away, Gus shaking her head as she poured herself some more coffee. “For once.”