Chapter Text
"what the fuck do you want!"
the first sentence that came out of Polaris' mouth when she was placed in the Kiramann household by forced.
"you got caught stealing. what do you think?" Caitlyn scoffed.
"so what?" the teenage puffed out. "you guys steal from us all the fucking time!"
"no, we don't.. That's not what we're—"
"don't lie to me!" she shouted back, startling caitlyn a bit.
she had gotten a call that a teenage girl, with black and green split hair, had been caught stealing from a wealthy market not too far from caitlyn's posting and instead of turning her in, caitlyn brought her here.
"vi. a little help here?" caitlyn breathed, running her hands through her hair. "I can't be the bad guy. She's a child."
"what's the problem?" vi calls out, ruffling her hair dry from her shower. "what was the call about..oh"
her eyebrows rise, looking at the child sitting near the front door, covered in bruises and dust. "that's what it was about."
"yes. and I don't know what to do with her. we can't just let her go back out there."
"why not? she's about the same age I was and I turned out just fine."
caitlyn side eyes her girlfriend, grabbing the small box of medical supplies from the supply closet. "you're so helpful, Violet. thank you so much."
"hey! I'm joking, I'm joking. " Vi assured. "How bad are her wounds?"
"my wounds are fine, asshole." Polaris shot, earning a whistle from vi.
"ooh. I thought I was bad."
"you think?" caitlyn chuckled a little, walking back over towards the girl. "stay still."
polaris shifts in her seat, making caitlyn flinch and drop the alcohol wipes in her hands. "Oops. Have fun cleaning that up."
"Just stay still will you kid? it doesn't have to be this hard," vi shouted from her and caitlyn's shared room.
the girl rolls her eyes, watching caitlyn attempt to wipe off the dried blood covering her forearms and over her wrists. "how did you even do this!?"
"well like you said, I was stealing and got caught. so I jumped off a building and fell. how else would do it?". she winced once caitlyn went over her wrists. "stop, that hurts!"
"It's going to hurt because this cut is still open Polaris. stay still." caitlyn grunted, snatching up some bandages.
"what's her name again?" vi shouts.
"well if you come down here and drop the yelling, you could find out yourself."
"ouch!" Polaris whimpers, feeling the burning alcohol on her arms. "that burns!"
"it's almost over, I promise." Caitlyn whispered, placing the last bandage on the inside of her arm. "there."
vi finally joins them, taking the medical box from Caitlyn's hands and placing it back in its right place. "so what are we going to do with her now?
"how about you just let me go on about my day?"
"you really have a way with words." vi chuckled, ruffling her hair, which makes Polaris swat her hand away.
"I'm not a child."
"you sure act like one." vi retorts.
"well, it takes one to know one. asshole."
Caitlyn can't stop the giggle that escapes her mouth. "I'm sorry Vi. But she got you good."
"ha ha ha." vi dryly laughs. " you can sleep here for the night and we'll take you to your parents in the morning."
"good luck finding them." Polaris scoffed.
"I'm not surprised," Caitlyn stated, making vi glance over at her. "I'm sorry."
"Whatever. just come with me." she breathes, telling the girl to follow her back up the stairs.
"So how old are you?" vi asks her.
"old enough. how about you?"
the question forces vi to take another deep breath. "Look. You can sleep in here for the night and we'll figure out the rest later."
"but what if I don't want to sleep here." Polaris shot back.
Vi rolls her eyes at the girls' words. Damn, this kid is sassy, she thought to herself.
"Well, then you're out of luck cause we're the only ones saving your ass right now."
"I don't need to be saved," Polaris tells her, pushing her out of the way and walking into the room. "If I needed to be saved I would probably tell you."
The older ignores the comments, closing the door with a soft thud before going back into her and caitlyn's shared bedroom. "She reminds me of you." cait tells her, pinning up her hair up into a high bun. "attitude and all."
"you say that like it's a good thing."
"it is." the other chuckled. "look at how you turned out."
"exactly." vi nodded. "look at how I turned out."
"you're saying it like being here is a bad thing."
"it is."
"is it really though? you seem pretty happy." cait giggles, making vi roll her eyes.
"that's just because you're here."
"exactly. but we already knew that"
vi rolls over on her side, watching caitlyn strip of her uniform." so what do we do with her? she has no parents and I'm pretty sure she's going to get into more trouble."
"what choice do we have other than to take her in?"
"put her up for adoption, give her to someone else, find family members, there's alot of choices we can make."
Cait glares at her girlfriend, who huffs in response.
"I know, I know. We can't do that."
"exactly. so we take her in.. if you want to do that.'
"it's not like we have another good, sensible choice to choose.. but we've never talked about being parents before."
"you're wrong. we're having it now."
"caitlyn."
"vi."
"do you even wonder what us having a kid would be like?"
"yes. i think we would make good parents. we won't be perfect, but who really is. I mean look at my parents.. they're not perfect, but they love and care about me."
"But then can care less about me. or people like me, or Polaris."
"that's not true. my parents love you."
vi sighs to herself. "you're only saying that to make me feel better."
"no, i'm not vi. I think you're just scared of becoming a parent."
which was completely true on vi's end. she felt as if she didn't have the emotional competence to take care of another human being, let alone caitlyn, so how would she be a good parent?
caitlyn lets out a little sigh as she joins vi on their bed, placing her hands on vi's shoulders and wrapping them around her softly. "I know you think you'd be a terrible parent due to your past, but I believe that you would make an excellent parent. You have all the qualities to be one, I just wish you would see that." she pauses, placing a kiss to Vi's cheek." but if you wish to not do it, I'll take Polaris back in the morning and find her somewhere where she can't get into much trouble."
Vi nods her head, feeling Caitlyn let her go and lie down.
She spends the rest of the night watching over Polaris in the other room, who attempts to fight something in her sleep before shouting into the darkness, startling caitlyn awake.
"hey. hey. it's alright." vi comforts the smaller girl, engulfing her in a tight hug as caitlyn makes it to the door.
"it's not okay.. it's never okay." Polaris mumbled, holding onto vi's waist. "please."
"I'm not going anywhere, okay?"
"why are you doing this." the girl asks quietly.
"because I know how it feels to be alone.. and scared."
"it fucking sucks."
"yeah." vi huffed, resting her head on top of the girls." it does."
"i'm sorry for being an asshole.. I shouldn't have done that to you and caitlyn, you two were only looking out for me and I just-"
"you don't have to apologize or explain." vi laughed. "it took me a while to adjust as well."
"wait, what do you mean adjust?" Polaris questioned.
"do you really think I was born here?" vi scoffed lightly.
"you were born in the lanes?"
"yeah, in a way. my parents were killed and this dude took me and my sister in and raised us basically."
"you have a sister?"
"yeah, her name is powder, but she goes by jinx now."
"where is she?"
vi sucks her teeth. "it's complicated."
"how so?"
"you don't want to know."
"i can handle it." polaris strikes back.
"oh I know you're more than capable of handling it. but it's late and you need to get some sleep."
"sleep is for the weak." polaris laughed, laying backward in the bed.
"well then you must be weak." vi laughed as well, getting up and moving towards the door.
"vi?"
"Yeah, kid?"
"would you mind staying here a little longer? I don't know if I-"
"you don't have to ask, I'll stay."
Caitlyn smiles herself, tiptoeing back into the other room.
"see I knew she could do it."
and like always, Caitlyn was correct.
before they knew it they had legally adopted Polaris.
Polaris still had some nights where she would wake up covered in sweat and her lungs sore from screaming, but vi and Caitlyn would be there with blankets, tea, and warm hugs, promising to spend the night with her.
There were even some days where she was taken to Caitlyn's job and trained just like her mother, learning to aim and sho;ot with ease. After a while, she would switch with Vi, to go learn boxing moves in her gym.
Polaris hadn't realized before but she really liked being with Caitlyn and Vi. Caitlyn was more like the soft, mother-type of person. She was always the one nagging Polaris about staying safe, her choice of clothing, and bandaging up any wounds that appeared on Polaris magically. But she enjoyed going hunting with Caitlyn, and on stakeouts while helping her solve crime cases. She also loved when she and Vi would come home and make her delicious food.
Vi, on the other hand, was a mixture of a dad and the fun one in Polaris' eyes. Vi would take her to fight clubs and let her throw in a punch every now and again, then take her to train. But she also disciplined her when the times came, which meant Polaris often said things she really didn't mean to her, but she knew that Vi knew she didn't and it was just spur of the moment.
Overall, she was grateful for that day she stole from the market because if she didn't, she wouldn't have met Caitlyn and Vi, who she was extremely thankful for. They took her in without question, even though she was a rowdy, smart-mouthed, troublemaking teenager.
They stayed.
and that's all that she cared about.
"mom?" polaris called as she threw her book bag onto the ground of their lobby. "I'm home!"
she croaked her head when caitlyn doesn't respond. "Vi?" she calls out as well, jogging up to her room.
"okay. that's weird," she mutters, finding her parents' room empty and her door wide open.
one of them was always home to greet her when she came from school. it was basically the only time she enjoyed in the day. she hated going to school because she couldn't make friends with the posh children of piltover, who vi suggested she just beat up if necessary.
but overall, she hated the idea of school but caitlyn being the mother she is, instead of polaris focusing on her education rather than just learning how to fight and shoot on her own. <
polaris decides to head back downstairs into the kitchen to make herself a sandwich. "Wherever they are, they are going to come back." she told herself. "They would never leave me. Never."
As she opens the fridge door, something in the corner of her eye freezes her up.
stood there was a tall girl with long, light blue braids. she sat atop of the kitchen counter, dangling her feet about with an etched grin on her lips.
polaris shut the door immediately, throwing her hands behind her back and getting ready to grab the pocket knife that laid within her inner thighs as a form of protection from caitlyn.
"who the fuck are you." polaris spat at the girl.
jinx stood up, walking around the smaller girl. "wow that's no way to talk to your aunt is it?" she chuckles, twirling a strand of polaris' now split dye red and black tresses.
"caitlyn has no sisters and vi's sister is somewhere else.."
"what do you mean somewhere else?"
the girl shrugged her shoulders. "A few years ago, she told me she had a sister but she didn't know where she was and that it was complicated. "
jinx laughed a little to herself, cracking her knuckles and her neck as she did. "it's good that vi told you about me..I'm glad to know she still cares."
and that's when it hit Polaris. the girl standing in their kitchen was Powder, who now was called Jinx.
she was the one that kidnapped vi and then caitlyn, almost killed her mother and killed their entire council, and started a war between piltover and zaun.
"you're fucking insane!" Polaris shouted at her. "what do you want from us!?"
jinx laid herself out on the kitchen island, swinging her pistol in her hand slowly. "I don't know. maybe I just came back to see my one and only sister, or my one and only niece. hey! or maybe I finally came to meet that thing my sister cares about so much."
"my mom's name is Caitlyn. not thing." polaris grumbled. "stay away from her."
"aww look at you, so adorable. trying to seem all tough, but what are you really like underneath all of that?" jinx asks, aiming her gun at the girls chest.
"hit me and I'll show you."
the statement forces jinx to tilt her head to the side, a lopsided smile forming on her lips. "now why would I want to hurt a kid?"
"because it's clear that you're insane."
"well if I was insane, I would've killed your parents right?" jinx questioned. "but I didn't..yet."
"you're not going to hurt them powder." polaris spit, drawing her knife out. "you're not taking the only people that care about me, away from me."
jinx snorts at the younger girl's words.."you really think they care about you little one?" She stands up. "If they did, why did they leave you here?"
"they didn't leave me. I know you did something to them!" she grunted, clutching the dagger tightly. "Where are they."
"here! there! nowhere! anywhere! they are everywhere silly girl."
"powder what is wrong with you!" Polaris questioned, but it was more like a statement. "Vi told me so many good things about you... but now I can't even see the person that Vi loved."
This stops jinx in her tracks.
"Powder fell down a well, kid. Vi's the reason why I'm this way now.. She even gave me the name Jinx." she sighed, running her left hand through her hair. "you think that vi and caitlyn aren't going to leave you? ha. that's exactly what they did to me. Vi said she came for me but stayed for the girl. that's all she cares about. You are collateral damage." she smiles, swiping her finger along the girl's face before a gust of powder finds itself inside Polaris.
The younger girl coughs as she tries to swipe at Jinx, her vision becomes unsteady and she tips over the island, dropping to her knees. "I swear—. Jinx." she gasps..
"nighty nighty little one."
"she's a child jinx! what the hell!" caitlyn shouted at her when Polaris came around. "Why would you do this to her?"
"she has you two as parents, right? I think she'll be just fine."
"but she's a kid powder. You know first hand how things like this affect them." Vi adds.
"mom? vi?" Polaris shouts. "hey! jinx let me go!" the girl struggles against her cuffs.
"Polaris just stay calm," Caitlyn called out. "It's going to be okay. Just trust me."
"But mom. she—"
"I know, I know. But me and Vi have this. Just stay calm and don't move."
"vi?"
when she doesn't respond, Polaris attempts to stand up. "Mom! Where's Vi! Vi! Vi!"
"I'm right here, angel." Vi coughs out. " I'm right here. Just do what your mom said and stay calm... everything's going to be fine."
"vi, what's going on? why are you talking like that?" she asked, hearing vi's voice altered a bit. "where's jinx! why is she doing this!"
"Polaris. I need you to stay calm." Caitlyn tells her.
pow.
a loud thud on the ground forces polaris to turn and see what it was. the girl holds her eyes close as she does, undoing her cuffs as her mom taught with ease.
her eyes become glossy when she spots red hair laid on the ground. "Vi?" she shouts, running up to her.
there she lays, eyes wide open, her breath went cold.
"no. no. no..no." Polaris shouts, trying to find Vi's pulse. "Vi, wake up! Wake up!" she tells her, shaking the body in front of her.
"jinx! What did you do!" I swear to God!" Polaris stands up, anger surging through her body, tuning her face crimson. "Why did you have to do that! She's my mom! Why! She just wanted me to be safe! And you screwed that up!"
the girl hits the wall with full force. "you don't deserve to be Vi's sister, nor her love for you! You don't deserve it. You're fucking insane and you killed the only person that cares about you! How does it feel! Huh? Answer me!"
Jinx appears from the shadows, startling Polaris backward. "Shut up! I'm not talking to you!"
"I'm not talking."
"does it look like I'm talking to you?"
What? Polaris questioned. Who was Jinx talking to?
"where the hell is my mom." polaris spit. "I will kill you if you hurt her."
"I didn't hurt either of them." Jinx tells her casually. "That." referring to vi's body. "Isn't my fault."
"then who did it then! We're the only people here!"
"that's not entirely true." jinx chuckled, shoving Caitlyn to the ground.
"mom!" polaris cried, dropping down to engulf her in a hug. "you-your're okay."
"you two need to leave." jinx warned. "now."
"tell me what you did to vi!" polaris yelled at her. "she's dead, Jinx. what did you do?"
"I told you I didn't do anything kid."
"I don't believe you!"
"you don't have to. but right now, you need to leave."
polaris fights back tears that want to fall down her face as she looks at vi's unresponsive body, her hand fumbles around until she grabs the dagger in caitlyn's side holster and charges at jinx.
but before she could another loud bang fills her ears, forcing caitlyn to snatch her up and sprint away.
"vi!" she wailed, watching the body lay there. "no, caitlyn, we can't leave her!"
"I'm sorry sweetheart, but we have to."
the girl kicks and attempts to break free of caitlyn's grip."no! no, let go! let go!" she cried. "let me go!"
caitlyn's grip on the girl becomes tighter as her cries are echoed through the hallow parts of the mines.
"mom, please. we-we can't leave her! No!"
tears dare form in cait's eyes as she listens to polaris sobs. her heart aches knowing that polaris has just lost another person that cares about her, but right now, jinx was doing the right thing and letting them go before something worse could happen.
she knew that jinx wouldn't kill vi. jinx wasn't even in the room when it happened. jinx telling them to leave was possibly the smartest thing she could do without polaris having to see more bloodshed.
the night, polaris didn't sleep at all. she tossed and turned but it was pointless.
she laid there, staring out her window, with caitlyn sleeping next to her as if she was scared that polaris would hurt herself or worse, thinking about how she watched her other mother's body drop ten feet away from her.
how lifeless Vi's eyes looked as she fell. the way her breath ceased to exist. how could jinx do something like that?
why did she have to make vi leave her?