CAITLYN

Even if the circumstances were totally less than desirable, she got to have a long, deserved and uninterrupted sleep, across the night.

And then Caitlyn had woken up, only to find herself alone at bed once again, when she remembered well she and Vi had slept on the same together the last night, in absolute silence. She even remembered Vi was ready to lay down on the carpet before Caitlyn called her, insisting Vi slept on the bed as well, totally aware of the potential consequences of getting hit again, if Vi had another nightmare like the one she had, one that really did a number on Caitlyn's nose.

As she got up, she also noticed Vi wasn't in the bedroom either, and thus had gotten up as well, possibly fearing that Vi went off the house, possibly doing something idiotic, just as it happened when they first broke off after meeting the Council. She walked towards the bedroom door and outside, starting to look for Vi, even if still in her nightgown, across the house.

She eventually did find her on another bedroom, reserved for guests, where it was visible she was without her jacket, lying down along with the sheets and pillows, as clearly the mattress was removed from the bed and stuck against a wall for Vi to start punching against it, hard and in quick succession. Except it wasn't for the purpose of practice, but of... something else.

Exactly as she did following... that day. After she was imprisoned again, following the botched attempt to pursue and capture Jinx.

"Vi, what are you doing?", Caitlyn asked, interrupting the punching session, prompting the pink-haired brawler to stare at the enforcer, quiet and tense, which prompted Caitlyn to be on alert, before realizing she already started with the wrongest of words. "I mean... if only you asked, I could arrange a punching bag for you."

Vi simply remained silent for several seconds, likely understanding what Caitlyn meant with that question and how this second one was a clear attempt of rectifying things after they've been said.

"Nevermind.", she deadpanned. "This will do.", she returned to punching the mattress, the same intensity as before.

Caitlyn watched Vi's tense boxing cycle, noticing this definitely had nothing to do with practice, and tried turning around, before she then shook her head.

"I just can't watch this.", she spoke again, entering the room. "We have to talk, Vi."

Vi stopped her punches. "We don't, Cait.", she said, not even turning to talk to her. "There's *nothing* to talk about.", she resumed her punching.

"And just punching on won't make it go away eith-", Caitlyn insisted, before Vi simply let out a very heavy punch, getting Caitlyn off-guard, getting on alert.

The brawler then turned to face her, visibly trying to keep her cool. "You do not want to continue this, Caitlyn.", she warned, in a dreadfully calm tone, akin to the one when Caitlyn did visit her on the cells at Central. "Please. Just don't..."

Caitlyn simply shook her head, incredulous. "You don't even want to listen...", she said, leaving the room, as Vi resumed her punching session a couple of seconds later.

Caitlyn walked in stormed up paces, frustrated amongst the working house serfs, as she sat down on the couch at the living room. It was clear it was going to be a long day, as she shut her eyes and took a deep breath, covering her face with both hands.

"Do you want me to hold breakfast, dear?"

The voice, clearly recognizable, got Caitlyn's attention, turning to it's source, which belonged to her father, out of his bed as well as still in his sleeping attire, including a green coat, to fit with the messy hair and beard, whom took his seat besides his daughter.

"Morning, dad.", Caitlyn greeted, taking a long breath. "I don't know, I guess we shouldn't wait on Vi..."

"It's you I'm more concerned with, Caitlyn.", Tobias replied, prompting Caitlyn to stare at him. "That one's clearly capable of deciding her time to eat."

"I know you definitely don't want her here, dad...", Caitlyn's eyes darted aside, only noticing the assortment of flowers all put on the center table where the tray and teaware normally would be.

"I was pretty certain, yesterday, yes...", Tobias nodded, his eyes darting aside as well. "And still, the more *I* thought about it, later on, even more when you broke out... I-I mean... who'd be *this* insane to brazenly knock my daughter down, in front of me and several enforcers and staff, to hell with consequences? And then, I started realizing... it *had* to be because of that promise I put her into making, that I wouldn't be burying you..."

Caitlyn stared at her father, for one second, before she looked away, ashamed, for several seconds. "And now, for all that's happened, she's all now... H-how can I make it work with her?", she then glanced at her father, as if a child desperate for an answer. "How did you even make it work with..."

"With your mother, you mean.", Tobias said, looking down, for some seconds, before he looked at her. "There was a phrase, from my childhood, that an elder from where I lived once passed around. 'Too many days of sun and it will dry out and die, but more beyond a few days of rain and it will drown and die'."

Caitlyn stared at him. "Are we talking about relationships here or flowers?", she gestured at the center table.

"A bit of both, actually.", Tobias answered. "The phrase's point is, there are indeed bad days in any relationship, no avoiding that. What matters is how you move on from it or not, as long as you can stand your ground as much as she does, but also learning to give in when it counts."

Caitlyn's eyes darted aside. "Might be a bit more difficult with Vi...", she said. "You saw how... knuckleheaded she can be."

Tobias' eyes darted aside for a moment, in agreement, as he then looked into something else. "Do you remember that, Caitlyn?", he then nodded into what he was looking, for Caitlyn to see.

It was their family painting, displayed strong on the living room, depicting Tobias, child Caitlyn and once Cassandra, along with their hounds, on their hunting trip.

"Yes, our hunting trip, what of it?", Caitlyn asked.

"Did you know the reason for that trip was a fight that I and your mom had, in late hours, while you were deep asleep?", Tobias asked, and this caught Caitlyn's attention. "She, well... she was about as dedicated to her work as you are to yours, all to upkeep the family name. Often a bit too much. You were so young then, not missing her as much, between your classes and routine... but it still wasn't alright with me. Councillor or not, she was your mother and was *missing* watching you grow. One particular week she wasn't even staying home, and that's when I *had* to put my foot down, remind her she had a family to look after. That was a couple of days before that trip. You might not want to put your foot down, Caitlyn, but the day will come you'll just *have* to. To protect the one you love, more from herself. Just like that girl did with you. I don't think anyone else you'd ever meet could ever do that. That's why she's still here."

Caitlyn couldn't muster even a word as she looked down again, now in complete guilt, thinking about most of the things she did once again.

"I know how much capturing this Jinx, for all she's done to us, matters to you.", Tobias continued, a couple of seconds later. "But is it really worth all this risk you're taking?"

Caitlyn took several seconds before she then took a deep breath and then let it out, preparing to pour it all out.

"I don't even know anymore, dad...", she started. "I mean, when I first met her, she seemed too aggressive and frightened, and then as everything she's done started to pile up, I grew more and more convinced she was something that just *had* to be stopped. For her sake and everyone else's. And then, when... it happened... I wanted *so much* for her to know the pain she was causing, what it was really like. It took yesterday and what happened, on that bridge, for me to realize any more pain on her was just... redundant. She clearly *has had* that pain longer than I have... Longer than any of us..."

Tobias then nodded for a moment. "It seems you all had it pretty rough, then.", he said. "And you all learned something from it."

"I mean, I... I *thought* I was ready!", Caitlyn said, nervous, a second later. "I even told Vi I'd shoot her if I had to, and it ended up happening, dad and... I thought I could take it, just move on and deal with Jinx, but I didn't! Just like I wasn't ready to shoot at Jinx before she shot that rocket, which would've...", Caitlyn shook her head. "I don't know if there's something wrong with me, to either hesitate or shoot too rashly-"

"Caitlyn.", Tobias called, to snap her out of it, and then put his hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me: there is *nothing* wrong with you. Do you know how I know it? Because I know what I raised and what I did not. And I did not raise a murderer. I raised my *daughter*. Obstinate, a bit hard-headed at times indeed, but still... gentle, caring, with empathy for those around you, regardless where they came from. A bright girl whom I'm sincerely proud doesn't let her name, standing or wealth get to her, whom doesn't give up easily on people. The very things I'm sure that... Vi... saw in you."

Caitlyn's eyes, as he saw that aged, kind face whom indeed had raised her, speaking those words, feeling them swim within her... started to grow more watery. Words that, as gentle and supportive as they were, indeed started making her feel something deep within her.

Something painful.

It wasn't those words' fault, though.

It was simply because this pain was simply all within her long before. All bottled up.

And the time for Caitlyn Kiramman to let it out for good was just long overdue.

Tears started trickling down, ones Tobias had seen and thus approached to embrace her daughter as she embraced her father like if there were no tomorrow, no pressing concern, nothing...

Nothing besides the father, the daughter and that moment for the desperate healing of the soul.

"I miss her so much, dad...", Caitlyn's words were barely inaudible.

"We both do.", Tobias said, tears falling from his eyes as well. "We both do..."