Breaking Point

The point at which something loses force or validity

The point at which a situation becomes critical

The point at which a person gives way under stress

"Therapy?" The young leader asked arms crossed, eyebrow cocked and posture screaming 'defense', "You're joking right?"

"Yes to the first question and no to the second question." Yang responded as she leaned against their door, blocking the only exit from the room.

It had been a week since the incident at the training room. In that week, WBY and JNR had visited the owl like doctor, and the nurse had discharged both Ruby and Oscar. It was noticed though that there was tension in the air between the young woman and the former farmhand. Not to say that Ruby was angry anymore; after all she hadn't had a problem with Oscar personally. She did end up fixing Long Memory for him, that being one of the first of many tasks she felt she had to do; while it was her fault she had to fix it to begin with, she also did not want to face her team.

Ruby laughed humorlessly, "Yeah no thank you." She walked to her desk and sat down in the chair, she still had a report to re-write. Another task she had been actively avoiding.

"Seriously?" Blake demanded, "You nearly slice Yang's throat and then tried to murder Oscar. You didn't even know where you were."

Ruby looked away now and they saw how her eyes had dimmed. It had been decided that team RWBY handle their leader and tell her the news of the therapy sessions if Jaune, Nora, and Ren would tell Oscar. They had been skeptical in the beginning when they had started their sessions, but at the end of each session they had indeed felt better, "It was an accident. Yang startled me and-"

"There are no 'ands' Ruby." Weiss said gently going over to the desk, "You were not there mentally. If I hadn't-"

"I know!" Ruby yelled furiously making Weiss flinch. Seeing this she says more softly, "I know, but we can settle this as a t-"

"No we can't." Yang states getting off the door. She sighs and also goes over to her sister, placing a hand on her shoulder noticing how Ruby tries to flinch away, "Ruby, Qrow and Winter are right. This is beyond us. If we are going to hold official hunters licenses then we need to make sure we can handle the stress properly that comes with the job."

"Handle stress properly? Coming from you that's a laugh." Ruby chuckled out darkly, throwing her sister's hand off her shoulder before getting back up and pacing the room.

The three of them give each other a look before Blake sighs, "Look Ruby we are all under a lot of stress you more so than us perhaps; but locking up your feelings and trying to run from them is not the answer."

"This coming from the resident team runner." Blake winced at this comment, "Next please."

"Ruby seriously we are not trying to attack you. We are trying to help you. You need to talk to someone." Weiss said easily.

Ruby glared darkly at them, feeling the room closing in on her. Closing her eyes she tries to take a deep breath and releases it before stopping her violent pacing, "Fine. Ok fine. Yes what I did was really out of character. I attacked Yang and Oscar and Qrow. I was in a violent flashback and I didn't know where I was. That is a problem I know." Reopening her eyes no longer wanting to think about those events she says, "But I think I deserve a chance to reevaluate myself before I talk to this…therapist. I mean how can we even trust him?"

"We didn't tell him anything like confidential. Just stuff that was like public knowledge and how we felt during the aftermath of everything." Yang explained at least slightly relieved that Ruby was at least listening to them now.

"And you don't have a choice in the matter." Weiss said looking at Yang before shifting back to Ruby, "Winter made it mandatory that we see him until he deems us fit to return to active duty."

Ruby threw her hands up, "Not have a choice? Great. What happened to 'being sick of everyone making choices for me' partner?" She sneered out.

Again Weiss winced and this time took a step away from Ruby, eyes wide. This was going poorly. On top of it, she never had Ruby speak to her like this before. Never even seen this side of Ruby before.

Ruby's back was turned after she had given Weiss a look of disgust. She either hadn't noticed or just didn't care, "You know what, that is way too snotty a thing even for alternate universe Ruby to say. You owe us an apology." Yang said in a warning tone daring to take a step towards her sister. Blake had slipped next to Weiss to offer the former heiress some kind of support, and trying to get ready for the blow up that was about to come.

"Or what Yang? News flash I am not a child anymore."

"Really? Could've fooled me with the way you're acting right now." Ruby ignored her and Yang finally had enough. She stormed over to Ruby and forced the team leader to turn and look at her, "Hey! I get you are having problems right now, but this is not an excuse to bite our heads off."

Silver eyes met flaming red, "Then get off my back." Ruby growled out.

"No. Not until you actually listen to us and get it through your thick head that you need this."

Ruby and Yang glared at each other, an electrifying heat filling the room. Blake and Weiss stood off to the side, sharing a look with one another. They did not know how to proceed about breaking the sisters apart, or if they even should. Sure they would have minor spats in Beacon, but this was different. Blake sighed and took the first initiative, "Ok guys let's settle down and take a deep breath before the both of you say something that you might regret." She goes over to Yang and places a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder, but Yang shrugs it off never breaking her gaze towards Ruby.

Weiss takes a deep breath and goes to her partner, trying the same attempt that Blake had done, "Ruby please. We are trying to look out for you." Ruby threw her hand off as well, her gaze never breaking Yang's.

"I do not need anyone telling me what I am thinking or feeling." Ruby growled out to Yang.

"What you need is help." Yang said, "Picking a fight with us is not the answer."

"I wasn't trying-"

"Then what the hell are you trying to do now? You are taking cheap shots at Blake, Weiss, and myself." Then smirking humorlessly, she adds, "I would think you would know better than to pick a fight with me." Blake and Weiss sighed and stood back. This was going to end poorly and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

"You're right." Ruby commented taking a step back, "I do know better than to pick a fight with you."

Yang just watched her sister, unsure where this was headed but at the same time looking at Blake and Weiss as if just remembering they were there in the room with them, "So then am I not going to have to beat some sense into you?"

Ruby took a deep breath and said, "You could try, but I am not going to let you win that easily."

"Ruby you are going to this doctor."

"Stop trying to tell me what to do!" Ruby yelled now, "You are not dad and you are most certainly not my mother! So stop trying to act like her!" It was like being slapped as Yang faltered for a moment. Ruby took this opportunity to use her semblance and dart out of the room.

Blake and Weiss sighed, "Well that went swimmingly." Weiss commented dryly.

"Really Weiss?" Blake asked as she gave the former heiress a deadpanned gaze. Then looking at the blonde she asks, "Are you alright?"

Yang sits on the bed and hides her face in her hands before looking at the monochrome pair, "No, but I guess we will be eventually. For now she is right, we cannot force her to do anything."

"But Winter-" Weiss started to say.

"I know what Winter said. However she also has to be the one to seek help."

"How do we get her to do that?" Blake asked, ears flat against her head. Yang shrugged and the three of the sighed, hoping things will turn out for the best.

-SNOOPYKID-

Ruby found herself once more in the training room. No weapon this time, but still that didn't mean she was completely weaponless. For the past thirty minutes, she had her fists slamming into the heavy bag that hung in the area, "Stupid!" Left jab, "Idiot!" Left jab again, "Worthless!" Right jab, "Pathetic!" Right jab again, "Jackass!" This time she threw a left hook.

"Who exactly are you yelling at?" Ruby jumped and turned to face the person that interrupted her. A man with rectangular glasses and molten amber eyes spoke in a soft tone. His brown hair was sticking up in a way that reminded Ruby of an owl's feather tuffs that she had admired in the woods.

Ruby sent a glare at the heavy bag, "With all due respect, I want to be alone right now."

He nodded and motioned to her hands, "Alright, but a piece of advice? You might want to bandage those hands. Give them some protection against that inner rage you have going on there."

Ruby sighed and looked at her now bruised and slightly bloody knuckles, "Got any wrap on you?"

The man smiled, "Not on me, but I do have some in my office if you'd like." Ruby looked at him warily, "Come on kid. I won't bite."

Sighing Ruby followed him, "Alright. Thanks."

"Don't mention it. So kid, what's your name?"

"Ruby Rose." Ruby said as she followed him down the hall towards his office.

The man smiled brightly at her, "Really? The famous huntress."

"Famous?" Ruby asked bewildered, "What do you mean famous?" The man opened the door and motioned her in his office. Ruby caught a glance at the plaque on the door that read 'Erik Stevens PhD'. Oh crap baskets, Ruby thought as she looked at him, his amber eyes sparkling in amusement as he saw the recognition in her own silver depths.

"Oh yes Ms. Rose, I know a lot about you." He answered her inner thought while the door was open, they still were in the threshold, as if he was giving her the option, "Not just from your team mind you, but I've read up on your file."

"I have a file?" Ruby asked intrigued.

"Yes you do. I must say it is quite impressive." He walked through the door first and went to his desk lifting up the thick manila envelope to show her.

Ruby hesitated for a brief moment in the threshold, "I-"

Doctor Stevens held up a hand, "I understand your reluctance. Believe me I was in the same boat you are in now. You don't have to talk, but are you at least willing to listen?" He dug into his desk and showed her the hand wraps he had mentioned to her earlier.

Ruby looked at him and for now did not sense anything threatening about the man in front of her, "Alright." She entered the office and closed the door accepting the hand wraps.

Sitting on the couch she wraps her hands while she waits for him to sit in the large chair, as he gathers his notebook and her file, "Like I said before, I really do find you impressive. At fifteen you entered Beacon Academy after stopping a dust robbery. Before that you trained hard at Signal; a protégée to Qrow Branwen in the art of scythe wielding. Tell me about Crescent Rose."

"I thought I didn't have to talk. Just listen." Ruby asked.

"Ok general conversation it is; but we do have to have a give-take session. So mind if I ask a few non-personal questions?"

Ruby shrugged and said, "I guess if it was non-personal. Sure."

"Excellent. Do you know what this is?" Doctor Stevens asked holding up a small red stretchy circular object to Ruby.

"A rubber band?" She questioned with an eyebrow raised.

"Correct." He started stretching between his two pointer fingers, ideally playing with it, "Notice how it stretches?"

Ruby sighed and looked at him, "Yes. I'm sorry where are you going with this?"

He smiles at her and continues to play with it, "Do you know what you and the rubber band have in common?" At her silence and glare, he takes that as an answer to continue, "The more you stretch the rubber band, the less likely it'll start to retain its shape."

She watches him closely as he keeps stretching it, and sure enough the rubber starts to lose its roundness little by little, "So you are telling me I am a flimsy office supply? What happened to this being non-personal?"

He ignored her second question, "No I am saying you're like a strong elastic band, always being stretched and then being able to retain your shape. However as you so eloquently called this 'flimsy office supply', you are stretched so much that you eventually-" He stretched the band too far and it snapped. Ruby ducked her head as a piece went whizzing by her head, "Snap."

"Dude!" Ruby called out indigently, "Seriously you could have hurt me and you are supposed to be a doctor? Again I thought we weren't going to talk about me."

"Unfortunately we have to talk about you Ms. Rose. You are on a destructive path."

"I don't have to listen to this." Ruby said getting up and heading to the door, "Thanks but no thanks."

"My name is Ruby. I am the daughter of Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long, as well as the younger half-sister of Yang Xiao Long." Ruby stopped just shy of reaching the door knob, she turned back around and saw in the doctor's hand a stapled piece of paper, he continued reading the paper, "My sister would read me fairy tales every night before bed, filled with the deeds of great heroes; I had hoped to be one of those heroes one day and the way I can reach this goal is to be a huntress." He placed the paper down and said, "Tell me Ms. Rose does what you describe in this essay sound like who you are now?"

Ruby closed her eyes and sighed, "I don't know who I am anymore."

"Ruby give me a chance. I've been where you are. I know how you might be feeling. All heroes need help sometimes. Let me help you." She looked at him and saw something genuine in his eyes.

Ruby looked up at his ceiling and swore under her breath and sat back down, "Fine. However what I say sticks between us right? Patient Confidentiality and all that?"

"Unless you are in danger to yourself or others then yes of course." He said seriously.

Shaking her head she said, "Fine. Where do we start?"