Chapter Text
Vi felt the hand grab her shirt before she could react and her feet swept out as her back slammed against the floor making her groan. She looked up at Caitlyn who had a smug look on her face before she blew out a strand of hair from her face.
“Having fun down there?”
"I'm about to give you a first hand experience of it," Vi grinned and this time before Caitlyn could react she kicked the woman’s foot out rolling them over so that now she was on top, Caitlyn's surprised yelp echoing through the room. Vi pinned Caitlyn’s hands to the floor, leaning in close with her own smug grin playing across her face.
“You were saying cupcake?”
Caitlyn rolled her eyes, shifting her leg slowly as she held Vi’s gaze, she let her foot drag up Vi's side, teasingly slow, a smirk dancing on her own lips. "I was saying," she started before her leg hooked around Vi's and with a swift jerk, she flipped their positions again. “Having fun down there? Do you concede?”
Vi let out a huff of air, her head spinning from the swift turnaround. "Oh, we're never going to finish this match if you keep cheating," she growled playfully.
Caitlyn grinned leaning down leaving a light kiss against the woman’s lips, she went to lean back up before Vi used her legs to bring her back down in a swift motion, flipping their positions once again to where she was back on top.
Vi had her legs pinned this time and one hand gripping Caitlyn’s wrists above her head, effectively immobilizing her. "Told you two could play this game," she murmured, smiling at Caitlyn's feigned astonishment.
"Alright… alright," Caitlyn laughed, feeling the warmth of Vi's body on top of hers. "You win, for now."
“Mhm, good.” Vi hummed pushing her hips down into Caitlyn’s before leaning down to press a heated kiss against her lips. Caitlyn squirmed beneath her, returning the kiss passionately.
Just as Vi was about to lose herself completely, a sudden muffled whine halted them both. With Caitlyn rolling her head back and Vi looking up towards the cage area they made in the corner of the gym for the puppy.
The puppy sat there watching them with big, curious eyes, his tail wagging slightly. He whined again, scratching at the bars of the cage.
"I think we have an audience," Vi murmured, shifting herself slightly getting up from on top of Caitlyn before going over to the cage area. “Hi little guy.” She reached into the pen, scratching behind the puppy's ears.
Caitlyn, meanwhile, had propped herself up on one elbow, catching her breath as she watched Vi with the puppy. It had been two weeks already since they had the puppy. The first week all the puppy did was sleep and eat. The second week, his personality had started to come through. And boy, was he a little rascal full of energy.
After a towel wash and several meals, the puppy had begun to fill out, his bones giving way to a soft layer of puppy fat. Turns out after all the dirt and grime came off his coat was actually black, with a little bit of brown on his chest and paws. It made it look like he was wearing little socks.
“You know,” Caitlyn started as she pushed herself up getting off the floor stretching her arms above her head. “He still needs a name.”
Vi hummed picking the puppy up, turning towards Caitlyn. “Well, I’ve thought about a few names but I don’t know, bad at naming.”
The woman nodded, meeting the redhead halfway scratching the puppies head. “What names were you thinking?”
Vi thought about it for a second as the puppy looked at her tilting his head to the side. “Well one really stuck out, what about Bear?”
"Bear?" Caitlyn repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You want to name this little fuzzball after the largest, most intimidating creature?”
"Yeah, it's got a sort of..." Vi shrugged holding the puppy up towards Caitlyn. "I dunno, irony? I mean look at the fluff ball who knows he might grow up and be just as big and fierce as a bear." She brought the puppy back, turning him to face her. “What do you say little guy? You’re going to become a fierce guard dog aren’t you, huh?” The puppy responded with a tiny yap and an eager wagging tail.
"Hmm." Caitlyn hummed, crossing her arms and studying the puppy with a deceptively serious expression. "Bear." She mulled over the name, letting it roll off her tongue and then, she nodded. "You're right. It suits him."
Vi let out an exaggerated sigh of relief, grinning widely as she carefully placed Bear onto the ground next to her feet. “You know… this officially means he is ours, right?”
Caitlyn gave a small shrug wrapping her arm around Vi’s waist letting her head fall onto the woman’s shoulder. “I thought he was already ours the moment you brought him home.”
Vi hummed leaning into Caitlyn watching Bear scamper around the gym floor. “You know I didn’t think you would accept a dog.”
“I never said I was opposed,” Caitlyn replied, her eyes following Bear as he pawed curiously at a stray dumbbell. “Besides, father makes a rather appealing argument and I have been thinking about it. Shepherds are very protective breeds, when he grows older Felicia will be safe even when we are not around."
“We still have to introduce him to her.”
The woman nodded, kissing Vi’s shoulder feeling her hand rub her lower back. “I have already been getting him used to her smell, father recommended it once the vet cleared him for a close interaction. So, I've been letting him sniff her blanket when she's not using it."
"Smart," Vi praised, nudging Caitlyn playfully with her shoulder. "You're going to be such a great dog mom. You’re a mom and a dog mom now. What’s next?”
Caitlyn shrugged, her gaze still focused on the bounding puppy. “Preferably let us just stick with a baby and a puppy, both are already a handful as is.”
“Yes ma’am, no more surprises for a while. Just us, Felicia, and now Bear.”
Caitlyn ran her hand down the baby's back who was suckling on her breast, her eyes were on the paperwork on the desk. The stack of case files never seemed to diminish, one paper done, three additional papers were added to the pile. At least that’s how it felt.
A small squeak made her pen pause before another came out, making her tilt her head to the side looking under the desk.
Bear was currently sitting at her feet with a chew toy between his paws, gnawing at it with a fervent dedication. It made her smile, she was glad how quick he had adapted to their home and surroundings. While they still had to fully introduce them they slowly have been introducing Bear and Felicia into the same area.
Across the room so he could see her, walking down the halls together and sometimes when Caitlyn was doing paperwork he would be in there with her.
Caitlyn stroked the baby's head, humming a soft melody, while her other hand committed itself back to paperwork, scribbling notes on the margin and deciding which case required immediate attention.
She looked up just as Vi entered with a mug and plate in hand. The redhead said nothing as she walked up to the desk, setting the mug down and plucking the pen from Caitlyn's hand before replacing it with a fork.
Caitlyn made no move to protest as the papers she had been working on were nudged to the side, a plate of eggs, bacon and toast in front of her instead.
“I'll take her.”
“I can burp her-” Caitlyn felt the words dissipate as she looked up meeting Vi’s eyes.
"No, you eat." Vi interrupted gently, her own eyes soft and warm. Caitlyn hesitated for a moment, as though about to argue, but the grumbling of her stomach quickly betrayed her.
With a sigh, she relinquished Felicia to Vi’s care, watching as she cradled their daughter and started patting her back gently to burp her. Caitlyn picked up the fork that was handed to her previously and began picking at her food.
With the back of her foot she gently rubbed part of Bear who immediately let out a soft whine, his tail thumping against the carpet. She chuckled, tearing off a small piece of bacon and leaning down to feed it to him. The puppy attacked the morsel with enthusiasm, licking her fingers clean before returning to his chew toy.
A soft burp from Felicia. “Good job muffin.”
Caitlyn raised an eyebrow resting her elbows on the desk holding a piece of bacon slightly in front of her tearing it into two. “Muffin? What happened to firecracker?”
Vi grinned, kissing the top of Felicia’s head. “Well I was thinking about it… I call you cupcake sometimes and since she’s our little one, she can be our muffin."
“So are you trying to start a bakery?” Caitlyn joked nibbling on the end of one of the pieces of bacon.
The redhead hummed, leaning Felicia back. “Maybe. We need more to have an actual bakery.” She shifted over to Caitlyn kissing the top of her head. “I’ll put her down for a nap, I love you.”
Caitlyn hand quickly shot out grabbing the bottom of Vi’s shirt tugging her back a little. Vi raised an eyebrow confused until Caitlyn leaned her head back. It made the woman laugh, leaning down kissing her lips softly, not minding the taste of bacon that lingered.
"I love you too," Caitlyn mumbled against her lips before letting her go. She watched as Vi cradled Felicia gently and exited the room, leaving Caitlyn alone with Bear who was now vigorously gnawing on his chew toy again.
She hummed to herself tapping her finger lightly on the desk.
“We need more to have an actual bakery.”
Caitlyn shook her head a little, picking the fork up again. It was too soon to have another one right now. Yet, she admitted to herself, she did enjoy the warmth that their small family brought. Challenges as they were, both Felicia and Bear were charming additions to their lives. Even the sleepless nights, the messy feeding times, and incessant barking in the middle of the night now.
She popped a piece of egg into her mouth, chewing slowly.
When she was younger it had always been just her mother, her father and her. Growing up in a neat, orderly household that functioned according to schedules and plans. The love was there, of course, but it was cautious and structured. Now she saw a different kind of love in her life, spontaneous, unscripted, often uproarious and chaotic.
She always wondered what it would have been like had she had a sibling when she was younger. She had Jayce, even though he wasn’t blood related, he filled the gap. Even with him it never ceased the thought of having a real sibling. Did she want Felicia to have the same thoughts? Certainly not.
The thought of a larger family seemed daunting, yet undeniably tempting. Perhaps it was the way Vi had said it, or maybe it was just her being caught in the moment. Regardless, she found herself entertaining the idea. That was a discussion to have with Vi another day.
Caitlyn felt something tug on her sock making her look down quickly. “Bear!”
“Puppies at a young age are very easy to teach commands to," the woman explained watching Vi. “Just as infants are like sponges ready to soak up everything they can learn, pups are open to learning good habits and behaviors at a young age.”
Vi hummed flipping a few pages in the book giving a small nod. “What are the best treats to use for training?"
"Well, small soft ones, since puppies have pretty little teeth," the woman said with a chuckle. "But you can use pieces of boiled chicken, tiny cubes of cheese, or even puppy kibble if Bear likes it."
The redhead nodded letting the book close in her hands. “Thanks again for this Enid, I never knew Enforcers had so many dogs.”
Enid gave a small nod looking at the cages. “Most of them belong to the K-9 division, a few belong to some of the other handlers. We mainly use them for sniffing out illegal substances, tracking, even search and rescue operations.”
“What age do you start training them?”
"We usually start their training as early as eight weeks," Enid replied, patting a nearby golden retriever who responded with an enthusiastic wag of his tail. “At least for the basic manners. K-9 training doesn’t start until they're around seven months to a year old. By then, they'll have learned the basics of obedience: sit, down, stay, recall, and so on. Then, we can start training them in specific disciplines like tracking, apprehension, and detection."
Vi gave another nod tucking the book under her arm looking over the dogs in the room.
“Are you and the sheriff looking to have Bear join the K-9 division?" Enid asked, tilting her head.
“Actually we were debating it. Bring him out on patrols with us when he's old enough, help him get used to the environment. But we're not entirely sure yet."
“Well you two already kick major butt out there as is, nothing hurts having him with the both of you, an extra partner in the field."
“That’s the plan, thanks for the book and the tips. I’ll talk about this with Caitlyn.”
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Stepping into the office Vi saw Caitlyn working on some paperwork. One hand was diligently writing while the other rested over her left eye, her fingers rubbing around the circumference of her temple, a sign of a forthcoming headache perhaps stirred by hours of work.
Setting down the book on her desk Vi said nothing as she went over to Caitlyn’s desk pulling open one of the drawers. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Caitlyn’s hand with the pen pause for a moment as the redhead sifted around the contents before pulling out a small bottle.
Vi wasted no time in pushing the top down, twisting it open before shaking out two pills into her hand. Silently, she crossed to the water cooler, filled a small cup and returned to Caitlyn's side. Caitlyn said nothing as she held out her hand with a small sigh of relief. Vi placed the pills on her palm and handed over the water. Watching as Caitlyn swallowed them, Vi's hand found its way to the back of Caitlyn's neck, gently massaging it.
“Thank you, love,” Caitlyn murmured, leaning into her touch, her eyelids fluttering closed for a moment.
Vi gave a hum pushing her fingers up to the left side of Caitlyn’s temple applying gentle pressure. Her thumb moved in slow, soothing circles while Caitlyn took a deep breath and finally put her pen down. The tension that was etched on her face, bit by bit, started to melt away under Vi's fingers.
“Why don’t we take a small break?”
“I do not have time for a break, Vi," Caitlyn replied, her voice laced with exhaustion. Yet, her eyes betrayed her words as they fluttered shut once again, leaning more and more heavily into Vi's hands.
"Come on cupcake, just a few minutes… you won't regret it." As the redhead said it Caitlyn felt a soft kiss on her neck which sent a small shiver down her spine. Her arguments were vanishing, her resistance dissolving as Vi applied more pressure to her temple.
“Fine,” Caitlyn muttered, rolling her chair backwards so that she could stand up.
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“This is more than a few minutes.” Caitlyn mused as Vi handed her a cup she received from the stand, the smell of hot chocolate wafting into the air. “This is, what, twenty?”
“Give or take,” Vi replied with a shrug, lifting her own cup to her lips. “But trust me, if I hadn’t dragged you out here, you would’ve stayed there for hours until your head was pounding so hard you wouldn’t even be able to see straight.”
Caitlyn rolled her eyes as the two started slowly walking back down the path. To be honest she knew Vi was right, she honestly was in no rush to get back at all. And she knew Vi wasn’t as well with the way the woman was walking, it wasn’t fast but it also wasn’t slow either, it was as if she was trying to stretch the time they had.
“So was Enid able to help with tips on training Bear?”
Vi’s head shot up looking at Caitlyn before a smile spread across her face. “Actually she was a big help, she gave me a book and some tips on what to do. For the next few months I’ll try and train him on the basic commands.”
“Can you teach him not to chew on my socks?” Caitlyn muttered joking but it got a laugh from the woman next to her.
“Noted cupcake, I’ll see what I can do.”
Caitlyn nodded as the two fell into a silence; it was comfortable and familiar, a silence they've shared countless times before. They went up a small incline before passing by a park where a few kids were playing with a ball. From the corner of her eye, Caitlyn observed Vi glancing over at the children and seeing a soft smile played on her lips.
Both of them stopped by the fence watching as the children ran around, the loud noises of their laughter ringing out as they played their heart's content.
It made her think about what was said the other day.
“Hey Vi?”
“Hm?” The woman hummed, turning slightly to look at Caitlyn. She could see her looking at her from the corner of her eye.
Tapping her finger slightly on her cup she turned as well facing Vi. “I know we have made jokes about it and we have talked way before Felicia about what we wanted in regards to kids and well everything. But… What are your thoughts on having more than just Felicia? Now that we have her.”
Vi took a moment, her gaze travelling back to the children playing before she finally spoke. "Well, it's not something I've thought about in depth since we had Felicia. I mean, she's a handful as it is," Vi chuckled, but her expression soon sobered.
Looking over at Caitlyn, she continued, "I'm not against it. I love being a parent, specifically with you... but with how everything went the first time? Postpartum hit you hard, Cait. I won't lie and say that I'm not scared about putting you through all of that again... even if we are in a slightly better place now.”
Caitlyn nodded as the two turned back continuing on their way.
That was something she couldn't deny, it did hit her hard. And it still did at times, the medication and therapy did help a lot and having Vi was another added layer.
It was hard to feel a strange disconnect from her own daughter but there were also times when she held her and watched her sleep or as she breastfed her, a warmth swelled within her that was beyond words. She knew in her heart that she loved Felicia as fiercely as any mother could more than life itself.
Her hand subconsciously moved to rest on her flat stomach as she remembered the joy of meeting her daughter for the first time. The difficulties of the postpartum were undeniably dark times, but the love she felt towards their beautiful little girl flooded all her fears and pain out.
“I am not rushing us to make a decision now of course.” She started switching the cup she had into her other hand before finding Vi’s. “We have time, I just wanted to make it known that I am open to the idea. We have a beautiful, wonderful life together and I... I would not mind expanding our little family someday."
Vi gave Caitlyn's hand a squeeze, her thumb rubbing small circles on its back. “What happened to just sticking to Felicia and Bear?”
“It’s not my fault the way you say things makes me feel all mushy inside…” Caitlyn blushed, looking down at their intertwined hands.
“Awh I make you feel mushy.” Vi said in a mocking tone, nudging Caitlyn gently with her shoulder. Caitlyn huffed a small laugh pinching the redhead’s cheek.
“Stop that or I'll take back what I said." She muttered, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Alright, alright," Vi relinquished, raising her free hand in peace. "I promise no more teasing."
As she said that Caitlyn let go of her cheek before taking the woman’s hand and bringing it to her lips, pressing a soft kiss on the knuckle. “Let’s wait for a little longer, train Bear and when Felicia gets a little older then we can revisit the topic, okay?” She proposed giving Caitlyn’s hand another kiss.
“Like I said… I wasn’t planning on going to the doctors tomorrow and starting the process again…”
“You just wanted to get it out of your head? You have been a bit distracted lately," Vi observed, keen eyes studying Caitlyn.
"Yes..." Caitlyn sighed, her thumb tracing a small figure eights over the back of Vi's hand. She chewed on her lower lip. "I feel... complete with both of you. It’s more than I've ever dreamed of having, a family of my own. But every time I look at her," she paused, casting a glance towards Vi. "I can't help but think about giving her a sibling. I don’t want her to grow up how I did, not saying my childhood wasn’t great because it was, but I would've loved having a sibling."
As she said it, Caitlyn could see a faint look in Vi’s eyes before she quickly squeezed her hand turning to stop in front of her. “I’m sorry.”
Vi quickly shook her head smiling. “Nothing to be sorry about. I will admit having siblings was a whirlwind of its own. But... I wouldn't trade them for anything. They made me who I am today, and for better or worse, they helped me grow." For a moment Vi paused thinking to herself. “If we do ever have another one, I wouldn’t want their life to be like mine either. As you’ve taught me… not everything is my fault and there are things beyond our control. But we can make damn sure to give our kids a better life than the one I had."
Caitlyn hummed, bringing her hand up resting it on Vi’s cheek before she leaned forward kissing the corner of mouth over the scar on her lip.
"Thank you." Caitlyn whispered, her eyes meeting Vi's. "I know talking about this can be difficult, but I wanted us to be on the same page."
Vi flashed another warm smile, one that reached her eyes and made her whole face light up. "I appreciate it, Cait. I'm glad we're having these conversations. It's... nice to look toward the future together," she admitted. "It might be a bit scary at times, but I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else." She leaned more into Caitlyn's touch, closing her eyes for a moment in contentment.
“Thank you.”