When all that's Left is You
The Great Weiss Shark
"Easy, Weiss," Ruby said as she carefully guided her partner out of the car. The chauffeur held the door open for them, his kind, old eyes focused on the pavement. "I've got you."
"Ruby, why are we here?" Weiss asked, leaning heavily against Ruby. Her voice was slow and slurred, altered by the powerful painkillers numbing her system. "Ruby…"
Ruby carefully adjusted the red cloak Weiss wore so it protected her from both the cold and her family's judgmental stare. Setting her jaw, Ruby wrapped her left arm protectively around Weiss' waist. She wasn't going to let them hurt her.
"I have you," she said as she took Weiss' right hand into hers. She gave it a light squeeze, hoping it would give her partner some form of comfort, but Weiss didn't react. Ruby prayed it was the painkillers at work and not Weiss ignoring her touch.
"Why are we here, Ruby?" Weiss asked again, her voice firm. She regained some of the spark that made her Weiss Schnee, but just like a spark, it was fleeting. Her clear blue eyes turned hazy and her voice grew softer. "I want to go home…"
"I know you do, but we can't," Ruby said, tightening her hold on Weiss when she felt her legs falter. "There are too many reporters hanging around, and you need your rest."
"I can't rest here," Weiss weakly argued, her head lolling to the side deliriously. "Take me home, Ruby. I want to go home."
Gritting her teeth, Ruby hoisted Weiss upright to get a better hold on her. With Weiss firmly nestled against her, Ruby looked up at the stairs leading up to the front doors and shuddered. At the top stood Jacques Schnee and his two other children, Whitley and Winter. His face was hard to decipher, but Ruby had a damn good guess about what he was thinking. Whitley's face was much easier to read simply because he was actively trying to hide his laughter behind a cocky smirk. Ruby narrowed her eyes at him; she always hated the little turd. And then there was Winter. If looks could kill, then Ruby would've been dead long before she even got out of the car.
Gulping, Ruby took a single step forward but Weiss didn't budge, her feet practically frozen in place. She fought against Ruby weakly, trying to get back into the car.
"I want to go home, Ruby."
"I know, I do too, but we can't."
"Take me home, Ruby…" Weiss pleaded, her eyes watering.
Winter had seen the struggle and stormed down the steps, her frigid blue eyes trained on Ruby's hands like a homing missile. She didn't like the way Ruby held her sister so intimately. She hated it, in fact.
"Ruby Rose, unhand my sister this instant!" she bellowed as she marched right up them.
Weiss looked at Winter, smiling briefly before her tired eyes couldn't hold themselves up any longer. She slumped against Ruby wordlessly, scaring the two people who loved her the most in the world.
"Weiss!" they both shouted in unison, though Winter's panicked voice was much louder.
Ruby quickly picked her partner up in a bridal carry but the suddenness of the action aggravated her own injuries. Ruby let out a pained cry, her left leg and side burning in agony as she singlehandedly shouldered all of Weiss' dead weight. Another cry was ripped out of her and, for a brief moment, Ruby was scared she was going to drop Weiss.
"I've got her," Winter firmly said, her strong arms lifting Weiss out of Ruby's. She cradled her little sister close to her body like a lifeline and crinkled her nose when the smell of antiseptic hit her. "You best be going home now, Ms. Rose."
"What?!" Ruby barked in shock. "No! I am not leaving Weiss' side!"
Winter quirked her eyebrow and scanned the defiant young woman in front of her for any visible injuries. She spotted several thanks to some dark bruises and the many, many bandages littering Ruby's battered body; Winter wondered how the girl standing.
"I am not leaving her, Winter."
"That is not for you to decide, Ms. Rose," Winter replied. She about to admonish Ruby for being stubborn when she noticed something catch the light on her left hand, more specifically on her ring finger. Ruby's eyes widened with realization and nervously hid her hand behind her back. Winter frowned. "You should return home to your betrothed. I'm sure they're worried about you. Let me handle Weiss."
Ruby gulped. The ring on finger felt like it was burning her alive, but she held firm. "I am not leaving her," she repeated. Shooting the chauffeur a look, Ruby gestured for him to go before things took another turn. "You can't make me leave, Winter."
"You think I won't try?" Winter said in a low threatening tone. "I can call the security and have you forcibly removed."
"Then I'll stand outside!"
Winter glowered at her sister's partner and clicked her tongue. "Fine. Come with me," she said, giving up when she recalled all the times Weiss talked about Ruby's tenacity, "but behave and not a single word out of your mouth. Do I make myself clear?" Ruby opened her mouth to say something but Winter cut her off before she could. "What did I just say?"
Ruby zipped her mouth shut and bowed in deference.
Rolling her eyes, Winter climbed the steps slowly with Ruby following close behind her like a tail. When she reached the top, she shot Whitley a silencing glare and ignored her father. Ruby had a harder time with the two, but she remained poised and dignified.
"Where are you taking her?" Jacques asked before Winter could step through the door.
"To her room."
"She still has one of those here?" Whitley chuckled.
"Surprisingly, yes, she does," Jacques said, primping his suit. "Though, it's so threadbare without her belongings, I'm sure she'd be much more comfortable in that hovel she resides in now."
Ruby glared at him, hating how he insulted her home without blinking. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth to stop herself from breaking the two rules Winter had set for her. Thankfully, once they were inside, Jacques and Whitley lost interest and left them alone. If they had followed them, Ruby doubted she'd be able to keep her temper in check, and unfortunately for them, Ruby was severely lacking in the patience department today.
"Could you get the door, please?" Winter asked when they reached Weiss' old bedroom. Ruby wordlessly did as told, stepping aside so Winter could go in first. "Thank you, and you can talk now… I'm sorry for my earlier rudeness. I've been… under a lot of stress."
"It's okay, Winter," Ruby said, shrugging. "I understand… this is… this is scary for me too."
Nodding, Winter walked up to Weiss' bed, grateful that Ruby sped ahead of them to pulled the covers back. She laid Weiss down as gently as she could and reached for the clasp keeping Ruby's cloak bound to her shoulders, but a hand stopped her. Winter looked at Ruby curiously and waited for her to explain.
"The cloak's been keeping her calm when she's awake."
"I see," Winter said, pulling back. "Ms. Rose, now that we're alone… I have some questions I'd like to ask you."
Ruby pulled the covers up to Weiss' chin and sat down beside her. "What do you want to know?" she asked, stroking Weiss' hair.
"Why weren't we informed of Weiss' injuries before you?"
"I'm her team leader," Ruby answered.
"Yes, but I'm her emergency contact."
"One of them," Ruby corrected. "Since I was there, no one else had to be called."
Winter nodded her head solemnly in understanding. "And your fiancé is fine with you taking time away to take care of my sister?"
"My fiancée's got no say in this," Ruby blushed.
"They got you a lovely ring."
"Thanks."
"When did you get engaged?" Winter asked, standing taller. "Weiss made no mention of this in her letters."
"Graduation," Ruby answered with a laugh. "We accidentally proposed to each other at the same time."
"You two were classmates?"
Ruby nodded, her eyes drifting down to Weiss' face. "Yup. Winter, I… w-we were planning on telling you…"
"Tell me what?"
"Weiss and I," Ruby nervously bit her lip, "we're getting married."
Winter's expression softened and her shoulders sagged like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She passed over Ruby as a potential suitor simply because the girl was so different in comparison to Weiss. As far as Winter knew, they had nothing in common except for their fascination with roses and wearing skirts to battle, but it honestly made so much sense now.
Hanging her head in shame and guilt, Winter sighed. "It was right before my eyes…"
Ruby was present in every single one of Weiss' letters without fail. That was when Winter realized they were love letters—actual love letters.
"Huh?"
"You and Weiss."
Ruby slowly stopped stroking her fiancée's hair. "You don't approve of me, do you?"
"On the contrary, Ms. Rose," Winter said, smiling at her future sister-in-law, "I wholly approve of you. I was just… surprised. Weiss hadn't said anything to me in her letters. She never even mentioned she was seeing someone. I just assumed she was so focused on her studies she never had time for love."
Ruby blushed innocently, but the devilish glint in her eyes told a different story. "Oh, we made time," she said, crinkling her nose playfully. "We made plenty of time."
"Yes, 'time' is definitely what you two made," Winter said with a low, rumbling chuckle. "How long has it been?"
"Hm…" Ruby looked up in thought, mentally calculating her time with Weiss. She held up one finger, then another, and another, and another. "Five years?"
"And you managed to keep it under wraps all this time… how?"
"I don't know," Ruby said with a shrug. "We weren't exactly hiding. Everyone at Beacon knew about us. And when we graduated we got that apartment together… I think it might've just been a bad case of gals being pals."
"I see… do you intend on announcing the engagement?"
"I don't mind, but Weiss wants to play it cool for now," Ruby answered. "I mean, you saw how your dad and Shitley reacted to us just being here. I really don't want to imagine what they'd say about us getting married. For crying out loud, your dad's still sending guys her way like she's some sort of trophy!"
"What? You can't be serious."
Ruby shook her head. "Okay, so some dude showed up at our door two weeks ago, knocked, then let himself in when Blake opened the door. The ass just walked in like he owned the place and we were too shocked to say anything at first. Like, who does that?!"
Winter winced. She was painfully familiar with men like that. "It gets worse doesn't it?" she asked, taking a seat.
"Oh, it gets way worse!" Ruby eagerly continued. "He demanded to see his 'future wife' then got super pissy when he saw me resting my head on Weiss' lap."
"Please tell me you had him removed."
"Oh, he was removed alright," Ruby maniacally cackled. "Yang threw him out—literally yeeted his ass to the curb."
"I always did like your sister," Winter said with a thoughtful nod. "Though, I suppose she'll be my sister soon enough as well."
Ruby smiled. "Yeah."
"And I'll be yours."
"Mhm… I'm really sorry we didn't tell you sooner," Ruby said. "Weiss wanted to tell you in person but life kept getting in the way. And, honestly, the only reason why we aren't married right now is because she wants you there at the wedding."
"I'm still invited even though I was so rude to you?"
"You weren't rude," Ruby said, flashing Winter a smile. "You were scared and worried about Weiss' wellbeing."
"Deathly afraid," Winter murmured, her brows furrowing together. "Don't think I haven't noticed your injuries, Ruby."
"I didn't think you would."
"Should you really be out and about like this?" Winter asked. "You look like you should still be in the hospital yourself."
Ruby's friendly smile dropped. "My injuries are all superficial thanks to Weiss…" A tear fell and with it went the rest of Ruby's fractured composure. "Winter, I-I'm so sorry, I… this was my fault… it should've been me."
"She did what she felt was right," Winter said, though she winced at the underlying meaning. "If Weiss hadn't stepped in, how hurt would you be?"
"I'd be dead."
Winter's shoulders sagged. "Then Weiss made the right call. Losing an arm is nothing compared to losing the love of your life. Limbs can be replaced, but you can't."
"I…"
"Ruby…." Weiss moaned, her eyes fluttering open. "Why is it so hot?"
"H-Hey, Snowflake," Ruby smiled with unshed tears glistening in her eyes. She leaned down and nuzzled her fiancée's cheek, sneaking in a little kiss that Winter undoubtedly saw. "You're under a blanket with my cloak still on. Do you want me to take it off?"
"Please…"
Ruby and Winter shared a look of understanding and got up at the same time. They worked in tandem to get Weiss comfortable, taking great care not to jostle her left side.
"Ruby, how do I unclasp this?" Winter asked, pointing to the cloak.
"Oh, just—"
"Not the cloak," Weiss rasped, her right hand stirring beneath the red fabric, "just the blanket, please."
"Understood," Winter said, backing away.
Ruby shrugged at Winter with an "I told you so" look on her face. She pulled the blanket down to Weiss' waist and folded it there. Weiss didn't complain so Ruby left it as is and returned to her side.
"How are you feeling, Snowflake?" Ruby asked, wiping the sweat off of Weiss' forehead with her palm.
"I'm all right," Weiss halfheartedly joked.
"Ha, ha," Ruby grumbled, poking Weiss' cheek. "I'm being serious here, Weiss. How are you feeling? Any pain? Discomfort? Are the meds wearing off?"
"You sound like Winter," Weiss mumbled with a small, weak smile.
"As she should," Winter chimed in. "If Ruby can't do that much for you, then I'll have to regrettably retract my blessing."
"Your—Ruby, did you?!" Weiss shouted as angrily as she could.
Ruby flinched, frozen like a deer caught in headlights. She tried to get her voice to work, but everything she said came out as a jumbled mess. The hurt and fear in Weiss' eyes intensified and burned even brighter when betrayal joined the mix.
"Answer me," Weiss commanded.
"I'm sorry," Ruby mumbled with her head hung low. "I couldn't lie to her, Weiss. Please don't be mad."
Weiss gasped in surprise and leaned to reach for Ruby's hands, but she couldn't. Her eyes slowly drifted from Ruby's pained gaze to the flat space where her left arm should have been.
"Weiss, I—"
"I'm not mad," Weiss said, her voice wavering. "I'm scared."
Sighing, Winter stroked her sister's cheek to draw her attention. Weiss hesitated but eventually turned to face Winter.
"Why are you scared?" Winter asked.
"I don't…" Weiss gulped. "I don't want to disappoint you."
"You could never disappoint me," Winter replied. She gave her sister a smile and stroked her hair. "But I fear I've let you down…"
"What?" Weiss blinked, her mouth agape. "No, you could never!"
"Then why didn't you tell me about your relationship with Ruby?"
"I…" Weiss gulped. "I was scared about how you'd react to me… to me being…"
"Gay?" Winter offered with an eyebrow raised. Weiss pursed her lips and nodded. "Weiss, I've known since you were a little girl."
"What?" Ruby gasped in Weiss' stead.
Winter smiled at her future sister-in-law. "It was really quite obvious."
"How?" Weiss asked.
"You never gave the boys a second look, and," she looked directly at Ruby, "your letters never mentioned anyone else."
"Oh," Weiss blinked, "that is…"
"Pretty obvious," Ruby finished for her.
Winter let out a rumbling laugh that shook her shoulders. "Finishing each other's sentences?"
"And sandwiches!" Ruby laughed.
"May I see your ring, Ruby?" Winter asked, winking at Weiss who was still too flabbergasted to contribute to the conversation.
"Sure!" Ruby exclaimed, thrusting her left hand out excitedly. Winter took her hand and inspected the ring carefully. Ruby nervously bounced her foot. "It's not the flashiest," she said, "but it's perfect for me."
"It's nice," Winter said, letting Ruby's hand go. "I'm honestly quite surprised Weiss went with something so simple."
"Weiss is fancy enough for me," Ruby laughed, casting her fiancée a smile.
"I'd show you mine, but a bear ate it," Weiss said, fighting off a giggle.
Winter sighed. Her sister was an idiot, but a happy idiot who's going to be alright now.
Sorry it's late. I've been busy with computer things. Please leave a review if you enjoyed the story.
P.s - Thank you, Aki, you saved my tail fin by letting me torture you with advanced readings.