Weiss Rose-Schnee was heavy.

Not that Ruby would every say that out loud, or even admit to thinking it if she valued certain regions of her body. Being used as a crutch was nothing new to her, or course, but that didn't mean that supporting the weight of another person whose center of balance was nowhere to be found was light work.

Sure, Weiss was considerably lighter without a mass of metal and plastic attached to her shin, but she also didn't lean on Ruby when it was there— at least usually. Ruby counted herself lucky it wasn't a full-, or even half-leg prosthetic, and that she only had to support her wife a few steps to the couch this time. Instead of across the entire medical wing of a combat school wearing nothing but a medical gown and missing a liter of blood… like last time.

I wonder how many people get to say 'like last time' to a situation like that? There's got to be at least seven of us. Maybe we could start a band!

But, the needs of the hobbling spouse outweighed the needs of the imaginary musical group, at least until Weiss finally relieved Ruby of her burden and took her seat at end of the sofa. Weiss still looked incredible even wearing a pair of baggy lounge pants and a Signal-branded tee that was probably older than Ruby. Laying her foot and legs across said three seater, Ruby took a moment to take in the utter Weiss of the moment and admire the woman in question once more.

Her hair was down, which in itself was a rare treat not often seen outside of their morning routine, but retained a very special set of hairpins just to keep it out of her eyes. Her face was immaculate in that she only applied the basics of her normal makeup— foundation, a bit of blush, and some mascara; practically naked to the world compared to most days. Her arms were currently uncovered by sleeves, and showed a collection of old scars which on anyone else would be visible as paler skin, but for Weiss it were little more than patches of extra texture under just the right lighting at just the right angle. Her legs, despite being covered by the soft material were shapely and— Ruby knew from experience— easily capable of turning most small grimm into vapor on their own. Out of the leg of the pants stuck a pristine foot, whose toes were currently being flexed and clearly beckoning for a rub at Ruby's earliest convenience, and a connection hub for a prosthetic ankle and foot.

Weiss' metal-capped stump wasn't hidden like it had been for months after she had received it— a concerted effort on at least three fronts made sure that particular habit didn't have the ground to take root. Much like Yang, she had spent a fair amount of time impossible to motivate. Unlike Yang, the original foot was amputated medically and on purpose. The damage done to it had rendered simple time and physical therapy a completely viable option if she had been ready to take it easy for a year for an almost full recovery. Weiss' life was far from from over. But she opted—with only input from Yang, much to Ruby's resentment at the time— to bring herself back up to fighting form much more swiftly with a prosthetic replacement.

"Take a seat or take a hike. You can get all doey-eyed at your house," a coarse voice from behind her chided. It had a sound not entirely unlike Yang's, but it's owner lacked the same sense of compassion to temper her rougher edges. Ruby turned towards the source with a beaming smile on her face and maybe just a bit of vitriol in mind.

"Sure thing mom," Ruby's perfectly trained smile showed absolutely no sign of sarcasm or dishonesty, but still the raven haired woman reacted like she'd been physically attacked. "I've got to make a quick jump back over to the workshop, mind not kidnapping my wife while I'm gone?" before she could see the reaction to her words, Ruby spun one more and planted a kiss on Weiss' head before making for the door.

The smile never left Ruby's face.

Eleven Months Ago:

"Dad, you can't be serious" to call Yang's mood 'eruptive' would put volcanoes to shame, "you know what she did last time. How can you possibly think letting—" Yang gesticulated angrily towards the closed door leading back to the den from the bedroom Taiyang, herself and Ruby had all shuffled into. " —Her back into your life is a good idea?"

Taiyang, for his part, seemed to have expected this kind of reaction. Instead of getting defensive or any sort of combative, he let out a long sigh before answering "I don't think it's a good idea. Not in the slightest. I think Raven will absolutely take the first chance to fly away the minute—" Tai jammed his index finger into an open palm for emphasis, "— she thinks it's the best course of action to save her skin from anything even mildly inconvenient."

"So why—" Yang's question was silenced by a hand being held up.

"Let me finish honey. Then you and I can go out to the yard and beat the sense into one another the easy way. But until then listen. Please" Taiyang's voice didn't raise as he interrupted his daughter, instead remaining calm and level. Not that it was surprising, in Ruby's experience her dad had only yelled twice.

He would shout— raise his volume to be heard over distances or noise —often during their childhood sure, but the three of them had lived in the woods. Shouting was just the default form of speaking over 'short' distances when surrounded my sound-absorbing trees. He would also shout encouragements and critiques during Sparring matches or other training exercises. But her dad had only ever yelled twice.

This situation wasn't anywhere near either of those two in terms of Taiyang being angry.

Ruby's father squared his shoulders, and took a shuddering breath as he recentered himself. "I don't think it's a good idea. But she's still family— and not just because we were married and had you—" He preempted an interjection from Yang, "family like you two and Blake and Weiss. Even if the four of you didn't have a ceremony, or your weddings bands, you know full well you would do nearly anything for eachother. For me, that includes watching out for Qrow's sister since he can't anymore," Tai paused. He showed signs of internal struggle as he did, like he was wrestling with an Ursa in his brain, "And your mom, Summer, she made me promise when we were still in school that I would take care of those two. Make sure they had a shoulder when she couldn't be there" he deflated a bit at having to pull the Summer card, but Ruby and Yang were respectful enough to let him have the time to recover. "So bad idea? Absolutely. But if you want me to turn my back on those promises…"

Ruby found the words she'd been searching for since her and Yang had entered their childhood home to find her father and Raven waiting for them. "We love you dad." She closed the distance between them for a hug, pulling Yang in as she did. "But if you think for a second that we're going to let either of you live this one down, you clearly raised two different daughters."

Yang sighed before joining the hug instead of just being roped into it. "Just for this, you better be ready to pay in the sparring ring."

Taiyang Xiao Long gave a deep belly laugh "You better be ready yourself, little dragon."

Present Day:

The trip from the Xiao Long-Branwen cabin to the workshop was quick, just a short walk for most, towards a structure built far enough to prevent loss of anything remotely flammable or otherwise lacking in desire to possibly be destroyed by a misfire or explosion.

As she opened the door, a wave of heat washed over her. "Dad! You forgot to turn the exhaust fans on again," Ruby shouted over the noise of said previously-still fans she had switched on as she entered.

The workshop had originally been a gift from Ruby (and the rest of her family) to her father. As he had continued to age, his ability to contribute to local Hunts had dwindled. He could still teach at Signal without issue, but he was clearly itching to do something beyond just run drills and train students. Ruby attributed her love of weapons and gadgets to Taiyang's old tinkering shed, the birthplace of her own Crescent Rose and her sister's Ember Celica; even the 'hospital' for uncle Qrow's trusty Harbinger on occasion. Those memories had lead her to convincing him to step back from the direct grimm hunting, and instead become a recovery destination for Hunters and Hunter equipment alike.

The workshop had the facilities for a maximum of six to work on repairs and upgrades at the same time, regardless of what station or tool was required. During most weekends, it was a place for local students to brainstorm and learn from Quartermaster Taiyang himself the intricacies and subtleties of any and all Hunter tools which came through his domain. But for the moment it was empty save for Ruby herself, and Taiyang as he worked on Weiss' foot.

Those who utilized the space all had access to a public collection of rocket-propelled lockers which were housed there, or even space for their own to be stored if they were visiting from far enough away. Ruby always kept a spare locker here, which she now approached. Emblazoned with the icon her and her mother shared, the locker had once belonged to Summer, but had long ago been repurposed by her daughter. She punched in her personal code, M-R-M-D-N, a shorthand for the old patchian word roughly translating to Gravekeeper. It didn't open to show another Crescent Rose, or extra ammo. Instead it held memories.

A silver sword with bright green accents hung from a nearly invisible metal wire. An old piece of a torn red sash. A panel of plate armor, white under all the scorch marks and wear. A pair of goggles, their yellow lenses cracked. Memories; sometimes the only remnants and sometimes just momentos gifted by their still living owners. Those, and a veritable bank of small, multicolor coins in neatly sorted and bound stacks weighed the locker down well beyond the safe limit for flight or delivery of its cargo.

With care, Ruby began to remove her day trip outfit. Her long sleeved blouse came over her head with a cacophony of jingling. Her pants gave a similar sound as they were pulled down. The small, multicolor coins which made up her form-fitting armor exposed. Slowly, she undid the clasps and bindings of the layer of protection granted by those she had known.

Ruby re-covered herself with a spare outfit her father kept in the building for her, close fitting and easy to work in, with the addition of a work apron grabbed from a nearby hook. The interconnected plates of metal were still mostly in fine shape as she laid them out across a nearby workbench. The upper body's cuirass and bracers were all in working order, but large swaths of protection were missing from the cape's undelayer and one of the thigh panels where she had taken hits on her last hunt. With practiced ease, Ruby began to find the damaged coins and disconnect them from the whole. Each one holding a symbol and a pair of dates. Each one a friend, or enemy, who had once again led her to where she was now. Alive, and fighting for the world they would never see.

After stacking and binding the marks into a bundle, she placed them into her locker before reaching into her belt pockets. She drew out several more memories, several more friends. It took time, but still she drilled holes into the disks and linked them to her everyday armor where they were united with more whose lives had touched hers, and continued to protect it. Luckily only a handful were required this time, but she was getting older. Getting slower. Ruby wondered if she would run out of enemies first, or memories. She was afraid of what either one would mean for her.

But, for the time it took for the new links to cool and set, Ruby Rose was not weighed down by those memories. Not physically anyway.

For the rest of today, Ruby Rose was unburdened, visiting her father, and running late for that foot rub she owed Weiss.

For the moment, Ruby Rose-Schnee was light.

AN:

Awww, Ruby's an emotionally burdened bundle of snark. who could have seen that coming?

Not much to say about this chapter, I got to recall a bit of worldbuilding from.. 12 chapters ago? 9?

As always, thanks to Yell Head (and deTimber on this one a bit)

And please give me feedback. all of it. otherwise I wouldn't know to do stuff like add in a few timeline-assisting things back in the early chapters.