Gentle rays of sunlight were only just beginning to peek their way through a slight gap in the window shades by the time Ruby's alarm began to sound. Ruby woke with a surprised snort, eyes opening blearily and hand searching by hearing alone to follow it to the source. She found her scroll a few moments later, and swiped her finger across the screen to end the torturous tune.

Ruby breathed a tired sigh and sat up in bed, rubbing a hand across her eyes to rid herself of the vestiges of sleep. She opened them to discover the room exactly as she'd left it, aside from Olivia now also being awake. She was sitting up in bed with her back against the wall, an open book propped up in her lap. Squinting in the low light, Ruby could also see a slight puffiness around her eyes, as if she'd failed to get any rest at all.

'I thought so…' Ruby had known Olivia was faking the night before, but hadn't wanted to pressure her into speaking. Whatever happened inside the club was clearly troubling them all, and Olivia was no exception. It had been a long time since Yang went full sister mode, and to see Olivia agreeing so vehemently only inspired Ruby's vivid imagination.

They clearly wanted to protect her, but even so, it was her duty as leader to look after the wellbeing of everyone on the team. So what if they were more experienced?

Ruby yawned, holding her hands above her head to stretch. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Olivia replied automatically.

"Did you get much sleep?" Ruby already knew the answer, but asked anyway to see how Olivia would respond. The younger girl hopped down from her bed to move to her dresser, ready to begin the day fresh despite the previous night's incidents. She stopped in surprise when a brief groan sounded next to her, revealing Weiss to have already returned to their dorms.

"Plenty." Olivia let out a tired laugh, closing the book in her hands. "You're up pretty early yourself. Planning to check on Blake?"

"Yup. Wanna come with me?" Ruby opened her dresser and pulled out her usual outfit, black and red corset with matching combat skirt. "The nurses said she'd be mostly healed up by morning, but if not then we can grab her breakfast on the way."

Olivia glanced over at Weiss, considering Ruby's offer. "Do you want to wait a bit longer until Weiss wakes up? I don't think… She shouldn't be alone right now, that's all."

Ruby eyed Weiss worriedly, "You didn't tell me what happened to her last night…"

Olivia smiled sadly at the heiress, "I wanted to spare you the details, but considering what Weiss told me last night… Maybe you can get through to her?" She sighed, following it up with a small, uncertain shrug of her shoulders. "Weiss was blaming herself for what happened. I might have helped her get past some of her guilt? At least I hope I did… She thinks the White Fang was there for her. You know, Schnee heiress and all that… There's plenty of faunus that would love to try and take down a Schnee, let alone anyone from the White Fang."

Ruby sent the sleeping Weiss a pitying look. 'She shouldn't be blaming herself for something like that.' Olivia was clearly having troubles convincing her, but Ruby now knew at least one person that could say for certain. Blake had assured her that she wasn't part of the organization any more, but even so, she might have some insight into why else they might have attacked that club in particular.

'Weiss wouldn't have any more reason to believe Blake though, not unless she revealed herself as an ex-member.'

"You don't think they were after her?" Ruby asked, just to be sure. From the way Olivia had said it, it didn't sound like she agreed with Weiss's assessment.

Olivia waved a hand dismissively, "Of course not. If you want to assassinate someone then you don't make a big show out of it. There were too many bystanders there, not to mention how only one actually attacked Weiss." She shook her head, "The White Fang was there for something else entirely. Either that, or they really just suck at their jobs."

"That makes sense," Ruby agreed after spending a few moments thinking on it. She'd seen plenty of news stories about the White Fang in Vale. By all accounts, they were incredibly efficient and always managed to get away relatively unscathed. If Blake had been one of them until recently, then there was no wonder they'd managed to do so well for so long.

On the other hand, Ruby couldn't imagine what else the White Fang might have been there for. The club had held humans and faunus alike. They seemed to be getting along well enough. Could it really have been some personal vendetta, and only a coincidence that Weiss was there?

'I'll just have to ask Blake,' Ruby decided finally. Fretting over it here wouldn't do her any good.

Ruby bundled up her clothes and pointed her feet towards the bathroom door, ready to get dressed and hurry down ahead of her teammates. "You should definitely stay here until Weiss wakes up. She'll feel better having someone there for her when she does. I… need to go check on Blake. There's something I need to talk with her about, uh-" Ruby quickly thought up an excuse, "I want to make sure that man doesn't come after her again. Or at least prepare in case he does."

"You and me both, kid. If Weiss feels up to it, we'll meet you down there?"

Ruby stepped into the bathroom, "Sounds like a plan. Message me when you do. Blake might be well enough to meet in the cafeteria instead, after all."

Really, she just wanted a warning before her teammates showed up. It would be important if they chose to reveal Blake's secret that it was at the appropriate time, under the right conditions. Ruby didn't think Olivia would really mind at all, considering how highly she spoke of the White Fang. Weiss, however, was an entirely different ordeal. Ruby could only imagine how a truth like that might tear her teammates apart. After fixing the divide between Olivia and Weiss, Ruby didn't want to go through it all again with Blake in her stead.

Olivia nodded assent and shuffled in bed, pushing away from the wall to lay down while facing towards Weiss. "Let Blake know I hope she feels better, and… we'll definitely talk later. For now, I'm going to try and get a little more sleep."

"Consider your message delivered!" Ruby whispered. She closed the door behind herself and quickly changed before heading out, making sure to remain as silent as possible in the hopes of not disturbing her teammates' slumber.

There were no signs of life from the dorm across the hall as Ruby left. With the way her sister had been acting the night prior, Ruby knew she would need to talk to her as well, sooner rather than later. She'd always been good at cheering others up, especially Yang. There wasn't anything quite like a hug from your sweet younger sister to free you from all your earthly woes.

The trip from the dorm to the infirmary was brisk enough, hallways and walkways littered with various students that were easily bypassed by a lone girl of small stature. Ruby overheard many talking about the terrorist attack along the way, most details of which were either overly exaggerated or outright wrong.

'Twenty Bullheads? Where on Remnant would the White Fang get their hands on twenty Bullheads? It was shocking enough that they managed to steal two!'

Ruby rolled her eyes in exasperation and chose to ignore the idle gossip she overheard. People liked to make events sound far more extravagant than they actually were, and it appeared that Beacon students were no exception.

There was only one nurse working the front counter when Ruby entered the waiting room to the infirmary. She gave a polite wave when the woman looked up from behind her desk, a gesture that was reciprocated in kind. The nurse's smile was tense, though, as if she'd been reminded of something she'd rather not have been upon seeing Ruby.

The young huntress shrugged it off once the nurse turned back to her work, figuring Olivia had done something to earn the staff's ire again. She set off for Blake's room, and took a moment to smooth out her clothes once she'd arrived. Ruby knocked, hoping she hadn't chosen to come down too early. No matter what Olivia said, Blake's injury had certainly looked serious to Ruby. It was worse than any she'd ever seen.

"Come in!" Blake's voice called out from beyond the door, muffled by the wood and followed by an indistinct yawn.

Ruby opened the door and peeked inside, making sure Blake was decent before entering fully. Blake was laying where Ruby had left her the night previously, now resting on her back as opposed to her stomach. The nurses had said she would be free to switch positions once her aura was in full effect, bandages and stitches alike working in tandem to shore up the damaged tissue.

Blake's face had recovered much of its color from the night before. She no longer looked drained, but healthy and refreshed. Ruby smiled happily despite the issues weighing on her mind, glad that her friend had managed to recover in such a short amount of time.

"I didn't expect you this early. Are you sure you got enough rest?" Blake asked worriedly.

"Pfft, me? I'm fine!" Ruby brushed off her concern. In truth, she hadn't slept well, but she had slept. 'Even so, I'm not the injured one here!'

"That's good to hear," Blake nodded acceptance, reaching over to pat the chair next to her. "I know we left things… unresolved, last night. Was there more you wanted to ask me?"

"There were some things I still wanted to know, yeah…" Ruby took the seat offered and smoothed out her skirt, deciding to pass along the promised message. It would give her a few more moments to think about how she wanted to tackle their issues, after all. "Olivia says she hopes you're feeling better, and that she'll talk with you later."

"I'll hold her to that…" Blake spoke in a very subdued manner. She perked up after a few seconds, raising her eyes to Ruby's. "But for now… I suppose you wanted to know more about my time with the White Fang?"

"...A little bit," Ruby agreed timidly. "How'd you join them in the first place?"

"Right," Blake chuckled, raising a finger to scratch her chin awkwardly. "Makes sense you'd ask that. I guess you could say... I was born into it? My father… My father was the one that started the White Fang in the first place."

"Your-!?" Ruby stopped herself, placing a hand over her own mouth to stifle the words begging to come out. She released her hand a few moments later, dropping her voice into what could at least pass as a shocked whisper. "Your dad is the leader of the White Fang!?"

"Was," Blake corrected with a small shake of her head. "The White Fang used to be peaceful back when he was the leader. We organized rallies, held petitions and marches, boycotted goods created through unjust faunus labor and working conditions… But, humans kept disrupting them. Attacking us on the road or harassing us at protests, doing everything in their power to keep the faunus down, to make sure we remained second class citizens."

Ruby's eyes widened, "What changed all that?"

"Sienna Khan. She replaced my father when the faunus started becoming disillusioned with his tactics. We weren't getting through to the humans. We managed to bring about some change, but once Sienna took over…" Blake sighed, "Lien makes the world go 'round… The humans responsible for suppressing us were suddenly much more amiable when they couldn't profit from it. We robbed stores, burned down buildings, and ransacked shipments of everything from food to Dust. The humans were forced to respect us, else they would invite swift retribution."

Ruby frowned, "So why'd you leave?"

"Because we started going too far. I thought it was bad before, but with what happened last night…"

Ruby could see the pain behind Blake's eyes. Pain for what the White Fang had become, for what they'd done. She reached a hand out to place it overtop Blake's, offering up her support.

Blake smiled in thanks, reassured that Ruby wasn't there to judge her, only to understand. "I never thought my father's creation would turn into what it is now. I was impatient before. I saw the results that Sienna was bringing about and decided to stay in the White Fang, even after my parents left. Adam's gone too far, though. I can't condone his actions. He was bad before, but… something's pushed him even further."

Blake bit her lip, hand turning over to grasp Ruby's. "What if… What if I was the only thing holding him back? What if, now that I'm not there…"

Ruby squeezed, interrupting Blake's train of thought and bringing her eyes back to her. "Don't think that way. You aren't responsible." She paused, reminded of the earlier issue brought to light that morning. "Neither is Weiss."

Blake's brow furrowed, "Weiss? What do you mean?"

Ruby hesitated a moment, sincerely hoping that Blake would be able to assuage her doubts. "Weiss thinks the White Fang attacked the club because they were going after her. She blames herself for the people that died, since in her mind they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Blake's eyes widened, "No... No way. Adam already agreed-" She cut herself off with a start, averting her gaze while deep in thought.

'Agreed?'

Parts of the conversation from the night before came back to Ruby, words that had been exchanged between Blake and Adam. 'If you hurt us, she won't be happy about it.' Afterwards, Blake had declared that Weiss was inside, and said 'If you think attacking me will make her angry…'

"Who were you threatening Adam with?" Ruby asked slowly. "You mentioned a girl. Did you mean Sienna?"

Blake's hand pulled away from Ruby's, moving to instead fidget nervously with the other in her lap. "...I…" She glanced in Ruby's direction, clearly torn over how she should respond. "I wasn't talking about Sienna…"

Ruby's confusion was palpable. Adam had seemed incredibly strong. Strong enough that even Ruby had her doubts on whether or not the two of them could have held their own, even with their weapons. As far as she was aware, it wasn't often you came across someone powerful enough to cause harm through aura.

'Who would someone like Adam be afraid of, then?'

After a few long, drawn out seconds, Blake gave her head a small shake. "I'm sorry. It isn't my secret to give."

Given no answer and no other recourse, Ruby couldn't help but mull the question over in her head. 'Another girl, most likely a faunus… she would have to be incredibly skilled to pose a threat to Adam… and she would need a reason to want to protect us, specifically. Me, Blake, and Weiss…'

It clicked in her mind, obvious after all the facts had been considered. "It's Olivia, isn't it?" The answer seemed clear enough to her. Who else fit?

Blake froze in panic, giving Ruby all the answers she needed.

"How does Olivia know Adam? Unless…" Ruby connected the dots further, expanding on the recent deductions she'd made. She couldn't help but laugh incredulously, realizing exactly what secret the pair of them had been keeping. "Wow, Weiss has some really bad luck to end up with two White Fang members on her team."

"Ex! Ex-White Fang!" Blake said in a panic, making sure her point was driven home. "Olivia and I, neither of us are in it anymore." She reached back out to grab Ruby's hand, suddenly pleading, "Please, you can't tell Weiss any of this. She-"

"Blake!" Ruby interrupted in exasperation, "I'm not stupid! I know how Weiss would react if she found that out! Do you think I want to break our team apart!?"

Blake's mouth moved for a few moments without any sound coming out. She finally came back to herself, giving her head a small shake. "No, you're right. I just… like I said, it wasn't my secret to give. I didn't want to break Olivia's trust."

Ruby sighed, taking a moment to consider what she'd learned. No matter what their pasts were, all she cared about was the here and now. Blake was worried about what Ruby would think of her, worried what she'd think of Olivia now that their secret was out. In the ensuing silence, Ruby looked deep within to consider how she truly felt.

"I understand. I don't think any less of her. I don't think less of either of you." She'd seen how the faunus were mistreated at times. Ruby could understand wanting to fight back against oppression. On top of that, she knew her teammates. Perhaps not as well as she'd thought, but Ruby could see the good in them. Blake might like keeping to herself more often than not, and Olivia always doubted herself, but they were both undeniably trying to change for the better.

"You… you mean that?" Blake asked tentatively, amber eyes staring worriedly into silver.

Ruby smiled, "It is a bit of a shock, but… you saved my life, Blake. How could I possibly think less of you after something like that?" She eyed the bandages within view, saddened to know her actions had caused Blake pain. "You could have dodged that attack. Instead, you took it for me… Thank you."

A hesitant smile flickered across Blake's lips. Ruby could see her eyes beginning to brim, quickly dashed away by a few rapid blinks of long lashes. Blake turned her head away in embarrassment, and raised her free hand to wipe away at the tears that fell across her cheeks.

Worried, Ruby stood from her chair and clutched Blake's hand more tightly, "Blake! I'm sorry! Was it something I said!?"

Blake let out a shaky laugh, a slight warble in its tone. "N-No, Ruby. Of course not. I… I'm just…" she sniffed and shook her head back and forth, "It's been so long since… since someone thanked me for doing something good. I guess I'm just… I'm just really happy, you know?"

"Ohhh~" Ruby smiled and leaned forward, wrapping both arms around Blake in the fiercest hug she dared to give. "Well, get used to it! With me as leader, I'll never forget to thank my teammates for what they do!"

Ruby felt Blake's arms wrap slowly around her in kind, returning the hug with much less ferocity. Ever so slowly, the contact strengthened, until Ruby was more so laying across the bed than standing on her own two feet.

'Ruby hugs are the best hugs~' she quietly hummed to herself, glad that Blake had finally reciprocated. It was nearly thirty seconds later before Blake sighed in contentment, and pulled away to allow Ruby to stand once more.

"So, now that's out of the way… we need to convince Weiss as well," Blake said. "Have any ideas? Revealing my past or Olivia's is out of the question, but… what else can we do?"

Ruby sat back down and raised a hand to her chin, stroking it thoughtfully while pondering the question that had been raised once again. Ruby wanted to help Weiss as she'd just done for Blake, but with how standoffish her partner could be, she doubted a hug would do the trick.

"Weiss needs evidence. Olivia already tried to convince her and failed. Maybe…" An idea came to Ruby's mind, slowly forming into more than just a passing thought. Her eyes sought out Blake's, expression mirroring the doubts for her own plan. "What if we captured someone in the White Fang and asked them directly?"

Blake's expression soured, immediately causing Ruby to raise her hands and wave them frantically, "We don't have to if you don't want to! I know you'd run the risk of exposing yourself! It's been a while since you were a member though, right? There should be some new recruits that don't know you… If we can work together and catch one, then we can have Weiss ask them instead!"

Blake sighed, "I don't know, Ruby… It's risky, to say the least. On top of that, I don't think Olivia will want to put you at risk, either."

Ruby crossed her arms defiantly, "I'm not helpless. What's one or two White Fang members to a Huntress like me? With the rest of you at my side, there shouldn't be any problems!"

"Huntress in training," Blake corrected, but quickly flashed an apologetic smile when Ruby's eyes narrowed further. "Not that I think you couldn't take down a few of them by yourself. Just that Olivia might not see it that way."

"She doesn't have to come if she doesn't want to."

Blake made a small 'tsk' sound, "You know she will if you do. Do you really think Weiss would be okay with this plan either, though?"

Ruby frowned, "I don't see why not. She's always had a bone to pick with them. We wouldn't need to hurt the Fang member, anyway. What's there to worry about?"

"Weiss is already a potential target, Ruby. Drawing more attention to herself could be the exact opposite of what she needs."

"Then we just go ourselves," Ruby blurted out. She knew it was a bad idea as soon as she said it. How would they pull off something like that?

Blake opened her mouth to argue, then paused in thought. She frowned as well, eyes going to the ceiling as if actually considering the sudden proposition. After a few moments, her eyes returned, an uncertainty in her gaze.

"We… could do that. If Adam hasn't moved the safehouse in Vale, then I'll be able to lead us to it. There aren't usually many members stationed there, since that would draw suspicion. We could sneak in-"

"What!? That's-" Ruby stopped herself, wanting to say 'that's crazy!'. At the same time, she was tired of being underestimated. 'Where's the harm? I took out a dozen of Torchwick's men! I can do this!'

Even so, the proposition of going with only Blake by her side was daunting. She had the utmost confidence in her friend, but to go without the other half of their team?

"How would that help us prove to Weiss that she wasn't the target?" Ruby said, backtracking on her own idea. "We'd have to call her up on our scrolls or something while we were still holding the White Fang member captive… Unless you think she'd just believe us. Then we might as well not and say we did…"

"We could get a recording?" Blake suggested, face still twisted with her own self-doubt.

Ruby scoffed, "Yeah, that would look great. 'Hey, Weiss! Watch this video! No, don't mind that he's tied to a chair! Just listen to what he's saying!' We'd look like total maniacs!"

"Maybe, but at least Weiss would have some peace of mind…"

Ruby's mouth worked despite no sound coming out. She finally gave up with a sigh, sitting back in her chair to allow herself to calm down and try to think rationally. "Let's just… consider that as a last resort. We can try and convince Weiss the regular way first. Who knows, Headmaster Ozpin sent those messages to us about having one on one meetings, maybe the teachers will manage to get through to Weiss. We don't need to rush into anything just yet."

After a moment, Blake nodded acceptance. "You're right. We can wait and see what happens with her session before we make any big decisions like that. If it comes down to it… I would feel better having Olivia with us."

"She'd try and stop us from going at all… and Weiss is smart. She'd wonder how you knew where a White Fang hideout was…" Ruby shook her head, "If we end up doing this, it has to be just the two of us."

Blake stared at Ruby carefully, "You'd have to follow my lead. No arguing, no second-guessing what I tell you. If I say run, you run."

"Pfft, we won't have to-"

"Ruby," Blake cut her off, a note of absolute resolution in her voice. "If I say run, you run. Promise me that, or I'll never agree to go."

Ruby grimaced in mild defiance, but seeing the worried look on Blake's face, changed her mind. Her shoulders slackened, and she let out a small sigh of defeat.

"Alright, I promise. If the teachers can't help Weiss and we end up going through with our plan… I'll do whatever you say. No arguments."

Blake continued staring at her for a few moments, trying to determine whether or not Ruby was lying. Seeming satisfied, she nodded.

"I'll hold you to that."

Ruby opened her mouth to speak once more, but was interrupted by a loud rumbling sound coming from Blake's stomach. The cat faunus's face brightened, and she pressed a hand against her midriff to try and quell its complaints.

Feeling the tension dissipate immediately, Ruby smiled and glanced towards the door. "So, feeling up for a walk to the cafeteria, or do you want me to get you something?"

"Let me see…" The color slowly faded from Blake's cheeks, though a slight tinge remained. She shifted in bed, using her hands to prop herself up and test the muscles in her back. A few seconds passed before she gave a satisfied nod and spun on the bed, resting her feet over the edge while taking another moment to check how she felt.

"I think I can manage. The nurses might not like it if I leave so soon, though."

Ruby grinned, "It won't be the first time a member of our team snuck out beneath their noses. I think they're already mad at Olivia again anyway."

Blake laughed, standing up and spotting what remained of her clothes across the room. If she put her pants back on, the hospital gown would serve well enough as a shirt if she tucked it in.

"If anyone asks, Olivia was the one to bust me out."

Ruby laughed as well as she stepped to the door and opened it, letting herself out into the hall to allow Blake some privacy while she got dressed. "See you in a few~"

She closed the door and pulled out her scroll, sending Olivia a quick update that the pair of them would be in the dining hall. 'Just in case Weiss wakes up soon.'

All things considered, Ruby was nervous about the prospect of going through with their plan. She would rather find some way to talk Weiss out of her guilt instead of risking her own and Blake's lives on a secret mission.

At the same time though, Ruby was tired of being underestimated. Nerves or no, she knew she was a capable young woman. Fighting Torchwick's goons had been a cinch. She doubted an untrained White Fang member or two would pose much of a threat.

'As long as we're careful…'

Ruby was confident they could pull it off.

Olivia shifted restlessly in bed, turning on her stomach to stuff a pillow over her head and try to drown out the world. With it, she hoped to ignore the thoughts that ailed her. All it managed to do was suffocate the light from her eyes though, a fact that held little meaning when she could still distinctly feel every aspect of the room around her.

'What should I do…?'

Olivia had been asking herself that question all night, with little in the way of an actual answer. She was riddled with guilt, both for what had happened to her friends, and for what she had let happen to so many others.

For years, all she'd had to call her own was pride in her work, the renown that came with being the 'Black Lotus'. She couldn't go back on her word. A deal was a deal, and Olivia owed Cinder for helping her escape Mistral in the first place. To turn her back on her now went against every fiber of her being, except…

'Are you just going to keep pretending to be a good person?'

Olivia knew what Cinder and the others were doing was wrong. Killing innocent people went against what she stood for as well. Even as the Black Lotus, she had always kept her contracts centered around those with shady dealings of their own. Other members of the underworld, gang leaders, corrupt politicians… never innocents.

'At least, not when I could help it…'

Vasilias had been innocent. A man brutally drowned, left for his child to find in their pool… Olivia had thought him responsible for the deaths of the White Fang at the time, only to find out that Widow had driven them all to it. How much blame had truly rested on his shoulders?

'And the Alabasters?' Olivia had hunted the married couple down with Widow at her side, targets whose death had felt wholly justified upon discovering her brother's weapon in their possession.

Olivia rolled back over restlessly, scrubbing her hands across her face. 'Even if I did turn against Cinder… How long would it be before they revealed my secrets?' Olivia tightened her hand as it began to shake, mind immediately envisioning how her friends would respond. She would be an outcast again, bereft of all the ties helping her to become a better person.

Ruby, staring at her in fear and disappointment. Yang, holding her sister back, protecting her from the monster Olivia truly was. Ren and Nora, eyes full of pity but incapable of bringing themselves to reach out, knowing that she had been lying to them all along. Blake, disgusted to discover the secrets she'd been helping to protect.

Weiss, unable to forgive her.

Olivia let out a rattling sigh, opening her eyes to try and rid herself of the mental image. She stared at the bunk above her, no closer to a decision than she had been so many hours before.

The quiet rustle of movement and a soft groan from across the room interrupted Olivia's thoughts and announced Weiss coming to consciousness. The heiress grumbled minutely, curling up more tightly on her bed while burying her face deeply into her pillow. Olivia smiled, glad at least one of them was getting the rest they deserved.

'Maybe I helped more than I thought…'

Weiss jolted up from her bed in the next instant. She gasped loudly, hand moving to her throat as if fending off an attacker. Olivia was on her feet immediately, silently reprimanding herself for being so foolish as to believe she could help anyone.

"Weiss! You're okay!" Olivia stated quickly, waving her hands in the other girl's field of view to help orient her with her surroundings, instead of whatever nightmare-scape still gripped her in its clutches.

Weiss's wide eyes settled on Olivia, taking a moment to comprehend the other girl's presence. She let out a shaky sigh once she had, blinking back the slight wetness that had appeared and laying back down with a huff. Weiss brought her arm up, burying her face in the crease of her elbow.

Olivia bit her lip, psyching herself up to at least try and help again. 'Practice makes perfect, right?' She stepped tentatively forward, turning slightly to sit awkwardly on the edge of Weiss's bed and offer up her presence once more.

The pair remained quiet for a few long seconds, Olivia debating what to say while Weiss got her breathing back under control. The heiress beat her to the punch, speaking up while Olivia failed to think of something to say that might make her feel better.

"It was just a dream. Nothing to worry about," Weiss said calmly. Olivia could tell that she was more so trying to assure herself, an almost imperceptible tremble remaining in the tone of her voice.

Olivia let out a soft chuckle, "Yeah, that's what I always tell myself, too." She stared down at Weiss, the heiress still blocking her own vision with her forearm, "Wanna talk about it?"

Weiss gave a small shrug from her place on the bed, "What would be the point? You probably already know what I was dreaming about…"

Olivia considered the question for a few seconds, shifting a little further onto the bed to gain a modicum of comfort. "Well, I guess… If there's one thing you've taught me over the last couple days, it's that opening up and sharing with those you can trust… It does help... It certainly made me feel better."

Weiss remained motionless for a time before slowly pulling her arm away, revealing the tear tracks that had grown while her face was obscured. She wiped her blanket across her face, trying to rid herself of the evidence after Olivia had already seen it. With a weary sigh, she pulled herself up into a sitting position and leaned back against the headboard, patting the space next to her to let Olivia know she should move closer.

Olivia did so without complaint, drawing herself fully onto the bed to sit next to Weiss. The heiress was still firmly tucked beneath her blanket while Olivia sat atop it, Weiss clutching the edge while silently considering what to say.

"It… it was that faunus… the White Fang member… I dreamt he was strangling me again, but this time I was still in my bed, not at the bar…"

Olivia nodded her understanding, "Sorry you had to go through that, Weiss." She pondered how best to continue, wanting to assure her that nothing like that could ever happen within the dorm. "If it makes you feel any better, there's not a chance in hell anyone would be able to get in here without waking me up."

Weiss glanced in her direction, "Your sixth sense still works that well in your sleep?"

"Yup. If anyone I didn't know or trust came anywhere near our room, I'd be the first to know about it." Olivia shrugged, "I can typically tell who's who, as long as I've felt their presence before. Everyone is a little bit distinct, though being around them more often still helps."

"Really?" Weiss tilted her head slightly. She grinned a moment later, "I'm not still 'like a car alarm' anymore, am I?"

Olivia laughed, "No, not by a long shot." She felt out, taking stock of exactly how 'threatening' Weiss's presence was before pausing in confusion. Somehow, the sense she was getting from the heiress had managed to become even more muted, paling by far in comparison to what it once had been. If Olivia had to compare, she would have guessed it was even lower than Ruby's. Lower even than Widow's had ever been.

Weiss noticed the frown on Olivia's face and raised an eyebrow, "What? What's wrong?"

Olivia shook her head, confused by the development but choosing to ignore it for the time being. "Nothing. I was just thinking about what we could do to help you." She looked away sheepishly, uncertain on whether or not Weiss would appreciate what she was going to say next. "I uh, told Ruby about how you felt. I know I wasn't able to convince you so I hoped she might be able to in my stead."

Weiss scoffed, "If you couldn't then how would Ruby manage to? It isn't about my feelings, anymore. I just…" She trailed off, a haziness appearing in her eyes while she thought deeply. "I don't think there's anything anyone could do, really. Not without finding out for certain why the White Fang was there."

"Did he… say anything? I know it might hurt to think about, but…"

Weiss frowned, lip raising in a grimace while she recalled the night's events. "He was talking at first, but I don't really remember much of what he said. I was a little too busy trying not to die… Something about rules, and… a… a 'race traitor'?"

'Weiss not remembering is for the best. I'm probably the 'race traitor' he was referring to, after all. I doubt Widow went around giving out my real name to any of them either. Still, with no proof to go off of, I can't convince her that they weren't there for her…'

Olivia gave a somber shrug, "No clues there. Anyone that works with humans would be seen as a traitor in the White Fang's eyes."

Weiss was still frowning, appearing lost in thought while trying to dredge up what memories she could from the encounter. Olivia decided to get in the way of her remembering too much and broke her concentration, bumping a shoulder into the other girl and sharing a soft smile when she looked her way.

"Don't think too hard about it. It's better to move past these things instead of dwelling on them too long."

Weiss slumped tiredly, "Yeah, you're probably right." She looked at Olivia closely for the first time, now only a handful of inches away from each other. Her features flashed with concern, eyes traveling up and down Olivia's face. "What about you? You don't look like you got much rest yourself."

Olivia waved off her concern, glancing away as she did so, suddenly feeling less comfortable with Weiss being quite so close. "Nothing to worry about, Princess. I'm the same old faunus I've always been."

'Irredeemable…'

"Olivia," Weiss said sternly, drawing herself up as well as she could and placing her hands on her hips. "What was it you said earlier about sharing making you feel better? If I opened up then so can you."

Olivia was saved from Weiss's glare by her scroll going off across the room. She jumped up, more thankful than ever to hear it vibrating against the tabletop. Olivia checked it, seeing a message from Ruby on screen that said she and Blake would be in the dining hall.

Olivia raised the scroll so that Weiss could see the message, waving it back and forth slowly. She brought her other hand up to her own stomach and rubbed it playfully, "The only thing I'm feeling is hungry. Wanna meet up with them and have breakfast?"

Weiss glared, easily seeing through Olivia's attempts at dodging the question. She deflated a moment later though, knowing the other girl well enough to understand she was too stubborn to answer something if she didn't want to.

"Yeah… let me take a quick shower and we can head down."

"Sounds good to me," Olivia nodded, sitting down on her bed. Once Weiss was in the bathroom, she'd go ahead and change as well. Olivia sent Ruby a response while Weiss got up and gathered what she needed.

The heiress stopped at the bathroom door, holding it open and looking back at Olivia. Her eyes narrowed once more, sending a shiver down the faunus's spine. "Don't think I'll forget about this. Fair's fair, Olivia. I want to help you just as much as you want to help me."

'The difference is, only one of us is actually worth helping…'

Olivia smiled sadly, making a small shooing motion while she spoke. "Foods not getting any warmer. C'mon, Princess, I'm starving."

Weiss stared at her for a few more long seconds before sighing, "I'll be out in a few…" She stepped inside without another word, door closing softly behind herself. Olivia could feel her leaning against it for a few moments on the other side, a considerable slump to her petite shoulders.

'I must not have helped…' Olivia berated herself silently, wishing she could be better at this. She stood up from her bed and moved to her dresser, grabbing out a change of clothes, thankful she didn't need to wear her school uniform for the day.

'If only there was someone that could relate. Someone that knew what I was going through…' Olivia couldn't exactly voice her concerns to anyone on team Carmine, nor to any of her friends on Rainbow, Lion, or Coffee. The teachers and Headmaster were obviously out of the question, and Olivia would be damned if she ever opened up to Widow again.

'There's no-...' Olivia paused, mind going to one individual in particular. It wasn't the safest of bets, seeing as anything she said might end up making its way back to Ozpin anyway. She wouldn't be able to go into specifics, but if there was anyone that might understand what she was going through…

Olivia returned to her bedside to grab her scroll and typed out a message, hesitating only a moment before hitting send.

"Hey, old man. You free any time soon?"

Qrow was the only person she could think to confide in.

Thanks for reading,

Sybaen