Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rooster Teeth Productions

Edited by ToxicExotic

Chapter 88 - Goodbye

"Morning, Snowflake."

"Mornin'."

Weiss' voice was little more than a sleepy mumble as she entered the kitchen. In spite of what she'd hoped, the night had definitely not been a good one. After returning from talking to the press, Weiss had immediately retired to her bed; however, while sleep had come quickly, it had not been consistent. Barely an hour had passed without her waking, and more than once she had left the bed to check on her mother and brother. Even though they were safe, she still couldn't help but worry about them.

"You're up early." She yawned.

"Actually…" The blonde's voice was falsely innocent as she held out a glass of orange juice. "You were tossing and turning all night, so I might've put the clock back by a couple hours so you could get some more sleep."

"Oh…" It was a small thing, but the little act of care made warmth spread throughout Weiss' chest. "So I'm guessing it's not seven?" She concluded and reached out to take the glass.

Yang shook her head. "More like nine."

That explained why it was much lighter outside than it usually would be in the morning. Taking a sip of her drink, she moved in closer to her girlfriend and wrapped her arms around her. A bright grin was cast down at her, and despite her overall lack of sleep and the worry of what Jacques was going to do in retaliation, Weiss felt a smile pull at her lips and decided to allow it.

"Mmm, what did I do to deserve you?"

"Hmm…" Yang hummed thoughtfully. "I think it was existing that did it, but there are soooo many other things, too, so I can't be sure."

Rolling her eyes at the cheesiness of the line, she leaned up on her toes and pressed a kiss against her girlfriend's lips. Tasting strawberries and syrup on her lips and smelling the lavender body wash, she let out a soft hum and lingered for a split second longer than usual.

"Cute." She smirked as she pulled away.

"I try. So what do you want for breakfast? Eggs or pancakes?"

"Eggs please. Scrambled." The blonde gave a nod and moved over to the counter to begin cooking. "Are Whitley and my mother awake yet?"

"Mhm." Yang hummed as Weiss took a seat on the aisle. "Your mom's in the shower, and Whitley's upstairs as usual."

Stifling a yawn and settling in to watch her girlfriend work, her thoughts turned to her brother. The boy had still been awake when she had gone to bed, and she was more than a little worried about how quiet he was being. It wasn't like him to stay silent and seclude himself away from people.

"Has he said anything?" She asked. "Or at least eaten?"

"I made him some pancakes earlier and he came down to get them, so pretty sure he's eaten. Didn't seem in the mood to talk."

What little happiness the greeting from Yang had caused to well in her chest rapidly began to fade. Concern rushed in to replace it, and she let out a low sigh at just how damaged her family was.

"How're you doing though?" Yang asked and started preparing the food. "Were you having more nightmares?"

She shook her head. She really didn't remember dreaming about anything at all.

"No, I was just… restless, I guess." She shrugged. "As much as I wish I was free, we all know he's not going to let us go so easily."

"Well, with the public eye on him like it is now, what can he really do?" Yang queried.

"A lot." She sighed and leaned back in her chair. "It's been six years since Winter left and he's still meddling in her life despite her being in the military. I wouldn't put it past him to at least try and go through the courts to get Whitley back. As for me and our mom… I have no idea. He lost most of his leverage, but he is still a powerful man with a lot of sway."

"Mmm, true. You think he's gunna try and interfere with you and Fletch?"

"I mean, I would not do business with anyone that would take his side regardless." Weiss scowled, her stomach rumbling as the smell of eggs began to fill the air. "But I'm guessing he will try some underhanded tactics to muscle in on the start-up. He has been after Fletch's patent for a while now too."

"Well, sucks to be him." Yang replied with pride in her voice.

It did indeed. In less than twenty four hours, the man had lost pretty much everything. His family had left him and his reputation was shattered beyond repair which would no doubt raise serious concerns with the board regarding his position. All his sense of control and power, everything he held dear had been stripped away from him, and Weiss couldn't help but feel some satisfaction in that. After all, the man had brought it upon himself.

Turning her thoughts away from the man though, as she was tired of thinking about him already, she took a sip of her drink and leaned forward to enjoy the relaxing sight of her girlfriend expertly making her way around the kitchen. With so much still left to do ahead of her, that moment of peace felt like the most luxurious moment in the world.

"So what's the plan today?" The woman asked after a few minutes, plating the eggs and some toast.

"I have no idea." Weiss breathed, accepting the plate as her girlfriend sat down. "I do need to get Whitley and my mom some clothes."

"Mmm, wouldn't want to hear rich people complaining about having nothing to wear."

"You jest, but it is actually quite obnoxious to listen to." Weiss chuckled, taking a bite of her eggs and savoring the delicious flavour as she remembered the monotonous conversations that took place at socialite gatherings. "But yes, I'll likely have to buy new ones though since I'd rather not go back to the manor."

"Understandable." Yang nodded, pulling the glass of orange juice towards her and taking a sip. "Want me to come with you?"

"Only if you are willing to deal with the sea of reporters that will follow us?"

"Hmm, gimme an hour to meditate first and I will be."

"That's fine. I still need to shower and get ready anyway." Weiss smiled and picked up her plate. "But first, I need to talk to Whitley."

"Alrighty." Yang smiled and stood up, stretching her arms above her head. Weiss didn't even bother to hide her wandering gaze. "I'll be on the balcony when you're ready to leave."

"Be careful not to fall."

The caution was just as serious as it was playful. Though she knew the woman was always a safe distance away and at no risk of falling, her newest tendency to meditate on a table next to the balcony's railing caused a little worry. It didn't surprise her though. After all, the woman found joy in riding a motorcycle, so Weiss figured that the wind rushing through the blonde's hair made it easier for her to think.

"Don't worry, Snowflake." The blonde chuckled as she placed a kiss on her cheek and moved to leave the kitchen. "I've got a whole future I'm looking forward to experiencing. There's no way I'm gunna let a little wind take that from me."

Smiling slightly as the woman stuck out her tongue and disappeared around the corner, Weiss took off in the other direction towards the main living room. Yang's words lingered with her though. A whole future to look forward to; or more accurately, a whole future that had just begun. A whole future free of her father, of waking up in the arms of the woman she loved and coming back home after work to the smile that still made her heart skip a beat. Just the mere thought of that future caused her cheeks to burn as her lips pulled into a wide grin and her chest to flutter.

As amazing as that future was though, Yang was only half of it. Her family were the other half, and she needed to make sure they were secure before she even thought about celebrating. So sticking her head around the corner to see her brother resting on the couch in complete silence, she took a small breath and moved out into view. Almost immediately, his blue eyes lazily scanned her over.

He didn't look too well. His skin looked pale even by Schnee standards, and his blue eyes were red and puffy. His hair stuck out at odd angles, and the top button on his shirt was unbuttoned. If she wasn't mistaken, the boy had probably slept worse than her.

"Do you mind if I join you?" She asked politely. Though she wanted to talk to him, she didn't want to try and force herself onto him as she knew how he would react to that.

"It is your apartment." The boy said in a bored tone. "Do as you please."

"Thank you." She smiled at him and took a seat opposite the couch. "How are you feeling?" He didn't reply, instead merely looked down at his Scroll. "Whitley?"

"What do you want, Sister?" He said in a hard, exasperated voice.

"To make sure my brother is okay." She replied, placing her plate on the table next to a pile of half eaten pancakes.

"Well I'm fine." The boy scowled. "So you can go."

"Five months ago I might have believed that." She countered.

"Believe what you like."

His tone was dismissive, and Weiss gave a small shake of her head as she continued to eat her food. She thought they were past keeping each other at arm's length, yet there he was yet again falling into his old habits of retreating inside of himself. She didn't blame him of course, the past twenty-four hour had been a trying ones, but Weiss was not going to let her brother be alone again.

"So did you find yourself a room?" She asked in a friendly tone. "You can have whichever one you like."

"Why bother?" The boy shrugged, not taking his eyes off the device. "It's not like I'll be using it for long anyway?"

Weiss cast him a confused look and swallowed her food. "What do you mean?"

For the first time since she sat down, his fingers stopped typing away on the Scroll and he glanced up at her. Looking into his eyes, Weiss saw them shake a little bit. It was a familiar sight, one she had seen from her siblings more times than she would have liked when called to their father's office, and she finally realised why he was acting in such a way. He was scared.

"We both know that father will take me away from here within a week." He said in a quiet voice. "So I see no reason to bother trying to settle here."

"Whitley…" She said cautiously, placing her fork down. "Jacques isn't going to take you anywhere. We are not going to let him."

"We?" The boy scowled at her. "Are you referring to yourself, Sister? The girl who spent eight months preparing to fight the man and would have still lost without Mother bailing you out? Or your girlfriend, who has no power whatsoever? Or our Mother, who spent her life hiding from the man and exhausted herself with a single argument?"

"All of us." Weiss replied with a firm gaze.

"Well then, forgive me if that does not exactly inspire much confidence." He sneered.

"Whitley…" She pushed her plate away and moved over to the couch to sit next to him. "I know this word doesn't mean too much to you after everything that has happened, but we are a family. Granted, we have never been the closest family in the world, but that is in the past."

"Now that we are free of Jacques, that mother has spoken out and you are away from the manor, we can finally get to fixing the mess he has made of us. That is what we all want; me, Mother, Winter, even Yang; we all just want to be a family, and you are a part of that family. If that means we have to fight our father in the courts to make sure you stay out of his grasp and are kept safe, then you can guarantee that we will pay whatever it costs to do so. Do you understand me?"

Weiss placed a hand on his as his eyes locked onto hers. Just like always, she could feel him searching for something for any hint of deception or lie, but knew he would find none. Jacques could attack her company, or her name, or whatever else he wanted, she didn't care; but she was not going to let the man take Whitley away from them. So, willing to let him see her determination, she held his gaze and let him find whatever reassurance he was looking for.

It only took a few seconds though.

"If you say so." He said and looked back down at his Scroll. "I will not hold my breath though."

Letting out a small sigh and gripping his hand tighter, she leaned down into his line of sight.

"It's okay to be scared, Whitley." She said gently. "We all are. But you are safe here, and that is not going to change. I promise you that."

The boy didn't respond, instead merely pulled his hand away and continued to tap away at his Scroll. Knowing it was the best she could do, and that she needed to let Whitley come around himself, she reached out to grab her plate and leaned back against the chair to enjoy her breakfast next to him.

"Speaking of getting you situated here though," she said, wanting to make sure he understood it was a reality she was intent on cementing. "Me and Yang are going to buy you some new clothes later. You can come with us if you want?"

"I would rather not." The boy replied moodily.

She'd expected nothing less. "Fair enough. Then do you want me to pick up anything particular for you?"

"No."

"So you won't complain if I allow Yang to pick out your clothes." She tried weakly, receiving nothing but an annoyed sigh in return. "Sorry."

Maybe one day we'll be as close as Ruby and Yang, she thought a little sullenly to herself and shoveled eggs into her mouth. How long that would take, she had no idea. All she knew was that they had already wasted too many years that could have been spent bonding, and she wasn't going to waste any more of them.

"Weiss, dear?"

Hearing her mother's voice, she turned around to see the older woman standing by the railing of the staircase drying off her damp hair with a towel. She wore the same white shirt she had been wearing the day before, but the black pants Weiss recognised as one of Yang's old pairs. Her usual purple jacket was missing, likely left in her room somewhere, and it was a little odd seeing the woman in anything other than her usual purple skirts, but at the very least she looked better and more confident than she had the night before.

Unfortunately, that didn't stop Weiss' stomach from churning though at the sight of the purple bruise on her mother's cheek.

"Morning." She smiled "Did you sleep well?"

"Better than I have in a while." The woman said, giving her a smile that quickly turned into a wince. "Your Scroll has been ringing in your room though."

"Oh. I should go and get it then." Curious who would be calling her.

Placing her almost empty plate on the table and standing up, she reached out to ruffle her brother's hair, only for him to move away. Not bothered by it, she made her way over to her mother and gave her a hug and heard the matriarch whisper into her ear.

"Is he okay?"

"He's worried he's going to be taken back." She muttered back.

The older woman let out a soft breath and shook her head slightly. "I'll stay with him. You see to your business."

Giving the woman a slight nod, she pulled away to see her smiling down at her. It was warm, and motherly, and something she hadn't realised just how much she missed. So much so that she wanted nothing more than to sink back into the hug. But she couldn't, so taking a step to the side, she returned the smile and made her way through the second floor hallways towards her room.

Entering the room and picking up her Scroll, she checked her missed calls to see three from Winter's private number. Thank Oum, she thought to herself, immediately hitting the call button and raising the device to her ear.

After not being able to get through to her sister the night before, she had worried that she wouldn't be able to get her advice for at least a week, so to see her calling back so soon was a huge relief. Especially since it took only a few rings for the call to be answered.

"Winter!" She exclaimed happily, collapsing onto the bed and letting out a relieved sigh. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear from you."

"Given that I returned home to see no less than seventeen missed calls from you, I can take a guess." Her sister's voice rang with exhaustion. "My apologies for not answering sooner. I have been assigned to protection detail for Councilwoman Thyme for the last two weeks with barely a moment to myself."

"It's okay." She replied, happy to hear that Fiona had won the election. Perhaps some real change would happen in Mantle for once. "I know you are busy."

"An understatement, but yes." The woman yawned. "So what did you wish to talk to me about so badly?"

"Right…" Weiss replied cautiously. "It's quite a long story."

"Well I have thirty minutes, so tell it quickly."

That was longer than Weiss expected, though still shorter than she would have liked, so she quickly launched into telling Winter everything that had happened over the last two weeks. She told her of everything Jacques had tried to try and get her and Yang to fall into line and the ultimatum he had issued, everything she had endured after the white fang meeting, and finally about their mother speaking out and fleeing from the manor. Just like always, the woman stayed quiet and listened to everything without interruption.

"I see." Winter exclaimed once she was done, twenty-five minutes later. "That is certainly a lot to happen in two weeks."

"Tell me about it." Weiss sighed, her body tired just from recounting it. "And all of that was without the details of the start-up I am trying to get off of the ground. The weeks have been… trying to say the least."

"You are becoming an adult, Sister. Do not expect those weeks to be few and far between." The older sibling advised. "I'm glad that Mother finally gathered her courage to speak against him though."

"Finally?" Her sister's choice of words confused her. "You knew she would?"

"Eventually, yes." Winter said matter-of-factly. "Mother has always been a fierce woman, she merely lost herself for a while. Though I didn't think she would find herself until you and Whitley left home. I only wish I could have done more to help her do it, but…"

"You didn't want to be wrong and make things worse?" Weiss knew that feeling very well.

"Exactly." Winter agreed. "Are they at least safe?"

"Mhm." Weiss hummed. "They are still a little shaken though. Jacques' reaction was exactly as you would expect it to be."

"Hurensohn!" The woman spat, venom entering her voice. "Had I been there, he would have lost his hand for touching her."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, Whitley punched him and pushed him through a desk."

"Finally, a good use for our brother's anger."

The line fell silent for a few seconds, and Weiss heard her sister let out a calming breath. Waiting patiently for her sister to talk herself down, Weiss got up from her bed and began to sort out her clothes for the day.

"I should come back to Vale." Winter said after a few minutes, but Weiss could hear conflict in her sister's voice. "Before Father retaliates."

"You don't have to." She countered and pulled out her favourite white bolero jacket. "I mean, I would love to see you again, but it sounds like you are needed there."

"I am, but I want to be there for the family as well."

"The family is fine, Winter." Weiss said, trying her best to keep her voice reassuring. "I'm making sure of that."

The woman let out another sigh. "And what of you? How are you doing? Did you talk to your therapist after that incident?"

"I'm fine now." It was a half truth. While most things had returned to normal, she was still finding it a little difficult to look in the mirror. Thankfully though, that, too, was subsiding. "Though I thought you already knew about that incident."

"What made you think that?"

"Well… The DA apparently went out of her way to press terrorism charges." Weiss explained with a confused scowl. "Mother was sure it was you?"

"Sorry, Sister. As I said earlier, I have been busy with protection details. I've barely had time to sleep, let alone check the news. Though rest assured that I shall follow up regardless."

Weiss fell silent for a second. While the situation had already been handled, the fact that Winter was going to look into it further still caused a little relief to bloom within Weiss' chest. Although, she was sure that Winter had been the one to encourage the decision.

"I suppose." She muttered. If Winter hadn't influenced the district attorney's decision, then who had?

"Speaking of protection details, I have a meeting to attend." The woman yawned on the other end of the line. "But you will keep me informed?"

"Of course. And make sure you call Mom."

"As soon as I have a spare moment."

"Alright." She nodded, happy that her sister had called despite her limited time. "Goodbye, Winter."

"Farewell, Sister…" Weiss was about to pull the device away from her ear when she heard her older sibling continue. "Oh… And the next time we talk, we will be having a discussion regarding personal boundaries."

Weiss was a little confused at first, but it quickly came back to her. With everything that had been happening, she'd completely forgotten that she had given Roman Winter's number in hopes that they could reconnect.

"Roman called you?" She asked, unable to control the little bit of excitement that arose within her. "What di-"

"Another time." The woman said shortly. "Goodbye, Sister."

The call hung up and Weiss dropped her Scroll to the table. Without how rough the week had been, and the fact that she no doubt had a long battle ahead of her to keep Whitley safe, she was at least glad to know that things seemed to be going okay for Winter. As tired as she sounded, and as much as Weiss wished she had chosen another profession, she knew the woman was happy in the military.

Unfortunately, the military was all Winter really had, so hopefully with Roman reaching out she could have something in her personal life too. And if nothing came of it, then at the very least they would have closure. Either way, Weiss was happy for her sister, and very happy that she had found time to call. So, with a smile on her face, she picked up her towel and made her way into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

"Bloody vultures!"

"I told you they would be more persistent today." Weiss groaned, watching Yang straighten her hair as the car door was closed.

Weiss hadn't seen the paparazzi so worked up since the attack on Schnee Tower, and even then there had at least been some consideration and at least a little sense of propriety. However, without an injury, it seemed the press had completely forgotten about such things.

Despite knowing that they were not welcome inside, the large swarm of reporters that had followed them to the store had gathered outside it's doors, forcing the security guards to block the entrance in an attempt to stop them from entering. That didn't stop them from taking pictures though, nor did it stop them from shouting their questions through the door in the vain hope that she might answer them.

Thankfully, with the clothing store being a frequent option for the wealthy, the other customers and employees had been understanding. The latter had even been very quick to kick out any reporters that had managed to squeeze their way inside; but two hours of shouting and flashing lights had caused a headache to start to form.

"At least we got everything we needed."

"Mhm, thankfully he hasn't grown at all this year."

"He's still taller than you though." Yang grinned, turning away from the window as a reporter pressed against in an attempt to get more pictures before Hazel drove away.

"Don't remind me." Weiss huffed and pulled out a light purple, button up vest. She alone had inherited her mother's smaller stature. "Hopefully he likes these."

"It looks like all his others."

"Maybe…" She placed it on her knee and checked the stitching. "He's very specific with his vests."

While finding clothes for her mother had been relatively easy since she knew the woman was fine with pretty much any shirt and skirt combo, Whitley was a different thing altogether. Anything less than a plain white shirt and dark blue dress pants was unacceptable, and his taste in vests was so strict that Weiss knew he only owned a handful at most. As such, she had been very doubtful towards almost everything the attendants had shown her.

"Weiss," Yang's hand reached out and rested on hers. "They said it's the same style as one he requested before."

"I know." She sighed. "It's just… he's scared. And I need to show that I can take care of him."

"Trust me, right now he doesn't care about how a vest looks." Yang said soothingly. "All he cares about is that you went out and got it, because that's more than your dad ever did for him."

Weiss let out another tired sigh and refolded the expensive garment and put it away. She knew Yang was right, but she still couldn't stop the little bit of worry that had been rising in her ever since entering the store.

"Thanks." She muttered as Hazel began to pull away.

"No problem, Snowflake."

An arm came out and wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her into a sidelong hug. She melted into it without hesitation, slipping her own arm around her girlfriend's waist and resting her head against the woman's warm shoulder. It was still incredible to her how the mere proximity of the blonde was enough to put her mind at ease, how a hug or a smile could effortlessly push away the doubts and worry that often took hold of her. Despite what Yang thought, it was a feeling Weiss knew she would always treasure.

"Besides…" The brawler continued, her hand running gently through her hair. "You have your mom to help you look after him, and I kinda like the little shit, too, so he can come to me whenever he wants as well."

"Mmm." Weiss nodded, knowing they would both be needed when Jacques began to try and get Whitley back. "I really am lucky to have you."

"Please, out of the two of us, I'm the lucky one here."

"Or maybe we're both lucky." She smiled, knowing the argument would go on forever if she tried to insist she was the luckier one, even though she knew she was.

"Hmm, I suppose I can agree to that."

Chuckling slightly, Weiss let out a low breath and cuddled up closer to her girlfriend, more than happy to enjoy the rest of the drive back to the apartment. Fortunately for her, the drive was at least thirty minutes, so there was plenty of time to relax in the comforting, muscular arms.

Or so she thought.

The thirty minutes had passed in barely a second, and before she knew it a pair of lips were pressing against her forehead and her body was being lightly jostled. Her body felt stiff and achy, and bright sunlight blinded her as she opened her eyes. Without even realising it, she had fallen asleep; and due to the fact that they were parked in the garage of Compass Tower, had been asleep for the entire journey. Looking up, she saw Yang beaming down at her with an amused smile.

"I fell asleep?" She muttered and reached up to rub her eyes.

"Almost instantly." Yang laughed and reached over to unbuckle their belts. "You really are tired lately."

"Mmm." She hummed and stretched her arms. "You have no idea how much I am looking forward to when I can get a good night of sleep again."

"Pretty sure I can guess." The blonde smiled, pushing open the car door and stepping out. "I was tempted to just carry you upstairs."

"I would not complain at this point." Weiss yawned, allowing Yang to help her out of the car.

"I bet you wouldn't." Yang grinned once she was out and walked over to the driver's window.

"You want help with the bags?" Hazel's voice boomed, echoing around the empty parking lot.

"Nah, it's cool." The blonde called back. "Just pop the trunk and I'll handle it. No need to keep you here when you've probably got better things to do."

"Not really." The man said indifferently.

"Then take the rest of the day off to treat yourself and Emerald." Weiss replied, digging into her purse and pulling out some Lien as Yang moved to the back of the car. "I insist," She said, sensing he was about to decline. "It is the least I can do since you were kind enough to drive us around today despite you getting fired."

"Not your fault." Hazel shrugged and took the money.

"I still feel guilty." Weiss admitted. Even though it was Jacques' doing, Weiss knew Hazel really needed that job. "You know I am more than happy to keep you on as a freelance chauffeur and match the pay you were making before, right?"

"I'll prob'ly take you up on that." The man nodded.

Giving him a grateful smile, she stepped away from the car as the closing of the trunk echoed around the garage. With a small wave, the man began to drive away and Weiss reached out to take two of the bags from her girlfriend.

"You sure you can handle that?" Yang chuckled.

Weiss rolled her eyes and gave her a smile. "I may barely be able to hold myself up, but I can carry some clothes."

"I'll stay close, just in case." The blonde teased.

Shaking her head and letting out a playful chuckle, they took off towards the door at the end of the garage. Unfortunately, though their pace was slow, the peaceful walk didn't last. She wished it had lasted longer so that she could enjoy what she knew would be a rare moment away from reporters, but sadly it was barely a minute later that they reached the door and walked through it. However, as soon as they did, Weiss felt her stomach churn and the sudden desire to go back.

Sitting in a chair on the other side of the room was Jacques Schnee.

The second she walked through the door, his cold blue eyes locked onto her and she felt her blood freeze. Rare was the occasion that she saw the man with his blazer unbuttoned, or with his dyed white hair in any other style than slicked back, but it seemed the man had not been bothered with his usual routine. Instead his clothing hung loose, without even the usual clip-on tie, and his hair was merely brushed aside to reveal a set of stitches covering a large gash on his forehead.

"What're you doing here?" Yang growled at her side.

Jacques ignored her, not even giving her a cursory glance as he stood up and walked over. Though fear rushed through her and told her to turn and rush towards the elevator, Weiss pushed that urge down and stood her ground.

"Where is my son?" He said in a cold voice.

"Upstairs." She replied with a scowl. "Unfortunately for you, the staff have been given strict instructions to not even bother calling me should you show up."

"Yes, I discovered that much." He cast an irritated look towards the man behind the security desk. "Though, if you think you can keep my son for me for long, you are sorely mistaken."

"And you are sorely mistaken if you think we will be allowing him to go back to you." Weiss felt a little venom creep up into her throat. "And good luck trying to go through the courts for custody. Especially after what the press witnessed yesterday."

"Yes, that was quite the performance you put on."

Weiss felt her nose crinkle into a sneer. Only he could see them finally speaking out as a performance.

"Perform-"

"It's fine, Yang." Weiss cut her girlfriend off. "I wouldn't expect him to understand."

"What is there to understand?" Jacques replied, matching her sneer. "I gave you everything you could ever want. The company, your dream, a future void of need; I gave you more than anybody on this planet can even imagine…"

"You gave me a lifetime of nightmares." She spat. "None of which were worth anything that you say you gave me." She straightened her back and looked him in the eye. "And I will not let you do that to my brother."

Jacques paused for a moment, his cold eyes boring into hers. In the past, the shiver of ice that ran down her back would have been enough to make her bow her head in submission, but that was not her anymore. She was done cowering to the man, and instead firmly held his gaze.

"So…" He hummed, his eyes finally flickering over to Yang. "This is the path you have chosen?"

"The choice was a surprisingly easy one to make." She snarled. "Now if that will be all-"

She made to turn away from the man, but stopped as she saw Yang spring into action beside her. Within less than a second, the bags in her hand were dropped, their contents spilling out over the floor as the blonde lunged forward. Turning back to the man, she saw Yang holding his outstretched hand and slowly twisting it to the side with a vicious look on her face. Remembering what Blake had told her, she reached out a hand and placed it firmly on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Leave it." She said in a firm voice. "The press are watching, and I doubt he will do anything to further tarnish what remains of his reputation. Would you, Father?"

His face scrunched up in pain as Yang's hand tightened around his wrist for a brief second, only to fall into relief as she let go and began to pick up the clothes. Rubbing it slowly, the man looked over at the reporters that were beginning to mill around the front doors.

"Think about what you are doing here, Weiss." The man said, the annoyance suddenly gone from his voice. "What can she give you that I cannot?"

What an ironic question, Weiss thought to herself. For the longest time, she'd thought that deep down inside there was a part of him that did understand. That the care and compassion he'd shown after her accident had hinted at a better part of him. That the few good memories that littered her memories revealed that despite everything, there was some good in him. But apparently she was wrong.

And she hated that she was. But even more, she hated that she felt that the last little bit of hope for him dying out actually hurt her.

"Yang can give me the one thing I really wanted from you." She said, feeling her voice tremble a little. "Love."

For the first time in her life, the man actually seemed stunned.

"You think I don-"

"I think you think you do." Weiss admitted. "But what you've given us isn't love. It's vile, and toxic, and lifeless; and I don't want it. So if you really do believe you love me and want the best possible future for me, then you will leave me alone. Because that is the only way I can have that."

Jacques didn't reply, but his stern blue eyes did lock onto hers, and for the first time in her life she saw recognition spark within them. Whether he would honour her request or not, she had no idea; but she was at least certain that he finally understood. Sadly, it was too late. Despite it having been something she'd wanted from him for most of her life, it no longer meant anything to her; so shaking her head and letting out a small sigh, she turned away and took Yang's hand.

Thankfully, he didn't try to stop her. And as she reached the elevator and pressed the button to open the doors, she halted for just a second and took a deep breath. Without looking back, she uttered what she hoped would be the last ever words the two of them would exchange.

"Goodbye, Father."

A/N

Well hello, everyone.

So, I was originally planning to have another scene on the end of this, however I opted against it. The planned one just felt tacked on, and I found that I really liked where this scene left off the chapter, and I actually really wanted to end off the chapter with the title.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There were a few interactions that I really enjoyed writing, so I hope you liked them too and are looking forward to what comes next :)

Also, I'm happy to tell you that this story is complete. I finished writing the final chapter a week ago, and Toxic seems to really like the ending, and I'm hoping you do too :)

Chapter 89 - Freedom will be up on the 22nd. Only 2 chapters left ;-;

Reviews

MarkingDownTheBooks, timrocks99, Zoro50, Shadows Twilight, jm4reader. Thank you so much for the wonderful comments :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much :)