I don't own RWBY or any of the amazing characters! But if I did, then that would be awesome.

Chapter 1: Leave Me in the Rain

Like the rain that cleanses the earth, your fire purifies my heart...


"Where the hell are you?" Weiss screamed into the empty night sky, raindrops falling onto her face. Something in the corner of the alley shifted drawing the attention of the white haired girl. Without a second thought, she gave chase. Catching a glimpse of the shadow move, Weiss ran even faster in hopes of capturing the blur that passed by.

"Stop running!" Her eyes struggled to see through the dark. Dammit, you're not getting away this time! It felt like she had been running for a long time, but in reality, she had only been in pursuit for ten minutes. The alleyway she was currently running through blended in with the many others she had passed by. She stopped abruptly as she came to a cross in her path. Weiss quickly scanned the three different paths, wondering which way her target went.

A trashcan clattered as the culprit leapt over it, directing Weiss to the path on her right. She kept running after her target, ignoring her now burning lungs and the rain obscuring her vision. I have to find her! No, I want to find her, she corrected herself.

Despite her protesting lungs, Weiss kept after her target. Unfortunately for her, she came upon another fork in the road. She wanted to scream out in frustration; she had been up for twenty-six hours straight chasing a lead that was slowly, but surely slipping out of her grasp. Her mind raced, trying to decide which path they ran off to. From what she remembered, the left path should have led back to where the chase started. Right it is!

Weiss burst out of the alleyways and found herself next to the city park. No, no, no! She has to be here somewhere! Her eyes frantically searched the area in hopes of catching a glimpse of the fleeing shadow. Over there!

Immediately Weiss bolted after them. No one was out this late at night which let her give chase without the worry of incoming cars on the streets or random pedestrians getting in her way. They're heading for the cliff!

With this thought in mind, Weiss turned and jumped the warning fence meant to keep children out, trying to get to the edge of the forest before her would-be escapee. Her feet pounded the forest floor, her lungs struggling to keep up with her legs. Deeming this too slow, she leapt into the air, using her glyphs to skim over the tops of the trees. Come on, come on!

The wind and rain seemed to pick up, drenching the white haired girl and causing her clothes to stick to her body. Suppressing the shivers, Weiss carried on the chase with utmost determination. But even that was slowly failing her; the cold combined with her physical exertion was wearing down the young huntress. Focus Weiss, she scolded herself.

Normally, this forest was a beautiful tourist attraction of Vale, with the multitude of yellow, orange and red trees, but Weiss was in no mood to stop and smell the flowers. No, there was something much more important here tonight.

She could see the cliff face in the distance that signalled the end of the park. There!

Lightning flashed in the dark sky, allowing Weiss to make out the silhouette of the lone figure standing at the edge, staring out at the miles of forest and rock that waited at the bottom of the cliff. Her hair blew in the rough wind, the rain swirling past the two.

Weiss could only stare, as time seemed to slow. Is this it? Is this the end of the line? Finally pulling herself from her thoughts, she armed her rapier, Myrtenaster. Her arms, legs and heart felt heavy, her eyes threatening to close at any second.

The figure spoke first, "So, Weiss. You're the first one to find me."

"It's time to go," Weiss said, her voice cracking. "You're coming back with me."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." The figure didn't even turn.

"Why not? The innocent don't run." Weiss tried her best to reason, but it was clear that her target wasn't going to cooperate.

"Maybe I'm not innocent."

Weiss couldn't take it anymore, the frustration getting the better of her. "Fine, if you won't come willingly, I'll take you back by force!"

She lunged forward with her rapier, aiming for the shoulder. In one swift motion, the figure sidestepped the strike and pinned her arm behind her back, holding it in place.

Weiss struggled to get out of it, but she was being easily overpowered. Using her free right arm, she cast a glyph on the floor and launched the two into the air. Out of shock, the figure let go of the white haired huntress. Weiss gave a kick, separating the two and landed on her feet, ready to strike again.

The clouds rolled over, covering the moon, cutting off the only light source deep in the forest. Weiss could barely see in front of her as her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness. All she could hear was the pounding in her ears, her ragged breaths and the rumbling of thunder in the distance. She waited for her target to land; only they never did. The sound of a snapping branch echoed and alerted the white haired girl to the presence of someone above her.

She tried to roll out of the way, but wasn't fast enough. Her legs were swept out from under her with a kick to the back of her knees and a punch to her jaw brought her to the ground. Weiss' mind screamed out orders but her muscles refused to move. The exhaustion from the long chase and lack of sleep have finally caught up to her, as she lay there, no longer having the energy to keep fighting.

Weiss felt Myrtenaster being ripped from her grasp and her arms pinned behind her. A weight settled on her back, stopping her from getting up. She desperately tried to get out of the hold, but she even struggled to keep her eyes opened. Despite the ice cold rain falling down on the girl, the figure that had her pinned radiated a certain degree of warmth. Right now, sleep felt so inviting. Instead, she opened her mouth and yelled, "You left Ruby!"

The figure remained silent.

"You nearly killed Blake!" Weiss screamed, but again the figure didn't say anything.

Finally, the tears started flowing, blending in with the rain that stained the white haired girl's face. "You broke my heart," her voice barely above a whisper.

Weiss felt a hand sliding down the side of her cheek, slowly tracing the scar on her face, as if committing the mark to memory. If only this moment could last forever.

"Sorry Weiss, I have to do this."

Then, the pressure on her arms was gone and the figure disappeared.

Weiss was left on the ground, still crying and too exhausted to continue the chase. Her voice was barely audible over the thunder and rainfall.

"Please, Yang. Please come back. Don't keep running."


A rough wind blew at the snowfall, causing it to swirl in the sky, surrounded by a field of white, unaware of the black fire burning in the distance. The snowflakes drifted and glided along the surface of the ground until they settled upon a fully bloomed frozen lilac tree, never quite touching the single red rose that hid beneath it…

Weiss let out a groan as she awoke in her bed due to her pounding headache, the faint scent of roses filling her nose. Keeping her eyes shut in hopes of softening the dull throbbing, she tried to massage her temples, only to discover the extreme soreness in her arms, legs and pretty much whole body. She felt terrible to say the least.

"Great," she mumbled to herself. "How am I supposed to work at all today?"

"You're not!" a voice squeaked from above her. Weiss' eyelids fluttered open as she was greeted by the sight of a pair of shining silver eyes belonging to a certain smiling dark haired girl with red highlights. The familiar red cloak slowly came into view.

"Ruby!" the white haired girl exclaimed as she tried to get up in surprise. Her muscles protested and refused to budge, another wave of dull throbbing spread throughout her body.

"Weiss, stop moving! You need to rest!" A pair of hands pushed down on her shoulders and pressed her firmly against the mattress.

"Ruby Rose, what are you doing in my room?"

"Uhhh, ummm… how do I say this without sounding creepy?" the crimson huntress asked, nervously scratching the back of her head, her face matching her namesake.

Weiss glared daggers at the girl. "You can start by answering me truthfully!"

"Well, uhhh… I may or… may not have spent the…whole night here watching… you sleep?" she responded hesitantly.

"…"

"And I may or may not have… taken your… clothes off as well…" Ruby's voice trailed off near the end of her bold confession.

"You did what?!" Weiss cried incredulously. If her body hadn't been aching all over, she would have pounded the girl into the ground and left her frozen carcass to thaw outside. Ignoring her burning muscles, Weiss raised her arm and was posed to strike the blushing huntress when her face went as red as Ruby's. Her little movement caused the covers to move aside and she realized she was just in her undergarments. Immediately she covered herself up, willing her face to return to its normally pale complexion.

"Ruby, once I can move again properly you are a dead woman, you hear me?" she said, her voice dripping with promised pain.

Ruby raised two hands in front of her, trying to calm the infuriated heiress. "Okay, in my defense, you were dripping wet when I found you! I couldn't just let you sleep in your drenched clothes and let you catch a cold. Or maybe something worse…"

Seeing that Weiss still wasn't reassured, she continued on. She raised three fingers and placed her other hand over her heart. "I swear that I, Ruby Rose, did not perform any misconduct or inappropriate actions towards one Weiss Schnee last night."

She looked down at her white haired partner and added, "Please don't hate me," for good measure.

Weiss turned her head and let out a huff. "Fine, I forgive you, this time…"

"Yay!" Ruby wrapped her arms around the shorter girl in a crushing hug. Weiss coughed and sputtered, trying to form coherent words. "Weiss, I'm so glad that you're okay!"

"Ruby! Air! Can't breathe!"

"Oh, right! Sorry, sorry…" she whispered apologetically.

Ruby, I'm glad to see you haven't changed…

"Ummm, is there anything I can get you?"

"Some water would be nice."

"Right!"

Ruby dashed off to pour out a glass of water. Within seconds, she was right beside Weiss again. Helping her sit up properly in the bed, Ruby raised the glass to her lips and let her slowly sip the drink.

Ruby found it adorable how Weiss was still trying to cover her body with the bed sheets, causing the crimson cloaked girl to smile. Once the heiress was done, Ruby helped her lie down again.

"Thanks."

"Yeah, sure thing. That's what partners are for," Ruby said as she lingered by the side of the bed. As Weiss finished off the rest of the water, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that the red haired girl stood unmoving and silent. She simply stood there, staring at her feet, hands at her side.

"Ruby, are you okay?"

"Yeah, totally, everything's fine! Here, let me get that for you!" Ruby scrambled to retrieve the heiress' empty cup from her hand and placed it on the counter at the foot of her bed.

"Here, let me tuck you in." The red haired girl helped Weiss settle into the bed. She made several laps around the mattress, making sure the covers were properly tucked in. Once she was satisfied, the cloaked girl stood by the head of the white haired girl's bed, oddly looking at her.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" She flashed her usual grin, but Weiss wasn't fooled. She had been this girl's partner for three years now and she had seen through every single one of Ruby's fake smiles. After all, it was the same one she used to wear at home.

What annoyed her most though was that she would brush it off and bury it for another day. She would laugh it off and tell the world it was no big deal while the thought slowly ate away at her. Weiss had promised she would be the best teammate ever and dammit, she was going to live up to her word.

"Ruby, I know there's something going on underneath that smile of yours. It's okay, you can tell me. We're partners, right?"

Weiss looked into the silver pools of her best friend. They were filled with uncertainty, anxiety and something else… fear?

The normally cheery girl stood silently at the bedside. She held herself tall and unmoving. The heiress wasn't sure if she heard her until she sat down on the edge of the bed, her bangs shifting and covering her face. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"What were you doing out in the storm last night?" Ruby asked in her soft and quiet voice; a mere whisper. Weiss couldn't help but notice how she wasn't looking at her.

What was I doing? She stared up at the white ceiling of her room as her mind raced, trying to recall the previous night's events.

The rain, thunder and lightning…

Her burning lungs and tired limbs…

Her pounding heart and the adrenaline…

The lone figure standing by the cliff…

The fading warmth…

Yang…

The memories came flooding back and she couldn't stop herself. Her composure broke down as the tears began to flow relentlessly down the cheeks of the white haired huntress. Almost immediately she felt the warm embrace of the red cloaked girl, promising that she was safe now. Her tears turned into wretched sobs as she buried her face into the shoulder of the crimson girl. No matter how hard she tried, Weiss couldn't stop the sorrow and heartache that she felt.

Ruby rubbed her back in small, slow, lazy circles, whispering into her ear. "It's okay, Weiss I'm here for you…"

After what felt like hours, Weiss managed to calm down and her tears eventually subsided, but she kept her face buried in the red cloak, not wanting Ruby to look at her in her moment of weakness.

"You found her, didn't you?"

Weiss could only give her a weak nod in response.

"She didn't hurt you… did she?"

"She hurt all of us when she left like that…" Upon hearing these words, Ruby's head drooped dejectedly.

Weiss was unsettled about the now silent Ruby. She was normally so energetic, so full of love and life. She was usually loud, always caring and always welcoming. Weiss felt a pain in her chest at how hollow the girl looked in her arms; how she now seemed like an empty shell of the cheerful person she used to be.

Ruby's grip suddenly tightened.

"Ruby?"

The crimson huntress lifted her head and silver eyes met blue ones. "It's okay Weiss. I'm here for you, no matter what happens."

Weiss didn't know how to respond. Part of her hated what Yang had done to them, how she single-handedly dismantled team RWBY, how she sent Blake to the hospital and how she left her heart in pieces. But the other part of her wanted to find Yang and drag her back to Beacon, kicking and screaming if need be, to rebuild the family she had come to love, to rebuild the relationship the two sisters used to share, and to rebuild the future that Yang had promised her.

"I'll keep you safe Weiss."

That brought a smile to the heiress' face. Much to Ruby's surprise, Weiss patted her head and put on her best brave face.

"That's a sweet gesture, but I assure you, I'm fin-"

"Weiss, you don't need to pretend anymore."

She pulled out of the embrace so that their faces were extremely close to one another's, barely inches apart. Weiss could feel the warm breath on her lips.

"You know that I love you…"

Ruby leaned in closer, when a hand, gentle and firm, abruptly stopped her advances. Weiss was even more self-conscious now about her lack of clothes.

"Ruby! You know that… I can't love you back that way," Weiss whispered with her face flushed.

It was true; she did know that Weiss and Yang used to be lovers. But she also knew that Weiss was the one that was the most devastated after Yang left.

Ruby gave a sad smile. "I know that Weiss, but please. Let me keep you safe and protect you! Let me be your knight in shining armour!" She paused. "Please, let me love you…"

She was about to protest, until she stared into Ruby's bright shining silver orbs. They held a look of fire and determination; the same look she had when they killed the Nevermore together during their initiation, the same look that Weiss wore when she promised she would be the best teammate ever, and the same look that Yang had given her when she said she would make the world a better place for the heiress to live in.

Weiss stared dully at the wall behind her. She couldn't just betray her feelings for Yang, but she couldn't let Ruby suffer the burden of this alone. She leaned back and rested her head against the pillow behind her.

"Okay, Ruby. I trust you know what you're doing."

"Thanks Weiss! I won't let you down!"

Ruby smiled; the first genuine one in a while.

And Weiss found herself returning it.

We'll get through this, each day as it comes. But for now, it's time to rest.


Two Years Later…

The Schnee Dust Company is one of the largest producers and exporters of Dust. Despite the once controversial labour laws and rumours of questionable business partners and criminal activities, it is still recognized as one of the most powerful, important and influential companies in all of Remnant. Now under new management, the company has a hand in leading Vale to a true state of peace and prosperity, for both humans and Faunus alike. But with all safe havens, there are snakes out there that seek its destruction.

Weiss Schnee wasn't sure whether to be amused or worried that there was a gun toting Faunus in her office spouting some nonsense about Faunus equality rights. Normally, it would have been threatening if whatever the Faunus was talking about wasn't already resolved or in the state of being fixed. As much as she wanted to spend her afternoon discussing politics and business practices with the possibly insane ram Faunus, she had other more important worries and paperwork stacking up with every minute being wasted on this.

"Are you quite done?" Weiss asked. Her voice was even, although she wanted nothing more than to have the man forcibly removed, but that would undoubtedly take longer and she would hate having to repair her office again. "As you can see, I am quite busy. If you're finished, I'm sure you can show yourself out," she said as she gestured with her left hand at the door.

I wish Blake was here right now. She's usually the one that handles matters like this...

The man was infuriated at the way the snowy haired woman before him was simply brushing off his words as if they were nothing. He waved the pistol in his hand angrily as he shouted, "Have you no shame? You are profiting off the misery of the Faunus working in the mines. They are the ones risking their lives down there in the terrible conditions while you are here sitting in your office getting rich by taking advantage of them! And don't get me started on all the shady deals that this company is making behind the backs of everyone! What do you have to say for yourself?"

Weiss' patience was beginning to wear thin; she tried her best to suppress the anger that was boiling in her chest. It was clear that he would hold a grudge against the company no matter what she said. She let out a tired sigh and decided to humour the man in hopes he would leave without a physical confrontation.

"In case you've been hiding under a rock for the past year, I should inform you that all Faunus workers that are in the mine receive payment equal to their human counterparts. The revenue they earn is reviewed and governed by the same rules and guidelines that every other business in Remnant follows."

Weiss wasn't even sure if the Faunus was trying to understand what she was saying, but she continued on anyway in the best calm voice she could muster at the moment.

"Security and safety precautions have been increased and protocols have been added to ensure that everyone knows what to do in case of an accident occurring. Families that had a member injured or killed during a mining operation have been compensated per company guidelines."

The Schnee Dust Company's profit dropped the first year Weiss had declared equal wages and compensation to all previous workers under her father's rule, but she deemed it a worthy cause. Slowly, profits began to climb again and the company name was now more respected than before. But there will always be people out there that are against them, regardless of the actions Weiss took to further the business; in particular the White Fang.

"Furthermore, all of the Schnee Dust Company's business partners are legitimate. If you wish to look into the other companies, then I suggest you set up a meeting with the other owners. Ties have been cut with all illegal companies and businesses, so that is no longer an issue with our products. Is there anything else you wanted to discuss, sir?"

The Faunus' shocked expression soon turned into one of anger and disgust laced with murderous intent. He pointed his gun directly at Weiss. "My father died in those mines, you cold-hearted bitch! My brother was placed into a coma from one of your mine that was dubbed 'safe'. My mother who was burdened with the stress of work and taking care of me, took her life and left me with my god-forsaken grandparents, all because of some stupid gene in our blood!" he spat the words out like venom.

Weiss stared at the man blankly. "Like I said, security and safety measures have been improved to prevent tragedies like this from ever happening again. Compensation has been sent out to the families with loved ones who lost their lives in one of the mines."

She stopped to give a quick glance at the Faunus in front of her before continuing.

"We live in the present and we can only see the events that unfold before us. If you can't move beyond the past, then I'm afraid there is nothing I can do for you. If you are here to file a complaint, you are more than welcome to book a meeting with a Schnee Dust Company representative. Will that be all?"

The Faunus blinked before flaring his nostrils and raising his firearm. "They died earning the blood money you are spending and you think some spare lien would be enough for their lives?"

The huntress sighed as she rose from her seat and made her way over to the man.

"This is for all the people you've killed! Go to hell!" he spat as he fired his pistol.

From Weiss' perspective, it felt as if time had slowed down. She could see the man's trigger finger slowly moving towards the pulling the trigger. With a snap of her fingers, she deployed a time glyph on herself.

With the speed boost the glyph granted her, she gracefully dodged the bullet as it flew past her, piercing in the leather chair just behind her desk. Before the man could react, Weiss was already right beside him.

The ram Faunus stood staring at the place where the huntress just was, stunned at the amazing speed he had just witnessed.

"Are we done here?"

The voice from behind him immediately snapped him out of his trance as he drew his gun and shot again, nailing Weiss in the heart as she crumpled to the ground. As her body hit the ground, it shattered into millions of pieces of sparkling ice.

"Do you find it entertaining when you take people's lives so easily?"

He spun around to find Weiss a foot away from his face. Although the ram Faunus was more than a head taller and easily twice the weight of the shorter woman, he wasn't as fast and had nowhere near the same amount of combat experience. Even without her trusted Myrtenaster by her side, she could easily take out her opponent without the rapier.

She disarmed him and performed a roundhouse kick to the man's jaw, stunning him. She seized the moment and Weiss grabbed the large horns on his head and pulled, causing the man to jerk his head backwards. She spun and threw the man head first into the bookshelf to the side, denting and cracking the white wall behind it in the process. A cascade of books fell on his head, causing his already spinning world to grow dark spots in his vision. While the Faunus was shaky and disoriented, Weiss spun him around and forced him to the ground, putting her opponent into an arm lock on the verge of dislocating his shoulder. Before he could recover, ice encased his arms and legs, effectively freezing them in place.

He growled as he struggled against the restraints to no avail. A hand grabbed his hair and pulled his head back until his gaze fell upon a pair of azure eyes. The voice he heard next was terrifying enough that it ceased his pointless struggling. At that point, he wondered if there really was a fate worse than death. If there was, he was staring it in the face. Oh, how he wished he just stayed in bed when he woke up.

Weiss' voice was like pure ice; cold and calculating, sending a chill up the spine of the poor man trapped beneath her harsh gaze. Her words were slow and deliberate.

"No amount of money can ever equal a life, but you lost all sympathy from me the moment you dared to raise your weapon against me. And, I will not have you telling me how my company should be run. Do you understand?"

The Faunus tried to nod his head, but the ice queen's grip kept it in place.

"I said, do you understand?"

"Ye-yes ma'am! Yo-you won't get an-any more trouble from me! I swear it!" His eyes bulged in fear as he stumbled over his own words.

"Good."

Weiss dragged her helpless captive over to the entrance of her office. In one smooth motion, she opened the door and tossed the man outside.

"Marisa, if you would be so kind as to show this man out?"

Her secretary nodded, "Ye-yes of course ma'am." Quickly, she dragged the intruder outside and away from the owner of the Schnee Dust Company.

Weiss brushed off her snow white suit jacket, straightened her tie and surveyed the state of her office. There were papers and books strewn over the floor, a patch of ice rested in the corner of the room and she was behind schedule now.

"Great," she muttered. "I have to get the bookshelf and that wall fixed again. Blake's going to have a fit when she gets back…"


The light outside entered through the large window and bathed the office in an orange glow as the sun began to set, signalling the end of another day of hard work.

While everyone else in the building was packing up their belongings and began to leave for their nightly plans, the snowy haired woman rubbed her temples as she tried to stifle the headache she had right now. Not only did she have to care for her company, but she also had to balance her responsibilities as a huntress. Reports have been streaming in constantly the whole day with all of it being bad news.

A stray pack of Grimm has been spotted inching closer and closer to one of the undefended outlying mining villages. She would have to dispatch a team of hunters to deal with it before the situation got out of hand.

Recently there were rumours going around about a possible conflict brewing in Menagerie between the residential Faunus there and the local law enforcement. Hopefully, they will just stay as rumours and avoid more pointless bloodshed. As hard as Weiss and Blake are trying to improve Faunus relations, years of animosity don't simply disappear with some wishful thinking. By the same token, there were many out there that still despise the Schnee Dust Company for what it did in the past, just like the ram Faunus that paid her a visit earlier.

Even worse yet is that shipments of Atlesian Knights and Paladins stolen three years ago have resurfaced wearing White Fang markings. It was assumed that with the loss of Roman Torchwick, the White Fang would slowly crumble away without the monetary support of the criminal. But now the White Fang are more violent than ever with no traces of the once peaceful protest group.

And don't forget piles of seemingly endless paperwork Weiss had to fill out. She let out a tired sigh.

I think I'll need a vacation soon…

Deciding to take a break before her head exploded, she shoved all the paperwork to the side and opened up her desk drawer. She stared at the picture in her hands, the one that team RWBY had taken just as their fourth year began; the year when everything seemed to fall apart.

Regardless, the photo was taken during the happier times. Weiss allowed herself a smile as she remembered how Yang had chased Ruby around in circles trying to get the girl to sit still long enough for Pyrrha to take the photo. 'The excitable sisters,' as Blake referred to them.

She traced her finger over the smiling faces of her teammates, only to be sadly reminded that not everyone graduated from Beacon. Closing the drawer, Weiss placed the picture frame on her desk, hoping that it would give her office a little more life.

A few quick taps on her keyboard and the familiar image of Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose appeared on her computer screen, with one million lien and five hundred thousand lien underneath their names respectively.

It's been two and a half years now, Xiao Long. Are you ever going to come back? If I had been stronger then, could things have been different? Maybe we could all be at a café right now, all together smiling and laughing just like we used to…

A loud knock on the door drew Weiss out of her thoughts. She closed her computer monitor and cleared throat.

"Come in."

Marisa, her secretary, entered with a clipboard in hand. She was a pretty little thing with her light brown hair done up in a bun. She was wearing a dark navy business suit and skirt.

The young woman was in her third year at Beacon. She was here as part of an internship, hoping that working at the Schnee Dust Company would give her enough money and experience for her to pave the way to become an excellent business woman in the future. She had the determination and motivation to be successful; she was studious and extremely hard working. Her marks were excellent, with some even being the top of her class. Weiss made sure to look over her transcripts beforehand, when she was deciding who was to be accepted to work at her company. But it was also obvious that Marisa rarely communicates with anyone but herself, and that she was socially awkward. In so many ways, she reminded Weiss of herself when she first started out at Beacon.

But in so many ways she was more like Ruby. She was shy, kind hearted, open minded and wore her heart on her sleeve. Because of this, it was easy to trust her with work, but hard to entrust her with secrets. As much as Weiss liked her, she wasn't sure Marisa was cut out for a life as a corporate leader. She lacked the ruthlessness needed and she couldn't hide her emotions during meetings either. As for being a huntress… her compassion would only end up being a burden.

Ruby understands what that's like…

"Miss Schnee, the whole building has already gone home. It would be best if you also went home to rest. It's been a long day for you I'm sure." The intruder earlier came to mind.

A quick glance at the clock confirmed that she should have left thirty minutes ago.

"Marisa, what are you still doing here? Your shift ended two hours ago."

"Ummm, well…," the young woman before her was fidgeting with her fingers nervously, staring at her feet, unsure of what to say. "Th-there were some messages for you, a-and I didn't wish to interrupt your work since I know how much you hate to be behind schedule so I waited around longer until a good time presented itself."

"And what makes you think that now is a good time?"

"Oh, I apologize! I wasn't aware that you were still busy!" Marisa squeaked as she gave an immediate ninety degree bow and turned around, on the verge of leaving the office when Weiss' voice told her otherwise.

"Please relax, I was only kidding. What did you need to tell me?"

Her secretary looked at her, blinking profoundly at her boss.

"The messages?"

"Oh! Oh, right!" She quickly flipped through the pages on her clipboard, her face a bright red from her embarrassing simple mistake. Weiss could hear quiet whispers coming from her secretary, most likely scolding herself.

"Th-the Hunter Association has requested your presence for the next meeting in three weeks' time," she said. Her voice and composure still hadn't fully recovered from her earlier embarrassment.

"Is the time already set?"

"No ma'am, the time is still subject to change."

"Good," Weiss murmured. "Ask that it be changed to four weeks' time."

"O-of course."

"Is there anything else?"

"Th-the next part has to do with Miss Belladonna," Marisa stammered out, afraid of the reaction her boss was going to give her at the news.

Weiss' ears perked at that. She sat up straighter and rested her elbows on the desk. "What about?"

"She hasn't reported in for the past week."

That isn't good news at all…

Blake's last assignment was to investigate the recent White Fang attacks. Being a former member herself, if they discovered her she could be in grave danger, most likely life threatening trouble. Weiss wanted to wait and send in a partner with her, but the Hunter Association deemed it a priority mission.

"Cancel all my meetings and appointments for the rest of the week. Send me the coordinates of Blake's last report to my scroll. I will investigate this on my own," Weiss stated as she rose from her seat, stunning the woman in front of her with the sudden movement.

Marisa opened her mouth to protest, but the look in her boss' eye stopped any comment from coming out.

"Ri-right away Miss Schnee!"

"One more thing Marisa."

"Yes ma'am?"

"You should call me Weiss. All my friends do."

"Uhhh, I'll try Miss Schnee."

With that, her secretary turned and left the office, leaving to her thoughts.

You better still be breathing when I find you Belladonna…

Feel free to leave any thoughts, comments, reviews, follows, favourites, whatever you want to throw my way! Even the hate! I promise that I'll read them. It's not like I would curl into a ball and slowly cry myself to sleep in the corner of my room...

*Slowly cries*

Pls don't hurt me \Q.Q/