A/N: If you're reading this then I'm assuming that you've read my last companion series fic 'Thank Me Later!' for Volume 6. And I say, welcome back! Here's to another white rose journey together as we watch Volume 7 this time!

The Coldest Kingdom

"Welcome home."

The greeting comes out unwarranted, rehearsed, and detached— the last way one wants to be greeted with upon coming home. It's not like Weiss should have expected better. After all, this is no home to return to.

This feels less like a homecoming and more of a prison returning.

There's a lot of things wrong with Atlas but that's nothing new. What is new now however is the added layer of apprehension that wasn't there before. The tension in the air is so thick that their ship slows down as if to avoid turbulence.

In a way, it at least helps them avoid a different kind of turbulence.

There are more airships patrolling than there are clouds surrounding the city. The heavy security does little to make them feel safe. If anything, they only signal to the danger awaiting them. Atlas has always been a fortified fortress of intimidation but this reeks less of independence and more of a lockdown.

From this high in the sky, even Weiss could see just how low Atlas has fallen.

Something's wrong, more so than before. And in this muck of wrongness, she latches on to the one thing in this city that has always done her good.

She calls her sister.

She calls her sister because she would know what is happening. She calls her sister because she would know what to do. She calls her sister because she would be there to help them, to help her.

She calls Winter and waits for her scroll to stop ringing.

The ringing never ends.

"Any luck from Winter?" Ruby asks. Her voice, comforting as it is, isn't the voice Weiss needs to hear right now.

"No, she's…" Weiss frowns as she can't quite finish that sentence.

She's what? She's unavailable that's what. She's always unavailable. She's always doing something that makes her hard to get a hold of. She's out there, out of touch, and out of reach.

She's just not here.

"She's probably busy," Weiss finally settles with after a pause that lasts three rings. She's too tired to hide how disappointed she is.

Her sister has always been busy, she's always known that. She never takes it against her. She knows that the reasons keeping her sister busy are all admirable causes and it brings her great pride to have such a capable and reliable sister.

It just so happens to bring her just as great loneliness in times when she is absent.

Especially in dire times like this when she needs her the most.

But she can't give up now. They're counting on her to contact Winter. They're counting on Winter. She's counting on Winter.

She feels a hand cover hers. A calloused thumb rubs her knuckles with so much tenderness that deep underneath her skin. She didn't even notice how tight she's been holding her scroll until the sudden soothing gesture relaxes it. Finally after staring at her scroll for so long, she looks up.

From cold unanswering blue eyes, warm silver answer her gaze.

"Hey, maybe she just can't check her scroll right now," When Ruby says it, it sounds less like a suggestion and more like the actual situation itself. Optimistic as ever. "Just because she isn't available right now doesn't mean that she won't be again later. We just have to keep trying."

That's when Weiss remembers why she even keeps on calling Winter.

For all the times that her sister failed to answer her calls for help, she had more than made up for them when she did answer. She's not the most present sister figure but she tries to be. She tries to be for Weiss, and that's more than what she can say for the rest of her family.

Atlas must have a stronger hold on her than she thought if she had almost started having doubts like this so soon.

But she's come back stronger too. She's stronger because this time she isn't coming back alone. She has her friends who are in this fight together. She has her team who have been a better family than most of her own blood.

And most importantly, she has her leader, her best friend, her partner, here with her. Ruby always pushes her to be stronger just like what she's doing right now.

She'll have to thank her later then.

Weiss frees her other hand only to place it atop Ruby's hand. "Right, she's probably in the middle of an important meeting otherwise she would have picked up already."

"That's the spirit!" Her smile is brighter than her scroll's screen, Weiss notes. Definitely more heartwarming. "I'm sure if she knew her favorite sister was calling, she'd answer in a second!"

That tugs her lips upward in mirth. "I'm her only sister."

"Still her favorite sister!" She insists, and it's hard to resist a smile when her grin is so infectious.

If only this moment could last forever, this easygoing calm. But the scroll keeps ringing. And with every ring, the sinking feeling of dread only creeps closer. Seconds turn into minutes and rings turn into more unanswered rings.

Until all she can hear is ringing.

They've already entered Mantle now and the most she's heard from her sister is from the recorded ominous announcement on the large screen. It sounds just like the greeting from earlier; unwarranted, rehearsed, and detached.

The last way one wants to be greeted with upon coming home.

This is not the voice of her sister which would have answered her call. This is the voice of a specialist doing her job— and who just so happens to be her sister.

Usually the sight of her sister would fill her with pride or comfort or a strange mix of both but this is like looking at her through the eyes of the city. This cold and unforgiving city that only has prejudice and judgment in its vision.

She just hopes that it will be different when she sees Winter with her own eyes.

She hopes but she still worries all the same.

"We've already made it this far. We're gonna be okay." Ruby reassures her with a squeeze of her shoulder that grounds her more than their landing.

When she smiles back, it's shaky just like her worries are still up in the air, but what matters is the effort. And hopefully, the rest will follow. "Of course, this is just a minor roadblock. Nothing has truly stopped us before."

She doesn't know if she sounds as confident as she should but this isn't about confidence. To be honest, she is terrified. She is absolutely terrified and she has every right to be. But this isn't about the fear either.

This is about doing things even when they scare you.

And now that she isn't alone, she isn't as afraid as she once was.

They don't teach you in the academy to be afraid of the people too.

It hasn't even been a day since their clash with the Leviathan and yet, the world keeps throwing them new causes to fear. One moment, she's fighting Grimm, the next she finds out that her friend is alive and well. She hasn't even fully processed that yet; she hasn't really processed the bad parts leading up to this moment. But she doesn't need to process much to appreciate that this turn of events is good.

She should have known by now that it never stays good for too long.

It spirals down in a moment as well. They had helped in protecting this city and then suddenly they're tied down on the ground. Now they're being hauled to jail apparently for trying to be the good guys.

She doesn't understand what's happening or why it's happening. They only wanted to help so why are they being treated like criminals? Did they do something wrong?

Is anything they do right anymore?

"Watch it!"

The frustrated shout strikes her like lightning. Her eyes frantically search for the source. She can't see her. She's not here. Where is she?

"Be more careful!"

Behind her. She rolls over and relief washes through her once she spots her partner. It is a short lived moment.

She sees Weiss being handled by the Atlesian bot. She sees the last time she had seen those bots. She sees the memory of those same bots trying to murder them just like the Grimm that had infiltrated their academy.

She sees the Fall of Beacon and how she couldn't see Weiss for the longest time after that.

"Hey! Where are you taking Weiss?" She demands, a warning mixes in with her panic. As if they don't just hear her shout, the robots do not respond and carry on instead. Frustration gives way to desperation, and then to fury.

At this rate, Weiss will be separated from them again. They're taking her away. No. She won't let her partner get taken away. Not again.

"Don't you dare take her away from us!" She threatens them just as much as the thought threatens her.

Suddenly aware of her presence, or rather of her threat, the Atlesian bots raise their weapons in synch, ready to retaliate if given liable cause. For symbols of protection, that's the furthest thing she feels right now.

Will they try to hurt them again just like they did back at the Fall of Beacon?

"It's okay, Ruby." Despite the situation saying otherwise, Weiss insists with a grimace. "Well, it's not really okay but… but I'm okay."

When their eyes meet, Ruby could see the same fear in Weiss' eyes that she felt. Except her partner has already resigned herself to accepting this.

It's still enough to diffuse the panic in her chest.

"I don't think they're going to separate me from you guys. Their orders were to take all of us to Atlas," She reasons and at least for this part she says it like she believes it.

All of them. Together. The knots in Ruby's chest untangle until she remembers to breathe.

"It's okay," Weiss says it as if saying it enough times will make it come true, even though she herself is struggling to believe in it too. "I'm sure that once Winter finds out, she'll get us sorted in no time."

Ruby doesn't miss the way Weiss' faith falters at the promise nor does she mention it.

"We're going to be okay." She nods to her one more time.

And Ruby finally relents. She has said those same words before but hearing them from her partner makes her want to believe harder. She nods back. "Okay."

This isn't the best welcoming party but if there's anything to hold on to, it's that at least they are facing this together.

A/N: By the way, in case you missed it, read up on my fic 'Sharing is Caring' if you want that sweet bedsharing trope EXCEPT BETTER. Trust me. You're welcome.

If you remember how I ended the last chapter in my 'Thank Me Later!' fic then did you see what I did with opening this first chapter? :))

Hiya! Hello! There's a lot going on in this episode and in this volume as hinted in the intro so it's going to be a challenge on how to find those sweet spots for whiterose to bloom AND WE SHALL WATER THEM.

As a side note, I couldn't think of a different title since "Thank Me Later" perfectly captures the spirit of this ship dynamic as well as the essence of my original series fic so... this addendum title was born instead. Now onto some gushing on the new volume!

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO SCREAM ABOUT V7. THE OPENING IS BASICALLY JUST ME SCREAMING FOR 2 MINUTES AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

First off! PENNY IS BACK AND I LOVE HER. I have loved her before but her comeback outfit has me loving her all over again! I'm so happy she's back! Before this wholesome reunion, I won't deny that I was playing around the angsty idea that she'll be brought back but without memory and that would kill Ruby inside but this? I'm glad it turned out to be strangely wholesome instead.

Also, yes, Penny is an important friend of Ruby and she deserves a chapter with Ruby going through her unresolved guilt but I figured I'd save that for another chapter. Hopefully, we'll see them catch up later.

AND LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT WINTER. We've been starved of her content for so long and now we finally get some! I'm really looking forward to seeing how the two Schnee sisters dynamic will develop!

If you enjoyed this then please give the original series fic 'Thank Me Later!' a read and a comment while you're at it! See you next week!