Chapter Forty: When You Let Those Blue Eyes Turn Grey

Ruby woke up feeling like she'd been mauled by a shark and hit by a boat. She was aching all over and felt the sting of a million deep, angry scratches all across her back. And when she looked down at herself, she saw an army of deep red love bites marching down from her collarbone to the insides of her thighs. Walking was also a chore as Ruby painfully found out that awful Tuesday morning. Every step took far too long and it was more like a geriatric shuffle than the stride of a fit, young woman.

June twelve.

Ruby took the marker by the calendar and circled today's date.

Four more days to go, she thought with a heavy heart before putting the marker back and taking an icepack out of the freezer.

She waddled towards the coffeemaker with the ice on her groin and made herself a cup while preparing everything she'd need for Weiss' drip coffee. She also prepared a hot chocolate for Chrys with marshmallows and a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Leaning against the counter, Ruby rubbed her stiff neck, eyes slowly blinking. The coffee was working its magic. But despite how strong the brew was, it didn't snap her out of the mental fog blanketing her thoughts.

She was so tired.

After she finished the last drop, Ruby washed her cup and her face while she was at it. She felt a little more alert now and somewhat prepared for the day. First things first though, she needed to wake Chrys.

With a piping hot chocolate in hand, Ruby made her way to Chrys' room and braced herself for what was to come. The smell of Coco's signature cologne was seeping out of Chrys' room and into the hallway and it only got stronger once Ruby opened the door.

Chrys was curled into a little ball under her blanket, sleeping soundly with her mother's uniform clutched tightly in her arms like a teddy bear. Sharkington was off to the side watching over her like a silent guardian along with his fuzzy army. Ruby set the hot chocolate down on Chrys' desk and took a seat by the end of her bed, rehearsing the words she'd heard Weiss say.

"Hey, Chryssie, it's time to wake up," she said, gently jostling the girl's shoulder.

"Mama?" Chrys murmured, curling into herself even tighter like a sleepy little pill bug.

"Sorry, bud, it's just me." Ruby shook Chrys again. "Wakey-wakey."

Chrys poked her head out from the blanket and yawned. "Can you turn Tuna Casserole's light on?"

"Sure thing." Ruby did as Chrys asked and watched as the equally sleepy betta took a peek out of his hidey-hole. He glared at her much like Weiss would when Ruby suddenly woke her up. "Hey, Tuna, sorry for waking you—annnnd he's gone. I think Tuna's entering that rebellious teenage phase."

Chrys slowly sat up and stretched her arms. "You think so?"

"Your other fish all swim up to me and follow my hand, but when Tuna does it, he looks like he's about to take my lunch money."

"That's just resting bitch face," Chrys mumbled with a yawn. "Is that for me?" she asked, pointing to the cup.

"Of course," Ruby said, handing it over to her. "Careful, it's hot."

"Merci," Chrys said as she took her first sip. "This is really good."

"Thanks," Ruby said, getting off Chrys' bed. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Ham and eggs?"

"Two sunnies, lightly salted, and two toast with margarine?"

"Yup!"

Ruby ruffled Chrys hair before leaving her room and closing the door. She checked on Weiss and found her still fast asleep without any signs of waking even when Ruby opened the blinds to let the light in.

The army of plants Ruby put around the apartment had quadrupled in number giving the warm-toned home a vibrant splash of colour—not to insult Weiss' interior decorating skills, but Ruby had seen cardboard boxes with more in them. Chrys also fell victim to the houseplant bug and stole a few from the living room to set them up in her room. It became a bit of a bonding experience for them and now they made weekly trips to different stores in search of their next leafy friend. Though with the sixteenth fast approaching and Weiss' need to overcompensate for her emotional inadequacies by throwing money at things, those weekly trips became a near-daily activity to keep Chrys occupied and happy when she felt down.

By the time Chrys finished freshening up, Ruby had two servings of breakfast ready and waiting. They watched some early morning cartoons together while Chrys gushed all about her big day with Blake and the plans they made. First, they were going to the fish store after school followed by a trip to Blake's favourite sushi restaurant. And to cap the night off, they were going to go watch a movie. But when it was Ruby's turn to spill her day's events, she clammed up. She knew exactly what was in store for her once she came back from dropping Chrys off and it wouldn't be pretty, so she did what any well-adjusted adult would do.

She lied.

"I still got some packing to do," she said, unconsciously crossing her aching legs.

"Booorrrriiinnnnggggg!" Chrys exclaimed with a dramatic sigh. "Hire someone to do it for you. Come have fun with me and Blake instead!"

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "I don't need to be told that by someone who had her mommy do it for her."

"Are you saying Mama didn't help you pack?" Chrys fired back with the same ferocity Weiss was famous for. Ruby was taken aback and sputtered. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"You are getting so snippy, young lady," Ruby said as she stuffed the last of her egg whites into her mouth.

"Thank you!" Chrys beamed.

Unlike Ruby who mercilessly tore her breakfast apart, Chrys had cut her ham, eggs, and toast into strips that were easy to dip in the yolk and eat the white. She kept everything needlessly neat and separated, even going as far as using her toast strips to dam the yolk. Ruby had never seen anyone eat her breakfast the way Chrys did. Weiss certainly didn't—she didn't even eat breakfast without Ruby literally hand feeding her in secret—so was it Coco?

Feeling bold, Ruby put her fork down and rested her chin on the butt of her palm. "Can I ask you something?" she said, taking a small sip of coffee.

"Only if you let me taste your coffee."

"Keep it a secret from your mom?"

"Will you actually keep your mouth shut this time?"

"Touché," Ruby laughed as she put her mug down in front of Chrys. She waited for her to take a sip and relished the absolute look of horror on Chrys' face when the sugar hit.

"Oh god, what is this?!" Chrys cried in disgust. "Did you dump a whole bag of sugar into it?" Ruby flashed her a malicious grin. "You butthole!" Chrys gasped in realization, her hands flaring out in anger. "You knew I'd hate it and still let me try it?!"

"Because your mom said it was okay to let you try things," Ruby said with an innocent smile. "I'm just following orders."

"If she asked you to jump off a cliff, would you?"

"Yup," Ruby said, taking her coffee back. She took an exaggerated sip and nearly choked doing it. "Fek!" she coughed, catching a glimpse of Chrys' smug look. "Wipe that smirk off your face, brat."

"Karma," Chrys grinned even wider. "Anyway, your question? C'mon, chop, chop, Ms. Rose, we don't have all day."

Ruby glowered at Chrys like an agitated employee without a break, but couldn't hold the façade for more than a few seconds.

"You've got a really weird way of eating," Ruby said. "How'd you pick up that habit?"

"Oh…" Chrys' brows furrowed together as the smile she had slowly withered away. "Maman didn't like her food touching, so she separated it. Meat goes on the left, veggies go on top, and everything else is on the right or on a separate plate."

"Huh, neat," Ruby said with a soft smile, touched by the honesty in Chrys' words. "I always wondered why dinner was served in three's here."

"Because it throws off the ratio!" Chrys said, perking up a bit. "Meat should always have a one to two ratio with veggies."

"What if you have three vegetable sides like your favourite veggie medley, some mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob?" Ruby asked.

"Corn on the cob would get its own plate—and we'd never serve it as the third dish," Chrys said as a matter of fact. "It would probably be a stuffed mushroom or something seafood."

"Why?" Ruby asked.

"A well-balanced meal is essential to our health," Chrys answered with a sense of pride, probably mimicking a speech she'd heard Coco say throughout her childhood. "I want to grow as big as Maman, so I need to eat and exercise like her."

"Hm… exercise…" Ruby rolled the word on her tongue before saying, "Do you want to join me on my morning runs?"

"Hell no," Chrys said with a polite smile that didn't match her deadpan tone or choice of words.

"Wha–? I… huh?"

"You wake up at 5 a.m. like some crazy person," Chrys said, pointing her fork at Ruby. "I don't know how you have so much energy in the morning."

"You and your mom are both the same—no fun at all!" Ruby huffed. "Mornings are the best time to go for a run! Think about the beautiful early morning sunrise, the crisp, fresh air—the lack of people to accidentally mow down when you're busy texting your GF."

Chrys quirked an eyebrow, her lips pulled to the side. "Ruby, you're practically my stepmom with all the things you do around here."

"I didn't hear an 'evil' in front of that, so I'll take it as a compliment!" Ruby cheered.

"Could've been worse," Chrys nonchalantly shrugged. "Heizell hasn't seen her papa since that gold-digging skunk got preggo."

Now it was Ruby's turn to snort. "'Preggo'? That's one hell of a word. Did Yang teach you that?"

"Yeah," Chrys laughed. "I'm hip and cool with the kids! But for real, Ruby, I'm happy Mama chose you."

"Was there competition?" Ruby asked, trying to feign ignorance. She knew she was Weiss' one and only after Coco and Chrys.

Or so she thought

"Sure," Chrys said.

"What?"

"There were these really old guys with gross grey hair that used to say I need to behave and respect them because they'd be my new 'daddy'—bleh." Chrys punctuated her statement by making a face that screamed utter disgust. "One guy was three times Mama's age—like, how desperate can be you be to feel young?"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Ruby violently shook her head, unable to comprehend what she'd just heard. "When was this and how many?!"

"Don't worry, it was back when Maman was… back when Maman was still here," Chrys said with a sly smile. "Don't trick me into drinking your nasty coffee ever again."

"You…" Ruby let out an earth-shattering groan. "You learned something from your mom and I absolutely hate it."

Chrys let out an evil cackle as she brought her empty plate and glass to the sink. She ran back to Ruby and hugged her before rushing to her room to get ready for school. Ruby sat in her chair with a dazed look. Stepmom. And not the evil variety.

A strange warmth bubbled inside of Ruby's chest as the weight of Chrys' words sank in.

"Stepmom," she murmured to herself with a silly smile. "Ruby Rose, stepmom extraordinaire… wow."

As a reward and a semi-apology for making her drink the Rosen Concoction, Ruby took Chrys to Big Belly Burger and ordered her whatever she wanted for lunch. She had packed Chrys a homemade lunch with lots of love as well, but Ruby suspected it wouldn't be enough to satisfy Chrys' ravenous stomach. Chrys felt a little bad about eating her mother out of house and home, but a quick flash of Weiss' unlimited credit card usually put a smile back on her face.

By the time Ruby came back home, Weiss was finally up and about and down on her knees scrubbing the already spotless floor clean in her pale blue satin nightgown.

"Uh, hi?"

"Oh. Hi." Weiss blushed.

"Not that I don't enjoy the view, but what are you doing?" Ruby asked as she knelt down to help Weiss up.

"You and Chrys were gone, I couldn't help myself," Weiss said with a blush after getting caught red-handed.

"The floor's clean enough, baby," Ruby said, prying the rag out of Weiss' stubborn hands as she ushered her over to the sink.

"How's Chrys?" Weiss asked, getting pulled along like a child that didn't want to go home. "She didn't give you any trouble did she?"

"About as well as you can expect four days before her mother's death anniversary," Ruby answered. "Oh! That reminds me, I hope you don't mind, but I bought her a Big Belly burger for lunch—I know you don't let her eat junk food often, but…"

"But what?" Weiss asked.

"I couldn't help it…" Ruby tried to suppress her giddy smile, but it broke through anyway. "She called me her stepmom."

Weiss paused. "Interesting."

"It was a little shocking, to be honest, but I'm honoured she thinks of me like that," Ruby bashfully admitted. "She said she's happy you picked me."

"I do have impeccable taste in women," Weiss joked as she dried her hands and returned to Ruby's arms. "Choosing you has been the second best decision I've ever made."

"What's the first?" Ruby asked when Weiss kissed her cheek.

"Keeping Chrys."

"Mm, yeah, that is a pretty damn good choice," Ruby chuckled as she lifted Weiss up and carried her to their bedroom where they laid next together, basking under a warm sunbeam.

"What are you thinking about?" Weiss whispered after a lull in their conversation. She traced the vines and roses tattooed across Ruby's forearm like a well-trodden path.

"The things Chrys said," Ruby answered. "I'm still floored by it. Like, isn't this way too soon?"

"It is," Weiss answered bluntly. "But I think she's bracing herself for the inevitable future."

"Really?"

"I am never letting you go, Ruby," Weiss said as she got on top of her and straddled her waist. "You're mine."

"We goin' again?" Ruby asked with her fingers slowly sliding up Weiss' thighs.

"Are you up for it?" Weiss cautiously asked.

"Not yet, but I will be if you come down here and kiss me," Ruby said with a cheeky smirk.

They made love until noon rolled around and worked together to make a small lunch. Blake was coming over to join them, but an urgent call from a hysterical Neptune had Weiss rushing to the office like the building was on fire.

Blake arrived at the apartment carrying a small stack of books and a container filled with colourful sugar cookies. She was dressed stylishly like a wealthy woman ready to take the city by storm, though she could've shown up in pyjamas and still be better dressed than Ruby with her messy bedhead, Pickle Tim shirt, and red lounge shorts.

"Hi, Ruby," Blake said with a shy smile.

"Hey, Blake."

"I'm not too early am I?" Blake asked as she stepped into the apartment and curiously glanced around. "Is Weiss around? I have a few things I need to give her."

Ruby stifled a yawn and locked the door. "You actually just missed her."

"Something come up?"

"I think so, yeah," Ruby said, taking the books and container so Blake could take off her shoes. "Would you believe me if I told you Weiss scrubbed these floors herself?"

"I would," Blake laughed. "Coco used to tell me about how Weiss would drive her up the wall with her cleaning."

"Glad nothing's really changed then." Ruby pulled a chair out for Blake and took a seat herself. She picked up the first book from the stack and flipped it to read the back. It was in Eastern Atlesian so Ruby only understood a few words here and there.

"Coco lent me that book ages ago," Blake softly said as she joined Ruby by the table. "She wanted to make sure it was safe for Chrys to read but ended up falling in love with it."

"Is it a series?" Ruby asked, flipping through the pages. She saw a bunch of little notes scribbled along the margins and some dog-eared corners and what looked like a splash of old, dried coffee that seeped into a few pages. "This book had seen some shit."

"It has," Blake chuckled with a nostalgic look on her face. "We used to argue about how she treated her books."

"You doing okay?" Ruby asked, carefully putting the book back on the stack.

Blake pursed her lips and murmured, "I don't really know…"

"Have you spoken to anyone about it?"

"I've been talking to Sun and he's been incredibly sweet and supportive, but—oh, wow, this makes me sound like such an asshole."

"He's not Yang," Ruby said in Blake's stead.

"Mm," Blake solemnly nodded.

It had been a little over a month since their fight and, while a lot had changed on Blake's end, Yang refused to budge. Ruby wanted to sympathize with Blake and welcome her to the family as easily as Weiss and Chrys did, but seeing her sister so heartbroken made it difficult. Yang would come home as quiet as a mouse, barely noticing Ruby's presence, and remain just as quiet throughout the night. And when Ruby would brave the dark hallway to check on her before bed, she'd hear Yang faintly sobbing and muttering to herself through the old, paper-thin door.

It was hard not to resent Blake. Every time she came over to the penthouse, Ruby felt this inexplicable urge to slam the door shut in her face—she never did of course because Ruby really did like her. Blake was gentle, quick-witted, intelligent, and just like Weiss and Chrys, she was hurting. She didn't need another enemy against her, she needed a friend.

"Well, it's not much, but Weiss made some tuna sandwiches for you," Ruby said, pointing to a plate with four crustless sandwiches cut neatly in half. "And I know I'm not Yang, but I think I'm a pretty good listener too."

"Thank you," Blake smiled as she took a sandwich and bit into it. "Oh wow, this is really good!"

"I know right?" Ruby chuckled. "Weiss worked crazy hard trying to get the mix right."

"I really like the onions and the sweetness," Blake said after finishing her first sandwich.

"Same. Hey, are you thirsty?"

"A bit, yes," Blake shyly answered, her hand halfway to the tuna sandwiches.

"Anything in particular?" Ruby asked as she got up.

"Some water or soda would be nice."

"Nuka okay with you?"

"Nuka Cola's perfect, thank you."

Ruby hummed in response and moseyed over to the fridge. She pulled out two cans of Nuka Cola and poured them into some tall glasses with ice.

"Has… has there been any word from Yang?" Blake asked while Ruby was fixing them something to drink.

"She's enjoying her time in Atlas and seeing the sights with Winter," Ruby answered without looking back. "Sent some awesome pics and a few I wished I didn't see."

"What do you mean?"

"Um…"

"Nudes?"

Ruby whipped around and gagged. "God no!"

"Then what?"

"Mannequins…"

"Mannequins?"

"Mannequins."

"Mannequins."

"Yep."

Blake pursed her lips and blinked. "Do I want to know the story?"

"Went trick-or-treating with Yang—couldn't have been more than seven years old—and one of the houses went all-out on the decorations… had these creepy mannequins littered all over the lawn." Ruby placed Blake's glass in front of her and returned to her seat. "Not so bad yet, right?"

"Sounds interesting so far, yes."

"Well, when we got to the door, there was this scarecrow sitting in a rocking chair with a bowl of candy that said take a handful."

"Oh no, I think I know where this is going."

"Yep!" Ruby shuddered. "I reached in for a handful and the scarecrow came to life and grabbed my hand yelling, 'trick-or-treat!' at the top of his lungs. I started wailing and Yang came to my rescue. The guy apologized before Yang could throw a punch and gave me way more candy than he should've. Been scared of scarecrows and mannequins ever since."

Blake stifled a laugh and said, "Halloween's pretty different over in Menagerie. It's more of a community festival where everyone gets together in the town square with food and drinks. The children all dress up and… hm, I haven't thought of this in years."

"Good memories?"

"Yeah," Blake nodded. "My father used to carry me on his shoulder and we'd wear matching costumes while my mother took pictures."

"Sounds like a great childhood."

"Oh no, we did this into my late teens," Blake laughed. "And I'm sure if I went back for the festival, he'd still do it."

"Your dad a big guy?"

"The biggest!"

"Hey," Ruby said, shifting gears. "You excited for your night with Chrys?"

"Absolutely," Blake beamed. "Has she told you our plans?"

"Yep," Ruby smiled. "She's practically bouncing off the walls."

"Is there anything I should know like allergies or other restrictions?"

"She's allergic to stupidity and misogyny and nothing else."

"Um…"

"That's what I thought too the first time Weiss told me," Ruby snickered, thinking about the past. "But for real, Chrys isn't allergic to anything. And the only real restriction she has is to not use her money on other people."

Blake quirked an eyebrow. "Can I ask why?"

"Well…" Ruby tapped the table twice. "Chrys is a generous person… and she likes helping people. She knows she's wealthy. And she knows she has the power to change someone's life with it. But people keep trying to take advantage of her kindness…"

"Mm, I know that feeling all too well," Blake mumbled somberly.

"I like to think Chrys takes after Weiss in this regard," Ruby lightly chuckled. "She's never had a problem saying no when someone acts entitled to her money. It's always fun seeing this switch flip on and she goes from the sweetest kid ever to this hardened, meticulous, cutthroat business lady. And, oh god, this one kid in her class, Aubergine or something like that, she kept trying to take Chrys' stuff because Chrys can just buy a new one. And if she couldn't take it, she'd play the victim card and pretend her family can't provide for her—like, bruh, the tuition for that school is enough to make me wanna shrivel up!"

Blake snorted out a laugh and said, "Private schools breed entitlement."

"Speaking from experience?"

"God no!" Blake exclaimed. "Menagerie barely had a school when I lived there."

"Have things changed?" Ruby asked, biting into a sandwich.

"I think so…" Blake murmured in thought. "I know a few charities are helping out, but I'm not too privy on them."

"You're probably thinking of Weiss' charity," Ruby said. "She's got this thing going on where she sponsors families among other things."

"Huh… I guess me and Weiss are a little more intertwined than I first thought."

Ruby nodded. "I'm happy you two are getting along."

"I am too," Blake smiled. "I still can't believe it to be honest… me and Weiss. Friends."

"Family," Ruby gently corrected.

"Right… family."

"Hey, about Yang."

"Hm?"

"Don't stress yourself too much about her," Ruby said. "I don't really know the words to help clear up your confusion… I personally still don't know whether I like girls or boys or both. All I know is that Weiss is it for me."

"Really?"

Blushing, Ruby shyly rubbed the back of her neck. "When I was a kid I dreamt of meeting my soulmate. Stupid, I know. But I had this image in my head of the perfect person for me. The memory's kind of faded now, but I know I had a face in mind—sharp and serious with a beautiful smile and striking eyes… I don't think I ever had a gender in mind though and just defaulted to 'princess' because I loved stories about knights rescuing princesses and slaying dragons."

"You're not too off the mark in calling Weiss a princess," Blake said warmly, entertained by Ruby's tale. "I might be one in the literal sense, but Menagerie's a poor country. We had a big house and a bit of money, but nowhere near the amount the Schnee's have."

"Wow."

"You'll probably notice it when we go to Atlas, but people will clamour over Weiss like a celebrity—what am I saying? She is a celebrity."

"I'm kind of worried about that," Ruby murmured with a weak, awkward laugh. "What'll people think when they see me next to her? I'm just a poor kid from Patch with nothing to her name… no one would bat an eye if they saw her with Coco, but me? Ha…"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Ruby," Blake said encouragingly. "You're a wonderful person with a good heart. And if appearance is all it takes to make someone perfect for another, well, that's just shallow and sad—not that I'm not saying you aren't good looking because you are! G-Good looking that is."

"Thanks."

"Mm…" Blake nervously drummed her fingers on her glass, ears pressed flat against her head. "I really don't know what I'm going to do. My head's all jumbled and everything feels like it's going to cave in on me… the expectations alone are enough to crush me. How does Weiss handle all this pressure?"

"Uhh, she doesn't," Ruby answered. "She has a drawer full of stress balls in her office. Developed a caffeine addiction to deal with her exhaustion. And when things get really bad, she uses me like a chew toy."

"Oh, that last part I already knew," Blake snorted. "You look haggard."

"Really?" Ruby asked, pinching her cheek to see if anything felt different.

"Weiss is a little too forthcoming with details," Blake said. "But that still isn't news to me."

Ruby had a feeling she already knew the answer, but she still asked Blake why.

"Coco," Blake simply answered. "Though you seem to be handling things better."

"Ehhh, I wouldn't say 'better,' " Ruby said with a shrug. "I'm nowhere near as busy as Coco was, so I've got more free time to, uh, divert Weiss' attention."

"Yang—when I'd get stressed because of my job—she'd take me out to our favourite pub and we'd share a booth in a corner away from prying eyes." Blake stared into her half-empty glass, a small smile tugging on her pale pink lips. "She'd buy me my favourite drink and a basket of calamari and then she'd just sit there, keeping me company without saying a word until I'm ready to."

"Yang's always been a pretty good friend," Ruby mused aloud. "But she's never been the quiet type. She'd always fill the silence like she was scared of it—though I do know it's PTSD related."

"I know about Pyrrha."

"I figured you would," Ruby sighed. "Blake, I'm going to be honest with you. I like you a lot. You're real neat like a potato and I'm happy to be your friend."

Blake blinked. "Thank you?"

"Pas de problème," Ruby smoothly replied, impressing Blake.

"So, uh, where's the 'but'?" Blake said.

"What makes you think I was going to say something else?"

"I…" Blake swallowed. "I don't know exactly. Just a sinking feeling."

"I want to dislike you," Ruby confessed with a dark look in her eyes. "You upset my sister. But knowing what you're going through, I can't stay mad at you. Yang wouldn't want me mad at you either because that's just how Yang is."

"She's far too kind."

"No, it's not because she's kind," Ruby said. "If it was anyone else, you'd be gone by now. Yang doesn't hold on to people who hurt her. She doesn't really hold on to anyone… but she's held on to you."

"Any ideas why?" Blake asked with a slight blush, her left ear flicking excitedly.

"Obvious reasons aside, I'm not really sure," Ruby shrugged. "Yang doesn't talk about herself, not even to me and our closest friends, but she talks to you… I don't know what it is about you that makes her want to open up."

"Oh."

"Bah!" Ruby suddenly exclaimed as she ruffled her hair trying to sort out her thoughts. "Why are feelings so confusing?! With Weiss, it's as simple as a triangle. Hit the right points and she's right as rain. But with Yang, it's like tiptoeing on a minefield."

"I get that sense too…"

"Sorry for putting this all on you," Ruby said.

"Pas de problème," Blake replied in a much better East Atlesian accent. "I'm happy you've told me all this though. It was a little hard to listen to, but I really do appreciate it. I felt like there was this wall between us that I couldn't get over… forgive me if this is overreaching, but it feels like we've closed a bit of the distance."

"We have," Ruby said, downing the last of her cola.

Blake stayed for another hour before heading out to pick up Chrys. Ruby cleared the table and wiped it down until it shined.

The apartment was quiet. Too quiet. It made Ruby feel off, and it was only after she watered the plants and tidied Weiss' office that she realized she was anxious. Weiss' urge to clean made a lot more sense now.

"What am I doing?" Ruby asked herself as she dragged her exhausted body over to the couch, falling face-first into the cushion. She thought about what she'd do until Weiss came back and could only really think of double-checking her packed suitcase for anything Weiss might've missed on her chest list of essentials. Ruby wouldn't admit it, but Chrys was right. Weiss had packed her suitcase too and it was embarrassing as hell having her rifle through her undergarments.

Turning on her side, Ruby blankly stared at her reflection in the large flat-screen TV. She looked tired and miserable, nothing at all like her usual bubbly self. But then again, being with Weiss had taught her to be more true to her feelings.

Just a couple more days, Ruby thought before sitting up to stretch, her eyes eventually wandered over to the mantle.

Coco's smile was undaunted as she stood tall and proud in her photo. Ruby often wondered how she'd ever fill the gap Coco left behind. She knew she didn't have to and that she should be focusing on carving her own place in the family, but Ruby couldn't help but compare herself to the larger than life woman Weiss swore her life to. Circumstances aside, they were a beautiful couple and the journey they shared was one Ruby greatly admired.

"Hey, Coco," Ruby murmured as she hunched over herself, hands folded over the back of her neck, "your girls are coming home to see you soon."

The quiet hum of the aquarium filled the silence followed by the icemaker refilling itself.

Ruby awkwardly chuckled to herself before glancing up. "They love you so much… Weiss is beside herself with grief and Chrys is barely keeping things together. If you had known this was going to happen… would you still do what you did?"

Coco's journal came to mind giving Ruby the answer she already knew deep down.

"What am I saying?" Ruby whimpered, eyes closing shut. "Of course you would… you're a hero."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Ruby ground the butt of her palms into her eyes and wiped away the tears stinging her eyes. She didn't know Coco, but she could feel the cold void she left behind.

"Hey, Coco, if you're listening," Ruby said in a stern tone, her fists tightly balled, "give me the strength I need to stand beside Weiss and Chrys."

Well, folks... next chapter's the last one. It's been a wild ride, huh? We've been through so much and no here we are. If you want to come hangout with me, join my discord server.

Link is in my profile.