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"I got fat." silence greeted her this time, until she heard a flabbergasted gasp from the woods "Shit I meant I got caught." she corrected herself not sure how or why she ended up in this situation.

"No swearing, you have to put a lien into the swear glass." the soft voice from the woods lectured already making her regret promising to meet at least one more time. She really only wanted to spent time at the grave and talk for maybe plus minus ten minutes…or three hours, she wasn't that sure how long she stayed at this place and neither did she care.

"I don't have a single lien on me. Sorry little rosebud." she said while putting her hands into the air in defeat. Heck, she would be lying tough if she wasn't going to enjoy herself.

"Not little Rosebud! It's Ruby. R.U.B.Y! Ruby. Now say it with me!" the little rosebud demanded while she came out of the woodwork with an accusing finger pointed at her.

A warm smile made it onto her face which she forced into a frown or she wasn't going to part from this little treasure for the rest of her life. Not that she intended to or anything…right?

"Oh, great Lady Ruby Rose, please forgive this humble Servant of yours and spare her the humiliation of cowering on the ground with you riding on my back."

She heard the child hum in thought, probably wondering what she needed to do with a finger touching her cheek. A gesture she knew her daughter was going to do no matter what. And when she felt a weight on her shoulder she knew what the little rosebud had planned.

"You're not a horse, and I am no lady! I am going to be a knight of justice!" the little one announced balancing on her shoulders while striking a pose.

"I didn't hear you climbing up on me." she said, knowing just how her daughter was going to tick her off.

"I'm really fast." the little one said hugging her head. She didn't know what to make of it and the blush spreading on her cheeks was helping her in any way "And you're really warm. Just like Yang!"

Something hit her side.

Something painful.

Something intangible.

Something that only existed in her imagination.

It was guilt.

"I'm just a natural heater, little Rose." she said the last part in a whisper, but felt two tiny hands covering her eyes.

"Not little Rose…little Ruby…" the child whispered and she had to do everything in her might to hear that single sob on her back. Without thinking she threw the girl up from her back, spun around and embraced their child as tightly as possible before Ruby could fall to the ground.

The little Rosebud didn't know why she was hugged. She knew however that her child needed this… and the guilt of leaving out her other daughter was leaving her torn apart. Why couldn't she give them both what they needed more than anything else? Why couldn't she embrace her daughters without feeling like a damn piece of broken glass.

Why was she feeling like she didn't deserve being with them every time she looked and watched over them.

She oversaw so many things in the past few years. Experienced so much but yet accomplished so little. And the only thing she could do was watch… and hug this child so precious to her with as much love as she could, letting her tears fall as well.

"I miss her too" she whispered soothing the now trembling girl. The little Rosebud eventually returned the embrace, sobbing and crying.

They stood like that. Her actually crying more than the child in her arms. The wind touched each of their heads, rustling their hair and letting it flow in the air. White petals landed on her shoulder before disappearing and leaving dark spots where they landed.

"Hey," she heard but didn't open her eyes. To absorbed in letting her pain flow out of her eyes. To occupied with her grief that she hadn't noticed a little hand reach up to her head. When she felt a soft touch on her cheek she opened her eyes and saw a beaming Rose look up at her. Her eyes opened wide as images of Summer and milk and cookies flooded her mind before she was reminded of the more childish features of the face in front of her.

"Hey," she greeted back, receiving a pat on her cheeks and cheeky little fingers grabbing each. Too late did she recognize this attack pattern and immediately regretted letting this little devil into her arms when she felt each pulled outwards. Tempted to let the kid fall to the ground she however decided to tickle the little Rosebud into kingdom come!

Alas the child pulled her cheeks up to make her do an awkward smile.

"Mama said you shouldn't cry"

Her eyes widened when she heard those words. Did Ruby know who she was? Was her cover already blown to smithereens.

"Mama said she doesn't like people being sad without her" she raised an eyebrow at those words making the child realize what she said "I mean…she said…Mama doesn't want anybody to be sad." she whispered.

Something within her beat faster. Something she didn't know she had any longer, but was constantly reminded of having. Especially with such a sweet and cute and cuddly little Rose in her arms.

"Tell you what" she started kissing the child's forehead before letting her down "You're just like you mother."

The little Rosebud out of embarrassment turned red from top to bottom, even going as far as to form incoherent words that made absolutely no sense in context. Out of goodwill she patted the child's head, gently running her fingers through those soft strands, neat and black with a hint of black at the tips…just like she remembered it.

"Isn't about time you return? You've watched me for a good half 'n' hour and I don't want Tai or Yang to worry about you." she said with a smile lowering herself to be on eye level. Ruby however looked at her with a confused expression, tilting her head slightly while one of her eyes closed a little.

"Did you…just make a pun?" she asked unsure if she had asked it correctly.

"Nope." she answered, popping the 'p', the girl looked up at her, skepticism still on her face. She patted the little rosebud's head affectionately, until she heard a familiar voice.

"Ruby? What are you doing here alone."

"Uncle Qrow!" the child screamed running out of her grasps to meet her uncle. She didn't dare look over her shoulder. Heck she already knew what was waiting for her once she turned her head and internally screamed at the heavens for forsaking her.

"Druncle, why are you smiling like that?" the child asked with a scared voice. Despite her better judgment she immediately turned around -nobody dared make her child scared of anything!- coming face to face with the biggest most evil version of her brother she had ever seen. Heck he resembled those evil clowns from those horror movies nowadays!

"I'm not going to live this down, ain't I?" she asked as he nodded with that damn creepy grin. She flashed a smile of her own before running towards the cliff. Qrow's eyes shut open and his visage stopped as he looked after his sibling.

"Coward!" he screamed as he watched her jump off the cliff.

The wind was rustling her hair, reprimanding her but let her go. She lifted her katana, red blade, slashing the air in front of her and disappearing into her portal. For a moment thought she had heard a "Come back again" thrown after her, but that couldn't be.

She was a coward after all.

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A/N: Feedback is still welcome.