Time for more... questions being raised... questions I can't answer because by the time you read this I'll most likely be on chapter 12 at the least.

Chapter 4:

Weiss started to cross her arms as she stared at her friend walking out of the pharmacy nearly jumping at the sight of the white haired woman standing there. "Okay... who do I need to be mad at now? Blake or Winter?" Ruby said as she started to look around in an attempt to make sure her sister wasn't there to be a further buzz kill to what she was planning for a day with Arslan.

"Neither. Winter said you got dropped off and Yang said you had to get some things from the chemist. It doesn't take a detective to figure your route out. Now can we actually talk?" Weiss stated calmly as Ruby started to just glare at her.

"You were a stool pigeon on me to Yang. You caused a fight with my girlfriend... and effectively called me an easy whore. What is there to talk about?" Ruby snipped crossing her arms to stare at her white haired friend. As though she was trying to intimidate her, already knowing that she wasn't going to back down at a point like this.

"I didn't mean to call you an easy whore. Or even to cause a fight. I was merely trying to show you that she might be using you. I admit I didn't vocalise it all that well. But I meant well." Weiss said as Ruby rolled her eyes and started to walk off after saying a simple 'didn't work.'

Catching up to her Weiss grabbed hold of her shoulder in an attempt to try and stop Ruby from walking off. "How can I apologise you? You know I don't do human interactions well. Not when we are on a level playing field anyway. If I was talking to the likes of your neighbours or even some various staff from places. But not a friend." Weiss said trying to defend her situation as well as not getting snubbed by her best friend who happened to be her girlfriend's sister.

"How about a three foot diameter quadruple chocolate chip cookie, at least an inch thick... that you personally made. Not the cookie butler, or something equally stupid. But from you... with the words 'I'm sorry for being a tool and calling you an easy whore... and making you doubt Swaziland was a real place... and calling your girlfriend a paedophile.' Then, I'll accept your apology." Ruby stated sarcastically as she could, hoping that Weiss would get the hint that she wasn't in the mood to talk to her at that moment.

"Fine." Weiss said letting go of Ruby's shoulder and quickly walked over to her car, stopping as she unlocked the doors. "But you remember that is what you said." Weiss continued as she climbed into her car and proceed to drive off in what Ruby wasn't sure if she should call a huff or her not finding the sarcasm.

'Either she understood it... or I'm getting a massive cookie... both are pros with very few cons' Ruby thought shaking her head knowing that she had to make it home and put the items away so she could at least possibly clean up before Arslan got there. Even if it meant that she had to cut off her time with Winter and Blake earlier than she would have wanted, but Blake did give her some advice that she knew Yang would support.

Despite how much she wanted to not do it, she had no other choice but to take the advice. She didn't want to be like strung along forever. And if it meant that she had to give Arslan a hard choice, she'd just need to do that. Taking a deep breath as she turned the corner, Ruby nearly stood dead still at the sight of Arslan sitting on the steps.

Reaching into her pocket Ruby fished her phone out of her pocket, And quickly checked the time. A smirk present on her face. 'And you are early... why must you always be early.' Ruby thought as she walked up towards the sitting dark skinned woman.

As she walked up the steps she could have sworn she could see Arslan jumping up, getting ready to do some song and dance about how sorry she was, and if Ruby was being honest, she didn't really care that Arslan was early any more, and could even feel her resolve about posing Arslan's options to her weaver.

'No... you need to stay strong Ruby. Yang is off early if Arslan does choose to stay in the closet... she'll make you feel better... might even make you some of her special brownies.' Ruby thought as she pulled her keys out and slipped it into the door.

"You're here half an hour early." Ruby muttered softly as she opened the door.

"I didn't want to be late. I mean... I did taste foot. What did you need at the pharmacy?" Arslan asked as she closed the front door and started to climb the stairs just behind Ruby.

"I had to get some more first aid things... Yang and I don't have parents to do it for us... like you seemed to want to remind me of." Ruby muttered, unsure where the hate was coming from, comments like that had never hurt her in the past when they came from anyone else. But for some reason when they came from her it just hurt a lot more.

"Again Ruby. I'm really sorry about that. The second it came out I knew it was a mistake." Arslan said in defence as Ruby just started to grumble once again. Almost like she knew that she was going to forgive her in a short length of time. But she knew that Arslan probably won't give her the same courtesy after she took Blake's and Yang's advice.

"It's fine. Just can I put this stuff away then can we talk?" Ruby asked as she opened her apartment door raising the bag of various items.

"Of course. I'll just wait out in the living room." Arslan said as she walked over to the couch, just sitting down carefully as she could hear Ruby walking into the bathroom and start moving things around.

She couldn't help but notice what seemed to be a new patch of blood on the couch causing her to scream internally at the fact she knew that it most likely came from Ruby and given how it wasn't there when she left meaning that it could have very well been from their fight or the aftermath at least.

Nothing really mattered given how she knew that she was the cause. Which alone just made it seem that much worse to her. She could hear some soft shuffling of feet coming back towards where she was and almost jumped for joy at the sight of Ruby standing there. One arm in the other just behind her back. Clearly unsure about something and Arslan just knew it was the fact that she contacted her too early and was trying to see if it was too late to renege the offer of talking.

"Look... Ruby... I am super sorry I said what I did yesterday. I was being dumb. Can you please forgive me?" Arslan asked in the hopes that Ruby would actually accept that. She didn't want to go into length about how stupid she was, or even how it managed to slip out, but that had been the biggest fight they had ever had in nearly two years.

"I... I kind of already forgave that. That was a joke while we were climbing the stairs... that wasn't what hurt me the most yesterday that took me gnawing my thumb till I bled, a short conversation with my sister before a stupid crippling phobia... and a talk with Blake and Winter today." Ruby said as she held up her bandaged thumb. She knew, or at least hoped that Arslan knew that it was just a thing she did to think on big topics instead of her hurting herself intentionally for the first time ever.

Even if all of Arslan's intentions were good, she still couldn't get over that same issue. "What hurt me the most is the fact... we've been going out for years... and you still haven't came out to your parents. I could get over comments about my Mom's plane crash fairly easily... I have experience in that. I got over my dad abandoning me and Yang a long time ago. But the fact you are lying to your parents and lying to yourself. That was what hurt me."

"Ruby, I can't come out to them. If I do, the best case scenario is they disown me. Worst case they ship me to some country off the American coast that holds a straight camp where I will be beaten and electrocuted till I only like penis. I mean I was quoted scripture going home yesterday because I was thinking about our fight." Arslan said slightly louder than she probably intended but it was true. She really didn't have a choice. "I was actually told explicitly not to be around Reese or Pyrrha because and I'm quoting my mother here 'those harlots will drag you down to hell with their sin.' The church would rather accept a relationship if I was fourteen and there was a twenty year old boy I was dating... over a lesbian relationship because most of the church still thinks you can catch being gay." Arslan continued as she could see Ruby crossing her arms.

"Congratulations you caught it then. I don't want to be a hidden relationship you have. I'm fine not holding hands or kissing or anything else until I turn sixteen. But not if anytime we are around your parents I'm suddenly not your girlfriend. And I don't want to have to do this Arslan... but everyone I talked to today was right... you have to choose. Be yourself to your parents... or continue this lie and we go our separate ways. I'll give you two days to decide which option to pick... just please tell me which one... I'll be there if you come out... I won't be there ever again if you want to lie to them about you." Ruby spoke as she slackened her arms once again as to not make her seem like she was attacking Arslan, but she had to make it clear that those were her options.

"Ruby, you're making me choose between you and my family. I'm not sur-"

"No. I'm asking you to choose between being genuinely happy and your family if what you say about them is true. Shockingly I do talk to Reese... she even knows you never seem happy when it comes to your family and haven't for years." Ruby interrupted as she walked a bit closer to her possibly ex-girlfriend at this point before she continued. "Arslan... anytime your family comes up you shut down faster than I did when my Mom came up. It is clear you aren't happy there. You aren't yourself and that is why I don't want to be a hidden thing with you. And hopefully any future girlfriend you get if you choose family won't either."

Running her hand through her hair, Arslan began to look around as though there would be some sort of thing that would distract her from this. Even if it would be temporary. She needed it. She felt as if she was drowning and Ruby was just taunting her with a life preserver.

"I need to leave. I need to think about this." Arslan said as she nearly sprinted for the front door, only getting caught by Ruby in a small hug.

"I wouldn't want it any other way. You are my Lion... and I just want you to be happy... and the first step for that includes not lying to yourself." Ruby said disengaging from the hug to plant a chaste kiss on the woman's cheek before letting her go. As she witnessed Arslan walk out the door she let out a shaky exhale. 'I didn't think my nerve would actually last that long... thank Buddha for that.'

Kicking the front door closed, Arslan started to close her eyes tightly and lightly tugging on her hair. She felt like she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but knew that her mother was going to be there.

"Mom! I'm back again!" Arslan yelled as she could hear some shuffling around the kitchen. For what she really had no idea, she just knew that at the very least her mother was there.

"I'm in the kitchen. Would you mind helping me? I'm baking some sugar free oatmeal cookies for the bible study classes tonight." Arslan heard her mother say causing her to just sigh as she stepped on the heels of her shoes to kick them off.

"Sure, I just need to put my shoes away." Arslan said softly as she bent down and picked up the shoes before walking over to the small rack they had. She could see the door to the kitchen shift a little as her Mom stood there looking unsure about something that she just knew was going to be talked about.

Walking into the kitchen, Arslan put on the smile she knew her parents could see through just for the fact that she didn't want her real fake smile to be revealed. She couldn't afford it. Not while her relationship tittered on the edge.

"What's the matter Lion cub?" Her mother asked her as she tied on her own apron to make a cookie she knew the children only ate because they didn't know what a really delicious cookie tasted like. They even still believed in the same stories of Joseph Smith she did when she was younger. Before she met Ruby who in time turned her world upside down.

"It's complicated Mom." Arslan said as her mother seemingly accepted that as she turned back to making the cookies. Falling into a rhythm as she started to make the mix with her Mom, she couldn't help her thoughts drifting to what Ruby said.

'Do I really want to break up with Ruby... just on the off chance my parents really are crazy and stupid?' Arslan thought as she grabbed a handful of flour and started to dust it onto the counter. 'I suppose there is one way to find out. And it will also get her guilt tripping done.'

"Blake tried to kiss me last night while she was very very drunk." Arslan said trying to test the waters of how her mother would react knowing that she was probably the most aggressive towards these matters than her father. If she knew that her mother was fine about it, then she would know her dad would be too. And really that was what mattered.

Dropping everything her mother quickly turned towards her daughter seemingly to Arslan getting very angry, Arslan knew she had to bail out then and there. She knew what would come otherwise. "We didn't kiss Mom. I pushed her off, tucked her into bed with a vomit bucket next to it and stayed up the rest of the night making sure nothing fishy went on. And when she woke up I told her and she confirmed my theory that in her drunken state just thought I was a guy she had a crush on."

"You can't believe anything one of them say Arslan. It is one of the most sinful choices the devil offers to man, and no daughter of mine will ever make the wrong choice! Not while heaven and hell are the only outcomes." Her mother stated as Arslan turned to face her. "Maybe your father and I should give Mister and Misses Belladonna a few numbers they can call to help their daughter out if she is having those sinful feelings."

'Huh... somehow it seemed to come out worse than I imagined.'

"No Mom. It was just because she was drunk. And people always seem to act stupid and full of sin when they are drunk, and do things they wouldn't. Trust me Mom, Blake isn't normally a sinful person. She is just like me normally, and is like all the other people who get tempted by alcohol and become stupid." Arslan said in defence of Blake as so she wouldn't need to lose a friend if she ever decided to come out to her parents properly.

Truth be told, Arslan was actually feeling a little bad about nearly throwing Blake under the bus, but knew that she would be just fine if Arslan could stick the landing on this stupid lie. "Okay dear. But just to be safe, can you please not stay the night at her apartment any more? I thought the daughter of a Whip would be able to control herself from sinful temptations."

As her mother continued the tirade, Arslan looked down and as she rolled the dough out. "Okay Mom." Arslan whispered as she started to dust the cookie cutter with some of the flour. A smile as she could feel the cardboard like mixture give way to the metal. Cringing internally at the fact she would need to consume some of them later. "Can I have a sheet pan for these?"Arslan asked as her mother handed her a strip of coated metal for her to start placing the cookies down.

'Sorry I need to give children some of these Ruby... I just know if you were seeing me do this you'd smack me... then give me a lecture on what a cookie should be...' Arslan thought as she placed the final from the first batch onto the sheet pan. 'I'm also sorry that I still know I can't tell them. Especially if that was an indication of anything.'

"So, I was talking with the neighbours. You know the Vasiliases, and if you want, their son is single we can set you up on a date. He seems like a nice lad. Provided he works out that hair dye. I wouldn't want anyone that lies that blatantly about something. Plus he is a god fearing Christian. What more could you want in a man?"

"Not much Mom."

"Ruby!" Yang yelled as she tossed her keys towards the coffee table. "Get out here! I talked to your principal!" Yang yelled as she could hear some falling over followed by Ruby's door flinging open followed by some falling.

"You can't access anything to disprove my statement. You aren't a parent." Ruby said as she fell out her door, barely catching herself against the wall on the other side of the door.

"I've been your legal guardian for what... nearly five years. I could get them to put you in a room for the entirety of what remains of your schooling." Yang said as she placed the box she was holding on the table as she crossed her arms and stared at her sister. "Now, tell me the truth. Why did you bail? You best have a decent excuse, otherwise I will punish you."

Crossing her arms and lightly rubbing her foot into the ground, as she tried to think of something decent that wouldn't make her sister furious and actually punish her. She still didn't want to think about eating a vegetarian pizza like Yang often got when she was furious at Ruby.

"Planning to kill a Schnee kind of takes all your faculties... and I needed to think about things... besides you know not setting the school on fire during chemistry... or engineering... or math... or you know you could name any class really and I could find a way to set fire to the school." Ruby started as she uncrossed her arms and stared at her sister who had uncrossed her arms as well to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Ruby. You need to get through this year. Then you can do literally any course you want, especially after you get the various grants from the likes of Schnee Industries, or Blake's family literally willing to front all expenses provided you go into medical engineering for five years. You don't even need to sit tests again. You literally need to go in, sit down and shut up for one hundred and seventy five more days. That is it. And even then after after you remove twenty extra days that still puts you at one hundred and fifty five." Yang stated as she stood straight up and looked at her sister. "And I assume what was so important for you to think about is that fight with your girlfriend."

"Hey, things are complicated now days. And for the record I also had to talk to Blake looking for her advice on the situation. I mean at least she has a steady relationship with Winter still. You are still doing one night stands when I'm staying the night at someone's."

"Winter and Blake aren't dating Ruby. For like the hundredth time. As far as I'm aware Blake still is oblivious to Winter. And I don't have one night stands while you are spending the night at someone else's house." Yang stated as Ruby just frowned again.

"Well... I talked to my girlfriend... and I told her she has two days to either come out or break up with me... and... I'm not sure if I want her answer." Ruby whispered as Yang just started to gesture towards her, causing Ruby to frown as she walked towards her big sister quickly hugging her.

"It's okay Ruby. I'm sure no one is dumb enough to dump you. And if her parents are as bad as you think they are, provided you two don't do any funny business... you can sleep in the same bed... either way you know I'm here for you." Yang spoke softly lightly holding Ruby's head.

"Does that mean you'll make some of your special brownies if she wants to break up with me? They always seem to make me forget of the bad things." Ruby asked looking up at her sister who pulled back a little to cough.

"Maybe. We'll have to see. But come on, I brought dinner home." Yang said lightly pushing her sister towards the table. Taking a seat, Yang opened the box and almost laughed at the sight off Ruby gagging at the vegetarian pizza. "You knew this was coming either way. Plus shockingly I actually enjoy it. And if I was going to have meat in my mouth I'd rathe-... I totally forgot who I was talking to. Forget that." Yang continued as Ruby began to pout as she pulled one of the pieces from the box.

"Are you sure Blake and Winter aren't together?"

"It seems like we have this conversation every week. They aren't dating. But tell you what if I hear otherwise, I will let you know. Now eat up. I hear Weiss is bringing over a big cookie in a few hours."

Laughing a little, Ruby looked down. "I hope whoever starts dating her isn't sarcastic... a person could totally take advantage of her good nature." Ruby said as she took another bite, thinking a simple thing 'Yang is right... I'll always have her.'

Author's Note:

Those of you that don't know politics… which I'm assuming is a lot of you, a 'Whip' is arguably the most important person in a party next to the leader. they get things done and make sure the party is in line… like a whip cracking.