So…holy crap. I checked the story this morning and saw theres already 9 people following it. Thank you guys very much for that, that beat my expectations.

-Patch-

Blake knocked on the door lightly, shifting the tray in her free hand. "Yang? You awake yet?" She called, hearing no answer. She was about to turn around when she heard a sigh.

"Come on in," Yang said. Opening the door, Blake walked over and sat the tray down onto her lap.

"Your dad made you some breakfast. I figured you'd be pretty hungry, so I helped with some of the other stuff," she said, a small smile on her face. She was met only with silence. Blake took the seat beside the bed, folding her hands into her lap. "He..said that it was your favorite when you were younger. That you'd kick and fuss until he made it exactly your way. Sure sounds like you," she chuckled a bit. Her smile finally fell when Yang stared down blankly but made no motion to start eating. "Please Yang…you can't keep doing this. You need to start taking care of yourself again," she said.

"What's the point? Think if I make myself stronger again I can help fight?" She muttered, gesturing to her stump of an arm.

"You could if you'd get a prosthetic-"

"How many times are people going to try and push that on me?!" She snapped, her eyes flashing red for a brief moment. After a second, she slumped back against her pillows, staring out the window. "I'd rather be dead than walk around with a hunk of metal trying to pass for my arm."

"Your acting like you want to be dead regardless. You haven't left this house once since what happened, you barely talk to your family-"

"Why the hell do you care? You left me once, you'll probably just do it again!"

"Never! Im never leaving you again," Blake said firmly.

"And by the way, what if I do want to be dead?! You ever think that maybe I think it would be better than being a cripple for the rest of my life?!"

"Your choosing to let this beat you! Your not even considering the options you've been given. The Yang Xiao Long I know wouldn't roll over for anything, and yet here you are doing just that. Obviously your not the same person I knew," Blake said angrily. It broke her heart seeing Yang in this state, not least of all because she hadn't even forgiven herself for what had happened. But she was sick and tired of seeing this from someone she knew damn well was way too strong for it. Yang's eyes began to water a bit as she turned away again. "Yang.." She slowly reached her hand out and took Yang's. "You can get back out there. You can make a difference again..but only if you choose to," she said, standing up and walking towards the door.

"None of your understand.." Yang whispered, making her stop in her tracks. She turned to see Yang looking at her, tears now running down her face freely. "I'm nothing but a failure. I couldn't save you that night. If it wasn't for you we'd both be dead. And that was when I had both my real arms! Maybe..maybe if I'd only been able to beat that monster that night, things wouldn't have to be like this.."

"Yang-"

"Meanwhile, My little sister is out there right in the thick of everything, and am I there; fighting and helping her? No! Im stuck here because I can't even look at myself in the mirror anymore without feeling like I failed everyone I love and care about! I-I just.." She leaned forward, choked sobs taking over her attempts to form words. Blake walked back over and slowly reached out, wrapping her arms around her, letting Yang cry into her shoulder while her own eyes watered. Blake waited until her crying became softer and her shoulders quit heaving before saying anything.

"I felt the same way you did,"she whispered. Yang look up now, and Blake stared down at her. "When you were lying there unconscious..i hated myself, Yang. I hated that because I couldn't bring myself to try and truly stop Adam that you were nearly killed."

"You did the best you could..i never blamed YOU for this.. I wish you'd stop blaming yourself."

"That's just it, though. You should be blaming and yelling at me for this, because I DIDN'T fight my hardest. Not really. I didn't want to believe the man who mentored me and cared for me all that time had truly turned into something like that. An optimist to the end I suppose. To see what he was now, how far he had fallen..it was horrifying. That easily could have been me, Yang. If I hadn't seen the signs of where it was all headed and gotten out of there when I did..i don't know where I would have ended up."

"I doubt you'd ever be like him. Even if you'd stayed in there until you died, you could never be that way. Your too kind of a person.."Blake couldn't help but smile at that.

"You..have no idea how much it means to hear you say that," she said softly, her smile dropping a bit as Yang sniffed;another crying fit threatening to take over. "But if I'm not allowed to blame myself for what happened to you, then your not allowed to feel like you failed anyone. Because that is about as far from the truth as possible. You charged in, you didn't care who he was or what he could do, you only cared that he was hurting me. As far as I'm concerned..that's all that matters."

"I'm just so tired of feeling like I'm worthless now.." She said, pulling away from her and leaning back again. Blake bit her lip before letting out a long breath.

"Then…I think taking Ironwood up on his offer is something you need to seriously consider. Why are you so afraid of having it done?"

"Because I'm not stupid, Blake. I've seen how people who replace lost limbs get treated. Their looked at with pity. Like they need sympathy for what happened to them from everybody they meet. And even the ones who don't say anything have this look in their eyes that will drive you insane."

"So you care what random people think more than your what your loved ones do?"

"No! I didn't say-"

"That's what your implying, Yang. Weiss, Ruby and me couldn't care less if your arm is flesh and blood or metal. Neither would your father, Qrow, you name it. We can see how bad you want to be out there. But you've already been told that it's not going to happen with one arm only. So if being out there and fighting is the only thing that will break you out of this slump..you need to do it. People might make comments, but to hell with them. Besides..I know Ruby and Weiss miss you being there. And Im not going out there without my partner," she smiled; Yang returning it this time. She stood and headed back to the door, pulling it shut a little as she stepped out into the hall, "think about it. And eat before it gets any colder. Zwei is starting to get fat off of all the leftovers," she said as the door clicked shut; leaving Yang alone with her thoughts as she picked up her fork and began to eat.

"Maybe she's right..I can't sit here forever. Ruby will drag me out if I keep going like this. And she's got a point. Since when do I give a Ursa's ass about what random people think of me? God, I'm more messed up over this than I even realized. If Ruby ever got hurt and I could have stopped it if I would have just sucked it up and done this, I don't think id ever forgive myself. Still though..what if it goes wrong-damn it Xiao Long that's exactly what she was talking about! Snap out of it!'

She threw the covers off and grabbed the mostly empty plate, slowly walking to the kitchen, where Blake and Taiyang were talking. "Guys…is it cool if I say something real quick?" She asked as she sat her plate in the sink.

"Of course,"Blake nodded

"Go ahead, sweetheart,"

"I..Im really sorry. I know I've been worrying everyone with how I've been the last few months. I've just been so scared and confused I didn't know where to even start."

"After what you went through, you don't have to apologize for whats happened. That's not something most people can just shrug off."

"I-I know dad..just..i need you to do me a favor. Before I lost my nerve all over again."

"Just name it."

"Call Ironwood back..tell him I want to try this whole 'new arm' offer of his," she said, smiling a bit at the look of relief on Blake's face and the grin of her fathers. He excused himself to go make the call as Yang sat down at the table.

"What made you change your mind?" Blake smiled

"Honestly…you. Everything you said in there really made me think, and I decided you were right."

"Well..don't get too used to it. I've only got so many pep talks in me and Ruby has already used most of quota for the year," she said. The two girls laughed, one of the few times Yang had genuinely done so in a long time as they waited for Taiyang to return.

-Haven-

Emerald leaned back against the wall as she and Mercury kept watch over the front of the warehouse. "How much longer do we have to sit here? My sores are getting sores at this point," she muttered. She sighed in frustration when he shrugged. "Is this even the right place?"

"I just go by the address. And it let us to this place. So…think comfortable thoughts until then, I don't know," he said, a little smirk crossing his face when he glanced at her.

"Asshole."

"Ah, you love me and you know it."

She folded her arms and turned to look away from him. "In your dreams, buddy," she said. Emerald had begun to despise missions like this. Since they'd moved their base out of Haven, Cinder had been sending them here and there cleaning up loose ends. Or at least that's what they were supposed to be doing. It wasn't all bad, though. It got her away from the woman for a few hours to a couple days. Lately just being near her caused shivers to run down her back and not just fear, but with disgust. "What do we do once were in?" She asked after sitting in silence for a few minutes. Mercury raised an eyebrow and leaned back, letting out a breath.

"She wants him dead. Same as the others. But..I'm thinking it'd probably be for the best to follow her instructions this time."

"Since when did you start giving a damn what she wanted again?"

"I don't, Em. But we can't keep letting them go either. Eventually the 'hunters interfered' excuse is going to wear thin. Im pretty sure she already knows. She just cant afford to get rid of us for now," He said, looking at her. Emerald knew he had a point. Lately if they'd been ordered to silence someone, they would instead just let them disappear on their own. Cinder-and to a much more worrying extent the White Fang's- increasing bloodthirsty way of doing things had started to worry them very quickly. Images of what she'd done to Neo after what happened to Roman often replayed in their minds. And Emerald had no desire to end up like her, but more than that, Cinder showed they were all expendable. Their lives meant nothing to her, but she had no problem telling them to risk theirs at ever turn. And as far as they were concerned, that wasn't someone worth being truly loyal too.

"I don't want to do this," she mumbled. "She's got her pets the White Fang for this. Im done being her attack dog." Mercury studied her look for a moment before nodding a bit.

"Then we do our usual routine. And it looks like we decided just In time. There goes the last of his workers," he said. They jumped up and quickly made their way down the fire escape. Crossing quickly, they walked through the large chain link gate and into the office area where the target was. A large, balding man in a foremans uniform. Even if Emerald wasn't fed up with all this, she couldn't have killed him. He looked way too pitiful. "Hey there," Mercury said. The man jumped a bit and spun around.

"Are you here to rent a storage unit? Sorry, but were all closed up for the night." Emerald slowly closed the door and them the blinds. "U-uh..is there a problem?"

"Not if you shut up and listen. You recall about..seven or eight months ago you were approached by a..'friend' of ours about storing some less than legal items here, yes? And spare us the runaround, buddy. You probably already know who it was," Mercury said. The man stuttered uncontrollably to the point Emerald almost smacked him, but she stopped herself.

"Y-yes. I remember her..the eyes of a devil, that one had. And her annoying friend with the cane and hat."

"Oh you found him annoying too? You'll be happy to know he's dead."

"Oh…that's…good?"

"For my sanity, yes." Emerald said with a slight laugh. Mercury shushed her and went on.

"Unfortunately this same 'friend' has seen fit to terminate you now. You know about her and the things that she kept her under your watch. If your ever investigated well..you could spill everything now couldn't you?" The mans face was paper white and his knees were now trembling.

P-please..i-ill pay you all the lien you want! As much as I can!"

"Calm down. Were not here for your money, as a matter of fact you should count yourself lucky were the ones she chose for this. See..I really don't want to get blood on me. The stuff stains like you wouldn't even begin to believe. So sadly, I just can't be bothered today."

"You..your letting me go? No questions asked, I'm off the hook?" He asked shakily. Emerald shook her head at this

"Not exactly. Were giving you until tomorrow to leave Haven. Don't care where you go, just can't stay here."

"What happens if I don't?" He whispered

"Oh..you really don't want to know the answer to that. Twenty four hours passes, you better be gone. Understood?" Mercury said

"Yes! Yes of course! Oh thank you so-"

"Don't thank us. Just do it." Emerald said, both of them turning and heading out. As they left, they heard the man hurriedly packing everything in sight from his office so he could head home. "Thanks for that Merc." She said, smiling a bit. He looked at her, a small smirk of his own on his face.

"You realize eventually our number is going to come up, right?"

"I'm not worried. By then, we'll already have figured a way out of this mess. Anyone she takes her anger out on from that point can burn for all I care. As long as were both okay."

"Aw, I'm absolutely touched. Didn't think even I mattered as much as yourself," he said. She threw her arms behind her head as they walked down the street.

"Then you should start paying more attention," she said, making him stop in place.

"The hell does that mean?" She kept walking. "Em?" He called, hurrying to catch up, but still no answer. "Women." He sighed.

So that was a thing and a half to write. Seriously the Emerald and Mercury bits took forever.

Again, thanks very much for all the follows on this story so far guys. If you all enjoyed please remember to review and all that. Next chapter we get some more of the falling out between Jaune and Ruby as well as getting a peek as to the situation in Vales leadership. See ya'll next time.

-DB