Weiss POV

Work had been hell today. Not like it wasn't all the time. Being a coroner for the last five years I'd seen a lot of horrible things, but some autopsies were even worse than others. Today's had been one of those. A murder suicide where the husband killed his wife and two daughters and then himself. Gunshot wounds to their heads and chests. Typical domestic violence case. The woman had left her husband six months ago. She'd been hiding. He'd found them anyway. Winter and Yang were trying to figure out how he'd done it, not that it would matter. The damage was done, four bodies sat on my tables.

I got out of my car, grabbed my groceries, and finally walked inside my home. Carefully I opened the door, put my keys in the bowl on the in table, and hung my purse on the hook. Two soft thuds as I kicked off my heels in their spot. The relief was almost palpable.

I went to the kitchen and sat my groceries down on the counter before opening the fridge and putting them away. Afterwards I grabbed the vacuum and duster for the living room before doing the same for the kitchen.

I lay on the tub afterwards, enjoying the warm water as I practice deep breaths. I'd go see her again tomorrow. In the morning. She'd been doing so well, lately. That could change at any moment but any good day was a blessing. I released a deep breath. Winter had always taken those sudden changes hard. It was hard to figure out if it was just bad timing or if my sister's rare visits affected our mother somehow. Yang had clued me in on her secret visits after Winter had been involved in a brawl at a bar. She never spoke of it and whenever I tried she'd change the subject, shut me out. She'd been doing that for a long time now.

I had just settled down with a glass of wine and a book on the couch when the doorbell rang.I raised a brow. Odd. I wasn't expecting anyone tonight. Though when I checked the security camera I found I wasn't all that surprised. In fact, I smiled as I opened the door.

"Hey Weiss!" Ruby greeted with a huge smile of her own. "I brought your favorite takeout!"

"Do you know what time it is?" I asked, though I let her in anyway.

"Time to eat!" she answered, clearing a spot on the coffee table and setting her drink carefully and deliberately on the coaster. I couldn't tell you how many times I gotten onto for not using them in the past.

I sighed and shook my head. Ruby brought with her an infectious sort of contentment. She shared that with the rest of her family. Today may have started pretty awful, but I was already starting to feel a little better.


Ruby's POV

I was practically vibrating in my seat as my sister finally came back with our sundaes. It may have been the middle of Fall but that wouldn't stop me from wanting some ice cream. I happily dug in once mine was sat down in front of me. Until I noticed that my sister wasn't digging into hers with the same fervor. Instead her gaze was focused on a couple sitting a few seats away in the parlor. There was something wistful in the smile on her face, and I immediately knew who she was thinking about.

She hadn't gone into much detail about the woman she was hanging out with. So far the only one that had even seen her was Winter. "So," I began, clearing my throat to get her attention. "Are you ever going to introduce us to your mystery girl?"

Yang sighed and pushed around the banana toppings in her whip cream before taking another spoonful. "It's...complicated."

I frowned. "Already?" They'd only been going out for about a month.

My sister shook her head. "No, it's just...I'll tell you another time."

Yang had always been fairly private about any girl she started hanging around. Mostly due to the fact that they usually were short lived because Yang just couldn't seem to find it in herself to be fully interested. She'd never seen a future with them, she'd told me. They were great people but she just... "You're really not going to tell me anything about her?" I asked around a mouthful of peanuts and banana.

"Well she's..." Another sigh, this time, a little more positive.

"Pretty?"

"Beautiful," she corrected almost instantly. "She's so smart. Her smile and laugh are... They're so rare but when they show up it makes me feel..." Oh wow. I'd never seen this before.

I grinned. "You really do like this one."

Yang didn't bother to deny it. "I don't know what it is about her. Besides all the things I just mentioned. Like you said, it's only been a month. Besides Blake's...

Ah, so she had a name. "Winter says you met at a bar."

She nodded and took another two spoonfuls. "She's a bouncer. Honestly she could be whatever she wanted. She knows things that I never even heard of."

I nodded as she continued to describe the girl in detail, my smile, almost impossibly, continuing to widen. The way Yang talked about her... She had this gleam in her eye.

"I promise that when things get more serious, I'll introduce her."

I couldn't help but frown a bit. "More serious? You two aren't officially dating?" That struck me as odd. Yang wasn't one to not-date people.

"Not officially," the blonde replied. "Like I said it's complicated."

"Well, I hope they get uncomplicated soon so I can meet the woman that makes my big sister grin like a goof."

"Hey!"


Yang's POV

Blake and I had only been seeing each other for little over a month. Well, seeing each other wasn't quite right. Truth be told, the status of our relationship was starting to bother me. What it all boiled down to in the end was sex. Don't get me wrong, it was fun and satisfying and I enjoyed it, but I...wanted more. I wanted to actually get to know her. I wanted to hold her. Even that was a bit hard when she never stayed the night, leaving in a panic when she thought I'd fallen asleep.

Not that it was surprising, given my inklings on what kind of life she'd had before we'd met. She didn't have to say anything, her mannerisms spoke volumes. I'd seen plenty of people throughout my career who carried themselves in a similar manner.

Today she'd met me outside the precinct at quitting time. She'd left work early last night after a pole had fallen and caused a partial blackout. Despite not having worked her usual hours, she looked and sounded tired. She was quiet on the way back to my apartment.

She kicked off her shoes and hung up her sweater and placed the bottle of wine she'd been carrying on the counter. I smiled, watching as she turned on the tv and then practically collapsed on the couch. I followed her lead, placing my holster in the drawer next to the door and then went ahead and poured out two glasses.

I sat down, and looked over to find Blake already looking at me. Then she moved, swinging one leg over so that she was straddling me and pushing me back into the couch with a force of her kiss. Her hands were already under my shirt, scratching at my sides. I sighed into the kiss and then pulled away, putting gentle pressure on her waist to keep her back.

"Hold on," I said with a chuckle when she frowned. "I'd like to talk to you."

She actually laughed, but something in my expression must have told her I was serious and she pulled further away, retaking her seat next to me. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before taking a drink from her glass.

"What did you want to talk about?" she finally asked quietly.

I shrugged, because there was nothing specific. I just wanted to know more about her. "Anything."

"Okay." She took a deep breath as if readying herself. "How was your day?"

"Good," I replied casually. "Got a couple of new leads on the case I'm working on." I took a sip of the wine as well. "Confidential stuff. What about you?"

"I went swimming." She looked uncomfortable, unable to meet my gaze. The brunette rubbed at her arms too, something I'd seen her do previously when she got nervous.

"And?" I pressed gently, not wanting to push but also hoping for more.

Blake didn't answer, leaning back towards the other end of the couch. She looked as if she was trying to make herself smaller and put more distance between her and me.

"You can talk to me," I said after a while.

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything. Something about you."

No answer.

"Where are you from?"

Nothing.

"Do you talk to your parents?"

She winced at that, jaw clenching slightly.

I nodded slowly. That one was clearly a very sore subject. "Alright. What do you like to eat for breakfast?"

She shook her head, setting her chin on her curled up knees. "I don't usually eat breakfast."

I sighed and sat up, carefully and slowly placing my hand on her cheek so she'd look at me. "I'm not going to hurt you," I told her. "I just...I want to know a little bit more about you. What you feel. Inside. About me."

Something flickered in her eyes and she surprisingly leaned into the touch. "Sometimes I feel lonely."

I smiled a little in understanding. "Yeah, me too." I paused for a moment. "Blake, I wanted to talk to you about something. I really, really like you. I like spending time with you, but I don't want for our relationship to start and end at sex. I want more than that. I'd like to have an actual relationship with you. I'd like to date you."

She stiffened at the words, looking like a deer caught in headlights and I almost regretted bringing this up now. Blake opened her mouth then closed it, shaking her head.

"But you need to want it too," I continued, because this was the most important part. "Whatever you decide, it's okay. We can be friends, we can be more, or we can never see each other again. I just can't keep doing this."

The dark haired stared at me, meeting my gaze temporarily before lowering it again. "I... I don't..."

I squeezed her hand in mine. "Take your time," I relied. "Just let me know what you decide. Whatever it is, I'll go with."

There was a moment of silence between us. Then, as I'd expected, she got up and left. I sighed once she was gone. Now, all I could do was wait. Hope for the best.


Ilia's POV

Something was off. In a very different way than last time. Blake had been more content than I'd seen her in a long while and then a couple weeks ago her mood had shifted again. She only went to work or on missions, and when she was truly exhausted she'd stay in her room. It was honestly starting to worry me. It still didn't quite sit right with me that she'd started hanging around that cop - detective.

I'd been meaning to ask her what was wrong but we had other problems. Adam had killed our only intel, Tukson. On top of that we'd started tracking and taking out as members of the drug trade as we could, including Arthur Watts.

I'd been hesitant to take him on so soon. He had been a scientist of sorts, a paranoid one at that. Not to mention that our body count had grown to be more than a nuisance to the White Fang. They knew we meant business now, which meant they'd be more serious in hunting us down and once they figured out who we were...

Finding our way inside the apartment building had been easier than I thought. Too easy. My gut was telling me that something wasn't right but Blake wouldn't budge. I knew her focus wasn't great, but I still let her talk me into her plan to use the elevator shaft to get to Watt's room. Needless to say that I wasn't surprised when she tried to open the door and was met by a small explosion causing her to fall. She let out a shriek of pain and I went over to her, helping her get up, only to hear a sick, squelching sound. She had landed on the metal rod on the ground.

Bastard had thought of everything.

I heard voices coming towards us and we quickly made our escape. When we arrived home, I watched as Blake limped inside, blood seeping through the fabric of her hoodie. She tossed her helmet to the side before taking off the ruined jacket. I sighed and shook my head, grabbing the first aid kit.

"Hate to say it but I told you so," I muttered as I got everything sterilized and ready. The brunette grunted in response but didn't say anything as she kicked off her boots. "Let me see."

She shook her head. "It's nothing."

I gave her a pointed look. "It doesn't look like nothing." When she still didn't show me, I got up and pulled her shirt up to reveal a nasty looking slash in her flesh. "Jeez, Blake." I sighed and started to clean it, muttering an apology when she let out a whimper. "You going to tell me what's on your mind?"

Blake let out a hiss when I inserted the needle. "Nothing's been on my mind," she answered. "Ow!"

I huffed. "Oh, sorry, did that hurt?"

"Yes," she snapped before letting out a sigh, her grip tightening on the table as I continued to work. It loosened back up after a while, and her finger started to scratch absently at the grain on the tabletop. "She...wants to be more with me," Blake admitted quietly. I stopped, looking up at her. "She told me she really likes me, but she wants more than just... what we've been doing."

My eyes narrowed slightly. "Is she-"

The brunette shook her head with no hesitation. "She told me that she'll be fine with whatever I decide. We could be friends or more or nothing at all." Her voice got even quieter as she continued. "She told me to think about it and... I am. But I don't know what to do."

I didn't say anything as I finished the stitch. What could I say really? Couldn't really spill my feelings on the matter. This wasn't about me. "What do you want?" I finally asked, because that's all I really wanted, for her to get what she wanted, what would make her happy.

"I don't know!" she answered, letting out another hiss. "This is the first time I've been given this freedom to decide and I don't know what I want!" There was something so sad about that admission, we both knew it.

"No one can choose for you." I placed a steady hand on her shoulder. "The choice has to be yours. I know you well enough to know you want the option that doesn't hurt anyone, that has no consequences." Gold eyes shut tight. I'd hit the nail on the head. "That's not how it works though. Whatever you pick will have consequences. The question is what' consequences can you live with."

For a moment there was silence, she seemed to be mulling over the words, then she got up and walked into her room. I sighed, thinking we were done talking. I'd just started putting the supplies away when she came back out, pulling her arms through the sleeves of that old jacket I'd found her wearing five years ago. The one that had stayed slung over the back of her desk chair. That cop's jacket.

Then she was out the door and gone, decision apparently made.


Blake's POV

I felt like I couldn't get to the precinct fast enough. The conversation with Ilia had helped put things in perspective. I...wanted Yang. I liked spending time with her. I liked being around her. There was something about the way she held me, the way she looked at me. And she had such a big heart.

I pulled her jacket tighter around me.

It felt heavy around my shoulders, but it still carried that trace of warmth like it's rightful owner. I may have made my decision to move forward with our relationship, but she had to know what she would be getting into... what kind of damaged goods she'd be tying herself to. She needed to make a decision too.

I found her in the bullpen, eyes trained on the whiteboard in front of her, hands on her hips and brow furrowed. She must have caught sight of me out of the corner of her eye because she suddenly looked over at me, surprise on her face. I almost regretted barging in like this out of nowhere but I couldn't afford to wait and risk losing the nerve I'd gathered during my talk with Ilia.

I clenched my jaw. No. No running. Not right now.

She lead me to another room, one with a long table, and shut the door behind her. "Hi," was the thing she said once we were alone. She said it with a smile. She kept her distance though, no doubt waiting to see what conclusion I'd come to.

"There's something I've been wanting to tell you," I began. "I know that it will probably be meaningless to you, but it meant a lot to me. Five years ago I was...lost. I would have probably stayed that way if it wasn't for the kindness of a police officer that took the time to acknowledge me and give me some warmth, offer me food." My grip tightened on the sleeve of the jacket. "I've been meaning to thank them ever since but...I just..."

"Blake, you don't have to-"

I held my hand up. "Wait," I told her. "I need you to know everything." Deep breath. "I'm a former heroin addict. Not by choice. I'm also a former gang member. My last relationship...it wasn't a good one. You've been sweet and kind and I need you to know what you're getting yourself into. I'm not...I...I may not be good for you, Yang. I need you to know that."

The blonde was silent for a moment, her arms now crossed over her chest. Nothing about her stance made me feel intimidated though. Her whole posture was relaxed as she studied me. Then, after another long moment, she slowly walked forward and wrapped her arms around me. I tensed, having expected almost anything else.

"You don't have to thank me for any of that," she whispered into my hair. That certainly hadn't been what I was expecting either. "I'm glad I was able to help you in any way, but don't thank me for treating you like a human being."

I honestly didn't know what to say to that.

Her thumb rubbed soothingly at my shoulder. "I remembered you too."

I jerked, pulling away just enough to look up at her, eyes wide. "You..."

"Yeah," she confirmed, tucking one strand of hair behind my ear. I fought a instinctual flinch. "I was hesitant to bring it up. I didn't know how you felt about it, if you remembered, if you'd even want to remember." She tugged carefully at the hem of her jacket. "I guess it would be hard to forget when you have a reminder like this though, huh?" She was smiling again, carefully, lilac eyes shining.

It would be hard, considering the yellow flaming heart emblazoned on the back of the jacket.

"I found out more about you in the last fifteen minutes than I have in the past month and a half," she continued on. "It's a lot. I'll admit that it's...a lot." There was a seriousness in her gaze now." But if you're up for us being together then I'm in too."

I couldn't help but laugh, my disbelief having nowhere else to go. "You're...you want this?" I asked. "You want me?"

"Yes."

So simply, she'd answered, but it was so honest. I laughed again. What else could I do but laugh? "I just gave you three solid reasons why being with me is a bad idea."

"Three reasons that are part of your past. It doesn't have to be your future," the blonde answered gently.

I tilted my head to the side. She...was really something. I couldn't...I didn't even have words for her. I opened my mouth but nothing came out. How was I supposed to respond to that?

She must have sensed my unease because she chuckled and kissed my cheek. "Keep the jacket. It's cold outside," Yang said, fixing it so that I wouldn't feel the cold. "We'll talk more later, once I get home."

What in the world had I gotten myself into?


A/N: Welp that's Ch.3. Thank BG-13 for her awesome work and R&R!