And more
Chapter 51:
Grumbling a little as she walked up to the stairs to her own dorm, Ruby jumped a little as she could see Neo bounding down the stairs like she was an excited dog wanting its owner to return from a day of work.
"Not going to lie Ruby... I thought Merc was lying to me when I saw that tie on your door knob. Was already planning to treat the leather for my cat o'nine tails. Because I do not take the thought of someone I sleep with on the side having my favourite food, and favourite flavour with my best friend and I'm not there." Neo said as Ruby just stared at her carefully. "Now gimme gimme gimme." Neo continued not even skipping a beat as Ruby held the plastic bag out to her which she happily snatched and opened it to just stare into it with a growing sense of great joy. One that caused Ruby some joy.
"There is a tie on my dorm room door knob?" Ruby asked as Neo began to deflate. "I have a spoon. Answer my question first and it is yours." Ruby continued as Neo just began to frown as she stared at her with a deflated look.
"Well, tie is a bit of an exaggeration... it looked like a white and blue handkerchief. Kinda seemed stuffy. But there was a lot of banging that I'm positive could be heard across the floor, so I just assumed you and Neon were going at it..." Neo said as Ruby reached towards her bag and produced a metal spoon.
"No. Neon broke up with me. Through freaking text. After I screamed at Mom last night and said she wasn't my mother... and I was high and Neon was in the room with her, and my uncles and Grandmother." Ruby said just taking some joy at the fact it was now Neo's turn to be taken aback.
"So I didn't just hallucinate that? Does explain why I woke up handcuffed to the bed this morning though." Neo began as she just took a deep breath. "And she is alive enough to text you? Damn she got really lucky." Neo said with a small smile as she looked at Ruby and then the bag before she sadly held it towards Ruby. "Here it cheers you up. I'd just like to say don't make it suffer." Neo said as Ruby just chuckled and held her hand up.
"I already had some Neo. That is all yours. I was just going to try and study some but given that Yang is getting some, I shouldn't interrupt that. Especially because chances were she had been getting some with Weiss. And that it is mostly just hate screwing but still." Ruby said taking a deep breath as she could see Neo just smiling brightly. "No Neo. Don't. Just let them." Ruby spoke as she could see the heterochromatic girl frowning a little.
"Fine. Want to come spend some time in my room? It is just me... and I figure that if anyone we know, you are the only person not to be skittish around my collection of whips and paddles. I'm also going to be taking stock of my candles. I really wish I didn't leave this all to the last minute." Neo said as Ruby just groaned.
"One no. I'm trying to avoid Em... I also said and screamed a lot of hateful things at her last night. And you really shouldn't leave it Neo. Candles, sure, but the rest don't." Ruby started as she reached into her pocket and smiled at the keys she felt. Knowing that she still did have one thing she could do that would probably give Yang plenty of time. "And I only stopped by to give you the ice cream, and to get the car. I need to go do some stuff."
Taking a deep breath as she held the items behind her back Neo just began to stare into Ruby's eyes. "Stuff I should be telling your mother about? Or should I go with you? You remember what you promised me when we were children. I'm your maid of honour. No exceptions."
Laughing gently, Ruby just stared into Neo's eyes to show her how serious she was about this topic. "Tell mom if you want. I'm just going to go visit someone in the hospital. Tell her if she wants specifics she should ask Merc. And I'd really don't want you there. I mean full offence when I say this, you have the worst bedside manner ever. So just go and enjoy your ice cream and don't hurt Merc too much." Ruby whispered as she could see Neo just groaning. "I'm not saying don't hurt him. Just don't end up sending him to the hospital from being too rough."
"Ruin the fun why don't you. Go enjoy whatever it is you are doing. And maybe don't call him for a few days after tonight. He is going to be looking worse for the wear."
"Deal."
She didn't know why it was taking her so much to just knock. But it was still something that seemed to catch her. Here she was in front of the door of one of her attackers. One of the people her mother had spared to just send a message to the rest of the world. Which begged many questions.
None of it really seemed to matter to her. She just had to push through the bubbling nausea that had started in the pit of her stomach.
"The door isn't going to vanish..." Ruby heard behind her causing her to jump and spin around to stare into the eyes of the dusky skinned woman holding a small child. "I'm sorry, are you a friend of Jaune? I don't know all of them... I'm just his sister in law." The woman continued to ask as Ruby just looked at the ground.
"It is a very... very... very complicated thing. But long story is I'm not a friend. Of him least."
"Ah... so one of his exes... he is doing much better. He actually woke up last night and that is one of the reasons I'm here. That and to see my wife and let her see our son." The woman continued as Ruby just took a deep breath.
"Again no. It is super complicated. But if your wife is the blonde woman that was there yesterday... chances are with Reese... she already knows why it is complicated which is why I'm even here." Ruby said as she took a deep breath.
"That means you are the girl..." The woman started as she just took a deep breath. "I wouldn't be here if i was in the same situation... frankly if my wife wasn't here I wouldn't be, and certainly wouldn't be with our son."
"For if you forgive those when the sin against you, then the heavenly fathers will also forgive you." Ruby said softly as she took a deep breath. "Sorry... I was taught by Nuns and they drove home that point. Even when people do awful things to you... even by extension... you should still forgive them. Just... there is a lot of conflicting emotions." Ruby continued as she took a deep breath. "It was so much easier when I didn't remember who he was... but go figure my stupid brain has to trudge up one of many terrible memories that I have."
Gently rubbing the child's back, the woman just took a deep breath as she tried to figure out what she should say. "If you want to talk to Saph, I can ask her to come out here. I'll stow away the disgust I have for my brother in law for that long... I was going to have to anyways."
"That doesn't solve my problems... at least not entirely. Forgiveness is something the person needs to know they have. Because if they don't then they enter a bad mind set. And... I'm just trying to will up the courage to actually talk to him. But... there is again a lot of conflicting emotions." Ruby continued as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I wish it was as easy as the nuns always made it seem. Especially with something like this. It just seems like it would be a lot easier and a lot more cathartic if I just hated him. But I also know that wouldn't do me any good and would create a terrible mind set for him that would increase as time goes on. And no one deserves to be given that."
"Again... if anyone has the right for that it is you. So I consider you even wanting to do this is pretty admirable. I don't think I ever could."
"This isn't getting us anywhere." Ruby said as she spun around and quickly delivered a satisfactory knock on the door. If just so she could get away from this conversation. So she could just hopefully get out of this situation. If just for her own sanity.
Hearing the knock resonating, Ruby could just feel herself wanting to vomit as she was left feeling confused as she just wanted to run for the hills but here she was, left feeling nothing but fear. But she knew that it was going to be something that she could overcome. She remembered what her Grandmother always told her, she could achieve anything as long as she just screwed her courage to the sticking place.
She still had no idea what she meant by that besides that she should accomplish what she wanted if she just faced what fear there was. Hell Ruby wasn't even sure if it really was English, or even from the same century. But she was at least a little glad that she could see her teal haired friend opening the door, being shocked at the sight of her.
"Ruru... wasn't expecting you to appear. Like at all..." Reese spoke as she looked behind Ruby and just smiled. "Terra, what's up?" Reese spoke before shaking her head as she looked at Ruby. "You feeling alright. Are you 'hydrated'? Because I was worrying a little." Reese continued as she could see Ruby just taking a deep breath and gently rubbing her arms.
"Yes... and I remembered a lot... screamed at Em and Mom... in front of people. Said some really mean things and am now single... and now I'm just trying to do what the Nuns taught us."
"If you are going to commit a crime, it is best to do it on a Nun and always, always, always wear gloves because if they can't find your fingerprints it is that much harder to press charges on you?" Reese spoke as she stepped out being careful to block the sight from the room.
"No. What they intentionally taught us during religion." Ruby said as she just took a deep breath. "Please tell me that you didn't know by the way." Ruby asked as Reese just looked at her.
"Should know me better Ruru. I can't keep any secrets from you besides what Ashes demands me to keep secret. I didn't know anything but the fact you blacked out. And talked with Tyrian and Watts yesterday after they dug me out because I insulted your Mom and your uncles accidentally yesterday after you stormed out of here. Did you know Watts designed a super compact EKG machine."
"That explains a lot of things." Ruby spoke softly as she just took a deep breath. "But as I said previously this isn't going to really address the reason I'm here. And if I get side tracked too far, we both know what is going to happen Reese. And oddly this seems to be the best looking thing to do on the list of things I need to do to stop this stupid gut churning feeling." Ruby continued as Reese just gently held an arm out to stop her.
"Ruru. You know I can't stop you. Even when we dated I couldn't stop you. But you won't find a woman who will look at you with scorn for not doing this."
"I would though." Ruby said as she gently nudged Reese's hand off of her before she quickly walked into the room. As she walked in, she could see the heart monitor started to pick up as she could see the Saphron and Pyrrha looking towards her. Walking to the end of the bed, Ruby just took a deep breath as she wondered what was causing her to have this kind of strength.
"Pyr... let's go get some coffee. Saph... I suggest you doing the same with Terra. Ruby isn't going to do anything bad. She isn't like that." Reese said as she could see Pyrrha just taking a deep breath. It was clear that she was unsure. "Just trust me."
"Okay Reese..." Pyrrha said softly as she could see Ruby just paling further and further. Not that she could really blame her. She didn't even know if she could confront someone like that. Even if at points she still didn't really trust Ruby being alone with Reese... or even Ruby's family now... but she had to admit that she could see why Reese felt so strongly about Ruby being an admirable person with how she could stand here with her memory of the moment that Jaune had contributed to.
"Saph... come on... I trust Reese. She seems like she really knows this girl." Terra spoke as the blonde woman looked towards her brother before she looked at Ruby. "Saph... come on."
"Well be back soon Jaune." Saphron said as she picked up the small remote and placed it into Jaune's hand. "And if she tries anything... press the help button." Saphron said softly as she started to walk out of the room.
Hearing the door close, Ruby just took a deep breath as she stared into the nearly fused shut blue eye, as the one uninjured one just looked at Ruby with a sense of sorrow in it but still trained specifically on her. As if the second Ruby moved he would be in danger.
It was a new feeling to Ruby. At least to feel this gaze on her of fear. Or at least it was a new feeling because she knew the cause for it this time and it was very clear. It just made her feel like for once someone was rightfully afraid of her.
"I'm sorry for what my Mother did. Especially because at the time I had no idea what had happened. And I still don't have much in the way of memories of that night. But what I do know is... you did try and stop it and even tried to get me help. But that one man forced you. You could have killed me... and instead you walked away." Ruby began as she just took a deep breath. "I don't blame you... or even wish you ill will. I know a lot of people are treating me like I'm someone brave and your worse than the dirt. But in reality... if anything it should be reversed. I didn't remember anything until last night... and you went through torture when you did what anyone would have in your situation."
Seeing the man begin to lower one of his thumbs to press a button to raise the back of the bed upwards. "Do you need some help?" Ruby asked as he gently shook his head.
"How much do you remember?" Jaune asked as he came to a stop as he just winced a little.
"I remembered a lot. From when you and Cardin... or whatever his name lead me out... to being tossed into that ditch and even felt the gun being pointed on me. And you didn't pull the trigger. Which frankly took a lot more strength. Especially because you didn't know if I wouldn't go to the cops... you would have willingly gone to prison. If it came to it. And didn't want to do it at all even before you knew what my Family would do." Ruby continued as she could see the man just taking a deep breath.
"Personally I don't remember much of what your mother did. There was just a lot of pain... but everyone is right. I could have prevented so much pain for the both of us if I just would have stood up to Cardin earlier. I don't care if I would have been forced to quit college." Jaune spoke softly as Ruby just took a deep breath shaking her head as she just took a single step closer. "It would have been a moment of shame instead of this. Where my own sisters and mother don't want anything to do with me."
"They'll change. The one sister I met seems to at least be understanding." Ruby said as she just started to rub her arms. "And it is largely because the idea of someone raping another woman... is just something women fear. No matter how distant they are. Something doubly so if the woman is a lesbian like me. And just the thought that someone wouldn't help..." Ruby said as she just gently smacked her face. "And I can't let myself go down that path. That will just muddy the waters of why I'm here. Namely that i want you to know that i don't blame you. I don't think I could ever really blame you. And you didn't kill me. That is what really matters to me. You gave me more time to spend with my family. That is what everyone ultimately wants. At least if they are honest." Ruby continued as she just sighed gently. "And even if you are in great pain and all kinds of anguish... at least my mother granted you the ability to still have that. And I just hope that eventually you will get through to your family. Family is a lot better to have. And although I don't know my biological family... I do know that they didn't want me. And it did show me how much my Mother does want and care about me."
"I think I'm also proof of that."
Laughing softly, Ruby just took a deep breath. "Yeah... I guess so. And frankly... under different circumstances, or even in a different life... I would have loved to call you a friend. Especially because Yang still does... but I don't think I can call you that now or ever really."
"Understandable."
"I hope you do make a full recovery... and that you do forgive my mother and more importantly that you accept my forgiving you."
Author's Note:
Different chapter from the last one, but still a fun one to write.