"I'm heading back."
The other woman said nothing as she stood leaning against the doorframe, watching Vi stuff the bare necessities down a worn-out backpack. Although the process was… fascinating, eyes travelled from the bag to the Enforcer, an eyebrow raising only very slightly.
"Why?"
Buckling her belongings up tightly, Vi hoisted the weight over her shoulder, brushing her hands against one another before she slid them in her pockets with a laid-back attitude. Only the frown and furrowed brows gave away the fact that she was probably extremely furious.
"Like hell I know. A turf fight between some ol' families I never even heard of broke out back in Piltover, and we got our arses dragged in it by having to take care of it."
"We?"
"The Boy wonder of Tomorrow and I," she snorted.
"And I'm staying here."
"Looks that way. Apparently, they need you here to take care of that ongoing murder case. As if they can't do it themselves."
Vi brushed past the shorter woman, heading around the corner before stumping down the stairs with those heavy boots that had yet to be taken off in the house. Dragging her feet all the way to the door, she paused, bending down to finally tie her loose laces. Focused on her task and probably already brooding over the trip, she had not heard the approaching steps.
"How long will you be gone for?"
Vi recoiled and whipped around to the soft voice.
"Damn it Cait, don't do that to me."
"I didn't know I'd startle you."
"Yeah no sweat. I guess we'll be gone a few days. Dunno. No sure way to say."
"Have you notified the Summoners?"
"Actually, I was kinda hoping that you'd do it for me. I didn't think that we'd be called out at 6 in the morning."
A short pause.
"Of course."
Vi glanced at the Sheriff. Caitlyn seemed… different. Although she should be happy about her partner being in a better mood, the Enforcer couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. As if something wasn't quite right. But what? Was she imagining it? She had to be.
"Why? Scared you're gonna miss me?" With less confidence than she would have liked, Vi slipped her arm around Cailtyn's slim waist. The pinkette gulped as she got a smile in return.
"You should get going, dear. You don't want to keep Jayce waiting."
And then there was a gentle warmth dancing across her skin. Vi froze as a hand glided over her own. Slowly, teasingly. The smallest hand started to uncurl fingers from around her waist. One by one, until she was free again. The contact lingered, just a moment longer, before the raven-haired woman let go. Taking a few steps back, she then smiled before nodding to the door.
"Safe trip. I'll be here at your return."
A nod.
No more words were said as the Enforcer headed out the door. Raising her collar against the morning cold, long strides carried her to the Institute's main hall, where Jayce had been waiting. Grunting, the man waited until she was level with him before he took the lead and headed down one of the numerous white halls. By the look of things, the Hero of Tomorrow was most probably scolding her over her tardiness, his arms being thrown all over the place as he scowled at her. Vi just nodded.
Over and over, Vi replayed the scene in her head. And over and over did she feel uneasy.
"Sheriff."
"Summoner."
"The High Council is grateful for your involvement in this case."
Caitlyn rose from the floor and gave a stiff nod. "Of course."
"We would like to solve this case with as much efficiency and as much discretion as possible. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Very well. You are to inform us as soon as you find anything of any importance."
And with that, the cloaked figure turned on his heels and Caitlyn waited for him to be out of the room to scowl. Although she didn't mind the Summoners most of the time, she couldn't deny that she held slight contempt for them. Separation between the summoners and the champions were nowhere encouraged, a division had just naturally split the Institution's denizens. Even though most summoners were perfectly decent, the Sheriff couldn't help but feel uncomfortable around them. The high Council had eyes everywhere around the Institute. And secrets were hard to keep, when walls could hear.
Caitlyn shivered. Maybe she really was as paranoid as people said. And then again, there was no harm in being too careful. Shaking her head, she put those thoughts aside and went back to her task at hand. Crouching, she once again found herself staring at the victim's body. The corpse was staged. And quite neatly at that. Her heart beat faster.
With all her years spent as a detective and with all the experience that came with it, Caitlyn knew that she faced a dangerous opponent: a brilliant mind. This person knew what he or she was doing. They had to. Or she hoped they did. LeBlanc seemed quite nonchalant about the whole situation. The detective knew that under the surface, however, the mage was a ticking bomb, ready to explode. She had said so herself: nobody goes against LeBlanc. Nobody dares to challenge LeBlanc. The promised retribution was to be violent.
Caitlyn shook her head at the thought and decided to go back to her examination. She shifted her weight and moved around the body. Just as she had been doing so for the past hour. She was not one to give up. The more she got involved in this case, however, the more she felt that the circumstances were bizarre. Something was… off. Her intuition said so. And after years of trusting her gut, the detective wasn't ready to give up on it anytime soon.
As she continued with her ramblings, something caught her eye, as she re-focused her attention on the corpse. Brushing that rebel strand of hair behind her ear, the Sheriff bent down over the body carefully.
"Nice view".
Chocking on a swear, Caitlyn jumped to her feet and spun, missing to fall over the dead body.
"VI!" she growled angrily. The person in question said nothing, did nothing, as if glued to the spot. All anger disappeared as blue eyes observed the Enforcer. That smile. That smile was what worried Caitlyn the most in Vi's strange attitude. It was twisted.
Before she could do anything, a metal gauntlet caught Caitlyn at the waist, bringing her close. Falling against the other woman, the Sheriff immediately recoiled, fighting against the metal grip that was keeping her in place. Caitlyn was used to these gauntlets. She was used to having them wrapped around her, as that was how the Enforcer usually picked her up when a situation got complicated. At first outraged at being treated like a doll, the sniper had grown accustomed to the metallic touch that had kept her safe more times than she could count. So then why? Why did she feel so uneasy?
"Calm down, Sheriff, you're attracting too much attention." The struggling stopped. Vi. This was not Vi.
Snapping her head up to look at the other, Caitlyn scowled, balling her hands into fists. LeBlanc merely cackled, her eyes flashing orange a moment, before diluting back into an aegean blue.
Ignoring the stares they were getting, Caitlyn made herself as tall as she possibly could, dropping her voice low so that "Vi" was the only one that could hear her.
"What are you doing?" she hissed. "I thought we made it clear that you were to stay in my room and not make any trouble."
"I think you're the one that decided on that, Dear. I didn't even have time to put my word in before you were out the door. Did you really think that I would sit on your bed all day knitting you a scarf? Please. And here I thought that we had got to know each other better over these past days."
Caitlyn ignored the pretend pout and pushed the mage back. Vi just laughed.
"Just don't get in my way."
The mage gave a wink. "Do you have any new leads?"
"I might have," said Caitlyn with a straight face again. Ushering the temporarily taller LeBlanc over, the pair bent over the dead body together. LeBlanc examined the body. She founds nothing.
"What am I looking for?"
Without a word, Caitlyn pulled on the man's collar. The mage squinted and pointed at the very small stains. LeBlanc ignored Caitlyn's swearing as the gauntlet pushed the man's face sideway rather violently. These things really were too big after all.
"What are those?"
"If I had a guess, poison."
LeBlanc paused. "Interesting."
"Do you think it could be a possibility?"
"I definitely wouldn't leave it out."
The detective said nothing for a while. "Great," she said sarcastically, "That only leaves the whole Institute population to go on as suspects."
"I wouldn't be too sure," replied the sorceress, leaning in closer, intentionally brushing against Caitlyn. "Each and every poison is unique. Not one is a carbon copy of the other, as there are always very slight variations. Think of poison like a signature."
"Are you telling me that it's possible to trace the poison back to the culprit?"
"I am."
LeBlanc straightened and nodded her head.
"Do you know who did it, then?" asked Caitlyn, also getting to her feet.
"Of course not."
"What?" Caitlyn deadpanned.
"My poison knowledge, is more than decent. However, it is not good enough as to identify a very individualistic venom."
"You looked so confident," frowned Caitlyn. "If we are not capable of identifying this, then we won't find the culprit."
"I am confident."
"That we can identify the poison? How?"
"I know just the person." Although her sentence had yet to be finished, that infamous smile had already begun spreading to her lips.
Caitlyn followed her partner out of the Noxian wing back through to the Institute. The silence was awkward as neither party seemed inclined to start a conversation. Small talk was neither one's forte, after all. So, they just walked, the Enforcer leading slightly.
At first nervous of being caught with a transformed LeBlanc, the Detective eventually stopped flinching as soon as they crossed paths with somebody else. Although the acting was a bit over the top at times, the Piltovian had to admit that the mage was doing a pretty good impression of Vi's general attitude. Grinning, winking, pushing her around a bit… All of those things that the Enforcer would do, LeBlanc did.
The only time that the imitations were less accurate, were when LeBlanc had to move the gauntlets. Caitlyn had to admit that the Noxian had quite the attention to detail, as the hextech weapons looked mostly accurate. Getting used to having such big objects attached to the end of your arms was a different story. Ducking under a few clumsy swings, the detective now walked a bit further away. Noticing this, LeBlanc smiled, amused.
Crossing the long halls, they exited through to another residential wing. Caitlyn raised an eyebrow, as she was pretty much certain of their destination now. Hugging herself against shivers that were not only due to the cold winter's morning, the Sheriff continued after her companion. The Shadow Isles wing. She never believed that she would set foot here.
Although the huts were built mostly the same, the outdoor environment was miles apart from the Piltovian wing in terms of appearance and general ambiance. Even though it was getting close to noon, a permanent fog clouded the residential area, settling between the huts and the withered trees. The walk felt like it dragged on for hours, a quiet hum being the only other sound that accompanied the gentle clicking of their boots against the paved path.
Finally, they came to a halt in front of a small cabin, a little removed from the main trail.
Vi stepped up to the front door and knocked loudly, waiting, a mischievous smile plastered on her face. Caitlyn simply waited at a distance.
The door opened slowly to two red eyes. Elise leaned against the doorway as she swung the door open. No amount of hostility was hidden from her face, as she stared the two women down. And eventually, very slowly and with a scowl, she scuttled to the side, motioning them in with a stiff wave of her hand. Still no words were spoken, as Caitlyn stepped inside the Spider Queen's house.
It wasn't as dark as she had expected it nor was it as extravagant, the apartment holding only the bare necessities. Impressive libraries stretched across the walls, books struggling to not fall from their shelves.
"I thought I explicitly told you not to get me into your trouble," she hissed to LeBlanc, as she ignored the Sheriff altogether.
The mage laughed as she turned around, pushing the other's back against the door, trapping the spider with an outstretched arm on either side of her head. For once, LeBlanc was towering over Elise. Caitlyn looked away, embarrassed. She had to admit that the image was rather perturbing.
"Do you like what you see?" LeBlanc whispered.
"No. I prefer you when you're short and less invading of my space. Change back now, or I will do it for you."
"Fine," she sighed, stepping back from Elise.
Not two steps had been taken before she was back to herself. Noticing that the mage was wearing her clothes, Caitlyn pursed her lips. LeBlanc caught her glaring and shrugged. "I went and found myself something more suitable. I hope you don't mind?"
"Hardly," retorted Caitlyn, rather dryly.
"When speaking to this one, honesty is your best friend," mumbled Elise, stepping over to the next room. The duo followed her and LeBlanc dropped on the sofa next to the mistress of the house. The red mage paid no heed to it, probably already used to LeBlanc's personal space invasion. Making herself as comfortable as she could with someone squashed up against her, Elise nodded to one of the armchairs across the table.
"Have a seat."
Weary, Caitlyn gave a stiff nod as she sat on the edge of the armchair, back straight, hands curled into balls on her lap.
Elise opened her mouth to say something, but must have decided against it, shrugging before turning her attention to LeBlanc that had been patiently waiting. Almost calmly.
Disturbing.
"I'm waiting."
"What have you heard?"
"That you're in a predicament. That someone went against you. And framed you for a crime you had little involvement in."
"Little?"
"Evaine, a man was found dead in your house. If that's not being involved, then I don't know what you expect."
"True. So then you believe my innocence?" she asked, leaning in, batting her eyelashes.
"I do."
"I am touched that you didn't stutter."
"I had no reason to."
"Is that what friends are for?"
"I thought that you would behave when the Sheriff was around. A sad mistake."
"I've missed our little conversations. Haven't you?"
"We talked yesterday. For a whole 10 minutes. I consider that enough."
"And I've missed you too," LeBlanc said, gliding her finger across Elise's cheek before she got up from the sofa, strutting off to the kitchen in search of the wine cabinet.
Silence returned to the room once more, both women falling silent at the Deceiver's leave. Feeling Elise's scrutiny on her, Caitlyn did her best to not appear too distraught. If she and LeBlanc had nothing in common, then at least they still shared their humanity. Could one say that Elise was still human? Impossible to say.
Dressed in some large blouse and skin tight trousers, the Spider Queen was more casual, more approachable. Raising her eyes, she finally met Elise's stare. Neither one smiled.
"I must admit, I am surprised," started Elise, leaning in slightly.
"Surprised of what, Spider Queen?"
"I would have never guessed that you would bring yourself to help Evaine."
"Evaine?"
The mage paused, a smile curling her lips.
"My mistake. Emilia."
"I beg your pardon?" asked Caitlyn, confused.
"You are a curious little one, aren't you? That curiosity might get the best of you, if you are not careful. I would advise you stay clear of anything that does not concern you, Caitlyn. Friendly advice."
"If you're calling me nosy," Caitlyn rebuked, "then I'll kindly let you know that I am working my case. I will neither admit to being out of place, nor will I consider backing down from it."
A silence once again reigned in the room, neither woman yielding.
And as if on queue, LeBlanc walked through to the living room again with a tray carrying a bottle and three tall glasses. Taking her time in arriving, the mage placed the wine on the table, the glasses then following suit. Opening the bottle with an expertise that had been honed over the years, she poured her two companions a generous amount before she allowed herself the same treat. Ignoring the fact that she almost could hear Caitlyn's quiet protests, Evaine took one of the glasses. Twirling he liquid in her hand, she took a sip. The Demacian wine was like a rich velvet dancing on her tongue. Not bad at all. Elise most definitely had luxurious tastes.
Lowering her glass, she levelled it with the table before wordlessly sliding the glass over to the Sheriff.
"Thank you," she bowed her head, eventually accepting the offer.
Elise rolled her eyes, after having observed the quiet exchange.
"You both annoy me equally."
"You're really not good at small talk, are you?"
"I am amazing at small talk. You two just aggravate me."
"Separately or together?"
Growling, the Spider took a sip of her own glass. "Both."
Snickering, LeBlanc winked before putting her glass down carefully on the table.
"Despite how fun it is to tease you, we haven't come all the way out here for that."
"And yet you're doing such a decent job at it. Now skip to the part where you tell me why you are here."
"We need your expertise."
"Proceed."
Wordlessly the mage nodded. And wordlessly did she slip her hand down her top. True to the person Caitlyn had got to know over the last few days, LeBlanc did not rush. LeBlanc took her time. So Caitlyn turned her head away again.
"This." She said, producing a fabric. Elise noted the stains, and extended her hand.
"Isn't this evidence from the crime scene?" she asked.
"It is. And we took it. I thought it would be more useful here than locked up in a lab," LeBlanc said, ignoring the detective's low rambling.
"She has a point."
LeBlanc offered the torn fabric to Elise. Accepting it, the mage handled it with care, sliding the cloth down the palm of her hand. Elise furrowed her brows in concentration as the stains were carefully being examined. Not wanting to disturb her, Caitlyn observed the scene quietly. And in doing so, she recognized the owner of the house. Calm, calculating and very meticulous.
Quiet over minutes that even Caitlyn thought long, Elise finally huffed and laid back in her seat, fidgeting before her extra appendages folded in a comfortable position. "Very interesting," she finally said.
LeBlanc who had given her space, leant back in. "Well?"
"This poison has a very specific signature and is very unique in its own kind."
"And?" she asked, impatient.
"And very familiar."
Emilia cocked an eyebrow and frowned. "You're saying that you've already come across it before?"
"As have you both."
"A champion?"
"Sharp mind, Sheriff. But yes, I have a champion in mind."
"Why would any of us break the non-violence treaty? Nothing beneficial comes from it."
"I agree with LeBlanc. Charging a champion with murder by poisoning is a heavy and difficult accusation. Especially as we have only stolen evidence to go on. We have to be certain."
Spider legs twitched very slightly, as their owner gave an exasperated sigh. Picking up the tattered fabric once again, Elise raised it to her face. And before Caitlyn could ask what she was about to do with it, the mage opened her mouth. The Piltovian's jaw went slack when the spider gently pushed the fabric past her lips. She was thoughtful for a while before she finally took it out again, gently dabbing her lips with it.
Caitlyn starred a bit before coughing nervously.
"This particular venom has magical attributes."
"The rat and the Zaunite can be excluded, then."
"And the Swift Scout,"
"I wouldn't have it any other way, that mise-"
Caitlyn cleared her throat, the Deceiver coming to a halt. LeBlanc blinked innocently before sighing under Caitlyn's severe expression.
"You're no fun sometimes."
"And here we have only been acquaintances for the past two days."
"Coming back to the matter at hand?" Elise said, watching her nails, noticing a chip in her claws. She frowned. That was not good.
"Yes, thank you. If we exclude these three champions, then only two adepts in the arts of poisoning are left."
"And I am not on the suspect list. If that were the case, then I would have to question your logic, detective."
"Of course not. And that leaves us with only one, then," she nodded.
"The Serpent's Embrace." LeBlanc finished, all traces of playfulness erased from her demeanour. Leaning in, she put a hand over her mouth, pensive. Caitlyn felt a shiver down her spine as the room suddenly turned cold.
Blue eyes observed Emilia LeBlanc closely. Sometimes, the Sheriff forgot that LeBlanc was a high placed Noxian, elevating herself above most of her city's denizens. The Deceiver was a Noble. Judgement, wealth and power. She had all of those. And did she ever use them all to her advantage.
"I don't understand."
"Explain."
"I know the cadet of house DuCouteau."
"Do you now?"
"Enough to be perturbed."
"You're being very cryptic, Evaine."
"I am saying that this, all of this charade does not resemble Cassiopeia DuCouteau. She has a sharp mind. She acts in the shadows and is a creature of careful planning. She is not this. She is far above all this grotesque narcissism. And she deserves better."
"This makes no sense," intervened Caitlyn, who had held back. "Framing someone for an act they did not commit is a sign of personal grudge. However, it is extremely difficult to pull off twice. Why would the culprit go through the trouble of multiplying the risks?"
LeBlanc shrugged her shoulders. "Some people are more oblivious than others."
"There is that possibility… But there is also the one that DuCouteau is close to the culprit."
"Overruled."
"What?" Caitlyn frowned.
"Cassiopeia would never stand against me. And that is a certainty."
LeBlanc was as adamant as she was serious. And by now, both women knew that LeBlanc was not to be taken lightly. Especially when jokes came to a halt
"If you say so," Elise shrugged. "You have asked something of me. I have answered. What you choose to do next is not up to me."
Taking the outstretched fabric, Caitlyn held it for a moment. Frowning, she slipped it back into her pocket.
"A waste of time. DuCouteau is not involved."
"It is a lead. And I won't risk missing a detail because you won't follow up on it."
Caitlyn sighed staring down her drink. It was only midday and yet, she felt as if she really needed this cup of tea more than ever. Having moved back to her apartment the duo rested in silence, both pondering on the information they had gathered. Glancing over to LeBlanc, it was obvious that the mage had not expected this outcome, the frown on her face becoming almost permanent.
And for once, she remained quiet. Caitlyn took that as a blessing, resting over Emilia's silence.
Currently, Caitlyn was working off very few hours of sleep. Not that she was one to get what most would consider an "average" amount. Whether it'd be good or bad, the Sheriff had grown accustomed to sleeping very little, putting the day's hours at better use. If it were possible to not sleep at all, then Caitlyn would very happily opt for that option. Sadly, she was only human and her body required a minimum amount of sleep.
Sleep she hadn't got the previous night. Her uncomfortable position having little to do with it. Her sleep had been more or less light since the whole affair started. Although she tried to leave the matter aside, Caitlyn found that she struggled thinking about anything else but the case. And about LeBlanc. She stole a quick glance to the Deceiver. Maybe she really was in too deep. Caitlyn snapped out of her stupor only when she saw orange eyes staring back at her. Laying her cup down, she cleared her throat.
"Yes?"
"We won't find anything there."
"And I repeat, I will not risk missing evidence," Caitlyn repeated with a huff.
And then, a question came to mind.
"Why are you so categorically defending Cassiopeia DuCouteau anyway?"
LeBlanc looked at Caitlyn and blinked. "Is it important for the case?"
"I could lie and say yes but I won't"
"A curious little one, then." The Matron sighed and shook her head, a smile nevertheless tugging at the corners of her lips. "Very well, if you so desire an answer to your question: I used to see myself in Cassiopeia."
"Really?" a frown, "but you two are nothing alike."
"Oh more than you would think, Caitlyn. You see, once upon a time, Dear Cassiopeia and I played a game. A game of faces and tricks and wits. How I miss those times."
"You obviously came out victorious."
"I would have liked to proclaim a solid victory indeed. However, I hardly ever got the chance."
"How so?"
"Before I could bow out of our splendid game, Cassiopeia had disappeared into thin air. Months of silence passed before rumours of the cadet's return to the DuCouteau manor made their way to me. So I went to see for myself. Needless to say that she had changed into something completely different. And since then, our games have ceased to be. I am very fond of those times and thus keep Cassiopeia high in my esteem."
"I prefer not to in what these games consisted."
LeBlanc gave a laugh, her eyes then sparkling with amusement. "They are not for you, my Dear Caitlyn. You are not of my world. And it would be best that you stay away from it."
Caitlyn hesitated. "Would that happen to be a warning?"
LeBlanc shrugged. "Take it how you will. I for one, enjoy your company."
"Oh."
"Was that statement too early?"
"I am not sure…"
LeBlanc chuckled and opened her mouth to say something. And then her vision went hazy. LeBlanc staggered slightly, finding Caitlyn's shoulder as a support. Sliding her hand over her eyes, she bent over waiting for her fainting fit to subside.
"Are you okay?"
Was that a hint concern she heard? Probably not.
"I am fine."
"When was the last time you had something to eat?"
Evaine paused and had a quick think. "I don't remember."
A sigh. "Stay here. I will prepare us something."
Gently, Caitlyn took the hand off her shoulders, rising off the sofa. Rolling her shoulders, she then headed to the kitchen in seek of some food. Evaine looked at her back and waited for the Sheriff to be out of the room before letting herself fall to the side. Orange eyes starred at the empty white walls.
What was she doing?
LeBlanc pondered the question without really thinking about it, her stare getting lost as much as her train of thought had.
A light tap on the shoulder brought her back, eyes sharpening, raising to see Caitlyn hovering over her. LeBlanc blinked.
"Is my meal ready?"
"Our meal is. A rule usually prohibits us from eating in this room."
"There is?"
"My rule. Exceptionally for today, we will."
"Are you worried about me?"
"I am worried that you will drop your glass. It will not break on the carpet."
"Oh."
"But refrain from making a mess. Now please move over."
LeBlanc sat up straight and set her eyes on the meal that was given to her for the first time. She looked at Caitlyn.
"Is this it?"
"Yes," she said, bringing the tray on her lap.
"Did you cook this?"
"Please do not start this conversation and eat." The Sheriff blew on her spoon, tucking a strand behind her ear.
Imitating Caitlyn in dragging the tray on her knees, she dipped her spoon in the dish. Bringing it to her lips she took a mouthful.
"It doesn't taste as bad as it looks."
"I told you to not start with this conversation."
"I expected better, if I were to be honest."
"LeBlanc…"
"Your cupcakes are more than decent, after all."
"You've tasted them?" Caitlyn frowned.
"Did you actually think that I ever got caught by one of them?"
"I know you have. Now just shut up and eat."
The rest of the meal was silent. LeBlanc concentrated on finishing her plate, which really wasn't that bad. The fact that she was hungry helped her finish in record time. Pushing it to the side, she sank back into cushions.
"It really wasn't that bad, you know."
"It's eatable," Caitlyn said, laying the tray back onto the table. "But it is hardly what you would call nice."
"Is that all you're going to eat."
"I have other things on my mind."
"You don't say."
With a renewed energy, LeBlanc rose to stand over Caitlyn. The expression she now bore was calm and relaxed. Bending over, she trapped Caitlyn between her arms, like she had done to Elise.
"Care to share?"
"None of your business. And you're too close."
The other woman said nothing. Slowly, she lowered herself, her knees sinking into the sofa's leather until she was straddling the other woman. Hands still on either side of Caitlyn, LeBlanc stayed silent, only pressing herself closer against the other body. Eyes never broke contact. And then a strong grip enclosed her wrist.
"What do you think you're doing." Caitlyn's voice was calm. Her eyes, however, were glaring daggers down at the mage. LeBlanc could see the surprise, anger and slight contempt in them. LeBlanc's smirk was gone.
Freeing herself from Caitlyn's grasp with a flick of her wrist, she rose on her knees and pinned Caitlyn to the sofa.
"What are you…"
"Quiet." LeBlanc ordered. And Caitlyn obeyed. Utter surprise painting her features. Whatever she had been expecting, this was not it.
Shifting her weight, Evaine freed a hand and let it wander. Wander through soft midnight tresses she had always been fond of, slide down pale skin. Eyes following her hand's every movement, the Deceiver paused at the throat.
Patience is a virtue.
Watching the woman atop her stop, Caitlyn's breath hitched. More than the hand on her skin, she could feel the intensity of that stare. Gripping. And ultimately frightening. Although she could have overpowered LeBlanc easily, Caitlyn was frozen in place. Her grip was so strong on the armrest, that she could feel her fingers starting to ache. She couldn't help a shiver when LeBlanc pressed a thumb to her lips, smudging the very little lipstick she still had left. Although she would have thought it impossible, LeBlanc moved in even closer, forehead resting against the Sheriff's. And stayed frozen in place.
LeBlanc was still for a very long time, as if pensive. And then, she leant her head against the Caitlyn's shoulder, resting it there.
"I'm tired," she finally said, letting her eyes drift close. "Let me rest here for a bit."
Only silence followed that.
LeBlanc let Caitlyn relax into the sofa before letting her rictus grow.
A.N: Hello, hello it's been quite some time! First of all I would like to apologise for the delay in the update of this story. School has not been kind for me and I found that I need to be in a very specific mind frame to write.
I hope that you will like this chapter! There is definitely more to come and I am really excited to write the endgame. Not that that's until a few other chapters yet. I just wish to let the characters warm up to each other before being able to have any sort of... private setting, if you understand what I mean. But hey, it is definitely getting there, slowly but surely! Note that this is my first time writing anything other but fluff, so I hope that this is okay!
Thank you again for your patience and I hope that you will enjoy this chapter! (and thank you to all those follows/favs. I really never expected this when we first started this story!)