I can actually see an ending in sight! Very, very far away...like how you see a tiny pinprick of light at the end of a very long tunnel. Even so, the thought of this ending makes me exceptionally sad! So let's enjoy this while we can, right?

Here's the new chapter for everyone. It's a little sappy. I think because I overcompensated for Bumblebee being so hot and cold so far...I just want them to get together already!

I hope that everyone enjoys a little more White Rose in their lives, though (I know for a fact, that several of you do :P)

"Thank you very much, Mr. Yimota. That is an extremely generous donation. I assure you that it will be well used." Weiss gave the established businessman a warm smile as she gratefully shook his hand. He bowed his head slightly, returning the smile.

"I'm glad that your family is taking the lead in this matter. It will be great for business!" he replied gleefully, causing Weiss to cringe internally at his care for money rather than the greater good. But what had she really expected from this crowd of people?

Hearing someone clear their throat, Weiss turned to find Yang standing behind her. The blonde clearly had something on her mind.

"Yang? What can I help you with?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at the girl in question as she made her way over.

"Blake and I are supposed to run this thing?" Yang hissed as she stepped close to her. "What the hell, Weiss!"

Weiss smiled thinly at her, having figured that that's what Yang had to say.

"You two were the best options," she stated plainly. And it was true. Who better to lead this massive venture than their bleeding heart Faunus teammate and her passionate partner that would follow her through hell and back? Plus, Weiss knew that she could trust Yang; having someone she trusted in charge was vital to the success of the entire endeavor.

"When were you planning on telling me this?"

"When were you planning on telling me that "I" bought Blake's dress?" Weiss shot back, feeling a spike of agitation hit her as she gestured in the direction of the Faunus girl. The stress of the evening had certainly been wreaking havoc on her nerves and having to deal with Yang on top of it was not something that she had planned to do. Plus, she had figured that Yang would be over the moon with excitement over the prospect of working together with Blake, not pissed off about it.

She sighed, feeling suddenly guilty for having lost her temper in that manner. Yang continued to stare at her with that dumbfounded expression, somewhere in between embarrassment and shock at her secret having been found out.

"Listen, can we discuss this later? I kind of have more important things to deal with tonight…" Weiss said quietly, praying that the blonde would drop the subject for now. They could discuss it in far greater detail later, but she just couldn't handle that tonight on top of everything else.

Yang immediately split into a wide smile, saying "oook, but don't think I'll forget about this!" before sauntering back towards Ruby and Blake. Weiss sighed in relief, thankful that Yang could be so reasonable sometimes.

She rolled her eyes as she watched every man stare at Yang lustfully as she passed by, while most (but not all) of the women looked at her in unveiled jealousy. Maybe Yang should be the one asking for donations tonight. Weiss could think of several prominent men here who would gladly sign over their entire personal fortunes just for the opportunity to speak to the beauty.

Of course, Weiss knew that Yang wasn't that type of girl. The blonde brawler was attainable only for one person in this room; the one person who seemed completely unable to get out of her own way first.

As soon as Yang had left her, someone else caught her attention as they wanted to speak with her, as well. She made sure to keep her sigh internal; life of a party host…everyone wanted some of her time.

Weiss lost track of how much time she spent talking to one person after another, accepting donations and congratulations on a successful speech and party. She was pleasantly surprised how well received the idea for bettering Faunus relations seemed to be. Of course, this tended to happen whenever the Schnee's put their family name behind any particular cause, but she would like to think it was because this was actually a worthy cause. Unfortunately, deep down she knew the guests were just telling her what she wanted to hear.

What she hated most about these parties was the posturing by the guests to win her favor, or the favor of her parents. She knew that most of the donations were not given out of goodwill, but out of greed and the quest for power. Everyone was on a constant crusade to prove that they would be more useful to the Schnees than the last person and, in return, hoped to gain some personal recognition for their "benevolence" and "loyalty." There were strings attached to everything going on at this party tonight, strings connecting her to all of the guests. Every hand that she shook would demand a favor somewhere down the road. They were leeches, all of them. And Weiss couldn't help but to loathe them.

Thankfully, she had learned at a very young age how to handle them. How to play to their egos, how to make them feel more important than they really were, how to use them to accomplish her own goals. It was not a skill that Weiss was particularly proud of, knowing how to manipulate people in such a way, but in this case it allowed her to accomplish something for the greater good. She needed their money to make sure this party and the council it would be forming would be a success. Whether they understood what they were doing or not, they would be part of creating a better world for the Faunus.

After speaking to what felt like the one hundredth person in a row, she suddenly realized how badly her cheeks hurt from holding her forced smile for such an extended period of time. She was growing quite tired of this: her fake smile, her fake laugh, her fake conversations…She missed Ruby.

Ruby was the only one that she could just be herself with. There were no fake smiles or fake laughs when she was with Ruby; those were all real.

She glanced around quickly, hoping to catch a glimpse of her girlfriend before appearing too rude to the husband and wife who were currently trying to hold her attention. Not seeing the brunette immediately, she forced her eyes forward again, only to feel them begin to wonder again seconds later. Not able to stand it anymore, she politely ended the conversation with the pair and started walking away, eyes scanning the crowd in search of the girl.

Not paying very much attention to where she was walking, she accidentally bumped into someone's shoulder.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she began respectfully before looking up and seeing who it was she had stumbled into.

She sighed. She was exhausted and all she wanted to do was talk to Ruby for a few minutes to regain her sanity, but the universe certainly wasn't letting things fall her way at this moment.

Her father brushed the sleeve of his suit lightly where Weiss had stumbled into him, as if she had somehow managed to leave a stain upon his clothing. Her mother stood beside him, giving Weiss a small smile.

"Congratulations, honey," her mother began, stepping forward as she placed a hand softly on the arm her father was using to brush his suit, subtly pushing it down to his side. "This is quite the event you've organized. Wouldn't you say so, dear?"

"Yes, quite nice," her father replied gruffly as he glanced around the room, undoubtedly already lining up the next person he needed to speak with. It took all of her willpower not to scowl at the man; would it kill him to pay her a real compliment for once?

"Thank you," Weiss responded instead, being very careful not to mumble in her response. "Have you seen Ruby?" she asked nonchalantly, trying not to appear as needy as she was actually feeling.

"You mean your shadow?" her mother replied with a laugh before pointing over Weiss' shoulder.

Weiss spun around, following the direction her mother had pointed in. Searching rapidly, she was finally able to find Ruby perched on the staircase, legs dangling over the edge through the bars of the railing. Her silver eyes locked with Weiss' for an instant before Ruby hastily looked away, pretending that she hadn't been watching the heiress at all. Weiss felt her heart skip a beat at the brief eye contact as relief flooded through her system.

Weiss stared unabashedly at the girl; Ruby was surely a sight for sore eyes. The mere image of the girl made Weiss feel as if she could tackle ten of these parties in a row. Or, at least just survive this one.

Her father's voice suddenly cut into her concentrated gaze, ruining her otherwise happy moment.

"I should go speak to Mr. Howe before he gets too drunk again," he said firmly before striding off without another word, leaving his wife and daughter behind.

Weiss scowled slightly at his back before she felt her mother's hand land softly on her shoulder.

"He is proud of you, you know," she said, a sad smile marring her strikingly beautiful features.

"Well, it wouldn't kill him to say it once in a while," Weiss grumbled as she looked back towards where her father and Mr. Howe now stood chatting. It was no secret that her relationship with her father had never been easy, but, for some reason, she still always desired his approval. She would have thought that by now she would have been over that need, but…

"Your father leads a very demanding life, sweetie," her mother responded diplomatically. "It leaves little room for soft or tender feelings. He has always worried that you would be taken advantage of when your time came to lead the company. He wanted to make sure you would be able to handle it."

"By being a cold hearted drill sergeant? Gee, thanks, Dad," Weiss retorted sarcastically, earning a disapproving look from her mother. She dropped the attitude immediately with a long sigh.

"Grandfather isn't that way though. And he was in charge of running the company for more years than Father has been doing it."

It was now her mother's turn to sigh.

"Sweetie, your Grandfather was much, much worse than your father has ever been."

Weiss felt her jaw drop slightly at her mother's revelation.

"But Grandfather has always been so patient and kind to us!" she remarked incredulously. The image of her kindly old grandfather came to mind immediately. Sure, sometimes he could be quite stern, but Weiss had always enjoyed his visits immensely.

"Yes, he has been good to you girls," her mother replied. "But only because I told him that if he dared treat you how he treated me, he would never see his grandchildren again. Apparently at his age, when he no longer had the company running his life, family actually became somewhat important to the man."

Weiss was suddenly looking at her mother in a new light. She had always thought that her mother had been so lucky to grow up having Grandfather as her father. He had been so knowledgeable and gentle to be around, and never impatient no matter how many questions she had bombarded him with. It was almost impossible to imagine that he had actually been worse than her own father was.

"One day," her mother continued, "I hope that you will be able to see your father as the man he was when I first met him. Sharp, charming, funny, quick to laughter…"

Weiss couldn't help scoffing at the thought of her father laughing or even telling a joke. She could count on one hand the number of times she had seen the man smile. If she ever saw him laugh, she would probably burst into flame the very next second.

Concern flooded her system as she suddenly processed what it was her mother was truly saying.

"Has the company really changed him that much?" she asked, alarm creeping into her veins. If what her mother said was true, what if the same thing happened to her? What if she became a cold-hearted monster who did nothing but make business deals all day? Who treated her family as nothing but obligations?

Her mom looked at her tenderly, seeming to know what it was her daughter was now afraid of.

"People change for many reasons, my dear daughter," she began softly. "Necessity, desire, self-preservation, anger…but do you know the most common reason why people change who they are?"

Weiss shook her head, not knowing where her mother was planning on going with this conversation, and too distressed to think through it very clearly.

"Love," her mother whispered, eyes saddening as she turned to cast a glance towards her husband.

"I wasn't strong like you are now, Weiss. You may think that your father was hard on you, but he has blessed you with a thick skin that allows you to be resilient and fight back. My own father, your Grandfather, broke me down, but I never developed that strength, that drive. When I met your father…I was a shell of a girl, insecure…weak…ruined. Your father promised to protect me, and so he did. He fought my battles for me, in the boardroom, in meetings, in negotiations, in my own family."

Weiss couldn't help turning back towards Ruby, worry creasing her brow as she listened to her mother's story.

"Don't worry, you don't need her to be like your father," her mom said, reading her daughter's mind.

"Because I'm already like him," Weiss remarked sullenly. It had always been her greatest fear…to become like him.

Her mother started laughing at that comment, the soft, tinkling sound that had been Weiss' only source of comfort as a child. It had either meant that her father wasn't at home, or he was in a spectacularly great mood. Normally, the former.

"You are like him, Weiss, but not in the way you seem to think."

She looked at her mother quizzically, silently begging for her to explain further.

"You are both willing to do anything for those that you care about…even at the sacrifice of your own happiness."

Weiss paused at this, thinking on the words her mother had just said. She supposed that it could be true, if what her mother had said about her father was true. She would do anything for Ruby, or for Yang, even if it made her completely miserable. She felt closer to those two than she did to her own family, outside of her mother.

"Now, go see your little rose before you give yourself wrinkles," her mom joked lightly, bringing Weiss out of her thoughts with a soft blush. "And…good luck tonight," she added with a wink before walking away to join her husband on the other side of the room.

Weiss didn't really know what to think about the conversation that she had just had. She had never really thought of her father in any way but negatively. But she would have to think about what her mother had said at a later time, since now she was finally able to seek out the source of her happiness.

"Hey Weiss!" Ruby called happily, pulling herself quickly to her feet as Weiss approached her on the stairs.

"Ruby…" Weiss replied softly, feeling relief fill her the closer she came to the brunette. She grasped one of Ruby's hands when she was close enough. "I'm very sorry that I was gone for so long…"

Ruby waved off Weiss' apology with her free hand. "I know you're busy and important, Weiss! I just didn't want to get in the way."

Weiss immediately felt guilty at the girl's offhand comment. Ruby, you could never get in the way…she thought to herself, but couldn't find the words to say it out loud. She wanted to…she wanted Ruby to know how important she was…but, as usual, she was having difficulty expressing her emotions. Instead, she said, "Come dance with me," pulling the girl behind her as she headed back down the stairs to the dance floor. If she couldn't tell Ruby how she felt, she could at least try to show her.

Thankfully, several months ago Weiss had had the foresight to ask Ruby if she had ever been taught how to dance. It had come as no surprise to her that what Ruby had known about dancing came from Yang, and it was hardly appropriate for this event. So, Weiss had been making Ruby get up early to practice with her several times each week.

The first day had been bumpy, as Ruby's incredible speed made slow dancing something like trying to walk a cheetah. A cheetah who stepped on your toes every other second. But once Weiss had managed to slow Ruby down (with the promise of cookies after each successful five minutes without stepping on Weiss' toes), the results had been fantastic, as Ruby was easy to teach and eager to please. She could now say that Ruby was a superb dancer.

Gliding around the room, Ruby giggled every time Weiss would spin her around, making Weiss smile at the same time. They were very much in sync with each other, making their dance seem effortless and carefree. This is what Weiss loved about being around Ruby. It was so…effortless. She didn't have to hide behind a mask; she could be herself, all of her flaws included.

"Ruby…you look stunning…" she said slowly, taking a few moments to fully appreciate how beautiful Ruby looked this evening.

"Thank you, Weiss!" Ruby replied, blushing at the compliment. "But it's just the dress. I'm sure I'm nowhere near as gorgeous as you are."

"Ruby…the kind of beautiful you are has nothing to do with the dress," Weiss stated matter-of-factly. Her face immediately warmed as she realized what she had just said without thinking.

She was still pleased that Ruby thought that she looked pretty though, since the brunette had been the one who had inspired the gown she was wearing.

Weiss had spent many weeks designing and redesigning her dress; she even had the input of some of the most sought-after designers in Vale. It had to be elegant, stylish, but most of all, she wanted Ruby to like it.

Then, Blake had showed up. Ruby had been in Weiss' room, asking if Weiss was really going to be ok with Blake rejoining the team. The heiress hadn't really known what to do about Blake's reappearance, but she could tell that her girlfriend really wanted their team to be back together. So, she had said yes.

Ruby had been so excited, she sped rapidly around Weiss, hopping up and down while circling her hundreds of times in a mere minute. Weiss could do nothing but watch in wonder as the red blur kicked up a storm of rose petals that swirled around her. She felt as if she were standing inside a red tornado, but completely safe and secure from the turmoil outside. After Ruby had abruptly stopped by her side, the rose petals had continued to spiral around them for several seconds before falling into a thicker and thicker layer of red encircling their feet.

She had, of course, scolded Ruby for the mess afterwards, but it had been one of the most beautiful experiences she had ever had the pleasure of witnessing in her entire life. And so, she finally had the design for her gown, recreating the moment out of jewels and fabric.

Spinning Ruby around once more, Weiss earned herself another giggle. The sound made her smile, but also set her nerves on edge. This moment was so perfect, so peaceful…she didn't want to do anything that would shatter it, but she was determined to go through with her plan. She was quickly running out of both time and courage though.

Clearing her throat, she forced herself to look Ruby in the eyes as they swung around the ballroom floor.

"Thank you for being here with me tonight," she said earnestly, knowing the silent support Ruby provided her by her presence alone was enough to keep Weiss sane. If Ruby hadn't come tonight, Weiss probably would have canceled the entire event rather than come without her.

"Of course!" the younger girl replied sincerely. "If I wasn't here with you, where would I be?" The question seemed to genuinely perplex the girl, as if the thought of not being by Weiss' side was the strangest idea in the world. Weiss felt her heart swell at Ruby's candidness; maybe this would be a little easier than she had originally thought.

"I know that I haven't been the easiest to deal with since I've been trying to put this thing together perfectly…"

"Oh please, Weiss, you were just stressed is all!" Ruby cut in.

Before she realized it, Weiss had sent Ruby a small glare, effectively silencing the girl and allowing her to continue. She sighed, feeling guilty now on top of everything else, but continued anyway.

"I know I'm not the easiest person to deal with, Ruby. I'm impatient, quick to anger, a perfectionist, hyper competitive…I don't forgive people very easily. I don't open up about my feelings. I don't like to admit my mistakes…"

"Woah, woah, Weiss!" Ruby interrupted her, bringing the heiress out of her spiraling level of self-loathing and back to the moment.

"You might sometimes be impatient, and sometimes get angry, but you're a wonderful person! You're the most thoughtful, intelligent, caring, generous, and beautiful, inside and out, person that I've ever met. I'm so incredibly lucky to call you my partner and my girlfriend."

Weiss peered closely at Ruby as the brunette gave her a radiant smile, feeling her heart warmed by the words. Ruby's vision of her was clearly very different than the one she held of herself. The thought that one day Weiss could truly become the person Ruby viewed her as was only one of the many reasons she was in love with her so greatly.

"So…does that mean you'll accompany me to more of these horribly long and shallow events in the future?" Weiss asked hopefully, immediately pleased by the enthusiastic nodding she was receiving in response.

"Of course!" Ruby responded cheerfully, with a slight bounce added as emphasis. "I'll come with you to these parties for the next hundred years! Or for eternity, whichever comes first."

Weiss couldn't help but grin at her partner's use of exaggeration.

"Till death do us part?"

The phrase elicited an adorable giggle from the brunette before she answered.

"Yes, Weiss, till death do us part. But I'm pretty sure that's a long way off, since Grimm can't touch us and Time can't catch us!"

She grinned at Ruby, feeling her confidence surge as she squeezed Ruby's hand a little tighter.

Taking one last deep breath, she spun Ruby out away from her once again. But this time, when she swung Ruby back towards her, Weiss knelt on ground, still holding onto Ruby with one hand, while the other shakily held out the ring she had carefully hidden in her dress that evening.

"Then…will you be my wife until that time comes?"

Her confidence from two seconds ago had already completely disappeared, leaving Weiss more nervous than she had ever been in her life. She knew that everyone was staring at them, but she could see nothing but the shocked silver eyes gazing down at her. She knew that people were whispering around them, but she could hear nothing but the pounding of her own heart in her chest.

This was the moment Weiss had been terrified of. No matter how strong her mother thought she was, Weiss knew that her life was now held in Ruby's strong, calloused hands. The strength that she had developed while at Beacon, it had all come from the beautiful girl standing in front of her right now. And Ruby now held the power to completely destroy her, all she had to do was say…

"Yes."

Weiss blinked at the soft response, not sure if Ruby had actually said it or if she was just imagining things.

"Y-yes?" she questioned, still afraid to hear the answer, until she saw the tears begin to spill from silver eyes.

"Yes, yes, Weiss!" Ruby cried, kneeling down on the ground to wrap the shocked girl in a giant hug.

"Of course I'll be your wife!"

The words finally sank into Weiss' head as she returned Ruby's embrace in shock, feeling tears of happiness and relief well in her own eyes. What had she been so afraid of? Of course Ruby said yes. She loved Weiss just as much as Weiss loved her. She had proven as much time and time again.

Pulling the girl to her feet, Weiss was able to slip the ring onto Ruby's finger after much fumbling with her still heavily shaking hands. She leaned forward and gave Ruby a quick kiss before pulling back to beam at her. Standing there, hands clasped together, they grinned at each other like idiots, tears of happiness still fresh in their eyes.

Weiss had been wrong about earlier; this was the moment she wanted to stay in forever.

The resounding sound of clapping finally brought Weiss back to her senses, flushing as she remembered that they were standing in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by hundreds of onlookers. Ruby looked slightly embarrassed, as well, especially when they heard Yang shout, "That's my baby sister!" from somewhere in the room.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Weiss asked her, hardly receiving a nod in response before she turned and raced towards the stairs, holding tightly onto Ruby's hand as the girl kept pace behind her.

She couldn't help the grin from spreading on her face as she pulled Ruby away from the party.

She said yes.