Hello again! Hope everyone is staying safe and taking care of themselves! Here is Chapter 8 of One Last For The Road! I personally really enjoyed writing this chapter (in comparison to chapter 7) due to the fact that it speaks to me quite a bit. More on that in the conclusion since I do not want to spoil anything :P So? What do you guys think of my fanfic up to now? Reviews are always welcome! Hope you guys enjoy and stay safe out there!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything League of Legends related except this story or my account! :)
Chapter 8: Sincere Gratitude
"God dammit!" Shouted the pink-haired enforcer, releasing her frustration on her desk. Ever since her gauntlets were ruined, Vi was stuck doing paperwork, while Caitlyn was out on patrol with Lieutenant Jones. She hated doing paperwork. She was probably the most hyperactive officer in the PPD, so sitting on a desk for hours was similar to totrture for the bruiser. She let out an exhausted sigh and leaned back on her chair, trying to sort out the events of the last few days inside her head. It was 4 pm on a Friday, and she couldn't clock out until 5 pm. She was so looking forward to having a drink with Caitlyn after work.
Abruptly, a sudden memory came rushing into her mind. It was the night of Jinx's murder, when her and Caitlyn were getting drunk at their favourite bar. She recalled how Caitlyn was sad over the fact that she couldn't save Jinx, just like she did with Vi. After all, her job came with two specific duties. The first one was to protect the weak and the second one was to stop criminals. Nowhere did it say that she had to save the criminals she was trying to stop. Vi was a criminal once, and she managed to turn her into a proper civilian, well for the most part. Almost simultaneously, she started feeling grateful, beyond grateful, almost to the point of tears. She would've probably been either dead or in jail if it wasn't for Caitlyn's efforts and dedication.
Speaking of the devil, Caitlyn walked in the police department of Piltover with the Lieutenant right behind her. Vi quickly wiped away the small tears that were forming in her eyes and wore her signature pearly smile.
"Hello cupcake, how did it go? Anything interesting happen in my absence?" She asked, hoping that wouldn't be the case as she would feel even more depressed considering that she was now a liability of the PPD without her gauntlets.
"No, not really. How are you feeling?" Replied the Sheriff, leaning on her partner's chair.
"Ok I guess, I'm just bored out of my mind. Also, I'm trying to sort out everything that happened within the week." Stated Vi. The Sheriff almost immediately noticed how worried her partner sounded. That is when she got an idea as to how to cheer her up.
"Alright, get up now. Chop chop." Ordered Caitlyn in her high and mighty British-accented voice.
"I'm sorry, your Highness. Did you just say, chop chop?" Replied the bruiser jokingly.
"Did I stutter? Clean your desk, organise your files and off we go!"
"Where are we going?"
"Out of here, that's where! Come on, hurry up!" She ordered again, practically skipping out of the building. Vi let out a small chuckle and decided to follow the Sheriff's orders. She proceeded to sort out her papers and her desk, then picked up her jacket, police cap and followed her partner out the building. The two officers walked towards Caitlyn's personal car, and as soon as they got on, they set off.
"Aren't we gonna get in trouble for ditching work?" Asked the concerned bruiser, not sure where Caitlyn was taking her.
"Nah, I told Jones to keep an eye out and inform me if anything happens. I also told him that we are going to run some errands." Replied Caitlyn giving Vi a cheeky wink. Vi pulled a cigarette from her left chest pocket and lit it up opening the window fully.
"And what would those errands be?" She asked.
"I beg your pardon? I do not know what you are talking about." Replied the Sheriff with a plotting smile. Both women immediately cracked up. As soon as Vi was able to breathe again, she looked at her partner and said:
"God, if smoking doesn't finish me off, you will. So, where are we going?"
"I saw this poster of a carnival happening nearby and I wanted to cheer you up." She replied. Vi felt like kissing her right there and then. But she knew that if she did so she would probably cause a traffic accident. Her previous thoughts and feelings of gratitude returned, but, this time, they came crashing down like a bullet train. All she could think of doing was silently thanking her while staring down at her police issue boots.
After a few minutes of silent driving, the two women reached the park which hosted the carnival. They exited the car with their badges and guns removed and their police shirts opened in order to grant themselves a more comfortable, casual look. It was summer after all, so it was too warm for them to keep their shirts unbuttoned.
For the next few hours, they tried to play as many games and ride as many rides as possible. They played a couple of shooting games, in which Caitlyn obviously destroyed Vi without breaking a sweat and then they tried a boxing arcade machine, in which Vi had no equal. Even the poor guy operating the thing was frightened by the sheer power behind Vi's punch.
That should come naturally, considering that besides today, Vi was inseparable from her gauntlets. She would even train in them at times, which obviously made her feel quite used to them.
After buying some popcorn and smoothies, the two off-duty officers sat down on a bench which overlooked one of the rides they rode earlier. They partook in so many activities in the small amount of time they were there that the old bench they were sitting on felt like the most comfortable place on the planet. Panting, the two women took a sip from their smoothies in order to refresh themselves. After a couple of minutes, Caitlyn broke the comfortable silence that surrounded them.
"Well, that was fun." Said the Sheriff, eating a small chunk of her popcorn and drinking a sip of her smoothie.
"Yeah, it was. Thank you for bringing me here." Vi replied as she lit a cigarette. She hadn't had one in a while, pretty much since they arrived at the carnival, so the need to smoke right one was pretty big. Caitlyn noticed how Vi was crouching forward with a skeptical/worried look on her face. She couldn't help but ask.
"Hey Vi, everything alright?" Vi didn't look at her. She was getting anxious. She was about to unleash all of her unbottled feelings of gratitude to the woman who practically saved her from a life of crime and cruel hardships. She was trying too hard to think of what to say and how to say, but then she stopped. She stopped thinking about it. She thought to herself fuck it, this is Caitlyn for crying out loud, just say it. So she did.
"Hey, cupcake. There is something that I want to talk to you about." She began. At that moment, Vi had Caitlyn's full attention.
"I want to take a moment and say thank you, for everything. I don't know if I've ever said this, but I can never thank you enough for all that you've done for me. For taking in a criminal like me, and turning me into a proper police officer, a proper civilian and a proper human being. I can't thank you for all the kindness, love and support you have shown me over the years." Stated Vi, still crouching and looking at the smoothie and the cigarette in her hands.
"There was a time in my life that if you had told me that I would be here today, being a respectable police officer for the most part, being your friend and partner, I would have called you insane and probably robbed you without a second thought. But despite all my mistakes, all the times that I fucked up, all the times when I made you worry about me, all the times when I created extra work for you because I was too reckless…" At that point, Vi was practically tearing up, while she was also having trouble finishing her statement.
"...You never gave up on me, Cait. You never did, even though there were times just like that day with the bank robbery when I gave you every reason to give up on me and go on with your life. On the day when Jinx was murdered, you were crying over the fact that you couldn't save her, just like you did with me. Even though it is not your duty, you even try to save the criminal scum that we throw behind bars. Even those that don't want your help. You have a golden heart Caitlyn, and I pray to whatever god there is up there that you never change. I feel blessed for having in my life, and I could never have asked for a better partner and best friend." She finished. That was it, she told her everything. She let all her feelings out in one go. She kept staring at the ground for a couple more seconds until she realized that Caitlyn wasn't saying anything. When she turned around to see her partner's reaction, all she saw was Caitlyn crying her eyes out, almost completely silently. How could she say anything? Where does she even begin? The mere fact that this abrupt confession took place where it did and when it did was enough to make her emotional. That's when she figured it out. She didn't have to say anything. Vi already was aware of everything. She was already aware of how much Caitlyn cared for her, how much she worried about her and, most importantly, how much she loved her. There was no point in saying anything. So, she did the only thing she could think of. She hugged her, tightly, like there is no tomorrow. She embraced the pink-haired bruiser like a mother would embrace her daughter. She didn't want to let go. Vi returned the hug wholeheartedly.
They stayed like that for a few minutes. They didn't care who was looking, as this moment was theirs and theirs alone. Even the atmosphere around them was acting on par with the moment they were having. For a moment, it felt as if the entire carnival was empty. As if there was no one else around, as if it was just the two of them alone in the entire world. Both women let go after a couple of minutes and they smiled and laughed together, almost simultaneously. Caitlyn was the one who broke the silence.
"Wanna get some drinks, partner?" She asked.
"You got it, cupcake. First round on me." Vi replied.
The two officers proceeded to spend the next couple of hours drinking and reminiscing on the past. They reminisced on all the times that Vi got Caitlyn into unnecessary trouble just because she lost control or got too excited and whenever Caitlyn would prank Vi by secretly adding sugar to her beer and saying she needs to 'sweeten up, honey'. Their laughs echoed through the half empty bar designated for adults only. After a few minutes passed, Caitlyn's phone rang, the name on the screen creating a half-tipsy smile on the Sheriff's face. Vi's face on the other hand was covered in bewilderment. Caitlyn picked up the phone.
"Good evening, Jayce! How are you?...Aha, yeah, sure we can meet up tomorrow. Perfect, alright then. See you tomorrow!"
The Sheriff hung up the phone and looked at Vi, anxious to see her reaction.
"Guess what? Your gauntlets are ready. We will go tomorrow and pick them up. Jayce said that he got a few surprises for the both of us." Stated Caitlyn, watching her partner's eyes light up like a Christmas tree, barely being able to keep her excitement at bay.
"Hell yeah! I can't wait!" Screamed Vi at the top of her lungs. She was understandably excited over the fact that her gauntlets were not only fixed, but also upgraded, probably with many new ways that she can use to beat up criminals. She caused such an uproar to the point where Caitlyn had to apologise to the bar staff for her partner's public disturbance. They paid their bill and decided to go home. After all, they were both really excited over the fact that now they would be able to fight on par with Jinx and Pyke. But in the calmness and serenity and peace of the night, they could not see the storm that was silently brewing in the distance. They were in for a number of surprises tomorrow.
OK, so that was a roller coaster. As mentioned in the A/N above, I personally really enjoyed writing this chapter because...(drum roll)...I actually have a very similar feeling as Vi does. I'm not gonna get into the specifics cause I don't really wanna share that personal info here, but safe to say, I understand where Vi is coming from! Funny thing is, no one in family or group of friends really know about this except a few, so this is another reason why I don't want to open up more on this.
Anyway, enough with all this sentimental c***. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all very soon! :)