Chapter Text
Vi woke up early the next day after a restless night, she sat up in the bed and saw the sunlight that filtered through the windows of the guest room.
She had dreamt of Caitlyn. She dreamt of the kisses and the hugs she had shared with her, the many times she had made her feel good, but it had all been short-lived.
It's not that Vi thought things would go back to the way they were, but she did hope for redemption and a gradual improvement. However, that wasn't the case.
Days turned into weeks and she soon realized that Caitlyn had grown colder and colder toward her.
Despite her best efforts, Caitlyn treated her as if she were a stranger, her tone was monotonous and cold, and she never smiled in her presence. If she ever showed any kind of emotion, it was nothing but a stern look or an occasional glare.
As the days passed, Vi realized that Caitlyn wasn't exaggerating when she said she had become her jailer and she was no longer her friend or partner.
The Sheriff had stuck to her word. She treated Vi with indifference and gave her orders as if she were speaking with a prisoner or any random civilian, no trace of affection or recognition, no warmth.
Vi hated that. She missed her warm eyes, her warm hand, her beautiful smile.
Even so, Vi wasn't going to give up. If she'd been stubborn about other things, she'd be just as determined for Caitlyn. Even if she had lost the chance to be with her forever, she would at least prove that she was an ally, not a rebellious girl adding to Caitlyn's problems.
She stopped suggesting going out or accompanying Caitlyn on her missions. The pink-haired girl knew it would be pointless and only annoy Caitlyn. The last thing she wanted was to further worsen their relationship.
Instead, she tried her best to show her commitment to the cause, to do everything to help her apprehend Jinx, and thus earn her forgiveness.
Caitlyn however, paid no mind to her new behavior and it seemed that she cared little for anything Vi said or did. She asked for less information each time. She didn't say anything about whether they had leads on her sister or not, and the few questions she did ask were about shortcuts or areas in Zaun without specifying anything concrete.
It seemed that Caitlyn had her own plans and Vi was no longer a part of them.
Besides the Sheriff's cold behavior, Vi noticed that Caitlyn was spending less and less time at home. It was clear she was pouring herself into the case; some days, she didn't even come back to sleep.
Vi wished she could do more. She hated that she couldn't do anything for her and that she was a burden to Caitlyn.
To help as much as possible, Vi made an effort to keep the house spotless. She took care to clean and tidy up the entire house, except for Caitlyn's room, which was obviously off-limits.
She also cooked, although Vi didn't consider herself an expert chef. She knew how to make the most of the resources available and prepare decent meals with the ingredients on hand.
Although Caitlyn hadn't been very expressive lately, when she came home to find food prepared and everything tidied up, her tired eyes couldn't help but fill with gratitude thanking Vi with a simple "Thank you" for the gesture of having food ready to eat after who knows how many hours without a meal.
That was one of Vi's biggest concerns right now. Caitlyn seemed increasingly tired. The countless hours of work were taking their toll; she had bags under her eyes and seemed to have even lost weight.
"Hey, Sheriff, have you eaten today?" Vi asked one morning as she handed her a freshly brewed coffee.
"Thank you," Caitlyn muttered, and to Vi's surprise, she answered her question, "No, I haven't eaten. But it's okay, I'm not very hungry. We have a lot of work to do." Caitlyn told her.
Vi looked at Caitlyn and pursed her lips. She stared at the dark circles under her eyes and the slight trembling in her hands as she held the mug. She definitely didn't seem okay.
"You don't have to worry, I can take care of myself." Caitlyn assured her.
"I know you're fully capable of doing that, but... you still need to eat." Vi replied, concerned.
Caitlyn raised her head, her eyes narrowing as she gave Vi an icy glare. "I didn't ask your opinion." She stated, "and since when do you care about my wellbeing? It's not your responsibility, is it?" She questioned, her tone harsh and unyielding.
Vi backed down and lowered her head, "N-no. Of course not, Sheriff. Sorry." She muttered.
The sheriff remained silent for a few moments, before letting out an audible sigh.
"Vi, I have no idea what you are trying to do with that. And frankly, I don't really care. As I told you, I appreciate your help, but that does not change anything, you still remain under arrest, and if you think that being nice to me is going to help you, you're dead wrong. I am not your friend, I am not your girlfriend, I am not whatever it is you think I am." Caitlyn told her.
Vi shifted uncomfortably at hearing the words from Caitlyn's mouth, she felt her stomach churn as if someone had punched her in the gut. "I know Sheriff, I get it..." She muttered.
Caitlyn took a sip of her coffee before putting it on the table and walking towards the door.
"Vi." Caitlyn called out.
"Yes, Sheriff?" Vi said as she straightened up, a slight sense of hope in her voice.
"If I'm hungry, I'll buy something on my way back. I'm not a child." Caitlyn declared before she exited the room. "Now if you excuse me I have some work to do." Caitlyn added and left, leaving Vi alone.
Vi swallowed hard.
'Caitlyn...'
Other prisoners would have given anything to be in Vi's position. She could do what she wanted and eat what she wanted, not the slop from prison. Since Caitlyn was hardly ever home, she had bought Vi even more things to keep her entertained and fit in her room. Caitlyn also provided books and other items to help her pass the time. Even on the rare days when Caitlyn "rested," she would take Vi to a Warden training field on the outskirts of Piltover so she could get some fresh air and run, despite Vi's attempts to decline the offer, as all she wanted was for the Sheriff to get some rest.
But despite all that, she was sick with worry about Caitlyn. When Caitlyn didn't come back for a long time, Vi couldn't help but think something terrible had happened to her, especially after one day when Caitlyn returned with some bandages, her body covered in cuts and bruises.
"What happened to you?!" Vi exclaimed as she ran towards Caitlyn as soon as the Sheriff walked through the door. "Are you hurt?" She asked as she helped Caitlyn sit on the couch.
Caitlyn winced as she slowly sat down and put her arm in a resting position, her right leg bent a little, it must have been painful to stand.
The Sheriff exhaled deeply and then looked up at Vi.
"I just got attacked, that's all." She replied casually.
"What the f*ck!" Vi cursed, "And you are so casual about it like nothing!?"
"What do you want me to do? Cry?" Caitlyn inquired.
Vi scowled and opened her mouth to argue but realized she had nothing to say.
Caitlyn frowned, and she turned away, her eyes gazing across the room, as she spoke. "This is how it works. Sometimes you get hurt during patrol. No one in the force will shed a tear over it. They know perfectly well that there is a risk to our job." Caitlyn stated as she shrugged her shoulders and winced slightly.
She was in pain and Vi didn't know how to deal with it.
"I can... I can give you a massage, or something, maybe?" Vi offered awkwardly, it wasn't exactly something she was used to dealing with. "Your shoulder seems to be bothering you the most." She stated as she eyed her sore right shoulder.
Caitlyn glanced at Vi and tilted her head in her direction, "You don't have to trouble yourself." She declined her offer.
"Please, it's the least I can do..." Vi insisted.
"There's no need. It's fine. Don't worry." Caitlyn repeated. "I'm going to rest." She said as she stood up and headed for her room.
"Then... let me go with you and check on your wounds. I won't do anything weird. I promise. I just... I don't like seeing you like this." Vi muttered.
Caitlyn shook her head as she made her way to her bedroom, her boots clicking softly against the hardwood floor.
"I told you to not worry. It's my duty and it's up to me to take care of myself and others, even if I end up hurt." Caitlyn told her.
Vi didn't answer back. She watched as Caitlyn made her way into her room and shut the door behind her.
'And who is going to take care of you?' Vi thought.
After all this time, Vi finally understood. She understood all the times Caitlyn tried to help her and she had pushed her away, how frustrated and worried Caitlyn must have felt, the fear she must have endured every time Vi ran headlong into danger and came close to death.
Vi hadn't realized it until now, but back then, Caitlyn had tried to work as a team while she acted like a lone wolf. Now, however, Vi was the one looking for Caitlyn to show some emotion and concern for her well-being.
Meanwhile, the Sheriff seemed to be focused on the investigation. She didn't even tell Vi anything about the progress in the case.
Vi hated this situation, she felt completely useless, unable to help one of the women she cared for the most.
Was this her punishment for all her sins? For her irresponsibility, her recklessness, for the countless people she had hurt, for abandoning Caitlyn when she needed her the most.
But Vi could only endure it, accept this new reality and keep fighting for Caitlyn. So one day, maybe Caitlyn would finally understand that she had truly changed and was ready to support her, to be there for her.
So one day, when they both managed to overcome this nightmare and restore order to the city, Caitlyn could perhaps smile again, without the weight of the world on her shoulders.
With that thought in mind, Vi tried to ignore the uneasiness and sadness in her heart and make the best of what she had right now.
_________
A few days later
"Today I'll be back late. There's food in the fridge if you want to eat." Caitlyn informed Vi as she headed for the door.
She was wearing her uniform as usual and carried her rifle in one hand.
"Got it." Vi nodded, "See you later."
"Yes," Caitlyn muttered, not even glancing Vi's way before she made her exit.
Vi sighed as she stared at the door for a moment.
The day was fairly quiet. It had been a few hours since Caitlyn had left and the sun was now beginning to set, bathing the entire city with its warm, orange light.
As the last rays of sunlight disappeared over the horizon, the entire apartment became darker.
Vi observed Piltover through one of the large windows in the living room. From Caitlyn's apartment, one could see almost the entire city. Vi was on the penthouse floor and therefore the view was truly incredible.
It was a shame she was here as a prisoner because she would have loved to take Caitlyn out on a date and watch the sunset from the roof of a building with her. Vi was sure Caitlyn would enjoy the experience. She could already imagine the look on the Sheriff's face when they both reached the rooftop and she saw the sunset, her blue eyes reflecting the golden glow of the setting sun, her lips curled into a smile, a small, gentle breeze caressing her cheeks, tousling her silky hair.
Vi's heart clenched at the image of Caitlyn in her mind, a dream she would never have.
Suddenly, a familiar smell made Vi snap out of her thoughts. The scent was faint but it was there, Vi didn't know if it was real or if she was imagining things.
She took a deep breath, her senses alert, her whole body tense.
'It's not possible.' Vi thought, 'I'm just hallucinating'
A shiver went down her spine as the realization hit her, but before she could react, another sound, a rumble, echoed through the house.
It only took a few seconds for Vi to find the source of the smell and noise. A building extremely close to where she was had started to burn.
It seemed to have been set on fire somehow and quickly the entire structure became engulfed in flames.
"Holy sh*t." Vi breathed as she continued to stare at the scene unfolding in front of her eyes.
The flames advanced at a dizzying speed, devouring everything in their path. Despite the building being separated by a wide avenue, Vi felt herself suffocating by the moment.
It was almost as if she were reliving her past again. She heard screams in the distance but couldn't tell if they were real or not. Her mind played tricks on her, and reality seemed to blend with her memories.
Vi knew very well what it was like to feel the heat on her skin, the scorching air burning her throat, the stinging of her eyes.
She couldn't believe what was happening right now. It couldn't be real. She couldn't breathe.
Her mind wandered to Caitlyn who had unconsciously become a source of security and protection and suddenly panic gripped her as she remembered the Sheriff had gone on a patrol tonight.
Vi rushed to the door, desperate to get out of the apartment, but when she tried to open it she found it locked. She jiggled the handle several times, pulling frantically on it, but it wouldn't budge.
"f*ck!" She yelled as she slammed her fist on the door.
Of course, the hextech security system Caitlyn had installed in the house was impenetrable.
Vi banged on the door a few more times but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't give in.
When she returned again to the window she could see the entire building in front of her was on fire, the flames reaching the top and spreading rapidly.
People were running everywhere in a frenzy, trying to escape. Some special forces of the Wardens arrived and began to evacuate civilians, help those injured and try to extinguish the flames.
The pressure in Vi's chest continued to build; she felt like a trapped animal, unable to do anything but witness her own nightmare unfold.
She was the same as she was back then, in Zaun. As a child, she was powerless. Unable to do anything but witness her entire family dying in a sea of flames.
Back then she had watched from a distance as the building burned, she hadn't been able to do anything but stand there helplessly. She couldn't save her father, she couldn't save her brothers, and she had lost Powder because she was too stupid and hot-headed to think before acting.
And now she was stuck in Caitlyn's apartment, alone and paralyzed by her fear as her nightmares once more plagued her thoughts.
The heat, the smoke, the screams, it all returned to her, piercing her mind like a sharp blade, tearing her apart, splitting her soul.
She felt as if her heart were about to explode in her chest.
The beautiful city of Piltover, once illuminated by lights, was now darkened by the smoke, making it nearly impossible to see anything except the flames.
Suddenly, something exploded in the building, and everything went dark. Vi didn't even flinch at the loud bang and blinding light.
At that moment, Vi realized that in fact, her nightmare had only just begun.
Because no matter what she did, she still couldn't leave this place. And now it seemed that nothing would stop the destruction from spreading.
As if by some cruel irony, her old wounds reopened. No matter how hard she tried to keep her emotions at bay, she simply couldn't.
It wasn't just that she was afraid. It wasn't just that she was alone, the sounds she was hearing and the smells that assailed her nostrils reminded her of the past, the one she had so desperately tried to forget.
And now, there was nothing to hold her back from falling into the abyss of her worst memories.
"f*ck!" Vi exclaimed as she collapsed onto the floor.
She closed her eyes, trying to regain control of her breathing, but the image of her younger self appeared in her mind.
"We need to save Vander"
Everything was going well until...
A mechanical monkey... Explosions and fire...
Dead, all dead. She was the one who brought them here without thinking first.
As always.
And yet...
"Take care of Powder"
Those were the last words of Vander, the one who was like her second father, who had protected, raised and cared for her and she could not even fulfill his last wish.
Because she had been so reckless, so eager to fight that she had put everyone she loved in danger and died a horrible death, taking her brothers and even Vander to the grave.
Why?
All she wanted was to protect her family.
How ironic.
"Because you're a Jinx"
The Jinx was really her.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Vi murmured as tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry... I'm not good enough... I can't protect anyone... I'm not strong enough... " She whispered.
Vi didn't know how long she was there, she couldn't say it, she could barely think. All she felt was a huge emptiness inside.
When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer in the living room but in Caitlyn's bedroom.
How did she get there?
Had she walked through the door? Had Caitlyn left it open?
Vi didn't remember it at all.
Subconsciously, she had moved to the place in the house where she felt safest, where the scent of the Sheriff was strongest. Yet her body refused to obey, unable to move an inch.
The large windows let in the light of the flames, which danced and reflected on the walls and various objects in the room.
All she could do was curl up on a corner and cry her heart out.
'I'm weak, useless, worthless'
That's what Vi kept repeating in her head.
'Caitlyn, Powder, I failed you.'
'I'm the reason why you suffer'
'It was me all along.'
Her stomach lurched, she felt nauseous, the bitter taste of bile rose to her mouth and she felt like she was choking.
She fell to the ground and vomited, retching violently as her body convulsed and shuddered with each heave.
Vi was a wreck. Feeling she was on the verge of death, her body wracked with pain and fear, her heart torn apart by the memories of her past and the knowledge that she could have done something to prevent everything, that if only she had acted differently maybe she could have saved her family and Powder.
Her head spinned and her vision blurred as her eyes filled with tears again. There was more noise outside the house, but it seemed to grow more distant as Vi felt herself struggling to breathe, making a great effort to keep her lungs full of oxygen, feeling her hands tremble and the urge to vomit again.
Vi continued to throw up, her body shuddering and convulsing until she was left completely spent, panting and gasping for air.
'I can't... I can't breathe...'
The Zaunite struggled to get up on her knees, but the pain and exhaustion were too much. Her body was paralyzed, her mind clouded by a fog that enveloped her like a blanket, muffling the sounds and sensations of the outside world while she was in her own bubble of hell, darkness threatening to swallow her.
'No...'
