It was a cold late evening. Weiss decided to go out to do some additional groceries from the nearby 24/7 store. She had to make sure tomorrow will have any kind of breakfast outside of coffee. At least for her new guest. Weiss knew she will need all the energy tomorrow. It was also to escape Ruby's ears as she wanted to talk to someone. She didn't want to meet up or invite Yang over, as such the best solution was to use technology.

"I know it's horrible Yang. It's why I called you. I'm not sure what to do."

"..."

"I told you already, I don't have income big enough to keep two people at my place."

"..."

"I'd rather not believe in fate that does something like that to someone else, only for me to get a free pet. Did you think about the bigger picture of what you just implied."

"..."

"I know Yang, I'm...sorry. I'm just stressed."

"..."

"No, tomorrow doesn't sound like a great idea. I know someone won't feel like socializing."

"..."

"Of course I care, Yang. Why wouldn't I? I mean sure I can't keep her, but its not like I dislike her. She's a sweet girl."

"..."

"Don't bring my father into this, I'm not like him. I simply would like to have enough money to pay my bills and not go hungry."

"..."

"Yes, because living off of you is something completely different, than living off my father. Name's change, but the idea is the same."

"..."

"I don't know Yang, I don't want her to end up in a pound. Maybe look for adoption or something. She's young and sweet, I'm sure people would like to keep her."

"..."

"Yang for goodness sake, I can't. Look, I'll call you tomorrow, alright? I'm near my home anyway. And tomorrow I might know how things sort out, or at least know some more."

"..."

"I know you want to help. I appreciate it. And I understand You don't want for the girl to end up in a bad place in life, neither do I."

"..."

"Yeah, alright. Good night. Say hi to Blake from me."

"..."

"Right, talk to you tomorrow."

Click.

Weiss sighed as she stopped. She leaned against the wall as she looked at the grocery bag in her hand. Life was so unfair sometimes. She felt like a character from an ancient greek tragedy. She could choose between the higher value above the mortal life as we know it, or she could pick the solution that focused on the more primal, selfish nature of things.

And whatever she picks, the outcome will have dire consequences.

oooOOOooo

Weiss was done putting things to it's rightful places. She rarely made herself sandwiches, so she never really had much ingredients for them around the house. Usually some leftover stuff from the last time she decided to do them, for whatever reason. And those sounded like good enough breakfast material.

She looked over to the bed. Ruby was watching some cartoons on her laptop. A playlist she turned on for her before leaving. This entire situation really made her regret she wasn't smoking. Situations like those were made for cigarettes.

And it's pitiful that the first instinct she had to refuse that kind of addiction was money, and not health issues. But, here she was. Being a greedy little Schnee. She shook her head. She had something to do. Something that required all her acting skills and willpower to pull off.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and counted to ten. Once done, she opened them and moved towards the faunus girl. "Hey, Ruby?" She saw the dog girl's ear perk up, as she turned her attention towards the Schnee.

"Yes?" She tilted her head.

"Tomorrow we'll visit a doctor, to make sure you're alright. A-And after that we'll take you to your owner. Sounds good?" Weiss smiled, or forced herself to smile, trying to make it as natural as possible.

She saw the girl gasp, as her tail waggled itself from under the oversized hoodie. Her silver growing wide and the Schnee could swear her silver eyes almost sparkled with happiness. Once Weiss sat down on the bed, the dog girl tackled her into a hug.

"Thank you! I'll never forget you, I promise. Even after I'm back with her. Thank you for everything." The girl nuzzled her face into Weiss's chest, and the Schnee hugged the girl back, keeping her head in such position if only for her to not see the crooked grimace that her smiled turned into.

Tomorrow will be...eventful. Thats for sure.

oooOOOooo

Weiss was exhausted. Even though she didn't look forward to wake up tomorrow, she was glad to go to bed earlier. She opted to wear her pajamas that she got herself for the colder times of the year, even though it wasn't that cold outside, not yet at least. But she would feel awkward sleeping with someone in one bed wearing her nightgown.

The dog girl was still wearing the hoodie that Weiss gave her. She made sure that the black and red dress from earlier was clean and dry by tomorrow. Even if it was a bit damaged, it was the only thing Weiss could put on the girl when going outside.

As she yawned and turned the night lamp by the side of the bed she picked "Good night, Ruby." She didn't hear any answer, and simply assumed the girl was already asleep. That would be expected, after all Weiss was surprised the faunus girl didn't just sleep through the entire day, considering she spent a night in a box outside.

The Schnee wiggled a bit, trying to find some comfortable position for herself with half the space she usually had, and once she found it, she felt her arm being gently tugged at. She had to stop herself from sighing. "Yes, Ruby?" The human girl mumbled, hopefully loud enough for her dog ears to catch that.

"C-Can...Can I sleep with you?" Weiss had to blink, as her brain refused to cooperate with her for a moment.

"What...are you talking about, Ruby? We're already sleeping in the same bed." Weiss had no clue what the redhead girl had in mind. Aside from some lewd ideas, that Weiss immediately discarded. How do you sleep with someone when you already sleep with them in the same bed.

"I um... I always sleep hugged to ... her. And I would feel better if I could hug you. Please?" Weiss raised her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. She already felt weird to share a bed with someone she barely knew. And now she had to attempt to fall asleep with that someone touching her through the better part of the night.

Yet, Weiss knew that there were worse fates. And she could fulfill the girls request, at least for tonight, especially with tomorrow's events in mind. "Y-Yeah, Sure. Let's hug." The human girl rolled onto her back.

"Thank you!" Ruby shuffled closer. The Schnee expected her to simply wrap her arm around. But apparently hug means cling to someone, as Ruby opted to not only wrap both her arms around Weiss, but also intertwined her legs with that of the human girl.

"Good night!" Was the last thing the Faunus said, before closing her eyes, leaving flustered Weiss to her thoughts. The first thing she noticed was that the dog girl was very warm. She wondered if she didn't notice earlier, or was it due to the weird circumstances they were close to each other right now.

At some point she relaxed, and moved the girl closer with one of her arms, while the other reached to pet her hair and ears. It seemed as if all sleep escaped her mind, as she stared blankly at the ceiling. Her pets were awkward, as she didn't want to disturb the girl, and also wasn't exactly used to doing this sort of thing.

Ruby was happy for the rest of the evening and night before Weiss decided it was time for bed. Happy, because Weiss told her she would take her to her owner. This made her feel awful, that she couldn't muster up the strength to tell her the truth. That she decided for the girl to see for herself.

She already saw the difference between this girl being sad and happy. Perhaps not as sad as she might be tomorrow. But still, sad in a way. And it crushed her that she will once more take away that happiness, and replace it with sadness. Of course it wasn't her fault, she knew that. But it never was nice to be the messenger of bad news. Not this kind of news, at least.

Weiss decided to close her eyes. Tomorrow will be a hectic day, so She might as well try and get some sleep.

oooOOOooo

"You're a very healthy girl, which means someone took good care of you." Doctor Schpitselberg, as Weiss learned his name and remembered it after having to pronounce it a few times before she got a grasp of how to properly do it, wore a friendly smile, as he offered Ruby a pat on the head.

While hesitant at first, Ruby warmed up to the older man. And Weiss was impressed, as he clearly knew how to handle a faunus girl like her. Some people love what they do, and it shows.

"Now, miss Weiss, I'll have to ask you to come with me. We have a few documents I'll want you to sign." He nodded at the human girl, before turning his attention once more to the redhead. "Ruby, You won't mind waiting here for a moment? You can turn on the radio and listen to some music if you want. It won't take long." He smiled.

The dog girl smiled back at him. "Alright, but please don't take too long. After this, Weiss is taking me to my owner." She said, her tail wagging behind her as she couldn't contain her happiness about being reunited with her owner.

Weiss felt her throat tighten, as if someone just grabbed her and was about to choke her. "R-Right, let's go doctor. I'm sure it won't take long." Weiss waited for the man to lead her towards the small cabinet, which was a separate room.

Once they sat down, both on different sides of the desk, the man spoke. "Its soundproof." He nodded. Weiss blinked, not sure what he meant by that.

"Excuse me?" She raised a brow.

"This room is soundproof. It's made this way in case there has to be a talk about something that the patient shouldn't hear. And a lot of faunus kind has sensitive hearing. Like Ruby, since she's a dog faunus. So in case there's something you wish to discuss..." He smiled. Weiss let out a sigh at that.

"She...won't be happy about the state of her owner. Basically she'll have to have a new owner." Weiss looked to the side.

Schpitselberg hummed softly before speaking. "I see, and do you wish to adopt her?" Weiss gulped at that. She really was starting to feel as if someone was choking her, as it became harder to breath.

"I...don't know. I don't have resources to keep a faunus in my home." She said, it was the only argument she had that sounded logical, and that she wasn't ashamed of. Other being responsibility for the girl, having to dedicate time for someone else at all time and not just when she wanted to, like with her other friends. And a lot of minor things in addition to those.

"You know that there are various monthly financial benefits for people that adopt faunus, and would have otherwise financial issues." The man spoke calmly, and wasn't forceful about it. Not like Yang was, as if she was a monster for having reasonable arguments about not wanting to adopt.

"I...I don't know. I really don't. It's just so sudden." Weiss still avoided to look directly at the man. She simply looked around at various objects. Books, diplomas, anatomy pictures.

"Miss Weiss, I know it's unprofessional to speak about this kind of thing. But do you believe in destiny? Fate?" Weiss couldn't help but roll her eyes as she looked at Schpitselberg.

"My friend tried to convince me to that. But I don't think I would feel comfortable knowing that Fate made such a setup in which someone else suffers for my gain." The Schnee crossed her arms.

"That's because you put yourself in the center, miss Weiss. But please consider this. Consider that fate is using you, as a tool for Ruby. It's not that fate gave Ruby to you. But that fate gave you to her." The white haired girl lowered her gaze. It did put this entire thing in a different light. Not that Weiss suddenly believed in fate or anything. But...it made Yang's previous statement a bit more logical and less offensive.

"In any case, We'll treat this visit as if it didn't happen. If anyone stops you for the time being, just send them my way, and I'll buy you time. Either you'll adopt her yourself, give her out to adoption or leave her in the pound. But once you made up your mind, please do call me and I'll offer my aid to help you set things up for whatever it is your choose." Weiss nodded, but she didn't smile. She couldn't. She hated this entire situation. Everyone was so supportive and nice. It made her refusal that much harder.

"I understand. Thank you doctor. I should know tomorrow. Should I wait till monday or is it alright if I bug you sunday?" She put on a small smile, a polite one, as she once more focused her gaze on the man.

"Sunday is alright. This isn't a job, miss Weiss. It's my mission. And I'm glad to sacrifice one afternoon to try and help a girl like Ruby." He said as he lead her outside the cabinet.

Now the horrible part that Weiss dreaded since she woke up...

oooOOOooo

They left the bus at the last stop. Ruby, as per Weiss's request, held the girl's hand not to get lost by accident. She began to lead the girl deeper into this place.

"Weiss? Is this where my owner wanted to meet up?" The girl asked, she almost bounced from happiness, as she looked around, trying to spot a familiar figure. Weiss remained silent.

They continued to walk. Weiss counted, she checked it before. She wasn't sure where to go, but it was marked well enough so that she could count to find the place.

"Weiss? Why...Aren't you saying anything?" Weiss heard it. In her voice, a small seed of doubt. The Schnee avoided looking at the girl. She couldn't. Not now.

"Umh...I hope it's not something I did? I'm sorry if I did something bad. I'm not sure what I did." The girl continued to babble. It was clear she was full of energy, even if that small seed of doubt was planted, and even if the girl tried to explain her silence to herself.

"A-And I'm sure you'll like each other. You and my owner. We lived in a small village before, so once we came here we didn't know anyone. So I'm sure you can meet up and be friends and we'll be able to see each other regularly!" At that she felt the girl cling to her arm. Weiss forced her legs to push her forward. If she stopped, she wouldn't be able to continue.

"I'm glad she's alright. Because she is, right? Otherwise she wouldn't meet up in a place like this. But we'd visit her in a hospital if she was bad. It's where people go when they are bad. Very bad, if they are just bad they visit a doctor like earlier." Weiss stopped counting. They were almost there. Now she had to focus to search not for a number...

And there it was.

Summer Rose.

Engraved on a tombstone. She stopped, and felt the dog girl bump into her, confused. "Weiss? Why...did we stop? Is this the place we're supposed to meet? Do you think It'll take her long to come here?" It was now that Weiss had to look at Ruby. And the look on the Schnee face made the dog girl loose all her confidence, as her tail stopped waggling, and her ears laid flat against her skull.

"Weiss? What's...going on. You said we'll meet up with my owner. Why are we here, and where is she." Ruby lost her cheerful tone for a more demanding one. She was growing scared.

"This...This is it." Weiss said, she had to clear her throat as it felt dry. The Schnee looked at the tombstone.

"W-What...What do you mean. Weiss?" The dog girl was starting to panic, but Weiss remained calm. She had to.

"This is where your owner is buried. Summer Rose, after being taken to the hospital, she didn't survive the night. I'm Sorry Ruby." She felt the girl let go of her hand.

The faunus shook her head. "N-No! You're lying!" She moved back a few steps, only to fall down. "This isn't true! You promised, You said we'd see my owner!" The girl looked between Weiss and the tombstone. Tears started to trail down her cheeks.

Weiss was silent. She didn't know what to say or do. There was a reason her social life looked the way it did. She could deal with official stuff where people pretended or acted in a certain way. Where there were some rules that had to be followed. But this? This had no rules. This had a heartbroken girl having her entire world crushed. Was there anything Weiss could do or say to make it better?

Ruby crawled closer to Weiss, her hands tugging at her coat. "P-Please, if I did something wrong I'm sorry. Just tell her to come back. I won't do it anymore. I'll be a good girl. But please." She begged. She was desperate to hear that it was a joke. That it was some kind of cruel setup. She would be relieved to hear that. Anything to get her old life back. But once more, Weiss was silent.

Once Ruby understood there was no way of making things the way she wanted, she moved towards the tombstone. She didn't bother to stand up. She simply continued to crawl, as she ended up on her knees in front of the tombstone. She hugged herself.

"I'm alone..." She said it once...twice...thrice. She repeated that word. Over and over between her sobs. Her eyes never looking away from the cold stone before her.

Weiss couldn't take it anymore. She had to do something, anything. Even if it was pointless and have no effect. She couldn't just stand there and watch this girl shatter into pieces.

She moved closer and crouched next to her, putting an arm around her. "You're not alone, Ruby." She tried to put the most reassuring tone she could muster.

The faunus shook her head. "No, it's not true. You want to get rid of me. I heard you. You want to give me to the pound." She turned her head to face Weiss. The Schnee saw her red eyes and the moist trails on her cheeks that were constantly renewed by fresh tears. "B-But please, I'll leave you alone. J-Just don't get me to the pound. I'll be fine... by myself. I'll figure something out. I'll leave you alone."

Weiss looked away from the girl and focused her gaze at the tombstone. It was simple. If what Ruby said earlier was true, there were no relatives and it was made in a simple way, just to bury the body. And in case someone would care enough, like right now.

"I couldn't even say goodbye." The girl whispered, which brought Weiss's attention back to her.

"You...still can." The Schnee said. That made Ruby perk her ears up.

"W-What do you mean?" Weiss had to answer her quickly, in case girl's hopes would get up about her owner being alright, in some way.

"I-Its why people come to this place. So they can...talk, to people that passed away." Weiss smiled sadly. There was a silence between them for a few moments.

"A-And...And she will hear me?" Weiss nodded.

"Yeah." The Schnee wasn't sure if she believed that herself. She always thought she was too young to really start being philosophical about whatever happens after death and all that things. But she never scratched such possibilities off. As such, this was a white lie at worst. Or just a way to cope with losing someone.

"Ruby? I'll..." She took a deep breath. "I'll leave you so you can say your goodbye in peace. After that? I'll wait at the cemetery gate. There's another gate on the opposite side of this cemetery. If...If you want to run away? Just go to that gate. But..If you somehow would want to live...with me. If you'd like for me to keep you, You'll find me at the gate." She saw the dog girl nod, her empty gaze turning back at the grave.

Weiss did as she promised and stood up, moving towards the gate. She let out a sigh as she walked along the forest of tombstones...no, not a forest. It's like an orchard of tombstones. They were lined in such an unnatural way. Ironic, considering we claim death to be part of the natural cycle.

She shook her head. Now was not the best time to be poetic or dramatic, neither philosophical. She really wished she had a smoke right now. But she couldn't. Especially in case Ruby accepts her offer. She will need to balance every penny from that point on.

Weiss wasn't sure what the girl would do if she opted to run away. She wasn't exactly a rugged type that could survive on the streets. She would most likely be found once more, like the Schnee did that day. Or the pound people would get her.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard footsteps. Familiar footsteps. Weiss smiled sadly as she turned to face the dog girl. Ruby held her gaze on the ground as she stopped next to the Schnee.

Weiss let out a soft sigh. She wrapped an arm around the girl. "Ready to go home, Ruby?" The faunus girl simply nodded, and Weiss lead her towards the bus stop.

The Schnee hoped that fate didn't misjudge her, when it picked her to find Ruby that day. Because she sure as hell didn't have the confidence that she could live to any kind of expectations right now.

Authors note:

Yeaa...

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review/comment and tell me what you thought. Feel free to point any kind of errors, offer suggestions or share your worries about the story (If there are any). Reading reviews/comments helps me stay motivated, as I can assure myself that people are in fact interested in the story.