Part Twenty-Six

Weiss made sure to cc all parents involved, but she looked over the invitation one more time.

You are cordially invited to a Bunny Hill Break over our vacation between Christmas and the New Year. Come enjoy skiing, snowboarding, cross-country, snowshoeing, dog-sledding, the possibilities are endless! Get away from drama, recharge your batteries, be somewhere no one knows you. The Schnee Siblings are inviting you with us to Mount Snow in southern Vermont to get away from it all!

(Seriously, this year has been awful, can't we end the year with fun?)

Please RSVP so that the older Schnee Sibling may make bookings appropriately.

One last onceover and Weiss hit send.

Then the texts started coming in.

srsly, u sent an email?

OMG YES! I'M MAKING DAD REPLY RIGHT NOW!

really weiss? thank you so much! this sounds really fun, and youre right, we could all use it. yang is just about ordering dad to accept.

rents arent home yt ill ask thn

Of course, all of these messages weren't in the group chat. They were individual. Yang and Blake still weren't talking.

OMG! YOU WEREN'T KIDDING ABOUT DOGSLEDDING! RUBY! WE'RE BRINGING ZWEI!

Weiss chuckled as she walked into Winter's office. "Are Mr. Tai and the Belladonnas texting you?" she asked.

"Taiyang certainly is," Winter said, tapping at her phone. "They'll be coming. I don't think the Belladonnas have seen the email yet." Her face fluttered through a grimace. "The class-action suit is in court today, so I suspect Ghira is there and Kali is supporting. We won't hear from them till tonight. I believe this is the last day of the trial."

Weiss nodded. "Thank you," she said softly. "This year has been…"

Winter looked up from her phone and gave a soft smile. "I think a getaway over break is a fine idea. I'm still negotiating with father to bring Whitley along, but it seems doubtful."

Weiss nodded.

Honestly, she wanted time away. Time not being in the same town as her father. She knew that Blake was suffering because of her ex and the dropped photos, she knew that Blake and Yang were fighting and that Ruby was stuck in the middle, she knew that Professor Ozpin had faced someone from his past and it had been bad, leaving Oscar very upset, the professor with a too-short cane, and a fierce defensiveness, she knew that Oscar was still being bullied. But as much as she was there for all of her friends for all of that… Weiss sighed. She and Winter had been dealing with her father all year, not just whatever bubbled up like the others. She felt like all of her other friends had had worse things happen to them, but Weiss was dealing with an endurance run and she was tired.

As it stood, because Winter wasn't a parent, she had to file for custody as a third party. It required three things. First, proof of relationship with the child. It was easy to prove siblings, and given that Weiss was already living with Winter, the strength of the relationship wasn't in question. That could not be said for Whitley, who still lived at home and didn't seem to understand that their father was toxic and evil.

The second requirement was the status of the parents. This was where Winter had to struggle. The whole reason was because their father was abusive. Unfortunately, because it wasn't physical abuse or sexual abuse, this was a lot harder to prove. They had to prove that Jaques was abusive and that Willow was a drunk. Most of the year had been trying to get a sufficient case built for this. Their mother was… the easier parent to prove unfit, even though that felt absolutely awful for both of them given that they both understood why their mom probably drank so much. As always, it was their father being so slimy that was the problem. He had a good home, they went to a good school, and Weiss had excelled for years. She still excelled. What they had was their own therapy and counseling sessions, but their father kept countering with his own experts.

The third requirement was the argument on why Winter should be raising her siblings instead. In that, Winter excelled, listing her earnings, home, prior involvement in their lives, and that she wasn't in the middle of a scandal of neglect of workers of a company in a massive class-action lawsuit. Technically, that shouldn't affect custody rights, but Winter had added that in as a massive pattern of behavior of selfish narcissism along with all the texts and voicemails and emails that Weiss had kept and that Winter had kept, the reports from the therapists and counselors, and every single counterargument that could be thought of for whatever their father used to argue back.

It was a long process. The hardest part was proving why their father couldn't parent them because nothing he did ever left a mark. And as lawyers and mediators argued, sometimes Weiss had to spend time with her father.

It had… gotten better wasn't the right word, but Weiss was better at seeing his manipulations and tuning them out. She would sit there, say nothing, and avoid all sorts of engagement. If she was staying over for a weekend, she stayed in her room.

Thanksgiving had been… bad.

Mother had been drunk before they had even arrived, Whitley was clearly doing anything father told him to try and win the custody case, and then came the paper saying that Weiss had to stay through the weekend. Sprung on a holiday so that no lawyers or courts were open to counter it quickly enough. Winter had been livid and refused to leave, meaning that they were all under the same roof. Weiss hid in her room as she could, but father had several visitors come. People to interview her and talk to her. Professionals who were looking to lay a basis on why she should live with her father. Those meetings were difficult because Winter couldn't be in the room. "No influence" and all that. The joint meeting with Whitley was particularly hard, because Weiss forgot the professionals were in the room as she kept trying to explain why Whitley's repetitions of what their father said was manipulative and unhealthy, but he just kept repeating it and using their father's sort of comebacks.

"Whitley!" she had finally shouted. "You're supposed to be Whitley, not Father!"

He'd looked surprised at that, before frowning and going back to repeating their father.

Weiss let out a heavy sigh.

Later, when she was reviewing some of her notes (midterms were a month away, time to start preparing) her phone pinged with an email. From Professor Ozpin?

Alas, we are unable to attend such a delightful invitation. I have a very small, local, guest speaker circuit this wintersession, and Qrow will be looking after Oscar. We have already been arranging for weekends to get together wherever I'm speaking to enjoy the local flavor. We all thank you for your thoughtfulness.

Professor Ozpin was speaking again! Weiss giggled. She was sure Winter would want to go to such a speaking circuit. Maybe next time. Weiss was curious what made listening to the professor so meaningful for Winter.

Then was another email, this time from the Belladonnas.

We'd be happy to join you, your very kind for inviting us.

Then a text from Blake.

were cming

"Yes!" she shouted, running back to Winter. "The Xiao Longs and the Belladonnas are coming!"

Winter gave a small smile. "I know. I just got off a conference call with all three of them. They agree to us forcing their daughters to talk." Winter looked to her. "You realize that this might be a miserable vacation if those two don't mend their friendship."

Weiss nodded solemnly. "I suspect the first few days will be rough. There are enough activities that they could probably avoid each other for the entire week up there. But…"

Yang wouldn't do that. Yang was too direct. Yang wouldn't be able to stand that kind of avoidance. Weiss knew this was a risk, but there'd be a confrontation there. She was sure of it.

"Just because they talk," Winter continued, "doesn't mean they'll mend."

"I know," Weiss said softly. It was something she didn't want to happen, but she knew it was a distinct possibility. "But it will at least clear the air. We'll all know where we stand with one another." And having even that much would be so much better than walking on eggshells.

"Very well," Winter nodded.

"Thanks, Winter."

And her sister gave those rare, small smiles that said she was so proud of Weiss.

When going to the lake house, Weiss had known that Professor Ozpin was coming and that subjecting him to such a long drive would be a bad idea. Winter wouldn't hear of everyone coming separately, particularly since it was a home address, and had insisted on arranging for everyone to be picked up. Mount Snow, nestled in southern Vermont, was a well established ski lodge, with clear directions on the website. Add on that everyone had different traditions for Christmas and the like, Winter had decided against offering a ride.

Christmas was also another day that Weiss had to spend with her father. Whitley was unusually sullen and it was a miserable day. Their mother didn't even come down from bed, and Winter and their father were offering icy glares at every opportunity. When the evening came, Winter politely excused them to leave, once again tried to have Whitley come along, and was blocked by their father. They headed to the ski lodge that night.

Rather than skiing, Winter and Weiss had elected to lounge in the lodge to greet the others as they arrived. Both the Belladonnas and Tai had sent texts when they were on their way, and Weiss kept looking over every time the door opened and someone came to check in.

The first to arrive were the Belladonnas.

"Blake!" Weiss ran over as her friend was unwinding her scarf and held her tight. Oh just seeing a friend after having to spend a day with her father! She needed this.

"Weiss!" Blake laughed, squeezing back. "It's good to see you too. Thanks for this. We really appreciate it."

No, Blake probably wouldn't once Tai came up with his family, but for now, Weiss just smiled. She squeezed into a hug again. "I've missed you!"

Blake laughed, "It's only been three days."

Weiss's smile cracked a little. "It may as well have been three years. But come on! Winter arranged it! You'll be just down the hall from us, come on!"

Chuckling, Blake unbuttoned her coat and turned to her parents.

"Go ahead, dear," Mrs. Belladonna said, shooing with her hand. "Here's the key. Go open it up for us while we chat with Winter."

"Come on!" Weiss dragged Blake along. "You should see the view! I've been exploring all day when I wasn't watching the doors for you to arrive."

"Exploring," Blake chuckled, "when did you get here?"

"Last night," Weiss glossed over that, getting them into Blake's room and running to the window. "See, you're on the same side of the lodge as us. Look at that view!"

"Last night?"

"Aren't the evergreens beautiful! On the other side you can see the ski slopes, but I like this view better."

"Weiss," Blake said heavily. "Yesterday was Christmas. You got here last night?"

She let out a sigh. "Yeah," Weiss said. "Yesterday was mandated to be with our father by the lawyers. Winter and I left as soon as we could. Father still has Whitley."

"Weiss…"

Weiss turned, pasting on another smile. "But this is about you! You're not back home, you don't have to worry about anyone who may or may not have seen anything. You have distance."

Blake, who had thrown her coat on one of the beds, came over and hugged her tightly. "You can't be Team Mom for us all the time," she said softly. "It's okay for you to need this break too."

Weiss hugged her back. She had needed this.

"Okay, if we're doing serious girl talk, there's a fire we can sit by near the entrance."

"That sounds good," Blake nodded. "Get rid of all the bad stuff first, then we can relax till we have to go home."

That sounded perfect.

Weiss was going to whip out her phone to text Winter when the Belladonnas and Winter came in.

"I see you found the room swiftly enough," Winter said levelly, but her eyes were twinkling.

"Duh," Weiss replied, with complete eye roll. "I know that unpacking and getting organized is important, but Blake and I are going down to the fire to talk. I'll help her unpack later to make it up to her."

"Go on," Winter said. And winked.

Weiss glanced at Blake and they shared a smile.

They headed back downstairs, Blake clearly looking around to mark landmarks to learn her way around.

"Weiss!" came a shout as they walked into the lobby.

Blake slowly turned around to find a red hood running to them. "Weiss! We thought we'd be getting here ahead of you!"

And Weiss rocked back from the force of the hug.

"Blake?"

Yang had come over and was staring cooly at Blake, who looked surprised before a composed mask slid over her face.

"Weiss!"

"Ruby! Breathe! I need to breathe!"

"Oh yeah…"

Weiss gulped in the air. Then she turned and gave a flat look to Blake and Yang, pushing her side braid behind herself. "I know you two didn't realize the other was going to be here-"

"You didn't exactly share that information-" Yang growled.

"-but it has been an exceedingly long year-"

"I wanted to be away from her," Blake said softly.

"-and I needed all my friends here."

Both Blake and Yang were still glaring. Weiss squared her shoulders, pursed her lips and accepted it.

But Ruby just tackled her with a hug again. "Of course we'd be here for you, Weiss! This custody battle has been going on for over a year! You must be exhausted of it."

Blake's face softened. "You were saying you needed to spend Christmas with your father?"

"What?" Yang growled. "That asshole has no business spending any time with you."

Well, Weiss admitted to herself, at least things would be civil.


Tai spent the first day sampling the activities: skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and tubing. Of all of them he liked cross-country the most, once he got a good rhythm going he could turn off his mind and enjoy the scenery around him. When the day was done he was in the main lodge, spying Yang and Weiss talking in one of the couches, Blake reading by a window, and Ruby walking her way with two cups of hot chocolate. He grinned and took a picture, sending it to Qrow: Make Sure Oz Knows He's Missing Hot Chocolate.

He got a smiley face and a thumbs up as a reply, and he chuckled as he made his way to the open bar.

Drinking had toned down a lot after college, he and Summer only really having any on anniversaries or holidays. It had disappeared wholesale after Qrow's rehab, and it was a really nice treat to have a beer in the afternoon without worrying about tempting somebody or being responsible to two kids. Kali was at the bar, taking two bottles of wine, and she turned and gave Tai a delighted grin.

"It's wonderful," she said at his questioning look. "We can have this at dinner," she said, holding up one bottle, "and then this in bed," she held up the second.

Tai chuckled. "You'll have another kid if that's the case," he warned.

"And so what if we do?" Kali said brightly, sitting next to Tai as he ordered his beer. "It's a great way to relax and unwind. That's the whole point of this little retreat isn't it? The year has been long on all of us."

"That is the understatement of the year," Winter said, coming up to the bar, looking at her phone. She ordered a bottle of champagne. "But we finally have some good news. Tai, would you and Kali be willing to have your girls drink champagne in a controlled environment? I've just received some good news."

"About the custody?" Kali said brightly, straightening.

"No," Winter said, pulling her bun out and letting her hair cascade down. "About the class action lawsuit."

Tai frowned, looking across the way to his girls. "... not yet," he said after a long thought. "They're both smart enough to handle it responsibly but I don't want to introduce it too soon, especially not without my brother nearby to tell them what happens when things go too far. I was thinking senior year, before prom."

Winter smiled, setting up a series of flutes and starting to pour. "I understand," she said. "And I'll respect your decision."

"The same for me," Kali said, putting her two bottles of wine in a bag for transport. "Blake has been through enough, I don't think she's healed enough to handle it responsibly. But thank you for asking," she added quickly. "You're right, if the class action has finally settled that is cause for celebration."

"Where's Ghira?"

"I'll go get him."

Tai grabbed the flutes and started putting them on a tray - he gave a wink to the bartender to communicate he had this. After the champagne was sparkling water for the girls - eight glasses total, and he helped Winter carry them over to the fireplace as Kali returned with Ghira, passing the flutes out appropriately. Tai saw Weiss practically buzzing in anticipation, his girls looking confused as Blake walked over for her flute.

Winter raised her glass. "As of two hours ago," she said, her rich alto voice carrying, "The judge decided for the Schnee Construction Company to pay thirty million dollars in settlements to the families of the class action suit."

"Thirty million?"

"Yes," Winter said, lifting her glass. "Here's to a small measure of justice in the world."

"Here, here!"

"Wow, Weiss, I had no idea you were worth that much!"

"Does that come out of your savings or something?"

"No, it will be pulled from the companies profits, but really it's hardly a drop in the bucket…"

"You mean you're worth more?"

"Geez, I suddenly understand why you were so uppity when we first met."

"Yeah, what were you even doing at a public school?"

"Don't say that! Weiss, I'm really happy you were at middle school."

"Huh? Wait, I am, too, that wasn't what I meant!"

Tai smirked at his sunny dragon's faux pas, hiding it behind his champagne and they celebrated through dinner, everyone talking about the lawsuit and Winter answering any and all questions she was allowed to answer. Ghira talked brightly about going door-to-door getting signatures, the town hall they ran last summer to keep everyone in-the-know and informed. The girls concocted the idea of a daring last minute rescue, the lawyers in terrible danger before Ghira swept in at the last minute to save the day. He bellowed out a laugh, on his third glass of wine and leaned into the tale, posing and making grand gestures with his arms, Winter's frosty glare completely undermined by the small smirk on her face.

They separated out again, Tai taking one of the couches and Kali sitting next to him as they watched the show.

"He's enjoying this," Tai said, gesturing to Ghira.

"He is," Kali said, pulling her feet up to the couch. "Community organizers don't always get a lot of praise for what they do, this is good for him."

"Isn't that true of everyone?" Tai said, shaking his head and sipping his beer. "Teachers, professors, even a desk jockey like me, we don't usually get validated for all the hard work we do. I'm lucky, my team is really close knit and we're small. When the boss says she's lucky to have us, you know she means it."

Kali hummed, sipping her wine. "Blake was saying this morning that Weiss has had it really hard this year."

"Yeah, Ruby and Yang, too. I'm gonna have a talk with her later, show all that Big Dad Energy Qrow says I have. Did you know those four took a vow when they were in middle school? Had a sleepover and they all swore to each other that they were sisters. I've been solemnly told that I'm all of their dads, since Jacques is such a jerk. You're the mom, since my girls don't have one and Weiss' is… ill."

"Well, then 'honey,' what can we do to make all those girls happy?"

Tai shook his head. "Hell if I know," he admitted. "It's so easy when they're that young. Poof, I'm all their dad and you're all their mom."

"I think I spent almost as much time with Weiss when she was living with us as I did with Blake," Kali said, shaking her head. "That girl had so much to unpack. I stretched her out on my massage table that first week, just to find where the worst knots were, and she was sobbing in less than ten minutes of work. All that emotion trapped in her body…" She tipped her wine, taking a longer draw. "I gave her a massage every week to try and pull out all of that stress. Winter, over there," she added, jutting her chin, "She won't let me massage her, but you can tell how much she holds in."

"Yeah," Tai said, looking at Winter. Even now, at a ski lodge, with thirty million in settlements, she was at full posture, glancing at her phone as the evening wore on, checking her work. "... we all get like that, don't we?" he said, thinking. "So focused on putting on the right face for the right people, and looking out for everyone before we look out for ourselves."

"That's why I got two bottles of wine," Kali said. "Ghira pushes and pushes and pushes, but sometimes he can't find an outlet, and he can be an absolute beast if he doesn't let it out once in a while. He thinks I hold those New Years parties to empty the alcohol in the house, did you know that?"

"Qrow told me, last year," Tai said. "Something about expiration dates."

Kali smiled. "It's really for him," she said. "He knows I like a rough ride sometimes, but he's so big and so afraid he'll hurt me, so I give him a safe space to let loose and have the time of my life as a bonus."

Tai couldn't help snorting. "Sounds pretty devious."

"Oh, he knows all about it," Kali said. "I explain it to him every morning, and for all his protests he loves it just as much."

"It's good to have that kind of relationship," Tai said, wistful. "Where you get each other so completely." Summer started to fill his mind, after Ruby was born and they were really starting to find their groove. She was a natural: slayer of imaginary beasts and baker of cookies. Going out for a walk was an adventure, cracks in the sidewalk turned into insurmountable canyons that needed the power of love and friendship, neighbor's dogs were trolls that needed to be tricked with treats, and puddles were just bits of lost clouds, meant to be splashed on to send the water back up to their home.

The prick of loss stung, and he sipped his beer.

Kali was watching him, and shifted her weight on the cushion of the sofa. "Tell me about her," she said.

"... what?"

"Tell me about her. Their mother. Like you said: looking out for everyone before we look out for ourselves. I'm starting to realize you never talk about her."

"... I guess I don't," Tai said, glancing down at his can. "After she passed… we all kind of fell apart. I fell into a depression and Qrow started to really drink after that. It was two years before we could put ourselves back together, and by then we were both so brittle…"

"I understand," Kali said. "When did you know you loved her?"

"After Ruby was born," Tai said, jutting his chin to his youngest. "Raven was long gone by then, and the Poledina mess had only just been closed. Qrow was trying to figure out how to fit back in our lives, and we were all at the park by the Lutheran church off of Main. The girls were on the swingset, happy as clams, but Qrow was trying to figure out if they were going to get hurt or not. Summer turned to him and said, 'if you're that scared just make sure you kiss the owies away.'" Tai laughed at the memory. "Two seconds later Yang tried to fly off the swing - and I swear, she must have made eight feet in the air before she landed on the grass. Qrow was convinced she'd broken every bone in her body but Summer just smiled and walked over: 'Did you find any owies?' she asked, and Yang said yeah, on her butt."

Kali snorted.

"Summer called Qrow over and told him - straight faced - that he had to kiss Yang's butt." Tai tilted his head back, smile open on his face. "She was the first and only woman I ever saw who got Qrow to do something like that. I was jealous when we were in college, thought it meant something, but while Qrow was kissing the owie she came right up to me and said, 'I have an owie, too. On my lips.'"

"Oh, that's so sweet," Kali said, sipping her wine.

"I knew right then I had the perfect woman," Tai said, before catching himself. "No offense."

"Absolutely none taken," Kali replied. "She sounds amazing."

"She was amazing," Tai agreed. "I don't know where she got all the energy, up at all hours to feed the girls, cooking, cleaning, planning date night for us. I kept trying to match her: come home with flowers to take her out to a movie or something, but… I don't know… I don't feel like I ever gave as much as she did."

"You did," Kali said, reaching out and touching his shoulder. "I'm sure of it. You did."

Tai shook his head, still doubtful. "She was the best of us. Wasn't fair, losing her. It'll be nine years come March, but sometimes…"

"It still feels like yesterday."

"Yeah…"

The two of them watched the kids, talking and bubbly, Ghira sitting next to Winter and reminiscing over a job well done.

"Do you think you'll marry again?"

Tai looked over. "What?"

Kali leaned in. "Do you think you'll ever marry again?" she asked.

"I've thought about it," Tai answered. "But I don't think I could handle a third loss. Raven - that broke down long before she left, then Summer… even if I found someone…"

"It would destroy you," Kali said, nodding. "If anything ever happened to Ghira… I understand. Someday I'll tell you how we met at a protest."

"You always say that, but then you never do."

Kali smiled, like a cheshire cat. "Ghira swore me to secrecy, but it's fun to tease him. There might have been a night in jail as part of the story."

Tai laughed. "Sounds like the four of us," he said. "Qrow always threatened the story about the thong and corset, but he knows I'll disown him if he ever says anything."

"Ah, the things we do for the ones we love," Kali said, finishing her glass of wine. "Okay," she said brightly, getting up and addressing the children. "Since Tai and I are all of your parents, we've decided it's time for the children to go to bed. Ghira, that means you, too."

"... what?" Ghira asked, and Tai saw the cheshire grin again.

"I mean my other husband over there and I are putting the children to bed."

"Your what?"

"Okay guys," Tai said, getting up. "Team Mom has spoken, and now Team Dad is enforcing. All of you guys are going to bed."

"Blake, are you going to sleep with Weiss tonight?"

Blake looked like she was about to protest, but apparently she knew her mother very well, and smiled. "I hadn't asked her yet," she said, putting on sheepish airs.

"Of course you're welcome! Winter, tell her she's welcome!"

"... You're welcome."

"There, see? It's all settled! I'd wanted to ask you something about the boy you showed me in your album. The one with the blue hair."

"Neptune? He's my cousin Sun's best friend…"

Tai saw Yang glaring across the way, her cheeks pink. The crush Qrow kept talking about, no wonder it was so messy between them. He glanced at Ruby and she shrugged her shoulders. No helping it, it seemed. But, then, that didn't mean Tai was above teasing. "Don't worry," he said brightly, throwing a hand on his oldest's shoulder. "We can lock you in a room with Blake tomorrow night."

"Wh-what? Dad!"

"You're right, I should check with the Team Mom. Hey, Kali!"

"Yes, 'honey'?"

Ghira: "Honey? Kali…!"

"Yang wants to know if she can sleep with Blake tomorrow night."

"I did not!"

"Hm… ask me in the morning after I put this boy to bed."

Tai laughed. "Got it, 'sweetie.'"

"Dad, could you stop being weird for two seconds!"

"Just let me know when, my sunny dragon. Just let me know when."


Ruby rubbed at her eyes again. She had just gotten up and Yang had already claimed the shower. Their dad was already up, dressed for the day, looking through the brochure to decide what to try. Ruby had her own plans for the day, but she wasn't sure it would work or not.

Time to enlist back up.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah, Ruby?" her dad looked over. "What's up?"

"I think a Daddy-Daughter Day is due."

And her dad smiled broadly, delight in his eyes. "Really? Oooh, what do you want to do? Yang's gotten more sporty, so snowboarding?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, Dad, you and Yang need a Daddy-Daughter Day."

Her dad frowned. "Daddy-Daughter Day has always been the three of us," he said softly. "Why just me and Yang?"

"Because…" Ruby bit her lip. "Because Yang is stewing. She wants to make up with Blake but Blake is too hurt to deal with her. I'm worried that Yang… Might do something reckless."

"And you need me to pound some sense into her."

Ruby gave a nervous chuckle. "Maybe? Sparring has always been helpful, but Yang looks like she's going to explode if ever Blake is in the same room."

"I'll handle it," her dad nodded. "What about you? If this Daddy isn't watching out for this Daughter, what will you be doing?"

"I'm going to talk to Weiss," Ruby replied. "With everything that's been happening for Blake, which has been very loud and sudden and extra dramatic, she's been sucking up all the support we have. Weiss needs support too."

Nodding, her dad grabbed his phone. "I'll text Winter that you're joining them. I also let the Belladonnas know that I'll be taking Yang snowshoeing, so they should avoid it."

"I think they were planning on dogsledding?" Ruby tried to remember. "Or at least they were interested on seeing if the dogs were treated well."

Her dad laughed. "Then they can take Zwei with them."

At her feet, Zwei barked excitedly.

"Sounds like a plan!" Ruby smiled.

"What's a plan?" Yang asked, coming in and toweling her hair. "Ruby! You're awake! Finally, the shower's free."

"Kay!"

Right. Now she could spend the day with Weiss without the drama of her sister and Blake to get in the way. Once she'd showered and had breakfast, she went down the hall to Weiss and Winter's room and knocked.

Winter answered the door, already dressed for the day and gave the barest hint of a smile. "You're in luck," she said in her usual monotone. "Weiss just came back from her morning jog."

Ruby groaned. "A jog? On vacation?"

That twitch of a smile. "It keeps one in shape."

"Bleck. Better to run around all day long, then it's not a chore."

"Hn."

Still, Winter let her in and Ruby stepped in to see Weiss rebrushing her hair.

"Weiss!" Ruby cried out, running over for her signature tackling hug.

"Ruby!" Weiss gasped in surprise. "Breathing!"

Ruby gave an extra squeeze before sitting back. "Morning!"

"Good morning," Weiss replied through great gulps of air.

Ruby chuckled.

"I understand from Mr. Xiao Long that you are accompanying us today." Winter stated, looking at her phone.

"Yup!" Ruby said brightly. "Dad and Yang are having a Daddy-Daughter Day. So I thought I'd hang with you!"

"A Daddy-Daughter Day?" Weiss said flatly, even as her lips twitched to prevent a smile.

"Yup! It's a sacred Xiao Long-Rose tradition!"

Weiss just chuckled. "We're going cross-country skiing today."

"Perfect!" Ruby said, arms flying into the air with enthusiasm! "This is going to be so much fun! Let me go put on my snow gear!" She raced from the room.

An hour later there was an established pattern. Winter would go from marker to marker and wait for them there before moving on. It gave Winter more of a workout and let Weiss and Ruby talk. So far, most of it had been Weiss insisting on Ruby's study schedule. ("Are you kidding? Midterms are three weeks away, we need to start studying now!") But that was fine for Ruby, it let Weiss unwind a little bit.

They came in sight of the next marker and Winter waved at them, turning to head off to the next marker.

Ruby took a breath. "How much longer for the custody case?" she asked, aiming to cut to the heart of the stress.

Weiss went quiet. She was quiet all the way to the marker. They paused for a moment, and Ruby took the time to pull out her water bottle from inside her snowsuit and take a sip.

"We don't know," Weiss finally said. "Every time Winter thinks she has it won, Father's lawyers pull out a different argument. We've been at this for over a year."

"That must be hard," Ruby said softly.

"It is," Weiss said. She sniffed and started skiing again. Ruby stayed by her side. "I think Whitley is part of the problem. Father has him so programmed to be the perfect little boy that he doesn't realize he isn't Whitley anymore, just a mini-Father. I keep trying to explain, but…"

"But he still lives there and your dad undoes it."

Weiss nodded. "I've been through enough therapy and counseling that I can see what Father is doing. Whitley hasn't seen any of that. I think if Winter was just fighting for custody of me, we'd have already won. It's clear to anyone I speak with that I don't wish to be with Father."

"But you two don't want your brother to suffer under your dad."

"No."

They skied further along.

"Whitley..." Weiss said quietly, "Whitley used to be so different."

"How so?" Ruby asked quietly."

"Winter's the oldest, she's had to put up with Father the longest. But before Father started getting her under his thumb, she enjoyed writing. I remember finding all these little stories that she wrote when she was younger. I always enjoyed music. Playing the piano, singing. When Winter sent home lyrics for a song, I obsessed over playing it. Father just saw it as cheap entertainment for any guests he had over. As for Whitley…"

Weiss paused, looking through the woods and then up to the bright blue sky. "Whitley loved art."

"So all of you are artists," Ruby said softly.

"Yeah." Weiss pushed off to start skiing again and Ruby kept up. "I remember, when he was seven, maybe eight… I think I was ten, Winter had come home for Christmas from college. The two of us gave Whitley a set of watercolors. He'd always been drawing his own comic or cartoon characters, so we thought maybe he could branch out. We gave it to him when Father wasn't around. He smiled so much…

"I remember when I was smaller, Mom would play this old artist called Bob Ross and in a half-hour he'd have a full painting done. Some landscape or something. It always put me to sleep, but Whitley loved it."

Ruby smiled, trying to picture it. She didn't know Whitley very well, but a child fascinated with art? That didn't take much imagination.

"Whitley was getting good with the water color," Weiss continued, sniffing again. "I still have this painting he gave me of a pond in the winter under a dawn sky. I mean, he was maybe ten? He wasn't really the next da Vinci, but… He was working at it. Then Father found out he was painting."

"He didn't approve?"

"That's the thing," Weiss growled. "He never approves unless he chooses it. He didn't want Winter to pursue writing so she entered school to learn business and law. He didn't like me singing unless it was what he chose at the functions he holds. And Whitley… Father threw away all his art supplies."

"What!?"

"He told him that no man paints or uses watercolors. Men build things and men do things. Painting and artsy stuff was too feminine for a real man." Weiss was growling and sniffing in the cold.

"How could he say that?" Ruby gasped. "Doesn't he realize that most of the famous artists are men?"

"Gay men, he'd say," Weiss sniffed again. "And he didn't want Whitley to be anything other than a man's man who'd run the company."

"That's horrible!"

"I know!"

They came in view of the next marker and Winter nodded, heading off again. But Weiss was slowing down.

"Sometimes I hate him so much," Weiss's voice was full of emotion, somewhere between anger and sorrow. She came to a stop and just hunched down. "I gave Whitley watercolors this year…" she said brokenly. "And Whitley said he didn't have time for such feminine things."

"Weiss…"

She looked at Ruby with tears in her eyes. "That's not Whitley anymore!" she sobbed. "I just want my brother back! I don't want him under Father anymore! I want…" But Weiss just crouched down and cried.

Ruby crouched down next to her as best she could on the skis and hugged her close.

"It'll be okay, Weiss," she said. "Your sister will win the custody fight. Then you can start helping Whitley get better."

"But what if we don't?" Weiss sobbed. "What if this is just how Whitley is now? Cold and ruthless and another version of Father?"

Ruby bit her lip. Remembering something different. "Then you stage an intervention?"

Weiss looked up. "What?"

"Yang and I, you heard that we had an intervention for Uncle Qrow?"

Weiss nodded, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

Ruby looked down at their skis in the snow. "I've researched interventions since then. I mean, yeah, they're supposed to be someone who's addicted and to break through the addiction to the person who's been poisoned by it, but… I don't see why that can't work for your brother. He's being poisoned by your dad. So stage an intervention. Explain why he can't keep taking your dad's advice, explain how it's doing harm and damage. An intervention is about making someone see the harm they do and I don't think your brother understands that yet. The big thing is to have as many people there as possible to get through. Yang and I… we didn't understand that. It was just the two of us and we didn't say the right words. Uncle Qrow got mad and then Dad got dragged in. I remember a lot of shouting. But Uncle Qrow got help. So can Whitley."

Weiss shook her head, and gave a watery smile. "You make everything sound so simple."

"Because it is!" Ruby smiled brightly standing. "You don't skip a grade if you're an idiot!"

Weiss chuckled, standing. "You're an idiot."

"Weiss!"


Author's Notes: Aaaaaand now we get to fix everything we broke in the last few chapters.

We feel a little bad for Weiss; her kind of arc is about endurance, as a writer you either go into every blow up and make the reader suffer the same emotional exhaustion or you establish the baseline and just poke at it from time to tome; which is what we did here. We lived through a version of her arc and did not feel inclined to going into all the grimy details, but we didn't want to forget that she was going through a lot this year with a custody battle. Despite that she still tries to play support for everyone else, poor kid. But on the up side the others are wise to her and won't let her fall too far.

Tai and Kali get to interact, and instead of Best Supporting Character Tai finally gets to be a character of his own as we tried to come up with the most saccharine love-memory we could come up with. Also, question - what fairy tale is Kali based off of? We went for chesire cat and realized way later that that's probably not right. Also, show-writers, please find an excuse to get all the parents together in a scene, we really want to see how they all interact.

Everyone gets some support with this chapter and the next chapter as we slip the switch back to fluff - we even get half of the story of Jacques Schnee's downfall with the class action suit victory, huzzah!

Next chapter: more fluff. Also, what's this about a speaking circuit for Oz...?

Also... the midseason has been out for a week, can we finally talk about Season 8 without spoiling people? Because HOLY GOD, remember when we all thought Volume 7 was stressful? What naive fools we were...

Hope everyone had a happy holiday if they celebrated yesterday! And if you don't celebrate, we hope you had a great day yesterday regardless!