Hey sis

- I can't believe, out of all places, you came here, said a voice.

Vi jumped out of the seat, startled, and raised her fists in defense. Reflex died hard.

She looked over, and found a shape sitting on the metal barrier of the balcony. Long braids in the wind.

Vi did one step forward, ready for battle, but a gun immediately raised in front of her, and slightly shook from left to right.

No no, don't you dare.

- Hey Sis. Nice to see you, croaked the voice. I need your help.

- Jinx!

- Ehehe.

The young woman jumped down the barrier onto the floor, closer to her sister, her gun aiming straight between her eyes. That's when Vi noticed the dry blood running down her face, and the scratches on her clothes.

Hundreds of questions battled each other in the eldest's mind. Was she wounded? Why was she here? How? Why couldn't she be her little sister again?

- What are you doing here, Jinx? finally asked Vi, trying to summon all her strength to keep her voice steady.

- What? Can't a women visit her big sis in the very place where everything went to shit for both of them? What are YOU doing here?

- How did you find me?

Jinx shrugged.

- I followed you from the Undercity. You leave an easy trail. Nice job with Singed, by the way. I'm a bit pissed you got him just before I did, but well. Can't be helped!

She kept her gun at Vi's head and commanded.

- Take those gloves off. Please. Pretty please.

Vi hesitated a quick second, but the purple eyes on her sister's face didn't seem to be joking. A bit reluctantly, but also with relief (after all, she had spent almost a full day with those on) she disengaged them and let them fall on the floor. Then, a sudden fear popped in a her mind, realizing something she should have the second the blue haired maniac showed up.

- Where is Caitlyn? Did you do something to her again?! she growled.

The memory of that terrible night, of the intense and almighty terror she had felt when she had believed Jinx was about to reveal her partner's head under a kitchen bell reopened a fresh wound in her very core.

Jinx stared at her, chin low, anger flashing in her eyes.

- What did you do ? repeated Vi, twice louder.

You see? She only cares about the Piltie! You're nothing to her!

- SHUT UP! YOU STOP TALKING NOW!

Vi recoiled, taken aback by the violence of the outburst. She couldn't have guessed this was not meant for her.

- The hatlady is fine! explained Jinx with a sigh. I think. I don't know. I didn't CHECK.

Vi soaked in it, relieved, at least as long as she allowed herself to trust her sister's word. She took a second, swallowed, scared to say the wrong thing that would make Jinx run away. Or worst.

- You have to surrender, Jinx. Please. You gotta let us help!

See? She wants to kill you! Lock you up! Forget you! Bury you.

She hates you!

She lies!

- SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!

Jinx looked on edge, more than usual, exhausted.

- Pow-Pow, talk to me. What's going on?

Jinx, surprised, looked in her back to understand why was Vi talking to her machine gun.

- Powder?

- They just won't stop talking... I'm tired and they won't stop talking!

Shoot her! Just shoot her!

- Who? Who's talking to you Powder?

- STOP CALLING ME THAT! I'm JINX ! Remember? You were there!

Vi swallowed hard, torn inside, her hands shaking just slighlty.

- Yes. Yes I was.

- You said we'd always be sisters, right? You said it, that night!

- Yes I did. And I meant it. But you hurt people, Sis. You killed Cait's mother...

The Piltie! Only the Piltie!

But Jinx seemed to ignore both the voices and Vi, lost in her own head. She did not hear, nor understand, what Vi said next.

- I remember this apartment, she finally said. It think the blue rocks were in the other room. Gemstones, right?

Something in Vi's heart cracked and tears came back all the way up to her eyes.

- It's weird that you chose to live here.

Vi breathed in and tried to steady her voice.

- I didn't. It belongs to a friend of mine, and he offered me to rent the place instead of living at Cait's.

She's friends with the topsiders! She lives with them!

- Please sis, please look at me, she begged. I'm scared for you. Please let me help! Tell me what you need!

- You know... she answered, still ignoring the pleas and driving the metaphorical knife deeper and deeper in Vi's heart. When I left town, I thought I'd have no reasons to come back. You being with topside now, Silco gone, no more plans... But the outside is BORIIIING! There's nothing to do! It's just so... lame! So I came back! So we could play together again, just like before!

Vi bit her lip to ignore her pain.

- But now there's this stupid wolf! He's so big and so cool but he WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE !

She sighed, more annoyed than concerned.

- I need your help to get it off my back.

Vi looked at her, deep in her purple eyes, and finally broke.

- Powder, that... that wolf, she sobbed. Singed said it's Vander... That he saved Vander and turned him into that thing.

For the first time since she had entered the room, Jinx lowered her gun, and looked as she actually understood what Vi had just said.

- No, you're lying, she finally answered. You're LYING!

Gods how Vi hoped it was a lie indeed.

- I... I don't know! That's what he said but... But I think it's true.

Jinx seemed to loose every last pieces of sanity right in front of her.

- No! No! Vander's gone! They're all gone!

Then she turned to her left, toward nothing.

- Tell me he's gone! Tell me!

But the voices stayed silent, for once. She started pacing around, erratic, waving her gun in the air.

- No no no no no no no this can't be. No. That's a lie. It's a lie. Vander's dead. Powder killed him. I killed Powder. He's dead, she's dead, they're all dead.

Yes we're dead! We're gone!

Completely helpless, Vi watched her loose her mind. She could have jumped in, kicked the gun away, subdued her, she could have done something, but she didn't. She was just too tired. She didn't have the strength, didn't have the willpower. She just cried, she didn't care anymore. She wished that if she screamed loud enough, the universe would hear her, and bend to her will. "Oh, sorry, my bad, let me just fix that for you". But it never listened, never obeyed, why would it change now ? The hopelessness, the desperation, it swallowed her and spat her out, and all she could do about it, was crying. Finally.

- Please, she begged through her tears. Please stop! STOP DOING THAT FOR FUCK SAKE!

Her scream finally seemed to reach Jinx, who stopped dead in her tracks and looked at her.

- Stop doing what? Stop doing WHAT? This is me !

She raised her gun again, threatening her sister once more.

- That's me, all me, right here! I'm the monster you created, remember? When you left me alone!

- You were not alone! I was !

Finally, anger started to fight back against the sadness.

- You still had Ekko! We still had friends down in the Lanes! You had a roof and food! Even Silco was there for you, as fucked up as it sounds! But I had nothing! No one! I was ripped away from our home, from you, and I spent years in prison! I tried everything I could to come back! I was alone, locked in a box! For you! Because of Silco! This is not my fault! You are not my fault!

There, as soon as she said it, she realized it, accepted it, and the weight of the world got off her shoulders, just to fall on her little toe.

She was now up, close to her sister, her forehead pressing against the barrel of the gun. Jinx stared at her just as intensely, pressing the canon just a bit more, hesitating whether she should pull the trigger or not.

- So what? You're jealous of me?

- I... No! But...

- I'm gonna kill that wolf, growled Jinx, cutting Vi in her tracks. Is my sister gonna help me, or not?

We don't need her!

She's a Piltie! Piltie lover!

- Why did you rob that bank, Jinx? What do you need those Gemstones for? asked Vi in return.

- I'll set a trap at the Last Drop tomorrow night. I'll get him there. You better not bring the Hatlady, or I'll kill her too, if the wolf doesn't.

Why wait? Kill her now!

- Not yet... she whispered, turning back toward the balcony.

- Jinx! You have to stop! You have to let me take you in!

She finally reacted, tried to reach for the blue haired girl, but it was too late, or rather, she was too quick, so irrationally quick. When she thought she had grabbed her collar, Jinx had already stepped onto the balcony, sitting on the barrier.

- Don't let me down again, Sis.

Then she dropped backward, the weight of her machine gun pulling her to the ground.

Vi rushed to catch her, but she was gone. Without a trace.


By the time Vi reached the Kiramman's mansion, the moon was already high up in the sky, although the heat didn't seem to have gone away with the sun behind the horizon.

Vi had taken several minutes, lost on the balcony, to try to process what had just happened. One thing was clear : if she wasn't responsible for what had happened to her sister before, she still definitely was responsible for her now. And the day after. She was right about one thing : she couldn't let her down again.

She had stayed sit against the barrier for a while, eyes closed, soaking in the air and the light of the falling sun, trying to steady her breath, her hands and her thoughts. She thought that she had to give Jayce his keys back. This place was clearly a recipe for disaster. Nothing good ever came out of it for her.

But it was too late for the time being, so Vi went "home". A home that never belonged to her, where she was not welcomed anymore, but it was either that or a bar to drown herself in.

As soon as she got past the door, she was assaulted by a dark blue shape jumping at her so fast it almost tripped on her ass.

- Vi! Thank gods you're here! I was so worried! I came home and you weren't here and...

- Hey Cupcake. Easy there.

She embraced her and allowed herself a quick kiss on the cheek.

- What? You thought somebody got the best of me? she asked, trying to hide, well, everything, behind her cocky smile.

- Or drinking yourself to death. Understandable, after the day we had.

Vi's smile disappeared.

- Yeah, I thought about it.

Caitlyn cupped her face with both her hands and kissed her, on the lips this time, first gently, then with more passion, taking her time to enjoy the millions of electrical signals the contact between them was sending to her brain.

- It's okay. You're home. The hardest part in behind you. Let's get you something to eat.

Vi's smile came back, but trembling, unsure. She gently grabbed Caitlyn's wrists and took her hands off her cheeks.

- We need to talk, Cait. Something happened.

- Wha... Again? What's wrong?

- Let's go somewhere more private.

There was no one in the hallway, but between Tobias Kiramman, the maids and butlers, someone could walk in at any moment, so Vi just led Caitlyn to their bedroom. The Sheriff could even have been pleasantly surprised, expecting a steamy embrace, if not for the grave look on her love's face.

They sat on the bed, this horribly overly cushy bed, Vi keeping her girlfriend's hands in hers, to make sure she wouldn't vanish into thin air.

- Vi, sweetheart, what's going on? You're scaring me.

- I...

She sighed, needing to put her thoughts in order.

- I went to Jayce apartment. I can't really explain why, it's that... I dunno. I needed to go back, and see if he was right. If this place could help me... heal, i guess. But that's not the point. Something happened. Jinx was here.

Cait remained silent, one of the cog in the machine of her brain suddenly in technical failure. For once, her mind stopped working and she just didn't understand, couldn't see the picture.

- Wha.. How? Why?

- She said she followed us from the Undercity, since the moment we got Singed. She said she needs my help.

Vi finally let go of Caitlyn's hands and lowered her head.

- Ekko was right, Cupcake. About everything. Warwick is after her. She was injured, and bleeding. And she's... She's a mess! She sounds crazy, looks crazy, crazier than last time! She keeps talking to whoever, she's always looking next to her... It's like she's haunted, Cait! I think the Shimmer completely fucked her up for good.

She said that last sentence with a new sob.

- Where is she now? finally asked her partner.

- I don't know. She jumped off the balcony and then she was just gone.

- Did you try to catch her?

- Yeah I... I did! Eventually.

Caitlyn's eyes became harder.

- Eventually?

- Well she had her gun to my head most of the time! It's not like I could just shrug that off to take her down.

The Sheriff stiffened.

- Could, or wanted? I've seen you with a gun to your head, Vi. And as I recall, you broke the guy's hand, then his arm, and got him to the ground in half a second.

- She's not like any other thugs! She's...

- Your sister. I know.

- That's not what I meant!

But Caitlyn was already up, pacing around near the bed, thinking, fist closed against her upper lip.

- What did she need help with?

- Warwick. It's after her, I think she's getting desperate. She wants to set a trap tomorrow.

- Did she say what she wants to do with the Gemstones she stole? Use it against him?

- I don't think she has planned that far... She didn't even know why she stole those!

- Did you tell her that the wolf might be your adoptive father?

- I did! She didn't believe me...

Caitlyn paced and thought some more.

- I can't setup an operation like that so quickly, no one will volunteer again if Warwick is in the equation.. Plus, she will see us coming. We need to take her by surprise.

Vi's nascent tears were sucked back into her skull, and she frowned.

- What are you doing?

- I'm thinking, obviously. There has to be a way to use this information to apprehend Jinx.

- What? No. No!

Vi stood up too and spread an arm to her side, as a barrier to protect her absent sister.

- We're not about to ambush her when she's in mortal danger, Cait! You've seen that beast and what it can do! I'm not gonna risk that!

- I'm not saying we should let her die! But that's two birds with one stone! We neutralize the wolf, and capture her!

- How? You still can't properly hold your rifle! And even if you could, you don't understand! We were lucky to make it out alive last time! We only did because it decided to turn back! It killed four of ours, more of them, and we were dozens! No, no way, it's too risky!

- So what then? You're going to go down there alone? Throw yourself in the jaws of the beast, for her?

Understand, For your murdering sister.

- I'm not letting her down again, repeated Vi.

- And I'm not letting you go alone! countered Caitlyn. Remember your promise! You don't get to leave again!

- And remember yours! You don't get to die! This is too risky! If you were at 100% I might have hesitated, but you're not even healed yet. You're not coming!

Vi wanted to feel grateful, seeing her so adamant on coming along, but she could not shake the feeling that Cailyn only wanted to come for Jinx, for revenge or justice, but not for her. She felt sick and disgusted with herself for denying her partner that trust, but it was stronger than her. In the end, when it came down to the simple things, she was just scared for her sister, more than anything else.

- You can't stop me from coming, repeated Caitlyn, hurt.

- You don't know where I'm going. Please Cupcake, sit this one out.

- No.

Vi sighed. She headed toward the door, head low, avoiding Cait's gaze. But the woman was standing tall between her and the exit. The dark haired woman was just slightly taller than Vi, but for a second this small inch of difference felt like a full foot.

- Why are you protecting her so much ? She made her choice ! She chose this ! She chose to fire that rocket and kill my mother! Why do you want to go ?!

- Because she's my sister, dammit !

- And me ?! What am I?

Vi had never seen Caitlyn so angry, so emotional, she who was usually so composed and in control, now shouting like a teenager? She could barely answer that question.

- I love you Cait. Please don't make me choose between you and her.

- I'm not! You are! By forcing me to stay here! Just let me come with you! That's all I'm asking!

Vi's head was about to explode, like an overworked engine cracking under the steam pressure.

- It's the only way to keep both of you safe! she finally admitted.

Caitlyn stared at her.

- Or the best way to lose both, she finally answered.

Vi stared back, torn inside. The steam engine of her mind cranked up a few more stages, all the way up to danger in deep red.

- I'm taking my chances, she spat.

She moved around Caitlyn to get out, and this time, the blue haired woman didn't move back in her way.

- I'm not coming back on my promise, Cait. I ain't leaving. I'll be back as soon as it's taken care. That is, if you want me.

Cait let her close the door behind her without a word. If she wanted to... She straightened her neck and looked forward, to the window and the lights outside. Did she still want to? That was a good question...

Vi got down the stairs three by three, as fast as possible. She wanted to cry, again. Back in prison, crying equaled painting a target on one's back. Here she could, she was allowed to, there was no one to see, hear or judge. Still, she hold it back like she used to. She had shed enough tears for the day. Hell, she had shed enough tears for the whole goddamn year.

The sooner she'd be out, the better. And the sooner she could go drink herself to sleep in the worst bar she could find.


When she woke up, the pressure in her head seemed to be back to a normal level. That is, if she ignored the killing headache.

She didn't know where she was, didn't even recognize what she was sleeping on. It was only when she saw the light through the window that she understood she was at Jayce's. She did not even remember coming back to the place.

- Hey, said a voice. You're up!

She startled, making her headache worst, but the smell of coffee and breakfast coming from the trail in Jayce's hands seemed to erase it all.

- Whu... How .. she stuttered.

- An enforcer came to me last night. Said you were piss drunk, making a scene in a bar not far from the Council. Said you threatened to rip his balls off and make him eat them without sauce if he dared calling the Sheriff. So he came to me.

He put down the trail on the coffee table.

- I hope you don't mind me bringing you here? I figured you wouldn't want me to bring you back to the mansion, considering your... threats. Something happened with Cait ?

Vi's eyes answered for her. Mind your own business.

- Okay okay. Anyway, that's a good thing. You had left your Atlas Gauntlets here. I didn't know you came back here yesterday.

-What time is it ?

Jayce looked at the clock on the wall.

- Long time past ten.

Vi grunted and let herself fall back on the couch.

- I hope you'll forgive me for not bringing you to the bed. As soon as we got through the door, you rushed to the couch and jumped on it. Nothing I could do.

He chuckled.

- I thought you'd be one to handle your liquor a bit better.

- Shut up, Poster Boy! There's no booze in jail to train your liver...

Then, much more softly:

- Thanks for picking me up. I appreciate it. But shouldn't you be at work ?

He shrugged and picked up one of the toasts from the trail, for himself, inviting Vi to do the same.

- I think I can be late for once. The world won't crumble if I'm not here for one morning. Hell, even if it does, screw it. It felt good to sleep for more than five hours.

Vi had already engulfed two toasts and half her cup of coffee when he decided to ask her.

- What happened, Vi? Last I saw you yesterday, you were going down the Undercity to help that Little Man of yours, and next thing I know, you're drinking yourself to death and refuses to see Caitlyn. Is it... Is it because of me? Because I offered you this apartment? If so I'm so sorry, I didn't think that would...

Vi stopped him by raising her hands in front of his face, her mouth still full, the pink hair falling in front of her eyes.

- Nah, nothing to do with you. Yesterday was just... a rough day. Very rough.

- What happened then? I got no reports. All I know is that Caitlyn brought a man to Stillwater, to wait for trial. She hasn't sent her report yet, which is also unusual of her.

- Yeah, that guy is Singed. He's the mad fuck who created and produced the Shimmer.

- Wha.. But that's incredible! That's a very very good job! Well done!

- Maybe but... Well as I said, it was a rough day. Can we just leave it at that, please?

She couldn't, wouldn't talk to him about Vander, and more than anything, she wouldn't mention Jinx. She was not ready to have the same talk she had the day before, not with the only other friend she had on the Topside.

He kept his mouth opened for a few seconds, then just nodded. He'll probably hate her all over again once he'll learn what she was hiding from him, but she didn't care. That would be a problem for later.

- I guess I'll read the reports when they're done. Still, good job with Singed.

- Don't mention it.

They ate the rest of breakfast in silence. As much as they could call themselves "friends" now, they still didn't have much in common, not much to speak about. And even if they did, would they? Vi clearly had a lot going on in her mind, and Jayce wouldn't pry. He had enough shit on his own plate, with Mel Medarda, Noxus, Piltover and Zaun... No need to add on top of it. For Cait, maybe he might had insisted, but his affection for Vi didn't run as deep.

- I gotta get to work, he finally said. A morning is okay, but I fear the city might start burning if I stay away any longer.

- Would it be so bad?

Jayce couldn't say if she was kidding or not. Her eyes looked so sad, so lost, despite the thin smile on her face.

- I would be out of job, and I like the lab that goes with it, he answered, light toned, trying his best to convince both of them it was only banter.

But silence fell again, and he felt like leaving now, would be adding insult to injury.

- You know, finally said Vi, getting her eyes back on her empty cup of coffee, I often think that I should have gone back to the Undercity a long time ago. I'm even searching for an apartment up here now, instead of... down there. Truth is, it's not for the food, not for the hot shower that never runs out of water, not for the fresh air...

- It's for her, isn't it? For Cait.

She closed her eyes.

- No, it's for me. I hate how I miss her all the time. I kept telling myself I stayed for her, because she needed me, but I needed her. That's the truth, I didn't want to leave. Didn't want to be without her. I'm sick just to imagine living here, alone, without her. It would be...

She couldn't finish, so he did for her.

- Just like in prison?

- Yeah. Just like in the pit. No one and nothing but silence. I can't stand the silence anymore.

He stared at her, filled to the brim with sympathy.

- Why are you telling me this, Vi? Why not to her?

She just shrugged.

- Because I suck? she chuckled bitterly. In case it was not obvious to anyone, we ain't dealing in relationships, in jail. I don't know how to do it.

Jayce put his hand on her shoulder, firmly.

- Most of the time, no one does. Believe me. We just learn, and pick up some tips here and there. And judging by my own personal situation, I didn't pick up much so far!

Vi couldn't stop the genuine laugh to escape from between her teeth.

- Why does it look like she already knows everything then?

- Because let's be real, she smarter than both of us. Combined.

Vi's smile got wider despite herself. Jayce quickly brushed his hair, lost in the past for a few seconds.

- I've known Cait forever, he resumed. So trust me when I say that you're good for her. She's worthy of you, and you're worthy of her. No doubts about it. Just talk to her. And listen! The rest will solve itself.

- If only it was that easy...

- It might have been different kinds of relations, but during my time with Heimerdinger, and Viktor too, I found out that most of the time, the hardest part is not doing the talking. It's convincing yourself that it's worth it. And it always is.

Maybe she believed him. It was hard for her to tell, it was hard for her to stand this whole conversation. It was painful, uncomfortable, but at the same time, she felt a bit relieved. Helped.

- Thanks Jayce. I'll think about it. I gotta go.

She stood up, still a bit dizy, and went to pick up the Atlas Gauntlets carefully stored in a corner.

- Anytime... You're welcome to come back here whenever you want.

- I know, I got the keys.

- Actually... They're hung over there. I took them from you last night.

She scanned the entrance, looking for it. She wasn't sure if she wanted to pick'em up or not. In the end, she did. She'd need a place to crash if Caitlyn never wanted to see her again.

- I'll see you around, Poster boy.

She closed the door behind, leaving the Councilor alone with two empty cups and a couch covered with toast crumbs.

- And how will I close the door, now? he wondered out loud.


A/N : It was supposed to be the last chapter, but it turned out longer than I expected, so there will be another one, a last one! I hope the reunion between the two sister was somehow believable? Lemme know what you think!