"What happened last night?" Coco asked Neela as they wrapped the bandage around her torso in the nurse's office at the school.

"I don't know that I want to talk about it," Neela bit as she stared off into the corner of the room, her mind still trying to cope with what it seemed had happened. Neela's best friend, Eliana Latherus, the girl that she was madly in love with and had known for nearly a decade, the girl that always knew the right thing to say and the right thing to do to make Neela feel better, had broken into their house last night wearing a White Fang mask and tried to kidnap her little sister. That's how it seemed. Cut and dry. Did it matter why? Neela wasn't so sure, but she did know that they were right. The Fang. They warned her and she ignored them.

She's going to betray you.

This was the ultimate betrayal, outside of Eliana wanting Neela dead. How was she supposed to feel? There was a torrent of emotions that had taken residence within her. Knowing that her feelings for Eliana couldn't be changed didn't pair well with the anger and bewilderment of her actions. She wanted to embrace Eliana and cry, pleading for an answer. It's what she wanted to do, but her body disagreed. Her body told her that she needed to be bitter and cold. To give up on believing the act that Eliana had been putting on. It was all just an act, the Fang were right!

"If you didn't have aura, you'd be dead, I can tell you that much," Ren explained. "Your aura should help you heal quickly, but try and take it easy for the next few days."

"That face you're making, I know it," Coco told her as she sat up and threw her feet over the edge of the cot. "I felt all of those same emotions when Velvet started seeing someone else. I understand that this is a bit more extreme than that situation, but getting everything off of your chest might help you think more clearly."

"She tried to take Shadow," Neela explained.

"You mean like… kidnap?" Coco asked. Neela gave her an incredulous look followed up with an eye roll. "Neela you know that Eliana would never do anything to hurt you, there has to be an explanation…"

"Why wouldn't she just tell me that something was wrong!?" Neela shouted. "She's supposed to tell me these things!"

"Maybe it's not that simple," Coco suggested.

"Then what was it?" Neela demanded. Coco grabbed her by the chin and glared at her.

"I don't know, but your pity party here is getting you nowhere," Coco explained. "If you want answers you'll have to go ask her. She won't talk and out of everyone that I know, you're the one that she'll talk to."

"I want to know why…" Neela muttered again. Coco let her go and moved to the door.

"Come on then," Coco urged. Neela looked away.

"I don't know if I can talk to her," Neela admitted, her throat dry. "I…" She denied her tears. "I want to act like last night never happened, but it did. I've never been more scared than the moment that I saw that mask that she was wearing… and… and she was holding Shadow… It wasn't until Yang began moving that my body was able to react. What if that happens to me out there!? What if it comes to me facing Athena?!"

"You're strong, Neela," Coco reminded her. "That mask can only hold power over you if you allow it to. Whoever used Eliana to do this knew that. Eliana is just a person, Athena is just a person, all of those members of the Fang are just people and they hold no power over you. Whether they be human or Faunus, friend or foe, there's no need to fear them anymore, it just gives them the power. Your Neela Xiao Long. You were saved from hell. Don't be afraid of the flames that shaped you, fight back.

Especially where Eliana is concerned. You knew that she wasn't working of her own volition, or you wouldn't have ended up here with a bruise and some broken ribs. Take the time you need to sort out everything, but you know deep down that Eliana is still your friend, if not more. So, we can go ask her, or I can leave you to sit here for a while. I'll leave it up to you." She began to leave before turning back one last time. "I really do think that you're the only one that Eliana is going to talk to." Neela nodded and stood up slowly.

"I'll come with," Neela told her as she walked gingerly alongside Coco.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Coco asked. Neela looked on as they continued moving.

"I want to know why she did it," Neela said. "And if this is the only way to find out, I have no other choice."

"We don't have to go now if you're not ready," Coco noted. Neela chuckled lightly.

"I'm as ready as I'm going to be," Neela admitted. They walked across the campus, Coco holding the door open in front of her for Neela to enter in first as they moved to the elevator and Coco summoned it. They stepped inside, Coco sliding open a hidden panel and entering a pin code before it whirred to life, slowly grinding as it began to descend.

"You can do this, Neela," Coco prepped her. Neela nodded.

"Yeah," she agreed, though she wasn't convinced. Maybe she couldn't do this. Maybe this would be too much all at once. The scene played on repeat and the most horrifying part was always the reveal, the realization that Eliana was the masked intruder. That feeling of betrayal. The closer the elevator brought them to their destination, the more Neela's stomach churned violently. She wasn't going to be ill, but the anxiety and nausea that gripped her had a stronghold on her subconscious as the room continued dropping. It should have been over quickly but it seemed to drag on for what felt like forever, the pulley growing louder and louder, the box shaking on occasion as it was forced through the overgrowth. Was this the place that they'd heard myths about? Is this where Pyrrha was supposed to inherit the Fall Maiden's powers?

They nearly left their feet as it violently came to a stop, opening to let them off and Neela stumbled out with Coco close behind her, motioning for Neela to follow as the heels of her boots clicked loudly on the flooring. Neela looked around in awe, admiring the simple yet grandiose architecture put into the large and empty room that seemed to continue on for ages. Occasional pillars and a single intersection that was far too dark at the ends to see what resided on the other side. It was dimly lit by mounted bowls that seemed to produce green flames and Neela couldn't determine if it was magic that kept them lit, or Dust. Her heart stopped as she spotted Eliana as they walked closer to the cell. It was makeshift, appearing as if they'd thrown it together overnight, and whatever had sat there previously had been moved either haphazardly or in a hurry, metal conduits protruded from the wall with frayed wires visibly hanging out of the end.

Eliana looked up at the sound of Coco coming closer, she looked like a mess but perked up slightly at first sight of Neela.

"Neela!" Eliana exclaimed before remembering what happened. She shrank back down and moved to the cell's bars. "Neela, I'm sorry. It wasn't…" She rethought her words. "It wasn't supposed to go like that. I had a plan. You were never supposed to find out about it, I was going to take her to my house and then…"

"Shut up," Neela spat shocking both Coco and Eliana.

"Neela…" Coco began.

"Give us a moment," Neela asked, looking at Coco as tears filled her eyes. Coco nodded.

"Okay," Coco agreed as she walked to the other end of the vault.

"Neela," Eliana pleaded, the words choking her. "I…"

"I said shut up!" Neela screamed. Eliana looked at her, pain washing over her as tears began to stream down her face with no end. "Listen!"

"Neela…" Eliana gasped. She had to explain! "Neela, please!"

"Eliana!" Neela shouted, silencing her. "You don't know how bad this hurts! You can't know how bad this hurts! I've been trying to tell you, but you always turn it into some kind of joke! You play it off! I can't get a word in without you thinking that I'm just kidding!" The pain became terror and confusion in the heat of the moment.

"I would never do that, Neela!" Eliana insisted. "Everything you've ever told me I've taken to heart! Please let me explain what happened!"

"It hurts…" Neela spoke softly as the tears spilled from her eyes. "Maybe I'm the one to blame… I should have spit it out sooner."

"Neela…" Eliana offered. What was happening? Did this have to do with what Neela had to tell her the other night?

"Listen," Neela begged. Eliana stopped. She'd let Neela speak. No matter how badly Eliana wanted to explain what happened, it would be no good if Neela wasn't willing to hear her out.

"I am," Eliana replied. Neela moved close, standing just on the opposite side of the bars from Eliana. "Just… please don't hate me…" Neela's face flared with heat and singed a dark red.

"Hate you? Eliana, I don't hate you... I love you," Neela said. Eliana looked at her, reading her face.

"Neela, you've always been like a sister to me," Eliana replied. "I know that I hurt you."

"No," Neela asserted.

"What?" Eliana asked, taking a step back. "What do you mean, 'no'?"

"I love you, Eliana," Neela repeated looking her in the eyes. "Your constant teasing. Jokes. Telling me that you'd find somebody else. That you just wanted me to be happy. Not understanding why I was so ashamed to see you in anything less than your clothes for the last year or so. All of it. I couldn't understand how you could be so clueless. I convinced myself that maybe… that you probably don't feel the same." The pain that Eliana had felt the night before in her chest returned.

Neela hasn't found someone else.

"What?" Eliana inquired again, gasping for air. "What? What are you saying?"

"I love you, Eliana Latherus! More than just a sister! I want to be with you! I want to grow old together! To have kids together! To stand and fight at each other's sides until the bitter end! Full of life and laughter! Where we trust each other! And love each other! To be so close to each other that we become one! That's what I mean! Like your parents loved each other! Like my parents love each other! Romantically! To be bound together until death does us part! I love you!" Neela confessed. Neela's chest heaved, out of breath as she panted, staring at Eliana who slowly realized how ignorant she'd been.

Neela's mind shifted, realizing that it hadn't been another one of her fantasies. This was it. She'd confessed. It wasn't romantic. It was awful and as much as it lifted the weight that had rested on her shoulders the entire year, telling Eliana how she really felt in light of the attempted kidnapping actually made her feel worse.

"Neela…" Eliana stammered. "Neela, I…" Eliana didn't understand. Her mind wouldn't let her as a haze had set in and she couldn't see past it. The confession rang through her ears, but it didn't make sense. Neela was supposed to come down here and let her have it. She was supposed to chew her out, not tell her that she was in love with her. "Neela, I never knew…" Eliana remembered her situation and gripped the bars again. "I didn't mean to hurt you, it wasn't supposed to happen like that!"

"They were right," Neela breathed heavily. "When they said you'd betray me…" Eliana's body felt heavy, crushed under the accusation as the realization of the totality of the pain she caused crept in. She reached for Neela who wrenched away.

"Neela! Please! I'm sorry! Forgive me!" Eliana shouted at her. Neela's eyes were frantic as she replied before thinking.

"I don't know what to do right now," Neela stated, turning away from Eliana and crying. "I'm sorry, Elli." She's sorry? Neela!? Don't leave me!

"Don't go!" Eliana begged as Neela took off. She ran as fast as she could for the elevator. No! Wait! "They have my mom! The Fang! They have my mom, Neela! Neela!" There was no reply. Eliana sobbed in her cell as she hit her knees. What have I done?

Violet dried her hands on the floral dishtowel that hung from the oven's door handle as she put her hands on her hips and sighed. They'd only been there a week or so and she still hadn't become accustomed to the layout of the kitchen, wondering if she should rearrange everything again as she tried to remember where she'd put the potatoes that she'd only bought from the Vale Marketplace a couple of days ago. She searched several of the cabinets before giving up, muttering a complaint that only she could hear before moving to the fridge to see if there was a better option for dinner instead of continuing her search. Nothing that immediately grabbed her eye, but she wasn't even sure what she was in the mood for.

"Elli, what sounds like a good idea for dinner?" Violet asked as she crossed from the kitchen into the living room to find Eliana completely zoning out on the couch, staring off into the distance out the window as she held onto her stuffed Ursa that her father had affectionately named Mr. Snuggles. There was no light in Eliana's eyes like there had been once upon a time. There was no smile that reminded Violet of her husband's warmth living on in Eliana. There was just a lost and confused girl who felt numb, unsure what to do with herself as her soul cried out internally to have her father back. "Elli, did you hear me, hunny?" Violet approached the couch which faced away from her and laid her hand on Eliana's shoulder.

The girl startled, catching her breath as she looked around the room confused before looking up at her mother and trying to fake a smile but gave up halfway through. What reason was there for her to smile? Nothing was right… nothing was okay, not since the Grimm had killed her dad. Eliana looked out across the room again and wiped her eyes dry as they began to water. She gripped the stuffed Grimm tighter, pushing herself to the edge of the couch and standing before making her way to the stairs.

"Did you have any ideas for dinner? I could make your favorite," Violet suggested smiling at Eliana. Eliana looked down at the floor for a long moment before shrugging.

"I'm not very hungry," Eliana muttered. "I think I'm just gonna go to my room." Violet walked across the living room to Eliana, kneeling, and brushing the hair out of her face.

"You haven't eaten much in the last couple of days, I don't want you getting sick," Violet reminded her. Eliana pulled herself away slowly.

"I'm fine," Eliana blandly replied. "I just wanna lay down for a while." The girl dragged herself up the stairs, slowly as her body felt heavy and almost useless, as though someone had tied weights to her feet and she was forced into taking them with her on the climb up. Violet stood and watched her daughter, calling out to her after she reached the halfway point.

"I love you, Eliana," Violet spoke. Eliana stopped for only a moment as she felt her anger and sadness swell, ascending the rest of the way without a word and entering her room. She closed the door behind her slowly, leaving Violet alone at the bottom of the steps looking on. Her mother reached out for the banister, her body giving in to the emotion caught in her chest. What could she do? What was the right thing to do? There was only one person who could bring Eliana out of such a mood and he was… Violet felt tears in her eyes as she curled up on the stairs and removed her scroll, turning it on to reveal a picture of Alex and Eliana. Her sorrow streamed down her cheeks, splattering against the mobile device as she tried to calm herself down.

Alex would have known what to do. He could have fixed this. He knew exactly what Eliana needed to hear and how she needed to be comforted. But how could Violet fix the lack of a father?

"Oum. I don't know what to do," Violet prayed. "I miss him just as much as she does and I know that's why she's behaving like this, but I'm at the end of my rope. My smiling little ball of energy that I love more than anything is gone and I'm trying my best to get her back. It's been months and every time she seems to be making progress it's gone after one bad night. Alex, I wish you were here, you always made things so much better without even trying. I don't know who is hearing this... If anyone is hearing this... But please, I just want my little girl back to normal." Violet stopped for a moment, steadying her breathing as she pulled her body off of the steps and knelt. "Give me some kind of sign or signal, please."

A knock on the door startled the woman and she jerked around, nearly falling on her ass.

"What are we doing again?" Neela asked as she ran for a moment to catch up to her parents as she was falling behind, the walk to wherever they were headed was much longer than she thought it would be, and she was starting to get tired, wishing that they'd at least let her bring her bow with so she could have shot at the trees or something. She was so bored, and it felt like they had been walking for ages.

"We finally had a little bit of free time and decided that we should go meet the new neighbors," Blake explained to Neela as she glanced back at her daughter, stopping for a second to give her some time to catch up. "Remember how we told you a couple of weeks ago that someone was moving in since there was a bunch of moving trucks at the house down the road."

"Yeah, I remember," Neela recalled. "But what if they're really boring?" Yang laughed.

"It's still polite to greet new people to Patch," Yang explained. "There aren't that many people that live on the island so it's a nice thing to do. Plus it could be fun, and I heard a secret about our new neighbors." Neela's eyes lit up at the idea of them being mysterious and clung to Yang's leg as they kept walking.

"What did you hear about them?" Neela asked.

"I don't think you can handle it, Little Bird. You'll end up telling everyone," Yang offered. Neela growled and shook Yang.

"Blake!" Neela cried out.

"Just tell her, Yang," Blake sighed.

"I heard that there's a little girl who is about your age that moved in," Yang told her. Neela went wide-eyed.

"That would be awesome!" Neela yelled. "I hope it's true! Do you think she likes being outside? Or hunting? Or fighting Grimm? Can I show her my bow and arrows… Oh! Can we go back and get it quick?! I have to show her! I hope she thinks it's really cool!"

"Calm down, Neela," Blake smiled. "I think you're letting your imagination get the better of you."

"She's right," Yang agreed. "They might be part Grimm."

"Yang!" Blake scolded.

"I just don't want her to get her hopes up to find out that they have white skin, the creepiest eyes, and…" Yang shuddered. "Just thinking about it again gives me the shivers."

"She's joking, Neela," Blake reassured her. "I'm sure they're normal." Neela shrugged.

"Part Grimm would have been pretty cool too," Neela noted. "How far?"

"Just over this next hill," Blake said as Neela took off.

"I'll race you!" Neela shouted back. Blake sighed as Yang took her hand and they watched Neela run down the path.

"You just had to get her going, didn't you?" Blake asked.

"I did hear from Uncle Qrow that they have a little girl," Yang explained.

"How did he hear that?" Blake questioned.

"Apparently the woman's husband worked for the council, he was one of their best," Yang explained. "Qrow says it was some kind of freak Grimm attack, but the Atlas Military is still looking into it."

"That's terrible," Blake stated. Yang nodded.

"Neela, slow down!" Yang called after her.

"You two need to speed up!" Neela shouted back. Yang chuckled.

"Maybe I should have waited until we got closer to tell her," Yang admitted.

Violet stared at the door for longer than she should have, wondering if maybe she was just hearing things before a second harder knock came that startled her just as much as the first and confirmed that she wasn't just hearing things. She stood up, brushing herself off and wiping her tears away before peering through the door peephole. Two younger women, a blonde and a black-haired Faunus that held hands and looked around, peering off towards the window and wondering if anyone was home. Violet dried her face once more and sniffled before opening the door, offering the best warm welcome that she could.

"Hello?" Violet asked. "Is there something that I can help you ladies with?" Violet gave them all a smile before she noted the top of Neela's head out of the corner of her eyes, looking the girl over as she looked down at her. She had to be about Eliana's age or maybe older, it was hard for Violet to be one hundred percent sure, but her eyes fixated on the small hawk Faunus who smiled brightly at her.

"Hello!" Neela offered. "I'm Neela!"

"Hi, I'm Blake and this is Yang, we're the Xiao Longs," Blake introduced them. "We live at the end of the road, the furthest house into the island."

"We just came by to say hi and welcome you to Patch!" Yang chirped happily. Blake read the woman's demeanor, she knew something was wrong. She yanked hard on Yang's hand and Yang glanced at her.

"If this is a bad time we'd be more than happy to come back later," Blake informed her. Violet panicked, not wanting to seem rude. It wasn't the best time, but this was normal for her and Eliana recently, and she wasn't sure there would be a better time in the next few months.

"No! No, this is a fine time," Violet assured them. "Thank you for coming out and greeting us. I'm Violet Latherus and my daughter lives with me. It's… it's been a rough couple of months since an accident took my husband from us." Neela focused on the woman, feeling sorrow at the sight of her being upset. "Where are my manners? Please, come in."

"Are you sure?" Yang asked. "We'll think nothing of it if you want us back at a later date."

"I'm sure," Violet said smiling again. "We were just about to make dinner."

"We can help if you'd like," Blake offered. Violet nodded.

"That would be wonderful," she told them. They stepped in, letting her close the door behind them and Neela peered around the room, looking for the girl. "Eliana and I had a moment this morning and I've been feeling helpless." Violet sighed. "This is my burden and I'm sure you want no part of it. I'm sorry, this is probably more than you were hoping to have to deal with today. It's probably better if I keep it to myself."

"It's no problem at all," Blake admitted. "In fact, if you have the time, we'd like to hear about it. Anything we can do to help."

"That's unnecessary," Violet insisted, feeling foolish and weak. "You don't have to do that." Yang took a step forward.

"We want to," Yang said beaming. "Helping people is kind of our thing."

"You don't have to deal with this alone," Blake insisted. Violet began tearing up and nodded.

"Thank you," she managed.

"Where is your daughter?" Neela asked. Violet looked at her again and knelt so that she'd be eye level with the girl.

"I'm sorry, she's having a bad day and probably won't come out of her room while you're here," Violet told Neela. "Maybe you'll get the chance to meet her next time."

"She was pretty excited coming over but she understands, right, Neela?" Yang asked her. Neela stared hard at Violet before grabbing Yang's jacket and tugging hard, motioning for her to come down. Yang obliged and Neela whispered something in her ear, causing her to smile before nodding at Neela who was waiting for approval.

"Miss Violet," Neela began turning back to the woman. "Can I try and make her feel better? I can talk to her if you'd like." Violet began tearing up again and Blake moved past Yang to grab Neela's hand.

"I don't know if now is the best time, Neela," Blake noted.

"No," Violet stopped her. Blake and Yang looked at Violet who smiled at Neela. "It's okay. I'd love for you to go try, Neela. Her room is at the top of the steps at the end of the hall." Neela smiled excitedly, making her way up the steps.

"Thank you," Neela called back.

No, Neela. Thank you.

Eliana restrained her sobs as she laid on her side in bed, staring at the family photograph that sat on her nightstand, trying to wrap her head around the fact that he'd never be coming back. She knew deep down that she needed to accept the fact, but her body refused, running at its limit, in a constant state of rage and raw emotion, her heart bursting with devastating sorrow. She reached out, clumsily pulling the photo into her body and clinging tightly to it.

"What happened?" Eliana asked the picture, her words harsh through her gasping for air from crying too hard. "I miss you dad… I miss you a lot! Why did they have to take you from me? I…" Eliana shook her head and buried it into her pillow. "I just want you back! I just want this pain to go away!" A knock on the door stopped Eliana momentarily and she looked up, filled with an annoyed feeling as she put the picture back and sat up, wiping her eyes. "Mom, I told you I'm not hungry!"

"Maybe you'd like some company?" The voice asked. Eliana's body was washed over with a sudden distraction. She didn't recognize this voice. Who was it? Her hair stood on edge as she left her bed and took a step towards the door. Should she open it? Maybe she should ask them who they were first. They sounded nice enough, and they didn't sound like an adult… Eliana's feet carried her without her consent and she opened the door to find Neela standing on the other side, smiling back at her. A girl and she looks like she's my age.

Eliana examined her, noting her bluish teal hair that had a cute style before noting that her eyes looked a little bit different than any she'd seen before. They were amazing! She'd never seen anything so alluring before, but became self-aware of her staring and looked away, ashamed of herself.

"Who are you?" Eliana asked her.

"My name's Neela Xiao Long!" Neela exclaimed to her happily. "We came over to say hi to you and your mom since no one has lived here in a long time according to my mom Yang. We live down the road from here, further in on the island." Eliana stared at her again, still not entirely sure of why she was here, but not entirely opposed to the idea. Her body was still tired from sobbing, however, and the fatigue reminded her of what she had been doing. "Hey." Eliana's mind used Neela as a distraction once more, focusing on her. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah…" Eliana stammered. "I guess you can." Eliana retreated to her bed, sitting with her legs hanging off of the side, unsure of what to talk to the mystery girl about. Neela entered, closing the door behind her, standing at the foot of the bed for a moment as she looked around the room and took it all in. It looked like most of Eliana's stuff was still packed in boxes, though she wasn't sure why. There was a stuffed Ursa on the bed beside her, and a picture of her and her mom and dad beside her bed with a police badge lying next to it. It didn't give her much to go off of.

"Eliana, right?" Neela asked as she moved to the middle of the room and sat cross-legged on the floor. "Is there anything that you want to talk about?"

"Your eyes," Eliana inquired without hesitation. "They're different."

"I'm a Faunus!" Neela exclaimed. Eliana nodded her head in understanding. Her father had told her about the Faunus, though she'd never seen one before since they seldom traveled through Mistral due to the kingdom widely discriminating against them despite the rest of Remnant and the capitals passing laws that didn't allow such behavior. "A hawk Faunus to be exact. So I have hawk eyes. I can hear a little better than humans, not as good as my mom Blake though since she has cat ears, and I can see really well in the dark and at long distances!" Eliana stared at her eyes again.

"They look really cool," Eliana told her. Neela smiled which made Eliana feel a little better.

"Thanks!" She declared. They sat in silence again before Neela pointed at the picture. "Is that your dad in the picture?" Eliana's eyes danced before turning slowly and looking at the photo.

"Ya," She managed. "That's him." She stopped, her eyes filling with tears again as she prepared to break down. "He's not around anymore." She reached for it again, her arms giving up halfway, covering her face as she began crying and shaking her head. It was no use. She'd never get over it, and now she was crying in front of this girl that she barely knew. She was embarrassed which only made things worse. They'd never get better, would they? Then something strange happened. The Faunus girl wrapped her arms around Eliana, filling her with overwhelming comfort and warmth.

It couldn't be happening. Eliana opened her eyes, Neela clung to her tightly, holding her body close. She barely knew this girl that had just shown up at her house, why was she trying to comfort her. Neela's breathing was slow and steady and she refused to let go, making Eliana feel safe, but uncomfortable at the same time. She squirmed, prompting Neela to release her for a minute.

"What was that?" Eliana asked.

"When I lost my mom and dad I was adopted by Blake and Yang," Neela explained. "Whenever I felt sad about it or missed them they would just hug me until I felt better. My mom Yang says that sometimes just knowing that someone is there for you by your side will help a lot. I was hoping that I could make you feel better." Eliana looked at her hard, digesting the new information.

"You lost your parents too?" Eliana inquired. Neela teared up slightly, swallowing hard and nodding slowly.

"It was about two years ago," Neela told her. "I still have a bad night every once in a while. I usually wake up in the middle of the night in a panic from a nightmare. Blake and Yang are always there for me though." Neela lit up, an idea suddenly coming to her. "I don't live too far from here. If you want, I can come over sometimes and you can talk to me about stuff." Eliana took a moment to digest all of the information. Someone else knew how she felt. She understood that her mother was going through the same trauma, but there was a strange added comfort in the way that Neela handled it.

"I can go back downstairs if you don't want to talk," Neela said, taking a step back from the girl. Eliana still didn't respond, unsure of how to thank her. Thinking of how to get her to stay. Neela started to leave, grabbing the doorknob and turning it halfway before Eliana reacted.

"Wait!"Eliana yelled at her, running off of the bed and nearly tackling Neela in a hug. She cried, these new tears more dedicated to relief than agony. "Please don't leave!" Neela pulled Eliana to the floor, sitting as she held Eliana, letting her finish crying into her shoulder. "I wanna talk more!" Neela pulled back from Eliana and smiled at the girl.

"Okay," Neela beamed. Eliana offered her a small smile as she sniffed.

"Would you really want to come over again?" Eliana inquired. Neela nodded.

"Sure! I'd love to have a friend to play with on Patch!" Neela informed her. Eliana flashed her a large, genuine smile and Neela laughed. "You look better with a smile on your face!" Neela giggled as she pulled Eliana in for another hug. Eliana managed a bit of laughter as she wiped her eyes clean and found her feet, helping Neela up.

"What would you want to do?" Eliana asked her. Neela thought it over before gasping.

"I could show you the bow and arrows that my moms got for me!" Neela exclaimed. "When I get older, I'm going to be a huntress, just like them." Eliana's eyes lit up.

"Me too!" Eliana shouted. "My dad was a cop, so I want to help people just like he did! We could train and get strong together!" Neela grinned.

"That would be great," Neela told her.

"Yeah," Eliana said smiling. Eliana's smile was contagious. Neela laughed, the girl's smile making her happier than she could find the words to describe.

"Want to go ask our parents now?" Neela asked.

"Sure!" Eliana agreed. Neela grabbed Eliana's hand, leading her out into the hall. Eliana laughed. Her new friend was amazing!

"It sounds like Neela had a pretty rough go at it herself," Violet noted as she sat in her rocking chair, facing away from the steps with Blake and Yang on the couch across from her. "She seems very well adjusted." Blake smirked as she thought about it.

"We love her just as much as if we'd given birth to her," Blake told Violet. Yang playfully nudged her.

"Don't forget that we need to talk to Weiss about that again and see if she's made any progress," Yang reminded her wife. Blake spotted the two girls at the top of the steps, Neela rushing down ahead of Eliana who stood at the top, looking down at Yang and Blake nervously. Neela reached the bottom, nearly leaping off the final two steps as she waved back at Eliana for her to follow. She walked across the room, whispering something to Yang and Blake.

"Neela," Violet spoke softly, drawing the girl's attention. "How did your talk go with-" Violet was cut off by Eliana who shook her arm, smirking as she avoided eye contact with Neela. Violet was stunned, it was subtle, but Eliana's demeanor had changed and the corners of her mouth betrayed her feelings from before. "Elli, what is it, sweetie?"

"Is it… Is it okay if Neela stays for dinner?" Eliana stammered as she asked. Violet looked over at Neela who grinned, squirming with excitement as she tried to contain herself.

"I think that her mothers were planning on helping out with dinner anyway, right?" Violet asked to make sure. Neela turned abruptly towards Yang and Blake.

"Is that true?" Neela questioned.

"It is," Blake confirmed, the two girls visibly bursting at the seams. "How about the two of you go and play outside while Yang and I help Miss Latherus with dinner. Sound good?"

"We can come get you when dinner is ready," Violet said with a wink. Eliana smiled, laughing as she leapt up and gave her mom a hug, embracing her with as much force as she could. She smiled… She's smiling!

"Thank you, mom!" Eliana declared. "I love you!" Violet began tearing up as she held her daughter close for a few seconds, letting her go as she leapt down and looked at Neela. "Let's go! I bet you can't catch me!" She tore out of the house in a flash and Neela followed swiftly after her.

"You're on!" Neela shouted. Violet stood, moving to the door and shutting it as she watched the two girls playing together through the window.

"Eliana seems to be feeling better," Yang noted. Violet wiped her eyes and chuckled.

"It would seem so, yes," Violet agreed.

"We can let Neela play for a while and come back to pick her up if you need some time," Blake suggested. Violet laughed and waved her off.

"This is the first time that I've seen her like this since Alex died," Violet informed them. "The first time that I've seen her smile since he passed away. Please stay for dinner, I owe you at least that much if not so much more."

"It was all Neela," Yang offered. "She's always been an inspiration to others."

"Well, thank you regardless," Violet told the women as she faced them. Tears of joy continued to stream down her face. "Thank you so much!"

Thank you, Neela

Eliana shook with anxiety and fear as she sat in the cell, her mind, and will broken. Was it possible that she'd lose both her mother and Neela? Neela had said she was unsure what to do… and why had she apologized? What did Neela have to apologize for?! She couldn't catch her breath, her body trembling as she approached the bars once again, well aware that Neela couldn't hear her.

"Neela!" Eliana screamed in anguish. Coco approached her cell slowly, her face somber as she stared at Eliana.

My best friend is in love with me!

Or…

Was in love with me…

"Can I fix this?" Eliana asked Coco, desperation dripping from the words.

"It's hard to place blame on you," Coco explained. "I can't say what anyone else would have done in your situation, we all make our own decisions, but I trust that you had a solid plan that would have kept Shadow out of danger."

"I did!" Eliana exclaimed.

"What you have to understand is that Neela's worst fear came true," Coco told her. "She'll get over it because deep down her feelings for you will always be there, but right now it's buried in confusion and rage. Once she sorts out everything and has time to process her initial emotions, then she'll come to her senses and hear you out. Until then, all you can do is wait." Coco sighed. "It's against my better judgment, but Glynda wants you kept here until after the graduation ceremony so we can figure out what's going on."

"The White Fang have my mother," Eliana informed Coco. "I don't know where she is now, but they have her and…" Eliana began tearing up as her eyes grew wide. "She's probably dead…"

"What did they tell you, Elli?" Coco asked her.

"They said that if I didn't bring them Shadow by this morning that they would kill her," Eliana sobbed. "When I last saw her… The Chameleon was looming over her." Coco grew wide-eyed.

"Elli, we are going to do everything in our power to find her," Coco assured her. "I'll have someone check on you in a while. Try and stay calm in the meantime." Coco walked away quickly, removing her scroll and calling the Vale police department. "Yatsu… we have a problem."

Next Week

Chapter 132

Rescue Plan