Thanks everyone for the likes and follows and SUPER nice comments! :D ^^ Also, I know my chapters are usually a bit short, but I tend to write a lot :) Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

Ruby stood next to her partner on the runway of Amity Tower, looking up at the planes passing by, giving them a thumbs up with that goofy smile of hers. Weiss looked at her sideways and rolled her eyes, though there was a smile on her face as she turned to look the other way. Ruby smiled back and held her hand out to Weiss, palm up, knowing Weiss would understand. Weiss looked at her hand, and then up at Ruby, and after a moment she took the bait and slapped her hand in a low five. Ruby giggled, and then threw her arms around Weiss. "We're official huntresses now!" she gushed, all of her feelings hitting her at once now that she was on her first ever mission as an official huntress with Weiss.

How far they had come since Beacon…

Weiss turned red when Ruby threw her arms around her, though Ruby couldn't see her face. Her heart raced from the contact that she had missed so much lately. She quickly composed herself and placed one hand on Ruby's back gently. "This is what we always wanted isn't it…?" she mused out loud, in a soft, thoughtful voice. "Does it feel like you always thought it would?" she asked as Ruby pulled away to look at her. Her gaze fell, "Not really… I mean, maybe? But I just never imagined it would be under these circumstances…" she trailed off, sadness and regret in her voice.

Weiss placed a hand high on her back, "None of us could've... But we earned it, no less," she assured Ruby. "And we're going to help people with it, just like you wanted." Weiss remembered wanting to be a huntress to prove to the world how great she was, to leave a lasting legacy as the Schnee heiress. But somewhere along the line, just like everything else in her life, that had changed. Now, she saw things like Ruby did. She wanted to help people who couldn't help themselves. She'd seen too much pain and suffering now, she knew what was out there in the world, and what she could do to fix it. Just like so many of the things that she used to find so annoying, she admired that so much about Ruby now. She was a completely different person… and when she thought about it, her partner was a huge part of the reason why.

She rubbed her hand lightly on Ruby's back, enjoying this moment that they had alone together, just killing Grimm and taking names, without anything else to worry about, just like they used to back at Beacon. Ruby looked at Weiss at the feeling of her hand rubbing Ruby's back. Weiss was not a very touchy person, and when she did choose to touch you, it meant a lot, and Ruby certainly knew her partner well enough to know this, and all the other unspoken details about her. Even they probably didn't fully realize how well they'd come to know each other.

She smiled a genuine warm smile at Weiss, and that was rare for Ruby. Normally, her smiles were silly or goofy or playful, but every now and then she'd smile with that warmth in her eyes, suddenly wearing her heart on her sleeve, and goddammit if it didn't make Weiss melt. How could she be so annoying sometimes and then suddenly be so darn cute in the blink of an eye? This girl should've come with some sort of warning label…

Their scrolls beeped, breaking the silence of the peaceful moment and Ruby opened hers up, "That was Ironwood. He has more news. We should go..." Her voice sounded almost… reluctant? Weiss nodded solemnly, "Of course." She straightened up and smoothed out her dress, following Ruby back to the headquarters, though her heart sank at the thought of returning to all the chaos that was their lives right now, and for a moment she wished she could just stay out here and kill Grimm and laugh all day with her partner, that this was the only thing they had to worry about.

Memories of their first mission played over and over in Ruby's head. It had been fast-paced and intense, and they had worked together seamlessly and silently, as always, communicating their every thought merely with quick glances—it was incredible, and so freeing for Ruby. Well, maybe not Yang and Blake Incredible, but Ruby's badass older sister and super ninja Faunus partner had already been incredible back at Beacon, and after they were finally reunited at Haven, they had become all but glued to each other, and all but completely unstoppable.

And Ruby longed for that for her and her partner, but she wasn't sure what it would take to fill the gap.

And it definitely wasn't helping that they were both so busy lately. Ruby found herself and Jaune far too often stuck in extra meetings listening to Ironwood, Clover, Winter, and Crow arguing over things that needed zero input from the two young leaders. And as soon as they finally wrapped up, Winter would snatch up her younger sister for more glyph training that only she could help with. So Ruby's time with Weiss had dwindled down to little more than their team training sessions.

But even more than combat synchronization, she wanted her BFF. She wanted to be teased and called a dolt. She wanted to get chastised for being silly and act even sillier in return.

She wanted to be close to Weiss, she wanted to be touching her—she missed Weiss's touch—and get lost in the long random conversations like the ones that Weiss would deny ever happened back at Beacon. When Weiss would try to have "study nights" with her in the library and they would almost immediately go awry. When they were alone in the dorm, or when they had lunch or dinner together, or after training, or even when they'd work out together.

And now, watching her partner leave with the boys, Ruby wore her wide, happy smile, but all her excitement for the night walked out the door with Weiss.

From the moment Ironwood had ordered the night off, Ruby had envisioned finally getting to just hang out with her partner again. No training, no debriefing, no forced family time. It was going to be the first time really just being together since the fall. So when Nora mentioned the rally Ruby thought it would be perfect—smart, fancy people liked politics right? Weiss would love it! Yes, that's what she'd do.

But when she told Weiss about it, leaning slightly forward and smiling her innocent smile as she waited for Weiss's reply, she was sad to see that Weiss had no interest. She mentioned that Penny would be there, but that seemed to sour her to the idea even more for some reason.

So now she found herself walking with Nora and Rin down the cold streets of Mantel feeling terribly alone and frustrated. And for whatever reason, Rin and Nora could not stop bickering. So now she had to deal with that alone too. She couldn't help but wonder what Weiss would say to them if she were here… She really had a way of fixing peoples' problems. But that wasn't Ruby, and she had no idea what to say to make the situation even remotely better. Hell, she couldn't even follow what was wrong. Rin and Nora were always so in synch. What had gotten into them lately?

"At least I'll get to see Penny," she brightened up at that thought a little, but she still couldn't shake her melancholy completely.

Once at the rally, Ruby found herself quickly ditching the pair and their confusing bickering to follow Penny backstage to get away from whatever that conversation was actually about.

"Who are we talking about again?" Penny asked innocently. "I'm not really sure…" Ruby replied, not wanting to have anything to do with this conversation. She thought they were talking about Blake and Yang but the conversation seemed to have taken a turn. Relationships were crazy. Penny was surprisingly right, when she had told Ruby, "Relationships are so interesting… and varied!" For a machine, she was incredibly perceptive about the human condition sometimes.

But Penny did not catch on to Ruby's tone implying that she didn't want to talk about the subject, and as they walked backstage, she continued, "Were they talking about romantic relationships?" Her eyes glistened, as she seemed oddly excited about the prospect. Could Penny even experience romance? Ruby wondered for the first time. She guessed there was no reason to assume she couldn't, if she could experience friendships. "Are Blake and Yang truly 'just friends'?" She made air quotes around the words Nora had just used and said them more slowly, as if she was trying to make sure she was using them correctly, "Are Ren and Nora 'just friends'?" She seemed to be truly enjoying herself trying to figure these things out.

Ruby stared at the Guardian of Mantel as she spoke, trying to make sense of everything for a moment, so that she could reply, but then she sighed heavily. "Penny, I really don't know." She shrugged with her hands, "All that stuff makes zero since to me, every time I try to understand, somebody says something that just makes it even more confusing."

Penny tapped her chin as she thought, wanting to help the exasperated Ruby, "Hmm. Well, I do know that people that are important to you regardless of functional value are friends," she stated plainly. Right, that part made sense. "But also, there are varying levels of friendship. And then, there are people who are 'more' than friends!" She looked thoughtful for a moment before she added, "There's no one that I would consider more than a friend—after all, you're the most important person in the world to me, and you are my friend—so I'm not sure I get what that phrase means yet… There are so many intricacies to relationships!"

"See, exactly! You get it!" Ruby threw her arms up in the air, "That's where it gets super confusing for me… So, take Yang—she's my sister, so obviously she is more than just a friend, that's easy! But… she's also… more than a friend to Blake too? But in a different way… I think?"

Penny chimed in, "Oh! When Yang and Blake get married, then Blake will be your sister-in-law! So maybe you could call her your sister in training!"

Ruby paused for a moment, completely glossing over how adorable it was the Penny called Blake her "sister in training."

But did Penny just say when they get married? Also, the idea of Yang getting married had never even crossed her mind before! Sure, she knew her sister too well to not know that there was something more going on with her and Blake, but marriage? Why did Penny have to bring that up now?

"OH MY GOD I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, MY BRAIN IS GONNA EXPLODE!" she burst out before she had a chance to think about it. When she saw Penny's eyes widen, she quickly clarified, "Figuratively, figuratively!" waving her hands in the air, before Penny could call for emergency medical assistance. Penny simply smiled, "Whew!"

"Moving on!" Ruby said, not wanting to think about the fact that if Penny was right, there would probably be a very uncomfortable bridesmaid dress and high heels in her future... What if they both wanted her to be a bridesmaid? Would she have to wear TWO dresses?

She shook her head vigorously, banishing the thought.

"What was I saying? Oh right. And then Jaune, Oscar, Rin, and Nora are all really good friends, and then you, Penny, you are my best friend."

Penny's eyes went huge and her mouth dropped open.

"Ruby! That is an amazing coincidence! You are my best friend as well!" The auburn-haired girl was literally bouncing with excitement but then suddenly stopped, a confused expression crossing her face. "But I thought Weiss was your best friend? Do you not refer to her as your 'BFF'?"

It was Ruby's turn to pause in confusion.

Penny was right of course, Weiss was totally her BFF, and she totally bragged about it, even when Weiss death glared at her for it, but it also sounded right to call Penny her best friend. She tried saying it out loud to herself. "Weiss is my best friend forever…" she whispered to herself. Wait, no that felt wrong now… It felt like it was not enough…

Ruby grabbed her head with both hands and let out a frustrated groan. "I GIVE UP!"

"Hey," Penny said, "Speaking of Weiss, didn't you say that she would be coming as well?"

"I thought she would be," she sighed, "But she went with Jaune and Oscar to the movies instead. Ruby hung her whole body forward limply and kicked at the ground, "I wish I had gone with her."

Then realizing that Penny could hear her, she quickly added, "But I'm still really glad you and I got to hang out!"

"I understand Ruby! I am also disheartened by Weiss's absence, as I'm very fond of her myself. She is like Winter but less scary, much less scary!"

Before Ruby could reply, Marrow snatched Penny up and shooed Ruby away. Ruby stuck out her tongue at him as she wondered back into the crowd with one last smile and wave to Penny.

The horrific events that followed shortly after her conversation with Penny had felt like an eternity but had all happened in less than five minutes. And now Ruby watched her best friend flying up toward Atlas as she heard the sirens going off and screams in the distance.

Then out of the corner of her eye she spotted the glowing blue and white Queen Lancer descending in her direction, and in spite of everything, she felt her sprits lift and a smile force its way on to her face.

With a small jump, she fired Crescent Rose downward while engaging her semblance. She would meet her BFF halfway there, whatever the heck BFF meant. But it didn't matter, as long as she was by Weiss's side again.