And there is some more

Chapter 19:

"I swear if she isn't here I'm killing the both of you and ditching your carcasses in the woods. I might not have played in them nearly as much as Ruby did, but I do know enough places to hide a body" Raven hissed as she walked up the stairs and just took a deep breath. "And either she is here, or she was. Or there is a burglar... I'm hoping for the burglar. Would mean I don't need to dispose of the bodies." Raven bit as she lead the way into the house.

As Raven stepped onto the wooden floor, she just had to take a deep breath as she had to suppress the tears that were already starting. The last time she had actually stepped foot into this house was to hand over Yang to Tai.

The memories of that were burned so brightly in her mind that she doubted it would ever fade. Walking towards the living room, Raven took a deep breath to just try and calm herself as she doubted Ruby would be in there, but she knew that she had to look. In the room where she knew from what Qrow and Ruby had told her was where Yang and Tai had died. A room she didn't want to go into, but she had to. Just to make sure that Ruby wasn't in there. It was clear she couldn't trust two of Ruby's supposedly oldest friends who were also her girlfriends to look for her. They couldn't even be trusted to stay faithful to her.

"I'll look in there Raven..." Coco said in a soft tone as she began gently move the woman out of the way. As she ignored the pain she was in as Raven just took a deep breath and accepted the gesture a little. "I doubt she is in here anyways. She hates being in this room or even this house for longer than she has to be. If she is anywhere... it would probably be upstairs in Tai's room... or the bathroom." Coco said with a soft tone as Raven just smiled faintly.

"If I can't trust you to keep your tongue in your mouth how the hell am I meant to trust you to actually look for her." Raven said as she tossed the woman out of the way with ease as she opened the door to see the sparse room.

The only furniture in the room was the same gaudy patterened couches and chairs she remembered Tai putting the moves on her that he was famous for. Walking further into the room, Raven just breathed a sigh of relief as she could see a distinct lack of Ruby.

"She isn't in the kitchen." Coco said as she walked in through another door as they could hear some footsteps leading up a small flight of stairs. "What did Ruby's family do exactly? She never really talks about it... all I know is she was worth millions before she even released her first book."

"Tai's family owned a gem mine a few miles on the northern edge of the property. And forestry... but Tai's parents had big money in urinal cakes." Raven said as she walked out of the room as she looked at Emerald walking up from the basement.

"It is flooded and the lights aren't working... so I doubt she is there. Fear of the dark and basements and such." Emerald said as Raven bit her tongue as Coco just took a sharp inhale.

"The fact she is in this house is a much bigger fear! There is literally no other fear she has that is bigger than this!" Coco yelled as she just breathed a sigh as they heard something dropping against the floor upstairs. As if sensing what was the important thing in the moment they all started to walk slightly cautiously towards the stairs leading into the upper level.


"It just has to be them..." Ruby hissed as she started to limp towards the closet. Opening the door as she bent down to grab the grate giving it a gentle tug before she was about to crawl in as she just had to bite her lip to stop herself from screaming as she attempted to pull herself into the wall.

The fit was a lot tighter compared to when she was a child, but she still had to try and get in. With just barely an arm in, she could already see that it was futile. She wanted to just get away from this all and wait until it would be Raven. She knew Raven would wait until she found her. Coco and Emerald would leave her. If they could cheat on her, who knows what they could do.

"Stupid freaking leg... and stupid growing." Ruby hissed as she reached out and gently closed the door as she tried her hardest to push herself up into a standing position just because she knew she couldn't sit for long in the closet with her injured ankle. Slumping against the wall, Ruby quickly clamped a hand over her mouth as she felt the grate slamming against her ankle.

She wanted to scream so badly but she couldn't. She was already positive that they had heard that. Her screaming in the agony that she felt would just speed that search party up. She just wanted them to leave her be.


Rounding the top of the stairs, Raven just took a deep breath as she could see the open bathroom with a lone shoe that she had seen Ruby wearing a matter of hours ago with shards of her hoodie resting on the floor. Ruby was definitely still here. She just had to find where. And hopefully she was safe and well. Even though she doubted that if just because of the one lone shoe and tattered clothing. At the very least from all appearances it looked like Ruby had injured her foot or leg and was treating it the best she could.

"She is up here." Emerald said as she quickly walked into the bathroom where she took a deep breath. "And the first aid kit is out... but nothing looks like it is taken... bar for some of the mild painkillers." Emerald said as she could see Coco's hand tensing up.

"I swear if she is hurt, I'm going to kill you." Coco hissed as Raven rolled her eyes.

"If she is hurt I'm killing the both of you" Raven said as she quickly walked towards the room that she hoped was still Tai's. As she opened the door she could see the slightly dusty room but it was clear that it was Tai's. The framed pictures had been more than enough to tell her that. But there was also only one place where she knew Ruby could be hiding in this room. She knew from a number of stubbed toes that there was no way for Ruby to be under the bed unless she was as flat as a board.

Quickly walking over towards the closet, Raven quickly threw the doors open and just frowned at the distinct lack of Ruby.

"Give the grate a tug. Ruby stayed in the walls when Summer was doing things... and she never mentioned to us really which was the way she got in." Coco said as Raven shook her head gently as she reached down and gave it a tug and just was happy that it wouldn't budge.

"It looks too small and anyways if Yang's room is where her nursery was there is no way for Ruby to go from here to there." Raven said as she closed the doors before she walked over towards the door out of the room.

"Aren't you going to check under the bed." Emerald asked as she really just hoped that Ruby wasn't going to be in the walls. Just because it was going to be impossible to get her out of them. Even if she knew that Ruby

"Unless she is a two by four, no. I've stubbed my toes and smacked my knees against that bed enough to know that is solid wood all the way down practically where Tai had several drawers filled with some spare clothes exes of his forgot myself included." Raven said as she quickly walked out of the room as she just quickly walked towards where she knew where Yang's nursery was. She still remembered arguing with Tai about how even if she didn't want to raise Yang the best room for her would be one with a lot of morning sun and there had only been one that she noticed when she had been living there.

Opening the door, Raven just had to take a panicked breath as she could see that she had known Tai too well. He couldn't bring himself to move Yang from the room. Something she knew would be the reason for how he would have had to seen her in the morning light.

Walking towards the bed, Raven gently picked up the one gift she had gotten for her own daughter and took a deep breath as she placed the stuffed rabbit back down onto the bed as she looked around the room for the first time.

"Yang's room always looks eerie..." Coco said in a soft tone as Raven just took a deep breath. "I remember coming in here to play dolls and house just a few days before it happened." Coco said as she dropped down onto her stomach to quickly look under the bed. Just frowning as she began to get up. "And she isn't under there."

"Her foot slash ankle slash lower leg is injured. She wouldn't be on the ground because getting up would be hard." Raven said as she walked towards the closet and just took a deep breath. "Please be in here Ruby... I need you to be safe." Raven whispered in a tone so soft that she was positive even if someone was standing with their ears mere centimetres away from her mouth wouldn't have been able to hear her.

As she opened the door Raven could feel all the worry fade before it got replaced with anger as she felt a fist being delivered towards her face. Just barely having enough wherewithal to duck back slightly and avoid the swing.

She was shocked that someone had been able to gather the courage to swing at her, but once the shock had faded she winced a little as she saw too late that it was Ruby as she fell onto the floor as she screamed from what Raven just knew was pain that she had to have been in from the raw wooden floors that didn't look like they had been properly looked after for months. The only thing she could hope for at this moment that the worst pain Ruby was in was more so her injured pride and her ankle than a face full of splinters to go along with all that.

"Ruby!" The trio yelled as Ruby just hid her face the best she could as she just started to swing wildly without looking at who she was going to hit if it was anyone. All she knew was that she really wanted Emerald to be hit. Maybe even Coco. All she knew was they made her hurt.

"NO! Get back!" Ruby bellowed as the swings began to become less violent in nature as she just started to sob. She knew that she couldn't look up as she knew just seeing their faces would be enough to bring up the same conflicting emotions she had been feeling when it came to them.

Looking over, Raven just took some solace at the sight of Emerald reaching up to just gently dab away the growing trickle of blood from a busted lip. Something that she was beyond thankful for. Just because she wouldn't need to beat Emerald as hard later. Even though she knew that it would make her and Ruby feel better.

"Ruby." Coco said as she took a step closer as she bit the inside of her cheek as she could see the swollen ankle that despite the crude bandaging was still very obvious that she was going to need to go to the hospital. But she also just didn't want Ruby to be hurting as bad as she clearly was. A pain that she knew that she was feeling and was also the cause of. Pain that she hoped Emerald was feeling so much worse about as she actually did sleep with someone else.

"Back off..." Ruby sobbed out a bit more as she placed her hands down to just try and push herself up but she gave up as she just slumped down again. She was in too much pain to actually get up. Between the splinters she could feel jamming into her cheek and nose mixed with her ankle and just the pain that this house had always seemed to amplify.

"Raven... can you give us a few minutes?" Emerald said as she had to just ignore the glare being tossed her way. "Stay outside the door if you want. It is just so we can actually talk." Emerald reasoned as Raven took a deep breath.

"If you harm her again, I don't care how she'd view me or if she knows. I'll kill you. And it won't be a quick death." Raven hissed as she stormed out of the room closing the door as Emerald just had to exhale the breath that had been stuck in her chest since Raven had turned towards her to threaten her.

It was for the first time something that she could swear was a genuine threat and not just her misreading one of Raven's jokes. It was a genuine threat that she was without a doubt going to follow through on it.

Gently taking a step closer, Coco began to help Ruby up the best she could. Just the sight of her sobbing gently was causing her some pain. Almost as much as the four or five slivers of wood sticking out of her upper cheek just barely falling short of her eye had to have been hurting her. She just wanted to hold Ruby as tightly as she could but she also wouldn't hold it against her if she didn't want anything to do with her.

"Everything is going to shit... and the people I thought I could trust I can't." Ruby sobbed as Coco and Emerald just began to twist her body ever carefully as to not hurt her ankle any further.

Falling to her knees, Emerald carefully picked up Ruby's ankle and placed it onto her lap as she started to undo the near masterful bandaging, something she had always been a little jealous of how Ruby knew how to do. But at this point she was actually thankful that Ruby did know it.

"Everything is looking bad now Ruby... but if anything you can trust me and Coco." Emerald spoke as she just had to push through the glare she could feel from Coco. "I told you. It has been something that has been tearing me up." Emerald continued as she glanced over towards Coco before looking at Ruby. "I know what I did was awful. And again I'm not looking for forgiveness. I already planned to move out. Once I know you are safe." Emerald said as Ruby reached up and carefully grasped one of the splinters before she gave it a sharp tug and just tried to bear with the pain. It was just more bearable than needing to address them.

"Ruby... I want to strangle Emerald myself... but she has a point. Even if it seems pretty dark right now... but we won't push... if you still want us... there are things like couples therapy. All isn't over. Because even if you don't...there are billions of women out there" Coco said as Ruby just chuckled dryly.

"There isn't. Not for me. I break down in front of every new woman... I don't even trust them being in the same room for years... and if that whore is proof... I might be able to stand it on a physical level partially... but in reality I can't. I don't think I could ever stand it." Ruby said as she plucked the final splinter as she just raised her other hand to rub her forearm to just sop up the tears.

"Ruby... we aren't going anywhere if you don't want us to. But we've also got to seriously talk about our issues. Because there are some serious issues we need to actually talk about. And we should probably just stay a few days apart for you to come to your decision. But as of right now, just about everyone wants to kill us including Kali." Coco said as Ruby just felt more pain. She wasn't sure where it was coming from, but what she did know was that she was feeling pain.

"Regardless, we need to get you to the hospital. You should know better than to pull splinters out. Especially when they are in your face. That can cause a serious infection. And your ankle is seriously sprained if not broken." Emerald said as Ruby shook her head and began to pull her foot back as Emerald just caught her shin. "Ruby. It doesn't need to be the one Neo works at. But you could have done some serious damage to your foot, and people actually die from a scrape on their head... you just picked out a bunch of splinters from your face that are from a poorly kept floor that sadly has a history of blood being on it... so who knows what risks you have of infection." Emerald said as Ruby just sniffled as she rubbed her eyes again.

"No hospitals. It is just a grade three sprain. A few months with it in compression... and I'll be fine. It isn't the first time I've had one."

"It doesn't matter Ruby. It would make everyone feel better once they knew that you would be looked after." Emerald spoke as she started to just gently gesture to Coco to help her pick Ruby up. Something that Coco was happy to help with.

Gently swinging an arm under her legs, Coco just smiled faintly as she could feel Emerald's stronger arms just holding her closer as Ruby wrapped an arm around each of their necks. "No hospitals. I've had enough sprains to know that it isn't needed for a sprain unless it doesn't heal. All they'll say is keep it elevated and I'm in pain use over the counter stuff to just numb it. You forget I've been in abusive homes where I was expected to treat my own injuries when I can." Ruby bit as she felt one of the arms being removed from her legs just to open the door before being replaced.

"Ruby, you don't need to worry about that. Just you are going to the hospital. Once we let the group of rightfully furious people know you are found and where to find you, we'll be there as well." Emerald said as Ruby began to fight the hold their arms had on her.

"It won't be the hospital." Ruby said as she was able to get down, wincing a little from landing on her sprained foot. "All my doctors are at the one hospital... if I'm admitted to a different one they'll just transfer me and if that happens knowing my luck, I'll get Neo. The woman who has literally stabbed me in the back... who has on several occasions tried to set me on fire. I'm not taking that chance. Plus I sadly have a well known face and people will talk." Ruby said as she quickly raised a foot to start hopping towards the top of the stairs where she could see Raven quickly coming to the top of it.

"Ruby..." Coco pleaded. She knew that it was going to be a futile attempt but she knew that she had to do it for her own peace of mind. Especially if she was meant to make sure that she wasn't going to be killed from one of her friends or their parents or more importantly Raven. If just because she knew that Kali wouldn't. But for Raven... she had no idea if she wouldn't just to prove the point that she could.

"No hospitals. Only people who haven't been stabbed in the back or cheated on me get to voice their opinion on how I treat my injuries." Ruby bit as she Raven crossed her arms.

"Then you are heading to the hospital." Raven said as Ruby looked at her. "I haven't cheated on you, and I've been stabbed in the back. You forget Ruby, I didn't have a father like Tai. And Summer metaphorically stabbed me in the back." Raven said as Ruby just pouted. "Yeah you didn't think about that. Now come on. Let the dead meat carry you down and to my car." Raven said as Ruby just rolled her eyes.

"Don't kill them Raven. If anyone gets that right it should be me. I'm the one they cheated on." Ruby said as she began to hop towards the stairs with a little joy at feeling Coco and Emerald relaxing. "Besides... I can still walk on it... it is just sore." Ruby complained as she placed her foot down. The pain seeming to fade just being around Coco and Emerald. At least until she had to put her weight onto it.

That simple gesture had been enough to cause them some worry but she knew that she could get through this all. "Come on Ruby. It is going to take a lot longer for you to walk down compared to just one of us carrying you." Coco said as Ruby shook her head.

"I'm going to be fine. And as long as I can prevent going to a building with a crazy woman longer..."

"Ruby, you are going to be in physical pain..." Emerald said as Ruby just took a deep breath.

"Raven, can you grab Flopsy?" Ruby said as Raven just looked at her. "It was the name Yang gave to her stuffed rabbit... I've always been meaning to rescue it from this hell house, but until today I could bring myself to walk into Yang's room where Qrow had rested it." Ruby said as Raven just took a deep breath to steady herself as she nodded her head not saying a word.

Hearing Raven walking into the room, Ruby just took a deep breath. "Right now she is gone... I refuse to allow Neo a chance... and technically even if we break up you both are my next of kin right now thus meaning have ultimate say about how I'm treated the second I take any sort of medication... Neo must not be allowed in. At all. I don't care how you go about it. I'll take any doctor sure. But not Neo."

"We know Ruby. We won't let her in."

As they rounded the banister, Ruby could see Raven walking out of the room as she dried her eyes. It was something that just seemed to bring a lot of meaning to Ruby even if Raven had never mentioned it. Ruby knew that Raven's only real regret in the world was having nothing of Yang's to remember her by. Not even a picture. One that caused Ruby a lot of pain but she knew that once she got some time alone with Raven she would gladly talk to Raven about it. But she knew how private the older woman was and how she hated to express her emotions to many people.

"We should get going. You don't like being here clearly. It doesn't make sense for us to be here anyways. At least not this long." Raven said as she ignored Ruby as she picked Ruby up bridal style and began to walk down the stairs quickly.

Deciding against commenting about how Raven disliked it as well. Ruby just took a deep breath and accepted the comfort coming from the older woman. "Thanks Raven..." Ruby said as she closed her eyes knowing that between Raven, Coco and Emerald she was going to be safe.

Author's Note:

And we are done. Hope you all liked it.