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Chapter 65:
"Dad! I'm back. I brought a guest." Yang yelled into the home as she tossed her bag onto the coat hook as she could see Weiss just taking care to scrape the soles of her heels on the mat as if she was terrified that she would track something into the house. "Where are you?" Yang yelled into the void, just hoping that she didn't need to flush more alcohol down the drain. She had already had to do it before she left to go to college yesterday.
She couldn't even trust the cooking wines from being used to simply get drunk. All she did know was when she left just over a day ago, that it was as dry a house as one could get. She had just hoped that it had stayed that way.
"DAD!" Yang yelled up the stairs as Weiss just quickly sniffed the air just hoping if she could smell something amiss like she had so many times with her mother.
"Well... it doesn't smell like any alcohol was drank." Weiss said softly as Yang rolled her eyes.
"There shouldn't be any in the house at all." Yang began as she quickly opened a door and quickly looked in to just frown. "Hey... stay here. I'm going to go check his room and then mine... after that... I can only imagine him being in the barn which thankfully has no rafters he could reach without the tractor being in there which was thankfully outside. So no worries there." Yang said as Weiss just nodded her head as Yang walked out the room and quickly up the stairs.
Weiss had to admit that the place seemed oddly cold. It was even strange because of how she had never seen a living room as desolate of family pictures before. Not even her own one was that bad. She knew that the family portraits were hollow and they had only patched things up enough for the painting and after that they had gotten back into whatever fights they were having.
But Yang's living room. All she could see were three pictures. Two of them had the same man with two different women... and then one of Yang in what had to have been her highschool graduation. It was actually a little funny to her that even her broken family had seemed more like a family in this one instance.
Hearing some bounding down the stairs, Weiss spun around to see Yang chewing her lip. "Was he up there?" Weiss asked as Yang shook her head.
"No... and his computer was on so I checked the security cameras in the barn... and he wasn't there. The fields have no crops so we would have noticed him... and I can't think of anywhere else where he would be. The root cellar isn't even large enough for him to stand upright in... hell I need to bend over if I'm in my boots." Yang said as she began to look around. "One second, I need to call my uncle... and if he doesn't know where my Dad is... I need to try his sponsor, his therapist and then the police in that order."
"Okay. I'd help but... this is literally the first time I've been in a farmhouse... hell I don't even know what one stores in a barn unless you have a stables section in which case I know you can store certain animals." Weiss said as Yang grabbed the house phone and quickly pressed some buttons.
"We've room for two large animals... just we don't have any. We just occasionally look after some." Yang said as she raised the phone to her ear. "Yeah Qrow. It is me... I'm at home right now because Summer pulled something and the police are looking for her. And I can't find Dad anywhere... please tell me he is with you." Yang said as she just took a deep breath before frowning a little. "Don't you think I would have checked the rooms and barn? All I know is, Summer has been acting more dense than normal and she might have angered people in Grimm and gone to try and force them to sell to her after they cut her off and she told Dad all this before she is now missing and now Dad is gone, the wood stove isn't burning anything and Dad is just in the wind."
As Yang ranted everything off she could see Weiss develop a little fear at the mention of the one gang that had struck fear into nearly everyone. "No I'm not alone. A friend from college is with me and if I wanted her, my roommate is a text and a drive away but she has already said that she would come if I just text." Yang continued as she just took a deep breath as she could see Weiss relaxing a little. "Okay. Thanks Qrow. Call me as soon as you know. The only solace I have is if you don't know where he is, he isn't in the hospital."
Hanging up the phone, Yang just sighed as she rubbed her eyes. "He isn't at my uncles or with his sponsor... so that leaves his shrink which he would have left a note I think or the cops... which I personally hope is just to identify a body."
"I mean... if this 'Summer' is dumb enough to try and force members of Grimm to do something..." Weiss started before she stopped, being unsure about how Yang feels about the woman who could very well be her mother.
"Not just any member but the head of Grimm... and the only downside is if she is dead, that I didn't get to kill her myself." Yang said as she took a deep breath just feeling unsure about how she was meant to act from here. "That and I don't think my dad could handle two wives who killed themselves... even though one did kill my baby sister and the other was just a terrible case of postpartum depression."
"So I take it Summer isn't your mother?" Weiss asked as Yang gestured towards the couch as she plopped down.
"No. She is my step mother and all kinds of stupid and evil. She left an infant out in the cold of late autumn early winter for days while she got high on name a drug. And while I can't remember everything... I do remember the panic in my Dad's features as he tried to reassure me." Yang began as she just took a deep breath as the phone that was still in her hands started to ring.
Not even waiting for Weiss to make some comment, Yang was quick to answer it. "Qrow?" Yang asked as she breathed a sigh of relief. "So he is at the station? Okay. That is a load off my mind. I'll get a fire going then. Just if you get ahold of him, can you tell him to just come straight home? I'm here and I'm worried." Yang said as she said a quick goodbye and hung up the phone. "They apparently are asking him about what had set her off to do something this stupid given her history of just petty theft this being a big step up... so he shouldn't be all that long unless they find her. Alive or dead."
"Knowing Grimm... if she was to be found dead, it would be in a very public place. Or they would direct the cops to the bodies. I mean isn't there a guy in college who found out how bad they are after they killed another one?" Weiss said as Yang stood up and walked towards some box that she opened and started to shove wood into a little aggressively.
"That guy is a friend of mine, and the one dead is dumb enough to rape the daughter of the head of Grimm. Jaune... just got forced because Cardin got dirt on him that would sink his college life." Yang said as she stood up and walked towards the book case where she grabbed a box of matches. "Regardless... I'm not in the mood to talk about Jaune. I get that debate enough with Reese and occasionally Ruby." Yang said as she struck the match before tossing it into the small bundle of kindling. "So why don't you say what is on your mind?"
"There hasn't been anything major on my mind. You know besides the lack of pictures. For once my family seems closer... you know with an alcoholic who doesn't admit she has a problem... and a self confessed gold digger of a father, a brother who at a second's notice would stab me in the back and a sister who joined the military just so she could be done with everything by force." Weiss said as Yang shook her head as she chuckled as she could see the fire starting to take form.
"Most of the pictures aren't in frames because Summer has sold them to get her drugs, and all the photos that exist of my younger sister before she was killed are in my room except the picture of young little me and her. My Dad has that one with him." Yang said as she plopped onto the couch as she raised an arm and just smiled at Weiss leaning into it with a smile on her features.
"That sounds so sweet of you. Turns out you aren't always a brute. Is there anything you want to say about me? Namely a mischaracterisation?" Weiss asked as Yang just chuckled.
"No. Most of the time you are up tight and it is so annoying. Even Reese thinks so. But I will say once you relax and let the worries of the world vanish, you are really fun to be around. It is only a pity you don't let your hair down more often. You really should."
"The thing is, I can't. At least not all the time. Around you and Ruby and even the likes of Reese or Emerald and Neo... it is fine. I doubt you are working for my brother because he'd hate you so much more than me. And Ruby with her friends... they just simply don't care." Weiss said as she just sighed gently as she stared into the fire. "And in Neo's case... pretty sure she'd set my brother on fire... and I don't mean figuratively. I mean that literally. Like I doubt you know Neo all that well... but she is like fifty cards short of a deck of cards."
"Nah... I'm aware about Neo. Almost drove Reese to the hospital from her biting her... hard."
"Oh goodie. That is still a thing that didn't fade with her growing up like everyone assumed it would. And note to self... stock up on concealer and get Ruby's number on speed dial. Because I do not need her taking a chunk out of my shin again." Weiss said just taking a deep breath. "And trust me when I say this... if that is what you think the weirdest thing Neo can do... ask Reese to explain about the flash bang incident. I will tell you it didn't involve any sort of ordnance... but it did involve a pineapple in the end that was spray painted..."
"I'm both interested and afraid."
"So was security at that library. And if you believe Ruby... Neo has calmed down. I'd hate to imagine what they were like as children."
Laughing softly, Yang just leaned back as she started to pull her phone out of her pants. "I'm just going to message Ruby that she can keep the dorm room for the night. Just she needs to not get weird and gross. I've seriously never met someone who is into as kinky things as she is."
"Neo. Once again, Neo. Also why I can't go to that library. Wasn't even a part of it. Whenever you think no one can be worse... it is safe to assume Neo is she just hasn't shown it yet. Pretty sure she has restraining orders against her from several council members."
Smiling as she just hugged onto her mother as she could hear her mother's heart beating just seemed to calm Ruby down further. She just knew her mother wasn't going to let anything bad happen to her, but it did just ease the feelings she had.
"How was your date by the way Ruby?" Cinder spoke softly as she posed the question just from not enjoying the silence that had befallen the room. She knew that it was something that Ruby would humour if just from thinking that it was some guilt weighing on Cinder, but from what she knew that it wasn't. That woman had gotten under her skin, to Cinder the only downside was she couldn't have tortured her too much longer and removed what restraints she did place on herself to make it believable that she had attempted to break in and had somehow slipped free and only taken a few shots to try and subdue her.
"It was fun. We had a nice meal... and just walked and talked. Went to see this really pretty place where we kissed... and then we quickly went back to my dorm room to have sex because it was the closest. Ran into Weiss Schnee. She and Yang are borderline dating. They had just been talking if you can believe that in the room." Ruby said faintly as she just smiled as she began to sit up a bit. "I was actually with Blake before Emerald and Neo told me about what happened... I wished you would have called me instead of needing to tell my friends." Ruby said as Cinder just smiled shaking her head.
"I didn't want you to stress Ruby. You didn't even need to come back. Unlike you, I do know how to use a gun and do still have one here. And before you asked, I did turn the one over to the police that I used." Cinder said as Ruby just smiled faintly and nodded her head. "Do you want some hot cocoa? Salem was here thankfully just after the incident and my talk with the police. She baked some cookies figuring you'd be panicking once you knew and I was going to drop them off tomorrow."
"Good. She has seemed off for a few days now. And I know me blinding myself didn't help... but I do know that baking always helps her. Especially when I can't talk to her." Ruby said as Cinder just smiled at her. "I'm telling you, Grandma Salem isn't that complicated of a woman... she just is like you and doesn't like to express her emotions. At least to people that aren't me for whatever reason." Ruby knew her pride from that one fact had to have been showing. She had been able to constantly bypass the anger and fear people always felt and knew the true person that people wrongfully fear.
"She isn't Ruby. She actually scolded me because I didn't aim to kill Summer. Because she had broken into your room." Cinder said as Ruby just took a deep breath and puffed her cheeks out. "And even if she is the woman Ruby... we both know you don't like the thought of me shooting a gun let alone killing people. I mean we just had a fight about the fact I killed someone and put another in the hospital after they had raped you." Cinder said as Ruby just sighed.
"It is different. I don't remember that... but I know those eyes. They've been the reason of so many nightmares and sleepless nights. She is the woman." Ruby said as Cinder just shook her head just wanting this conversation to end. "But I would love some hot cocoa. While you make that... I'll find some movie for us to watch while I assume you get that done and tell Carmine to increase the paroles."
"She already has and I don't think she will be dumb enough to come back here. She probably has returned to her home figuring the hospitals would have been notified and she wasn't looking too good. Plus I am still a good shot and got her a few times. But I'm not one for killing people when I don't have to and my emotions aren't going wild."
"You make it sound like you've killed a lot of times before..." Ruby muttered as Cinder looked at Ruby with a simple questioning look. "You're right. I don't want to think about that. Instead of answering that... what type of movie? Animated... non animated... action... comedy... no horror. Please no horror."
"Why not that one mobster movie you've never seen that you always say is based on my life? Even though I've never been in prison and am in far too deep to be caught out by a nark. You know without me putting a surprise in their car for when they turn the ignition. Although that is a very sloppy way to get rid of people." Cinder said with a calm breath.
"You are the one that made that comparison. And you are constantly mocking their organisation. But if we had to watch a mobster movie... I'd much rather you letting me finally watch Godfather part three. For the record though... would you really do anything on the day I get married if people ask?" Ruby asked as Cinder just chuckled at her.
"With in reason... and as long as I don't miss you walking down the aisle. But I mean if all I had to do was send a message, that would be something that would take seconds really to get going. Especially if it is just a horse's head in a guy's bed. That was like a basic six to six thirty for me before you started to crawl. Dear god then that would have taken me an entire hour and then I had to stop when you started to walk."
"Good to see I stopped you killing innocent horses... I mean couldn't you just have put a gingerbread man's head there instead?"
"Given the fact he was fixing races... no. But tell you what, the next baker that stiffs you on cookies, will wake up with gingerbread men's heads all around them."
"If someone stiffs me on cookies... you have my permission to put them in the hospital... and take one of their hands."
"As you wish. Get a movie going Ruby. I don't mind whatever you pick as long as it isn't Godfather part three. If you saw it you'd know what I'm doing is for the best.
Author's Note:
Okay, now we have about two... see you next chapter.
