The sky was clear and a soft cold wind swept over the streets of vale as Weiss retraced her steps to the alley she happened upon the day before. What had started off that day as bitter and lonely ended with surprising warmth in the late autumn dusk when she found a young skinny girl in the slums of Vale. Now however, it was midday and taking the place of her forlorn demeanor that she had the last time she found herself walking this path, she now wore a cheerful, eager smile.

Her thoughts were consumed by that the of girl named Ruby and even though she smiled at the prospect of seeing her, she couldn't ignore the worry in her heart. Her pace quickened little by little as she drew nearer to the alley where she met Ruby, carefully holding a bag in one hand and a box with a cardboard handle within which two insulated foam cups let out a steady stream of soft steam into the cold air from their plastic lids. It was getting pretty cold last night and it will be winter soon… I don't like the idea of her sleeping outside in this weather, I even dressed a little warmer and I'm from Atlas.

Still, what can I do? I'm sure there's a shelter that can take her. Where are her parents? Does she have any family? Why isn't she in the foster care system? She's a minor, how can she be allowed to freeze and starve on the streets?! She felt the burning in her blood overwhelm the coldness of the air as her grip tightened around the bag and box. She had never met someone who was homeless before, she wasn't ignorant, she knew that people had lives much harder than her own but still… The way she smiled, how warm she was, I can tell she's a simple and genuine person. She could have asked for anything knowing that I was the heiress to the SDC but instead… all she asked for was someone to spend time with her.

"How can someone like that be left to suffer and die on the streets?" The world was cruel, the strong survived and the weak were crushed, her father taught her as much. It was the way of life and she always tried to stay strong to avoid being the one left to be trampled but she hated such a worldview and seeing that girl with those shining silver eyes and pure heart become a product of such a world, it make her want to fight it all just so Ruby wouldn't die without anyone by her side, without anyone caring, alone and afraid on the streets.

Being there for her, if that's what she wants that's what I'll give to her. I'll be her friend and make sure she smiles. Hopefully I can help her get someplace safer than a dirty alley, she'd be much better off in the system or a shelter. Her smile had faded away leaving her expression angry and burning with conviction as she walked briskly towards the place where she met Ruby, completely ignoring everyone that passer her, not even thinking about the fact that she still had a healing gash on her lip from where her father hit her the day before. None of that mattered, none of it at all. She just wanted to know why something like this could happen… and what she could do to help. For right now, I guess all I can do is be there for her.

The alley came into sight and she slowed her pace, taking long, deep, steadying breaths, exhaling her anger and sorrow and letting herself remember that she wasn't there for herself, she was there to make Ruby happy, she could easily imagine that girl only being worried about her if she walked in looking upset. So, her heels clicked more slowly against the pavement and her breaths softened as she regained her composure and putting on a warm smile, she stepped into the alley.

Weiss opened her mouth to call out to Ruby but then… she stopped, her head tilting slightly as she watched the girl in a red hoodie with short black hair with her back turned to her visitor, not seeming to notice her arrival. Weiss could hear Ruby humming to herself in frustration as she held up a piece of a broken mirror, looking at her face as she ran her fingers through her hair and tried mostly futilely to clean the dirt off of her face by licking her thumb and using it to wipe away the dirt but only succeeding in smearing it and making it even more apparent.

That dolt. Weiss shook her head before taking a very slow and careful step forward, keeping her heels as silent as possible as she crept up to the girl who was groaning in annoyance at her inability to clean herself.

"What am I going to do? I'm a mess… I probably don't smell very good either. I wish I could take a shower." She gave a long sigh of defeat letting the jagged piece of mirror fall to her side with her hands. "Too bad there isn't a water fountain anywhere around here, maybe I could at least use it to rinse my face off."

"Want some help?"

"Eeep! Weiss!" Ruby spun around, her cheeks burning pink as she dropped the mirrored glass onto the pavement. "I- I um… I didn't see you there. How much did you-"

"Oh I saw the whole thing." Weiss giggled, lifting up her arm slightly, letting the plastic bag fall to her wrist as she reached for a small pouch at her back. After a moment of digging around she pulled out a red monogrammed handkerchief with the letter "S" and the Schnee logo imprinted on it in white. "Hold still."

"That's okay, you don't have to-" Weiss didn't wait for permission, stepping forward she placed the soft cloth under Ruby's chin, making her look up so the heiress could see what she was doing as she began slowly and gently wiping away layers of dirt off of her skin letting the pale white beneath it show. After a moment of looking more than a little uncomfortable, Ruby relaxed, even smiling as Weiss meticulously cleaned her face, not abashed or hesitant in the slightest.

"You've been out here for a while haven't you?" She kept cleaning but her smile was gone as her eyes softened with empathy and her voice dripped with sorrow and compassion, the layers of dirt and grime on her face blackening her cloth and taking several runs over just to get to her delicate pale skin.

"A little over a year I think." Weiss' hand froze immediately over her forehead, her heart lurched with a powerful and deep ache. Did she say a year? This girl has been out on the streets alone… for a year? That- that's… that's not fair.

"Oh, please don't cry Weiss! I'm sorry!" Ruby's shout snapped her from her mind, only then realizing that her cheeks were cold as the crisp autumn air chilled the trails left by her tears.

"Why are you apologizing? I should be the one saying sorry." With a shaky exhale she lifted up her arm foregoing etiquette because of just how meaningless it seemed in front of the girl, she wiped away her tears with her long white sleeves.

"Why should you be sorry? It's not your fault." Ruby tilted her head in confusion, very genuinely not understanding what Weiss meant.

"It's just… what else can I say? You've been out here for a year, what is anyone supposed to say to that?" Her voice was strained though she tried to fight through the tightness in her throat as her eyes clouded with tears once more.

"Say… you'll be my friend?" Ruby looked up into Weiss' shimmering pale blue eyes, her own soft with hope and just a hint of fear as she waited for her potential friend to respond.

"You really are a dolt aren't you?" She smiled through the bittersweet sadness with a sniffle. Again, it was something so simple that she asked for, something so many would take for granted, she was talking to someone with the means to get her anything she wanted. And she asks to be friends.

"Hey, that's not very nice!" Ruby puffed out her cheeks in an adorable pout, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, our drinks are getting cold, wanna have lunch with me?" Weiss smiled softly, holding up the bag and box, her heart both aching and warming as she saw Ruby's eyes widen with surprise and disbelief.

"You mean… that's for us?" Why that was so surprising to her Weiss couldn't fathom, had she never been shown kindness before? Has no one tried to help her the entire year she's been on the streets? Not once?

"Yes Ruby… it's for us. I um, I didn't know what you liked so I just got sweets. Oh and I hope you like hot chocolate because I got some of that too. I wasn't sure if I should go for coffee this but I felt like coco was the safer bet." She smiled and shrugged, extending the bag out to Ruby. "Let's eat."

"Thank you…" Her eyes glistened like liquid metal as she smiled so gratefully, her small hand brushing against Weiss' as she took the bag from her wrist. "Um, are you sure it's okay? I mean, you don't have to eat in this alley with me, there's nowhere to sit and it's pretty cold and-"

"If you can manage then so can I." The finality and determination in the heiress' tone told Ruby that trying to argue with her would get her nowhere. So, with a small but thankful nod she walked over to the nearby brick wall, placing the bag down on the ground before she began to take off her hoodie.

"Um Ruby, what are you doing?" Weiss blinked in confusion as she watched the girl take off her jacket, revealing a black tank-top underneath. Is that really all she's wearing? It's so cold out, just jeans, a tank-top and a thin coat? How has she lasted this long?

"If you're going to be sitting out here with me then the least I can do is give you something more comfortable to sit on than the ground." She extricated her arm from the sleeve, bunching up the red hoodie before carefully placing it down on the ground, smoothing it out so that it would be as comfortable as possible.

"Oh Ruby, you don't have to do that. I'll be fine, it's cold so put your jacket back on." Weiss knew, Ruby had nothing, she didn't have food or warmth or shelter or family and now she was literally offering the clothes off her back so her friend could be more comfortable. How is someone like her suffering so much? Damn it… don't cry.

"Weiss, I've been living out here for a while, I can handle the cold. Please, you're my friend so just accept it and sit next to me, otherwise we'll both stand and that won't be very comfy." She frowned at Weiss with big puppy dog eyes pleading with her not to argue. With a defeated huff of laughter, Weiss relented.

"Fine, but you're putting it back on once we're done." How could she argue with that look? She's trying to be a good friend, being hospitable and generous even when she has nothing and I have everything. Maybe things aren't that simple… she definitely has something I don't.

"Don't have to tell me twice!" With a smirk Ruby plopped herself down beside her hoodie while Weiss walked over, slowly and carefully sitting herself down on top of it, the surprisingly soft fabric acting as a buffer between her butt and the cold, hard pavement.

"Hey Weiss." Ruby smiled as she wrapped her hands around the warm foam cup, humming with contentment as she let the warmth of the drink flow into her cold numbed fingers before bringing it up to her lips, slowly and carefully sipping the still very hot liquid, its deep, sweet flavor washing over her tongue before washing down her dry throat, its heat spreading out from her belly putting the most comfortable smile Weiss had ever seen on anyone on her lips.

"Yes?" Just watching her drink was quite a sight to behold and again she didn't know whether the bliss in her eyes made Weiss more happy or sad.

"Tell me about yourself." Her tone was warm and silvery as she looked excitedly at her companion.

"Like what?" Weiss wasn't usually eager to talk about herself, she tended to keep her feelings and personal matters close. Privacy was rare with fame so she took it wherever she could get it… but she couldn't help but feel safe with Ruby.

"Hmmm, I don't know. What do you like to do?" Ruby stared at Weiss, her eyes wide and attentive and her smile expectant while she wrapped her hands around her drink, savoring as much warmth as possible.

"What do I like to do?" She actually had to think on that one. Her life was so structured, so organized and so planned that she rarely just did things on a whim because she liked them. Pretty much everything she did was done because it served some end. "I liked to… sing."

"Really!?" Her voice was high with excitement and energy. "I bet you sing really beautifully, I can tell by your voice, it's so pretty!"

"Heh-heh… thanks." Weiss could feel her cheeks growing hot as she looked bashfully away from her friend, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. "What about you? What do you like to do?"

"Me? Um… I'm not sure. I guess I like reading." Ruby shrugged her shoulders, reaching into the bag that sat between herself and Weiss., pulling out a chocolate chip cookie wrapped in plastic almost the size of her head. "Wow! Weiss look at the size of this cookie!"

"It's freshly baked too, our personal chef is quite skilled, I think you'll like it." Even saying those words made her feel bad. Here I am bragging about having a personal chef to a homeless kid… well done Weiss, you're turning into your father.

"Thank you! Here, you have some!" Without hesitation Ruby unwrapped the cookie and broke it in half as evenly as she could, extending out one half to her friend.

"You eat it, you need the calories way more than I do and-"

"But you said we could eat together." Weiss knew immediately by her tone of voice that her pout was coming, it was over before it began.

"Fine but make sure you eat enough okay?" She resigned herself to her friend's overwhelming warmth and kindness, taking the half cookie from her. Taking a bite, it was soft and still a little bit warm on the inside, the chocolate chips just melted in her mouth.

"Mmmmmmmm! So good! This is amazing! Thank you so much!" Her voice was little more than elated squeaks as she wolfed down the large halved cook in a matter of seconds, savoring it was much as she could before her hunger compelled her to swallow it down.

"I'm glad you liked it." She giggled at the pure happiness on Ruby's face as she licked the chocolate and crumbs off of her lips but Weiss was barely holding back her heartache. Still, it felt good, making her that happy.

"So, what do you want to do when you grow up?" Ruby asked, gulping down her hot chocolate to wash down her cookie before reaching into the back, pulling out a small styrofoam box with a frosted cinnamon roll inside to which she looked as though she had just received the greatest gift of her life.

"When I grow up? I mean, I'm the heiress to the SDC, my future is already decided." She didn't sound thrilled because she wasn't thrilled. She was being groomed to be just like her father. She never felt she had the stomach for the way he did business and now, seeing Ruby, she hated to think about the lives he had ruined.

"You could always decide something else if you wanted to." Ruby spoke as she chewed large bites of the cinnamon roll, lucky for her Weiss wasn't going to scold her on manners. The poor girl was starving, Weiss was happy to see her eating.

"I always wanted to be a Huntress like my mom was. They're so cool and strong and they fight to make the world a better place! I wanted to be one ever since I was little!" She was absolutely shining talking about it, brimming with enthusiasm, Weiss could so clearly see a spark in her when she spoke of it and it was rather beautiful.

"You're still young, you have time. You could do it." She tried to be reassuring but she knew it couldn't be that simple. Still, if Ruby wanted it bad enough, Weiss would help her however she could. Being a Huntress was certainly a better life than being half starved on the streets. "You know, my older sister Winter is a Huntress, well, she's actually a specialist with the Atlesian military but yeah, she trained at Atlas Academy!"

"That's so cool!" She swallowed the last bite of the roll as beamed with enthusiasm. "So you're a little sister too huh? I should have guessed."

"You have an older sister?" Weiss didn't want to pry but she was definitely curious, if only because she wanted to help Ruby. However, she immediately regretted the step forward as Ruby's bright and cheerful expression broke down into solemn depression, her silver eyes dulled with pain.

"Yeah… her name is Yang. Um, if it's okay, I'd rather not talk about my family…" She shrunk back, curling up slightly into a ball as she awkwardly sipped at her drink, unwilling to look up at Weiss.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry… um, can I ask you something else personal?" She wanted to help, that's what compelled her, pushing her to press for answers even knowing it might make Ruby uncomfortable.

"M-maybe…" She sounded so… scared.

"How did you end up homeless?" Weiss watched Ruby visibly flinch, shrinking back even further as her jaw clenched and her fingers warped the cup ever so slightly.

"I don't want to talk about that either… I'm sorry." She looked so scared and so hurt and so guilty, Weiss wanted to do something, anything to make up for her putting Ruby in that position… so she did.

"No, I'm sorry." Without another word Weiss took a deep breath and scooted closer, moving the bag out of her way until she was shoulder to shoulder with Ruby, sharing her warmth. If she hasn't even been given the kindness of food in the last year then she's probably gone without physical human contact too… now I know why she was so hesitant to let me go when we first met. I'm not big on physical affection, I barely know this girl… but this is my fault and the world has been cruel enough to her.

Ruby didn't say anything but Weiss could feel the small body beside her relax as it moved a little closer, pressing herself against her friend, her hand just barely touching Weiss', the first time Ruby had felt another person's touch in… so long. Her fear, anxiety and depression melted away as she felt Weiss' warmth flow into her and, as she leaned against her, resting her head on her shoulder, a soft and unfathomably grateful smile formed from her lips.

"Thank you… Weiss."