Watching Vi sleep felt strange, especially if she didn't even remember her. Things would be different now, she'd be on her own at work, she'd be back to her old self again, just alone. Caitlyn was an only child, used to sneaking around the moors with her first rifle, she'd gotten used to being on her own and never knowing any different, didn't realise how much she disliked it. Vi changed that. She watched as a tear splashed onto her jumper and quickly wiped her eyes with the sleeve wrapped over her fist.
She fell asleep in the chair she was curled up in, waking up after a few hours. Vi was still asleep.
"Cait" Vi murmured. Caitlyn's eyes widened and she leant forward, closer to her. She listened to her breathing, wondering whether to say anything or not. Did she remember her name or did somebody tell her?
The nurse woke Caitlyn up at four in the morning, she thanked her and walked outside. For some fresh air, knowing Vi was okay was a huge relief, only now there were other concerns.
She went home and washed and changed into better clothes, she ate and then left for Vi's flat with her spare key. She pulled out a few clothes and things she might need, the clothes smelt like her and she missed it terribly. Turning around she saw the empty alcohol bottles on the table, she grimaced and walked out briskly, trying to forget the words they'd exchanged.
At the hospital Vi was awake and sitting up, staring out the window.
"I brought you some of your things...I um hope that's okay..." She said realising Vi doesn't know who she is yet she's scrambled through her underwear.
"You were in my dream last night" She bit her lip. "There must be something in here!" She tapped her head. It helped that Vi could be so upbeat even in the hardest situations.
"How are you feeling Vi?" She turned quiet at the end of her question, afraid to hear the answer.
"Frustrated that I had a flat and I don't even remember if it's a double bed." Caitlyn smiled.
"It's double but how do you feel physically..?"
"Ah my head fucking kills" She said laughing, Vi was used to gritting her teeth through pain, it didn't bother her anymore, if anything it made her feel more alive. "I can smoke in here right?"
"Vi it's a hospital!" Caitlyn hissed. Vi grinned.
"I don't know who you are but I've missed you" Vi held her hand out towards Caitlyn, she took her up on the offer.
"You should hit your head more often."
"And forget your face again? I hope not." She grinned.
"You haven't changed at all, always with the flirting!" She smiled, she'd missed that too, of course.
"Wait ... did we have a thing?"
"You wish." She put her legs over the arm of the chair and sat sideways.
Caitlyn had began to go back to the station to catch up on paperwork and help out in the bigger investigations, she checked in to the hospital every day still, morning or evening. There wasn't a day that went by that someone didn't ask how she was doing.
A week into her being back at work the phone rang, she answered it shakily, a little anxious that she hadn't visited Vi that morning.
"Hello Sheriff it's Doctor Ladden, I'd just like to let you know your partner has been suggesting memories coming back to her, I thought a visit might be in order. You're lucky, it's rare to recover amnesia."
"Thank you."
The hospital might as well have become Caitlyn's second home, she was on first name terms with the nurses now, they greeted her when she arrived and said their goodbyes when she left. Vi was sprawling something on a piece of scrap paper with a red pen. The tip of her tongue stuck out a little, she always did that when she worked on her gauntlets.
"Is everything okay, Vi?" Caitlyn was wearing her uniform, a very short skirt that Vi struggled to tear her eyes away from.
"Please tell me I didn't have to wear that!" She looked offended at the idea of that outfit on her.
"Yours was a little more suited to your tastes..." She chuckled.
"I remember weird little things, I remember making tea, I remember buying flowers and I remember a really clean house with a big wooden door oh and a yellow blanket!" She quickly wrote down the blanket and looked at Caitlyn for reassurance.
"I taught you to make tea one time, and you really messed it up... You know knew how I liked it in the end though. Um yes you bought me flowers because you broke my door and I guess that's my house!"
"Looks like you turned me soft"
"Is that a bad thing? I'm glad you remember."
Vi blew a strand of her from her eyes.
"They said I can go home tomorrow, if my bloods okay." She grinned.
"They also said a lot of rest. He told me too." Vi rolled her eyes and huffed, she much resembled a child when she didn't get her own way.
"I think you should stay with me for a bit, until you feel a little more settled. I know you don't feel like you know me that well-"
"It's okay. I'll get to know you again if I have too."
Caitlyn arranged her spare room properly, and transferred Vi's things from her flat to her new room. She was so fascinated with the idea of having her own mini bathroom, Caitlyn was worried she would forget her all over again.
Every day Caitlyn would sit with her and a Cork board and pin photos of people Vi had known to it, where she'd known them from and what they did. If anyone could pin out some bodies entire life with photos and string it was Caitlyn. As she did this Vi began to remember more and more, it started with trivial things, but they grew into events and people and her work.
Vi spent every second of her days trying to remember every little detail about Caitlyn, she'd recognised how sad Caitlyn looked when she realised that Vi didn't remember her, she'd seen the hurt behind her shining blue eyes and she wanted to fix that. There were memories she knew she had, but she was afraid to say them.
Caitlyn knee what Vi liked and tried to use it to help her, she played card games with her, they'd laugh and Vi would cheat, Caitlyn would no doubt work it out before she'd even began the cheating.
It didn't take long for Vi to realise how she had felt about Caitlyn. She remembered watching her leave the station before her, her hair would blow in the wind as she opened the door and the smell was hypnotising. She remembered Caitlyn touching her arms at a party, feeling her delicate fingers trace the scars, she shivered.
Caitlyn still left for work every now and then, leaving Vi behind. She took that time to familiarise herself with things, to see if it would trigger any memories. One day she decided to try Caitlyn's room, she'd never been in there, as of her current memory anyway.
b
There was a big bed in the middle with flowery bedding, a bedside table, and a big dressing table by the window. Caitlyn wasn't one for vanity, she wore make up and took care of her image but it seemed a little out of place here. She opened the tall wardrobe and inhaled, she recognised the smell of Caitlyn's clothes, they smelt just as sweet as before. She looked through her clothes to see if she recognised any, There was a dress that she recognised, although it was black so maybe it was that, as she looked at it something caught her eye. There was a bright blue colour on the back of the wardrobe. She pushed back the clothes and realised Caitlyn had her own ideas on Jinx, she still trying to find her. Caitlyn had written notes down aside each picture of her, she'd written the date that she had escaped their grasp. There was a note also saying my fault. Suddenly Vi remembered talking to her sister behind the bars she remembered arguing with Caitlyn, she remembered the flash of blue in front of her car and- she shivered, where was she?
Vi closed the doors of the wardrobe and went to look at herself in the mirror, she looked so different to how she used too, so clean, proper clothes, it was weird to her. She sniffed a bottle of perfume on the dressing table and sneezed, knocking it over. The bottle hit the mirror and it turned slightly, Vi saw the very same red wool that Caitlyn used dangling behind it, she flipped it over. Caitlyn had also been trying to work out where Vi came from and who were family were, now she had Jinx things might be easier. She didn't have a lot yet, Vi wasn't surprised. She cared about Vi there was no doubt about that.
When Caitlyn came home that evening, Vi was sitting and waiting for her, she gestured for Caitlyn to come and sit with her. Caitlyn took off her hat and sat down.
"I remember what happened and I want you to know that it wasn't your fault." Caitlyn bit her lip, Vi took her hand to comfort her.
"I'm sorry I lied Cait, and I'm sorry I forgot you."
"Do you remember-"
"I remember it all...Do you remember the party?"
Caitlyn smiled and looked into Vi's lilac eyes, she leant over towards Vi, kissing her gently on the lips.
"Yes." She whispered.
Hope you enjoyed!