Chapter 15:

[Ruby]

"Should we wake them up?"

"No, let them rest for a while longer."

". . . Do you really have a plan? I don't want you and Ruby put behind bars."

A laugh. "I don't like how you included both of us, Yang." Ruby blinked her eyes open. "We'll be fine, if she didn't physically harm him, there's not much they can do."

Through her blurry vision, she could just barely see what looked to be Yang and Blake standing in the doorway, Yang leaned against the frame with one leg propped up and her arms crossed. "I'm going to see if Jaune and the others are awake, do you want to stay here or come with me?" Blake asked.

"I'll stay here." Yang replied, and Blake gave a small smile, whispering something to her before walking away.

Ruby shifted slightly, frowning in mild confusion when it came to her attention that she wasn't alone. She rubbed her eyes and glanced to her side, love fluttered through her chest when her eyes landed on her fiancee snuggled comfortably into her side and sound asleep.

"Good morning."

Ruby whipped her head around to see Yang at the edge of the bed, wearing a smirk on her face. Her expression softened, "You know, we thought we'd never see you again. . ." The brunette felt guilt roll through her and she averted her eyes, "I really thought you were dead. . ." Her sister's voice was laced with grief and pain, but there was a hint of relief in there.

"I'm always one to defy expectations, right?" Ruby whispered with a small to lighten the mood, "When did you get here?" She asked, "I don't recall seeing you here last night."

"Early this morning, Blake came and picked me up." A stern frown crossed the blonde's lips, "I'm kind of disappointed you didn't consider calling me and that I found out from Dad that you were alive." She smirked, "Do I really mean so little to you, Ruby?"

Ruby sighed, laying back down and covering her eyes with one arm. "I tried, but you didn't answer and I couldn't sit around to wait," she muttered sincerely, "I know I should've tried again, but I was too focused on getting to Atlas before. . . Before I lost her." Had she been selfish? Inconsiderate, maybe?

Yang just smiled, "I figured as much. . . I really doubt you would have lost her, though. " Ruby opened her eyes again and glanced at her sister, smirking when she pointed a finger accusingly at her. "But when this is all over, we're having a Sister's Day Out. Got that?"

"Got it."

Yang stood and approached the door, "Wake Weiss up, we have a busy day today." She whispered, "I'll be with Blake and the rest of them." Ruby nodded quietly as the door was closed.

'I don't wanna get up.' Ruby pushed herself up again and shifted so that she could lean over Weiss, 'But she looks so peaceful. . .' She hesitated, staring down at her fiancee's sleeping face in adoration, "I missed you," the woman whispered, "we'll get you out of this, Princess, I promise. . ." A small smile came to her lips, "If we don't. We can just run away, just like we did before. . . They would never find us again."

After they'd graduated Beacon, Weiss' father had been waiting to take her back home, away from Ruby, and hadn't given her much of a choice. They'd disappeared off the face of Remnant with the only people knowing their whereabouts being Yang, Blake, and JNPR. It'd been Weiss' idea to leave, choosing to leave everything behind and rebuild everything from scratch. Ruby agreed immediately, wanting her fiancee to be safe and happy. 'Young and stupid.' Ruby allowed a small smile to come to her lips. 'I wouldn't have it any other way.'

She leaned down and grazed her lips over Weiss' ear, smiling quietly when the woman's brows furrowed and she tried to sink deeper into her pillow. "Weiss~" She whispered lovingly, dipping down and kissing the corner of the woman's lips, "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty." Weiss stirred beneath her and Ruby's eyes shot down when she realized Weiss was trying to push her off.

"Five more minutes. . ." Weiss muttered tiredly as Ruby silently climbed off of her, "No classes. . . Sleep in."

'No way. She thinks we're at-' Ruby smirked and sat up, remembering just how much the woman had hated the whistle. "If you don't get up in the next five seconds, I'll blow- oomph!"

Weiss had shot upright and somehow managed to tackle Ruby off of the bed all in one motion, almost convincing Ruby that she'd stolen her semblance. "Don't you dare!" Weiss snapped, now wide awake, "You know I hate that fu-" the heiress trailed off as her eyes came into focus, reeling her into reality. She sat up, still straddling the younger girl. "Ruby. . ."

Ruby laughed, now having a good view of the older woman's disheveled appearance. Gods, it was adorable! Though, she did look sort of ill. . . Maybe it was just the lighting in the room. "Good morning, gorgeous." She reached up to boop Weiss' nose, "Did you sleep with the rats last night?"

Tears welled up in Weiss' eyes and Ruby blinked in pure confusion, "Weiss? What's wrong?" Weiss didn't respond, she soundlessly leaned down and pressed her head into Ruby's shoulder, clutching her with a death-like grip. "Weiss. . .?"

"It wasn't a dream," Weiss choked out breathlessly, sounding relieved and overjoyed, "you're really here."

Ruby hummed, loosely wrapping her arms around Weiss' shoulders. "Yeah, I'm really here. I'm not going anywhere." She should've known Weiss would act like this, especially considering what had happened when she revealed herself yesterday. Ruby had noticed that something inside of her beloved had broken when she'd looked into her eyes, something that her presence couldn't mend. She had yet to find out what it was, though. Did Weiss even know?

Bbbrriiinnggg. Their alarm was going off.

"Ugh. . ." Weiss slid off of her and Ruby sat up, watching her attempt to pull herself back onto the bed, but failing. Ruby stood to her feet and reached down to help the woman up, who stubbornly swatted her hands away. "I'm fine!" Ruby raised a brow, noticing the sudden change of emotion. She shrugged it off, deciding that it was something to do with her pregnancy. They did say pregnant women were moody and stubborn, and Weiss was naturally that way. . .

"Weiss." Ruby tried again as Weiss heaved herself to her knees, her arms on the bed, "Let me help-"

"No!" Weiss swat her hands away again, pushing herself to her feet, but her legs gave out from under her and she slipped. The scroll alarm rang again as Ruby knelt down beside her, whispering soothing things to her, slowly sliding her arms underneath the woman to lift her up. Suddenly, Weiss stiffened and she trembled, muttering incoherent sentences before quietly curling on the floor. "No. . . No, no please. . ." Ruby frowned in confusion and concern as Weiss wrapped an arm around her stomach, "Gods, no. . ."

"Weiss. . .?" Tears stung at the corners of her eyes. She didn't know what to do, what was going on? Should she call an ambulance? Wait for her to ride it out? See if she can coax her out of. . . Whatever was happening? Was she in pain? "Princess, what's the matter?" She felt so helpless. . . Her beloved was hurting and she had no idea how to help her. "Weiss, tell me what's going on." Maybe if she could get Weiss to speak to her, she could figure out how to help.

"My baby. . ."

'What happened?What about the baby? I'm so confused. . .' Something had happened, and whatever it was had traumatized Weiss.

Ruby's brows furrowed in confusion, she shook her head and released a deep sigh. She had to help somehow. . . "Weiss," she whispered, laying on her side to face her fiancee, "listen to me. . ." She gently wrapped her arm around the trembling woman, embracing her in what she hoped to be a comforting manner. "You're alright," she began to rub soothing circles across Weiss' back, "our baby is okay. . . You're okay. . . Everything's alright. . ."

"No." Weiss whimpered, her eyes teary and unfocused. "Ruby. . . My Ruby. . ." Ruby stayed silent, watching the white-haired woman with a concerned expression, feeling as though her heart was being carved out of her chest. "Take care of our baby. . ." Ruby blinked in pure confusion, fear rolling through her. Was there something wrong with her? She did look ill. . . What if she didn't make it through- "I'm so sorry. . ." Weiss' voice reeled Ruby back to her senses.

'What is she talking about? Is she okay? Gods, please let her be alright.' She sat upright as quickly as she could, placing her hand on Weiss' side and activating her aura. She released a sigh of relief when Weiss' aura mingled with hers; she was alright. . . But, why was she asking her to take care of the baby? "Weiss," the brunette reached to stroke the trembling woman's cheek, she moved down to grab her hand, "love, can you hear me?" Weiss squeezed her hand. 'Good. . .'

Ruby sighed and leaned down again, "Open your eyes. . ."

"No. . ." She was slowly coming to her senses, but she still seemed to be trapped her trance.

"Please? For me?" Weiss just stiffened and Ruby bit her lip, not knowing what else to do. She shook her head, and sat back up when Weiss suddenly released her hand. Maybe there was another way to let Weiss know that she was here. "Weiss, what do you smell?" She asked, hoping she could get through to her.

Weiss remained quiet for a moment, but Ruby's heart did a flip inside her chest when she responded; "Roses. . ." She whispered painfully, "I smell roses. . ."

"Can you touch anything?" Ruby asked, setting her hand in front of Weiss' so that she could grab it again.

"No. . ." Weiss responded, her voice choking. Ruby felt like a knife had been through her chest, watching the woman's face twist into one of grief and pain.

She recollected herself. "Can you try to. . .?" She whispered pleadingly. Weiss just tucked herself away, covering her face with one of her arms. "Weiss, come on, try. Please?" She needed to help her out of this, it was hurting her.

"You're. . . You're not here."

They were back at this again, Weiss was denying reality. . . That explained everything. Whatever had sent her into this state of mind was still affecting her, causing her to turn away from what was really happening. 'Oh, Sweetheart, what happened to you. . .?' Ruby sighed again, "I am here. . ." That would make this three times since she'd returned. . .

"No. . ." The woman whispered again and Ruby placed her hand on her arm.

"Can you feel anything? Anything at all?" She asked, waiting and watching for Weiss' response. She smiled when Weiss reached and grabbed her hand, interlocking their fingers almost instinctively. That answered that question, "Thank you. . ." She gave her hand a squeeze. "Alright, what do you hear?"

The woman seemed to hesitate, but she managed to whisper out, "Ruby. . ."

Ruby hummed, "Open your eyes and tell me what you see." She shifted her attention to her fiancee's face, waiting to see if she would oblige. "Can you do that for me?" Ruby asked again, watching as Weiss' eyes flutter open and smiling when light blue flickered up to meet her silver pair. "Hi." Ruby greeted gently when Weiss seemed to refocus, her gaze locked on her in pure disbelief. She was switching back and forth between reality and her trance.

"You know, that makes three times I've seen that look in your eyes since I've got back." Ruby laughed lightly.

After a few moments, Weiss choked out a sob and closed her eyes again, whispering apologies under her breath. "What's wrong?" Ruby frowned, sitting up and placing both arms on either side of Weiss. Well, she wasn't reverting back to whatever had happened a few minutes ago. . . So what was she doing? "Princess?"

Seconds ticked by, but they felt like decades. Ruby waiting almost impatiently for Weiss to speak, hoping she would fill her in on everything. Why wouldn't the baby be okay? Why had she wanted her to take care of them? 'She said she's pregnant; did she lie to me. . .? Did something happen to the baby?' Certainly she would've told her, right?

They'd never kept secrets before- well, not anymore. Keeping things from each other had nearly destroyed their relationship at the start, but they'd managed to calmly talk it out and made a promise that they wouldn't hide things again at Ruby's request. Surely Weiss wouldn't go back on that, she'd never broken a promise to her, so why would she start now?

Ruby shook her head. 'She'll tell me when she's ready. . .' She had to trust her. Weiss still loved her, that much was clear, it would just take a little bit for things to go back to normal.

"I was expecting twins. . ." Weiss finally spoke, letting Ruby know that she was still conscious. Ruby lifted her head, focusing her attention on Weiss. The words echoed in her head on repeat. She was expecting twins. Past tense. . . "I didn't know, and I lost one of them," Weiss' voice was nearly inaudible, "I thought I'd lost you too. . . I'd lost everything. My fiancee, my baby, my friends, my freedom. . ."

The brunette waited in silence, watching as Weiss visibly relaxed. She sounded broken, though. . . All Ruby could really do was listen. "I'm sorry." Weiss whispered again, "If I had been careful, maybe we would have a family-"

"There's nothing you could have done." Ruby interrupted, "It happens all the time. . ." With her emotions locked away, saving her own grieving for a better time, Ruby sat up from the floor. "Are you alright now?" She questioned, glancing down at Weiss. A quiet hum was the only response she received, "Come on, Princess, we need to get a shower and eat."

Weiss pushed herself up and Ruby offered her hand, Weiss eyed it for a brief moment before rolling her eyes and taking it so that Ruby could pull her up. "You get a shower first," she muttered bluntly, "you smell like death itself."

"WOW. Not even gonna sugarcoat that, huh?" Ruby laughed, taking a step towards her fiancee, "You're so rude!" A smirk formed on her lips, "I suppose you stink, too? You're the one who got all cuddly." The other woman shot a glare in her direction and Ruby just smiled, looping an arm around Weiss's shoulder. "It was cute, though. I liked it."

She swore she saw a small smile tugging at the corner of Weiss' lips, but it disappeared as soon as it appeared. "So are we getting in the shower or not?" Weiss asked, starting for the door.

"Wait, we?" Ruby asked once she was by her side again, Weiss stopped at the door and fixed her eyes on Ruby, "Do you mean that you want to. . . Um. . ."

Weiss raised a brow, smirking ever so slightly. "I can't. Miscarriage, remember?" She stepped out into the hallway, "But that doesn't mean you can't." Weiss flashed her what looked to be a seductive smile before disappearing around the corner and into the bathroom.

'Another mood swing.' Ruby noted mentally. 'I really don't know if I should take advantage of-. . .' Who knew the next time Weiss would feel up to it? Plus it'd probably do her some good to feel in control. 'Fuck it.' Ruby followed her into the bathroom, swinging the door shut behind her. Her eyes immediately fixed on Weiss, who was already half-undressed and was currently undoing her hair. Her heart swelled with affection and Ruby offered the smirking woman a gentle smile when blue eyes glanced to her. "You look stunning," she complimented, her eyes roaming her fiancee's form. She didn't look ill anymore. . . That was a good sign. "You're practically glowing."

"Now, Ruby, I'm not anywhere near the 'Glow', as you call it." Weiss rolled her eyes, "But thank you," she sent a smirk in Ruby's direction and Ruby's heart skipped a beat, "I suppose you don't look all that bad yourself." She turned away from her.

Ruby scoffed in mock annoyance, moving so that she could look at herself in the mirror. "Thanks, what a compliment." She did look kind of gross, though. Ah well, the shower would fix that.

"Ruby." Her silver eyes looked towards Weiss again and they widened, a pink blush crossed her cheeks instantly at the sight before her. "Are you coming?"

"Y-yeah." Ruby smirked, her eyes dancing with amusement, "You'll make me."

"Just get in the shower."

"Is everything set?"

"Should be."

"Winter said she's ready."

Ruby's eyes glanced up as Yang and Blake walked in, paying no attention to the other two in the room as they spoke. Ruby didn't say a word and leaned back down, slightly slumped over with her weight tilted forward so that she was propped up against the back of the couch. She remained quiet, allowing Weiss to thread her fingers through her dark locks and whisper sweet nothings to her. Weiss hadn't experienced another mood swing yet, she seemed to be perfectly fine now, but Ruby could still sense some sort of depression hidden under her facade.

"What are they talking about?" Ruby opened her eyes when she heard Weiss' soft, but gentle voice. She hummed and looked towards the Bumbleby duo. "Yang looks concerned. . ."

Weiss was right, Yang was wearing a visibly unsure expression and she looked to be very worried. Considering they hadn't noticed them yet, it was something to do with Blake's safety. "Not sure." Ruby replied quietly, "Something important by the looks of it."

"Yang, all we have to do is wait for Winter's signal. We'll be fine, we have it covered." Weiss and Ruby exchanged a look when Blake interrupted the blonde, her voice stern, but carrying a reassuring tone. "I know you want to help, and I appreciate it, but I don't want you getting involved. None of this was your doing, it was mine."

Weiss raised a brow, muttering something under her breath, and Ruby immediately looked down to her. "They're talking about Blake hacking into the security system." She explained, her voice barely above a whisper. "She said she and Winter have it all under control, and you know how Yang is about Winter; she doesn't exactly trust her."

Ruby bit her lip, "That doesn't sound too promising, to be honest. . ." She shook her head, "All we can do is trust Blake, though. She wouldn't get herself into something she knows she can't get out of." Ruby swung herself over the back of the couch, sitting comfortably beside Weiss and snuggling into her as gentle arms encircled her. "Speaking of 'something you can't get out of'. . . Do you think Liam got the evidence?"

"I don't know," Weiss whispered honestly, Ruby lifted her head slightly to look at her, "I just hope he didn't turn us in. He seemed trustworthy, considering he didn't tell Fath- I mean, Jacques. Maybe he'll show up so-"

Knock knock.

Ruby sat up as Blake opened the door, revealing a tall woman with white hair tied into a bun. "Winter?" Weiss muttered in disbelief, Ruby smiled when she noticed a hopeful glint in Weiss' eyes. She almost seemed childlike upon the sight of her sister, but the gleam in her eyes left when Winter simply cast them a blank look and turned back to Blake. "Well," Weiss looked down at Ruby, "at least she acknowledged us. . ."

"Barely." Ruby responded, "It's almost like we aren't even here!" She raised her voice as an attempt to catch the others' attention, only to be ignored. Ruby rolled her eyes and leaned up, shifting and cupping Weiss' cheeks lovingly. 'Watch them ignore this.'

"Ruby-?" Weiss was cut off by Ruby pulling her into a full mouth kiss, eliciting a slight moan from her.

"Hey! We're right here!" Ruby pulled away when Yang shouted at them, smirking at the red blush creeping across Weiss' face. She giggled when Weiss averted her eyes, whispering incoherent swears and insults under her breath.

Ruby just laughed, "Now we exist." She turned to the rest of the group, sitting up and off of the couch. "Care to fill us in?"

Winter spoke before Yang had a chance to open her mouth, the glare that was sent to the icy woman didn't go unnoticed by Ruby. "It's better if you two stay out of this as much as you possibly can," her voice lacked warmth, "we don't want either of you-"

"Excuse me?!" Weiss snapped from behind Ruby and all eyes turned towards the shorter woman. She was almost literally boiling with rage, Ruby swore she could see a slight hint of red in her eyes. "Stay out of it?! I've been sitting in my room while everybody else runs around me making decisions for me! Decisions I had absolutely no say in! I was expected to just 'roll with it', and quite frankly, I'm SICK of having to keep my mouth shut."

"Weiss-"

"No!" Weiss yelled in frustration, her voice echoing in the small hotel room. Everybody fell silent, save for Weiss. "That bastard nearly took everything away from me just to keep himself at the top. He put my fiancee's life in danger, he tried to take my baby away from me, he has controlled my life since before I was born! My Ruby is still alive and we still have a chance for a family, despite all the shit that he has pulled as an attempt to separate us. So-"

Winter drew in a deep breath, "You must understand, I'm just trying to-"

"I'm not finished yet!" Weiss interrupted, catching the older woman completely off-guard. Ruby felt pride swell in her chest when Weiss spoke again, "If you think I'm just going to sit here and do nothing when it's my engagement, and my life that's at stake, then you're sorely mistaken and you've lost your damn mind!"

Winter blinked in surprise and Ruby came to Weiss' side again with a wide grin on her face. She draped her arm across Weiss' shoulder, glancing down when the shorter woman visibly relaxed, though her glare still pierced daggers through Winter. "That's my girl." Ruby smirked, locking eyes with the older Schnee, "So, are you going to fill us in, or?"

A moment of silence passed through the room before Winter sighed again, "Very well, if you insist," she muttered hesitantly, "alright. So we have many things against him that could strip him of his title and rank, but considering you attacked him and most of this stuff your friend gathered from hacking into the security system, which is illegal and would put both sides at fault, he could use this and remain in power while you all are taken into custody."

Ruby raised a brow, "Okay, so what do we do?" To her, it sounded as though they were pretty much screwed.

Winter hesitated again and Ruby noticed brief doubt flash through her eyes. "First, we reveal everything he's done." She gestured to Weiss, "Placing an already engaged woman into an arranged marriage, and attempting to force her to abort her baby without her consent. If required, we could check the security cameras for evidence, and Mister Greer has something that can help us." Winter looked to Ruby, "Attempted murder and assistance in attempted murder, added with the illegal bank transactions and the calls your friend managed to find."

Ruby exchanged a puzzled glance with Yang before focusing her attention on Winter again, who continued speaking. "Kidnapping, manipulation, child abuse, and endangering a child's life. Legally, Wisteria and Mavi belong to me," Ruby could swear she saw pain in the older woman's eyes when she mentioned the children, "but he took them and has been. . . Using their lives against me so that I will keep my mouth shut. I know he hasn't been treating them right. . ."

Everybody kept quiet and Winter finished up, "And lastly, the abuse of power. He uses his position in the SDC to keep everything he's done a secret, he blackmails those who discover things they are not supposed to and I don't know how, but he manages to convince them to stay quiet." She fixed her eyes on Weiss and Ruby, wearing a stern frown. "Anything else you have to add, you tell me now. Or else we won't be able to settle this as peacefully as we can."

"What do you mean 'peacefully'?!" Ruby exclaimed in pure confusion, "How can something like this-"

"All the public needs to know is that the arranged marriage was called off and will be informed that Jacques simply stepped down from his position in the SDC," Winter looked to Weiss, "and if she pleases, the rightful heir will be taking charge."

Weiss rolled her eyes, "Sure, sounds great. What about hacking the system? Did you think about that?"

Blake spoke up, "Winter will take the blame, insisting that she gave me access to the files."

Weiss blinked, her eyes flitting back and forth between the two. "Yeah!" She smiled sweetly, "The plan sounds flawless! You certainly won't lose your job and everything you've worked for, and they would totally believe you over a faunus! It makes so much sense!" The smile dropped, "This is a horrible plan."

"Weiss." Ruby muttered as the woman turned away, stalking back to the couch. Light blue eyes glanced towards her, "We have to try. If it doesn't work. . . Well, we'll wing it like we always do."

"Fine." Weiss rolled her eyes, "When do we leave?"

"I'll give you a call once I get everything prepared." Winter replied bluntly, turning heel and walking out of the hotel room, "He's noticed that you're gone and he's not happy." Blake closed the door as the older woman exit and she faced Ruby.

Ruby shrugged, "All we have to do is wait, and hope things go as planned. . ."

"I see. . ."

They had gathered in General Ironwood's office, Winter insisting that she wished to keep the situation as private as possible for the time being. With Winter's assistance, Blake provided him with the evidence and answered any questions that were asked. At first, the man had seemed hesitant to look at the files and had asked Winter to take a look, believing that they may have been copied fraudulently. Winter confirmed that they were in fact authentic and the files were finally opened.

Ironwood clicked open another file, casting a suspicious glance to Blake before reading over what seemed to be the bank transactions. "It seems he has been cooperating with the group for a long time now," he noted, "ironic. . . He did nothing but complain about them when he inherited the-"

"Stole." Weiss interrupted coldly, "He stole the company from Mother."

Ironwood sent an amused smirk in her direction and closed the file, "They used to be allied with the White Fang and wanted nothing more than to bring the SDC down, but it seems that your Father-"

"Jacques," Weiss muttered again, ignoring the scolding glare Winter sent her, "he's not my Father."

Ironwood paid no mind to the interruption and continued, "It appears that he made amends with them and through the alliance, he paid them to indirectly assassinate Ms. Rose." He gestured to Ruby, "So there is evidence that he did in fact try to have her killed."

"We uncovered call logs from before and after the mission," Blake informed him quickly, "you can find them-"

The man turned to her and everybody in the room fell deathly silent, "I noticed," he started carefully, "everything you have presented to me added with everything you have explained reigns true, and he can and will be removed from his position as the CEO, but I do have one last question. . ." Ironwood narrowed his eyes and suddenly the room felt very cold. Blake didn't appear to be phased, waiting for his question patiently. "How did you manage to unlock these files?"

"I granted her access," Winter replied almost immediately, "I wanted to see if there was a way for me to take my children from him without causing a scene, and Blake just helped me find the files once we had them unlocked from the system."

Ironwood blinked in surprise and he stood up, "Winter, you know that if you take the blame for her, I will have to relieve you of your duties to the military. This is a serious claim. I could have you sent to jail." Judging by the tone of his voice, he wouldn't hold anything against her and was willing to let her go, which seemed to be a good sign.

"I know," Winter sighed heavily, "but after this is all over, there won't be anybody responsible enough to care for Wisteria." The woman's eyes drifted over to Ruby and Weiss, "I want to be around when my niece or nephew is born, too."

"I suppose I can let you go with this, as wrong as it feels. . . You have served the military for many years and have proven yourself to be a trustworthy woman. . . What about the company? Your brother is not near old enough to run it."

Ruby glanced over her shoulder at Weiss and smiled softly, gesturing for the annoyed woman to approach. Weiss rolled her eyes and came to her side, leaning into Ruby when she wrapped her arm around her. "Weiss can take over the company when he's arrested," Ruby muttered quietly, "if she still wants to. . ."

"Like I've said before," Weiss started carefully, her voice dripping with hatred, "he was not the start of our family name, and I won't allow him to be the end of it." Something flickered through Weiss' eyes and she turned to Ironwood, "I'll inherit the company," the man nodded, "but I'll still be taking Ruby's name. Whitley is not suited for the role of the heir, and my child will have the Rose name. I'll need an heir with the Schnee name, somebody who has not yet been through his training. . ."

Ruby glanced to Winter, hoping to find the answer in her reaction. Winter's expression was one of pure shock, "Wisteria? But you're-"

"I don't want to run the company forever, just cleanse our name and give it a fresh start. Wisteria would be perfect for the role."

"Very well," Winter turned to Ironwood stiffly, "what do we do?"

The man, who had returned to his desk, simply held up a sheet of paper. Weiss' eyes widened and she swiftly approached the desk without hesitation, Ruby raised a brow in bewilderment as Ironwood set the paper down. A moment later, he held it up again to reveal Weiss' signature, "We leave that up to the CEO to decide."

Ruby's eyes glanced to Weiss as she strode down the hallway towards the office, butterflies flying in her chest when light blue eyes glanced over to her, practically gleaming with pride. The plan had actually worked, Ironwood had sent them off with a group of guards to take Jacques Schnee into custody. To their knowledge, the news of Weiss' new position had yet to reach the man and they would be taking him by surprise.

"Weiss the CEO," Ruby grinned, rushing up to Weiss and matching her stride, "hmm, yeah, I could get used to that." She purred flirtatiously, feeling affection course through her. "You look very proud."

Weiss smirked at her, "I am," she replied light-heartedly, "I have the love of my life here with me, we have a child on the way, I'm back in control of my life, and I'll finally be able to give the SDC a new start!" The woman chuckled, stopping in front of the office door and turning Ruby, she wrapped her arms around the taller woman's neck. "And after this, we can finally have our wedding."

Ruby felt her heart skip a beat, imagining her fiancee in a flowing white wedding dress with her hair undone and cascading down her back beautifully; her mind switched to an image of Weiss holding a newborn child and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. They were going to get married and have a family. . . After this was all over, there would be nothing stopping them and they could finally return to their peaceful life.

Ruby playfully bumped Weiss' forehead with her own, receiving a grunt of slight annoyance from her. "That's for making me worry this morning," she smirked before pulling her in for a quick kiss that sent a spark of electricity through Ruby, "and that's because I love you."

Weiss just hummed her response and broke away from her, turning to the waiting guards and signalling for them to get behind her. She placed her hand on the door knob and drew in a deep breath, Ruby offered a reassuring smile when Weiss nervously glanced back to her. Weiss steeled herself and gripped the knob, swinging the door open and stepping aside as the guards charged in.

Ruby had to keep herself from laughing when she caught sight of Jacques' confused expression, "What on Rem-" Ruby felt a sense of pride roll through her when a gun was pointed at the man, silencing him almost immediately. Fear flickered through his eyes briefly and he stood up. He must've regained courage because he met the guards' eyes with a calm expression. "What is this about?"

"Oh I think you know very well what this is about." Weiss smiled, approaching the side of the desk and meeting the man's eyes, "Or, do I have to spell it out for you?" The man sneered at her and Weiss just rolled her eyes, "You're under arrest by mine and General Ironwood's order."

The man was calm again, turning back to the men with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, my daughter must be confused. I haven't done-"

Weiss cut him off again, "Attempted murder, accessory to attempted murder, money laundering, forced arranged marriage, child abuse, the kidnapping of one's children, blackmail and manipulation, using your position in the SDC to hide everything you've done, and conspiring with a terrorist group."

Jacques' eyes widened in disbelief and he turned around when his arms were pulled behind his back and his hands were cuffed, "What?! You can't do this!" He snapped in frustration, shrugging away from one of the guards as he was forcibly led towards the door.

Ruby smirked, approaching her fiancee's side. "Oh, but she just did."

The man snatched his arms back from the guard, fixing his eyes on the couple. He was boiling with rage, his eyebrow twitching and he was gritting his teeth. "The world will be wondering where I went!" He stopped, straightening him as though he'd regained control, "Besides, a faunus probably forged the evidence. There is nobody to run the company, either."

"And how would you know that?" Weiss raised a brow, silencing the man. She held up the documents, Jacques scowled in response. "The world will be told Jacques Schnee has unfortunately retired from his position as CEO of the SDC, passing on the name to his daughter, the rightful heir, and cutting ties with everybody so that he will have a quiet and peaceful retirement."

"I hate to tell you this, Sister," Whitley spoke from somewhere in the room, all eyes turned to them and Weiss smirked again, "but he's already chosen me as the heir." He sounded so smug. . .

"When did he get here and where did he come from?" Ruby whispered to Weiss, who just gently shooed her away and approached her brother with her arms crossed.

"Hmm," Weiss hummed in mock thought, giving the impression that she was considering his words, "oh! That's right!" She clapped her hands together, offering him a bright smile, "He did choose you as the heir! Though, sadly, Brother, you are not old enough, nor are you capable enough, to take over the company. Not to mention, only our travesty of a family knows about that decision. So, legally, I was still the heir!" She turned away from him, "Take him away." She ordered the guards, who forced a very aggravated Jacques out the door.

Weiss glanced over her shoulder at Whitley again and her brows narrowed, malice gleaming in her eyes. "If you dare to usurp me, the same will happen to you. Leave." Ruby extended her arms as Weiss neared her and she gently drew her in for a hug, resting her chin on Weiss' shoulder and casting a smug look towards the retreating Whitley.

"That's my Weiss." Ruby whispered fondly.

"What are going to do about the arranged marriage and Liam?" Weiss suddenly asked. That's right. . . He hadn't shown up, that wasn't a good sign at all.

"Call it off," Ruby replied confidently, "you're in charge now, surely they would understand. . ."

"I hope so. . . Mr. Greer doesn't seem like the understanding kind. . ."

"What do you mean you're calling off the wedding?!"

Ruby's chest swelled with anger at the man's shout, seething with rage when she notices Weiss flinch, she moved in front of her fiancee as the burly man approached wearing a frown. "She said she's called off the arrangement." She answered, silver eyes glaring at the man looming over them."What part of that did you not understand?"

Mr. Greer glowered her suspiciously and rolled his eyes, deeming her unworthy of his time by placing his hand on her shoulder and roughly pushing her aside. Weiss held her hand up to Ruby, sending her a side glance to let her know she had everything under control. Ruby released an annoyed huff, her hands in fists and her nails digging into her palms. 'That bastard.'

"I expected women in Atlas to know their place." Mr. Greer mumbled in disastification, now standing directly in front of Weiss. "Especially a woman of your ranking, Ms. Schnee."

"I do know my place, but do you know yours?" Weiss questioned him calmly, "I'm the new CEO of the SDC. Jacques Schnee has been locked away behind bars," her brows narrowed, "for reasons I believe you have association with."

Realization flickered through the man's eyes. "You can't prove anything."

"No," Weiss smiled, gesturing to someone behind Mr. Greer, "but your son can."

Ruby blinked at the sight of Liam, "Okay, where did he come from?" Her question went ignored by the three.

Mr. Greer's eyes widened in surprise as Liam came to his side with a wary smile, "He recorded your conversation concerning my fiancee's supposed death," Weiss explained as Liam opened said recording, "I could turn you in for assistance in attempted murder."

"He recorded it illegally-"

Liam cut him off, "Actually, I didn't," he laughed nervously, "you gave me permission to record anything I would want to remember during the meeting. I never said what I wanted to record. . ."

Mr. Greer turned back to Weiss and straightened his posture as an attempt to appear more threatening. "The world is expecting a wedding! You can't just call it off so suddenly!"

Weiss raised a brow, completely unphased by the failed attempt. "Well I guess they'll have to be disappointed." She muttered nonchalantly as Ruby returned to her side, ready to defend Weiss if necessary.

"They'll have their wedding," Liam suddenly spoke, wearing a smile this time, "it just won't be the one they're expecting."

A wedding nobody would be expecting. . .?

Ruby's eyes widened in disbelief and Liam sent her a knowing smile. She couldn't believe it. . . He was serious! She felt joy wash over her like a wave and tears stung in her eyes. "What are you talking about?" Weiss growled, "Did you not just hear me call it off?!" Ruby felt a stupid grin form on her lips and she grabbed her fiancee's shoulders, spinning the annoyed woman around to face her. "Ruby-!" Weiss snapped, but Ruby cut her off.

"He's talking about our wedding, Weiss!"

Weiss grabbed her arms tightly as if she was having trouble comprehending what Ruby had said. She was quiet for a moment, Ruby giggled childishly when recognition flashed through Weiss' light blue gaze. "Our wedding?" She whispered in shock, her voice light and hopeful. "Wait," she turned to Liam, "you mean, you would do that?"

Liam shrugged, "Of course," he looked to his father briefly as if expecting him to interrupt, but the man simply shrugged in annoyance and left the room, muttering incoherent swears. Liam's green eyes looked back to Ruby and Weiss once his father was out of sight, "I didn't say anything, but I watched you two interact, and I'll say this: I know love when I see it. So who am I to take that away?"

"Let's backtrack for a second," Ruby immediately said when he finished, "what do you mean you watched us interact?"

The young man laughed nervously, "I um. . . I saw you two in the Greenhouse."

Weiss groaned, whirling around to face Ruby, "See?! What did I tell you?! Honestly, when are you going to start listening to me?"

Ruby raised her hands in defense, "Well, I-I didn't think- I listened- ugh! Weiss, be nice to me!" The woman whined in defeat, grabbing Weiss' shoulders, "I'm tired, I came all the way from Mistral with no food and little to no rest. Give me a break!"

"Well if you had eaten this morning-"

"I did eat!"

"You ate a box of strawberries, that's not food!"

"It is if I say-"

Liam laughed and their eyes turned to him, he offered a friendly smile to Weiss, "You have yourself a sweet one," he mentioned, "keep her."

Weiss fixed her eyes on Ruby again, who met her gaze with an endearing smile. "That's the plan. . ."