Hotel Schnee

by crazyringo

The Schnee Family represents perfection, ambition, and most of all order in their everyday life. At least, that's what Weiss previously thought until she took her first official step into her family's business. It looks fine from the outside, but pretty soon the heiress finds out that appearances can be deceiving... First AU story.

1. Welcome to Hotel Schnee

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or any of its characters. They rightfully belong to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth!

A/N: Hey guys! This is my very first attempt at an AU. Please read the first chapter and I will leave the rest of my rant/important notes about the AU below. Thanks for reading! :D

---

Chapter 1: Welcome to Hotel Schnee

"So, you want me to leave?" Weiss spoke, flabbergasted for the umpteenth time this afternoon.

Her mother smiled, "That's EXACTLY what I'm saying."

"But mother, I don't want to leave..." The heiress confessed honestly. "I can't just leave you all alone in the mansion."

"Don't be silly darling! I'm a grown woman, and I am very capable of taking care of myself. Besides, you'll only be gone for the summer." The elder Schnee stated, waving her daughter's concerns away.

Weiss pouted and proceeded to protest, "I don't want to meet father in some crummy hotel-"

"Five star hotel! Which, I remind you, has been in our family for generations." Her mother interrupted her, slightly offended. "Your father just wants to see how you are and ask you if you would like to lead the family business."

"Whatever! The specifics don't matter. I still don't want to work there!" The heiress said in defiance.

"Well, that's a shame... 'Cause I already had Klein to pack your bags for you!" The older woman told her with a sly smile, already one step ahead of her daughter.

Weiss' icy blue eyes widened in surprise. "WHAT?!"

"Trust me darling, this will be for the best." The elder Schnee promised. "You barely go out of this mansion as it is, and I certainly don't want you to become like me." She mentioned as an afterthought.

"Like you?" Weiss cocked her head in confusion.

"Lazy, my darling." Her mother answered her. "I just sit here all day and have wild 'tea parties' with other old hags."

"Mother, you don't drink tea." The heiress stated a fact, already knowing that her mother tended to drink a lot.

The older woman scoffed. "That's beside the point! I already bought two plane tickets to Atlas, and I WILL NOT have them go to waste!"

Weiss looked confused yet again. "Two tickets? Who's getting the other one?"

"Klein, of course!" The elder Schnee smiled as she clasped her hands together in glee. "What? You thought you'd be going alone, didn't you? Don't be silly!" That's someone less on my nagging list... She thought eagerly.

"Very well." The heiress sighed in defeat obviously seeing that she wouldn't be able to win this battle. Weiss turned and she started to head to her room. "I'll eat a light dinner and head off to bed."

"Make that a light lunch and head to the airport. Your next flight leaves in an hour!" Her mother stated, which successfully made her daughter stop in her tracks.

Weiss turned around so fast that her side ponytail smacked her in the face, not that she noticed it doing so because of her shock. "WHAT?!"

"Get to it! Make sure to call me once you're in the airport, and call me again once you've made it to Atlas!" The elder Schnee ushered her out the door. "I'm going to miss you so much, my little Snow Globe!"

Knowing her, she's not gonna miss me much... The heiress sighed exasperatedly, ultimately resigning in defeat for the second time today.

---

Weiss was absolutely seething with rage. She was angry on the way to the airport, and she was angry during the flight to Atlas. The heiress was even more visibly upset at the fact that her own father wasn't present to pick them up at the airport. Instead, there was a very tall man wearing an outfit reminiscent of a bartender. The man stood practically motionless in front of his car as he held up a sign that read "Schnee" in bold black letters.

This guy looks all sorts of shady! What was father thinking?! This day can't possibly get worse! Weiss thought frantically, looking off to the side towards her butler. "Is that...?"

"It appears so, Miss Schnee." Klein responded, probably thinking the same thing.

They didn't exchange any words as they loaded their luggage onto the trunk and drove off. Needless to say, there was a very uneasy silence during the car ride.

The heiress sighed as she leaned her head against the palm of her hand, a frown plastered on her beautiful features.

Klein noticed this and felt the need to start a conversation, "So, I heard that you were excited to see your older sister again, Miss Schnee."

"I suppose, though it still doesn't change the fact that she hasn't checked up on me in like forever!" Weiss grumbled quietly, but still loud enough for him to hear.

"Nonsense, Miss Schnee! Miss Winter is just busy is all." The butler reassured. "I'm sure she missed you. Miss Winter adores her little sister, you know!"

The heiress blushed a bit at hearing Klein gush about her sisterly bond with Winter. "Yeah, she does..." She admitted, smiling a bit.

"There's my little Snowflake!" The servant said with a heartwarming smile.

Weiss giggled a bit before conceding to her previous statement. "You're right, Klein. There's nothing I can do about it. Winter must be really busy on the force."

"Police officers like her are top notch! And contrary to popular belief, Atlas is like any other city when it comes to their crime rates. They're not high, but one can never be too careful nowadays!" The servant fretted before settling down. "It's a shame she had to retire..."

"Retire?! Winter?" Weiss' eyes widened in shock at this news. The young Schnee grabbed Klein's shoulders and frantically started to shake him."What do you mean she retired?! Winter is only twenty nine years old, and she's practically married to her job! She is not the type of person to just suddenly drop her profession!"

"M-Miss Schnee, please! Calm yourself!" Klein spoke, nervous and confused as to not knowing why his mistress was getting worked up over something like this.

"Miss Winter retired from the force because of an injury, Miss Schnee."

Weiss stopped shaking her butler, her ears catching on to an unfamiliar voice. When she looked up, Weiss noticed that it was their chauffeur who had spoken.

"...How do you know about Winter?" The heiress asked slowly, but it was voiced as a demand.

"Well, I work for your father." The man responded rather casually, almost as if it was the most obvious question in the world. "Since she retired, Miss Winter has been helping around the hotel, being one of its managers." He informed the young girl. "Miss Winter is a kind, yet firm person. It must run in the family, I suppose. Though Young Master Whitley doesn't seem to act like it so much... It's still an honor and a privilege to be working for your family, Miss Schnee. Without your father...I certainly wouldn't be here."

Weiss was startled at hearing that response. "I don't believe I ever caught your name."

"It's Junior." The chauffeur introduced himself, looking up momentarily and making eye contact with the heiress through the rear-view mirror. "Junior Xiong."

---

They have finally arrived. Weiss stepped out of the car, and she gaped at the sight before her. The young Schnee's face was in awe at seeing her family's hotel for the very first time.

While the front garden itself was magnificent with its shaped shrubbery and wide variety of flowers, her eyes gravitated to the very building she would be staying in. The building was enormous and showed signs of being modern with some antique design and inspiration to it. The walls were mainly white with a few details being done in a very light, powdery blue color. Many windows lined its outer walls, most of them normal, the ones nearing the top being sliding doors that led to a small balcony. Just above the hotel's sign, you could see the Schnee family emblem, a giant snowflake overlooking the rest of the front garden which was its kingdom. Needless to say, the building was just as grandiose as she had imagined her father would make it.

Both Klein and Junior had insisted that Weiss should go on ahead and meet up with her family while they unloaded the bags from the car. The heiress passed through the revolving doors, she looked around at the lobby.

The lobby was almost as grand as the outside, with marble floors, white wallpaper with silver details, a few statues, and a very nice looking seating area for guests to wait and converse in. The room was a complete circle surrounded by doors on all sides, all of them presumably leading to separate areas in the hotel. A few of the rooms could be found here, and they followed the lined circular shape of the room. An elevator was visible to the left of the seating area, making the rooms accessible to guests staying there. A few plants could also be seen, most of them surrounding the railings upstairs or the side of the front desk, which was light blue in contrast to the white found almost everywhere else.

The heiress walked further into the threshold towards the front desk. As Weiss approached the counter she noticed the receptionist was doing something on her computer, and the young Schnee figured that the employee must be focused on something due to the determined expression she had on her face. The young girl has medium-brown skin and dark red eyes. Her hair was a light, mint green with a straight fringe and bangs, as well as two long locks on each side, on the back.

"Um, excuse me?" Weiss called for assistance, and she was ignored. "Miss?"

No response.

The heiress tried again. "Hello? I want to ask a question."

"Not now...!" The receptionist grumbled, furiously clicking her mouse and some of her keys on her keyboard. "I'm in the zone."

Though this time she received an answer, it still felt like the young Schnee was talking to a brick wall. She just wasn't sure if she had enough patience to last the rest of the day.

It's okay Weiss, it's been a long day. Let's try that again. The heiress thought calmly to herself, and so she tried to call for the receptionist's attention once more. "Excuse me?"

"Beat it! I'm on my break!" The greenlette practically barked at her, having yet to tear her eyes away from her computer screen.

THAT'S IT! Weiss thought exasperatedly, obviously the last bit of thread that was called patience snapped and she felt the need to unleash her wrath on the receptionist.

The young Schnee slammed her fist against the counter top, which effectively startled the girl as her face was morphed into that of horror since it turned out she had died in her video game. Finally, the red eyed girl made eye contact with Weiss. It was a stare off for a couple minutes since both girls weren't backing down with their scowls. The fury glare in Weiss' icy blue eyes could probably freeze anything in sight meanwhile the receptionist's blood red eyes could bore into one's soul and probably would make anyone spill out their deepest darkest secrets.

"Well, it seems that you won't take a hint..." The greenlette spoke, being the first one to break the silence. She clearly sounded annoyed and her face said that she'd rather be anywhere else but here. "Welcome to Hotel Schnee. How may I help you? Do you need a room for the night?" She asked, though judging by her tone of voice Weiss knew that this girl was anything but nice.

"Listen," The heiress looked down for a moment, noticing the girl's name tag. Weiss then looked up and continued speaking through clenched teeth, barely keeping herself composed. "Emerald...! I am looking for someone-"

"Let me guess... Is it a family or a high school reunion? A birthday party perhaps? Or maybe, it's the I don't fucking care association!" Emerald rudely interrupted her.

The young Schnee scoffed, flabbergasted on how this girl was treating her. "Don't take that tone with me! What kind of employee are you?! You're supposed to greet guests with a smile! Isn't that the point of customer service?! The guest come first!"

"Not in my dictionary. As far as I'm concerned, the guest can go fuck themselves in a corner. This may be a five star hotel, but I at the very least shall not pamper you from head to toe as if you're royalty. So, whoever came up with the phrase "The customer is always right." has a special place in Hell for them. Who the fuck came up with that phrase anyway?!" The receptionist told her with a straight face. "I'm just here for my paycheck. That's all I care about."

"How do you still have your job?!" Weiss exclaimed in slight amazement and rage, she couldn't believe the bad service she was already experiencing and she was only in front desk for a good five minutes.

"It's easy." Emerald sneered at her, putting her hands behind her head while leaning back on her seat. "I put on a 'mask' of sorts. If I 'like' you, then there won't be any problems, but if I dislike you... Then, it's pre~tty much what we're doing right now, except I haven't physically kicked you out yet."

"I haven't done anything wrong! I have been trying to get your attention from the start!" The heiress growled out.

"Yeah, about that...I really didn't appreciate you coming in here, that's strike one. I clearly stated that I was busy and on my break, that's strike two by the way, and not only did you startle me but you also made me crash and die on my game..." The greenlette trailed off, her face and voice giving off a bitchy vibe all together. She then whispered. "That's strike three."

Weiss leaned forward on the counter. "Do you know who I am?" She asked, but it sounded as a threat.

Clearly, this wasn't the first time that Emerald heard that particular phrase from certain guests when they were riled up over something. Amused the greenlette leaned forward in her seat, meeting the heiress half-way, and all the while that sneer stayed plastered on her face. The receptionist then dared to ask,"Tell me. What makes you so special?"

The young Schnee had opened her mouth, but before any words could come out...

A hand darted out from behind the greenlette without her noticing. It clutched her by the neck, and just by the touch alone it sent shivers down Emerald's spine. "Knock it off, Esmeralda."

"H-Hey there, Winter!" The red eyed girl spoke all of a sudden in a friendly manner, though Weiss wondered if this was another one of the girl's 'masks' she had mentioned about earlier. Her bitchy face and tone disappeared as if they weren't even there in the first place. "Your hand is kind of frosty. Could you maybe let go of me?"

"I will not, not until you tell me what you have been doing." Winter said seriously, her voice holding a slight authority as she talked.

Emerald sweetly smiled, but both Schnee sisters knew that there wasn't anything genuine behind this action. "I was checking the Inn-House List. You know, I have to keep track on how many guests we're going to have this week. We wouldn't want to suddenly be swamped by a mass of Anchovies..."

"Uh-huh..." The elder Schnee hummed in mock acknowledgment. This is probably her worst excuse yet. Winter thought irritably. She then looked off to the side and with her sharp, icy blue eyes she caught a game over screen on the front desk computer. Survival mode, huh? "And since when does an Inn-House List have 18,568 guests?"

Busted.

"W-We have a lot of numbers...!" The greenlette mumbled shakily, but she finally dropped the act right afterwards. "Alright, you've caught me..."

"Red handed. Honestly... If you're going to play Kung Fu Ninja Slayer Ultimate Battle 2, at least ACT like you're paying attention, and that also includes when a guest comes up to you." The former cop grumbled as she released the girl, knowing full well that manning the front desk can be quite boring at times. "Now, mind telling me why you were harassing my little sister? The very young woman that so happens to be your boss' youngest daughter, I might add." She asked demandingly, much to Weiss' amusement as Emerald paled at this sudden revelation.

Red eyes widened in shock. "Are you serious?!" She exclaimed.

"When am I ever not serious?" Winter deadpanned.

"Point taken." The receptionist swirled around in her office chair, looking up at Winter before swirling around again to face the front counter where Weiss was still standing. Then everything clicked and made sense for the greenlette. "OH, now I see it!" Emerald realized as she made eye contact with the young heiress. "I knew there was something that pissed me off just by looking at you! You Schnees are so damn alike in resemblance, especially you two!"

The elder Schnee rolled her eyes, unimpressed from hearing Emerald's crude answer. "I am flattered on how you think about me."

Winter didn't seem to be affected by that comment. Weiss, however...she really didn't know what to think about it. The heiress wasn't exactly mad, but she was flabbergasted on how this girl was talking about her family like that. "...What...?"

"Ignore her, dear sister, for she is a simpleton." The former cop told her sibling, walking out from behind the front desk counter. "Come, Weiss. Let us catch up."

The greenlette seemed offended by Winter's remark. "Hey!"

"By the way, consider this small incident to be deducted on your next paycheck." Winter informed the receptionist from over her shoulder before she and Weiss were out from view.

"WHAT?!" Emerald looked horrified as she stood from her seat, yelling after the older sibling. "Winter, Winter! You can't do this to me! PLEASE, tell me that you're joking! Come on, I didn't steal anything from the register this time!" She cried desperately, not crying actual tears though.

The elder Schnee came back. Winter's eyebrows were raised in amusement while her lips went up in a small smirk, but whether or not that look was a friendly one was anyone's guess. "Oh? So, you're telling me that you have stolen again. As in, yesterday? A couple of days ago? A week ago? OR, maybe sometime earlier this month? And, let's not forget the most important question of them all... Exactly, how many times DID you steal from the register this month alone? Which is it?"

Crap! I said too much... The red eyed girl blanched on the realization that she just dug her own grave. Emerald fumbled a bit in trying to come up with a response, but no words seemed to come out of her mouth. There were way too many questions revolving around the same thing with surprisingly little time to come up with seemingly good excuses to get away with it all. The greenlette was pinned against a corner with no way out. Damn that Schnee!

"I'll take that as a yes on all counts. A thief you may be, but it'll probably take you a hundred years for you to think I wouldn't notice the sudden drops on our financial reports." Winter's facial expression remained the same as before, turning around as she walked next to Weiss to another part of the hotel. Before they were out of earshot though, "And just so you know, our father will hear about this. Keep up the good work~!"

Now alone, Emerald sat back heavily on her seat as she looked to the side to her computer. It was still on the game over screen. The greenlette sighed exasperatedly. "Game over is right..."

---

After the rather hostile encounter with Emerald, Weiss felt supremely grateful for Winter's timely rescue. Her sister, her best friend, her confidant had always been there for her. Through the good times and the bad times. The heiress could barely remember a time where Winter wasn't there to help out in her time of need.

The young Schnee couldn't help but smirk as she recalled how her sister put that damn greenlette in her place. Serves her right! She thought spitefully.

"Weiss."

Weiss noticed that they had stopped in the middle of a hallway, and she looked to the side to see that Winter had sat down on a couch. The elder Schnee was softly patting down the spot right next to her, and the heiress was happy to oblige as she eagerly sat down beside her sister. The young Schnee didn't waste time in enveloping her sibling with a hug, startling the older woman by the sudden action but it didn't take long for Winter to relax in her little sister's embrace before she finally returned the gesture.

"I really missed you..." Weiss sniffled as she buried her face against Winter's shoulder, hugging and holding onto her sister tightly. Wishing that she didn't have to let go, wishing that their upbringing could've been different while growing up... There were so many things the young Schnee wished to be different, but what can you do except play with the cards you're dealt with?

It wasn't a surprise that Winter felt her work vest being soaked a bit by Weiss' tears, the poor girl was even shaking and quietly sobbing against her shoulder. The former cop leaned her head on top of her little sister's and just held her close. "I missed you too, Weiss." She spoke softly.

The Schnee sisters remained like that for quite sometime until Weiss finally regained her composure. The heiress pulled away from Winter's embrace and proceeded to wipe away her tears, sniffling a bit as she did so.

The former cop smiled softly at her. "Feeling better?" She asked.

"Much. Thank you." The young Schnee responded quietly.

"Good. I wouldn't want you to get a headache." The elder Schnee fretted a bit as she tucked away a strand of Weiss' white hair behind her ear. "I assume that you had a difficult time with mother again?"

"Winter, don't assume. It makes an ass out of you and me." Weiss playfully chastised her, giggling so.

Winter chuckled a bit. "You're right. My apologies."

"In all seriousness though, mother has been well...mother." The heiress summarized blandly, for lack of better words. "You should've seen the way she 'kicked' Klein and I out of the mansion! I barely had time to register what was going on! I was very angry on the entire trip to get here..." She grumbled. "Mother just wanted to have the entire mansion to herself so that she could do her 'wild tea parties' as she puts it, as if! Mother acts like I don't know that she actually drinks!"

"I can imagine." The former cop nodded sympathetically as she listened to her sister. "So, I take it mother hasn't really told you the main reason on why you're here?"

"Mother only told me that father wanted to catch up with me and offer me the chance to become the next successor of this place. Not to mention the fact that I have to remain here for the rest of the summer..." The young Schnee replied.

"Well, at the very least mother told you that much before 'kicking you out' the way she did. And so, I will leave the rest up to father to explain once you meet up with him." The elder Schnee told her to make sure that Weiss didn't get any ideas about asking her questions she didn't have the answers to.

"Alright then." Weiss nodded in understanding. The young Schnee then recalled an earlier topic, and she just felt the need to know the truth about it. Although, deep down...Weiss felt like she didn't want to find out at all. "Winter."

Winter inclined her head to her, giving Weiss her undivided attention. "Yes?"

"Is it true that...you retired from the force because of an injury?" The heiress asked her.

"Yes, Weiss. It's true." The former cop answered right away, not denying it.

So it is true... Weiss thought in slight disappointment. Klein and Junior were telling the truth, but to the young Schnee it seemed so unreal. For Weiss, Winter was her idol when it came to ambition. Her older sister put her blood, sweat, and tears into anything she worked to achieve. So the fact that Winter was forced to retire from the force...the mere idea was just ridiculous for the heiress. "Can I ask how it happened?"

All of a sudden, Winter blushed and turned her head away from her sibling. "...Do I have to?" She mumbled shyly, and Weiss wondered why she was acting like that. This wasn't the usual behavior Winter exhibited. Was it shame? Embarrassment? ...Or, something else?

"I'm your sister! That's more than enough reason to tell me, at least I think so, but if it was truly a traumatic experience for you then I won't force you..." The young Schnee told her.

"No. It wasn't anything like that, it's just..." The elder Schnee stared off for a bit, trying to find the right words. "I did get hurt, but not to the point where I was forced to retire. Someone told me to... he told me to..." She answered softly as she took off her left white glove, bringing her hand up to show Weiss her wedding band.

Not all the knowledge in the world could've mentally prepared Weiss at hearing this unexpected and yet surprising news. Seconds went by as the heiress remained silent, her brain still trying to process the information, but once she did...she exploded. "YOU'RE MARRIED! SINCE WHEN?!"

"I knew you'd react like this..." Winter sighed, shaking her head as she put on her glove again.

"Answer the question!" Weiss practically barked demandingly.

"Six months, if you must know." The former cop replied.

"Six months...!" The heiress groaned as she slumped a bit on the couch, to the point where her skirt started to ride up.

The older Schnee adjusted Weiss' skirt to shield her modesty, and began chastising her. "Weiss, this is not how a proper lady should sit! You're wearing a skirt for Dust sake!"

"I don't care!" The young Schnee fussed as she swatted her sister's hands away, pouting all the while. This was unfair. Winter is her sister, her best friend, her confidant and yet...Weiss was left in the dark. But, why the secrecy? The betrayal? She and Winter used to talk about anything and everything and now things felt so different for the young Schnee. And to make matters worse... "I didn't even know you were going out with someone!"

"Now Weiss, I can explain." The former cop spoke, softly to try and calm her sibling.

But Weiss didn't want to hear it. The heiress stood up from the couch as she turned around to face Winter, her hands on her hips as she began scolding her older sister. "Explain? Explain?! What is there to explain?! You haven't visited the mansion in MONTHS! I thought it was because you were busy on the force, only to find out from both Klein and Junior that you apparently got injured! But now, you're telling me you married a complete stranger!"

"It is...true." Winter said slowly, not denying any of those facts. After all, Weiss hadn't met Winter's husband so it was only natural that the young Schnee would refer to her new brother-in-law as a stranger. "He's a sweet man, Weiss." Winter commented for lack of better words, she really didn't know how to get through to the heiress.

"Of course, you would say that! He's your husband!" Weiss spoke rhetorically, rolling her eyes. She then began to throw an accusation. "For all I know he could be a convicted criminal!"

At this Winter straightened up as she raised her voice. "He's not a criminal, he's a man of the law!" She said, coming to her husband's defense.

"OH! So he turns out to be a former co-worker, and a man of the law he may be but he could still be a corrupted one." The heiress spoke accusingly, her hunch being based on countless TV crime dramas in where there was a corrupted law official. Though in reality, this fellow was probably...nice, but regardless of that possibility Weiss would not let go of this grudge. "Besides, you never even invited me to the wedding!"

"I'm not going to argue about this." The former cop sighed exasperatedly as she closed her eyes, bringing a hand up to pinch her nose, feeling a headache coming on. "Look Weiss, I'm sorry. I really am. A lot has happened to me in those few months with getting injured on the job, all of a sudden being engaged, and of course...the wedding... But if you really feel that strongly about all this, I can let you meet him in person and if that doesn't help, I'll let you name my first born child." She offered as an apology.

Weiss immediately brought her hands up to her ears, not wanting to hear the word "Child" coming from Winter's mouth. "I don't want to hear that! I'm too young to be an aunt!"

"Weiss, you're twenty one years old." Winter kindly reminded her, smiling so as she stood up from the couch to hug her sister. "And believe me, I don't want to hear it as much as you do, but father keeps persisting in that department. At first father wanted me to settle down, but now he's desperate for grandchildren."

Weiss inwardly groaned at hearing this, hugging her back as she did so. The young Schnee then pulled away from the embrace before ultimately sighing. "Are you sure that he's a good man?" She asked, referring to Winter's husband.

"He is. My husband is firm, but he has a gentle heart with a good sense of justice. Not to mention he's handsome, humble, and strong..." The elder Schnee blushed as she named some of her man's qualities. "He treats me very well, Weiss. I'm sure you'll like him too."

"I could give him a chance, I suppose..." Weiss relented, pouting a bit.

"Thank you." Winter smiled in gratitude. She then started walking towards the end of the hall. "Now, come along, I'll take you to father's office."

The heiress walked beside her sibling, following suit. "Very well."

---

The Schnee sisters passed through the gardens near the outside pool of the hotel.

Towards the halfway point, the sisters stopped near the flowerbeds. Winter's pager started blaring with someone's voice on the other line. The former cop picked up the device. "Winter here."

"Miss Winter, I'm really sorry to bother you, but I require your assistance over at Housekeeping."

"What is it this time?" Winter asked, her lips being pressed together forming a thin frown.

"The washer is broken again, and I can't find our damn porter/maintenance boy... And before you ask, I tried force and it didn't work. In fact, I think that just made the problem worse!" A sultry voice grumbled from the other line. Weiss could sense her frustration from here.

The elder Schnee sighed exasperatedly, not surprised at hearing this news. "Alright then, I'll be right over." She responded as she put her pager away. Winter then gave Weiss an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Weiss, but I really have to take care of this."

"It's okay. I can just head to father's office on my own." The young Schnee said in understanding. "I take it you're always busy around the hotel, huh?"

"Very. Aside from being the Head Manager of Front Desk, I need to make runs and monitor everyone whenever I can to make sure things run smoothly." Winter told her. "Father will explain everything once you meet up with him." She told her, running off towards Housekeeping. "I'll see you later!"

Weiss waved goodbye until her older sister was out of sight. "I guess I'm on my own..." The heiress commented to herself, walking further down the courtyard, and as she walked Weiss realized something... "Winter didn't tell me where father's office is at!"

In her slight panic, the young Schnee didn't know where she was going and accidentally bumped into someone. "Hey, watch where you're going girl! You almost stepped on my Petunias!"

"I-I'm sorry!" Weiss apologized stepping away from the man or rather...Faunus. Weiss' icy blue eyes widened upon noticing the man's scorpion tail, which he was using to put distance between her and the flowers she almost trampled over. "I-I never realized that you were a-"

His presence was overwhelming and Weiss couldn't help but let her eyes wander to his appearance. The tall man had pale skin, golden eyes, and a brown ponytail braided to resemble a scorpion's tail. He wore a sunhat, a white work shirt that said "Hotel Schnee" in bold blue letters on the left side with leather belts strapped to his waist, along with khaki pants. His shirt was left open, exposing his bare chest, which was criss-crossed with prominent scars. His arms were covered with purple bandages and leather vambraces. He also wore leather boots covering his entire shins with knee guards. On each earlobe, he had a silver, ring-shaped earring, and near the top of his left ear was another matching earring.

Overrall, Weiss doubted that this man was an actual garderner. What kind of occupation did he use to have? She wondered. Those scars on his chest don't look like ordinary ones you'd see everyday...

"A what?!" The gardener asked menacingly, daring her to say that word.

"A Faunus." The heiress clarified, daring as she raised her hands up a bit defensively. "But I don't mean any disrespect! I'm just surprised to see a person with bug traits." She quickly added. "I usually see people with mammal traits so..."

"Are you making fun of me girly? I ain't no bug! I'm part scorpion, as in, an arachnid!" The gardener corrected as he stood up to face her, clearly offended as his scorpion tail swished irritably behind him.

Weiss visibly blanched a bit as she took a couple of steps back, afraid of getting stung and she wouldn't be very happy if she got poisoned by accidentally pissing the guy off. "M-My mistake!" She apologized again, giving a shaky laugh.

"First you tried to trample over my Petunias, and now you want to try to trample over me? You've got some nerve!" The tall man spoke, intimidating her as he strode over.

The heiress was at a loss on what to do. This guy was hostile for absolutely no reason and Weiss didn't know how to get through to him. At this rate the young Schnee won't make it to her father's office, wherever that is...

"Back off, Tyrian." A hand darted out, grabbing the Faunus' braid and yanking him back a bit before releasing him. "This girl is no threat."

Tyrian fixed his ponytail and merely glared at the young man beside him. "You want me to stop? But Adam, this girl was making fun of me!"

"There's a difference in making fun of you and being ignorant." Adam stated to him. He was a tall man with red and brown hair that spiked backward in a windswept way. While most of his hair was red, a portion of it in the back and several streaks were brown. Adam had a pair of black shades, which obscured his eyes. His Faunus heritage appeared to be that of a bull, for he had two horns- one on each side of his head. Like Tyrian, Adam also wore a white work shirt and khaki pants. Though unlike Tyrian, Adam was wearing his work shirt properly, having it buttoned up. Not to mention, Adam also had his trusty sword, Wilt and Blush, by his side.

What's with that sword?! Weiss thought in concern, internally freaking out.

"Are you calling me stupid?!" The gardener practically yelled at him.

Adam facepalmed before sighing. "You might as well be. Being ignorant means being UNAWARE of something. For example, she was not AWARE that Faunus aren't just limited to having mammal traits. You are ignorant of what ignorant means. In fact, you can be both ignorant AND stupid at the same time! You know, just like how you're being right now."

Tyrian just rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath, not arguing about this any further.

Once his companion remained silent, Adam looked at Weiss, who was still a bit wary of them. "That aside... You do realize this is the boss' youngest daughter, right?"

Tyrian's golden eyes widened upon this sudden revelation as he walked a bit too close to Weiss' personal space, taking a closer look. The young Schnee simply stood there, petrified as the tall man's eyes bore into her very soul.

"...Why is he staring at me like that?" Weiss slowly asked the bull Faunus, too terrified to move away from the scorpion Faunus' gaze.

"I know. It's weird, but please just give him a second." Adam responded calmly, crossing his arms.

Tyrian then gasped in surprise. "She DOES look like Papa Schnee!" He remarked in glee. Suddenly his attitude changed almost ten fold, and he knelt in front of the heiress. "Please forgive my earlier outburst, milady. I really don't know where that came from..." He apologized gently, his tone of voice having changed drastically compared to before.

"...Apology...accepted?" Weiss gave a shaky smile, ultimately forgiving him.

"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to meet the Master in his office?" The gardener questioned her.

"That's the thing...I...really don't know where I'm going..." The young Schnee admitted shyly, a blush rising up her cheeks in embarrassment. "Winter was supposed to escort me there, but somebody requested her presence over at Housekeeping." She explained. "They said something about a broken washer, and that they couldn't find their porter/maintenance guy...I don't know..."

Adam sighed, already knowing who Weiss was referring to. "That damn kid really grinds my gears... He needs to take his job seriously."

"If you ask me, that boy needs to work his ass off! Teach him some discipline! The Master gave him everything, and that brat isn't showing any amount of respect nor gratitude for being here!" Tyrian practically exploded.

Who are they talking about? Weiss wondered. Winter almost complained in the same manner earlier. "Is this guy that much of a slacker?" She asked them.

"It's not our place to tell you, milady, but if you're that curious...Papa Schnee will tell you soon enough." Tyrian responded.

Adam started to walk ahead, tapping Weiss' shoulder as he did so. "Come on, I'll take you to the boss' office." He offered his services. Adam then looked back towards Tyrian. "You better behave 'till I come back."

"Yes, yes, I'll behave." The scorpion Faunus rolled his eyes. Tyrian then looked at Weiss one last time. "It was nice meeting you, milady. I apologize again for earlier, and I hope you have a nice day." He bid her farewell as he returned to his garden duties.

"T-Thank you. I hope you have a nice day too, Tyrian." Weiss replied in kind before she started to follow after Adam out of the courtyard.

---

The walk to her father's office was not only silent, but also an awkward one for Weiss. The heiress just felt the need to talk about something. Anything, anything at all just to end the uneasy silence! It also didn't help matters involving her curiosity as Weiss' eyes kept coming back to Adam's sword.

Why does he need that anyway? The young Schnee wondered. Self-defense? A need to feel secure? Was he part of the mafia? A gang? Or...

"If you've got something to say, then say it." Adam spoke, a bit irritably as he kept walking.

Weiss looked startled. "How did you know I wanted to say something?" She asked, eyeing him warily.

"You keep burning a hole in the back of my head!" The swordsman replied angrily. "What do you think? I feel stared at."

"Oh, sorry..." The heiress mumbled an apology, face palming to try and conceal her flushed face. "So, um, why do you have a sword? If you don't mind me asking, that is!" She quickly added.

Adam stopped walking, looking at Weiss from over his shoulder. His gaze, even if it was obscured by his shades, was intense. The young Schnee stopped, frozen in her tracks. "Do you really want to know?"

"N-N-No, I-I wouldn't..." The heiress managed to reply, struggling with her response.

"Good." The bull Faunus resumed walking on ahead. "There are some things in this world that you're better off not knowing." The pair finally made it to Mr. Schnee's office. Once there, Adam knocked three times against the door before announcing, "Boss, your daughter's here."

Weiss couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in mock amusement. Well, that's one way to announce my presence...

The door to her father's office opened to reveal Jacques Schnee himself, the owner of this fine establishment. The elder Schnee looked down upon his daughter, smiling so and Weiss couldn't help but return the gesture, her earlier grudge towards her father forgotten.

"Thank you, Taurus. I'll take it from here." Jacques dismissed the swordsman.

Adam simply bowed his head in respect before turning around and left the corridor.

When the bull Faunus turned by the corner and was out of sight and out of earshot, the heiress commented, "He's...very scary."

"That's just Adam being...well...Adam. He means well. I'm sure he'll get better once you get to know him, probably." Jacques replied blandly, for lack of better words. He then allowed his daughter to enter his office, and once they were inside Jacques seated himself behind his desk, offering Weiss a seat across from him. "Please, take a seat. I trust that you have a lot of questions, but just by looking at your face it tells me that there's more to it."

"Very much so, yes." The young Schnee replied as she took her seat. "So, how have you been?"

"I've been well, not counting the fact that some days are busier than others. You?" Her father asked her.

Jacques would soon regret saying that. Oh, the things Weiss wanted to tell to her father concerning her day. "I don't even know where to start! Let's see, let me start with mother..."

She proceeded to tell her father everything that had just happened, without pause. The old man just sat there, resting his chin on his hands while taking all of the information in. "My own sister left me in the dark about being married, I was nearly killed in the garden, and I was just threatened!" She finally finished, slumping back in her chair ever so slightly.

"Threatened?" That was the only word to come out of her father's mouth after her rant was over.

"Well," Weiss proceeded to explain. "Not exactly threatened, but it sure felt like it! All because of one little question too..."

"I see..." Jacques responded, sitting back upright. "I'm sorry that's how your day has been. I wish I could have done something to make it different, but that's just how things are around here."

"What do you mean?" The young Schnee asked him.

"Well, this may be a five star hotel, but some of its employees are rather...eccentric." The elder Schnee replied, rather hesitantly. Weiss noticed.

"Eccentric how?"

"They are, to put it nicely, riffraffs." He stated.

"You mean crimina-" The young Schnee was interrupted.

"Riff...raffs..." The elder Schnee stated again.

"What is this?" Weiss couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you telling me that our family, The Schnee Family, is a family of crime lords now?! Is that it?"

"No! No, no, no! It's not like that at all, Weiss." Jacques reassured his daughter. "Just think of it as...having high quality security. This building is much safer compared to other establishments!"

By having criminals as employees and practical bodyguards, yes, of course you'd feel "safe"... The heiress closed her eyes as she pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. She honestly didn't know just how many surprises she could handle today. "Really? Even though you actually have a thief working on the front desk. Who, by the way, keeps stealing money from the register!"

"To which I am thankful to have my eldest daughter, who was a former cop, be in charge of front desk." Her father countered.

"Point taken." Weiss conceded, clearly knowing that Winter had things under control.

"Look Weiss, I know that today hasn't been a very good day for you, and I understand that, I really do. But that still doesn't change the fact that you have to stay here for the rest of the summer. And, I'm going to be frank with you, I need a successor." Jacques told her, leaning back in his chair and looking up at the ceiling, almost as if in thought. "Winter has explicitly told me many times that she wasn't interested in being the next owner for this place. And as for Whitley, you remember him don't you?"

"Bits and pieces, but yes I do remember him." The young Schnee admitted. "What about him?"

In truth, Weiss didn't grow up with her siblings much. Obviously. Her parents were practically "divorced", but that's putting it loosely. In reality, they're still married in name, but Jacques and his wife didn't live together anymore. It turned out that his wife didn't want to be in charge of the hotel that was supposed to be hers, but her husband did, which led to many disputes. That aside, Jacques' wife took custody over Weiss while Jacques took Winter and Whitley with him. Winter had turned eighteen by this time, however, and didn't have to deal with her new home environment much as she moved out. Though this was the case, Winter tried visiting her siblings as much as she could in the years that followed. By the time she was twenty-one, however, she had enrolled in the Atlas Police Academy and was well on her way to becoming an officer. Overall, Weiss didn't grow up in a normal, stable family compared to your average everyday household.

"Well, your brother doesn't want the position either." Jacques responded, his shoulders slumping slightly in visible disappointment. "That's why I requested to your mother that you be sent here for the rest of the summer. And admittedly, I wanted a fresh start with you as it were..." He spoke, rather quietly as he avoided eye contact with his daughter. Jacques looked up at her once again before he continued. "I know that I haven't been a good parent over the years, I wasn't there much- or more like I wasn't there at all for you growing up... But I promise you, right here and now, that I will be the best father I could possibly be. And right now, I feel that it is best to re-connect with you and secure our family business. Will you grant me that chance, Weiss?"

"I suppose..." Weiss shook her head. No. That wasn't right. Admittedly, the heiress wanted to give her father a chance. She did miss him, Whitley, and of course, Winter. And now that she had the opportunity to spend time with them again, she'd be a fool telling her father otherwise. The young Schnee looked up to her father. "Yes, I would like that."

Jacques smiled. "That's good to hear, my dear."

"So, what is this position you want me to take up?" Weiss asked him, genuinely curious now.

"First of all, I don't want you to be pressured into accepting this position. That is not my intention. I just want you to get used to things while you work, and I would appreciate it if you would give me your final answer by the end of the summer." The elder Schnee informed her. "Financial reports aside, I need you to monitor the employees and make sure that things run smoothly. Since you plan on taking over, you will need to be all-around when it comes to managing each and every department in this hotel. For starters, you'll need to have a Lifeguard and ABC License."

The young Schnee tilted her head. "For what?"

"Training as a lifeguard you'll learn CPR, immediate First Aid and other procedures. An ABC License will ensure that you can serve alcohol to customers and deliver drinks to their rooms for whenever a guest decides to order room service. It does help being prepared, and you don't know what may happen this summer. Better safe than sorry, right?" Jacques responded.

"That makes sense." Weiss nodded in understanding.

Her father stood up from his chair. "Good. Now, come with me and I'll give you a proper tour."

"Very well." The heiress rose from her seat, following her father out of the office.

---

After the talk in the office, Jacques gave Weiss a tour around the hotel. The elder Schnee showed his daughter all the facilities the establishment had to offer. There was the pool area, the sauna, the luxury spa, the banquet hall, the bar/lounge, the gym, and finally they were heading to the restaurant.

"I knew that this was a five star hotel, but I didn't think it would have so many things to offer..." The young Schnee couldn't help but comment, sounding impressed.

"Just wait 'till next year, I'm planning on building a Casino." Jacques chuckled.

I can already imagine a certain someone not getting out of there any time soon... Weiss thought to herself, thinking of Emerald.

Her father stopped walking, pointing ahead. "This is the restaurant."

Just by looking at the outside of the restaurant area, Weiss felt the need to search for her purse. However, even if she did, she knew she wouldn't have a good amount of lien to afford an appetizer. Probably. A Schnee she may be, but even Weiss herself didn't receive much of an allowance growing up.

"In the mornings, the restaurant opens from 6-10AM on the week days and 6-10:30AM on the weekends. And on the evenings, the restaurant is always open from 5-9PM and as for the bar...it will be open from noon to midnight." Jacques informed her. "Any questions?"

The heiress was about to ask some questions, but before she could a commotion over at the restaurant caught their attention. "What was that?" She asked.

The elder Schnee sighed as he closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Not again..."

"Again? What's going on?" Weiss questioned her father once again, confused.

"You're about to see for yourself. Come on." Jacques beckoned her towards the restaurant's entrance.

When they were close enough, both father and daughter listened and witnessed the spectacle unfold before them. They saw a girl using sign language, trying to communicate to the customer. The girl's hair has a trio of colors in her hair, resembling Neapolitan ice cream. She wore the restaurant's waitress uniform which consisted of a blue work shirt with "Hotel Schnee" in bold white letters on the left side of it, a moderate length black skirt, black stockings, and work shoes. She had a pink umbrella attached to her apron on her waist.

Why does she have an umbrella? Is she concealing a blade inside of it? Weiss wondered. It was already bad enough that Adam owned a sword of all things.

"...Uh. Can somebody translate please?" The guest requested some assistance, not understanding on what his waitress was trying to tell him.

"She says, "It is past 10 o'clock and I need you to leave." Another waitress stepped in, translating on what her co-worker was saying. This girl has short black hair and pale green eyes, highlighted by heavy red makeup. She wore bracelets on each of her hands, which concealed her clawed bladed weapons.

"But I'm conversing and eating with my family, which by the way, we haven't finished eating yet." The guest spoke, annoyed.

"We're aware, but it still doesn't change the fact that you can simply transfer your food into a to-go container and be on your merry way because, quite frankly, you're holding us back on our cleaning duties." A third waitress stepped in while saying a bold statement. This worker has long black hair and pale green eyes, highlighted by heavy cyan makeup. Like her two co-workers she wore the standard waitress uniform with the exception of her shoes, which were boots with bladed heels.

"I will not tolerate this! Let me speak to your manager!" The guest said demandingly.

"Trust us, you don't want to do that." The short haired waitress recommended, but she was not threatened nor scared by the customer.

The long haired waitress looked annoyed by this point. "Besides, he will tell you the exact same thing. You don't want to hear this spiel again, do you?" She asked him.

But the man still insisted, speaking through clenched teeth. "Let me. Speak. To your. Manager."

"Why don't people listen, Melanie? Why can't we all just be civil and understanding?" The short haired waitress asked her twin.

"I don't know, Miltia. Some people never learn, but to each their own." Melanie answered with her own opinion, rolling her eyes while doing so. "Neo, fetch Torchwick." She told her co-worker, who did what was asked.

Not even five minutes and the restaurant's manager/head chef himself made his appearance.

Roman Torchwick has slanted, green eyes and bright, long, orange hair, with long bangs covering his right eye. Black eyeliner traced his visible left eye. He wore the standard restaurant uniform consisting of a blue work shirt with "Hotel Schnee" in bold white letters on the left side of it with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, he wore a red-lined white jacket on the base of his shoulders, black pants, and work shoes. His accessories included a small gray scarf, black gloves with buckled sleeves, and a black bowler hat with a small red feather tucked into its red band. Overall, the man had a mafia vibe and he had his trusty cane, Melodic Cudgel, by his side as he smoked a cigar.

Roman did not look pleased. In fact, he was irritated and he will make it known for he is not the type to keep things to himself.

Torchwick settled a couple of to-go containers on the table before beginning with his memorized speech, for which he knew from the bottom of his heart. Obviously, this is neither the first nor the last time he had spoken such a speech. "Ladies and gentlemen, the time now is 10:15. Why are you still here? You're all here on vacation; don't you have better things to do with your time? Don't tell me it's because of the seating; there are seats in the lobby. Don't tell me it's because you want coffee; you'll find that in the lobby, too. Don't tell me it's because of food – we closed at 10 o'clock! Take these to-go containers to put away your leftover food and LEAVE!"

Seeing as they were outmatched and that the manager wasn't on their side, the family packed what was left of their food and departed from the restaurant, but not before the man of the family retorted with a "You'll be getting a terrible review from me and I'll make sure that Jacques Schnee will fire you from doing so!"

"Oh yeah, well that wouldn't be the first time I've heard that! Next time you want quality service, then you should eat out, you jackass!" Roman practically barked out at him, and once the family was out of sight he huffed angrily, puffing out smoke from his cigar. "The nerve of some people!"

"You certainly blew a fuse." Jacques commented as he and Weiss exited from their hiding spot, making their way towards the group.

"Ah, Schnee! Do I have a story for you!" Roman remarked, about to retell the event.

The elder Schnee declined. "No need. I already watched it."

"Damn! I was going to exaggerate about it too over our drinks later!" Torchwick whined, pouting all the while.

"Though, I wouldn't mind hearing 'The exclusive Roman version.'" Jacques relented, chuckling so.

Admittedly, Jacques enjoyed listening to Roman's banter concerning some guests in the restaurant. The two would always converse with each other over drinks at Jacques' office after work and they would always laugh and have a great time in doing so. Roman is the best drinking buddy that Jacques could ever ask for.

Roman's expression lit up instantly. "That's the spirit Schnee!"

Neo looked excited upon seeing her boss and she was about to dash up to him to give the elder Schnee a hug, but she refrained from doing so because of a stranger. Instead, the young girl hid behind her guardian, looking at Weiss with a wary, shy stare.

"Neo, honey, what's wrong?" Torchwick asked her, concerned. He then followed Neapolitan's gaze to where he finally notices the young Schnee. "Oh? Who's your twin?"

"Oh, no, no. She's no twin. In fact, she's my offspring. Everyone, this is my daughter, Weiss Schnee." Jacques introduced his daughter. "Weiss. These are my trusted employees starting with our Head Chef Roman Torchwick, his daughter Neapolitan, and finally the Malachite twins, Miltia and Melanie."

The Malachite twins bowed politely towards the young heiress. "It's nice to meet you."

Weiss returned the gesture, bowing as well. "Likewise."

"You Schnees look so damn alike! It's crazy!" Roman commented. Soon after he let out a yelp, caused by his daughter elbowing him on the ribs for being rude. "Neo! Take it easy with the hits, I bruise easily!" He lightly chided, but he wasn't angry. Roman could never be angry at his little one. "Instead of being all sassy, why don't you say hi to the other Schnee?"

Neo merely waved timidly at the heiress before hiding even further behind her guardian.

Torchwick sighed and began to apologize on Neo's behalf. "Forgive her. She's very shy, but I promise that she'll come around once she's comfortable around you."

"It's quite alright." Weiss reassured. "And what's crazy is the fact that you chased guests out of the restaurant?! I mean, who does that?" She spoke, still flabbergasted on what she witnessed earlier.

Roman came along and wrapped an arm around the heiress' shoulders. "Look at it from OUR point of view, Princess, just imagine that it's 8:59 in the evening, one more minute 'till closing time when an inconsiderate asshole decides to walk into the restaurant and demands service with the lame excuse of "If you're open 'till 9PM then you're open 'till 9PM." Now, tell me, will you or will you not want to pulverize the guy into dust? Answer honestly now!"

"...I...would be very pissed as well." The young Schnee responded, not denying the truth.

"Exactly!" Torchwick raised his arms up, clearly grateful for hearing Weiss' answer. "Is it too much to ask for compassion and consideration for other human beings? I guess so, but assholes will be assholes I suppose." He shrugged.

"Well then, we really must be going. Weiss and I need to continue with the tour." Jacques lamented to inform them.

"Don't let me keep ya, but I will keep you for our drinking date later." Roman kindly dismissed them. "You promised me some Whiskey!"

The elder Schnee chuckled. "I wouldn't miss it for the world my friend." He then turned to look at Neo, who was still hiding behind her guardian. Jacques lowered himself a bit to be in eye level with the small girl. "Don't I get a hug today?" He asked her with a warm smile, opening his arms so.

Neo happily accepted the invitation. The young girl didn't waste a second as she ran up to Jacques, wrapping her arms around him in a warm, crushing hug. The old man was laughing and smiling as he returned the embrace. And for a split second, Weiss couldn't help but feel...jealous. She really couldn't recall a time where her father actually smiled let alone hugged her like that.

At times like these, the heiress wondered... Were we even family back then? No. Considering mother, father, Winter, Whitley, and I aren't together anymore, I highly doubt we'd ever be a happy family again...

---

After visiting the restaurant, Jacques and Weiss continued the tour. The elder Schnee along with his daughter rode the elevator all the way up to the top floor of the building.

"How many floors does this hotel have again?" The heiress asked as she and her father stepped out of the elevator.

"Ten floors, not counting the special facilities." Jacques responded. "The floor that we're in right now has a total of six guest rooms, all of them being Penthouse suites."

Weiss looked impressed. "Wow. So, are you going to show me the suites? Or, are you going to introduce me to another one of your employees?"

"We could do both actually." Her father offered. "I was going to acquaint you to-" Suddenly, Jacques' pager started to go off. The elder Schnee gave a silent apology to his daughter before picking up the call. "Yes? This better be important."

"Forgive me for bothering you father, but I require your assistance over at Housekeeping." Winter's voice requested from the other line, and from what Weiss could tell or rather...hear is that her older sister sounded very frustrated. "The washer is broken and I can only do so much. There's practically a flood here!"

Winter needn't say more about the issue at hand because Jacques Schnee was able to connect the dots for himself.

"Where is he?" Jacques asked demandingly, he looked like he was about to lose his temper at any moment towards this certain individual.

"I thought you might have SOME idea as to his whereabouts! Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered you. Trust me." Winter reassured her father.

The old man sighed exasperatedly as he closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll be right there." He ended the call, and he soon turned to give his daughter an apologetic look. "I am so sorry, Weiss. I really need to do this."

Weiss nodded in understanding. "It's alright. I'll just go ahead and meet up with... Who is it you wanted me to meet?" She asked him.

"Cinder Fall. She's the manager of housekeeping in this hotel. She should be cleaning one of the suites on this very floor." The elder Schnee informed her before taking his leave. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Once her father was out of sight, the heiress headed down the corridor. It didn't take long for Weiss to locate Cinder as she walked further down the hall.

The young Schnee spotted a housekeeping cart with its owner looking over its contents. That must be Cinder...

Cinder Fall has ashen-black hair and bright amber eyes, while her fingernails are painted dark red. She wears the hotel's uniform which consisted of a blue work shirt with "Hotel Schnee" in bold white letters on the left side of it, a black skirt, a black choker on her neck along with a gold loop earring with a black gem dangling from it on her right ear. She has dark, glass, high-heeled shoes and a jeweled anklet on her right leg.

The older woman was going in and out of the room she's currently cleaning up, bringing back dirty bed sheets and the like while rummaging through her cart. And as Weiss got near her, the young Schnee could hear that the housekeeper kept mumbling to herself...

"What a day... The washer is still broken, that insolent brat is nowhere to be found to fix the damn thing, and I am behind on my board!" Cinder complained with utmost rawness, and her voice further confirmed that Cinder was the sultry voice Weiss heard over on the line earlier on the courtyard. "I'll certainly won't be done with my duties early today. I'd probably have to pull an all night-er, even with Mr. Gorim's help to clean all the laundry..."

"Um, excuse me?" The heiress called out for her attention, laying a hand on the woman's shoulder.

Cinder jumped a bit from the unexpected touch while looking to side, noticing Weiss. "Oh, you're here." She spoke, sounding relieved.

Weiss nodded her head. "Yes, I've come to-"

"Hold that thought." The housekeeper interrupted her, handing the heiress a handful of dirty bed sheets. "Be a dear and hold these for me for a second, will you?" Cinder pleaded to the young Schnee without waiting for an answer. She grabbed some clean sheets from her cart and headed back to the hotel room to finish cleaning, leaving Weiss alone in the hallway.

You have GOT to be kidding me... The heiress thought exasperatedly while holding a mountain full of dirty sheets. Heck, she couldn't even see what's in front of her face with the amount she was holding. I don't have time for this!

Not even five minutes later and Cinder has returned to the hallway in a hurried manner. Before Weiss could even register what was happening, she was being carried up one moment, only to fall upside down inside a trash bin. Her limbs being splayed awkwardly due to her new position.

Oh no, she did not just do that to me! The heiress then felt like they were moving somewhere further down the hall. The bin wasn't filled with garbage, just dirty laundry. Thank Dust. The smells however were less than pleasant... The young Schnee was surprised at the fact that the older woman didn't even break a sweat by carrying her for a split second, only to be dropped soon after. Does Cinder even know I'm in here?! Weiss thought in panic, raising her voice. "Cinder! Cinder stop! I'm in here!"

Unfortunately, the heiress' cries were muffled and unheard, and all because of dirty laundry...

Before she knew it, Weiss felt like the bin was lifted up and what met her on the other side was a slide down the laundry shoot. If the young Schnee wasn't scared before, then she certainly was now! Weiss let out a terrifying scream as if she were riding on a roller coaster ride, falling into the depths of the laundry shoot while her skirt started to ride up rather uncomfortably on her way down.

Having heard the yell, Cinder put a hand up to her chin in thought. "Weird. Laundry doesn't screech...does it?" It took her a moment to realize something else... "Oh, Dust! Don't tell I just...! Oh no..."

---

It felt like an unpleasant eternity for the young Schnee as her body bumped against the metal walls of the laundry shoot. All the while screaming from the top of her lungs as she fell into the depths, until finally Weiss had a soft landing...

"Oof!"

Her wail caught the attention of four occupants in the room. They turned their heads in time to see the young Schnee fall into a laundry cart. Weiss groaned, shaking her head to try and get rid off the dizzy spell inside her skull.

"Weiss?" A familiar voice called out to her, urgently heading towards the heiress.

Weiss slowly inclined her head at the newcomer, feeling a bit disoriented. "...Winter?"

"What on earth were you doing?" Winter interrogated her sibling, extending her hands out to help her sister. "Father told me you were supposed to be with Cinder."

The heiress gladly accepted her sister's help, slowly standing up on her feet. "I-I was, but somehow she has mistaken me for dirty laundry!"

"How did she mistake you for filthy sheets?" The former cop asked, bewildered at hearing Weiss' response.

"I don't know!" The young Schnee whined, shaking in terror. "All I know is that I don't want to go through that roller coaster ride again!"

Winter eyed her little sister with concern. "What floor were you in?"

Before Weiss could answer, rumbling could be heard from above the laundry shoot, causing both sisters to look up at the ceiling...

"Look out below!"

Time seemed to crawl at an all time slow. One moment Weiss was standing on her own two feet, only to be almost squashed to death in the next second by an unexpected heavy weight. Winter's icy blue eyes widened in surprise, a gloved hand coming up to conceal her mouth in shock due to what just happened.

"Top. Floor." Weiss whimpered out an answer through buried sheets, groaning all the while. She tried to push herself back up, but this simple task turned out to be a difficult one due to the sudden weight on top of her. "Can you please get off of me?!"

"I am so sorry!" Cinder apologized.

The weight disappeared and soon after the young Schnee was pulled up to her feet and out of the laundry cart, thanks to both Cinder and her sister's help.

Weiss stretched out her back muscles a bit before sending off a glare to Cinder's direction. "You got some nerve to throw me down the laundry shoot!" She grumbled in displeasure.

"SHE DID WHAT?!" Winter certainly perked up at this sudden news, her earlier surprise forgotten to be soon replaced with rage. She looked at the housekeeper and started interrogating, demanding to know everything. "What happened?"

"It was an accident milady, I swear!" Cinder insisted frantically, bowing apologetically all the while. "She was so pale to the point where I actually mistook her for sheets! I didn't mean to! It sort of just happened, you know? Once I start working on my board, I'm on my own little world. As soon as I realized my mistake, I immediately headed down here via the laundry shoot because honestly, the stairs would take too long, and the same goes for the elevator too if the guests are using it. I'm so sorry!" The housekeeper then looked up at the sisters, immediately noticing the Schnee Family resemblance. "Damn... You two look so much alike, it's crazy! Are you twins by chance?" She asked, genuinely curious.

The former cop sighed through her nose, calming down considerably knowing that her co-worker didn't mean any harm towards her sibling. Weiss, however was perplexed at the fact that ever since she arrived here all of the employees commented about her family resemblance one way or another. Did she and Winter look so much alike? Clearly, Winter is older, taller, and much more mature than Weiss will ever be. At least the young Schnee thinks that way, but who knows what the future holds?

"No Cinder, we're not twins." Winter gave a curt response, rather tired of answering this old question.

"But, thank you for saying so!" Weiss said gleefully with a smile, feeling her sister send an amused look her way. The heiress looked up at her sibling. "What? I like being related to you!"

The former cop playfully rolled her eyes while trying not to smile, bringing her sister close in a one arm hug. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Anything, except leaving my side." The young Schnee answered, hugging her older sister back.

"Weiss, you know as well as I do that I won't be around forever." The elder Schnee reminded her.

Weiss pouted a bit. "It still doesn't mean that we can't spend some time together."

Winter smiled a little. "That is also true."

"Ladies, I'm sorry to interrupt, but may I ask for your assistance over here please!" Jacques Schnee hollered at them from the other side of the room. He, Klein, and Junior were trying their best to plug up the leaking pipe from the broken washer.

They didn't need to be told twice.

Without wasting any time Weiss, Winter, and Cinder hurried their way over to lend a helping hand. For her first technical day at this place, Weiss spent a total of three hours with the others in trying to fix the damn machine to the best of their abilities, but in the end they managed to stop the leak and the washer seemed to be working just fine again.

Once that was done, the group proceeded to split into two teams with Weiss, Winter, and Cinder sweeping the minor flood out of Housekeeping by pushing the water outside while Jacques, Klein, and Junior proceeded to dry/mop the place spotless again.

By the time they finished cleaning everything up, everyone turned their heads to the doorway, noticing a young adult. He has a pale, well-built appearance. His eye and hair color are a silvery gray, which partially slicked back while unkempt at the front. He also wears a slate gray and black two-tone partial-zip jacket that covers his upper body, black pants, and he also wears a single notched belt with what appears to be a sash or bandana draped over it. Protecting his arms are sets of vambraces.

Who the heck is he? Weiss wondered in her thoughts, eyeing the newcomer warily.

"Heeey guys~!" The young man greeted everyone with a cheerful greeting, trying to lighten the mood while he purposely ignored the several scowls coming his way as he strode on over to the group. "I've got a call from front desk telling me that the washer was broken..." He trailed off a bit, showing a smug grin.

Wait... HE'S the porter! The heiress exclaimed in her thoughts in outrage, easily being able to connect the dots. In retaliation Weiss proceeded to roll up the sleeves of her white jacket and was about to march her way over to the slacker in order to unleash her wrath, however a hand on her shoulder stopped her from doing so... "Winter?"

"I know how you feel Weiss, but I must ask you to let father handle this." The elder Schnee suggested to her, pointing forward.

When the young Schnee followed Winter's direction, she saw their father heading towards the porter. The old man's steps were filled with a sense of purpose and if Weiss wasn't mistaken she could've sworn that her father's face was flushed solely on rage waiting to be unleashed. Truly it has been such a long time since the heiress had witnessed her father lose his temper, and when he did it was never a good sign...

"MERCURY BLACK SCHNEE!" Jacques yelled from the top of his lungs, causing Weiss to slightly cower by his tone of voice. And then she realized something else...

"BLACK?! SCHNEE?!" The heiress shrieked in surprise, wondering if she had heard her father correctly. Black, as in, Marcus Black's son! THE infamous Assassin in all of Remnant! She thought in shock.

"I know! Isn't it great?!" Mercury spoke, excitedly while doing jazz hands. He still had a smug grin plastered on his face, despite being yelled at at the moment. "I'm mixed!"

"For the last time Mercury, it doesn't work that way..." Cinder remarked irritably, clearly it wasn't the first time for her, nor the other members in this establishment, to say such a remark to the young man.

"You do know that black snow is a thing, right? Ash mixed in with snow." The porter stated a fact before crossing his arms, acting as if he was offended. "Stop being racist!"

The housekeeper sighed as she closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I give up..."

"I don't know why you even bother trying..." Junior commented to her.

Meanwhile Weiss' mouth was agape, looking between Winter and her father for an explanation. At the same time she was staring at Mercury every so often, and deep down the heiress was in turmoil! She just couldn't believe that she was related to this slacker of all people! The Schnee Family was a family consisting of perfection, ambition, responsible, hardworking individuals for generations. No exceptions. What could have changed her father over the years?

"What the hell is going on?!" Weiss demanded an answer.

Klein nervously cleared his throat, not sure on how to approach the apparent delicate subject at hand. "I was going to ask the same thing..."

"Oh, don't worry. I keep asking the same goddamned questions too." Winter reassured them, giving her father an 'amused' look. "Isn't that right, father?"

Jacques let out a long sigh. "...It's...a long story..."

"But wait, there's more!" Mercury intervened, snapping his fingers towards Weiss for emphasis. "There's one more person you gotta meet that's also part of the family!"

"...More?" The heiress said faintly in response. She honestly didn't know just how many surprises she could handle today.

---

"You have GOT to be kidding me?!" Weiss bemoaned for the umpteenth time this evening, debating whether or not to drop to her knees in soul-crushing defeat.

The heiress couldn't believe it... She can't believe anything at this point really. Mercury Black was bad enough, but of all people Weiss was also apparently related to, to-

"EMERALD!"

"Hi~Sissy!" Emerald put on a sweet smile as she greeted Weiss, twiddling her fingers in a cheery manner. "It's soo good to see you again!"

She is so fake! The young Schnee thought to herself, not falling for the thief's tricks again. She then looked to her father in disbelief, who was rather patient in listening to his daughter's banter. "I repeat, EMERALD! Emerald fucking-" Weiss stopped for a moment, asking the thief a direct question. "What's your last name?"

"Sustrai."

"Thank you." The heiress then continued with her banter. "Emerald fucking Sustrai!"

"Don't forget Schnee!" Mercury added from the sideline, snickering. He then grabbed Emerald's arm, making her wave at the others. "She's also mixed!"

"Dude, for the last time, that is NOT how it works!" The thief chastised him as she yanked her arm free from his grasp, clearly tired of this old joke.

The porter was insistent over the issue. "What you need is to lighten up and accept it for how it is! You gotta love yourself! Be a Schnee!"

Weiss scoffed, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "As I was saying... Last time I checked, I only had two siblings, which are Winter and Whitley respectively!"

"Aw, it's not so bad sister." Whitley reassured her. "Now father has five children, there's plenty of love to go around, and as the old saying goes 'The more the merrier!'"

"You're not helping...!" The young Schnee grumbled, glaring at her little brother.

Admittedly, for both siblings, it was actually weird seeing each other again after all these years apart due to their upbringing. One hardly knowing about the other. It was as if they were complete strangers meeting for the very first time, but that's technically not the case here...

Despite it all, it seems that Whitley was pushing all the right buttons to annoy his older sister.

"Whatever do you mean, dear sister." The youngest Schnee said, smiling at Weiss. "They're not so bad. They're actually pretty awesome, if I do say so myself!"

"Aw, you're so sweet!" Emerald cooed while laying a hand on her chest, touched from her baby brother's comment.

Mercury wrapped an arm around Whitley's shoulders, bringing his little brother close to give him a nogie, causing the youngest Schnee to laugh. "This is my boy right here! My cool boy!"

"AWESOME?! They're as rowdy as a-" Weiss held her tongue, fearing that she might say something she might regret. "You know what, forget it, I don't care any more."

"You're right Weiss, you should let it go. But on the contrary, you should care." Jacques spoke up, showing how serious he was about this issue. "Mercury and Emerald are part of the family now, and that's the way it's going to be."

"So, what you're telling me is that I've got to put up with it?" The heiress retorted incredulously, putting her hands on her hips in displeasure.

"That is EXACTLY what I'm saying." Her father answered with conviction. "Besides, I already signed the adoption papers years ago..." He trailed off quietly, but loud enough for his daughter to hear.

Weiss let out an exasperated sigh. "I can't believe this...!"

The young Schnee's whole day was all out of order. It's as if she was making layers upon layers of cake, but half-way through the baking process something turned out wrong. The towers she used to call "Order" and "Normal" were beginning to collapse. Lies were built upon lies. "Truth" and "Honesty" were not part of the recipe. Throughout the day, Weiss was left in the dark one way or another, more than once in fact...

Practically being "Kicked out" of the mansion by her own mother, who didn't even bother explaining anything to Weiss in the first place and just shoved the plane tickets to her face. Finding out that Winter, of all people, got married to a complete stranger with Weiss not knowing anything about them dating, getting engaged, and of course being invited to the wedding. Discovering that her family's business is completely overrun with criminals as your"Typical", everyday employees. And regardless of her father's reassurances, Weiss is still personally convinced that the Schnee Family is a family of crime lords now. And finally, to put the icing on this disaster cake is THIS monstrosity! She has two more siblings to take care of, which begs a very important question...

"Who's older?" Weiss asked out loud for everyone in the room to hear.

Jacques tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Which of us is older?" The heiress asked him again while pointing to herself, Emerald, and Mercury in regards to her question. "Winter is obviously the oldest being twenty nine years old-"

"Don't say my age out loud..." The former cop mumbled shyly, a blush of embarrassment rising up her cheeks.

Regardless of her older sister's remark, Weiss continued. "Whitley is obviously the youngest being... What? Seventeen years old?" She guessed while looking at her brother.

Whitley looked offended, crossing his arms with a pout. "Eighteen! Thank you very much!"

The young Schnee rolled her eyes in annoyance, ignoring him. "And, that makes me twenty one."

"What's your point, Ice Queen?" Emerald asked her, beginning to lose her patience. "We're both twenty one too." She responded in behalf of herself and Mercury.

"And before you ask, I'm the older one out of the two." The porter added.

The thief laid a hand on her chest, feigning hurt by his words. "That actually does wound my pride..." She admitted, much to Mercury's chagrin.

So, it's between me and him... Weiss thought warily, fearing that her dominance as the eldest of the family was being threatened and hanging in the balance. It was a silly matter, sure, however the heiress absolutely refuses to listen to this, this- outsider. If he turns out to be older than her by a couple of months, days, weeks, or whatever.

"Oh, I see what's happening now!" Mercury realized in amusement, smirking all the while. "You feel threatened, don't you?"

Winter shook her head at her sister's childishness. "Oh Weiss, really?"

"Don't, 'Oh Weiss, really?' me! If you were in MY shoes, you'd feel threatened too!" The young Schnee defended herself with a fact.

As expected, the former cop was at a loss for words. "That is...true..." She slowly admitted the truth.

"Enough." Jacques laughed a bit, stepping in before things might get out of hand with his children. "And to answer your question Weiss... You are the eldest."

"YES!" Weiss yelled in victory, her pride swelling up to greater heights as her dominance within the family has remained untouched. Realizing that she made a complete fool of herself in front of her family, the heiress cleared her throat, acting as if nothing had happened. "N-Not that there's anything to be happy about!" She spoke insistently, trying to brush off her embarrassment.

"And I congratulate you on your victory," Her father praised his daughter's achievement. Jacques and Winter then proceeded to step out of the room. "And now, we bid you goodnight."

The heiress was confused, being horrified by the second as her father and older sister were exiting the room, without her. "Goodnight?"

"Of course, you'll be sleeping here with them!" Jacques told her, crushing Weiss' spirits with his answer.

"You can't do this to me, you can't leave me here with them!" The young Schnee cried as she practically threw herself on Winter, wrapping her arms around the older woman's waist. "Winter, PLEASE do something!"

"I'm sorry, Weiss. My hands are pretty much tied..." The former cop lamented to inform, prying her sister off of her. "Besides, I have a husband waiting for me at home." She added.

TRAITOR! Her sister, her best friend, her confidant! Betrayed her once again for a man! "Who's the groom?!" Weiss demanded an answer from her.

"Goodnight Weiss." And with that, the door closed.

"She left me..." Weiss fell to her knees in defeat. "Winter left me..."

Whitley came to her left, laying a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, dear sister. Winter might have left you to the 'wolves' as it were, but don't you worry. You can be a part of our pack! By the way, I'm the Alpha." He spoke, trying to lighten the mood.

"We're going to get along just fine!" Mercury came to her right, patting her right shoulder in a chummy manner.

Emerald surprised her from behind, wrapping her arms around Weiss' neck in a hug. "Top or bottom?"

"Excuse me?" Weiss was baffled by the sudden question.

"She means bunk beds." The youngest Schnee clarified to her.

The porter laughed. "Your mind went straight to the gutter, didn't it?"

"Who knew that our older sister was so frisky?" The thief teased the heiress, backing away before Weiss managed to elbow her ribs.

The heiress scowled at her. "Bottom."

"Then, I'll get the top." Emerald conceded, heading off to move her stuff.

Once the thief left, the boys went to do brotherly things while the young Schnee was left to her own thoughts...

Is this really my life now? She wondered, suddenly feeling numb and tired. All of her energy felt like it was sucked away by the harsh, cruel reality called life and for a moment Weiss felt a century old. For she was reminded once again, what could she do except play with the cards she was dealt with?

---

A/N2: Poor Weiss! Who else feels sorry for her? I do! Now, before we go any further, let me just lay some notes/facts for this particular AU...

Number 1 – Jacques Schnee will be first and foremost a good guy in this story. I can't tell you how many times I've ran into certain stories in where he's a bad guy! I understand that in the show he acts like that, but come on! There's literally, like, three possibly four stories I can think of from the top of my head (Not counting this one) in where Jacques acts like a good dad. FYI, this also includes his racism towards the Faunus. He is not holding a grudge over the Faunus in this story. The same reason applies to Adam Taurus and his hatred towards the humans. We all have good and evil inside of us, the same goes for fictional characters too!

Number 2 – Emerald and Mercury and the rest of the RWBY villains that appeared on this chapter will have their pasts in tact with my own little spins here and there (Since it's an AU). Otherwise, I'm just having fun writing stuff up for them. Don't worry though, Ruby and the others will make their appearance very soon! PS. Did I catch you guys off guard with Emerald and Mercury's 'relation' to Weiss in this story? And, did I catch you guys off guard with the villains working on the hotel instead of Ruby and the others? Just curious.

Number 3 – The term "Anchovies" is a term I use in real life in which I use to refer to a load of people traveling via bus on a trip or whatever. I'm working at a hotel so I see these people a lot, and it's usually a guarantee that it's going to be busy on the weekends. And for those of you who caught this Spongebob reference... Good on you! Give yourself a good pat on the back!

Number 4 – For those of you that don't know, an ABC license stands for "Alcohol, Beverage, Commission". It's a five year permit to certify that you can serve alcohol to customers in an establishment.

Number 5 – The nickname "Esmeralda" that Winter uses on Emerald is well...her name in Spanish. I just imagine Winter having a sexy Spanish accent overall, not to mention the tone of voice that she'd have whenever she says Emerald's name in this manner. I'd imagine it make Winter sound serious, but then again when is Winter ever not serious?

Number 6 – Adam obviously isn't wearing his White Fang Grimm mask that he wears on the show. Instead, he'll wear a pair of black shades to obscure his eyes. Another thing, Roman and Neo's relationship for this story will be father and daughter. Nothing more. This is pretty obvious since you guys read the chapter, I know, but I still wanted to clarify this for those of you who might've missed it while you were reading.

Number 7 – WHO IS WINTER'S HUSBAND?! Are you guys curious on who it is? Well, tough nubs! I ain't telling nobody! In fact, you guys can start guessing on your reviews, but don't you worry the answer for this agonizing question will be answered on a later chapter. So, STAY TUNED!

Number 8 – There will be romance on this story, HOWEVER all of the ships in this story will be SLOW BURN and most of these ships will be CRACKED SHIPS! The only exceptions to this rule are FLOWER POWER, BLACK SUN, BAKED ALASKA (I'm guilty for this ship, I wish there was more of it!), and NEISS (Weiss and Neptune, for those of you that don't know). In my defense, these ships are not overly popular! Compared to White Rose and Bumblebee (And possibly Arkos), but that's MY OPINION on the matter. Otherwise, all the other ships will be completely random because I want to try something new and hopefully you guys will like to try it out with me as you read along, and I do hope that you guys will have patience and grant me the chance to do so for this little experiment.

Anyway, as I stated previously on the beginning of this chapter: This is my very first attempt at an AU story. And, I wanted to try something new because the typical AU's that I see are either high school, college, and medieval stories. They're not bad, they're actually good! But, I wanted to do something different. I'm currently working at a hotel and so I thought, "You know, I want to write my frustrations of this job on a story." and so Hotel Schnee was born! A year later... Who knew that writing an AU could be so hard? But, I managed! Talking through my ideas of this project with my sisters every so often inspired me to keep on writing and I am so excited to FINALLY post this up on Fanfiction!

So, what do you guys think? Do you love it? Recommend it to you friends! Spread it like a fatal disease! Is there ANYTHING I can improve on this project? Tell me on your reviews! The support will be awesome and appreciated it whether it's your comments, adding this story to your favorites, or even following this story is fine too! PS. I'll probably won't update for a good while, since I wrote a lot on this chapter, but please let me know what you guys think! If this project turns out to be a good one, I'll keep going, and if not well...I tried. Until next time! XD