Chapter Text
It was a long, lonely drive to the winter Kiramman estate, but Caitlyn found peace in the journey. Wheels humming against the pavement, instrumental holiday music playing softly from the speakers. No memos. No meetings. No ‘as per my last emails’. No surprise cases. She could mute the notifications on her phone and just exist in the moment. Not that visiting her family for the holidays meant any sort of real rest or relaxation. Caitlyn's mother would be hosting at least one large party to appease business partners and investors. Then there was the high possibility of other events their family would be expected to attend.
It was only a week-long trip and she was already exhausted just thinking about it. It was, however, the closest thing to a vacation she could manage. There was also Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to look forward to. Those days were always reserved for family and sometimes close family friends. Real family friends. Like Jayce. He had said he and his mother might try to make it this year. Caitlyn hoped against all hope that they would.
A sudden ringing pulled her from a hopeful daydream of a normal family Christmas, as the picture of her mother's face flashed up on her phone screen. With a sigh she pressed the hands free button on her steering wheel to answer.
“Hello mother.”
“Caitlyn, you shouldn't be answering your phone while driving.”
Rolling her eyes, Caitlyn suppressed an exasperated sigh. “You're on speaker. I didn't even have to touch my phone to answer.”
“I see.” There was a slight pause, “I emailed you over the guest list for the Christmas Eve dinner and–”
“Christmas Eve? I thought we were hosting the night before like we always do?” She tried to keep her sinking disappointment out of her voice but the click of her mother's tongue indicated she had failed gloriously.
“It was the best day for the majority we wanted to invite. I'm sure it will be just as lovely as our usual Christmas Eve celebrations.” Her mother was trying to sound at least a little apologetic. That was more than Caitlyn had ever gotten in her early years of adulthood, so she tried not to be too disappointed.
Not trusting her voice immediately, Caitlyn took a long breath, flicking on the windshield wipers as snow began to fall. “Very well, Mother.”
“Drive safe, dear.”
“I will.”
The call disconnected and jazzy holiday music began to pick up again. The soft thwip thwip of the windshield wipers syncing momentarily in time with the music. Her headlights illuminated the flurries of snowflakes that were quickly turning the landscape into a lovely winter wonderland.
Well, it would be lovely if Caitlyn was already at her parents’ estate, wearing her plushest robe with a cup of hot chocolate in her hands. But instead she was in her car, alone. Part of her wished she had someone with her for all of this. She'd be able to avoid all the thinly veiled questions and prodding from her mother. Most of all though, it would simply be nice to have someone to spend the holidays with that wasn't her family or a business partner.
Driving for a while longer she reminisced on past years at the estate. The holidays were the only real reprieve she’d had from her busy school schedule. She had been quite studious, with many extracurriculars, as was expected. It continued into University. So much of her time was taken up she hadn't even considered dating anyone until she met someone in her sophomore year of college. It was short lived but wasn't her last. She had brought one girl home towards the end of her time in University. It was summer vacation and her mother had insisted.
Caitlyn ended things with the girl a week later.
It may have not been the kindest thing to do, but the trip quickly made it obvious that she had only dated the girl because she was the sort of partner her mother would approve of. She had been so lonely when she met her and it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. It wasn’t fair to either of them to keep trying for something Caitlyn’s heart just wasn’t into. That was one saving grace about adulthood. She no longer had to spend every waking hour doing everything she could to prove she was the good and dutiful daughter she was expected to be. Not that she had reprieve from it during these family get-togethers. Some expectations never changed, and neither did her desire to prove to them that she was what they wanted her to be. Just in her own way.
Luckily she still had a few hours of peace to herself on the drive there and decided to set all that away and just enjoy watching the world turn white. While winter could be hard, biting, and unrelenting, it could also be quite beautiful and serene. She enjoyed sitting out on the covered balcony of her city condo, hot tea in hand as she looked out to the mountains in the far distance with their white caps. There was a nearby park that would transform under a temporary blanket of white a few times each winter. If they managed to get there before the sun began to melt everything, she’d sometimes get to see little snow people and creatures built by children that lived nearby. They’d never last very long but there was still a beauty and innocence to it all that warmed her heart. Unfortunately by the afternoon, everything was grey sludge, but it never seemed to deter it from happening.
Lost in her thoughts, the time slipped away, signs leading off the highway bringing her ever closer to her holiday destination. The snow had not let up and piles had gathered along the sides of the road. It at least looked like they had plowed some of the roads but she worried for the way up to the Kiramman estate. Surely her parents would have anticipated this.
Suddenly there was a flash of movement from the side of the road and something large darted onto the tarmac in front of her. Panicked, she slammed on the breaks, veering to the side in an attempt to avoid whatever animal had just run in front of her. What was probably only seconds felt like minutes in slow motion. Her car slid on the icy ground as she tried to regain control. With a spray of snow, her car eventually stopped as it hit a fairly large bank of snow. The windshield was fully covered in powdery snow and chunks of ice, and everything was eerily quiet. Breathing heavily, Caitlyn rested her head on the steering wheel, willing the panic to diminish. She was okay. Whatever it was that ran in front of her was long gone. She was simply stuck in the snow and just needed to back out and continue on her way.
With a final deep breath she lifted her head, immediately noticing the darkness of her dashboard and the fact the music was no longer playing. Dread filled her yet again as she reached for her keys and turned them in the ignition. The engine gave a jarring whine, but did not start. She took another breath and tried again. Same result.
“Shit.” She hit the steering wheel in frustration, sitting back and ruminating on her options. Pulling out her phone, she called her mother.
“Caitlyn? Is everything alright?”
She wasn’t expecting her mother to ask, and, frankly, she wasn’t alright, but she wasn’t about to let her first impression with her mother in a year be her breaking down with her car stuck in a snowbank.
“I’m fine. I just wanted to let you know that I’m having some vehicle issues so I might be a little later than originally planned.” She kept her voice level and calm. She had this under control and could handle figuring out what she was going to do. “I’m going to call the insurance company and–”
“Your father says to not bother calling roadside assistance, we’re a bit too remote for them to come out in a timely manner. He’s texting you a shop that comes highly recommended.” It wasn’t that Caitlyn wasn’t grateful that her parents cared, but sometimes she just wished they’d let her figure things out on her own sometimes.
“Thank you both.” Caitlyn sighed, not feeling like the fight was worth it. “I’ll keep you updated.”
“Be safe dear!” Caitlyn heard Tobias call out.
Caitlyn gave a small smile and nodded. “I will. See you both soon.”
“Take care, dear.” The call ended and Caitlyn sat back again, closing her eyes and taking a few slow, deep breaths. After a moment she tried to turn the car on again, but to no avail. She really was dead in the water, so to speak. Picking her phone up again she dialed the number that her father had sent. It rang a few times and she worried no one would pick up.
“The Last Stop Mechanic shop, this is Vander, how can I help ya?” The voice on the line was gruff but warm sounding and immediately put Caitlyn at ease.
“Um, hello. My name is Caitlyn and I was told you might be able to help me. Something ran out in front of my car, I avoided it, but spun into a snowbank and now my vehicle won’t start.”
“Sorry to hear that, Miss Caitlyn. Are you alright?”
She took a moment to check in with herself. Aside from the rush of adrenaline still pumping through her, she felt generally alright. “I believe so. A little startled maybe but otherwise unharmed.”
“Good. Alright.” There was a shuffle of noise on the other line and the clack clack clack of a keyboard being used. “I could send out a tow for ya now and bring it to the shop. Have one of my techs have a look-see tomorrow?”
“That would be wonderful, if it’s not too late?”
“Never too late to help someone in need, especially around the holidays. Can you tell me where you are and we’ll be on our way.”
“Of course. I’m not from town but I think I saw a cross street nearby. Hold on a moment?”
Vander gave an affirmative hum as Caitlyn pulled up her maps app and checked the intersection. He told her it would be about twenty minutes and to just stay warm and hang tight…whatever that meant. It wasn’t like she had much of a choice.
Gathering up her coat, hat, and scarf she bundled herself up as she saw truck headlights coming her way. It was blinding against the snow and she squinted as the truck stopped and the door opened. A figure jumped down from the driver seat, smaller than Caitlyn imagined considering how he sounded on the phone. As the person got closer, she realized it wasn’t Vander but a woman that looked to be around her age. A shock of pink hair stuck out from beneath a grey beanie and her cheeks and nose were red from the cold.
“Heya, unless there’s another car stuck in a snowbank in the middle of town I’m guessing you’re Caitlyn?” The woman gave Caitlyn a playful smirk and held out a hand which Caitlyn immediately shook firmly.
“Indeed I am.” Caitlyn was taken aback. In all the years she’d come to this town for the holidays she’d never seen this woman before. She would have remembered her if she had. The woman was gorgeous, and her smile was doing things to Caitlyn she felt embarrassed to admit. With a shake of her head she cleared her throat. “I seem to be stuck. I’m not sure what’s wrong. And you are?”
“Oh sorry. Vi. And let me take a look.” Pulling off her gloves Vi walked to the front of the car. “Or not. Guess we should pull you outta here first. Can I see your keys?”
Caitlyn rummaged through her pockets and handed them over, watching as Vi slid into the driver's seat and tried to start it. The results were the same. She did something else inside before closing the door and handing Caitlyn her keys back.
“We’ll figure this out. First, let's get you outta this snowbank, huh?” She flashed Caitlyn another smile and gracefully launched herself back into the tow truck. It only took her a few minutes to get it into position and a few more minutes to get Caitlyn’s car hooked up to the back. Caitlyn watched with quiet fascination. Vi clearly knew what she was doing and was personable enough that Caitlyn felt at ease. She didn’t have car problems very often, but on more than one occasion she’d have to deal with shops and it usually led to the mechanics or tow drivers making rude, flirty comments towards her that made her skin crawl.
“Alright!” Vi jumped out of the driver's seat again and walked up to the passenger door of the tow truck, pulling it open. “Let's get this to the shop then figure out how to get you where you’re going.”
Caitlyn couldn’t do much more than nod, cold seeping into her bones despite being bundled up.
Offering a hand, Vi helped Caitlyn into the passenger seat, then swung around into the driver’s, starting the truck back up. Loud rock music began blasting throughout the truck cabin and Vi scrambled to turn it off, smashing the volume button with her palm.
“Sorry ‘bout that.” She chuckled, pulling her beanie off and throwing it on the dashboard. “You can put on something if you want.”
“What you had is fine.” Caitlyn felt so out of her depth that the last thing she wanted to do was embarrass herself by putting on something Vi wouldn’t like. “Maybe a bit quieter though? It’s been a rough evening.”
“Hey now, don’t you worry your pretty little head about the car stuff. We’ll figure out what's going on. I’ve yet to meet a car I can’t figure out.” Smiling, Vi turned the music back on, putting it to a low volume as she began driving.
They didn’t talk much on the drive but it wasn’t unpleasant. Every now and then Vi would start humming along to whatever song was playing, tapping her thumbs on the steering wheel to the beat. Caitlyn leaned against the window, feeling the combined weariness of her several-hours drive and the drop of adrenaline from the incident taking over all at once. She really just wanted a warm bed and to sleep for a few hours, but she could also be in far worse places.
The shop they pulled up to was, for lack of a better word for it, quaint. The yard outside had a few cars in various degrees of disrepair, all very covered in white, powdery snow. The building was clearly old but well taken care of. There were splashes of color here and there in some sort of graffiti that almost looked purposeful. A wooden, hand painted sign was propped up on the flat roof reading
“The Last Stop”
in large, chunky letters. It was endearing how hand-made everything seemed to be.
Caitlyn had been so distracted taking the building in that she was startled when her door was opened and Vi offered a hand to help her down.
“Oh, thank you.” Vi's hand was a little rough, but surprisingly warm. When they walked through the doors of the shop the light flickered on. It was quiet but warm. Christmas decorations sprawled across the small waiting area and the main counter and Caitlyn even saw a small tree on the desk in the back office. She couldn't help but smile at the mix of store bought and homemade decor. It was so different from the perfectly curated decorations her parents had put up every year.
“Have a seat anywhere.” Vi walked to a drink machine in the waiting area. “Coffee? Tea?”
“Tea would be lovely.” A rush of relief washed over Caitlyn at the offer as she sat on a worn couch that was book-ended by several plastic chairs. There was nothing that sounded better now. “Are you sure it's not too late to help? Are you the only one working right now? What happened to…?”
Vi turned, leaning a hip against the counter as the drink machine worked. “Vander? I told him I could take care of it and sent him home. That old man would work twenty-four seven if we let him.”
“We?” Caitlyn wasn’t sure why she was suddenly so curious about the shop but she couldn’t help herself. It felt like it held so many stories. She had immediately noticed a few framed photos in the back with what looked like a younger Vi with a large, bearded man and a smaller girl with bright blue hair.
“Me and my sister.” Vi pointed to a more recent photo of her and the blue haired girl again. “She works here part time, Vander and I are full time. Vander owns the place.”
“Don’t you drive each other crazy?” Caitlyn tried to imagine what it would be like working with her mother, something Cassandra had desired for years.
Vi gave a slight shrug as the machine chimed. “Sometimes. But it's good work and Vander’s done a lot for us so I kinda…feel like I owe him.” Walking over to Caitlyn she handed her a mug of tea and set a collection of honey, creamers, and sugars on the small table next to her. “Here you are. Warm up. I’m going to go get your car into the garage.”
As Vi left the room Caitlyn focused on her tea, taking a deep breath as she drank the warmth in. It had been such a taxing day and as much as she loved her parents, she had a year of her life to fill them in on.
Then
she'd have to deal with opinions of what she
should
be doing instead. Perhaps she could find a hotel for the night, except it was the week.of Christmas and she knew the few hotels they had in town would probably be filled up. Maybe she could convince Vi to let her borrow the couch she was on. The room was warm and the small Christmas tree in the corner let out a soft, inviting rainbow of lights throughout the room. Even the smell of the shop was oddly comforting.
Not long after she finished her tea, Vi returned through a side door. She had taken off her bulky jacket and was wearing a maroon Henley with the sleeves rolled up. Tattoos snaked down her forearms and she rolled her broad shoulders as she rubbed the back of her neck.
“Okay. She’s safe and secure in there now, despite her best efforts to fight me on it.” Vi picked up a clipboard off a nearby desk then flopped down into one of the nearby chairs. “I’m not going to be able to look at anything until the morning but I’m sure you don’t want to be stuck here the whole time.”
Caitlyn couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her, to which she slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. “I was just considering asking if I could.”
“Don’t wanna get to where you’re going that bad huh?”i chuckled, handing Caitlyn the clipboard containing an information sheet for her vehicle. “I mean that couch
is
pretty comfy. Both Vander and I have taken many naps on it, but you really don’t want to sleep in some random mechanic’s shop in the middle of a snow storm.”
Caitlyn sighed, looking down at the paper but not really seeing what was on it. “No, I suppose not.”
There was a beat of silence as Caitlyn began filling out the form while considering her options. A hotel was a bad idea even if she could find an open room. With a name like hers, she'd be noticed immediately. Small towns were always so nosy.
There was a shift of movement from where Vi sat. “I hope this won’t sound too forward but my place is only about a mile up the street. It's not very big but I got a couch and it’s warm. And it smells better than this place.”
Caitlyn looked up, surprised. “But you don’t know me at all.”
“And you don’t know me but,” Vi sighed, leaning her elbows on her knees, “you don’t seem too enthused about getting to where you were heading and I’m sure this car business hasn’t been great to deal with. Never is on a normal day, let alone the holidays. I promise I’m not some axe murder or anything trying to lure you into my secret cannibal lair.”
Caitlyn smirked. “And what makes you so sure I’m not?”
Vi let out a surprised laugh, leaning back in her chair. “Oh, she’s got jokes.”
“Sometimes.” Caitlyn chuckled and continued filling out the form, handing it to Vi when she finished. “If it wouldn’t be too much of an imposition, I would like to take you up on that offer if that’s alright?”
“Wouldn’t have offered it if I wasn’t serious.” Vi took the clipboard and Caitlyn's keys and walked over to a row of plastic pouches on the wall, depositing them both inside.
After a short discussion on logistics, Vi went back to Caitlyn’s car to retrieve her luggage. Vi led the way through the office and out a back door to where an older looking blue truck sat under a small carport. Lifting the truck bed’s cover she hefted Caitlyn’s things into it and opened the passenger door.
After only a few minutes of driving they came up to a small cabin in the middle of a fairly large yard. There was a car sitting off to the side covered in snow, and what looked like some sort of swing on the small porch. An axe sat stuck in a stump, surrounded by what looked like a pile of logs that were soon to be firewood. It somehow didn’t surprise Caitlyn at all that Vi would be the type to chop her own firewood. She certainly had the physique that could handle it.
Caitlyn quickly exited the truck, trying to push down the wave of thoughts that rushed over her at the single thought. Her face flushed as she began fishing out her suitcases. She’d been enough of an imposition on Vi as it was; she wasn’t about to continue playing a damsel in distress.
“Here, let me help.” Vi jogged around the side of the car, taking up the larger of the two suitcases before Caitlyn could protest.
Vi led her inside, flicking on the lights to reveal a living room that felt just as cozy as the waiting room of The Last Stop. The walls were covered in photos and artwork that looked similar to the graffiti in front of the shop. Against a wall was a plush green couch with several blankets already draped over it. Next to it a coffee table sat with what looked like several car manuals mixed with a cookbook or two.
“So the bathroom is down that small hallway on the left. Door on the right is my room if you need me for anything. Kitchen is well,” Vi motioned to the small open kitchen that was just off the living room, “right there. Help yourself to whatever you need, water or anything. I don’t have much right now. Been kinda busy with the holidays.”
Caitlyn walked over to the couch, brushing her fingers along the fabric. “Lots of cars breaking down?”
“Lots of people who don’t know how to prepare their cars for the winter.” Vi held up her hand when she noticed Caitlyn wince a little. “Not saying that you didn’t. Cars usually have a problem starting to begin with in the cold. One stopping while running is probably something else. Don’t stress. I said I’d figure it out.”
“Sorry.” Caitlyn sighed, pulling one of her suitcases closer to her and rummaging through it. “I believe you will. You certainly seem dedicated to your art. That and...cooking?”
Vi followed her gaze to the coffee table and hurried over to straighten them. “Uh, yeah, something like that. Cooking’s a bit of a hobby. You hungry by any chance?”
Caitlyn went to say no, then realized she hadn’t eaten in hours. As if on cue, her stomach growled. “Apparently I am.”
“Alright. Let me grab a shower real fast to wash off the shop then I’ll cook while you do what you gotta?”
“You really don't have to–”
“I insist. Get settled. I'll be done in a few.”
As Vi showered, Caitlyn decided to follow up on some case emails she'd put off answering. She also sent out a quick text to her parents letting them know it was taking awhile to get things settled and to not worry about her. Luckily it was late so the likelihood of them still being awake was low.
As she set her phone down to charge, Vi came out of the bathroom dressed in a black tank and grey sweatpants, walking to the kitchen and opening the fridge. Now with her back to Caitlyn, she could see that the forearm tattoos snaked all the way up Vi's arms and around her shoulders. More peeked out from under the tank along her upper back and Caitlyn was pretty sure that meant Vi’s whole back was probably done. She had to commend the woman's patience and dedication. It was a lot of ink.
“Caitlyn?” Vi had turned, looking at her expectantly.
“What? Yes, sorry. What did you say?” Kneeling in front of her suitcase, Caitlyn busied herself grabbing clothes to change into.
“Said it's all yours and how do you feel about quesadillas?”
“Sure?” She tried to keep the unease out of her voice. It would be embarrassing to admit that she wasn't sure if she'd ever had quesadillas before.
“I'll keep it simple.” Vi flashed her a smile that was even more charming now that she wasn't covered in grease.
Caitlyn felt a flush along her neck and hurried into the bathroom, closing the door quickly. Music started playing in the living room as she leaned against it and took a long, steadying breath.
“Get it together, Cait.” She whispered to herself. “She's just being kind. It's not her fault you're–”
There was a knock on the bathroom door that made Caitlyn jump away, bumping into the sink. “Oh hey, forgot to tell you towels are in the cabinet to the right of the sink.”
Turning, Caitlyn opened the cabinet and grabbed a towel. “Found them, thank you.”
She held her breath until she heard footsteps fade away into the kitchen. Letting it out in a slow hiss she shook her head at how ridiculous she was being and turned on the shower. After cleaning off, she pulled out her most comfortable pajamas and made her way back to the living room. Vi walked into the living room with two plates as Caitlyn took a spot on the couch.
“Not my finest work but I promise they're more than edible.” Vi sat next to her and handed her one of the plates.
Admittedly, Caitlyn hadn't really had many quesadillas in her life, but these ones looked hearty, hick with shredded chicken and cheese. A small array of toppings were artistically positioned around half of the plate. Caitlyn had seen half as inspired dishes at five star restaurants.
“Edible is the only factor I care for right now. But the presentation is lovely.”
Vi smiled at the compliment, clearly trying not to look too proud of herself. There was something more to all this that Caitlyn couldn't quite put her finger on, but it didn't matter. Her car would be fixed in a few days, she'd do her holiday duties and then she'd go home. This would be a nice memory within it all, though.
Vi turned on the TV as they ate. A charming, old claymation telling of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was playing. Caitlyn vaguely remembered it being on when she was younger. The memory grew even clearer when the misfit toys came on the screen. She remembered, even as a child, feeling like the odd one out when everyone else seemed so…normal. The longing to belong was something she still felt strongly even in her adulthood.
After food was eaten and the movie finished, Vi cleaned up and bid Caitlyn goodnight. As Caitlyn laid on the couch, bundled up under several blankets, she prayed for the sweet release of sleep to take her. But the combination of an unfamiliar setting and her own overactive brain, she couldn't help but notice that, despite the shop being completely decorated, there wasn't a single Christmas decoration up in Vi's cabin. She pondered on it for a little while longer, her detective brain weaving together all sorts of possibilities before she finally drifted off into a much deserved sleep.