Chapter 9
Caitlyn walked across the bridge, greeting a few enforcers on the way as they cleaned up empty boxes. Ever since the war ended, Caitlyn had been helping the undercity with food and clothing. She’d also made sure the enforcers assisted the citizens of Zaun.
Taking a deep breath, Caitlyn entered the Lanes, looking for Vi. Ever since Vi decided to step outside, she’d been helping the people of Zaun—repainting walls, assisting with food deliveries, and cleaning the streets. It was kind of her, but Caitlyn knew Vi mostly did it to keep herself busy.
The past three days had been tough on Vi. She had been sleeping worse, constantly shifting and turning. When she finally did fall asleep, it was rarely for long, thanks to the nightmares. Caitlyn could hear her restless movements, and while it kept her awake too, she didn’t mind.
After wandering for a while, Caitlyn noticed Vi stepping out of an old couple’s house, accompanied by Scar. They exchanged their goodbyes, and Scar waved at Caitlyn as he noticed her. Vi, who had spotted Caitlyn, quickened her pace and approached her.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” Vi asked, giving Caitlyn a small hug.
“I was looking for you,” Caitlyn replied, returning the hug.
“Nice to see you out of your uniform for once,” Scar remarked, extending a hand to Caitlyn.
“How’s the baby doing?” Caitlyn shook his hand.
“She can't get enough of her mother's milk. So I guess it’s going well,” Scar answered with a grin. The three of them shared a laugh.
“Why were you looking for me? Is something wrong?” Vi asked, her tone laced with concern.
Caitlyn shook her head. “I just wanted to go for a walk. With you.”
Vi linked her arm with Caitlyn’s, smiling. “Alright, I’ll head back home. See you tomorrow, Vi?” Scar said, waving as he walked off.
“See you tomorrow,” Vi called back, and they waved each other goodbye.
“So, why are you really here?” Vi asked once they were alone.
Caitlyn hesitated for a moment, biting the inside of her cheek. “Where was the bar you used to live in?”
Vi raised an eyebrow, surprised. “It’s a few blocks away from here. Why?”
Caitlyn placed her hands in her pockets, nervously fidgeting with the keys Sevika had given her four days ago. “You’ll find out when we get there.”
Vi glanced at Caitlyn, her curiosity piqued. Caitlyn linked her arm with Vi’s, and the two of them walked toward the Last Drop.
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They stood in front of the burned building.
“So, what is it?” Vi asked, kicking a charred piece of wood. “You always told me nice stories about this place—about the memories you made, the trouble you caused.”
Caitlyn turned to face Vi, who was staring at the ground, her hands shoved into her pockets.
“Maybe it’s still too soon.”
“Too soon for what?” Vi asked, her confusion clear.
Caitlyn sighed. Getting the keys out of her pocket. “Sevika gave me the keys to this place. She wanted to give them to you herself, but she thought you might get mad at her.”
Vi looked at the keys, then back at the burned building.
“I didn’t know when would be a good time to give them to you. But I couldn’t hide it any longer.” Caitlyn watched Vi’s expression shift. There was anger, sadness, and something else she couldn’t quite describe.
“Cait,” was all Vi could manage to say. She didn’t take the keys. Instead, she walked around the building, her movements slow and deliberate.
Caitlyn put the keys back in her pocket and stood still, watching Vi closely.
“You know,” Vi continued after a long pause, “I still dream about this place. It’s where my dream started—and my nightmares began.” She brushed her hand over the wall, her voice thick with emotion.
“When I was locked in Stillwater, I would think about what would happen to this place. Would someone else run it? Or would Silco have already ruined it down?” She slammed her fist against the wall, frustration evident in her voice.
Caitlyn stepped closer. “Maybe you should rebuild it. Get it back on its feet again. Make up for the lost years.”
Vi closes her eyes. “Everything inside is probably ashes by now.”
Caitlyn pulled the keys from her pocket once more. “Shall we take a look and see?”
Vi stared at the keys for a moment before grabbing them. The two of them walked toward the door.
Vi unlocked the door, her hands trembling. The door opened with a loud, squeaky protest.
“Here goes nothing,” she muttered.
They stepped inside, the once familiar space now a charred ruin. Most of the chairs and tables had been reduced to ash, but the billiard table still stood, though its color had long since faded. The bar was in disarray, but it was still there.
Vi walked toward it, running her fingers along the iron counter, now covered in soot.
Caitlyn wandered over to the music box, which, surprisingly, was still in decent condition.
“Someone must have put the fire out,” she said, glancing around the room.
“Hm?” Vi’s voice came from behind the counter. “What’s that?”
“The half-burned chairs, the music box that’s still in good shape, and the clear line where the fire stopped,” Caitlyn said, walking toward the bar. “The fire didn’t last long—maybe only an hour or two.”
Vi looked up, inspecting the damage with a heavy sigh. “The roof’s pretty much gone. Fixing that would be a nightmare.”
“The fire didn’t last long,” Caitlyn repeated, pacing as she tried to piece the situation together. “It wasn’t an accident. Someone deliberately stopped it before it could spread.”
Vi was distracted, inspecting the glasses on the shelves. “At least the glasses are all in one piece.”
“What’s behind that door?” Caitlyn asked, walking toward a wooden door next to the bar.
Vi picked up a glass and looks up at Caitlyn, “I’m going to take some of these back to the study.”
Caitlyn didn’t respond. She opened the door, revealing a set of stairs leading down.
Vi froze. “It’s a basement,” Caitlyn said softly. Looking at Vi.
Vi’s face went pale.
“Oh…” Caitlyn glanced back at her.
“This is where I used to sleep,” Vi muttered, her voice distant. She slowly descended the stairs, as though drawn to the space she once called her own.
“There was no fire here.”
Caitlyn watched Vi carefully. “Are you alright?” she asked, her voice gentle.
Vi didn’t answer, her gaze locked on the basement. There were so many memories made down there.
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Caitlyn followed Vi down the stairs, Vi’s steps heavy with a mix of nostalgia and caution. The dim light from above barely illuminated the basement, but the familiar scent of old wood and dust filled the air. Vi’s heart beat faster with each step. This place—the place she once called home. She opened the door and stepped inside.
Caitlyn was right behind her, watching as Vi hesitated to enter the room. The basement looked almost the same. The couch and table had been replaced. The things Vander had kept were gone, and the room was much tidier. Jinx’s drawings still decorated the walls from when she was younger, and there were even a few old smoke bombs scattered around.
Vi stared at the bed—the same bunk bed she had slept in when she was younger.
The bed Vander had tucked them into. The bed she used to share with Jinx. It was still here. Vi walked down the stairs toward the bed.
Caitlyn stood by the door, flicking the light switch. She noticed the drawings on the walls, the ones she recognized easily now. She glanced back at Vi, who was silently staring at the bed, likely reminiscing about all the time spent there.
"I bet you would’ve rejected younger me," Vi said, breaking the silence.
Caitlyn chuckled. "You think I’m that posh?"
Vi smiled a little and sat down on the bed.
"Is this how you imagined it would still look?" Caitlyn asked, walking further into the room.
Vi’s smile faded. "I thought everything was gone—that Silco had thrown everything away."
Caitlyn sat down next to Vi.
"Are any of your belongings still here?" Caitlyn asked.
Vi’s eyes widened. She knelt down, looking under the bed. "Vi?" Caitlyn asked as she lifted her feet up.
"Here it is," Vi said, pulling a small box from under the bed. She sat back on the bed and opened it. Inside were letters and small drawings.
"My parents were friends with a painter," Vi explained, handing Caitlyn a few drawings. "He used to draw our family portraits."
Caitlyn studied the drawings carefully. "I love the way he drew your freckles," she said, handing the drawing back to Vi.
Vi stared at the portrait of herself as a child. "I think I was about eleven when this was drawn." She ran her thumb over the painting, stopping when she noticed the necklace she had on in the painting. She put the drawing down and began rummaging through the box.
Caitlyn focused on a drawing in her hand. It was a portrait of Vi, her sister, and some other kids with a muscular man. Caitlyn recognized Ekko in the drawing, and the man was clearly Vander, but she didn’t know who the other two boys were. She was about to ask Vi, but decided against it when she saw the look on her face. Vi was staring at something in her hands.
"It used to be Vander’s bracelet," Vi said, holding the bracelet in her hand. Caitlyn scooted closer to her.
"I used to wear it as a necklace all the time when I was younger," Vi continued, gripping the bracelet tightly. "But I placed it in here so I wouldn’t lose it." She said the last part softly.
The way she said it made Caitlyn’s heart ache. She could feel the weight of Vi’s pain as if it were her own. Caitlyn placed the drawings and letters back into the small box.
"Do you want to take the box with you?" Caitlyn asked, offering it to Vi.
"Yeah," Vi replied, placing the bracelet back into the box. They both stood up, and Caitlyn gazed at Vi with quiet affection.
"Guess I found something to keep me busy for a while," Vi said, her voice finally sounding normal again, no longer soft. "My father knows a company. They can rebuild the roof—"
"That’s not necessary, Cait," Vi interrupted her.
"Vi," Caitlyn sighed deeply.
"As I said before, you’ve done enough for me already. I can handle things," Vi said as they walked toward the door.
"I know you can, but the weather only gets worse from now on. Just let me help. I’ll ask my father how to get in touch with them," Caitlyn insisted.
Vi slammed the door shut behind her. "You really think your dad will let you help me?" Vi scoffed as she walked up the stairs.
"Vi," Caitlyn said, following close behind, "I’ll handle it."
"And then what? Your father will probably tell you how it’s a bad idea and that I can’t take care of myself," Vi retorted.
Caitlyn clicked her tongue in frustration. "Vi, that’s not true—"
"He hates me, Caitlyn. Every time I pass him, he sighs and shakes his head. I can just feel it. He wants me out of that place," Vi said, her frustration spilling out.
Caitlyn closed the door behind her and took a moment before speaking again.
"I guess there’s a reason you feel that way."
Vi’s shoulders tensed. "Cait, I don’t belong up there. Every time I walk around with you, they see you as someone they can talk to. They just stare at me like I’m some rat."
Caitlyn lowered her head, knowing Vi was right.
The topsiders weren’t exactly fond of people from the Undercity. But Caitlyn could read Vi’s face like an open book. There was a reason Vi spent so much time down here since stepping outside.
It might be selfish of Caitlyn, but she probably needs Vi more than Vi needs her. Caitlyn had known that ever since they’d been apart for so long.
"Listen," Caitlyn said softly, "I’ll handle my father. And the sooner the roof gets rebuilt, the sooner… you can stay here and take care of this place."
Vi stared at her for a long moment. She wanted to say more, but she knew it would only lead to more trouble. Instead, she nodded.
"Let’s go back then," she said, grabbing the keys.
They both walked out of the Last Drop.
Vi locked the door and looked at the building one last time before following Caitlyn back to her place.