Archive of Our Own

The warm afternoon sun lit the Piltover skyline in brilliant hues of orange and pink as Vi made her way to the junior academy gates. For almost a year now, this had been her afternoon routine. Finish her own work, be it outside or inside the house, and make the short trek to the school to pick up her daughter after classes.

The first time she dropped Corinne off at the gates had been a painful, deeply anxious experience. Relinquishing her seven-year-old from her own arms and into those of strangers– responsible teachers she’d met, or not–didn’t settle well in Vi’s gut. She’d spent the entire day worrying, watching the clock, counting the minutes until Corinne was safely in her care again.

Because if there was one thing Vi had ingrained into her very being since she was young, it was that life could change in an instant. Happiness and security were fleeting. Always teetering on the knife’s edge of ‘maybe’ and ‘what if’. Terrible, unfair things could happen at any time, for any reason or for no reason. And as ridiculous as it made her feel to voice her fears out loud, they haunted her. What if the school was attacked? What if Corinne was bullied? What if she was hurt? What if the instructors were cruel to her? What if the building suddenly collapsed? What if she was taken?

What if, what if, what if…?

As time went on, things got easier. The routine settled, and Vi let herself fall back into security. Her daughter enjoyed school, she made friends, she loved her teachers. And her teachers loved to tell Vi how smart Corinne was. Vi already knew this, but hearing it from the instructors made her preen nonetheless.

Today, she was a few minutes late for her usual arrival time. Back home, Cass had thrown a tantrum worthy of her four years after being unable to find her favorite pair of socks in the laundry.

‘Mummy, I need them to get Cori!’

‘You have so many other socks, Cassie. Look, what about the blue ones? They match your sister’s schoolbag!’

It had been a horrendous suggestion, apparently, sending Cass into further tears. Aggravated and unable to make Corinne wait any longer for her, Vi had left the toddler in the care of her grandfather, who, in his infinite patience, was more than willing to help search the entire estate for a single pair of socks.

Ones that the dogs had already found and then destroyed or buried or eaten.

The crowd of students pouring out of the school gates was thinning to a trickle when Vi arrived. She scanned the tiny heads, searching for her daughter’s lavender hair. Unable to pick her out, Vi stood to the side of the gates, hoping Corinne would come to her at their usual meeting spot.

The children trailed out, some running to their own parents nearby, others wandering off together in pairs or trios, disappearing into Piltover’s streets. Vi glanced at the enormous clock atop the school’s facade. She’d arrived almost ten minutes later than she usually did, and now Corinne had not made an appearance for another five.

Vi’s heart stuttered. She sucked in a sharp breath, willing the panic swelling in her throat to calm. She was probably back inside with the teachers.Vi had been late, after all. Maybe one of the instructors brought her back inside to wait. After a few more moments, as the last of the students left the grounds, Vi slipped inside the gates. A few of the instructors still stood outside the school doors, talking to one another.

Vi glanced around the front lawns. Still no sign of her daughter.

Heart in her throat, Vi approached the two women. One of them caught sight of her first and whipped around to face her. She was a short, waifish woman, younger than Vi, with brown hair she almost always wore pulled into a bun. Her large glasses slipped off her nose as she acknowledged Vi’s approach.

“Oh! Mrs. Ki–”

“Is Cori around here?” Vi asked before either of the teachers could waste time with pedantic pleasantries.

“Corinne?” The first instructor–Vi couldn’t remember her name for the life of her–glanced at the other. “We saw her pack up with the rest of the children after final classes.”

“She was here in the yard,” the second instructor offered. “Waiting with the others.”

Vi’s stomach dropped, and cold sweat prickled the skin on the back of her neck.

“You didn’t see her?” the corners of the instructor’s mouth turned down in concern.

“No. No I didn’t.” Vi looked around at the yard again, as if Corinne might come bursting out of the hedges, laughing that she’d beaten Vi at hide-and-seek. But the yard was empty. “You didn’t see her leave with anyone?”

Vi could hear the panic rising in her own voice.

“N-no. We didn’t see her leave. Maybe she went back inside the school for something?” The first teacher turned quickly up the stairs, as if afraid of retaliation from Vi. Her instincts were probably correct.

“We’ll go check inside,” the second instructor assured in a calmer voice. “If you’d like to take a look around the grounds?”

Vi backed away without answering, pulse slamming in her veins as she bolted out of the gates. The school yards covered almost an entire city block, and Vi found herself running full speed around the entire border, calling Corinne’s name. Citizens she passed gave her odd, or concerned, looks. But Vi ignored them, scanning past their befuddled faces for a glimpse of Corinne. By the time she’d circled the grounds, with no sign of her daughter, Vi’s mind was blank with terror.

Corinne was gone. She was gone and Vi–and no one else–had any idea where she was. If she was hurt or being hurt by someone. Lost.

Every worst fear and brutal image crossed Vi’s mind as she hurtled away from the school, down the city streets and toward the Station.

Corinne was still so young. Younger even than Powder had been the day everything changed. That day, wrought with images of her family lying dead around her that she’d never been able to scrub from her mind. And over the years, she had tried.

She had lost too many. They had lost too many.

Vi couldn’t fathom the idea of losing their child, too. And it wouldn’t be just them. Her grandfather and younger sister were still at home, completely unaware. Vi imagined having to tell their four-year-old that her sister was gone. And then she imagined herself with her own baby sister on a bridge, stained with red.

She nearly turned into a side alley to be sick.

The Wardens posted at the front doors of the Station parted for Vi as she barreled past them. It was never a question whether or not she was allowed into the Station, but the sheer panic with which she moved probably set off more than a few alarm bells for the young officers.

Caitlyn’s office door wasn’t locked, and if it had been, Vi probably would’ve just torn it off its hinges anyway. The door slammed against the inside wall, startling her wife so hard that her free hand whipped for the small pistol she kept at her belt. It only took her a moment to recognize who had blown into her office, and her face paled as she took in Vi’s state.

Vi hadn’t realized how winded she was until she opened her mouth to explain the situation and could only gasp for air instead. Hunching over her knees, Vi gulped air into her burning lungs, tears stinging the corners of her eyes.

“Vi?” Caitlyn’s voice was above her. A hand fell on her back, rubbing firmly. “What’s wrong? What are you doing here?”

Vi straightened, voice barely more than a wheeze. “Cori wasn’t at the school. I–I went to pick her up…The teachers…They didn’t know where she was.”

“What?” The lines of Caitlyn's brow deepened beneath the strap of her eyepatch. “What do you mean?”

“She’s gone. She was supposed to be at the gates but she wasn’t there. I couldn’t find her. I don’t know where she went. No one does–” Vi’s pitch rose as the words poured out of her.

Despite the fear that briefly tightened Caitlyn’s face as she pieced together Vi’s words with her explosive entrance, she didn’t shatter. Her eye flickered rapidly over Vi’s face, the thoughts in her head racing into place, coalescing into a goal. A single-minded mission. When she straightened and returned to her desk to grab her coat, her badge and her rifle tucked against the side, Vi nearly collapsed with relief.

Early on, Vi had learned they were different types of parents. Not that it had been a surprising fact. They were different people, raised differently. They grew up in different places, under different circumstances. In everything, including raising their children, Vi wore her bleeding heart on her sleeve. Protecting them and caring for them was a screaming declaration. A presence she ensured everyone they met knew of. She was their mother, and the gods help anyone who took a step out of line to harm a hair on their head.

Caitlyn looked at a picture larger than Vi ever cared to comprehend. Her sense of duty to her position, to people, to the cities, had only carried on into her family. In protecting the cities, she protected every citizen. She protected them. The armor that kept her from falling apart now was the badge that she’d earned securing every inch of these cities. No nook or cranny would go unsearched, as long as she was leading the charge. And in her stony gaze, Vi saw unwavering belief that she would find their daughter. For her, there was simply no option otherwise.

Her protection was a quiet, simmering fury, and Vi took comfort in it as she trailed her out of the office and back into the main hall. Movement flurried around her as Caitlyn barked quick orders, organizing smaller search units and designating various areas of the city to search with practiced ease. Vi’s ears rang too loudly to hear anything other than the clatter of boots against polished floors as the Wardens all moved to follow her orders.

Almost as quickly as it had been filled, the hall emptied. Every able body was now out in a massive search to find one small child. In a city of thousands.

Vi followed Caitlyn to the front doors where she met with Steb and Officer Caine.

Vi knew her well. And, in turn, Caine knew Corinne well. She had been a common ‘at work babysitter’ on the days Corinne had to trail along with Caitlyn to the Station. The stoic set of her mouth told Vi that this search was almost as personal for her as it was for them.

“Both of you, with me,” Caitlyn said. The four of them swept out of the building toward the motorcar lot out back. “We’ll search southside by the harbor first.”

The two nodded and took their place in the backseats of the nearest motorcar. Vi made for the front passenger side when Caitlyn stopped her, taking her wrist and gently drawing her back.

“What–?”

Caitlyn’s gloved hand cupped Vi’s cheek, gaze tender but assertive. “I need you to go back home and wait.”

Vi balked, shocked that Caitlyn would ever deny her support in the field. They were partners.

“What? No. I'm going with you. You need me.”

An angry, bitter part of her snapped. Caitlyn was probably ashamed of her reaction. Or thought her emotions would be a liability.

Seeming to read Vi’s thoughts before she could speak them, Caitlyn added, “Someone needs to be there in case she finds her way home.”

“Your father–”

“And protect the house. If… someone is behind this, then I need you to make sure everyone at home is safe.”

Deflating, Vi acknowledged her logic.

“They need you there…” Caitlyn trailed off, likely imagining the same scenarios Vi had about telling their child her sister was gone. A rapid blink though, and her blue eye was clear of uncertainty. “Please.”

Vi held her gaze as long as she could before ducking her head. Acquiescing to sitting in her fear and anxiety—doing nothing—while the city searched without her.

Caitlyn’s lips touched hers, fast and fleeting.

And then she was gone, with the smoke from the motorcar’s engine billowing in its wake.

Vi was vigilant on the way home, glancing down every alleyway she passed and peering into the faces of passers-by. Still no sign of Corinne.

Her stomach roiled. Her heart pounded. She felt cold and clammy and hot all at once.

The bodies of her brothers kept appearing in her head. Broken, mangled, buried before her eyes. And Vander…Vander… Some of his last words to take care of the sister she’d never seen again…A mission she'd failed over and over.

And over again now.

Pushing open the estate doors, Vi was immediately met with the giddy, ‘welcome home’ screech of her toddler. On instinct, Vi dropped to her knees to catch Cass as she waddled into Vi’s arms.

“Hello, Mummy!” Cassie squeaked, kissing Vi’s cheek as she was hoisted onto her hip. “I found my socks!”

She held up the fabric bunched in her tiny fist, her mood clearly lifted by this small victory. “Grandpa helped me.”

Vi’s lips trembled in lieu of a reply just as Tobias joined them.

“It was quite the search,” he mused. “It turns out they somehow ended up beneath her laundry hamper! Always the last place you look, isn’t it?”

His grin slowly faded as he took in Vi’s expression. “Is everything alright?”

Vi’s gaze flickered between him and Cass, hoping her silent plea to have this conversation out of earshot of the toddler was heard. Tobias scooped Cass from Vi’s arms and set her down, pushing her gently in the direction of the restroom. “Why don’t you go wash your hands for dinner then, Cassie? Your mother and I will get everything set up at the table.”

Cass scurried off without complaint, dropping one of the socks as she ran.

Once the patter of her feet had faded, Tobias placed a hand on Vi’s arm. “What’s wrong?”

“Cori is gone.” Vi’s knees went weak as she gave into her father-in-law’s support. “She wasn’t at the school when I went to pick her up.”

Tobias’ brow wrinkled.

“Cait is out looking for her now with the other Wardens. But I just--” Vi’s eyes burned, her voice lost to the sobs that wanted to escape.

Gently, Tobias took her by the shoulders and led her into the foyer. He sat her down in his own armchair and knelt to meet her gaze. “The most important thing we can do right now is stay calm. It’s very possible she isn’t in any danger. Maybe she wandered off with a friend, or somewhere in the city that she knows well enough to make her own way back.”

“But–”

“The worst possible scenario isn’t one we have to think about yet. Caitlyn is searching for her. And my daughter is nothing if not keen eyed and single-minded. And you’re here, ready if she makes it home on her own first. You’re doing all the right things.”

They were the same points Caitlyn had brought up, but Vi still couldn’t quell the roiling of her stomach.

Tobias rose, patting her knee. “I’ll keep an eye on Cassie until this is sorted. Alright?”

Some of the crushing weight on Vi’s shoulders lifted. “Thank you.”

Smiling tightly, Tobias hurried off in the direction Cass had disappeared.

Vi turned her attention to the large foyer window. It gave her an open view of the entry gates. Pushing herself out of the chair, Vi paced in front of the glass, pausing occasionally to glance outside and worry her thumb between her teeth. The sun was beginning to sink beneath the city skyline, casting the grounds in long, ominous shadows.

Time felt muddled. For VI, it was just one long extended moment of worry. Until suddenly, the front gates swung open. Vi’s heart jumped and she rushed to the window, expecting Caitlyn.

But a smaller figure slipped past the gates, waving amicably behind her before skipping toward the house. Somehow Vi’s heart plummeted and soared all at once as a flash of lavender hair in the setting sunlight confirmed who it was.

Vi ran to the front door, throwing it open. Light spilled out onto the large staircase, illuminating Corinne and the beaming smile she gave Vi when she saw her.

“Mummy! Guess what –”

A wounded and fearful creature lashed out, clawing its way out from deep within her chest. Despite her relief, it was anger that determined her words as she stepped out onto the landing. “Where the hell have you been?”

Corinne froze, blue eyes wide, the smile draining from her face. Her brow creased, lips trembling in a way Vi could only describe as fear.

Vi had never yelled at her like this before, they both knew that. But she couldn’t stop herself as she jerked her chin for Corinne to follow her. “Get inside.”

Stunned, Corinne stood stock-still for a moment before rushing to obey. Vi yanked the door shut harshly, as if Corinne would vanish into the city again if she didn’t.

“Where were you, Corinne? You were supposed to wait at the school.” Vi closed the distance between them. Corinne was tall for her age, but for now Vi still stood taller. “You always wait at the school. Do you know how worried we were?”

“I–”

Vi didn’t let Corinne answer the questions she volleyed at her. “Do you understand how dangerous what you did was? Your mom is out there right now looking for you with the entire station. Because we thought something awful happened to you! What were you thinking?”

“A-Amelie got a new top set… It makes fireworks when you spin them…She just wanted to show me…”

That was a name Vi didn’t recognize. A student, but one she didn’t know. Maybe new. She couldn’t imagine the parents of any other of Corinne’s friends allowing her to leave without Vi’s knowledge.

“She lives close to the school, Mummy.” Corinne’s eyes were wide and pleading. “She and her papa said they’d drop me back home after.”

That explained her wave at the estate gates. Even still, Vi found herself too shocked by Corinne’s reasoning to calm down. She thought they’d done a sufficient job in instilling in Corinne the importance of abiding by their rules. Particularly ones regarding her safety. Wandering the city was not allowed, leaving the school grounds without them was not allowed. Going anywhere with a stranger was certainly not allowed.

“So you didn’t think at all, is what I’m hearing,” Vi shot back. “I don’t care if you know her, Cori. We don’t. And if we don’t know where you are, or who you’re with, how are we supposed to know you're safe? If you’d gotten hurt, we wouldn’t be able to find you. And then what? Do you understand how dangerous what you did tonight was? You know the rules, Corinne. And you chose to disobey them. You can’t do that!” ‘You can’t do that to us. You can’t do that to me.’

Corinne hiccuped a choked sob and then tears began flooding down her ruddy cheeks. Part of Vi wanted to hold her and immediately wipe the tears away. The other half was shaking too hard to move, anger still coursing hot through her veins.

Eyes shut and fist clenched, Vi ordered, “Go upstairs. Go to your room. You can talk to your mother when she gets home.”

Corinne bolted up the stairs, backpack still slung on her shoulders. Her fading cries echoed in Vi’s ears, tearing her heart to pieces.

The noise brought Tobias back into the room, Cass perched curiously in his arms. “I take it she found her way home?”

Vi kept her gaze on the stairway, trembling, fighting to keep from lashing out at Tobias as well. “Can you watch Cass for a little bit longer. Please?”

Glancing between Vi and the staircase, Tobias simply nodded and then toted Cass away, distracting her from her seething mother with the playful voice he only pulled out around the girls.

Vi shook the tremors from her limbs and returned to the foyer, throwing herself down into the armchair and covering her face with her hands.

She shouldn’t have yelled. She shouldn’t have been so angry.

Corinne knew better than to do what she did. But Vi knew better than to lash out at the ones she loved with all the fear wrapped tightly in her heart. She’d failed, again, and the way Corinne had looked at her made her feel ill.

All of the emotions were too tangled in her head, swirling until she felt like sobbing. Vi wrapped her arms around her middle to keep from shattering while she waited.

After what felt like an eternity, the front doors opened and Caitlyn swept in. She looked entirely too collected for Vi’s taste as she set her rifle on its frame and her shoulder cloak on the rack.

Rising from her chair, Vi crossed the foyer to meet Caitlyn. Caitlyn opened her mouth to speak, but Vi beat her to it.

“Cori’s home. She came home on her own” The words tumbled out. “She’s upstairs. I sent her up there because she knows better. She knows she’s not allowed to leave. She said she went with a friend. Amy—Ama-something…l…I don’t know. Some kid. Wanted to show her a fucking toy. She broke the most important rule we have for her for a toy! Why are you looking at me like that?”

Caitlyn cupped Vi’s burning cheeks between cool palms, making steady eye contact, before flickering to the stairs and then back again. “She’s home?”

“Yes! Why aren’t you freaking out?” Vi’s eyes burned, her chest jerking. “She could have been hurt! We had no idea where she was. When I couldn’t find her – I’ve never felt so fucking scared.”

Something in Caitlyn’s expression cleared. The smallest sigh dropped her shoulders. Her hands slipped to Vi’s shoulders, and suddenly Vi was being pulled in, and for a moment she wanted to shove away. Scream and fight and force Caitlyn to yell back, because at least then, all of the twisted emotions could come out. She could be punished for the way she’d spoken to their daughter. She–

“Violet.”

As soon as her forehead touched the crook of Caitlyn’s neck, Vi broke into heaving sobs. Her hands scrambled at Caitlyn’s back, bunching the fabric of her uniform so tightly she was sure it hurt. Caitlyn swayed slightly with the force of her embrace before pressing back, keeping Vi upright when all Vi felt like doing was collapsing into the floor. Caitlyn didn’t say anything as Vi’s sobs soaked the shoulder of her uniform. She kept her arms firm around Vi, one hand cradling the back of her head.

“I yelled at her, Cait. I–It was too much. I made her cry.” Words clawed their way out between Vi’s sobs. “But–she could've been gone. We could've lost her.”

Still, Caitlyn was quiet. Absorbing Vi’s admission and holding her until Vi was ready to let go. After a few long minutes of falling apart, Vi took a shuddering breath, sniffing and stepping back to rub the tears from her face with the back of her hand.

“I’m sorry.” Her throat was tight.

“It’s alright, love. I’ll go talk with her.” Caitlyn cupped Vi’s cheek again, gently kissing the tattoo there. “Wait here.”

Vi watched her go, the feeling of being adrift returning like a crashing wave. On shaky legs, she lowered herself back into the chair, sinking into the plush cushions. Hiding her face in her hands turned the world dark and quiet. So she hid and she waited.

Corinne’s crying echoed down the hallway as Caitlyn approached her bedroom. The sound broke her heart, but in a strange way, she was also relieved to hear it. Because Vi had been right. There was a chance tonight that they would have never heard it again.

And yet, Vi’s reaction had scared their daughter. She hadn’t handled it well. All of her capacity for anger, unleashed on a young child who had made a mistake. Not out of disobedience. But out of the lack of consideration of consequences. One made without the true understanding of her parent’s losses. A decision born from the independence and confidence they’d both contributed to her.

Still, Caitlyn couldn’t find it in herself to condemn Vi too harshly either. Her overreaction made sense when considering the weight of all the losses she’d suffered. Vi didn’t have to say it out loud for Caitlyn to know she had been thinking of her sister. The sister she knew as a child. Whose reckless disregard for Vi’s orders had altered the course of their entire lives.

Caitlyn shook away the thought. The important thing was that their daughter was home and unharmed.

Leaning against the door, Caitlyn knocked gently, alerting Corinne of her presence before stepping inside.

Their daughter was sprawled face down in the center of her bed. Her backpack and its contents were strewn on the ground. Corinne only looked up when Caitlyn sat on the bed with her. She placed a gentle hand between Corinne’s shoulders, and red-rimmed blue eyes locked on her own.

And then Corinne launched herself at Caitlyn, clutching her uniform and sobbing messily into the fabric. Her tears mingled with Vi’s as Caitlyn scooped her up and held her to her chest. She rocked back and forth slowly, cheek resting on top of Corinne’s lavender head. When Corinne’s tears finally turned to weak hiccups, Caitlyn drew back far enough to look into her face. She ran her thumbs over Corinne’s reddened cheeks.

”Where were you today, darling?” Caitlyn asked gently.

Corinne sniffed and hiccuped and mumbled, “I w-went with A-Amelie to her house. B-because she h-had a new top set. And she wanted to show me and said she and her papa would walk me home later. They did.”

”You left the school without your mum,” Caitlyn added, tone steady. “Without letting her know.”

Corinne paused, then squeaked, “Yeah.”

”That’s not what you should’ve done, was it?”

”No.”

Just like Vi had pointed out, Corinne knew better. She knew the rules. But her childlike lack of restraint and weighing of consequences had run out. Her correction didn’t need to be harsh, but it did need to be firm. Caitlyn was as unwilling as Vi to ever lose a member of their family again.

So she decided to let Corinne lead them to the answer herself. ”What should you have done? Even if Amelie wanted to show you her new top set?”

”I…” Corinne fiddled with her fingers, and then with a button on the front of Caitlyn’s jacket. “I should’ve waited for Mummy first.”

Caitlyn hummed. “That’s right. And do you know why we ask that you always, always wait for us?”

Corinne paused, thinking. “So I don’t get lost?”

“Lost or hurt. We can’t keep you safe if we don’t know where you are. It’s not always safe, no matter how much your mum and I try to make it.” Caitlyn shifted Corinne in her arms. “Don’t you think that if you had waited for Mummy she would’ve gone with you to Amelie’s? She might’ve liked to see the tops too.”

”Yeah,” Corinne admitted sheepishly. Then she dipped her chin, voice wobbling. “She yelled at me…”

Her breath caught and Caitlyn squeezed her comfortingly. “And she shouldn’t have done that. But she yelled because she was very scared. Scared that you weren’t where she asked you to be. That she didn’t know where you were. That something could’ve happened to you, or that you weren’t safe. She was scared because she couldn’t protect you.”

Corinne pondered that, the tremors wracking her body slowly fading. ”I scared her…I didn’t mean to.”

”I know you didn’t. And that’s why we have our rules. So that Mummy isn’t scared and you stay safe. Do you understand?”

Corinne nodded, still toying with the gold button.

Caitlyn rested her own hand atop Corinne’s smaller one. “Do you want to go downstairs and talk to her?”

”No.” Corinne admitted, turning her face into the jacket.

Caitlyn rested her cheek on Corinne’s head again as they sat in contemplative quiet.

“You know,” Caitlyn slowly broke the tender silence. “When I was around your age, I also…made some poor decisions that turned a few of your grandmother’s hairs gray.”

Corinne blinked up at her, astonished. “You broke the rules?”

“Sometimes,” Caitlyn chuckled. “When I thought I knew better.”

“Did you get in trouble?”

“Oh, always.” Caitlyn squeezed Corinne when she giggled. “I was terrible at not getting caught.”

“And you gave grandma gray hairs,” Corinne echoed, amused. “When she caught you.”

“That’s right, and you don’t want to give us gray hairs, do you?”

“But you already have them, Mama,” Corinne squeaked, lifting a hand to Caitlyn’s brow to touch the few strands of silver beginning to show.

Caitlyn scoffed and grabbed her hand away and pressed light fingers into her ribs to make Corinne squeal with laughter. “So don’t make them worse.”

After Corinne’s giggles died down, Caitlyn asked again if she would like to speak with Vi and finally Corinne acquiesced. Together they made their way downstairs to the foyer where Vi still sat waiting in the armchair, her leg bouncing rapidly. Red-rimmed eyes flicked to the two of them, although Vi remained seated as they approached. Caitlyn could see the tension vibrating throughout her entire body. The urge to rush forward and hold and console. To her monumental credit, she refrained.

Gently, Caitlyn tapped Corinne between her shoulders to urge her forward. Corinne took a few small steps toward Vi, her chin dipped to her chest, hands behind her back, contrite.

”I’m sorry I scared you, Mummy,” she mumbled. “I’ll follow the rules. I won’t do it again.”

Vi slid to kneel on the floor, opening her arms to Corinne. Her voice was tight, eyes watering, as she murmured, “Can I hold you?”

Corinne barreled into Vi’s chest, burrowing into strong arms as they locked tightly around her. Vi’s hand cradled the back of Corinne’s head, keeping her tucked against Vi’s neck as both of their shoulders began to shake. Caitlyn’s heart twisted in her chest, her own eye stinging as she watched the two of them comfort one another.

“I’m sorry I yelled,” Vi murmured against the crown of Corinne’s head.

“It’s ok.” Corinne pressed up onto her toes for a better hold, voice muffled. “It’s because you were scared.”

”That’s right.” Vi chuckled wetly. “I was scared we’d lost you.”

”Next time I’ll wait at school.” Corinne drew back to ensure her vow was made looking Vi in the eye. “I promise. I don’t want you to get gray hairs.”

Vi’s eyes darted to Caitlyn in confusion, who shrugged as if she had no idea where Corinne had gotten that idea.

Shaking her head, Vi’s mouth tilted into a small smile. “How about next time, I also come with you, if your friend has something cool to show you?”

Corinne’s face lit up. “Yes, you can see tomorrow! The tops are so cool! They make fireworks when they spin.”

”Sounds dangerous.” Vi grinned and Corinne bobbed her head in enthusiastic agreement. “I would love to see it.”

Caitlyn softened as she watched the two of them launch into another embrace. And then a disgruntled whine from the hall interrupted the tender moment. Tobias joined them, hoisting a very frustrated looking Cass in his arms. She glowered at the group as if offended she’d been left out of the proceedings this long. Tobias’ eyes sparkled as he saw Vi and Corinne, coming to stand beside Caitlyn.

”I’m relieved to see Cori made it home safely.” Cass wiggled furiously in his arms. “I think I’ll hand this one off to you now.”

“Thank you for watching her.” Caitlyn readily took Cass from his arms, pressing a grateful kiss to her father’s cheek before he excused himself for bed.

Cass whined quietly before tucking her face into Caitlyn’s neck and yawning widely. At four years old, she was growing too big to be held like this. But Caitlyn hoisted her onto her hip anyway, gently rubbing her back to encourage the sleep she’d fought off so valiantly for hours. Finally, Vi stood, taking Corinne’s hand and guiding her to Caitlyn and Cass.

“Looks like Cassie has the right idea,” Vi mused, leaning in to gently kiss Cass’ ruffled indigo hair. “I think after all of that, it’s time for everyone to get some sleep.”

Corinne led the way upstairs, promptly taking all the bedtime routine steps by herself. Likely eager to prove she was still the–mostly–responsible and obedient child they knew her to be.

Vi took Cass, guilty for bickering with her and then leaving her comfort to her grandfather rather than supporting the child herself. Caitlyn left Vi to finish tucking the girls into bed alone, knowing it would likely be a night she would want to give them both a comforting bedtime story, despite the already late hour.

Caitlyn was just settling into bed when Vi finally slipped into their room. The bright relief and soft eyes from their reconciliation in the foyer had disappeared. Her shoulders were slumped, brows heavy over dark eyes, face drawn tight and tired. Quietly, she shuffled toward the bed, silent. Caitlyn didn’t press her, eye tracking Vi’s approach until she perched cautiously on the edge of the bed. Gray eyes rose to meet Caitlyn’s, Vi’s expression so baleful that it twisted Caitlyn's heart hard in her chest.

”Come here,” Caitlyn murmured, gently taking Vi’s pale face in soft hands.

Vi broke again, although less violently this time. She leaned into Caitlyn’s touch and then into her body, allowing herself to be wrapped entirely in her wife’s arms, taken back onto their bed.

After a few long minutes of muted sniffs and waves of trembles, Vi asked, “Weren’t you scared?”

”Of course I was scared.” Caitlyn carded her fingers through Vi’s hair.

”You seemed so calm.” Vi chuckled wetly. “I feel crazy.”

”You’re not.” Caitlyn’s arms tightened around Vi’s shoulders. “I was terrified, for all of the same reasons you were. But I knew that the best way I could help you, and Cori, was to focus. Organize. Make a plan.”

Vi hummed quietly. “Right. My hero.”

Her voice cracked into a chuckle and Caitlyn’s lips twitched up into a small smile at the memory of the first time she’d been teased with those words. Unbeknownst to Vi, one day, Caitlyn had taken them seriously. Carved them into her heart in a silent vow to always try to live up to those words. First for Vi, and now for every other member of the little family they’d made.

An enormous sigh spread Vi’s shoulders, forcing Caitlyn’s arms to slide along the flex of her muscles. Vi shuddered slightly, tangling her legs with Caitlyn’s and nosing into the curve of her neck. She pressed a few light kisses against Caitlyn’s quickening pulse.

Unsure what might be most comforting after the exhaustion of the evening, Caitlyn turned her lips to Vi’s forehead and murmured, “What do you need?”

“Just this,” Vi sighed, her voice already thick with sleep.

Settling, Caitlyn slipped her arms more comfortably around Vi’s shoulders, drawing fingers lightly up and down her back until she finally succumbed to sleep. Caitlyn was on the very cusp of sleep herself when a tiny knock against the door startled her to awareness.

Through the solid wood, a soft voice asked, “Mama, can I sleep in here too?”

It couldn’t have been more than a half hour since Vi had put the girls to bed. But perhaps it had been foolish for Caitlyn not to expect that Corinne wouldn’t want to be apart after the emotional turbulence of the evening.

“Come in,” Caitlyn kept her voice soft to avoid waking Vi.

The door squeaked open, and two sets of little footsteps shuffled inside before it clicked shut again. Caitlyn huffed warmly as Corinne hoisted herself onto the end of the bed and then reached around to tug her sister up as well. They both blinked at Caitlyn through the low lamplight, owl-eyed and luminous.

“Come here, you two,” she chuckled, amending her welcome when the girls began to scramble too quickly. “Gently, please. Your mummy is asleep.”

Corinne paused first, craning her neck to peer at Vi’s face before more slowly inching up the bed and curling up near Vi’s shoulders. She tugged up the blankets to her chest and used the angle of Vi’s shoulder as a pillow.

Cass followed suit, although she’d dragged her stuffed Bunny along, and ensured that she got a resting place too. She wiggled onto Caitlyn’s other side, pressing her cheek into the open shoulder Caitlyn offered. Once everyone was settled, Caitlyn could only imagine how uncomfortably warm the bed would be in the morning, and how deeply and painfully her arms would’ve fallen asleep.

But she couldn’t bring herself to care. Not when they had such a stark reminder today that all of this, all they had built, all they had loved - was still fleeting. No matter how hard they tried to protect their family from any danger. It wouldn’t be possible.

They both knew that firsthand.

Caitlyn lay awake much longer than any of the other three, whose soft breaths grew slower and deeper, synchronizing at times until the space felt like one giant heartbeat. She knew she should sleep, and her body yearned for it. But she wanted to appreciate every moment she would ever have with them. Because in any instant, without any notice, it could all change.

Tonight, at least, she had them all. Together and alive and content. And for the moment, that was enough.