Author Note: I literally installed League so I could read the council archives. It was worth it.
"In all you've researched, there was no indication that the criminal was even capable of smiling. But in this picture… she's laughing."
- Council Archives
Caitlyn sat on the back edge of her bed, with her feet planted firmly on the ground. She was alone now, for the first time in a long while. Vi had stepped outside, not via the door but by the window. She said she wanted to get a lay of the land, just in case.
Caitlyn couldn't argue with that; they'd been in almost nonstop danger since the moment they met. Both still felt restless, despite being safe now. She stayed inside, trusting that Vi would return before the council meeting. They still had plenty of time before they had to leave.
That time needed to be filled somehow. Caitlyn had already inspected her crime board, making note of the spots where Silco fit in. He had been the missing piece of the puzzle, the kingpin that tied the crime ring together.
With just one slip of the tongue, Caitlyn could've arrested him much sooner. Now she finally knew the truth. There were still some puzzles on the board, of course, but he was the answer to so many questions.
With the additions, Caitlyn wanted to take a photo of part of the board. She'd last used her camera at the crime scene on the airship, using it to snap various pictures. There had been a lot of dust in the air there, of both natural and brightly colored origins. It had appeared on a few of her later photos, smudging the edge of the images.
That wouldn't do, not at all. There was little she could do about it at the crime scene, but it needed to be cleaned before she could use it again.
As it turned out, the pink dust had seeped quite far into the device. When Caitlyn opened the hatch, a layer of it had accumulated on the glass. She could see even more between the gears and had to take the rest of the machine apart.
The device was fully cleaned and in pieces on the bed next to her when she heard the faint sound of a window sliding open. Caitlyn's right hand tensed subconsciously, seeking a pistol on her hip. She suppressed the impulse; there was only one person it could be.
"The coast's clear out there." Despite knowing her for only a few days, Vi's voice was easily recognizable. Caitlyn relaxed her hand, turning her head to look Vi's way. "There's an easy route to the council too, if we want to go by rooftop." Vi said as she shut the window behind her. Her eyes were clearer than they'd been earlier.
Caitlyn chuckled at that. "No way," she shook her head as Vi approached the bed. "We'll take the streets, they're perfectly safe." She knew that for a fact.
The corner of Vi's mouth quirked up to a half smile. "Figured you'd say that." She glanced from Caitlyn down to the bed, eyes stopping on the camera pieces. "What are you working on?"
"Oh, this?" Caitlyn turned her attention back to the device as well, starting the process of reassembling it. "My camera needed cleaning."
"I didn't realize cleaning meant taking the whole thing apart." Vi sat down on the other side of the parts, causing the bed to shift slightly. She reached for a piece, one of the springs. "What does this do?"
Caitlyn gently took it from her. "That's part of the flash mechanism." She set it back where it was on the bed. She went back to the other parts, adding the next piece to the base.
Once it was securely attached, Caitlyn glanced up. Vi had her head tilted down, eyes locked on the assembly.
"Do you want me to show you how it works?"
Vi's gaze rose, misty grey eyes glimmering with emotion. It wasn't a familiar look to Caitlyn; Vi could be quite hard to read. Her words were still measured. "If you don't mind."
"Of course I don't!" Caitlyn scooted a little closer so she could show the mechanisms better. She explained how the first pieces formed the base and how the lens was next.
Vi watched and listened as Caitlyn added each part. She didn't ask questions, but each time Caitlyn looked up her eyes were focused.
After a few more minutes, the camera was complete. Caitlyn passed it to Vi to hold for a moment, so she could admire the device.
"What do you use it for?" Vi asked as she handed it back.
Caitlyn wished she had a better answer. "Not much really. I mostly take photos of crime scenes for investigations." She wasn't exactly the artsy type.
"Hmm." Vi seemed to think about that for a moment. "So, all of the pictures on the board then." She gestured across the room at the crime board.
"That's right." Caitlyn rose to her feet, taking the camera with her. She still wanted a picture of the board for her records.
"You could've been a photographer." Vi commented, that persistent cheeky grin back on her face. She leaned back on her elbows. "Avoid all that nasty enforcer work."
Caitlyn raised one eyebrow. "And miss the chance to meet you?" She delivered it in a sweet tone, deliberate in her delivery.
Vi blinked in surprise and inhaled as if to respond, but hesitated and reconsidered her words. She looked down and muttered something under her breath, but Caitlyn couldn't hear what it was.
Instead of asking for Vi to repeat herself, Caitlyn stepped away and walked towards the front of the room. She stopped in front of the crime board, pushing the stepstool she used so she could get a better view. She wanted to capture the top left quarter, so she could stow it in her files.
She carefully lined up the shot though the viewfinder, focused entirely on that small box, and then snapped the button. It flashed, taking the picture.
When the viewfinder refocused after the shot, Caitlyn noticed that something wasn't quite right in it. She could see a couple of hands, sticking into the top of the shot.
Caitlyn looked up from the camera and was met with an astonishing sight. Vi had sprawled herself face down across the bed, throwing both of her arms off the end. She'd succeeded at getting her hands close enough to be in the viewfinder.
"Back up." Caitlyn said, though she knew it was already too late. Vi had almost certainly been in the photo.
Vi was looking up, right at Caitlyn, clearly smirking. She slowly withdrew her hands, as if she'd done nothing wrong and was just extending them to stretch. No way though, Caitlyn wasn't buying it.
Whether or not they made the picture was yet to be seen. It popped out after the photo was taken, but it took a few minutes for the film to develop.
Caitlyn glared at Vi as she shook the image, the other woman seemingly unbothered. She had sat up on the bed, eagerly waiting for the film to develop.
It only took a few more moments until the picture was ready.
Most of the picture looked fine; it was an accurate capture of that part of the board. Unfortunately, the image was not perfect. Two blurry upside-down Vs could be seen at the top, clearly two sets of fingers intruding on the image.
Caitlyn sighed, shaking her head at Vi.
The other woman raised one eyebrow, silently asking to see.
Well, there was no reason not to show her. Caitlyn flicked the photo over, which Vi caught with ease. She looked down at the picture, eyes moving over it in an instant.
Then, after a smile steadily grew on her face, she began to laugh. This wasn't a chuckle or a scoff, both of which Caitlyn had heard from Vi before. No, this was a full-blown laugh. It carried through her body as she leaned forward from the exertion, hitting one hand against her knee.
Even though Caitlyn didn't agree with the comedy level of the picture, this laughter was almost contagious. It rang clearly through the room, carrying Vi's overflowing energy with it.
She was so full of life, so stunning. It was impossible to look away.
Caitlyn lifted her camera once again, looking through the viewfinder at her companion. She had another piece of film in there, it would be easy. Before she could second guess herself, she snapped the photo.
Vi's laughter abruptly stopped, one hand coming up to shield her face from the flash. As before though it was too late, the picture had been taken. Caitlyn almost felt bad for ruining her laughter. Almost, but not quite.
"Could you give me a warning next time." Vi blinked a few times to clear her vision.
Next time. Those words struck a chord, echoing repeatedly in her mind, even as Caitlyn apologized. The picture printed out of the camera, ready to develop.
Caitlyn watched as the picture slowly appeared on it. Vi was in the center, leaning forward slightly. Her mouth was open as she laughed, eyes crinkled with laughter. The photo only went down to her shoulders. It didn't fully capture the emotion of the event, but it still stirred a twinge of emotion in Caitlyn's chest.
"How do I look?" Vi asked, hopping to her feet to come see the picture. She peered over Caitlyn's shoulder. "Not bad at all."
"Maybe I should become a photographer." Caitlyn chuckled, requesting the other photo back from Vi so she could put them away.
Vi relinquished it as requested. "Can I have the one of me?" She asked.
Caitlyn still held it tight in her hand. "I think I want to keep it." She looked at it again, appreciating it more and more with each second that passed. Vi frowned, which was as close to a pout as she could get. "I'll take another one for you." Caitlyn promised, which brightened her right back up.
For now, she needed to put these ones away.
Caitlyn stepped over to the other corner of the crime board, where her files were stacked. The first picture of the board was easy to stow; it went in the archive folder.
Vi's picture was harder. In the end, Caitlyn clipped it on the inside of one of the folders.
Later, when she needed to get back to the grind of work, she'd be able to look at it and remember the sound of Vi's laughter. She'd remember the hardships they faced, but also the joy in the time they spent together.