The sun rose on Vale once again, creeping over the buildings, sidewalks, and vehicles as the birds and bugs began to chirp and buzz. The rays crept over Ruby's mansion, billowing in through the windows and striking her face. The crook lie on the floor in a puddle of spilled alcohol, broken and whole jars scattered around her. The light began to stir her awake, Ruby groaning, rolling onto her back, and pressing her palms to her eyes to alleviate the throbbing behind them. Instinctively, her head snapped up in the direction of someone watching, finding Penny standing in the doorway to the kitchen, shyly holding her arm and looking to the floor. "Hi, mom." she feebly spoke.

Ruby forced herself to sit up, uncaring of her sleeping arrangements nor her alcohol-soaked pajamas, replying, "Hey."

The two sat in an uncomfortable silence, Ruby finally break it, "So, what can I do for you?"

Penny sat in silence, blushing as she only rubbed her arm in response. "Let me guess, your dad fucked up and is now stuck in an insurmountably shitty situation?"

Penny stopped rubbing her arm, only lowering her head to hide her face beneath her hair. "And Nora is probably doing whatever the hell she wants because your dad couldn't be fucked to be there for another human that wasn't him? And that probably means she's probably on the path to jail, destroying her future, or both?"

Penny's head only sunk lower but Ruby refused to relent. "And you're here because..."

"Why do you have to be so mean!?" Penny snapped, getting a raised brow from Ruby.

"I'm not hearing that I'm wrong." Ruby stated flatly.

"You're not but you don't see me telling you what a pathetic drunk psychopath you are, do you? Do you have any idea what what you said to us did? You don't think we care and, maybe, dad doesn't care. But Nora and I do. Sure, we may fight a lot and butt heads with you but we love you. You took us in when no one else would..." Penny trailed off, tearing up and fighting back a gasp.

"Yeah, I get it, you adoptive kids are so much more grateful than ones I could have myself. I get it and it really shows in how you left with him with nothing forcing you to stay nor leave."

"You hurt us, mom. Nora practically put a whole in every wall she could, dad's been gone with that yoga lady since we left, and you're the first person I've talked to since we left. I came here because they need you just as much as I do."

"Well, kiddo, you're shit out of luck. I'm gonna be dead in a few weeks, the government has me, your aunt, and your friend, Blake, blacklisted. So I'm out of fucks to give, especially when they're too spineless to show their faces to me. But, kudos to you, kid, maybe there's hope for you yet."

"God, you're just as stubborn as they are! You know what all of our problems are? We're all just irresponsible doofusses that managed to luck our way out to this point. And a big reason for that is because of the help we had from others and gave. Dad ranted about all the stuff you did before you came to Vale, so there's no secrets there."

"So, you know why we adopted you?"

"Yes."

"You know it wasn't out of love or caring or that 'kindness of our heart' bullshit? It was purely just random, coincidental choices that brought you into our lives."

"Yes."

"So why are you even here and pretending to care?"

"Because I love you, mom! No matter what you say or do, I will always love you. And I thought I was the emotionally retarded one in the family," Penny snapped, covering her mouth before apologizing, "I'm so sorry, I know that's a really politically incorrect word and it's offensive the mentally handicapped and I didn't mean anything by it..."

"Penny," Ruby interrupted, getting up to her feet, "that's one of the most genuine things I've heard, don't apologize for shit you know you don't mean. Only a fucking idiot with nothing better to do takes things like that out of context."

"Okay," Penny said, composing herself, "But we need you, mom, not just to sort this out but so we can have a normal family. You got out of one bad situation before, why not again? We can plan ahead and be a family when all the dust settles."

"That's a bit naïve, kid, do you really want to be anywhere near me when they come knocking?"

"Treat your soldiers as your children and they will follow you into the deepest valleys. Look on them as your own beloved sons and they will follow you to their deaths."

"Huh, didn't picture you as someone who read Erwin Frundsberg or history."

"I don't, it was in one of my games."

"Oh, Jesus..."

"Dad got kicked out by Coco for not being 'zen' enough, so he got stuck with Emerald, and keeps threatening to call a Mister Schnee if he gets out of line. They're having coffee at the Bean Machine and I haven't seen Penny in a few days but she has to be somewhere in this city. We find them and then we can figure this all out."

"Alright, I know just the guy for that, I'll schedule an appointment with him later." Ruby said, heading to the door.

"Aren't you going to change?"

"Fuck it, I need to the look the part for the levels of crazy I'm willing to go to."

Penny trotted on after her mother, getting into her car and taking off out of their driveway and up the street. "So, how's it been?" Ruby asked.

"Well, do you really care?" Penny wondered.

"Of course I do, why would I ask if I didn't?"

"Because whenever I talk about what I like, you tune out or get mad."

"Alright, we'll bring that up to my therapist. But, in the future, Penny, don't ever let me or anyone treat you like shit. That's how you get hooked up into abusive relationships. Stand up for yourself and punch a few guys in the dick if you have to."

"Thanks, mom."

"Anytime, kid. Now, let's sort this mess out and let civility prevail as long as possible." Ruby grumbled, parking beside the shop.

Ruby and Penny strolled up to the outdoor seating, Emerald and Neptune being the only ones outside. Emerald looked on with disinterest at an exasperated Neptune, threatening, "You know, if you keep this up, I'm sure Mister Schnee would love to know what we've been doing in his mansion."

"Well, it's not like I had a lot of options on where I can go, you're the only person I know in this whole damn city."

"God, you're pathetic. No wonder your wife kicked you out."

"Hey, that's not true! He left me." Ruby shouted.

"Ah, Miss Rose, it's been a while, huff and puff any houses down?"

"Huff and puff any more cock lately?"

"Ouch, right to the bone, I see why you're so emasculated, Neptune."

"You leave him out of this, now. You're gonna stop contacting my husband, you're gonna pretend we don't exist, and we'll all go our separate ways."

Emerald leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms and smirking as she said, "You can have him, the tantric sex is so start-stop, what's the point? But if you think I don't know what Mister Schnee is going to do to you and your family because of what you did, you're a fool. As soon as Winter comes to Vale, you're all screwed. Plus, I was just doing this for tabs on your family. Sorry, Neptune, but I need at least four commas to get me hot."

"So, that's Weiss' sister, huh?"

"Yep, she'll be here in a few days, why's that? You actually think you can stop this."

"Better than just laying back and taking it like you."

"You know, slut-shaming can get you in a lot of trouble, Ruby." Emerald laughed.

Without hesitation, Ruby snatched Emerald's coffee from the table and flicked the blistering hot drink in her face, scalding her eyes, nose, and forehead. Emerald collapsed back, squealing in agony as she held her already blistering face. Unsatisfied, Ruby knelt down beside the ailing gold digger, ceramic cup in hand, and grabbed her by the collar. She hoisted Emerald up before smashing the cup over Emerald's jaw, jarring a tooth loose and knocking her unconscious. Ruby shook her hand from the pain of the ceramic cutting her palm in several places, looking back at a stunned Neptune and Penny. "I'm sorry I couldn't show up in something a little more street appropriate. Neptune, I'm sorry, for everything. For all the drinking, the lying, the fighting, and the crime. But, you give me one last chance, and I promise, when all of this is done, we can have a normal life. I swear."

Neptune's shock turned to mulling, a smug smile spreading on his face as he replied, "You know, after all these years, I'm surprised you haven't done anything like that to me, despite everything that's happened."

"Alright, I'm gonna sound like a double-standard bitch, but we have to see Oobleck after we get Nora. Right now, we gotta load this chick in the trunk and go find Nora."

"You're lucky I love you or I might call the cops on you for, you know, committing a crime."

Just then, Penny's scroll rang out, pulling it out and reading the text, "Oh, you're not going to like this, mom."

"Please tell me she isn't in jail."

"No, she's at a tattoo parlor on Vineyard Boulevard with Dragon Bitch..."

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah..."

"Alright, let's fucking do this." Ruby roared, slinging an unconscious Emerald over her shoulder and heading back to the Tailgater, popping the trunk before tossing the gold digger in.

The trio got into the car and tore up the street, Ruby weaving around all traffic in her tunnel vision. "What's so bad about this Dragon Bitch? Isn't he that weirdo on TV?" Neptune inquired.

"Yeah and, to make a long story short, we made him stick a banana up his ass because he tried to humiliate Nora on national television." Ruby simplified.

"In all the years I've known you, that's the weirdest phrase to ever come out of your mouth."

"It wasn't my idea, Yang did it."

"Let's see if that holds up in court."

Ruby came to a screeching halt in the parking section parallel to the shop, exiting the car in a huff and beelining for the shop. Ruby burst in the door as Nora glared up at a smug Dragon, demanding, "Look, buddy, don't you dare show that taping of me on TV or else!"

"Or else, what? I have the best editors in my pockets, I can cut out whatever I want, like where your slutty aunt and crack whore mother chased me off. Then, put up those censorship bars, and the world will think you did the unthinkable. All in a day's work." Dragon scoffed.

"Over my dead body, asshole." Ruby replied, spinning Dragon around to meet a fist to the jaw.

The host toppled to the ground, terror overcoming the daze of the blow as he screamed, "Shit, shit, I'm sorry! Please, just don't hurt me! I don't care if you sodomize me but just no pain, I can't deal with the flashbacks of my uncle!"

"You're fucking pathetic," Ruby said, stomping Dragon's head into the hardwood floor before dropping a knee into his chest and pushing his scroll in his face, "Now, listen, you call those executives and demand they pull the horse bit. Not only will I find you and, trust me, I have so little to lose that I will kill you, but I'll make sure your shitty distributors of that smut get shutdown for good. Got it!"

"Sure, sure, sure, I'll do anything to survive! Have you seen my shit, it's been three years since I've been relavent," Dragon said, tapping on his scroll and answering a man on the other end, "Hey, Carlos? Yeah, it's me. Hey, can you do me a solid and destroy that tape we have of that horse girl? Yeah, she's underage and I'm not going back to jail for that. Alright, sweet, keep churning your shit out, man. Peace."

Ruby ended the call for him, smashing his scroll, "There, you happy? You feel like you're big and powerful? Feel like you have control and power to do with me whatever you want? Total turn on, right?"

Ruby rose off of him, leaving him to wallow in pity on the floor as she noticed the disturbed tattoo artist staring on from the doorway. "You wanna be next?! Keep this to your fucking self!" Ruby shouted, the artist slamming the door and locking it.

"Let's go, we gotta meet Oobleck before he closes up." Ruby ordered, the group filing for the door.

"In all honesty, Miss Rose, what do you think you've accomplished," Dragon asked, stopping her dead in her tracks at the door, "Yeah, you saved your daughter's reputation but that's just one case. I have no bar for how low I can go, the viewing audience is getting more depraved my the hour. They come to me whenever they want to see the sick shit that proliferates their fantasies. I can do whatever the hell I want and anyone who doesn't like what I do is just a puritanical shithead."

Ruby turned on a heel and dropped her knee into Dragon's solar plexus again, laying into him with an unrelenting flurry of rights, ranting, "You think it matters if other people like it that that's what is objectively good? Fuck no! Sure, you can like weird shit like that and, if it isn't harmful to anyone, that's fine and none of my business what others enjoy. But when you put up such abhorrent shit that is both insultingly shallow in all realms of content but smut and gives actual puritanical shitheads who see the stain of rape in everything, that's where I take issue. You're giving ammo to people who don't need it, you fucking prick. And don't even get me started on the cop out of 'don't like it, don't watch.'"

By the time Ruby relented, her right hand was a further bloody mess, Dragon unconscious with a swollen-shut black eye and blood streaming from his nostrils and mouth. Ruby grabbed a few handfuls of his shirt and hoisted him over his shoulder, ramming him out the door and saying, "Come on, I'll deal with him and Emerald after our session."

The family entered the car, waiting as the car bounced up and down from the weight being thrown in the trunk before the hatch slammed shut. Ruby sat down and whipped the car around, taking off down the street and heading for the freeway. "Well, I'm glad to see you give a shit, Ruby." Neptune said.

"If that's sincere, you're welcome. If that's your same passive aggressive bullshit..."

"Save it for the therapy, mom. Besides, you shouldn't have any aggression left after you laid Dragon out. Seriously, those were some beautiful crosses! Your mount needs work..." Nora interjected.

"You're telling me." Neptune jabbed.

"Haha, very funny."

"I thought it was." Penny added.

"Alright, let's just cut the pseudo-wittiness." Ruby growled.

"Seriously though, mom, I thought dad was bullshitting when he talked about how you could lay guys twice your size out. But I'm impressed, I'd have you mentor me if you had more than a blackbelt in daytime drinking."

"That's nothing, Nora, she knocked Emerald out in one hit. Sure, she did it with a mug, but it was sweet. It was more fluid than any animation I've seen since Dead Fantasy." Penny continued.

"It's what I do for the ones I love. And I'd like to believe you'd do the same for me." Ruby posited.

"Of course! After the two saves you gave me, I owe you for life." Nora replied.

"You know I'd do anything for you, mom." Penny reassured.

Neptune sat silent, looking at his feet before Ruby said, "I don't expect you to forgive me so quickly, Neptune. I've done my fair share of shit to screw you over just as much as you have me. I'm hoping this therapy session will be a step in that direction. Save all of what you're thinking and let that out for Oobleck."

The rest of the ride was an unbreakable silence, the family pulling up to Oobleck's place. Ruby made her way inside, her family following, and knocked on his door. Soon, the green-haired, bespectacled man answered the door, beaming, "Ah, Ruby! You smell of booze and you're not dressed. I can tell this will be a very productive, long, expensive session."

"Good to see you, Oobleck, you sure you can let me in on such short notice?"

"Nonsense, a doctor is always there when his patients need him!"

"If you say so, hope you don't mind a crowd." Ruby said, leading her family in, much to Oobleck's silent delight.

Oobleck barely had time to sit in his chair opposite the couch they occupied before it began, "Well, this'll be fantastic. Never once thought I'd end up in therapy until you physically castrated me." Neptune quipped.

"Enough of the sarcasm, Neptune, it's beneath you." Ruby hissed.

"Ruby, nothing's beneath you, as we saw today. Which is why I left in the first place."

"Well, there's usually a whore beneath you. That says more of what I can handle than you."

"You know, for someone who acts like they give so little of a shit, you get awful petty real fast when someone comes after you."

"I'm petty? How about how I never slept around once, not fucking once, and forgave you each time. 'This'll be the last time, never again,' you'd always say. And, like an idiot, I always believed you. So either you're just a manipulative piece of shit or I'm just too stupid to you to think I'll ever hold you to your word."

"Like you have any moral high ground, you vindictive, murdering bitch. And let's add selfish to that when you are dragging me and your kids down with you."

"Maybe if you weren't such a pussy and made it known where we stand on anything or even talk to me. Like this whole fucked up situation we're in is because you decided you had to put your dick in someone that can bend. Well, newsflash, Neptune, I might not be able to put my ankles to my ears but I'm willing to give anything a shot."

"How can I talk to someone I'm afraid will be burying me in the backyard before the sun rises? Plus, you might as well have already chopped my balls off with how much you undermine me at every turn."

"Well then get out and do something with your life. When we first met, you were confident, strong, and driven. Now, you just leech off of all the work I've done."

"Murdering people, drinking all day, and feeling sorry for yourself isn't work."

"I don't see you complaining on the way to the fucking bank!" Ruby snapped.

Silence descended over the room, Ruby reigniting the conversation, "Let's face it, Neptune. We're trailer trash, we were raised to be like this. This is just all it'll be, no matter how much money we have or how nice a place we live in. We're the product of our upbringing."

"Get a grip and drop the armchair psychologist schtick, Ruby. I've changed, you haven't. You refuse to let go of those days because you're too self-centered to have it any other way. You know what? I think you just have to have that victim complex so you can justify everything you do so you can live with yourself."

"Oh, so you do? Here's my thought," Ruby said, standing up and pointing to her crotch, "How about you suck my clit!?"

Jaws hit the floor as Ruby waited for a response, Neptune stammering, "This is what I'm talking about. You can do whatever you want but, when shit knocks at your door, you get defensive. But no one else can."

"I not only hear you talking, but I can understand every word that comes out of your mouth. That means you're doing a shit job."

"You are such a fucking animal! A derange animal! You're no different than your sister."

"Your fucking A right I am! Why wouldn't I be when I grew up with her?"

"I should have had you locked up years ago!"

"Then fucking do it! I'll put you the fucking ground like the rest of them before I go."

"Aaaand I believe that's all the time we have today. I feel we made some real progress there." Oobleck interjected, visibly taken aback in his seat.

The family headed for the door, Ruby turning back from the door and asking Oobleck, "So, how much is this gonna cost?"

"You know what, Ruby? I think I'll consider this time free of charge."

"I thought so. I appreciate it. 'Til next time, Oobleck."

"Absolutely," Oobleck replied, the door shutting as he let out a sigh, "God, I need a new line of work."

Once outside, Ruby put her hand on Neptune's shoulder, taking a breath before she said, "Look, I won't lie, we're in a really bad way with all the shit that'll come flying. I know we're not in a good enough place for you to fully trust me yet and I get that. But, please, just come home."

"Alright." Neptune agreed, shaking his head.

The family entered the vehicle for one more ride home, heading down the freeway as Ruby began, "Kids, I know we didn't let you get a word in, edgewise, but I want you to know this. I won't lose my temper on you as much as I used to, I'll try to understand your passions as best I can, and I'm gonna be the mom you deserve. And I know Neptune feels the same way, right?"

"Absolutely, all of this, what happened at the session, that's just me and your mother." Neptune added.

"Thanks, guys." Penny teared up.

"Yeah, we get it." Nora shrugged.

"I don't know, I feel like we still have a long way to go." Ruby continued.

"You're not wrong. But that was a really cathartic first step, if nothing else." Neptune answered.

"Yeah, it felt good to get that all out in the open."

"But, you know what, I also realized no one else knows nor understands how this family works. It's fucked, yeah, with the faked deaths, FIB involvement, and all, but it worked this long, right? If it weren't for outside interference, we'd be totally fine. Get rid of all that and we'll be fine."

"Yeah, no FIB." Penny chirped.

"No criminals." Nora added.

"What about those two you 'work' with? Aunt Yang and Blake?" Penny asked.

"I have no idea, we'll figure that all out when we settle this. Right now, I'm focused on getting out alive and life with you guys."

"Just do me one favor, Ruby. Don't get us or yourself killed." Neptune implored.

"That is a promise I know I can keep."

"Then we're off to a good start."

"Ohhhh, group hug?!" Penny cheered, pulling Nora in andembracing her family over the seats, causing Ruby to careen all over the road.

"Whoa, whoa! Easy! Jesus, I'm driving here, Penny. But, thanks."

"Anytime!"

"Well, there we are. Home sweet home, recognize it? Wait, the fuck?" Ruby trailed off, pulling up to the curb beside the driveway.

A black, windowless van sat in her driveway, the front door left wide open. "Shit. Those motherfuckers are gonna play it like that, well they've made this a war like we planned. We're coming for your shit next, you fucks," Ruby seethed, reaching into her glove box and pulling out a pistol, "You guys stay put, do not come in the house unless I come out. If you don't see me within five minutes, take off, go to this address and stay with Blake."

Ruby handed Neptune a crumpled up piece of paper before exiting the car, much to his protests that fell on deaf ears. Ruby posted up beside the van, peering over the hood before darting to the door. Peering inside, she caught a man going up her stairs, decked out in camouflage clothing and a Kevlar vest. Ruby took aim and blew the back of his head open, ducking into the house as one of his comrades called out the death to the others.

Ruby ducked around the corner into her living room, back to the wall as the footsteps of a mercenary grew close. Just as the man came into view, Ruby rammed the slide of her gun into the man's throat, the soldier fighting through the pain and forcing Ruby's gun arm aside. Ruby followed up with a headbutt and a kick to the groin, dropping the man on all fours before Ruby put a round into the back of his head. Ruby was forced to behind the couch as more footsteps grew near. "Come on, it's on fucking girl! Split and bring her fucking corpse back, idiots!"

A pair of footsteps entered the living room, muffled by the carpet, as Ruby observed the shadows on the wall. Just as they had their backs to her, she sit back on the ground and fired a pair of rounds through the couch, one striking a man in the gut and the other in the knee. Ruby vaulted the couch, the man with an injured knee taking aim with his automatic rifle. Ruby lunged for the man, getting past his barrel and wrapping her arms and legs around his abdomen, forcing him onto his back. Ruby repeatedly rammed the bottom of the pistol's handle into his nose, ruining it before taking aim at the rising, groaning soldier next to her. After disposing of him with a headshot, Ruby put the barrel to her pinned adversary's forehead and pulled the trigger.

The criminal headed for the kitchen next, finding nothing in the dining room and, just as she entered the kitchen, was met with a soldier ramming the butt of his rifle at her. Ruby sacrificed her already injured hand to deflect the blow, a bone cracking as she was forced to relinquish her pistol. The mercenary brought the rifle back for another blow, but Ruby met him with a punch to the throat. Stunned from the blow and desperate for air, Ruby took advantage as she took him by the collar and fell back, putting her foot in his chest and rocketing him headfirst into the central counter, his neck snapping on impact.

The hurried footsteps down her stairs send her slamming against the fridge, clutching the handle of a jagged whiskey bottle. The man cleared the entrance and was caught off guard by her battle cry, barely getting his arm up to sacrifice his forearm to the glass. Dropping his rifle, the man booted Ruby in the gut, slamming her back first against the counter with a jarring impact. She grasped the first metal object she felt and drove it home, digging a fork into the man's lip and gums beyond. Merely batting it out of his face with a sneer, the man rushed her and threw his arms around her, pinning her arms to her side as he wheeled around and drove her into the ground under his full weight. Having the wind knocked out of her, Ruby was further dazed as he got up and stomped onto her skull, blood spilling from her hairline. The man recovered his rifle and pointed it down at her, laughing, "It wasn't easy, you killed all my men but at least I can claim that price on your head without divvying it up. Thanks for the show."

Ruby closed her eyes and braced for death, only for a pair of shots to ring out and the soldier screaming in pain. She opened her eyes to see the soldier falling onto his shot knees, a final shout ringing out, a bullet exiting his forehead, eyes crossing before he collapsed into his own blood. Ruby looked up to find an angry Neptune holding a smoking gun, lowering it as he said in a low voice, "Daddy's home."

"You ruined the moment."

"Oh, come on, that was so badass!"

Ruby lifted herself up, nearly falling over had Neptune not embraced her. "You alright?"

"Yeah. Fucking Signal, the assholes are hiring out to kill us, now."

"Ruby, what's going on?"

"I'll explain in a second. Help me load those bodies in the van and get the kids filling buckets full of water and spraying those bloodstains with ammonia."

"What about Emerald and Dragon?"

Ruby put her hands in Neptune's chest and looked upon his concerned face, chuckling, "Oh, fuck, I totally forgot about them."

The partners slammed the van doors shut and backed down the driveway, heading back down the route they took to get home and out of the city. Neptune stared at the wheel for some time, as if trying to muster enough courage to make a move. "Ruby, why were those men in our house?" Neptune pressed.

Ruby sighed, the blood wiped from her face and a bandage placed over the cut on her brow, collecting her thoughts before explaining, "We robbed that dust shop, the feds found out, and employed us to do their dirty work. The job is how Yang found us. They had a bunch more jobs up for us but I turned them down. Maybe that didn't matter, maybe it would have only prolonged what they were gonna do. Weiss found out we got blacklisted, they're coming at us with everything they got after all we did and all we know."

"So, you're talking to Weiss, too?"

"Yeah."

"Goddammit, Ruby, how deep in are you?! You are so fucked you don't even know where to start!"

"I know that. But Weiss thinks we really got a chance. We just gotta hit Signal, the FIB, everyone that's fucking with us as hard as possible. We already depleted their funds by hitting that bank in Paleto and Yang sunk that plane."

"That was you guys?!"

"Yeah, I guess I kept myself busy while you were gone. We were doing good, too, then they brought in this psychotic rival of Yang's and now we're scrambling to cover our asses."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Ultimate goal or step-by-step?"

"Surprise me."

"Well, here's a surprise, everything's just popping up as Weiss calls it out. But we gotta kill Cardin Winchester, Roman Torchwick, and her dad. Plus her sister, who Emerald ever-so-helpfully told me was a few days away. Thanks, honey," Ruby said over her seat, a tied up, battered Emerald cussing, "Fuck you."

"Anytime." Dragon replied with a grin, only earning a hateful glare from Emerald, the duo lying under the mount of bodies, save for their heads.

"I don't like an audience, sorry, guys." Ruby replied, leaning back and aiming at them.

"Whoa, Ruby, are you nuts?! I'll crash the car from how deafening that will be!" Neptune reprimanded, pulling Ruby's aim aside.

"So, you did pick a thing or two up from me, huh?"

"After a decade of knowing you, Ruby, I'm surprised byA how surprised you are about that."

"Well, then, you should know how bad it got back in Atlas. There was an out there and we took it. This is our out. Granted, it's a longer shot, but it's the best we got besides dying. Just like before."

"Well, I don't have a lot of say in the matter. You've gotten us this far, Ruby, I trust you know what you're doing. Especially with what you've already done. Just, please, keep me that promise."

"I will. Truth be told, I gave up until Penny came in today and turned this all around. She's a great kid."

"Yeah, Nora loves you a lot, too."

"And you?"

"Ruby, gross, not in front of the people we're about to kill!"

"Aw, that's so cute!" Dragon cooed.

Ruby laughed, taking notice of their surroundings, ordering, "Here, pull off by this strip mall and just head down the beach. No one's ever up near the bridge, we sink this, call a cab, and head home."

"Sounds good." Neptune said, turning across the freeway and into the parking lot.

He drove through the lot, into the sand, carefully maneuvering the dunes and, finally, arriving at the beach's end beneath a bridge. "Well, we're here, kids. Now, take your pic, bullet or drowning?" Ruby asked.

"Fuck off." Emerald spat.

"Can I at least touch myself if you drown me? I hear it feels intense."

"Drowning it is." Ruby said, she and Neptune cracking their windows.

Neptune revved the engine before peeling out in the sand, steaming ahead towards the water. Just as they reached the last patch of dry sand, the duo lept from the van and tumbled through the sand. The van slammed into the water and glided for several yards like a boat, the weight finally causing it to nosedive into the water. Bubbles rose madly from the filling van, a full minute passing before it finally collapsed into the depths.

Neptune turned his attention to Ruby, finding her motionless in the sand. Worry rushing over him, Neptune hurried to his hands and knees and crawled to his wife, hands on either side of the sand by her head, and asking, "Ruby? Ruby?! Are you alright?"

Ruby's head turned and their eyes met. For several moments, they just stared, Ruby finally breaking the stillness by grabbing the back of Neptune's head. She pulled him in and the two locked lips passionately for the first time in ages. He had forgotten how soft her lips were. Breaking away to catch a breath, Ruby whispered in his ear, "Neptune, make love to me."

"What, here? Are you nuts?! What if someone sees us?" Neptune worried, only to be pulled back in for another kiss.

Finally, his will broke, Neptune and Ruby pulling back as they pulled their shirts up over their heads, Neptune wasting no time in pulling Ruby's heart-covered pants off her alabaster legs. The two piled their clothes as a makeshift towel to lie on. The sun began to set on the two, all the weeks of anger, frustration, and negativity boiling over and evaporating in that moment. For the first time, the two had their eyes open and kept an intimate lock with them.