A/N: Around 1,000 words.

Mostly a catch-up chapter.

One Year Later

A year had passed, filled with waking up in the middle of the night to crying, countless packages of formula, baths that always resulted with Weiss dripping wet on the floor, and a lot of diaper changes. Despite all this, Weiss didn't regret her decision in the slightest. Plus, there were some positive things to these experiences.

Ruby was always smiling whenever Weiss was around, she almost never cried when she was awake, and she would lift Weiss' mood no matter how bad the day had been. And Ruby's nightmares rarely happened anymore; they only happened once and that was around the time Ruby was taken in from the park.

But a year of Ruby also meant a year of an untold number of days Weiss' father would push her to her limits. He wasn't kidding when he said he was expecting a lot out of her, and her passing birthday was proof of that. She had to work at least twice as hard than the pace she was working at before, but she kept her word and pulled through no matter what.

Nora and Ren still watched Ruby when Weiss was working, and she would sing over the phone everytime Ruby would miss her. Some days she couldn't see her, but the very next day she would make sure to see Ruby before going to work first thing in the morning.

Today was one of the days her father decided would be a good day for her to rest. Even he took days off and she hadn't taken a day off since she had turned nineteen. That was more than half a year ago.

And here, we have a nineteen-year-old Weiss laying on her couch in her apartment, legs outstretched and barely touching the other side of the couch, while whispering a memorized story to a two-year-old Ruby. Ruby was sleeping on top of Weiss, both facing stomach-to-stomach, with Weiss' arms lightly hugging Ruby's back.

Weiss often told this story to Ruby since it was the same one her father used to tell her. She knew that Ruby had fallen asleep, but she would never stop short in the middle of the story. It was one of her unspoken rituals and she would always feel incomplete without finishing to the very end.

Weiss yawned and snuggled closer to Ruby, mumbling the last few lines of the story and blinking herself to sleep.

"Weiiiiiss!" Nora shouted as she pounded on Weiss' apartment door. "Come on! You promised we could go shopping today!"

"She doesn't like it when you do that," Ren said simply.

"She doesn't like it when you're here either," Nora stuck out her tongue.

"You dragged me along."

"Nuh-uh, you practically begged me to come shopping with us."

"I asked where you were going so early-,"

"Ap-bap-bap. Don't wanna hear it, beggar."

By this time, Weiss' door flew open, Weiss standing on the other side glaring at the two of them. Ruby was dozing off in one of Weiss' arms, looking as if she was about to fall until she let herself fall limp into Weiss' shoulder, snuggling into the crook of her neck.

"Weiss! Your awa-," the door was slammed in Nora's face.

Weiss sighed through grit teeth. Great, they woke up Ruby.

"Weiss! You promised to go shopping with us!" Nora shouted through the door.

"You mean go shopping with yo-,"

"Us!"

Weiss growled. She had forgotten about the shopping trip they had planned.

She was sure Nora said it would be just the two of them with Ren watching Ruby. Maybe he was here to pick her up?

"By the way, Ren practically begged me to join us-," there was a loud clap on the other side of the door. "Ow!"

Weiss growled louder as she walked to the door and pounded to get Nora to stop. "I'll be out in a minute," she shouted as she quickly covered Ruby's exposed ear when she unclenched her hand.

She sighed as she walked to her room, frowning sadly when she passed the couch. She really wanted to sleep… especially since it was a day off.

Knowing that Nora wouldn't go away until they had at least an hour of shopping in, she gently woke up Ruby and they both got changed out of their pajamas - it was still 7:30 in the morning - and Weiss got any supplies Ruby might need when they were out, like diapers and an extra change of clothes.

Before she left the apartment, she glanced towards the window and smiled. Yes, today might have begun with a shaky start, but it'll be a great day. Weiss knew it.

When she opened the door, she tossed Nora a bag. "You're carrying the baby stuff."

A/N: Wow Weiss, what a good parent you are.

Other Things: Okay guys, now it's time for the real questions:

Will there be shipping in this story?

Though this is my story, I would like the readers to have a say in something. Here's the catch though. No White Rose (Weiss x Ruby), no Enabler (Yang x Ruby), no Ladybug (Ruby x Blake), and no whatever-the-hell Weiss x Jaune is.

Personally, I want to keep it none.