Blake was sitting in her bed reading when her phone rang. She set the book down with a wistful sigh. It looked like she was going to finish her ritual re-read of the Ninjas of Love series with at least a week to spare before the next book came out. Having her girlfriend suddenly go out of town for the last two weeks of summer vacation had definitely helped with the re-read, if not Blake's mood.
Speaking of girlfriends… "Hey, you," she answered the phone, a goofy grin spreading wide on her face. "How'd court go this morning?"
"About like anybody with two brain cells to rub together knew it would," Ruby answered. "The judge took one look at Yang's uncle's lawyer, and said, 'Your client may have a legal right to petition for custody, but only a fool would grant it to him, and I am not that fool. Mister Branwen isn't even here today; at this moment, he's still in prison. And his niece's father happens to be standing right there. Petition denied.' And bam went his gavel."
"Think you'll hear from him again?" Blake asked as she flopped back on her bed.
"Probably. Yang says he's probably after her mother's money. Figures we'll give him some of it to go away. Joke's on him; it's all being held in trust until Yang's twenty-five. Raven's lawyer did allow us to draw on it for all the legal fees, plane tickets, and stuff." Ruby's voice trailed off wearily, then came back excited. "Hey! Yang's got a motorcycle. She gave me a ride on it before we had to get it packed up for shipping. Maybe she'll give you a ride, too."
"Maybe."
"What's wrong? You sound kinda down, Blake." Without skipping a beat, Ruby's voice slid into her best shoulder-to-lean-on tone. "Come on, tell me."
"My mom's been on me about, well, plans for after high school." Blake sighed, twisting a stray lock of hair around a finger. "She doesn't want me staying here. I've been hearing non-stop for the last month about the virtues of her alma mater, the University of Kuo Kuana. There was even a college yearbook involved." She shuddered in mock horror, forgetting that Ruby couldn't see her.
"Blake..." Ruby's voice was sad. "You don't have to stay here, just to be with me. I'll graduate in a couple of years. We can, I dunno, just try the long-distance thing for a while."
Blake sat up, swinging her legs over the side of her bed as she checked to make sure her bedroom door was firmly shut. "I'm not staying here just because of you. I don't even remember Menagerie, not really. We moved here when I was, what, eight? Nine? I grew up here, Vale is home to me."
"Alright. I just… I'd feel really bad if you stayed here just for me."
"I know." A warmth spread up Blake's cheeks. It was things like that that made Ruby so special. "Blatant change of topic: How's your new sister holding up? What's she like?"
"Honestly, I'm not sure what to think about her yet. She's been really moody. One minute she's bright and sunny, and the next, she's angry and yelling at everyone. Her and dad got into a yelling match last night, her screaming at him for being gone her whole life."
"She's had a rough couple of weeks, Ruby. First the accident, and then she finds out that the father she was told abandoned the two of them never knew she even existed. It's going to take time."
"Yeah." The pain in Ruby's voice made Blake just want to hold her until the universe went away. "Yang seems pretty nice when she's not crying or yelling. All dad and I can do is be there for her, you know?"
"Count me in. I'm part of the team too." Blake's eyes caught the framed picture on her dresser, reminding her of someone else. "And probably Weiss too. Have you heard from her?"
"Just a few text messages. Her dad's had her on double-lockdown all summer, worse than usual. She'll be at school Monday morning, assuming he doesn't pull bullshit like he did last year."
"Right." The memory made Blake scowl. Last year Weiss' father had pulled some legal shenanigans to keep her in Atlas almost a month past the end of his official visitation time. The white-haired girl had expressed how pissed she was about it at length and volume. Blake couldn't help but wonder how he'd managed to get his summer visitation this year.
"Blake? I, uh, I haven't told Yang about us, but I think I probably oughta. It'd help avoid awkward situations. Can I?"
Now Blake flopped back on her bed again. "I don't know, Ruby."
And there it was, the Goliath in the room of her and Ruby's relationship. It had started with her and Ruby just getting closer and closer, spending more and more time together. It had taken Weiss asking how long they'd been dating before Ruby and Blake had realized they practically were a couple. Ruby had been okay with them getting together, but Blake had been more hesitant. Losing her best friend trying to make their friendship something more? That would have been unimaginable. But they'd tried, and she was glad they had.
Now the problem was letting other people know. Weiss knew, obviously. Ruby's dad had learned by accident, catching the two of them making out on the couch. Blake's parents? Hopefully oblivious. A couple of others knew.
Right. Time to take the bull by the horns. If they were going to stay together after Blake graduated, letting a few more people know would make things easier. "Okay, tell your sister. And, um, I'll work on telling my parents. They already know you, so shifting you over from best friend to girlfriend should be easy, right?"
"Great!" Blake could practically hear Ruby's smile. "I'll let you know how it goes here."
"Blake?" Her mother's voice came up the stairs. "You have a visitor."
Blake said a painfully hasty goodbye and stood up, checking herself in the mirror before heading downstairs. "Who is it, mom?" she asked, right before she caught sight of the figure standing in the entryway.
Adam. "Shit," slipped from between Blake's lips before she could stop herself. "What are you doing here? Haven't you done enough damage?"
"Blake, please-" Kali started to say, but Blake wasn't having any of it.
"No, you don't get it, mother! He was going around school, telling everyone that we were planning on getting married, that he was going away for a year while I stayed in school so he could earn money for us to move back to Menagerie together. And, oh, let's not forget the assault charge! He dislocated my fucking arm! Get the hell out of here, Adam!" Blake yelled, pointing at the door.
Kali winced at the verbal assault, but before she could speak, Adam said, "She's not wrong, Mrs. Belladonna. And… I'm not here to bother you, not really, Blake." He took a deep breath, a look of concentration on his face. "Part of my court-ordered counseling and rehabilitation is making amends for what I've done. So I came here to say I'm sorry for what I've done to you. I just wanted to take care of you and make you happy, but I took it too far. I was… obsessed with you. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you, and I'm not going to bother you anymore."
Blake started to turn and go back upstairs, not wanting to talk to him anymore, but the look on her mother's face stopped her. Be nice, it said. She took a deep breath. "Adam… I'm glad you're trying to make amends, but I don't know when or if I'll ever be ready to forgive you. I'm, I'm dating someone else now."
He nodded. "That's good news. I hope he makes you happy."
"She does," Blake answered, a wistful smile spreading across her face.
After Adam had left, Blake turned to glare at her mother. "What were you thinking, mother? Did you forget what he did? How he hurt me?"
"I just… He said he just wanted to talk to you for a moment, to apologize for everything. And that's all he said, wasn't it?" Kali smiled. "He wasn't too bad, at least in the beginning, wasn't he?"
Blake didn't even respond. She just stormed up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door shut behind her.
Outside, on the sidewalk, Adam stood looking at the Belladonnas' home. You will be mine again, Blake. No matter what it takes.
"Ready to go?"
Yang jumped at the unfamiliar voice. She'd been staring out at her backyard, remembering her thirteenth birthday party of all things. "Yeah, I guess. It's just..."
"It's okay," the man she was still learning to think of as her father said as he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You've been through a lot, this past couple of weeks." Taiyang's other hand pointed toward the backyard. "Is it my imagination or do I see a treehouse in that tree over there?"
"Damn right you do," Yang answered, slapping her hand on the windowsill with a laugh. "I wanted to build one forever, but mom kept saying no. So one time when she was going out of town on business for a week, I hatched a plan. As soon as she was on the plane, my friends and I got to work. By the time that college girl she had 'watching' me caught on, it was half-finished. We even got Vernal's dad to help us out with power tools. Boy was he ever mad when he found out we didn't have permission."
Her father laughed. "So how'd it get finished? More subterfuge?"
"I raided the kitchen for snacks and drinks, then climbed up there and refused to come down until she let me finish it. Mom told my babysitter to just let me sit up there until I gave up. She didn't plan on my friends sneaking me more supplies." She laughed. "Three days later, mom gave up and let us finish, although she did insist on some modifications to our original design. For safety. I kissed my first boy up there, you know."
Taiyang frowned at her in mock anger. "Do I need to have a talk with this young man?"
"Nope, we broke up a long time ago."
"I'm sorry I wasn't here for that."
Yang couldn't help but search his eyes for any sign he wasn't sincere, but all she could see was concern for a daughter he'd never known and determination to be here for her now. "Not your fault. Mom lied to me, told me you'd abandoned us. I never… I never questioned that."
"I'm here now. And more specifically, I'm here now to tell you that it's time for us to leave for the airport." Her father glanced at the white box that was the only thing left on her dresser. "Want me to get that?"
"Nah, I've got it." Yang scooped the box up in her left arm, then started for the door. "I still don't see why I can't stay here. I've got friends whose parents can look after me."
Taiyang just shook his head as he shut the door softly behind them. "There are laws against that sort of thing. 'Parental abandonment,' they call it. Plus your uncle can use that to get legal custody of you, and control of your mother's money. That's your legacy, Yang. Mister Watts is going to look after the house for you, and we can always come back to visit."
"I don't care about the house, I don't want to come back to visit, I WANT MY MOTHER BACK!" For what had to be the millionth time since the accident that had claimed her mother's life, Yang swung out with her right arm, fist aimed straight at her father's smug face. Or at least she tried to. Instead, he sidestepped and she overbalanced herself, the stump of her right arm waving vaguely toward him before she went tumbling down the stairs. Sitting up, she blew her bangs out of her face. Then she started looking around frantically. "Mom? Where's mom?"
"She's right here." Taiyang bent down and picked up the box holding Raven's ashes from the top step, peering inside. "No damage to the urn and the lid's still on it. You okay?"
"Other than making an idiot of myself for the zillionth time, I'm just fine." Yang struggled to her feet. "I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize." Taiyang handed her the box with a wink. "I don't think we need to mention this to Ruby, either. Even if she's only known you a couple of weeks, as far as she's concerned, you've been her big sister her whole life. Ruby's really worried about you."
Sister. That was something else to get used to. Yang had been an only child her whole life, always envying her friends who had brothers and sisters. Now there was this person calling her 'sis' and trying to be her friend. She blew a stray lock of hair out of her face, scowling as it defiantly settled back where it had been. At least this time she didn't reach with a hand that wasn't there anymore to brush it away. "You know what really weirds me about this?" Yang asked, looking for a change of subject as she stepped through the front door her father held wide. "My name. I mean, mom took off, maybe without even knowing she was pregnant. Why'd did she give me your name? And not just your last name, either. My first name's even a variation on yours. So what the hell? Dad," she added, as much to make Tiayang happy as to remind herself.
"That I don't know, Yang. Probably the only person that knew was your mother."
That made Yang stop in the middle of the sidewalk. "Dad… it's okay for you to call her by name."
"I…" Her father stopped, not looking at her. "I'm not ready for that, Yang. I don't know why she never told me about you, why she hid you from me. And I guess I never will. So I need time."
"Yeah." Yang drew a deep breath, looking over at where Ruby was leaning up against the car Tiayang had rented, tapping away at her phone again. Her new little sister was freaking obsessed with the damn thing. "I guess… I guess we've got a lifetime to get to know each other. Better get started." Summoning up every ounce of cheer she could muster, Yang put a smile on her face and sauntered over to the car. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Just had to say goodbye to the house."
Arthur Watts, her mother's lawyer, nodded. "I can understand how it can be difficult to say goodbye to somewhere that holds so many memories. Rest assured, the house will be waiting for you until you decide to return. Miss Yang, I don't think I've said this before but…your mother was one of my clients that it was a pleasure to do business with. I will miss her."
Yang nodded, then tapped Ruby's foot with hers. "Hey, Ruby, look up. Time to go."
Ruby blushed and put away her phone. "Sorry."
"No worries. I did kinda take my time, saying goodbye to my house."
As they drove away from the house, Yang looked over at Ruby. Sure enough, Ruby was tapping away at her phone again. "Whatcha doing, sis? You've been glued to that thing all morning," she said quietly.
"I, uh..." Ruby glanced at their dad, concentrating as he drove the car through the unfamiliar streets. No better opening than this. "I was texting my girlfriend."
"I gotcha. You two missing each other pretty bad? I saw you calling somebody a lot."
"Yeah." Even in the darkness of the car's interior, Yang could see the blush spreading across Ruby's cheeks. Damn, her sister was adorable when she blushed. She made a note to try teasing her sister about her girlfriend. Not too much; best to start off small. "The thing is," Ruby continued, "she's not out, not to everyone, just a few people. So, keep it to yourself, okay?"
"Got it." Yang couldn't help but wince at the thought that Ruby wouldn't have told her yet if she thought she could avoid it. "So who's in the know? So I don't let it slip in front of somebody I shouldn't."
"Dad, our friends Weiss, Sun, and Neptune. That, that's pretty much it." Ruby laughed. "Oh, Sun's Blake's ex-boyfriend, but he and Neptune are kinda dating now. Except they won't admit it, so don't make a deal of it if you notice, okay?"
"Must be kinda weird, your girlfriend's ex keeping a secret like that for you."
"Sun is like the most relaxed guy ever. I mean, when he caught me and Blake kissing, all he did was tell me how lucky I was." Ruby's face fell, and she glanced at Taiyang again before leaning toward Yang. "Listen, yesterday Blake got a visit from her other ex, and it shook her up pretty bad. He's, he's kinda stalker psycho. So, um, dad asked me to look after you until school starts, but is it okay if I take off for a bit when we get home? Just for a little while?"
"No problem. Bring her to the house if you want, I don't mind. And hey, if the psycho needs his ass kicked, I'm your girl." Yang tried to smack her hands together, only to end up staring down at her left hand. "At least I was."
"Eh, don't worry about it. You've got an appointment with the prosthetics guy right after we get back, right? Pretty sure he'll fix you up in no time. I mean, they already fitted the cap on your, um, whatever, right? That's halfway there, and the rest is just fabrication."
"Yeah." Yang turned away, staring out the window. As she watched the city she'd grown up in go past for what might be the last time, her mind wandered back to the last time she'd spoken with her mother.
"Mrs. Branwen, I must advise against this. You're both severely injured."
"First, it's Miss Branwen, I'm not married. And second, I don't care. Now piss off, I want to talk to my daughter in private."
After the doctor had left, Raven's eyes focused as best they could on Yang's face. "Yang, are you there? I know they've got us both on some pretty heavy painkillers, but I need to talk to you."
"Mom..." Yang fought through the fog, meeting her mother's eyes. "I'm… kinda here. I… I want a hug, but the doctor says I have to lay down. He's worried about, um. I can't remember."
"I know." Raven reached out and took Yang's remaining hand, her arm stretching from her gurney to Yang's. "Listen, this is going to be hard, but I'm going to be honest with you. In a couple of minutes, they're going to wheel me into surgery. I was hurt pretty bad, bad enough they're amazed I'm conscious."
Yang laughed, wincing when it made her head hurt. "They said the same thing about me. Guess I get my stubborn streak from you."
"Right." Raven sighed. "The truth is… I might not survive the surgery."
"Mom-!"
"I know. I love you too, Yang, and I'm wishing with all my heart that I make it through this. But if I don't, I've left instructions with Mister Watts. Do you remember him, my lawyer? Just do what he says, okay? Please, for me."
"Okay. But I'm not going have to because you're going to get through this just fine." Yang fought back the tears. Her mother hated it when Yang cried, and she was damned if she was going to let her mother down now.
"Yang." Raven ran her hand down her daughter's cheek. "It's okay to cry, sometimes. And always remember how much I love you."
"I love you too, mom."
After they wheeled her mother away, Yang broke down crying, sobbing softly until sleep overtook her.