Chapter 14: I'm Glad I've Done This
We're getting to the end here, folks! But, this isn't it for my story writing! It's only just another step! Now, before we get going here, I should probably get around to saying my usual disclaimer again. I don't think that the one time I said it at the beginning is good enough. And, as I don't want lawyers camping on my lawn let me just say it: Monty Oum owns RWBY, and I don't own any of the media I put in here. I'm just a guy with an overactive imagination. With that out of the way, let's get to the chapter!
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Weiss actually got to enjoy sleeping in that Tuesday morning. No weird list items to do, no overthinking about how she should act. The warm sheets and the soft pillows were the only things she wanted to focus on right now.
It would be a bit of an understatement to say that Weiss was feeling very content with herself. She had finished her list, and all of it in a little over a week! It was amazing to think that she could power through all of those different things in such a short amount of time! Sure, not all of the items went great, to say the least, but it's still possible to learn from failures, too. So, if anything, there was nothing but major positives that came from doing all of this.
When she sent the email yesterday evening, after Ruby gave her the thumbs up to do so, Weiss felt about as good as she normally did when she reflected on the times that her family used to spend together, and not have some dark aura surrounding them. So, when she went to bed that night, she was actually looking forward to tomorrow, instead of just dealing with it when it came to pass. And hey, who knows? Maybe that message was all she needed to do to get on the right track? It was a possibility, at least.
Even though she was quite awake, Weiss let herself the beam of sunshine shining onto her bed. It felt nice and warm, like an extra blanket, or a hug from Ruby. Flipping onto her back, Weiss listened for the telltale soft breathing of Ruby, right above her bed. Weiss was feeling as relaxed as Ruby was right now, and she was still asleep.
Putting her arms under her head, Weiss lie in bed for another ten minutes. However, now that she was awake, she could feel nature calling to her a little bit. She would have to get up eventually, anyway. So, Weiss forced herself out of her bed and into the bathroom. After finishing her pee, Weiss turned on the shower. While she waited for it to heat up, she quickly walked out of the bathroom and grabbed her clothes. Given how late in the morning it was, if she wanted to walk out naked, someone other than Ruby would probably see her. And, while that wasn't exactly a problem, it would still bring up unneeded and awkward questions.
When Weiss closed the door to the bathroom, she accidentally slammed it a little. The noise woke up Ruby, who was having the craziest dream before that. She was wearing clothes made of hot dogs, and she needed to fight that MD Geist guy using nothing but a scythe assembled out of a bunch of compressed deli meats. It was a furious and tasty battle indeed.
Groaning, Ruby rubbed the sleepytime sand out of her eyes. What time was it? Did she oversleep? Did the zero wizard crystal pancake elderly blowfish?
Ruby shook her head to wake herself some more. Ah, that was a bit better. Taking in her surroundings, she saw the readout on the digital clock. It told her that it was eight twenty nine in the AM. But, at least it was a Tuesday, meaning that she didn't have any classes that morning. That was a relief.
Hoping out of her bed, Ruby stretched her limbs and back. Feeling her joints pop back into place, Ruby yawned. She tasted the inside of her mouth when it closed. Ugh, that tasted bad. Ambling over to the drink pile, Ruby cracked open one of Yang's cans of Abomination energy drink and chugged it. Well, at least the crappy taste of caffeine and whatever the hell taurine was flushed out the crappy taste of sleeping with your mouth open. It was nominally better, anyway.
With the energy that only a drink banned from being sold in several different store chains could grant, Ruby then briskly walked over to the television to watch some cartoons before she had to get ready for the day. To her, it was a good start to the day when she was able to watch her favorite shows in her pajamas. In fact, if she didn't want to become a Huntress, then that would be her second choice as a career. She didn't know how that one would work, but she would certainly try working it out.
That morning was uneventful, but in the best way.
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At their late breakfast, Team RWBY were enjoying each other. Everything was normal for once. No big issues to deal with, no recent mental breakdowns, and nobody was in any position to be harmed at all.
Munching on a piece of toast, Weiss looked over her email on her scroll. She still hadn't received a message from her father, but this was somewhat expected. After all, running a multi-million lien company wasn't exactly easy, nor did it lend itself very much free time. But, Weiss was at least secure in the feeling that she left the door open for her family to step in and try to make things right between them. It was certainly an uplifting thought.
Ruby, curious as ever, looked over at Weiss' scroll. "Did your dad ever get back to you?" she asked.
Putting down her scroll, Weiss replied, "No, and I'm not really expecting a reply for a while. He's a very busy man,".
"Ohh… So, um, what do you hope he'll say?" Ruby pressed further.
"That he loves me and he won't hurt me anymore," was Weiss' immediate thought. But, maybe that was asking for a little too much, considering the last time her and her father met. So, she settled for, "I just want to know if he's willing to make things better between us,". That was a good place to start.
"...And if he doesn't?" blurted out Ruby. But, realizing that she said a very sensitive question, then said, "Oh geez, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that! I know it's hard for you, just ignore what I said!".
Weiss sighed a little. Ruby was right, it was a hard thing to think about. The thought of your own father ruining your life was never an easy subject to have in mind. But, Weiss was feeling confident that her father still had a bit of his old self somewhere deep down somewhere inside of his heart.
"If he doesn't… I think I'm going to renounce everything. My name, my inheritance, everything. I don't want to stay around people who only make me feel hatred," the heiress decided.
That made the table go quiet, including Yang and Blake. They were involved in their own breakfast routines, but they couldn't help but stop when they heard that bombshell.
"Wow… that's… something, Weiss," Yang observed.
"Are you really willing to go through with that idea?" Blake bluntly asked.
"Yeah! You have a lot of stuff from them! Plus, it's your family! Can you really cut them out like that?" added Ruby.
Steeling her resolve, Weiss declared, "If all they do is hurt me, I have no reason to associate myself with them anymore. Look, everyone wants to avoid pain, right? So, why should I possibly prolong mine for the sake of what my family forced onto me?".
The other members of Team RWBY didn't respond as they let that sentiment sink in. All of them individually admitted to themselves that willingly cutting family out of a life at this age was a very serious and tough thing to do. But, Weiss must have been very brave to seriously consider that option. It wouldn't be easy on her, but she knew and accepted that.
Quietly, Ruby put her arm around Weiss and pulled her in closer. "Well, if that's what you want… I'll support you all the way," Ruby lowly said to her girlfriend.
"Us too," Yang said as she gestured to herself and Blake.
"R-really?" Weiss squeaked out. To be honest, she expected some resistance from her friends when she revealed what she might do. But this… this was more than what she could have ever asked for.
"Well, we ARE friends, after all," Blake pointed out.
"Heck, you're practically like family to me!" Yang said. "After all, you're my sis' lady friend!".
"I… thank you…" Weiss muttered. She could feel her chest tighten as the warmth everyone felt for her washed over her. It was more than just reassuring to know that the people sitting in front of her were as much big part of her life, if not even bigger than her actual family.
Weiss pulled Ruby in closer. Thankful wasn't enough to describe how she felt right now. She was thankful that she had decided to do that list, to get on better on footing with everyone, and most importantly, thankful that she had all these people that loved her so much.
"Come on, you guys! Group hug!" urged Ruby as she beckoned her arm towards Yang and Blake.
Yang and Blake briefly shrugged at each other, before slipping out of their seats and walking over to where Weiss and Ruby were. The black and yellow pair wrapped their arms around their red and white colored friends. The group lingered in that hug for a while. It wasn't bad at all, barring form the fact that maybe Yang was hugging a little too hard. Ruby could have sworn that she heard her spine crack a little as her sister hugged her. But, she didn't point that out. It would spoil the mood.
After about three minutes of hugging, the group broke apart to get back to their breakfasts. Well, at least Blake, Yang, and Weiss did. Ruby couldn't make her arms work properly. She only barely felt them, and it was that annoying feeling as if it was asleep or had a colony of ants crawling on it. Bleh.
Overall, breakfast was nice as well.
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Throughout the day, Weiss caught herself stealing more and more glances at her scroll. Even though she said that she had no real problem if her dad and/or family took a while to get back to her, she was still feeling incredibly anxious about it. Her feelings were so mixed on the subject, that her scroll was all she could really focus on through the day.
Maybe she was desperate to get an answer, any answer at all. Maybe she just needed to know what her family felt. Or, maybe it was the idea that her family was willing to help her bury the hatchet, and they could go back to loving each other before their personal lives became a hell of indifference and emotional neglect. Either way, Weiss was slowly getting desperate for an answer.
It took the whole day, until the late night for Weiss to get a reply. When she saw the little notice box pop up on her scroll as she lied in bed, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. At least her fears of the message not being received or them not caring were proven wrong. Smiling to herself, she tapped on the box that said "(1) New Email: Father".
Weiss' eyes greedily scanned what her father had sent her.
"Dear Weiss,
It is certainly a relief that you are doing well in your studies. Admittedly, after the last time we met, I was uncertain that you would attempt to contact me for quite some time. Imagine my relief when I saw your message in my inbox earlier. I am aware that we last parted on less than good terms, but know this: it was never my intention to cause you much harm. I simply want what's best for you, within the parameters of the family. I am fully supportive of your relationship with Ms. Rose. And, if what you said is correct, I interpret that she is helping you mature and grow to be a good person. Although it strains me to see you gone from the estate, I also feel proud that you are becoming a fine, proper lady. Remember, you are always welcome back home if you so desire. The Schnees leave their arms open for you.
THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN SCREENED AND APPROVED BY SCHNEE DUST COMPANY SECURE SERVERS. ANY ATTEMPTS TO WRONGFULLY DUPLICATE OR OTHERWISE EXPLOIT THIS MESSAGE WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE SCHNEE DUST COMPANY WILL RESULT IN A 10,000 LIEN FINE OR 2-3 YEARS IMPRISONMENT.
THE SCHNEE DUST CO. "Building up from the dust."
Weiss read over the message again. And again. And another time. Honestly, she could barely believe what she had just read. Her father… said he cared about her? He really, really cared about her, and wasn't going to take Ruby away?
…
…
That was the best news Weiss had gotten in a long, long time.
Unbridled tears of joy flowed from Weiss' eyes. Wiping away the tears, Weiss' grin grew even bigger than before. Her father really did care about her after all! Her dad did still love her! That part of her papa really still did exist after all!
Above her, Weiss heard Ruby moving around on her bunk. The brunette (red?) head poked her head down to look at Weiss.
"Weiss? Weiss? Are okay?" she whispered down at the heiress.
"Better than okay!" Weiss cheerfully choked out. "Can you come down here?".
Complying, Ruby hopped out of her bed and crawled under Weiss' covers. She found herself wrapped a big hug from Weiss.
"Papa cares about me! Papa loves me!" Weiss lowly cried, trying to restrain her excitement. Otherwise, she would accidentally wake up Yang and Blake.
"Really?! Wow, he can really do that after all!" Ruby said in surprise.
"Ruby, I… I… I don't know how to say it, but I'm really, really happy right now! I love it! I love everything!" Weiss excitedly whispered to her girlfriend. She didn't allow Ruby to reply. Instead, she rained a whole bunch of kisses on Ruby's face.
"I'm so proud of you!" Ruby managed to whisper back through the torrent of soft lips.
Weiss elected to say nothing as she pulled Ruby closer to herself and held onto her, as if she wanted to share all the love she was feeling right now. Her heart beat faster, and it felt like it was going to explode with everything she was feeling. She didn't even bother to stop her crying. It only stopped once she had fallen asleep in Ruby's arms. A few minutes later.
For Weiss, there was nothing that could tear her down now. She had gotten what she had wanted all along. She had gotten to know that her father did, in fact, love her, and cared about her deeply. Why he didn't do it better and much sooner, she didn't know. But, she didn't care. She knew now, and that's all what mattered.
In the end, the list was a complete success, and Weiss couldn't be happier that she had come up with it.
Nothing could be better, and nothing at that moment ever was.
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END
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Now, I'm sure that many of you are crying at the heartwarming stuff up there. Heck, even I'll admit I pulled one of my own heart strings just writing this chapter. Finally, after all the crap that Weiss had to wade through, she finally knows that her dad does actually care about her. Because, the way I see it, he never hated her, he just was forced to put certain things ahead in his life. But, at last the things Weiss knows now are real. That's enough, really. And, now that we're at the end, I just want to say thanks for reading, and reviewing this story. All of you fans make it worth writing for.
But now, I must go. I have to keep on writing! This has been The Draigg, and I'm fading away… for now!