Note: The characters ages are slightly older in this story. Ruby is 19. Weiss, Blake and Yang are 21. Takes place in an AU where the team heads to Vale instead of Atlas after Volume 6.
RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth
A thousand thoughts were running through Blake Belladonna's head. Her fight with Adam, his death at her hands, Ruby's decision to return to Vale to answer multiple distress calls and cries for huntsmen to come to the Kingdom. Electing to send Qrow and Oscar to Atlas on their own. Although, the main thought racing through her mind over and over was the yellow robotic hand holding hers. Yang Xiao Long, her partner and closest friend from Beacon. She only partnered with Yang in the forest after observing her strength and fighting skill. As they fought together and grew closer, Blake found new feelings for Yang. More than friendship, feeling she swore never to give into again after the failed relationship with Adam. As time passed, the feelings for Yang grew stronger, she convinced herself Yang was nothing like him. She was sure she had ruined their friendship along with any chance of being with her the night Yang lost her arm trying to defend her partner and she ran away. The thought of team RWBY's powerhouse laying on the ground unconscious, covered in blood and missing an arm almost brought tears to her eyes every time it flashed into her mind, especially knowing it was her fault. Now that she was back with the team, she knew that Yang was never angry with her about her arm. She was mad at her for leaving, which Blake couldn't blame her for. Blake cursed herself silently again, for the hundredth…thousandth… she couldn't even remember how many times she had cursed herself now. She had left the person she loved when Yang needed her most and hated herself for it. She looked down at the blond head on her shoulder. Yang had forgiven her, she knew she had. Yang had come to her aid against Adam. Defended her, even stood up to him verbally to defend her partner. Yang even willingly destroyed her precious motorcycle to keep her safe.
"Yang" she said softly.
Yang lifted her head and said "yeah?"
"I'm sorry about your bike" Blake said.
A small smile appeared on her face as she said "it's ok. I can build another bumblebee, but I can't build another Blake."
Yang squeezed Blake's hand as her smile grew. She laid her head back on Blake's shoulder.
"If she only knew" Yang thought to herself "I'd gladly give my motorcycle or my other arm, even my life to keep her safe. If only she knew how I felt about her."
Yang thought back to the moment on the cliffs, Adam's body had just fallen into the river and disappeared. Blake collapsed crying, Yang was immediately at her side, hugging her and trying to comfort her.
That's when Blake composed herself long enough to say one thing "I…I'm not gonna break my promise. I swear."
Yang knew Blake was sincere in that moment. She wanted to confess her feelings to Blake then, but she knew Blake was too vulnerable at that moment.
Instead, she raised Blake's head, touched their foreheads together and stared into those gorgeous amber eyes and simply said "I know you won't."
She then put her right hand on Blake's cheek to comfort her and just let her cry it out. Blake took Yang's hand in her own and leaned against it. At that moment, any remaining tension between them melted, both of them knew everything between them was going to be ok. As the airship approached Vale, the lights of the city came into view.
Ruby walked into the back where the others were laying and said "we're almost home, girls."
"Awesome" Yang said stretching.
"We need a place to stay" Ruby said "we can probably stay in a hotel tonight, but tomorrow we need to find a place to be RWBY HQ."
"My family has a vacation house in Vale" Weiss said "nobody has been there in years though. We can stay there tonight, I'll try to get it signed over to the team since my family never uses it."
"Will your dad do that for us?" Blake asked.
"No" Weiss said "luckily the house is in my mother's name. She's not happy with my father either. She might sign it over to us, if for nothing else than to irritate my father."
"Sounds good to me" Yang said.
Weiss gave the pilot the coordinates and the ship took them to the doorstep. It was six o'clock in the evening when they made it to the house. Weiss led them up the steps to the huge house and unlocked the door.
"I'll let Goodwitch know we're here to help" Weiss said.
"How?" Ruby asked.
"There's a communications room by the study" Weiss said "you three find rooms you like upstairs. The door directly at the top of the stairs is a bathroom, the rooms to the left are bedrooms. My room is right next to the bathroom. You three can have any of the other rooms."
"Thanks" Blake said "I'm going to find a room and take a nap."
"Go ahead Blakey" Yang said "you deserve it."
Blake nodded and walked up the stairs.
Once Blake was upstairs, Ruby looked at Yang and asked "are you planning on telling her how you feel, Sis?"
"Not now" Yang said "she's too fragile right now. By the way, please stay out of my love life."
"I'm just trying to help" Ruby said.
"I know Sis" Yang said as she tousled Ruby's hair "thanks. Now I'm gonna take a little nap myself. You should think about doing the same, ok?"
"Ok" Ruby said.
"I mean it" Yang said "don't overexert yourself, at least lay down for a while, even if you don't sleep. Just rest for a while."
"I will" Ruby said "I promise, now go get some sleep Sis."
Yang nodded and made her way upstairs. Once they heard two doors shut upstairs, Ruby turned to Weiss and smiled.
"You're not going to bed, are you?" Weiss asked.
"Nope" Ruby said "we all need pajamas and spare clothes, plus there's no food here."
"Fine" Weiss said "at least leave a note so Yang doesn't kill us if she wakes up and we're gone without knowing where we are."
Yang and Blake both slept through the night without waking up. The next morning, Yang walked out of her room and almost tripped over several shopping bags by her door. She knelt down and opened them, revealing a few orange tank tops and tee shirts, two pairs of black shorts, a spare pair of black jeans, a pair of baggy khaki pants, several pairs of orange socks and several packs of bras and panties.
She smiled at the note on top that said "spare clothes for my big Sis, love Ruby."
Yang took the clothes into her room and began to put them away, then walked to the bathroom with clean clothes in her arms. Blake stepped out of her room soon after and found similar things in bags outside her door along with a new white trench coat. She put her clothes away and waited outside the bathroom with a clean outfit.
Yang stepped out of the bathroom in clean clothes and damp hair, she saw Blake and said "oh, good morning Blakey."
"Morning Yang" Blake said "you saved me some hot water, right?"
"Sure did" Yang said "you know I always do, especially since you know I like cold showers."
Blake smiled and walked into the bathroom. Yang walked back to her room and pulled her boots on, then put her jacket on and walked downstairs. She walked into the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat. She was shocked to see the fridge and pantry fully stocked. She got to work making breakfast for everyone. Ruby woke up to the smell of pancakes and bacon. She quickly got dressed and rushed down the stairs and skidded to a stop in the kitchen.
"I think you move the fastest when food is involved" Yang said smiling.
She fixed a plate for Ruby and set it on the table. Ruby jumped into the chair and began inhaling her breakfast. Yang fixed three more plates and set them in front of three other chairs, then sat down and began to eat. Blake and Weiss came downstairs a little later and looked at the table.
"Thanks Yang" Weiss said.
Blake started to sit next to Ruby, Weiss saw Yang's face drop slightly.
"Why don't you sit next to Yang, Blake?" Weiss said "I need to talk to Ruby about my conversation with Glynda."
"Ok" Blake said trying to hide her smile.
Weiss smiled slightly as Yang's face lit up. Blake sat down and began eating. While they were eating, Weiss scroll went off.
She took it out, looked at it and said "it's Glynda, we need to go to the communications room."
"Can we eat first?" Ruby asked.
"Ruby" Yang said.
"Ok, ok" Ruby said "we'll eat afterwards. Come on team."
She stood up and walked out of the kitchen, then stopped and looked around.
"Weiss, where's the communication room?" She asked sheepishly.
"Follow me" Weiss said.
She led them to the side of the staircase and flipped a switch. A section of the wall slid back, revealing a huge computer screen, several smaller ones and keyboards. Chairs and a couch sat in front of the screen. Weiss walked in and began to turn the computers on. Blake sat in one of the chairs and crossed her legs. Ruby sat on the couch and began to look around the room. Yang flopped down in one of the chairs and put her feet up on the chair next to her and crossed her ankles. Weiss turned around to sit down and rolled her eyes when she saw Yang.
"Really?" She asked.
"What?" Yang asked.
Weiss rolled her eyes again and sat down.
Glynda Goodwitch appeared on the screen and said "hello ladies, it's so good to see you again. Vale needs you more than you know."
"Aren't there huntsmen in the kingdom?" Blake asked.
"Yes" Glynda said "but they're not volunteers, they charge by the day and refuse to leave their houses if they're not paid, others charge by the kill and with no bodies to show we are almost certain they pad their numbers."
"How can we help?" Ruby asked as she stood up "team RWBY is back in Vale and at your service."
"That's right" Blake said as she stood up.
"Just tell us where you need us" Weiss said as she stood up.
Yang stood up and punched her fists together in front of her as she said "just point us towards the fight."
"Thank you" Glynda said "I am publicly declaring you four the official defenders of Vale."
"Thank you" Ruby said.
"My pleasure" Glynda said "I'll notify you through your scrolls whenever there is grimm activity."
"We'll be waiting" Ruby said.
"I might also require your assistance to inform some of the 'huntsmen for hire' that they are no longer needed and escort them out of Vale before they extort any more lien."
"No problem" Yang said smiling.
"Thank you again" Glynda said. The computer screen shut off.
"Let's finish breakfast" Ruby said.
"Weiss, do you have any tools here?" Blake asked.
"There should be a work bench with every tool imaginable in the garage" Weiss said "why?"
"Gambol Shroud needs to be repaired" Blake said.
She slid it out of its sheath and showed them the broken blade.
"Can you give her a hand Sis?" Yang asked.
"Can I finish my pancakes first?" Ruby asked rubbing her stomach.
"Sure" Blake said smiling as she set Gambol Shroud on the table.
"I'm going to call my Mother to see about the deed to the house" Weiss said as she walked upstairs with her scroll.
"I'm going to go hit up the local junk yards" Yang said "see if I can find materials to fix Gambol Shroud and maybe find a motorcycle."
"You going to be ok going alone?" Ruby asked.
"I'll be fine Sis" Yang said.
"I'll go with her" Blake said "look at Gambol Shroud after breakfast, ok?"
"No problem" Ruby said "see you later."