So, got a little (well, VERY) hung up on a key potential detail further in the story, and that held me up because I wanted to decide on that before I went any further. It honestly still isn't quite decided on, but I know which way I'm leaning on it now and which way it's likely to come out in the end. I do not own Arcane or League of Legends. This is a fan-created work. Please, feel free to comment, review, criticize (they give me ENERGY!), and above all; enjoy!

Fractured Reunion - Chapter 9 - Changes and Understandings

"…I don't know how I feel about that…" Caitlyn finally admitted. The silence hadn't been awkward; it had been necessary. Contemplative. A moment that demanded careful consideration from both of them. So that's what they did. Vi sighed in an understanding response.

"I… I hesitated back in the vents, cause I-I could see her, Cait. I told myself and you that my sister was gone, all that was left was the monster that had replaced her, the psycho killer that she'd been molded into because I failed her. And I was wrong. I did fail her, but it was still always her. She wasn't well, she'd suffered and done so much, even before Silco got his claws into her and fed the twisted parts of her for seven years. And after everything with Vander…"

That was another awful crux of it. Jinx had helped save her, save her people, against the monster her second father had been made into. After Caitlyn herself had worked to try to save Jinx and her followers. And then their shared grief over the apparent death of Vi. Wait…

"So she knew you were alive all this time?" Caitlyn asked, hoping she didn't sound as accusatory as she… how accusatory DID she even truly feel?

"I mean, I don't know that we were exactly working together for most of that time, if that makes it better. I don't think she truly believed it was ME until after I gave my big speech, and that was just barely a couple weeks ago. We've been seeing what can reconnect. If anything. And… she's not good, but… she's doing so much better, Cait, I honestly still can't quite believe it. That little scamp is like a balm for her soul. Isha, her name is…"

Vi's tone took on a beautiful fondness that made Caitlyn's heart melt. Isha. The girl she'd… she'd have killed if Vi hadn't-

"Now, there was an unspoken understanding that if the absolute worst happened and I, like, died at the Bridge, there would've been…" Vi went quiet, no need to say the obvious out loud. Jinx had been prepared to poison and burn Piltover even when she'd had nothing left to care about. If her long-lost sister, who she'd finally been reconnecting and learning to love again had died at the hands of Enforcers, of HER people… Caitlyn didn't know if even Jinx's own death would stop her assuredly resulting spree of violence and vengeance. She didn't know that she would even blame Jinx for that, in spite of everything. It was a response she could, frankly, understand.

"But at least I'd have tried to keep that from happening, what I saw in the Arcane. Everyone, everything, dead and drowned and broken by violence and hate. I couldn't just sit back and let it happen, cause you and I and everyone know, that's where it would end otherwise. And I couldn't just let it, not without trying to stop it, however long the shot."

If Caitlyn's heart had started to melt at Vi's tone of fondness for a strange little girl who'd aimed a gun right at her head months prior, her heart was reduced to a bubbling puddle at the sheer conviction in Vi's voice as she spoke of her need to HELP. To keep hate and violence and death from winning out. She reached up, tenderly tracing a finger along Vi's cheek, losing herself in those familiar-yet-alien eyes-

The door swung open, and a squad of Enforcers entered, checking corners and peeking through windows. She thought she heard one of them mutter 'Apologies, ma'am.' As she tried to maintain what dignity she still had while she scrambled to get her clothes back on. Part of her remained on Vi's bed, however. Then she heard the door slam shut, a chair scrape its way to be jammed against the knob. She turned as she finished pulling her pants all the way up from around her ankles, and realized she recognized at least one of the officers here, in a most unfortunate way.

"Officer Tennenbaum." She offered coldly. He sneered back at her.

"Caitlyn Kiramman," He began, sadistic relish in his voice. "For consorting with enemies of Piltover, for betraying a trusted ally, for violating the Ethos, I am placing you under-"

"Who's this asshole?" Oh, he went PURPLE with fury and indignation, and Vi could clearly tell exactly WHY, could tell exactly Tennenbaum's type to a T.

"No one of consequence, beyond his talent for showing me the sheer depths of deplorability festering in my city." Caitlyn offered.

"So I can kick his ass, then?" Aspects, there was an eagerness in her voice Caitlyn knew she ought not to encourage, that Vi herself seemed a bit embarrassed by, but…

"Please, do."

"You FUCKING BIT-"

CLANG! CLANG!

The rest of the squad startled as the latches of two grenades flung themselves onto the floor; the pins dropped shortly after as the tiny Arcane forcefields that had pulled them out of place dissipated. A far larger, bubble-shaped shield burst into existence around the squad as smoke began to pour from one grenade and -

BANG!

Caitlyn felt her ears ring as the flashbang attached to one of the Enforcer's legs went off. Suddenly, Vi had left the bed, a blur of light and power that sent Tennenbaum smashing face-first into the forcefield, which then opened politely to let her inside the swirling smoke before resealing itself. The door was jostling and banging; Caitlyn could hear Steb and Loris and Maddie yelling on the other side. Caitlyn ran to remove the chair, to get Vi help she'd-

Another Enforcer SLAMMED against the inside of the bubble, sliding down bloody and unconscious. A burst of sparks lit the smoke, followed by Vi's ROAR of exertion and a brighter FLASH of Arcane power as she used another pair of forcefields braced on her forearms like a combination of knives and welding torches. Vi seared and tore apart the collapsible riot shield another Enforcer had brought with her, hurling the two broken halves against the sides of the bubble before knocking her out with a single punch, the smoke again darkening past the point of visibility. All Caitlyn could hear was Vi's laughter and the sound of blows crunching, the crystal of Vi's arms singing and chiming through the air, cracking against armor, bone, and flesh.

The door finally opened, and the rest of the Strike Team did Caitlyn an enormous favor by pretending like she hadn't even yet had time to put her bra back on. The bubble field dropped, the smoke already starting to dissipate, and Vi walked out, looking like some magical dichotomous war goddess with her glowing eyes and Wild Hextech arms and hands, radiating power and confidence and Aspects help Caitlyn, Vi was still absolutely buck naked.

"Fugkin… whoresh…" The nasally, wet derision hit her ears.

"Huh. You can take a hit, asshole, I'll give you that." A tubular forcefield quickly shimmered into being around Tennenbaum, slowly risen to his feet as he drew his sidearm from his holster. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, man. Some chemgoons learned the hard way these last few weeks that ricochets don't miss-"

BLAM!

Tennenbaum collapsed to the floor, gasping and whining and whimpering as he clutched at his side where the bullet had bounced right back into. Vi hadn't lied; his torso shot had NOT missed him. Oh, he was likely to lose the kidney on that side. Assuming he was lucky, and that was all it hit. Vi scoffed as she stuck her head out the door and yelled for 'literally any doctor, need a lotta stitches in here.' She looked back into her room at the pile of beaten Enforcers, and the one who'd accidentally shot himself.

"Y'know, these dipshits are gonna go down in history as the luckiest assholes of this whole Thing that's apparently gotta happen now." Vi smirked as everyone looked at her, confused. "How lucky do you have to be to get your dumb ass beat and shot up in the middle of a hospital?"

It had been awkward, if more simple than Caitlyn expected. Tennenbaum and his crew had been the first literal and metaphorical shot of the civil war in PIitover Caitlyn feared would come. She'd had time to consider what to do, who to go to, what to offer, while she waited for Vi to wake up. She just hadn't thought any of it would need to happen so quickly. But it did, so it would.

Loris and Steb, along with anyone they knew could trusted and anyone Caitlyn knew could be trusted, were going to collect loyalists and sympathetic former opponents. Caitlyn, Maddie, and whoever they could round up from around the hospital were going with Vi into the Undercity, to make the offer. She'd explained it all to Vi as they got out of PIltover itself, around the unmanned checkpoints into the Undercity.

"…Am I ABSOLUTELY insane?" Caitlyn asked, half to herself, half to, well, anyone who'd be willing to answer. Vi's hand slipped into hers and they kept moving, matching paces. Her hand was so different. So similar. Still the rock Caitlyn never knew she needed until she finally had it, and oh, how unfair that was to Vi…

"Oh, probably." Vi smirked and Caitlyn scoffed. "But you're also right. You're doing right. You're gonna do more right." Vi lifted Caitlyn's hand, softly pressing her lips to it. "I'm proud of you, Cait." Oh, Caitlyn's cheeks had to be redder than Vi's own hair and longcoat.

"Well, maybe save you pride until we know no one will get shot over this." Caitlyn mumbled, and both Vi and Maddie chuckled.

"Shows how much you still have to learn about Zaunite negotiating, Cupcake. No one draws iron or blades, can you really even say you talked things out with your now-former enemies?" Caitlyn blew a fondly exasperated breath through her nose.

They were outside the ruins of a deep, ancient cannery when a little girl, the SAME little girl, came running up to meet them.

"Heya, Trouble." Vi reached to shift and tweak the mining helmet, covered in garish bright crayon scribbles, before reaching in lower to ruffle the spotty blue-dyed hair underneath. Once the giggling girl escaped from under Vi's affectionate palm, her mouth twisted a honestly adorable pout. She proceeded to glare up at the chuckling brawler with a mixture of affection, embarrassment, and… a slightly murderous anger. Vi seemed utterly unfazed, if disappointed that some of her affection was apparently undesired.

"Ok, everyone, back me up here: it's WEIRD for a kid to HATE nicknames, yeah? Gone through, like, twelve in the last few weeks. She tried to bite my fingers off on the last one, nearly broke your teeth, Trouble. Jinx'll kick my ass if anything happens to you because of me." The girl's scowl only deepened at the repeat of the evidently quite undesired nickname, though her face brightened at the implication of Jinx beating up Vi on her behalf. "UGH! You WOUND me, Trouble!"

Vi got a not-too-light smack against her shins for her continued use of the attempted-but-unwelcome nickname, the girl's scowl deepening. Maddie snorted in amusement, and Caitlyn frowned.

"Vi," She began. "You know how you only want certain people to know and use your full name?" And that was all it took for her to understand. A look of mild horror, then utter apology consumed Vi's face, her Wild Hextech eyes literally lighting up from sheer emotion.

"Fucking… Janna take my breath. Isha. I'm sorry."

Vi knelt, took the girl's hands in both of hers as her voice began to crack. Even though the brawler had only just begun, the girl could clearly see the absolute contrition and understanding of the hurt she'd accidentally been causing on Vi's face. And Isha's own understanding meant she was quickly satisfied. Of course, then her gaze slid over to just WHO Vi had brought with her, and she understandably ducked behind Vi as her face screwed up in terror, reaching with her fingers to let out a sure warning whistle before Vi caught her hand.

"Isha, Isha, no. It worked, Isha. Maybe a little too well, but it worked." Vi said and comforted as the girl at first struggled in her grip. Aspects, the hope on the girl's face when she heard Vi's planned protest had went as she wanted it to…

"She's got some really good offers to put on the table, so go let everyone know, yeah?" Vi gave the girl's hair one last ruffle before letting her sprint off. "You ready for this, Cupcake?" Vi asked, her expression of sincere concern undercut the nickname.

"…No." Caitlyn admitted, and Vi reached for her hand again. "But let's do it anyway."

So, this chapter was supposed to end at the end of the hospital scene, and God, if trying to find the conversational bridge between the end of Vi's narrated flashback and the fight wasn't also just as big a reason this chapter took so long. And BECAUSE it took so long, I decided to extend it's endpoint out. Ain't right to starve you readers of the Good Shit. It was also fun realizing certain details kinda had to work out certain ways, and those details could lead to other details. Like, 'Yeah, they go right into the flashback from the make-up sex, into the talk into the FIGHT. And I never said either of them got dressed again after the emotional makeup sex in Chapter 6, so… I guess Vi's beating ass buck naked, and BOY, can THAT be leveraged from Caitlyn's perspective!'

Vi trying to give Isha a nickname, and Isha having NONE of it, was a moment I've had in mind for a while, but how it manifested shifted as the plan and complexity of events surrounding it itself changed. Then, by the time I'd realized; 'Oh, yeah, Piltover would tear itself IN TWO if Caitlyn reversed her policies and stance on Zaun as radically as the Bridge Protest would make it seem like she will, so she's gonna have to make an offer or three to Zaun to try and at least keep them out of what comes, if not help for the own self-interest…' I realized that if Caitlyn were there, beyond it being a cute bit of sorta-bonding between Vi and Isha in a way they didn't get close enough for the show to show us, it could also be another CaitVi moment. Caitlyn GETS why Isha doesn't like Vi always trying to give her nicknames, and can use Vi's own personal experience and emotional needs to help Vi better understand why.

Likewise, Isha being scared of Caitlyn, understandably so given that Caitlyn was THIS close to get herself a triple-collateral on her, Jinx, and Vi back at the shrine. And that terror then turning to hope, and both emotions she displays just breaking Caitlyn's heart. Cause Isha was, and maybe still is, RIGHT to fear her for what she tried to do. Then the profound HOPE of hers that Vi's scheme to push the personhood of the people of the Undercity on Piltover is working, and that someone as young as Isha understands its necessity and how it will improve things for her since it's working; no child should have to KNOW that sort of thing, but she does. What was supposed to be just a cute hair-ruffling and a little punk girl finding nicknames uncool became something that I hope was quite meaningful on multiple levels for multiple characters, and I LOVE when that happens.