AN: Hey guys! Man, the world is crazy right now! It's been a while, so I thought I'd put out a pretty decent-sized chapter. Yang isn't quite in her right mind and Ruby's not taking care of herself.

ooOOoo

Lilac eyes blinked slowly, taking in the blurry world around her. There were several dark masses around her, but their surroundings were all an even bigger mass of grayscale pseudo-shapes. She wiped at her eyes, hoping the effort would clear things up, but it did little. Suddenly, a blurry figure jumped up and made its way closer to her.

"Yang! Oh my god!" Even if she couldn't see very well, she'd recognize that voice anywhere. She shifted, letting two arms help her adjust herself. "You're awake! Be careful! You're hurt!"

"Hey, Rubes," Yang ruffled the hair on her sister's head, before resting her forehead in the palm of her hand. "My eyes. Everything is so bright."

"Yeah, you've been mostly out of it for a couple days," she could hear the frown in her sister's voice. "They said you were really lucky." Luck, huh?

"What day is it?" She winced as her nerves registered the injuries all over her body. Among them, her legs hurt the worst, but she was sure she would live. Everything was still intact, which was better than having anything missing.

"Well, they said they brought you in super late Friday night," Ruby shifted herself. "It's Sunday afternoon."

"S-Sunday?" Yang grunted as she tried to recall things and flashes of her memory came flooding back in an intense rush. The heat, the snarling beasts, the wolf, the Sigilist, the two priests and… "The field team leader!" Yang looked up, slowly making out the faces of her other friends. "Wh-where is…"

"Yang, sit back. You're safe," Coco pushed firmly against her shoulder. At first there was resistance, but Yang didn't have the energy to fight back. "But you have stitches everywhere, and trust me; you really don't want those to open back up."

"Wh-what?" Yang's eyes darted around the room. Nothing was making sense and all she could think of was the sense of urgency she felt around her. It wasn't safe here! "No, I need to… Everyone's in danger…"

"Yang, you're in the hospital," Ruby said softly. "You're back in Vale."

"What… no…" Yang's face twisted in confusion. "I… How?"

"Hey, can we get a nurse in here?" Jaune called out the door. He'd had his fair share of concussions and she was lapsing into confusion. He looked at his dazed friend and tried to help her make sense of things. "Yang, all the survivors were brought to this hospital."

"S-survivors?" The blonde girl slowly registered his words and covered her mouth. "No, I… I went back, but I couldn't save anyone… and those guys…" She vividly recalled the priest and his acolyte as they slaughtered everyone without regard. "They… Why weren't they… They were human too… Why…" Jaune flashed a look at Nora and Velvet, who returned his worried look.

"Yang," Jaune started carefully. "Humans were responsible?"

If he had to be honest, he found that hard to believe. He'd seen images of the aftermath and it was a horrifying sight. Each picture painted a grisly canvas of bodies burnt to a flaky crisp and mangled limbs were strewn about. He had honestly thought that a member of the Fire Empress' coven had taken one of their infamous "leisurely strolls" through the operation site, but as horrendous as it was, this was tame for them… and Yang was saying humans were responsible for this?

"I…" Yang buried her head in her hands. "Yes… no! No, it was Werebeasts at first, but then… The person in the gas mask… with the strange wolf… and the two priests… Rrrrrrgh," she groaned as she tried to make sense of what she could remember. "Why did they do that, Jaune?! They killed him!... And then they said that I was one of them!... I'm not like that!"

"Yang," Ruby hugged her, but Yang tried to squirm away. "Please, Yang!"

"No, Ruby," Yang fell from the bed, bringing the IV down with her. "I have to… I can't be…" Two large men came barreling into the room and lifted Yang up. "No, stop! I have to get back to..." They pinned her to the bed and administered a shot to her arm. After a moment, the world began to feel hazy and she felt herself drifting back to sleep. She caught silver eyes with tears rolling down them and felt a twinge of regret… Huh, strange… As she drifted off, she noticed Ruby was wearing something unusual for her.

"Ru…by… Where did you get…" Even as dark as it had been, she'd recognize it anywhere… "That Sigilist's… jacket…?"

ooOOoo

Ruby paced back and forth in the hospital lobby. After Yang's meltdown, the entire group had been asked to leave until she was more stable. It would be several hours before Yang would wake up again, but this wasn't the first time Yang had woken up and had a breakdown. Though it wasn't as bad as the first time, she was still at a point where they wouldn't allow her to leave. She'd reopened her stitches both times and walking was out of the question for now, but it was honestly best for her to be here, where the doctors knew how to take care of her.

When Ruby had gotten to the hospital, she had been informed that Yang was among a handful of survivors. From what the officers onsite had said, the bodies that had been found ranged from being torn apart by Werebeasts to well-trained bullets, knife wounds, and charred remains… But what Ruby had found most disturbing was the presence of two distinct types of patterns of marksmanship.

While usually precise in aim, most Hunters used automatic weapons. In order to provide enough power to pierce Werebeast skin, they packed a little more punch than standard civilian weapons, so the groupings in their shots were farther apart than their civilian counterparts. These observations were fairly standard, but it was the single shots that concerned her. Yang was the only one in her outfit that used a pistol, which had been used to deliver shots the heads of several Hunters and they were searching for a human Hunter that had turned on their team… A description that they believed Yang could fit perfectly, and with her current state of mind, she wasn't able to defend herself. Why would they think Yang could do something like this? Yang only harbored ill feelings toward Freaks, namely those that were enemies of humans. Unlike some of the more twisted Hunters, she still recognized that there was a difference between the good ones and the bad.

After some discussion, Ruby had finally managed to convince the investigators that it couldn't be Yang. Based on the ammo that her Desert Eagle was equipped with, human skulls would have been completely obliterated. Being Ironwood's pupil, Ruby's evaluation would have normally been enough, but her relationship with Yang made them suspicious. The officers had been ordered to remain on duty while they awaited Ironwood's investigation… That was until just now. The two Huntsmen that had been stationed outside her room came down the elevator and one smiled at Ruby.

"Good news, Rose!" He chirped happily as he approached her. "Your sister's been cleared! Turns out there was a witness. The doctors are gonna' take real good care of her and then she'll be allowed to go home!"

"Really?" Ruby wiped at the tears in her eyes. She'd been so scared when she had heard they suspected Yang of turning against her unit. Yang had nothing but love for Huntsman. It was all she ever wanted to be. She wanted revenge for everything that had been taken from them, and the higher she climbed, the more likely she was to get it. It was just that… Raven Branwen being Yang's mom put a bad taste in people's mouths. It made it so difficult for Yang to get proper recognition and she had to work twice as hard as anyone else to get where she was… and Yang had finally found her place with the group she'd been working with recently.

"Yeah," he patted Ruby's head. "I didn't know what to think when I heard they suspected Xiao Long. With your history, you two are the last ones I'd peg for this kind of thing." He rubbed the back of his own head. Well, at least someone recognized Yang wasn't that bad. "They're still probably going to have questions about who did this though."

"I'm sure Yang will answer everything when she's feeling better!" Ruby said emphatically. "I know she will!"

"It might be a while before she can go home though."

"As long as she's okay," the teen furrowed her brow with a nod.

"Are you gonna' stick around for a while?" He asked sheepishly. "You've been here about as long as I have. I could buy us some coffee, maybe?" The guard started to blush more and more as he spoke to her.

"Oh! Um," Ruby laughed nervously and looked to her friends for help. Unfortunately, all she was greeted with were the sly smiles of Nora and Coco.

"Or maybe breakfast?" He asked hopefully.

"I… I really shouldn't."

"It's no trouble! Really!"

Fidgeting nervously, Ruby's eyes darted across the room, first pleading with her friends for help. Instead, the red-head and brunette made taunting faces at her, while Velvet slapped at Coco. Likely, the rabbit-girl was scolding her for not coming to Ruby's rescue and Ruby grumbled to herself mentally. She really wasn't good at dealing with persistent guys and she didn't want to be mean about it… If only Yang weren't hospitalized. She'd definitely do the big sister thing and come to her rescue! The silver-eyed girl took in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and repeated a mental mantra to herself: "WWYD – What Would Yang Do?"…

The first thing to come to her mind was an image of her sister pummeling the guy into a million pieces and getting dragged away by security… Scratch that… WWYD was a terrible idea. In fact, literally anything that went the opposite direction of Yang's line of thinking would be a better plan, sooo… What Wouldn't Yang Do?

KZZZT

The hydraulics of the Personnel Only doors hissed as they opened and two people entered the lobby. She might not have normally paid them any mind, but the female's dark hair was what drew Ruby in. The tight braid wasn't anything particularly special, but it was the purple flower petals that were intricately woven into them that caught her eye. As they walked across the room, Ruby's eyes trailed behind them and the familiar scent of expensive coffee wafted across the room. She peaked just past the persistent guard who still awaited an answer and that was when she recognized them – Oscar and Snow.

Snow was dressed quite differently from the last time she'd seen her, and if Ruby had to be honest, she was totally rocking the more masculine business look. The dark haired teen wore a white buttoned down shirt with a black jacket, whose sleeves had been rolled up to just above her elbows. A strap came from the inside of the sleeves, buttoning over the rolls and holding them in place to keep them from unrolling. As Oscar spoke to the nurse at the front desk, Snow turned around, revealing a tie and suspenders that connected to the black pants she wore.

For a moment, their eyes met and Ruby felt a sense of excitement and safety come over her… However, that changed when Snow's eyes shifted to the persistent guard and her expression morphed into something unreadable. Snow briefly touched Oscar and said something to him that caused him to look at Ruby with an exhausted look. Adjusting her tie, she made one last comment as she walked away from him and he gave her a defeated look as she left him and made her way to Ruby.

"Uh, so…" The guard's voice brought her back to reality. "That breakfast?"

"Oh, um, I…

"Ruby?"

"Ah, Snow!" Excited to both see Snow and be rescued from her current dilemma, Ruby leapt at Snow, who wrapped her in an equally tight embrace. It was amazing just how much more secure she felt being this close to her.

"Did you miss me?" Snow giggled a little, brushing her hand across her leather jacket for emphasis and Ruby blushed. "You haven't taken it off the whole time, have you?"

"I…" Ruby looked away and spoke sheepishly. "I feel safe with it on, okay?!"

"That's alright," Snow lowered her head and rested her forehead on Ruby's. "I'm glad I make you feel that way."

"Oh…" The guard's voice interrupted their reunion. "You're one of those people..."

"Can I help you?" Snow glared daggers in his direction and he instantly shrank. "I'm sure you have some sort of menial task you could be performing somewhere else."

"Even better," he let out a low growl to himself. "You're one of those self-entitled Elites…" Snow lifted a brow cockily and Ruby shivered as she felt one of her hands slide down the small of her back, coming to a resting point on her hip. She parted herself from Ruby enough to turn to face him, and with a slight jerk, pulled Ruby possessively close.

"Even if I were, you still don't seem to know you where you sit in the food chain," Snow chuckled to herself, goading him on. At first, he sneered at her, but a dangerous presence began to emanate from her and he backed down. "Nothing?..." He remained silent and backed away. "Learn your place before you start grasping for things far beyond your own reach. Run back to your pack, little puppy."

Rolling his eyes at her, he growled and stormed off. Snow smirked to herself and pushed a little at Ruby's back, suggesting she wanted to move locations. Ruby pursed her lips as Snow led her over to her group of friends and voiced a bit of protest.

"That was kinda' mean, Snow," Ruby pouted. Sure, she wanted him to leave her alone, but she could have been a little nicer.

"He was being rude and you looked uncomfortable," Snow stated simply. "You should be more proactive in standing your ground. You have this… innocent quality that makes you seem like an easy target."

"So is that what you've been doing?" Jaune approached them with a sneer. "Manipulating her because she's easy?"

"Natürlich… yet another source of irritation," Snow mumbled under her breath and Ruby nudged her with a frowned. "That's the last thing I'd do. I have her best interest in mind."

"Really?" He pressed on. "Because you barely know her and you're acting like you own her!"

"How da-"

"Jaune, stop!... You too, Snow!" Ruby stepped in between them to separate them. "Look, I know you two don't like each other, but that's just because you got off on the wrong foot!" She looked between the two of them as she spoke, landing on Jaune. "Just try to get along, okay?"

"Fine." The blonde looked away and grumbled to himself, crossing his arms.

"Snow?" She looked at her with expectant eyes and the Outsider sighed, nodding in compliance. "Good!... So… why did you come here?"

"Oh," Snow's eyes widened in surprise before she tried to look anywhere but Ruby or her friends. "I, uh, had business with… Oscar… and for… you…"

"Huh?"

"Ugh, you're really gonna' make me say this," Snow put her palm to her forehead and scratched her fingers against her scalp. "I'm here to take you home."

"I want to stay with Yang," Ruby said firmly.

"Ruby hasn't left Yang's side the entire time," Velvet added.

"That's my point," Snow nodded. "It's time for you to go home."

"But Yang needs me!" Ruby insisted. "If something happens- Ow!" Ruby yelped, recoiling from the hard flick Snow delivered to her forehead. "What was that for?!"

"You're still the same," Snow sighed and mumbled under her breath.

"Huh? What does that me-". The crimsonette recoiled at the feeling of synthetic leather against her cheek. "Gloves again…" Grumbling to herself, Ruby eyed them with distaste. Normally, she'd take the five minutes to geek out over what brand and durability, but they were denying her the contact she wanted… and Snow had kept them off when they were alone…

"It's preferable this way, but I'll humor you later," Snow tilted her face so that their eyes met and Ruby briefly wondered if Snow could read her mind. "When you stop being grumpy." Ruby huffed to herself and glared at her in discontent. "Xiao Long will be fine here. Oscar is making sure she has the best care available. I understand that you want to stay by her side, but you're stressed and not resting."

"Good luck," Nora exhaled loudly. "We've been trying this entire time to get her to just step outside for some fresh air. This is literally the first time she's left the room."

"I understand that you've been here without a proper meal," Snow took Ruby's hand and spoke softly. "You need to go home and get some rest. I'll even bring you back, but letting yourself go like this won't help Xiao Long. If anything, it will make her feel worse. No one likes to see their loved ones in pain. You know that, right?"

"I… don't want to go home…"

"That's okay," Snow squeezed her hand gently and smiled. "You can stay with me."

"No way!" Jaune stepped in again. "There's no way Ruby's staying in some run down pla- eeep!" He jumped behind Velvet when the Outsider glared at him. It seemed she was doing an awful lot of that today.

"Nice, Jaune. Way to use Velvet as a shield," Coco said flatly from the chair she had gotten comfortable in. "As much as I hate to, I kind of agree with Wolf Boy, over here. Junior's is hardly the kind of place Ruby should be holed up in."

"Who said anything about Junior's?" Snow looked between everyone in genuine confusion. "I said my place."

"But you said you were staying in a room at Junior's," Ruby gave her an equally puzzled expression.

"To avoid going home," Snow laughed to herself. "I thought that you understood that my Vale home is with Oscar. You've been there before, no?"

"Eh?!" Snow poked at her forehead and Ruby winced.

"See, if you were taking care of yourself, you'd be able to think more clearly."

"It slipped my mind," Ruby huffed and scolded herself mentally. So much had happened the last few days that she kind of forgot that Snow was the headmaster's daughter, so to speak.

"That's alright, Liebe," Snow smirked.

"Snow," another voice joined the conversation.

"Oscar."

"I really wish you'd stop calling me by my name," the headmaster pouted as he joined them.

"Headmaster." There was a bit of mischief in her voice, though her face did not mirror her tone.

"That's not what I meant," he stared at her flatly, earning a smirk from her. "Did everything turn out alright?"

"Well enough," Snow answered.

"I see… Miss Rose," he turned his attention to the worn out teenager. "I heard about Miss Xiao Long's incident earlier. It saddens me to hear that she's going through such a rough time, but she has indeed been cleared of all suspicion. An exchange between her and the attackers had been overheard by another survivor. Unfortunately, he went into cardiac arrest during his interview and they were unable to finish taking his statements."

"What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?" Nora spat out.

"Miss Valkyrie, I admit that this situation has not been handled the best, but please don't think that she will be pursued any further on this matter. I've instructed them to ensure that her health is our primary focus. While I do have some questions of my own, they are more about who the attackers were, rather than incriminating her for a crime she obviously did not commit. That they even reached that conclusion astounds me."

"Sir, I heard that someone came forward to clear Yang," Jaune lead into his question. "Who was it?"

"While I don't mind answering the question," the headmaster shifted uncomfortably. "They aren't exactly someone who is well-received in the public's eye."

"Sir?"

"Headmaster," Ruby spoke up. "I'd like to thank them if I can." His eyes softened at her and he offered a genuine smile.

"I'm sure they already know," his eyes briefly shifted focus. "You all know them as the Bandersnatch."

"A… Grimm?"

"I'm afraid their existence is… much more complicated than that," he looked away before clasping his hands together. "Anyway, Miss Rose, I'm sure that Snow has informed you of the change to your accommodations. I will leave things up to the two of you, but I fear that some changes will have to be made regarding the both of you. As much as I'd like to discuss things with you further, I'm afraid that my presence has been requested elsewhere."

"That's fine," Snow replied. "I planned to help Ruby get her things and ensure she gets some rest."

"I see," he studied her for a moment. "I trust that this is all that you have on the agenda for this evening."

"Well yes," Snow stared at him blankly. "What else would I have in mind?"

"I'll let you figure that out on your own," he smirked devilishly before he headed to the door. "Do take care, Miss Rose… and try to keep my little Snowstorm out of trouble."

"Out of- she's the one that gets into trouble!" Snow growled, rushing after him and following him through the door. "And stop with these awful nicknames! Hey! Don't ignore me!"

"Wow, she seemed like such a badass," Nora commented as the group casually followed the two out of the hospital. "But then that totally happened." The red-head motioned toward the teenager bickering with the adult. Honestly, the pair gave off an impression more like that of an older brother teasing his sister than anything.

"Really, he's so obnoxious," Snow griped to herself as she returned to Ruby's side. "I'm not going to go on some night-escapade and leave Ruby all alone."

"I think that was his point," Nora pointed out with a suggestive grin. "The not leaving her alone part."

"Nora!" Ruby shouted. "I swear to God!"

"Okay, okay!" Nora nudged her slightly. "But don't leave me in the dark if there's some hot action going on!"

"Seriously!"

"It's been a while since I've had anything like that," Snow looked up in thought as she spoke and Nora smiled stupidly. This was going even better than she thought. "In fact, there was this one vampire-"

"Oh, hot action with a vampire, you say?" Nora grinned and Ruby glared at her sharply. "Like hot and sweaty?"

"Horribly," Snow relented. "It was exhausting."

"Pfffft," Nora muffled her laughter. "Would you say it went on for a while?"

"Hours!" Snow exclaimed. "Then she managed to slip out from my grasp!"

"Ah, the one that got away!" Nora snapped.

"Hardly," the dark-haired girl huffed. That damn piress had pulled one over on her so quickly, it was almost hilarious… if she hadn't previously slaughtered most of the inhabitants of the town that had come to her for protection. "I managed to drag her out of whatever hole she had snaked herself into and finished her off with my bare hands! You have no idea just how disgusting that was!"

"Snow…" Ruby nudged her and whispered into the Outsider's ear. As she spoke, Snow's eyes widened and she turned red. She backed away from Ruby with a horrified expression and looked back and forth between the two girls.

"That's not what I-"

"She knows," Ruby patted Snow's back and Nora fell to ground barely able to take in air. "Trust me. She knows."

"That was so easy!" Nora finally hacked out. "And Jaune's worried about her taking advantage of you!"

"Haaah haaaah," Ruby said sarcastically, offering her a hand up.

"Well, just look on the bright side," Nora took her hand, grinning as she got up. "At least, now you know why she wears the gloves!"

"Don't you have something to do?" Ruby suggested.

"Noooo!"

"Actually," Coco slammed a hand down on Nora's shoulder, earning a look from her. "She does. We all do."

"Did you get some kind of mission?"

"Sort of," Coco mumbled. "It's more of a group interest. We'd invite you, but you've got a lot going on. We'll be sure to clue you in on everything as soon as things calm down though! Just focus on you and Yang, for now."

"O-okay," Ruby hesitated. It still didn't sit right with her about leaving Yang all alone. A gentle squeeze came across her shoulders and she turned to find Snow behind her.

The girls hugged and said goodbye to each other before they went their separate ways, but of course, Coco had to whisper something in her ear that kept worming its way to the front of her mind every few minutes. Why were they teasing her so badly about Snow? Half the time, it seemed like they didn't like her; and the other half, they seemed supportive of Ruby's not-so-maybe-definitely crush. She sighed heavily and hoped that things would start to make more sense soon.

"Is everything alright?" Snow looked at her earnestly and Ruby's heartbeat escalated.

"Uh, y-yeah," she blushed and tried to keep looking forward. Maybe it was that she was just tired, but every time she looked at her, Snow just kept looking better and better. Damn, teenage hormones! This wasn't the time for this!

"Alright," Snow smiled at her. "You know, it's alright to worry, but your sister will recover and I'll keep you safe in the meantime."

"In the… meantime?..." Ruby felt herself go pale. Did that mean she would go away once this was all done? This was just a temporary thing and then life would go back to way it was before? Yang would return home for what? A couple weeks until she was ready to be back out in the field again and then Ruby would go back to being pulled out of class, just to have terrible things done to her and return home to an empty house.

"Ruby." Gloved fingers intertwined themselves with her own and gave her a reassuring squeeze. Her eyes were so gentle with the way looked at her and Ruby wondered if there were others that she had ever looked at the same way. "We're here."

"Ah!" Ruby yanked her hand back in surprise. "S-sorry! I'll go open it up!" Grimacing to herself, she rushed to put the codes in and get inside, earning a small smile from Snow. Somehow, the older girl had found this to be one of her more endearing qualities.

As they entered the home, Ruby rushed around the house, trying to clean up what little mess was there – dishes and the like. It only took a few minutes. Eventually, she wound up in her room and Snow followed her.

"Um, you can sit on the bed while you wait," Ruby ran around exhaustedly as she tried to rush through her things. "Hairbrush, socks, underwear, bras, clothes… oh! My charger! Annnnd…"

"Ruby!" She bumped into Snow as she swung around in a panic. The other girl put her hands on her shoulders and held her in place. "Slow down. Look at me." A gloved hand lifted her chin so that their eyes met again. Snow gently pressed her forehead to Ruby's and closed her eyes. "Breathe. You don't have to rush. Take your time."

"O…okay…" Ruby closed her eyes and breathed in to let her thoughts catch up with the rest of her body.

"What do you need?"

"I just need," she looked around for a second. "To grab a few changes of clothes… and change what I'm wearing."

"Save that for when we get to Oscar's," Snow let her hands fall to her sides, tracing Ruby's arms on the way down. Ruby shivered before she turned around and started packing things more slowly. She took the time go back and forth between the bathroom and her room, grabbing the essentials and then she was ready. There was just one last thing.

"Um," Ruby fidgeted and started to remove the jacket. "I need to give this back to you."

"It's fi-."

"No!" Ruby held the jacket out to her, surprising them both with her shout. "Wh-what I mean is, you lent it to me while you were gone a-and now you're with me again. S-so, I wanted you to have it back. I'm sorry I had it so long."

Snow took it from her hands, delicately and looked back and forth between them with a smile. As Ruby looked through her closet one last time, Snow looked over her. She really did have a good figure and her curves spurned something within her, but she pushed that away. It wasn't really the time to explore those kinds of thoughts. Snow wasn't blind to the attraction between them. It just… things couldn't happen with the way they were going. She absolutely refused to let this be some sort of Rescue Romance that would only lead to regret.

"Found it!" Snow smirked as some of Ruby's cheerfulness returned to her. Facing her back to Snow, the crimson-tipped girl draped a deep red cloth around her shoulders and fumbled around with the front. "Man!... Why is this always so difficult!... Darn!" Snow chuckled to herself before she decided to see what the problem was.

"Ruby," Snow pushed gently and turned her to face her. "Let me help."

"It's my mother's brooch…" Snow focused on the silver object in her hands. She'd seen it many times in the past, pinned to the Rose matron's own outer garments. The pin had been passed down the family for generations and had ultimately landed in Ruby's hands.

"That eye of yours looks terrible." A flash of white and a cold smirk tore through Snow's memories, but she shook it away quickly. It wasn't a voice she wanted to recall any time soon. At least, not the way she wanted to remember it…

"Snow?"

"Mmm, I'm okay," she fastened it together through the wool. "There you go! All done!"

"Thanks!" Ruby chirped and grabbed her bag. "I always have such a hard time getting it on, but I love wearing it."

"It's very you," Snow commented genuinely. It really did. It looked like it belonged on her, just as it had Summer.

Though Snow had wanted to walk, Ruby pouted until she inevitably agreed to take the dreaded Swyft that Ruby was so dead set on. After a relatively short ride, filled with 'I told you so's and 'See! So much faster's, they finally arrived at the gate to Oscar's mansion. Was it really necessary to have such a large home? Still, Ruby always looked at it with such wonder as they approached it and the Swyft driver gave a loud whistle.

"You girls must really be something to live in a place like this!"

"Not really," Snow looked at the luxury home with an indifferent expression. "This is fairly small…"

"S-small?!" Ruby looked at her in disbelief.

"Compared to my home before Oscar, yes," Snow said half-heartedly. "This is small."

"So it's a downgrade for you…" Snow studied her for a moment before she answered.

"In terms of size, yes," Snow stated simply as she got out of the car and walked around to Ruby's, opening the door and offering her hand.

"How chivalrous!" With a smirk, Ruby took her hand and got out of the car.

"Oh, hush!" Snow tutted at her before she continued speaking. "As for the quality of my life, the time I've spent here has always been a vast improvement. I'm not ungrateful, Ruby. I just don't think that a person should flaunt their value to society through materialistic means when others are suffering... This is an unnecessary waste of land that could otherwise be used for additional housing and-"

"Pffft!"

"Why are you laughing?" Snow unlocked the door to the mansion and waited for Ruby.

"Haha, no, it's just that I'm teasing you and you're taking it so seriously!" She grinned as she walked through the door and took in the sights. "Wow! I always forget how much bigger this place is inside."

"Heh," Snow smirked as she took the lead. "You're so easily amused."

"Ah, Young Miss, you've returned!" A short man with a mustache that hid his mouth hurried to welcome them. The top of his head had begun to bald with his old age, but it made him look all the wiser. His look was complimented by his dark vest and a tie that contrasted the white of his dress shirt. "And with a guest!"

"Klein," Snow smiled in acknowledgement. "You remember Ruby Rose, correct?"

"Oh yes!" He pepped up considerably. "It's been quite some time since I last saw her within these walls! Master Pine has offered many times for her to stay with us, but she has always refused."

"So he's told me," Snow handed her jacket to him. "Please treat this with care, Klein."

"Yes Miss," he smiled before he continued. "Why, Miss Rose, you've grown into such a fine young lady. I remember when you and the Young Miss would run up and down these halls! Master Pine and Miss Summer had the worst time getting you two to settle down! I'd never seen the Young Miss come so alive-"

"The… two… of us?" Ruby looked between the two of them in utter confusion. She'd been here as a child, but she didn't remember Snow being here. Weiss had been here on occasion, but the Schnee family appeared to be closely affiliated with him. It would be no wonder if he worked with their daughter… Was Snow someone she had forgotten?

"Klein!"

"Oh, now, Young Miss," he chuckled at Snow's reaction. "You needn't be embarrassed!"

"I'm not embarrassed," Snow snapped. "You'll upset her."

"You, you mean," he corrected. "You mean that I'll upset you." The two locked in a staring contest until Snow rolled her eyes and turned away. "Would you like me to show Miss Rose to her room? Master Pine had Miss Winter's old room prepared, so that she may remain within earshot."

"Mmm, no, Klein," Snow hummed in thought. "Mine is large enough for the time being."

"I see," the butler paused as if he were thinking. "Were you displeased with the Master's preparations?"

"No," the dark girl set her hand on the banister of the grand staircase. "I'd just prefer that Winter's room remain undisturbed." Her voice hinted at sadness.

"My apologies, I did not think it would upset you," he lamented. "I can prepare another room for Miss Rose."

"No, it's quite alright. Leave things as they are. Ruby deserves a nice rest. We can discuss further arrangements later."

"Very well, Miss," he bowed before he turned to Ruby. "Might I take your bag?"

"Oh, uh, no," Ruby shook her head. She gave him a smile before she glanced back at Snow. "It's just my clothes and stuff. I'll take them with me."

Something about Snow seemed off after the mention of Winter. Ruby recalled the name from something Snow had mumbled in her sleep, but she had thought it was something to do with the season… so Winter was a person who was important to her?… She shifted as an uncomfortable feeling settled in her stomach.

"Ruby," Snow called back, her voice sounding distant. "Follow me. We'll get you settled in."

Crossing the entrance hall, Ruby started up the stairs and followed Snow. The staircase itself split into two separate sets of stairs that wound around to a second floor that wrapped around the walls in a ring-like fashion. The rails were an elegant white, topped with a dark, textured wood that Ruby traced as she followed her equally dark companion. As they came to a stop, Ruby could have sworn that Snow's breath hitched and she paused for a moment.

"Snow?"

"It's nothing," Snow let out the air she had been holding in and pushed the door open, without looking back at Ruby.

"This is your room?!" Ruby rushed in without waiting for permission. "Holy cow! You have so much space! This is like… the whole first floor of my house if we took out all the walls! "

"Um," Snow covered her mouth and cleared her voice as she averted her eyes, despite Ruby's earnest look. "Yes… das ist es wohl."

"Heh heh," Ruby grinned at her slyly.

"What?"

"You're embarrassed," Ruby poked at Snow, who quirked a brow at her.

"That," Snow crossed her arms. "I am not."

"Really?" The silver-eyed girl grinned adamantly. "I was starting to think you were talking a little too perfect today, but you switch back to German whenever you're nervous." Ruby stuck her tongue out and spun around in the open space of Snow's room, falling on a plush rug in the center.

"I do not," Snow frowned as she collapsed. "Don't lie on the floor, you heathen!"

"But why nooooot! This is a nice," Ruby sniffed the carpet hard. "CLEAN rug. It's not the floor!"

"I have no idea how long it's been since that has been cleaned! It could be filled with dust and all other manner of debris," the darker girl glared at her. "And if you insist on remaining there, you'll find yourself sleeping there instead of my bed!"

"Wait…" Ruby shot up, bright red. "Y-your bed?" Sure, they'd already shared a bed before, but that was totally different. Ruby had been drunk and it was her own bed, her home, and she was in control. This was Snow's home. Even if Snow hadn't been here for a while, the room still radiated her personality.

Wide glass sliding doors opened up to a balcony with a view over the forestscape a very dedicated landscaper had planted and the room was fashioned with contrasting lights and darks. The floor was a bright and glossy marble with dark carpeting wherever there was furniture, such as the L-shaped sofa and the glass table that sat in front of it. Dark bookcases lined the walls, meshing in with the dark woods that lined the bottom half of the walls, before the top half became giant slabs of gray shale. Actually, it didn't really seem like a young person's room at all.

"Where else did you think you would sleep?" Snow's voice came from directly behind her, much closer than it had previously been.

"Ah!" Ruby turned around, finding herself within inches of her. With a clink, Ruby felt her shawl slide away from her. A silver glint caught her eye and she saw her mother's brooch heavily contrasted against Snow's gloves.

"You should wash yourself," Snow spoke softly as she lay the piece of clothing on a table in the center of her room. She sat the brooch on top of it with care and turned back to Ruby. "Oscar will have returned and dinner should be ready by then. I know that you are tired, but I'd like you to eat something."

"O-okay," Ruby rubbed her arms awkwardly. Without her shawl, she felt extremely out of place – even moreso than when she had first walked in. Eventually, her eyes drifted back over to Snow, who gave her a small smile.

"Ruby," the darker girl spoke softly, but she had begun to stare off again. "Are you alright?"

"…yes…" She rubbed her arms again to reassure herself. Her mind was starting to fixate on little things, though she decided that if she were under less stress, they'd probably still matter. She just would have overlooked them any other time. That was about the only positive thing when she felt like this and something was really gnawing at her that she'd tried to push into the back of her mind.

Fingers brushed gently across her arms and Ruby's eyes trailed down to them. Now that they were alone, Snow had taken her gloves, just like she had promised earlier. She had this air about her that was always the same, but when they were alone, she felt less… guarded? Why was she like this with her?

"I remember when you and the Young Miss would run up and down these halls!"

"Snow…"

"Yes, Ruby?"

"Why are you so close to me?…" Snow's fingers went stiff and she withdrew them.

"I… apologize," Snow tried to hide the hurt in her voice. "With everything going on, I didn't realize I was making you uncomfortable. You… need space."

"What? No!" Ruby's sudden outburst surprised her and Ruby covered her mouth. "S-sorry! I-I just didn't mean it like that! You're not being overbearing or anything!" Snow's shoulders relaxed, making her relief more than obvious. "I just wanted to know why?"

"You're important," Snow nodded to herself. "You must be protected at all costs."

"Is that really it?" Ruby looked at her flatly. Whatever the truth was, Snow was doing an awful job of convincing her of this. She'd heard of people charming others to get what they wanted; and sure, maybe she'd believe that if Snow were always the way she was with the guard. It was just that Snow wasn't that kind of person at all when they were alone. If the others saw this, surely they'd understand. "I know you think that I'm not paying attention because of everything, but I did hear Klein earlier… What did you mean at the bar when you said that it wasn't like what Coco thought? You said that I'd remember."

"It," Snow fidgeted uncomfortably. "It doesn't really matter that much."

"We were friends," Ruby stated adamantly. "That's what Klein made it sound like… but I don't remember you."

"And that's a good thing!" Snow balled her fists defensively. "It's better that you don't! I want you to see me as I am now, not how pathetic I was back then. I was supposed to protect you – to protect both of you… but I wasn't enough so they sent away… Now that I'm back, I won't let anything like that happen again… so just… please… don't ask me about who I was… Just accept who I am."

"Snow, I…" Ruby reached out toward her, but stopped herself. Seeing Snow look so insecure was new to Ruby. In every other encounter they'd had, Snow had been brimming with self-confidence and was very outspoken, but it shouldn't have surprised Ruby to find out that her dark knight had her own insecurities. "My mom always said that the past makes us stronger. If we don't make mistakes, we can't learn from them… so being bad can be… kind of good?... Later on?..."

"Not in my case," Snow gave her a bitter smile. "I did things that I can't take back… and I hurt people that I loved… I can't be forgiven for the choice that I made."

"Snow," Ruby took Snow's hand and intertwined their fingers. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'll listen. Whatever I can do to help! I want to be useful to you."

"Use…ful?" Ruby nodded in response to her.

"I thought it was strange how attached you seemed to me, but there's a reason for it," Ruby's sudden burst of energy caught her off-guard. "Listening, fixing your weapons, if you just need a distraction - I can do it all!"

At first, Snow said nothing and chose to study Ruby instead. Ruby traced along her fingers with her thumb and slowly pulled them away, reaching toward Snow's waistline instead. The Atlesian girl shivered beneath her fingers as they danced across the fabric of her shirt. When Snow didn't push her away, Ruby stepped into her and slid her arms around her waist in a loose hold.

"Just… see me…" Snow embraced her as if she were trying to meld them together and Ruby returned the gesture with equal strength.

"I want more than that," Ruby spoke softly into her and took a deep breath. She was quickly coming to love how safe and secure this scent made her feel. Snow nuzzled into her, clearly doing the same thing she was. It was actually really cute to think that the way she smelled also made someone else feel just as peaceful as they made her feel… Wait… the way she… OH MY GOD! Ruby pushed back in a panic. "Don't do that!"

"Uh?" Snow looked at her with confusion.

"Oh my God," Ruby panicked, grabbing her head and squatting around back and forth. "I smell awful! I haven't even taken a shower and-"

"Pffft!"

"This isn't funny!" Ruby snapped. "I don't wanna' gross you out! Then you'll just think I always smell bad and-"

"And here I was thinking that I'd already done something wrong," Snow rolled her eyes and took her hands in her own. She took a few steps backwards pulling Ruby along, in the direction of a door in the corner of her room. "Follow me."

"You have a full bathroom in your room?!" Ruby gawked at the huge marble-themed bathroom.

"Yes," Snow chuckled to herself. "You can wash yourself in here anytime you'd like. Um, do you need help figuring anything out?" Ruby shook her head quickly and Snow smirked mischievously. "Oh, that's right. You fix weapons. You should be able to figure out how to operate a shower, riiiight?"

"Duh!" Ruby walked over to the shower, noting that the glass door was completely transparent and blushed to herself. If someone were to walk in, the only coverage she would have would be whatever steam from the shower fogged it up. Another interesting feature was that it was a walk-in with a drain at the center. There was nowhere to sit, nor was there a tub to hold water. She guessed baths weren't an option here.

"You don't take baths?"

"Hm?" Snow had briefly left the room and returned with a few towels, cloths, and Ruby's bag. "Oh, there's no need."

"So, you never just relax in water?" Snow blinked at her question a few times.

"Why would I want to sit in my own filth? If the point is to relax, why not wash yourself first and then get into the Jacuzzi on the balcony?" The older girl tilted her head in confusion. "That makes a lot more sense."

"…You know, for someone who seems to dislike wealth," Ruby grinned playfully as she opened the shower door to inspect the shower. "You really are a spoiled rich kid at heart…"

"Am I?" Snow's voice whispered huskily into her ear, causing Ruby to spin around and lose her balance. "Careful."

"Uh, this is… awkward," Ruby said, referring to how she was leaned back in Snow's arms.

"Is it now?" Ruby gulped to herself as Snow drew closer. "You know what's even more awkward?" Ruby whispered a quiet 'No' to herself and Snow smiled devilishly. "You still haven't figured out how this shower works."

"Well," Ruby looked around, confused by the layout. There were three stainless steel dials embedded in the stone wall, but there wasn't a shower head or nozzle anywhere. The closest looking thing was what looked like water jets placed in the walls themselves. "Huh…"

"You can ask for help, you kno~ow," Snow sang out and Ruby glared at her playfully. "What are you doing?"

"I dunnooo," Ruby reached toward the knobs.

"Ruby Rose, if you don't stop, I will drop you!"

"You will?" Ruby gasped playfully and turned a knob, expecting the jets to blast them with water. Instead, water rained down on them from the ceiling, pouring like a waterfall and completely soaked both of them. "Uh," Ruby nervously looked back to Snow and was greeted with a neutral look. "Whoops?"

"Haaaah…" With a sigh, Snow reached over to the handle and turned it off without looking away from her. Ruby didn't know what it was, but something about seeing the droplets of water trickling down her face made her heart race.

"You're so pretty…" Ruby whispered to herself without realizing she'd voiced her thought.

"Young Miss, the Master has returned home and requests your presence!"

"Uh, y-yes!" Snow called, pulling Ruby up and backing away from her guiltily. "Thank you, Klein! I'll be along momentarily."

"Yes, Miss!"

"You should get washed up," Snow made her way to the door. "I'll see you at dinner…" Snow closed the door behind her and covered her mouth. What was she doing?

"Is everything alright, Young Miss?" The butler was still in the room, eyeing her saturated appearance. "You look… out of sorts."

"Um yes," she looked away. "Mistakes were made teaching her how to operate the shower."

"Ah, but you enjoyed yourself, I take it?" He smiled knowingly. "You seem more smitten with her than when you were children."

"I," Snow accepted a towel from him and placed it over her head, rubbing it around. "I am, but it's impossible as it is now. She's at the age where things change for Roses… What if she's like her mother?... Or worse… what if I'm just like mine?!"

"Thoughts like those certainly didn't stop your master or your mother from pursuing Miss Summer," Klein smirked at her, bringing out a hanger with an exact replica of her current outfit on it. He laid it on her bed and turned around as she changed. "Though only one got what they wanted in the end, Young Miss."

"Klein," Snow spoke thoughtfully. "You served my mother for years, but you've been my attendant since I was born. Summer, Oscar, the master, Mom, even Ruby and the rest of Team STRQ – you call them all by their names. Why do you call me Young Miss instead of mine?"

"Pardon me," he cleared his throat. "It may be selfish on my behalf, but because I have been with you that long, you will always my lovely Young Miss. I cannot in good conscience call you by any other name than the one you were born with, and so, I find that Young Miss is an agreeable title between the both of us."

"Klein, you can turn around now," Snow looked at him sadly as he faced her. "You know that I'll never be able to use that name again, right? My sister has run my name through the mud and I agreed to give it up when I chose this path. Snow White is who I am now. In the very least, please try."

"I… will try, Miss Sch-…"

"Klein…"

"Miss," he sighed. "Miss White… Master Pine is waiting for you."

"Alright," she followed him down the hallway to Oscar's study and stopped for a moment. "When dinner is ready, please let Ruby know."

"Yes, Young Miss," he gave a small bow to her before leaving.

Snow sighed to herself and looked at the large doors. The last time she had been here, she had been called to issue a report on Xiao Long's behalf. She could only imagine what he wanted now and she had a terrible feeling about it. It was a shame that he had waited until Ruby was already here. Steeling her breath, she knocked on the door and waited for a reply.

"You may enter."

ooOOoo

AN: Unlike the previous Lightforge, Yang's story is developing a bit more slowly. Blake will appear, but she'll be more of a driving force in future things. At the moment, I'm focusing more on Ruby's relationship with the Schnee sisters. Next chapter, we'll be starting off with Winter and Penny and going over what happened during that first encounter. Snow shows Ruby what she's doing wrong with Lightforge and Ruby starts noticing unusual things.

I saw that some of you guys don't like the way I do the German translation. I'm intentionally doing this because I don't actually want you to know what's being said when it's said. I want you to understand from the POV of the character who is listening. For example, it's mainly been Ruby's POV when she speaks and Ruby does not speak the language, so she would have no idea what's being said. I provide the translations at the bottom in the event you guys want to know. If the POV is something like Schnee Family/Oscar conversing with one another, I will add brackets since they will all understand each other.

German to English:

"das ist es wohl" – I guess it is.