RIVER

          "Where are you taking me?" the little boys timid voice spoke up, River sighed and gently placed him on his feet. She held his shoulders "I want to take you somewhere i know you'll be safe" River gently explained "who are you?" he asked with glossed over eyes.

"I'm River, what's your name?" River asked softly, she was surprised that he was even able to talk to her "R-Rio" he told her with a teary voice. River held back tears, just by his name, she rolled in her lips and nodded her head silently.

"Cool name" River muttered, "i'm scared" he whispered into her shoulder, River gently placed her on his feet. "I know... I know you are. But... i'm not gonna let anything happen to you" suddenly, Rio launched at River, throwing his arms around her neck. River's arms hung by her side for a moment.

She wasn't sure how to react, very slowly, she hugged him back. His body shook in her arms so she held onto him tighter. River couldn't help but feel a protectiveness over him, how could she not? he saw his mother's dead body when he didn't have to, River could of stopped her from drinking that liquid. She could have saved her, could've saved there family.

But now... he was left alone, confused to why his mother would do that. The last memory of her would be seeing her lifeless body on the lounge, after she'd taken a toxic liquid... and for what?

Why would she do that? what would she gain, it would be a moment of euphoria then a lifetime of suffering and guilt. Why?

"River? what are you doing here?" he's deep husky voice asked, River sighed and looked down at Rio then back up up. When he finally took in the sleeping boy in River's arms, he's eyes widened in shock. "hey Uncle" River whispered with a tight lipped smile. "Come in, come in" he ushered.

"So... why are you here?" he asked "I need you to take him in for a while" River pleaded with her eyes, looking at the sleeping boy on the spot of the couch next to her. "River... I" he was cut off by River "Please! Alex. I-I didn't know who else to go to. His mom... she, well she's gone." "how? what happened?" "this guy Phoenix... he gave her this blue liquid and..."

River didn't get to finish what she was saying before Alex shot up in his chair in panic "no! you can't be here River! not you or him... Go!" He yelled at her before disappearing into one of the rooms.

River exhaled in confusion, why did he get so panicked....

River stood up and gently picked Rio up again, his eyes sluggishly opened and closed before he was fast asleep in her arms again. River's hands were shaking, for the first time in a while... she was terrified. She was terrified of that blue liquid, she was terrified of what would happen to Rio.

There was no one in the undercity that she could trust to leave him alone, or would even be able to handle a kid. But how could River? she was a murderer. That was her job. And now she was forced to care for a little boy who saw his mother's dead body, because she didn't do her job right...

She'd carry that guilt with her forever, but the best she could do, was make sure nothing happened to Rio. She had to protect him.

River wasn't surprised that her Uncle didn't want to help, the last time she'd seen him was when her parents were still alive, she didn't remember much about him, but what she did remember is how her brother used to talk about how he used to take in orphan kids.

She just thought, that maybe... he was willing to help. But obviously not.

River walked around for a little bit, Rio fast asleep in her arms until she ended up the last place she thought she could go to.

River walked into Jinx's hideout, "Powder?" River called out, her voice echoing slightly. Jinx was working on new weapons on her bench, music playing in the background. She heard River's voice but her mind instantly convinced herself that River was a hallucination.

As soon as River had left, Jinx convinced herself it was all a hallucination, it had happened before. It always seemed so real but then she'd be left alone again.

Jinx sighed, almost dreading to see River, because she wouldn't be real... Jinx slowly turned in her chair and turned the music off. She fully turned in her chair, she saw River, holding a little kid "River?" she cocked her head in confusion.

River bit her lip, holding back tears. She slowly walked over to the couch and placed Rio down. She stood with her back facing Jinx.

No matter how she felt for Powder, she was terrified to turn around and look at her. Because she knew that wouldn't be able to hide it, she knew that would break down. She knew she had no control over herself when it came to Powder.

Jinx stood up from her chair and walked up to River, she gently placed her hands on Rivers back. "River?" she whispered. River didn't move, she clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly, opening up healing wounds once again. Jinx furrowed her brows and carefully turned River around, so careful that she was scared she could hurt her.

River looked at Powder for a moment and dropped her head, she rolled in her lips and kept clenching and unclenching her fists, Jinx brought her hand up and lifted River's face up by her chin. Jinx studied her face for a moment "what happened?" Powder asked softly.

River looked behind Jinx and sniffled, blinking repeatedly to try and usher her tears away. But it didn't help, River covered her face with her hands as tears started to fall.

Jinx looked at her in worry and held Rivers hands, pulling them away from her face "hey, hey" she softly said, "what's wrong?" she asked again. River tried to stop crying, with everything in her she tried to stop "i-i ruined" was all River could get out.

Jinx pulled River down and brought her into a hug, River rested her head on her shoulder, wrapping her arms around Jinx's waist tightly.

Jinx pulled River in closer and rubbed her back with one hand while the other soothingly ran her fingers through River's hair. "It's ok, it's ok" she muttered as she held River close to her. It hurt Jinx to see River in this state, and it hurt her even more because she knew that River didn't want for her to see her like this.

Jinx kept on hugging her until she could feel River's breaths calm down, she pulled back and cupped River's face with both her hands, River's hands still holding onto her waist. Needing to feel some kind of contact when it came to her.

Jinx led her over to her work bench and made her sit down, "what happened River?" she murmured, River sighed and looked down, her fingers fidgeting with the sun charm on her bracelet "I uh, i was doing a job, Before i... I need a reason, i need to know why they deserve it. I watched him hand a woman this, glowing blue liquid so i followed her back to her home. But she had a son..." River looked over at Rio who was still sleeping in the couch,

"He was so excited to see her. But then... she drank whatever that was and, it killed her. Rio had to walk out to see his mom dead. And he didn't have to. I could've stopped her, I- I should've stopped her" River shook her head, each word showing her guilt and frustration and anger directed at her self.

"I just watched... I watched her die. I watched his reaction, and now... he's left alone, because of me. I-I tried to take him to my Uncle. But of course the fucker didn't want to fucking do anything" River spat out in anger.

Jinx cocked her head "I didn't know that your uncle was alive" "he uh, years ago he sent me a letter, telling me where to find him. But I couldn't, he just, he looks to much like my father..." River explained, Jinx nodded her head as she listened.

"It wasn't your fault River." Jinx said firmly, River looked at Jinx for a moment "I was right there, it was my fault. I was useless" River insisted "it wasn't your fault River. Even if you did stop her, what would happen after? what if she still did it. If she was willing to risk her life for it even after seeing her son that would do anything for her, she would still end up doing it. So don't blame yourself for someone else's choices." Jinx comforted, River couldn't help but listen to her.

The words she chose, the way she said it. How she looked at River, she couldn't help but take in every word she said. Powder was her voice of reason.

River sighed and looped her finger around the waist of Jinx's pants, pulling her close and resting her head on the front of her shoulder. Jinx smiled and put her hand on River's head, playing with her hair. Jinx looked over to the boy on the couch "so what do you wanna do? with the boy..." Jinx looked back down at River. River sighed and lifted her head, looking over at him. "I-I guess i'm just going to take care of him. I can't let anything bad happen to him, not after what happened. But.. i'm so clueless on what to do."

"you'll figure it out, i know you won't let anyone or anything hurt him. And as long as i'm here, you can come whenever you want, bring him over whenever you want. I don't know if i'd be the best influence but you know... i'd try" Jinx said with a goofy smile, River chuckled and shook her head "thank you"

Jinx smiled and shrugged her shoulders, "anything for you" she smirked and walked over to the couch, standing above the boy and staring at him. River smiled and followed behind her "what'd you say his name was?" Jinx asked, "Rio..." Jinx looked at River with wide eyes "Rio?" "I know"

River knelt down on her knees and gently nudged Rio's shoulder, he stirred on the couch and groggily opened his eyes. Once he saw River he sat up and brought his knees to his chest.

His eyes darted between River and Jinx "oh um, this is Powder" River gestured to her, Jinx bit her lip and swayed on her feet with her hands clasped behind her back, she brought her hand forward and offered a little wave with a small smile.

All he did was stare at her silently before looking at River again "are you going to leave me?" he muttered quietly "no! no. I won't, promise." Rio cocked his head and held out his pinky, staring at her expectingly, River smiled and wrapped her pinky around his.

Jinx watched the two with a soft expression, her lips twitching up "how you doing?" River asked genuinely, Rio stared off into space, tears brimming his eyes but he quickly blinked them back and sniffled "I don't think she loved me" Rio looked up at River, "This whole time, i thought she loved me!" tears fell from his eyes.

River was unsure on what to say, she wanted to reassure him that he's mom did love him. But River didn't know what would happen behind the curtains, she didn't know if his mom would be so gentle and loving and caring one moment but then the next she would be abusive.

"I'm sure she did" River whispered and tapped his leg with the back of her hand. "Then why would she.. why would she leave me! I don't understand" he cried out, River's eyes widened and she exchanged looks with Jinx. River lifted herself up and sat next to him. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders and rested her cheek on the top of his head.

He wrapped both his arms around her and cried into her chest, River stared forward with wide eyes. Her hand rubbing his arm up and down "I hate her! i hate her. I hate her. I hate her!" he yelled into River's chest "shh, it's ok. You'll be ok" River whispered.

She didn't know what else to say. She didn't know this boy, she didn't know his mom. She was so frustratingly clueless about it all. About Rio, about why his mom did what she did. About Phoenix, about the liquid. All she was certain on was that she had to get rid of him.

River didn't need a backstory in Phoenix to know that he deserved what he had coming, she'd seen a big enough reason for that to be enough.

She was ready to do anything, to finish him.

authors note
how do we feel about this chapter?
any predictions about Rio or anyone else. Sevika and River reuniting?
Also did you guys want a spicy chapter between Jinx and River, how do we feel about that whole topic?

not proof read!

(comment on any paragraph where something is spelt wrong her doesn't make sense so i can fix it!)