"What took you guys so long! We have ice cream to get!" Ruby creid, waving her arms like a featherless bird at the entrance.
"Actually kid, all the ice cream funds went to the janitors, so home for now" Qrow shrugged. Ruby stopped moving and turned to Qrow with pouty lips and puppy dog eyes.
"Please Uncle Qrow, Yang did so good!" Ruby pleaded with a face that would've broken Winters will in an instant. Qrow, in a small attempt to resist, didn't even look at his niece. His head was turned away and he was already walking out the door.
"Nope, sorry, kid. Next time for sure"
"But you haven't even seen my face! It'll make you say yes for sure!" Ruby whined as she tried to run in front of Qrow, who kept turning his head away at the perfect time.
"Yeah, that's why I'm not looking!" Qrow growled, walking with his eyes closed. If winter hadn't grabbed his shoulders and moved him, he would've walked right into a car.
"That's not fair! It's like asking a knight to fight without her sword! What kind of a fight would that be?" Ruby held up in invisible sword, pointing it at Yang, who held up her own and started to duel Ruby.
"Pretty sure that's what I do, Ruby" yang laughed as she ducked out of the way of Rubys strike. Ruby was too busy setting up another attack to see Yang winch and lightly grab at her side before walking it off.
"Oh. Then I guess it would be a pretty fun fight!"
"You know, for invisible swords, your techniques aren't too bad" Winter smiled as she grabbed Qrows shoulder, letting her direct him the right way to the truck. Ruby let out a gasp turning to Winter as Yang slashed at her throat. Ruby, naturally, grabbed at her throat and gave the most convincing death she could while walking.
"Winter, were you a knight?" Ruby wondered with stars in her eyes.
"No, but I did fence for a few years" Winter chuckled as Ruby's eyes fell for a second before lighting right back up.
"That's so cool! Not knight levels of cool, but pretty close!" Ruby grinned, "Uncle Qrow, can I fence?"
"Ruby, that sounds like one of those things you get really into for a few weeks before you never touch it again"
"You're at the car by the way" Winter told him as she giggled at Ruby's totally shocked face, her mouth open as she looked between everyone standing around her. Qrow finally opened his eyes with the door, sliding in before closing the door on everyone else.
"Actually, Ruby… You totally do" Yang admitted as she opened up the passenger door for her sister.
"Like what? When have I ever done that?" Ruby gaped as she slid next to Qrow.
"Cooking, swimming, dance, candle making" Yang started as she climbed into the car, counting fingers as she went.
"Oh, don't forget about that one week she was really into becoming a detective, snooping all over the place, trying to find cases! I still have nightmares about her jumping out of my closet in the middle of the night" Qrow laughed as they pulled out of the parking lot with a jolt, Winters seat belt still in her hand.
"Ok, so maybe, once and awhile, I like trying out new hobbies! Is that so wrong?" Ruby complained as she stuck her tongue out.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with it, Ruby. I think it shows that you're mind is very active and you're willing to try new things" Winter smiled as she tried her best to get her seatbelt in the slot as they moved down the road a bit too fast, her hands shaking so much they were blurry.
Too quickly Qrow slowed down, turning off the main road and into another parking lot, into a gas station, "What are we doing here?" Winter asked, her pulse starting to race as she looked out her window.
"Gas, we're running low. You guys want anything?" Qrow questioned as he stepped out of the car.
"Candy please!" Ruby smiled as she jumped out of the car after him.
"I'm good" Yang admitted her voice still heavy with guilt. Qrow reached in and smiled at her, patting her on the head gently.
"I'll get you that pop you like. How about you, Snowflake?" Qrow was talking to Winter, but she didn't hear him. Her eyes were pulled out of the truck and out to about twenty feet in the air, watching as a sign spun in slow, hypnotic circles, captivating her. Hanging over all of their heads was the name of the gas station, her name, Schnee.
Winter felt her chest rise and fall, but she couldn't feel even the faintest hints of air reach her lungs. If felt like she was choking on something, but couldn't figure out what. She tried to swallow, but that only seemed to make it worse. Her hands were suddenly shaking even worse than when the car was moving. Everything sort of seemed to slow down, but at the same time felt like it was speeding up and crashing in on her all at once. An image of her father's piercing blue eyes flashed across her imagination, and her felt herself flinch and gulp, waiting for his retribution. For his rage… But it never came.
"Winter? You want anything or not?" Qrow asked again, hardly cutting through the mist that was twisting around her mind.
"N-No. Thank you though" Winter stuttered, trying her best to give a smile. Qrow looked at her suspiciously for a second before he shrugged and walked off to pay. Ruby grabbed the gas pump and was playing with it while Yang chased after her sister and tried to get her to put the hose down.
Looking up at the sign again, Winter couldn't help but think of the last time she'd really seen that name, their company logo. She was used to seeing it all over the place in Atlas, from gas stations, military weapons, to snack foods, the Schnee name was ever present in Atlas. But Vale was another story. For one reason or another, her father's reach was at least slightly shorter here, which she was suddenly grateful for.
Winter looked at the girls, noticing for the first time that Yang had joined Ruby outside. Why didn't they said anything to her? Why hadn't Qrow? Winter felt light headed and like she was about to vomit. Realization was slow, but it came, had she ever told them her last name?
She couldn't think of a moment when she'd told the girls, but Qrow? She was positive he'd seen something with her name on it on all the paperwork from her company. Or, had he? If he did know, why wouldn't he say anything to her about it? Isn't that what someone would do in that situation? Ask if you were from one of the richest families in the world?
Winter looked at Qrow as he walked out of the store, looking down at his phone as he walked without a care in the world. Would he say anything? Winter wasn't sure. Suddenly the image of Yangs back came racing into her mind and as much as Winter hated it… She had no idea what this man was capable of. Did she even know him?
She looked at how he talked to Yang and Ruby, how he joked with them, laughed with them, smiled, and loved them… The thought that all of that could be fake, could be some kind of an illusion… It scared her a lot more than some stupid sign did.
Qrow opened the door letting Yang and Ruby pile in, with candy and pop in their hands. Qrow got in and gave Winter a small grin as he started the truck up, "I know you said you didn't want anything, but I couldn't resist" He chuckled as he held out a can to her. Winter seen it was labeled Snowflake Shake! She'd never heard of it, but a smile grew on her face without her realizing. She reached out to take it, her hand touching his for a moment. After the past few minutes of inner turmoil and terror that had flooded Winters mind, it was the butterflies that sprang up in her belly when her hand touched his that truly terrified her to her absolute core.