This is not a shipping fanfiction. This is not really a "normal" story either but several little stories about the life of the Du Couteaus divided in several "chapters", main moment of their life. This will be about the whole family and the relation they can have with each others. By the way, most of these details are part of my headcanons, on Lady Du Couteau's name for example, melt with my own knowledge of the lore. Expect a lot of feelz.

Rated M for strong language/sensitive topics. Be nice, english is not my native language :°

1. A gift.

War is not the time for family. But in Valoran, and in Noxus in particular, peace was a dissipated child who never stayed for long. So raising your descendants in the spirit of war was something common and, as much as it brought new soldiers for the cause to defend, Noxus backed this custom.

The General Marcus Du Couteau, an example among military and noble ranks, was meant to have an exemplar lineage. However, when he came to his past forty springs, people started talking about the reasons why his wife had not given him any child yet. Alexandra was probably not the problem; she was everything a man could have asked. Raised into the old noxian traditions, she was an honorable woman from a common family but her manners and education would have fooled members of royalty itself. Many women were jealous of her beauty and her grace but never tried to compete with, afraid of facing a unavoidable defeat probably. But even worse, her marriage was a real success. Marcus and Alexandra, united thanks to politics for almost twenty years, were living a perfect life, bringing respect wherever they could go, one being complimented about how charming his wife was while the other was congratulated for her husband's dedication to Noxus.

If Marcus shone of the battlefield, Alexandra was a sharp tongue who was not afraid to mess with politics. Her name allowed her to soften the wounded minds and tear off the belligerent ones. She was as clever as smart, a true weapon launched in the court, playing with her authority without ever crossing the red line. His husband had a passion and a faith for her that everybody admired, watching this perfect match from afar as everything seemed to smile before them.

There was only one thing missing to this happy union: children. and because nothing tastes better than ruining happy people, rumors started running through the court, suspecting the "perfect wife" not being able to give birth to a child alive. Indeed, one of the servants related by accident about her mistress' pregnancy once. But after months of silence, when Alexandra returned into the world again, her womb flat as before and holding no child against her heart. The woman disappeared again a couple of years afterwards, and, again, no baby could be found once she finally left the Du Couteau's mansion again. But she looked more weakened than ever, her eyes circled of deep purple lines and her skin as pale as Shurima's sands. Everyone in Noxus guessed about the story but none directly came to present grief and sorrow to the poor lady, by respect or...by shame.

Losing his heir twice in a row had affected the house somehow. Even if dignity never ever left Marcus' face, his workmates could say something was upsetting their superior and friend. The scar was way deeper than they thought and these two babies who died less than one hour after they first breathe left an invisible mark in Marcus' heart. The training he received from his father was telling him to move forward, never letting these distractions affect his work. So he stayed cold before the pain his wife was going through, to a point that Alexandra came to think he was actually blaming her for not giving him the heir he deserved.

They both stopped hoping and the years were running after them like cruel reminders of the short time they had left in this life. One day, after Marcus had gone back from a scouting mission in Ionia, they decided to talk about it. None of them had renounced to the dream of founding new basis, to finally give a reality to this struggle they could not come with while so many of their friends around, who had not accomplished the half of all what they did in their life, enjoyed the happiness of taking care of their own family. Tears at the edge of her eyes, Alexandra clenched her husband's hand and promised him, "I'll give you a son", right before leaving the dinner table, the gloom onto her chest finally gone.

When she got pregnant a little while afterwards, Marcus made everything he could to provide his wife all what she needed. The best medics of Valoran came to visit her, making sure the baby would be alright. She followed a very strict diet, not allowed to leave her bedroom. But the servants were bringing her enough distraction, playing cards and inviting her friends at home so no dark fog would surround her fragile mind. Even Marcus asked for permissions in order to see his beloved as often as he could, taking information about her health and asking for even more every time. As the lady's belly grew bigger and bigger, the man became more and more nervous. He started lacking of sleep, being more and more distracted in his duty, deeply convinced that his wife and marriage would not overcome another loss. He prayed Gods he never believed in for them to protect his family to be born, fearing that this name he inherited from his father could be lost forever.

By a stormy day, a messenger rushed to High Command's war room to inform the general his wife was about to give birth to his heir. The man did not wait to be dismissed and headed back as fast as his legs could carry him to the doors of Alexandra's bedroom. He had to wait whole painful hours for the work to be done, watching servants coming and going with bloody sheets, bringing huge basins of water as he could hear the cries of his wife coming from inside. He waited and waited, passing his hand a thousand times on his sweaty forehead, counting the minutes as many blades sinking into his flesh. Suddenly, the door opened wide and one of his servants spoke with a shaking voice:

"It's a girl"

Marcus rose up and entered into the room carefully just as if the slightest of his moves could harm the little thing that just came to life in between these walls. Alexandra was panting among the dozen pillows she was brought during these last painful hours, the eyes stuck on the cradle beneath the window. She seemed as worried as Marcus, waiting for the verdict from the medic leaning over the baby for the usual health tests. The general, as he came closer to his daughter, slowed the pace of his breathings, amazed by this simple noises coming from the baby's lips: cries, healthy cries. While the two others had kept their lips shut before turning blue and finally leaving this world, this beautiful little thing was flailing like a worm, trying to catch anything coming from above and loudly calling for attention. Marcus pushed the medic with the fold of his hand to accede to the cradle. He picked the young lady in his arms, carefully wrapping her with the new sheets the servants had just brought, and carried the newborn to his wife. His eyes had never shone this bright before, not getting off his daughter who looked like a ray of light at the end of the tunnel.

He stroked her smooth cheek to get an happy squeak from the little who just calmed down her cries, opening her eyes for the very first time as she discovered these forms dancing around her at last. She blinked several times before sticking her eyes on this man above who looked shaken by this sudden apparition, smaller than a yordle. Alexandra did not break the moment, not speaking a single word, intrigued by the osmosis in between the both of them. She almost forgot the exhaustion and pain as she noticed the broad smile that just drew on her husband's face, an expression she could only guess from time to timeand that he seldom displayed, only for their rare special moments.

Finally, they had what they always wished for.

Timidly, Alexandra asked: "Have you thought about a name, dear?"

Marcus needed a few seconds before considering Alexandra's question. He raised his chin, deeply sank in his thoughts and came back with an idea he was holding for a while now. The baby's tiny fingers laced around a single rusty one of his, coming along with an intense glare of contemplation, just as if she had found the holy grail. The man was feeling a new wind breathing from inside; they had finally passed over fate and life gave them the most perfect thing they could await. A tear hidden in the corner of his eyes, Marcus kissed his daughter's forehead and finally replied:

"Yes I have one name for this pretty darling we have here".

He held his wife's hand, thanking her for this gift, and said:

"Katarina".