A/N: For all the viewers that view this version on this site: please take the further note seriously.

While I thank those few individuals for their patience when I said I was taking a leave for a focus on my rounds that have finished, I also have a warning for those select view who have privately messaged me about this story in particular over the course of its life:

Whlie these comments have been either completely ignored or deleted, I am currently thinking of leaving this site altogether because of less traffic and reviews that are private and in a manner that wish that I find a cliff and jump off it because this story's main relationship is hetero, so please know that if you've bypassed all the relationship warnings I've given that strictly says this is hetero as rosegarden cannon can get and are one of those people who like to flame because you've clicked on a pairing you don't like: kindly fuck off and leave me and my story alone from the choices you've made that lead you here.

If you are not those who make weird ass and poor choices about which they read, you can find this story, its prequel and its future series that will not be published onto this site and already up on A03, whch you can find by searching my penname or this story's name in google or by the link in my profile: once this story has been confirmed finished, the rest will not be published here as I had hoped to do.

Thank you for your choices and I hope you understand this decision.

/

/

Lost in darkest blue, endless labyrinths weaving though: Will you stagger on, with no star to light your way? Share with me your tears, all your troubles and deepest fears. I remember when you chased all my shadows away: won't you take my hand? Come away with me from this land — Let me give to you all that you have given to me. Fly horizon bound, find the moon behind darkening clouds. Even far apart, know our souls together will be. When the storm draws nigh, dreams will shatter before your eyes: Know that you're not alone. When the battle starts, I will comfort your restless heart, you'll know that you are home. When your stars stop shining, endless vines around you winding: Know that you're not alone! I will give my all, so your tears will no longer fall down, down on sorrow's stone. Keep me in your heart, so we'll never be far apart, let the bonds of love break these chains imprisoning you. Always you will find shadows lingering close behind. Lift your spirits now, know we'll be together soon!
— Kate Covington / Erutan

Other Music
Conor Maynard & Ebony Day — Next to You
Megan Nicole, Alex Goot & Kurt Hugo Schneider — Stand by You

Part 5 – Chapter 25

Ruby knew that when she woke up in parts that things were wrong. Nothing worked. She couldn't sense anything where she was. Her aura was shot to hell. Her eyes hurt like she had been staring without blinking for too long. Why was she asleep in the first place? What happened? …When did she go to sleep? When was that? When was anything? Everything felt wrong, she couldn't lift her eyelids, she couldn't hear anything, and she couldn't work her voice box.
She doubted her limbs could move too.
Where was Oscar?
Where was she?

Panic surged up in her when nothing reacted to her will, and she still couldn't move.
She couldn't call out for help.
She wasn't floating like before, she was solid in her own body.
But everything was revolting on her.

Ruby would have punched something, could she have moved her arm to do so.
But panicking sure as hell wasn't getting her anywhere.
Maybe if she just focused all her energy on opening her eyes, she could stare at someone until they recognised she needed help.
And maybe tell her how she got stuck inside her own head, to begin with, because that was insane.

When she got home, or wherever home would ever be after this (as long as Oscar was there), she would damn well need a night light, because she was beginning to hate the darkness oppressing her.
Why did she feel like she had a need to apologise to him?
Screw not remembering shit.
It was tiresome.

./.

Ruby wasn't sure how long it took, but she finally was able to open her eyes a little to see through her eyelashes.
She didn't venture any further because she was directly under a light fitting that was on and blaring white light into her eyes.
And ow did that hurt.
Ruby still couldn't move or do anything else. Opening her eyes was hard and tiring enough.
But Oscar not being there…

She reformed at his side, kneeling next to him, and pulled him into her lap.
Ruby stared at the blood that came pooling around him, onto her hands and soaking their clothes.
"Oscar?" She questioned quietly.
He didn't make a sound, he didn't make any movement.
He wasn't breathing, and there was no familiar heartbeat beating for her anymore.

Blood. There had been blood.
His blood. And no heartbeat.
She had used her eyes.
Was Salem gone? Was he…?
She broke her promise.
Ruby wasn't sure how, but she had the energy to cry.

Suddenly a machine near her blared, and she knew now she could hear.
Her throat constricted painfully, around something, tubing?
Hospital?

"Ruby!" A familiar voice called.
Her vision was swimming and hazy due to the overflow of tears, and her body's attempt at sobbing, but she swore above her was Qrow.
She couldn't call out to him, and she cried harder.
"Oh, shit, kid!" Qrow was saying before he shouted over his own shoulder.

Gone.
He was gone.
She could have sworn…

"Oh, my love, those we love are never lost and they can always be found. Follow your shadow, my love, and you will find him there waiting for you. He'll always be waiting for you."

Ruby wasn't about to question how she met her mother, and she certainly wasn't about to question how her mother knew Oscar wouldn't be dead.
But she did kinda now want a pet bird. Or two. Maybe three.

Her body was trying to heave out whatever instrument was down her throat in panic, that she saw reflected on Qrow's face, he looked like he didn't exactly know what to do with his hands before he was shoved out the way by a familiar looking nurse who did know what to do.
"Alright, dear, calm down a little, we'll sort you out," She was saying, as she fiddled with the machines by her and one hand went around to the back of her head to tip her a little. "Two blinks if you can understand me." She ordered.
Ruby gave two blinks.
"Three if you can't open your mouth." She continued.
Ruby tried, really, she did, and blinked three times when her attempts failed.
Alright, hold on dear," The nurse told her.
Ruby watched out of the corner of her eye she could see the nurse opening a draw to pull something out, settling whatever it was, she had her other hand by Ruby's head, untying equipment Ruby no longer needed.

Ruby could barely see Qrow fiddling nervously over the nurse's shoulder.
"Alright, dear, this might hurt, but do try not to stop breathing as I pull." She ordered
Ruby had no idea what that meant but soon found out there actually was a tube down her throat, probably for what the nurse said it was for.
It damn well hurt when she pulled!

Ruby could see the grimace on the nurse's face.
"See? This is why everything goes to hell when a patient decides to wake up from a coma too early!" She was hissing.
Suddenly her airways were clear, and she was coughing, as the nurse watched, holding her head when Ruby couldn't.
Ruby gave out a high pitch whine and blinked in shock when she actually could do it.
"Yeah, you can do that now. How's the land of the living treating you?" Nurse asked as she put her head back down on the pillow and grasped her watch to time the nearby machines. One weird looking one the tube was attached too looked as if it was turned off though.

She frowned, how was she meant to answer that?
Ruby gave out a confused whine that she heard Qrow chuckle at.
"If you can't tell, I'll certainly tell you," She started, and Ruby barely was able to perform a nod before exhaustion hit and she figured it was a good time to abort that. "Well, you're breathing on your own, which you haven't been able to do by yourself in about two weeks, so there's that. You're actually alive, if you needed to check that, by the way," She added, with a smile, and a glare at her. "Whatever you decided to do, I would suggest you never do it again." She ordered.
Ruby didn't plan on it, that's for sure.

"Do you require anything?" She was asking.
Oscar would be nice.
But Ruby doubted that was what she was asking.
"Water…" Ruby was able to get out.
A glass with a straw was held up to her, reducing the pain down her throat a lot.
"Well, good, we've established you can talk, you recognise the man behind me who is trying to become a rocket ship?" She asked.
Ruby giggled faintly at the look her uncle gave in appal. "Uncle Qrow," She whispered, not able to speak louder, even though she wanted to.
The nurse looked as if Ruby had handed her a bucket load of money.
"Okay, one more question, easy peasy," She was saying again.
Ruby blinked at her in question, before her hands shot out and gently moved her so she could see to her left.

Ruby stared, as tears swelled again.
Next to her was Oscar. An alive Oscar.
She ignored the, "Well, she recognises him," from the nurse.
Ruby couldn't even murmur his name. But she stared.
He looked like he was just sleeping, and he had way fewer machines on him then she did, one she noted happily noted his heartbeat.
He had a heartbeat!
(She ignored her own spiking for the time being).

She remembered she used her eyes and gave out a confused whine, and the nurse manhandled her again, and annoyingly, she was directed away from Oscar.
She ignored Qrow's smirk for the time being.
"He's been here just as long as you have, you've both had us up the walls since then, mind you." She stated. "But as you can see, he isn't dead as your last memory probably was of, due to the waterworks you gave out on seeing him." She added.

Ruby could now feel a little more of herself and noted she was holding hands, most likely with Oscar, since she couldn't actually check.
The nurse looked to Qrow. "I'll go find people I know are lurking nearby." She told him.
Qrow nodded. "Thanks, Briar." Qrow told her, she nodded and headed out.

"Hey, kiddo," Qrow greeted her with that familiar smile she automatically responded to. "Don't ever scare me like that again, you hear?" He asked.
Ruby blinked tiredly. "Noted…" Ruby mumbled making her uncle chuckle and ruffle her hair gently, making sure not to disturb any of the other wires she was still hooked up to.
"…Oscar…?" She asked tiredly.
Qrow didn't even blink. "Can you worry about yourself first?" He asked.
Ruby whined as she aborted shaking her head when her world went dizzy.

Qrow groaned.
"He's woken up a few times while you were out of it, he's no longer bleeding, if that's your concern. He took a pretty hard hit to the ground, which bruised everything, there were some medical words thrown about by Briar that I understood not a word of, but he's partially fine. Won't be allowed to move for a while, but aside from that." Qrow told her.
Ruby gave out a sigh of relief.
He was fine.
"How…?" She questioned.

Qrow shrugged. "You must have caught Salem," Ruby flinched at her name. "by surprise. Because you're fine, Oscar and Ozpin are fine, and she's gone for good." Qrow told her a little more gently.
Ruby blinked in astonishment at that.
Though it did make sense Salem had thought Ruby beneath her, so wouldn't have expected her to kill her.
Ruby moved her head gently, so she could see Oscar.
There was so much she needed to talk to him about, she actually gave out an anxious whine.
"He's fine, Ruby," Qrow told her again, and she shook her head.
That wasn't it.

"Ruby!" Yang's voice was yelling, frantic and in joy.
Immediately Qrow vacated the area, and Ruby moved her head in time to see her whirlwind of a sister run into her room.
Just seeing her sister rushing exhausted Ruby out. "Yang!" She cried.
Yang was hugging her, minding all the wires and plugs.
Ruby stared. Was she crying?!
"Don't ever do that again!" Yang was crying.
"Sis…" Ruby muttered, moving her free hand to latch onto her jacket.

Yang reared back, and regarded her, before looking back to Qrow, and Briar.
"How is she?! She okay?!" Yang asked as if she was on borrowed time to ask questions.
"She's a hell of a lot better than she was yesterday, that's for sure." Briar told her.
Yang nodded but stayed close when she looked back to Ruby, who looked exhausted.
"She has just resurfaced from a coma, she will be exhausted, and it will take her time to recover." Briar was saying.
Both family members nodded when Ruby gave out a forceful yawn.
"Sleep some more, sis, one of us will be here." Yang was commenting.
Ruby nodded, as her eyelids fell.
Oscar was still there, where her mother said he would be.
…She should look into getting birds for pets.

/

/

Ruby couldn't do much, but what she could do was stare once she had her head looking to the left.
Oscar was always there, yet always not.
He hadn't woken, at least not when she was awake at least.
No one had told her otherwise, and she kinda did doubt he would go back to sleep once he took a look at her to see she wasn't exactly in a coma anymore.
But that was just her thinking.

Oscar, annoyingly wasn't attached to any alarm system like she was rigged up to previously. Her hearing could now pick up the alarm system two doors down.
Briar had explained it was because Oscar wasn't as serious since he no longer randomly stopped breathing.
That part had alarmed her and sent Qrow out of the wardroom in stitches when her heart rate spiked to match.

Ruby had homework. Well, was it considered homework if she wanted to do it, and get back to walking, or hell, moving her arms properly?
She learnt by the second day of full consciousness that she was only allowed two visitors at once, and with her abrupt awakening, no one had cleared their mission status or teaching block.
Yang, she had found out was on her break from her rounds from the rest of RWBY on the Beacon Safe Zone when she came in, while JNPR was patrolling Vale's. Her father (and Ozpin too, apparently?) were teaching at the schools.
So, she had effectively not seen anyone, since patrols normally finished by the time visiting hours ended. She had recently gotten her Scroll back, and that thing had blown up with messages that she was still going through all the well wishes.

Briar had finally allowed her bed to be lifted a little so she wasn't always lying down, when she could she hadn't let Oscar's hand go, and even as unconscious as the boy was, hadn't allowed much time when he wasn't either holding her hand or wrist.
She was trying to lift her hand onto the table when she heard a familiar vocal gasp of surprise coloured in fondness from her left side.
Ruby immediately looked and saw Oscar was finally awake and staring at her much alike what she had been doing earlier.
His expression was taken by his affection, and his wonderment in seeing her.
"Oscar…" She breathed in amazement.
His eyes were coloured in his fondness for her, showing more than usual with his state of wellbeing.
"Ruby…" He whispered in awe.

They stared at each other, similar emotions running across their faces, neither knew the entire truth behind.
Oscar immediately regretted moving to see her better when pain wracked his entire body from head to toe, from the muscles he used to even the ones he hadn't. He heard the panicked whine from Ruby and she moved about trying to find the call button.
Oscar knew immediately moving wasn't about to be an option for him, not with his entire body in wretched tear-inducing pain from an inch of movement.

"Briar!" Ruby had attempted to yell outwards to the door.
Oscar could assume Briar was a nurse.
The one who ran in, most likely, and groaned seeing him. "What is with you Huntsmen and waking up prematurely?!" She yelled, not at them, but out the door, before looking back at Oscar. "I'm pretty sure telling you not to move is already out the window since Rose here is freaking. There you go, Rose, you've moved the fastest since you got here!" Briar commented coming over to Oscar's bedside to add something through the machines.
Ruby just grumbled while Oscar looked extremely confused through his exhaustion.

./.

Most of the time the two were too exhausted to do anything but sleep, but that didn't mean Ruby stayed still and edge closer when Oscar couldn't since she was the one who had better movement.
Though she was majorly aware she could hurt him. Again.
Her mother said he wouldn't be mad.
So, she needed to hope he wouldn't be. At her. For what happened.
…She didn't think she could take that. At all.

Ruby lifted her hand as if to run her fingers through his hair, then decided against it.
…She should ask him first.
"…Ruby?" Oscar suddenly questioned, opening his eyes making her jump in surprise.
He blinked at her reaction. "Sorry, Oscar," She mumbled.
Now Oscar was frowning at her. "You're apologising, why?" He asked in confusion.
Ruby ended up shrugging. "…Don't want to hurt you…" She muttered.

Now Oscar was fully frowning, in what looked like annoyance.
"Nope." He told her, then reached out for her hand that Ruby freaked out because he wasn't allowed to move.
"Oscar!" She yelped in alarm but stalled completely at his expression.
Nothing in her could stop him from taking her hand and trapping her hand against his cheek with his own.
He stared at her. "See. You're not hurting me." He told her.

Ruby regarded him as if to see he wasn't lying.
"…You sure?" She questioned.
Ruby stalled when he gripped her hand tighter. "Yep. So, don't pull away, 'kay? That's what hurts." He told her truthfully.

Ruby stared at him.
There he went again, saying those things.
They were now accompanied by her stomach releasing those butterflies from wherever they were held when he wasn't saying things like that.
But she was damn glad her heart monitor didn't give her away.

"I just… I need to talk to you…" Ruby told him.
She stalled again when he nuzzled into her palm. "I sense a but in there somewhere…" Oscar murmured.
Ruby knew by now not to question how he did those things. "Might be best when we're kinda better?" She said.
Oscar opened his eyes and looked at her. "I'll hold you to that." He told her.
…Why did she get the feeling he would silently nag her until she did?
Most likely because that was what he would do.

./.

He didn't let go of her hand.
Not that Ruby minded, but she found herself in an awkward situation when Ozpin walked in.
"Professor Ozpin!" She greeted nonetheless.
Ozpin looked at her, with that neutral smile he normally greeted her with.
"How are you, Miss Rose?" He questioned, noting that Oscar was asleep.
"Better than what I woke up at, that's for sure." Ruby told him.
Ozpin nodded as he sat down in one of the nearby chairs. "You must be somewhat confused." He asked her, allowing her to question.
"…Just a little…?" Ruby said, with one shrug. "Like, I remember the Salem fight, and…" She looked to Oscar, who was still holding her hand, and his heart monitor said he was fine.
Briar had shown her how to tell what was normal, and what wasn't when she wouldn't stop pestering her about it.

"I think it confuses us to," Qrow's voice came through, as he wandered into the room.
"Uncle Qrow!" She called out, seeing him, flinching when she heard Oscar groan tiredly. "Sorry, Oscar," She added to him when she felt him stir.
"…Ruby?" He questioned tiredly.
"Sorry for waking you!" She apologised.
He gripped her hand tighter as he tried to blink away sleep when he shook his head. "What's up?" He asked tiredly.
"Hey, kiddo," Qrow greeted.
Oscar looked past Ruby to see him. "Hey, Qrow, guessing Ozpin's there too? My senses are shot to hell." He said.
"Indeed, how are you?" Ozpin asked him.

Ruby watched in amusement when Oscar pouted.
"I'm not allowed to move." He said.
This causes Ruby to laugh. "Which you've broken several times already!" She told him.
"And here I thought we agreed to not tell anyone about that." Oscar groaned.
Ruby laughed joyfully, making Oscar smile.

"Back to the point," Qrow started. "I assume we all have questions." He said as he sat down at the other available chair.
"Yeah. A good one would be how is everyone still alive?" Oscar grumbled not ungratefully, but in confusion.
Ruby gripped his hand and Oscar returned it.
Ozpin regarded the two. "Perhaps you can tell us what happened." Ozpin asked.
Ruby blinked a tad lost "…Where do we start?" She questioned, looking from Oscar back to Ozpin and Qrow.

Qrow sighed. "I'm not sure of anything after I went after Tyrian." Qrow said.
"I can start there?" Ruby asked, assuming Qrow would have told Ozpin what he knew already.
Both men nodded.
Ruby shrugged. "For the most part Salem was after Oscar, and kinda used me to get to him." Ruby told.
Oscar flinched, then hissed in annoyance under his breath words, most likely curses, that even Ruby didn't catch.

"And she didn't want to hurt Oscar, more like keep him, while everyone else didn't matter." Ruby elaborated, clutching Oscar's hand tighter as if she needed the reminder he was by her side.
"Yeah, and then she separated us." Oscar added in a grumble.
Ruby gave a hum. "Yeah, I didn't appreciate that either." She said.
"Was she intent on your demise, Miss Rose?" Ozpin asked.
Ruby blinked and nodded. "Yeah, she came after me personally," Both men looked surprised at that, but Oscar's skin crawled. "…That was when…" Ruby trailed off and looked at Oscar.
Who was very much alive.
And not bleeding out.

Briar came in, thankfully in Ruby's mind.
"So!" She unknowingly interrupted.
Both men stood up to receive her nonetheless.
"Miss Briar," Ozpin greeted.
Briar grinned and held up what looked like two separate documents. "Here's where I ask questions." She started.
This confused both Ruby and Oscar, the latter shrugged and both turned back to the nurse.

"With civilians, they would be allowed to leave the hospital, technically go back to low maintenance work, but with your line of work…" Briar said.
"What do you suggest?" Qrow asked curiously.
Briar sided her head as she came to wander into the room to hand over the documents to Ozpin. "Hope to whatever deities that are left that they don't ever do what they did again?" Briar asked.
Ozpin gave way to chuckling. "I can assure you that they won't be." He said.
Briar nodded as he gave the folders back. "I would like them out of the woodworks until they can sustain themselves, you Huntsmen know how to tell that more than I do." Briar continued.

What she meant was when they could actively use their aura without thinking about it, in junction with their Semblance.
Both men nodded. "That can work, how do you suggest they stay out of the woodworks?" Ozpin asked curiously noting the children's open expression.
Briar looked thoughtful. "I wouldn't suggest both the Safe Zones since they are prone to Grimm attack, and they would most likely head to the front lines, regardless." Briar commented.
Ruby huffed, but Oscar snorted knowing Briar was right on that account.
"And they would need someone to watch them, a Huntsmen preferably so we know when they can take missions again." Briar added.
Both men looked thoughtful. "Neither myself nor Taiyang will be able to." Ozpin said, giving a look to Qrow as if the old bird needed a reminder that school had resumed at both Signal and the areas they were using for Beacon, and he technically shouldn't be where he was.
Who immediately understood. "Then it's up to me." He said woefully, making Ruby giggle.

Briar looked between the two, and Qrow nodded his compliance officially.
"Okay, that's sorted out. Where can they recover since they don't need medical care anymore?" Briar asked.
Ruby's hand short straight up. "I know!" She yelled happily.
Qrow just groaned while Ozpin looked amused.
Briar looked between them all. "…And that is where…?" She asked.
Qrow gave her a look. "Patch." He said.
Briar lit up immediately. "Excellent!" She said happily, then rounded on Oscar, who reared in surprise. "How much movement can you do without hurting yourself?" She asked.
"Uh…" Oscar voiced. "More than what I woke up to?" He asked, making Ruby giggle.

Which, to say, still wasn't much. But he could do most things by himself, it only tired him out walking place to place for more than a few minutes at a time.
To that, Oscar had nearly demanded he could do things himself, without people helping him, thanks very much.
Briar had humoured him, and let him tire himself out because then he couldn't whine at her.
And most questions she asked were extremely embarrassing, especially with Ruby and Ozpin around.

"How long until you tire?" Briar asked, tactfully this time.
"Five minutes." Oscar told her.
Briar regarded him. "Fine. That'll do. He's good," She eyed Qrow. "Don't let him wonder." She ordered.
Both Oscar and Qrow looked offended.

/

/

Patch was, as normal, peaceful when they arrived.
Ruby was able to make the trek by herself, but Oscar was up on Qrow's back since Ruby wasn't able to carry his weight currently.
The only other annoyance the two had was that Qrow had taken Ruby's scythe away, all her ammo (he had to rummage through Oscar's clothing to find them all before Oscar was able to get those back from dry-cleaning), and Oscar's separated Ventus Silvis, which now was back to not even being a temporary weapon anymore.
He needed to thank Pyrrha for retrieving it whenever he saw the girl next.

Seeing the house Ruby grew up in Qrow let Oscar down, knowing there was a couch nearby the boy could find if he needed to. Qrow would need to leave them alone for a second to retrieve their bags, but aside from that, he would have his eye on them.
Oscar wasn't as familiar with Patch personally as Ozpin was. But the hut had changed into a house since Ozpin had recalled it. He looked at Ruby, who looked relieved to see her old home.
"I wonder where Zwei is…" Ruby wondered.
Oscar blinked at the sudden information that Zwei was a dog.
"Why did you think it was a good idea to bring a dog into your Mountain Glenn mission?" Oscar asked curiously.
Ruby stared at him before pouting. "It worked out in the end!" She insisted making Oscar laugh.

Both of them noted the glare Qrow had given them with the order to stay put.
Ruby had noted Oscar's breathing had become laboured, so she immediately agreed to sitting on the couch and doing flat out nothing until her uncle returned.
Oscar had no say in the matter, but he wasn't about to argue since his five minutes was up like an hour ago. He was still amazed he hadn't collapsed yet.
"So…" Ruby started awkwardly coming to sit down next to him on the long couch as Zwei went over to his bed and curled up.
Oscar looked at her in fond amusement. "So…?" He prompted.
She gave out a nervous shrug. "…Ever been to Patch before…?" She asked.
Oscar cocked his head at her but shook his head. "No, I haven't, I obviously know about it." He told her.
Ozpin's memory of Patch was old and hazy at best, and much like the house, Oscar decided that Patch must have changed alongside it, and some memories were outdated that made his decision to her.

He watched as she lit up.
"Does that mean I can show you around?!" She squealed in joy.
Oscar blinked. "Sure. But you may have to wait a little bit until I can actually walk long enough without running out of breath!" He told her.
Ruby giggled happily. "Or I could carry you!" She said.
Oscar looked at her fondly. "Whichever first then." He told her.
Ruby beamed at him, and he congratulated himself on putting that smile where it was.

Qrow came back later on with their stuff, still scolding Ruby that she wasn't allowed to touch Crescent Rose, loaded or not, while Qrow gave Oscar his weapon pieces back to him sadly.
Ruby sidled up to him. "Can you repair it?" She questioned.
Oscar weighed the two pieces up, and eyed the breakpoint thoughtfully, putting out of mind the weapon was now technically in three pieces. One of which was in the two pieces – the length of the staff where he had engraved the dust runes had snapped under the weight of the attack he blocked would need to be replaced entirely so the staff would go back to being in two pieces as it should, instead of three.

"The length needs to be replaced…" Oscar voiced, actually glad that the plating hadn't snapped where the two pieces met underneath it.
Ruby gave out a thoughtful vocalisation. "Can you replace it?"
Oscar looked at her and nodded. "I just need the right tree." He told her.
Ruby grinned. "As soon as we can leave house arrest!" She promised.
They both heard Qrow groan from the kitchen. "Why can't you guys just focus on getting better!" He yelled in woe.
"What else do you expect us to do? Sleep all day?!" Ruby yelled.
"…I really should throw my staff at him again." Oscar mumbled.
Ruby giggled, if Qrow continued to be a pain, she'd help.

Ruby, judging that Oscar was alright to get back up, jumped up.
"Come on!" She started holding out her hand. "I'll show you where we'll be sleeping!" Ruby told him.
Oscar blinked but took her hand and ignored Qrow muttering something about Taiyang, and something that he wouldn't tell the man. Oscar took her hand and he let her lead the way upstairs.

Ruby came into a room that Oscar could gather was hers and Yang's room growing up based on the two beds and the colours they were dressed in.
It also wasn't hard to guess the workstation with the fairy lights and the Grimm figurines were Ruby's as well.
Oscar could already tell that his bags were placed alongside Ruby's at the door: whether that was Ruby's doing by glare, or Qrow giving up in trying to separate them Oscar didn't know, but he was grateful for it.

Ruby turned around and gestured with her arms at the room.
"Well! Here we are!" She told him.
Oscar chuckled fondly at her. "That we are." He replied.
Ruby gestured to the chair at the workstation, Oscar got the hint and took a seat.
"So, since we'll be here for however long it will take for Qrow to say we're fit," Ruby started grasping both their bags and yanking them. "I'd prefer not to live in our bags." She told him as she yanked their bags to the chest at the end of her bed.
Oscar watched curiously as she lifted the trunk's lid and noted that it was actually empty of any of her belongings. "Where are…?" He asked.
Ruby looked at him and pointing to her bag.
Right. …She took everything with her to Beacon… and lost the majority in its Fall. Everything she had left was what she could carry: and she carried that to Mistral and back again. Twice.
He wondered how many books she had left. Or how many of the ones in the bookshelves in the living room below were hers.

Oscar watched, knowing not to ask if she needed help, or to let her leave his stuff alone, as she unpacked both bags and folding clothes into the trunk. She didn't seem perturbed at adding his stuff right alongside hers, she just added his stuff right next to her clothing, categorizing things as she did hers.
He watched as she paused at the differences in height between hers and his stuff.
"…You don't have much…" Ruby muttered.
Oscar cocked his head. "I think you forget that I'm actually a farmer, Ruby, and I'm used to not having a materialistic footprint." He told her.
She was on her knees by the trunk and she moved to sit on the wooden floor as she looked up to him. "…It never bothered you?" She questioned.
Oscar shrugged. "You can't miss what you've never had, Ruby." He told her.
Ruby gave him a look because she knew that was a lie, they both had definitely missed what they never had.

Ruby had emptied the bags and shut the trunk to sit on it, looking towards Oscar, being cast in light from the setting sun.
"…We better go see Qrow about food…" Ruby said.
Oscar nodded and got up wobbly and which Ruby immediately caught his arm.
She gave him a whine of concern that he smiled at. "No, I'm good." He placated.
She still didn't let him go.
He…kind of didn't want her to either.