Weiss looked up from her lunch at Ruby, one eyebrow raised. "You've got something on your face," the white-haired girl said sharply.

Ruby blinked, picking up a paper napkin and wiping her face with it. "Where? Did I get it?"

"No." Before Ruby could react, Weiss leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Now you've got it." She stabbed her fork into her salad, lifting it to her lips even as a tide of pink spread across her own cheeks. Weiss wasn't used to physical affection, hugs, kisses on the cheek, that sort of thing, but as she'd come to know Ruby, she's become more used to them. A smug smile spread across her lips as she realized her therapist would probably be pleased at how she was "overcoming her issues with intimacy," if Weiss dared tell the woman.

The pair sat off to one side of the main courtyard, in a quiet little nook partially hidden from view by trees. It was a popular spot among those that wanted a little privacy either before classes or during lunch, and Weiss was sure she'd heard people approach then scurry off at least twice today.

Ruby laughed, giving Weiss a mischievous look. "Okay, you got me, Weiss, but I think you can do better than that."

Now Weiss' eyes narrowed. "Is that a challenge? Fine." She leaned closer to Ruby, her lips parting slightly in anticipation. Just before their lips met, Weiss inhaled reflexively, filling her nostrils with the indescribable scent of Ruby. It wasn't roses or strawberries, but somewhere in between, uniquely Ruby and somehow more precious to Weiss than anything.

A sharp cough interrupted them, and Weiss pulled back, her face a mix of annoyance and embarrassment. It had to be one of the school staff, a student would have spoken aloud. She cleared her throat and straightened her uniform jacket before turning to face the intruder. "Yes, what-" she said before her brain locked up in fear and terror.

It wasn't one of the school faculty or staff that had interrupted them. Weiss' father stood there, arms at his side, a frown on his face. "Excuse my interruption, but I need to speak to Weiss in private for a moment, miss…?" He trailed off, and the pair of them sat frozen for a moment before Weiss jabbed Ruby gently with an elbow.

"Ruby, Ruby Rose, sir." Of course Ruby knew who he was, she'd seen pictures of him a few times, but in person, he seemed so… cold and intimidating.

"Miss Rose, if you will excuse us." Her father led Weiss off to one side, far enough away that Ruby wouldn't hear if they kept their voices down. "I apologize for bothering you at school, Weiss, but you didn't respond to my text messages."

Weiss winced. "I'm sorry, Father, but school regulations state that phones must be silenced during classes, and I neglected to check it at lunch."

"Please be more careful about checking it in the future, perhaps between classes." His head toward where Ruby was sitting and Weiss felt an icicle of panic slide between into her heart. "Father, I can explain-"

He raised a hand. "We will discuss your relationship with Miss Rose another time. Right now there is something else I need to discuss with you. Charles Winchester and I have a dinner meeting this evening. He asked me to bring you along, saying that you have been avoiding his son Cardin lately. I assume you would prefer not to join us?" Jacques folded his arms and stood there, waiting for her response.

Weiss snorted. "Father, what I have to say about Cardin Winchester is not fit for polite company. I was only being nice to him because his father's a business partner of yours."

"I see," Jacques said, nodding. "In that case, I will let Charles know that you have other plans tonight. I will speak with you when return home."

Weiss was shaking as she sat back down next to Ruby. "Everything okay, Weiss?" Ruby asked softly, laying a hand across Weiss's shoulders and pulling her close.

"No, Ruby, it's not okay," Weiss answered, sniffling. "It'd be better if he was furious, that I'm used to, I know how to handle, but this… I don't know how to handle this. Father was… unreadable, like he didn't know how to react."

"Hey." Ruby reached up with her other hand and wiped a stray hair out of Weiss' face tenderly. "Don't worry, we'll work it out."

"You don't get it." Weiss turned her head away, not wanting Ruby to see the tears starting to roll down her face. "He-he'll demand I stop seeing you, or transfer me to another school, or, or something, I don't know."

"Weiss." Now Ruby's hand reached up and lifted Weiss's chin, turning her face to meet Ruby's. "No matter what he does, I'll still be here, as long as you want me here." Now her thumb reached up to wipe away the tears. "I promise."

"P-Promise?"

"Pinky promise, even." And with that Ruby pulled Weiss close, not saying anything more, just sitting there, holding her.

Weiss was working on a paper for history, her fingers flying across the keyboard when an IM from Ruby popped up. Everything OK?

Weiss stopped and smiled, sending a message back. Father hasn't come home yet. I suspect shenanigans

Shenanigans? Oh, good word, Weiss, I had to look that one up

Dolt. It had become something of a game for the two of them, finding words the other didn't know. You caught me out with defenestration so that was payback

So whatcha doing?

Working on my history paper for Doctor Oobleck. You?

Civics, Professor Port. I'm not interrupting, am I?

The white-haired girl sighed. No, the paper was already mostly written and isn't due for another week. I was working on it mostly to keep from worrying. Though I will admit being surprised that you're doing schoolwork and not playing video games with your brute of a sister

Blake's here, and I wanted to give them some space

You mean you didn't want to be around them making kissy-face :P Weiss smirked. Somehow adding the emoji made her inordinately pleased.

Yeah, true. And we owe Blake for making Yang knock off the teasing. It was totally worth buying her lunch at Seven Seas

That made Weiss pause before she replied. The seafood restaurant? How much did that set you back? I know how Blake loves seafood

Not telling. And I did it afterward, as a thank-you, not a bribe

A knock at the door interrupted Weiss before she could reply. "Miss Weiss? Your father is home, and would like to speak with you."

I have to go, Weiss sent quickly. Father is home and wishes to see me

She barely caught Ruby's response before she left. Good luck and I love you

Weiss made her way to her father's office, suppressing a shiver as she made her way through the house. She hated it. This wasn't a home, it was a monument to her father's wealth and power. She'd been to Blake and Ruby's home, and yes, Blake's too. Those were homes, places where a family lived and love and laughed, and sometimes cried. Weiss had been there when Yang had finally learned the truth about her mother, and had seen how their family had come together to support her. That, that was what family was meant to be. The only relative she felt any of that with was Winter, and Winter was in the military now.

Weiss sighed. Her birth family might not be the most caring, but the family she had made more than made up for the family she'd been given.

She stepped in her father's office, stopping in front of the desk. "You asked to see me, Father?"

He gestured her to one of the chairs in front of the desk. So it was to be one of those, where her father at least started out pretending to be friendly and reasonable. "I'm sorry to be so late talking to you about this tonight, Weiss, but Charles Winchester can be rather long-winded. Now, tell me about this Ruby Rose." Weiss' father leaned forward, his hands folded together on top of his desk. "I've seen so many young men try to get your attention over the years, so I find myself curious about the young lady that finally did."

Weiss licked her lips, nervous. "Um, Ruby is a sophmore, she's attending Beacon on an athletics scholarship, but one with stringent academic requirements as well, which she far exceeds."

Jacques grunted. "She's not getting in the way of your own classwork, is she?"

"I think you would have noticed if my grades had fallen, Father." The only response was another grunt. Weiss was damn sure he had bribed someone in the bursar's office to keep him appraised of her academic standing. "Ruby's father is a captain in the Vale police department, and she has a half-sister. Her mother is deceased." There, bare facts. Hopefully, that would satisfy her father.

"I see. And I assume that your involvement with Ruby is behind your recent push for more independence, things like getting your driver's license and wanting your own car?" Her father's head tilted to one side, giving her a challenging look.

"Partly. I will soon graduate, and I will need to be able to handle living on my own while at school."

"And she's not asking you for money or anything?"

"No." Weiss shook her head. "Ruby gets very flustered when I try to buy things for her, and refuses them if she can." The one expensive item Weiss had managed to buy for Ruby was a dress for the school's winter formal, and that had taken two solid weeks of convincing.

Now her father nodded. "And her family's not going to be an embarrassment if the press gets wind of your relationship?"

This was dangerous territory. "One… potential problem with Ruby's half-sister, Yang. Yang's mother is in prison, serving a life sentence."

Instantly her father's face grew grim, and Weiss' heart broke. This, this was the thing he was going to use to justify demanding that Weiss break off things with Ruby. If only he hadn't asked…. "What's her mother in prison for?"

"Terrorism." Weiss swallowed; she'd been shocked herself when she found out what Yang's mother had done. "Do you remember the Atlas Spire incident?"

"It's not something I'm likely ever to forget." Jacques Schnee stood, turning to look out the window. "Your mother and I were there, after all. We'd just married, and everyone who was anyone was there. So Yang's mother was involved in that?"

"I…. didn't know you were there. Yang's mother is the ringleader, Raven Branwen," Weiss answered, fighting to keep her voice level.

"And their father is a police captain? I would think that being involved in something like that would ruin a man's career." Weiss' father half-turned away from the window, looking at her sideways from the corner of his eye.

Weiss smoothed her skirt nervously. "From what I understand, Taiyang and Raven had a one-night stand shortly before the attack. Raven gave birth during her trial and named Taiyang the father, mostly out of spite. One paternity test later, Taiyang found himself a single father."

"Mm. It must have been difficult, balancing a police career with fatherhood."

"Taiyang is a formidable man. There's a lot of him in his daughters." No need to complicate the discussion by mentioning Qrow Branwen, and how much help he'd given Tai in the beginning.

Jacques returned to his desk, looking at Weiss. "And how much contact has Yang had with her mother?"

"Just before Yang's seventeenth birthday, Raven sent her a letter. It… upset her greatly." Which was a massive understatement. Yang and her father had argued for hours, almost coming to blows, and had barely spoken for days afterward. "In the end, Yang wrote her mother back, telling Raven not to contact her again. I don't think she's heard from Raven since."

"A tenuous connection at best, then, easily handled if the press gets wind of it." Now Weiss could see it. He was willing to let her do whatever she wanted, so long as it didn't embarrass the family and she did what he commanded. "Now, about Cardin Winchester-"

"No." The single syllable slipped from Weiss' lips like a gunshot before she was even aware she'd spoken.

"Excuse me?" Jacques Schnee tilted his head to one side, giving his middle child a puzzled look. "What do you mean, 'no'?"

Weiss took a deep breath, calming herself. No way to avoid this confrontation. She'd known for years she'd have to openly defy her father sooner or later, she'd just never assumed it would come so soon. But then you never expected to meet Ruby, did you? "You are about to demand that I continue to be polite to Cardin Winchester, so that his father will continue to be agreeable to whatever business deal you're trying to talk him into, maybe even friendly or… more than that. With the understanding that if I do so, Ruby and I will be allowed to continue. No. I am finished with being anything resembling 'polite' to Cardin Winchester or his father, and certainly not in the name of a little more profit for you. And I will continue my relationship with Ruby Rose whether you like it or not." There, done. Now Weiss steeled herself for her father's reaction, and for all the emotion she showed, she might as well been carved from ice.

"I see." Her father's voice was ice to match her own. "And that's your decision, then?"

"Yes."

"Very well." Jacques' eyes met Weiss's and she felt a shiver she couldn't suppress. "Charles Winchester mentioned tonight that Cardin needed an escort for a charity event this weekend. I told him that I would discuss the matter with you. But you have other plans for this Saturday evening, don't you?"

"Of course, Father." Or she would, as soon as she and Ruby could come up with something. An impromptu video game tournament or something similar might be sufficient. And hadn't the latest entry in that series Ruby and her sister were always playing just been released? Grimm Reaper VII or some nonsense like that? Weiss was getting better at video games, she'd swear she was. "That reminds me, I will be late coming home tomorrow. Ruby and I have some shopping to do."

Her father raised an eyebrow. "I thought she wouldn't let you buy her gifts."

"I'm enlisting Ruby's help in an area in which I have little knowledge..."

"Knock off the pacing, Rubes, you're giving me whiplash trying to see around you. Or at least go somewhere else and do it. Like your room." Yang was getting severely annoyed as her sister paced around their livinng room. Her sister had been so on edge you could have cut diamonds with her ever since she got home.

Ruby spun around to glare at Yang, silver eyes pinning her sister to the couch like a butterfly mounted for display. "Not. Helping. Yang."

Yang froze, recoiling in terror. She'd never actually been scared of her sister before. "Jeez, Ruby, knock it off. You're freaking me out, here. Where'd you learn to glare like that?"

"Weiss," admitted Ruby, deflating as she dropped down on the couch next to Yang.

Now the blonde winced. "Hey, sis it'll be okay. You know, don't let Blake hear this, but you and Weiss make a better couple than me and Blake. I mean, you even got the Ice Queen to ditch class, for a whole day! Remember that?"

"Yeah." Ruby couldn't help but smile at the memory. Right after homeroom, Yang had gotten the idea of ditching class to go play mini golf. Weiss had been livid at the idea that Ruby would even consider such a thing, and had followed them out the disused gate Yang used when she 'needed a break," arguing with Ruby about the merits of sometimes breaking the rules. By the time Weiss's brain caught up with what was going on, they were on a city bus to the mini golf course. The look on her face had been literally priceless. Blake had even gotten a picture.

That hadn't been the best part of the day, though. The absolute best part had come when they stopped for lunch. Halfway through their third extra-large pizza with extra pepperoni and extra cheese, Weiss had stopped, staring into space with her mouth full of food. When they got her to snap out of it and asked her what was wrong, Weiss had swallowed quickly ad simply answered, "I, I think I like you, Ruby, as more than a friend."

Yang had been the first one to break the stunned silence. "So whatcha going to do about it, Ice Queen? You gonna put the moves on my baby sis? Because if you think you are, I think you'd better rethink that." Ruby had just dumped a pitcher of soda on her sister's head and propped her head on one hand, waiting for Weiss to speak.

Now Ruby sighed. "You don't get it, Yang. After her dad caught us, Weiss was terrified. You ever seen Weiss scared of anything, even a little? Ever seen her back down from anything? And don't call her Ice Queen, it hurts her feelings."

"Nope. She's pretty much the queen of 'challenge accepted,'' that's for sure. And I'm sorry for getting mad, and I'm sorry for calling her Ice Queen. I know what she means to you." Yang wrapped an arm around her sister, giving up on the MMA bout she was watching. "I've got your back, sis. And Weiss', if she needs it."

"Thanks." Before she could say any more, Ruby's phone rang. "Weiss?! Are you okay? Was he mad? Are you grounded forever? Please don't say you're breaking up with me!"

"Calm down, dolt. My father's reaction was… not what I expected. He seemed to take us dating better than I expected. Frankly, he was more worried about Yang's mother than anything else."

"Raven? What does she have to do with this?" Now Yang was giving Ruby a puzzled, angry look.

"Apparently, my parents were at Atlas Spire when Raven pulled her stunt." Quickly, Weiss filled Ruby (and Yang, once Ruby put her on speaker) in on her conversation with her father. "… and that's everything,"" she finished with a heavy sigh.

"Huh." Yang was deep in thought. "Seems like your dad is playing some sort of head game with you, a long one."

"That's what I think, too. But what's his endgame, his goal?" Ruby could practically feel the tension in Weiss' voice.

"Not sure, but we'd better figure it out quick." Ruby's face was grim. "Because if he wants to play games, you know what I think?

"Game on."