The Sheriff

603, 604, 605, 606,…660. The bright neon luminescent numbers of the alarm clock appear in my head 6:00, it was time to wake up. Despite waking up 11 minutes before I had to be out of bed, I reasoned my best odds at not stirring the man besides me was to wait. Often, he woke if I stirred earlier than 6 but would remain asleep if I got up at 6. Not sure the reason why he functions that way, perhaps something to do with his REM sleep patterns but I can't say for sure. Either way as I slid his toned arm off my midriff, I did everything in my power not to rustle the bed too much. The man known as the Hero of Piltover thankfully laid still as a stone as I stood up preparing my outfit for the day. His square jawline and muscular back enough to make most girls swoon only made me grimace. Nothing against Jayce it is not his doing that has us paired in this unhealthy relationship. No, we had Camille to thank for that. The great idea to pair the hero of the inner city with the hero of the lower city and Zaun was too tantalizing of an idea to pass by. For Camille the political marriage solidified the two police departments and the symbolic unity that was our marriage was good for business. Strengthening her hold on the Commissioner seat but our feeling be damned.

Jayce wasn't a bad guy I just had no interest in him. He was boisterous, proud, and charming in his own right and most women would tell me how lucky I was to be married to a man as handsome as him, but I didn't feel lucky. Despite his good traits in a relationship he could come off as arrogant, condescending, and pushy. Often, he would be too proud to admit when he was wrong or had made a mistake. The best example is when he broke the television when he went to replace the hextech convertor. When he went to power it on the sound of an electrical sputter and the sizzle of the main board was a telling sign that the television had reached its final hour. When, I went to check to make sure I heard correctly he put himself between the mistake any myself and refused to let me check it. Instead he went on a thirty-minute rant about how the quality of technology has declined over the years and nothing lasts anymore. Then when I mentioned that I am pretty sure he installed the convertor incorrectly he began to talk about how I didn't understand how the technology worked and that he was an expert since he built his hammer from the ground up. I just ended up shrugging and letting him be. This was a common occurrence that and his pushy desire to lay with me any chance he could. What other women found charming I found repetitive and repulsive. We have been married two months and I have yet to consummate the marriage and he doesn't let me forget that fact for a second. Constantly making passes and putting his hands where I never asked him too. I told him the night before our marriage that I had no interests in those kinds of activities with him, but it fell upon deaf ears. I sigh as I shut the steaming hot water off and begin to dry myself.

Thinking about my situation is pointless and will do nothing for me now. I estimate the time to be around 6:30 and I have 15 minutes to finish getting dressed before his alarm goes off. Quickly putting on my now iconic purple dress and large top hat with purple and yellow pin stripes. Once out of the bathroom I quickly prepare my daily breakfast. A bowl of cinnamon flavored oatmeal. I eat it every morning without fail. Once breakfast is over, I take my hextech sniper rifle out of the weapon's closet and begin to assemble it. Applying oil and wiping any spots of grime I can find. A ritual that serves me well as the rifle always fires true to its mark even after years of use. At exactly 6:45 I am out the door heading to my black unmarked police cruiser. A gift on my wedding day from the agency. The car has four doors and its engine powered by the now famed hextech cores it must've cost a tidy sum. I never looked up it, figuring it was the least the Agency owed me for sham of a marriage it thrust upon me.

I drive in silence as I head to the station. It sits on the outer edge of Piltover and a stone toss away from Zaun. A small county office that is dwarfed by the massive precinct in the inner city. Though, I much prefer the cozier feel of the county office, my co-workers feel alive and functional not robotic like some of those from main office. The office is a mixture of old and new design. The front of the building rebuilt with tinted glass panels, tall sleek glass doors with a tight silver trim, and clean metal lettering "Piltover's County Precinct" adorning the top of the station. Though that was all they rebuild, the rest of the building had its original brick walls faded over the years and the rusty navy-blue metal doors that were on the back and side of the building. I walked towards the glass doors and pulled the cool silver metal handle of the door opening to reveal the not-so modern interior.

Rebecca gave me her trademark smile and wave as I walked into the office. "Morning, Sheriff you're early. Though I guess that's no surprise."

I have her a polite smile "Good Morning Rebecca, anything interesting happen during the night shift."

"Not especially, though John was complaining all night about their being an abnormal amount of calls over racoons breaking into to trashcans." Rebecca chuckled as she recalled the event. Her left hand covering her mouth as she laughed. Her nails neatly trimmed and painted their usual deep purple. The mole by her thumb crinkling as the muscles in her hand flexed and relaxed. I had to close my eyes briefly to break my focus.

"Well John always said he loved animals." She smiled at my joke revealing her faintly yellow teeth and I spotted the chipped lateral incisor on the upper left-hand side of her mouth. She said it happened when she tripped jogging last week. She was surprised and slightly embarrassed I noticed it. I couldn't help but notice it was an oddity. A drastic change in her appearance like when she dyed her hair dark brown this winter and the two grey hairs on the left side ceased to be.

Small talk aside I headed for my office. Unlocking the door, a familiar and undisturbed sight greeted me. A stack of paper on the right side of the desk meant they were case files I had to review and sign and the stack on the left were complete and needed to be sent to the main office for review. The stack on the right always bigger. Sitting on my worn dark brown leather chair that was begun to crack after years of neglect I began the process of review.

At exactly 7:45 I heard the loud stomping of a certain 6ft 4inch officer approaching my door. I couldn't contain the smile that found its way onto my face. I already knew the opening line that would follow as soon as the door swung open. 'Hey there cupcake, Would you like some tea?'. I felt a warmth on my cheeks as her nickname for me bounced around my head. Cupcake, a name she gave to me after I put a cupcake on a bear trap one time as joke but ended up getting a drug lord to get his hand stuck in the trap. The name stuck, I didn't mind. Like clockwork the door swung open and my pink haired partner with googles atop her forehead and the impossible to miss VI tattoo on her left cheek appeared before me.

"Hey there cupcake, would you like some tea?" Her hands without gauntlets were still large and made the cup in her hands look miniscule. The Earl Grey tea was warm but not boiling hot. Though she would never admit I knew she cooled for it before bringing it to me. A nice gesture that most people would miss especially since she could be brazen with her attitude.

"I wouldn't mind a cup." I gave her a smile as I leaned looked up at her. Her pink hair long on the right side and shaved down to a few centimeters on the right. Her steel blue eyes meeting my own gaze. My fingers brushed hers as I grabbed the cup, my fingertips tingling after the brief contact.

"So, what's the plan for today? Anything need a good punching?" She made a fist as she smiled her pink lips drawing my attention. They were shapely and I found myself wondering if they were soft. I had to shake my head to break that thought process. I can feel a small blush spread across my cheeks as I realize she caught me looking.

"No, we are just looking into a disturbance at a local warehouse."

"Hmm sounds kind of boring but if were lucky maybe we'll stumble into a drug den or something fun."

"Either way VI, go get your gauntlets and meet me at the cruiser I'll be there in a couple minutes."

"Whatever you say cupcake." She says the last part with extra emphasis and makes sure our eyes make contact as she does so. I can feel a full-on blush taking place and seemingly happy with the reaction she gives me a wink and heads out to collect her things.

I will never understand why she has this effect on me. She is brash, quick to anger, doesn't think before acting, and childish at times, yet I can't help but blush whenever her attention is focused on me. Though despite her flaws she has another side that most people don't notice and its in the fine details. She is caring and thoughtful, and its often seen in the little things. Like knowing my favorite tea and cooling it before bringing it to me or bringing Rebecca an apple tart on Fridays her cheat day. She can be selfless at times covering a night shift for John when his kid has a big game in the morning, or always be the one to breach into a hostile zone. She comes off as arrogant and always looking for a fight but on patrol she is the first to give a kid candy, or offer to drive a homeless person to a shelter if they are caught in the rain.

"You coming Cupcake?" I hear the familiar voice calling for me down the hall. I feel my face grow red as I realize I was lost in thought about her again.

"Coming!." I grab my rifle and my hat and head out the door hoping by the time I got to the car that my face had cooled.

It was time to focus on the task at hand. Apparently, some citizens reported that a tall woman with baby blue hair had been causing a ruckus at a warehouse in the industrial district of Zaun. An odd sighting though one that has been more common as of late. This same description could be a match to a plethora of crimes in the lower echelons of Zaun. Arson, Assault with a deadly weapon, Armed robbery, and destruction of private property to name the more recent ones. We have been tracking this woman for the past couple of months waiting for the moment where she finally slipped up and this warehouse may finally the moment were looking for.