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2563 days, 14 hours and 3 minutes.
Vi frowned, feeling a lump form in her throat as she squatted down in front of the memorial, fresh flowers were there, she knew Ekko had to have been here. She ran her hand over the stone slab, her fingers running over the carving of her name.
Powder/Jinx.
The stone was cold under her touch, whispering tales of past days and echoing Jinx's laughter — manic, joyful, infectiously insane. It struck her heart just like that machine gun. Vi's fingers reached up to feel the roughness of the carved date - the day Jinx was gone. Not dead, for she knew her sister was too stubborn to die.
But she never returned - she left Zaun, left Vi, and went into the world.
At first she didn’t know her sister was even alive until one day months after Caitlyn came to her with stacks of cards - no return address to know where she was because she knew… the moment Vi knew where she was... she would chase her to the ends of Runeterra. Each card was filled with her sister's mad scribbles; snippets of songs, simple words, bad jokes, and drawings that only made sense to the two of them.
Some messages were short and were addressed to Caitlyn, telling her to take care of her sister, what Vi liked and disliked, as if the woman didn't know already. Some were addressed to Vi, but they were shorter.
All of them were stuffed away into her nightstand waiting for the next one to come. Some came months after the last, others were a week, maybe two apart. The unpredictability of Jinx's correspondence was as erratic as her personality. They were teasing traces, always lingering at the edge of discovery, yet forever one step out of reach.
What made Vi sad… was how would she ever know about her life here? It sounded a little selfish but she wanted Jinx to know about everything. How far Zaun and Piltover had progressed because of their efforts, how much Ekko had grown and how he missed her in his own silent way… how she got married… and had a kid.
She imagined in her mind what Jinx's reaction would have been to the news. “You spawned another you?! I bet they punch like you and are as snootie as that girlfriend of yours?” Or well wife… if she knew. Vi took a deep breath as she reached out to plant her own bouquet next to Ekko's.
Sometimes she questioned why she came all the way down here… but she knew it was not doubt but a piece of her heart that brought her to this place. To mourn, to understand, to remember. The memorial was her tether to Jinx, a place where she felt that inexplicable connection stronger than anywhere else.
“You don’t need to feel guilty about being happy. You deserve to be with her.”
Turning away from the stone her fingers brushed the top one last time before she stepped away.
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Leaning down she picked up the child running at her with a groan. The small girl giggled as she was lifted into the air, her eyes shimmering with delight. Their foreheads bumped together, and the girl's laughter rang out.
“Hi momma.”
"Hey, Firecracker," Vi greeted her in a soft tone, setting the girl down on her feet before she rested her hands on her hips looking down at her. Looking at her at first glance you would mostly see Caitlyn, her hair the same navy blue hair - but her eyes were Vi’s, gray with a hint of blue. “Where’s your mom Felicia?”
Her daughter’s mouth opened but before she could reply, another voice echoed from nearby. “Right here.” She glanced up finding Caitlyn coming through the door that led to the living room with a small box and a card in hand.
She tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow at Caitlyn. "What's that?"
"I don't know yet," Caitlyn responded, her brow furrowing as she held up the package. "It was waiting at our front door when Felicia and I returned home. I haven’t opened it yet, figured I would wait for you.”
Vi hummed taking the box going over to the table taking a seat, she picked up Felicia setting her in her lap as Caitlyn sat across from them. Their eyes met for a moment before the woman cleared her throat reaching for the small knife Caitlyn used to open mail and cut open the envelope pulling out the small card.
As she read it her brows furrowed, she could see out of the corner of her eye Felicia trying to look up at it curiously, her small hands reaching to try and snatch it from Vi's grasp, the woman pat her hand however looking up at Caitlyn.
“What does it say?”
Vi licked her lips, swallowing down the lump in her throat. “For the little one.” She said her voice was a little shaky as she handed over the card for Caitlyn to read.
“Is it for me?” Felicia asked, a little eager as she stood up slightly in Vi’s lap her hands resting on the table, her small body bouncing a little in excitement.
“Hold on firecracker.” The woman urged her eyes still locked on Caitlyn watching as she flipped the card over looking at the small design that was clearly Jinx’s. Caitlyn's eyes widened, her gaze flicking from the card over to Vi.
Her expression was unreadable, a mix of shock and surprise. Setting the card down she gestured towards the small box getting a nod from Vi, picking up the knife again she carefully cut through the slits on the box, taking care not to damage whatever was inside.
Felicia squirmed anxiously, her small fingers gripping at Vi's shirt. "Can I see?" She asked, trying to peer over onto the table.
"In one minute, Firecracker," Vi replied, her voice soft yet firm. Her heart pounded in her chest as she unfolded the flaps of the box, her hands shaking a tad. She tried not to show her nervousness, tried not to show how much this affected her. For the sake of Felicia. For Caitlyn.
Reaching in blindly she felt her hands nudge against something with rough fabric, gripping it she pulled it out getting a gasp from the little girl. “A bunny!” She bounced slightly, reaching her hands out for it.
Ignoring her mother's soft admonishment of "Careful, Firecracker," Felicia wasted no time in grabbing the stuffed rabbit from Vi's hands, her face splitting into a wide grin. She hopped down from Vi’s lap rushing over to Caitlyn, who was looking at the card again. Her eyes soft, tracing every familiar line and scribble.
“Look, Mommy! A bunny!” The child bounced on her heels, her childish lilt echoing in the quiet room. Caitlyn glanced down from the card to look at the stuffed animal in their daughter's hands.
Blood was rushing through Vi’s ears as she watched the scene unfold, watching her daughter cuddling the stuffed bunny close to her chest. Her heart pounded in her chest. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
“What is it, what is it?” Powder asked, jumping slightly unable to contain her excitement as Felicia squatted down in front of both of the little girls with a smile on her face. Pulling the item from behind her back she held out the bunny to both Vi and Powder who gasped in unison, their eyes going wide at the sight.
The bunny was stitched together clumsily, mismatched fabric pieces making up its body. Its eyes were two mismatched buttons and the stuffing inside was lumpy and uneven. But there was a certain charm about the ragged little creature that had the sisters entranced.
“B-Bunny,” Powder stammered, her blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She reached out but quickly drew back, as if scared she might break it.
Vi was quick to snatch it up, holding it before them with a grin plastered over her face. “See? I told you I’d make you a plushie.” Felicia said, ruffling their hair, getting giggles from them.
“Thank you mom!” Both of them yelled, throwing their arms around Felicia in a tight hug.
A finger brushing along her cheek made her jump slightly making her look over, finding Caitlyn sitting down in the chair next to her. “What’s wrong?” She asked glancing over to Felicia who was sitting in the middle of the floor now playing with the bunny.
"Nothing's wrong," Vi replied instinctively, her voice a scratchy whisper. But as she looked into Caitlyn's eyes, Vi knew she could not hold it down.
Caitlyn placed her hand over Vi's on the table. She gave her a soft reassuring squeeze. "We can talk about it," she said. "I'll listen."
Vi stared at their interlaced hands before she finally found her voice. “My mom… she made that bunny.” She whispered looking back at the bunny in their daughter's hands. The material was faded and some of the stitching was frayed, but there was no mistaking it. Caitlyn's brow furrowed as she looked over again as well. “I thought it was lost… I didn’t think Jinx… I didn’t think she still had it.”
Caitlyn looked back at Vi, who was now lost in a faraway memory. "How old were you?" Caitlyn asked, her voice a comforting murmur.
"Seven or eight I think," Vi replied after a moment, brushing a hand through her hair. "Our mom said Pow- Jinx and I were fighting too much, so she decided that we needed something to take care of together. Something to teach us responsibility."
"And she chose a stuffed bunny?" Caitlyn asked, a hint of amusement creeping into her voice.
Vi chuckled quietly. "Well, we lived in the undercity. It's not like we could have a pet."
Caitlyn nodded in understanding as they both turned their attention back to their daughter, who was now engaged in an animated conversation with the stuffed animal.
For a while, they sat in silence, watching Felicia. Then, abruptly, Vi spoke up again. “And she knows about our daughter… I didn’t know - did she come back at some point, did someone tell her about Felicia? Was she watching?” The questions poured out of Vi’s mouth like a dam had burst, thoughts she had suppressed coming to the surface. Caitlyn looked back at her, the unspoken questions hanging between them. “If she was here…” Her other hand clenched into a tight fist on the table, knuckles turning white with the strain. “Why didn’t she just come talk to us… actually meet her niece.”
Caitlyn sighed, bringing her hand up wiping the single tear that fell down Vi's cheek. "I don't know, Vi," she whispered, her own voice catching just slightly. "We can't exactly go into Jinx's mind and figure out what she was thinking."
“Yeah… I know… It just... it hurts.” Vi let out a shaky breath, her gaze transfixed on the aged bunny. She felt Caitlyn's thumb lightly tracing soothing circles on her hand, silently offering her comfort.
They sat in silence for a while longer, the quiet of the room only interrupted by the soft giggles and excited chitter-chatter of Felicia as she played with the bunny.
The next moment, Felicia rushed over to them, clutching the bunny tightly. Her eyes were wide and sparkling with giddy excitement. "Look, Mommy, Mama!" She cried out. "Bunny wants to play hide-and-seek!"
Caitlyn chuckled softly at their daughter’s enthusiasm while Vi managed a small smile. She reached out to ruffle Felicia's hair affectionately, then gave a nod. "Alright, firecracker," she said with a sigh that was more fond than anything else, her weariness momentarily forgotten in the thrill of their daughter's joy. "Let's play hide and seek."
As Felicia scampered off cheerfully babbling about finding a good hiding place for Bunny, Caitlyn turned back towards Vi. “You okay?” She asked tentatively, running her thumb over Vi’s knuckles.
“I’ll be okay,” Vi murmured, her eyes never leaving their daughter who was now prancing about the room. "I just need some time... to process."
Caitlyn nodded, giving Vi's hand another squeeze of reassurance before releasing it. “I understand.”