AUTHOR'S NOTES: A quick update, but I felt bad about running late with the last chapter, and I know I'm not going to be able to concentrate well with the election and all, so I got this done ahead of time.

This chapter is something of mood whiplash. It starts off with a very dark encounter between Raven and Cinder (which I enjoyed writing; the post-apocalyptic setting was fun to play around with, and that part comes off as unbelievably creepy to me), then goes to Ruby Flight, which is both happy and sad.

Orange County Airport

Ruins of Irvine, California Dead Zone, United States of America

19 June 2001

Raven Branwen ran the sharpening stone down the length of her sword. It helped concentrate the mind. If pressed, Raven herself could not explain why she habitually carried a sword. It had no place in a modern society; she suspected that, if she still lived in a civilized area, people would call her a rabid anime fan. She chuckled to herself at that. Still, it was a symbol of authority, and no one could deny she was good with it.

She hadn't slept well the night before. Almost as soon as Vernal had returned from Tijuana, the Branwen Tribe had packed up what they could at Palmdale and made their way down to what was left of Orange County Airport, sandwiched between the ruins of Santa Ana and Irvine, two of the southern suburbs of southern Los Angeles. It was one of several dozen places the Branwens had quietly and stealthfully restored across California, boltholes that the Tribe could hide out at if one area was compromised. Raven was certain that Yang and Weiss would tell their superiors of the base at Palmdale, and if it was true that she'd accidentally murdered the nephew of the Deputy Director of the CIA, it was dangerous to stay there. The US government only suspected that Raven controlled the Spring Maiden, but even that might not be enough to dissuade them from attacking. In any case, a raid now on Palmdale would hit nothing. Much like their former hideout, Orange County was cleverly disguised to look unusable.

She ran the stone down the blade for the eighth time. The Tribe was safe, at least for now, but thinking about Yang brought up some unpleasant memories. Taiyang had been right, what he had told their daughter: Raven had made several surreptitious trips back to the Remnant, watching her daughter grow up from a distance. She'd been proud of Yang at each step, and each time she'd been tempted to leave the shadows and tell Yang who she really was. Each time, she'd hesitated, and then told herself she had to stay hidden; after all, the US government had a price on her head.

Now she wondered if she'd just been trying to convince herself. Yang had grown up to be an impressive young woman; even having an arm blown off had barely slowed her down. In fact, Raven reflected, now she was even more dangerous, since it seemed to have cured Yang of her recklessness. She had found herself wanting beyond anything else in her life that Yang would stay, join the Tribe, and be her daughter, not Tai's and Summer's.

You're going to regret this just once, Raven, and that's going to be for the rest of your life. Raven set aside the sharpening stone and checked the blade. It had been the last words ever spoken between her and Summer Rose. Not even Taiyang knew that she had told Summer she was leaving. Even now, she wasn't sure if she had wanted Summer to talk her out of it. Her friend hadn't, however, just stared at Raven with those depthless silver eyes, filled with a mixture of pity and hatred. She wondered if Summer had ever forgiven her. She also wondered if Summer had not tried to talk her out of leaving because Summer had wanted Taiyang for herself. If so, Raven did not begrudge her: Summer Rose had been a far better mother and wife than Raven Branwen ever could have been.

The tent flap was thrown aside. "Raven," Vernal said breathlessly, "we have a problem."

"Do I have to wait for it?" Raven answered testily.

Vernal ignored her chieftess' tone of voice. "Salem. Salem's found us."

"How so?" Raven got to her feet and sheathed the sword.

"Four of her bunch are inbound, coming in from Vegas. They're being escorted in through the passes—Jimmy says there's only three aircraft—a modded Mirage III, an A-4, and something we've never seen before. It looks like a F-18, but it's a lot bigger. And uglier."

Raven smiled. "Salem doesn't hold back for her minions. I'm sure it's Cinder Fall." She nodded. "Very well. Let them land here. The Navy will see them, but we don't have a lot of choice. We'll have to pack up again, but that's nothing new."

"Yes, ma'am. Do you want to meet them here?"

"No." Raven's smile turned predatory. "Let's meet them elsewhere. After they land, drive them north. They're in LA; let's show them some sights."

Main Street USA, Disneyland

Ruins of Anaheim, California Dead Zone, United States of Canada

19 June 2001

Though it was a typically hot Southern California day, Emerald Sustrai felt a chill go through her. She'd once managed to sneak into Disneyland Europe outside of Paris, and enjoyed herself, one of the few times she'd been able to indulge herself in a childhood she'd never had. The original was laid out the same, but this was not a place of laughter and joy.

It was a land of the dead.

"God, this is creepy," Mercury said, echoing her thoughts; he was just as intimidated as she was.

"It's meant to be," Arthur Watts mused. He seemed unaffected. "Raven Branwen is playing mind games with us. She's trying to rattle us, remind us that we're on her home ground." Cinder Fall said nothing, the untouched side of her face calm and relaxed; her hair hid the ruined part.

"Well…it's working," Emerald told Watts. The street they walked on was cracked and disused, with weeds and grass growing up from between the cracks; in some places the asphalt was barely visible. The once beautiful and ornate buildings on either side had largely collapsed in on themselves, becoming ruins, in places also taken back by nature. Entire blocks of Main Street were burned and scorched, from fires decades in the past and just recently. Then they stopped at the end of the street.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle was a ruin as well, but in slightly better shape. The walls still stood, but the central keep had collapsed. One tower, however, still stood defiantly over the ruins of the park, as if to inform future travelers that there had been magic at this place, once upon a time.

"Sad, isn't it?" They saw Raven Branwen step out from behind one of the walls. "I always wanted to come here, but I have to say it's kind of hit the skids." She walked forward. She was dressed in her black, red-trimmed flight suit, hair held in place by a red bandanna; over the flight suit, she wore body armor, and the sword was sheathed at her side. Vernal walked behind at a respectful pace, one hand casually resting on an ivory-handled Colt M1911. Raven shook her head sadly. "You know, the nuclear explosions weren't even all that near here. There were three detonations, all concentrated from Torrance to Long Beach to Seal Beach. Three one megaton airbursts. Almost half a million died, but the shockwave only lightly damaged the park, and there was little radiation—not like the San Diego groundburst." She ran a gloved hand over what had been a trolley, now dented, rusted, and halfway over on its side. "But the fires…you see, the Russians targeted those areas not just because it was a US naval base, but also because that's where Los Angeles' oilfields were. The fires were what finished Los Angeles, not the nukes." She looked up at the clear sky. "I still remember it…I was very little, but we lived in the Central Valley. You could see the glow from the fires even up there. My parents told me you could read a newspaper by it for over a week."

"That's a fascinating history lesson," Watts said, "but it's not what we came here for. You've been on our…" He paused, then smiled. "Our mistress' list for some time, so you must understand what we did come here for."

Raven stepped a little closer and rested her hands on her hips. "I know all about your mistress, but I don't believe we've met."

Mercury smirked. "We're the guys you should be afraid of."

The chieftess laughed. "I doubt anyone's afraid of you."

Mercury bared his teeth in rage and took a step forward, but Cinder stopped him, slapping her artificial hand against his chest. "Enough."

"I thought so." Raven twirled her finger in the air. "You should know I have snipers all around here. And if you survived them, it's seven miles back to the airport, through ruins filled with scavengers that will split your head open for the buttons in your outfits. Some of them, I understand, may even be cannibals. Oh, and did I mention there's still some pockets of hard radiation, even after all these years?"

"You've made your point." Cinder stepped forward. "I'm Cinder Fall. These are my associates—Arthur Watts, Emerald Sustrai, and Mercury Black."

"I see. Two impressionable young idiots, a disgraced British scientist, and someone with a surname so appropriate she probably picked it herself." Raven's voice dripped with contempt.

Watts cleared his throat. "Technically, I'm also a doctor, but I must say, the rest is spot on."

Cinder didn't rise to the bait, but only just. "Aren't you perceptive, Raven Branwen."

"It's what has kept me alive."

"I'm afraid the only reason you're still alive is because you have something Salem wants," Cinder said. She held up her artificial hand. Around her left wrist was a control pad. She saw Raven's eyes widen a bit, and knew the other woman recognized it. After all, there was an identical one on Vernal's left wrist. What Cinder and Watts alone knew—at least Cinder hoped they were the only ones that knew—was that the one on Cinder's wrist was fake. She did not control the Fall Maiden. No one did…at least, not yet.

"That's not much incentive to keep you four alive," Raven returned.

Cinder put her hands behind her back. "Raven, I won't underestimate you, so please don't underestimate me. You could kill us, yes, and escape. But you know that eventually, Salem would find you and would wipe out your tribe. The GRIMM that destroyed Beacon can be sent against you. And I doubt the United States government would lift a finger to help you." She nodded to Vernal. "And while your Spring Maiden would undoubtedly get many of them, they would not get all of them…and whatever is left of your band would be easy pickings for the Americans." She shook her head. "But that's not what we're here for."

"All right. Now that we've gotten the threats out of the way and compared the size of our metaphorical dicks," Raven said evenly. "Shall we get down to business?"

Watts walked up to her, a shade too close; her hand clicked open her sword from the scabbard, and Vernal's tightened on the pistol. "The Maidens are merely means to an end, Miss Branwen. Salem's true desires lie elsewhere. There is a little something you may be familiar with—the Joint Inter-National Network."

"JINN," Raven replied. "Yes, I've heard of it. I don't know where it is."

"We do," Watts told her. "And you may not be aware that the Maiden bearers—like the lovely Miss Vernal—have the access codes to the facility. The same codes that control the Maidens provide access."

Raven smiled and motioned at Cinder. "Then have your Fall Maiden do it."

"We would, except there must be two codes. It's not as simple as all that, I'm afraid."

"I don't believe you."

Watts grinned underneath his mustache, and sprang his trump card. "You can choose not to, Miss Branwen, but should we access the JINN vault without your help, the knowledge that we gain there would be all ours. But if we should cooperate…" He watched her face. Raven was a good poker player, but she was being offered the world, and it would take a superhuman effort not to react. JINN contained nearly every military secret imaginable; its value was priceless. If the Branwens were to survive, trading on that knowledge could ensure that survival. "It's the best deal either of you are going to get." Watts added that, the stick to the carrot, and walked back to his group.

Raven was quiet for a moment. "You talk as if flying into Japan will be easy."

"Actually," Cinder said, "it will be. Air Vice Marshal Leonardo Lionheart has cleared the way for us. There are no Huntsmen or Huntresses in the Pacific Rim. He has the Japanese, and the Americans, convinced that the real threat will be from a White Fang terrorist attack on a base in Japan—Matsushima, Atsugi, Kasuga. In reality, the White Fang are merely a distraction: as soon as they have made their attack and sown chaos, we will strike."

"Lionheart turned traitor?" Raven asked, visibly shocked.

"Yes. He's bowing to the inevitable. As should you."

Raven glared at her. "I'm not helping Salem, and I'm not helping the Americans, even if Ozpin was still alive. I don't want any part of this."

Cinder laughed. "Oh, that ship sailed long ago, Raven…when you chose to hijack and control the Spring Maiden. But if you help us in Japan, we'll leave you, your precious tribe, and your little secret to live out your lives in this wasteland. All we want is JINN."

Raven thunked the sword completely back in its scabbard. "I need time to think about it."

"I'm afraid time is not a commodity you have," Watts said. "We need to know now. With us, or against us?"

Raven looked at each one of them in turn, then back at Vernal, and her people that were hidden in the ruins. "Agreements like this are built on trust," she told Cinder. "And forgive me for saying, but I don't trust a single damn one of you. You need to give me something besides vague threats and promises."

"We're offering to share JINN—" Watts began, but Raven cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"We don't know what's in that vault. It could be nothing."

"You're in a remarkably poor position to negotiate," Watts pointed out.

"So are you," Raven replied. "But my terms are simple. I want my brother dead."

It caught everyone by surprise, even Vernal. Just as shocking was the vehemence in her voice. Cinder was taken aback. "You mean Qrow Branwen?"

"Unless I have any other twin brothers I'm unaware of," Raven said. "Qrow knows I've got the Spring Maiden. And if I help you get JINN, he's going to be a problem, and I've got enough problems as it is. Qrow doesn't trust me, probably hates me, but he's the best Ozpin ever had. If Leo really is loyal to you, then you can use him to spring an ambush. He shows up, we shoot him down, you get JINN, and we all leave happy."

Cinder sniffed a laugh. "Now that's a plan I can get behind."

Watts realized that he was losing control of this conversation; this was not what Salem wanted. "Ladies, ladies…let's pause for a moment. We have one objective: getting JINN. Now Qrow Branwen might be on our list of People To Kill in 2001, but he's not going to go down without a fight, and he's not going to go quietly. Our plan was to let the White Fang draw off the defenses, and we fly to—" He caught himself before he said the location of JINN out loud "—to JINN, with no one the wiser." Watts looked at Cinder and Raven in turn. "A battle with your brother, Miss Branwen, throws all that out the window."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Qrow's good, but he's not that good. All of us against him? I don't think those are good odds."

Emerald spoke up. "It's not just him, ma'am. He's got other people with him too—the same people who defended Beacon." She glanced at Cinder. "Ruby Rose is with him."

"She certainly is," Cinder said, her voice just above a hiss. Emerald noticed the artificial hand twitch.

Watts covered his eyes. "Oh God. Do not do this, Cinder. Your obsession with that little silver-eyed bitch is going to undo the whole plan."

"How so?" Cinder asked. "The White Fang attack their target. The JASDF and the Americans are diverted to stop that attack. We attack wherever JINN is, and get Leo to divert Qrow, Ruby, and their flights to defend it. Then we wipe them out, take JINN, and kill two birds with one stone." She shrugged. "Obviously we'll need some reinforcements, but I'll be there, along with Emerald and Mercury; we can add Hazel to that mix, and a whole group of GRIMM—or your tribe, Raven."

"No," Raven said. "But I'll be there, as will Vernal."

"Six of us, then, along with a horde of GRIMM. Our last report held that Ruby's—Qrow's—flight consisted of no more than five pilots. Granted, one of them is Pyrrha Nikos, but I've already beaten her, and if it wasn't for that bitch Ruby ramming my F-22, I would have killed her. I'll finish the job this time."

"Seven," Raven corrected. "Yang Xiao Long and Weiss Schnee have probably reached them by now. Assuming they haven't hauled away the Schnee girl in irons, which I personally doubt, that gives them seven pilots." She shrugged. "Still, I would call that an even fight, and if your mistress can provide a few GRIMM, it would be more than even."

"I'm sure that can be arranged," Watts said. He decided he might as well join them; he certainly wasn't going to beat them. None of them asked how Raven knew about Yang and Weiss.

"And after we're done, Salem leaves me and my people alone. For good," Raven added.

"You have yourself a deal," Cinder replied. She stepped forward and held out her real hand. Raven stared at the hand for a moment, then grasped it and shook. Both women smiled at each other, and both women knew neither the handshake nor the smile was genuine.

"You know," Cinder said, withdrawing her hand and looking around the ruined park, "this really is a place where dreams come true."

Naval Air Station Atsugi

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

19 June 2001

There was a nice verandah built on the rear of the Visiting Officers' Quarters, with a few patio chairs, two sunbrellas, and a nice view of Mount Fuji—when clouds weren't covering it, like they were now. Ruby didn't mind. She lay back on the patio chair, enjoying the morning sunshine; it was already warm, but not unpleasant, and with an hour before she had to report for duty, she wore shorts and a T-shirt.

She heard the door to patio open and close behind her. Suddenly a lot of blond hair and two lilac eyes blocked out the sun. "Hey. You're up early."

Ruby smiled up at Yang. "Hey, sis."

Yang reached down, made a fart noise, and tweaked her nose. Ruby giggled like she was eight again, and Yang dropped into the chair next to her, putting on her sunglasses. "Ugh. Sun's way too bright this morning."

"How's the hangover?"

Yang shrugged. "You know, it's not too bad, considering. Slept good, didn't wake up with anything two aspirin couldn't take care of. Got the day off, too." She yawned. "Whoof. If I don't fall back asleep out here, anyway." Yang was still in what passed for pajamas—a T-shirt that showed far more cleavage than the USAF would prefer, and shorts that were far shorter than their father would prefer.

"Fortunately, coffee exists." Weiss stepped out onto the patio, balancing a tray in her hands. She'd taken the time to dress in casual uniform—a borrowed Mexican Air Force one, since her luggage was long gone, somewhere in southern California. Atop the tray were three steaming mugs of coffee. "One coffee, black as your heart for you, Yang." She handed the mug to the blonde.

"I love you too, Weissy."

"And one for Ruby, with enough cream and sugar to kill a normal person," Weiss said. She handed Ruby her mug.

"Yay! Nice Weiss strikes again!"

Weiss pulled the mug out of reach. "I will pour this on your crotch, and it will burn."

"Sorry."

"That's better." She allowed Ruby to grab the coffee, then settled in on the other side of her friend with the last cup. "And a cup of the black for me as well."

Yang sipped hers. It was good and strong. She smiled at Weiss, who also put on a pair of sunglasses. "How's your hangover?"

"Let's not talk about my hangover." Weiss took a drink of the coffee. The pounding of her temples had lessened to a dull ache, and her stomach rumbled dangerously at the introduction of liquids. She'd already thrown up a few hours before, after breaking a few short-track speed records getting to the toilet. She and Yang were sharing a room, and the other woman hadn't even stirred. "There's a reason why I don't drink. Several, actually."

"Ahh…" Yang waved it off. "Any fighter pilot that doesn't tie one on now and then isn't worth the title." She took another drink and stared at the distant clouds. "Can't believe we're actually in Japan. I always wanted to come out here."

"All we've gone through and that's what you can't believe?" Ruby grinned.

"Sure. And wait until you see what I'm flying, Rubes." Yang dropped her sunglasses down on her nose and wiggled her eyebrows.

Ruby shrugged. "Another F-15. Meh."

"Au contraire, my flat-chested sister," Yang replied. "I happen to have a F-23A Black Widow II sitting over on the tarmac right now."

Ruby shook her head in disbelief. "Bullshit."

"Yeah? Well, finish your coffee, Ruby Rose, and I'll show you. And Weissy's new F-20 that the Mexicans let her have."

"Let me borrow," Weiss corrected.

Ruby took a big drink of coffee, causing her heart to start thudding. "Ooh, yeah. I gotta see that." She motioned with the mug. "You look pretty good in that uniform, Weiss."

"It's all they had in my size until I can go to the base exchange." Weiss suddenly groaned. "Oh, dammit. We're on a Navy base."

"We'll get you fixed up," Ruby assured her. "Besides, you gotta check in with the German consulate, right? I'm sure they can get you a uniform out here really fast."

Weiss laughed softly. "You know…I just realized how much I missed your boneheaded optimism, Ruby." Her smile faded. "I honestly wasn't sure if I'd ever see you two again."

Yang was not about to let the happy mood evaporate. She raised her mug in salute to Weiss. "Well, here's to defying expectations. And the law of averages." She reached across Ruby and clinked her mug against Weiss'.

Ruby clinked hers against theirs, and drained the rest of the coffee. She leaned back, content. There was just one thing missing. "I just wish Blake was here." The words were out before she realized it.

And just like that, the happy mood evaporated. Yang's smile didn't fade; it vanished. She gazed into her mug. "Yeah, well…she made her choice."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss demanded. "Yang, she probably got orders! She was in Menagerie, last I heard."

"There's no jarhead bases in Menagerie, Weiss," Yang said. "And you found a way to get here."

Weiss made a scoffing noise. "Yes, by going AWOL and risking court-martial, then getting shot down, and nearly sold to a Tijuana whorehouse by your birth mother. I can't blame Blake for not going to my extremes."

"Oh, come on," Yang protested. "You know damn good and well that Arashikaze chick could've cut orders for Blake to join up with us. If she's at Menagerie, she's probably run off to cry on her mommy's…." Yang didn't finish the sentence, taking a slug of coffee instead. "Fuck it. It's no big deal. We'll be fine."

Ruby was shocked at the bitterness in her sister's voice. "Don't you want her here?"

"Why?" Yang asked.

"Are you still mad at her for leaving?" Ruby shook her head. "God, Yang! She saved your life! You remember the doctors at Savannah told us Blake tied off your arm so you wouldn't bleed to death."

"She still fucking ran!" Yang shouted. "That goddamned piece of shit that gave me this—" she shook her artificial arm "—said that Blake would run, and by God, she did!" Yang almost threw the mug against the ground, then remembered where she was. "No, Ruby, I'm not mad at Blake. I'm fucking enraged at Blake."

"Okay, okay," Weiss said, trying to smooth the waters, "calm down."

Yang stabbed a finger at her. "Don't tell me to fucking calm down, Weiss!"

"Yang, stop it!" Ruby yelled. She faced her sister. "Please!"

Yang saw the concern and love on her sister's face, and took a deep breath. Her real hand shaking, she drank the rest of her coffee. "Whatever. Thanks for the coffee, Weiss." She set the mug down, got up, and quickly walked back into the VOQ.

Yang stomped up the stairs, flung open the door to the room she shared with Weiss, slammed it with enough force to wake up everyone on the floor—which pretty much consisted of Ren and Nora, since an aching Pyrrha and sober Oscar had gone out jogging—and sat heavily on her bed. The bed didn't give much.

She sat there in silence for several minutes, and then driven by an impulse she couldn't explain, she reached into her wallet on the nightstand. Fighter pilots were supposed to sanitize their wallets before taking off, leaving behind any personal items that could be used by the enemy, but given that the GRIMM didn't take prisoners, Yang had ignored the rule. She pulled out a dog-eared, folded photograph. It showed Ruby Flight at Beacon, in front of the first Ember Celica. Ruby sat crosslegged on the ground, throwing up victory signs, while Weiss knelt behind her, with an amused smile on her face. Yang saw herself with a big grin on her face, her left hand giving the finger and the other around Blake, who was clearly fighting back a laugh, Yang's face pressed into her ribbon. It had been taken before they had flown off on the long-range training mission with Professor Oobleck; Yang was fairly certain Jaune had taken the picture. She wondered if it was the last remaining picture of all of them together, unless Ruby had one somewhere. She'd stuffed it into her wallet before they'd made the run to the aircraft at Beacon, and somehow it had survived her shootdown and the trip to the hospital.

Yang ran her hands over the picture. She'd never lost Ruby, of course, though she was very happy to see her little sister again. She hadn't been sure she'd ever see Weiss again, but she'd known Weiss was in Germany against her will. Seeing her again, having her back, was great as well. They'd had some fun flying across the Pacific together, doing a little bit of hassling on the long island-hopping trip from Tijuana to Hawaii, Hawaii to Wake, Wake to the Philippines, and the Philippines to Japan.

That left Blake.

Yang missed the Faunus terribly, made all the worse by the feeling of betrayal. She'd known Blake had saved her life, and that Blake even went back into the fight against the Wyvern. But when Yang had bottomed out, when she had been fighting her demons at Patch, Blake wasn't there. Her best friend was gone. Yang knew why it hurt so much: in their short time at Beacon, Blake had become the first real best friend Yang had ever had. There had been friends in the past, of course, but not like Blake Belladonna; they had just clicked together, like two pieces of a puzzle. It helped that they were both fighter pilots, of course, but it was more than that. Yang had found herself sharing secrets with Blake that she'd never shared with anyone but Ruby, and Blake had opened herself up to Yang as well, her iron reserve no match for Yang's boisterous personality.

And now she was gone. She'd run off, and if she was in Menagerie, it was because she was hiding. Assuming she hasn't gone running back to that son of a bitch Adam. I wouldn't put it past her. Yang shook that off; Blake would not go that far. But the feeling was there all the same.

There was a knock on the door. "Ruby, I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Yang called out. "Just leave me alone for a bit." She softened her voice; there was no reason to take things out on her sister. The door opened, but it wasn't Ruby. It was Weiss. Yang quickly stuffed the photograph into a pocket. "Oh, sorry, Weiss. Did you need something?"

The former heiress didn't reply. She shut the door and sat down on her own bed. She stared at Yang, who eventually wilted under it. "I know," Yang sighed. "I know Blake's our wing…whatever. But I'm not going to just get over it, Weiss. I'm sorry, I'm just…" She ran her real fingers over the artificial ones. "You don't know what it's like to be left, Weiss. You've got a big family, you've got your parties and recitals, and family dinners and shit. I didn't have any of that. Raven left me when I was a baby. Summer—my real mom—she died when I was five. Dad was a wreck and, when he pulled himself out of it, he threw himself into that flight school. Ruby could barely talk—she could say 'mama,' 'daddy,' and 'cookie' and that was about it." She looked up at Weiss, who was still silent. "I had to grow up real fast, Weiss. I had to keep it together, and I never felt so damn alone." Still nothing. "Weiss, if you've got something to say, say it. Don't give me the silent treatment."

Aggravatingly, Weiss didn't say anything for a few more moments. "Yang, you know I'm your friend, yes?"

"Of course."

"Good." Weiss got up, walked over to Yang, looked her friend in the face, and said distinctly, "Fuck you, Yang." The blonde was so astounded by Weiss' language that she was speechless. Weiss sat down next to her. "You think my life was all peaches and cream? When I was ten, my worthless father finally admitted to my mother that the only reason he married her was to get the Schnee name. On my birthday, Yang. In front of me. He'd been at a business meeting, missed my birthday party, Mom got mad, and he lost it. I think she already knew…but when Father admitted it, it pushed her over the edge."

Weiss smoothed the creases in her pants. "First it was separate lunches and dinners. Then opposite balconies at my recitals. A glass of wine with dinner, then with lunch. Then it was no dinners, no recitals, and a bottle of wine a day, until Mother was so drunk all the time that Winter and Klein had to make sure she didn't pass out and drown in her own vomit. Winter got the hell out of there and joined the Luftwaffe, and I did the same as soon as I could. Whitley managed to convince Father to pack him off to a British boarding school. So yes, Yang, I have a mother and you don't. But my mother is a drunken sot who, as you may recall, paid protection money to the White Fang. Her money may have paid for the cannon shell that took your arm."

Yang felt like a jerk. "Weiss…I'm sorry. Shit…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed."

Weiss smiled wanly. "It's okay. You're right—I don't know loneliness like you do. I have my own version. And Blake does too—a former White Fang terrorist, hiding in a foreign military, praying every day someone doesn't recognize her. And not being able to trust her own flight with her secret."

Yang slammed a fist down on the bed. "But that's just it, Weiss! She doesn't have to be alone! I don't blame her for my arm!" She put her head in her hands. "I was there for her, Weiss. We all were. And she ran."

"Why do you think she ran, Yang?" Weiss' voice was gentle. Yang looked up. "When Blake got to Beacon, she hid the fact she was a Faunus. She was afraid to open up to anyone. She tried to keep her past secret, and I think she tried to forget her past. She tried to protect us. I tore down her walls on that, and there are times I wish I hadn't. But she did finally open up to us, and became our friend. And as soon as she did, the one thing she was afraid of…actually happened. It confirmed to her that she had been right all along to stay aloof."

"Yeah, but…" Yang wanted to yell in frustration. "No one blamed her, Weiss! If she'd…if she'd just talked to us, just come down for a day or two in Patch—taken some leave or something—she would've known that. How could I be there for her if she doesn't let me?" The tears were coming now. "God, Weiss, what if I needed her here for me?" She turned, buried her face in Weiss' shoulder, and began sobbing.

Weiss hugged her, trying to hold back her own tears. "I wish she hadn't left either, Yang. I miss her too. The only thing we can do now is be there for her when she's ready to come back."

"If," Yang said, trying to get control of herself.

"When," Weiss corrected her. She gently pushed Yang up, and held her by the cheeks. "Yang, you, Ruby, and wonder of wonders, even Blake…you're more like family to me than my own family. I love Winter, I love Whitley…but they're not my friends. I would do anything for you three." She laughed. "As you know. But I'm quite willing to bet that Blake feels the same way." She smoothed back Yang's hair. "So when she's ready, I'll be there for her. And I'm here for you too."

"All for one, and one for all, huh?" Yang smiled, wiping her eyes.

"Something like that."

There was another knock at the door, and Ruby stuck her head in. She hoped that Weiss and Yang hadn't noticed she'd been listening at the door for the past five minutes. "Hey…um…everything okay?"

Yang grinned at her sister. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."

"Well…good." Ruby walked in, and took her sister's hands in her own. "Because I still haven't had a chance to look at Weiss' F-20, or this F-23 that I still think is totally bullshit, by the way."

Yang laughed, and allowed herself to be dragged to her feet.