"What do you mean you're huntresses?" the old woman said.

Blake and Yang glanced at each other, each quirking up one eyebrow at the same time. The chair was stiff and uncomfortable, the cushion threadbare, and even in the center of the Elder's office it was freezing cold. Angry, isolated villages were not their normal fare, but Weiss had sent them outside the walls to explore a series of ruins and underground caverns. They went in, took a few pictures, and were on their way back when they heard the distress signal on their radio frequency.

The Elder eyed them with open suspicion, lines deepening on her leathery face. "We already received the huntress on this case," she said. "And that huntress didn't say anything about working with a team. Do you expect me to pay extra for this surprise? Do you think we haven't met hot-blooded young things like you, trying to swindle innocent communities?"

Lifting up her hands for peace, Yang tried to talk her down. "No, Elder. I think you may be misunderstanding."

"Because that other huntress and I already settled on a price, and I won't have- I won't-" she was obviously flustered now, eyes darting down to Yang's gauntlets. Not for the first time, Yang wondered what life would be like if you didn't openly carry your weapons on your fists. "You hunters always think you can squeeze us for the last lien. Just because we're a border town doesn't mean we're idiots. You come in, say one huntress can do the job, then the rest of her cronies come in and say we underreported the threat and now the fee is higher for the task!"

"Blake and I work alone," Yang said. "This other huntress might have heard the same distress beacon at the same time we did, but arrived quicker." She got up to her feet, offering her hand to the Elder. "If you've already settled things with her, then we'll be on our way."

The Elder paused mid-breath, readying a fresh new rant. After looking at Yang's hand like it was a live snake, she finally accepted it and gave her hand a firm squeeze. "Of course," she said, getting up from her desk. Yang and her partner followed suit, politely waiting for the Elder to lead them to the door. "Of course. Excuse my…"

"Belligerence?" Blake suggested, speaking up for the first time. The Elder looked startled; Blake flashed her a sharp smile, completely devoid of humor without managing to dip into unkindness.

The same iron control that hid a pair of twitching ears for months could also make Blake's presence as huge and vivid as a flash bang grenade. Even the shadow cast by the fire carried weight, like it was thicker, denser. Like it could swallow the Elder whole as it crossed her. "You have to understand," the woman said. "Out here, some of your… associates take our isolation to mean the rules don't apply to them anymore."

Yang hummed in sympathy. She knew the Elder was telling an unfortunate truth; after exiting the room she gave Blake a little nudge in the ribs, a reminder to behave. "Of course, ma'am. We completely understand. No hard feelings."

Truth be told, Yang was glad. The ruins they explored had been so devoid of human activity for so long that they hadn't encountered a single Grimm; the closer you got to a human settlement, the more Grimm you encountered. Though of course you always ran the risk of running into an aberrant out in the wilds, some mad beast who'd been around since before the days of Dust. Yang always loved a fight, but today she was sore all over from clambering over a bunch of loose rocks, and she wanted to go home to Weiss, and take a long, hot shower.

The Elder led them to the door. Stepping out into the cold, Yang popped up the collar of her jacket, already trembling at the idea of trekking through miles of snow back to the city. They were a long ways away from paved roads. "You don't have to believe us," she said, grinning again at the Elder, "But we wouldn't have charged you for a case like this. We're old school like that."

"Well," the Elder said, "The other huntress asked a fee, but it wasn't an unreasonable one. If you see her out there, tell her there's a soft bed and a hot meal waiting for her in the public house."

"Sure." Yang tilted her head to the side. "What was her name?"

"She didn't tell us," the Elder said. "But there's no way to miss her. She dressed in scarlet, from head to toe."

Blake mirrored her again; the two of them did a double take, eyes widening before reaching out to grab the Elder by the shoulders.

"A huntress all in red?" Yang asked.

Blake spoke up. "Was she pale-skinned? Did she have black hair, did she carry a scythe? Or- or a rifle, about this size?" Letting go of the Elder, Blake stretched out two gloved hands, palms facing each other. "Did she have silver eyes?"

Startled, the Elder took a few steps back, pulling herself free. "I didn't see her eyes," she said, "But she had a rifle, yes. And a scar, right here-" she made a quick vertical slice down the right corner of her lips. "Does that help?"

"It might," Blake said, ears falling flat and eyes narrowing in thought. "Where did she go? Where's the Grimm infestation?

"Why? Is this woman some kind of criminal?"

"She's my sister," Yang said. "And you need to tell me everything you know."

.

They burned half their spare cash on a pair of horses, not trusting their feet to take them fast enough. Considering the value of tech out there in the wild, all the money in the world wouldn't have been enough to bribe one of the locals to part with anything driven by an engine.

The way her heart raced made her feel like this was her first tracking job, the first assignment she'd taken outside of Beacon. Panic made her mind go blank; she had to rely on Blake's keen eyes to find the trail, but when they did they were off like a bullet.

"How the hell are we going to find her out here?" Yang yelled, tossing her head to get stray blonde hairs out of her face. The wind kept whipping them about, and her goggles only helped so much. "It's a wasteland!"

"There's only a few places a Grimm horde could be nesting," Blake said. "We just have to pick the one she'd go after first and hope we find her!"

"And what if it's not her?"

"Then at least we-"

Cracking loud through the winds, a flare shot up just beyond the grove of trees, far to the East. It rocketed up into the air, exploding into a shatter of red sparks, and was quickly joined by another. Heart in her throat, Yang lead her mount towards it, racing the animal as fast as it could go. Soon, the sound of gunfire rang out, staccato and insistant and familiar.

Even now, Yang knew the sound of Ruby's rifle. Exactly how many rounds it carried, its firing rate, and the distinct ring of metal as it transformed. They broke through a patch of heavy foliage, leaping from their mounts to travel forward on foot where the horses were too shy to enter. The beast's eyes were wide with fear, nostrils flaring, looking like how Yang felt.

The scene as they came across it was the huntress in red, on foot and scythe extended as she backed away, trying to get range between her and the Grimm. Three Tyrants had her cornered, maws slavering; two dead ones were gathering dust on the side.

The pack leader rushed forward, snapping down like a bird to pluck Ruby right out of the snow. Biting down on nothing but a mouthful of petals, it lurched to the side when Ruby reappeared right above it, battering away with the blade of her scythe. But its scales were too tough; shooting it once, Ruby used the recoil to bounce away as the Tyrant reached over it's head, trying to swipe at her with three-toed claws.

Not even thinking, Yang rushed into the fray. She burned white-hot, a red mist hazing over everything as she lunged at the nearest Tyrant. It stood on two legs, towering over her by at least five meters, so the first order of business was bringing it down to size. Cracking her knuckles together and feeding off that small spark of pain, Yang aimed right for its joints.

The Tyrant's knee exploded inward; buckling down, it howled once before Yang's fist collided with its skull, blasting it into a pulpy mess.

Ringing metal and gunfire filled her senses, Dust and semblance filling the back of her mouth until she was standing in a muddy puddle of melted snow, steam rising all around her, and the Tyrants were all dead.

Breathing hard, Yang reloaded her gauntlets, waiting for another wave. But no more came; it was just the three of them in an empty clearing.

Ruby knelt over the remains of one of the Tyrants, making sure it was dissolving properly before she stood up. Pulling her hood back, she met Yang's eyes, her lips pressed into a thin, bloodless line.

"Ruby," Yang said, her voice hoarse.

Her feet moved of their own accord, striding over to Ruby.

Her sister took a few steps back, one hand darting down to her ribs as she shied away. "Don't-!" she started, and then stumbled. Yang paused mid-step, realizing she hadn't blinked once and doing so now, but still staring at Ruby as though she'd seen a ghost.

Blake swept past her, holding Ruby's wrist and pulling it away to reveal the blood blossoming on the fabric of her waistcoat. "You're injured," Blake said, letting her go. "Let's get back to town and take a look at it."

Ruby didn't say anything at first, just retreating further away until her back hit a tree on the edge of the clearing. Leaning heavily against it, she kept one hand pressed to her side, breathing heavily as her eyes flickered from between Yang and Blake.

"Ruby?" Yang prompted, trying to get closer again. "Ruby, it's me. Don't you recognize me?"

"Of course I do," she snapped, wiping her sweating forehead with the back of her forearm. "You shouldn't have come here."

"We saw your distress signal. You were injured before you started fighting those Tyrants, weren't you?" Blake unwound Gambol Shroud from around a thick forearm, threat lacing every word now. "Ruby Rose, you're coming with us, at least as far as the next town. Even if I have to drag you behind my horse."

That made Ruby smile, very sharp. Small, yet full of teeth. "Which horse? The one that ran off during the fight? Don't!" she said again when Blake approached, the ribbon stretched out taut. "Don't." She tried to move further away, but each step was laborious, her injuries taking over now that the adrenaline from the fight had faded. "Don't come near me."

Drawing Crescent Rose, she took aim. The barrel of the rifle quivered, and so did her knees, as she tried to step away.

"Do you know," Blake said, taking another careful step forward. "That you get a little pinch, right here-" the faunus pressed a thumb to two lips, focusing on the left corner. "When you're bluffing?"

Ruby's smile widened, ragged gasps spilling from her mouth. "Th-that's how you always won at poker?" she demanded, laughing, and then wincing at the laugh.

When she fainted, it wasn't all at once. She fought it. First her knees buckled under her, but she struggled to remain upright. And then she fell- splat!- facedown onto the snow, Crescent Rose still clutched in one hand.

At first Yang thought it might have been some kind of prank to get them off guard, but Blake swooped in at once, rolling Ruby over and peeling open one eyelid. "No head wounds that I can see." Pinching Ruby's skin, Blake's tongue swiped over chapped lips. "Dehydrated, though. Exhausted. I think she passed out from blood loss," the faunus said, ripping open Ruby's shirt to see the wound. It looked like a bite mark; Ruby's Aura wasn't healing it properly. Searing the wound shut with a bolt of raw Aura was about all the field medicine Blake or Yang could muster up, but it had bought them valuable time before.

Blake straightened out, hefting Ruby up and slinging her over one shoulder. "Come on, let's get going before she wakes up."

"And after she wakes up?"

Blake's bright yellow eyes met Yang's in an unreadable stare. "We'll deal with it."

.

Yang wasn't there with her when she woke up. The town was small enough that there was only one doctor, but most border town doctors were worth their weight in lien. He set up an IV drip for the dehydration, and declared that other than a few broken ribs, Ruby was going to be fine.

"We should call Weiss," Yang said, once they had space to breathe. They were alone, just the two of them and Ruby passed out on the bed.

"Not yet," Blake said. "Weiss would send a whole fleet down to retrieve her."

"Well, yeah." Pulling off her coat- the doctor's house was adequately heated- she set over the back of a chair. "I'm not forcing Ruby to trek back home like this."

"Ruby doesn't want to go home."

Silence. Blake sighed, grinding eyes into the heels of two palms. Blake said, "Ruby hasn't been lost."

"Stop it." Yang pointed at Blake. "You stop. Right now. Not another word."

"She hasn't been lost, Yang," Blake continued, without pause. "She knew how to get home. It's exactly forty kilometers-" Blake gestured "That way, by foot. Quicker by horse. It's not like the walls of Vale are hard to miss. Now go take a walk."

Yang had been focusing on Ruby, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest as she slept. But at that, a spark jumped between her palms. Eyes lighting up with rage, Yang's head snapped up to regard Blake with naked fury. "Excuse-?!"

The faunus stepped closer, nudging Yang's boot with one foot. "You're gonna burn up the carpet," Blake said. Yang looked down to see it was true; though outwardly calm, Yang had been building up in temperature ever since the conversation started. "Go take a walk."

Still quietly fuming, Yang left without retrieving her coat. She walked the length of the town encampment, burning trails through the snow all through the night and well into the morning. By the time she had properly cooled down, she realized someone was following her.

Glaring sharply over one shoulder, she wrote it off as one of the villagers, an old man. He had a shovel propped against his shoulder, casually scraping aside the trails she made and evening them out in spots where she hadn't melted it all the way. When he noticed her looking at him, he gave her a small wave.

"Morning!"

"Hi," she said, shortly.

He approached her, swinging his shovel. "You one of the huntresses?"

"Yeah."

He grinned at her. "I owe you a drink, then."

"Yeah," Yang responded without thinking, before shaking her head to clear it. She gestured at the trails behind her. "I mean, no, don't worry about it. Sorry, is this your job or something? I hope I didn't make too big of a mess."

He reached out, offering his hand. She shook it firmly. "Community service, really. But you did it in half the time, and fairly neatly, too. And you took care of those Tyrant nests."

And she was stiff all over, now. The cold was beginning to seep into her bones. "Dad always made me clear the yard in the winter." Distant memories hovered over her, like wisps of smoke blowing in one ear and right out the other. Not enough for something sharp to recollect, but enough to distract her from the present. "Ruby did the… the other huntress dealt with the Tyrants. I just helped."

"The red huntress. She your girl?" the villager asked. "I saw last night, when the faunus took her to the Doc. You looked fit to fall apart, little lady."

Yang didn't have anything to say to that.

"That huntress, you know, I've seen her around now and again. Didn't speak much." He moved past her to begin clearing the path ahead. Warming herself up just enough to help, she walked at his side. "Never seen you two, though. Red over there always hunted alone."

"We hunted together when we were young," Yang said. "She took off without warning some years ago. Never saw her again, until now." Pausing, she covered her face with one hand, the admission allowing exhaustion to sweep over her. "I'll pass on a drink, but where can I get a decent cup of coffee around here?"

Lifting his shovel, the villager pointed out one of the nearby houses. "I'll brew you one myself, darlin'."

After a little touching up on the paths, they headed to his home. Sugar and heavy cream were luxuries, out here. But Yang had started taking it black, anyway, and the bitterness held its own appeal. "Thank you," she said, blinking blearily out in the window as the sun rose. "You said you'd seen Ruby before?"

The villager was fixing his own cup. "Yep. Most of the folk out here figured she was trouble, or runnin' from trouble, or headed towards some kinda trouble… But she killed the Grimm, and never stole or broke anything. People like that, we figure, if they want us to know their name and story, they'll tell us."

Yang barked in laughter. Of course. If any of the informants Weiss had hired came sniffing around, asking about a huntress in red, no one would have spilled. Whatever trouble she caused in the cities, out here, she was valuable.

"Red never charges us," the villager said. "Or when she does, it's only what she needs. Usually we just pay her in room or board… but sometimes not even that, when the times were scarce. And you know, last year, she helped the neighboring village during foaling season."

She could picture that, quite easily. Ruby with her sleeves rolled up, eagerly pitching in wherever she could. Yang's grip on the mug tightened, slightly. "You don't need to convince me Ruby is a good person," she said. "We won't tell anyone she's here, not that she's in trouble with the law or anything. She just…"

Left.

She just left us.

Yang finished her cup in a single gulp.

"She's a good girl," the villager said, after looking her up and down. Whatever answer he'd been searching for, he found it in their conversation. He patted Yang on the shoulder, fondly. "Whatever's goin' on with her, I want you to remember that she's never done a thing if she thought it would hurt somebody."

"Thanks," she said, drily.

When she stepped outside again, she was freezing. All her anger had simmered down, tempered by exhaustion, and so she ran to the doctor's house as soon as she could. The door opened and shut with a clatter, Yang shivering as she stepped inside and saw that Ruby was awake.

The huntress sat at the table, a knife in her hand, frozen in spot. She stared at Yang, looking like a startled deer.

"Yang," she said, throat bobbing.

And then she looked down and picked up a potato, quickly shearing it in a few sharp swipes before picking up another. Blake was feeding the wood stove, the doctor and his wife making small conversations around their coffee. Not sure what to do, Yang carefully strode over to the table, afraid Ruby might bolt if she made any sudden movements.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Peeling potatoes," Ruby supplied, unhelpfully. Though she looked sharp and alert, there were heavy shadows under her eyes, so deep they looked etched onto her skin.

"Helping the doctor cook breakfast," Blake said, cracking open an egg over a cast iron skillet. "Ruby threw a fit when we told her she had to stay in bed."

Stepping in, the doctor gave Yang a warm smile, pulling up a chair so she could sit as well. "Huntresses are the worst patients," he said. "So I told her she could move around as long as she didn't try to run or lift anything heavy."

Ruby grumbled. "I already told you my Aura will fix me up sooner than most people." It was so surreal to hear her voice that Yang kept quiet, still trying to process this. Years gone, and suddenly Ruby was sitting next to her in some backwater village, preparing breakfast.

He had a counter ready. "And I tell you huntresses if you rely on Aura too much, your body will forget how to mend itself on its own."

Rolling her eyes, Ruby started up another potato. "Chop these up, Yang?"

Yang could feel Blake's eyes on her, heavy with scrutiny. "Sure," Yang said. "You're doing that wrong by the way." She reached out, tapping the back of Ruby's palm. "Cut towards yourself for more control. You're gonna slice off your fingers if you're not careful."

"I'm peeling them, aren't I?" Ruby said, sinking lower in her chair.

"Yeah, but-" Yang paused. "I mean… whatever. Do whatever you like."

Sausages, hash browns, seasoned eggs, and thickly sliced homemade bread. Between all of them there was just enough to go around, and plenty of strong, black coffee. Seeing Ruby drink it without complaint cemented something terrible in Yang's heart.

"I'll help with the dishes," Yang mumbled. "Don't worry about it. And thanks so much for everything you've done here, Doc."

"Not a problem, Huntress Xiao Long. Now, I hope you don't find this rude, but I must be off now. One of the children have gotten sick and they need a house call." Bending down to kiss his wife, he bid them all farewell and left.

Blake then took her aside to start counting out bills; money didn't mean as much out here, but crafted materials and synthetic medicines could only be bought from the major cities, and only with 'real' lien. Meanwhile Yang gathered up all the plates and rinsed them out in frigid water, pulled right from a local well. Every so often she stole a glance over at Ruby, but the huntress just sat there, toying with her knife and not saying a word.

After a while Yang stopped looking, and when the kitchen was clean she was surprised to turn and see Ruby asleep in her chair. She sat upright, her arms folded over her chest, but her head had lolled forward somewhat. Even deep in sleep she looked fatigued, as though all the bed rest in the world could never be enough. Blake sat next to her, chin resting on the table as the faunus stared at the sleeping huntress.

Yellow eyes flicked over to meet Yang's, raw with pain.

.

Ruby awoke with a start, reaching for the knife that wasn't there. Yang knew she usually kept it in her boot, but she'd taken it from Ruby's grip when the huntress had fallen asleep. Then she'd carried Ruby back to bed.

"Rise and shine," Yang said. She uncoiled from the cushy chair in the corner of the room, setting the knife down on the bedside table where Ruby could reach it. Then she went back and sat down, chin on hand as she regarded Ruby.

Silver eyes sharpened, instantly alert as she looked around the room. Ruby tried to get up. A few halting starts and stops made her decide it wasn't worth it, and she flopped back against the pillows to look up at the ceiling. Her jaw was stubbornly locked, firm and strong. "How long was I out this time?"

"A day or so."

She turned her head to the side, cheek resting against the pillow. "You haven't told Weiss." It wasn't a question. "Where's Blake?"

"Nobody's home except us. Blake went out with the doctor's wife, helping the search for the horses. It's our fault they went missing."

Ruby's hand trembled, but she lifted her shirt to check on her wound. Bruises spread out, but not a single laceration remained. The flesh had mended, stitched together. Yang doubted she'd be out of commission for another night, at this rate. "My fault too," she said.

"Maybe," Yang agreed. "Blake and I have a room in the public house while you stay here in the doctor's guest room. Is that alright with you?"

"That's fine." She didn't look at Yang, or couldn't look at her. "Anything to eat around here?"

"Sure. Stay put." The doctor's wife made bone marrow stew, rich and thick with vegetables. Heating up a bowl for Ruby on the stove, Yang felt again the miasma of nostalgia, of days taking care of Ruby when their father wasn't there- emotionally or physically. When she went back to the room Ruby had closed her eyes, but Yang could tell she wasn't asleep.

"If it were up to me," Yang said, and at the sound of her voice Ruby's eyelids fluttered open. "I'd take you downtown and get you a nice steak." She perched on the side of Ruby's bed, offering her a spoonful of soup. She expected Ruby to whine or complain- Ruby had always hated being coddled- but Ruby accepted it without a fuss. "Lots of red meat to make up for the blood you lost."

"I'm pretty sure the doctor wouldn't approve of that."

"Pffft." Yang winked at her. "What does he know?"

For the first time, Ruby smiled. A glimmer of innocence shone in it, of the girl who had left one day on a routine mission and never came back. Yang shattered at the sight. She set the bowl down to reach for Ruby, holding her by the back of her head and pulling her into a kiss. Ruby responded at once, sitting up to grasp onto Yang's shirt, clutching at Yang like she was drowning and Yang was the only solid thing in sight.

And then she started crying, silently, so that Yang didn't notice until she tasted salt and flinched away in shock. "Ruby-"

"Don't." Ruby said again, fitfully wiping away her tears. "Don't. Just don't."

"Don't what?" she asked, trying to be gentle. Ruby didn't seem to be talking about her touch, didn't recoil when Yang brushed away her tears with a thumb and held her again, rocking her gently.

Pressing her face into the hollow of Yang's shoulder, she let out a broken sob. "Don't be nice to me," she said, the words stammering. "Y-you're just going to make it harder-"

"To leave me again?"

There was no judgement or anger in the words, but Ruby stiffened up in her arms like she had been shot.

"You're in danger just being around me," she said in a hushed whisper, holding onto Yang for dear life, and it all suddenly clicked.

She tried to break this down, reading between the lines, pushing away her own anger and betrayal to think: what would make me leave Ruby?

And the answer: nothing.

"You didn't leave." She stroked down Ruby's back, feeling the promise of heat even now. The raw pleasure of touching her, holding her, made it hard to string words together. "Someone took you. Someone powerful. You think, powerful enough that we're at risk by association."

Her sister laughed, nervous giggles. "Th-this is why I didn't want to come back. I'm shit at hiding secrets from you, Yang."

Distancing herself enough to hold into Ruby's face, she kissed away her tears as they fell, silencing her with mouth and tongue when she tried to protest. Ruby groaned at the contact, confused and painful noises of longing. "Meimei, talk to me. What do you think is going to happen? If you're in trouble- damn it, you need to let us help you! Whatever is happening, whatever you think you need to do alone- we can help. I promise you."

Ruby licked her lips, eyes darting away. "I don't know."

Yang's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I don't remember." Blood rose in her face, shame tempered by rage. "I… I don't want to talk about this without Blake here."

Yang agreed, stroking her face to calm her. "That's fine. We'll wait for them here." She took the bowl of soup again, making Ruby eat the rest. Occasionally she'd pause to kiss her, the salt of blood and health fresh on Ruby's tongue. When she was done Ruby dragged herself out of bed to the bathroom, taking a frigid bath and cleaning herself up. Just that was enough to tire her, and when Yang had dried her down and fluffed up her pillows Ruby was already asleep.

Yang stayed next to her, holding her hand until Blake returned.

.

"Are you going to come home with us?"

The words were weighted, dragged like iron boots. Ruby didn't answer, linking arms with Blake and holding the faunus closer as they walked around the village. They'd been here for three days- still within the timeframe of the expedition Weiss had sent them on, so there was no suspicion roused just yet. Yang didn't know how to feel about keeping her in the dark.

There was no way any of them could drag Ruby anywhere she didn't want to go. She knew this and knew that Ruby would shy away from a firm touch, and they'd lose their chance to convince her. And Weiss, she lost her softness in her passion. Right now they needed to tread carefully in this china shop; if that meant keeping the bull blindfolded for now, that's just what they'd have to do.

"I promised myself I wouldn't," Ruby said at last, resignation weighing her down. "I didn't expect to find you guys out here." She shot a baleful glance in the direction of Vale. "But I guess coming this close to the walls was a bad move."

"I wouldn't say that." Glancing around them to see if anyone was near, Yang ducked forward to give her a peck on the lips. "Now. Tell us what happened."

Yang was close enough to feel Ruby shiver from head to toe, and she wasn't sure if it was from the cold. "I went out on the mission," she said. "The rest is blank. One day I woke up in an unfamiliar place to learn ten months had passed."

"...That's all?" Blake said in disbelief.

"That's all."

She stopped walking to hold her head for a moment, swaying unsteadily on her feet. Yang and Blake closed in, each holding on to an arm in case she fell again. Sharpening up, Ruby shook them off with a laugh and a mean smile. "Oh, come on. I'm not that fragile." She walked alone then, her hands buried deep in her pockets.

"So you don't know how it happened?"

"No," Ruby said, "But I knew I woke up outside the walls, and had been there for some time. People recognized me. And I had…" she untucked the front of her shirt, hitching it up a bit to show Yang something. A tattoo. "This thing. Felt like a signature. It doesn't mean anything to me."

"What is it?" Yang asked.

"A chess piece." Ruby swallowed. "A black knight."

They kept walking. Blake said, "And you think someone who could do something like this wouldn't want you walking around telling tales."

"Something like that. It was almost a compulsion. Every time I thought about trying to find you… I couldn't. I couldn't go near the walls. But even before I tried that, I had to… remember some stuff." She rubbed her temples, eyes closing. "I was lost. Didn't know my own name. Didn't know your name," she said, casting a look at Yang. "I don't know what happened to me. But if they nabbed me so easily- what would they do- what might they-"

A sneezing fit overtook her, one right after the other. Eyebrows raising and lips turning down, Blake grabbed onto Ruby's shoulders and led her back to the public house. The three of them were sharing a room there, grateful for the doctor's generosity but uncomfortable being separate from Ruby. "Back to warmth with you, my dear," Blake said, bending down to kiss the top of Ruby's head. "That's enough fresh air for one day."

"I have a treat waiting for you, too." Yang felt a small skip in her steps. "I think you'll like it."

They thawed out in the main room of the public house, enjoying the company of the other villagers. Ruby wanted to run into the kitchens to help prepare lunch, and it took both Blake and Yang holding her back to keep her off her feet. "You need to be resting," Blake reminded her.

"I hate it," Ruby said. "My ribs all healed now, you know, my Aura patched me up after the doctor set everything in the proper place."

"You're going to rest," Yang said, "Because we're going to take care of you. Like we should have, from day one." She kissed Ruby's forehead, an arm around her shoulders as they sat at one of the long tables. "And when we call Weiss and tell her, she'll take care of you too."

The dark, brooding air returned to Ruby's expression. "I'm the leader," she said, silver eyes looking intense. "I was the one who took care of things. I shouldn't have to pass it off onto you."

"And you should know better than to think we'd let you shoulder this alone." Blake squeezed in next to her, pressing in close to kiss her on the lips. "Now stay right there."

Blake's boots thumped away on the wooden floor, quickly returning with a mug of something hot. Ruby's eyes widened at the smell, and Yang felt a distinct coil of pleasure unwind to see Ruby take the mug and whiff it again, just to be sure.

"Ohhh," Ruby said, her voice trembling. "Hot chocolate?"

Sugar and other real sweeteners were hard to come by out here. But Yang had a little care package from Weiss stashed away in her luggage, one with goodies saved for a rainy day. It was squashed up behind her socks, but vaccuum sealed for freshness. "Just think, Ruby," Yang said with a grin. "Back in civilization, you could have this every day. Wink." And then she actually winked.

"This is extortion," Ruby said, taking a sip and shivering again. "Oh, blackmail! Treason of the highest degree. How dare you." She drained it without hesitation, licking the foam from her lips. "...Damn it."

"If a cup of chocolate is all it takes to change your mind," Blake said, "I think I can understand why you might have avoided us for this long."

"I already told you why I did it," Ruby muttered, not reacting well to the jibe. Sensing it, Blake leaned down to kiss her; Yang saw a flash of tongue, probably tasting the chocolate.

"Missed a spot," Yang noticed with no small amount of satisfaction. She licked her thumb, wiping at the corner of Ruby's lip and bringing the speck of chocolate back to her own mouth to suck it clean. "Still, you can think on it. We know if we bring you back in cuffs you'll find a way out." Under the table, she took Ruby's hand. "You have to want to come home, Ruby."

"I do want to come home," she said, returning the grip. "I do. I'm just scared."

"We won't let anyone hurt you again," Yang promised. "You know we'd do anything for you."

"Then can you kiss me again?"

Blake's eyebrows quirked up in amusement. Turning red, Yang let go of Ruby's hand to cover her mouth, leaning forward on the table, eyes closed in consternation. "Um… Um, there's a reason I've only been kissing you in private," she said, refusing to look at Ruby. "I wasn't thinking and I told everyone here you were my sister already."

Ruby slapped a palm to her face. "Oh, Yang..."

"I'm sorry! It was habit!" Yang hissed. "And now I can't take it back, okay?"

"Then…" She ducked her head low, turning red as well. "Take somewhere private... so you can kiss me...?"

"Can do."

Leaving the mug where it was, Yang let Blake hold Ruby's hand as they went up to their room. They'd asked for two beds, but that was just a matter of habit, too. As soon as the door clicked shut Yang bent down to kiss Ruby, a sweetness still clinging to her lips.

"You are my girl," Yang said suddenly, kissing her again. "My girl."

Blake lifted one hand up, clearing their throat.

"Blake's, too," Yang corrected herself. "And Weiss'." Her scroll clicked to life as she offered it to Ruby, Weiss' name listed on the top of the screen. "Would you like to call her and say hello?"

Gloved hands lifted up, hesitantly. And then she took the scroll, tapping the call button. It rang, five times, each trill of the artificial bell seeming to last forever. Just when Yang was about to suggest hanging up and trying again, they heard Weiss' voice through speaker. Agitated, as usual.

"Yang? Blake?" Weiss said, her voice cracking with static. "Is that you? Everything all right?"

"Everything is fine," Yang said. "Can you hear us loud and clear?"

"Crystal. Still arriving home in two days?" There was a scramble of static. "...to pick you up, snow storm headed your way. None of the ships are willing to fly out. Please stay safe tonight or get home quick, if you're outside a village." Yang made a noise of agreement, moving to go perch on the edge of her bed. "Where are you? Did you find what we were looking for?"

Blake gave her the coordinates. "We found something."

A sigh of frustration, clear even through their bad connection. It made Ruby smile, a covered smile behind one hand. "Well? Don't keep me guessing, dear, what is it?"

"Weiss," Ruby said, holding the scroll up to her mouth. "It's me."

Dead silence, and then the connection was lost. Alarmed, Ruby looked up at Blake, eyes pleading. But in a few moments, the scroll had started ringing again. Answering on speaker, Ruby said, "Hello?"

Weiss voice was garbled, the signal lost beyond recognition. The only thing Yang could make out was Ruby's name, and her own name, and the occasional swear word and, for a few moments of clarity, what sounded like a tearful sob. Line going dead again, Ruby sighed and set the scroll away.

Yang tucked her legs underneath her, kicking off her boots so she didn't get any mud on the bedsheets. "Storm must be setting in, like she said."

Frowning deeply, Blake tucked two arms underneath Ruby's, holding her for the comfort of it. "I hope she doesn't try coming out here herself…"

"She definitely will," Yang said. "When Weiss sees something she wants, a horde of Grimm couldn't stop her. Stubborn."

Blake suddenly grabbed a handful of Ruby's hair, pulling on it lightly to angle her head back for a kiss. "Sounds like someone we know." Body flush against Ruby's, Blake bent both knees to reach her better, the black leather of their gloves skirting down Ruby's back. There was hunger in the kiss, starvation and pain, and when Ruby pulled away she was red in the face, torn between guilt and desire.

"Blake-" Ruby started, the mumbling start to an apology, but Blake cut her off with another kiss. It didn't work for long, even as Blake untucked her shirt and began to unbutton it. "Do you think- Weiss- I'm worried- how mad is she gonna be?"

"Furious," Blake said, and led the next kiss by the teeth.

At first, Yang was content to watch. Blake had been so patient, the strongest out of all of them. Even now, Blake hadn't done anything, said anything to give away how much Ruby's disappearance had affected them all.

So yes. If Blake wanted first taste, Yang was glad to give it. She watched Blake undress Ruby, resisting the urge to hiss at the scars that sprouted up on pale skin- unfamiliar marks, poorly healed wounds, and that tattoo. The black knight rested on her hip, just small enough to be covered by a palm as Blake picked Ruby up and set her down next to Yang on the bed. Her feet dangled off the edge, spread wide for Blake to kneel between them on the floor, kissing her bare stomach while Yang kept her lips busy.

"Is this what you wanted?" she asked Ruby as Blake went lower, pushing her bangs back to kiss her forehead, lips pressing tight to leave a playful smack.

Ruby couldn't answer properly, her lips parted with trembling breaths. The scar on her lip looked deep, like it'd been left by the claw of a Nevermore and left to bleed. Yang kissed that, too, feeling some of that same hunger, wanting to eat her whole.

Sitting back on two heels, Blake was kissing down the length of Ruby's leg, pausing at the end of her calf to climb up the other one. Low rumbles could be heard, resounding through the room. Blake purred louder at the crease of Ruby's thigh, pink tongue darting out to taste the wetness already clinging there. "Wow. When was the last time you got off, Ruby?" Blake asked with open amusement. But even the teasing felt like there was something raw underneath.

Ruby squirmed, forcing Yang to press closer and sprawl out next to her. "Kiss-" Ruby started, but Yang obeyed before she could finish, running hands over the faint bruises that still lined Ruby's ribs. Her sister made small noises of pleasure into her mouth, pulled at her clothes to try and get her naked too. Wrapping Ruby up in her arms, Yang held her still, stroking her head and whispering into her ear how much she loved her as Blake held her open and sucked.

"God-!" Ruby shouted, her grip tightening on Yang. Beneath them, Blake laughed, a low chuckle. "I need- I need-"

"Ruby, shh." Yang pressed a palm over her mouth, not very firm, but enough to remind her of where they were. "Save that for when we're safe at home, baby."

The winds picked up up outside, loud enough that maybe they could risk a little noise. But Yang took greater pleasure in the softer sounds: Ruby's slickness against Blake's mouth, her helpless moans, the bed creaking under every idle shift of their body weight. A light sheen of sweat built up on Ruby's belly; Yang trailed her fingers through it, little ghostly touches raising goosebumps wherever they led.

A low groan built in her throat, rising up in volume until her voice cracked. She stiffened, hips arching off the bed and her eyes squeezed tightly shut. And then she seemed to float back down, melting in Yang's arms. Getting up, Blake wiped their mouth on the back of one hand before settling both knees on the mattress, curling down on all fours to hold Ruby by the face and kiss her.

"You too," Blake murmured, breath hot on Yang's lips.

But she shook her head no. "I'd rather just watch for now. What do you want, Blake?"

After peeling off a sweat-soaked shirt, Blake touched themselves over the strain in their pants, undoing the top button but nothing more. "I'm not certain I can do what I want without hurting Ruby."

A wicked sparkle lit up in Ruby's eyes, scarred corner of her lip curling up in a smile. "My rib won't break again so easily, you know."

"Do I?" Blake asked, voice coming out as a low rumble when Ruby cupped a hand between their legs. Tightening her grip, Ruby stroked once, and the purring intensified. Not sure how either of them had the patience for this, Yang snuggled up closer to Ruby, reaching over to unzip Blake's pants. Tugging them down until they were trapped on Blake's thighs, she took Ruby's hand and used it to touch Blake directly.

Blake's hips jerked forward, a pained groan rewarded with steady, even strokes. Satisfied that Ruby was pleasing Blake properly, Yang reached down her own pants to touch herself. Seeing her partners together was always enough to set her off, sometimes faster than when any of them put their full attention on her. Shuffling to fit between Ruby's knees, Blake sat up and held Ruby's lips open again, rubbing the tip of their shaft between them to hint at penetration without actually giving it to her.

Pressing two fingers in, Blake fucked her manually while wondering out loud, "Do we need a condom?"

Ruby shook her head no, only Yang's hand on her as a reminder keeping from bucking too hard onto Blake's fingers. Without skipping a beat, Blake replaced fingers with a hard shaft. The high whine it tore out of her throat sent Yang quietly over the edge, shivering uncontrollably as her own cunt pulsed under her fingers.

She drew the last of her pleasure out with two fingers, sighing in happiness as Blake fucked Ruby too gently for either of them to get off. Ruby was already desperate because of it, struggling and insisting that she could handle more. "Blake, I c-can't come again like this."

"Oh, I know, sweetheart." The flat of Blake's tongue dragged up her cheek, prompting Ruby to squeal in complaint. "Trust me, I know."

"You're mean!" she whined, nails scratching down Blake's back hard enough to leave a mark.

Yang was about to agree when an idea struck her. She hopped off the bed, making the other two stop for a moment. "What are you doing?" Blake wanted to know, pulling Ruby up so that she could fit comfortably on Blake's lap, her legs wrapped tightly around Blake's bare waist.

"Participating." In her care package, she found exactly what she needed- a few finger cots, and a small bottle of lube. Turning around, she shook it at her partners with a wink, and Ruby turned so red it looked life-threatening.

"I-is that for me or for Blake?" she asked.

Tugging off the rest of her clothing, Yang twitched her head to the side, the arch of her eyebrows saying what she thought should have been obvious.

"O-oh." Ruby muttered, squirming on top of Blake, who kept her pinned in place once they realized she was getting flustered. Two hands clasping her firmly by the waist, Blake pushed hips up as Ruby was forced to grind down, and started fucking her again.

"You don't want to?" Blake asked, kissing her delicately on the collarbone. "You know how good it feels when you come like that."

"Harder," Yang told Blake, unwrapping the cots and rolling them on. At her word, Blake only stopped long enough to collapse over onto their side, pulling Ruby with them and hooking one of her legs over their hips. Ruby whimpered with every fierce thrust, twisting and arching to get Blake fully inside her each time. Blake's pelvis was slick with Ruby's arousal, the awkward angle making it hard for Ruby to get any kind of relief unless she pressed as close as she could to Blake, trying to find something solid to rub against. Yang slid in behind Ruby, pressed her chest up against her back, and kissed the nape of her neck.

"We know what you like, Ruby," Yang breathed into her ear, loving how she gasped in response to the press of one lubed finger against her asshole.

"Y-yeah. Yes." Ruby pressed her forehead against Blake, one arm looped around the faunus' head and the other reaching blindly behind her, trying to find Yang. Grinning, Yang caught her finger in between her lips, sucking and rolling her tongue around it. "Please."

Ruby pulled her hand free just to grab onto the back of Yang's head, holding her closer. "Now go easy, Blake," Yang said, smothering Ruby with kiss after kiss, anywhere she could reach.

It took Blake longer to respond this time, hips shuddering to a more gentle pace as Ruby continued to try and ride them, torn between pressing forward and arching back. "How many fingers do you want, puppy?" Blake asked, teeth catching her lips.

She could only gasp and cry, and Yang felt her own arousal stir again, promising another climax if she wanted to chase after it. She knew how good Ruby must feel, loose and soaked after her first orgasm, and she knew how intense being shared could feel. "Just one for now," Yang answered for her, pausing to add more lube as her finger pumped inside Ruby, all the way up to the knuckle. "It's been a while."

"Mmm." Blake kept even, but every so often a noise of pleasure would escape them and they'd forget themselves, sinking into Ruby as fast and as hard as they could before tapering off. "I-I'm right on the edge. Just tell me when."

"When I come," Ruby managed to say. "Then you can- then you can." She bumped her forehead against Blake's broad chest again, a scream held back only by how tightly she bit into the faunus' skin. "Yang, I n-need-"

"I know, I know, you don't need to beg for it," Yang said, propping up enough that both arms were free, one hand fucking Ruby as the other grabbed her by the roundest part of her hip. It squeezed before slipping forward, trapped between the slick muscle of Blake's abdomen and Ruby's pelvis.

Torturously slow, she stroked Ruby's lips, putting pressure on her clit indirectly until she really was begging for it. Ruby's clit was hard, the way it only got when she was about to come. All she needed was a little coaxing, wide, gentle circles with the flat of Yang's fingers. Forgetting herself, Ruby screamed, the sound of it like a growl between her tightly locked jaws. Laughing, Blake came inside her, laughter tapering off into helpless whines.

Breathing heavily, Ruby went completely limp. Blake stroked her sweat-streaked hair out of her face, kissing her on her lips and cheeks. Nuzzling her back, Yang did the same to her neck and back as she slowly pulled free, murmuring for Ruby to relax.

"Come on," Blake said after a while, and Yang could sense that it was getting darker outside. The storm picked up in intensity, rattling the whole building. "Shower time."

"No," Ruby said, pressing her thighs together and wriggling.

"Yes," Blake said.

"Nooo!"

Not asking again, Blake slid of the bed, picking Ruby up without a fuss and carting her to the small bathroom attached to their living space. Just about to join them, Yang tossed the finger cots into a spare bag where they were keeping their garbage when her scroll started buzzing.

It was Weiss. "Oh!" Yang said, grinning from ear to ear. "You reached us!"

"Put Ruby on," Weiss said at once. "That was her, wasn't it? That was her!"

"It was," Yang agreed, nudging open the door to the bathroom. Water spilled into the tub, freezing cold, and Blake and Ruby were quietly trying to engineer a way to warm it up with what little red Dust they had available. "She's right here. We're all safe. I'll put her on."

"Ah, wait!" Weiss said, making Yang pause. "Before you do. One thing, very important. I forgot to ask you."

"Mhm?" Yang wondered out loud, smiling at the steam that rose from the bathwater. Blake held Ruby by the waist, lifting her up with a shout of joy, victory.

"I've been looking into those ruins I sent you to examine," Weiss said. "And there's already another company digging around for the same information."

"Ohh?" Yang said, interest genuinely piqued now.

"Tell me," Weiss said, the sound of papers shuffling on her desk loud and clear. "Do the words 'chevalier noir' mean anything to you?"