[A/N:]
Somewhat of an interlude.
I think that "Caitlyn, what the fuck" is a very reasonable reaction to this chapter :')
When Caitlyn arrived at the office the next morning and waited patiently for the security scan procedure to finish, she was already having an argument in her head.
A very particular argument, to be precise.
The argument she was bound to have in real time today, with none other than Agent Markham. And about Vi's accommodations, no less, because it was time to clear the air about that. Vi's puppy gaze from the day before had stayed with Caitlyn well into her evening, haunted her dreams even, and this had resulted in rather poor sleep for her.
Vi's plight was on her mind and Caitlyn wanted to genuinely help. She felt like Vi was owed it — she'd been working with them for weeks now, after all, and had put up with every ridiculous regulation Agent Markham had contrived specifically to keep her on the shortest leash possible.
Granted, Vi was only dealing with Markham through Caitlyn and while all her complaining seemed a lot like superficial whining at times, Vi was tenacious and wouldn't let it beat her down. Her perseverance was commendable.
But it wasn't only her perseverance that kept surprising Caitlyn. She was also interesting, in a way that wasn't all too clear to Caitlyn herself just yet.
Yesterday, in the sleep-addled privacy of her own mind, Caitlyn had admitted to herself that she liked having Vi around. Come morning and when she'd been in full possession of her mental faculties however, she'd found herself more hesitant to acknowledge this particular fact.
In a bout of anxiety, Caitlyn chewed on the inside of her cheek and ventured into the building.
She'd sent a meeting request to Agent Markham the night before, after having left the office, and had just hoped that Markham would see her this morning so she could get this over and done with.
Fortunately for her, Markham had affirmed her request and scheduled a brief meeting.
Opting not to go see Vi without having any good news to report, Caitlyn dropped her things off in her office and made for the sixth floor.
Markham was already waiting for her. She stood by the window and watched the air traffic, but turned and politely greeted Caitlyn when she entered.
The Agent clasped her hands in front of herself on the table as they sat down and regarded Caitlyn attentively, "Good morning, Agent Fitzwilliam. You wanted to speak with me?"
"Good morning, and yes. Thank you for seeing me."
Caitlyn straightened in her seat as she mulled the best way to word her request over in her mind. No matter how many times she'd already broached the topic of Vi's abode, she supposed that straight out the gate was still the best approach.
"It's about Vi," she began.
Agent Markham's mouth twitched unhappily, "When is it ever not about Vi?"
There was an air of annoyance about her, but she prompted Caitlyn to go on with a wave of her hand. Caitlyn bit her tongue and made an effort to ignore both the comment and her own growing irritation.
No use in antagonising her over this, she reminded herself.
"Have you given any more thought to letting Vi move back into her own flat?"
The Agent soured visibly, but Caitlyn pressed on undeterred.
"It's been weeks since she first started working with us. She's proven herself to be loyal and responsible and her training is progressing nicely, but she's understandably upset about not being allowed to leave the building at night. The physicians have assessed her psyche to be stable in light of what she went through in the laboratory."
Agent Markham pursed her lips in a displeased manner, but otherwise her mask stayed in place. Her eyes burned into Caitlyn's.
"I agree that she's proven to be useful. But even if she's mentally sound, Vi is still a criminal and very well might get into trouble if she's not under watch."
Her eyes darkened, "I'm afraid she must remain under supervision, Agent."
Caitlyn gave it her best not to scowl. This reasoning was flimsy and far-fetched in her eyes and she had every intention of pointing that out.
"If she's so unpredictable, then why even provide her decent quarters in the building? Why go to the length of training her and putting her through her paces? You said you would let me handle her and make sure she does well. I'm doing what I think is necessary to keep her on track."
"And I think we're already granting her enough allowances within this facility. Best not to give her the idea of running off, gallivanting around the city and jeopardising our entire operation."
Agent Markham rotated her hand and pulled up a challenging eyebrow, "Worse yet if Viktor's men somehow get a hold of her again, wouldn't you agree?"
The thought of that happening was indeed quite disturbing to Caitlyn, but she recognised what the Agent was trying to do here. She refused to be subject to this low tactic, instead trying to convince herself that Vi's fearlessness coupled with her new tactical training would make all the difference in such a situation.
So she subtly shook her head in disagreement, "If we want her continued assistance in apprehending Viktor, we need to show her our trust. I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt."
Agent Markham leant back in her chair and crossed her legs as she studied Caitlyn with narrowed eyes. One fingernail tapped a slow beat on the armrest.
"You've talked to me about this many times over and I still don't see how any of what you suggest would be beneficial for us. I stand by my original opinion: If she's not on our leash, we might as well hand her over to Viktor on a silver platter."
Caitlyn's frustration was mounting. Vi's eyes from the night before flashed through her mind, the crestfallen lines of her face, and Caitlyn's hands suddenly became clammy.
Having this pointless argument was a colossal waste of time in her eyes. She just wanted to deliver some good news to her partner.
Caitlyn licked her lips, "How about we keep tabs on her then?"
The suggestion was out before it was properly thought through and Caitlyn's mind immediately concocted a myriad of scenarios where Agent Markham would twist it to suit her own wishes.
Markham peered at Caitlyn, ready to once again refuse her, when her tech-tool unexpectedly chimed a notification. The two women turned their attention away from their stalemate and Agent Markham swiped a hand over the small holo screen that had popped up along her forearm.
She suppressed a sigh and stood, prompting Caitlyn to do the same.
"It seems I must cut our discussion short seeing as something of actual importance has come up."
Caitlyn grit her teeth at the underhanded comment as Markham stood at attention with her hands behind her back, "Fine. Have it your way, then, Agent. She'll be allowed to return to her residence if you deem it so critical to our mission; I'll send you a permit via cube."
The Agent's eyes flashed at Caitlyn, "But I expect her to also be under constant surveillance. I won't allow you to gamble on her fidelity."
She clarified, "We have access to discrete RFID tracking software. Get it installed on her person and she may leave to whatever place she calls home."
Caitlyn sucked in a breath, "You want me to plant a bug on her?"
"It's either that, or she stays here," Agent Markham simply stated.
Oh, you son of a—
"Now don't push your luck, Agent," she added with a sharp look that signalled Caitlyn she'd reached the end of her benevolence.
Caitlyn felt about ready to strangle that woman, but the necessity of the situation tragically didn't allow for that. She'd have to adhere to Markham and her methods, or risk overturning this tentative common ground that she and Vi had slowly felt out between one another.
It wasn't what Caitlyn had had in mind when she'd opened her mouth, but the idea actually gave her pause. Chewing on the inside of her cheek for a moment, she thought it over.
It was Vi's wish to get back to her own flat. She still seemed happy, all things considered, but last night her expression had severely cracked and Caitlyn had been left feeling distressed and unsatisfied because of it.
She wanted to fix this. She wanted Vi to see that she was on her side and would not hesitate to take a stand for her. And she wanted to be worthy of Vi's trust.
And aside from personal aspirations, the SAC apparently had top-of-the-line equipment for this exact purpose. Which, honestly, shouldn't have surprised Caitlyn as much as it did in that moment.
The advantage was that it wouldn't compromise Vi or her homely accommodations in any way, because Vi wouldn't even notice anything amiss. Not ever, if Caitlyn had it her way, and she would make sure of that.
It really was the most harmless option.
Caitlyn pressed her teeth together and let out a quiet exhale.
"That sounds reasonable," she eventually relented.
Agent Markham's expression lit up and she nodded satisfiedly before excusing herself from the office, "Excellent. Now, I'm sure there's work to do for both of us. Until next time, Agent."
Caitlyn was left standing with a bad taste in her mouth, but it couldn't be helped. She tried to look on the bright side instead; Vi would be elated to be allowed to finally leave after weeks of polite but nonetheless forced-upon containment.
That thought was the motivator that got her to eventually leave the office. It was time to collect Vi and officially begin the day.
"What are we celebrating, Cait?" Vi asked as she eyed the container in her partner's hands curiously.
It was long past midday, Sol Prime was already shyly dipping towards the horizon and they'd had a rather productive day. Caitlyn had found a rock-solid lead in the smuggler case and was confident she could now accurately pinpoint the location of their next shady meeting.
It'd be yet another case closed and the Wardens relieved of yet another fire to extinguish in that particular district.
Vi on the other hand had been trapped in a series of check-ups and screenings with the physicians all morning — something she still detested. At least she was letting them take a look at her augments now, even if she still didn't allow them to poke her with anything that might pierce her skin.
This figurative battle of attrition between Vi and her doctors had actually opened up a time window for Caitlyn to make good on her compromise with Agent Markham, so she'd immediately seized the opportunity and met with Collin in his booth.
Caitlyn had cordially insisted he help her out, letting him know in no uncertain terms that she was acting on Agent Markham's orders herself. That, and he was the only guy she knew who could actually help her out. But she didn't mention that last part.
Collin had shown her the RFID software the Agent had told her about and explained to Caitlyn how it worked. She'd asked him if it was safe, if it was unobtrusive and untraceable, and Collin had answered in the affirmative to all of those questions.
During his explanation, he'd drifted off into some technobabble that was well beyond Caitlyn's basic understanding of tracking software and she'd had to stop him before he'd completely lose the thread.
In the end, the two of them had utilised Caitlyn's direct comm link to Vi's tech-tool in order to place a discreet marker on Vi's IP that Caitlyn would be able to track to virtually anywhere.
"Unless she's out in dark space," Collin had dryly joked.
He'd also raised an eyebrow when he'd learned about the link itself, but ducked his head when Caitlyn had shot him a glare in silent response. Since a tech-tool was always interconnected to its owner's neural implant, the implementation was both safe and fool-proof.
It was as simple as it was brilliant, and Caitlyn was secretly impressed by the level of sophisticated technology the Agency could shake out of its sleeves at the drop of a hat.
And so with that out of the way — and a promise from Collin that he would keep his mouth tightly shut about the whole thing —, Caitlyn had ventured back into her office and tried to get some actual work done.
But that'd proven to be easier said than done because, for all her resolutions, Caitlyn'd ended up wasting the entire rest of the morning as she'd sat in her office, surrounded by holo pics and data packages regarding the smuggler case, and wrecked her brain on how to present Vi with the good news she still needed to share.
Because, for some inane reason, Caitlyn's brain had come to the conclusion that simply telling Vi wouldn't cut it.
No, it was something that warranted a little celebration. Which was why, now, Caitlyn found it quite exciting to hear Vi ask for exactly that.
At her partner's inquiry, Caitlyn walked around the desk and sat in her chair across from Vi, placing the small box squarely in the middle of the surface. There was a tiny, pleased smile on her lips and she was aware that Vi was aware, but she didn't feel like smothering it at all.
Let her see, she shrugged it off without a second thought.
Vi was sitting up attentively, obviously nosy about the bright yellow colour of the plastic box and its contents. Her eyes shone.
But Caitlyn just leant back in her heavy chair, for once enjoying its comfort features and settling against the tilted backrest. She observed how Vi was doing her best not to wiggle and knew she was probably picking at the seams on the edge of her chair in excitement.
Her blue eyes flickered between Caitlyn's calm gaze and the box. Her leg was bouncing beneath the table now.
Caitlyn grinned.
Vi was an extremely entertaining sight.
"Come on, don't hold out on me!" Vi finally blurted.
Caitlyn chuckled and uncrossed her arms. She reached for the box, pulling it closer to herself.
"Alright, you've been very patient. For about fifteen minutes."
Vi squirmed, her pupils practically dilating, and Caitlyn was privately having the time of her life. The analogy of Vi being a puppy seemed frighteningly accurate once more. Caitlyn drummed her fingernails on the lid of the box, relishing Vi's absolute despair with a disturbingly fierce fondness.
Vi met her gaze once more, silently begging her, and Caitlyn finally took pity on her.
She opened the box, eyes fixed intently on Vi's face.
Her partner grinned eagerly, peering into the bright yellow container, and made a noise in the back of her throat. Inside the box lay a cube.
Caitlyn pushed the box back into its original position in the middle of the desk, offering it to Vi, "Go ahead."
Doing as she was prompted, Vi tapped a finger on the cube and activated its holographic panel. A document appeared, thin glowing letters floating in the static between them. Caitlyn held her breath.
Vi leant forward, blue eyes flitting from the digital paper back to the cube, and frowned.
The corners of her mouth stilled, then turned downwards. Caitlyn didn't move a muscle. Eventually, Vi flopped back against the backrest of her chair and let out an explosive sigh.
"That's it? A damn piece of paper?"
She shook her head, "I can't believe you made such a fuss about more paperwork!"
The tension left Caitlyn's shoulders and she rolled her eyes skywards.
"It's not paperwork, Vi. If you would just read it, you'd notice that."
She waved her hand with a furrowed brow. Vi wasn't convinced, but complied. She started reading with squinted eyes, but soon her expression changed.
Caitlyn was leaning on her arms on the desk, waiting. She was still intently looking at Vi, and seeing her face slowly ease from scepticism to surprise and then wonder was like the clouds parting on a rainy day.
Her expression relaxed, the tightness around her eyebrows vanished, and once again Caitlyn's attention was drawn to the name inked into the skin of her cheek.
She dropped her gaze.
Vi reached out and nudged the box to the side so she could properly look at Caitlyn. The hologram flickered slightly from the motion.
Her eyes were wide and there was the beginning of a cautious grin on her face. Caitlyn swallowed against her dry throat, but kept the eye contact.
Eventually, Vi drove a hand through her white mob of hair and the grin burst into brilliant life, bright as a comet entering the atmosphere. It was a broad and lively thing — all teeth and no shame — and Caitlyn probably enjoyed it far too much.
The sight of it scattered the last remnants of her concerns, and Caitlyn was quietly relieved to have done the right thing after all.
"Damn, Cait," Vi said with an air of breathlessness about her, "Is this really what I think it is?"
Caitlyn smiled and nodded, "The missive I got from my superior stating that you're allowed to go home, effective immediate."
Her smile stretched further as she watched Vi opening and closing her mouth like a fish.
Vi caught herself and the intensity of her prolonged stare was making it hard for Caitlyn to keep eye contact, "You really came through for me."
It was spoken as a statement, not a question, and Caitlyn heard the wonder in Vi's voice.
She'd never been one to boast about her accomplishments or parade her victories around in front of everyone, but this time Caitlyn greedily soaked the approval up and let it run its course in her brain.
Then she shook her head, gently smothering her own enthusiasm.
She shrugged, "Sorry it took this long. My superior isn't exactly convinced you'll play nice."
Vi smirked and took the brief explanation with a shrug of her own.
"Can't blame her," she quipped, "It's fine though. I was getting used to this place."
That actually gave Caitlyn pause. She remembered how adamantly Vi'd refused to stay at the building initially, arguing with her and even Trundle and Volibear when they were simply supposed to escort her to her quarters and had no say in the matter at all.
Caitlyn also remembered how quickly Vi'd changed her mind and agreed to stay, despite not sharing her reasons for suddenly doing so.
"About that, actually," Caitlyn began, "If you don't mind me asking, what made you change your mind so quickly? About staying here, I mean."
Vi made a noncommittal noise and crossed her arms, thinking the question over. She wore the same expression on her face that she'd worn when Caitlyn had asked about her original pair of gauntlets.
"Well, I kinda liked the idea of not having to worry about groceries and stuff," Vi scratched the back of her neck sheepishly, "And my electricity bill could've probably used the breather."
Her eyes became hard, "I thought it might be better than going back and getting caught out by Viktor's men."
Caitlyn was searching her face, but Vi was suddenly withdrawn.
"You're probably right," Caitlyn agreed.
There was a beat, then Vi spoke up in an effort to change the topic to something safer.
"Anyways," Vi announced, "This is indeed reason to celebrate!"
She slapped the box closed and cradled it in her hands before standing up and stowing it safely away in their shared locker. Caitlyn's eyes followed the motion. With the tension broken, she relaxed back into her armchair.
"Any suggestions?"
Vi paused a moment to make a decision, then her grin was back full force.
"I'm hungry."
Caitlyn blinked. Vi was looking at her with an open face. Caitlyn didn't want to know why it struck her as endearing, but she chuckled despite herself.
So, it was to be one of those days.
Caitlyn was very well aware of the fact that Vi could eat anything she wanted on the SAC's dime and that she'd done so countless times over the course of the past couple weeks.
She threw a glance over her shoulder and out of the window behind her. It was already dark outside by now.
After such a mentally taxing day, Caitlyn would've loved nothing more than to go home and call it a day. However, that could wait.
Caitlyn turned to face Vi again and figured she could stay in the office a little longer.
She smiled, "Alright, let's order something."
[A/N:]
*RFID = radio-frequency identification
Now, that wasn't so bad. What's one teeny tiny tracker gonna do to your still new and fragile relationship with your partner, right? :')
[EDIT 2021-09-09]: And this is why you shouldn't upload a new chapter at 1am on a workday… Cuz you might just forget to add the entire bit about installing the tracking software lol
Just in case you were wondering: I re-uploaded the entire chapter because I ended up changing more than just a few sentences here and there. Apologies for the inconvenience.