"Wait!"

Ruby stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to the voice.

"Blake?"

Her chest was heaving slightly, and her cheeks were tinted a slight red, which meant Blake must've ran back to the room.

Her worried amber eyes fixed on her sleeping sister, who was in Ruby's arms. She didn't like the fact that her leader didn't send her a text message to inform her that she was taking Weiss somewhere.

"Where are you taking her?" Blake questioned with a hint of force.

If there was one thing Ruby did right, it was the fact that she tried to keep the heiress engulfed in warmth. The signature red cape was draped around her, which prevented the chills that had been ailing her.

There were many downsides in this situation for the vampires. The most dire, however, was that there was one place they needed to avoid at all costs.

"The infirmary," Ruby informed. "She's getting worse every second, even as we speak she-"

The infirmary.

"She can't go to the infirmary," the aristocrat said sternly.

"Why not?" Ruby asked levelly.

"She just can't," Blake offered a weak protest. "Give her to me and we can go to our room."

When vampires are sick they are more prone to lose control over their urges, so the place she wanted Weiss to be was as far away from most humans as made the situation even worse was that human medicines don't work on vampires. Often, the drugs could cause a sick vampire's symptoms to worsen.

"No," Ruby yanked away, which elicited a whimper from the girl in her arms. "She needs medical attention!"

Blake's cat ear slightly flicked from the weak sound that emanated from Weiss. "Ruby, I'm only going to say this one more time," golden orbs flared in anger, her tone lowered threateningly. "Give her to me."

For the first time, Ruby was a little intimidated by her. The leader tried to understand why Blake wanted to go back to the room, but could only see the benefits of bringing her ill teammate to the infirmary. Thinking this was the right decision, Ruby didn't budge an inch.

"I'm sorry, Blake," Ruby tucked Weiss into her chest protectively. "I can't do that."

"What?" she hissed.

Ruby stood her ground. "I know you care about her, but don't you see? Getting her treatment will get her better sooner."

"You don't get it!" the blood-faunus lost all her composure and reached out for the heiress.

Ruby slightly gasped from the sudden action and stayed composed, jumping back a few feet. This caused another weak whimper to slip out from the limp teammate in her arms.

"Then explain!" Ruby ordered.

"Guys!" a new voice shouted. "You're making her feel worse!"

Sometime during the argument, Yang had appeared and wanted to stop the bickering as soon as possible. She'd be a fool if she missed her teammate's deteriorating condition. It wasn't hard to hear and see the signs of distress Weiss emitted, even while she was sleeping. Yang wouldn't forgive herself if she allowed a stupid argument to cause the heiress to feel worse.

Ruby looked down and noticed her partner's breathing had gotten more ragged over the course of a few minutes. Weiss' heartbeat slammed against Ruby's ribcage. She was so caught up in the conversation that she missed the thundering vibrations. It was also like holding a heating pad, didn't weigh anything and hot to the touch. It was in that moment the leader realized her sister's words rang true.

"Tell me why, Blake," Ruby didn't want to start a fight. "Why can't she go to the infirmary?"

Ruby's voice almost cracked with misery from the question. Seeing her partner like this sent a pang in her heart. All she wanted was for Weiss to get better, and soon.

Blake bit her bottom lip, her gaze rested on her sleeping sister. There was no way she could tell Ruby the truth: that their medicine wouldn't work, so she devised a plan.

"She's scared of hospitals more than anything. If we take her there, it would make her feel even worse."

That's technically not a lie.

It wasn't a lie, and the revelation would hopefully get them out of this mess. Blake kept her fingers crossed. Every second without Weiss in her arms was a second closer to being exposed as vampires.

Full of worry, Ruby glanced down at the dozing heiress seemingly in understanding. "Why didn't you just say so?"

"She doesn't like people knowing about it," Blake admitted, her worried gaze on Weiss' red face. "Now please give her to me."

"No," Yang cut in. "You know what? No."

"Huh?" Blake was baffled by her partner's words.

"Neither of you get to hold the princess," Yang decided. "Not after that argument. Give her to me."

Silver eyes trailed to Blake, and after she received a nod, Ruby gave in. "Okay," she sighed.

The only reason why Blake was okay with it was so that they could get back to the room immediately. She got what she wanted, so she didn't want to push it.

Deliberate slowness was crucial when transferring Weiss to Yang. No one wanted to wake their resting teammate, for fear if they did, that'd make her feel worse. The red cape around her made it hard for Yang to adjust the heiress in her arms. While she wrapped a protective arm around her teammate's frail waist, Yang made sure to keep her head against her shoulder. When she was finally secured, Yang couldn't help but think she weighed as much as a five-year-old.

The worry etched on her sister's face made more sense to her now. Yang was basically a portable heater, but right now, Weiss could easily provide competition in that aspect.

The blonde worriedly glanced down at her. "Alright, back to the room we go," carefully, she took controlled steps to not move as much to avoid waking Weiss.

The three teammates headed down the hallway and it didn't take long for Yang to notice Weiss tense in her arms. Shortly after Weiss was transferred to a different person, her body stiffened when a foreign smell lingered in her nose. The aroma was unfamiliar and that made her nervous.

Such a pleasant scent… and it's not the blood. It's like lemonade… Who does it belong to...?

She pried her eyes open to figure out the mystery. It didn't take her long to realize she was being carried by Yang. She didn't have the strength to look up, but the straying blonde hair and comforting arms were a dead giveaway.

She recognized that as Yang's scent.

Biting her for blood was tempting, especially when she was this close, but Weiss simply didn't have the energy to try. Just opening her eyes totally drained her.

Yang noticed partial blue escaped Weiss' half-lidded eyes and she looked down at her in concern. "Hey sleepyhead," she greeted softly. "Awake already?"

Even in Weiss' state, she managed to reassure Yang that she was alright and gave her a faint smile before her eyelids grew heavy. Yang could only stare at her with worry, helplessness creeping in her body. It was heartbreaking to see her force a smile like that when she was the opposite of fine.

Weiss felt completely safe in Yang's strong, protective arms and it only took her body a few seconds to shut down, all traces of anxiety vanished and just like that, she went limp, which prompted Yang to pick up the pace.

"H-hey!" Ruby yelped when her partner closed her eyes. "You sure she'll be okay?"

All Blake knew was that there was no way they could go to the nurse's office. She could think of a plan if she stalled for time.

"Put her in bed," the aristocrat demanded, although she was stern, frantic snuck in her tone.

Ruby twisted the doorknob and opened the door. After that, Yang rushed to Weiss' bunk and gently laid her down, careful not to jostle her. After she pulled up the blankets, she made sure the red hood kept protecting Weiss' head and gave it a light tug. Like before, Ruby then wrapped her ill teammate in the sheets like a burrito.

Meanwhile, Blake sat next to her vampire sister and held her overheated hand.

Before, Ruby set the thermometer on the nightstand, so she grabbed it and carefully stuck it in Weiss' mouth. After the beep, she took it out and read the number.

"Ah!" Ruby yelped. "104?! No, this isn't good!"

Yang had never heard her sister sound so distraught. "What?! What's wrong, Rubes!?"

"Her temperature rose two degrees since this morning! It shouldn't be this high unless her body is fighting an infection!" Ruby couldn't believe the number. "Whatever's wrong it's possibly life-threatening!"

Blake pondered her thoughts while she gripped Weiss' limp hand.

One slice was too much. Dammit, Weiss! We aren't doing something like this ever again!

"Blake," Yang chimed, her tone earnest. "She needs a doctor. Hell, she needs the emergency room."

The blood-faunus narrowed her eyes in thought.

It's this bad, huh? Blake pondered as she squeezed still hand. We went too far. There's no way we can go to a hospital. That's out of the question. Blood tablets more than likely won't have an effect. Then what would heal her? Think, Blake… her life is in danger!

There was a slight twitch from one of Weiss' fingers, and that's when Blake looked up at her sister. Weiss managed to groggily open her eyes to meet Blake's in a tormented gaze.

There was a tint of red in those azure orbs, and that's when it hit her.

She needs human blood! How could I be so stupid? It was so obvious!

Before Blake could act on the epiphany, Weiss began to cough pitiful bouts.

"Weiss?!" Ruby's voice raised in alarm. She was there in a heartbeat and set a gentle palm on her partner's knee.

The blood-faunus gripped her sister's hand even tighter. A bead of sweat rolled down her face as she helplessly watched her sister continue to weakly cough.

The coughing fit had stopped after several agonizing seconds, and Weiss closed her eyes directly afterwards, still panting harshly.

A few weak whimpers of pain slipped out, and Yang couldn't watch for a second longer.

"Blake!"

Yang was angry and frustrated, like she would physically fight her partner to get Weiss to a hospital if it came down to it.

The aristocrat devised a plan so that wouldn't happen.

"Ruby, I need you to go get some soup. Yang, get as much bread as you can gather."

"That won't make her feel better," Yang stated.

"Please!" Blake shouted, but then remembered she was asking for a favor and dipped her head. "Please…"

The sisters were shocked from the tone Blake used. They'd never seen her so distressed. Blake was Weiss' sister, so they gathered she had to have good reasoning for refusing medical attention. Watching her cough was the last straw, and they were willing to do whatever they could to make their teammate healthy again.

"Okay," Ruby gave in. "But if she's not better soon I'm taking her to the infirmary by force if I have to."

"If we have to," Yang corrected.

There was obvious conviction in their eyes, and Blake had no doubt they would follow through if it came down to it.

"Trust me," Blake squeezed Weiss' hand tighter. "It'll work. I promise."

"You better keep that promise," Ruby said.

She received a simple nod.

"Let's go, Rubes!" Yang grabbed her sister's arm and they bolted out the door.

To make sure they were gone, Blake glimpsed down the hallway. Once she was certain she was in the clear, she got on the floor and glided her hands under her bed. Soon enough, she pulled out the secret backpack they kept stocked with blood tablets and emergency supplies. Sadly, there was no human blood in the backpack, which would've been perfect…

Things were looking rough and she didn't have much time.

I need to beat them back.

After emptying the backpack, she grabbed some ice dust that was once in the bag.

Please work.

The blood-faunus shattered the ice dust inside the bag, which turned it into a mobile refrigerator. Ice enshrouded the inside of the backpack, but not the outside. It was perfect for storing goods and keeping them fresh without outsiders knowing what was inside.

Blake almost pumped her fist in the air at the small victory.

Yes!

After swinging it around her back. she took Weiss' hand and spoke calmly. "I'll be right back, my lady. I promise you will get better," she lightly pecked her scorching forehead.

In the past, she called Weiss 'my lady,' which was the proper way to address a female pureblood. It took her years to break the habit and now she used the term more dearly, to reassure her sister that everything would be alright. Even though Weiss wasn't listening, it was another way to remind her that keeping their vampire existence a secret was her top priority, besides getting her better.

The aristocrat took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She vanished in thin air, thankful her vampiric ability allowed her to teleport in times like this. She was also glad she sent her other teammates in the opposite direction, the cafeteria. It was sly work, but it was necessary.

Within a second, Blake appeared just outside the infirmary doors. It didn't take long for the lingering puff of black smoke to dissipate afterwards. Wasting no time, she headed inside. Thankfully, the staff was on break, which left the room vacant.

Perfect timing.

The blood-faunus reached the refrigerator and found what she was looking for in the very back.

Mom came through.

Their mother had provided some blood bags in advance to prepare for their arrival. It was easy to do because ironically, she used to be a nurse.

With expert speed, Blake snatched two of the bags and shoved them in her backpack, all the while making sure there were no straying eyes watching her every move.

When she determined it was clear, she scanned the room again. She was confident that she could use her zehn ability once more, but then a sudden noise stopped her in time.

"What brings you here, Miss Schnee?"

"Headmaster Ozpin," Blake greeted, trying to remain composed. "Weiss is, uh, not feeling well."

The headmaster stood just outside the infirmary's door. There didn't seem to be suspicion in his eyes, so Blake took that as a good sign.

"Tell her I give my regards," Ozpin dismissed.

"Yes sir," Blake speed walked out the door and headed down the hall. After that encounter, she wasn't too keen on using her ability in case someone was watching.

He watched her escape down the hallway and he smirked, taking a sip of his mug. After that, he murmured to himself.

"I understand your worries, Miss Schnee, but trust must be earned…"

"I'm here!" Blake practically burst through the door and then locked it.

Then, she darted over to her sister's bunk with the backpack secured.

"Weiss, Weiss, I need you to wake up," she put her hand on her cheek, but that didn't cause her to stir.

With a plan in mind, Blake unzipped the backpack and pulled out one of the blood bags. It didn't even take a nanosecond for Weiss' red eyes to fly open. She shot up like a rocket and her hands desperately reached for the blood.

It was true her body was fatigued, but more than anything, it craved blood. Now that her other teammates were gone, Weiss allowed her urges to overtake her.

"I need you to calm down," Blake advised as she kept it out of reach. "What would Ruby and Yang say if they came in here to see you covered in blood?"

It took all the self-control Weiss had not to pounce. After a deep breath, Weiss closed her eyes to compose herself. Blake knew she was trying her best, and kept her steady in her arms. Once she calmed down, Blake tilted the bag and fed the blood to Weiss, who effectively drained the entire thing within five seconds.

Not a single drop remained.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm much better. Thank you, Blake."

After saying that, Weiss licked her lips clean of the blood and savored the aftertaste.

As proof that the treatment worked, Weiss' red eyes had shifted back to their natural azure. Her tiny daggers called teeth also retracted, but she still looked red in the face.

The aristocrat smiled from the result. She looked better already. Relief washed over her in waves. She had never seen Weiss so ill, so to see her much better was like a huge pressure was lifted off her shoulders.

"You sure you don't need more? There's one more bag in here," Blake patted the backpack gratefully.

"I'm sure. You need blood, too, so drink up."

"If you say so," Blake smirked. She happily obliged and cautiously opened the bag.

After she eagerly downed it, Blake just sat there with a genuine smile. "Wow…"

"What?"

"It's been a while."

"Yes, it's been a long time."

Weiss recalled the last time they drank human blood was about a week before they left for Beacon.

Their diet was mainly the artificial blood tablets, so real blood was more like a treat. The vampire sisters only drank human blood when their urges got too great, went too long without it, or other unique circumstances.

"Listen," Blake scooted closer. "Ruby and Yang will come back with soup and bread. They're going to think that that's what cured you."

"Understood," Weiss replied. "I'll act like I gradually recovered."

"I mean, you're still sick," Blake informed. "You just look much better," to make sure she was still ill, Blake leaned forward to feel her forehead. It was much better than it had been previously, but it was still warm. "You still have a fever, but it's not nearly as bad as before."

"Thank you again, Blake," the heiress smiled.

The blood-faunus returned the grin and then realized what was still wrapped around her sister.

"Ruby leant you her cape."

"Huh?" Weiss lifted her arms and was surprised to see the red fabric. "That dunce…"

"It looks warm."

"It's soft too," Weiss murmured fondly. "But it's not mine," the last thing she wanted to do was take it off, but she carefully removed the fabric, knowing it must be important to their leader. She didn't want to even begin to think about what would happen if blood accidentally dumped on the beloved fabric.

Blake gently set the cape on Ruby's bunk and returned to her sister's side. Immediately after, she fluffed the pillows behind her. Since Weiss still looked exhausted, Blake helped coax her to lie down. After that, she wrapped her sister in the blankets without receiving any protest.

"Let's not do that ever again," Weiss couldn't help but chuckle, her hand gripped her comforting sister's.

Blake faintly giggled and squeezed her hand back.

"Let's not."

That was a roller coaster xD. Now you've seen the effects when vampires eat human food.

Stay dandy,

~Toto