As soon as they went to another room, Vi gave her the sheet they gave her. "Oh."
"That. That is what happened to her!" Vi felt like punching something! "That is exactly what happened to her because of Silco! He messed with her head! Made her go . . ." Ugh.
"I suppose so." Caitlyn looked at the paper. "Yes. This makes some sense. We already knew this though, your sister exhibited madness already. Quite well. We could have guessed all of this."
"Look." Vi looked at the paper. "It's a lot different seeing it written that way. I mean. That's."
"More . . . professional? Official?"
"Yeah. I . . . I knew some of that . . ."
"They said most of it diminished. She seems okay."
"I can tell they have something in that village that my sister wants," Vi told her. "Especially if she mentioned she talked to Ekko randomly." What did he know? "Either way, it doesn't matter. Whenever this whole charade is over and she gets what she needs, I need her here."
Oh, of course Caitlyn didn't look well at that. "Vi-"
"She isn't well. Look at that." She pointed to it. "I mean? I sort of . . . she went down such a bad, bad road. I didn't understand how she could do it all, I even said my sister was dead. There was nothing left but a maniac in there. I believed it. But then? Then she came after me, for Vander. She didn't need to, she could have done it herself."
Vi started to pace. "What kind of crazy unfeeling maniacal person suddenly changes like that? And, and that little girl, Isha? Why was she suddenly taking care of an orphan? None of it made sense. But then. Suddenly, we were able to pick up on being sisters again. She started to change for the better. Just like that. I saw that change, even without her new doctors."
"Yes. I remember that. We have gone through this before," Caitlyn said. "I believed you mentioned oinking poison?"
"Yes." That was a tough moment between them. "What I said was true. I could see my sister." During it all. "She even helped break out Zaunites from Stillwater, but she was still in such trouble. Ekko told me. That." No, she already told Caitlyn. They weren't going through this again. "But then, she was okay. And. Whatever this is, this mania, it's like a bouncing back and forth thing. I can keep her on the ball. I know it." She got the sheet back from Caitlyn. "I can't just leave her there, Cait."
Caitlyn nodded. "Your sister is sick. Was sick. I don't know. She seems . . . but I don't know. This could all be one big ruse too, to throw us off guard for something."
"No. No, there's something wrong with her. We both know that. This is right," Vi disagreed.
"She was raised by an enemy, and it warped her mind. Everyone knows that, you just have details to go with it, Vi. It does happen."
"But she's getting better. If I didn't think that she had died . . ." She would have brought her back with her.
"Maybe . . ."
Vi watched her.
"Maybe, depending on how things go. Maybe we could work something out with her," Caitlyn said. "Maybe extra care somehow in jail. Maybe a lighter . . . well."
Jail? "She's sick, she can't just go to prison."
"She still commited the crimes, Vi. The only reason we are talking to her right now is because of her legal protection of Piltover's trade. Otherwise. That would be her future."
"I can't just leave her there. The way that son of a bitch talked about her."
"Yet, he is the one who treated her. We would have to find out what that medication is too."
"He only treated her to make her a choice to choose." That was easy to see. "I don't know what's an act, and what's not. I hope the 'happiness' thing was an act too. She should be happy. It should come first."
Caitlyn nodded. "Let's go back."
After that talk with Cait, Vi relaxed enough to just enjoy Powder-Jinx's presence. It was definitely still her. She could feel her sister. Not just lingering inside. Present.
"So, yeah, when I first arrived I was stunned by the free food. There is a ton of free food, the Laurents feed all the villagers every day just like it was a huge family."
She dropped the sweet accent, which Vi liked. She talked about learning it though and the culture. She had cleaned up real pretty too, it was a dream to actually see her little sister all washed up and clean like that.
Clothes. Housing. It was all taken care of. She said there was never much crime or danger in the village. It was peaceful since it stayed hidden. Then? She dropped unsettling news.
"So, I was a mercenary for awhile," Powder-Jinx said slowly, "but not for just anyone. My team only went after the worst. We went after true bad guys, not who paid more. I even took jobs that didn't have enough to pay, just because it was the right thing to do. It's over though now, I came to help Ekko because, well, he was mad enough that my team had to know the Firelights location, you know? It would have been bad if I wasn't there. Other than that, I don't do that anymore. I help take care of the village."
This Shields had really pounded a lot of good things into her. Maybe there wasn't any real magic to it. Maybe there was a reason Jinx had come back to get her after finding Vander.
Maybe there just needed to be a shake up, that made her want to try.
Maybe talking to her, day after day, was what made a difference. Powder hadn't been like that before. Maybe Silco really did put her through some grueling stuff. She had said one time that her sister did what it took to survive. Maybe that's just what her brain did too. Some kind of protection thing, to get through it all. "Did he feed you?"
"Hm?" Powder-Jinx looked at her oddly. "The Laurents feed the whole village, Vi."
"Did Silco feed you? Like, what?" She didn't ask before for details. But. "Did he feed you?"
"Silco?"
"Yeah."
"We aren't talking about that," she brushed her off. "Wedding and village, Vi. So, Anatoly will give you some money if you need some for nice clothes for the wedding. Actually, we could go shopping tomorrow if you want? Talk about other important things. Okay?"
"Okay." What did she have planned? "Like what other important things?"
"Uh? Well, I was trying to figure out what I'd name my first kid," Powder-Jinx said. "I was thinking, it it's a girl, maybe Lavander. Like mom liked colors, but it also shared the name Vander in it. If it's a boy, I want to name him Axel. Like, Axel Grease."
"My father was also named Anatoly," Anatoly said. "We could just keep the tradition."
"It doesn't feel right. It sounds okay, Lavander, but it doesn't feel right. Especially with a boy getting a cool name like Axel. Maybe if it's more 'la' and then 'vander'?"
Okay. Just. Really? How was she supposed to talk about this? "Could . . . be both?"
"Oh. It could be a girl's name too I guess. I don't know. Margaret thinks something flowery like Blossom or Grace. I told her she hasn't looked into the cesspool of our genes," Powder-Jinx teased. "Next time I come to get you, I'll already be pregnant, like seven months. You'll be able to come see the little whipper snapper in the village."
It's for their benefit. She's talking about this because it's making them believe more that she'll go through with it. It better be. "Felicia was always a pretty name too."
"Name it after mom? Oh, I don't know," Powder-Jinx admitted "I'll keep it open. You know what else is an interesting name? I like numbers. Like, you are Vi, but you are also six. So maybe something like . . ." She whispered over to her. "416-239-0867-42."
Ooh, a code! Ooh, what was that? Damn, too long. Powder-Jinx was always so brilliant compared to her. "I didn't hear that, sorry." Caitlyn leaned closer too.
"416-239-0867-42," she whispered once more then backed away. "Or maybe something simple like Chuck. I like Chuck, it's a good firm name."
"I like Chuck too." Vi smiled. What does she have?
They didn't get to stay much longer. Powder-Jinx needed to get going.
"Thanks for being understanding about this," Powder-Jinx said. "Call me whatever you want too. PJ is standard. Powder-Jinx is fine. You seem to like that one more. Which is good. Just don't start calling me Pajamas."
Vi smirked. Oh, Ekko did meet up with her. "We'll see, Pajamas."
"Great. Well? With that backfiring on me, I better get going. I'll see you tomorrow, Sis." She waved goodbye and everyone left.
"I wrote down her code," Caitlyn said. "What do you think it means?"
"I don't know."
Vi talked things out for a little while longer as they waited outside. She wanted to know what Ekko knew. While they talked, she saw the green glow sailing toward them. He was coming.
He landed straight in front of them, grabbing his board with one hand, and shoving their front door open with the other.
Vi and Caitlyn followed him in.
"Ekko, what did she tell you?"
"Did you see the guy?" He came back with a question of his own.
"Yeah, he's a village idiot. Village son of the leader. Apparently the leader is dying, and when PJ gets all dressed up now, she's a bit of a knockout, so he picked her for best chances of getting babies earlier. With all the most fun benefits, and he said it right to my face! To my face. He said 'we are going to have at least three kids in five years' to my face!"
"Easy, Vi," Caitlyn tried to calm her down.
"I swear, if his mom hadn't been there, I'da knocked him across the room! At least her being there keeps him on a chain. He isn't touching my sister beyond a hug." Vi looked back at him. "What did she tell you?"
Vi and Caitlyn were both there. Which, he knew about. But? How was he going to convey this all in the right way? Especially when everything was going down like this.
"And she would go where?" Cait said again to Vi.
Vi just looked at Caitlyn. "You can't put her in prison, Cait. She's sick."
"We could probably make sure she gets . . . help."
"Help? Where do you get help from?" Vi called her out.
"Vi. She is . . ." Caitlyn took a deep breath.
This is exactly what Jinx didn't want. To tear into Vi's life. Don't worry, I won't let it happen. "I want to talk to Caitlyn Kirrimman briefly, VI."
Vi didn't like that. She wanted to know more about things, but she was going to have to back off.
"I'm not spouting anything more to you, until I talk to Caitlyn Kirimman."
"Fine." Vi left the room.
Ekko moved toward the back of that room and motioned her over, just in case Vi was trying to listen in. Mylo always listened into places he shouldn't when they were growing up, no telling if she had something like that now.
Caitlyn came toward him. "What?"
"Jinx is going to ruin anything between you and Vi. Personally, I don't really like talking to the leader of the enforcers in the first place." Steady. He used to flip off enforcers as a kid. All the shit they pulled. Come on. "Jinx won't be seen in Piltover. I'll make sure of it."
"No. She has to pay for her crimes," she said.
"Yeah." He could see where she stood. "Let me try that again." He stepped forward. "You aren't going to find Jinx in Piltover, because you aren't going to find her period. Until you and Vi work out something that I actually believe? Even Vi isn't going to be able to see her."
Oh yeah. Caitlyn looked surprised. "She's done way too much. Vi will be able to visit her in prison. Everyday."
"No, she's not. She isn't going there."
"All of the crimes-"
"I don't care!" he yelled at her. "Food, water, and no actual care. Nuh uh."
"Are you insane too?" she called him out. "You literally made Vi walk away and you took Jinx on in battle yourself. You planned on killing her too, I could tell. You didn't even see her sister, you saw the criminal that she was, and that Vi couldn't. Look. It doesn't matter what she does now, it doesn't change what happened."
"Nothing can change what happened. All we can do is change the future. I'm not telling Vi this, until after I break off from her." There was no damn way that Vi was going to have access to Jinx, when she had Caitlyn unwilling to look past anything. "Jinx wants one thing, not to ruin Vi's life, so shut up, and I'll take the blame."
Oh, now she was looking at him strangely. "The blame?"
"Yeah. If Jinx comes back, you are going to throw her in prison. Absolute fact. Vi will hate you for that. Absolute fact. If Vi can't find Jinx or reach Jinx, because I won't let her have Jinx? Vi just hates my guts instead of yours. Then, you can go on with Vi. Get it?"
Caitlyn moved her hair back. "Why?"
"Because. It's all Jinx wanted," he told her. "Not to ruin her life. You can be sure, Vi's gonna find a way to see her sooner or later. Whatever way she finds, it won't last long."
"If you do this. Vi will hate you."
"Yeah, so sad, I won't see her visit occassionally, like once or twice a year. She's an enforcer, and she isn't changing that. She's never going to come down to Zaun, so I'll take the hate."
Caitlyn nodded. "Thank you."
"It's not for you." Ekko headed back forward and opened the door to see Vi. "So you wanna know about things already or what?"
He stood while they sat down and he retold them what he knew about the Anatoly guy. That he had powers that was keeping people from leaving the village.
He also told them about the hard part. What Anatoly could do to destroy 'PJ' into two separate identies.
Seeing Vi about ready to go through the front door to smash someone's face in, he added the important part. That the code probably went to the power liquid, and if he could look at it, and it was similar to some power liquid he already studied? Then they could get a ton and escape with Jinx and her doctors that very day.
Vi looked absolutely relieved. "I can't believe she actually got stuck with a mage, thank you so much for helping, Ekko." She smiled. "I really didn't want her to give away anything. Fortunately, his mother seems to be up to the task to make sure nothing happens until the wedding day."
"Not even a smooch or two," Caitlyn teased her.
"It's tradition to wait until the wedding day for everything for them, and I definitely agree with that. Some pervert's hands on my little sister, and I'll be throwing hands. You okay, Ekko?"
"Huh?" Yeah. He was just happy to hear that too. Not that it should matter. This wasn't the same. Well, it was, but it wasn't.
She was kind of.
But she wasn't.
"Hello, Ekko?"
Right. "Tomorrow, tell me how it goes. I'm gonna be spending the day figuring out what to do with my new shimmer factory." Yeah, he caught both their looks of surprise. "Yeah." He showed off the little card and opened to show the deed. "Name day gift from Pajamas, she definitely beat you."
"How did she manage that?"
"Her mage fiance," Caitlyn mentioned. "What if you can't do anything for this liquid?"
Oh. He didn't want to hear that.
"If you can't do anything, then Jinx gets married and stays there," Caitlyn said. "Does she understand that risk?"
Oh, I will figure it out. "It's just a bond issue, it's not a big issue, Caitlyn Kirimman."
"You're hoping," Cait just had to say. "I could easily see Vi having a nephew named Axel or Chuck."
"It's not funny, Cait," Vi gave her a warning look. "My sister isn't getting married or having kids with that moron."
"We hope."
"Yeah. How strong is that 'we'? Ksh." He headed back out.