Convalescence

By Eadon

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Riot; I just play with their characters.

It was strange that a certain memory would come to Vi now.

When she was a child, she had been in her gang for almost a year when a heist went bad. Even though they had known the lone security guard was lazy and always slept during his shift, they hadn't expected him to awaken from a phone call. Things turned for the worst when they found out the hard way that the guard was armed. Of all the people that got caught up with the guard and was hurt it had been the one guy that took a shine to Vi and was the one that convinced his friends to let her in the gang. He was always nice to her, gave her a little bit of his share of food, and gave her her first taste of alcohol.

Vi pleaded for the others to help her rescue him but they refused. As much as she wanted to go back to help him she knew she couldn't do so by herself. So, like her gang, she abandoned him. Afterward, the others had forgotten about him so quickly. It disappointed Vi that even among people like her if she were to die she wouldn't be missed.

Now, she laid on the floor, her body wrecked in unbelievable pain, her vision was fuzzy, she felt dizzy, it was difficult to breathe, and she could feel herself coughing up a liquid. She knew she was going to die. Then she had the lingering feeling that no one would miss her. Just like that guy from her gang.

She wasn't sure if she should feel sad about that.

Sure, it pissed her right off that Than was the one that killed her, but at least she was avenged. It was difficult to tell in the narrow tunnels and with the echoes, but she distinctly heard a gunshot that wasn't from Than's weapon. It was hard to explain, but the gunshot she heard was one that she's heard hundreds of times, both on the fields of justice and on the streets of Piltover. She could recognize that gunshot anywhere. Caitlyn was somewhere, looking over her through the lenses of her rifle like she always did whenever they were on a stakeout. And as usual, she took the shot whenever she needed help.

Vi was unaware she was even shot until she collapsed onto the ground, her body drained of all strength and the increasing pain in her chest.

Jayce's face was over hers and he was saying something but she couldn't hear. The only noise her ears could register was the rapid beat of her heart. Maybe her body was already shutting down and with it came her senses. Suddenly, she was starting to feel extremely tired so she closed her eyelids.

"No!" She heard Jayce say.

She still had her sense of touch. There was a sudden pressure against her chest that increased the pain so much it was maddening, then she felt something on her cheek. She forced her eyelids to lift and she saw Jayce's face even closer to hers than it was before. The exhaustion hit her again and she had to close her eyes again, just for a moment.

"Stay with me, Vi. Please, keep your eyes open. Please. Stay with me."

Vi coughed again. She wanted to tell him something, anything, but she couldn't breathe well enough. It took a lot of strength to reopen her eyes and when she did her heart fluttered when she saw a smile on Jayce's face. The lighting was bad, but his face was illuminated in a pale blue light from something, but it was enough to see him.

There was something off about his voice, however. He sounded…as if he was crying?

Despite the horrid pain in her chest and how cold she felt, there was very weak warmth inside her core. Even on deaths door she was warmed at the thought that someone didn't want her to die. Her death would be noticed.

She would be missed.

Would Caitlyn miss her? Somehow Vi felt it was a stupid question and knew her ex-partner would indeed miss her. She went through so much trouble to rescue her from Than, after all. She could feel tears tickle the edges of her eyes. Her mouth opened to speak, but all that came out was a painful cough and more liquid sprayed out as a crimson mist. It took the last of her strength to lift her hand up, she groped about until she felt Jayce's arm and she snaked her fingers over his hands. Just as she felt his fingers curl around hers her vision faded to darkness.

[PAGE BREAK]

For the first time in her life, Caitlyn felt at a loss of what to do.

Her friend laid bleeding on the floor, her team of officers and sentry bots arrived to the scene, some promptly fell into their routine, others went to her and awaited orders. But she couldn't focus on what needed to be done; all she could think about was that she was the one to blame for Vi getting severely hurt. She sadly watched as Jayce held Vi, his voice cracking as he pleaded her to stay awake.

Snap out of it! Her inner voice scolded at herself.

"Sheriff?"

Finally, she blinked and snapped back to the present. One of her officers stood in front of her with a concerned expression on his face. Jayce called to Vi again, she looked to the pair and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Vi was unconscious. One of her officers, one she knew that had some medical background, was already tending to Vi, but there was only so much he could do without the proper equipment.

She turned to the officer in front of her and glanced back to Vi. If she were to survive she needed medical attention immediately. Judging by how much blood she was losing and how she was gasping for air, they needed to get out as soon as possible. With shaky hands, she retrieved her map of the tunnels and quickly scanned for their location and any nearby exits.

Oh thank cogs, Caitlyn thought when she located an exit not far from their position. She fell into her own routine as she commanded her team to retrieve Vi and Jayce's weapons, Than would have to be left behind for now with a sentry bot, but his accomplice was still alive, but would also need medical attention.

Luck continued to be on her side when she found out her radio still had perfect reception to dispatch. She had to quickly compare the location of the tunnels exit to another map to see where specifically it would take them on the surface. Then she called in for an ambulance to meet them and gave further orders for dispatch to notify the nearest hospital for a gunshot victim. Once she was done arranging Vi's care, she quickly urged for her ex-partner to be moved.

Moving Vi wasn't easy. Caitlyn's nerves were rattled further when she was notified Vi's lung was most likely collapsed and her bleeding refused to let off. Caitlyn forced all emotions from her mind and concentrated on getting Vi out of there.

Their exit took them to what appeared to be an abandoned and closed off basement. Cailtyn all but ordered the sentry bots to knock down every wall, but one of her officers noticed what used to be a door that was now closed off. The sentry bots moved fast and had cleared up the exit where they found themselves in another basement. A set of stairs stood in one side that took them up into a private resident house.

They barged into a family that was in the middle of dinner. The family had heard the loud noises from their basement and was on the verge of running out of the house, but curiosity allowed the father to remain behind. He looked terrified as he observed people emerge from his house's basement, but his hostility ceased when he recognized Caitlyn, thankfully. She muttered a quick apology and promised his family would receive funds for the mess they made of their basement.

The ambulance was already waiting for them outside, the paramedics looking about, unsure where Caitlyn's group would come from. Caitlyn fell into another trance as she watched Vi, Jayce, and Than's accomplice be taken away, her ears perked as she heard the commands and comments by the paramedics. Her heart sunk when she heard one of them report her breathing had stopped and her pulse was incredibly weak. She looked at Vi and a sob nearly escaped her calm composure when she noticed how pale her friend became, she already looked…no she couldn't think like that.

She was incredibly tempted to climb into the ambulance with them and use the excuse that a human officer should accompany the injured criminal, but a sentry bot was already escorting him. And her job came first. It always did. There was a multitude of things she still needed to take care of. A few police vehicles were parked nearby as well, ready to take Caitlyn and her team back to their department.

The sheriff climbed into one of the cars and took a moment to rub her eyes. She had to clear her head and concentrate on the things she would need to do. Minutes passed and she hadn't been aware the vehicle stopped until the officer that drove placed her hand on Caitlyn's shoulder.

"Ma'am?"

Caitlyn looked up and realized they weren't at the police department; they were in front of the hospital. Her eyes drifted to the officer beside her and one of her thin eyebrows lifted in confusion.

"We can take care of everything," the female officer told her. "I'm sure this is where you really want to be."

Caitlyn opened her mouth to refuse and order her to return to HQ, but her voice failed to form a single syllable. A sense of pride filled her, she was beyond grateful that her own men and women were capable of this sympathy. Still unable to speak, she nodded and gave a weak smile before she opened the door and climbed out.

It didn't take her long to find out where Vi was taken. As she walked to where they kept her, her heart felt like it would pump out of her chest and she had to take a moment to lean on the wall because her legs felt so shaky and wobbly. She inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, and tried to calm herself.

She came to a set of double doors, a sign warning for no visitors unless escorted by staff, but Caitlyn didn't care, she was about to go through when she noticed Jayce sitting in one of the few chairs that was in the makeshift waiting room. He sat hunched over, his elbows on his knees, and one hand was holding an ice bag to his temple.

"Jayce?"
The man started, and promptly looked up, his eyes wide. When he noticed it was simply her he seemed to have deflated. "Hi, Cait."

"Why are you out here?" She took a seat next to him. If Jayce was sitting out here then perhaps he knew of their friends condition.

"Vi's in surgery, I have to wait here," he told her.

Now that she saw him in good lighting, Caitlyn took a thorough look at him. He was bruised, cuts decorated his face and neck, his clothes were dirty and torn, his hair was disheveled, and he smelled heavily of sweat and blood.

"Have they checked over you?" She asked.

Jayce lightly shook his head. "I refused treatment."

"Jayce…"

"I'm fine, okay!" His eyes were hard when he looked at her and they stared at each other for a long moment until he blinked and his face softened, a heavy sigh escaped his lips. "I'm sorry…I just…"

Caitlyn rested a hand on his arm and she could feel his muscles shake. He had to be exhausted and hurting, but he was still somehow forcing himself to remain awake. "It's nothing."

They fell into silence again. The worry that was brewing in her chest was starting to churn her stomach and her body was itching to do something, anything to distract herself from her thoughts.

"It's my fault," Jayce said suddenly. He kept his gaze on the floor and his grip tightened around the ice bag. "I had a chance and I hesitated. Vi told me to attack and I couldn't. I was so afraid to hurt her," he paused to laugh. There was no humor in his laughter, however, it sounded bitter. "I was afraid to hurt her, but my hesitance probably killed her."

Caitlyn felt like someone punched her in the gut, her breath was forced out her lungs. She closed her eyes and bowed her head down. If anything it was her fault, and only her fault.

"No," she told him, "you're not to blame because you didn't want to hurt her." She paused to keep her voice from cracking. Before she could say more a man approached them.

"Sheriff?" The man sounded surprised when he saw Caitlyn. After he studied Jayce he promptly recognized him as well and his eyes bugged slightly.

Caitlyn's eyes drifted to the badge on his coat, he was a doctor. Her stomach made another churn and she was both anxious and terrified, she was afraid she was going to be sick. She swallowed the bile that rose to her throat and took another deep breath to calm herself. Her hands felt clammy and shook.

Please let her be okay, she thought.

The doctor hesitated. He looked into the folder he carried and glanced back up at them. Caitlyn immediately knew what he was wandering. "Vi has no relatives. We're her friends."

Nodding, the doctor shut his folder. "Well, good news."

Caitlyn exhaled and felt her heart flutter in happiness. She half listened to whatever the he was saying. An urge to hug and kiss the doctor overcame her, but she kept control of herself. Due to her and Jayce's non-familial relationship with Vi, the doctor was restricted to only telling them of Vi's condition. She was alive and stable. That was all they would be told.

The doctor left, but instructed a nurse to show them where Vi was kept. They technically weren't allowed to visit Vi yet, but the doctor couldn't refuse both Piltover's Sheriff and the Defender of Tomorrow. There were times where Caitlyn loathed and loved her iconic status as Sheriff and a representative of Piltover in the League of Legends. This was one of those moments were she loved it.

The sheriff noticed Jayce walked with a limp, yet he still managed to walk faster than her and would have surpassed the nurse if he had known their destination.

Vi's room was small. It had one window, which had been closed by blinds, two chairs, and the one bed that Vi occupied. Looking at her still kept Caitlyn's nerves on the fritz. She hadn't looked any better, she had been cleaned, but her face was still deathly pale and a machine had been hooked into her mouth.

Caitlyn took a moment to look over the hextech machine, it looked familiar somehow. As the nurse took one final check on the pink haired patient, Jayce immediately stepped to her bedside; Caitlyn continued to think where she saw the machine. Finally, she remembered. When she was a child her mother had worked under a hextech inventor that created mechanisms for medicine. This particular machine was made to assist a person to breathe.

The nurse told them she would check back in several minutes and took her leave. Caitlyn waited for the nurse to exit the room before she snatched the clipboard that hung on the end of Vi's bed and did her best to make sense of all of the complicated medications that were listed. After her failed attempt to make sense of the list, she glanced up and found Jayce sitting on the edge of the bed, his full attention still on her pale face.

"It almost looks like she's sleeping," Jayce said softly.

Caitlyn placed the clipboard back into its holder and approached the hanging IV, her eyes scanning all labels. Then she followed every tube that connected to Vi.

"What're you doing?"

The woman blinked and shook her head. "I want to know what injuries she had, what they did to her, when she'll recover, everything. We're not family, so all of that information is confidential. Old habits dictate I find other means of getting that information."

Jayce blinked once, twice, and then he nodded.

"When you both were in the ambulance I heard that her breathing stopped," Caitlyn continued.

"She did," Jayce confirmed. The memory seemed to make his expression harden. He grasped Vi's hand and brought it to his lips.

Caitlyn motioned to the machine beside Vi. "This machine breathes for her, so she's incapable of doing so herself. She was shot point blank by a revolver, those bullets mushroom as they travel out of the body. The surgery must've been magical healing to repair the damage to her lung."

Jayce paled as she explained everything. "Will she recover?"

Caitlyn thought over the numerous reports she's read about crime victims or suspects that underwent similar injuries as Vi. "From what I know, it depends. Some recover, some develop…complications. It's a long healing process, but magic healing speeds it up."

"What sort of complications? Could she die from them?"

"I'm not sure about the complications, a doctor would be best to explain that. As for your second question…yes. The complications can be lethal."

The inventor looked down to Vi and frowned.

Finally, Caitlyn stepped next to Jayce. "Vi's tough. I'm certain she'll recover without complications."

Jayce nodded again. Her reassurance seemed to help improve his mood and he sat up straighter.

"And we'll be there for her, too," Caitlyn continued. "She won't be alone for her convalescence."

Their silent moment was interrupted by Caitlyn's phone. She felt immensely better knowing that Vi was alive, so now she had to return to work. The guilt that Vi wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for her was still brewing in her chest. There was at least one thing she could do to atone for what she did. With Than dead it made things a little difficult for her, but she still had his accomplice. That was more than what she needed. And now that she received news that he was awake it was time she got some answers, possibly arrest a statesman, and get Vi's job back.

It had been too long since Vi woke up normally, she was so used to suddenly snapping awake in panic. Her eyelids were heavy and her eyes didn't like the cold air that hit them. Why she woke up at all when she still felt incredibly sleepy she didn't know.

She half expected to wake up on the hard ground in complete darkness. Instead, the first thing that stabbed into her eyes was a bright light. The light hurt and she saw bright spots even with her eyes closed.

Slowly she regained feeling in her fingers so she wiggled them. It wasn't dirt that she felt. She wasn't sure if she should feel relieved or nervous. Her curiosity of where she was overpowered her want to return to sleep. As she blinked her vision cleared and her pupils adjusted to the brightness. She was in bed, but she wasn't in her own room, nor in one of Jayce's. No one in their sane mind would have such a white room. The floor, walls, and ceiling were bright white.

There was a flash of black beside her. Turning, she saw a mess of black hair on the bed beside her and she immediately recognized the owner of the dark hair. A small smile grew in the corner of her mouth.

It was…nice to wake up and find Jayce beside her.

She eyed his ear and thought about giving him a wet willie, but he was using her hand closest to him as a damn pillow and his head was pretty damn heavy.

As her body continued to wake from its slumber, she winced when the pain came like a wave. Taking a deep breath was a mistake and her lungs had the tingly needle feeling when a limb fell asleep and then woke up. She couldn't stem the cough that came. Her ribs didn't hurt as much as they did before, they just felt sore like she did too many sit ups.

Her cough stirred Jayce awake. One moment he looked up at her with half open eyes and the next he was practically in her face. His mouth opened, but he didn't say anything. Then his mouth shut and he just smiled broadly.

"Hi," he told her. All traces of sleep and grogginess absent from his voice. "How're you feeling?"

Vi tried not to breathe too deeply. Doing so would just make her want to cough again. It felt as if her lungs had never stretched from a too deep of a breath before and it hurt too. Her chest felt like it was on fire and still had the needle feeling, her body was sore, and her mouth and throat were so dry it felt like her tongue was made of sand paper.

"Like shit," she croaked. Talking triggered another cough and her chest felt aflame again.

There was a brief flash of panic in Jayce's eyes. "Should I get the doctor?"

She shook her head. "Thirsty."

Jayce jumped to his feet and stepped out of her field of vision. Vi wanted to sit up, but she realized the upper part of her bed was already inclined. She closed her eyes for a moment, her chest really hurt, but at least she wasn't having difficulty breathing provided she didn't inhale too deeply.

When she opened her eyes again Jayce offered her a small plastic up. If he meant to press the cup to her lips, Vi wasn't having him feed her the water. She wasn't that injured. She took the cup from his grasp and drained every drop from the cup.

"Do you want more?"

She nodded and handed him the cup back. The cool water washed down her body and the heat from her chest felt cooler for a moment. After she drained her second serving she was caught off guard when Jayce suddenly pressed his lips against her own.

It was a long moment until Jayce pulled away, Vi caught the sadness in his eyes. "I was…I'm glad you're okay."

Now that she felt a little better, memories of what put her in this condition flashed through her head. "What happened?" Her throat was still raspy, but at least it didn't hurt to talk anymore.

Jayce looked ashamed. He scratched the back of his head and looked down, avoiding her eyes. "Caitlyn knew where we were being kept. She intended to sneak into the building to rescue us by using the tunnels. It was convenient that she approached during our struggle. She saw your situation and took the shot." He paused and looked up to her. "She shot and killed Than. You don't have to worry about him anymore."

Vi frowned. It was strange to hear that Than was dead. Stranger to accept that everything was over. It didn't feel over. The pain in her chest flared and she lifted a hand and touched the center of the pain.

"You were shot," Jayce explained, "by Than after he was shot. Caitlyn blames herself; she thinks she was too late."

She would think that, Vi thought.

"She's fuckin' stupid," she smiled. "It was no one's fault."

Jayce didn't say anything, but she could plainly see something was bothering him. She had an idea what it was though. "That includes you, ya know." He still didn't say anything, but he slowly nodded. She yawned and quickly regretted it. Her lungs burned again. "How long have I been out?"

"Two days."

Vi felt stunned, but quickly recovered. How could she have been unconscious for two days yet still feel so damn tired? She looked at him again and took in his appearance. He looked just as tired as she felt, his hair was flat on one side of his head, and the stubble on his jaw was thick.

"Have you been waitin' here this whole time?"

He nodded. "Of course. I couldn't—I mean I couldn't leave until I knew you'd be okay."

It wasn't until he squeezed her hand that she realized he had been holding her hand at all.

"Well, ya could've at least showered," she grinned. He returned her smile and after a moment he stood up.

"I should still get the doctor, now that you're awake."

And then he left. Vi wanted to move into a different position and sleep, but it was difficult to move without her sore limbs screaming in protest. Eventually, a man came in and asked her some questions. Vi found herself feeling cranky and short tempered with the questions, but the nurse took no offense. He left and Jayce walked back in.

All Vi wanted to do was take a nap, but the pain in her chest prevented her from getting too comfortable to sleep. Jayce didn't say much and she was grateful for the quiet. Eventually another man stepped inside and promptly tinkered with something that was beside her bed. Whatever he did the effect was instantaneous, the pain that plagued her since she woke washed away and a smile grew on her face.

Like the man earlier, this one introduced himself as a doctor and asked her some more questions. Without the pain, Vi was in a much better mood and wasn't short tempered with the series of questions. The questions turned into directions and a long explanation of her healing process. Vi frowned as she listened, long story short her lung took severe damage, was healed, and for the next several weeks she would be restricted from doing anything too strenuous.

The news didn't sit well with Vi. She was in no position to sit in her apartment and do nothing for several weeks. Without her job she intended to return to robbing other criminals, but she couldn't do that if a mere walk would leave her breathless.

Vi was too engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't hear the rest of what the doctor had to say. She hadn't notice him leave the room either. Jayce's voice finally knocked her out of her thoughts.

"What's wrong?"

She looked to him and shook her head. "I'm just tired." It was true, she was tired, but she didn't want to tell him about her worries.

Jayce seemed to know what she was thinking about, however. "Remember what I said?" He smiled, which brought those damn butterflies in Vi's stomach again. "I'll always be here. Caitlyn too. We're both here to help you through this."

Vi didn't know how to respond to that. Her chest warmed again, but it wasn't from the pain. She was truly grateful for Jayce and Caitlyn, but she couldn't burden them.

Before Vi could say anything, the door opened and Caitlyn stepped in. Like Jayce, Cait crossed the room and pulled her into an embrace.

"Thank cogs you're okay," Caitlyn said.

Vi smiled. "It takes more than that to get rid of me."

The two women broke apart from their hug. It was then that Vi noticed the clothing that her ex-partner was garbed in. "You just come outta fancy date or somethin'?"

Caitlyn smiled and shook her head. "No, I just got out of a very important meeting with the statesmen."

"How'd it go? What'd they say?" Jayce asked quickly.

Vi looked between them with a frown. "Mind tellin' me what's goin' on?"

Caitlyn's smile grew and there was a sparkle in her eyes. She reached into her pocket and placed something in Vi's hand. Looking down, Vi felt her breath pause. It was a metallic cog, the words Piltover's Finest carved into it. It was her badge.

"You did it?!" Jayce asked Caitlyn.

The other woman's smile managed to somehow grow larger. Vi realized this was the first time she's ever seen her ex—no they were partners now.

Caitlyn grabbed a chair and sat beside Vi's bed, on the opposite side where Jayce sat. "While you were unconscious, Vi, I had a long conversation with Than's accomplice."

Vi's head was fogged and was still recovering from everything that was happening too fast so it took her some time to remember whom she was referring to. "What about him?"

"He confessed to all of Than's plans. Than was related to a statesman's wife, he lived with them for several years. That statesman had some sort of blackmail against another statesman, proof of adultery, so Than used that information to create a set up to get you fired."

It hit her. Vi finally remembered why Than's ally looked so familiar. He was the burglar that broke into the statesman house. She realized she didn't recognize him because the night of the burglary he had a full beard and was bald. When she saw him again, when Than kidnapped her the second time, he had a full head of hair and he was clean shaven, but she still thought his face looked familiar. She lifted her gaze back to Caitlyn.

The brunette continued her tale. "Once I had his confession, and access to Than's things, it was easy to get the evidence I needed to show to the statesmen. After a little coercion I managed to get your job back." She winked. "And I got a formal apology out of them. For everything you went through, the statesmen are throwing a party to formally accept you back as my partner."

It was a lot to take in. Vi pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She didn't wake up. "What kinda party?"

Caitlyn chuckled softly to herself. "It's a formal party. You'll be expected to look presentable as the sheriff's partner should."

Vi groaned. "So long as the food is good and the drink is hard, then I'm game. But no dress."

Caitlyn frowned. "You're not going to another party dressed in a vest, tie, and pants again, Vi."

"I ain't wearin' a dress," Vi whined.

Jayce smiled as he sat back and observed the two women continue their friendly argument. He was so relieved things were looking to return to normal again. It was satisfying to see the fiery spirit in Vi return.

Five weeks had passed since Vi was well enough to be discharged from the hospital. While she recovered, she was barred from being too physically active. Knowing Vi's stubbornness, and her restlessness, Caitlyn and Jayce came up with a plan to make sure she didn't sneak off in search of a fight. Caitlyn kept her on desk duty, much to the pink haired woman's displeasure. And Vi continued to stay with Jayce in the evenings. This was due to Caitlyn frequently being called during the evening for emergencies, and she was afraid Vi would go against her wishes and follow her.

During those weeks, however, Jayce worked on a new project. It was a gift for Vi for returning to the police force. He was grateful she hadn't found it either during the times she stayed up in the evenings tinkering with her gauntlets in his workshop.

Despite the fact that Than was dead, Vi got her job back and was making a speedy recovery, she still carried scars from the whole ordeal, both physically and mentally. She drank frequently, refused to sleep as often as she could, and refused to see a doctor about the trauma she carried.

There was some small progress at least, Vi kept true to her word and did her best to be open with Jayce and Caitlyn.

Late one evening, Jayce awoke to the sound of someone coughing. There was a dim light emanating from his room's balcony. Looking at the source of the light, he spotted Vi. He climbed out of bed, turned on his bedside light and joined her outside. His heart sank when he saw the small glass filled with an amber liquid clutched in her hand.

"Hey," he told her.

She started and looked at him with wide eyes. Once she saw it was him she visibly relaxed.

Jayce rubbed his arms. He still couldn't fathom how Vi was able to tolerate sitting out in the cold air. Well, maybe the alcohol helped in that aspect. She didn't say anything to him; she just looked forward and continued to stare at the city lights.

"I still can't sleep," she confessed.

The inventor stepped next to her and held his hand out to her. "Come on inside, it's freezing out here."

He expected her to ignore him and remain in her seat, but she surprised him by taking his hand, left her glass on the small outdoor table, and followed him inside into his room. Her hand was freezing so he grabbed one of the many blankets from his bed and wrapped her with it before he sat her on the bed.

"Why can't you sleep?"

She shrugged, then sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Than is dead. Yet I still…see him every time I close my eyes. I wake up and still expect to be in that room, tied to a chair."

Jayce felt a pang in his chest. He placed his hand on her knee and squeezed it gently. "Those memories are still fresh, so your body still expects to be there. As time passes the memories will fade, and so will the dreams."

She shook her head. "But how long until that time comes? When the dreams aren't so frequent?"

He didn't have an answer to that and he had difficulty thinking up of something to tell her. It was best to just be honest. "I don't know." He squeezed her knee again. "I wish I knew of an answer, but I don't. But I'll be here." He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close.

The answer was well received, he supposed. She nodded and exhaled deeply. They just sat together and enjoyed each other's warmth. All he was able to offer was his presence, but it was enough for her. Even though she still woke up from her nightmares, his nearby presence always calmed her. Sometimes, after he comforted her back to sleep, she was able to rest nightmare free.

It truly was a slow progress.

The warmth probably rocked her to sleep, and Jayce didn't want to rouse her awake by carrying her back to the room she stayed in. So he gently placed her against his bed, made sure she was well covered by the blankets, and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead before he moved towards the couch at the opposite side of his room.

He took a mere step when he suddenly felt a tug on his shirt. Looking back, he found Vi awake with the bottom of his shirt in her grip.

"What's wro—"

Despite the woman's inactivity for weeks, she was still lightning fast and strong. She half pulled herself up and half pulled him down by his shirt and met his lips with her own. The softness and warmth of her lips put him in a trance and all he could do was kiss her back. Her arms wrapped around his neck and continued to pull him down with her.

There was a distant and very faint voice in the back of his head that told him he shouldn't be doing this. Vi was drunk and he would be taking advantage of her. The little voice was nearly deafened by the lust that fogged his mind, but when Vi deepened the kiss, when he tasted her, his eyes opened in surprise and he pulled away from her.

He realized he had been on the bed, on top of her, his elbows on the mattress beneath Vi's arms supporting his weight. "You're not drunk? I mean, I saw you with—."

She sighed heavily, her warm breath hit his face and he continued to confirm that he neither tasted nor smelled any alcohol in her breath.

"Every time I'd drink, I'd see your face," she explained. "I'd see how disappointed you looked every time you saw me get drunk. Eventually…I dunno, I just couldn't stand to see that look on your face. So I've been cutting back. Sometimes I'd take a sip, or a drink or two. The drink helps me sleep, it keeps the dreams at bay for a little while, but I hated to see…well, I stopped. I haven't drunk a drop today."

Happiness and pride swelled in Jayce's chest and he slammed his lips on hers. The inner voice in his head remained silent, there was no more holding him back. Never had he wanted someone as badly as he wanted Vi now.

As they deepened their kiss, the warmth they shared between themselves suddenly became too overwhelming. There was a brief lapse in their kiss as Vi yanked his shirt off. Her fingers snaked along his torso and slowly slid to his sides and then to his back. Her soft touch brought his nerves into a craze and he had to feel her skin as well.

After he removed her shirt he wasn't satisfied with only his fingers roaming around her body, he had to use his lips as well. He started at her neck and nibbled slightly, his fingers sliding across her body and towards her back for the clasp of her final piece of upper clothing. Once she was completely nude from the waist up Jayce pulled away and took a moment to admire her body.

Jayce often heard some men complain about scars on women, they complained it didn't suit the fairer sex as well as the men. Once, Jayce agreed with that opinion. But now, as he looked over Vi and analyzed the many scars that littered her body he felt no revulsion. Knowing what she endured to sport such scars, his attraction, lust, and admiration for her grew stronger.

It had pained him so much to witness the torment Than caused Vi. To be tied up and helpless to do anything but watch him hurt her was something he still dreamt of. And now he felt a powerful obligation to make her forget the pain that sprouted each and every scar on her body.

He eyed a scar on her collarbone and lowered his face onto her skin, his lips pressed against the scar gently. He'd pay special attention to each scar, kissing it, softly stroked it with a finger, sometimes he'd teasingly nibble on it. Every scar received the same treatment. The lower he got on her body the more it aroused Vi if her heavy breathing was any indication. When his fingers and lips traveled to her chest she let out a soft moan which nearly drove Jayce into a lust crazed frenzy.

Vi was either patient with his slow foreplay, or she enjoyed it too much to move on. He knew he nibbled or licked or teased just right when she made a very un-Vi like noise or gently pulled on his hair. It was cute to learn that she was slightly ticklish when he moved onto a scar on her navel.

When he got to the waistband of her pants her strong arms and speed suddenly pushed him off of her and onto the mattress with her sitting on his thighs. She grinned down at him before she leaned down and pressed another kiss on his mouth. He felt her fingers on his chest for a moment before they began to slide downward onto his abdomen and yet even further until they disappeared beneath the waistband of his pants. He felt her fingers and he lost himself for a moment. He lifted his pelvis onto her hand and suddenly he couldn't stand the remaining barrier of clothes between their lower halves.

His own fingers reached for the waist of her pants and pulled them downward. Given their positions he could only pull them so far down so he placed his hand onto Vi's lower back and pulled her down while he spun themselves about so they switched positions. Their movement caused her hand to slip out from his pants and he nearly groaned from the lack of her touch.

Now that he was in a better position to strip her of pants he did so, savagely. After her pants were removed her underwear bore the same fate and with the sight of her fully nude body before him Jayce quickly yanked off the remainder of his own lower clothes and nearly knocked down his bedside lamp when he tossed his pants aside.

The lust fueled frenzy that consumed him for a quick moment was deflated when he looked at her lower body and saw more of the scars. Anger swelled in his chest when he saw the scars of the whip lashes on and around her core. Her hands were on him again and her touch melted his anger. The need to pleasure her, to help her forget the pain of her lashings, was all he could think about so he lowered his mouth onto her lower scars.

Even though he didn't tend to every scar like he did with her torso, he focused on some until he heard her satisfied noises. Eventually the sounds of her sighs and gasps became too much for him so he reached for the top drawer of the bedside table that supported the lit lamp. He fumbled a bit as he fished for that familiar feel of the object he sought.

Vi's arms wrapped around his neck again and pulled him down for another passion filled kiss. He almost hadn't realized her fingers trailed along his arm and into the drawer until she broke the kiss. She had better luck finding what he was looking for, she flashed his prize in front of his eyes and then she was suddenly pushing him onto the bed and she rolled around him until she was on top of him again.

Her fingers were on him again and she used her teeth to rip open the small square of plastic in her other hand. After she tossed the empty plastic wrapper over her shoulder, she leaned to one side and reached for the lamp and turned it off. The city lights and moonlight that penetrated the room from the balcony glass door was enough for them to see each other and admire each other's nude bodies.

Vi wasn't exactly gentle nor was she too rough. Either way, Jayce nearly became undone when he felt her. He refused to be a disappointment for her, he wanted this to be a great memory for her, and she deserved it. A distraction would delay him, so he pushed his upper body upwards and sought out Vi's skin with his mouth where he resumed to lick and nibble her sensitive areas.

She reacted just as he hoped, a gasp escaped her and she made a small, high pitched noise that nearly finished him. Okay so maybe this was a bad idea as well. He quickly, and carefully, switched positions with her. It was amusing how they both fought for dominance over each other. It was exhausting, but exhilarating at the same time.

He pulled away from her and he almost shuddered to think of how irritated she must look. Still, he focused on his objective and distracted her with another kiss. While they kissed, he slid his fingers downward. Time was long lost to them so he had no clue how long it was until she arched her back slightly and moaned against his mouth.

From then on they both submitted to their primal urges. Jayce blinked and found himself laying on his back again with Vi over him. Euphoria overwhelmed them as they fell into a rhythm together. Jayce did his best to stay a step behind Vi and was just barely successful. Their finish left them both exhausted and breathless, Vi collapsed onto the mattress beside him.

Jayce was lost in a blank state for a long moment. Once he recovered he just wanted to close his eyes and sleep until next week. It was difficult to keep his eyelids open, but he managed, and he was grateful he kept a waste bin nearby.

He twisted his body towards Vi and took a moment to admire her again. With the moonlight he could faintly see the sweat on her skin glisten and her chest moved up and down as she caught her breath.

A faint hint of worry touched Jayce, but Vi's breathing calmed which caused his wariness to cease. She sensed his gaze and turned her attention to him.

"What?" She asked him.

Jayce moved closer to her and pressed the side of his face against her chest and listened. "Just wanted to listen to the most beautiful sound." He closed his eyes and almost fell asleep to the steady beat of Vi's heart. When he held her in those tunnels after she was shot, he kept feeling for her heartbeat and panicked when he thought he couldn't feel one. He often dreamed of it, listening for her heartbeat and not finding one.

If he remained like that a second longer he would fall asleep, and he doubted Vi would be comfortable with his heavy head on top of her. Before he moved to his side of the bed and slept, he stretched to plant a kiss on her cheek. She turned her face towards him and accepted his kiss with her lips.

With that, Jayce pulled the covers over them and was asleep quickly.

The phone woke him up the next morning. He groaned and blindly reached for the phone he kept on his bedside, his eyes were still too tired to open. Whoever was calling was persistent, normally after five rings the caller always hung up. By the ninth ring he finally managed to lift the phone from its receiver and lazily placed it on his ear.

"Hello?" He was asleep face down so his voice was muffled into the pillow.

"Jayce, it's Caitlyn."

Most of the sleep was swept away in an instant and Jayce immediately turned to the other side of the bed. Vi still occupied the other side of the bed, her soft snores signaling she was still asleep. Jayce breathed easier knowing she hadn't left.

The inventor glanced at the clock as he slowly pushed himself off the bed. "Morning, Cait. What's up?"

He heard her sigh. "Can you tell Vi to meet me on the corner of 1st and 16th? I have a stakeout and I need her here."

Jayce frowned and glanced at Vi again. "You sure she's good to get back into action?"

"It's been five weeks; the doctor said after three it would be safe for her to do some light exertion. I've been keeping a close eye on her and I think she'd be good for a little bit of action."

"Alright, I'll let her know."

"Thank you. Corner of 1st and 16th," Caitlyn repeated before she hung up.

Jayce hung up and rubbed the little sleep that lingered in his eyes. Despite the phone ringing and his talking, Vi was still knocked out. Then it dawned on him that she hadn't waked during the night at all. He hated the thought of waking her up now; she deserved to sleep a little longer without bad dreams.

Nonetheless, she was needed.

He leaned toward her sleeping form and pressed a kiss onto her exposed shoulder before he shook her awake gently.

She panicked slightly when she awoke, but once she saw him she quickly calmed.

"Cait called, she needs you on the corner of the 1st and the 16th."

Vi groaned and buried her head under the pillow. "Why the fuck would anyone be tryin' to break the law this early in the fuckin' mornin'?"

Jayce smiled and decided to take advantage of something he learned about Vi the previous night. He wiggled his finger on her navel and successfully caused her to bolt upward. "The faster you're ready the faster you'll see the surprise I have for you."

Vi frowed as she stared at his face, searching for any hint of a lie. She shrugged and climbed out of bed then retreated to her room for her uniform and stepped into the bathroom. When Jayce heard the shower turn on he fetched her surprise he stashed in his workshop and waited.

It didn't take Vi long to shower and change into her uniform. She stepped out and Jayce called her over to the dining room where he waited.

Her eyes lit up when she saw the large gauntlets on the table. It took him weeks to build them, but the look on her face made it all worth it. He designed and built her gauntlets fit with the Piltover Police badge on each one, sirens, and he even added a unique upgrade to them, each time she punched the gauntlets would also fire a shotgun shell. The design was complicated and he had some issues getting the shotgun to work, but he succeeded.

She promptly placed the gauntlets on; shadow punched a few times, and then grabbed him in a fierce hug.

"Shit, cupcake is gonna kill me. Gotta go!"

As quickly as she ran out of his house, she ran back in, kissed him, and then ran back out.

Jayce walked to the door, Vi hadn't shut the door, and he leaned on the door frame as he watched her flex the fingers of her new gauntlets before she hopped onto her police motorcycle, powered on the hexengine, and drove off.

A smile was still on his face as he watched her drive off with both the sirens on her bike and her gauntlets on.

Her complete recovery was still a ways to go, but after last night he knew Vi would make it. He would be there along the way, he would always be there.

End

A/N: There it is. A simple little idea that came to me and I debated for weeks if I should write it into a fanfic story. As popular as Cait/Vi fics are I didn't think this one would capture anyone's attention. Chapter after chapter I was surprised and happy to see people enjoyed reading this fic. So whether you've been keeping up with the story since it was first released or you've just noticed and read it now I hope it's met expectations and was enjoyable to read. I mostly write fanfiction because I see it as practice, for years I've been trying to improve my writing in hopes to write fiction novels, so I greatly appreciate the ones that took the time to leave feedback. Each bit of criticism I received I used it to improve, so thank you to those that told me their thoughts about his story. I've been up all night working on this so now I am off to finally get some sleep!