Back to this...

Chapter 18:

She didn't know where she was going. Or even why she hadn't waited long enough to accept the umbrella from the door man. All Ruby knew was she was walking out of the city and she couldn't even tell in which direction she was walking any more.

She had passed by the last recognisable store just before the rain had started to come down in thick sheets leaving her drenched like a rat trying to escape a sinking ship. And she ultimately just wanted to go back to her apartment, but all she knew however was that was where her girlfriends had revealed they cheated on her.

The home that was once meant to be filled with nothing but happy moments with each other was quickly becoming one of the worst places Ruby could have ever imagined being. Stepping into the wooded area just looking for some shelter from the storm, Ruby took a deep breath as she just took some solace in the fact that her tears were being masked by the overall fact of how drenched she was from the walk she had just getting out of the heart of the city.


Both stood frozen. Neither being sure if they could even move. That was until the home phone started to ring. It was like a gunshot had gone off forcing the duo back into the reality.

They both had cheated on not only each other but Ruby.

Ruby had actually intentionally wanted to bring harm to one of them.

And Ruby ran out.

Those were the truths that they knew of the situation as Coco walked towards the phone being the first one to regain her senses. Emerald still being in deep shock at Ruby having thrown something at her.

It was a moment that was still ever present in their minds. If just because of how that had been the first time ever that Ruby had meant to actually harm one of them. Something that she had never done towards anyone.

"H... he... hello?" Coco said feeling her voice break, but that just didn't matter. It could have been Ruby asking to come up again because she forgot her card for the elevator to even make it up this far. It wouldn't have been the first time but most of the time that she did she just got whichever male was free on the front desk to bring her up. Although if there was only women she would call up.

"Coco? What is the matter? I was just calling up because Ruby offered to come to my book club meeting and I wanted to just ask if she still wanted to because we are talking about one of her books." The maternal voice spoke that signalled that it certainly wasn't Ruby or anyone on the front desk looking for them to come down to let Ruby back up. If anything it meant that the crap salad that was this moment was just going to pile up and up.

"Kali can I just call you back? We got into a fight and Ruby threw something at Emerald's head and she would have lost an eye if she hadn't ducked and then Ruby ran out."

"What did you two do!?"

"It is a long story. Just... Emerald and I need to go out and find her. It is going to rain and she doesn't have a coat."

"What. Did you two. Do?" The once maternal tone had taken a dark turn. One that had shocked Coco. She had never known Kali to get this aggressive. It had started to chill her to the bone as she could see Emerald just looking worried.

"I kissed Velvet while drugged up on pain pills for my broken ribs and Emerald turns out has been banging a dude at college and it came out after Ruby proposed to us." Coco said as she moved the phone away as she could hear a scream coming. She could see that Emerald had paled a little at the comments as Coco just took a deep breath as she raised the phone to her ear again.

"Kali. I need to go. Bye." Coco said as she hung up the phone as she just took a deep breath. "I'm going to regret that... but I need to go find Ruby." Coco said as she picked up her keys. "I'll let you fill in Raven." Coco said as she was nearly at the front door when Emerald stopped her by catching her wrist.

"We don't know where she could have gone. And the city is too big to just drive around all night." Emerald said as Coco just glared at her. "I'm not saying we don't go looking. I'm saying we need to get more people. Because we don't know where she is and given the fact that she refuses to go into bars, cafes and recently book stores because she'll be swamped... there is even less telling where she would be." Emerald said softly, just accepting the anger coming from Coco who wrenched her hand from her.

"I can get started at least. Maybe you should start calling people. Just take care not to fall on some penis in the meantime." Coco said as she walked towards the door which she tossed open as she just took a deep breath as she could hear a clap of thunder. She knew that it was going to rain and that the wrath of just about everyone was going to fall down onto her and Emerald... but she felt like that at the very least Emerald deserved a lot of it... and she'd be lying if she said she didn't deserve some of it.

She just couldn't let Ruby spiral like she was prone to do over lesser things. She was bound to be in the worst state she could have ever been in since they were in elementary school. And they had been the cause. There was no other truth at that moment to Coco.


Placing her foot down, Ruby winced as she fell a little due to the damp rocks. She could hear a loud pop causing Ruby to just bite her lip to stifle the scream that she had so desperately wanted to let out. She wasn't even sure why she was holding it in.

Figuring it was just a reflex that she had for a long time, one that Ruby just knew wasn't brought up during therapy. She wasn't sure why and she didn't care. She just was a little glad for the pain she was feeling. It had been the reminder that she was alive and this was all real. Not one of her twisted nightmares.

Limping towards an opening in the woods, Ruby just hoped that a house would have been nearby. She just hoped that whoever was there wasn't going to care that a drowned rat of a person who could hardly walk was needing some help.

Managing to make the twenty feet to get to where there was a clearing Ruby just frowned as she could see it was a road. Looking down one way Ruby just felt her frown deepen to a full on scowl.

She recognised the road well. No matter how seldom she had been on it.

"Figures my luck is this messed up." Ruby hissed as she looked towards the other direction. "The storm proofers should have a first aid kit..." Ruby began as she raised a sopping wet sleeve to just attempt to dry her eyes a bit, or at least force the tears to go a different direction than just stinging her eyes. "But I also don't want to risk it... I'd rather risk the broken ankle... at least that is more bearable than going to that house..." Ruby spat gently as she just took a deep breath knowing how she should handle this.

At least how the people who didn't cheat on her would want her to respond... and if she broke her ankle it would mean that she would be forced to be bed ridden and couldn't walk away when they would come to visit.

She had to face that house. At least long enough to try and treat her ankle the best she could.


Reeling from a smack being delivered to her face, Emerald just took a deep breath. As she just tried to ignore the stinging sensation and the harder thing of not raising her hand to rub her cheek as she could feel Blake and Weiss glaring harshly at her.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Weiss screamed as Emerald just barely braced herself as she felt a fist being delivered from Blake causing her to double over a little. She wasn't sure how she was meant to stay standing. All she knew was Blake did pack a punch.

"A lot is. Clearly. And please, continue to beat me up. It isn't like I haven't been doing that enough." Emerald said as she started to regain her posture as she just took a deep breath. "But I'm not cruel enough to not tell her until after we were to be married. And it has been eating away at me the entire time. So we can beat the shit out of me later. Right now we should prioritize Ruby." Emerald said as Weiss smacked her again.

"If we wait that long Raven is going to rightfully kill you." Weiss said as she took a deep breath. "And I'm not going to be the one to call her. Blake call your mother and ask her to come here to just be here in case Ruby tries to call. Emerald... you seriously best hope that Ruby isn't hurt. Because I will destroy you. Something no one would hold against me."

"I wouldn't either. I'm not trying to justify my actions. I wasn't even looking for Ruby to accept that I was sorry. I just couldn't have said yes without letting her and Coco know." Emerald said as she took a deep breath. "That is why I haven't made some comment about you both taking turns beating me. It makes me feel better that I've caused both Ruby and Coco pain." Emerald said as she just took a deep breath as she stared at her friends who were rightfully angry at her.

"Don't kill her Weiss. Ruby can't handle another person in jail. Plus my Mom would want to murder her a little and you haven't seen her mad. Best keep the lightning rod that is the unbelievable dumbass safe and alive." Blake said as she pressed her phone to her ear. "Mom. Yeah I'm here. I already gut punched her once... I'm not going to kill her. But yeah can you get to Ruby's apartment.. that way all three of us can start searching and if Ruby calls she can hear you to try and calm her down and tell us where she is."

"I'm not going to punch her again Mom. Just... can you please come down here? We'll get the dumbass to call Raven and see if she can close up her shop to get some more people to help looking for Ruby. Especially because it is really coming down." Blake spoke as Emerald just took some deep breaths to try and stop the pain that she was in.

Emerald wasn't sure if it was emotional in nature at her being the first person since Summer that Ruby would gladly harm...or just from being physically assaulted by her friends and their constant reminding of how she had been the worst girlfriend to ever exist.

She knew that if she had to place money on it, it would be the emotional pain mixed with just the raw guilt she had been feeling. The only thing she could really hope for was that Ruby and Coco both were going to be fine. They just had to be. She couldn't live with herself if something was to happen to them.


Groaning as she had to resist the urge to punch the only front wall, Ruby just slammed her head into the door. She couldn't believe for once she had hoped that the workers she had to hire to make sure that the place was looked after were still here despite the preparation being clearly done.

Grumbling as she spun around Ruby began to limp down the small set of wooden stairs as she just took a deep breath as she walked the several feet towards the collection of stones that signalled the end of the paved drive way. "Which rock has that stupid spare key in it?" Ruby hissed to herself as she began to kneel just so she could give her sore and very possibly broken ankle a break. She just wanted to get into the house where they stored their tools and most likely a first aid kit and just sit down as she debated if she should call back home to get someone to come here and help her into a car because she doubted that she could walk the ten miles by road back and she knew she couldn't go back the way she came.

Just the thought of needing to go that distance was already making her want to just walk into the house and sit in the living room. The living room that to this day she couldn't. No matter how many times people assured her that there was no blood or smell... she just knew that it was there.

As long as she lived it will be there.

Tossing the final rock, Ruby breathed a sigh of relief as she could see the clearly fake rock sitting at the bottom. The gleam of plastic had been a tell tale sign. One that Ruby was happy about. Picking it up, Ruby had secretly hoped a little that the key wasn't inside. If just because it would give her a reason to try and break some of the windows. She knew that the historical preservation committee would have a field day but she knew her immediate medical needs would triumph over them.

Sliding the protective cover, Ruby just frowned at the lack of her anger being allowed to be taken out on the stupid windows as she slipped the loop of the key ring over her finger before she started to sadly stand up.

Wincing a little as she felt a bolt of pain shoot through her ankle, Ruby just had to take a seething breath as she started to hobble over towards the wooden stairs. The main worry she had was getting up the stairs. She knew before her life turned bad that she used to hop up them but she doubted that she could do that in her current state.

She was even doubting her ability to walk up the stairs at all. She hadn't seen the upstairs in a long time. Especially not Yang's room. She figured all those old posters were still up to go with the old stuffed animals that Yang had around her bed. She still wondered if 'Flopsy Rabbit' was still in his rightful space at the centre of the mass just within saving distance from when you would toss the entire collection off to go to sleep.

Shoving the thoughts from her mind, Ruby staggered to the door where she braced herself against it as she quickly unlocked it. She just could feel unspeakable dread as she gave the door a sharp shove as she held her breath as to not smell the normal disgusting stench that was deeply ingrained in her mind. She could feel nothing but that dread seemingly nothing but grow as more time went on.

"I'm sorry Daddy and Yang... I just can't do nothing about my sore ankle... please forgive me..." Ruby said as she twisted the door handle before tossing the door open as she used the hand that was holding the key to just cover her nose. Limping inside, Ruby just took a deep breath of the fresh air as she started to stagger into the house. Groaning at the fact that she knew the first aid Raven had requested be put in the bathroom, just caused Ruby to groan internally at the fact that it meant she would need to climb the stairs.

Swinging her knee up three or four steps before she just started to pull her good leg so it would be even. She couldn't believe that she was going to need to crawl up the stairs like she was three again and trying to get up the stairs as stealthily as she could to surprise Yang.

She just hoped that this trip would be the only one she would need to make up them as she was even dreading the trip down them.

Reaching the top, Ruby grasped the top of the banister for dear life as she started to pull herself up. Just happy to land on her good foot, Ruby took a deep breath as she carefully lowered her sore foot down as she bit her lip as to not scream out in pain once again. She just wanted to scream but she couldn't. She wasn't sure if there were any bats and she didn't need a rabies shot to go along with everything.

She just hoped that her ankle wasn't broken despite how painful it was, she at least had some solace in the fact that it didn't feel like any broken bone she has had before. Taking some great joy at the sight of the bathroom door being open. There had been a merciful god staring down upon her in this household.

Bracing herself against the bath where her Dad would bath her and she would just play in the water, Ruby took a deep breath as she plopped down heavily onto the toilet as she tried to remember where Raven said she had stored the first aid kit. She hoped that it wasn't far from the toilet seat because she wasn't sure if she could make it.


Wincing a little as she felt a hand catching her, Coco just took a deep breath as she had to resist the urge to scream at Weiss for stopping her. "I don't see why everyone else gets to be mad at her but I don't!" Coco hissed as Weiss just glared at her.

"Ignoring my anger towards you for attacking my boyfriend, how about you cheated on them as well!" Weiss yelled at her as she just took a deep breath. "Yeah you didn't actually sleep anyone and were on drugs at the time for pain, but you were just a step above sexually assaulting another woman."

"Not to mention Ruby should get first dibs on anything permanent." Blake said as she took a deep breath. "And are you sure you didn't see her on any street? Or any of the normal shops she visits?"

"No Blake, I thought I'd ignore those places." Coco sarcastically bit before she took a deep breath. "Of course I looked and even asked in the shops if they saw her. One said they saw her walking out towards the edge of the city."

"Which does nothing for us really. The only thing on the outskirts of the city is her childhood home... and the odds of her being there are next to non-existent. We have a better chance of finding her in an alleyway strung out on heroin. At least that is in the realm of probability." Weiss said as Coco and Emerald shared a look. "What?"

"It isn't unlikely... she begrudgingly does go there. Mostly due to the contractors or gardeners needing her for something." Emerald stated as she looked at Coco. "But Weiss is right. They would have left a few days ago. And it is a good ten miles."

"It is only about five by foot... maybe five and a half." Coco said as she crossed her arms. "And what the hell am I talking to you about this? I'm all kinds of pissed at you. You cheated on me and Ruby. And worst of all you clearly never intended on telling us. Meanwhile I'm never going to not feel bad. And I just kissed another woman... not fuck a guy repeatedly."

"I do feel bad about it! I'll never not feel bad about it! I'm not trying to justify what I did!" Emerald yelled at her as she just took a deep breath to calm down. "I've never once tried to justify what I did. And ever since the first time it has been eating away at me. I always intended to tell you and Ruby. Just with everything going down between Summer dying, Ruby having breakdowns, you ending up in the hospital and us running into Neo... I haven't had a chance to tell her fearing this exact thing! Once we find Ruby, we can continue this argument! If you want an audience for my execution fine. I know I deserve it. But right now there is a very likely unstable Ruby being lord knows where and after everything lord knows if she isn't even remotely suicidal. But you're right, let's focus on me being the worst girlfriend ever!"

"I hate to agree with a debaucherer... but she is right. Ruby doesn't have a history of being mentally sound over one of the topics that happened in the last week... and with everything happening... including Neo... and according to Velvet a fight with Raven... and Emerald being an adulteress after Coco tried to all but rape one of her friends... it is a miracle if Ruby is still feeling even remotely sound mentally." Weiss stated calmly as Coco and Emerald just took a deep breath.

"Well get Raven and go check the house. But I doubt she is there. There is no reason to be there and unless she has one, she'd avoid it even if it had the cure to death there and Raven and Kali both desperately needed it." Emerald said as she just took a deep breath and gestured for them to go into the elevator.


Wincing a little as she tossed her shoe down as she carefully removed her sock, Ruby just felt the urge to vomit from the purpleish black her ankle had become as it throbbed. She just had to take a deep breath as she knew the worst part was to come and there wasn't anything in the first aid kit that would numb the pain.

Grabbing the sleeve she had cut off and into a long ribbon, Ruby just took a deep breath as she tried to remember all the lessons she had taught herself under Salem to treat this type of injury. Or at least enough to where she could put weight onto it she actually couldn't believe that she wanted to cry for the first time in a long time over this. Pain had never been the thing that seemed to make her want to cry. But here she was. In near tears and it wasn't the house and certainly couldn't be how much anger and hurt she had been feeling about her girlfriends. Or ex... she wasn't sure which at this point. All she wanted to do was to get out of this situation. She wanted to get back home, and once Summer was six feet under she wanted to burn this house down.

Tying a knot of the makeshift bandage, Ruby just smiled a little how that had seemed to help despite the constant throbbing of pain. Placing it onto the floor carefully, Ruby just took a deep breath as she tested her weight.

Happy at the lack of extra pain, Ruby just took a calming breath as she started to walk out of the room. Just being glad that in an hour or two she'd be able to walk back to the city. Because she certainly couldn't sleep in this house for all kinds of reasons.

Rubbing her eyes as she limped towards Yang's bedroom. That being the closest and the only one she could seem to bring herself to go into. As she opened the door she just felt some more tears welling up as she could still see her and her sister sitting on the bed reading and playing with their dolls.

Placing her hands against the closet door in which she had hidden herself all those years ago... and she could still feel the tears stinging in her eyes as if they were rebelling because she wasn't letting them free.

Hobbling over towards Yang's bed, Ruby just took a seat on it as she took a deep breath.

"I guess this is the first thing I can't trace back to Summer destroying my life... can I Yang..." Ruby asked the void as she took a shaky breath which echoed into the silence of the house. An odd type of silence that had just seemed to sting. But not nearly as much as the sound of a car outside which she just knew was going to be someone like Raven. At least that is who she hoped it was going to be.

Author's Note:

And done this chapter.