It was a little bit surreal leaving the city for the first time since her arrival all those months ago. Sure, she'd sort of left it to visit Qrow and the girls tons of times, but this was her actually going far away for once. Winter couldn't help but look out the window, almost wistfully, as she watched the snow covered city disappear behind her. There was a mild ache in her heart, but she ignored it, driving on.
Winter may have lived in Atlas for most of her life, but she wasn't nearly as attached to it as she was the city. Her father had always been overbearing, going so far as to give all of the drivers a pre-approved list of places they were allowed to take her. Only the fanciest and pompous places made the cut, which left her with very few opportunities to intimately explore Atlas.
It was always school (which eventually became private tutor), expensive restaurants, the manor, and visits to her father's company if she was 'lucky'. Her mother had tried to give her a bit of freedom, but her father's ever watchful gaze kept that to a minimum. Heck, even after she got her car, she had to use that damn list. Atlas was where she was born, Schnee manor was where she had lived, but they weren't home. Honestly, there were only ever two things Winter really cared for in Atlas. The first was Weiss, obviously, while the second… Well, that was her mother.
Winter turned off the main highway and onto an older road that not many people used. It took a little bit longer than the main highway, but the lack of traffic actually made it a bit quicker, or at least that's what everyone online said. She wasn't sure why nobody used it, and no one else seemed to know either. Maybe it was haunted? That would be a pretty good reason not to use a perfectly good road. "I've been spending way too much time with those girls, because that's totally something they'd say" Winter chuckled to herself as she soared down the road.
Winter took her eyes off the road for a second, and was mesmerized by the fields of white snow that were all around her. A clean sheet of white stretched into the distance, untouched except for the occasional animal track. It was a simple image, but captivating nonetheless.
Her eyes looked to the horizon as she slowed the car down on impulse. She wasn't sure why she was stopping, but it felt right for some reason. The car came to a smooth stop, in the middle of the ocean of snow, there was a beach of snow covered grass separating the road from where the larger snowbanks that was probably grass when it was warm.
Winter sat in her car, an odd feeling of anxiety in her chest as she took in her surroundings. Then, it dawned on her. She wasn't sure if this was the exact spot, everything for a few miles looked exactly the same after all, but Winter had a feeling she was right across the road from where she'd broken down on the way to the city.
She remembered the feelings of anger, terror, and helplessness that had consumed her after that engine had died on her. Terrified that her one shot at independence had blown up in her face before she'd even made it to the city. Her only hope was for someone to come save her, but who would have guessed that her wish would come true?
She'd been asleep at the time, but it was easy for her to picture that red pick up truck pulling over. She was positive that the girls had probably climbed over each other trying to be the first one out, trying to get a good look at the stranger sleeping in the middle of the road.
She had no clue the first time she'd seen those girls how big of a role they would play in her life. She'd simply thought they'd help her out, then be gone like the tide. But no, that wasn't the way fate wanted things to go for some reason. Actually, maybe it hadn't been fate. After all, Qrow was the one who has asked for her help. Asked for her number.
He'd been so interesting that day. She'd seen him cry that day, even if it was just one tear. She could only guess at how relieved he must've felt. Finding a therapist sleeping on the side of the road, and his nieces actually seemed to like her, plus she was willing to help? That would be a pretty life changing deal for anyone.
Winter felt guilt rise up inside of her again as she pictured the girls at game night, asking where she was. Waiting up for her. How sad they must've felt. An image of Qrows angry eyes popped into her head, taking her breath away. Suddenly, Winter wasn't feeling nostalgic anymore. She lifted her foot off the break, leaving behind the place she'd once been stranded.
From this point on, Winter hardly remembered the road. She'd been so focused on not getting lost, that her eyes were constantly looking at the map on her phone. On the bright side, she hadn't missed anything interesting the first time around. Well, unless you counted abandoned barns as interesting. Which, sadly, Winter didn't.
But a few miles down the road, that changed. In the blink of an eye, the farmland was gone, replaced by beautiful, snow draped trees on all sides. They were tall and lush, but weren't cramped together like most forests. It was easy to imagine walking around them on a warm, summer day, the canopy of leaves giving just the right amount of shade.
There was one odd thing about the place though. Between the trees, were large bumps of snow. They were tall, easily three or four feet in the air, and they were all over the place. Then it hit her. That wasn't snow, those were headstones.
There were also all different types of headstones checkered throughout the entire area, but they weren't cramped together like some graveyard. It was definitely a relaxing place, and a pretty graveyard. She wondered if anyone still used it, or if it was just some farmers family plot. Then, as quickly as it came, it was gone, leaving Winter back on a boring road by herself.
The fun thing about driving by yourself for hours at a time is that your mind tends to wander. The bad part though, is that your mind starts to wander. Her mind was like a ship, sailing from port to port, her directions dictated by the winds.
The first thing she sailed to was her crappy, tilted, apartment building. She still hated looking at it, but the more time she spent there the less she really cared. She just wished one day she could put apples on her counter without them rolling all over the place. The winds changed then, taking her from apples to ice cream and Vale Sweets. Then she imagined the woman who owned the ice cream parlor and who obviously cared for Ruby and Yang, Glynda.
Her mind went like that for a long time, bouncing here and there, mostly about her time in Vale. In the past six months she'd met so many kind people, a lot more than she'd ever thought possible. Never before in her life had she met so many colorful people so quickly. Most of her acquaintances from Atlas were rich snobs who talked business or cowered in fear over her family name. None of them dared to dip even a toe in the pool of interesting that everyone in Vale seemed to love. The only ones who were different were the same two people she actually cared about, her mother and Weiss.
Her mother was so fun, loving, and warm, nothing like the other people she was around growing up. She would always do fun little things, like how she would sometimes make homemade grilled cheese. She would kick the chef out of the kitchen and try her best while the chef sat back and looked like he was having a heart attack. She would always burn it to a crisp, but Winter would always smile and eat it. Not because it was good, God no, but because she loved that her mom put in the effort and love. Even after she got sick, she would still make them as much as she could. Winter wouldn't mind one of those right now.
Winters stomach suddenly growled like a starving animal, and she felt her cheeks heat up, glad nobody was there to hear it. Winter looked around her, and it was like she'd been broken out of a trance. It was almost sunset, and Winter realized she'd been driving for hours. It also suddenly dawned on her, she was already in Atlas. The mountain range that took up the northern horizon was large, menacing, and heartbreakingly beautiful.
The second clue she had was that her last name was appearing a lot more frequently. As in, she couldn't drive a mile down the road without seeing it plastered on something. Gas stations, buses, businesses, and even on a few peoples shirts. It made her sick, just like always. Ah, it was good to be back… Not really.
It was the final stretch of her drive, and for some reason it was also the most exhausting. It was already dark, and it was like the lack of sun was draining her of strength. Her eyes were heavy, her legs were stiff, but she persisted. Her father might even be proud of her, pushing past exhaustion and hunger, that's the Schnee way. Or at least that's what he says it is.
A small plane was flying low in the sky, circling a small airfield that was on the outskirts of town. It flew lower and lower, before finally landing on one of the few runways that were available and coming to a stop.
Winter watched the plane land, but didn't think too much of it. Planes came in and out of here so often that she'd gotten used to it years ago. After all, this is where her father kept most of the private planes. It was just a long stretch of runway with a hanger to house most of the private planes. The whole space was locked up tight inside of a large chain link fence that was topped with razor wire, with lights hanging off the edge of the fence every fifteen feet or so. He 'shared' it with a few of his wealthy business partners because else would he flaunt his armada of planes and make his partners green with envy?
Winter pulled up to a large, fenced gate. Luckily there weren't any guards here, only in the actual hanger. With a quick code she had memorized, the gate was open and she was in. Winter drove around the lights, trying her best to stay in the darkest parks of the grounds. Winter made her way to the far edge, far away from prying eyes and cameras. She stopped her car right outside of a light's reach, so she and her bug were shrouded in darkness.
The moment she shut her car off, it was like a spell had broken. All of the energy and gumption that had kept her going suddenly vanished, replaced by exhaustion and anxiety. Winter went limp in her seat, relaxing her legs, back, and arms, for the first time in hours. Her muscles cramped, and stung whenever she moved, but she bit her lip and managed to pull out her phone.
There were a few texts from Amy asking if she was ok, which Winter was grateful for, but all she could think to send was a thumbs up emoji. She was early, but only by a few minutes. For whatever reason, the thought of sitting still in her car for even another second made her feel sick. So she opened her car door a crack, before kicking it open the rest of the way.
She stood on wobbly legs and stretched, her back cracking like some kind of demonic symphony. She walked around the car, staying in the shadows. Her legs got tired fast, so she decided to take a seat on the hood of her car. The smell of oil and the heat of the engine were radiating off her car, and it was honestly a bit comforting. The heat felt good on her aching legs, while the oil- well, that reminded her of… Things. Or people. Doesn't matter.
Her foot was moving a million miles a minute as it bounced on her bumper, while her thumbs spun circles around each other. She was keeping her breathing slow and even, but it didn't seem to be helping at all. Her eyes were darting around the runway, and her ears were open for the sound of anything other than wind.
She had no idea how long she sat like that, hyper aware of the world. Then, two small lights appeared in the distance. Winter felt her heartbeat almost stop while the rest of her body did.. She tracked the lights every movement as they danced around the dim airway, mostly sticking to the edges. The lights grew larger by the second, coming closer and closer to her. Some part of her was waiting for a guard to yell at her to leave, or for a cop to come and arrest her, but that didn't happen.
Instead, a long, white limo drove slowly into the light that Winter was parked by. It looked like something out of a movie, the perfect white paint under a spotlight, snowflakes dancing in the wind like sparkles. It was a beautiful car, and reminded Winter of a noble white steed that a princess would ride on in fairy tales. Honestly, that wasn't far off from the truth.
The limo sat there for a few seconds, its engine running quietly, like the car was afraid to break the silence. Winter sat stiffly on her car, not sure what to do next. She slid off the hood and stood there, about to take a step when the back door opened, and Winter's world stopped.
If the limo was a mighty steed, then she was without a doubt the princess. She had piercing blue eyes and silky snow white hair that went half way down her back. She had the grace and confidence of someone much older and more experienced, but she wore it proudly.
She'd grown taller since Winter had last seen her, but she was still a complete shrimp. She was also a little thinner, but that was probably from the growth spurt, the same thing had happened to Winter. That was still her baby sister though, no matter what had changed about her.
"Klein, you know that the planes are over there, right? We're gonna be late" Weiss' voice was soft and confused, but it also had the same confidence in it that her appearance held. Maybe it was her imagination, but Winter thought that her sister looked… Older. Well, obviously she looked older, it had been months since they'd seen each other. But maybe mature was the right word? Winter honestly wasn't sure.
The driver's door opened and a short, balding man stepped out. He wore a black vest over a white dress shirt with a blue tie. He still had some dark orange hair on the sides of his head, but most of it was currently occupied under his nose in a large, bushy mustache. "I'm sure it's around her somewhere, miss" said Kleins cheery voice. Winter had been talking with him on the phone and texting him for weeks now, but it was still heartwarming to hear his voice in person.
"Klein, I'm not sure if there's a joke I'm missing or what" Weiss said as she turned to face Klein. The butler's eyes were looking around the darkness, before they landed on Winter's shape. She had no idea how he managed to see her, but she wasn't shocked at all.
"Ah, there it is" he smiled, as he nodded to Winter. Weiss turned back to Winters direction, but hadn't found what Klein was looking at.
"What do you mean? There's nothing here" Weiss grumbled as she squinted, trying to find something in the darkness. Winter gulped as she stepped forward, finally entering the light. Weiss blinked a few times, clearly not sure what she was seeing at first. Winter stood silently in the light, a small, nervous smile on her face.
Weiss' shoulders slumped as her jaw opened, finally realizing who exactly was in front of her, "Hey, kid," Was all Winter could think to say. Winter could see her sister's bottom lip tremble and her eyes fill with tears as she stood there in shock, unable to get out more than a squeak and a whimper out of her throat.
"W-W- Win-ter?" Weiss managed to say, taking a small step forward towards her big sister. Winter couldn't stop herself. She ran as fast as she could, covering the distance between them like lightning. Before Weiss knew what had hit her, she was wrapped tightly in her big sisters arms. After a quick moment of shock, Weiss wrapped her arms around her sister.
Winter was gripping her sister like nothing else in the world mattered. Right then, nothing else did matter. The warmth flowing between them, the soft sobs that were coming from both of them, that was everything. The world could have blown into a million pieces, and they wouldn't have cared in the slightest.
Winter heard the soft whimpers and moans as her sister started to cry, and Winter went ahead and joined her. They comforted each other while tears flooded both of their faces, but that was ok.
Their father had told them countless times that Schnees weren't huggers. He'd gone on and on about how they used words to express themselves, and how inefficient hugs were. That didn't stop them when they were kids, or their mother for that matter. and it sure as hell wasn't stopping them from enjoying this now. Because when you go months and months without seeing your best friend in the whole world, the one person in the world that always has your back, sometimes it's ok to break down in a crying heap together and enjoy a long hug and a cry. Because God, it felt so good right now.
-Authors note-
So, a bit of a short, slow chapter this week. I hope you guys are liking this arc, I know it's a bit sad, but it gets better, I promise! Please tell me any comments, questions and such you guys have, I always appreciate it! hope to see you guys next week!