Thank you to LightInside for her help

With Ruby tucked at her side, gently dangling a stick over the fire, Weiss looked out at the sunset beyond the never-ending water and felt a wonderful feeling of contentment. They were here to work, but this tiny moment of solace was remarkably peaceful. Ruby's head resting on her shoulder, the warmth of the evening was just perfect and the fire was starting to heat up for them to cook.

Now, they could have easily just bought something to eat, but Yang wanted the authentic camping experience – which meant some kind of meat cooked over an open flame that would probably be tougher to swallow than one of Blake's ninja sex books.

Still, Yang had been in a mood and after Qrow left Ruby was in about the same mood and Weiss decided to just let them have this.

Ruby, of course, wanted nothing more than graham crackers and marshmallows and chocolate to make some concoction known as "S'Mores".

Weiss had never heard of such a thing but apparently it had something to do with fire and sticks and here they were as Ruby spun the stick in her hand and toasted her marshmallow.

"You know, we really suck at this." Yang broke up Weiss' perfect moment as she sat down in the dirt with a stick of her own. "Do you think other hunter's missions are like this? I mean, we're roasting marshmallows.

Ruby waved her off. "We're on a stakeout! That's real huntress stuff! We're here waiting for the monster to show up and we take it down."

Her enthusiasm could be so darn infectious.

"Your marshmallows on fire," Blake chimed in before she took a seat next to Yang.

"Oh no!" Ruby nearly knocked Weiss over as she jerked her stick out of the fire and started blowing on the burning ball of fluff.

As Ruby dealt with her flaming stick, Weiss studied her other two teammates seated across from her.

Something about them had been different ever since they all reunited after she and Ruby's date. They seemed closer, but both of them seemed off – as if they were hiding something. Weiss wasn't stupid, she knew that something had changed between them. The same something that she knew Blake had been wanting for quite some time.

There were definitely days where Weiss considered stepping in and saying something, but no time ever felt right and both Yang and Blake came with serious baggage.

Still, Weiss looked across at them now, seated together but hardly interacting and she just…knew.

"So, who made the move first?" She asked and both of them looked at her as if she'd just started speaking another language. "It was you, wasn't it?" She pointed at Blake.

When her sun kissed cheeks turned red, Weiss had her answer.

"What move?" Ruby asked, chocolate on her lips and graham cracker crumbs down the front of her corset. Then her eyes lit up. "Oh! Did you tell them about the Bees Schnees?"

"Ruby, no!" Weiss tried to cover her mouth, but it was too late.

"The what?" Yang asked.

Weiss glared at her, hoping to muster enough glower power to shut them all up at once.

Unfortunately, Ruby was unstoppable. "It's a move name that Weiss came up with. Bees Schnees! Something for you two and her to do in combat!"

"I told you," Weiss reached up and ran her thumb along Ruby's lips to remove the chocolate that was slowly driving her insane. "I'm not doing any move named that."

"Aw, come on Weiss! It's such a cool name!" Yang reached out with her hand up. "Nice pun, sis!"

They high fived and Weiss considered jumping into the fire.

As she locked eyes with Blake, she saw the way Blake watched Yang and it felt very off. Considering how long Weiss assumed Blake had been into Yang, the reality of them being together should have been a dream come true. Instead, Blake looked lost and uncomfortable. Even when Yang sat back down next to her, Blake made no move to scoot in closer. For Weiss, she could barely keep her hands off of Ruby, it didn't feel right that Blake and Yang weren't the same.

"Okay," Ruby sighed and suddenly stood up – leaving Weiss feeling very cold and clingy. "It could be a really long night or…a really long couple of nights. We need to work out a sleeping routine so one of us is always up."

"Maybe we should do teams?" Yang added, looking up at her sister. "I mean…it's easier to stay awake if you have someone to talk to."

Ruby's face lit up at the suggestion. "Yes!" She said, all too quickly. "I mean…that's a very smart idea, Yang. Weiss and I will—"

"It shouldn't be partners." Blake said and everyone turned to look at her. Meanwhile, she was looking everywhere but at Yang. "I think we'll be too easily distracted…this is a job. We're not here to make out on the beach with our girlfriends."

Weiss knew better than to look at Yang, but when she did it hurt. She was clearly confused and unsure of what to do. Blake was being very distant, even by her own standards and to so blatantly not want to be alone with Yang was strange.

"Oh," Ruby was much more vocally disappointed and Weiss could relate. "I—I don't think—"

"She's right, Ruby." Weiss said and part of her did agree with the logic. While she'd love to sit up all night cuddling with Ruby, it wasn't really why they were here. "You and Yang take first shift."

With a pout, Ruby sat back down by the fire and Weiss couldn't help but smile. Leaning over, she kissed Ruby softly on the lips before standing up and kissing her forehead. That was enough to draw out Ruby's smile and Weiss couldn't resist bending down for just one more kiss.

When she looked over to the others, Yang made no attempt to acknowledge Blake when she stood up and not a word was spoken between them when Blake went over to the sleeping bags and started unfolding hers.

As Weiss went over to do the same, she knew what her job was tonight – figure out what the hell was wrong with Blake Belladonna.

It was dark by the time Weiss and Blake carried themselves out of the mass of sleeping bags and made their way to the campfire.

Yang had put a few extra logs on to keep it going for them, but Ruby was barely awake by the time the shift changed and Yang practically had to carry her away. Which made the passing kiss Weiss shared with Ruby even more amusing as Yang was so close to it. She grimaced and made a small complaint, but Blake could tell that Yang found it cute that they just had to have that one kiss.

Unfortunately, it also made it very obvious that she and Yang had shown no affection for one another at all since yesterday. What had been one of the best moments of her life – one that she'd wanted for years, was now something that only made her feel terrible.

She wanted to kiss Yang, more than anything in this world she wanted to cuddle with her and kiss her and enjoy this beautiful night to sit by a fire and just…love her. But she couldn't, her mind wouldn't let her. All she could think about when she looked at Yang, was Adam and how he was out there causing trouble and how she knew it would eventually find her.

He always found and he always hurt her. No matter what she did, no matter how she approached him, he always hurt her.

Adam had always protected her. She'd been saved by him more than once in fights and he did things for her to keep her alive that went well beyond that. He fed her, and gave her a roof over her head when she left home. He protected her…because he was the only one allowed to hurt her.

It wasn't as bad as she knew it could have been. He didn't physically hurt her, at least not until she left him. But he made her believe that she was nothing without him. That she wouldn't survive and that she was useless without his guidance. For a long time, Blake believed it and she believed that he was the sole reason she had purpose.

She wanted to help people, to help her people, and he gave her a platform to do that. Except his idea of helping meant stepping on the throats of someone else. Blake wanted to fight for equality, but not by brute force. She didn't want her freedom to come from fear – because she'd spent so much of her life afraid.

That was the difference. Yang didn't make her feel afraid. No, Yang made her feel invincible – like she could do anything just because Yang believed in her. It was that feeling that made her so protective of Yang. There was always doubt when it came to Yang, brought on by Adam, that she would mess up. That she would try too hard to keep Yang safe and keep this thing between them intact because of how important it was to her. She didn't want to control Yang, in the name of protection, the way she'd been controlled by Adam.

That was why she was so distant now – Adam was a threat to Yang and a threat to this safety and so long as he was out there she didn't feel like she could truly enjoy it and Yang didn't deserve that. Yang deserved Blake's entire heart and if she couldn't offer that because of the fear that was always in the back of her mind, then Blake didn't truly deserve Yang.

Blake tracked her life in two parts. There was Before Yang and After Yang. Needless to say, BY was a far emptier time than her life now and she just wanted to keep that safe.

She'd do anything to keep that safe.

"Okay," Blake looked up from the fire just in time to see Weiss sit down across from her. It was quite a sight to see Weiss Schnee sitting in the dirt with her hair tied up in a messy ponytail and wearing her girlfriend's cloak over her shoulders. "What's going on with you?"

Blake frowned. "Nothing," she looked back at the fire.

"You kissed Yang, that's something." Blake looked up at her in disbelief. Weiss scoffed, "Please, you two are practically oozing awkward discomfort." Weiss adjusted the cloak over her shoulders. Blake could mention something about how it wasn't cold and she didn't need that cloak – but Weiss had her on the ropes. "So what's the deal? Why are you two being idiots this time?"

"It's complicated." Blake said, wanting this conversation to end.

Sadly, this was Weiss and it was never easy. "When is it not?" Weiss sighed. "Just tell me, Blake. I would like to believe that we can come to each other with these things, as I have told you multiple times about the ailments of my relationship."

"You've been dating her for like…four days, Weiss."

That earned her a glare. "Yes, and we've already tackled many obstacles, including my grabbing her butt and her laughing at me."

Blake grinned. "She wasn't laughing at you."

"Then laughing adjacently to me – regardless, I told you that in trust. I would hope you'd feel the same way with me." Blake could hear a bit of desperation in Weiss' voice and it made her feel something akin to adoration for Weiss. To know that Weiss was so truly hoping that Blake would confide in her was reassuring. Weiss genuinely wanted to be this person for her.

"The White Fang is doing…terrible things. Things that could destroy the future of my people permanently."

Weiss' gaze never left her and Blake could see her processing. There was a strange comfort in knowing that Weiss had as rocky of a past with the White Fang as she did – even if they were on opposite sides growing up. The White Fang had played a large role in the troubles of Weiss' childhood, just as they had for Blake.

"I assume this has something to do with that partner of yours?" Weiss asked and though Blake was sure she already knew the answer, Blake nodded all the same. "The one who hurt Yang?"

Blake winced, "Yes. Everything related to the White Fang has to do with him."

"So you're afraid," Weiss didn't ask, merely stated a point.

Reaching to her side, Blake gripped Gambol Shroud tightly. "He's hurting people." As she looked up over the fire, Weiss was staring at her. Those ice blue eyes studying her every move. Weiss had a way of reading into body language and expressions far better than anyone Blake had ever met.

"What are you going to do about it?"

Looking away, Blake shrugged. "My parents are handling it. They've asked me to leave it alone."

"That does not answer my question about you, though."

Blake looked at her again, this time she had her right eyebrow quirked up. She wasn't expecting a response, she was demanding it.

Fortunately for Blake, as good as Weiss was at reading people, Blake was better at lying to them. "I'm going to fight with my team and deal with this monster, then figure out where to go from here." Both of Weiss' eyebrows rose this time, she seemed unconvinced. "I mean it, Weiss. My parents are doing…big things about this – far bigger than me and my issues. I'm scared for them, for my home –"

"Are you going to run away again?" The tone of Weiss' voice was clear – protective.

Blake had a hard time finding an answer. " I don't...Weiss?" She stopped when she noticed Weiss start to stand, Myrtenaster gripped tightly. For a moment she thought Weiss might be coming for her, but her eyes were looking well into the water behind them.

"Do you see that?" She whispered and Blake was on her feet in a heartbeat. Somehow, probably by glyph, Weiss put the fire out almost immediately and Blake was grateful because her night vision kicked in and she could see the endless water perfectly.

Her ears perked up, listening for any sound and there was something, though distant, that didn't sound right. It was deep and guttural, like a large old gate being opened. That was when the water started to shift unnaturally and Blake was amazed Weiss had even seen it.

"You see it?" Weiss asked quietly and Blake nodded.

"Something's out there, I can hear it too." She continued to listen as the sound inched closer and closer. The hair on the back of her neck was standing – deep down she knew what it was. "We should wake the others."

Weiss turned on her heel in an instant and raced back to the sleeping bags. Blake felt a bit guilty waking up the girls so soon after their shift ended, but this was the entire point of being out here and something was coming.

The broken moon shimmered off the water and Blake reached up to block it with a hand. For the others, it was probably the only way they could even see beyond the shore – but for Blake, it was a hindrance to her ability to see in the dark.

"Ruby!" It was Weiss, her voice a screeched whisper that cause Blake to turn back just in time to see their leader scaling a very tall rock with her scythe in hand.

Ruby didn't respond, instead opening Crescent Rose to full side and planting the blade into the rock she stood on. From there, she peered through the scope and started scouring the water. Weiss stayed near the rock Ruby was on, meanwhile Blake felt a presence next to her.

"What do you see?" Yang asked and Blake returned her eyes to the water.

"It's coming in slow, I think it knows we're here." She said and through the silence of the night, she could hear the sound of Yang's mechanical fist closing.

"I see it," Ruby called out and Blake again looked up at her. Ruby was looking down the scope but pointing at something only she could see. "It's coming up just a bit out of the water and it's heading for us." Drawing back from the scope, Ruby looked down at them. "We need to see what it is before we attack," Ruby again moved to her scope. "If it comes on land, we'll have a better chance. If it stays in the water, we'll need to improvise."

Blake winced, she really really didn't want to fight this thing in the water. Still, she readied her weapon and heard the familiar sound of Yang's gauntlets spinning open.

"If need be, I can freeze the water in places for us to advance. If it won't come to us, I can bring us to it."

Suddenly, there was no need for night vision because the monster was moving much faster and the water all around the small island was rippling and crashing against the shore.

It was Yang who fired the first shot – her gauntlet unloading a round that Blake watched move through the air and disappear into the water. Blake wasn't entirely sure why Yang had taken the shot, but Yang never did anything without reason, at least not on the battlefield.

On cue, the monster rose up from the water and into the air – giving them all a look at it. It was long and lacking in any appendages. It had an opening at the front and all Blake could see was teeth. There were red and white veins crawling up and down it and as it reached the top of its jump, the red on it glowed in the darkness and it let out a wicked cry.

Blake's ears were now filled with gunfire as Yang and Ruby both started to unload in its general direction, though Blake was fairly certain they were missing with most of them.

Feeling slightly useless, Blake turned back to Weiss who was standing with her rapier in her hand.

"Weiss, can you make some platforms? We can get out there and try and get an angle on it?"

Nodding, Weiss took a step back and the chamber of Myrtenaster spun, a heartbeat later, she pointed at the water and solid, ice platforms started rising up. Blake didn't even have time to tell Yang before her partner was shotgunning herself into the air and onto one.

Thankfully, Weiss kept making more and Blake followed after Yang only to see Yang leap to the next one.

At this height, in this light, Blake knew that Yang was at a disadvantage. She just couldn't see the way Blake could so Blake started shouting directions.

"To your left!" She cried and Yang stopped on a platform just ahead of her and turned. "Too far!" She said before throwing her blade in the direction of the monster, still holding onto the strap. Her blade stuck into the monster for a moment, but it shook violently and dislodged it. Still, it distracted it enough for Yang to line up and start firing off rounds.

With an intense jerking motion, the beast crashed into the platform Yang was standing on and it shattered at the bottom. She began to fall, but fired off a pair of rounds at her sides and propelled into the air.

"Weiss!" Blake screamed, but wasn't even sure her voice would reach back far enough. Fortunately, another platform rose from the water beneath Yang's feet but when she landed, her left leg slipped and she nearly fell off.

"Yang!" That was Ruby and Blake barely heard her say it before a flash of red was next to her and standing on the platform meant for Yang. Ruby had grabbed her sister's hand and was helping her up so Blake decided to go on the offensive.

She jumped, hoping Weiss was watching and was thankful when a glyph formed beneath her feet and another as she jumped again. Now standing directly over the beast, Blake shouted back, "I need weapons!"

Her love of Weiss Schnee grew tenfold when, from the water, two sharp spears made of ice rose up at her sides. Blake caught them and turned back to the beast as it crashed into the platform Ruby had just pulled Yang onto.

With all her might, Blake hurled the first spear down and it went straight through the thick skin of the Grimm. It let out a sharp cry that pierced Blake's ears.

As she readied to throw down the second, the beast again surged at the platform the others were on and this time it shattered on impact and the two sisters started to fall towards the water.

Blake panicked and threw out her gun, holding as tightly as she could to the ribbon. Thankfully, Yang knew to look for it and caught it with her right hand before grabbing onto Ruby's hood with the left.

The sudden weight of both girls was too much and Blake felt her right shoulder immediately dislocate, but she held on with both hands and thankfully Weiss put another platform beneath Ruby and lifted them both up and out of reach of the attacking Grimm.

Once she was no longer holding them both up, Blake stumbled backwards and clutched at her shoulder. Weiss' glyph was still holding her, but as Weiss' attention was diverted, the strength of the glyph waned.

With little time to hesitate, Blake braced a hand on her suddenly dead shoulder and jammed it back into place (or what she hoped was back in place). The pain of her shoulder popping back into place was the most intense sensation she'd ever felt. It hurt so badly and she cried out into the night. Someone shouted her name, it sounded like Yang and when Blake stood, Yang was suddenly sharing the fading glyph with her.

"Hang on," Yang whispered. A strangely intimate moment amidst the chaos. She could still hear the gunfire from Ruby's weapon, but all of her attention was on Yang. "Ruby," Yang called and Ruby, in mid-air, looked at them both. "We're going back to shore! I have a plan!"

With a nod, Ruby shot again as the monster leapt out of the water after her but wasn't able to reach. She warped into a ball of roses again and zipped away.

The next thing Blake knew, she was thrown over Yang's shoulder and carried into the air.

When they landed, Blake's arm started to burn and she clutched it when Yang sat her down. She fell back and saw a pair of violet eyes watching her.

"You stay here," Yang said with a smile.

"Yang," Blake tried, but Yang silenced her with a quick kiss on the forehead.

"I'll be right back."

Yang let her go and Blake watched as her partner moved next to Ruby and a very exhausted Weiss who was on one knee with Mytrentaster in the sand as a prop to keep her upright.

"Weiss," Yang said. "Can you give me one more good platform out there?"

"I—I can," Weiss said, but Ruby was shaking her head.

"She's a mess, Yang. We have to find another way."

"I only need one, Ruby." Yang challenged and it was a strange moment to see a big sister trying to convince her little sister that she was right. "One platform and another one of those cool water spears."

Despite the desperate look in Ruby's eyes, Weiss nodded. "I can do that." She said before pulling herself to her feet. Blake cast an eye out to the water as the Grimm continued to move into shore.

"Weiss, are you sure?" Ruby was practically holding her upright, but Weiss nodded and readied her weapon.

"Don't do anything stupid, Yang." Weiss said and that was when Blake realized exactly what Yang was doing.

"Wait!" Blake tried, but when she went to stand up her arm burned with pain and she locked up.

Weiss suddenly crafted a large spear of ice from the water and it laid on the shore next to Yang, who scooped it up with a glint in her eye. A moment later, Weiss groaned as she shot out into the ocean and a cascading ramp of ice formed in the water as if it had been there forever.

"Yang," Blake called out, or tried too – she wasn't even sure if any sound actually escaped.

However, Yang turned to look at her again and mouthed 'I love you' before winking and racing out into the water.

That was the last thing Blake saw before the screaming pain in her arm turned her world black.

Thoughts?