A/N: So I guess I got this idea while watching The Originals, and noticed important similarities between two tragic and broken characters that I both love and enjoy very much, I'm sure those who've watched both shows will know what I'm talking about eventually, the introductory chapter is Jinx being released from a mental hospital after being treated, Jinx, Vi, and Caitlyn living with their traumatizing past and trying to get past it so they can live as a family, Ekko will be included in the story as I am a firm supporter of the Jinx/Ekko ship, no one can tell me after the look they shared after fighting on the bridge that that wasn't a look of love, I mean don't get me wrong, it was also a look of grief, anguish, and I firmly believe Jinx wanted it to end right there, but if ya'll know the look, you know the look.
Not many people can claim to have had an extremely close childhood bond with someone, something that grew into more, and then for it to be ripped away by a kingpin who took that childhood friend under his wing, turning her into your biggest enemy, not a lot of people can then claim they eventually patched things up, and became good friends again, even something more, but then again, Ekko and Jinx aren't a lot of people, at least not in this fic. :P
Jinx stares hesitantly at the door, knowing once she opens it, one chapter of her life ends, and another begins, part of her wanted to fake a mental break down, one so bad that they'd be forced to lock her up forever, another part just wanted to collapse onto the floor and cry her eyes out, unfortunately there weren't enough tears in the world to really express her sorrow.
Maybe if she waited long enough the world would just stop and she wouldn't have to go through with this, after all her time here, apparently the Pilties decided she'd be of more use to them working for them rather than rotting in a cell or wasting away in a hospital, she was going to stay at some fancy Piltie hotel indefinitely, but apparently Vi and Caitlyn were able to pull strings to get her released into their custody. It was no secret that she is a genius inventor and engineer, she guesses the members of the council, even the surviving ones from her attack six years ago who held a grudge, recognized she is a potential resource, she agreed to what Vi and Caitlyn had set up but made it clear that she would slit her own throat before ever making weapons for Pilties, she'd do anything else, but she'd be damned if she was going to give the government that kept her down her entire life more tools to continue their tyranny, Vi assured her that no one would force her to do that, but Top Hat was unsure, she knew as well as Jinx did that it was definitely a relevant factor to her release.
She scoffs, fucking Pilties, they never passed an opportunity to exploit what they can use, a fact a Zaunite like her knew all too well. She has always hated Piltover, Vi thinks she was the only one to hold a grudge, but she too remembers the Enforcers' cruelty, she can barely remember her biological parents, but if she thinks really hard she can think back to moments and faces, warm smiles and lullabies, those little bits of memories mean the world to her, but they also fill her with anger and grief, knowing the reason why there aren't more of them, that moment on the bridge with Vi has been burned into her memory forever.
She chuckles, that bridge was cursed, I should know, given what my name is she thinks bitterly, another moment that would forever be burned into her memory was the moment with Ekko, her Ekko, the boy savior she smiles sadly, every fight with him was hell for her internally, externally of course she hid behind her manic grin, weapons, and explosives, but no matter how many times Silco told her to kill the past, a part of her always hated fighting Ekko, she wonders if he felt the same, even after everything she's done. I wouldn't blame him at all if he didn't.
You did almost kill him.
Tears come to the corners of her eyes, with the help of medication and eventually through a method the doctor overseeing her case, Dr. Hyde, taught her, she was able to dull the voices down a lot, but they still creeped up on her every once in a while, Mylo somehow always came at the worst moments.
She shook her head furiously, the tears rolling down her cheeks, she didn't want Ekko dead, she could never, the current you doesn't, but at the time you wanted to die with him. Her eyes widen at that, and her face becomes filled with more pain than before, if that was even possible.
She did. She was so angry, sad, and filled with hopelessness that she was just done with the world in that moment, she was tired of the world seemingly being against her, especially when the world didn't seem that eager to prove her wrong, she hated the fact that she was his enemy, she hated the fact that the world forced them on opposite sides of a war, she loves Ekko, just as she loved, and still does love Silco, being caught in the middle of those two loves was torture for her.
In that moment, she wanted to die with Ekko, she wanted them to escape to another place, a better world, where there were no opposing factions in their way, they could laugh, hang out, and do all sorts of things together like they used to, a world that was filled with color and light, where there was no darkness, and all people want to only be good.
Her eyes widen, where did she remember that from? Then she has a look of realization, of course, it was Vi. She'd always say this whenever Jinx was having an anxiety attack at night time in bed, apparently it was something mom would say to Vi when she was little too, Zaun was never a calm city, it never slept, and neither did it's crime, she would occasionally hear gunfire and screams, when she was really little it always terrified her, especially after witnessing what happened on the bridge and seeing her what she remembers to be vague silhouette's of her parents' bodies, and this incantation, almost a prayer, would never fail to calm her down:
Tonight you'll sleep, and you'll dream of a world much better than this one, a world where is no evil, no monsters or demons. And all people want to only be good.
Maybe she wished in that moment that her and Ekko would be taken there, she used to be scared of monsters as a child, and to her childlike imagination, the world was filled with them, as a kid she'd never imagine growing up as one.
She exhales, she can stand here all day, but it doesn't change anything, she can't change the past, no matter how much it haunts her and makes her regret, shakily she puts her handle on the door, it was clean and pristine, just like everything in this hospital, just like everything in Piltover, and opened the door.
The walk down the stairs possibly might have been the longest walk of her life, at the bottom of them were Vi, no Caitlyn though, she figures Vi wanted this moment just to be private between the two of them.
Jinx walks until she is right in front of Vi, teeth biting her bottom lip, and nervous. She really can't decipher the look in Vi's eyes, so she tries to speak up first.
"You know, this hotel's room service was complete and total ass, I'm gonna leave a bad review." Of course, as had become habit, she uses humor to deal with anything life had to throw at her.
There was a twitch at the corners of Vi's mouth, a twitch that eventually grows into a grin, and a grin that grows into full bellied laughter. Jinx quickly joins her.
As the laughter dies down, Jinx sighs, "Look Vi, I-" She wasn't able to finish that sentence. Vi quickly walks up to her and gives her the biggest and fullest hug she had ever gotten in her entire life. She feels tears on her shoulder and finds herself crying too.
"Let me start first." she says while holding onto Jinx, "Just know that I know you aren't the same little Powder anymore, I have myself to thank for that, whether you call yourself Powder or Jinx, know that I'll always love you, you're my sister, the sister I practically raised, when you were sick I was there by your bedside, taking your temperature and making you had everything you need. When you got cut or bruised, there I was to clean your wounds and get rid of your tears. When you told me about your first crush-" She stops and looks at me and smiles at my red face, knowing she was talking about Ekko.
"I was there for you to tell me all about it." Jinx chuckles a little bitterly and sadly through her tears, "I guess I've always just been a burden to you."
Vi gasps, and looks at her intensely, "Is that seriously all you heard in that entire speech? Pow-pow, it's never been like that, ever! I need you to know that! It was hard, so hard, I was your older sister, the only person besides Vander who became like a second parent to you, but of course I knew you weren't as close to him as you were to me, and I was still a kid too, I felt so out of my depth at times, and there were plenty of moments where I was, there were moments where I wanted to tear my hair out-"
Jinx looks down at this, but not before Vi could raise her head back up with her hand, looking at her meaningfully, "There were also moments like when we'd eat at Jericho's and talk about our day together, or when I'd comfort you after a really bad day of Mylo bullying you, after of course punching the crap out of him for doing it and having him apologize to you with meaning-"
Jinx gives a half smirk at that, remembering a particular instance of that well, one day she beat him at their little shooting arcade game like she always did, he must have been tired of losing so he finally came out and yelled at her, accusing her of rigging the game and that there was no way she could have been that good, of course she was pissed and really hurt that he genuinely believed she couldn't ever be good at anything, so she called him a sore loser and an asshole.
His response? Well, he snapped, and pushed her, hard, he must have regretted it as soon as he did though, because his eyes widened in alarm as soon as she fell and hit her head on the floor with a loud thud. Vi heard them shouting at each other and came in right at the moment her head hit the floor. She doesn't remember anything after that, but she knows what happened because Claggor told her, Vi let out a panicked scream and ran towards her unconscious self, begging for her to wake up with tears running down her cheek and checking for a pulse, when she found one she turned to Mylo with a thunderous expression, and roared at him, punching him straight across the face, Vander must have heard the commotion too and was nearby the arcade, because he came running in, and at that point he had to literally pry her off of Mylo.
The next thing she remembers was waking up later that night with Vi of course sitting by her bedside, once she saw her eyes open Vi let out a sound of relief and hugged her fiercely, tears were flowing down her face, apparently she had gotten a minor concussion and couldn't go back to sleep for a while because of that, and then she remembers seeing Mylo come in, with Vi staring at him with a hardened and furious expression, her hands balled into shaking fists of rage, everything about her in that moment demanded he apologize and mean it, or else.
She had never seen him so full of sadness and regret, either before or after, he was even crying, and to her surprise, and it still surprises her to this day, he held her in his arms, apologizing with so much sincerity that it threw her off, saying how he just felt bad about always losing and he took it out on her, and that he never would have forgiven himself if he ended up killing her in anger.
She remembers the tears pouring down his and her faces in that moment, and she also remembers how he swore to never hurt her again, either with his hands or his words, she snorts. Liar. Now though she'll never know the reason he was so mean and at times even cruel to her, even after that incident. Any future relationship she could have had with him, Claggor, and Vander was ripped away when she tried to help.
I should have killed you that day. Mylo's voice harshly says.
Tears started building in her eyes, and Vi must have noticed she got lost in her thoughts and trauma because she started shaking her out of it, and she looks back at Vi gratefully to which Vi nods with a smile.
"Or" Vi starts with a smile, "Whenever we'd do our hair together."
Jinx gives a full smile at that, "You know, you were the one that got me to keep my hair long. I remember being so stubborn about it, asking what would happen if someone grabbed it. And you said-" "'No one would dare touch your hair as long as my fist was down their throat!'"
They laugh, Vi speaks up again, "You aren't the only one, does my look even ring a bell?"
Jinx looks at her confused, eyes widening the further she realizes what she meant. Of course! How could she have been so stupid?! It was something she did a year before that night, Vi promised as a favor for fixing her boxing machine that she'd allow her to cut her hair anyway she wanted, along with her using her special paint "tattoos" she'd paint on herself and Ekko all the time.
Vi could remember one side of her head feeling more and more bare, feeling her hair being stylized in a certain way, a wet paint brush stroking across her cheek, and then opening her eyes in shock and wonder, unknowingly seeing her future look.
Jinx chuckles, "I remember at the time thinking you hated it, because all you did was gasp, and then when I explained why I did the haircut like I did and the tattoo, you just nodded and left."
Vi shakes her head, "I loved it, still do obviously, I guess at the time it was just such a big change for me that I felt unsure about it, that changed in prison though, this look was a permanent reminder of you and what I was surviving and fighting for every single day in that shithole of a prison, especially the VI tattoo, I still remember your reason for that."
Jinx chuckles, "'So all the world can see the name of the bestest big sister in the whole wide world.'" She tries to imitate in her younger voice.
Vi smirks, "That tattoo became an oath to be the best big sister I could be, and I especially needed to swear that after what I said and did that night."
"You-you were just a kid Vi." Jinx tries to say reassuringly, but Vi knows deep down those words and actions left a huge wound, it's healing now, she can see that, but even when it heals, it'll still leave a nasty scar.
Vi sighs, "I know I was, but so were you, you were the youngest and most vulnerable of our family, our parents were gone, and even though you barely could even register that because of how young you were, you knew enough to know that two people who were supposed to be there, no longer were, so I had to become mom and dad for you both, and I did the best I possibly could, but the one moment you needed me the most, when our entire world was ripped apart, I punched you so hard that I drew blood, screamed in your face that you are what Mylo always called you, and just left you there to cry your heart out to me.-"
Vi breathes in as her body shakes, and more tears run down her face, "You know, it's like I had one job. I had one job! And I screwed it up. I blew it." Her voice breaks. She smiles bitterly, "I guess that's just what I do, eh sis? I let down the people who love me the most."
Jinx's heart breaks at the sight of Vi coming undone and quickly goes to give her a strong hug of her own, wanting to say anything so she'll stop feeling pain because of her, "No! You didn't let me down! I- it's my fault! Yes! My fault for being a jinx, please stop crying because of me Vi! I can't take it."
Vi gives her an intense look and tearfully adds, "Outside of using it as an identity, I don't EVER want to hear you call yourself that word again, are we clear?"
Jinx looks down, unsure, Vi puts her face at eye level, "Are. We. Clear?"
Jinx's pink tears never stop flowing, all she can do is just nod.
Vi just sighs and holds her again.
Jinx just cries into Vi's shoulder, "What are we going to do Vi? What are we going to do?"
Vi just smiles, "We'll do what we always used to do, stick together, no matter what. Always?" Vi says the last word like a question.
Jinx looks up at her, and eventually nods, "Always." She confirms.
It's been a year since that day, and Jinx was currently painting her room in the Kiramman mansion, over the year she had gradually painted a mural of past friends and loved ones who are now all gone, her entire room was filled with all sorts of vibrant colors, a room that has turned into a beautiful painting, the walls and ceiling becoming her canvas.
The mural is placed at the ceiling, she had to borrow a ladder to paint it, and boy was it fun explaining to Vi and her sheriff Piltie wife why she needed it, the third degree she got from her for asking about a fucking ladder was insufferable.
Still, Caitlyn wasn't all that bad, turns out they both have a passion for weapons, specifically guns, she's fought her for years and just thought the rifle she used was just a tool to her, and nothing else.
Apparently she couldn't have been more wrong, she had an equal amount of love and sentimental feelings for her rifle as much as Jinx does with her explosives and gadgets. It's just that Top Hat is obviously a lot more reserved than her so it wasn't that obvious at first, but Jinx catches her at times when she's doing maintenance on her rifle or is about to use it for target practice, she hides it behind a stone face, but her eyes don't lie, they're the eyes that only someone who's ever been really passionate about something would be able to recognize.
There's also a strength to Caitlyn that she couldn't appreciate before as her enemy, but now as an in-law she does, she knows now that she's not a typical Piltie, she's strong, fierce, intelligent, would do anything for her loved ones, and if she were born in Zaun, Jinx has no doubt she would have become a powerful chembaron, likely at the level of power her father once was. Her strength was likely what initially attracted Vi to her in the first place.
Things have been complicated to say the least this past year. Apparently Vi and Caitlyn got married while Jinx was in that hospital, a part of her really wishes she could have been there, Yeah, who'd want you at something like that? The crazy wacko sister who jinxes everything she touches.
Jinx growls and hits the side of her head, "Shut up Mylo! You know that's not why!"
When she asked Vi about it after she found out, Vi quickly assured her it had nothing to do with that, their ceremony was apparently a very quiet and intimate thing, even Caitlyn's parents weren't there.
Jinx snorts, she met Top Hat's parents a few months after being in their custody. That must have been one hell of a conversation when they found out, I would have paid to see her mom's reaction, ah well, I guess I'll just be content with my imagination.
This mural started shortly after she moved in, Jinx is a perfectionist as much as she is an artist, and if you ask her, the two are one and the same. Whenever she decorates her room, she takes a considerable amount of time to do it, that being said, she probably has never spent this much time on one project before, the mural is of her family, well, families to be precise. It was in four parts from left to right on the ceiling, the first part of course showed her original family, with her biological parents, herself, and Violet, she had to ask Vi for a photo of them because of her vague memories, Vi was all too happy that she wanted a reminder of them and worked tirelessly to find one, luckily she made a lot of connections over the years as Piltover's Deputy Warden, and was able to eventually find one.
Then the second part showed the family she had with Vander, Claggor, Mylo, Powder, Ekko, and of course, Violet. The third part showed Jinx and her father, Silco. Then the fourth part, well, the fourth part was a surprise, and was part of the finishing touches she made.
Jinx grinned widely as she painted away, her eyes shining, and she was sure if someone was looking at her right now they'd think she was reverting back to her old ways, crazy manic Jinx, well there'd always be a bit of crazy in her, but that wasn't the case, this time the face wasn't made out of a broken attempt to feel whole again, no this time, it was made out of love, a pure love. She felt tears building as she recalls what Vi told her four months ago, and what inspired her to make the fourth part of her family.
It was a pretty bad day for her mentally, she saw someone that reminded her of Silco while out and about and it brought back a lot of pain, of course she didn't tell Vi or Caitlyn about it, even though the two of them would be upset that she didn't tell them. She didn't want to be a burden. Then as if just thinking about her could summon her, Vi busted through her bedroom door with excitement, she hadn't seen her that happy in a really long time.
"Pow! I have some really good news!" Vi says with such a fervor that Jinx is slightly taken aback.
"Clearly." Jinx chuckles, "What is this good news? Top Hat finally learned how to remove that stick from her ass?"
Vi is unamused, "You know, if you want to bury the hatchet with her, calling her by the nickname you used for her when you were enemies probably isn't a good start."
Jinx gets up and puts a hand on her sister's shoulder to reassure her, "Cait knows it's all in good fun, which is funny because I used to think she didn't know what that three letter word meant."
Vi gives her half of a smirk, "I know you're doing your best, and that I can't expect mended fences over night, but please Jinx, it's important, more than ever now, especially since-"
Vi stops to consider her words, it's very important she delivers this news the right way, with Jinx's mind recovering anything that throws it off could undo all of this progress she's made. This was a big change in all of their lives, and would change their family forever.
Jinx's light-hearted demeanor changed at the sight of her sister's face, "Since what?" She asks, all humor from her voice gone.
Vi sighs, "Okay, not how I wanted to break the news to you but what's done is done. You remember when we went shopping a while ago and you saw me buy those 'weird stick things' as you called them? And I explained that they're called pregnancy tests?"
Jinx nods but isn't sure where she's going with this, it was just an idle curiosity at the time, in Zaun the idea of a pregnancy test was unheard of, people were far too busy with other necessities to buy or steal one, even the chembarons wouldn't bother themselves with it, if your partner pulled out, he pulled out, if he stayed in you'd wait to see if you started showing symptoms of pregnancy or not. What does this have to do with-
She stops and her mouth goes wide open with her eyes widening, tears starting to come down her face. "N-No, don't tell me-"
Vi smiles, "You're going to be an aunty, Pow-Pow."
Jinx is in shock, Vi and Top Hat are going to be moms? She's going to be an aunt? How did this even happen? Was there a surrogate involved? Biology and genetics aren't really her strong suits, Vi could see Jinx was asking herself a million questions in her mind and so tries to clarify.
"Yeah, the science is a little beyond me too sis, but apparently there's some sort of process where instead of using a man's sperm to make a girl pregnant, they use a woman's bone marrow as a replacement for the sperm, and guess who volunteered to get her marrow sucked out of her body?" Vi asks with humor, obviously meaning herself.
Jinx nods still in shock, with what little she knows of this sort of science that made sense, you'd need some form of DNA that could replace the sperm, and marrow was definitely chock-full of it.
Jinx runs up and holds Vi in excitement, a new addition to their family, her fresh tears not out of sadness but happiness.
Jinx's curiosity grows, and through her tears she asks "If your marrow made Top Hat pregnant and no guy juice was involved, doesn't that mean you'll have a daughter?"
A familiar posh voice cuts in to the conversation, "Normally yes, but there have been many advancements over the years with this particular procedure, so it could just as easily be a boy too. It's about a 50/50 chance, just like if you do it the "normal" way."
Jinx and Vi stare at Caitlyn who was standing in the doorway, not expecting her to show up, Jinx and Vi understandably are having a much better time mending the fence of their broken relationship, Jinx in perhaps the first time ever is grateful one of her weapons didn't work as well as she thought it would when she launched that rocket from Fishbones, in hindsight her impulsive nature may have actually gone in her favor for once, as Top Hat's mother was in that building when she fired it.
She didn't know of course, though at the time if she did know, in her anger, grief, and hate filled broken mind, she would have relished what she was about to do all the more. Jinx couldn't fathom the level of forgiveness and generosity it took for one person to welcome into their home another person who almost killed their mother.
Jinx walks with intent to Caitlyn, and stops right in front of her, "H-how can you let me into your home after what I almost did to your mother?"
Caitlyn pauses at that, and thinks before she answers, Vi looks panicked, as if hoping somehow this huge elephant in the room would never be mentioned, "To be truthful, at first I didn't want you here." Jinx nods, of course she didn't.
"But" she starts and Jinx looks at her, "I knew how important you are to Vi, and we also know you the best as we fought with you for years, with the Council releasing you under the condition of your assistance, I figured no one else would have had a better chance of taking over your custody than the two of us."
Caitlyn sighs with a small smile, "Then I got to know you, and do you want to know something?" Jinx raises an eyebrow, "I don't think I've ever met a more complicated, flawed, loyal, and deep down, loving person, well despite your sister when it comes to the last part, you're both neck and neck in that regard. When you feel something, you really feel it, whether that be anger, sorrow, happiness, or love, and while that may feel like a detriment at times, it's also a gift, I could go walk out right now on the street and find you some emotionally dead zombie just going through the motions of life, they're in no short supply."
Jinx chuckles in agreement with tears forming in her eyes, while Vi gives the both of them a wide smile, Caitlyn continues, "As for your attack on Piltover that day, I was so furious at what you had done at the time, especially as I saw the rocket crash into the building where my mother worked. For a long while I was still furious, working hard to hide my fury from Vi because I knew despite it all, she still loves you deeply, it wasn't until we received a tip about some burglaries hitting a local neighborhood in Piltover, and found out it was a group of orphaned kids from Zaun, and one of the girls looked remarkably like you did at that age-"
Jinx looks at her in confusion, "How did you know what I looked like back then?"
Vi speaks up, "I showed her a picture of you once as a kid, it was when we were celebrating your birthday at our old arcade."
Jinx nods and Caitlyn continues, "As I said, the girl looked so much like you, and when I stared into her eyes, all I could see is desperation, as if she knew if she wasn't successful in stealing this time she'd starve, fear and anger at the sight of me, a warden, just like how all Zaunites used to look at enforcers before my reforms, which honestly haven't been doing as well as I thought if that look still exists. I could see the grief, a grief so deep that it never belonged in the eyes of a child that young, or anyone else for that matter. That day, in that moment, is when I finally could fully comprehend your situation, the arrival of Jinx was an inevitability, the end result of centuries of tyranny and neglect. By the time we finally could see it, it was too late. Your circumstances were only so bad because of Piltover's exploitative, neglectful, and tyrannical ways, it's why as children you were forced to steal and survive in extreme poverty, why you got caught up in a war between two brothers, and why you and your sister separated. It doesn't make what you did right by any means, but I can understand you now, and honestly? After knowing this and eventually getting to know you a little bit more, even though I hate what you almost did to my mother, and what you have done, I cannot bring myself to hate you."
Jinx snorts at "separated", that's one way of putting it, but she also smiles genuinely at what Caitlyn said, though she does pause for a bit, "Top Hat, I appreciate your words and all, but loyal? loving? I think you've got the wrong lady here, lady."
Caitlyn raises her eyebrow at that, "Oh? And I suppose it was another blue haired girl who fought tooth and nail, even fought me, in order to find Vi, all to give her back her old favorite childhood toy that she thought she lost forever?"
Jinx's eyes become as big as dinner plates, she looks to Vi, "You told her?"
Vi chuckles, "I mean, I didn't really have to, when she found me near a burning building and an old toy in my hand, she kind of put two and two together."
Caitlyn continues, "Or when you stood by your adopted father's side for years, even when faced against your childhood friend Ekko, even after all he had done, you stood by him as a child and later into your teens, because he accepted you, cherished you, understood you, and loved you, after you thought the world turned it's back on you, there he was to embrace you, another soul who felt the same way, you two stood against the world together."
Jinx looks down at this, and Vi looks visibly uncomfortable at the mention of him. "Y-Yeah, we did." Jinx chuckles through her tears, "Until I killed him." Caitlyn shook her head, "Because he was going to kill Vi, you knew how his mind worked and you could see what he had decided to do, Vi unknowingly unleashed a torrent of trauma inside of you and in that moment he decided the only way to release you from that pain was to kill the source, but more than that, he felt alone and abandoned for years, and in his mind Vi was going to take you away from him forever. You didn't want to kill him Jinx, I know that with all my heart, but you also didn't want Vi to die, you were faced with an impossible choice where either way you would have lost someone deeply precious to you, and you ultimately instinctually decided to protect Vi from being killed."
Jinx shakes her head through her tears, "I kidnapped him, because I stupidly thought he was going to give me away to the council."
Caitlyn has a solemn look and nods, "Yes, you did, and in there lies the risk of feeling so much, when betrayal or perceived betrayal happens to someone like you, someone who gives everything of themselves to the people they love, someone who is filled with passion, betrayal hurts and destroys you more than any physical wound possibly could, what you've gone through would have broken anyone, but especially you, you were a sweet but troubled girl who liked to listen to music, tinker, draw, and paint, and in a just world you would have thrived at our academy, become a great name and legacy, to even rival Heimerdinger himself."
If it was even possible, Jinx's eyes widen even further, was Top Hat serious right now? Even someone like her could recognize that level of a compliment was not given lightly. "Y-you really think I could have been as great as Heimerdinger?" She asks in a small voice.
Caitlyn smiles and puts her hands on both of Jinx's shoulders, "Not only do I think it, Jinx, I know it, you could have surpassed him even. And not only do I know it, I will present before the council tomorrow and request that they allow you to enroll as a special case, arguing that with a formal education you'd be able to assist them all the more. Don't worry, I'm sure our academy won't be too boring for someone like you." Cait's smile grows.
Jinx starts laughing and crying at the same time, touched that someone had that much faith in her, especially someone like Caitlyn, who she's hurt a lot, she quickly goes to give Caitlyn a hug, which surprises both her and Vi, "I promise that your little rugrat will have the best aunty in the entire world, he or she or they won't want for anything, no one will EVER hurt them or abandon them, I'd destroy the person or people responsible, I will love and cherish them like only I know how, always and forever."
Caitlyn is touched by Jinx's vow, and starts tearing up herself, "Jinx... I-I am honored by your vow, and I'm sure your niece or nephew will be glad to know you, the loose cannon aunty."
Jinx laughs and looks at Cait teasingly, "Yeah, the queen of chaos needs a student to pass on her smarts, maybe your little rascal will be it."
Caitlyn laughs along with her, "Not on your life, you little maniac."
All three of them erupt into laughter, genuine joy on their faces.
Tears go down her face as she finishes the final part of the mural, they were not tears of sadness, but tears of love and joy. She showed Caitlyn her progress earlier today and Top Hat seemed to love it and her idea for the final part of the mural, she also promised to keep it a secret for Vi, Jinx is hoping she would, she was lucky that Vi in all of her excitement never looked up that day, she would have already seen the beginning of it. Just as she thinks of Vi, she hears the main door to the mansion open and close, Jinx is surprised by this, remembering that Vi would be home a couple hours later than now, luckily she kept her door open just in case to hear anyone that would be coming and going from their home.
She uses her shimmer enhanced speed to quickly leave her room and close the door, eager to show Vi the mural before she comes barging into her room again. She hears Caitlyn welcome her home as they both enter Caitlyn's study to discuss something, now that she thinks about it, it likely has to do with the fact that Top Hat got her ultrasound today.
They leave the door open so she quickly goes to stand by the open door way, which Caitlyn heard, "Jinx! Perfect, I was about to get you, this is important. Please, close the door."
Jinx does so, excited to hear what the doctor had to say.
Caitlyn smiles, "So, it seems the procedure worked better than we thought, I'm giving birth to twins."
Both Vi and Jinx's eyes widen like saucer plates. Twins?!
They hadn't expected this, though Jinx supposes it was always a possibility.
"T-twins?" Vi asks in shock.
Caitlyn nods, "And what's more, they're a boy and a girl. So I guess that means Vi that we don't have to decide whether to use the girl or boy name we picked, we can choose them both."
After her initial shock is over with Vi starts to tear up, runs up to Top Hat and lifts her in the air in excitement, with Cait giggling in glee. After she puts her down they both kiss passionately.
Jinx smiles at the news but imitates the sound of gagging at the sight of them making out, "Ugh, get a room you two."
Both Top Hat and Vi smirk at Jinx.
Jinx smiles, "So, what were the names that you guys decided?"
Vi eyes widen in shock, as if remembering something very important that she wanted to say but it was too late, "Ah shit."
Caitlyn looks Vi at confused, then after a realization she sighs, "Vi, why couldn't you tell her?"
Jinx is getting annoyed, "Can someone please tell the "her" in the room what the hell is going on?"
Vi looks down for a moment before looking at Jinx, "So, apparently our family history is more complicated than we thought, Cait did what she does best and tried to look into our family history, you know the normal stuff you do when wanting to have a baby with someone."
Jinx snorts, "Or when your wife is a busybody, find any dark secrets Top Hat? Are our genetics good enough for you?"
Top Hat is offended, "That's not why I decided to investigate! I'm not a eugenicist! I just wanted to know more about your and Vi's family, and if there were any concerning problems, I wouldn't have said no to impregnation, I just would have been more prepared in case they passed down to our children."
Jinx scoffs, "That's a long way of saying 'yes.'"
Cait looks like she's about to blow a gasket before realizing something, "You're teasing me aren't you?"
Jinx's lips transform into a shit eating grin, "You're getting better at this."
Caitlyn huffs while Jinx just giggles in amusement.
Vi just rolls her eyes, "Anyways, on our dad's side they apparently got here from Freljord, just a little bit after Piltover's founding. Our ancestors were master craftsman and skilled warriors, so they put their talents to use here, they became a rich and powerful house, then something our great-great-grandfather did fucked up everything."
Cait sighs, "I believe that's Vi's way of saying he sold state secrets to the Noxians, secrets that were vital to Piltover's security, the punishment was... much more severe than it would have been now."
Jinx could figure where this was going, "Let me guess, they executed him and then exiled his family to Zaun?"
She heard similar stories of families whose ancestors fucked up pretty badly in one way or another and they ended up in the Sumps, she just never thought she was part of one.
Caitlyn stiffly nods, "Yes, a barbaric practice that I'm glad to say is no longer used as a means of punishment. Along with that, their wealth and holdings were seized by the reigning council at the time, their properties are still owned by the state to this day, surprisingly well maintained."
Jinx scoffs, "Of course they are, their former shops and businesses go directly to their treasury, their mansion kept for a rainy day in case a councilor's brat needed a summer home. Not surprising that they've been screwing over my family for so long, a self-made family that came with nothing and rose to greatness, all disenfranchised and oppressed because one of their own was a traitor."
Neither Caitlyn or Vi could argue with Jinx's assessment.
Jinx sighs and attempts to calm down, knowing it wouldn't help anything, "Vi, how come it took this long for you to say something? Did you think I would break? Do you think your little sister's head is really that fragile?"
Vi looks away in shame, "I was worried okay? I know how prideful you are about being a Zaunite and I thought-"
"You thought me knowing that our dad's side of the family descend from badass Freljordians would somehow dampen my sense of identity? Sheesh sis, you worry too much. If anything it's cool as hell, and besides, we don't really look like Freljordians, do we?"
Vi conceded to her point, they didn't look like Freljordians, centuries of living in Piltover and intermingling in such a multicultural environment, and then in Zaun, would remove any physical resemblance.
"So why does it matter when it comes to the babies?" Jinx asks curiously.
Caitlyn sighs, "Well, I was talking with Jayce, and he agreed what happened to you and Vi's family was a grave injustice, and just last week, the council agreed to give Vi all properties back to her, as well as a massive amount of reparations as repayment for the wealth the old council originally appropriated."
Jinx is surprised, "Why would they do that? They have a golden meal ticket in those properties."
Caitlyn smirks, "Because Jayce did it as a favor to me, and because Jayce himself has some ancestry that intermingles with your own, you'd be surprised how many strings that man can pull when he's motivated. Still even with those strings, the vote narrowly passed, he made some powerful people angry."
Both Jinx and Vi eyes widen at a certain piece of information in that answer. "Whoa whoa wait!-" "What the fuck?!"
Caitlyn is shocked by their outburst.
Jinx wrinkles her nose at the prospect of even being very distantly related to him, "Did dad's side of the family just wake up and decide to fuck like rabbits?"
Vi gives a big throaty laugh at Jinx's question while Caitlyn is trying and failing not to chuckle, "Haha, no, Freljordians come from a relatively primitive society to our own, their arms, armour, and shipbuilding are renowned the world over, other aspects of their technology are lacking, especially in medicine, infant mortality rates, even with their famous healing magic, are much higher there than anywhere else, even Zaun, so their *ahem* fruitfulness comes as a response to this reality, it seems once your family came here, well, old habits died hard."
Jinx is all too familiar with that concept, but instead of responding seriously she grins, "You're doing that thing again where you say "yes" the long way."
This time both her and Vi laugh to her teasing while Caitlyn huffs.
"So what was the name of our family? Zaunites don't have last names, but I'm curious?" Jinx asks
Caitlyn smiles, "Mikaelson, it'll be the last name of our son, we decided that if it was a girl she'd be a Kirraman, and if it was a boy, he'd be a Mikaelson, now that we're having both we don't need to choose or wait for a second child."
Jinx frowns, "Whoa wait, you're actually going to be calling Vi's son a Mikaelson? Vi, you're okay with this?"
Vi sighs, "I'm going to be adopting that last name too."
Jinx gasps, "Are you batshit?! Ironic coming from me, I know, but what the hell Vi? You're still a Zaunite, not a Piltie or a Freljordian!"
Vi shakes her head, "I'm not trying to deny where I've come from Pow, but I want a better life for my kids than what we had in the Sumps, and life just gave something to me on a silver platter, I can't pass it up, adopting the name will give our family more legitimacy up here, after all these years that family name is still seen with a lot of respect and prestige, even the modern common Piltie knows what happened was fucked up."
Jinx eyes widen at 'our family', "You expect me to adopt that last name too?" She asks in a low voice.
Vi frowns, "No Pow-Pow, of course not, but you will be part of our family, right?"
Jinx takes a deep breath, the rational part of her mind understands and even accepts Vi's reasoning, but the part of her mind that was Zaunite just couldn't comprehend it, "Of course I'll be a part of our crazy family sis, it's just, this is a huge change, and I need time to process it."
Vi nods in understanding, Jinx has another question, "What will be the boy and girl's names?"
Both Vi and Caitlyn look at each other then back at Jinx, "Well" Cait starts, "We debated and debated and finally came to our answer, the girl will be named Powder Freya Kirraman, Freya is a common name in the Freljord and we figured it made sense to name both of our children after something that's part of their heritage."
A part of Jinx was touched that they were naming their child after her old identity, another part was scared, she hadn't really fully come to peace with her old identity yet, that was something therapy couldn't fix apparently, she'd have to do it on her own, though thankfully she's still seeing Dr. Hyde as he has his own private practice.
"And the boy's?" Jinx asked with a raised brow, "Niklaus Vander Mikaelson."
Jinx smiles at his middle name, but also chuckles, "Trust me, that kid isn't going to be using that name on a regular basis, I think we need to preemptively come up with a nickname of sorts."
Vi looks at her, "What do you have in mind?"
Jinx thinks for a second before answering, "Klaus."
A/N: So I'm guessing those familiar will know where I'm going with this, if there are those who are not, fear not, you won't need to in order to enjoy this, I'm planning for this to be a series, eventually one of the parts will be a react fic to The Originals, my plan is to create a story surrounding Vi/Caitlyn/Jinx's family, so that it'll have that much more weight when they do see the events unfold in the show, and for those uninitiated with The Originals/Vampire Diaries will still be able to enjoy because I've created an alternate version of the family in Arcane/LoL.
Forgive any lore errors with Freljordians, I'm very new to LoL and am only familiar with it's adaptation Arcane. This is an AU-ish fanfic though, so I suppose any perceived mistakes are also a result of that as well.