Chapter Text

These have been the longest years of my existence. Far from everyone, isolated in confinement with the false illusion that I am free among a sea of prisoners. It was five years ago that I was sent to Srillwater as a recruit, a jailer, and I never saw the light of the sun again. I have spent every day and night between the thick concrete walls, thinking about the life I left outside. I was forced to live in the barracks of the prison, under the strict supervision of the Commander. There is a reason for everything and this punishment was the result of my actions, which I could never regret. It was only love.

"Y/N" A familiar voice calls my name and I immediately stop in the middle of the hallway. It can't be, it's been so long since I heard... -"Officer Y/L/N, I have an order for your transfer. You will be part of a special team; we will organize expeditions to Undercity"

Just half an hour later we are on our way to Piltover on one of those freight monorails that connect to the island. I can barely believe my luck This morning I woke up without hope, as always, to do my routine and tiring work, wait for more arrests and give blows. Now I'm sitting on the cold metal floor looking at the person who was once my best friend, but, there's something different. Hear about the death of his mother, Mrs. Kiramman, which happened in a terrorist attack provoked by that woman that the new inmates seem to idolize. It must have been very hard to lose her like that, I should have been by her side and not in that damn prison.

"I can almost hear your thoughts."

She says seriously and bends down to search for something in a leather backpack, pulling out a sizable folder and tossing it onto my lap before leaning back against the wall of the vehicle.

"It's a summary of the expeditions we've done in the last month" she sigh "it wasn't easy to get you out of there, I had to ask for a lot of favors, it seems like your parents had better connections than I had anticipated"

I have the folder open, flipping through the pages, reading headings and highlighted parts; Failed missions, minor arrests, assassinations. They released Grey in Undercity... I frown at her and she sighs again, looking away for a moment.

"It was necessary, these were controlled situations"

"You know that stays in the air, Caitlyn," I snapped, "you can't play with that, there are innocent civilians down there and you know it well."

I look at her in annoyance. Who the hell is this woman? Releasing Gray in places where innocent people could be harmed. Men, women... children. I swallow, looking at the notes again to know where they've been and which roads they've gone on.

"We haven't had missions near their last known location" She says quietly and that only manages to annoy me more.

"Is this why you took me out of there? To tell me that now you are dedicated to poisoning innocent people?" I growled reading her stupid field notes.

"We're looking for Jinx. I need a new member for my team. That beast that attacked the lower levels? We know where it is" Caitlyn crosses her arms and looks at me with a grimace "the world out there has changed since the last time we saw each other, Yn. You can either join me and find her faster or go to that viper's nest on your own, the choice is yours"

Chapter Text

The collar of the uniform itches, it's different from the comfortable suit in Stillwater, out here everyone looks like idiots in costumes. I look around the Noxians' improvised camp for trouble and continue on my way, this is not what Cait promised.

I have only one motivation for coming to Zaun, as this place is now called, the only reason why I am still standing until now and why I was put in that hell against my will: Isha.

My little girl. Eight years ago I was wandering around Piltover, I was barely sixteen at the time, with my mind full of ideas to improve the City of Progress or, in any case, the way to enter the academy to become one of those noble vigilantes who looked after our city. It was in my search for that dream that I ended up in Undercity, after a handful of bad decisions, a bad deal with a "vigilante" and the loss of many silver pine cones.

I was scared and alone after that supposed ex-vigilante left me alone in the middle of a square, I was so stupid for having truly believed he would show me what things were like down there. I wanted an adventure, I wanted danger and to have something with which to impress my future officers at the academy; I used to be very impulsive back then.

Instead I just got a scam and being dumped in the dirtiest, most ungainly place full of criminal-looking people I had ever set foot in in my life. I was very scared, it was obvious that I didn't belong there despite my dark-colored clothes, I stood out like a rose among the weeds. Or so she told me

Vania, a sweet girl with amber eyes and a kind smile. She approached me with that smile that reminded me that the world really wasn't that bad. She asked bluntly if I was Piltovian and when I said yes, after a long and uncomfortable silence, she just nodded and took my hand to lead me out of the square.

Little did I know that this would be the beginning of the end of everything.

I began visiting Vania frequently, she was more than happy to welcome me into the back room of her parents' small business while they were away. It was difficult to understand how there could be such a different world right there and not have seen it before, when Piltover was called the "City of Progress" while in Undercity they had to fight for basic supplies like food, water and air. But Vania never seemed to care that I didn't belong in her world, or the crimes the Piltovians committed against the people there, because she knew that I wasn't the one behind the guns and I knew that none of us were to blame for the choices others made.

Over time our long talks about our different lifestyles became something more friendly, comfortable and intimate. I looked forward to the moment when I could slip away from my responsibilities at home and finally slide, run or climb through the ducts to our meeting places. They were wonderful times, she was marvelous and I fell deeply in love without even realizing it.

It was a young love, full of adrenaline, connection and passion, of course, we were seventeen years old by then, after all. I will never forget that day, when I sneaked up to the roof of an old abandoned arcade and she wasn't there, I felt fear fill my chest and my breathing began to labor to the point that I had to force myself to take a deep breath; no, she wouldn't let me. I walked straight to the back room, which was emptier every day, and there I found myself face to face with his father.

"So you must be Yn. Is that so?"

My hands and legs shook as the man with the broad shoulders, piercings and tattoos crossed his arms with a sullen expression.

"Y...yes, sir," I nodded and extended my hand. I was greatly surprised when he shook it and one of the corners of his lips raised slightly.

"Come in, we need to talk"

I had never gone beyond the back room. I discovered that their business was in decline, with few products for sale and no one trying to take more, but Vania never said anything about it. I didn't have much time to think before the man led me up some stairs to the small apartment on the second floor, there was Vania with her mother. She had been crying, I knew it as soon as I saw her.

"Vania..." My concern came out in the form of a whisper to which she responded by shrinking into the worn-out couch. I didn't understand what was happening and her parents remained silent, with those kind expressions, but they didn't say anything, they just sat a little far away in what seemed to be their dining room and I assumed that for them that was giving us as much space as they could in such a small place. I approached Vania cautiously, kneeling beside her so I could wipe the tears from her face.

"Yn... I" she sobbed lightly and wiped every tear from her face, I could feel my heart hammering hard against her chest while I waited calmly "I'm pregnant"

It was those words that completely changed my life and hers. The information hit me like a slap in the face and I had received many of those throughout my life. At that time my mind was only wondering how it was possible, but I knew it well. Even though it had only happened once between us, the truth is that for two women to be able to conceive it was only necessary to have a great connection and between Vania and I there was always something, a spark that made me stir up my guts in the best way, I knew it was her, I always knew that.

I began to go to the academy with the hope of being able to have a border post one day and thus run less risks in my escapades to Undercity. I wanted to leave Politover immediately when she decided she wanted to keep it and asked if I wanted to be a part of it, would I leave everything behind to help in the store or look for a job, take responsibility for our baby and her, but I received a firm no. Vania had strong ideas and a stubbornness that would drive anyone crazy, so I obeyed while she was pregnant. I sent supplies, coins and letters when I couldn't go in person. Isha was born on a summer evening with the sun warm over Politover, but not in Undercity.

Seeing our little family only made me realize that we had to leave. Things were changing, Undercity was being taken over by a new ringleader and at home they were starting to suspect that I didn't have "friends" that I went out with every day. It was a matter of time before my hateful mother found out and that's what I feared most, but I never told Vania and that was perhaps my biggest mistake. I never told her the whole truth about my family and how they had a lot of influence over the city's elite, how well connected the Y/l/n have been for entire generations and that all power always carries with it the weight of misfortune.

My Mother would never accept that her daughter had a family in Undercity, much less that I took them to Politover. She didn't agree to me entering the academy along with Caitlyn, but she was able to stay quiet thanks to Mrs. Kiramman.

So three years passed, with me tiptoeing from place to place with the help of Caitlyn and Araela, the housekeeper's daughter who grew up with me. They didn't ask many questions after I told them about Vania and Isha, they asked enough to be able to find them in case my mother tried something and they asked for a photograph, nothing more. I may have thought at the time that it was paranoid of both of them, but now that I read how Caitlyn has precisely avoided the location of the old cabin I know it was the right thing to do.

A crash in Ambessa's tent alerts me, it seems that no one else has heard it, out of there runs that dark-haired, tough-looking woman. We stop face to face for a second, my gun points at her chest and just before I can pull the trigger she shows a small locket with an old, battered photograph of a baby.

Chapter Text

Let's meet Jinx

We run at full speed to get to them. Vi carries the collapsible hextec rifle in her hand as she runs as if her life depends on it. She has Isha's photo, the one I gave to Caitlyn and Araela almost five years ago so they could meet my daughter, so that it would be easier for them to find her in case something happened to me in the line of duty, plus the silver locket she showed me has the Kiramman family crest engraved on it and that alone sealed the proof that I needed to trust the woman. We burst into one of the strange domes of the hippie camp we were guarding and the scene leaves me stunned; Caitlyn on the ground, Jinx, a hamanoid beast and a hole in the ceiling.

"What the..."

Small footsteps and a blur of blue hair passing by me silence me, a small body slams into the psycho terrorist in a tight hug, while Vi leaves the gun at Caitlyn's feet and walks over to... stroke the beast?

My jaw drops to the floor and I look at Caitlyn expecting a coherent explanation for such a scene, but she seems as impressed as I am. I'm about to open my mouth again to demand an explanation for this madness when the little girl clinging to Jinx's waist turns her face and fixes those amber eyes on me.

I feel dizzy when the familiar pair of amber pearls looks at me with curiosity, recognition bathes its small face and it looks at me with curious eyes searching for an answer inside its small mind, I know, because its expression of concentration is identical to mine. I feel Caitlyn's eyes on me and the breath leaves my lungs. It's her. Damn, it's Isha.

"The troops of Ambessa," Vi announces in a harsh tone of voice just before we can hear the heavy boots of the soldiers marching between the cliffs.

A torrent of questions, ideas and many doubts floods my mind at once, I can't think clearly while I see the reason for my sanity in the arms of a criminal. I exchange a quick look with Caitlyn, because she knows better than anyone what Ambessa is capable of, and when I see her dismayed expression my eyes fix on Isha again, damn it, I can't... I won't lose Isha again. ...

"Get her out of here" Caitlyn says vaguely as she prepares her gun and I nod back, relieved, taking a couple of steps towards the girl, but a short gun that emanates a blue light at the tip stops me immediately, it is aimed straight to my nose.

"Not so fast" Jinx says in a sharp tone, out of the corner of my eye I see in horror how Isha covers herself behind her and the beast hisses.

"I have to get her to safety!" I say desperate, there is no time for this or for explanations, the Ambessa army is getting closer.

"Why all the fuss? That girl would kick anyone's ass" Vi says calmly from the door, Jinx nods with a proud smile, Isha nods firmly and Caitlyn snorts.

"There's no time for this. Get out of here, take them to a safe place and we'll meet later. Now!" She looks at me annoyed and I just nod, she's the only one who seems to have any common sense right now. Wait did Caitlyn say take them? What, two?

I don't have time to think about it too much, I hear Ambessa's men bang their shields and growl as they march. Well, if this fucking psycho isn't going to let me take my daughter, then let her come too, I look at her in annoyance and tug on Jinx's wrist before scooping up Isha with one arm with more ease than one would expect. We then take off running through the hole in the wall; Jinx's screams, Isha's bites on my shoulder as she tries to free herself, and the beast's distant roars don't stop me as we flee through a fissure between the cliffs.

I stop after what must have been an hour of running between passages and small clearings, only when my legs threaten to stop supporting my weight, so I almost drop Isha to the ground when I fall to my knees, gasping for air, but Jinx is fast and catches it in an agile movement. I feel the blood soaking through the shirt on my shoulder from the incessant biting that Isha did and that somehow managed to do real damage to my skin through the thick material of the jacket, my wrist is sore from the constant scratches in the attempt to fleeing from the other, both fought for a long time, but knew how to stop when they realized that I would not let them return.

"Where...where are we?" I ask panting because I don't recognize the area, although I think it's still Zaun, because there's no way an hour's journey would get us out of civilization.

"Near the docks, in that direction" Jinx answers pointing west, I only see more rock formations and passages between them, she still looks in the direction we came with a neutral face until Isha approaches and presses her small body against the older one again, surrounding her waist with hers thin little arms.

I look at the scene without being able to believe it, my daughter is with her and they seem so united. How? I gasp a little and grunt with the effort as I stand up, that catches both of their attention and as soon as I turn my neck to look at them I have the gun pointed at the side of my head again.

"What do you want with Isha?" Jinx asks with the same sharp and dangerous tone as before, it infuriates me beyond measure, but I slowly raise my hands having read enough about her to know that she is not someone you want to have problems with.

"Isha is my daughter" I murmur without moving my lips, I have no idea if the little girl can use that resource to understand some words. I know about her disability, because her mother and I communicated in sign language in front of her every time since we discovered it, it was so painful to think that she would have to deal with that in a place like Zaun.

"You're lying! Isha is an orphan, like me," Jinx claims, pulling me out of the memories, "you're with her, it's just a plan for..."

She falls silent. We both look down as Isha moves silently, she has a small frown on her face and looks at me cautiously. It is the same expression of distrust as Vania, but at the same time, I can see traces of my own face drawn on it. I know the woman with the blue braids notices them too, it's impossible to ignore the way Isha looks like me and at the same time doesn't have it, because she has her mother's amber eyes and smile, but those brown locks of hair that you see among those who were painted blue and the expression on your face... that's all mine.

Besides, there's something about how Isha responds to being near me, something natural that makes her look at me carefully while her infant mind tries to solve the riddle of a memory that was too young to really remember her mother before she was taken from her side. She's my daughter, she just doesn't remember.

Isha looks at me carefully for a long moment, while Jinx and I look at her with similar expressions, then the girl slowly raises her hand extended and rests her little thumb on her chin. "Mom" she's saying mom! Well, gesturing in sign language, but it's the same thing. She knows!

"Yes!" I nod in a relieved, tearful gasp, falling to my knees in front of her. Gods, she last saw me when she was three and yet she still remembers me. Did Vania tell her about me, even when I didn't come back? Did she show her pictures?

"Isha" Jinx murmurs in a vulnerable tone, lowering her gun and looking at us with a frown and a... a pout? Isha rushes over to her as soon as she notices the woman's dejected appearance and begins to quickly sign to her, telling her things that I can't see from my position. But all I can think right now is that Isha knows who I am and that means I can get her back.

"You don't know if that's her, kid!" I hear her say softly, signing it to Isha at the same time "A vague memory and a hunch don't mean she's your mother" Jinx murmurs, but this time she's only saying it to herself, loud enough for me to hear.

It's the first time I've seen her outside of a pamphlet or a wanted poster taped to a wall. She is a surprisingly young woman, slim build, with fine features, her hair is almost neon in color, her eyes... are violet, almost the same skin tone as those inmates who have consumed Shimmer. She's strange. Why is Isha with her? It makes no sense. Where are Vania's parents?

Suddenly we hear a rumble in the distance, in the direction of the camp, the place where we left Caitlyn. Shit. A column of smoke slowly rises behind the cliffs. My heart is pounding in my chest. No, I tell myself. She must have left before... she had to.

"We have to go, if anyone saw us running they will come after us" I say quietly, thinking about possible hiding places inside the Undercity, but I haven't been there for too long "Jinx?" I ask, hesitant to pronounce that name, standing up.

She has her gaze fixed on the sky and her fists clenched at her sides, looking like a bomb about to explode. I slowly approach Isha to get her away from the woman and as soon as I touch my daughter's shirt Jinx turns on her heels in a movement barely visible to the human eye, jumping on me with a surprising force for her size. She throws me to the ground with a thud, I let out a grunt as my back hits the hard floor hard, Jinx and I struggle for a moment until she decides to throw the first real blow and damn, it looks like she knows how to use the weak points of his opponent in his favor, because he sees the blood on my shoulder and the bruises on my wrists and hits there.

"Damn brat, get off me," I grunted, tired and weak after our hasty escape, I try to get her off of me without hurting her too much because Isha must be watching, I don't want her to see me being violent.

Suddenly something hits the side of my head, a small projectile that doesn't pierce; a rock. Another and one more follows, Jinx is also having her thing because she gets off of me covering her head with her arms. I see her blink a few times before fixing her gaze on Isha, standing a few meters away from us, I raise my eyebrows in surprise when I see that she is holding a small amount of rocks with one arm and throwing them with the other.

"Okay! Okay, I give up" I say, lying down on the floor, exhausted, with a strange feeling of warmth that grows inside me when I see my little girl big and strong enough to decide to stop this "fight", the only problem is that I can't even get close because of her watchdog. Jinx sits on the floor next to me, staring into space before taking a long deep breath and smiling sideways.

"Good technique, that hurt" she compliments Isha, who smiles satisfied at the compliment. I huff under my breath before sitting up and looking at them both.

"We need to get out of here, we're exposed," I insist even though I feel more sore now than before.

Jinx looks at me as if she's thinking about abandoning me, which probably does cross her mind, then she looks at Isha and sighs theatrically. She gets up from the ground easily and then reluctantly reaches out to offer me a hand, I hesitate.

"I'm not going to wait all day, Mule" I roll my eyes as I accept her hand, she helps me to my feet. Isha looks at us with an innocent smile on her face "Okay, let's go, we can go to the hideout." Jinx says in that stupid sing-song voice before turning to start walking west, back to Zaun. Isha follows her, without hesitation, walking alongside the unstable woman.

What happened to her grandparents? Why is Isha in the care of that monster?

Chapter Text

When she talked about her hiding place and Isha seemed extremely happy to return there I felt relieved, they were finally cooperating in going to a safe place, I thought at that moment. But now, as we descend through ventilation pipes and venture deeper and deeper into a fissure, I'm not so sure. I've already asked a few times where the hell we're going, but they just laugh knowingly.

"You'll see, Piltie, it's soooo cozy." Jinx mocks, watching me go down ungracefully through a small space between the rocks. "Right, Isha?"

Isha nods with a small smile tugging on her lips and looks at me with eyes full of pure amusement. I sigh tiredly and follow them through the endless passages, tunnels and slanted steps. We come to a particularly narrow rock tunnel and down it Isha moves nimbly, but Jinx herself has to lean down to avoid hurting her head against the ceiling, while I have to crawl to keep up with them without hitting one of the stalactites. They two come out first and stop to wait for me. When I come out of that small tunnel I am breathless when I see the structure in front of me; It is a deep fissure, a cliff with what once must have been part of an air generator to supply Undercity. Now that propeller is swinging in the middle of two pretty deep looking cliffs, like it could collapse at any moment.

"Home, sweet home" Jinx breaks the silence with a sarcastic tone and then turns to walk straight to the metal structure.

I stand in the same place watching as she and Isha make a small path to one of the closest propellers, the one that seems to be supporting this end, and walk on it without problem. Then I see the neon-colored drawings, the string lights, and every single thing that was added to the structure to make it look like some sort of workshop, den, or whatever. Isha stops in the middle of the propeller, over the void, turns to look at me and calls me with a simple gesture. I follow them.

"This is impressive," I can't help but say in a low voice once we have reached the center of the structure, which is undoubtedly an old propeller from one of those fans used in mining many, many years ago. Now it has become a laboratory, judging by all the discarded pieces on the floor and the drawings that fill each makeshift blackboard.

"Yeah, well" Jinx places a box in front of me that has a childish drawing of a small gun on the old desk, she pushes it in my direction.

"No, no way," I frown at her, it's a little too obvious that I don't trust her and she doesn't trust me either.

"It's that or get out. Choose" The way her mood seems to change from moment to moment is somewhat disconcerting.

But I don't have time to respond because a small thud catches both of our attention. We had been having a staring fight and we didn't notice how Isha's quick little hands disarmed both of us. I almost laugh when I look down, Isha has a grumpy expression on her face and she has put my gun next to Jinx's in the box, she is standing in the middle of both of them, looking at us as if she was scolding us.

"Okay, I'm sorry," I say softly, looking at Isha. I think this is the first time I've had her this close without her trying to bite my shoulder off. My little daughter looks as pretty as the last day I saw her, except that she has gotten older... and I wasn't here to see it.

"Isha, go get some rest, will you?" Jinx says softly and gently taps the scribbled miner's helmet Isha is wearing with her knuckles. "We need to talk."

Isha seems to doubt whether the idea of leaving us alone is a good one before leaving in the opposite direction from which we came, I follow her with my gaze curiously, only to raise my eyebrows in surprise when I see that at the other end of the cliff, in at the end of the other propeller, there is a small, almost comfortable looking shelter hidden between the cracks.

All of this is not what I expected from the lair of the most wanted person by Politover and part of Zaun himself. There are childish looking drawings of Jinx's signature graffiti, there are toys that aren't bombs amongst the already famous bombs that were her trademark, and there's something about the gentleness with which she treats Isha that unsettles me, but not in a bad way. She did horrible things that destroyed entire families, left orphans, there are children up there on the surface who have nightmares because of her and I know from Caitlyn's reports that her own people had a hard time handling her while she was at the side of that criminal kingpin named Silco. The thing is, she has a way of treating Isha almost with... affection.

"I'm going to ask you one more time, mule." Jinx crosses her arms with an expression that shows distrust so soon as we were left alone again "What do you want with the girl?"

I sigh and run a hand through my hair, using my good arm. "I already told you, she's my daughter" I say calmly, expecting another upset reaction from her, just like a while ago.

"No, she's not" her calm tone is a surprise and puts all my senses on alert.

"Listen, there's a lot you don't know and apparently there's a lot I don't know" I say and look at where Isha has gone, she's lying on what looks like a pile of blankets, I don't know if she's fallen asleep, although that would be expected after such a hectic day "I have no idea how she ended up here with you, but I do know that she's my daughter and I'm not going to abandon her now that I found her"

"And why did you abandon her in the first place?" Her question is laden with hatred and resentment, and I am taken by surprise by the way she leans toward me and her sharp tone. I take a couple steps back, my gaze downcast and remorse gnawing at my insides.

"I didn't want to leave her, ever." I try not to sound as dejected as I feel about being confronted directly about it, not in front of her, she's not one to ask for explanations about my behavior or the actions that sent me away, but the tone of my voice gives me away.

"Let me guess. You were confined to Stillwater for years and that kept you from coming back for the girl," she murmurs with sarcasm and a bored expression. I look at her in disbelief.

"How did you know all that?" I ask defensively, recovering from the surprise.

Her expression goes from mocking to doubtful. "You have to be kidding, are you serious? Weren't there more backstories?" She snorts and I look at her without understanding what she means, but again she doesn't give me permission to answer "So, tell me Piltie, why did you abandon Isha?"

"Stop calling me Piltie or mule or whatever" I growl as I cross my arms and the small scratches on my shoulder sting "I'm Yn Y/l/n" I finally introduce myself "and what happened is none of your business, actually, the one I owe explanations to is Isha anyway" I sigh and my gaze goes straight to my little daughter. We both silently watch as Isha sleeps peacefully, she seems so oblivious to our little fight. "And what was that beast? The one that you all tried so hard to protect out there" I ask her in a low voice, so as not to break the only moment of peace too abruptly, but it's not enough, because she still throws me a murderous gaze

"That 'beast' was my father" she retorts sharply, I widen my eyes in surprise "and Vi's father. He didn't always look like that... and he's our adoptive father" she shrugs after answering quietly, looking away. I nod slowly at her words.

So that's why Caitlyn wanted to help them and made sure that the girl with short hair had Isha's photo, she knew that I would be patrolling that area and that I wouldn't hesitate to help her if she knew that she was with Cait. Wise. But what still doesn't make sense is why Caitlyn wanted to protect the woman she had been hunting for months, despite being the sister of her ¿girlfriend? Ex-lover? Well, whatever, Jinx and Caitlyn were together when Vi and I arrived at that "miraculous healer's" camp.

It also doesn't explain what the heck Isha is doing with Jinx. What does my daughter have to do with all this? Because seriously, what were the chances of her being in Jinx's care? It's like the gods have gone crazy.

"Take off your jacket," Jinx orders, moving to search for something among the supply boxes under her messy desk. I look at her confused because I stopped paying attention to my surroundings when I got lost in my thoughts and she seems to notice my lost gaze "your blood is starting to leak through that stupid jacket and you won't wear that in my territory anyway, an Enforcer in my lair..." she mutters with disbelief, but she seems very serious about it so I just take it off, I don't really feel like yelling anymore right now, I have a lot on my mind.

The white shirt under the dark blue with gold details jacket is slightly stained with blood on the shoulder, which surprises and worries me in equal parts, because this is a fairly thick jacket for rough use. And a girl had enough strength to hurt me? Did she hurt herself? Hell, I should have checked her before I let her go to sleep.

"She's fine, she's tougher than you think" Jinx says as if reading my mind, then she walks over with a small box and points to a raised bench with her head "use this to clean yourself up, stop bleeding on my floor" she mutters placing the med kit in front of me.

I look at the little content confused. It's not a real wound really, just superficial scratches and Jinx must know that, but she's offered me the few bandages they have and the half-full bottle of disinfectant anyway. This is confusing, hell, she seems like she wants to rip my head off one minute and then suddenly she seems to be a civilized person, I don't understand. I sigh and unbutton my shirt under her watchful gaze, it was lucky I decided to wear a tank top under my clothes this morning, she has leaned on the desk a few feet away to keep an eye on it. I sit in front of a cracked mirror so I can see what little damage has been done, just so I don't seem ungrateful and in the end I just use a small gauze and a squirt of disinfectant to clean the bites Isha left behind. Isha must have been very scared or desperate if she was able to do this through that hard fabric, I think with concern.

"Thank you" I mutter, closing the small tin box on the desk and looking at the young woman, only she's not there anymore, she's suddenly behind me tying my wrists with what must be a piece of wire. I struggle trying to free myself, but I can't, I only hurt the wrist that she had previously hurt me.

"Okay, now that we've tied up the loose ends," she raises an eyebrow and turns me around on the small bench "you should be ready to give an explanation about all this, right? Tell me, Yn, what were you doing in that place? Do you know that Enforcer that Vi turned goth for?"

"Caitlyn?" I ask hesitantly, giving my wrists another tug, knowing that it has to be her she's talking about, but with this girl you can't be sure. She nods "Yeah, obviously I know her. I already told you what I was doing in that place, by the way," I sigh tiredly, stopping fighting against the restraints, we're just going in circles.

She doesn't seem to like my answers very much, but not enough to really get upset. She crosses her arms and looks at me silently for a moment, it seems like she is evaluating what I have told her or just trying to plan the best way to get rid of me quickly. It's crazy, I should be the one planning how to get out of here and not her, I finally found Isha, for gods' sake. But deep down I know that I can't just make Isha take my hand and follow me out of here, not after watching how I interact with her. Damn, what a mess we've gotten ourselves into. If I take Isha away by force she will never forgive me, she is too young to understand everything and too innocent to know who the woman she has been living with for gods know how long really is, I can't do it by force.

"Where did you find her?" I finally ask, looking at Isha over her shoulder, Jinx follows my gaze and I notice how her face noticeably relaxes before answering.

"She fell from the sky, literally" she smiles sideways while still looking at the small figure of my daughter sleeping peacefully in the blankets "some chemical bandits were following her and she fell on top of me from a slope, luckily, so I kicked the asses of those idiots and she just started following me from then on" she shrugs as if it was no big deal.

“Chemical Bandits?” I mutter, it must be some criminal gang from there by the way she said it "Why were they following her?" She looked at Isha with concern.

"She tried to steal something, maybe food or something to sell, at that time I didn't understand her much" Jinx says with a frown.

"But... she shouldn't have been on the streets" I whisper dismayed "her grandparents. Did she tell you something about them?" I ask with a more desperate tone, because I don't understand what Isha was doing stealing from a gang of thugs. They should have taken care of it!

Jinx looks at me curiously at the way I'm holding on, struggling against the restraints again, causing damage, I hear the noise of the plastic covering the fiber squeaking and I relax my arms as much as I can again. I take a deep breath and lean back against the metal desk, leaning my back against the edge.

"She said her mother had died" Jinx murmurs with her head tilted as she looks at me "she didn't say anything about having grandparents, but I did a little research on my own and that led me to an old, run-down store in ruins. I didn't find anything else" she says that last thing looking at me with her eyes half closed and I just sigh with regret.

Things in Undercity, Zaun or whatever it's called now, became chaos in just a few years and very quickly, so it doesn't surprise me too much to know that they lost the old store, which had already been in decline for many years. The truth is that what happened to them made them decide not to take care of Isha and the most obvious answer terrifies me.

"The neighbors there..." I begin with a low voice "no one knew what happened to them? It doesn't make sense" I murmur, closing my eyes with a headache starting to grow.

"Nope, no one" she looks at me without giving it much importance. We stay silent for a long time until she yawns "I'm going to sleep. Don't try anything stupid" Jinx threatens as she stands up to walk over to where Isha is sleeping.

I turn in the chair to see how she turns off most of the lights in the place before lying down near Isha, who quickly notices her presence and approaches to Jinx without even awakening. I sigh when I see them, it has become more than clear to me that I am not taking away Isha from here until everything is said... and perhaps not even then.

I stay up all night waiting for some sign of what's happening out there, something about Caitlyn, that girl Vi, or Ambessa. Caitlyn's actions were a betrayal of the pact we had with the Noxians and I fear for the repercussions against her, damn, she decided to do this for that girl...

Caitlyn sacrificed her future, the pact with Ambessa, to Piltover and joined her mother's murderer's sister again just for love.

I couldn't stand up to my parents the way I should have and now I pay the consequences for that, that's clear. Should I have caused a fucking war for Vania? Yes, I should have forced myself to fight harder for her.

Tears run down my cheeks as I think about every single thing I could have done differently, how I should have stayed in Undercity from the moment I found out about the pregnancy and not returned to Piltover. Maybe I should have left home to be with Vania every second of the day once Isha came into the world. I keep thinking about that night I went to our small house in a semi-decent neighborhood inside Undercity and she told me everything...

Isha was three years old at that time and she ran into my arms as soon as I took off the robe that covered my body and face. I wasn't here as long as I wanted to, but I needed to get as much money as possible to pay for a couple of fake IDs that I would give to Vania as a gift, we would get away from here as soon as I had them. Living this way was not good for anyone, with the criminals growing more and more down here and the impossibility of taking them up with me... leaving was the only option.

Then Vania got sick, she didn't tell me anything at first and I was so absorbed in getting extra shifts to pay for those IDs that I could barely go down to see them. I realized too late, she had gotten sick because of the Grey, working in an area with poor ventilation and where a valve must have broken. I remember the fear that clawed at my intestines like a wild animal trying to get out of me, she had begun to cough up blood, her lungs...

And things only went downwards from there.

Chapter Text

Isha is the first to wake up, luckily for me, she rubs her eyes sleepily before stretching and yawning. I look at her with a small smile tugging at my lips, she's adorable. I try to get her attention without making too much noise and avoid Jinx waking up, I need Isha to free my hands.

Isha walks over to where I'm still sitting on that little swivel bench and looks at me with her little head tilted, she doesn't seem to understand why I'm sitting there or she's just trying to figure out how to untie me. It doesn't take her long to find a pair of pens among the tools strewn across the desk and cuts the cord with a satisfying 'click'.

"Well done, darling," I smile, stroking my sore wrists. She seems to get the compliment so she smiles back.

"Why are you still here?" Isha asks with precise gestures and a serene expression. I look at her slightly confused before taking a long breath, this is going to be a difficult conversation.

"Isha, I'm your mom, I want you to come with me" I say slowly, vocalizing each word and at the same time expressing it in gestures with my hands "I know I owe you many explanations about how I disappeared from your life, but now that I found you I can tell you whatever you need you know" Isha seems to think about it for a moment, looking in Jinx's direction and I can see pain on her face, which breaks my heart. She nods with a small scowl on her face.

"Why didn't you return?" It's her first question, of course. Isha was only three years old when Vania succumbed to her illness, after months in bed and a lot of pain, I did what I could by bringing in as many Undercity healers as I was able to find, we even gave her medicine made in the best laboratories in Politover, but there was nothing that could stop the damage.

We spent three months together while Vania slowly lay dying, unable to do anything other than those poor attempts to get medical supplies from the Enforcers base claiming they were for me. Isha was never closer to me than in those moments, she barely understood what was happening, she didn't know why I never stayed more than a couple of nights and suddenly she had me around her for weeks while her mother was in bed unable to give her the usual attention.

I made all the arrangements to get her out of Undercity once Vania died, we had already discussed it and Vania agreed. Isha and I would have a new beginning away from everything, we would take an airship to Ionia as soon as we could. But that was not the case.

"Isha..." I sigh looking down, I look at my wrists crushed by the cable "after your mother died I had to go back up to put some matters in order, that's why you were at your grandparents' house for a few days" I say quietly not really knowing how much she remembers "I was going to come back for you, daughter, I just needed to tie up some loose ends and then it would be you and me in a new beginning" I touch her chest and mine pointing out the last. I'm crouching at her eye level, needing her to understand the honesty behind my words.

After Vania passed away I needed to stay on my feet despite the deep pain that settled in my heart, for Isha, she was the reason to continue with all those plans that Vania and I had made at some point, only now it would be just us two. So I swallowed the pain, left Isha in the care of her grandparents in the old store where Vania grew up and went back to Politover to do what I had to do. It was a simple plan in theory; go to the Y/l/n mansion to get my money, the fake IDs and say goodbye to Caitlyn and Araela if there was a chance.

"You didn't come back" Isha looks upset "grandfather died because of a riot in the streets and grandmother in the fire" the expression on Isha's face is hard, gods she is only eight years old and she has been through all this.

"I didn't know," I murmur, closing my eyes in regret. "Isha, I should have been here, I know. There aren't enough excuses for what I did to you, for leaving you, but you should know that it wasn't my intention. They took me away from you, love, I thought your grandparents... I thought you were in someone's care," I say regretfully, looking into her small amber eyes.

That night I entered the kitchen through the back door, they always left it open for the service to take out the trash, so I carefully slipped from there to my room on the second floor without any major complications. The money and fake IDs had remained hidden in a small safe under my bed for almost six months, waiting for the right moment to flee. For two days prior to the raid on what was once my own home, I had been doing some work for an unethical officer who was willing to help me with the border crossing between Zaun and Politover, I had everything arranged for Isha and I to cross into the city tomorrow so I could go to the city to the airship docks.

"Isha, I was ambushed on my way back here by the Enforcers, they detained me and sent me away" I say quietly, remembering the past "I grew up in a high society family in Politover, they didn't agree with the relationship I had with your mother and from the beginning they threatened to stop it or there would be big consequences. But there weren't any, I thought I had lost track of them because they stopped making comments and I... Isha I thought they didn't know about you, but I was wrong. " I sob lightly.

That same officer who had taken my money and made me do dirty work for him was the same one who was leading the Enforcers that night, they surrounded me right after I crossed the bridge to Zaun. I couldn't think about anything but Isha and how she had just lost her mother, how she was now losing us both. They covered my head with a cloth bag and boarded a transport, it was a short journey in which no one said a word, then they took me out almost dragging because they put handcuffs on my wrists and legs as if I had been a dangerous criminal. I don't know how long they kept me in the cold cell, I only remember not sleeping, eating or drinking while I cried silently for the future that was taken from me.

I heard steps, high heels, then a hand slapped me. It was my mother, I would have recognized that blow anywhere. "You are a disgrace, Yn. We warned you about your stupid escapades in Undercity and yet you dared to go back there" she spat with contempt, which made me furious, I couldn't look at her "And you gave birth to a daughter, a bastard. You are lucky that your father and I have interceded for you, they were going to charge you with treason and put you in a cell, but instead you will only have to be a guard at Sillwater Penitentiary from today onwards" were her exact words. I would have preferred death at that moment.

I feared for Isha and her grandparents, knowing what my parents were capable of and how they would not touch their hearts in harming them if they wanted to, my throat filled with bile at the thought of my mother being aware of my daughter's existence.

A small hand caressing my cheek brings me back to reality suddenly, Isha looks at me with eyes full of tears while she wipes mine away. That little girl with an innocent and kind smile that I saw yesterday is in front of me today showing how vulnerable she really is, we both are. I sigh regretfully and carefully stretch out my arms to ask permission, I need to have her in my arms again, I haven't hugged my daughter in five years...

Isha's small body melts into a tight hug that fills my soul, like a puzzle piece that finally fills the place where it belongs, tears run down my cheeks and she sighs too.

"My my, a nice postcard," Jinx's expressionless voice behind us makes me exhale in frustration. I'd forgotten about her.

Chapter Text

Jinx wasn't happy to see me free, but we couldn't have a real conversation before a woman burst into Jinx's hideout. She is a tall woman, with dark hair and complexion, her expression goes from determination to slight amazement as she looks at the three of us there, but she shakes her head quickly. My first instinct is to shield Isha with my body, though she sneaks to the side to look at the woman with concern, I assume she's an acquaintance of Jinx's.

"What are you doing here?" The woman asks with a frown "There's a damn war being planned up there. Why aren't you taking out their toys?" She looks at Jinx straight.

"I've got more important things to do, let the Pilties have their own fight" Jinx huffs, not taking her gaze off Isha and the way she holds my hand.

"It's not just the Pilties. Something happened yesterday at the camp of the one they called Herald, with the Noxian army and... there's talk that Signed released a beast" she says seriously. Jinx doesn't say anything, seeming to be lost in her own mind for a moment.

"Do you know what Naxos' purpose is?" I interject with tense shoulders. If there's a fight between the Noxians and Politover, we're in danger. Naxos is a nation that forges warriors from birth while in Politover we have a security force sufficient to hold back fights between cities and in the rare case, a small invasion.

"That new guy on the Council, Talis, has warned everyone about Ambessa trying to use her one time partner, the co-creator of Hextech, to gain the weapons, resources, and newfound power that man has; he's merged with the Arcane and we all know how dangerous that is. They've taken a sphere out of the camp, he's also got a small army of Shimmers under Ambessa's command, all under the eye of the Signed" she looks at me with narrowed eyes "Talis said that sphere is what contains our biggest problem right now and if Politover has gone to so much trouble calling us to bring us up to speed, reinforce everyone's security, and turn his back on his "allies" then it must be true" she says with more confidence than I would have expected from a Zaunite, she seems to trust Councilor Talis' word a lot or she's simply seen more than she's telling us. She looks at Jinx and points at me with her head "And who is this?" It takes a moment for Jinx to get back on solid ground, Isha steps away from me to reach for her hand.

"It's Yn. And it's a long story" she murmurs, stroking Isha's hair in a vague, thoughtful gesture. "What are you supposed to expect from me, Sevika? I don't care what happens to the Pilties, to be honest," she shrugs and looks at the woman.

"Our people are getting ready for the fight" the woman, Sevika, says in a calm tone, causing Jinx to frown. "We've been warned of airships to evacuate civilians, but they've left the call open for volunteers in the Enforcer lines."

It must be worse than they're saying if they've recruited civilians, that's an extraordinary measure that had never been taken before. And civilians from Zaun? Something unthinkable.

"Jinx, you have to do it," I say, looking for the jacket I took off yesterday and the weapon.

"No, I don't" she replies reluctantly "I don't owe that city anything and I'm not who the people of Zaun think I am," I pause at her expression, there was almost a second of vulnerability crossing her face.

"Well, there are those who do believe that," I nods down as I put on my Enforcer's jacket, Sevika raises a questioning eyebrow. Isha looks at Jinx directly with expectant eyes, she definitely looks at this psycho as something else and... I'm not sure how to feel about that.

Jinx crosses her arms mumbling quietly without looking at us, I just wink at Isha as I finish getting ready. The braided woman sighs and looks at the little girl, that's all, I can see it in her face without needing to know her. She's aboard.

"Fine, but we won't arrive at the party empty-handed," he says with a half smile that only announces problems. Sevica and I shared a quick look "¡We need to get this going!" She says with her arms outstretched and a smile that Isha imitates... I look around blankly.

"What thing?" I ask confused, Jinx rolls her eyes and points at the ground.

"Do you guys really think this is just an old platform?" She mutters ruffling Isha's hair one last time and then approaching a pile of messy papers, she pulls out a blueprint which she then holds out in the direction of Sevika and I. I take it and I must admit I'm surprised, I show it to Sevika.

"Will it work?" the woman questions.

"Of course, I designed it in case of a contingency" Jinx shrugs and looks at us "What are you waiting for? Move! We don't have all day"

Suddenly there is a snap and a flash of blue. A young man materializes in the middle of the propeller. What the hell!?I step forward, standing between him and where Jinx is, Isha is far enough behind us.

“Who the fuck is this guy?” I ask without letting my guard down. “Isn’t this supposed to be a secret hideout?”

Jinx snorts behind me and the guy looks at us warily, looking puzzled, maybe dizzy. It’s Sevika who makes the first move and steps forward from our right, she pulls out a gun to point at the boy.

“Firelight” she growls lowly and then I draw my gun as well. I may not have spent much time on the streets over the years, but the cells of Stillwater are filled with those who proudly call themselves Firelights; It was very difficult to stop the fights between gangs. So if this guy belongs to Silco's rival gang and Jinx (I guess Sevika too) were part of Silco's... What is he doing here?

“I don’t want any trouble,” he raises both hands slowly, dropping a strange, heavy-looking object. He glances over my shoulder at Jinx and I don’t need to turn to know she has her own gun pointed at the guy’s chest.

There’s a tense moment where we all remain silent, Jinx, Sevika and I all point our guns at the guy, but he looks more tired than scared. There is also a look in his eyes that wanders to Jinx and then to Isha, he also looks at me, as if trying to understand the situation in front of him. The thing is, the more I see him, the more I notice that behind his caution there is a familiar nostalgic, one that I have seen in my reflection for years, although I don't understand why.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on here? I didn’t expect to see an Enforcer in the lair of the hero of Zaun,” the guy says and sits down. I hesitate a moment before lowering my gun to check on Isha, she’s standing behind me, but she doesn’t seem scared.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Jinx asks the first question and then my day gets even weirder than it already was.

It turns out that this young man came from another timeline to which he traveled by accident, along with Professor Heimerdinger and Jayce Talis, due to an anomaly in the Hexgate core. There's a lot I don't quite understand as he tells us about how he traveled to an alternate timeline and had to recreate the anomaly inside that device he carries, long story short. Jinx seems so interested that she interrupts him a couple of times to ask questions about the runes or things the young man mentions, but they don't waste too much time on that. Once he's brought us up to speed it's time for Sevika to bring him up to speed as well.

I decide to start with the arrangements for Jinx's hot air balloon while they discuss what's happening in the present day of Politover and Zaun, not missing the glances the young man throws Jinx's way from time to time. Jinx also got to work getting the balloon running. I couldn't say if there was or is something between them, maybe in that other line of time... no, he seems to be too good a boy for her.

"So you're going to fight?" He finally asks, once he has heard every detail of the threat above our heads.

"That's the idea, Boy Saivor" Jinx answers with a small sigh and stops to look at him. Jinx is working on the wiring under a panel.

The young man nods slowly before standing up again "I must go see if the Firelights are okay, if they are going to fight" he seems determined so I nod, since neither Sevika or Jinx acknowledge his words. He nods back and stops when he sees Isha sitting at the desk playing with bombs, much to my dismay "Are you going to take the girl?" He doesn't judge, he actually seems concerned.

"Yes/No" Jinx and I answer at the same time. Great, just the thing. I set down the heavy tarp I've been trying to tie over the frame and looked at the young woman.

"She's a girl, she's not going to the fucking battlefield in a war against Naxos and a magical being who lost her mind" I stated bluntly, despite the defiant expression that Isha has when she notices that we are talking about her.

"She's a tough kid, she knows how to defend herself" Jinx snaps forgetting her tools "She's been through a lot, a fight doesn't scare her, right kid?" She smirks cockily and Isha does too. For Janna's sake, I can't believe this is happening right now.

"This is not up for discussion, miss, you are not going" I looked at Isha with a frown and at Jinx with anger. Ekko coughs theatrically and looks at me.

"There's a place where she can take shelter until this is all over. I don't know you and you're wearing an Enforcer uniform, but I've been through a lot of shit and I know that not all of them are that bad, plus you care about the girl... I can go see how things are there and send my second in command to get her; his wife always takes care of the children when there's danger" he offers sincerely. I hesitate for a moment, I look at Sevika because she is the only one who seems to know these places better than anyone else, if shetrust, well it doesn't matter.

The woman nods, "Good" I say simply and Ekko leaves without wasting any more time.

I don't see Jinx's punch coming, again "How dare you decide that?" I stagger until I'm holding on to a railing, the hell she hits me in the shoulder with the handle of her gun. "She's mine!" She roars before throwing another punch, but this time I'm ready. I barely avoid it and she growls.

"Jinx, you're not taking her there, she's a child!" I throw a punch that does little to nothing to her, it can barely move a hair on her head. So I throw another and another, making her back down the platform despite not touching her. The anger and rage that grows with each punch from her or me is like a shot of adrenaline, I don't even know if it's because of so many years of repressing the fury for having been separated from Isha or because now it's Jinx who tries to push me away.

"Stop" Sevika's tone isn't even strong, it's just serious and harsh. I stop, panting from the effort and breathing the contaminated air of the fissure, although Jinx is no better. How long have we been doing this? We haven't even hurt each other, no matter how hard she tried. Sevika carries Isha with her good arm "You don't need to say goodbye to your mommies, you will see them soon" she tells the girl with a serene expression. I lower my guard and Jinx gives me one last punch before approaching them, I follow behind.

"What-" The older woman cuts her off with a growl. Isha looks like she's about to cry as she looks at Jinx, also glancing at me from time to time.

“I’ll take her to Ekko. If you two hadn’t been so busy with that foreplay you would have seen Firelight launch the flare. It’s safe,” she nods and settles Isha down more, Jinx looking just as miserable for leaving her as Isha for leaving. “Trust me, child?” Sevika asks Jinx and she slowly nods. The woman looks at me and I nod as well, the pressure in my chest only increasing as she turns to leave with Isha in her arms and my daughter looks at us with teary eyes. We watch them leave, in silence until they disappear through a crack.

Jinx seems to enter some sort of sombre trance that I definitely don’t plan on interrupting, as I take a deep breath of heavy, metallic air before returning to my work with that tarp. Isha is going to be fine, I tell myself over and over, she is in a safe place. I spend about two hours putting ties on the thick fabric around what will be the burner. It's very clever actually, Jinx is using the gases that are naturally extracted here between the fissures to use as fuel to lift this thing.

I silently follow her written instructions and she returns to her own work without another word. She installs a rudder connected to gods know what and makes more adjustments while I remove things that won't be needed. It must be after midnight when everything seems ready. I sit on the floor, feeling discouraged, tired and hungry after having spent a whole day doing heavy work to get the contraption in condition, but the worst thing is knowing that after everything I have done in the last few days, after having found her... I may not come back to see Isha again once we leave for Piltover.

"Jinx" I call reluctantly. She's sitting staring into space, sitting on a propeller a few feet away from me "Jinx" I insist when she doesn't move "I know you don't trust me, believe me it's mutual, but I~" I hesitate a moment, looking down at my hands covered in grease and grime "if I die up there, you have to come back for Isha. Caitlyn can give you the IDs to get out of here, use Vania's, it didn't have a picture anyway. I don't know why Isha trusts you, but she looks at you like she thinks you'd give your life for her, like..." I stop, maybe it's just the intensity of time before a possible death that makes me talk.

"She was going to take a bullet for me," Jinx says in a soft, fearful voice, "one time when I got into an altercation with, uh, some Enforcers. Isha protected me with her own body." She looks at me warily and I look at her in surprise. "I know, it was wrong and I made that clear. I shouldn't have insisted that she come, letting her go to that stupid place where the Firelights live was the best thing. She's safe." Her words feel more like some sort of self-convincing than anything else, but I accept them anyway.

"She's safe," I repeat.

We fall into silence again until Jinx decides to return to the unhealthy state of excitement she is known for, her purple eyes glowing and she jumps to her feet, walking too close to the edge as she walks towards me.

"We need to add some color to this place" She puts her hands on her hips looking around and then looks down meeting my gaze "And you're not going anywhere with me if you're wearing a fucking uniform"

I can't help but roll my eyes, but I stand up anyway and accept the can of paint she offers me. I'm still sore and I'm sure there will be bruises in many places on my body, but for now I let peace reign as we make a new hot air balloon contraption that practically screams "Jinx" all over the place; she even has speakers to play some music. When morning falls Ekko returns with a group of Firelights, they seem a little impressed by Jinx's attitude. We catch up on what they've found out and then make a plan to enter Piltover.

Color bombs, lots of bullets, music and the great presentation, what every villain (or hero) should have.

Chapter Text

"Caitlyn!" I run to her despite the guards trying to stop me. We're in a first aid tent that was improvised in the middle of the street.

She looks pretty bad. Everything went very wrong even though we won, in theory. We lost many of our own, from all the different forces that had joined against Ambessa. The fight was tough and much harder than we had anticipated, despite our small unexpected arrival with the Zaunites to give a second wind to the Enforcers and how that managed to give us the definitive victory. But it wasn't enough to stop Ambessa's cruelty in time.

I don't know where anyone is, I lost track of Ekko since we arrived hours ago and he left with his Firelights to cover the towers, Sevika must still be shouting orders somewhere on the battlefield that the Piltover Council esplanade became. Jinx. I need to know if she is alive, for Isha, who has already lost many people and if she loses this woman who somehow earned her love, I will never forgive myself. Couldn't do it again

Jinx insisted on getting me off her airship once she located her sister Vi and I agreed because my companions were dying down there, we said goodbye with a single look, a mutual agreement to go after Isha before this end, and she got close enough to a tower for me to get off. I haven't seen her since and the damn balloon crashed into the tower. Jinx.

"You have to sit down, we have to check that wound" a doctor pushes me to sit in a chair and opens the jacket full of colors and doodles that Jinx drew to raise the blue of the force. I let them apply antiseptic and a bandage before claiming I'm well enough to leave, because I am, it was just a bullet that tore the surface.

"Jinx!" I scream in the middle of chaos. Shit. I see Isha's face every time I blink. I stumble to the council building and try to climb the stairs, stepping aside every time a group of people speed by with injured or dead people.

She's not here. This wasn't where the balloon crashed, a voice in the back of my mind tells me. It was at the Hexgate. I gasp a few times and have to sit on the steps, tired, sore. My vision fills with black and gold dots, shit, I have to know if she's alive or if I let Isha lose another mother.

There's nothing more I can do before I lose consciousness.

I wake up in a spacious room that is too clean to be Zaun, I look around until I find a small vase engraved with the Kiramman crest. It's one of their guest rooms, I realize as I sit up on the soft bed, I also notice the clean bandage that someone has been changing, probably Tobias. I sigh heavily and notice that there is no pain, so they must have given me a tranquilizer or it has been a long time, which wouldn't be good. I stand up with a groan of pain from the collective effort of my muscles and joints, well, it hasn't been that long then.

Caitlyn used to leave me clothes on hand whenever I stayed over... and things haven't changed, in the closet there's a pretty basic set of clothes; dress pants, a white shirt with gold buttons, socks, and a pair of boots. I get dressed as quickly as I can to go find her, I have so many questions. As I step out into the hallway I realize she's put me in the same room she used in the past, so sentimental, but I don't think about it too much before heading to... where am I going? Caitlyn must be in bed after losing a fucking eye and her father must be too busy taking care of her or others. I stand in the middle of the hallway not sure what my next move should be.

"You woke up" I jump over my bones when I hear a voice behind me, I turn and find Vi looking at me with a half smile, judging by her clenched fists and bruised knuckles she also had a hard day.

"Where's Caitlyn? Is she okay?" I approach her, she is outside Caitlyn's room after all.

"She's sleeping now, but yeah, I guess she's okay despite everything" she says in a vulnerable tone and I can't help but feel empathy for the girl, she crosses her arms as she looks into the room with a lovestruck expression. Well, now I understand why Cait went kind of crazy when they left what they had.

"Uh, your sister-" I hesitate and look at the floor, damn, does she know something?

Her face tenses a little as soon as those words leave my mouth and I can practically feel her becoming defensive "What do you want with her?"

"We have an unresolved matter" I respond vaguely, she knows it, but with everything that has happened I don't blame her for forgetting it.

"Ah, Isha," she murmurs, relaxing her shoulders. "Where is she, by the way?" She raises an eyebrow and I sigh dejectedly.

"Ekko said there was a place where she could be safe from during this madness, but I don't know where to look for her and if Jinx knows she could..." I bite my tongue, I have no idea if she's even alive "Where's Jinx?"

"She's alive, if that's what you're worried about" Caitlyn's voice exhales from the room and Vi smiles, motioning for me to come in. My best friend is lying on the bed with a pained expression on her face or what can be seen of it due to the bandage covering her eye wound.

"You look like shit" I sigh sitting down in the chair next to her bed and Vi laughs lightly from the doorway where she's leaning, Caitlyn growls low.

"Adorable, as always" she murmurs and her eye lands on me "But have you seen yourself in a mirror yet?" I laugh a little and it makes her smile, nothing better than doing a little damage to your best friend's ego. Then her expression changes to a more serious one and she looks at the ceiling "Jinx is alive. There was an explosion at the Hexgate caused by Jayce" she sighs "but Vi and Jinx made it out alive, as did Ekko and Vander" she explains slowly.

"So where is she?" I repeat the million dollar question and my gaze travels between the couple.

"We don't know, we think she went back to Zaun as soon as she could move, but neither Sevika or Ekko have seen her" Vi is the one who answers, she seems worried.

"Didn't she try to go for Isha?" I ask with a frown. It was our deal, she shouldn't have known if I was even alive. How come she didn't go for Isha? That bitch.

"As I told you, we don't know. Jinx isn't exactly predictable." Vi sighed and ran a hand through her hair, Caitlyn made a small face in agreement and I leaned back in the chair.

I shouldn't have trusted her, to no one's surprise, she only said what was most convenient for her at that moment and...

Boom!

I jump to my feet regardless of the pain in the small wound, Vi practically throws herself on the bed to stand in front of Caitlyn and be a protective shield against the new threat. The bedroom window is intact, the three of us look at each other without understanding, but we quickly understand that it must have been in the next room.

"Wow, nice house, sister-in-law."

I swear Caitlyn turned from pale to red in a second.

Chapter Text

"Jinx!" Vi and I exclaim in unison. Caitlyn tries to get out of bed, but only lets out a grunt of pain before collapsing against the pillows again, which makes Vi immediately move, going to her girlfriend's side.

"Hey, calm down," Jinx rolls her eyes and puts her hands on her hips, still wearing the paint-stained and grimy clothes she wore in the fight. Her now short hair seems to have been singed a bit, but overall she doesn't look hurt. "I know the last time I was here I wasn't exactly friendly, but come on, I thought we'd put that behind us."

Caitlyn looks at her with skepticism and doubt. The room remains silent as they seem to have a conversation with their eyes, a tense look. Finally Caitlyn huffs and nods.

"I don't want you here, but I'm not going to kick you out" she says looking at Vi, even though she's talking to Jinx "Just don't kidnap anyone or break anything"

"I'll fix the window" Jinx shrugs before looking at me "Yn. Are you alive" her tone is different now, softer?

"Is it annoying what I hear?" I tease her before walking to the door, pushing her out so as not to bother Caitlyn anymore. Jinx lets me drag her to the room I woke up in, she definitely used an explosive device to get in. I look at the damage before looking at her again.

"I said I'm going to fix it" she defends herself before I can say anything, sitting on the bed full of debris "I'm glad you're alive. Isha doesn't deserve her other mom to die, you know?" Jinx says under her breath, without looking at me.

I let myself fall into a chair and sigh, "I can say the same" I look at her "You're very important to Isha, after all, I didn't want to have to go there and bring her bad news." We both stay silent for a moment.

It doesn't look like it at first glance, but now that I can see it closely it's clear that she looks tired. Where was she during the time between the battle and now? Did she sneak around the rooftops of the city? Why did she come here instead of going for Isha? I honestly didn't expect to see her around, much less considering that she murdered Cassandra.

"You're staring, target" she says with a smirk. I frown at the nickname, but she just points her finger at my stomach, it seems like it had been more than a superficial wound, because now there is blood on my shirt. "A bullet, I guess?"
Jinx mutters, looking.

I lift the cloth and the thick bandage covering the wound is full of blood. Shit. It must have opened when I jumped out of the damn chair because of the bomb that Jinx used to get into the house. "Damn it" I growled lowly "Can you ask Vi to call Tobias?" I look up and nearly laugh when I notice Jinx looking away.

"Who the fuck is Tobias?" She asks, but stands up, avoiding looking in the direction where I sit with my shirt pulled up to leave my bandaged abdomen semi-exposed.

"Oh, you know, Caitlyn's father. The man you left widowed" I reply calmly.

“I’m going to let you bleed out, bitch” she mutters quietly as she leaves the room. I can’t help but chuckle.

Tobias walks in a couple minutes later with a first aid kit and his kind smile. While he changes the bandage he explains to me that the wound was not really deep, but it did ripped the top layer of skin and that I need to rest for a couple of days for it to heal properly, that if I am not careful I could get a worse injury and then I will need real stitches, not just surgical staples. He puts a new pair of gauze and another bandage around my torso before heading off to God-knows-where. He doesn't ask questions about the broken window or the blue hair criminal he probably saw in the hallway.

A kind housekeeper takes me to another guest room at the end of the hall, she follows Tobias' instructions and practically forces me to lie down on the soft bed before leaving with the promise of returning later with my dinner. It's not long before Jinx bursts in, followed by a much calmer Vi than her younger sister.

"What the hell was that? I thought they didn't rip your insides out." Jinx says with a frown and stands at the end of the bed. Vi stops near her and smirks, crossing her arms, looking at her sister with amusement.

"It wasn't a gunshot as such, idiot, you're not that lucky" I retort "Your damn trick with the window was the culprit, my staples came loose and my wound is bleeding again" I growl low.

Jinx growls low, annoyed in all her glory, but doesn't say anything else. Vi approaches me and seems to be having a great day.

"Enough you two. Jinx, she needs to stay in bed due to her injuries and you need to stay in Politover until your trial" my gaze flies to Vi "so, neither of you can go get Isha, so I'll do it" she informs.

I don't understand. A trial? Jinx is a criminal, of course, but... Did they arrest her for coming here? She seems very free for someone under arrest, sitting there on the edge of my bed. "What trial are you talking about?" I ask.

Jinx avoids my gaze, so I look at Vi waiting for an answer. She doesn't look much better about the idea, she seems tense and unenthusiastic now "Jinx turned herself in, well, sort of. Caitlyn is not in condition to do anything, but they called someone and..." Vi hesitates "there will be a trial to find out what to do with Jinx. For now the council has been informed that Jinx is in Commander Kiramman's custody, on her property, due to severe injuries sustained during the battle."

I look at Jinx, she's not hurt, so it's just to keep her out of Stillwater. Brilliant. I nod slowly at Vi and swallow, staring at a fixed spot on the wall. It's a lot to process, damn why do I even care? I shouldn't, she's none of my business. The problem is that yes she is, that criminal idiot with blue hair and crazy ideas is the person who took care of Isha in a hard time, maybe not for too long, but there is no doubt that they have a strong bond and I... I'm not going to deny that I like Jinx a little bit. Just a little bit.

"Well, did you say Isha is at Ekko's shelter?" Vi asks in a calm voice, it's Jinx who nods since I myself have no idea where they took her "it's okay, I'll bring her here safely" Vi nods firmly.

Isha ​​in Politover. If anyone knows that I am here, free and wounded after having fought alongside the Zaunites, then they may have found out. I swallow, feeling a little dizzy as a wave of panic hits me; my parents might have found out I'm here. They must not know about Isha's whereabouts.

"How are you going to..." I whisper softly. Jinx notices the change in tone and turns to face me.

"Caitlyn signed a document. There isn't much extra security anyway, for now they are only looking for deserters from Naxos, the borders are practically non-existent for Zaunites and Piltovians" Vi informs with a small smile.

I nod "Fine. Fine, just be careful, bring her here as soon as you have her, please" I practically beg. Jinx gets up from the bottom edge of the bed and moves silently until she's leaning against the wall next to the headboard. Vi looks at us and smiles before nodding again.

"Sure, don't worry" and with that she walks away. But my concern does not waver, not in the face of the doubts that flood my mind and the fear that grows inside me.

"Isha will be fine. If anyone can take good care of her besides us, or Sevika, it's Vi" Jinx mutters quietly "She knows how to take care of her family"

Vi's POV

"Are you sure? You know you don't have to do it for me, cupcake" I whisper caressing Caitlyn's cheek, she's still grumbling due to her father's order to stay in bed, but her injuries were severe. Damn, I almost lost her.

"Yes I have" she responds in a soft voice, taking my hand, kissing the bruised knuckles "Listen, I still have to figure out whatever is going to happen between Jinx and I, but she's important to you, love, so I won't let them send her to Srillwater for life" her expression is soft, although I can see guilt in her eyes.

"Jinx committed a lot of crimes, Caitlyn. Maybe..." she silences me with a vague gesture.

"We both know you couldn't live if she's there and I... I know she's had enough, we all have" she sighs. I can't argue this time. Of course we all lost a lot during these months, including herself. "Maybe we need to start over. We'll let the council decide, just like Jinx has requested, okay?"

I grimace, knowing what could happen, but nod. "Sure, it's only fair" I murmur, giving her hand a light squeeze, but she returns it harsher.

"No, Vi, I really need you to understand," she says seriously. "Jinx broke more than a handful of rules here and in Zaun; she committed acts of terrorism, murder, kidnapping, and I think there was talk about distributing Shimmer." The tone is hard, but the touch on her hand is soft "But, we only have to take into account what she did to help us in the battle against Ambessa, right?"

I open my mouth in surprise "You... You plan to defend her? Why?" I whisper without being able to help it.

“We need to close this cycle, Vi,” her gaze is soft, her words weighing on me, “I did some heinous things in my time as a commander under Ambessa’s influence and on my own, no one plans to put me on trial for it. So who decides who does or doesn’t get a second chance?”

I huff in disbelief. This woman is incredible, putting aside everything that was instilled in her and what was imposed on her to believe in Jinx, of all people, giving my sister another chance. I had given up on her myself until Vander showed up again and here's Caitlyn saying there will be no goods or bads after a fucking war that lasted a lot longer than most people have even realized.

"Now take that lovestruck look off your face and go get the little girl" Caitlyn murmurs with a small smile "I don't want those two to finish dismantling the mansion while they wait"

I laugh lightly, leaning down to kiss her forehead and lips before standing up completely. "Are you sure you don't need more security? With Jinx here and all" I run a hand through my hair, which distracts Caitlyn momentarily.

"Steb has a small guard of Enforcers around here, I think Mel has sent them, just to keep up appearances" she hums thoughtfully "anyway, we'll be fine. He's a good soldier, I trust him to keep this under control"

Steb, yes, we were part of the special team that went down to Zaun to look for Jinx, he is a good soldier.

I nod and sigh. “I’ll be back in no time” I assure her, pausing before I leave. “Now that I know that girl is your best friend’s daughter, the one that it's almost your sister, and that Jinx has taken care of the girl like her own daughter too… Does that make her my niece too, right? More officially, I mean?”

Caitlyn seems surprised by the thought, but just nods slowly. “Damn. I haven’t even met the girl properly yet and she just happens to be Jinx’s stepdaughter.” She huffs a laugh.

Chapter Text

Jinx stays in the room for the entire afternoon. She looks like a caged beast circling from one side to the other without being able to stay in the same place for more than two seconds, she is clearly nervous while we wait for Vi's return.

"Do you want to stop? You're starting to make me dizzy" I murmur, closing my eyes, lying on the bed. "Jinx, for Janna's sake, sit in the fucking chair or get out into the hallway, I growl lowly, looking at the woman who continues pacing in circles in front of my bed. How come she hasn't gotten tired? She's been standing for hours.

"How can you be so calm? Do you know how many things can go wrong out there?" She growls and I hear her drag the chair "damn, I shouldn't have let my idiot sister go for her" she mutters, I can't see her, but I know she's closer now.

"They're going to be okay" I roll my eyes at her attitude. It's been like this since Vi left.

"You don't know that. You don't know Vi" Jinx mumbles and I open my eyes to look at her, she has pulled up a chair next to my bed and now she is sitting there pouting. I find it increasingly difficult to believe that this is the fearsome Jinx of Zaun.

"Isha knows how to take care of herself doesn't she? That's what you said when you wanted to bring her here in your death globe" I mutter with a half smile "Stop acting like a brat"

"I'm not a brat, I'm just worried about my little girl" she looks at me "which you should be too" there's reproach in her voice, I don't like it.

"Believe me, I've spent years worrying about her, but now I really know that there are people who care about her." I grimace. "Leave me alone. Isha will be here soon and that's all that matters."

Jinx doesn't even say anything else, she just remains silent as if she's thinking about what I said, or maybe she's ignoring me. Whatever, she's calmed down now and that's enough.

The housekeeper knocks on the door when night falls, a maid accompanies her, they bring trays with dinner for both of us. Jinx doesn't say a word as they unfold a small portable table next to her place and place a silver tray on it; meat bathed in sauce with sautéed vegetables, a small sweet pudding, tea and juice. I watch her while the housekeeper arranges the tray next to my bed, Jinx even seems a little uncomfortable with the situation. I thank them on behalf of both of us as they leave.

"Something wrong?" I break the silence as I try to settle into the pillows without moving too much, since Tobias put those new staples in my wound has been stinging. Jinx keeps her brow furrowed and looks at the food as if it has offended all of her ancestors.

"Is that what you usually eat here?" she asks finally. I honestly didn't expect that question.

"Uh, yeah, kind of" I nod and I can finally sit in a comfortable position "Is there anything wrong with it? Maybe they can do something different if you don't like it" I offer even though it's not my house and I'm still not sure if Jinx is a guest or an intruder.

"Is this a joke? Gods, Silco may never have starved me, but throwing away food just because it's not to your liking..." she denies as if the idea was unthinkable and then I understand the situation.

It wasn't easy to get many things in Undercity, there you just ate what there was and that was it, there weren't many markets or stores with great varieties, not to mention vegetables. The meat that is customary down there might not be too different since it comes from more or less the same animals, but I know firsthand that it's not the same. Vania used to make fun of me when I didn't like something or if I pretended that one of the meals she prepared didn't disgust me, it's just that for me it was very different, as it was for her the first time I brought vegetables.

"Okay, I understand" I nod and sigh "uhm, it's not bad, try it, although I assure you it won't go to waste if you don't want it" I shrug, because they have dogs to feed. Jinx hesitates looking at the tray "Come on, Piltie food isn't going to kill you, I won't tell anyone if it turns out you liked it"

That comment seems to amuse her "You better, I have a reputation to maintain" Jinx answers with a small smile and takes a piece of meat with her fingers to smell it and then eat it. I wait for the verdict. "Shit, I'd let Zaun's idiots drown too if I could eat like that every day," he mutters with her mouth full.

I can't help but giggle before taking a bite, swallow before speaking "Don't say it so loudly, maybe there are some who seriously think that way in this city" I say with a half smile.

We eat in relative silence, interrupted by Jinx making snide comments about the food, Piltover or both, also when I interrupt her from talking with her mouth full or make her wipe her hands. Minutes pass and only dirty plates and a comfortable silence remain, Jinx seems to have calmed down a bit of her nervousness with the food, she looks a little sleepy.

"Where were you while..." I trail off, I don't know if it's been twenty-four hours or more than two days since the battle against Naxos.

"I snuck through the vents in that Hexgate tower, it wasn't hard" Jinx answers anyway, her gaze downcast "I think Vander died again, I don't know, I couldn't go back there once I got out because the Enforcers" she sighs tiredly.

"Shit, I'm sorry" I say honestly and she just shrugs.

"I guess it just puts things back in their place, but it still hurts" she swings her legs over the armrest of the chair, she is sitting horizontally so her back is on the other armrest, facing me.

"Losing a loved one twice sounds like crap anyway" I shrug too this time as I think of Isha, she's the one I thought of during the whole fucking battle. Jinx smiles as if she read my mind. We fall into another comfortable silence.

"I have a surprise for you guys!" Suddenly the door opens with a crash, Vi enters with a huge smile. I have to hold my bandages this time so I don't jump in fright, Jinx immediately draws her gun as she stands up with almost super-human speed. Vi opens her eyes in surprise "Hey! Easy! I just have a surprise" she laughs lightly before moving away to let us see Isha.

She stands there with her adorable smile, a look of pure excitement and joy as she waits for our reaction. Her face is drawn with ink of some kind, as if it were a war ink. I gasp breathlessly. Isha still looks adorable despite her attempt at a tough expression, with her hair still half-dyed electric blue and the new "makeup" that's definitely Vi's work, because she looks at her with pride.

"I'm going to kill your sister" I huff under my breath, which makes them all laugh. Isha runs into Jinx's arms, who lifts her off the ground and spins her around in a hug.

"Well, I'll leave you now" Vi waves goodbye and practically flees the room.

Jinx and Isha remain in each other's arms for a moment before the eldest decides that's enough and leaves the girl next to me on the bed. Isha smiles and throws herself at me, I don't care about my injury as I hug her tightly. We're together. Jinx has sat on the bed behind Isha, she's fine. We are fine.

Chapter Text

Caitlyn's POV
There's a subtle change in the mood as soon as Caitlyn sets off again, with her father's blessing and a promise not to get into hand-to-hand fights anytime soon. That is not a problem for Caitlyn, because her only momentary concern is what the hell is going to happen to Jinx, to her job and to the Piltover council.

Mel has continued in constant communication during the days that she has been away, keeping in order a city to which she owes nothing, it was not Mel Medarda who tried to destroy Piltover after all, it was her mother. But the young woman is still unwilling, or unable, to retreat to her nation where they must definitely need her more now that they have been left without a leader at the hands of the banished heir. A real political drama, in Caitlyn's opinion.

However, Mel is still there, asking for a meeting with her to talk about Jinx's impending trial. It has been agreed that Yn can be present at Vi's request after she was denied, because Zaunites or terrorists have no such right, apparently, not like Jayce did when her mother was able to directly intercede at her trial. This is totally different, unprecedented even, because Jinx wouldn't have even been granted a trial if it weren't for Caitlyn's plea in front of Mel and Shoola, the only council things still alive. It was a bold move in a tough situation, but it had to be done, for Vi, for Yn.

"Caitlyn, it's nice to see you" Mel's voice manages to bring her out of her thoughts. Caitlyn gets up from the wingback chair where she's been sitting staring at the fire for a long time now.

"Mel" she greets with a small smile, they may not have been friends or even acquaintances, but they both lost a loved one in common not long ago and now they share the burden of a city. That can bring anyone together. "I'm glad to see you, have a seat" Caitlyn offers pointing to a small living room armchairs, it's more informal and takes some of the weight off the delicate subject they have to discuss.

"I seem to remember that you mentioned a third person in our meeting. Where is she?" The woman asks after sitting down, her legs crossed modestly. Caitlyn sits on the couch across from Mel.

"Ah yes, Yn" she sighs "Violet was furious when she found out that she couldn't speak up to defend Jinx, because of that stupid law about the Zaunites" she murmurs and motions for a young man on duty "so she asked to her speak for Jinx then" Caitlyn ask the young man to call Yn and bring tea for everyone.

Mel nods, she didn't like it either. Find out about that law that prevented the people of Zaun from defending themselves or their own against the law. "I see, but who is she? Why does your girlfriend want an old friend of yours speak for her sister?" she seems confused "No, more like, how come Jinx is okay with it? As far as I know, she hates Piltovians, right?"

All valid points, Caitlyn thinks, they're the same questions she would have asked herself if she hadn't witnessed the strange relationship those two, well, those three, formed. Watching Yn take a nap in her room with little Isha by her side and Jinx curled up at the foot of the bed like a cat felt like a slap of reality. Vi is right, maybe there is a girl behind the woman who went crazy and committed murder who can be rescued, maybe Powder is still there somewhere.

"Jinx seems to be changing her mind, you know, sometimes you need to run into the right person" Caitlyn smiles sideways, the voice of experience. Mel seems to pick up on it because her eyebrows go up to her hairline in an expression of surprise and a slight glint of amusement "anyway, have you and Shoola been handling things well so far?" Caitlyn looks at Mel when the young man returns with the tea tray.

"Yes, for now, but we need to rebuild the council to rebuild Politover and Zaun" Mel sighs "We have some ideas, since most of them didn't leave an heir to take their place at the table. Maybe even put a chair for someone from Zaun and thus strengthen the newly formed bond" she comments calmly, that calm of a woman born for politics and deals.

"It sounds like a bold move, but it's just what's needed now. What better time than now?" Caitlyn nods in agreement serving two cups of tea.

Mel looks at her and then raises an eyebrow. “Are you really going to pretend you don’t have a seat waiting for you?” she asks almost angrily.

Caitlyn bites her lip and puts down the teapot before looking at the woman again. “Politics is not my strong suit, as we’ve already seen, I can’t fill my mother’s shoes, Mel. I have a job I can’t leave because everything is upside down, a title Ambessa made up for me while stroking my ego and I was blinded by a thirst for revenge. Let me sort all that out and then I’ll consider the idea of ​​sitting down to rule Politover again" Caitlyn snorts and they both fall silent. It's not Caitlyn's proudest moment, but she's been through this before so she doesn't care as much as she should have, having put her manners aside.

Soft footsteps are heard down the hall and they just stare at the door waiting for the person, it takes a moment until Yn enters the living room with a concentrated expression and her hand on her abdomen, dressed in the most formal clothes Caitlyn has seen her in since she got here from the hospital. Caitlyn chuckles before standing up to help her get to a spot on the couch.

"Sorry for the delay, Isha was having trouble staying" Yn apologizes and looks at Mel "You must be Councilwoman Medarda, I'm Yn Yln" she offers her hand in greeting, Mel shakes it and offers her a smile.

"It's a pleasure, Miss Yln"

Caitlyn pours another cup of tea and sits down “Isha didn’t want to stay with Jinx? Why?" She asks casually, she's been trying to have these little conversations with Yn and Vi, trying to introduce Jinx to her life without it being a fight or a murder plot. Caitlyn has a hunch that she should get used to it from now on.

"They've fought. The dye finally fell off and Jinx refuses to look for more" Yn smirks and Caitlyn can't help but do it too despite everything.

It wasn't easy losing her childhood friend, one of the few people who really understood what it was like to have an overprotective family and wasn't afraid to say so, because everyone else was so okay with their parents doing everything for them or buying prizes for them to feel good about themselves. No Yn, not her, that's why Caitlyn always felt free to throw tantrums around her whenever her mother stopped her from doing something because "it's not what a girl should do" or when her father forced her to get down from that tree it cost her so much to climb because "she could get hurt if a branch broke". They were girls from very influential families who dreamed of seeing the world beyond what they were allowed to see, who daydreamed of adventures and the dangers that awaited in Runeterra, and only Yn actually dared to go on her own once to seek those adventures.

Caitlyn didn't care who her friend dated, she used to be her alibi while Yn spent time in Undercity with Vania, but she didn't expect her idiot best friend to become a young mother. When Yn came to tell her she didn't know how to react, she was scared for her and what it could mean, suddenly Caitlyn's mind was filled with all that her mother used to tell her to try to keep her away from sex, but they kept their heads on their shoulders and helped Yn plan everything.

She helped her with her studies while her best friend divided her time between home, the academy and Vania. When Isha was born it was more difficult because they were both trying to get their badges, then a job and at the same time keep a secret of enormous magnitude, it was lucky that Aralea also helped them or they would not have made it. Getting ID's was not so difficult, it was even exciting, Caitlyn liked playing spy while she bought them and got some other fake documents for Yn's family, once she told her about her plans to leave.

It was for the best, Caitlyn and Aralea knew it well, because Elira and Han Yln would never approve of their only heir raising a bastard child. It didn't matter if it was in Politover or Zaun, they are the kind of people who still care about appearances, living in the City of Progress without worrying about their mind going beyond the oldest prejudices. They would see Yn as someone who had only made a mistake and stained their precious family name, not someone who knew how to respond to her responsibilities and make a decision with her partner despite being young.

"So what's this meeting for?" Yn asks curiously, looking at Caitlyn noticing how scattered she seems.

"Jinx" Mel answers "Her case is different, in difficult times for everyone. We have to make a correct choice so as not to destabilize what is just settling down" She mentions before taking a sip of her tea.

"It makes sense. It was she who motivated the Zaunites to fight at the end of the day, those who were insecure" Yn nods thoughtfully "Ekko brought the Firelights, but it was her who many of the Zaunites followed, I saw it" she nods firmly and Caitlyn sighs, she was expecting it, all of them arrived just when the color bombs exploded.

"An icon of Zaun. I looked at the murals when I had expeditions there, they even formed a rebel group who painted their hair blue to protest in her name" Caitlyn murmurs, she knows they did it because Jinx had blown up the council and that made them follow her, but it is not necessary to mention it just now.

"I see" Mel nods "She's a rebel leader of a cause, but things are fixing now so doesn't help, actually. Zaun will have a place on the council, they will be more than listened to now. So is there anything else going for her?" Mel looks at them. Caitlyn hesitates, it was important, perhaps her biggest defense actually.

"She defended Piltover from Ambessa" Yn growls at Mel's calm attitude "For god's sake, the Zaunites didn't owe us anything and they came to fight, many of them thanks to her. You can't act like it's no big deal!" She looks at the two women with exasperation.

"We know, but-" Caitlyn tries, but Yn cuts her off.

"No, you don't understand. You had Ambessa's army besieging a settlement full of people controlled by a living machine and no one would have noticed if it weren't for Vi, right? Because we were playing soldiers, with our heads stuck in our asses" Yn replies with self-deprecation and then looks at Mel "And you, counselor, you may have killed Ambessa, but as soon as Hextech was invented, rumors spread about you and the man behind the invention they became close, you helped him become a councilor and suddenly your mother was in the ports of Politover" Caitlyn opens her eyes in surprise upon hearing the insinuation behind Yn's words.

"Stop it, you don't gain anything from this" Caitlyn tries to calm her down, Mel remains sitting evaluating the situation. If Mel is upset or hurt, she doesn't show it.

"No, Cait. Jinx may have made a lot of mistakes and I agree she should pay for what she did, for Cassandra" Yn looks Caitlyn in the eyes, there's a bit of pain there "but I'm not going to let her judge Jinx. Not even you, hell, I wouldn't have let myself do it after what I did when I was young; manipulating people on behalf of the sheriff, stealing, making false documents" Yn snorts and crosses her arms.

The three of them remain silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Caitlyn knows that Yn is right that no one here is the best to point the finger at, everyone committed heinous acts at some point and by the gods she doesn't want to think about what Yn just said about Mel, she's the only person outside of this mansion she thinks she can trust.

Mel, for her part, knows that there is truth in Yn's words. She did manipulate Jayce at the beginning, that doesn't mean that she didn't love him or that his absence doesn't hurt her, she also knows that she should have warned someone about how dangerous her mother was from the beginning, but she didn't and that's how it all ended.

Yn is still angry, she knows that she crossed many limits by talking about things she doesn't know, rumors that reached her ears through other guards, but the only defense they had was dismantled too easily and needed a desperate solution.

"Shoola could arrange an official forgiveness for Jinx" Mel says in a low, but calm tone. Caitlyn nearly gasped in response.

"A forgiveness from the council?" Yn asks with surprise.

"Honestly, I don't think anyone would care. There are plenty of other war criminals loose around here" Mel replies and looks at Caitlyn "The decision is yours, Commander"

Caitlyn knows there is only one right answer. She can't go through with this, this revenge for her mother's death, she's already lost too much of herself. Plus, Caitlyn knows two things for sure about Jinx right now: one is she can't get rid of her without losing Vi somehow, and the other is that Jinx is now tied to Yn with something other than Isha, even though neither of them sees it or it is not too big.

Caitlyn takes a deep breath "Sign the forgiveness for Jinx, counselor"

Chapter Text

"You're amazing, Cait" I murmur with a small smile. Councilwoman Medarda has left a few minutes ago, they've been discussing the bureaucratic details necessary for Jinx's acquittal of charges, I just stood there drinking tea in silence because I haven't had much time alone with Caitlyn really.

"Don't thank me. You know I only did it for Vi, right?" Caitlyn looks at me with a calm expression "I hope I'm not wrong" she makes a small face.

Of course, it's normal to have doubts when it comes to someone like Jinx, especially if there is a past as turbulent as the one between them. Jinx was not only directly responsible for the death of half the council, she also kidnapped Caitlyn and brought her to Zaun. It's unfair to ask her to give up the chance to put Jinx behind bars when Caitlyn is someone who truly believes in justice.

"Cait, it's not too late if you think a trial is the right thing to do" I mutter with remorse for my earlier outburst. I wasn't fair to her, I didn't take into account her experience with the electric blue haired woman.

Caitlyn sighs and shakes her head. "We have to move on. I need to leave that fight and the war if I want to have a future." We both give a small nod of agreement with her words, but I know that it means a lot more to her. She needs to let Jinx go so she can have Vi, and I think that's the greatest demonstration of love there is.

"Damn, Cait" I smile "you're still better than me, huh? You don't have to rub it in my face" I joke a little and she smiles, she looks better that way.

"Come on, you're not that bad. Isha gives you extra points, she's adorable, although she must have inherited it from Vania" Caitlyn jokes back and then frowns a little, thinking "by the way, now that everything is looking up and all that what do you plan to do?" She asks looking at me "don't get me wrong, you and Isha can stay as long as you want, but I'm not sure I want Jinx in the house my mother called home, not yet."

Her question takes me by surprise, I don't know why, maybe I hadn't thought about the fact that I'm actually out of that horrible place where they sent me to work without even asking me and now I have Isha with me. Now I can do whatever I want, I could leave or decide to go back to Zaun when things settle down, I can even get a job off my parents' radar to live in Piltover. The possibilities have been opened again.

"Ha! I didn't even have time to digest that, you know?" I look at Caitlyn with a big smile on my face "Don't worry, we're not going to stay long. I'll try to find a job and see how things go, I guess, if everything goes well we'll surely go back to Zaun, it's all Isha knows" I answer honestly.

Caitlyn seems honestly surprised by my answer "Go back to Zaun? But you don't know anyone there, Yn" she argues "stay here. Isha can go to the school we went to and get a good education, you'll find a good job or stay with the Enforcers. Yn, your parents can't do shit right now" she states confidently.

"I don't know, I have to think about it" I comb my fingers through my hair "Isha isn't used to this Cait, it's not what she knows. I'm worried about walking into her life and turning it upside down and her not liking it, that could have a lot of repercussions on her in the long run" I bite the inside of my cheek not wanting to bring up the subject of my parents just yet. Caitlyn doesn't respond, just nods in understanding.

There are a couple of knocks on the door and Caitlyn gives permission to let whoever knocked in. Vi is the one who pokes her head out first, then Isha and I'm pretty sure I see Jinx's shadow behind them. Caitlyn smiles softly at the sight of them, god, she's a lovesick idiot.

"Do you guys need anything?" Cait asks, raising a questioning eyebrow, with a small smile. Isha looks at me and smiles before entering the room without waiting for permission, I open my arms to pull her onto my lap "Oh, that's it, uh?" Caitlyn looks at Isha fondly.

"What's wrong?" I ask my daughter, loving that I can finally see her brown hair, playing with a lock of hair between my fingers.

"Isha bit Jinx" Vi responds with an innocent smile. Caitlyn snorts a laugh "Looks like the hair dye thing got out of hand" she says opening the door completely to enter and then I see her, a few steps behind is Jinx standing with a sad expression, a small pout on her lips as she look at his boots.

"I see" I mumble looking at Isha as Vi closes the door behind her "Why did you do that?" I ask her but Isha just shrugs her shoulders with her attention focused on Caitlyn, the times they have been in the same room she always looks at her the same way "Is something wrong?" I frown, put my hands down, and look at my best friend.

"Her hair" Isha points out, her face a little mix between amazement and envy. So that's it, Caitlyn has blue hair too, it's just that her shade is very different from Jinx's and from what Isha had artificially until recently.

"Oh yeah, Aunt Cait has blue hair too" I reply with a smile, Caitlyn seems delighted to be Aunt Cait now.

Isha fidgets again, of course she's stubborn as a mule and she's not getting what she wants right now, so she decides to give us a dirty look before getting off my lap and heading to the door, leaving. I guess I have to solve this myself. Caitlyn and Vi seem amused by Isha's attitude, despite the little tantrum she threw and the way she's acting, I'd even expect something more from Caitlyn since Isha wants Jinx's blue hair to be exact.

"What the heck is so funny? Just wait and I'll be the one laughing, I'll have to be an aunt at some point" I mumble as I get up to follow Isha, that wipes the smile off their faces. Good.

I go back to the room I've borrowed for me and Isha, but Jinx uses it as hers too, the three of us have made ourselves comfortable there for everything except sleeping since Jinx still sleeps in a adjoining room. I don't know why she does that, there's a couch with enough space in the room, that would save us having to carry Isha back and forth in the middle of the night when the girl decides she wants the other one. I knock on my own bedroom door and wait, Jinx opens it and lets me in with a grimace knowing full well that we need to handle this somehow, Isha can't have everything she wants!

"Isha, we need to talk about this" I lean in front of her, she's sitting on the windowsill, looking out at the city. The first time she sat there I almost had a heart attack, but Jinx convinced me that Isha has better balance than I do and that it's a way for her to still feel at home and not locked up in this mansion, because she does the same thing.

Isha ​​looks at me and then turns her head to ignore me. I sigh in frustration and look at Jinx, she puts her hands up in surrender. Coward, I say silently to Jinx before looking at Isha again. There has to be a way to make her understand that she can't just do what she wants all the time, for God's sake, she's eight and there's two of us against her, yes we can.

Jinx also approaches her and taps her on the shoulder with her knuckles to get her attention "Hey girl, you know you only got that hair from a bet, my stupid bugs lost that fight" I frown not knowing what he's talking about, but Isha nods "it wasn't a long-term agreement, you should have made it clear how long you wanted to wear your hair that color. So now stop throwing tantrums, you don't look bad on yourself" Jinx finishes with a small smile.

I wait for the result, not much hope, but surprisingly it works for her and Isha nods in agreement “Can we make another bet?” Isha asks with a smile.

“Yes/No” Jinx and I look at each other. Damn, is it that hard for her to let me decide? I shake my head slowly, a clear warning in my gaze, but a smile slowly spreads across her face before she turns to look at Isha. “We’ll make a bet, if you win I’ll dye your hair myself” Jinx offers and I huff in exasperation, standing up and crossing my arms.

“About what?” Isha appears excited, jumping into the room with excitement and the two are overjoyed now. I huff again, but they ignore me.

“Convince Vi to bring the dye. She have two hours” Jinx gives the ultimatum and crosses her arms, a smug smile on her face. Isha nods firmly and leaves the room in a hurry.

"You know that's going to convince her, right?" I ask in exasperation.

"I know, I just don't believe that they'll get the dye in two hours." She looks at me with a half smile. "Don't worry, Piltie." She laughs lightly and I roll my eyes. Only when we are alone do I remember the whole matter of the Judgment. The absolution!

"Jinx!" I scream and almost jump on her, gods, how could I forget? She instinctively backs away and looks at me with wide eyes "Caitlyn and Councilwoman Medarda agreed to sign a letter of I-don't-know-what. There will be no trial! Your crimes will be erased" I explain hastily.

Her eyes go from surprise to recognition, she nods slowly before letting out a small gasp of disbelief. Her face is much calmer than I expected with news of this magnitude, but well, everyone reacts differently to situations. I look at her with a small smile, waiting.

"It's great, thanks" she murmurs thoughtfully. Wait, just that? No, it has to be a joke, besides I didn't do anything.

"Jinx?" I tilt my head with a frown, I slowly approach "hey, I thought you were going to be happier. You know, for Isha and all that" I murmur quietly, avoiding her gaze.

She sighs, her expression changing slightly as she steps closer "You don't have to keep me in Isha's life if you don't want it, I'm not her mother" Jinx says in a surprisingly soft voice, I look at her and her face is a deep sadness.

"But you're a part of Isha now, Jinx" I snap "she loves you, so you better not try to run away now, Zaunite, because that girl chose you and you'll be a figure in her life" Our eyes meet "you can be a mother figure, a sister of sorts or the crazy aunt that hangs out, but by Janna's sake, you're going to be in her life" I say confidently.

Fuck it, how can she be saying that I can take Isha away after everything we've discussed and how we literally fought shoulder to shoulder to save Piltover and Zaun just for that girl, a girl that she told me she loves, damn, Jinx tried to take me away from Isha even though I'm her own mother in order to protect her. So Jinx can't come here and say now that I can think about letting her get away from Isha. I'm angry, very angry, because I even misbehaved in front of Caitlyn and that councilwoman in order to defend her and she...

I've seen before the speed of movement that Jinx has, both on the battlefield and in situations without imminent danger, I just didn't expect to see her move that way to hold me in her arms. Our faces are only inches apart, our breaths mingle, my eyes widen in surprise and I instinctively put my hands on her shoulders.

"Jinx" I whisper, her violet eyes look at me as if she didn't even understand what just happened, we look at each other, the tension is latent. Then her eyes drop to my lips and I lose it. I don't know who approaches first, I just know that from one moment to the next we are kissing.

Chapter Text

There's an awkward silence in the room.

Jinx is standing on the windowsill, looking at her boots, she practically jumped up there as soon as we both realized what we were doing. We kiss. Fuck, it wasn't even a deep kiss, just a brush of lips. That was enough for my brain to short-circuit and apparently Jinx's too.

Why? God, everything was complicated enough without this, but I'm not going to lie to myself and say that didn't feel... good. As if it were right, in some stupid and rushed way, kissing Jinx seems to be something my body decided to do out of inertia. Her lips are so soft, despite barely being able to taste them, they felt soft and sweet...

"Stop thinking about it, you make it weirder" Jinx mumbles looking away. How did she know what the hell I was thinking? "I... I'm sorry"

Wait what?

"Why on earth would you kiss a girl and then apologize?" I looked at her badly, out of the corner of my eye. "Now you're doing it strange" I replied with annoyance, crossing my arms.

Damn, she’s such an idiot, completely uninterested in what others think or want. She just kissed me and she can only stand there staring at her boots, playing with that stupid bangs hanging in front of her eyes and… damn you, Jinx, that kiss was great. Why would she want to apologize? I didn’t pull away, she didn’t either, it’s obvious we both wanted it, but now she makes everything difficult and weird.

"Stop grumbling, you sound like a spoiled brat who was left without a lollipop" Jinx mutters sarcastically.

"I'm not grumbling" I respond a little defensively "it's just... come on, did you really say 'I'm sorry' after you kissed me? Hell, I've been offended before, but never like that" I complain, the truth I shouldn't even be complaining, jeez, it's Jinx, why do I care so much?

That seems to move something in Jinx, because she seems to think for a moment before looking down and a small smile spreads on her lips. "Oh, excuse me, did you like kissing me, Piltie?"

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Okay, no no no no. It's Jinx, for god's sake! We barely know each other and we only treat each other with decency thanks to Isha, the hell we shouldn't have even met each other. If it wasn't for Isha I wouldn't be in this, although if it wasn't for Jinx and Isha meeting and Jinx turning out to be Caitlyn's girlfriend's sister I would never have found my daughter so soon.

But that doesn't mean I have feelings for Jinx, it's not right that I suddenly feel like grabbing her by the scruff of the neck and putting those stupid, mocking lips against mine again. No!

“I got it!” Vi stumbles into the room with a container of dye in her hand and Isha on her arm, stopping when she notices the tension in the room. “I’m in terrible sync with you guys, huh?” Vi huffs, half-smiling.

“A little, sis.” Jinx hums, a stupid smirk on her lips as she looks at me, walking over to inspect the hair product Violet brought. Isha is, well, she just acts like Isha, so she looks happy waiting for the verdict "Bingo. Okay, I can dye that hair right now if you want" she smiles looking at Isha.

Sigh. I don't like the idea at all, but I haven't even been thinking about it or trying to stop Vi from coming back with that dye, so do I really have the right to complain? Because I feel like I don’t.

"Fine, go ahead," I mumble before leaving without looking at Jinx, only stopping to caress Isha's cheek before leaving. I need to talk to Caitlyn.

I actually need Caitlyn and Araela. It's time.

Caitlyn has returned to her job at the Piltover police station, only she has left her position as "commander" and has agreed to be a kind of interim sheriff while things calm down around here, I think she really thinks she doesn't deserve that position. I believe that there is no one better in Piltover to take the reins of justice than someone who has already been at the peak of power and fell until suddenly faced with the consequences of her actions, acts that are committed under pressure from those who now judge us. That makes true leaders, Councilor Merarda seemed to agree with me, but Cait is too stubborn to notice for now, maybe she just needs to lick her wounds for a while.

I leave the house and walk to the police station, not far from there. My head keeps going back and forth about the little kiss I had with Jinx. I need to know what's happening to me, if it's just a kind of misguided gratitude or if I'm actually going crazy, both things are equally worrying to me. Jinx is a recently pardoned criminal, we practically don't know each other beyond what I read in police reports and the few days we have spent at the Kiramman mansion. How could I feel affection for her? It seems stupid.

But I can't deny that there's something sweet in the way she acts when it's just the three of us, her, Isha and I. It's like that Jinx who tried to kick my ass in the Zaun fissure and the one who flew in the balloon in the battle are different people from the woman who chats nonstop with us, who plays with Isha and who promised me not to play with her gun while they're inside the mansion. It's weird, because not only is she like that when Isha is around, she's also softer when we're alone, but it must be just because I'm Isha's mom, right? I don't think there's any more explanation.

The Piltover Guard Building stands almost proudly and I take a deep breath before making my way through the familiar hallways, getting to the main office is actually quite simple once I get a pass from reception. No one doubts my words when I ask to see the sheriff, claiming to be her right-hand and a former agent. I think some Enforcers who wander around the place know me as an old friend from the academy or for having been fighting at their side.

"Cait" I greet when she lets me into the office, it is large, with an old desk and many cork boards full of papers and photographs, pure plans that she is carrying out.

"Is everything okay? Did something happen?" Cait asks looking up from a file she has in her hands, she's sitting behind the desk so I walk over and sit in the chair in front of her.

"Yes and... yes, something happened, but it's nothing necessarily serious" I answer her questions with a bit of hesitation, that catches her attention enough for her to leave aside the file "I kissed Jinx" loose without anesthesia or hesitation .

Caitlyn's eyebrows raise in surprise, but... wait, there is fun in her eyes? Yes, she seems amused by what she just heard. I cross my arms and she smiles wider.

"I'm not surprised, if I'm honest, let's just say you have a soft spot for the girls of Zaun huh?" Caitlyn scoffs, looking at me with a hint of affection in her voice. Bitch.

"It's not like that! Jinx isn't Vania. She's completely different," I shake my head, frustrated by the way Caitlyn has taken this. This is insane.

Chapter Text

*Jinx POV*

I hum a meaningless song as my hands work on Isha’s short hair, filling it with blue dye in no particular pattern. She remains seated on the sink with an infectious smile while I finish my work of art. I make some shapes with her short locks to make us laugh before finally letting her down with a head full of dye, it has to be left there for a few minutes. I hope it doesn’t make a mess.

I look at my pale hands now stained with electric blue, it won’t come off with soap and water. I shrug, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger I guess. In the bedroom is Isha lying on the expensive carpet, filling it with dye.

"Isha, don't do that. That Piltie that Vi is dating is going to..." I stop and a small playful smile dances on my face at the thought of Caitlyn getting upset "You know what? Forget it, keep playing."

I sit down on the floor as well to check my gun while Yn is gone, because she doesn't like to see when I have guns around. Yn. Damn, that Piltie... Why did she leave like that? Women are so complicated, I thought apologizing was the best thing to do, but that brat doesn't know what she wants. I think she didn't know what to do when I kissed her and she freaked out, yeah, that must be it.

I sigh. I don't know why I kissed her or why I got close in the first place, I mean, she's sexy and all that, she also helped that idiot Enforcer get me out of the trial and... she wants me to stay with Isha, with her. I look at Isha, who is playing with a teddy bear Yn got her the first night we were here, and I feel something in my chest, something strange and warm, like when Vi used to sing to me on stormy nights or when my parents came home from work. It feels like family.

The closest I got to that after my parents died and Vi was gone were Silco and Sevika, but this is different in a way I can't explain, because Silco never treated me with the same love as Vander and Sevika was just Sevika. Isha feels different, as if she could ask me to tear off a piece of myself and I won't hesitate to give it to her, I could even give it to her without her asking me. That thought terrifies me and fills me with peace at the same time. Why? It means she's my family, I guess, but my relationship with Vi isn't like that, although we're just starting to try to be sisters again.

I look at Isha just existing and the voices in my head disappear completely, everything seems to feel almost normal, almost like I'm not the crazy person I am, the bloodlust disappears, it's like the Shimmer in my system isn't even there, all because the part of me that wants to protect her wins the battle every time. And she looks at me like she understands, like she understands that under all the madness, guns and bombs she's seen during the time we've spent together there's more, it seems like she's willing to live with it and accept it because... she loves me.

Sometimes it's too much, because Isha reminds me of Powder in some ways and Powder ended up really bad, being so innocent in a world full of shit ended up with her. The thing is that now we have Yn, she really takes care of Isha in the way that I didn't, because I don't know a damn how to take care of a child, it's a miracle that that creature survived so long by my side .

Isha draws my attention to the doll, pretending that the teddy bear has a gun and attacks her, rolling around on the carpet leaving blue stains everywhere. I laugh eagerly at the joke and the disaster.

"Enough, it's time to get that off your head or the chemicals will hurt you" I get up from the floor and give her a small sign to follow me. I wash his hair in the bathroom sink, leaving the whole place blue in the process, then dry it with a soft-looking towel before combing it "ta-da!"

Our reflection smiles at us. Isha looks like she's about to explode like one of those glitter bombs I made for her, my reflection looks soft like I've rarely seen before. It's weird.

I wish Yn was here to see it, to see Isha of course, why would I want her to see me? That would be stupid, I don't want Yn's attention, no, she has better things to do than spend all day with me. She's a woman from Piltover, we have nothing in common apart from her daughter who is also my little pupil in crime, nothing more, it's not that I like her or that she seems like the most beautiful woman I've met in years, no. Nothing would ever work, we are not Vi and her mongoose, they are a strange case study for fucking science or something, on the other hand Yn is a normal woman with normal tastes, although she was dating a woman from Zaun a long time ago, but It's different...

"Jinx?" Vi asks with an eyebrow raised. I look at her confused and notice the towel balled up in my hands, I drop it on the floor without care.

"What?" I tried to sound normal, being around her still feels like walking on thin wooden roofs.

"Yn got hurt and is in the hospital, Caitlyn sent someone for us" there's something on her face, she's lying to me.

"Spit it out Vi" I hum threateningly, in a low voice, as I approach "Did she get hurt or was she hurt?" I ask in a low voice. My blood boils at the thought of someone wanting to hurt her, she's a good person and doesn't get into trouble, if someone tried to hurt her...

"Caitlyn has some theories" Vi says cautiously "she'll tell us once we're there, she says it's of the utmost importance to protect Isha" she says as if she's not sure if she should say it or not.

"If anyone wants to touch my family, they're going to have to step over my very cold, sexy dead body," I growl lowly and pull out my small Zapper, I frown before looking at Vi, "Do you know where Pow-pow is?"

Chapter Text

"I'm going to tear them to pieces. I'm going to blow their houses up, every single grenade that survived the damn fight against Noxus is going to end up in their as~"

Vi rushes to cover Isha's ears, who just looks at her with that usual carefree expression. "Will you stop ranting in front of the girl?" Vi scolds me, but she doesn't know that Isha is just as thirsty for revenge as I am, I see it in her honey-colored eyes. Or so I think.

"Isha can handle it, she's seen worse" I mutter in response to my sister while playing with the Hextech sphere that my gun uses.

Vi doesn't know what happened to Pow-Pow, if the Enforcers don't have it then it surely got destroyed when that damn tower blew up, damn it. I'll have to find the parts to make a decent funeral for my baby... anyway, for now I can handle myself well with this gun and if I'm lucky I'll steal something from my dear sister-in-law.

"How long will it take them to come for us?" I cross my arms in annoyance. Isha remains seated on a sofa next to Vi, the girl has a strange look, I hadn't noticed "Hey, Isha, what's wrong?"

Oh no, no pouting. We don't cry, I taught her not to cry just like Silco did with me, we're not weak. I look at Vi in panic and she just makes a small gesture in the direction of Isha, who seems to be about to explode.

That's why Yn is a good addition to us, although basically the addition was me, anyway she's the one who's going to take care of these things. I don't know how to handle a crying child! I wasn't a crying kid, not after I got Silco and that was when I was almost Isha's age, sure, yeah.

Vi looks as useless as ever as she just watches us, so I sigh and shift my seat to sit next to Isha. I carefully put my hand on her shoulder and pat her awkwardly.

"There, there" I say awkwardly, Vi glares at me "What? It's what Sevika used to do!" I defend myself and put an arm around Isha, who leans against my body. "It's not like you were any better" I murmur to Vi, without looking at her.

The fish guy is the one coming for us, along with a bunch of idiots in uniform, it's almost weird getting into one of their vehicles without ending up in Stillwater. Isha doesn't leave my side and doesn't say a word the whole way, it's not like she can really say anything, so the ride to the fancy Piltover hospital is fucking silent.

There are a lot of Enforcers everywhere, it almost makes me feel uncomfortable to walk past them without having to sneak around, maybe if the situation wasn't like this and Isha's hand wasn't squeezing mine so tightly, I would have made a few jokes about it. Vi walks in front of us, talking to the fishface guy, I think they were partners in her death squad when she was dedicated to filling Zaun with Grey and hunting me down. I manage to hear little to nothing, the voices in my head echo deep inside and annoy me.

I haven't heard Mylo in a long time, Claggor is barely a hollow whisper, Vander is off somewhere talking about responsibilities and shit. But the voice that struggles to reach the surface is the one that scares me the most, asking how many times do I have to go through this to understand that we're not meant to have people pretending to love us, it repeats over and over that fear will make me weak, having someone to lose is fearing losing them... what an old bastard, we knew that very well, right, Silco?

"Cait" Vi approaches the dejected looking woman, we walk to a part of the hospital that appears deserted without me noticing. Caitlyn gets up from her seat to hug Vi and I look away, it's still weird, after all the shit I did to her.

"She's okay, she had a little surgery to remove a bullet, but she's already recovering. They'll take her to the mansion as soon as the doctors authorize it, we'll have everything ready" She says with conviction, but she can't fool me, not like Vi who just nods and smiles. I know that look, that tight smile that hides something, maybe fear or she just doesn't want to look weak in front of the dozens of guards here.

Isha ​​pulls my hand and points to the door in front of which Kiramman is sitting. Yes, I nod, because Yn is surely there. "You can't see her, I think" I say calmly and she hugs my waist, I caress her hair to calm the scandal in the back of my fucking brain, with the other hand I caress the hilt of my weapon.

Caitlyn looks at us then. Her expression is not friendly even in this situation, but damn she's trying and I give her credit for it. When the Enforcers killed my parents it took me more than a decade to completely let go, despite what Silco said, it's not easy to be reminded of that specific loss. She, however, didn't hesitate to let me stay in her mansion while Yn recovered from the injuries caused in the fight with Noxus and then she just didn't kick us out.

She's better than me in that aspect, I guess, because she only does it for Vi and Yn, we're both in a kind of truce that has the same stability as a balloon balanced on a pin. Whatever, it works, but I don't like owing my freedom to her especially. Isha pulls my hand again and brings us closer to her, because obviously Isha loves her "Aunt Cait" a lot. I hope she leaves her a lot of money as an inheritance at least.

"Jinx" Caitlyn greets and I nod, I can't hold her gaze, I hate that "Yn is in recovery, they removed a bullet from her left shoulder. She needs rest and nothing else, it seems"

I nod again. It's too easy a wound, if you want to kill someone you don't hit them in the shoulder, or even in a finger, no. To finish someone off you aim for their forehead, an important organ or just shoot senselessly until you hit something that finishes them off. This was deliberate.

"Why are there so many Enforcers?" I can't help but ask, Yn is no longer in that stupid organization.

Caitlyn has a small shit-eating smile on her face, oh no. "We take care of our own" she says solemnly, god, I'm going to throw up.

"What the hell does that mean?" I ask with a frown, Isha seems confused too.

"Yn came back to the force, we were going home to tell the tell you all" Caitlyn answers more calmly, I guess her better judgment told her that today is not the day to play with me.

I can't believe it, she said she wanted to start somewhere else, even if it was in Piltover she didn't want to be an idiot in uniform again. Why did she lie to me like that? Maybe she knew I wasn't going to stay once I found out and tried not to make Isha feel bad too soon.

I can't help but frown even more, if she wanted to be a shitty guard again why did she kiss me? My god, it's pretty obvious what I think about Enforcers. Even Isha hates them! She can't work like something our daughter and I hate.

"Hi" a female voice greets kindly and I can almost swear I saw out of the corner of my eye Isha make the same vague gesture to turn and run away that I did. Only Vi is faster and Caitlyn is faster too, stopping us both to look at the brown haired, dark skinned woman.

"Aralea, I thought you wouldn't be back in time to meet little Isha" the way Caitlyn says it is... cheesy, as if meeting Isha was a golden dream. She makes a little theatrical gesture before gesturing to Isha, who is now standing in front of Caitlyn and looking at the woman skeptically.

"It can't be, she's grown so much" the stranger gasps breathlessly and crouches down to look at Isha, who seems somewhat uncomfortable and meets my gaze.

"Yeah, yeah. That's what time does to people" I interrupt because I don't like the girl being displayed like she's an accessory, Caitlyn gives me a warning look and Vi squeezes my arm. "Who is she?" I ask ignoring them both.

The woman recognizes me of course, her eyes widen slightly and I savor the small flash of fear in her gaze. They're all the same. Caitlyn sighs "Jinx, this is Araela, Yn's and my best friend since we were young" she introduces us but doesn't look at me "Araela, this is Jinx, the psychopath no longer criminal, Vi's sister, Yn's delicate situation and I think she's some sort of adoptive mother to Isha"

I don't know if I should object or not, I know she said it to annoy me, but I still don't understand which of all the parts. Vi and I share a confused look before shrugging and greeting the woman who looks as surprised as she is amused.

"It's a pleasure" she smiles more. Does every woman in Piltover have that shitty smile?

"Mhm" I nod and look at Isha, practically ripping her out of Caitlyn's hands and putting her in my arms. Isha may not be a small child nor am I a particularly large woman, but I can carry her without difficulty.

"Can we see her?" I ask, Caitlyn shakes her head and opens her mouth to give what was the doctor's explanation "Is there a place where I can get food for Isha?" Caitlyn nods.

Then Vi, Isha and I go to a place called a cafeteria where Caitlyn says there is food and candy, she also gave Vi some coins.

*Caitlyn POV*

"Yn never ceases to amaze" Araela says watching as the trio of Zaunitas that live in my house walk down the hall. I watch them leave and a small group of guards follow them.

"You can say that again," I say, and I sit down on the uncomfortable metal chair, Aralea sitting next to me. "Jinx is Vi's sister, we met when I was taking care of a target for Ambessa and I practically ran into Vi. Yn was with me as my second and then she found herself with the nice surprise that Jinx was taking care of her daughter."

Every time I repeat it, it sounds crazier. It was a strange twist of fate without a doubt, to have us all brought together in that field where the most dangerous potential weapon was, who also happened to be the dearest friend of my childhood best friend. It was a day that changed what I hoped to be someday, without a doubt.

"She lives in your house." Aralea doesn't even ask, I guess it's too obvious since in the brief call that Yn and I made before leaving the station we gave her a brief summary. I nod.

"Vi, Jinx, Isha, Yn and I are living like one big, barely functioning happy family." Aealea laughs a little at my words so I smile. "My dad got himself an apartment in the city a couple days ago, he said the tension will explode any minute and he doesn't want to be collateral damage." I mutter looking at my hands. "Don't tell them, I think the thought of my dad coming and going from the house has them all a little on edge." I roll my eyes playfully.

Yn is the one who keeps Jinx in line, of course, though neither of them want to admit it. Jinx and Vi are going through a very awkward stage where they're trying to figure out how to deal with each other now that there's no need to fight. I try to move on because there's no need to look at the past, I don't want to get lost in it like I saw others do before, so I try to see how Jinx will fit into the lives of my loved ones so I know what I should do with her. Isha keeps us all together with her innocent ways even though I have all my hunting gear locked up since the time I found her trying to shoot a shotgun indoors. It's weird, but it works.

"Do you think they did it?" I dare to ask after a few minutes of silence and Aralea takes a deep breath.

"It's a possibility. Yn hadn't left the house for days and was at the station for so long... she was an easy target. The miss and the fact that it was just a warning makes it clear that it was meant for her and they don't want her dead yet." Aralea frowns. "I just don't understand what they want."

We both fall silent again, thinking. The YLN have pretended they don't have a daughter for years, they don't seem to miss her, those monsters are capable of worse things than this, of course, but there always has to be an end behind their actions. People with power and money don't stupidly expose themselves to others for nothing.

I hear Vi's cheerful voice as they return and Jinx smiles at her as they both look at Isha, perhaps telling her a story of when they lived in the lanes, that's what they enjoy doing together the most.

Isha, damn it. The YLN are traditional retrogrades who have no heir and would rather adopt one than leave their empire in the hands of charity. Maybe it's a far-fetched hypothesis, too far-fetched, but there hasn't been a bit of normal around here in the last month.

Chapter Text

“I should have seen it coming,” Araela mutters, looking at the couple in front of her. The three women are standing in the middle of the hallway in front of Yn’s room.

Night fell in Piltover a long time ago, though none of them have moved from the hospital. Yn woke up from anesthesia without any major complications, just the expected pain due to the surgery and the wound, the first thing she did was ask about her daughter, of course, so Isha has been stuck to her side like a bug since the Enforcers finished asking the necessary questions for the investigation.

Caitlyn oversaw the small interrogation, listening to the words Yn said, not surprised to learn that the woman had not seen her attacker enough to be able to make a sketch. There was nothing suspicious about them, they seemed like just passersby that Caitlyn and Yn didn’t pay much attention to until it was too late – a damn rookie mistake in Caitlyn’s opinion. She shouldn't have allowed herself to be caught off guard after everything that happened with Naxos, with Maddie, for God's sake, that should have taught her that there's no way to trust anyone.

“We still don't know if it was them” Caitlyn murmurs in response, thinking, her shoulders tense and her arms crossed against her chest. Vi moves closer to her and caresses her shoulder in a soft gesture, that's the only thing that seems to relax Caitlyn now.

“Well it must have been someone and everyone here knows that the Noxians have already retreated, they're not the type to attack like this. If it had been them we'd already have more injuries, riots or attacks on a larger scale” Vi can't help but agree with Araela, even though she herself doesn't know much about how warriors outside of Zaun or Piltover usually operate she does know what a direct attack looks like.

The three of them look through the window of the room that overlooks the room, the blinds are half closed, but they can still see what is happening inside. Yn is lying in bed, there is a heart monitor connected to her, an intravenous drip and a sling keeps her arm in the best position the doctors could find without compromising the stitches of the surgery. Isha is asleep on her side, the blue-haired girl careful enough not to collapse onto her mother's bruised side or injured arm, so Yn gently caresses the girl's short, freshly dyed locks as she chats with Jinx.

Vi looks with a small smile at her sister, the young woman had refused to come in when Isha asked to see Yn, pretending she didn’t care enough, but Vi knew better. There was something in the way Jinx looked at Yn and Isha that made Vi have hope, real hope about her sister and not just the stupid idea that Powder might come back one day.

The truth is that Vi had made peace with Powder being gone, there was only Jinx left now and for a while, when she lost her again a few months ago, she thought she would never see that sparkle in her sister's blue eyes again. But there was Jinx sitting at the foot of the bed in a hospital in Piltover while maintaining a soft smile, surely unconscious, while chatting with that girl who crashed into her life.

“We have to be sure that it was Yn's parents who ordered this before telling her” Vi says turning her gaze to the pair of women “Jinx was furious when she found out that something had happened to Yn, I'm afraid that if she finds out that there is a suspect she won't stop to ask if he is the culprit before taking revenge into her own hands” she says calmly, of course she believes Jinx capable of that.

Although there is something that doesn't quite add up for Vi, looking at Jinx so calm in there after having seen her other side. It’s no secret to Vi or Caitlyn that Jinx and Yn have already formed a strange dynamic around each other thanks to Isha, though they remain dubious about the depth of the matter. The thing is, Vi witnessed enough moments where Jinx felt threatened or had her judgment clouded by whatever she hears in her mind that ended in tragedy to be concerned; their reunion at the tower when Caitlyn went to Zaun, the attack on the council, the “sacrifice” Jinx made to save her from Vander at the Hextgate… well, that last one was different, but it counts for the same thing. Jinx is impulsive, losing control if she’s in the line of fire, or her fragile sanity, or someone she cares enough about, apparently.

So Vi continues to keep a watchful eye on Jinx for now, especially after hearing her declare her intentions to murder whoever dared to cause Yn harm.

“She won’t,” Caitlyn says confidently and Vi looks at her with a raised eyebrow, Araela looks unconvinced as well so the sheriff makes a grimace that resembles a smile, “Yn wouldn’t let her. The loose cannon from Zaun has a soft spot for our little canary,” Araela snorts with a smile at the stupid nickname Yn had been given all those years ago when she first started having those adventures in Undercity.

“Canary?” Vi asks, knowing there was a private joke behind it, her hand dropping to Caitlyn’s hip in a comfortable gesture.

“There was an old book in the Kiramman library, it talked about how in ancient times, when Undercity was not what it is and the gases had not reached everywhere, the miners who ventured down in search of better veins of minerals they carried canaries with them” Caitlyn looks at Vi with a small nostalgic smile “they left them free before they went, if the canary continued singing it was safe to go there because they could breathe the air, but the canaries did not always return. “A canary that took a wrong path or went too far would never sing again,” she murmurs and the smile on both their faces disappears.

Araela looks at Vi with a grimace, realizing how she must sound, by the expression on the pink-haired woman’s face. “Yn was our little canary, going to Undercity and bringing back endless stories every time, things we didn’t dare to do,” she murmurs, thinking of the irony of the then harmless nickname she chose for a story they read in a dusty book “until the canary was put in a cage and stopped singing.”

*Yn POV*

“You should go to sleep,” she murmured, looking at Jinx. Isha has been asleep for a while now and it’s quite late, needless to say, the afternoon hasn’t exactly been peaceful for them.

It’s been an extremely long day. It seems like the meeting with Councilwoman Merarda happened ages ago and not this very morning, right before that stupid bet between Jinx and Isha so the little girl can finally have her blue hair again and… god, the kiss. There was so much going on that the last thing I would have been worried about as Caitlyn and I headed to meet Araela was some madman trying to kill me.

Cait hasn’t even tried to tell me her hypotheses on the case, claiming she won’t work on it because of how close we are and how it might interfere with the investigation, but she definitely has something on her mind, I know her well enough to know. In fact, I have my own hypotheses.

However, what occupies my mind right now is the slight pain in my shoulder, sedated as much as possible thanks to the drugs prescribed by the doctors, that and the young woman sitting at the foot of my bed, legs crossed in the Indian position as she looks at me. She looks slightly tired, which is strange, since Jinx usually has very disorganized periods of sleep. Could it be because she has been worried?

“I don’t want to sleep. You sleep, the doctor said that will help you” she responds with a low voice, her gaze fixed on the sling that keeps my arm held firmly against my chest. “I’m fine,” I sigh and stop stroking Isha’s soft, electric blue locks. A small smile spreads on my face when I notice that it is actually the same tone as Jinx's, just like she said when she sent Vi to get it.

“Sleep,” Jinx repeats quietly. There’s something in her gaze, it’s like she’s looking at me, but at the same time she’s not. I raise my hand, careful not to disturb Isha, and make a small signal to Jinx to ask her to come closer. She blinks a few times as if waking up before tilting her head. Her eyes, damn, are a light lilac color, a mix of natural blue and the purple derived from Shimmer that is noticeable from time to time.

“Come here” I call and shift a little “I think we can fit the three of us” I say unsurely since it’s a small hospital bed, but it’s not like Isha takes up much room anyway or like Jinx tends to move around a lot while sleeping, as I’ve noticed when she sleeps in the same room as me.

Jinx doesn't even hesitate, her lip in a small pout as she climbs up to lie next to me, taking great care not to disturb my injured shoulder. She really is worried then, her eyes look sad and her expression could break my heart. Gods.

“Isha was scared” Jinx whispers after a moment, lying on her side in the small space, I turn my head to look at her and our faces are inches apart. Her eyes watery “she thought she was going to lose you, you know, she’s lost a lot of people” a small murmur. I swallow, a small part of me knows he's not just talking about Isha. “You have to promise her you won't leave… Isha, you know. She can't lose you.”

Chapter Text

“Mama!” Isha bursts into the room screaming the only word she has ever said in her short life.

Caitlyn comes rushing after her, wearing her work uniform and a look of dismay that makes her look ridiculous, in fact, the whole scene is ridiculous. Isha is carrying that fancy Hextech-powered sniper rifle, another absurd bet between Jinx and her. Sometimes I think that the pair are just trying to see the limits of Caitlyn’s patience.

Cait looks at me, expecting me to stop Isha as they both climb the stairs of the Kiramman mansion, but Isha isn’t calling out to me and she isn’t running in my direction. It’s not like I can catch her with my arm still in a sling, due to the nerve damage from that stupid bullet that ripped through me a month ago. Too late, Caitlyn realizes Isha's intentions, who smiles like a crazy little girl and runs to where Jinx is waiting for her at the end of the west hallway.

Then Caitlyn stops panting beside me, we both watch as the pair of blue haired girls disappear around a corner and we hear laughter as they walk away. It's not like they're actually stealing Cait's prized rifle, they've done this before, they're just doing it to annoy her and she somehow always falls.

“I swear, I’m going to kick your fat ass out on the street along with that pair of problems,” Caitlyn mutters wearily, though I hear more resignation than anything else in my friend’s voice.

I laugh lightly, still looking over where my daughter disappeared along with Jinx and the precious trophy. “But I’ve done nothing today,” I give Cait a little push and she laughs too.

No one mentions the fact that Isha calls Jinx Mama anymore, everyone here has gotten used to it, including the service staff. Caitlyn had a long talk with me a week after I got out of the hospital, as soon as she convinced Vi to take Jinx and Isha to do some urgent shopping for their meager wardrobe, I guess I must have gotten the kicker.
Caitlyn was worried about the way Jinx kept orbiting me like a sentinel every minute of the day since the attack, the way we both decided to keep sleeping together with Isha between us and no longer with Jinx somewhere at the foot of the bed. Something changed that day, it wasn't just the kiss, it was something else and honestly I felt a little overwhelmed too, but it felt good, like opening the window on a hot day.

Of course Cait had a right to be skeptical about it, she had met Jinx long before I did, she had firsthand experience of all that I had only read in files and heard through gossip when I was a guard in Stillwater. The thing is, right now that woman and this one didn’t seem to be the same, as if the psychopathic part of her mind had vanished.

That was what I told Caitlyn and Vi, so Tobias brought the best Psychiatrist in Piltover, a therapist, and a neurologist to the house to “run tests on Isha,” supposedly, because we never tried to find out the truth behind her muteness beyond something physiological. It was partly a facade, we all knew Jinx wasn’t going to leave Isha alone with strangers even though Vi and Cait would be present, not if I was still recovering in bed. The idea was simple, in theory, they were to run Isha's tests and then try to chat Jinx up to try to wheedle her into a lifetime of trauma in a couple of hours, resulting in a diagnosis.

I should have been there, by the gods. Obviously Jinx noticed something was wrong as soon as the first professional got too close to her, or so Vi told me, which led to a big disagreement between Cait and Jinx about whether this whole thing was really necessary for Isha. Caitlyn had to let her go before they even got close, because she really wanted my daughter to have a diagnosis and get help. Jinx climbed the chandelier during the rest of the consultations, everything happened in the mansion.

Isha’s diagnosis was… inconclusive, so to speak, as each of the specialists gave us a different diagnosis, all pointing out that it was due to neurological issues and that Isha’s mutism stemmed from her traumatic childhood in Zaun. I myself was inclined to agree, because I wasn’t there after she turned three and it was when I left her that her mother died as well. If that doesn’t hurt a child, I don’t know what will. Tobias was the one who remained skeptical of the diagnosis and asked to let me do some physical tests on Isha to check, very different from what that doctor in Zaun did, which was either little or nothing. It's been a month since that and Isha has flatly refused any attempt on our part to take her to the hospital or for Tobias to come near her. I guess we just have to give it time.

Time is what helps in this house, it can do everything, it seems. Like Vi and Jinx, who have started having little late night talks in the kitchen while drinking cold juice over the bar in some sort of new habit, or Caitlyn and I who have reconnected in that way we used to when we were little, with Araela coming over and checking in every now and then to make sure I’m still alive. Isha has gotten used to Caitlyn quite well even though my dear friend is a bit strict with her, helping me keep her in one piece while I’m at physical therapy sessions or busy with the reports Cait brings me to review for her, likewise Isha follows Cait around with an interested expression while Cait talks to her about her day kicking ass; Vi has also earned herself a title of “aunt” from Isha, only after a few boxing sessions at the mansion’s gym.

It’s Jinx who is still trying to find her comfortable place within this small and very new family, with the history she has with Caitlyn it doesn’t surprise me to see them avoiding each other’s gazes or any kind of contact or conversation that isn’t in front of Vi, Isha or me. They try, I know they had a difficult conversation at some point between the day I got back from the hospital and today, but I wouldn’t ask any of them about it if they haven’t felt comfortable enough to say it for themselves. Jinx is doing great with Isha, being “Mama” now and not just Jinx anymore, to no one’s surprise really. She now has Vi by her side to fix everything that life and her own actions took care of destroying and from what she tells me, things are going well, but they are moving slowly. As for us… I don’t even know if there is an us as such, I just have a small certainty that there is something there and that we both have a magnetism that forces us to be next to each other, but we don’t talk about the kiss, or how worried she was that night in the hospital after the attack, we just go back to our room in the Kiramman mansion and pretend that sleeping in each other’s arms, spending the whole day together, Jinx lying next to Isha so she can read something to them or me sitting down to watch them work on some homemade experiment is the most common thing in the world.

I let out a huge sigh and stretch my legs on the couch, trying to clear my mind of Jinx. Caitlyn left me alone to go get dressed, so it’s just me in one of the living rooms in the huge house. If I said I wasn't sick of having my arm not working, that would be a huge lie, because I'm not the type to stand there watching the fire burn wood in the fireplace while my roommates are basically whirlwinds of energy who can't sit still for a moment. It's infuriating having to be the one left behind because of the sling my physical therapist makes me wear. Stupid damaged nerve.

“Are you comfortable?” Jinx’s mischievous voice comes from the window and I don’t have to turn around to know that Isha isn’t with her, I hear her enter the house through the window “that girl is crazy, I can’t wait to see the chaos we’re going to cause together once she’s old enough” she says with mischief and a proud smile.

Jinx enters my field of vision, carrying Cait’s rifle with her, but Isha is nowhere to be seen. She sits on the couch and puts my legs on her lap, we look at each other for a moment before she looks away to play with the folded gun in her hands.

“Where’s Isha?” I ask her with a small smile, admiring her delicate profile.

“Upstairs, she’s earned the wonderful opportunity to organize the case full of bolts Caitlyn brought us the other day.” She turns her head to look at me, a slight glint of amusement in her gaze, her eyes are that beautiful light blue. “Don’t tell her that’s not science work or she’ll get upset.” She sets the rifle down on the floor.

I laugh lightly. Ever since Caitlyn decided to give them access to a small office converted into a lab upstairs, those two spend a good part of their day tinkering with all sorts of gadgets. Caitlyn only made them a couple of very clear rules: no weapons, no inventions meant to explode, no illegal things. Jinx tried to protest, but gave up when she realized she was in no position to actually do so, so Isha and Jinx just assemble and disassemble appliances, make robots for Vi and Isha's amusement, I have suspicions they plan to make some kind of of fighting robot league, but I'm not too sure yet.

Watching Isha work on each little project is a real delight, because it’s a reminder of how lucky I am, that this girl has enormous potential and that she can now achieve great things. I still have to get out of here and start a life for both of us, including Jinx if she wants it, but just knowing that Isha went from stealing from criminal gangs in Zaun to being surrounded by love, protection, and everything a child needs to grow in a favorable way is damn lucky.

Jinx also has that look on her face when she thinks no one is watching, while Isha is too busy with the task at hand to pay attention. I see love in the woman's eyes. Sometimes I listen to Jinx tell her about her childhood in Zaun, about what it was like growing up in the care of Sevika and that guy Sico, she jokes about how lucky my girl is to have her in her life instead of having someone like them, but there is nostalgia in her voice. Maybe one day Jinx will tell me how things were, when she feels safe enough to have those kinds of talks.

“You know, the other day I heard by accident” Jinx lengthens the word accident a little, making it clear that it wasn't “that Kiramman said something about letting Sevika be part of the council” she looks at me, trying to hide the seriousness in her gaze. , concern maybe “I didn't know she could make those kinds of decisions. I mean, I know she was a damn general or something, you know, back when she was hunting my ass in Zaun, along with Noxus, but putting a councilor?”

I sigh before answering “Cassandra left a void that needs to be filled. The Kirammans have been part of the council for generations and the policy hasn’t changed” I explain in a soft voice, she nods slowly, I manage to see a slight glint of… something, in her eyes “Caitlyn doesn’t want to take her mother’s place on the council, she never has. Cassandra believed that Cait would change her mind over the years, but things didn’t go the way anyone thought they would” I murmur and I have to look away.

It is very easy to forget that Jinx was the one who caused Cassandra's early death in that attack against the Piltover council, it seems like centuries have passed since all that happened. Every now and then I look at portraits of the woman and I blame myself for not being there for Cait at that moment, even though it wasn't in my hands, then I remember that the one who caused all that pain and sorrow shares my bed and takes care of my daughter. It's so fucked up.

“So she can decide who to put in that chair, despite not being a Kiramman?” Jinx asks.

I look at her and nod, not really understanding her insistence on the topic. My answer seems to be enough, she just stands there thinking as she runs one of her hands down my calf, my feet still in her lap.

“Why are you asking?” I have to ask after a while, when she seems too lost in her mind to continue talking. Jinx wakes up and blinks slightly before speaking again.

“I’m just surprised she chose someone from Zaun, that’s all” she says quietly, her eyes a light blue. I like it when the color of their eyes reveals things that their words don't.

“Caitlyn is smart. There is so much potential in Zaun, many fought and died with us, it would be very stupid to put aside this small moment of peace without giving it the voice it deserves. I’m even sure Cassandra would have approved of it” I say without being able to stop myself, that catches Jinx’s attention.

“Why do you believe that?” she asks curiously, leaning slightly in her chair to see me better.

I think about the valves the Kirammans installed to stop the gas from affecting Zaun, how that was the mantle of responsibility Cassandra left Cait after she died and how despite everything she always remained concerned that they were in order and working, in Cait's words. I never saw the ventilation system, nor did I know about it or that it was Kiramman's work until Cait took over, so I guess no one else knew, it was a well-kept secret to protect it. If it fell into the wrong hands it could be put to terrible use, just like it was when Cait used it…

“Cassandra took her job seriously, not just as a councilor of Piltover” is all I say and it seems to be enough for Jinx for now.

We go up to see how Isha has been doing in her hard work, finding her, playing with what was once a vacuum cleaner, now the thing has arms and what looks like a mouth. Jinx sits on the floor next to Isha to draw eyes and teeth on the robot while Isha continues tightening the screws on a joint. I sit on the raised bench to watch them work, in silence, in peace.

My shoulder aches like a small reminder that this is just a fleeting moment of tranquility in the middle of an unfinished problem. If I want to move forward with Isha, get out of the mansion where Cait has let us stay for so long and get to live all those years that were stolen from us, I first have to tie up a lot of loose ends. Loose ends from the past that have already come back to bite me in the ass, or rather, put a bullet in my shoulder.

Chapter Text

We should have gone for the little bastard first. Yn is easy prey, we can get rid of her once we have the child.

“Jinx is on her side, don’t underestimate her.”

“I don’t fear the filthy Zaunites.”

Caitlyn plays the tape again, taking notes of every tiny detail in the background noise that she thinks might be useful. The recording arrived anonymously to the Sheriff’s office, but she’s sure it was taken by one of the employees of the Y/L/N house, most of whom still work there are loyal to the one who was once the heir of the house. Also, the package arrived right after the decision was made to make the attack public, which also made public the existence of Isha and Yn’s return to Piltover.

It was a desperate move to try to get evidence in a very strange case, Caitlyn decided to pass it off as an attack on herself as long as the local media gave it the necessary attention. She knew that Elira and Han would surely try to contact her daughter after everyone found out that she was living with Caitlyn, even if it was out of sheer pressure from Piltovian society. It worked better than Caitlyn expected.

In the recording, Han Y/L/N's voice can clearly be heard reproaching whoever is on the other end of the line about not finishing the job. Vi had to take off her gloves when she heard the recording, the idea of a father planning the murder of his own daughter made her extremely angry, she needed to take a moment before continuing with the meeting that Caitlyn had organized.

Only three agents know what's going on with the case: Caitlyn, Vi and Steb. The operation should be simple, with the conclusive evidence that the mastermind is Hand YLN they just have to go after him and put him behind bars, the investigation can continue with what they get at the man's house and his interrogation. So they get a warrant, pack their guns, and use an official unit to drive to the mansion.

The ride is tense and silent, the three Enforcers deep in thought as Steb drives the unit through the streets of Piltover, it’s a sunny fall day, it could be a perfect day if they weren’t doing this. Vi is the first to notice something is wrong, by the way people on the street stop and look fearfully in the direction they’re driving. They’re not far from the YLN mansion.

“What the hell is that?” Steb mutters as soon as they have the building in sight.

It's a multi-story housing unit, with the facade and architecture as elegant as the Kirammans', maybe even an older and more expensive look. As far as Caitlyn remembers, the mansion has always been kept a rather neat pearl color on the walls, with a dark ceiling, but now it's full of color everywhere. It doesn't look like the work of a painter, it looks like the sloppy, familiar result of explosions of paint done with seemingly random precision.

“Jinx” Caitlyn mutters in disbelief at what just came out of her lips.

Of course she knows the woman's work well, she studied it like a madwoman while trying to catch her less than a year ago, but it doesn't make sense how the woman who was having waffles at home this morning could come and do this. Vi makes sure every now and then that the girl doesn't have any ammunition or explosives of any kind within reach, even Yn decided to confiscate the small weapon a week ago after discovering Jinx having a serious conversation with her.

Steb stops the unit in front of the mansion gates and the three of them quickly get out, Vi opens a gap with her powerful gloves so they can enter. There are no signs of disaster other than the paint, but Caitlyn and Steb draw their weapons anyway. They enter the house when they notice that the door lock is broken. They move through the living room carefully, everything is silent, bathed in darkness. The only source of light are the windows that have not been covered with paint.

“Jinx?” Vi dares to call, cautiously, but there is no answer.
There should be people in this place, Caitlyn thinks, there are always wait staff on duty. They search the entire ground floor without finding anything, Caitlyn decides to send Steb outside to call for reinforcements when they reach the service quarters and find the place deserted. Araela, her room is empty.

Vi and Caitlyn go to the second floor, checking the guest rooms and recreation rooms when they hear a metallic noise. They both freeze in the middle of a hallway, sharing a look before cautiously following it, not knowing what they are facing.

“Wait” Vi murmurs, stopping Caitlyn with a gesture when they are close to the room where they heard the small noise “What will we do if it is Jinx?” her voice is tense, worried.

Caitlyn bites her lip, she doesn't want to answer that question. The Sheriff may not be the biggest fan of the blue-haired woman, but she has found a way to get used to having her around, to find the killer’s quirks curious and how intelligent she is, as long as that intelligence is not used to harm others.

“I don’t know. Just go, there might be injuries,” Caitlyn whispers quietly, remembering that she’s the Sheriff right now, not Cait.

Vi nods and then steps forward first to the door, taking a deep breath before punching the wood to get inside, Caitlyn following close behind using her rifle to aim for potential threats. Boots from reinforcements can be heard downstairs.

“What the hell?” Caitlyn mutters, looking around the small study.

It’s filled with Jinx’s signature drawings. “Murderer” is scrawled on one of the bookcases, the paint fresh. “Shame” reads another. “Revenge” reads a final one on the ceiling. On the floor of the room are neon green arrows pointing to the center of the room, to the chair where Elira YLN is tied up, the middle-aged woman has a gag in her mouth and a small teddy bear in the rope holding her, Caitlyn recognizes it as one that belonged to Yn when she was a baby. Vi notes with curiosity that the woman has a huge and very colorful bow over her head, there is a small note on it, so she takes the note even before untying the woman.

“You’re welcome”

That’s all she says. Vi recognizes the handwriting immediately, it’s from Jinx, so she passes it to Caitlyn without taking her eyes off the tied up woman.

Three hours earlier

“Someone tapped the damn phone! They have us, woman, we have to leave before they come for us” Han YLN said with annoyance while his wife seemed determined not to lift a single finger to put clothes in her own suitcase. Han’s suitcase was already half full.

“Nonsense,” the woman replied in a bored tone. “Who is going to believe that we wanted to harm our daughter? Everyone knows that we have a lot of money, rich families in Piltover don’t do such vulgar things,” she snapped in a bored tone, which infuriated Han.

Han had to stop to look at his wife, incredulous and angry. In all his years he had heard worse things done by people much more influential than him. Wealth doesn't come with the purity his wife was adamant about wanting to demonstrate, plus it's not like she wouldn't have sent Yn to clean Stillwater's cells in the middle of a tantrum in the first place.

“The Kiramman girl is in charge of the security department, if anyone is not going to rest until they find who dared to harm Yn, it is her,” Han snapped and threw another shirt into his suitcase.

A roar was heard on the ground floor and that made Elira YLN start up. “Those useless people, I told them to be careful with the precious works of art. I swear that if another one has scratched one of my collectible pieces of furniture, I will fire them all,” she said grumpily.

But she couldn't even get to the door before an electric shock made her fall to the ground. Han looked in terror at his wife's body and then at the figure at the door, a thin figure much shorter than his, but no less threatening for that. The last thing Han saw before falling unconscious was a pair of bright pink eyes.

Jinx entered that mansion through the service door that Yn once mentioned, threatening everyone she met on her way to leave and take the others with them before her good mood ended, no one dared to contradict her when she used a paint bomb in the living room as a warning. The truth is that many were more than happy to leave the mansion with the owners and the woman with a dangerous reputation inside, even though none of them were going to say it out loud. Everyone evacuated hastily and Jinx didn't worry about the Enforcers being called, although the truth is that she didn't care at that moment.

She had been bored at home for days so she started taking little walks while Yn took her physical therapy and Isha did the homework that that boring tutor gave her. On her little walk the day before, deciding to follow Vi to the police station, she discovered that sneaking into that place was hilariously simple and that if she had ever wanted to blow it up, it would have been a piece of cake. By mere chance she entered the ventilation ducts, curiosity more than anything, that was when she passed over Caitlyn's office. Jinx had thought she would never feel that anxiety about seeing a building burn again, that Mylo’s mocking voice would never remind her how fragile everything around her is, that she is the damn talisman of bad luck… but then she heard that recording that Caitlyn played over and over again. Because seriously, Yn spent years in Stillwater and Isha in Zaun. And the YLN decide they want to keep Isha just when Jinx enters the picture? It seems like too much of a coincidence. It has to be a cruel joke, just like Mylo said in his stupid mocking voice.

Her skin itched inside all night, with Mylo, Silco, Claggor and Vander taking turns tormenting her mind while Jinx watched Yn sleep on the other end of the bed, with Isha hugging a teddy bear in between them. No, not this time, Jinx told herself.

So Jinx snuck out of the mansion all night and headed straight to Zaun using the passageways she knew by heart, it didn’t take her long to get to the fissure where her lab used to be. She was smart to stash her stuff in a crevice when they turned the lab into a war balloon. She spent the entire night fighting her demons, her need to get back to bed with her family and the mechanisms of the new paint bombs she had just made from the forgotten scraps she found.

“At the end of the day, if you want something to go right, you have to do it yourself.” Han blinked, disoriented in the purple gloom that filled the room. Jinx hummed again, walking up to where the man was standing, she faced him fearlessly “you messed with the wrong person, father-in-law” she smiled at him, activating another one of her gas grenades, this time she put on one of the masks she stole from the police station.

When Han woke up he found he couldn’t speak because of a gag, the man was tied to a chair in his office, next to him was his wife still unconscious and tied in the same conditions as him. Jinx stood a few meters away, muttering something to herself or to whoever was on her mind at the moment, twirling the gun in her hand.

“You know, it wasn’t hard to find you. The Pilties have a bad habit of leaving their personal information out in the open for everyone to see” she snorted when she noticed the man had regained consciousness “it wasn’t even a fun game” she muttered before forcefully ripping off the gag.

Jinx could see Yn’s resemblance to him, in her eyes and maybe in the way she frowned. She hated that. It reminded her that this guy is her father and he wanted to kill her anyway. Yeah, Silco, she killed you too! Be quiet! You weren’t really her father and, well, it was an accident, so it’s not the same. Jinx tried to shoo Silco's face away with one hand and pointed her gun at the forehead of the man tied in the chair, a ball of blue energy forming at the tip.

“This is what's going to happen,” she said in a calm voice, “I let you go and you tell the whole truth to the rich detective who lets me live in her house for free. Deal?” Jinx smiled innocently.

“I don't know what you're talking about” Han had the nerve to answer and that was the last thing he could say before Jinx lost her temper again to give him a strong blow that sent him to sleep.

“Damn bastard” she muttered looking at the man.

It was then that Elira began to react, moving and trying to get rid of her bonds once she realized her precarious situation. She recognized Jinx immediately, as anyone would have, since it's not easy to mistake Zaun's so-called loose cannon after all the flyers that were distributed over the past few months. Jinx noticed the fear in the woman's eyes and that made her smile, like a damn psychopath.

“Oh look who woke up” Jinx said in a sing-song voice and pointed the gun at the woman “Are you going to cooperate or do I have to blow this place up with both of you in it?” Her face stopped being cheerful. There was a change that sent a chill down Elira YLN’s spine.

Present

Caitlyn supervises the agents who were storing evidence and takes photographs of the scene, Vi is on the upper floor looking for signs of escape or clues to the whereabouts of Jinx and Mr. Han. It makes no sense to any of them that Jinx would suddenly decide to do this, not after months of good behavior. And in the YLN house precisely? No, this was deliberate. Caitlyn had also had to take Elira YLN into department custody.

The woman had admitted her guilt about the attack on Yn an hour ago, as soon as Vi removed the gag from her mouth. She said she would tell them everything they wanted as long as they found Mr. Han alive, she said Jinx had taken him.

“Nothing” Vi came to Caitlyn’s side after a moment, disappointment bathing her face. It’s quite obvious that this is affecting her a lot, Caitlyn thought, after believing that Jinx would not commit crimes again now that her life seems to have a new kind of balance with Isha in it.

“We have to find her” Caitlyn sentenced “We will not let her do something crazy, Vi” she added in a soft voice, knowing that not only Vi’s mental health depends on this, but also Yn and Isha’s.

If Jinx harms Mr. Yln there will be no way she will go unpunished, not this time. For now they can pass everything off as an attempt to help the department or something like that, as far as Caitlyn is concerned, because she must admit that she had not thought of Elira as the mastermind behind everything, but as a simple accomplice.

As the hours pass, they decide to expand the search through Piltover, placing patrols everywhere without trying to make too much of a fuss so as not to scare the population. Caitlyn herself decided to take a patrol car and Vi as a companion to go around the limits of Zaun and Piltover, near the bridge. They had been silent all day, they also decided earlier that they would not say anything to Yn until they had everything under control, but the hours passed very quickly and it is almost time to go home.

“Look!” Vi suddenly shouts when they turn on an avenue, in front of them there is a small park that is usually empty, but at this moment it is full of people.

Caitlyn parks the patrol car and turns on the lights, that is enough to disperse some snoopers. That is when they look at her: Jinx is lying on a bench looking at the sky, tied to a bench next to hers is Han YLN, the man is in his underwear, covered in phosphorescent paint.

“Oh damn,” Vi scoffs, “I hope the press doesn’t get pictures of that,” she says with amusement before exiting the car, the relief quite evident in her tone of voice.

Chapter Text

Yn walks into the police station wearing the blue uniform for the first time in a long, long time. She may have been on duty for a month, when she was authorized to do office work and Caitlyn decided to give her a temporary position as her assistant at the Kiramman mansion, meaning she left her working at home during the entire time the nerve in her arm was damaged and she needed rest and physical therapy. Despite this, this is not even remotely the same, since now more than ever she feels the weight of the badge on her chest and the service weapon inside the holster on her belt. The truth is that Yn may never have fully felt the pride that was so talked about before entering the academy about wearing the uniform, not after learning the reality behind the institution as soon as he entered it and definitely not after leaving for his very long “vacation” in Stillwater, but it does not compare to the bittersweet feeling that settles in his chest when he enters the main precinct again and all heads turn in his direction.

She can hear the soft murmurs as she enters the place, very different from the last time she was here to see Caitlyn, almost two months ago, because now everyone knows that she has a daughter born in Zaun and that she was injured in a suspicious attack against the beloved sheriff of Piltover. Prejudices are always the order of the day, so Yn would not be surprised if there are already a lot of conspiracy theories floating around the halls of this place and the break rooms. She planned to return to the force unnoticed, it’s what she and Caitlyn had agreed on in advance the day they were ambushed, but it all took such a dramatic turn of events, so here she is now.

“I’m looking for Sheriff Kiramman,” she asks one of the detectives who seems unoccupied in the minor crimes area, where Caitlyn asked her to go find her when she called the house a few hours ago. There are cells to her right, with those who were placed under arrest in the last twenty-four hours and are in the process of being linked to trial, those who still have time to prove their innocence before being entered into the system.

The woman at the desk can barely contain a look of pity that leaves Yn baffled, before pointing to one of the interrogation rooms at the back of the huge room. Yn walks with her head held high until she stops outside the metal door of the interrogation room and notices that it is the one without a window to see what is going on inside, the one Caitlyn had vaguely mentioned a few weeks ago that she had closed due to the misuse of force that was done with the suspects inside. Yn pays attention to what is happening inside before knocking on the door; Vi's voice is tense and muffled, she seems to be trying not to yell, whereas Caitlyn's is hard and loud, enough to be heard clearly through the heavy metal door.

Yn takes a moment before raising her fist and giving two firm knocks. She was informed about the attack on her parents' house as soon as it was discovered, since Isha and she are still targets in an open investigation until everyone involved is caught, but the young agents who were sent to give her the notice at the Kiramman mansion stopped giving her information almost as soon as they put her in a safe room. She was unable to contact Caitlyn, Violet, and even Jinx, which began to raise suspicions in the woman. All of this obviously has to do with that situation.

Isha was uneasy within the confinement they were put in, a small protocol created by Caitlyn to ensure the safety of everyone in the mansion in case of a new threat, the problem is that Yn did not feel imminent danger, she felt the need to get out of there and run to what was once her home to find out what the hell was going on. It was very frustrating not being able to get a word out of the young agents, but she noticed that they were uncomfortable with each new question she asked about the operation that was taking place far away from there.

It was not until the evening, after they were let out and assured that the situation had been controlled, when Yn finally received a short text message from Vi. She asked her to call her if she knew where Jinx was, because there would be Enforcers patrolling the streets and she didn't want her to get into trouble, she also asked her to stay calm and assured her that everything was fine. Yn didn't believe the last part, if it were true that everything was fine they would have told her what the hell was going on from the beginning.

What a pack of lies, Yn thought as Caitlyn's face was revealed behind the door, the dark-haired woman looking tired and her uniform wrinkled. It’s past midnight already, Yn had to leave Isha sleeping in bed while she sneaked out to come here as soon as Caitlyn called, the girl was left in the care of the Kiramman mansion’s housekeeper and Caitlyn’s father, who agreed to go no matter the hour, because Yn felt better if Isha stayed with someone she trusted around and not just the service staff.

“What’s wrong?” Yn asks, she doesn’t have time for more lies, they’ve kept enough from her for one day.

“Come in” Caitlyn says seriously, stepping aside.

Jinx sits on a metal chair in the middle of the interrogation room, her wrists are cuffed, her head is down and she looks at Vi’s shoes with a blank expression. Yn frowns at the sight; the cuffs are barely tight on the woman’s wrists, no cuffs were put on her ankles and the wrappers on the side table make it clear that they’ve had dinner recently. Vi is leaning against the wall opposite Jinx, a few feet away, her arms crossed over her chest and the massive Atlas gloves resting on the sides of her feet.

“Jinx is charged with breaking into private property, destruction of property, vandalism and we are still debating adding kidnapping to the list” Vi is the one who breaks the silence, her tone still serious, but controlled.

“They’re all minor charges, except kidnapping, of course.” Yn points out the obvious with a hesitant tone, she raises an eyebrow skeptically. Jinx’s eyes lock on her as soon as she hears her, it’s like her brain just registered her presence in the room, but she quickly looks back down.

“That’s right.” Caitlyn nods. “Yn, do you know why we arrested her?” She asks calmly, which annoys Yn, she’s never liked being spoken to as if she can’t understand simple things, much less if she hasn’t been given the information necessary to understand said things in the first place.

“Know? No, I have no idea!” Yn answers reluctantly, to everyone's surprise, since it's not very normal for her to be able to calm down. "They've been hiding what's happening from me all day, since yesterday when the attack on my parents' residence occurred. You asked those agents not to inform me about what was happening even though people I love were there." She claims, looking at Caitlyn. "What if something had happened to Araela? Or you or Vi. I would never have forgiven myself if they were put in danger because of my parents and I was just sitting in the safe room." Yn sighs and takes off her uniform cap, runs her fingers through her hair in a futile attempt to calm down, turning towards the wall so as not to see the three women in the room.

“It's okay, it was an intense day, let's take a breather here” Vi says reassuringly “listen Yn, there was a reason for not giving you reports about it. For starters, you know that at the time we couldn't do it because it was a delicate situation and, well, the thing is that there was another matter there” she adds with a hesitant voice and Yn turns to look at her, Vi just shrugs her shoulders “Your parents are under arrest right now, they are being interrogated right now for the attack a couple of months ago”

Yn doesn't know how she should react, she knew very well that this was a very real possibility, that her parents could have orchestrated the alleged attempted murder or intimidation against her, but she wasn't ready to hear that her suspicions are true. Vi seems a little uncomfortable after realizing that she has blurted out the information, something that no one wants to hear; your parents sent a thug after you.

“Yn, I’m sorry” Caitlyn murmurs, she has her arms crossed and her eyes downcast “Your mother confessed to paying the person who shot you, but we have suspicions that there is something else behind it. We won’t know until the investigation is over”

Of course Caitlyn could understand better, she knew her parents well, that’s what Yn thinks, so she nods and takes a deep breath. Right now she can’t think of much or anything. She knows there must be a reason behind it, something her parents need to have gone to such extremes, maybe it’s just them being upset about her unexpected return to Piltover or that everyone now knows about Isha. Who knows?

Yn’s gaze falls on the only person who has remained silent so far. Jinx doesn’t make eye contact with her, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground, her expression calm, almost too calm actually. If Yn hadn’t spent so much time around Jinx in her most relaxed and guard down state, she wouldn’t have noticed the tiny wrinkle on her forehead and how her lips are pressed together a little too tightly. Jinx is clearly struggling with her insides, Yn can see the struggle behind her mask of indifference.

“Why are you here?” Yn asks Jinx directly, her voice noticeably softer with her “Who the hell did she kidnap?” this time she looks at Caitlyn and Vi, who exchange a glance.

“Jinx did her good deed for the day, in her own way” Caitlyn says sarcastically, massaging her forehead, a hand on her hip. The tension in the sheriff is visible “She went ahead of us and got Elira’s confession, left your parents’ neat house like a piece of abstract art and then took Han for a walk” Caitlyn says disapprovingly, looking at Jinx as if she were a child who had been called into the principal’s office. Vi just stands by, but there’s a hint of amusement in her gaze.

Yn takes a moment to process what Caitlyn said. Jinx is here because she found out what was going on and decided to take justice into her own hands, getting her mother to admit what she did and kidnapped her father. Yn looks at Jinx in disbelief, since the woman barely managed to get rid of the pile of charges against her so she could be free and decided to get into trouble in such a stupid way.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Yn walks over until she is standing in front of Jinx, her brow furrowed as she looks at the woman “You can’t go around playing the avenger, Jinx. You should have told Vi what you were planning to do, let them take over! You can’t screw this up again, what are you supposed to do if you get charged for depriving someone of their freedom?” Yn gently grabs Jinx’s jaw and forces her to look at her.

She doesn’t like it when she meets a pair of pinkish-violet eyes, instead of the silvery blue she usually has when the Shimmer and adrenaline are under control. Yn sighs and her thumb caresses Jinx’s cheek, who leans slightly into the caress, her chin resting on Yn’s hand.

"What happened, Jinxie?" Yn asks softly. She hears Vi’s boots as the pink haired woman moves to leave the room and as Caitlyn mutters something about giving them a moment before they leave the interrogation room, but Yn’s eyes never leave Jinx’s.

“I heard them” Jinx says softly, an oddly calm tone that makes the hairs on Yn’s neck stand up. “Your mom said she wasn’t afraid of the Zaunites, so I wanted to go see if it’s true.” She huffs a light giggle.

“Jinx, tell me what you did when you got there” Yn gets on one knee in front of Jinx so they are at the same height, because the woman shouldn't be comfortable with her head tilted up “I don't want you to go to Stillwater for this, they're not worth it” she lets go of Jinx's chin and puts her hand on the woman's thigh, because she can't hold her hand since they are handcuffed behind her back. Now that they are so close she can see the small changes in the blue haired girl's face, especially in the way her gaze seems harder and how the corner of her lips raised slightly.

“I just made some small decorations in your precious house, nothing explosive, I swear” Jinx says and looks into Yn's eyes in a way that the other can't help but believe her “There were no injuries, I'm not that monster anymore… but, let's just say that your mom and I had time to talk and get to know each other better” there was a flicker of vulnerability on Jinx's face when she said she wasn't a monster and Yn clings to that.

“Hey, I know you’re not a monster,” Yn says quietly, her hand reaching for Jinx’s cheek and it’s like the color of her eyes is a window into her mind, because the bright violet blinks a couple of times revealing blue, Jinx’s struggle to regain control after what was perhaps a Shimmer-caused episode in her due to all those emotions…

“Do you know?” She asks in a voice so small that it takes everything in Yn to remember the situation they're in, not to jump and hug her until she drowns out any worry.

“I know,” Yn states and that’s like a switch. Jinx gasps and shakes desperately, closing her eyes and struggling against the handcuffs causing Yn to lean back.

Yn looks at her from the ground, still crouched, watching as Jinx mutters to herself as she calms down. It must be a nightmare to be inside her mind, Yn thinks, with the Shimmer in her system making everything worse and the reactions that can get out of control if she's not careful. Vi told her about it once, when she was walking around the mansion and saw the pink-haired girl staring at Cassandra Kiramman's portrait; Jinx was in the middle of a psychotic break when she launched the missile at the council, it seemed, although that doesn't take away from how premeditated it all was. Vi worries about how long Jinx spent in that state, out of control with thoughts that led her to the most erratic behavior and how no one offered her help, not even her. She blames herself for not noticing that there was something more behind it, but I don't think there's any way to see it if you don't spend enough time with a person like that and the biggest proof is that Jinx had been fine until now. Since the battle against Noxus, Jinx had entered a constant state of calm in which she allowed herself to let her guard down without hesitation, with Vi and Isha around and the security of not being pursued by anyone, she was living the tranquility she had perhaps never had. She used to do all kinds of mischief to Caitlyn or Vi for fun, but nothing dangerous, just silly pranks that Isha could help with or silly and elaborate plans like the constant theft of equipment from the Enforcer couple; Jinx's personality is like that, a woman who can't stay away from trouble for long, but can keep it at bay if she wants to. This was different.

“They shouldn't have done that. They're your parents, parents don't hurt their children” Jinx speaks in a low voice, with a lost look “I killed Silco, he was like my father, you know? He raised me since Vander died, but he was the one who told me Vi died and then tried to make me kill her” Yn swallows, because Jinx had never talked about this with her, she didn’t expect the first time to be in the middle of an interrogation room “Vi keeps calling me Powder, but I’m not her, although I’m not sure I’m Jinx for a long time”

“Jinx, look at me” Yn asks cautiously, she gets closer to her, Yn’s hands caress Jinx’s cheeks and finally Violet’s eyes focus on her “focus on me. I need you here, don’t pay attention to the stupid voices in your mind, listen to my voice” she whispers and gets up from the ground, leaning over Jinx “You’re not that person anymore, maybe you never were. You’re not Jinx, you’re not Powder. Together we can find out who you are” she tilts her head, Jinx is extremely focused on the words Yn says “But I need you to be here, honey. Come back to me and then we’ll get out of this mess.” Yn sighs and puts her forehead against Jinx’s, closing her eyes.

She needs to get out of this kind of trance as soon as possible, whatever blocks Jinx’s mind every time she loses control needs to go now because there’s too much to do. Yn isn’t about to let this woman be sent to Stillwater for having done, well, whatever they say she did.

A moment passes in silence, both still with their foreheads together until Yn feels a pair of hands pull on her hip, she opens her eyes and is met with the most beautiful silver blue she’s ever seen in her life. Jinx’s hands gently pull her until she’s sitting on his lap, an intimate position they’ve never been in before. Yn can’t help but smile and wrap her arms around Jinx’s neck carefully.

“I'm sorry” Jinx apologizes and Yn sighs with relief when she hears her voice, gods, it's so different “I couldn't stop myself, it's just that just thinking about wasting time making stupid plans…” Jinx growls lowly “but don't cause any damage, I used the paint bombs you let me make last week and I let the workers leave before looking for your parents” she says with a pout.

"It's okay, I understand. You didn’t hurt anyone, but what about my father?” Yn asks, pulling away slightly to look her in the eyes. “They want to charge you with kidnapping, Jinx.”

“Well, it’s true,” Jinx admits without any remorse. Yn can't help but huff a small laugh and sigh before looking at the blue-haired woman with a mix of fondness and concern.

“I won’t let them take you away from me, I can’t,” she admits quietly, “but you can’t act recklessly again. We’ve talked about taking care of Isha together many nights, about how you want to be a part of her life and how she loves you. We need to figure out whatever happens here.” Yn taps her forehead and Jinx grimaces.

“It’s more than that, the Shimmer makes the rage and adrenaline feel much, much stronger. I don't know if I'm capable of containing myself in certain situations, and what happens if one day I hurt you? She asks suddenly, as if it had just occurred to her.

“One thing at a time” Yn takes Jinx’s hands in hers to get her attention, without leaving her lap “for now we have to get you out of here” she states.

Jin nods and takes a deep breath. Yn caresses her cheek and Jinx leans towards her, their breaths mixing. Just one movement and Jinx’s lips are softly resting on Yn’s in a sweet and quick kiss.

“I will do my best” she promises against Yn’s lips “for Isha, for you and for me” she murmurs with her eyes closed before sealing the promise with another kiss.

Chapter Text

“So what now?” Yn asks Caitlyn. The two officers are at the Sheriff’s office after Vi had to knock on the door in a very loud way to interrupt the couple’s moment.

It’s a difficult situation to get out of, it’s not like Caitlyn can ask another favor from the council just because her best friend’s partner-not-partner decided to become a criminal again. Mel will surely be angry when she finds out, the idea of clearing Jinx’s criminal record was a peace offering to appease the districts and now they have the rebel symbol behind bars with kidnapping charges against a well-known businessman in the Piltover community. It doesn’t look good, no matter that Yn is willing to let preliminary information about the case “leak” to the media and make it clear that her father is not as good a person as he pretended to be to society.

Caitlyn doesn't think that tarnishing the reputation of the YLN is a good idea, it would be seen as a desperate act that would make clear the intentions of the police station to avoid discontent between the Zaunites and Piltover, and they would not understand the reason for the situation. Yn and Jinx have not even formalized whatever is happening between them, even though the employees of the mansion have surely already speculated among themselves and their acquaintances about how the loosen cannon of Zaun and the girl who basically grew up in that mansion with Caitlyn sleep in the same room and why little Isha is so attached to the blue-haired woman. Caitlyn is not in debt that there must be rumors running through the streets.

Caitlyn sighs and looks at her friend with a thoughtful expression "Mel has told me that the Council is deliberating the idea of establishing a new security force in Zaun. They wouldn't be enforcers as such, they're trying to end the prejudice that exists in the district against us, so they would have their own body parallel to ours and they'll need people with experience to start, while they establish themselves at least" she says seriously. Yn looks at her without understanding.

"What does that have to do with Jinx?" Yn asks confused "God, if you ask her to wear a badge and uniform she'll go crazy before you finish the sentence" says the woman without humor, knowing the mistrust that the blue-haired woman has against enforcers.

"No, I wouldn't dare" Caitlyn quickly denies "It's just that if things go really bad here and you need insurance, you can get a place there. Isha and you know how to move around Zaun, it's just a contingency plan" Caitlyn murmurs and makes a small gesture that Yn doesn't let go, she knows that her friend is thinking about something.

"Contingency plan" Yn repeats quietly "Fine, but first we'll exhaust the resources here. “Is it my father who should drop the charges?” she asks and stands up, ready to search for the cell where they have put the man.

“You can’t talk to him, there will be an investigation and you are the center of it” Caitlyn reminds her in a calm voice, Yn just snorts in response “The misdemeanors are courtesy of the city and the kidnapping charge is due to your father’s statement, he said that Jinx took him to that park against his will”

Yn nods, she already knew that, she just needed confirmation before acting. She needs to sneak away from Caitlyn to talk to her father and have a much needed talk, that man took up too much of her time with Isha by sending her to Stillwater, she doesn’t plan on letting him take her away from Jinx now. Maybe her judgment is clouded by the kisses or she’s just falling in love with the erratic woman, but she doesn’t care much if Jinx deserves to pay for her actions or not, she just wants to get her out of the police station and go to sleep.

Meanwhile, in the interrogation room, Vi is sitting on an uncomfortable metal chair staring at Jinx, who has been mute since Yn left the room. The pink-haired woman can’t stop staring at the small mark on her sister’s neck. Is that a pacifier? Gods, they’re in the damn police station, Vi thinks, with Jinx in danger of going to jail. And what crossed her mind was making out? Caitlyn is right, this pair is in a weird limbo between the “honeymoon” and “almost something” stages.

“Can you stop staring at me? You seem like a weirdo,” Jinx suddenly says, startling Vi a little, because the younger woman isn’t even looking in her sister’s direction.

“Oh sorry, it’s just that cute pacifier Yn left on your neck that looks like a Yordle’s head” Vi says with a small smile tugging at her lips, to annoy her sister, which she succeeds in doing as Jinx quickly covers her neck with her hand and her pale cheeks gain a bit of color until they turn a soft pink.

“Fuck off” Jinx mutters but it’s too late, Vi already got a reaction and is laughing at her “shut your mouth, it’s not like you and that Piltie never do things like that. Trust me, I learned my lesson about not lurking around the halls of the mansion near her room at night the hard way” Jinx says with a grimace and that manages to shut Vi up, who makes a very similar grimace before they both let out a giggle.

They stay silent for a moment, the tension has dissipated momentarily but there’s still something that doesn’t feel right. Jinx knows that her impulsive actions may have ruined everything, now it’s not just about her, but about Isha and Yn too. What will happen if she gets sent to Stillwater? Isha has Yn and she’s going to be okay no matter what, but she’s not going to lie to herself and say that she’s not afraid of not seeing them anymore, because Jinx has been searching for that family that was broken and lost so long ago for almost her entire life and now she has something that feels right, it feels like family. She doesn’t want to lose them, but she doesn’t know how to keep them with her right now.

“Vi” Jinx murmurs looking at her older sister.

“What’s wrong?” Vi needs to remind herself not to call her Powder at the last minute, though she thinks Jinx notices, but doesn’t mention it.

“If I’m sent to Stillwater today, don’t let anything bad happen to Isha,” she asks her sister in a soft voice, a side Vi has seen very rarely since they met again. “I know Yn can take care of her, but if I’m going to end up in that hole and if it’s as terrible as you say… I just want to make sure she’s going to have someone to protect her, besides her mother. Take care of her the same way you would have protected Powder,” Jinx whispers and looks away.

Vi is speechless, there’s a lump in her throat that prevents her from speaking. She’s never heard Jinx so vulnerable without her being mentally stable and hearing her talk about her in the past tense, as if Powder was just a memory or a person she left behind, that hurt Vi. However, she understands what Jinx means, because every time she looks at her sister she wishes she could have done more for Powder, to take care of her and now she has Isha to heal a little bit of her guilt. Every time she sees the girl and how much Jinx loves her she knows that she should try to be the aunt that this girl can trust and maybe look up to, because Isha is Powder’s daughter after all, it’s a kind of second chance, right?

“I… yes, I will” Vi finally answers.

On the other side of the police station are the rest rooms for the enforcers, there are from single rooms to a couple that have several bunk beds, all with bathrooms and small amenities for the officers on leave. In one of them they have left Han YLN, an extraordinary measure that is not given to just anyone, but this man has enough money and influence to avoid touching a common cell and instead get a single rest room protected by two enforcers.

Yn stops in front of her colleagues and greets them. “I need to speak to the detainee,” she says seriously. She is carrying an order, signed by a prosecutor who just took office this week. The poor guy is trying to fix everything Ambessa and his military government left behind, so he didn’t even pay attention to what he signed when Yn entered the office claiming that she needed it urgently.
The pair of enforcers share a quick glance after having examined the order and finally step aside to let Yn enter. She walks confidently into the room, which is dimly lit and where no noise can be heard, she needs to stop for a moment after closing the door to focus her gaze on the sleeping figure of her father. She rolls her eyes in disgust. How can he be sleeping peacefully after what happened today? It almost doesn’t seem fair, so she kicks the base of the bed without hesitation, which effectively wakes the man up.

“Wake up, daddy” Yn growls and drags a chair to sit in front of the disheveled and dazed looking shoulder. Gods, he even put on a pair of pajamas.

“Yn? What the hell are you doing here?” he asks excitedly as soon as he recognizes his daughter in the enforcer uniform. Yn smirks.

“We need to talk. Unofficially, of course” Yn hums and crosses her legs “I know what you did. Trust me daddy, I expected more from you, such a smart and wealthy man shouldn’t resort to thugs to get rid of his own daughter” Yn says again as if it were a disappointment “you could have done better, but that’s already ancient history. The important thing is that you failed and not once, but twice”

Han gulps, this way of acting from Yn is nothing like he remembers his daughter “Yn, you’re not allowed to talk to me like that!” He tries to reprimand her “and this was all your mother’s idea, I’ve already told that girl Kiramman and that crazy woman who broke into our house”

“You’re a coward too” Yn nods thoughtfully, that hits her father’s ego “you blame mom for everything; the beatings when I was a child, the punishments, sending me to Stillwater” Yn says in a sharp tone “And now you say that she planned to kill me. Have some courage, daddy, admit that you’re as guilty as her, after all this is off the record”

Han seems to hesitate, but his facade doesn’t break “It was all her fault, I had to be hard on you while you were growing up because she demanded it and now she wanted that little bastard of yours to take over the inheritance, but she didn’t want you live to see it” he admits in a burst.

Yn opens her eyes in surprise, that’s something she didn’t know and surely Caitlyn didn’t either or she would have told her. It makes more sense now, her parents are old and have no more children, they wouldn’t leave a penny for her, but if they removed her from the equation and raised Isha then they would have a new heir. They are such idiots that they didn’t even take the time to check on the people around them, otherwise why would they have done it knowing that Jinx is a mother to Isha?

“Wow” Yn exhales in a calm tone “I didn’t see that coming, I must admit, the same way you didn’t see Jinx coming, I guess” she mentions and tilts her head, hoping to get more information.

He snorts "We knew she was with you in the Kiramman mansion and someone said she was close to you, but the Kiramman girl is hanging out with the girl from Zaun and turns out to be Jinx's sister. We didn't think it was more than coexistence because of that, with that thing about you and Caitlyn being like sisters we thought you were just living together" he admits and Yn mocks, loving the moment to twist the knife of what was for her parents their worst mistake as a daughter.

“Oh no daddy, Jinx isn’t just Vi’s sister or Caitlyn’s sister-in-law” Yn smirks, enjoying the doubt on her father’s face “I’m dating her, that’s why she was there when she found out who hurt me, ¿isn’t she a romantic?”

She may be exaggerating a bit with the word “dating”, but it doesn’t make it any less true that they’re together and it doesn’t take the red off her father’s face. Ah, her father and his prejudices against the people of Zaun, no matter who they are, adorable. Yn takes a moment before speaking again.

“Look, I’m not here to make a mere social visit” Yn hums again, her mood clearly improved by her father’s reaction “you’re going to have to change your version of what happened tonight. Jinx didn’t force you into anything, do you understand? If you went to that park together, it was because you wanted it” Yn’s smile disappears and she leans slightly to look her father in the eyes “and about our conversation… keep your mouth shut, because I recorded everything and you just admitted that you are not just a little guilty, but that you are co-author of all this. You knew what mom was planning and you didn't stop her.” Yn smiles and takes a recorder out of her jacket pocket, it is the size of a pen and has a small red light flashing.

Han looks at her with his mouth open and his face disfigured “You are not my daughter” he whispers, but there is fear in his voice, fear of the challenge and that he has finally been faced. Yn gets up from her chair and sighs.

“You’re right, I stopped being your daughter when you took me away from my family” she turns the recorder in her fingers and turns it off “but I learned a lot being a guard in Stillwater, at least, like how to blackmail people, for example” she puts the recorder away and walks to the door “tomorrow I hope to hear about your change of statement”

Yn doesn’t wait for an answer, she leaves the room and nods to the enforcers, stops to chat with them and asks if her father has eaten or drank anything. She plays the role of the worried daughter a bit just for some lawyer who wants to stick his nose where it doesn’t belong, not for Caitlyn.

Vi stays with Jinx all next morning, even after her shift, just to be aware of what’s going to happen to her sister. The thought that she might be sent to Stillwater turns her stomach and makes her palms sweat. Hours pass and Caitlyn has to remind her when her shift ends and she sends her to change out of her uniform into civilian clothes, assuring her that she can keep an eye on Jinx in the meantime.

Caitlyn is standing in the interrogation room again, they haven’t moved Jinx out of there for “safety” or so the official report says, but the reality is that they’re keeping her there for Jinx’s comfort. She took off her handcuffs when she and Yn were alone and no one tried to put them back on despite it being protocol, she’s also been eating and drinking the same as Vi which isn’t protocol either, plus most of the enforcers are very curious to see her in person after Jinx was the main target for so long. Caitlyn thinks that if she puts her in a cell they’re going to treat her like a zoo animal.

“Yn went home a while ago” Caitlyn informs Jinx, since she talked to her friend before coming here “Isha is asking about you and to be honest we don’t know what to say to her”

Their conversations are always short, to the point and slightly awkward. Caitlyn doesn’t forget what Jinx did and neither does Jinx, it’s a barrier that will never go away; Caitlyn’s kidnapping and Cassandra’s murder. No matter how much they try to move on, whether it’s for the sake of those they love or their own, they are things that can’t just be let go. Jinx understands this of course, she knows what it’s like to lose a mother and sometimes she has a hard time understanding why Caitlyn doesn’t put a bullet between her eyebrows. Caitlyn on the other hand now understands that while Jinx did that knowing that she was jamming the Piltover Council, she didn't know Cassandra was there and tries to figure out how to live with it, because Caitlyn also saw Jinx's mental state that night, they were heinous and deliberate acts carried out under the worst conditions for the girl's mind, she knows it better now that she has lived with her.

Maybe one day they will really talk about it or just sweep it under the rug like they have done until now, because Caitlyn can't talk about it either without remembering the terrible acts she committed poisoning Zaun while she was lost in despair and rage. Maybe they should just live with the weight of their actions and let that penance be what washes their consciences, then one day, with time, it will stop being awkward to be around each other.

Jinx nods, but doesn't make eye contact with Caitlyn, as usual. Caitlyn doesn’t know if that’s out of indifference, respect, or just because it’s too hard to keep eye contact.

“Jinx” Caitlyn catches his attention “I need to talk to you about Yn” she says in a tone that leaves no room for negotiation. Jinx looks at her skeptically, as if bracing for an argument or an awkward question. The truth is, Caitlyn has a hard time reading Jinx, which is frustrating for the sheriff.

“Go ahead,” Jinx murmurs quietly, clearly wary.

Caitlyn watches her for a moment, thinking about how best to talk about it. Jinx isn’t the kind of girl she can just walk up to and make the typical kind of threat that if she breaks her friend’s heart, she’ll be done for, because Jinx isn’t just Vi’s sister, she’s also an unbalanced woman with a body full of Shimmer who knows how to make and handle explosive devices and weapons. Caitlyn sighs.

“I don’t want Yn to get hurt,” she says simply “you two have been having whatever this is for a while now and I’m worried you’ll leave her alone. Yn has had her fair share of trash in her life, enough for one life, she doesn't need more” she says crossing her arms as she looks at the young woman “so, are you going to be the person who stays by their side and fights for them or are you going to be the woman who gets away before leaving any more damage in their wake. Choose.”

To the point, Caitlyn thinks, because this kind of situation is what Jinx’s future could hold and Yn has to look out for Isha, so Jinx needs to get her shit together or find somewhere else to be a mess. Caitlyn knows this isn’t her choice and she won’t make it for Yn, or for Vi either, but she needs to be sure and hear it come out of Jinx’s lips that she’s not going to screw it up, Jinx needs to tell her that she won’t blow her best friend into pieces that Caitlyn will have to pick up later and then they can live in their strange peace again.

“I don’t need any more lectures today, Piltie,” Jinx replies grumpily, much to Caitlyn’s surprise. “I know I screwed up, okay? I should have told you or Vi that I found out about Yn’s parents instead of doing what I did,” she mutters, clasping her hands in her lap. “But you know what it’s like to get carried away. In fact, you would have done the same for Vi.” Jinx smirks. “Maybe even more, which isn’t a bad thing. The thing is, Piltie, it happened and I can’t fix it right now, but if I get out of this I won’t do it again… or so I think.”

There’s honesty in Jinx’s words, even the last ones, and Caitlyn can’t help but agree that she would have done the same for Vi, even though she doesn’t want to admit it. Maybe Jinx and her aren’t so different after all.

“Fine,” Caitlyn nods. “So what the heck are you two?” She asks the million-coin question and Jinx shrugs.

“I guess something” Jinx answers “I’ve never been in a relationship so I have no idea what to compare it to” she says it with such seriousness that it takes Caitlyn by surprise.

"Oh really?" she asks dumbly.

“Yeah, obviously,” Jinx nods. “It's not like I was interested in anything other than trying to survive or earn Silco's approval until recently,” she shrugs nonchalantly and Caitlyn swallows. Shit, she never thought of it that way.

“So how did you know you liked girls?” Caitlyn looks at Jinx curiously, she looks at Caitlyn with a frown.

“I didn’t know until I wanted to kiss Yn. I never thought about it, not like Vi at least, she knew what she liked before…” She trails off and sighs “Vi had pictures of girls stuck on the wall and everything. I never paid attention to them, but I also didn't pay attention to the shirtless guys who walked around in the Last Drop” she admits thoughtfully “Maybe I was very little back then and when I got older… I didn't have time for it anymore” her voice has lowered in tone and Jinx's gaze is on the ground again. Caitlyn doesn't push this time.

In an adjoining room Han YLN, dressed in a tailored suit and shaved, wipes his brow for the second time as he speaks to the detective in charge of his case. Today has been by far the most stressful day of his life, the man thinks as the detective reviews the new statement he submitted just a few minutes ago.

As soon as dawn broke, Mr. YLN asked the enforcers guarding his door for a shaving kit and to call the detective. Yn’s threat didn’t leave his mind during the night, so he began with an elaborate story that fits the truth, one that exonerates Jinx and at the same time makes him look like a victim of Elira.

“I don’t understand Mr. YLN, yesterday you claimed to have been deprived of your freedom by Jinx and today you say you went with her of your own free will” the detective reads the manuscript again and looks at Han.

“That’s right” he nods and clears his throat “last night I was afraid, Elira is an unscrupulous woman. The young lady who helped me out, that Jinx, had an impractical method, but I asked her to take me,” he says “and I was afraid to tell the truth about what happened before because of what my wife might do, but I now understand that I am safe thanks to you and your hard work.”

A little vanity and the job is done. The detective signs the man’s statement and adds it to the file that is being created around the YLN case. Mr. YLN is released after asking him a couple of questions about the situation of the house and how Jinx helped him, of course Han takes it upon himself to say that Jinx was some kind of heroic avenger for him and repeatedly asks the detective to apologize to Jinx on his behalf, acting like a repentant victim and a grateful man who only feared for his well-being.

Perhaps if the prejudice against the Zaunites was not so latent the detective would have suspected Han’s version, perhaps if Jinx were a better citizen or if it were not such an obvious case. Caitlyn gets up to open the door expecting to see Vi back to save her from the unbearable silence she and Jinx have been immersed in for almost an hour, but is surprised to find herself face to face with one of her best detectives.

“Sheriff” the man greets, Caitlyn notices that he is holding a folder “We have a warrant to release Jinx… well, we only have her first name. Mr. YLN has changed his statement and we have no further reason to keep her here, she can go home now” he informs her and hands Caitlyn the folder before leaving. Inside is the signed order and a copy of the declaration.

Caitlyn knows immediately, it had to be Yn at some point during the shift that she insisted on working through the night. She should have kept someone following her, she thinks, then turns around and looks at Jinx with resignation.

“You’re very lucky, you know?” Caitlyn shows her the order and gestures for her to get up, the usual thing would be to remove the handcuffs, but Jinx hasn't been wearing handcuffs since last night.

Jinx gets up from her chair and laughs without humor. “Me? Good luck?” she follows Caitlyn out of the interrogation room with her light walk, different from the sheriff’s firm step. “That’s new. I’m usually jinxed.”

Chapter Text

Jinx is escorted back to the Kiramman mansion after finishing the paperwork at the precinct, Vi is in charge of taking her home and assuring Caitlyn that neither of them are going to get into trouble anytime soon. The pair of sisters walked silently through the streets of Piltover, people stopping to stare as soon as they noticed Jinx's unmistakable hair color and tattoos—at least she doesn't wear braids, or she would have drawn more attention.

Jinx hadn't thought until that moment about what it was like to be a person free to roam Piltover and Zaun without having to hide, with the people around her fully aware of her actions and the suspicion against her for everything she's done against this city. None of the faces that turn to look at her are friendly, on the contrary, there are only looks of distrust and resentment. The attack on the Council seems like a lifetime ago to Jinx, but these citizens clearly don't feel the same way. It was something that deeply hurt the city of progress, just as the attack on Noxus had.

Vi takes a protective stance as soon as she notices the environment around her, even though there aren't many passersby on the street it's still a bit dangerous to cause a commotion or disturbance, and Vi knows that Jinx's presence may be enough to get some people upset to that point. Caitlyn told her sometime ago about how the news that Jinx would be acquitted of all charges had been received in Piltover, and how even a couple of renowned families were threatening to take action if that happened. The people of Piltover wanted someone to blame for all the disaster that Silco caused for so many years with its smuggling and for the problems that Jinx caused, they were not interested in knowing anything about maintaining diplomacy with Zaun. So Vi takes Jinx by the arm and hurries her down the street until they leave the main avenue, entering the residential streets lined with large, old houses. That only makes Jinx feel worse, her gaze glued to the back of her mind, she's almost tempted to run away when they stop in front of the house they've been living in for months.

“Ma!” A familiar voice calls from a second-floor window, and when Jinx looks up, she finds Isha about to throw herself off the sill and Yn holding the girl's small body with a scared expression on her face. That's enough for the light blue-haired girl to rush into the house.

“Careful” Yn shouted to Isha as they went down the stairs to meet the pair of sisters, but Isha did not listen and ran down until she collided with Jinx's body. Vi laughs lightly and gives Yn a quick rundown of how Han suddenly decided to drop the charges, eliciting a smile that doesn't go unnoticed by Jinx.

“I was in prison, monkey” Jinx tells Isha casually, catching Yn’s attention “Well, technically I was just detained in a boring room where they extract information from people, but hey, it’s the same thing.” She smiles and ruffles Isha’s hair, who seems excited to learn more about Jinx’s day.

“That solves one problem” Vi says before yawning, because they hadn’t told Isha the reason for Jinx’s absence “I’m dying of sleep, so it’s your problem now,” she tells Yn before heading upstairs to her room.

Yn sighs and looks at the pair of Zaunites in front of her, Jinx is telling Isha every detail of her adventure, starting with how she broke into the YLN house. There is no way to interrupt them and Yn knows it well, she has been ignored by the pair when they are engrossed in a topic they like enough times to know it well, so she leaves them alone.

Isha covers her mouth in amazement when Jinx tells her about the paint-based explosive devices she detonated at the YLN mansion and that her idea of putting a detonator at the bottom was very effective. This makes the girl beam with pride, but she can't help but think that she would have liked to see them. If her mommy knew, she'd be very upset. Luckily, Jinx understands, and she doesn't get angry when she gives her opinions about explosives or when she asks to play with the pretty weapon she had. Jinx also doesn't seem bothered when Isha calls her Mom instead of her name, and Isha really likes that because the first time it happened, it was actually a mistake, and the girl didn't expect Jinx to just look at her with a small smile without even stopping the beetle-wrestling game they were playing.

There are very few things Isha remembers about Yn before she suddenly stopped visiting her. She even thought it was all her imagination until they met again in that place they ran away from together. Isha vaguely remembers how her mommies used to sing for her and Yn would hold her on her lap while Vania read to make her fall asleep. That is the clearest memory she has of the two of them together, although sometimes she thinks it may just be her imagination. Afterwards there are only confusing images of her mom Vania in bed and when she had to go with her grandparents, it was too confusing to remember it clearly. She didn't understand what happened to her mommie until she was a little older and her grandmother was able to tell her without crying. That's how she understood that she had a mommie on the other side looking after her. However, she couldn't understand what happened to Yn until the day she had her face in front of her.

"Lunch is ready" Yn returns to the entrance where Jinx is sitting on the floor with Isha sitting in front of her.

The two of them turn to look at her in sync, their expressions matching each other's. It's charming. Jinx has had a huge influence on Isha, and Yn can see it in small details like this, despite having spent just over a year together, including the time she's been with them. It's not just the chaos and mischief; Isha trusts Jinx like no one else in this house, even Yn, which initially bothered the girl's mother, as she felt rejected every time she tried to comfort the rebellious little girl, and the girl just refused to go and find Jinx. The thing is, Yn comes to understand, as the days go by, that Isha forged that bond based on her experience in Zaun and the lifeline Jinx was; a symbol of rebellion, hope, and for some, what could be rescued in Zaun suddenly crossed her path. Who could judge her? Besides, Jinx is surprisingly good with children.

Tobias has some theories, of course, based on what those specialists were able to see when they visited the mansion a long time ago and what Isha's tutor has commented with the women after the girl's classes, although to be honest, it is only the obvious and what they had all thought when they saw her. Tobias suggests that Jinx kept Isha under her wing despite the circumstances because it reminded her of her past and she found in Isha a focus to give to her life during an episode of her life lacking purpose. Isha, for her part, saw in Jinx an anchor that she hadn't had for too long, something stable and secure despite the danger that Jinx herself represented or represents. They complemented each other at the right time, finding a figure that awakened the other's primal instinct, Jinx having the instinct to protect a weak being and Isha seeking the shelter of a 'pack'. Humans are still animals at the end of the day, and our species evolved to live in society. That being said, Tobias declares that it was only instinct and luck that they ended up cohabiting so Caitlyn, Vi, and Yn could find them.

Yn has to convince Isha to take her class after lunch, since the girl is determined not to leave Jinx's side for any reason after being apart for so long. It seems that the longest amount of time they had spent apart was after that fight against Noxus, when Isha stayed in Zaun with the Firelights, but back then they still had a somewhat different dynamic. Since being in Piltover, Isha has changed her behavior slightly toward Jinx; the light blue-haired girl noticed it after the first few weeks. It seems that the safety of this place allowed the girl to explore her bond with Jinx until she came to see her as a maternal figure and not just someone who provided protection in exchange for the small tasks they both did to survive.

“She needs to be less dependent on you, I’ll tell you” Yn says with a tired sigh as she enters her room. Jinx is sitting on the floor, her back against the bed and her legs stretched out in front of her.

“Maybe” Jinx shrugs casually. She looks up to see Yn. “Are you okay?” she asks, tilting her head.

The question takes Yn by surprise, but she nods and sits cross-legged across from Jinx on the floor. “Yeah, as much as you can after finding out your parents wanted to kill you,” she says with a bittersweet smile.

“I’m not going to let them do it” Jinx says, her face straight, an expression that makes Yn’s hair stand on end.

“I know. Don’t get yourself into any more trouble over this, Jinx.” Yn moves a little closer until she’s almost between Jinx’s legs “Let Cait figure this out.”

Jinx snorts a laugh “Caitlyn? You’re kidding. She was after me for ages and the only time she almost caught me was because I decided to” she says with a frown. “I’m not saying she’s bad at her job, but she loses track if she’s too wrapped around it” she says knowingly, which catches Yn’s attention.

“You two really have history” she murmurs with a half-smile.

“That’s a way of putting it” Jinx looks down at the ground “I hurt her badly. You know that, right?” she asks, then looks at Yn, who nods “I hurt Vi too, and now I’m here living in the fucking mansion where the woman I murdered lived,” she says with a hint of self-loathing. Yn doesn't come closer, the reminder that Cassandra died from that missile Jinx launched makes her chest hurt.

“You can always go back to Zaun” Yn murmurs after a while in which the two remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Jinx looks at her as if assessing the possibility.

“True” is what she says, although she is not entirely sure, there are too many ghosts waiting for her there too. Where will she go? Jinx thinks, because her place no longer exists since she crashed it into the Hextech tower and she burned the Last Drop before leaving Zaun. She has nowhere to go, and she knows it. It's not the first time she's thought about leaving this house, actually, but she doesn't even know how the people of Zaun might take her return.

"Caitlyn said Sevika is trying to put things in order there" Yn says quietly "The council wants to help Zaun get back on its feet and be as self-sufficient as possible. If all goes well, they'll have a Zaunite-made police force, but they'll need training" She looks at Jinx "Cait told me this while you were at the station. She thinks she can get me a position there since I haven't exactly been a Piltovian for a long time and I have a history that ties me closely to the suburban district. If that happens, then Isha and I could return to our home" Yn says with a soft voice and a small smile.

"Your home?" Jinx asks quietly. There’s no way this Piltie would consider Zaun home, she thinks, it would be too good to be true, that the woman she finds attractive is the biological mother of the creature she considers her own daughter is too much of a coincidence, but that she would also have affection for that dump? No, Jinx is even scared at the thought of it being like that, because then she doesn’t know what fault she can put on Yn now if she can’t make fun of her for being a spoiled Piltie.

“Well, I spent more time there than here as soon as I turned sixteen and I have my best memories in a little house there” Yn shrugs. “Plus, as soon as Cait got me out of Stillwater I came back and didn't go a day without wanting to come back. If that doesn't make a place your home, what does?” she looks at Jinx calmly.

Jinx frowns, thinking about what Yn said, and she has no way to refute it—it might be true—so she just nods slowly before sighing. “I guess so” she murmurs and sits up straight. “If I go back there, will you go with me?” She looks Yn in the eyes, a latent vulnerability in them.

“Sure” Yn answers with a small smile.

Chapter Text

“It’s small,” Jinx comments, looking around the living room.

“It’s all I could get. Zaun isn’t known for having large apartments, but I guess it’s easy to forget that after months of living in a mansion, huh?” Sevica snorts, a slight trace of amusement in her eyes when Jinx crosses her arms. “Those two have you at their feet.”

It’s not even a mockery, and Jinx knows it. They both watch as Isha runs around the small three-bedroom apartment, looking for hiding places and checking every drawer in the countertops of the tiny kitchen.

Yn is still downstairs. Caitlyn and Vi are helping them bring in some belongings and things they bought to fill the place. Jinx can’t argue back—it’s a given that she’d do anything for Isha or Yn—so she just shrugs at Sevika’s words.

“That’s you talking,” she murmurs. “I know Isha made you come all the way to the Kiramman house with nothing but a scribbled letter, asking to see Aunt Sevika.” Jinx smirks, because Caitlyn had to be the girl’s messenger, and the most respectable woman in Zaun answered the call that very afternoon. She has them all in her hand.

Yn interrupts the small moment when she enters carrying a box marked *Kitchen Utensils*. Behind her is Vi with a heavy box full of books, and Caitlyn is carrying only a duffel bag where Jinx remembers storing the few clothes she and Isha own.

“Thanks for this, Sevika. I don’t think we could have found a place on our own.” Yn smiles, walking a few steps to the kitchen attached to the living room to place the box on the counter.

“You’re welcome,” the woman nods. “Fine, I guess I’ll see you later,” she tells Yn before turning to look at Jinx. “Don’t blow anything up while you’re here, and keep her baby girl out of trouble,” she warns before leaving.

The new project to create a Zaunite police force was starting earlier than planned, which was why Yn had to move, which was a relief to Jinx and Isha, who couldn’t wait to get back to the Lanes.

The problem was that Jinx hadn’t expected to feel suffocated by so many memories. She’d only been away from Zaun for a few months, and it had been almost liberating, ironic considering she’d been cooped up in the house of the most Piltie Piltie she’d ever met, but all that time had been spent with Isha and Yn, almost forgetting about the ghosts that haunted her. Now, back on the streets of Zaun, Jinx couldn’t help but notice the way people looked at her.

In Piltover everyone hates her, she knows how to handle hatred, but that look of... respect. She doesn't know what to do with it. It was fun to pretend for a moment, when she saved Isha from Stillwater and got half of Zaun out, but she wasn't there for them, no, she just wanted her daughter. She feels like a fake, the biggest trickster in Runterra.

"Hey, Cait and Vi have already left," Yn calls from the doorway. Jinx has been staring out her bedroom window for an hour.

A room for everyone, that's another detail that Jinx doesn't like about this place, she may have gotten used to sleeping next to Yn, but she won't be the first to say it. Isha protested, of course, but Yn insisted it was better for her to have a room of her own, one that Aunt Cait would fill with toys in the near future. Little traitor, Jinx thought.

“Well, Vi’s always in the way, and it tires me out to see the lovelorn face she makes when she looks at Caitlyn.” She fakes a grimace of disgust, causing Yn to laugh slightly. “I swear, my sister is very much in love.” Jinx sighs.

Yn enters the room with a hesitant step, a few steps and she is in front of Jinx, she has her arms crossed and Jinx has them on her hip, they look at each other with a small smile.

“And is there anything wrong with that?” Yn asks “they look happy, I know Cait is and I guess Vi is too” Yn lowers her hands, hesitates, her hands inches from Jinx’s waist.

Jinx’s eyes follow the movement, almost curiously. Sometimes Yn wonders if they’ll always be like this; clumsy, hesitant, doubtful. She wants to take Jinx in a hug, wants to kiss her until her lungs scream for oxygen, wants Jinx to kiss her and for the blue-haired woman to initiate, but she knows it can't be like that. Jinx is, in the most literal and poetic sense of the word, fragile as a bomb. One wrong move, one hasty caress, and Yn thinks she could go back all the way to where they were, afraid that Jinx—or the voices in her mind—will make her turn away, make her run away. She just doesn't want to screw up.

“Do it” Jinx says softly and looks up to see Yn “it’s not the first time you’ve hugged me, silly” that makes Yn remember that between her fears and the truth there is a big difference. Yn finally does it and surrounds Jinx with her arms, the blue-haired woman surrounds Yn's neck with her own arms and sighs against her neck, causing tickling in the area.

Silence.

Comfortable and safe. They stay like that for a while, with Isha unpacking the books Cait brought for her, there's nothing forcing them to separate. Maybe living here, away from Vi and Caitlyn, isn't so bad, Jinx thinks.

“I told my dad we’re dating,” Yn blurts out.

Jinx stays quiet, too much for Yn's liking. A moment passes as Jinx replays everything she knows about relationships, the way she’s seen Vi and Caitlyn, the memories of her parents and how they interacted with each other, almost all of them vivid. A relationship, dating, an engagement… a partner. Jinx pulls away, her heart racing.

You’re not good enough.
“Jinx, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have,” Yn says with concern, trying to reach the woman, but she avoids her touch. Yn’s heart aches.

She’s going to leave you, everyone does.
“Please,” she practically begs, but it’s too late. Jinx’s eyes are glowing purple and not fixed on her. Yn knows she’s one wrong step away from everything going very, very wrong.

She doesn’t know what you are. Everyone you love ends up the same way: dead
Maybe it was the smog that lingers in the air, it could be the memories of a childhood destroyed by the brutality of fighting, maybe it was the trauma of having caused the deaths of her loved ones. Whatever it is, it's too much for Jinx, enough to make the voices rise in volume with surprising force, voices that had been silent for so long she'd almost forgotten about them.

"I... I can't." The way she says it makes Yn feel physical pain. Jinx holds back tears, unable to look the woman in the eye before she bolts out the window.

Yn knew this was a possibility, that Jinx had been quiet for a long time and that the attack on her parents' house was a reminder of what Jinx is, even when the woman kept the damage to a minimum.

A ticking time bomb, Caitlyn had said with a sigh as she sipped a drink, a few nights after discovering there was something going on between them, even though Yn wasn't supposed to be listening and it was just Vi and Cait talking. She wanted to go in there and argue back, but she didn't, she knew it was pointless, they don't understand, not even Vi.

Jinx isn't screwed, she's just broken, way more than Yn was at the lowest point in her life. If Yn has learned anything in her time with Jinx, it's not to push the woman. Silco did it and it caused her a lot of pain, Vi tried too hard to find her sister despite knowing how much Jinx has changed and it only made her snap. Jinx must decide if and when she'll come back; that's what Yn knows, that's what she believes.

It may be the first time they haven't slept under the same roof since the battle against the Noxians. Yn sighs, looking towards the window where Jinx came out, deciding to leave it open in case she comes back tonight. She needs me to come back tonight.

Isha asks about Jinx during dinner—pasta with cheese. The girl eats reluctantly when she learns that Jinx may or may not be spending the night in the new apartment. That breaks Yn's heart. Shit, it's what she'd been most worried about should things go wrong; If things go to hell between Yn and Jinx, Isha will be the one who suffers the most. In the end, Yn promises Isha that they will go for a walk in Zaun early tomorrow and sends her to bed, with a half-hearted promise that Jinx will be back in the morning.

Loneliness is no stranger to Yn, not after spending nights patrolling the cells on the lower levels of Stillwater, where inmates aren't allowed to speak to Enforcers. But this feels different, the double-sized bed feels like an endless desert without Isha and Jinx taking up space like they did in the Kiramman mansion room. Yn was resigned to not sleeping at all once the clock struck three in the morning, there was no way her mind would let her rest while she knew Jinx was out there doing… whatever it is she does when she's in that state. Oh Janna, the look in her eyes, is what Yn fears the most.

Suddenly Yn heard a dull thud, followed by light footsteps and the creaking of the mattress. Jinx. A sigh of relief left the woman's lips. She looked at the clock that read five in the morning and stood up. She left the room, careful not to make a sound so that Isha wouldn't wake up. She could hear the little girl's heavy breathing on the other side of the door as she walked down the hallway.

She stopped in front of the door, her heart stopping for a second before she decided to gather her courage and open it. There was Jinx, sitting on the edge of the bed, her back to the door; the moonlight framing her silhouette.

Jinx didn't turn to look at her. Her body felt heavy, but her thoughts wouldn't stop. His mind was a swarm. Another night replaying the scenes in her head: the mistakes, the screams, the loss. Hands clenched into fists, knuckles white; Yn saw it, she was struggling.

"Hey," she whispered, walking around the bed.

Jinx didn't respond with words. She just looked up, her eyes barely gleaming in the moonlight, not more purple. As if she didn't know if she was allowed to speak, or if the words weren't coming out anymore.

"Can I...?" Yn sat down beside her without waiting for a full answer. She just needed Jinx not to pull away again, she didn't think she could stand it.

And she didn't.

They stood there in silence. The air was filled with the faint sound of both of their breathing. Jinx rested her head on her shoulder, and Yn wrapped an arm around her back, tracing slow circles over her skin. Yn was so relieved to have her here, that there was no need to go looking for her, that she was back…

“I’m so tired of feeling like everything I touch breaks,” Jinx murmured, her voice cracking. “Everything I love, they’re all gone. I made them go.”

“I’m not broken.”

“Yet.”

Yn gently turned her toward her. Jinx didn’t resist. She just looked at her, as if she didn't know what to do with the soft touch and gentle treatment at this moment, because she is no stranger to Yn treating her gently, only now she feels different, vulnerable.

“You could destroy me if you wanted,” Yn said, caressing her cheek, “but you didn't do it before, not even when you didn't know me. I trust you.”

Jinx swallowed. Her eyes were filled with something she couldn't name. Rage, fear, desire, love. All mixed up in a knot in the chest.

“I don't know how to do this,” she confessed, “I'm terrified of loving you and losing you.”

It was a confession that shocked them both, that completely disarmed them. If Yn ever had any doubts about what she might feel for Jinx, they dissipated in that very instant, with the woman in front of her being so open and raw right there in front of her.

“I don't know how to do this either, Jinx. Everything feels so new,” Yn sighed, caressing her cheek. “But we can learn together.”

It was Jinx who approached first, she closed the distance with a kiss. Clumsy, brief, unsure. As if she were afraid she'd already ruined it. But Yn held her, firm, and answered calmly, sweetly, patiently.

Yn never asked, but she knew Jinx couldn't possibly have experience in this matter, so she wasn't going to rush anything. She'd let the blue-haired woman take all the time she needed, if necessary. And if nothing ever happened, then so be it. She doesn't need anything more than Jinx wants to give her.

The kiss grew longer. Deeper. The language Jinx couldn't speak aloud, finally coming through the touch. The words she struggled to say, everything she feels for Yn and that tickling she feels in her gut every time he smiles at her, kisses her, tries to let her know how he makes her feel with that kiss.

When their foreheads touched, the silence between them no longer weighed, no longer hurt, no more fear that the other would disappear.

Yn lowered her hands down her back, caressing the fabric of her shirt as if she feared it was a dream. As if every second they shared had to last longer. Jinx was shaking, but she didn't move away. It wasn't fear, it was a new sensation, something different and exciting for Jinx, which made her want more.

There were no words. They lay down slowly, together, as if the world might break if they moved too quickly, because it had done so before. Yn pulled Jinx into her arms, so she lay on top of her, something they'd never done before. The thing is this time Isha wasn't in the room and they had this bed to themselves.

The caresses began almost instinctively, they were slow. Nothing was urgent. There was no need to prove anything. Just the warmth of two bodies searching for a corner where it didn't hurt to exist.

Jinx's skin burned at the touch, as if she had never been touched so casually before. Each kiss was a wordless promise: I won't run away, I won't demand anything more from you than what you can give me.

The sighs turned into soft, ragged, wet gasps. The shared breath, the intertwined hands, the lips meeting again and again. It wasn't perfect. It was shaky, messy. Real.

Jinx clung to Yn as if her body were an anchor in the middle of the sea. Yn made sure to kiss every scar on Jinx and every tattoo that makes her who she is.

And when the pleasure came, it came in silence, with soft tears and bitten lips, like a release that needed no words.
Afterwards, they hugged each other. The body still shaking, but the heart a little quieter. Yn watched Jinx sleep in her arms, looking peaceful and calm in a way she hadn't been in a while.