"Ruby, where in Remnant are we going?" Weiss asked incredulously, as Ruby continued to drag her through the woods. They'd been walking for what, ten minutes now? What reason could Ruby possibly have for dragging her into the middle of a forest?
Ruby hushed her. "Don't worry, we'll be there any second now," Ruby assured. Weiss frowned. Normally, Ruby was the one who was antsy and anxious on treks through the woods, particularly on missions. This time, however, Ruby had stayed relatively quiet, only speaking up to make sure Weiss was okay, or to let Weiss know that they were getting near their eventual destination. There had to be a reason for it all. For Ruby's sudden invitation to take a walk, for Ruby grabbing Weiss's hand and plunging into the woods, and for her decidedly un-Ruby-like mood.
As Ruby pulled her through one last clump of trees and into a clearing, Weiss got her answer.
"Ruby…" Weiss said softly. "You said there was someone you wanted me to meet yesterday…" 'Said' was an understatement. From the moment Yang and Ruby had suckered Weiss into coming with them to Patch for their week off from classes, Ruby had been dying to introduce Weiss to someone. She wouldn't say who, but Weiss suddenly understood who.
Ruby nodded. "This is her."
A few meters from the two girls, a polished stone slab was set in the ground against the edge of a shallow cliff. The same rose emblem Weiss always caught Ruby doodling in her notebooks was engraved in the stone, along with an inscription that read "Summer Rose / Thus Kindly I Scatter". Ruby stepped up to the small monument, pulling Weiss along with her.
"Hey mom…" Ruby began. "This is Weiss. She's that girl I was telling you about. I wanted to bring her to meet you." Ruby turned slightly and smiled at Weiss. "I really like her. I hope you do to."
Weiss smiled back at Ruby after a moment, still processing the situation.
"She's really nice, even if she's kind of bossy," Ruby continued. "She's super organized, too, so I don't know how she puts up with me. She likes to fuss over all of us, but she fusses over me more than she does Blake and Yang. I think that means she likes me as much as I like her. She says it does, but sometimes I feel like I make things too hard on her, and that it would be better off if we were just regular friends. Did it ever feel like that with dad?"
Weiss had the sudden feeling that she was very out of place as she watched the hint of tears begin to swell in Ruby's eyes. The younger girl moved to wipe them away with her cloak, but Weiss reached out and grasped her hand. She squeezed Ruby's hand tight as she stepped closer to the grave.
"Hello, Mrs. Rose!" Weiss said. "I'm grateful to be dating your daughter. I love her very much, but I don't think she believes me when I say it. I do, though. She's wonderful. She's always so cheerful, and all of Beacon knows that I could use more of that kind of happiness in my life. Your daughter has done so many wonderful things in my life, and we haven't even known each other all that long. I hope you're proud of her. She's grown up to be a wonderful young lady."
Weiss finished her speech to the sound of Ruby beginning to cry. It wasn't an ugly cry. It was the soft kind of crying that Weiss had occasionally heard from Winter when she was young. The kind of crying that happens when you miss someone.
"Thank… thank you, Weiss," Ruby said, her voice barely audible as tears dripped down your face. Weiss pulled Ruby into a hug and stroked her hair.
"Thank you for letting me talk to your mom, Ruby," Weiss said. "I meant every word of it."
Ruby pulled away from the hug, wiping her face and beginning to smile again. "I know. Thanks for letting me drag you here. Let's go back to the house."
Weiss nodded. "Yang should be done with those cookies by now. We'd better hurry."
Ruby grinned. "Bet I can beat you there! Bye, mom!" Ruby called out as she sped away into the woods, leaving behind a familiar trail of rose petals.
Weiss sighed and turned back to the grave. "That daughter of yours sure is a handful, Mrs. Rose."
And with that, Weiss headed back into the woods herself. After all, she couldn't just let Ruby eat those cookies by herself.