A few weeks had passed and Ruby finally snuck off to buy a pregnancy test. She was curious to see if she was. She never really had a normal cycle so it was driving her crazy wondering. She felt joyous and excited. She hoped it would be positive. She couldn't wait.
She rushed into her temporary apartment and ran for the bathroom. Ruby had made sure not to drink a lot of anything so she wouldn't dilute any hormone in her body. She ripped open the package and peed on the stick. She sat on the side of the tub and waited out in the living room.
Three minutes passed and she couldn't bring herself to stand up. Her legs felt like putty. Ruby was so nervous. What if it was positive? Could she handle it right now? She stood up with her heart pounding and headed into the bathroom.
Ruby closed her eyes and picked the test. She gripped that plastic handle so hard she heard it starting to crack. She let out a slow breath and opened her eyes. She looked down.
…
It was negative.
Ruby sat on the side of the tub and stared at the tiled wall. She had hoped it would've been easy to do it. They had sex at least ten times in the few days he was there. Maybe it was too soon? She could easily ask one of the run a blood test but she didn't want anyone else but her and Roman to know.
She felt like she wasted her lunch break for nothing. Ruby threw the test into the trash can. She would just keep it herself. She didn't want to upset Roman in any way and disappoint him. He was so excited that she wanted a baby now instead of later and she felt it would crush his sensitive soul.
X
X
"Someone doesn't seem chipper today."
Ruby arched an eyebrow at Emerald who was lying in the bed. She was hooked up to a few IVs waiting for her chemo treatment.
"Really? How would you know?"
Emerald smiled then turned her head towards the window.
"You've been around me more than anyone else in the last few weeks. I think I would know if something was bothering you."
Ruby sat down and continued her paperwork.
"If it makes you feel better, I don't love Roman."
Ruby stopped writing.
"Why would you say that?" she asked.
"Well, at one point I did love him. He was supposed to be an easy mark. I watched him in that club taking home women every night. Sometimes he would hook up in the bathroom. Once I got to know him better I did. He made me feel the butterflies and the whole nine yards but… Doubt existed.
"Roman fell so hard for me so fast. It was ridiculous. For both of us, actually. He was younger than me but he seemed so sure of it all. The idea of marriage wasn't what scared me. What was scary was how sure he was. He always played the image of a young frat boy when in fact he was a young, sensitive man. It was funny…"
"I'm sorry."
Emerald shook her head.
"I remember his biggest secret. I laughed so hard. The women he hooked up in the bathroom at the club were the only ones he had sex with. The rest he took home… Were to watch movies with. He wanted to eat popcorn and stay up all night. He told me most of them would leave after an hour realizing they weren't getting any."
He never told me that.
"He was afraid it made him look weak but he confessed it to me. I guess after I left, he didn't care. He lost that sweet guy in a sea of stupid whores."
Emerald looked over at Ruby looked visibly upset now.
"Until you."
Ruby looked up, with tears threatening her eyes.
"I was jealous when I showed up at his apartment."
"Why? I'm nothing to be jealous of."
Emerald let out a short, sarcastic laugh.
"Please… I saw those college books and knew they weren't his. I knew he had someone else over. It wasn't Junior either. Roman had upgraded."
"College doesn't mean anything."
Emerald sat up in her bed.
"You may think that but if you had never started… Would I be alive now? I was knocking on death's door when I walked in. I know you are doing this whole thing because of a friend but I am extremely lucky you are the way you are."
"You mean a big sap?" Ruby said flatly.
The dark skinned woman shook her head.
"No… A strong woman."
Ruby looked down at her clipboard.
"I don't feel like one."
"How many people would have forgiven me? I messed with your life and tried to take you out. The way I felt the moment you walked through that door was you were going to sell me out. You could've done anything… Call the cops, kill me or refuse me treatment. I can't say I would've saved someone who tried to hurt me."
"I never saw it that way."
"You should. Does your boss know?" Emerald asked.
Ruby shook her head.
"You must be around strong women huh? You are shy and easy to upset but… I never saw a weakling. You walk proud."
Ruby thought about it for a minute.
"I guess I am."
"Sometimes strong women falter but the weak ones are willing to accept mediocracy. They allow themselves to play victim for a long time. It takes guts to change yourself and your life."
"Yea."
X
X
Ruby laid in bed after her nine more hours after her lunchbreak.
Strong women huh? I guess… That's all true. Yang is. Yang fought for the girl she loved. What does that make Blake? I guess she could've easily went back to Adam after everything he had done but she didn't. Mom… I guess she is a mixture. Raven is. She accepted the crap that happened and kept going anyways.
Rhea is… Weiss… I guess I ended up growing up all around them. I guess they all influenced me to some degree. I don't know if I would've been anything else at all. They are half the reason I am here today. Reassuring me along the way. Pushing me out of my comfort zone.
Ruby sat up and turned the TV on.
Mom… I could give it to her. She tried even with the crappy situation she was in. She did everything to give Yang and me a normal life. I guess I don't give her enough credit. Dad… Dad did her wrong but she kept herself up every step of the way. I wonder what would've happened if he never did any of those things? Would her and I actually have a good relationship?
She closed her eyes. They were starting to water.
She will the one person who I will have a hard time getting along with. She's always so rough with me. She lied. I… I don't know but I guess I shouldn't be any less grateful.
Ruby drifted off to sleep shortly.
X
X
"How's our son?" Blake asked walking into the baby's room.
Yang looked up and smiled, "He just finished eating. Blake, I love him so much."
Blake walked over to her wife and hugged the blonde's head against her chest. It had been a while since she saw Yang smile this much. Yang was so much of a tomboy and she had such a girlish side, it was almost unbelievable she was such a great mother too. She amazed Blake to no end.
"Mom and Mom are downstairs making us breakfast."
"Why so early?" Yang asked looking at the zebra clock on the wall seeing it was about five in the morning.
"I go back to work today. Noire is almost two months old already."
Yang nodded and looked back down at her son. He had the strangest red eyes she had ever seen but he looked so happy.
"I think he looks like Uncle Qrow almost."
Blake stopped in her tracks, "Really?"
"I mean… I only saw pictures but he was the only one with dark red eyes like this."
"Wow."
"I know Mom don't like talking about him but… I think she sees it too."
"Yea."
Yang got up and carried Noire downstairs to the kitchen. Summer and Raven were sitting down talking and laughing. They were drinking coffee and eating some toast. It never ceased to amaze Yang how they were best friends. Summer had smiled at her and Ruby often but to see her really happy, it was so strange to see.
"Hi Grandma and Grandma."
The two women looked up to see Yang and Blake standing there.
"Hold on! I need a picture with my phone!" Summer said digging through her purse on the floor.
Summer whipped out and snapped a picture. Raven grinned and sipped her hot coffee giving Yang a wink. The blonde couldn't help but grin happily as she took a seat at the table. Blake sat down next to her. Raven went to the living room and grabbed the bouncer then placed it on the table. She snapped Noire in so his parents could eat.
"Are you excited to go back to the bookstore?" Summer asked.
Blake shrugged, "Kind of… but I think Roman will be more excited. He looks like he's sleepless half of the time. Pyrrha does the best she can between her college stuff but he's been doing most of it by himself. I have to admit… It looks a lot better there since he started helping. He's become so anal about making everything perfect…. I should have hired a long time ago."
Summer laughed.
"Ruby and I thought as long it was out there, people could buy it but he stepped it up. My sales had gone up thirty percent over the last three weeks. He's great."
Blake looked kind of sad.
"You need to stop getting attached to your workers so much," Yang said giving her wife a serious look.
"I do but… I work so close with them despite the fact I work them to death… they all like me. Wanna guess who applied?"
"Who?" Yang asked.
"Mercury and a guy named Neptune."
Summer's head turned real slow.
"What?"
"I looked at his application and the reason why he wanted to work was because he found a girlfriend and she's pregnant. They want a house. He's willing to work overtime."
"Mercury?" Yang asked, "Wow."
Summer eased up a bit.
"I suppose it would be ok," she said.
Blake smiled.
"Roman promised to help me train them then he's off the hook."
"Ruby will be home in a few weeks. He looked so devastated when she said she was going to stay there for almost another month."
"Poor guy. He seems to really love Ruby. He looks so depressed when she's gone but he perks right up when she calls," Raven said.
"He does."
X
X
-Last Day at the Hospital—
"I suppose this is goodbye."
Ruby nodded.
Emerald sat there with this strange look on her face.
"I could stay if you need me too," Ruby offered but the woman shook her head.
"No. You've done more than enough for me."
Ruby smiled and nodded.
"It was no problem."
"Yea."
Ruby had started to get up but Emerald grabbed her arm.
"Listen."
Emerald let go and looked at her hands.
"Well?"
"Thank you."
Ruby smiled and sat back down.
"I have an hour left. Want me to stay? We can watch TV and I can order pizza."
She rolled her eyes, "You sound like Roman."
"Oh yea?"
"Yea, because he would do stuff like all the time. Want to watch TV, order pizza and play card games. I always thought it was so cheesy but I'm glad he found someone who can appreciate the same things as him."
"Thank you."
Ruby pulled out her phone.
"So, what kind of pizza you want to have?"
Emerald laughed, "Cheese with extra sauce."
"Sounds awesome. What breadsticks and sauce too?"
"Alright. Sounds good. I haven't puked in a few days. I guess this will be a party."
"I can play some music too. We could dance."
"That's quite ok. Pizza and TV are fine with me."
