Author's Note: A little late, but it's here!


Now more than ever, Cinder lamented not perishing in that fire.

Though, it was not like she really had any reason to live anymore anyway. Her life was over. Meaningless... without Emerald...

Up until now Cinder had been confined to a hospital bed, recovering from her injuries and trying to deal with the fact that not only was her soulmate gone, but she was also being blamed for the fire that killed her. For the first few days all she could do was cry, but after that, she just... felt empty. Nothing mattered anyway. She heard about how Emerald's family held a funeral for her, but... she was not allowed to attend. That fire robbed her of everything. Her job, her partner, her dignity and respect... worst of all it deprived her of the right to mourn. All Cinder wanted to do was pay her respects to the woman that was supposed to be her wife, but she could not even do that.

So there she was, sitting in a courtroom, staring at the table in front of her, waiting until she was inevitably sentenced to spend the rest of her life in prison. All the evidence pointed to her - well, at least the circumstantial evidence. As far as she knew there was no actual evidence. Just... a bunch of things that led people to use her as a scapegoat for something that very well could have been an accident.

Cinder realized she was not even paying attention anymore. Not that it really mattered anyway. Shifting her tired now-one-eyed gaze over to the jury, what she saw did not look good. Nothing but frowns and uncertainty. Or maybe it was doubt. She was not the best at reading faces, especially considering how exhausted she was. Though now that she was looking at them, she realized none of them were even focused on her. Following their eyes, she found they were looking at the woman currently sitting on the bench, and... oh my gods...

It was Salem.

Cinder felt her mouth hang open, wondering why her former boss had chosen to show up. She knew Salem considered these types of things a waste of time, and she had never attended any of the prior hearings - or any other legal proceedings the company had dealt with for that matter - so... why now?

"Just so we're all clear Mrs. Ozpin, could you tell the court why you did not attend until today?" Cinder's lawyer - Arthur Watts - asked.

"I had a business to recover." Salem simply answered.

"Yes, recover from a fire that my client is being accused of starting." Arthur clarified. "Now, do you believe Cinder Fall was capable of committing this crime?"

Of course I wasn't, but Salem probably won't agree.

"I do not."

Wait... what?

"Can you elaborate?" Arthur requested.

"Cinder is an exceptionally intelligent individual, I suffered her temper as the benefits of her employment far outweighed the headaches she caused. Her career was her life, to think she would openly threaten arson for all to hear, and follow through?" Salem scoffed. "Insulting, is that elaborate enough?"

Arthur nodded. "I believe so, thank you ma'am."

Salem... thinks I'm innocent?

The rest of Arthur's words ceased to register, Cinder watched as her former boss stood, almost floating from the dais, her movement ever graceful. It was the kind of walk that drew a rooms gaze, perfected over years of refinement. Finally, Salem's gaze snapped to Cinder's, her heart clenched painfully at the pity barely visible within. Her ice blue eyes burning deeply.

She awoke with a start, exhaling long and shakily, as the residual emotions ran their course.


There is a certain point of exhaustion where reality begins to slip from your fingers.

You cease to perceive the world in the first person, your eyes become lenses, trickling reality through an uncanny filter. Sounds play through old speakers, off by decibels and unclear to the ear. Colours become concepts, objects become theories, memories become splatters upon the canvas of life, intermixing with reality, like oil and water. Contrasting bubbles floating through shimmering blur.

She stood in an amalgamation, marble and wood woven together like fine artwork, the glass in her hand spiraling into a scepter of pure light, the prismatic reflections mesmerizing. Blue and lilac and red, and green... green... gentle as mint, flickering from the edge of her vision. She felt a surge of warmth as she turned, beholding a goddess, her idol, soft brown skin, mountains of beautiful green hair, eyes gleaming crimson, burning deep into her vision.

She felt a dumb grin spread across her face, her cheeks alight, her heart bursting in her chest, love and joy spreading outward, searing her veins.

"Emmy... baby." Her voice echoed across reality, waves rippling through existence, her lover static in her visage.

"Uh, Cinder, you okay?" The goddess spoke, brow furrowing in concern. Cinder giggled, a gentle coolness settling over her, the scepter flitted from her grasp, and the gentle ringing of ethereal chimes pierced the air.

"Of course I am." Cinder sighed in content. "I have you..." Reality faded, existence narrowing to a single point, gentle brown, red and green...


"Cinde-Cinder fuck!" Yang yelped, as Cinder suddenly limply fell backwards, failing utterly to stop her descent, as she hit the ground with a thump. "Fucking shit, fuck, mom!" She yelled as she hurried around the bar.

The back door was abruptly thrown open as Raven practically ran out to join Yang at Cinder's side. Moving the younger woman onto her back, she leaned down until her ear was just over her mouth. Thankfully she let out a sigh of relief before straightening back up. "She's breathing, I think she just fell asleep."

Yang let out her own sigh of relief. "I knew she was tired... but shit, I never expected her to collapse like that."

"Must've been worse than we thought." Raven guessed, touching two fingers to the unconscious woman's neck to feel her pulse.

"You're telling me." Yang mumbled. "She called me 'Emmy'... and 'baby'." To which her mother quirked a brow. "It was uh, her ex-partner's name. She died in the fire." Raven gave no response, simply looking back down to Cinder's sleeping form, a concerned look on her face. Following her gaze, Yang realized how... at peace Cinder seemed. All the stress that normally plagued her features was gone. She looked so... tranquil. "So what are we gonna do with her? Should we take her to the hospital?"

After a moment Raven shook her head. "I'm gonna take her upstairs for now, let her get some rest on my couch. If anything happens I'll come get you."

Yang nodded. "Alright."

Sliding her hands under Cinder's legs and back, Raven lifted her up into a bridal carry. It almost made Yang crack a smile. Her mother carrying anyone like that was an amusing thought.

"You gonna be alright until Qrow gets here?" Raven wondered.

"Of course I will mom." Yang smiled.

Raven let out a small chuckle. "I know."


Cinder awoke to the sound of a television playing - Which was odd... considering she had not owned a television for quite some time. She was not at Nora's... was she? Whatever she was lying on did not feel like the redhead's bed... and it was still fairly comfortable... Meaning it was definitely not her own bed. The last thing she remembered was... going to work... so... where was she?

Using one of her hands to wipe the sleep from her eyes, Cinder observed her surroundings, and a pang of fear suddenly shot through her. This was not her apartment. Shooting up from what she now realized was a couch, she frantically searched the room around her to attempt to find some familiarity, anything she could recognize. Thankfully there was something - actually someone - sitting in the armchair next to the couch.

"R-Raven...?" Cinder mumbled.

Perking up from her laid-back position, Raven turned her head to face the younger woman. "Oh, hey, you're awake."

"Where... am I?"

"My apartment." Raven informed.

Cinder breathed a sigh of relief, before she actually realized what her boss said. "We're... in your apartment?" To which Raven nodded. Gazing around the room, she realized something. For an apartment that existed above a bar, it was fairly nice - at least nicer than her own apartment. Though to be fair, every apartment she could think of was far nicer than hers.

Oddly enough, the apartment's appearance was not too dissimilar from the bar below, but with lighter wood flooring and dimmer lighting. Cinder was unable to see out any of the windows, but she imagined the view was not exactly impressive considering the area. While not cluttered there was an appropriate amount of furnishings, though not adhering to any specific aesthetic. She also noticed how there were a lot of things scattered around the room - takeout containers, beer cans, magazines, DVDs...

Wow this place was messy.

It had been a long time since Cinder had seen a room this- Wait... Was that a porn DVD? No... Not out in the open like that...

"So how are you feeling?" Raven wondered, pulling Cinder from her thoughts.

"Oh, I'm alright." Cinder responded. Then a thought occurred. "What... happened?"

"Well as far as I saw, you came into work looking like death, then collapsed soon after." Raven explained. "Thankfully you were just asleep, so I brought you up here to get some rest."

"I... collapsed?" No... that could not be right... Cinder knew she had not been sleeping well recently, but it was not that bad... right?

Raven nodded. "Yang said you've been having trouble getting rest. Normally none of my business but it's not every day my workers collapse on themselves."

"I... I'm sorry." Cinder mumbled, clenching one of her hands. Stupid fucking nightmares. "I can just take an energy drink and I'll be fine."

"I think you should take the rest of the day off." Raven suggested.

"But I can still work-"

"And what happens if you fall asleep again?" Raven questioned.

"I wo-"

"Cinder." Raven sternly interrupted, causing the younger woman to flinch. "I'm not gonna let you work on an empty tank, you need sleep, proper sleep. I'm taking you home."

Cinder's gaze fell. She hated being useless. "Very well..." As she slowly lifted herself fully to a sitting position, she stopped, suddenly aware of a small pressure beneath her. Was she sitting on something? Reaching between the couch cushions, she pulled out something that caused her cheeks to heat up - a pair of lacy black underwear.

Raven suddenly cleared her throat. "Sorry, that was uh, failed date... my failed date, those are mine, not someone else's... just ah... I'll take those." Reaching over from the armchair, she snatched them from Cinder before stuffing them in her pocket.

Seeing her boss' panties was not something Cinder expected to see today.

After a brief awkward silence, Raven spoke up again.

"Well uh, alright. Let's go."


Cinder did not realize just how exhausted she still was until she tried to stand up. If it were not for Raven, she would have fallen flat on her face.

Stupid fucking body.

She was not even able to make it down to her boss' car on her own - Raven had to practically carry her. Once the two were inside the vehicle, Cinder immediately noticed how... comfortable it was. The black leather seats were soft... soft enough that she felt like she could fall asleep on the one she was sitting in - which at this point was a very likely possibility.

After telling Raven where she lived, the drive was spent in silence, and all Cinder could think about was how useless she was. Ever since Yang noticed her fatigue, it had slowly been getting worse, with her productivity decreasing by the day. Today she passed out not even an hour into the day. Pathetic. If this kept up, Raven might as well fire her right now. It was not as if Cinder was truly needed at the bar, they were likely doing just fine before hiring her. Especially now considering her growing level of incompetence.

The thought of buying speed was really starting to grow more appealing. It was not like she had any better options - at least ones she could actually afford. Besides, if she had a proper amount of energy, she could actually function properly throughout the day, and no one would have to deal with her stupid tired bullshit - Especially Nora. The girl had done more for Cinder than she could ever repay... and she deserved so much more than just being a simple prostitute... a better job, a better home... a better life. One where she did not have to practically take care of a useless widow.

Maybe she should have just ended it. Would have saved everyone a lot of trouble.

No, stop it. Cinder told herself. You finally have a job, you can't just throw that away. At least not until you get fired. If that happens... then that's another story. Just focus on keeping yourself employed for now.

Perhaps after getting some rest - if she was actually able to - Cinder would take a look around the area, see if there was someone she could procure some speed from. There had to be at least a few drug dealers around the neighbourhood. Hell, there was likely one living in her building. The only challenge was in finding them, as it had been over fifteen years since she sought out a dealer for... well, anything really. But that was a problem for post-nap Cinder... or at least near-future Cinder. For now all she could really do was sit around and be useless until she had the energy to actually function properly.

"This it?" Raven suddenly asked, pulling the younger woman from her thoughts.

Looking out the car window, Cinder saw they were in front of her shitty apartment - not even realizing they had arrived. "Yes..." She mumbled as she unbuckled her seat belt. "Thank you... and I'm sorry you had to go through this trouble just for me..."

"I would do this for any of my employees Cinder." Raven assured. "When I told you we're a family, I meant it. Now come on, I'll walk you to your apartment."

"You don't have to do that-" Cinder attempted to protest.

"Well too bad." Raven interrupted, unbuckling her own seat belt. "I don't want there to be any chance of you hurting yourself on your way there."

Might as well accept defeat now, you know she won't back down. "Very well..." Cinder murmured, reaching for the handle to open the door.

In truth, Cinder probably could have made it up to her apartment on her own - emphasis on probably - but she was glad there was someone there to help her. Once again, Raven had to practically carry her as the pair entered the decrepit building. Cinder told her boss where her apartment was located and they ascended the stairs. As the two walked down the hallway, she heard a familiar voice from behind them.

"Cindy!"

Fuck.

And they were almost at her apartment too.

Not that Cinder did not want to see Nora of course. It was just... she did not want the redhead having to take care of her while in her current state - She had already done so much already. It almost felt like she was using her sometimes, as much as Nora tried to assure her otherwise.

Turning towards the direction of the voice, they were met with Nora's cheerful smile as she practically skipped down the hallway towards them. Cinder silently thanked the Maidens her friend was wearing something appropriate.

"Friend of yours?" Raven wondered, to which Cinder nodded as the redhead stopped in front of the pair.

"I thought you were working today!" Nora exclaimed. "What are you doing home?"

"I uh... passed out." Cinder hesitantly answered.

"What?!" Nora gasped. "What happened?! Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine Nora." Cinder assured. "I was just... really tired is all."

"Was it the nightmares again?" Nora asked, a concerned look on her face.

Cinder slowly nodded. "Yeah..."

"So this is the Nora you mentioned before." Raven suddenly spoke up, causing Cinder to remember there was a still a strong arm snaked around her waist.

"That's me!" Nora beamed, shifting her gaze to the older woman - where her smile morphed into a grin. "Well hello there, you gonna introduce me to your friend Cindy?"

Cinder could not help but smile. Nora sounded just like she did when they first met... when she tried to pick her up. "Of course. Nora, this is my boss Raven."

"Wait, this is Raven?" Nora blurted, to which Cinder gave a small nod. "Damn, hot was an understatement! This gal's a stone-cold fox!"

Raven scoffed. "I haven't been a fox since high school, so you're either blind, or pregaming."

"Are you kidding? You're like, step on me hot!" Nora continued, causing the older woman to raise a brow. "I mean, I'm not a masochist... Just trying to prove a point! Come on back me up Cindy!"

Suddenly all eyes were on Cinder. "Um..."

"Yeah Cindy." Raven leered. "Tell us all about how you want me to step on you."

Cinder could feel her cheeks beginning to heat up. "I... um..."

Raven chuckled. "I'm kidding. Now come on, which one of these is your place?"

"It's... just a bit further down the hall... 207." Cinder answered.

"Alright, well, it was nice meeting you Nora." Raven smiled before she turned to guide Cinder down the hallway.

"You want me to look after her?" Nora offered. "I don't really have anything to do today."

"Nora... I couldn't ask you to do that..." Cinder began.

"It's no problem!" Nora assured with a smile. "I love taking care of people!"

"You sure?" Raven asked, to which the redhead quickly nodded. "Well thanks, means I wouldn't have to ditch her to go back to work later." She turned her gaze to Cinder. "Make sure to text me later, so I can know whether or not to expect you at work tomorrow."

Cinder slowly nodded. "I will."

"Then it's settled!" Nora beamed, reaching over to snake her arm around Cinder's waist, relieving Raven of the weight. "Let's go get you into your pajamas!" She continued before practically dragging Cinder down the hallway.

Once the pair entered the Cinder's apartment, it was no shock that Nora insisted on undressing and redressing the older woman - even though she was perfectly capable of doing it herself - but surprisingly the redhead did not make it as sexy as she imagined. She just... helped her out of her work clothes and into her pajamas. Well, they were not really pajamas, just a pair of grey sweat pants and an old crimson tank top. How fancy.

After Cinder had her pajamas on, Nora guided her into bed, making sure to tuck her in once she was under the covers. It almost made her feel... disappointed in herself. Nora had taken care of her more times than she could count, while she on the other hand had barely given her anything in return. Hell even the sex was more for Cinder than it was for the redhead, considering how long she spent between the older woman's legs without even wanting the favour returned.

Once Cinder was all tucked in, Nora offered a vibrant smile as she sat down on the bed. "Comfy?"

Cinder smiled back. "Yes Nora, thank you."

"You need anything?" Nora wondered. "A glass of water, a snack..." Then she smirked. "Maybe a massage? Or an erotic bedtime story?"

Cinder could not help but chuckle. "Why would a bedtime story be erotic?"

"Because all the best ones are!" Nora defended. Cinder highly doubted that. "But in all seriousness, do you need anything?"

Cinder thought for a moment. Aside from sleep, was there anything she actually needed? Then her smile suddenly faded. There was something, but... she could not ask for it. Nora had done a lot for her, but asking her to get drugs - to get speed - for her was something else entirely. No, she had to do it herself.

"You okay? Nora asked, pulling the older woman from her thoughts.

"Oh, yes." Cinder lied. She was not about to tell her friend she was just contemplating asking her for drugs.

Nora knit her eyebrows. "You sure?"

She knows. Cinder just simply nodded as she plastered on a smile. Unfortunately her attempt at fooling the redhead was unsuccessful.

"Cinder, I know when you're hiding something." Nora chastised.

Shit.

"I..." Cinder began, but was unable to continue, feeling a lump in her throat. She could not burden her friend with another one of her problems. The Maidens knew she had done that too much already. Then she felt a hand gently grasp her own.

"Cindy, you know you can tell me anything." Nora assured with a smile, giving Cinder's hand an encouraging squeeze.

There was no getting away from this. If Cinder did not tell her friend now, she was just going to poke and prod until she did. After all, it was how she ended up telling her about Emerald. Then after that it was a lot of crying and makeshift therapy sessions. So... maybe this could help...

"I need... help." Cinder admitted.

"With what?"

Cinder took a deep breath. Asking for help was always difficult, even though she knew for a fact that Nora would be happy to help her with anything. She should really work on putting more faith in people again. "Getting... speed."

Suddenly Nora's smile vanished. Without responding, she climbed onto the bed, moving to straddle the older woman and looking her straight in the eyes. "Please... don't ever turn to those drugs..." She pleaded. "I've seen too many people get hooked on it..."

"Nora, I promise I won't let it get that bad. I just need something that can actually keep me awake." Cinder tried to assure - Sadly it failed.

"You're always tired because your diet is crap and you don't exercise!" Nora accused. Then she took a breath. "Can I tell you a story?" To which Cinder nodded. "A little while ago, a few months before you moved here actually, I had a... reoccurring client. At first it was all fun, she needed a stress reliever so I provided it." Then she let out a small chuckle. "And plus I got paid so that was nice. Anyways, over time she started to spiral out of control, and eventually I was just... property to her. She even tried to get me hooked, to make sure I stayed." The redhead took a shaky breath. "I thought I knew her, hell maybe I even loved her a little, but speed changed who she was, and it scared me... Cinder, you're finally getting your life on track, I can't let you ruin that for yourself."

Cinder opened her mouth several times to respond, but no response came... and unfortunately her friend was not finished.

"Please... don't do this to yourself..." Nora begged, tears beginning well in her eyes. Leaning down, she laid her head on the older woman's chest. "I can't... I can't lose you Cindy..."

Now Cinder's mouth just hung open, truly at a loss for words. "I'm just... so tired... I don't know what else to do..." She managed.

"Just... anything but that." Nora implored.

Cinder lifted her friend off her chest. "Then what am I supposed to do?" She questioned. "I can't sleep, I can't stay awake, I need help from something."

Sitting up completely, Nora brought a hand up to her chin, seemingly in thought. "What about pot?"

"What about it?"

"I know a guy." Nora answered. "He grows his own, says a lot of people use it for medical purposes, to treat depression and chronic pain, and insomnia!"

Cinder blinked. "Are you... offering to get me pot?"

"Duh!"

Once again, Nora proved just how far she was willing to go for Cinder. "That's... very generous... but I couldn't ask you to do something that big for me."

"Oh Cindy." Nora laughed, lovingly cupping Cinders cheek. "You're not askin', I'm givin'."

Cinder let out a small chuckle. "That sounds familiar."

"Don't you know it." Nora giggled, leaning down to peck Cinder on the nose. "I'm gonna keep your life on the straight and narrow and there's nothin' you can do to stop me."

"Says the woman who wants to buy me pot." Cinder observed.

"Well we're also in a homoerotic relationship so I guess straight isn't the most accurate word." The redhead noted.

Cinder laughed. "I suppose it's not."

"But don't worry, we're not gonna be potheads or anything." Nora assured. "It'll just be for when the going gets tough, and you can't get to sleep, I'll be here with you every time."

The older woman smiled. "Thank you Nora... truly, I don't think I'd be here without you."

"Naaw, you'd be fine." Nora waved her off. "If it wasn't me, it'd be someone else. Karma comes around Cindy, I'm just your payout."

"Oh yes, I would have just met the other friendly prostitute living in the building." Cinder chuckled, rolling her eye.

"Or bumbled into a bar to be saved by some hot milf." Nora added with a smirk.

"Oh wouldn't that be nice-" Cinder started before she realized what her friend meant. "Hey that's my boss you're talking about!" She exclaimed, lightly slapping the redhead's arm.

"But she's so hot!"

Cinder sighed. "I realize that, but I can't just go around calling her a milf."

"Aha! So you admit it!" Nora burst.

Cinder blinked, her words only now registering.

"Oh hush you."


Yang could not recall the last time she actually witnessed someone pass out at work... or the last time someone called her the name of their dead partner... What a morning that was. At least the rest of the day was normal... enough.

Typically pairs worked the bar, but today it was just Yang, all by her lonesome. It was incredibly boring. No Cinder to prod, no Vernal to trade barbs with, or even Qrow to rib on. Just the regulars coming in for their poison, and retiring to the tables to stare at their scrolls. It certainly did not make the day go by any faster.

Thankfully Roman decided to drop by for a visit later in the afternoon - His visits were always a fun treat. Though unfortunately he was not able to stay for quite as long as Yang had hoped, since he had a date - which was just as surprising to him as it was to her. So once he was gone, it was back to finding ways to entertain herself... which was fairly unsuccessful. Normally when behind the bar, Yang would be able to check her scroll when she had nothing to do, but since she was alone that was not possible - or at least not a good idea. Wouldn't wanna get in trouble with the boss.

But eventually the workday came to a close as Qrow coming to relieve her - a little late but nothing she did not expect. Bidding him farewell, Yang decided to pay her mom a visit. Firmly knocking on the office door, she was called in.

"Hey mom, how'd it go with Cinder?" Yang asked as she stepped into the office, closing the door behind her.

"As well as you'd imagine." Raven simply answered, looking up from her computer screen. "She slept on my couch for a couple hours, woke up, we chatted, she found my underwear, I took her home-"

"Woah, woah what? Underwear?" Yang interrupted.

"Oh, yeah. Remember that date I went on a little while ago?" Raven inquired, to which her daughter nodded. "Turns out my panties from that night got lodged between the couch cushions."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Lovely."

Raven shrugged. "Well at least I found 'em."

"So... how was Cinder when you left?" Yang wondered after a few moments of silence.

"Dead on her feet, but standing. Got to meet her..." Raven's brow furrowed. "Friend? Nora, when I dropped her off though."

"Oh was she the one Cinder mentioned to me the other day?" Yang wondered, to which her mother shrugged again. "What was she like?"

"Very... bubbly." Raven informed. "She also called me a stone-cold fox, so that was... interesting."

"I mean she's not lying." Yang added. "Where do you think I got this body from?" She made sure to strike an exaggerated pose for emphasis.

"Your father?" Raven guessed.

"Nah, that's where I got my million dollar smile." Yang beamed widely, batting her eyes for good measure.

Raven huffed. "Well duh, there's no way in hell way you got that from me."

Yang chuckled. "Yeah you've got the evil mistress vibe about you, all salacious grins and stuff."

Raven quirked a brow. "Evil mistress huh? Never thought I'd be called that by my own daughter."

"Well you are a hardass."

"Hardass and mistress are pretty different Yang." Raven countered.

"Depends on the smut really." Yang smirked. She remembered the first time Blake told her about the wonder that was smut. It was some erotic fanfiction where some woman ate her boss out from under her desk. Oh man what a night that was. Though she was fairly sure someone heard her, as breakfast the next morning was pretty awkward. At least they were considerate enough not to say anything about it.

"I've never read smut." Raven near-deadpanned.

"Get with the times mom, you don't have to pay people for fantasies anymore." Yang informed with a grin.

"Of course not, I've got toys for that." Raven smirked.

Yang wished she did not just hear that. "Well thanks for that image mom."

Raven let out a small chuckle. "Happy Solstice, or birthday, whatever I forgot last..."

"You haven't forgotten my birthday since I was seven." Yang mentioned.

"Really?" Raven asked, to which her daughter genuinely nodded with a smile. "I'm not drinking enough then."

Yang rolled her eyes. "What an ironic statement for someone who not only runs a bar but lives above it."

"Cannibalizing my own stock is bad for business." Raven explained. "If I have to walk to get my fix I'm less likely to relapse."

"Good point." Yang acknowledged. Then a thought came to mind. "You said you took Cinder home right?"

"Home is a generous label, it's a fucking slum." Raven grimaced.

"So you see what I mean now? It's horrible isn't it?" Yang questioned. She hated the fact that Cinder lived in a place like that.

Raven sighed. "It's like you cross a line in this city and everything gives up and starts falling apart, and Cinder walks here every shift?"

Yang nodded. "That's right." She wished she could say no.

"No wonder she sleeps like shit. Fuck I sleep like shit and I only have to walk downstairs to work." Raven described.

"I really wanna do something for her, but I mean, what can we do?" Yang wondered.

"Unfortunately unless she actually asks us for help, I don't think we can really do much." Raven answered with a frown.

Yang's gaze fell. She was afraid her mother would say that. Then an idea came. "What about offering one of our places for her to stay?"

Raven raised a brow. "Wouldn't that be weird?"

"I mean a bit, but I can't let her just stay in a place like that. She told me she got mugged outside that apartment!" Yang exclaimed.

"Fucking what?" Raven balked.

"She was mugged mom." Yang repeated. "Near her home."

Raven reached up to rub the bridge of her nose. "Then what do you think we should do?"

Yang leaned against the doorway. "What can we do?" She groused. "Like, we can ask if she's doing well and we know that's bullshit. She's got Nora, but if she can't help her we have to tread light, we've only known her for a little while."

Raven did not respond immediately, instead just slumping further onto her desk. Until she perked up. Maybe she thought of something. "What if I called Glynda?"

Yang blinked. "What?"

"You said you wanted to help, I think Glynda's the perfect person to give Cinder that help." Raven explained.

"But aren't her sessions expensive?" Yang asked, knowing a bit about the therapist's prices - She once considered going to see her about... a certain feline Faunus she used to know. "You know Cinder wouldn't be able to afford them." Her mother offered a small grin in response.

"I think she still owes me a favour."


After finishing her talk with Raven, it was finally time for Yang to head home. Normally she would not actually be happy to leave work, she quite enjoyed her job, plus most of her nights were just spent in her underwear watching cartoons, but it was that time of the week again - her day with Neo - and she was excited. Unfortunately since Yang did not have the day off, so she would not have as much time with her, but she had the late shift tomorrow, so maybe they would spend the night at Neo's... They could wake up after a night of lovemaking, have breakfast together... Yeah, wouldn't that be nice.

Pulling into her designated parking space, Yang switched off Bumblebee before heading into the apartment building. First thing was first - preparation. She knew Neo would text her... at some point, so she had to ensure that she was ready before then. So after entering her apartment and putting her helmet away, she hopped in the shower - even though she took one prior to going to work. While Yang was in there, she made sure to triple check that everything was clean-shaven, since she did the actual shaving during her morning shower. Better safe than sorry.

Once Yang was out of the shower and dry, it was onto choosing an outfit - because there was no way she was wearing what she wore to work. The last time she did that Neo sent her home to change. Heading into her room, she rummaged through her closet and dresser to see if she could find something acceptable. Maybe she would wear something nice today, see if she could convince Neo they should go out. After a bit more searching, Yang was able to locate a satisfactory outfit - a dark purple off-shoulder blouse coupled with a pair of black jeans. But before that she needed a different pair of underwear - as tan was not going to cut it. Ruffling through her underwear drawer, she picked out something a little fancier - a strapless bra and a pair of tanga panties, both black, both lacy. If she was going to do this, she was going to go all the way.

The next and final step was found in the bathroom. Stepping into the small lavatory, she admired herself in the mirror. It was funny, when she went to Neo's the previous week, she thought of herself as hot, while today... pretty was a better descriptor, and she liked it. After thoroughly brushing her teeth - wouldn't want there being any chance of having bad breath - it was onto the makeup. Yang knew she would go with her usual purple eye shadow, but she also wanted something... extra, to really sell the look she was going for. Maybe she should paint her nails... No... probably not a good idea. There was no telling when Neo would text her, so she decided not to risk it. But then what could she do? There was not exactly a ton of makeup to choose from, as she was not one who normally indulged in that sort of thing. Even as Ruby's maid of honour, all Yang wore was lipstick, eye shadow, and some blush. It made her smile - Ruby and Pyrrha really put together a beautiful wedding. Even though it was originally planned for the fall, spring worked just as well.

Wait a second. Looking through her makeup drawer, Yang pulled out her only container of blush - she hardly ever used the stuff, so there was no point in keeping more - and a brush. Popping the container open, she dipped the brush in the powder before gently applying it to her cheeks. Once she was done, she checked herself out in the mirror.

"Lookin' good!" Yang told her reflection before exiting the bathroom. She could just imagine it saying right back at ya!

Unfortunately when the blonde checked her phone, there was no text waiting for her like she expected... Weird. Neo knew she worked today... and that woman always texted her by the time she got home, so... what made this time different? Guess all I can do is wait.

Unfortunately after over half an hour of waiting - with Yang just playing around on her scroll - no text ever came. Maybe she should just text Neo, perhaps she just... forgot.

Yang: Hey babe, just making sure we're still on for tonight, can't wait to see you ;)

Twenty minutes, and nothing, so Yang tried again.

Yang: We are still on for tonight, right?

Another half an hour passed... and still nothing. Now Yang was beginning to grow concerned.

Yang: Neo?

Once again, no response. It worried Yang. She was used to Neo being sporadic, and they rarely texted outside of their usual time each week, but until now Neo had never missed a text. If the blonde ever texted her, she would text back - If only to inform her not to disturb her. Neo was a creature of meticulous habit. So... why was she not responding? Yang went over the possibilities in her head - family visit, unplanned trip, stuck in traffic, shopping, flat or broken phone... but she knew Neo would not let any of that get in the way of her schedule. Which meant it had to be something out of her control. Perhaps she was just sick, or had an accident, or... maybe it was something malicious. She knew that woman could handle herself - considering how easily she dominated Yang on a regular basis - but that did not change the fact that she was still a small mute girl, prime victim material.

Now Yang was scared, her mind filling to the brim with terrible scenarios. What if Neo had gotten into a car crash? Or she was at the hospital? Or someone invaded her home? What if she was... The blonde suddenly felt her blood run cold. Nope. No no no no no no no!

Fuck it.

Yang was not going to sit around and just dream up worst-case scenarios anymore. She was going to check on Neo. Nearly jumping up off the couch, she threw on her shoes and grabbed her motorcycle helmet before heading out. Thankfully there was barely any traffic, so it was a fairly short ride, but unfortunately over the course of that ride, her mind was filled with ideas of what could have happened, and none of them were good. Don't think, just drive.

Once Yang arrived at Neo's apartment, she switched off Bumblebee and practically ran into the building. Well, maybe that was an overstatement. She quickly walked into the building. Ascending the stairs and approaching Neo's door, she stopped. She will be okay. The blonde told herself, before gently knocking on the door. A couple minutes passed with no answer, so she knocked a little harder. Still no answer.

"Neo?" Yang called out, hoping she would receive some kind of response.

Surprisingly enough the door swung open, revealing Neo in nothing but a pink bathrobe. Thank the Maidens. Yang breathed a sigh of relief, yet she still clenched her hands together. As much as she wanted to reach out to hug her, she knew that was not a good idea. Instead Yang opened her mouth to express her relief, but then she saw the look on the shorter woman's face - She was... angry. Not upset, not troubled, but angry. Yang felt the sudden need to explain herself. Like when her teachers used to scold her for skipping class, except Neo had not even said a word.

"I uh... You never texted me... so I tried texting you a few times, but you never answered..." Yang explained, finding it difficult to meet the other woman's eyes. "I was just really worried... I thought something might've happened to you..."

Neo simply took a step forward, placing a hand in the center of the blonde's chest before pushing her backwards. Yang almost stumbled, not expecting the contact. Once she regained her balance, Neo pointed down the hallway, back where she came from...

"Oh... I'm sorry, it's just today is usually our day, so I thought..." Yang began, before her gaze drifted off of Neo and into her apartment, where what she saw made her heart sink. There was... a guy... a naked guy... on the living area couch... and he was very much erect. Yang felt her mouth drop open. This... this wasn't real... It couldn't be. Neo might be a bit cold sometimes, but she would never cheat on her... She wouldn't...

Yang felt a sting behind her eyes as she turned back to Neo. "Did... did I do something wrong?" Was all she could manage. Neo's brow furrowed in confusion, before rolling her eyes, stepping back, and closing the door in her face.

Yang's body felt... heavy, as she left the building. She hardly registered the stairs. Nor the cold air on her exposed skin. Or the thrum of bumblebee below her. She entered her apartment feeling little more than fatigue. A pulsing numbness blocking all sensation, but for a single buzz in her jean pocket. Pulling out her scroll, Yang read the text twice.

Neo: If you were expecting something more, you should have said so after the first night.

Yang let the device slip from her finger, as she collapsed on the couch, and sobbed herself to sleep.


Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed this longer-than-usual chapter! Let me know your thoughts!

And as always, your feedback fuels me!