Hey there, another chapter here! Thank you to everyone who's reviewed - I've enjoyed reading them greatly.


A faint buzzing sound dragged her attention away from the quarterly report she'd been half-heartedly attempting to read for the past half hour. Glancing at her scroll, she sighed out loud when she saw the familiar picture displayed front and center on the screen.

A call had certainly been expected, especially since she'd been doing a miserable job of fulfilling her end of their agreement. Regardless, she had the unshakable suspicion that this would be another mental state check-in...and she avoided those at all costs. But she couldn't just ignore the call - not this time at least.

So she set down the report and forced a smile onto her lips - an act proven to make one's voice sound lighter and more upbeat - and clicked the 'accept' button.

"Winter - to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"It's obvious when you're faking happiness, you know," Winter replied, using bluntness in lieu of a formal greeting. Immediately dropping the act, Weiss shook her head. She should've known better than to try to fool Winter with a tactic that she'd all but perfected herself.

"I was calling to ask why I keep hearing about a broken light."

Weiss stifled the urge to groan at the mystery that had evaded her ever since she'd returned to Vale.

"It's some sort of system glitch. Someone will figure it out eventually," she downplayed. Three electricians had already come to the house and none of them could figure out what was wrong with the sensor in the upstairs living room. Each of them had taken it apart, sworn to have fixed the problem, and then left. But as soon as they were gone the lights would turn on again. And the property security guard...bless his soul...had been absolutely no help. 'Did you call an electrician?'

"Let me know if you need any help," Winter offered, although she seemed less than eager in assisting with trivial technical issues. "How is everything else?"

Ah - the crux of the call had come out. Clearly the broken lights had only been Winter's excuse to call out of the blue. Apparently Weiss wasn't the only one whose actions could be glaringly transparent...

"Everything is going well," she answered while waving an employee carrying a stack of forms out of the temporary office she'd been assigned in Vale. "I'm sure you've heard that we've surpassed our quarterly expectations early and are looking to revise estimates next week."

"Yes, business is doing well, as usual. But how are you doing?"

"I'm fine."

There was no hesitation in Weiss' reply - using her customary response without daring to pause and evaluate her own mental state. Some things were better left alone.

However, the long stretch of silence on the other end of the call told her that Winter understood as much about the answer as Weiss did.

"And how is everything outside of the office?" Winter followed up.

"It's...progressing."

That situation was far too complicated to even begin to discuss right now. How could Weiss ever describe how different Ruby had become, while also remaining the same? How could she explain what it felt like to be together after all this time apart - only for Ruby to not remember how close they'd once been? How could she accurately portray the conflict she was suffering in her emotions - the hope, pain, fear, longing, and excitement that ebbed and flowed with no pattern.

Again, some things were better left alone.

"Alright, I'll leave you to your day," Winter finally relented after several more seconds of silence. "Call me if you ever need anything, understood?"

As usual, Winter refrained from prying too much into Weiss' life - even though she likely wanted to. But they each had their own habits, each so set in stone it would take an earthquake to crack them.

"Of course."

Weiss liked to believe that if push came to shove she would turn to Winter for help. But the problems she would enlist her sister's help in solving would be anything involving a need for a personal army or excessively grandiose display of power and force. Matters of the mind or heart...those were for her to figure out on her own.

"Good. You're as precious as the stars to me, you realize."

"And you, the sun," Weiss replied on instinct. Their family didn't exactly throw the word 'love' around, but Winter had always expressed the emotion to Weiss in this way. At first, Weiss had believed that her sister was just extraordinarily poetic, but eventually she'd understood that it was Winter's way of telling Weiss that she was loved without invoking the wrath of their father.

'Love? Love is for the common folk who live in dreams. We don't dream - we do.'

Having escaped her father's chains, Weiss now understood that it was important for every child to feel loved by someone in their lives. Winter had provided that as best she could - and then Weiss had gone to Beacon, where she'd discovered Ruby.

"Call me soon?" Winter asked. This time Weiss did sigh at the request, but in pretend exasperation.

"Can't we just exchange messages? It's far more convenient than a lengthy phone call."

"You continue to age me, Weiss," Winter replied with a soft chuckle. "I like to hear your voice, alright? You can spare two minutes to pick up the scroll and call your dear sister once and awhile."

"Fine...I'll try to be better," Weiss replied with a small smile and roll of her eyes. "Promise."

"That's what I like to hear. Enjoy your day, Weiss. We'll speak again soon."

"Yes, soon."

When the call clicked off, Weiss watched the picture of her sister until it disappeared from the screen. Sighing again, she set her scroll down on the desk and tapped her fingers beside it.

Winter worried about her. Weiss understood why, but as close as they were she'd never even attempted to explain to Winter what she was going through. It was difficult and unnerving to discuss her innermost feelings with anyone other than Ruby. Feelings were weaknesses. At least, that's what her father had always told her.

Saying that she was 'fine' was easier than trying to untangle the web of thoughts occupying her mind at any one particular time. And maybe she was fine - maybe this was the new definition of fine. At least she no longer felt like she was constantly teetering on the edge, waiting for the slightest gust of wind to decide her fate. There was a greater sense of purpose in being back in Vale, and having a purpose made her feel more...in control of her emotions.

It didn't take much deductive reasoning to surmise that it was being near Ruby that gave Weiss this feeling of purpose. The closeness to her former partner also sent her memories aflutter, bringing back many that took her breath away. Sometimes simple things - like the park they'd walked through - set off her emotions when they wouldn't have in Atlas. The combination of Ruby and the swingset and the jungle gym had sent Weiss tumbling back to the time they'd inadvertently skipped classes and spent the day at a park together. Being the straight-laced rule follower, she'd been a nervous wreck until Ruby had calmly ordered her to get on the swings - as team leader, of course.

The two of them had just…'hung out.' It had been the first time Weiss had ever missed a class, and she'd enjoyed it immensely. Clambering through the jungle gym like children...spinning sickeningly fast on the merry-go-round...sitting on the swings talking for hours...somehow Ruby got Weiss to enjoy all of the things she'd once looked down upon for being too juvenile or immature.

And when they'd finally made it back to Beacon they hadn't even gotten in trouble, because Blake and Yang had covered for them with all of their teachers.

That was only one of the multitude of memories that were popping up out of the blue here in Vale. Weiss was trying to hold them in check, but at certain points she found it difficult to separate past from present. How long would it be until someone else noticed the broken fragments of her mind? How long until Ruby realized just how damaged Weiss was? Ruby had worked so hard to get to where she was today...how could Weiss' presence possibly be beneficial to her life?

That was a thread she didn't dare pull at right now. The answer seemed far too obvious for her to ever want to acknowledge.

Gathering up a few belongings, she abandoned the quarterly report and snuck out of the office before the man with the stack of paperwork could come back and find her. Even though she was only working in a limited capacity while in Vale, there seemed to be a never-ending amount of work that only she could sign as a Schnee. On any other day she would've been willing to put in the necessary time, but today she'd gladly canceled and rescheduled every appointment so that she could see Ruby as early as possible.

Well...not quite as early as possible. If Weiss thought that she could get away with showing up before the sun had risen she might have, but proper manners told her that waiting until later in the day was more appropriate. Now that lunch was nearly over, she saw no issue with rushing over to the small home - which was growing more and more familiar with each passing visit.

The good news, if there was any, was that the sidewalk leading up to Ruby's front door no longer felt like it was made of wet cement. It certainly helped that Weiss had been officially invited this time. Coming up with excuses on her own caused Weiss to feel somewhat like an intruder barging into their lives. Knowing that she was expected and most importantly, wanted, allowed her feet to pass freely up the front step, but her nerves steadily built while she summoned the courage to knock. Her options of people who might be behind the door were - a chest full of butterflies, a sigh of relief, or...a potential trip to the emergency room.

Raising her hand, she was surprised when she actually had the time to knock twice. A few moments later heavy footsteps neared the door. The steps so clearly belonged to Yang that Weiss almost retreated back to her vehicle to try again later, but she didn't make the decision to run quickly enough - leaving her partially turned when Yang pulled open the door.

It was probably a normal motion for her, but it sounded like Yang was trying to tear the door from its hinges. When her eyes settled upon Weiss, the sparkle and mirth seemed to drain right out of them.

"Oh."

That was the only response Yang gave before abandoning the door and walking to the kitchen. Taking that lukewarm welcome as her cue to enter, Weiss stepped hesitantly inside and closed the door behind her.

"Is Ruby here?" she asked, standing uncomfortably in the entryway while Yang took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Yes."

After waiting for further explanation and receiving nothing, Weiss crept a few steps closer.

"Where is she?" she finally asked after concluding that Yang wasn't going offer up the information freely. Which was fine. Chummy conversation was for friends, and that's definitely not what they were right now - as much as that pained Weiss to admit.

"Out in the woods catching butterflies."

The statement made Weiss let out a huff of disbelief, which Yang returned with a steely gaze.

Right, jokes were also between friends...

"You're serious?"

"Yes. She likes to use her semblance to catch them."

Maybe it was just her, but Yang's eyes were darker than she remembered. She'd always thought of them along the lines of light lilac, but the eyes staring back at her right now were more royal than anything else.

"You can go find her if you want. Should be easy enough," Yang added flippantly, turning that gaze back to the magazine lying open on the table and waving dismissively in the direction of the back yard.

Moving that direction, Weiss' feet then stopped and she turned uncertainly back towards the kitchen. She hadn't gotten the chance to speak with Yang privately since she'd returned, mostly because Yang didn't seem to want to, but it was still Yang - at one point in time, they'd been as close as sisters. Surely they could find a way to at least co-exist in the same space. It wasn't as if Weiss was proud of what she'd done - she was ashamed. And she wanted to apologize.

But as she stood there watching Yang casually turn one page, Weiss couldn't even begin to think of what to say. How could she start a conversation with someone she'd hurt so badly?

After waiting too long, Yang looked up and narrowed her eyes.

"Do you want something?"

From the curt tone, Weiss knew that forgiveness was still a long ways off.

"No," she replied with a shake of her head. "I was just…"

There were so many things she wanted to say - so many questions she needed answered - so many blanks to be filled in. How was Ruby doing, really? What kind of things did she remember? Where exactly did the memories stop? Why did she think she was training to be a huntress again?

But all of those questions seemed far too close to a very sore subject.

"I'm surprised you and Blake decided to live out here," Weiss finally commented, gesturing towards the wall of the room they were in. "I thought you'd be living...somewhere more comfortable."

"We are comfortable," Yang replied tersely. "And we haven't touched your guilt money, if that's what you're talking about. It's sitting in the bank somewhere."

The retort left Weiss in stunned disbelief - mostly because she'd been referring to the lack of Faunus families in the area, but also because that had been the one good thing she'd thought she'd done. She'd made sure they would be taken care of for the rest of their lives, but to find out that they'd left that money untouched and were making it on their own?

"That...that was to make sure she had everything she wanted," she whispered, still dumbfounded by the revelation.

"No, it was to help you sleep at night."

She'd been right about Yang's eyes. They were darker than normal, the effect of red seeping into lilac. While Yang stared her down, Weiss watched the change happening - a storm brewing on the horizon.

But it would be wrong of Yang to believe Weiss had slept at all the past year. Believing that her teammates had been financially taken care of had done absolutely nothing to remove the burning guilt that marred her dreams.

"I was only trying to help."

The way Yang's hand curled into a fist on the table immediately said that that had been the wrong thing to say.

"If you wanted to help," Yang said through clenched teeth, "Then you should've been here a year ago. Or ten months ago. Hell, even six months ago would've helped. But you weren't, so we moved on - she moved on. She doesn't need you anymore, Weiss. She's done just fine without you. We all have."

The words were intended to hurt and they did - like hot coals being pressed into Weiss' heart. It was plain to see just how well Ruby was doing without Weiss around. Ruby was thriving, recovering, growing - relying on the inner strength she'd always possessed. Ruby hadn't needed Weiss to recover from her injuries...but then again, Ruby never had needed Weiss in order to be capable of incredible feats.

"Do you still blame me? For what happened?" Weiss asked softly, shifting her feet as Yang's gaze hardened.

"I never blamed you for that, Weiss. We all knew the risks of being out there," Yang replied with a stern frown. "Leaving though?" Letting out a scoff, Yang shook her head. "That was all you."

A breeze suddenly blew past them in the kitchen, separating their locked gazes for an instant that dispelled the growing animosity.

"Ow ow owowowowow."

They both turned in surprise to find Ruby at the kitchen sink, turning the faucet on full blast and placing one hand underneath the jet of water. Instinct was carrying Weiss towards Ruby, but Yang had already beaten her there.

"What happened?"

"Bee sting!" Ruby wailed.

"Here, let me see," Yang demanded. Ruby pulled her hand from the water and Yang held it gently while examining it. "No stinger, that's good," she muttered before directing Ruby's hand back to the water. "I'll get you a bandaid and some ice."

"Mmkk…" Ruby muttered as she obediently followed her sister's instructions.

Yang possessed a motherly instinct when it came to Ruby. She could be calm and nurturing when Ruby needed reassurance. On the flip side, she could be as aggressive as an Ursa if Ruby was threatened.

While Yang went about her tasks, Weiss was forced to watch helplessly from her spot frozen by the kitchen table. At one point in the past, she'd assumed responsibility of taking care of all of Ruby's bumps and bruises, but now, just like Yang had said, it was abundantly clear that she wasn't needed. In this world she was an observer, and nothing more.

"Are you alright?" she asked regardless, startling Ruby and drawing surprised silver eyes her way.

"Oh, hey Weiss! Totally didn't see you there!" Ruby replied. Removing her hand from the sink, she leaned casually against the kitchen cabinet before cringing and sticking her hand back under the water. "I'm fine! Just...got a little too close."

The phrase made Weiss' eyes narrow suspiciously. There was something familiar about the way Ruby had said it...

"You weren't trying to catch the bee, were you?"

When Ruby's eyes shifted to the water, Weiss had her answer.

"Well…"

"Ruby!" Yang chastised her sister while handing over a small pack of ice. "What did I tell you about trying to play with bees?"

"I'm sorry! I wanted to see if he would sit in my hand!"

"And did he?" Yang asked, placing one hand on her hip while Ruby only looked more embarrassed.

"Yeah...long enough to sting me…"

When Ruby flashed them both a pitiful smile, Weiss felt any consternation melt away, replaced only by amusement. Clearly the smile had the same impact on Yang, who chuckled and patted Ruby lightly on the shoulder.

"You're just that sweet, huh?" Yang teased gently before giving Weiss the briefest of glances. "Hey, maybe you should show Weiss where you catch the butterflies."

Ruby's eyes immediately widened in excitement at the suggestion, making Weiss' own heart race in anticipation.

"I'd love to! But uh...don't you two want to hang out?" Ruby asked, gesturing between the two of them.

Weiss softly shook her head while Yang answered, "I actually have to go meet Blake, but you two have fun."

With another quick glance sent Weiss' way, Yang headed towards the front door and opened a small closet before rustling inside for a pair of shoes. She didn't say another word while stepping outside and closing the door with a slight bang - that might or might not have been intentional.

Sorrow building, Weiss watched her former teammate willingly disappear rather than spend another moment in her presence. Was this the way it would be between them from now on? They'd once been so close...

The sound of rustling ice cubes drew her attention back to Ruby, who smiled and waved Weiss towards the back of the house with the hand clutching the bag of ice.

"Are you sure you don't wanna hang out with Yang and Blake?" Ruby asked while they walked through the narrow hallway between the bedrooms. "I mean, I'd totally understand if you did. You could always go with her, you know?"

Initially, the comment was incredibly discouraging. Did Ruby want Weiss to spend time with Yang instead? Was she actually being a nuisance?

Thankfully, some rational thought crept through and reminded her that in Ruby's mind, Weiss was one of Yang's friends who was back to make amends. Not...whoever she really was. So even though she wanted to spend every conceivable second with Ruby, Ruby was making sure that Weiss had the opportunity to spend time with Yang. Ruby was too considerate to do otherwise.

Well...Weiss had been one of Yang's friends who was back to make amends, but finding a way back into Yang's good graces was still a long way off. If the two of them couldn't even have a short conversation without their emotions boiling over, they clearly weren't ready to be speaking at all.

Fortunately, Yang wasn't making it impossible for Weiss to find a way into Ruby's life again - which she could do. She could make it an insurmountable task for Weiss in a heartbeat. All she had to do was ask Ruby not to speak to Weiss anymore and, knowing the connection the sisters shared, Ruby would certainly agree. Even though Ruby seemed to like spending time with Weiss, there was no way she would choose Weiss over her own sister - and Weiss would never expect that to happen.

In Weiss' world, her blessings seemed to be growing smaller and smaller, yet she counted them all the same.

It was also fortunate that Ruby wasn't completely put off by the way that Yang was currently dealing with their unresolved emotions. Although, maybe it wasn't entirely surprising if Ruby still possessed a penchant for offering second, third, and fourth chances.

"Thank you," Weiss replied to Ruby's offer. "But I think it's best not to push my luck with her today. Plus, I...enjoy spending time with you..."

The confession made her cheeks heat up instantly. It had been quite some time since she'd uttered such complimentary words and she honestly wasn't sure how Ruby would take them.

But Ruby beamed back at her.

"I like spending time with you too!"

Weiss' cheeks grew warmer under the unrelenting smile, before she finally coughed in an attempt to direct Ruby's eyes elsewhere. It was horribly difficult to hold Ruby's gaze in some moments - when Weiss would find herself drawn into the comforting silver that had been her lifeline through thick and thin.

But that connection had been severed. The comfort was still there, but with it was agony at the memories - and, in Ruby's case, a steady attempt to figure out what made Weiss tick.

It had become quite obvious that Ruby was studying her - analyzing her actions, her words, her movements. It wasn't quite as attentive as what Blake might do, or as intuitive as Yang's 'gut feelings,' but it was a type of deep analysis that Ruby likely had no idea she was doing.

Weiss could feel it all the same. She was being deconstructed, layer by layer, just like one of the many weapons Ruby tore apart and put back together again. A growing part of Weiss was terrified that Ruby would eventually stumble upon the fragments of herself that had decayed over the past year. What would happen then?

"So...why are you catching butterflies?" she asked while they walked across the grassy yard and stepped up to a line of tall woods at the back of the property.

"Oh!" Ruby remarked, seeming to have forgotten that that's what she'd been doing before Weiss had arrived. "I've been doing it to practice using my semblance!"

With another wave, Weiss followed Ruby into the woods. Once completely within the shade of the trees, she could see beams of sunlight sporadically breaking the tree foliage and lighting the ground below. Here and there she spotted rapid movements - sometimes bees, sometimes flies, but there were also several butterflies floating in the sunnier places, where soft pink and blue flowers had sprouted.

"They can sense changes in air pressure from really far away," Ruby explained, pointing out a nearby butterfly that was drifting lazily around a bunch of flowers. "If you move too fast, the wind will blow them further away. You have to be quick, but stealthy."

The two of them watched the yellow and black butterfly for several moments in silence. Personally, Weiss was trying to figure out how she would go about catching the insect in a way that didn't involve freezing it in midair and walking over to collect the block of ice from the ground.

That's what she would do, but she honestly had no idea how Ruby would go about this. One, Weiss had never seen Ruby catch a butterfly before. And two, as Ruby had pointed out, even the smallest gust of wind would be counterproductive to the end goal. Anyone who'd ever had the pleasure of having Ruby blow by them at lightning speed could confirm that there certainly wasn't an absence of air when she flitted about.

It was with immeasurable curiosity that Weiss asked, "May I watch?"

Grinning as if that was exactly the question Ruby had wanted to hear, she quickly set the ice pack on the ground before putting one hand down like a sprinter.

"One butterfly comin' right up!"

An instant later, Ruby disappeared in a cloud of rose petals, causing Weiss' breath to catch in her throat in longing. Heart pounding, her eyes focused on the forest, trying to track Ruby's swift movements zig-zagging through the trees. It was a skill that had only been perfected over years of practice - and even then Weiss watched mostly on instinct rather than clear vision of Ruby's path.

In this particular instance, Ruby approached the butterfly from the far left before a flash of red leapt into the air directly above the unsuspecting creature. Ruby was going to catch it from above. At least that's what Weiss initially thought, but then she saw something that made her pounding heart slam to a sudden stop.

Because then she saw something she'd never seen before.

Instead of rushing down at the butterfly, thus creating a tunnel of wind that Ruby had made reference to, the swarm of red rose petals burst apart and floated slowly, almost impossibly slowly, towards the ground before curling back into the form of a girl with her hands gently cupping around the butterfly in mid-flight.

It was like watching leaves flutter to the ground on an autumn day. Or a single snowflake drifting lazily towards the frozen sidewalk. The stillness and normalness of it caused not a single stir in the tranquil forest before Weiss' eyes, but it sent her heart into a roller coaster of emotions.

Beaming with pride, Ruby hopped through the trees with both hands clasped firmly together.

"Got 'im!"

Though the weight of shock still lay heavily across her mind, Weiss managed to smile at how pleased Ruby was with the accomplishment. But she still had to know...

"How did you do that?"

"What?" Ruby asked, glancing briefly over one shoulder as if Weiss had pointed towards the forest. "Oh, my semblance? I know, I can go really fast! It's pretty cool, actually. When you're going that fast, everything else seems reallyyy slow."

Weiss nodded at the answer. She already knew Ruby was fast… "But the part where you caught the butterfly," she clarified, waving towards Ruby's hands. "How did you do that?"

"You mean sneaking up on him? I don't really know. But I can't catch 'em when I go super-fast, so I focus on going superrrrr slow. It's really hard to do - definitely takes a lot more concentration than going fast does."

'Super slow?' Ruby had spent all of Beacon figuring out how to go faster - how to push her speed to its very limit and then push even further. That's what Ruby had been all about - speed. There had never - not once - been any mention of going slower.

Holding both hands in between them, Ruby waited until she had Weiss' attention before lifting the top one away. The butterfly immediately flapped upwards, weaving around their heads before heading back into the sky - leaving the two of them standing on the ground watching it swirl away.

This is still Ruby, Weiss reminded herself while her heart struggled to regain its rhythm. It was still Ruby, but...it wasn't.

"You wanna try?"

Weiss immediately shook her head at the question. "I'm not good at sneaking around -"

"You don't have to be! Come on, I'll get the net and we'll do this the old fashioned way!"

There wasn't time to protest - unless she wanted to argue with the cloud of petals Ruby left behind while sprinting back into the house. Seconds later a strong breeze preemptively announced Ruby's return to Weiss' side with a long butterfly net clutched in one hand.

"Your net, milady," Ruby said facetiously, giving Weiss a little bow that only served to make her blush. "Now we just need a butterfly - follow me!"

Dutifully holding the net, Weiss crept through the trees behind Ruby. There seemed to be a bigger sunny spot up ahead, which was most likely where Ruby was leading them.

Sure enough, a few moments later Ruby gasped and pointed. "Oh! That's a pretty one!"

Following Ruby's direction, Weiss found a royal blue butterfly with a line of solid black around the outer edges of its wings. Its pure simplicity certainly leant to its beauty.

"If you walk really slowly, you should be able to get it," Ruby whispered, nudging Weiss gently forward.

Catching butterflies wasn't necessarily an endeavor Weiss undertook often...or ever...but they were already here and she was already holding a net, so she might as well play along for Ruby's sake. Nodding, she crept forward with small steps - being extra careful not to make any hasty movements - while her eyes tracked the creature through the air. It was fluttering along a lazy yet unpredictable path, but after a few seconds landed on the tip of a blue flower and slowly flapped its wings up and down, soaking up the sun.

It was perfect. While it was sitting still, Weiss was able to get so close she was practically standing above it and it still didn't move - not until she started swinging the net, that is. The instant she twitched, the butterfly flew upwards and straight towards her face - a small scream escaped her lips when wings briefly batted her nose. Jumping away from the perceived attack, she promptly tripped over her own foot and fell to the grass with a thump. It was only while she was falling did she manage to swing and completely miss the fluttering bit of blue soaring away from her.

The entire sequence of events happened so quickly she had no time to process it before she heard the unmistakable sound of Ruby giggling uncontrollably from somewhere nearby. Weiss felt her cheeks flush deeply at her poor showing, while allowing Ruby to pull her back to her feet.

"Apparently I don't have a career in this," she grumbled while wiping dirt off of her clothing.

"But that was the most adorable thing ever!" Ruby proclaimed before brushing off a twig stuck to Weiss' elbow.

What had begun as a flush of embarrassment due to her rather extraordinary failure quickly became a blush entirely caused by Ruby calling her adorable. Looking up, Weiss found silver eyes twinkling playfully down at her while Ruby's hand still lingered at her elbow.

Something pulled strongly on her heart at that moment - which was so similar to a thousand other moments of years gone by. Ruby was just so beautiful, so pure, so alive...without another thought Weiss was leaning forward, rolling to the balls of her feet in order to bridge the few inches of space necessary to meet Ruby's lips.

Ruby's gaze broke away the next second when wings flapped in between them, snapping Weiss out of the moment like a gallon of frozen water had just been thrown in her face.

"Looks like he's back for more!" Ruby exclaimed, happily pointing out the same blue butterfly Weiss had failed to capture. It was floating nearby, oblivious to the regrettable lapse in judgment it had just prevented Weiss from seeing through.

"He wins this round," she huffed with pretend indignation towards the tiny insect, while silently blessing it for the well-timed intervention. "But no one beats a Schnee in the end."

When Ruby giggled at the phrase, Weiss smiled in return. There was something so heartwarming about the sound...like a balm to her restless soul...but it did little to soften the embarrassment at what she'd almost done. Thankfully, Ruby seemed to be none the wiser to what had nearly happened.

But suddenly Ruby's eyes widened, focused on something right above Weiss' ear.

"Weiss, don't move."

Her muscles froze on instinct, alarm growing when Ruby took a careful step closer.

"What is it?"

She was afraid to turn her head, imagining there was a spider or some other horrible bug in her hair.

"Just hold still a second, I'll get it."

The next second Ruby stepped so close that they were practically hugging - her face close enough that Weiss could watch dark pupils expand and contract when the light shifted in the woods surrounding them. Warmth was beginning to spread across her cheeks with each passing second, her eyes flitting across every inch of Ruby's face, trying to memorize every detail. Light sighs of air brushed across Weiss' cheek, sending tingles down her spine. Taking small breaths that were stunted by rampant anticipation, Weiss savored the scent of roses that clung to Ruby no matter what she did to try to get rid of it.

Lifting one hand, Ruby froze as it hovered near Weiss' ear - lingering long enough that Weiss briefly believed that it would be used to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and pull her closer. She yearned for Ruby to pull her closer - for the two of them to meld together once more.

That wish wasn't granted. Instead, Ruby carefully plucked something from Weiss' hair before inching backward and holding it up for her to see.

"A caterpillar!" she remarked, oblivious to how red Weiss' cheeks must currently be from their proximity. "So you kinda did catch a butterfly! Just a baby one."

When Ruby beamed at her, Weiss managed a small smile while remaining eternally grateful that Ruby couldn't read her thoughts at the moment. Instead of questioning Weiss' tongue-tied silence, Ruby looked around before gently setting the small green caterpillar on a nearby leaf. Satisfied that it wasn't going to fall, she dusted off her hands and turned back to Weiss with that same blinding grin set in place.

"Are you ok?" Ruby's grin fell a couple of notches when she caught Weiss' eyes. "Your cheeks are a little red."

"Um, yes. Just the...sun…" Weiss' blush deepened when she waved a hand at the mostly shaded forest surrounding them. Thankfully, Ruby didn't seem to think anything more of the comment - nodding before letting out a small gasp at an idea.

"Oh! If you like butterflies, I have something to show you!" she announced with all the glee of a child wanting to show off her toys. "Follow me!"

With a hop and a skip, Ruby waved for Weiss to follow her back to the house. As they left the forest behind and crossed the well-trodden yard, Weiss turned back to the woods one last time. The lingering smell of roses made her nostalgic in a heart-wrenching way, but she needed to be more careful. If she allowed her memories of Ruby to control her actions, she would only end up scaring the girl away.

After politely holding the back door for Weiss to walk through, Ruby raced forward and pushed open the door on the left side of the hallway.

"This way!" she proclaimed before disappearing from view a second later. The instant Ruby was no longer in eyesight Weiss' feet dragged along the floor like it was rapidly turning to quicksand.

Could she really step into Ruby's room without being inundated by demons? There was only one way to find out that answer - and it was by following Ruby through the doorway as if nothing was wrong, even though her muscles tensed with apprehension.

Taking a deep breath in preparation, she walked through the door and...nothing happened. There was no lightning to strike her down where she stood. There were no memories to tear her into a past life. Instead, there was just...a room. Filled with clothes, furniture, and a few random trinkets.

"So, uh, this is my room," Ruby said awkwardly, picking up a shirt that had been looped over the back of a chair and tossing it towards the closet. "Sorry, I haven't cleaned in a few days."

Where Weiss had expected demons, she found blissful unfamiliarity. Nothing in the room sent tremors of recognition down her spine - instead, the comfort of an unknown environment washed over her. The walls were a different color. The bedspread was different. Different posters, different pictures, different furniture.

And while she'd been expecting to find the mess that Ruby had contributed to their dorm room, instead she found everything surprisingly tidy and organized, contrary to what Ruby's apology suggested. Overall, the space had an orderly atmosphere that put Weiss at ease.

"You're very...neat," she commented hesitantly. Her eyes still wandered around the room, trying to construct a good feeling for the type of person who lived there.

"Oh, thanks," Ruby replied with a bashful smile. "I never really was before, but...I had a lot of time on my hands, I guess. For a while organizing was about the extent of what I could do."

The open admission scratched painfully at Weiss' heart, but Ruby hadn't said it for sympathy - she was merely telling the truth. As much as that truth hurt...

Walking over to the closet, which was currently open, Weiss glanced briefly inside to see what kinds of clothes were hanging there. Also neat. Also organized. There were the combat skirts they'd both worn so much. Jackets, some shirts. All arranged very efficiently in order of -

She froze, unable to move even when Ruby came over to stand right beside her.

"By function, then color, then length," Ruby explained before walking towards the desk to find whatever she was searching for. "Yang thinks I'm crazy, but you should see her closet. Poor Blake…"

Staring into the closet, Weiss swallowed thickly and struggled to grasp onto the thread that kept her here in this room.

No wonder it felt comfortable. This was the way she'd organized her own closets since grade school.

It was the way she'd arranged their closet at home.

Peering over her shoulder, Weiss watched Ruby sift purposefully through various drawers. Besides the scars, there were few visible clues that differentiated this Ruby from the one Weiss had always known. Much of what had irrevocably changed was internal - the differences housed in Ruby's mind that were invisible to the naked eye. But the closet...that was a visible expression of Ruby's inner thoughts.

Could it possibly be...that this little part of Weiss was still hidden in Ruby's mind?

Her pulse was elevating and her palms growing moist as she tore her eyes from Ruby. Suddenly, the entire room made sense. The books on the shelf organized in groupings, both vertically and horizontally, alphabetized left to right and top to bottom. The pens lying on top of the desk, all of the tips arranged in a straight line.

The more familiarity she found, the more she could feel another reality surging to the surface of her mind. The room was much larger, lit by the light of more windows, with the smell of roses everywhere. Ruby was still there, rustling through drawers, only it was the drawers by the bed - their bed. She had no idea Weiss was behind her...because Weiss had been sneaking ever since walking into the room. She was determined that today was going to be the day. And she was growing infinitely more nervous with every step she took - a small square box clutched behind her back -

"Aha!"

The memory flashed away when Ruby stood and rushed back to Weiss triumphantly. When Ruby gestured for one of Weiss' hands, she removed them from behind her back, finding them empty, before Ruby set something in the palm of one hand.

Shoving the lingering memory aside, Weiss focused on the trinket Ruby had just handed her. It was a butterfly...made out of scraps of metal that created a kaleidoscope of colors. Attached to a small base with a single wire rod, it was small enough to fit comfortably within the palm of her hand. But it wasn't just a statue of a butterfly...the instant it touched Weiss' palm the wings began moving slowly up and down - flapping like a real butterfly would.

"It's powered by you," Ruby explained. "Took a while to figure that one out."

It was mesmerizing to watch - the little piece of metal flapping its small wings lazily in her hand.

"It's...amazing…" Weiss muttered, mostly to herself, while analyzing the contraption. The pieces of metal had been cleverly sourced from different weapons or fixtures in order to create a unique combination of colors that somehow came together in one aesthetically pleasing masterpiece.

Although none of this should be at all surprising, considering its creator.

"Do you want it?"

The question immediately made Weiss balk and try to pass the butterfly back to Ruby.

"Oh, no, I could never -"

"Sure you can!" Ruby replied while gently pushing Weiss' outstretched hands back. "I don't need it. It's been in that drawer for a while so it'd be better off with you! I mean...if you want it..."

The sudden uncertainty erased any doubt or hesitation on Weiss' part. Clutching the newfound treasure in both hands, she brought it back to her chest with a smile.

"Of course I do."

The only thing that could possibly make receiving a gift such as this any better was the enormous grin Ruby now had on her face. It was one of those grins where it was abundantly clear that Ruby felt as if she'd accomplished an extraordinary task. And, on Weiss' part, she'd just been given a rather extraordinary gift.

Turning her gaze away from Ruby and back to the butterfly, Weiss watched the wings move for several seconds before her eye caught on something tucked on the other side of the dresser - on the far side of the room. Curiosity compelling her, she took a half step closer so that she could identify what was lurking there. The instant she did so, she wished that she hadn't.

It was...a shrine, of some sort...composed entirely of empty pill bottles.

Her lip quivered as she looked at them, stacked carefully one on top of the other in a precarious pyramid. The names on the labels didn't make any sense to her, but they should. She should know every single one of them - what they were for, what side effects they had. She should know everything about them because she should have been here.

Just like Yang had said - Weiss should have been here to help. Nothing was as much as testament to that as this. Because this...no amount of money in the world could have made these bottles go away.

"Yang wants me to get rid of them," Ruby commented softly from behind her, causing Weiss to turn around. "But I like seeing them. I like knowing that I went from that," Ruby pointed towards the tower, "To this."

When Ruby raised one closed fist, Weiss watched intently to see what was inside. But when Ruby uncurled her fingers, her palm was empty.

"Nothing!" she remarked, holding her hand up while grinning merrily.

"That's great to hear," Weiss managed to reply, forcing a small smile. "It must have been a...difficult journey."

"Naw." Shrugging one shoulder, Ruby reached past Weiss and straightened one of the bottles on top of the stack. "Just long, ya know? But now that I'm better I can have fun again!"

Even though the response was purely happy, Weiss felt her breath leave her in a soft whoosh of air. Guilt twisted like a knife in her heart and she resisted the urge to touch her chest to make sure nothing was lodged there.

Ruby still lied the same way...

"Hey," Ruby suddenly asked, ducking her head to meet Weiss' eyes. "Are you ok?"

The concern was nearly too much for her. Here she was - the one who'd run when Ruby had needed her - and Ruby was worried about her. Weiss, the one who hadn't been gravely injured and forced into months of medication and rehabilitation and god knows what else.

"Yes -" When her throat caught on the word, she swallowed to get her voice working again. "Yes. I'm just...a little thirsty is all."

"Let's get you some water then!" Ruby replied, cheerfully waving for Weiss to follow her back to the kitchen. But before they left the room behind, Weiss couldn't help but glance back at the tower of empty bottles - reliving the swell of remorse that brought tears stinging to her eyes.

Grasping the metal butterfly in her hands, which she in no way deserved, she tried to remind herself that those bottles were part of the part. That was her mistake. That was something she would never be able to fix - something she would have to live with every remaining day of her life.

She doesn't need you anymore, Weiss.

More tears threatened when Yang's words replayed in her mind.

"Are you an ice or no ice type of gal?" Ruby asked with a cheerful grin while pulling two cups out of the cupboard.

"I...actually, I think I should be going," Weiss replied, not failing to notice the brief confusion and then disappointment that flickered through silver eyes.

"Oh…"

"I forgot a work report -" she continued, moving towards the door as if trying to escape Ruby's presence. "But thank you so much for...inviting me. We should do this again soon."

Her hand was already on the door knob - and Ruby slowly trailed her to the front door.

"Yeah, we should! Whenever you're free!"

The response somehow wounded Weiss even further - preventing her from meeting Ruby's eyes while her own swam with tears.

"Have a lovely day," she whispered towards the door, before opening it and rushing down the sidewalk away from the house. Feeling the eyes watching her leave, she resisted the urge to turn back as she made her hasty retreat - a fresh wave of pain crashing over her head.

Ruby didn't need her, that was becoming more clear by the day. Weiss was the one who needed Ruby. But what right did she have to be in Ruby's life?