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“Code blue!” Jayce, their EMS shouts as a body is wheeled into the trauma emergency center, Jayce on top of the patient as he applies pressure to bleeding wounds on their torso. “Several stab wounds and went into cardiac arrest as we pulled up!”
Caitlyn and several other doctors and surgeons rush to the scene and begin wheeling the patient into an operating room. They got word that an inmate was stabbed at least 7 times and the hospital Caitlyn works at is the closest one to the prison, so they get these types of issues from time to time. Stillwater prison is only about 10 miles away, a small island with a long bridge connecting it to the main land, but that’s a lot of time to pass since the incident must have taken place.
Even with the operating room already prepared, they still need to act quickly.
“Caitlyn, Viktor,” her father, Tobias, orders calmly. “Prepare the patient.” She and Viktor nod, already scrubbed up, and begin assessing the inmate.
“Officers you need to stay out and wait outside or you risk further contaminating the operating room,” another nurse tells the authorities.
“She is extremely dangerous!” one of the wardens shouts. “Someone needs to—“
“She has been stabbed multiple times, is cuffed to a steel frame, and her heart could stop at any moment,” the nurse snaps. “Move, now.”
The officers reluctantly step back and hand over the set of keys for the prisoners cuffs and the nurse slams the operating rooms shut with an eye roll. Yeah, the wardens are compete assholes, that isn’t new, but them being adamant about not leaving the inmate’s side is suspicious. Viktor gives Caitlyn a side glance from under his lenses, obviously following her same train of thought.
“Details, please,” Tobias requests as they start removing the patient’s clothes and several hands start picking a wound to close and set up blood bags and oxygen.
Mel, another excellent doctor, reads off the paperwork she received from Jayce. “Female, 24 years old, stabbed in the abdominal and thoracic cavity on her front. Her lumbar section has a wound as well. She has…. numerous other injuries to her head and limbs— mostly bruising. Also may have broken ribs.”
Caitlyn’s heart drops. All of them are wearing masks and can only see each other’s eyes, but the stress and immense concern for the patient is palpable. They quickly get the inmate’s clothing removed, leaving her in blood soaked chest wraps and boxers. The wraps are deftly snipped away and Caitlyn sees other nurses removing the hand wraps as well. Those are also soaked in blood and reveal bruised and battered hands. Tattoos go all the way up her arms to her shoulders and cover her entire back.
Caitlyn and several other doctors are hands deep in their patient as they set to saving this woman’s life.
It’s going to be a long day.
()()()
A few hours later and the patient is stable but in the ICU. The damage was extensive and her heart stopped at one point but not long enough to be concerning. Caitlyn and the other doctors are cleaning themselves off and Tobias orders eveyone to take a much needed break to rest and eat. Their team here is large and any other emergencies can be easily covered by someone else.
When Caitlyn heads to the cafeteria, she sees her father talking to a few nurses who will be tending to the patient. One officer is posted outside the ICU room in a chair and lazily reads a magazine, looking bored and annoyed.
“Caitlyn,” her father calls to her as catches up with her as they head to get food. “I need your brain.”
“No, you cannot put it in a jar yet,” she jokes.
Tobias chuckles as her pats her back. “Damn, will try again later. So, listen…” he says in a quiet voice and she is immediately on edge. “I’m not the only one who found those stab wounds suspicious, right?”
Caitlyn shakes her head. So her dad noticed it too. “They were far too clean to be from a shiv. Too smooth and clean where it cut.”
“I agree. There is also zero medical history on her and who she is. We don’t even have her name or know if she has any family. I want you to get some food and meet with your mother. If this young woman dies, convict or not, her family deserves to know.”
“Absolutely. Everything about this feels off,” she murmurs as she makes a plate of food. “I will also call Jayce, he was first at the scene.”
Her father nods. “Be careful. I know how much you love to dig your nose into dangerous business when you aren’t shadowing me. Stillwater has more control and power than most people think.”
“I know. It’s why I’ve been investigating it since high school. Everything about it is wrong,” Caitlyn says, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. “The way the authorities acted and how they know nothing about her… I don’t like it one bit.”
“Cassandra will be able to help. Get some grub, dear. I have Viktor keeping an eye on her in the ICU until you’re done.” He kisses her cheek and they part ways.
Caitlyn’s appetite is nonexistent thanks to the tension surrounding this patient, but she needs to eat regardless or she won’t be able to think clearly. As she makes her plate, she calls Jayce.
“Hey sprout,” he answers, sounding less enthusiastic than he usually does over the phone. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“It’s about the patient you brought in.” She keeps her voice low and posture relaxed as she sits down to eat. “What all happened when you got there?”
Jayce sighs. “Vigilante mode again, are we?” he jokes and Caitlyn prepares to press him about it until he speaks again. “I… I don’t know, Cait. Someone very frantic made the call and told us what happened, but when we got there the warden’s looked more than shocked to see me. The woman was barely conscious or breathing and they didn’t seem to care in the slightest. When we got her on the stretcher two wardens hopped in the back and refused to leave. They kept staring at her like they had some personal vendetta.”
“Her wounds. Those weren’t done by shivs.”
“You noticed that too?” he whispers. “I thought I was the only one who saw it. What the hell is going on?”
Caitlyn clenches her fist as she stares at her half eaten plate. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. If there is anything else you can think of, text me. I’m going to see my mother about trying to get this inmate’s medical and family history.”
“Of course. And, hey, don’t forget about that forum. All those hobby investigators could know a thing or two!”
That makes Caitlyn hum, ideas forming. “Let’s hope so.”
She hangs up and takes a few more bites of food before making her way to her mother’s office, the dean of the hospital. When she gets there her mother doesn’t even look up to know it’s her daughter.
“Come in, dear,” she says as she finishes typing an email. Caitlyn closes the door behind her and sits down as she hits send on her keyboard and faces her. “How are you doing? I heard there was quite the commotion with a severely wounded inmate.”
“Yes, it was gruesome, to say the least. It’s actually why I’m here to speak with you.” Cassandra nods at her to go on, giving her full attention. “We all know Stillwater is hellish, but everything regarding this inmate feels wrong. They have zero records on her. No name, crimes, medical history, or even immediate family and emergency contacts. Also, her wounds were not done by a shiv. They were far too similar to the standard enforcer knives.”
As she speaks, her mom turns back to her computer and begins rapidly searching through for something Caitlyn can’t see. Her mom frowns for a while and then her eyebrow quirks up.
“It appears this inmate has been here before,” her mom says and Caitlyn leans forward, eyes wide.
“What? How do you mean?”
Cassandra turns her monitor. “It was several years ago, just before you started working here. A 19 year old inmate with pink hair, gray eyes, and a tattoo on her cheek, was administered for a broken jaw. Does that fit her description?”
“Yes,” Caitlyn breathes as she reads the medical report. “No name or history and was brought in by warden’s who claimed it to be a prison brawl. How do we have nothing on her?”
“That I am still unsure. I am going to call Grayson, she has been trying to get evidence on the place for most of her career,” she decides with a nod. “Something tells me this young woman needs more help than us stitching her up. Many Zaunites go missing and some were only found because they died in Stillwater. I never liked that bloody island and I think this could shine some light on what those wardens are actually doing.”
Immense dread pools in the pit of Caitlyn’s stomach. “I know you don’t like my investigative hobbies, but I am going to do some digging. Grayson may know some missing person reports but the more we ask, the faster we could find an answer.”
Her mother sighs but nods. “You’re right. Try to be there when the patient wakes up. I will not have corruption in this hospital.”
()()()
CK_MATILDA: Evening everyone. I have a very urgent need of this community. Any information on a missing Zaunite with pink hair, gray blue eyes, female, about 24 years old. Has been missing for a minimum of 5 years, possibly more. She has tattoos and facial piercings, although I am unsure when she got them.
Caitlyn sends her message to the anonymous forum and hopes someone can get back to her quickly. She is currently seated by the inmate, keeping an eye on her, as a warden remains seated outside the door way. The patient has remained stable, although Viktor had to step in when her blood pressure suddenly dropped. Her heart rate is steady as her chest rises and falls slowly, an oxygen tube in her nose. She is still cuffed to the bed, both of her wrists bound to either side of the railings.
The woman is covered in scars. Her face is bruised and Caitlyn noticed she had some teeth missing. On her cheek is a tattooed roman numeral for the number 6. Caitlyn would mention it in her post, but she doesn’t want to give too much away just to be on the safe side. Her phone vibrates and she sees messages from her forum.
It’s mostly people saying that they will look into it and that trying to find a missing Zaunite is like digging for a needle in a haystack. Caitlyn hates how true that is, but she isn’t one to give up so easily.
CK_MATILDA: Any information at all would be incredibly useful. Have zero medical or familial history on her. I would say more about her condition and whereabouts, but I feel she is in danger.
The hours pass by with unhelpful messages or those wishing her good luck. Meanwhile, Caitlyn takes the time to check over the patient, who she is now calling Six for the time being, and changes her bandages and gets her a fresh IV. She has no idea when Six will wake, but she needs to be here when she does. Six will undoubtedly be disoriented and confused or even hostile. It’s a good thing Caitlyn is trained in several form of Chinese martial arts.
It’s the following evening and Six is stable enough to be wheeled out of the ICU and into a normal hospital room. Cait’s shift had ended an hour ago now, but she is staying by Six’s side. The wardens followed and remain on guard outside. They just swapped for the new shift and a new man takes his place who also whips open some magazine and sips on coffee. Viktor brought her some food before he left for the day and her father dropped by for any updates. He told her that someone could take her spot so she could go home and sleep but she refused, much to her parent’s dismay, but she did promise to rest and keep them posted on anything of importance.
By the time it’s the middle of the night, Six having now been unconscious for nearly 40 hours, Caitlyn gets a message from the forum in her private messages. She’s barely awake, but is up and alert in an instant when she reads the message.
HOURGLASS_4: does this pink hair person have a birth mark on the back of her right thigh?
Caitlyn looks at the warden stationed outside and sees he is passed out asleep, snoring softly. As quietly as she can, Caitlyn stands and pulls the sheets away to reveal Six’s thigh. Carefully, she lifts her leg up and uses her phone’s screen as a light to inspect the area.
There’s a birth mark. Her heart races so fast it might explode.
CK_MATILDA: Yes she does. Do you know her?
HOURGLASS_4: sweet janna you found vi. that’s my sister in law. fuck. she went missing 8 years ago. we have been trying to find her this whole time. where are you? is she okay? what happened?
HOURGLASS_4: also please don’t tell her i’m married to her sister yet. we tried to wait until we found her but we had to in order to get our house
Caitlyn’s breath catches, her heart stuttering with hope. But, can she trust this person? She’s knows nothing about any of these people.
CK_MATILDA: How do I know you aren’t lying or have cruel intentions?
HOURGLASS_4: tell her my name is ekko and you’ll see im zero threat. she’s my family.
CK_MATILDA: Unfortunately she is unconscious. I was hoping for her to wake soon so I could get some answers. She is alive and safe, but was injured quite badly.
HOURGLASS_4: where are you? who are you?
Caitlyn wars with herself about revealing information on Six— no— Vi. How can she trust this Ekko? Is he really her sister in law? Is this a ploy to finish Vi off for good? She gets another message.
HOURGLASS_4: hey stingy bitch tell me where the fuck she is rinckeibekkdkf dis kerrkz or ill fuhriungni
HOURGLASS_4: sorry. vi’s sister took my phone. but seriously. where the fuck is she? we know how to track IP addresses.
She is about to reply to the threatening messages when movement stirs beside her. Caitlyn’s head snaps up and sees Vi’s eyes begin to flutter open, grunting softly in pain when she moves. Glancing to make sure the warden is still asleep, Caitlyn tip toes over to the door to close it as quietly as she can. She hurries back to Vi’s side and is greeted by gorgeous, pale blue eyes. Caitlyn is about to ask how she is doing, but Vi speaks first in the most handsome rasp she has ever heard.
“Who the hell are you?”
()()()
“Vi?” Caitlyn asks softly, a finger to her lips to tell the woman to keep quiet.
Vi squints at her, bleary from being conked out, and then her eyes slowly widen as she looks around the room, her heart monitor begins to beat faster, louder. Caitlyn is swift to turn off the pulse monitor on her finger so it doesn’t alert the warden or the staff of anything. Her sudden movements makes Vi flinch harshly and she groans, biting back on a scream when her battered body tugs on its stitches. That’s when Vi realizes she is chained to the bed.
She has growing fear in her eyes, trying to catch her breath through panicked gasps.
“What— where—?”
“Vi, my name is Caitlyn, I’m a doctor,” she says softly, her finger pressed to her lips again. “You’re in the hospital from being stabbed back in prison. There is a warden sitting outside. The last thing I want is to alert him. Is it safe to assume you don’t want that either?”
The inmate swallows thickly with a slow nod, eyeing Caitlin warily. Vi then looks at the door and sees the warden beyond the glass who is still sleeping. She turns back to Caitlyn, her breathing a little more settled. Cait gets her some water so she can speak easier, surely dehydrated.
“How do you know my name?”
Caitlyn takes a breath, unsure how Vi will react to what she says next. “Someone named Ekko told me.”
Vi’s eyes nearly pop out of her head with shock and then her face falls, crumbling into silent tears, a weak laugh shaking from her chest.
“E-Ekko?” she repeats with a broken, but fond voice. “He’s— how do you know Ekko? What the fuck is going on?”
“Feel free to laugh at me,” Caitlyn prefaces with a small smile, “but I like to help find missing persons in my spare time when i’m not working here. Everything about your file, or lack there of, was deeply concerning and full of red flags. We have zero information on you and I know many Zaunites go missing only to be found in prison. So I asked an anonymous forum about your description to see if anyone could identity you. Ekko privately messaged me and identified you by the birth mark on your leg.”
An exasperated chuckle bubbles out of Vi’s chest but it quickly turns into trembling sobs, tears streaming down her cheeks in an endless flow. Caitlyn gives her a moment and grabs some tissues and water as Vi collects herself. Gently, she pats Vi’s still bruised cheeks with the tissues. All the while, Vi watches her with her sweet, beautiful eyes, and Caitlyn flushes. Sod it all, Caitlyn is developing a crush on an inmate in her hospital.
“Are you sure I’m not dead?” Vi asks, her eyes bloodshot and tired. She isn’t asking this as a joke. Her disbelief is obvious and it breaks Caitlyn’s heart.
Caitlyn attempts taking Vi’s hand, keeping her movements slow and clear. When Vi doesn’t pull away or stop her, she takes her calloused hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. The patient weakly squeezes back and Cait’s heart flutters.
“You’re alive. We operated on you for quite some time and it was a close call, but you are here.”
Vi’s eyes flit over to the warden again. “Can I talk to Ekko?” she asks softly, her eyes pleading. “Please. I— I haven’t heard or seen my family is so long.”
“He was just asking to come see you himself,” she smiles, her eyes burning. “Let me tell him the good news and ring him up.” The stunning smile Vi gives her is full of more emotions than Caitlyn can comprehend.
Caitlyn messages Ekko, telling him Vi just woke up and wants to speak with him. She warns him to keep quiet because of potential danger from the wardens, and he calls. With the speaker volume as quiet she can get it for both she and Vi to hear, Ekko’s sniffling voice permeates the silent room.
“Vi?”
The woman shudders a cry. “Little Man, gods have I missed you.”
“Back at you,” he whimpers with a small laugh. “Fuck, Vi, we thought you were dead. Here— lemme get Powder—“
“Powder?” Vi asks, taking in a sharp breath. “She— she—?”
“Right here, sis,” comes a sweet, emotional voice. “I’m right here.”
Vi cries more, but smiling even bigger, so full of relief. “Pow Pow, I’m so glad you’re okay. Staying out of trouble?”
Powder huffs. “Never. Can that lady tell us where you are already? I need to slap you and hug you and slap you and hug again before I go fucking crazy.”
How could Caitlyn deny such a broken person their chance to see their family? Vi looks at her with these puppy dog eyes that could win her the key to the city. She deserves the world and all the kindness it has to offer.
“Absolutely,” Caitlyn whispers into the speaker. “Visiting hours aren’t until 9am and there are wardens all over the place. No one is allowed to see inmates in the hospital without authority oversight, and I have a feeling they will keep you away because they are complete twats. But… I have an idea how we can get you in here without warden interference.”
“I’m confused,” Ekko says. “Isn’t this breaking a ton of fucking laws?”
“Stillwater has been doing 10 times worse than someone letting a mistreated individual the chance to see her family.”
Vi looks at her in awe. “Are you sure I’m not dead and you’re not actually an angel?” she asks and Caitlyn blushes. “Sure are gorgeous enough to be one.” Okay, now Caitlyn is going to combust and Vi’s handsome grin is threatening to flick a match and send her aflame.
A snort over the phone from Powder. “Okay, keep it in your pants, romeo.”
“I’m not even wearing pants, so…” Caitlyn knows her face is going red and Vi shoots her a dastardly smirk when she sees it.
“Okay, gross,” Ekko groans.
“Wait,” Vi suddenly says, her lips quivering. “Dad? Claggor and Mylo?”
A pregnant pause over the phone. “Dad didn’t make it,” Powder whispers and Vi goes still, her face empty. “But Clag and My are okay. They’re asleep right now in the other room but I’ll jump on their stomachs and get them up right now if you want them.”
Vi takes a hiccuping breath. “Yeah,” she manages to grunt out through the emotions strangling her. “I wanna hear ‘em.”
“I’ll be right back,” Powder says and Ekko comes back to the phone.
“Vi? Vander’s death wasn’t your fault. It never was. It was the damn enforcers, okay? You were just a kid. We all were,” he consoles and Vi looks even more tired now.
“Benzo?”
Ekko sighs. “Cancer got him a few years ago.”
“F-Fuck,” Vi whispers, her eyes cramming shut with grief. “I’m so sorry. Im so sorry I wasn’t there like I promised—“
“Vi?” comes to two soft male voices over the phone.
The woman’s eyes light up with a gasp, crying all over again. Caitlyn just now realizes she’s crying too, her face close to Vi’s as she holds the phone for the both of them to listen and talk. She wants to comfort her, but she knows that would be inappropriate right now.
“Claggor? Mylo?”
“Yeah, bro. It’s Mylo,” Mylo laughs wetly.
“We are both here,” Claggor greets, his voice soft but deep and full of emotion. “Stars above, Vi, we have been looking all over for you. It’s so good to know you’re okay.”
Caitlyn lets the little family chat and catch up. Eight years is a long time to go without a loved one, and all the while trapped in a cell devoid of warmth and joy and hope. Eventually, Caitlyn has to take her phone back and set up how she will get the family in here tomorrow morning. She promises the family to look after Vi and set things right.
The phone hangs up after many ‘love you’s and Caitlyn is about to press the call button for Grayson but she pauses.
“Vi,” she begins softly and the woman looks at her tiredly. “Do you remember what happened to you? Why you are in this hospital bed?”
The woman snorts softly, her head leaned back on the pillow as she stares at the ceiling with incensed eyes. “Same shit, different day.”
“Who stabbed you? Why?”
“It’s Stillwater, doc,” she mutters and looks at Caitlyn with an odious expression. “You don’t survive if you aren’t strong. And the stronger you are, then the more other people want to take you out. Wardens included.”
Caitlyn swallows down the scream she wants to unleash. “When I operated on you I noticed your stab wounds weren’t from a shiv.”
“Yeah, ‘cause they weren’t. A warden was beating on someone. I stepped in. He didn’t like what I did to his face and he and his buddies cornered me in my cell. Managed to run away but then I blacked out, and here I am.”
“Those fucking rotters,” Caitlyn whispers harshly as she glares at the still sleeping warden.
“Hey.” Caitlyn looks back over at Vi. “Promise me I’ll get to see my family. At least before they take me back to prison.”
A frown scrunches Caitlyn’s face. “Vi, you aren’t going back to prison. I won’t let them lay another hand on you.”
“That’s a tall promise to order, sweetheart,” Vi sighs. “We’ll see. But, just— just promise me, okay? Please Caitlyn, I need to see them,” she whispers weakly. “They’re the only reason I stayed alive back there.”
Caitlyn takes Vi’s hand again and looks intensely into her eyes. She is going to protect her with her life. “I promise, Vi. Now, I’m going to give you some more morphine to help with your pain and get you to sleep some more. I won’t leave your side and when you wake up, your family will be here.”
A choked smile. “You really are an angel.”
()()()
It’s the following morning and Caitlyn has Mel watching Vi while she heads down to meet with commander Grayson. She has far more authority that easily overrules the wardens and can ensure that Vi’s family can get in safely. As her mother said, Grayson found various missing persons reports from Vi’s family 8 years ago that someone made sure never saw the light of day. Good thing that cop was an idiot and kept the files on his personal drive which was easy to tap into with some technical assistance.
Turns out, Vander, Vi’s adoptive father, risked his life during an unsanctioned raid in Zaun to protect his family. Enforcers were paid off to kill any whistleblowers that were reporting of criminal activity in both Zaun and Piltover. Vander was one of the leaders of these organizations who were trying to help those suffering in their city. But it seems killing him wasn’t enough, since they grabbed Vi, a fellow rebellion member, and tossed her in prison for no crime at all.
And it seems she’s been trapped and hidden there to be abused for 8 straight years since she was just a teenager.
Caitlyn fumes as she finally sees Grayson with her trusted squad mates, who is talking with her mother. They both look up when they see her and Grayson begins following after Caitlyn who is already turning on her heel and heading back to Vi. She doesn’t feel comfortable leaving the woman’s side. Mel is strong, but she also doesn’t know the full story.
It’s nearing 9am when visitors are allowed to enter and she wants to get Grayson guarding Vi’s room before the time comes. She has some other trusted enforcers, Steb and Loris, waiting at the entrance for Vi’s family to give them unhindered passage.
As she marches her way back to Vi’s room, she runs into Mel.
“Mel? What’re you doing? Why aren’t you with Vi?” she whispers harshly as Mel scurries past her.
“I’m so sorry, I was paged for a code purple in the other wing. But… wait… that’s doesn’t…” she trails off, confused.
“Huh?” Caitlyn squints and feels her body go ice cold. “Shit.” She breaks into a dead sprint and sees the warden isn’t outside Vi’s room. She runs faster, Grayson hot on her tail as they barge through Vi’s door and sees a nurse with a full syringe, preparing to press it into Vi’s neck. The warden who was outside now has Vi’s face smothered with a rag who is thrashing helplessly in her cuffs to get free.
Caitlyn doesn’t hesitate to tackle the nurse and throw her to the ground. The nurse, someone she has never seen before, fights back. She is strong and wrestles with Cait on the floor as they both try to punch and grapple the other. Grayson and her fellow mates barrage the warden and get him slammed into the ground, pinned. Grayson then checks on Vi as she barks orders into her comms, but Caitlyn is too filled with rage to pay much attention.
The assailant grabs Cait’s hair and tries to get her in a headlock, aiming to break her neck, but Cait didn’t take over 10 years of martial arts to lose to some skinny bitch. She bites with all of her strength into the woman’s arm until she tastes blood, making her cry out. Caitlyn then deftly breaks her nose, finally getting the syringe away from her. She uses the stun to flip the woman on her stomach and twists both of her arms behind her back.
“You monstrous wrench!” Caitlyn spits as the woman continues to thrash beneath her.
“I got her,” Grayson says as she kneels down and pulls out her cuffs to chain the assailant as the other enforcers get the warden cuffed and kneeling on the ground. “Check on Vi.”
Caitlyn quickly obeys and looks over at a gasping Vi.
“Vi! Are you—?”
“Get these stupid fucking cuffs off me already!” Vi bites out, fear and rage in her eyes as she struggles against them. “Get them off. Get them off now!”
Caitlyn turns back to the enforcers with the warden and one digs through his belt for the keys and throws them to Cait. She immediately finds the proper key and sets Vi free who shudders with relief, clenching her fists in the fabric of her medical gown around her chest as she takes in staggering breaths.
“Are you alright?” Caitlyn asks again as she comes to her side. Vi nods and takes Caitlyn’s hand and grips it like a lifeline.
“Think some stitches popped,” Vi laughs weakly with a grimace.
Caitlyn sees that Vi is bleeding into her medical gown. “Shit, let me—“
“Cait,” Vi pleads. “My family? Are they—?”
Several shouts and tramples of feet come down the hall and four ragged looking young adults burst into the door way with an exhausted Steb and Loris right behind them.
“Vi!” the four cry out and flood the room to surround a sobbing, but joyous Vi.
Caitlyn steps away so they can see each other as Grayson and her team remove the criminals, giving them space.
“Oh man, oh man, Vi!”
“Hey— shit, you’re all so big.”
“Dude, the tattoos are rad!”
“Fuck, Mylo, is that— is that a mustache?”
“Looks good, right?”
“No! Fucking hell, it’s awful.”
“Hey!”
“I told him a soul patch would be better than that fuzzy ass caterpillar on his lip.”
“Holy hell, sis, you’re bricked up.”
“Yeah I punched a lot.”
“Vi, you look like total shit, man.”
“Wanna try fighting off 4 wardens, Little Man?”
Caitlyn watches the exuberant family with a wide smile on her face. The family hugs and laughs and cries with happiness as they are finally reunited. A weepy Powder is already on the bed and curled into her sister’s side who kisses her head as Vi’s other hand holds Claggor’s who kneels beside her on the floor. Mylo and Ekko are seated by her feet as they gently pat and rub her legs.
It feels too intimate to impede on, so Caitlyn decides to step away, but a voice stops her.
“Where do you think you’re going, angel?”
Caitlyn turns back to see Vi beaming at her, the rest of her little family also grinning and wave her over.
“I am no angel,” she retorts teasingly with an eye roll as she walks back over to the foot of the bed.
Vi shakes her head. “You stitched me up, found my family, and beat the piss out of someone trying to kill me. You gave me my life back. I think that’s angel worthy.”
Trying to hide her fluster, Caitlyn shrugs, offering a kind smile. “You deserved justice. I did what should’ve been done.”
“You’re a fucking doctor,” Powder deadpans. “And you went full blown private eye and called in the damn armed forces so some scraggly trenchers you don’t even know could see their inmate sister.”
“Someone’s whipped,” Mylo’s mutters under his breath and Ekko smacks him upside the head.
Caitlyn blushes more and even more so at the dreamy look Vi gives her. “It helps that my mother is the Dean,” she tries to downplay, “my father is the top surgeon, and we are close friends with commanding officers here in Piltover.”
Claggor stands and pulls Caitlyn into a massive, but gentle hug. It’s so full of gratitude and respect that it makes her breath catch. She hugs back.
“Thank you,” the brother whispers. “You have no idea what this means to us. How much we have missed her, grieved her. We are in your debt.”
“We will repay you in any way we can,” Ekko nods earnestly.
Her embrace with Claggor ends and she looks around the room, taking them in. All still so young and have lost so much in such a short time. Lost more and felt more pain than one person can handle in a lifetime. Vi especially. They’re biological and even adoptive parents are gone. All they have is each other and she made them whole again after nearly a decade of immense heartache.
Before she can decide on a reply, her mother walks in the room.
“No payment is necessary,” Cassandra assures with a smile. “But I do have a request, if you would be interested?”
“Request?” Powder asks skeptically, curling closing to Vi.
Her mother nods. “Vi’s recovery will take some time, and not just from her current injuries. We would be more than willing to help you rehabilitate here with the best we have to offer.” She looks at Caitlyn, a knowing glint in her eyes. “My daughter can ensure a speedy recovery for your sister.”
“I— but— we don’t have the money to—“ Ekko stammers but Cassandra raises her hand.
“It would come at no cost to you. This is not done out of pity or to ease our own conscience. I, as well as the other staff, would be more than happy to aid in the woman who is the reason Stillwater prison is being taken apart and rebuilt as we speak.”
The whole family, Caitlyn included, gapes at her mother. News of the hellish prison already being upended is groundbreaking. Then, her father steps into the room with a massive tray or treats and drinks.
“I brought sandwiches and cupcakes!” Tobias announces cheerily.
“Woah,” Vi says in a daze as she hungrily eyes the tray of food. “I can’t remember the last time I had a cupcake. If I recover here, do I get all the fancy food?”
Her father smiles with all of his teeth. “Fancy food, worlds best pain medications, and excellent company.” Vi looks at Caitlyn with bright eyes.
“I’m sold.”
Mylo laughs. “Good to know Vi’s stomach hasn’t changed.”
“Hey, you try going 8 years on bread harder than a rock and questionably safe to eat meat.”
Powder thumps Myo on the shoulder. “And it’s unfortunate that you didn’t change. All we got was your furry lip.”
“Powder? What the fuck is on your finger?” Vi suddenly asks her sister and Powder and Ekko freeze.
“Uh— we were gonna tell you!” Ekko tries to explain and Vi balks at him.
“You married my sister without my damn blessing?”
Powder groans loudly. “Don’t fucking start— we were waiting until we found you! But the house we bought wouldn’t let us sign unless—“
“You have a house?” Vi gapes. Her family looks guilty and worried but Vi’s shocked expression turns into a happy, teary eyed mess. “Fuck, I’m so proud of you guys.”
“Yeah, it’s a house,” Ekko grins. “But now that you’re back, it will be a home.”
Claggor nods. “Even spent the extra cog to get a third room, just for you.”
The family huddles together again for another crying group hug when Vi growls in pain.
“Okay, I really need new stitches now.”
——- TWO YEARS LATER ———
Vi wakes up to the sound of laughter. Sleep still clings heavily to her mind and body, making her groan as she buries her face in midnight hair. She inhales deeply, the scent of sweet flowers and vanilla filling her up into a perfect state of bliss. It makes her wrap tighter around the love of her life in her arms. Her angel.
Her angel hums and shuffles back more into the spooning. “Morning, my love,” comes that gentle, warm voice that Vi has had the pleasure of waking up to every morning for well over a year now.
“Mmm. Mornin’,” is her muffled reply. It makes Caitlyn giggle, the sound like spring flowers blooming. “Did I wake you?”
“No, been up for a bit.” Caitlyn turns in arms so she can kiss Vi’s cheek and then her lips. “You sleep well?”
Vi grins, all dopey and fond as she finally sees the stunning blues of her lover’s eyes. “Nightmares aside, I feel good.” She promised to be truthful about her sleeping issues with Caitlyn since she is still mentally recovering, even if her physical therapy ended long ago. Her weekly therapy sessions are kept to herself, but she wants Caitlyn to know this part of her since they share a bed and Vi’s mind is still especially scary at night. It’s nice not waking up alone in fear anymore and having someone hold and soothe you.
Her lover smiles, showing the adorable gap in her teeth. “That makes me happy.” She runs gentle fingers over Vi’s cheek and through her sleep messed hair. Vi sighs contentedly at the touch.
“And I feel safe, too.”
“Oh, babe,” Caitlyn whispers, slightly emotional, but still smiling as she wraps around Vi completely for a loving embrace. “That’s wonderful. You’re so wonderful.”
“So are you,” Vi murmurs back as she kisses her neck and rubs the soft, sweet skin of Caitlyn’s back under her sleep shirt. Her calloused and scarred hands find amnesty as she holds her angel’s body close against her marred one. “I love you.”
Caitlyn rests a grounding hand on her hip. “I love you too.”
They meet for several soft kisses and Vi still gets tears in her eyes that this is even possible to have. That she has this woman and her love when she never thought she could.
More laughter and clanging of pans on a stove can be heard from down stairs. It makes them both smile into their next kiss, the sound of family so relaxing and comforting.
“Hey fat hands!” Powder calls from downstairs, her little feet stepping up the creaking stairs. “Cassandra and Tobias will be here any minute. You better have a shirt on this time!”
Vi leans back in the hold to reply to her sister. “We will be down in a minute!”
“If you aren’t, then i’m sicking Isha on you!”
That makes both lover’s roll their eyes. Powder always threatens to send her niece up since she and Caitlyn tend to get… carried away and take far too long to come out of the bedroom. No one wants to scar a 7 year old.
“We better get up then,” Cait chuckles and they both sit up and change into some proper clothes. Well, Cait changes into proper clothes. A soft shirt and patterned pants with a lush, purple robe tied around her waist with a pair of bunny slippers Isha got her for christmas last month.
As for Vi, she tosses on a faded graphic shirt from her local gym with flannel pants that have been repeatedly sewn and patched back together. She forgoes a robe or shoes since she runs hot, even in the winter, but she does put on the dark green beanie Claggor got her a while back. It’s embroidered with the words ‘BIG SIB ENERGY’ across the front. She wears it proudly.
The front door opens as they both start down the stairs.
“Yo, Big T with the famous casserole!” Mylo greets as Tobias walks in with his signature quiche. “And Mrs. Bullseye got hot chocolate!” That earns several whoops and excited hollers around the kitchen. Vi also finds herself stepping quicker down the stairs. She fucking loves Cait’s parent’s cooking.
“We felt today was special enough to warrant it!” the dad says as he greets Isha when Ekko takes the dish from him. Isha loves when Tobias scoops her into his arms for a hug and tickles her face with his beard.
“What makes today so special?” Vi says as a greeting as they walk in the kitchen. Ekko and Claggor take the food items from the parents who give each boy an affectionate kiss on the head as they do.
Lux, Claggor’s girlfriend of many years now, walks up to Vi with open arms and a wide smile. She started transitioning shortly after they reunited with Vi and she has grown into such an amazing young woman and has been considerably happy to help and be around Vi. Claggor said he wants to propose soon and Vi easily gave her blessing.
“It’s the second anniversary of the day we found you,” Lux says as Vi melts into her hold.
“Oh,” Vi breathes. She was never good at remembering dates. Too many concussions over the course of her life, both before and during prison. “Totally forgot.”
The family simply smiles, knowing she genuinely forgets such things.
“Yup, so big breakfast for the big guy!” Lux grins and hugs Caitlyn. “Hope you two slept alright.” She has always been so effortlessly kind. Claggor and her are probably two of the softest people Vi has ever met. They’re so sweet it makes her jaw hurt.
“Slept beautifully,” Caitlyn smiles as she brushes a loose hair behind Lux’s ear. “Your band do well last night? So sorry I missed it.”
Lux waves her off. “You’re a busy bee, Caitlyn, savings lives and all that. But Gert did have an excellent solo!”
Vi then looks at Mylo with a smug grin. “Ask Gert out yet?”
“He wussed out,” Claggor smiles with a shrug.
Her usually cocky and self assured brother, stammers into a blush. “There wasn’t a good time! She got swarmed by fans after and I didn’t want to intrude. I’m… We are getting coffee later this week again though.”
“C’mon, My,” Claggor says more sincerely as he pats his brother’s shoulder. “Have you not seen the way she smiled at you?”
Mylo stands a bit taller. “I’ll ask her out. I’ll do it for sure this time.”
“Atta boy,” Vi nods. “She’s got eyes on you, dude, just take the leap.”
Everyone gathers in the kitchen and before Vi can try and help with making any food, Isha takes her hand and pulls her to the kitchen table. Her niece, who Ekko and Powder took in from a local orphanage several months ago, pulls out a coloring book and a white board with a marker. Vi is still trying to get the hang of sign language, so Isha gave her a board to use when she doesn’t know a certain sign yet.
She’s come to love doing coloring books with Isha. It’s mindless and calming, helping settle her still anxious brain, as well as give her quality time to spend time with the little girl she has come to love so much. Isha always plops right in her lap with a kiss to her cheek, right on her face tattoo, and they draw on a page together. Today it’s of a jungle, all the animals of its environment playing and smiling.
Vi goes to pick up the orange pencil to color in a tiger but Isha grunts, stopping her with a shake of her head.
“Hm? What color do you want it to be?” she asks and Isha makes the sign for ‘pink’ and hands Vi a pencil. “Why pink?”
Isha looks at her with her bright, golden eyes, a big toothy smile on her little face. She points at Vi and gestures to her hair and then flexes her arm. Then she points to the tiger.
“The tiger is me?” she asks, trying to understand. Isha shakes her head and points to the tiger and the points back to Vi and swirls a finger in a way that gesture to all of Vi. “I’m a tiger?”
Isha nods excitedly and hugs her neck. She pulls back and puffs out her chest and pauses as she thinks of the word she wants to sign.
“Powerful,” Caitlyn supplies, looking over her shoulder with a loving smile from where she stirs food in a pan. “A big, loving, and powerful force of nature.”
Isha nods rapidly, little tiny sounds of air escaping her throat. It’s how she laughs and it makes Vi’s chest burst with affection and can’t help put kiss her nieces head. She points at Vi and the tiger and then and kisses her own little fist.
“I love Vi, the tiger.” That’s what she’s saying.
It makes tears spring to Vi’s eyes.
“And don’t forget protective,” Ekko tacks on as he sets the table with plates and silverware. He kisses his daughter on the head and gently squeezes Vi’s shoulder as he walks back to the kitchen.
“Here you are, dear.” Cassandra sets a mug of coffee down for Vi with a smile before looking at Isha. “Juice of choice, little lamb?”
Isha squeezes her hand and makes the sign for ‘orange juice’.
“I got you babe,” Powder says to her child and then scoffs when she opens the fridge. “Who the fuck bought sugar free orange juice? Oh— WHAT?! With pulp! Okay, who am I strangling.” She immediately glares at Clag and Lux, the two health nuts of the family.
Mylo goes oddly quiet and ducks his head as he flips sausage on the stove. Powder squints at him. She slams the fridge door closed and stalks up to him with the jug of juice and shakes it threateningly in front of him.
“You better have a damn good explanation for buying such filth!”
An inhuman squeaky guffaw whooshes out of Mylo who glares back at his sister. “It’s still sweet! And the pulp has a bajillion more nutrients in it than the pulp free! Besides, she wanted to try it!”
Powder and Ekko look at their child expectantly as Mylo looks at her with a ‘help me out here!’ expression.
Isha smiles and nods. Powder turns back to her now smug brother. “She’s going to hate it. You know how she is about consistency in her food.”
“Then let her make that decision!”
“Fine,” she says as she pours a cup. “But if she hates it, you are drinking it. All it.”
“Fine, I’m sure it tastes perfectly good and tasty! I can chug that in seconds.”
Powder passes the cup to Isha who takes an eager sip. Within a second she is grimacing and frowning at the cup. She shakes her head and hands it back. Vi grins up at Powder who looks ready to tear heads off. Powder turns back to a scared Mylo.
“She hated it. Now, chug, dipstick.”
“But—“
“CHUG.”
Mylo scoffs and grabs the jug. “Watch me finish this before you can say orange juice.” He knocks back a big gulp and shudders as he swallows it and coughs. “Uh…”
The fear that overtakes Mylo’s face as Powder speedily rounds the kitchen island to grab him in the headlock sends everyone in a fit of laughter. Even Caitlyn’s usually stoic mother is chucking helplessly with Tobias. Powder digs her knuckles into his thick hair for several seconds as he thrashes with a squeal.
“I give! I give!”
Powder releases him. “Spend another 7 cogs on something as stupid as this again and I’ll noogie that caterpillar right off your lip.”
Mylo gasps, a hand quickly coming up to shield his facial hair.
“I’ll drink it,” Caitlyn shrugs and pours herself a tall glass.
“Yeah, good luck—“ Mylo remarks cockily but the words die on his tongue as Caitlyn swiftly and easily knocks back half of her glass. “What the hell?!”
Caitlyn gives him a raised brow and smirk. Then she turns to Vi with a sexy, devious wink that makes her spine tingle. How did her sumprat ass land such a hot babe?
“If that sausage burns i’m helping Powder remove your ‘stache,” Cait warns with a high five to Powder and her brother rapidly returns to his pan of meat.
Vi holds a giggling Isha in her arms and they get back to drawing, the family now boisterous in their arguments about juice. It makes her so damn happy to have this again. It’s more than she could have ever dreamed.
Eventually they all get the food on the table and plate their breakfast, Isha hopping down to get into Ekko’s lap. Caitlyn takes up the seat beside Vi and runs a hand through her unkempt hair that she neglected to brush out and kisses her. She slides a plate piled high with mouth watering food in front of Vi.
“A feast fit for a tiger?” she teases lovingly at Vi who looks up at her like she’s the reason the sun shines and gives life to the earth. Outside, snow fall gently, making everything a bright, pure white that perfectly illuminates around Caitlyn’s midnight blue hair like a halo.
“Yeah. Thanks, angel.”