Chapter 3

Weiss awoke to the smell of flowers.

The soft scent surprised her, and she cracked open her eyes. She realised she was in an odd position, legs bent over the edge of her bed, and a weight on her arm, with another across her stomach. As she blinked her eyes open, her gaze rested on dark red locks of hair. She now recognised the smell, it was the shampoo that Ruby always used.

Weiss looked down at the girl. Ruby had rolled over in her sleep, and her left arm was now draped across Weiss's belly. The memories of their earlier conversation returned to Weiss, and of the hug she had given her team leader, colour tingeing her pale cheeks.

Gently, Weiss removed her arm from under Ruby, and move the arm that was draped over her aside, carefully extracting herself without waking Ruby and standing by the bed. Ruby's arm lay clutching at nothing, and a frown crossed the sleeping face.

"Weiss... where are you?"

The sleep-talking had surprised Weiss. 'She's dreaming about me? How flattering.' Weiss leant over the sleeping girl, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm right here Ruby."

Ruby smiled, and seemed to giggle in her sleep. Weiss stood up straight again, then went to the wardrobe. She needed some clean clothes, her current ones were sticking to her from having been slept in.

"...love..."

Weiss started at the word. Ruby had been muttering something under her breath, but only the one word had caught Weiss's ear. She looked over at the peacefully sleeping girl. 'What was she saying?'

Nothing more left the girl's mouth, and Weiss returned to her task, still somewhat curious about the word. As she found another outfit to wear, she heard movement from behind her, and when she turned around, she saw Ruby sitting up rubbing her eyes.

"Evening," Ruby sleepily said as she saw Weiss.

"Good evening." Weiss glanced at where a set of Ruby's clothes were placed in the wardrobe, and picked them up, placing them next to Ruby on the bed. "I'm going for a shower before dinner. You should at least change."

Ruby nodded, "Gimme a sec, and I'll join you." Weiss nodded, and stood waiting as Ruby sorted herself out.

Ruby was ecstatic. She had just slept with her crush. Okay, not like that but it was still awesome. Now they were going for a shower together... she just wished it were like that.

The biggest reason she was happy was that Weiss's reaction to Ruby's revelation was about as good as it could have been. Well it could have been better, Weiss could have thrown her arms around Ruby and sworn her undying love to the redhead, although at that point Ruby would have asked who she was, and what she had done with the real Weiss.

To put it simply, Ruby had feared much worse, and expected a much less favourable reaction. The way she had reacted made Ruby feel much better. At the very least she was sure that Weiss would now take any future confessions seriously.

"What're you smiling about?" Weiss asked.

"Oh, nothing much." Ruby tried to stop grinning like an idiot. It was difficult to say the least.

"Well whatever, hurry up."

Ruby did as told, her grin still firmly in place.

"So how are our sleeping beauties?" Yang asked as Weiss and Ruby joined the blonde and her partner at a table in the canteen.

The only responses were a glare from Weiss, and a mischievous grin from Ruby. Yang was pleased, evidently something had gone right for the pair.

"Man, my little Ruby is all grown up now, she goes shopping with a girl and then sleeps with her."

"Yang!" Weiss's glare intensified.

"Soon they'll be getting married, and have beautiful babies together."

"Shut it!" Weiss said crossly, before deciding to turn her attention to her meal, rather than the most aggravating girl she had ever met.

Ruby was suddenly caught in a daydream of Weiss clutching a little girl, with silver eyes and hair. For some reason, the baby had also inherited Weiss's scar. Ruby decided to make sure that any child of theirs should not have any scars until she was old enough.

Yang noticed Ruby was out of it, and smirked, "What's on your mind Ruby? Maybe the cute babies you and Weiss will have together."

"N-no!" Ruby stammered out. She was glad Weiss had stopped paying any attention to Yang's comments, because she knew exactly how convincing her reply had not been.

Yang would have continued, but a well-time elbow from Blake silenced her. 'Could I not at least have some fun with this? Before I lose my little sister,' Yang thought to herself, but kept her thoughts to herself.

Blake gave Yang a glance to make sure the boisterous girl would not continue, then spoke, "Weiss, I had a look through some of the books on dust. Nothing useful I'm afraid, but there are still plenty more upstairs for us to look through. I'm afraid I don't know enough from a practical point of view to really understand some of it though."

Weiss nodded, "Fair enough. We can go through some of it after dinner. I can spend most of tomorrow on it too."

"Don't we have all those assignments to do though?" Ruby asked.

"You mean the ones I did on Thursday evening while you were reading comics and devouring the contents of our cookie jar?" Weiss smiled as the redhead squirmed.

"We~ll..."

"I'll take that as a yes."

Ruby pouted, "You'll help me though, won't you Weiss?"

"Maybe, if you're good, and don't just try to copy my whole essay."

"That was one time!"

"And you almost got both of us in detention for it! Imagine what that would have done to my reputation!"

"The Snow Queen in trouble? That would have been good!" Yang spoke with a bright beaming smile.

Weiss made a mental note to buy sunglasses at the next opportunity. "Yang, do be quiet, some of us are trying to have a half-decent conversation."

"Then you and Blake can be the decent half, and me and Ruby can be the indecent half."

Weiss wished that when she glared daggers at Yang that it were literally so. However, making pieces of sharpened metal fly from her eyes when she was angry was not among her repertoire of skills, so she had to make do with her angriest glower.

"Well Xin, in spite of getting caught, that went off all right."

The lancer was standing in a well-furnished office, looking at his boss, who sat behind a black wooden desk.

"Though next time, I'd rather not have to bail you out myself."

"Sorry Aelius, it was my mistake."

"Quite so," the mage replied. He had been the one on the helicopter, whose magic had so thoroughly vexed Weiss. "Unfortunately they may now be on higher alert."

"Are going ahead as planned?"

"Yes, although we will not be performing surveillance on those four tomorrow. It's too big a risk at the moment. The main plan will continue as planned."

"Okay, that sounds like a good plan."

Xin did not feel entirely comfortable in his own skin as his boss gave him a scrutinising look. "This time, no mistakes, understood?"

"Yes... sorry Aelius"

"Good. I'll be pairing you with Eleanor for the mission, so you'll be in charge of the two of you. Don't make me regret my decision."

"I'll do my best not to."

The mage turned to the papers littering his desk, and Xin took it as his cue to leave. He stepped out into the hallway from the office, and sighed with relief. His eyes fell on another person who was walking towards him.

"Oh, Ella, how's it going?"

The blonde woman smiled at him, "Not too bad. Better than someone." Her voice took on a teasing tone. "Having to get bailed out by us."

"You make it sound like you were there."

"I was, who did you think was flying the chopper?"

Xin chuckled. "Okay... well everyone makes mistakes."

"Of course MajorHua. Even officers aren't infallible."

"Tell that to Aelius."

Ella laughed, "I like my extremities the way they are, thanks. You know, attached to my body and all that." She reached to her belt and tapped one of a pair of pistols. "I couldn't use my darlings if he removed my fingers."

"Fair enough. Anyway, you got business with him?" Xin indicated the office door with a tilt of his head.

"Yes, he was going to talk to me about Monday."

"Oh yeah, good news, we're being put together."

Ella raised an eyebrow, "How is that good?"

Xin laughed, "Why so cold and tsundere to me Ella?"

Ella chuckled, and stepped past him. "Anyway, I need to go and talk to him, unless I want the body rearrangement course. You should get back as well."

"Yeah, later."

"Hurry up Ruby!"

"I'm nearly done!"

Blake and Yang sat on Blake's bed watching as Weiss desperately tried to hurry Ruby along. The two on the bed were fully dressed up, ready to leave, as was Weiss, but Ruby had, perhaps predictably, ended up with five minutes until their car arrived, still barely ready.

"Place your bets, will Weiss die from stress first, or Ruby from a rapier to the gut?" Yang turned to her partner.

Blake sighed, bringing a hand to her face. She was dressed in a long dark purple evening dress, with a small onyx tear-drop gem hanging on a silver chain. A black shawl lay on her shoulders, made out of thick material to hide Gambol Shroud, which was tied securely onto the inside of the shawl. Black heeled boots were concealed under her dress. She had her hair in two long tails, with bows conveniently placed to hide her ears and hold her hair in place.

"Really Yang, I don't think Weiss's heart or willpower are that weak."

Yang giggled. For once in her life, she was dressed elegantly, or something approximating it at least. She wore a yellow skirt, longer than her normal ones, and white blouse, covering more of her cleavage than usual, with a brown, long-sleeved jacket over it, concealing the weapons on her arms. Amethyst encrusted earrings adorned her ears, and a pair of long brown boots completed the outfit. She had neatened her hair a little, though it still kept its general shape, and even Weiss had given up on trying to bring order to something as chaotic as the blonde locks.

Weiss was still furiously trying to sort Ruby out. She had managed to get the girl into her dress, and a pair of red shoes, the same as Weiss's in design, but was now trying to tame the girl's hair and apply make-up, seemingly juggling all the different tools for the jobs at once. Having straightened the girl's hair, she gave in. It would do, it was acceptable, just about, and she did not have the time to make a work of art from the red mess. It was straight, that much was all she could manage.

"How does it take you so long to get ready?" Weiss was exasperated, but Ruby took the fact that the heiress was putting the make-up away as a sign that she was done.

"Sorry..." Ruby muttered. She could not really tell Weiss that the reason she was so slow was that Ruby kept stealing glances at the beautiful figure in white, and ogling her for a few minutes at a time.

Weiss was dressed up to the nines, and Ruby thought she was having a good go at the tens as well. She wore a sleeveless blue dress, similar to Blake's gown but with many more frills. On her left side, just about the hip, the Schnee emblem was emblazoned in white. She pulled on white gloves now that she was done dealing with Ruby. Her shoes were the pair she had Ruby try on. At her next was a silver chain bearing a set of 13 diamond studs, starting with a large one in the centre and getting smaller as they went out. Ruby suspected that the necklace cost almost as much as everything she Yang and Blake were wearing combined.

Weiss gave Ruby a look over as she finished sorting herself. "There's something missing... ah!"

Weiss went over to her jewellery box, from whence the necklace had come, and took out a golden chain. On it hung a ruby, cut in an oval shape. She stepped over to ruby as she undid the clasp on the back. "Here."

Ruby stared at the necklace, "Weiss I can't..."

"You can and will! Besides, I never wear it, gold and rubies don't suit me."

Ruby looked at the necklace bearing her namesake, and sighed. "Fine."

Weiss smiled and wrapped the chain around Ruby's neck, fastening it, then glancing at the clock. "We need to get moving, he'll be here..."

He thoughts were interrupted as her scroll made a ringing noise. Pulling it out, she spoke, "Weiss Schnee here."

"Miss Schnee, the car is ready for you at your convenience."

"Thank you, we will be down presently." She closed up the scroll, then gave everyone one last look-over. Nodding to herself, she placed her scroll in a white handbag, and grabbed her weapon.

Ruby picked up Crescent Rose, and sighed. "Do we really have to give my baby to a guard to look after?" she said, staring sadly at the folded weapon

"I'm afraid so. It's just too difficult to hide: someone would notice. We're barely getting away with Blake's sword." Weiss attached her rapier to her side.

"But you can carry your weapon." Ruby pouted.

"It's expected of me." Weiss's reply did nothing to reduce Ruby's pout. The older girl sighed, "Look, just remember the cookies."

Ruby was suddenly more cheerful, beaming at Weiss. "They'd better be chocolate chip."

"Sure... now let's go."

The 'car' was a black limousine. It had parked at the front of the school, and as Weiss stepped up to it, the other three stopped and stared.

"We're going to a party in a limousine..." Yang stared, a goofy smile forming on her face. "I knew there were perks to being friends with a rich girl."

"Yes, yes, now come on you guys," Weiss said as she gave her handbag to the attendant who had appeared from the car, while the driver held the door open.

The four got in, Ruby sadly giving her weapon to the attendant as she passed. They sat on the long couch inside, which would comfortably have held another whole team of huntresses.

"Wow, I really do forget your family is this well-to-do sometimes," Yang commented as the car started and drove quietly away.

"Well let this serve as a reminder," Weiss did not sound all that happy with the comments about how rich her family was, so Yang dropped the topic. This was not a good time to be riling anyone up, and even Yang recognised that.

Weiss broke into a smile, "Okay guys, please don't do anything I wouldn't, but do try to have fun."

"But you wouldn't have fun," Yang teased gently. That much she was sure the girl could handle.

"Ha ha ha. But seriously, as long as nothing unfortunate happens, we should just be able to enjoy the evening. Just... please remember your table manners."

"Start from the outside cutlery, work inwards, glasses on the right, and don't start until other people have," Yang parroted in her best Weiss impression.

Weiss glared, but remained silent.

Ruby gave Yang a look saying to knock it off, before putting a hand on Weiss's shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll be on extra specially good behaviour!"

Weiss smiled a little, then nodded, "Of course you will."

They arrived at their destination just on time. The driver opened the door for the four girls, and, as they stepped out, three of them stared up at the building before them.

They had noticed the same kind of buildings in Vale, though usually from some distance, never having reason to go to the areas with such grand buildings. It was an old-looking mansion by style, though well-kept, with clean white walls and sparkling glass. A flight of stone steps led up to the front doors, which were large rectangles of glass, and on each was the white Schnee emblem. At each door was a suited man, who checked the invitations of the guests as they entered.

The driver got back into the car and drove it away, as their attendant came up to them, carrying Weiss's bag and Ruby's scythe. "Miss Schnee, they are ready for you inside."

"Very good. Make sure that my partner's weapon is close to hand, just in case."

"Yes Miss."

Weiss glanced at the other girls, "Are you ready?"

Nods from each of them were the only responses, and Weiss drew a deep breath, before leading the way up to the building.

At the sight of Weiss, the doormen opened the doors for the girls, bowing slightly as they entered. While Weiss acted perfectly naturally, the other three girls were very much aware of their situation, and acted it. As they entered a huge hall, they saw a large number of people, all in fine dress, standing in groups talking, as waiters weaved in and out of the gathered guests, giving out glasses of wine and other drinks.

As they entered, a voice, clearly amplified, spoke out about the voices of chit-chat, "Our hostess, Miss Weiss Schnee."

Several people in the room turned to look at the heiress, and a few raised glasses in her direction. She politely smiled at those she noticed, and a waiter appeared, somehow unnoticed by all four girls, and spoke to her. "Miss Schnee, may I get you and your companions drinks?"

"Thanks you, white grape please," the waiter nodded and turned to the others.

Yang was staring at Weiss curiously, "Aren't you under-age?"

Weiss sighed, "Juice!"

"Oh..." Yang was lost for words. Weakly she muttered, "Er... orange juice please."

"Blackcurrant," Blake said simply.

"Oh... I dunno... er..." Ruby was going through every drink she could think of, knowing that the Schnees would probably have it. But there were so many, what should she get?

Weiss smirked, "Get her some red grape. Apparently our drinks have to match our clothes," she giggled a little as she spoke.

"Yes Miss, excuse me." The waiter disappeared once more.

"Come on, I'm afraid I need to go and greet a few of the guests," Weiss started walking through the crowd, exchanging the odd pleasantry with guests as she walked. The other three simply followed her, staying quiet, just taking in their surroundings.

"Well this is something," Yang said quietly to her sister.

"Yeah... I know what you mean. Overload much?" Ruby looked around the huge hall. There were a fair number of people, maybe fifty or sixty, mostly in one large group in the middle, with a few smaller groups at the edge of the room. The hall itself was quite grand, with columns built into the walls, ending in a design of stone leaves where the walls met the ceiling, densest around the columns, but spreading out some way across the ceiling and skirting. There were several paintings hung on the walls, a few of people, most of landscapes: a mountain range with snow-covered peaks, a forest with leaves red in the Autumn and a beach, with the rippling sea spreading out, to name but a few.

Ruby registered that Weiss had stopped moving, and she halted herself before she walked into the heiress. Weiss was speaking to a middle-aged and rather portly gentleman, and Ruby noticed that the smile on the girl's face was genuine, rather than the polite one she had worn since entering the hall.

"Why it feels like only yesterday that your father was telling me of the lovely little baby girl his wife had brought into the world, and look at you now, a proper young lady, and by my understanding a graceful and distinguished warrior too," the man wore a beaming smile on his face.

"Thanks you sir, you are too kind," Weiss was not one to take compliments well normally, thinking that most people just said them to be polite, or to try to garner favour with her, but Ruby could see she was genuinely happy to hear the words of praise.

"How many times must I tell you to call me 'Uncle' like you used to?"

Weiss giggled, "Very well, Uncle."

"Much better." The man turned to the other three girls, who were standing there awkwardly, "But dear me Weiss, where are our manners? Introduce me to your friends here, lest they think we're both terribly rude." Ruby already liked the man. There was mirth in her brown eyes, as well as a deep intellect, and a hint of kindness, just waiting its turn to show. His words, while terribly polite, carried a mirth and joy that made them far more pleasant to the ears than the civilities of the other guests had been.

Weiss nodded, "Of course. Uncle, these are my team-mates Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long and our team leader Ruby Rose." Weiss indicated each girl in turn. "Ladies, this is Hubert Clement, CEO of Vytal Transport, and my father's oldest friend."

"That's oldest, not eldest I'd like you to note," Mr. Clement put in. "I've still got a good few decades in me yet, at least I hope so."

Ruby giggled a little, and Clement turned his smile to her. "Miss Rose right? Team leader, eh? What's it like, having to boss Weiss around? She cause you much trouble?"

"Uncle!"

Ruby smiled, "She did at first, but now she's the best team-mate I could ask for."

"Excellent! Excellent. I'm afraid Weiss has always been a troublesome girl in her own way, but you know, if you've tamed her we all have much to thank you for."

Weiss was flushed as red as Ruby's shawl. Ruby put an arm around her shoulders, and grinned at Weiss's 'uncle,' "Don't worry sir! We all look after each other in team RWBY, taming is just one of our duties."

"Ruby, not you too," Weiss looked like she wanted to die, as the other two girls stifled laughs in the background.

"Well well, seems you have a splendid leader here Weiss. You must tell me of your adventures over dinner Miss Rose, I would love to hear of what you all get up to."

"Sure! I... I mean, yes sir," Ruby replied, realising half way through that she had done exactly what Weiss would not have wanted.

"Oh you don't have to worry about formality with me young lady, I remember how stuffy it seemed when I was your age, especially at Eisen's birthday parties."

"Eisen?" Ruby asked.

"My father," Weiss put in quickly. Her good mood seemed a little dampened all of a sudden, but quickly reinstated itself.

"Yes, he never got to have fun for his birthday, always the stuffy parties with all the people we didn't know, who just happened to be the same sort of age and who had fathers that your grandfather knew Weiss. It was a terror, I was only invited because Eisen insisted that his friend be there. But I fear I will talk the whole evening away if you let me. I should let you make the rounds Weiss, I'll see you ladies at dinner, where I do hope you will serenade me with tales of adventure."

He politely bowed, and wandered off to speak to some other acquaintance.

"Nice guy," Yang said as he left earshot.

"Quite, he was very good to me when I was a child."

Yang scoffed, "You still are a child."

"And he's still very good to me." Weiss turned on her heel, then mentally prepared herself, "Come on, I'm afraid that the other conversations I need to have may be less... enjoyable."

She began traversing the crowd again, the other girls following in her wake.

Xin and Ella were readying themselves, making checks on their weapons, and suiting up. Both had grey combat jackets on, along with tight-fitting gloves of the same colour, and matching combat trousers. Each had a balaclava in their pockets, opting to wait until necessary to don them.

"You ready?" Xin asked as he finished strapping his weapon to his back.

"Yeah, good to go."

A knocking sounded on the door of the locker-room they were in, and the Colonel entered. The mage was dressed in similar combat gear, though he was in all black. He had a set of pouches on his belt, and a mechanical sword by his side, similar in style to the blade of Crescent Rose.

"Major Hua, Captain Sophia, I came to check you were ready."

"All good here." Xin replied. "We're ready for the moment you say go."

"Good. To confirm, you two will be B team. Captain Galina Day will be in charge of A team, while I will be C team. You know the plan, but make sure there are no mistakes. This is one mission AEGX cannot mess up." He pronounced the name as 'Aegis,' their own team-name.

"Yes sir," both answered.

"I'll see you on the helicopter." The Colonel turned to leave.

"Aelius!" Xin spoke up as the Colonel reached the door.

"Yes?"

"Aelius... good luck."

Aelius smiled, but did not turn to face the officers, "I don't need luck. Now get moving. It's show-time!"

A/N: 'Once a week' seems to have turned into 'when I feel like it,' which at the moment seems to be slightly faster. We'll see how long I can keep this up...

As ever, constructive criticism in reviews would be very much appreciated. I'll see you next time.

'Till Eternity Ends

E.D.