Chapter Thirty-five: Chasing Ghosts
"Weiss… Weiss, don't ignore me."
Weiss kept her eyes forward and her hands firm on the steering wheel. The scenery was beginning to shift from the busy, blinding lights of Atlas to the tranquil snowy landscape leading to the suburbs where they lived. Weiss had a lot on her mind and a lot she wanted to say, but her lips were sealed tighter than a vault. Coco wasn't the sort to be deterred by something as childish as the silent treatment though and kept calling out to Weiss like a broken record.
"Weiss, please," Coco pleaded, "talk to me. I don't like it when you shut me out like this."
"What do you want me to say?" Weiss replied curtly, her brows furrowing together. She could feel another headache coming on.
"I don't know—anything?"
"Fine. Gee, Nicole, what lovely weather it is," Weiss snapped sarcastically. "It'd be a perfect day to take Chrys out to the park and play—oh, wait, you can't because you broke your fucking arm!"
Coco winced at the harshness in Weiss' tone but didn't say a word in her defence. Weiss wanted to continue yelling and really tear into Coco for the emotional roller-coaster she'd sent her on, but it didn't feel right. Weiss felt awful now that she'd vented her fury. She wasn't even angry in the first place—she was scared.
"I'm sorry…" Weiss said after she took a second to breathe and reorganize her thoughts. "It was wrong of me to yell at you like that. I was scared, but that still doesn't excuse my behaviour."
"It's okay, I get it," Coco said, though judging by the smile she wore, the apology had mended what damage had been done. "If things were reversed, I'd be yelling at you too."
"I don't think you would," Weiss replied with a wry grin.
"What makes you say that?"
"Because you love me," Weiss answered.
"Haa, is that so?" Coco smirked.
"Mhm."
"Alright, whatever you say, Blue."
Coco seemed to be in higher spirits regardless of the various aches and pains, but the same couldn't be said for Weiss. She tried to focus on the scenery and enjoy silent Coco's companionship, but the many nagging thoughts plaguing Weiss' overworked brain made her anxiousness palpable. The closer they got to home, the more she wanted to say. She didn't want to end things without telling Coco everything. She couldn't.
"You have something you want to say," Coco said like she'd read Weiss' mind.
"Huh?"
"There's something on your mind, say it."
"Nicole…"
"It's okay, I know you're not angry," Coco insisted.
"Fine," Weiss sighed, unable to say no. "The truth is… I thought you died."
"Wha—how?" Coco asked, surprise written all over her face. "It's just a broken arm, babe. I've broken it before–in the same place now that I think about it..."
"That's not what your boss told me. All he said was that there was an accident and that I needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible," Weiss said with a withering glare aimed at the road. "What was I supposed to think happened? I felt my heart stop!"
"Fuck, what a dick," Coco groaned.
"Yeah, he only told me you were okay after I started hyperventilating," Weiss said, rolling her eyes.
"Blue, I'm sorry…"
"Don't," Weiss sighed. "It wasn't your fault, you were just doing your job. But I hope you know how scared I was. I love you, Nicole, I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."
"That's even more reason to apologize, mon amour," Coco insisted. "Can you pull over?"
"Mm."
Weiss parked their car on the side of the road and slowly released the iron grip she had on the steering wheel. All the fear and anxiety she'd been bottling up was nearing a boiling point now that everything had been laid out in the open. She hadn't been this scared to face Coco since she was a teenager, but just like back then, Coco was as gentle and loving as ever. She took Weiss' trembling hands into her own, ignoring the pain her left arm was in, and brought them up to her lips, kissing them softly.
"It's okay, Blue," she whispered reassuringly, "I'm okay."
Weiss took a deep breath to steel her nerves. She could feel the long, thick scab running down the centre of Coco's bottom lip. Weiss wanted to shut her eyes and escape this hellish nightmare. She'd been trying to avoid looking at Coco this whole time. Aside from a few stolen glances in the car and a second too long at the hospital, Weiss hadn't seen the full scope of Coco's injuries. But now that they were parked, Weiss couldn't use the road as an excuse.
"What did they do to you, mon amour?" Weiss asked as she gently grazed over the large blood speckled bandage covering most of Coco's left cheek.
"It's really not as bad as it looks," Coco replied. "The other guy got it waaaay worse."
"Nicole, I appreciate your optimism, but your face is one of the only reasons why I'm still with you," Weiss teased, though the worried expression she wore revealed her true feelings. She eyed the nasty cut on Coco's lip and the searing red scrape on her other cheek. She was also sporting a black eye with some mild swelling and discolouration. "I hope none of this is permanent."
"Wooow, thanks," Coco huffed in faux annoyance.
They shared a quick laugh before falling into a comfortable silence with their foreheads pressed against each other. Weiss took the opportunity to undo the top three buttons on Coco's shirt to see the rest of her injuries and was immediately greeted by a stomach-churning bruise engulfing the entirety of Coco's left collar bone.
"Nicole!" Weiss gasped.
"Yeah… I, uh, got tackled pretty hard," Coco replied in a guilty tone. "Guy caught me when my back was turned. He was half my size, but he was built like a tank! You should've seen him, Blue, he was like a brick wall! But, uh, anyway… as you can probably tell, I split my lip, scraped my cheek, and landed on my arm wrong."
"Where else?" Weiss asked as she gently traced the faint yellowish outline of Coco's discoloured flesh. This was going to take more than just a few "boo-boo" kisses to fix. Coco was going to be sore in the morning, and for once it wouldn't be Weiss' fault.
"I got a couple on my back, and I think I tweaked my neck because it stings whenever I turn it." Coco pulled Weiss hand back up to her cheek and sighed. "I promise it's all superficial. Nothing should scar. Also, I scraped my knee real bad. Kiss it better when we get home?"
"I don't care about scars, Nicole, you know that, and no fucking way am I kissing your knee, you weirdo!" Weiss said as she jerked away to match Coco's gaze.
"Aw…"
"Nicole, focus," Weiss said, snapping her fingers.
"I am, I am." She wasn't.
Weiss let out a long, haggard sigh and shook her head. "Coco, I need you to listen to me."
"I am. Really, I promise," Coco said when Weiss eyed her suspiciously. "Honest." Coco's laidback expression shifted to the serious one that always put Weiss at ease. "What's going on, Blue? You're usually always so direct… today must've really shaken you."
"'Shaken' is not the word I would personally use in this instance. I have never been more scared for your safety than I was today." Weiss brushed the hair out of Coco's eyes and tucked it behind her ear. "This wasn't an accident, mon amour. Someone hurt you. You are getting hurt for a job you don't care about—and don't you dare say it's for the people. I know you, Nicole. Inside and out. And you are the second most selfish asshole I know."
"Wha—hey!" Coco gasped in offence.
"But you're my selfish asshole." Weiss laid her trembling hands down on her lap and clasped them together. Her expression was grim and her mind was racing a million miles a second, but she had confidence in the message she'd been practicing for months. "Nicole," she said, staring Coco dead in the eye, "you don't need to do this anymore. You never had to do this in the first place!"
Coco furrowed her brows together. "What are you trying to say?"
"I want you to stop this," Weiss said with tears in her eyes. She swore she wouldn't cry when she confronted Coco, but seeing her so battered and bruised broke Weiss' heart. "This job isn't worth it! You have more money in your bank account than your entire precinct combined, and that's without including my income—which is over ten times your annual salary, mind you."
"Wow, thaaaank you for rubbing that in, I really appreciate it."
"No problem," Weiss sniffled.
"But I hear you, Blue. What do you want me to do?" Coco asked as she wiped away Weiss' tears and kissed her forehead. "I'm listening."
"You've sacrificed so much for me and Chrys. You gave everything up for us," Weiss continued. "You supported me through school by taking on the majority of the work raising our daughter. You also handled all the chores so I could study without interruption. And whenever the pressure got to me, you always found a way to comfort me… I am who I am now because of you, so let me return the favour. Quit this godawful job. Follow your dreams. Whatever it costs, it doesn't matter. I want you to be selfish, Nicole. Choose yourself over someone else for once."
"I…" Coco leaned back into her seat, her eyes staring out into the bright blue sky. "What'll I do if I quit?"
"I don't know, laze about at home like the trophy wife you always joke you are?"
Coco smirked and chuckled. "Well, I am, but no. What else?"
"Fine, then start that restaurant you keep joking about," Weiss answered with a lopsided smile. She knew Coco would never willingly sit still, but the idea was amusing enough. "We have the money, and you clearly have the skills. With our talents combined, I think we can start something amazing."
"That… that actually sounds kind of nice," Coco thoughtfully replied as she cupped her chin.
"Mm, but I think the most important thing here is the fact that you need to stop for Chrys," Weiss said. "This job is stealing you away from her all over again—what more if we actually have another baby? Nicole, I know you're probably sick and tired of hearing me say this, but I need to repeat it. We barely have enough time for Chrys as it is. I don't even want to think about what'll happen if I get pregnant again." Coco looked down at her cast as she carefully mulled over Weiss' plea. "Please, Coco, think it over. You don't have to do it for me, but at least consider it for Chrys."
"I don't have to think about anything," Coco murmured, "because you're right, Blue. You're absolutely right…"
"I usually am," Weiss chuckled with a hopeful expression on her face.
"You know, I don't remember the last time I got to kiss Chrys goodnight," Coco said. "I used to do it every night unless I was on location for a shoot."
"You couldn't kiss her goodnight, but you still video called her no matter what."
"I haven't been able to do that either…" Coco nodded resolutely and turned back to Weiss. "I'll hand in my resignation."
"Really?" Weiss asked, shocked that it was this easy to convince her wife. She honestly expected a fight that would last for days, but maybe the thought of leaving had already crossed Coco's mind and all it took was for Weiss to speak up. Either way, she was relieved.
"I think it's time for a change, Blue. But if we're considering a career change for me, why don't we take it up a notch and ditch Atlas completely. What do you think about Vale?" Coco asked with a smirk and a playful glint in her eyes. "It's pretty nice there, lots of sun and water, and we'll be far away from the stuck-up little brats that bully Chrys. I think she'll actually make friends if we make the move."
"You don't need to convince me; I'll go wherever you go," Weiss answered.
"Then we'll start sorting our things, and I'll hand in my resignation… but this might take a couple of months."
"I don't care how long it takes, I'm just glad we're on the same page." Weiss brushed the hair out of Coco's eyes again and cupped her bandaged cheek. "Thank you for listening to me."
"We're in this together, Blue," Coco replied, leaning into Weiss' touch. "For our family."
Smiling, Weiss nodded ecstatically and kissed her wife. From the smell of Coco's expensive sandalwood cologne mingling with the biting stench of antiseptics and gauze to the bitter taste of bad hospital coffee lingering on her tongue, Weiss savoured every second and burned it all to memory. And when Coco ran her fingers through Weiss hair, pulling her in closer for more, she felt her heart flutter and soar to new heights just like it did the night they realized they were no longer pretending to be happy.
Weiss remembered that night perfectly, it was one of her most cherished memories, though the start was incredibly rough. They'd gotten into an awful fight that dragged on for hours without an end in sight. Insults were thrown back and forth like paper airplanes, and more than a couple plates and glasses met their ends. Weiss only recalled vague bits and the overall cause since the whole argument was a heated mess, but she knew it was the last straw because she almost left that night.
Coco desperately begged for her to stay and to fight for what they had, but Weiss had already made up her mind. She couldn't continue living in another woman's shadow. What little respect Weiss had for herself prevented her from just accepting this fate. She wasn't like her mother. She wasn't going to let her spouse control her life. But Coco kept fighting and pulling Weiss back, her voice growing hoarser with each shout until she finally found the words that made Weiss stop and listen.
"I love you, Weiss! Please… please don't leave me."
Everything happened so blindingly fast after that. The bags Weiss packed in a rush were forgotten by the door as they ran into each other's arms, their lips crushed for together a kiss they needed more than air. Coco was a gross blubbering mess with unruly hair and a cold, wet nose that wouldn't stop dripping, but she was never more handsome to Weiss than in that moment. It also didn't matter that the words Coco spoke after they broke apart made no sense, but her clumsy delivery of each heartfelt declaration just made Weiss fall even deeper in love with her. She saw a side of Coco that night that no one's ever seen before, one that was reserved only for her and Chrys. This was her Coco, and no one else could have her.
When they broke for air, and their eyes fluttered open, Weiss froze in terror. She was no longer staring into deep pools of familiar rich chocolate. Instead, she was drowning in smouldering molten silver. Ruby was innocently staring at her with a confused but playful expression. She was dressed in the same uniform Coco wore, though the patch on her shoulder was for the Vale Police Department. She was even wearing the stupid beanie Weiss bought for Coco during their misguided school days.
"What's wrong, baby? If it's the crappy coffee taste, I got a breath mint," Ruby joked trying to get a laugh. But Weiss couldn't laugh, let alone speak. Her eyes were drawn to the large, dried cut in the middle of Ruby's bottom lip and the searing red gash on her right cheek. The playfulness in Ruby's petering laugh quickly faded as concern took over. "Hey, are you okay?"
Weiss numbly shook her head. How could she be okay? Her Ruby—her sweet, lovable Ruby—was sitting in front of her broken and bruised.
"Weiss?" Ruby tried to take Weiss' hand, but Weiss recoiled away on instinct. "Hey, what gives, babe?"
"D-Don't touch me…" Weiss murmured as she cradled her arm to make herself as small as possible. "This can't be happening, not again."
"What's happening again?"
"You can't… you can't make me go through this again," Weiss muttered when she finally found her voice.
Every sleepless night Weiss spent waiting for Coco to come home came flooding back with a vengeance, reminding Weiss of the heartache and the indescribable fear that terrorized her—except the woman that finally walked through the bedroom door and ended her torment was Ruby. She was older with less pep in her step, but her kisses still tasted the same, and her touch was as gentle as ever. She greeted Weiss tiredly and fell into bed without bothering to take off her boots or change into more comfortable clothes. Weiss chastised Ruby for the dirt she brought into their bedroom, but her complaints fell on deaf ears because Ruby had fallen asleep the second her head hit her pillow.
Weiss carefully turned Ruby onto her back and slowly undid her uniform. She hated doing this, but she wanted Ruby to sleep comfortably. So button after button, with the care only a loving wife could provide, Weiss pulled Ruby's uniform back and braced herself for whatever nightmare laid underneath.
"Oh thank god," Weiss sighed with relief when she didn't find a single scratch on Ruby. "You're alright," she silently cried, stifling herself. "You're alright…"
These were the days Weiss prayed for the most, but she shouldn't have to pray for her wife's safe return. She should be able to go to sleep without being plagued by nightmares or have the fear of god driven into her each time Ruby walked through the door. She should be able to—
"Mama! Mama, wake up!" called a distant voice. "It's almost time for school! I'm going to be late! Wake up! Wake up!"
"Chrys?" Weiss blinked, recognizing the voice instantly. She looked around the room trying to find her, but the doors and windows were all gone. Weiss was trapped in a box with a Ruby too old to be hers.
This was a dream. An extremely vivid dream.
"Mama, get up! I'm hungry!" Chrys shouted. This time Weiss felt small fists pound into her back. "Wake up! Wake up! Mama, Ruby's not here to feed me! Stop being lazy!"
Weiss tiredly rubbed her eyes, suddenly feeling drowsy. She glanced down at Ruby's peaceful face before laying down next to her. A long yawn made Weiss close her eyes, but when she reopened them, the woman next to her was Coco. Weiss blinked again and there was Ruby.
"I don't want to go through this again…" Weiss murmured, her eyes closing for the last time.
"Mama!"
"I'm up… I'm up…" Weiss groaned as she turned on her side and grabbed Chrys' wrists before she could hammer them down again. "Mon coeur, what time is it?"
"You usually have me in the car by now," Chrys answered urgently. "What about work, Mama?"
Weiss forced her bleary eyes open and found Chrys dressed and ready to go. "Crap."
"Am I going to be late for school?"
Taking a deep breath, Weiss let the tiny hands in her grasp go and sat up. She cracked her back and stretched her arms high, letting a long yawn out in the process.
"Mama?"
"Chrys," Weiss said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "How well can you fake a cough?"
"Um…" Chrys faked a cough, though it sounded more like she'd been smoking three packs a day for ten years and not sick with a common cold. "How was that?" Chrys asked proudly. "Are you amazed?"
"Do you want acting lessons?"
"Rude!" Chrys crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks.
"Your terrible acting aside, when was the last time we spent a day together just you and me?" Weiss scooted over to Ruby's side of the bed and pulled the blankets back so Chrys could get in.
"I don't know," Chrys said as she dropped her backpack like a sack of potatoes and gently set her beloved beret down onto the nightstand. She then jumped into bed and clambered across the mattress to snuggle up against Weiss like a clingy koala bear. "Why?" she asked once she found a comfortable spot between the crook of Weiss' neck and her arm.
"Let's skip the day," Weiss said, brushing the hair out of Chrys' eyes. She placed a kiss on her forehead and sighed in content.
"But my attendance record!" Chrys gasped in shock like Weiss had told her to drop out. "Mama, that's irresponsible."
Weiss raised an eyebrow and pulled Chrys' cheek. "I know your Maman called you in sick sometimes when you weren't."
"I-I don't know what you mean." Chrys hid her face against Weiss' neck. "You can't prove anything!"
"Once again, your acting needs work."
Chrys popped her head out of hiding to show Weiss her adorable pout in a vain attempt to wiggle out of the situation unscathed. "Aren't you supposed to be supportive and tell me my acting is great?"
"Would you rather I lie or tell the truth?"
"You're a butt."
"Mhm, well, this 'butt' is offering to let you skip school to spend the whole day doing whatever you want," Weiss said. "But, I suppose, missing a day of school is a bad idea. Never mind, give me a couple of minutes to get ready and I'll take you to school."
"No!" Chrys shrieked. "I don't wanna go to school! Let's stay home and watch movies! I'll work on my cough!" Weiss snorted out a laugh and kissed Chrys' cheek, her warm skin giving the comfort Weiss needed desperately. "Mama!"
"Okay, no school, and I'll take the day off too," Weiss said. "But are you sure you want to spend today at home? We can take a day trip out to Patch or go see the aquarium."
"Mm, I wouldn't mind going to the aquarium… they have really good hotdogs there," Chrys said with a thoughtful expression. "Are we taking Ruby with us?"
"No, mon coeur, it's just going to be us," Weiss said.
"Are you and Ruby fighting?" Chrys asked as she turned herself onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows. "She hasn't been home in a week… she's usually scratching at our door by now."
"Ruby, isn't a dog, Chrys. She can knock like a normal person," Weiss said.
"When has she ever knocked like a 'normal person'?"
"Touché."
"So if you guys aren't fighting, then why isn't she here?" Chrys asked. "Is it because of me?"
"Chryssie, no," Weiss said. "Ruby's just busy with school."
"Too busy to come home?"
Weiss tried to explain the small white lie she told, but found herself unable to speak. What she said was true. Ruby really was busy with school. The last time they spoke, Ruby had been swamped by a number of projects. One of them was so bad, she had to sleep at a friend's dorm room just to squeeze in a little extra time to work. But the issue here wasn't that Ruby was busy, it was the fact that she did ask to come home and Weiss said no. She wasn't ready to see her just yet, her nightmares of late were proof of that.
"Mama?" Chrys called.
"Huh? Oh… uh," Weiss blinked, "sorry, I must still be tired."
"You haven't been sleeping well lately, are you really sure you aren't fighting?"
"Not exactly," Weiss confessed.
"'Not exactly' means you two are fighting, Mama," Chrys said wisely. "You need to hurry and make up. Say you're sorry."
"It's not that simple, mon coeur." Weiss sat up against the headboard and patted her lap. Chrys scooted around and laid her head on Weiss' lap, though thanks to her recent growth spurt, her feet were dangling off the side of the bed. "You're getting taller," Weiss said as she combed her fingers through Chrys' fringe.
"Will I still be your baby if I'm as tall as Maman?" Chrys asked.
"You will always be my baby, Chrys," Weiss said, leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose. "Even when you're all grown up, you'll still be my baby."
"Hey, Mama?" Chrys asked with an apprehensive look.
"Yes?"
"You and Ruby aren't fighting because of me, are you?"
"Why would you think that?" Weiss answered. "You know Ruby loves you."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Positive. Why do you ask?"
Chrys bit her bottom lip as she pulled her knees up to her chest and hid her face against Weiss' stomach.
"Chrys?"
"I want you to be happy, Mama," Chrys murmured. "I don't want to be the reason why Ruby leaves."
"Oh, mon coeur, please believe me when I say we aren't fighting because of you," Weiss said she guided Chrys to sit on her lap.
"But you always say that I'm your top priority, so I know I'm the reason why Ruby isn't home right now," Chrys said, avoiding Weiss' gaze. "You're fighting to protect me from something."
"I…" Weiss blinked in astonishment.
"You aren't saying anything because it's true, isn't it?" Chrys said, stealing a peek at Weiss from under her fringe.
"You're right," Weiss answered. "But this isn't just about you, it's about me too…"
"What happened?" Chrys asked, patting the top of Weiss' head. "You can tell me, I'm a big girl now."
"You are a big girl, Chryssie," Weiss said as she pulled Chrys into her arms and rested her cheek against Chrys' forehead. "I learned something about Ruby that I really should have known from the start…"
"Is it something bad? Does she eat her own boogers or something?" Chrys asked. Weiss gagged at the thought and thanked her lucky stars Ruby didn't do something so juvenile. "You know, Maman sneezed in your hair once and pretended it was rain."
"She what?!" Weiss shrieked.
"Yeah, she told me never to tell you," Chrys replied.
Weiss sucked in a breath and sharply exhaled it. "I am going to murder your mother…"
"Ruby hasn't though, so… a win her book?"
"Ruby also has a habit of eating raw cookie dough and complaining about a tummy ache after—but we're getting completely off topic here."
"Does it matter though? Whatever Ruby did wrong, I'm sure it isn't bad," Chrys said optimistically.
"I suppose it isn't 'bad' in the literal sense, but it does reshape some fundamental things."
"Big words, Mama."
Weiss chuckled and hugged Chrys close. "Ruby's studying to be a cop just like your maman."
"What?" Chrys said, her body tensing at the revelation.
"That's what we're fighting about," Weiss said, hugging Chrys even tighter. "I don't know what to do, Chryssie. I'm scared."
Chrys took a moment to think before she wriggled her arms out of Weiss' grasp and wrapped them around her. She hugged Weiss as tight as her little arms could and said, "It's okay, Mama."
"I don't want us to go through this again…" Weiss murmured, her voice nearly giving out.
"It's okay, Mama," Chrys said again, stroking Weiss' hair. Weiss rested her eyes on Chrys' shoulder and let out a shuddering breath. "Is this all that you're worried about?"
"How could I not worry about this?" Weiss asked.
"Does Ruby want to do this? Is this her dream?"
"I think so…"
"Then what's wrong?" Chrys asked. " If it's Ruby's dream, then it's Ruby's dream. We should support her."
"And watch her end up the same way as your maman?"
"I…" Chrys paused, her heart pounding like a drum in Weiss' ear. "I still think you should support her."
"Why?" Weiss asked, her voice just above a whisper.
"Because you love her, don't you? And when you love someone with all your heart, you give them all your support," Chrys said. "You taught me that, Mama, remember?"
"I did?"
Chrys nodded. "Mhm."
"When did you get so mature?" Weiss weakly chuckled.
"Because I have a big baby for a mama," Chrys laughed. She cradled Weiss' head and kissed the top of it. "It's okay to cry. You've been holding it in this whole time, haven't you? It's going to be okay, Mama. Whatever happens, I'm going to be there with you."
The dam holding Weiss together finally broke and all the awful things she'd bottled up during the week spilled out. Fear, anxiety, resentment—Weiss let it all go. She had lost so much once before, but she wasn't about to lose it all again.
"You're getting wet boogies all over me, Mama," Chrys laughed.
"I'm sorry," Weiss murmured as she pulled back to dry her tears.
"Why don't you take me to school and go apologize to Ruby?" Chrys suggested, using her sleeve to help Weiss dry her nose.
"No," Weiss said stubbornly. "I want to spend the day with you."
"Are you sure?"
Weiss nodded, pulling Chrys back into her arms. "I think I need a break."
"I think so too, Mama," Chrys said, patting Weiss' head. "Go back to sleep."
"But you're hungry," Weiss replied with a yawn.
"I can eat a tomato and some crackers," Chrys said as got off of Weiss' lap and helped her settle back into bed. "Get a little more sleep, Mama."
"Just… fifteen minutes…"
"Okay."
Of all the foolish mistakes Weiss had made during her youth, the ones that led her to Chrys were the ones she'd never regret. And if she got the chance to redo them all, Weiss would gladly accept her fate without changing a thing.
"Nicole," Weiss murmured after Chrys closed the door, "thank you."