And now we get to read some more.

Chapter 18:

Feeling her head droop once more, Weiss jolted herself awake as she could feel a thin blanket being draped over her shoulders. Spinning her head around, Weiss smiled faintly as she could see Tai standing there with an equally tired look on his expressions.

"I'm going to need actually very strong coffee, and going to check up on Ruby. It is beyond the time she is normally up and would have answered her phone by now, hungover or not." Tai spoke softly trying to nudge Weiss closer to getting actual sleep. Something that he knew if Yang was awake she would have wanted the same thing. If not actually force her to. Something that he was wanting to do it a little bit at this point but knew that there was no way he could really do. "You want anything? A nice pillow... a decent cot. Some valerian root tea?"

Gently nudging the blanket off from around her shoulders, Weiss just took a deep breath. "I don't need help going to sleep Tai. But go make sure Ruby is alright. I know it would destroy you if both ended up in here at the same time. And if you really want to help me... bring me back a dead eye. I'll let you know if there is any change in Yang." Weiss said softly as she looked back to the bandaged head of Yang. Somehow just the sight of it, was seemingly enough to wake Weiss up further. To a near painful degree. "And can you bring me some of Ruby's spare battery chargers for phones. I still need to let Klein know and my secretary to postpone all my appointments and my phone died last night." Weiss continued softly as she could hear Tai just frowning.

It was something that normally would hurt Weiss, but right now, she didn't care short of Tai dying. She just wanted her blonde fighter to get up. That was what mattered. That was all that really mattered to her.

"I know it isn't going to help you any right now Weiss, but she is going to be fine." Tai said as he bent down to just place the blanket back onto her shoulders. "And regardless, just keep the blanket on. You've been shivering for a few minutes, and it took a lot to try and convince the nurses to hand me one. you've kind of pissed a lot of them off. Don't piss them off again they are just trying to do their jobs. Believe me I know how hard that is to understand but it needs to be done."

Sighing softly Weiss brushed Yang's knuckles as she turned towards her father in law. "I know. I know. And I'll donate a lot of money to their union or the hospital at least... I just hope they won't take their anger of me out on her." Weiss said as Tai lightly placed a hand on her shoulder with a small smile on his features.

"If they do, they'll have me to deal with. But they won't. No self respecting nurse or doctor would let that happen. Especially for a firefighter." Tai said softly as he began to walk towards the door. "So you just want something for the batteries? Phone and internal?" Tai asked for clarification as Weiss just smiled a little.

"Yeah. Once my phone is charged and Klein knows about the situation, I'll get him to bring me down a few changes of clothes. It is unfair for you to go all the way towards our house. Yang would kill me if I even thought to ask you. You haven't slept in a while." Weiss said as Tai turned around and just smiled at her.

It was the type of smile that spoke volumes to Weiss. Something that had been a common thing for her to see but she also knew that there had to be something going on. One that was a somewhat pleasant one. "I got a few hours last night Weiss. It shows you how long you've been zoned out. Just try and get twenty minutes in my absence. I should easily be gone that long because I'm bringing Ruby here... even if it means I need to leave her chair behind. Air will do her good, and her presence would do you good as well." Tai continued to speak as Weiss just chuckled dryly.

Walking out of the room, Tai smiled as he began to gently rub his eyes to just shove what sleep there was out of them. He couldn't believe he actually fell asleep, let alone the for a few hours, but what really irked him was the comfort that there was in his sleeping. It made the worry that he was feeling about Ruby just all the worse.

The fact she hadn't answered meant anything could be wrong, but she always made sure to charge her phone before she climbed into bed, and she always had her phone on her person otherwise because she used it for a lot of things, such as her frequent connecting it to the buzzer for her apartment just so she could give people who didn't know some time for her to get to the door.

But he knew as he climbed into his truck that he could get his answers quickly. He just hoped that whatever sort of agreement Blake had that she told him about would be a real thing. Just because he would at least know then that someone that could get to Ruby easier would know if Ruby was going to be alright.

Resting his head against the headrest, Tai took a deep breath as he twisted the key. "Just be safe Ruby. Weiss is right, I couldn't handle it if both of my girls are in the hospital... especially when Blake isn't there to make sure you are alright. Especially after you aren't out long after your last stay at the hospital very long."

Groaning a little, Ruby began to shake her head. "Whoever has their elbow in my spine. Remove it before I shove both my feet up your asshole." Ruby groaned not removing her head from the familiar carpet, never opening her eyes as she contemplated if it would be worth her credibility to just follow through on the threat. It would for certain make her feel a lot better.

Especially with the pain shooting through her body from what she could feel. She didn't even know who was causing it and she doubted that the person was doing it intentionally. But all she knew was feeling pain wasn't a pleasant thing.

"Seriously. Gelato, Neo, Pyrrha, I don't care which. Someone best get their fucking elbow out of my spine before I try and toss you off." Ruby hissed as she could hear some groaning above her. Something that she just knew was one out of annoyance to being woken up. "I don't care. I'm feeling my spine for the first time in a long time and it is pain. That is all. So seriously get the frickity frack off me." Ruby groaned as she peeled her eyes open before just settling on the skirting.

"No... no yelling. And someone move your foot." Ruby could hear being hissed above her causing a small groan. She could really place who the voice belonged to, especially give how that part of her brain hadn't seem to have woken up at this point, but she just knew that she was going to get revenge.

"Paraplegic here. If it is my foot, I can't." Ruby hissed from her downed position. Enjoying a little from the arm going from extreme pain to nothing causing her some minor joy. Resting her head again, Ruby just smiled as she rested her head on the ground.

Wincing a little as she knew that she had to get up, Ruby began to push her body up, as she began to twist around as best as she could causing a chuckle as she could see Neo and Gelato holding each other naked causing a smile as she noticed Pyrrha groaning rubbing her eyes as she sat next to where Ruby's legs were. The look of minor abject terror mixed with a headache just caused Ruby to chuckle.

"Why are we naked?" Pyrrha muttered as she moved her arm from pinning Ruby's legs. As she carefully looked around blushing a little at the same sight that Ruby enjoyed a little. "And why are they..."

"You really don't remember much of last night do you?" Ruby asked as she began to brace herself against the front of her couch. Looking at the sight of confusion of Pyrrha's face Ruby just chuckled softly at. "Don't worry. We didn't take your first real lesbian experience. You were just curious and after a while clothes make it hard touching yourself... as for Neo and Gelato cuddling like that, I don't know. They probably did it sometime after I feel asleep but before you dug your elbow into my spine." Ruby said with a smile as she could see Pyrrha quickly covering her chest as Ruby chuckled softly.

Shaking for a few moments Pyrrha quickly regained her composure as she calmly started to look towards Ruby. This had been the first time she had ever seen so many scars littering someone's body. Ranging from tiny pin like holes to very clear stitches that just caused her to wince internally at that just caused Ruby to smile at her.

"Calm down will you. I'm just a naked woman. And the scars are nothing. Honestly I keep telling you they had to rebuild most of my lower half... the sight of these really causes it to sink into people... and the ones on my back." Ruby began as she looked around the room with a small smile. "But you may want to get dressed. And if you would be a dear, could you bring my wheelchair in? I think it was left in the dining room." Ruby continued as she could see Pyrrha just quickly nodding as she started to scurry around the room before finding her clothes in a neat pile on the couch.

As Pyrrha ran out of the room for what Ruby just knew was to preserve her modesty for some reason, she just groaned as reached up behind her, just smiling as she could feel a pillow causing her to just toss it at the sister duo causing a minor smile as she could see them opening their eyes before recognition began to set in. One that caused some joy to Ruby as they turned around to look at her.

"That isn't on me. Your eyes are pretty when they are natural though Gelato." Ruby said as the sisters quickly pushed off each other in slight disgust before Neo marched over towards Ruby causing a smirk to develop. "Seriously, it wasn't my doing. I woke up and you two were like that." As Ruby spoke she could hear a key slipping into her door causing some confusion but instead turned to the irate twins standing in front of her. "But apparently it is true, you both do get super slutty when you get drunk." Ruby continued as she frowned at the sight of her front door opening revealing her father standing in the archway with a look of anger on his face.

"RUBY SUMMER ROSE!" Tai's voice bellowed through the apartment causing Ruby to just smile coyly at the sight of the twins blanching as she knew Pyrrha would be doing something similar even if she couldn't see her.

The anger was ever present in his eyes as Ruby just smiled at him before looking towards Neo. "May want to take your sister and Pyrrha out..." Ruby said calmly as she could see her father's face changing to a red from anger causing Ruby to just take a deep breath. "Maybe hurry up on that unless you really want to see my Dad furious."

As the words left Ruby's mouth she almost laughed at the sight of the twins quickly dressing followed by Neo walking into the back of the apartment to drag Pyrrha out with Gelato already outside. The second they left Tai slammed the door closed as he glared harshly at Ruby.

"Before you freak out further Dad, can I at least get my chair? Or even a change of clothes? Something so your not going to yell, with woefully inaccurate fury? And then you'll have a little bit of egg on your face when I get done explaining it to you." Ruby said knowing that she was choosing her words wrong, but she also knew that she couldn't really help it. She had to at least get some preemptive digs in because she knew how screaming matches with her father tended to go.

Seeing her father storm off into the depths of the house, she smiled a little at the site of him quickly reentering the room before gently tossing clothes at Ruby. Smiling as she quickly slide her arms into the sweater before pulling it down, Ruby just enjoyed the fact that her Dad brought in some loose fitting pants. As she gently began to manipulate her legs with the gross bags still thankfully attached to them, Ruby could just take some joy from her dad giving her this time to get dressed in some privacy.

Seeing her foot popping through, Ruby just groaned softly as she reached towards her other leg to begin the process of trying to thread the needle that was her leg and her pants. She just smiled softly as she could see her father re-entering the living room holding the chair carefully as Ruby just looked at him.

"Blake cheated on me with Ilia..." Ruby said softly as she could see her father stopping mid step towards her. Looking down into her lap, Ruby just took a deep breath as she knew that wouldn't really be enough to quash her father's anger and if she was being honest, she would rather if he was still furious at her. It would make her just feel a lot better.

Maybe then she'd have something to feel guilty about because the previous source just vanished in the span of one phone call. She wanted that to come back, and she wanted the misery that it brought her. "And no I don't really want to talk about it. But sadly I know you. She says she was just blackout drunk, and came to in the morning spooning a naked Ilia." Ruby muttered as she could feel herself being picked up.

This wasn't what she wanted. She wanted anger. She wanted the guilt to come back. Not this concern towards her. She didn't deserve this. That was what that made her angrier in this situation. She wanted her father's anger towards her.

"That doesn't excuse this Ruby. That woman is fucking crazy. She could very easily just be trying to play with you and Blake. But this certainly did drive the nail in the coffin that was the relationship." Tai said lowering Ruby down as Ruby perked up a little.

She knew how she could get her guilt. "This... this isn't the first time I've cheated on Blake." Ruby said as she could feel her father's glare bearing down on her. One that just caused her to smile internally. Because she knew then that she would have the scorn and knew that with if anyone could manufacture guilt for her it was her father.

"What?" Tai deadpanned as he bent down and stared into Ruby's eyes. As if he was trying to see if Ruby was just lying to make him angry for some unknown reason to him. It made him actually want to shake his daughter until she started to make sense to him.

"This isn't the first time I've slept with other women when I was dating Blake." Ruby muttered softly as she could feel her father's glare being directed at her. Something that caused some joy as she could feel the guilt already starting to form in her gullet. "And certainly not the first time with Neo... it is the first time I was with her twin though." Ruby said as she could see her father starting to fume.

The feeling she had was one of the best she had ever had when it came to guilt even though she knew that it would perish the quickest as almost all parental guilt that had been dolled her way. But it would suffice for now.

"That doesn't matter right now. How is Yang?" Ruby asked knowing that it would at least direct her father's attention to something else that would calm his anger for now and then if she wanted to she could tap into it later. But this had the added benefit of finding information out about her sister.

"She is in a medical coma to get her through the pain, but is expected to make a full recovery, but had to have her arm amputated so Weiss isn't doing too well." Tai said as he stood up and quickly walked behind Ruby to just push her towards the bathroom. As they walked Tai could have almost sworn he heard 'lucky' leaving Ruby's mouth as they came to the toilet, he just smiled as Ruby began to reach down to fish the waste from around her legs. "So you are coming with me to go see Weiss. Maybe you can talk some sense into her that it was her only choice." Tai continued as Ruby rolled her eyes as she began to dump the bag into the toilet.

Wincing from the smell slightly, Ruby shook her head as she turned around to see her dad walking into her small office. "Was Mom or you able to be convinced everything is going to be fine with me?" Ruby said as she quickly reattached the bag before she moved to her other leg.

"This is different Ruby." Tai said as Ruby just knew he was observing the damage she caused last night. "With you they didn't even know if you would make it, and were in a coma for well over a month. Yang is almost guaranteed to make a full recovery and is only going to be down for a week." Tai said walking back into the bathroom to see Ruby reattaching the second bag.

"A distinction without a difference Dad. I mean I can't speak for what it is like with amputation, but I can speak for how much it sucks remembering having full feeling of a limb and then you black out to wake up without it and having someone crying over you." Ruby said softly as she grabbed the wheels and began to spin around to look at her Dad who had what Ruby just knew was something for Weiss. "I don't know what it is like on the other side, but I can guarantee when Yang wakes up she'll have a million different emotions running through her mind and everyone is going to try and make her feel better and it isn't going to work." Ruby continued as she began to roll out of the room, pushing past her Dad and into her own room.

As she rolled towards the dresser she turned her head a little to see her Dad standing in the door frame as if asking what was going on. "Some privacy? I do need underwear. Especially if I'm going to be forced to go into the hospital... damn death trap that it is to people like me." Ruby said as Tai closed the door but Ruby didn't hear footsteps leading away.

"I can speak from the outside. Yang is going to be fine. Just like how I knew you were but Summer wouldn't have any of it because she let you go off. All Weiss is feeling is guilt from ignoring her gut instinct. And a hospital is only a death trap to you because you refuse to take better care of yourself." Tai yelled through the wall as Ruby just rolled her eyes knowing that this was going to be a long discussion that her father just wasn't going to really see much reason in any side but his own of forced optimism.

Something that Ruby knew for almost everyone it was impossible for them to see. Even at points Ruby found that one thing hard especially when all facts point to grim conclusions. Something that she knew from her mother telling her, it is hard to hear, and even harder to practice, especially when it feels like a portion of your world is crumbling away. But Ruby also knew how hard this was going to hit Yang.

There was nothing like having your dreams forcibly ripped out from under you by someone else's choice. It was nothing but a constant reminder of a gut punch happening over and over every time you look at some reminder of what could have been.

"Stop grumbling Dad. I told you that I do know how much Yang is going to get pissed, and I don't intend to sugar coat it for Weiss." Ruby said as she was being placed down onto her chair. She knew that it was going to anger her Dad a little, but it still wasn't going to really stop Ruby. She had to be honest with Weiss because that was what she really needed at this moment.

"Ruby, I'm telling you, you can't. She might think that she needs it, but not really. It would cause a lot more damage in the short term." Tai said hoping to encourage his daughter away from this. Even though he knew more often than not that it would never work. Once she had her mind on something she would stay with it until she either saw it through or it nearly cost her her life.

Rolling her eyes Ruby grabbed the wheels and began to roll towards the building next to her father as she spoke up, "Yeah Dad. Short term. Long term it would hurt her a lot more. I mean come on, how do you honestly think Mom took you telling her that I was going to be fine but when I cam to some of my first words were of pure terror and then once the doctor said those words I'm sure are engrained into your memory I started getting very vocal and very angry." Ruby said as she could see her Dad waiting a few steps before he started to walk behind Ruby.

"I don't need to guess. I know it hurt your mother deeply. But not for the reasons you think. It wasn't from your anger, or the fear in your voice as your arms carefully reached down trying to feel your legs. It wasn't even from me constantly reminding her that our baby girl was going to live. It was because she found you and even let you go to get changed by yourself." Tai muttered as he grabbed the handles and began to walk through the doors, glad that he could at least take some of the weight off his mind. "And to tell you the truth, that was what hurt me as well. Not to mention the long drawn out process that it was to get those four women convicted for half of them to be put onto probation."

Stopping at the room, Tai quickly took a step and opened the door as she could see Weiss seemingly having moved a single inch from where she had been sitting when Tai last left her. As they walked in Ruby just smiled as Tai let her go causing her to just roll towards Weiss.

"So, Princess, how you holding up?" Ruby said resting her hands on her lap as she could see Weiss quickly looking towards her with a slight glare causing Ruby to just roll her eyes as she twisted around to grab the small bag on the back of her chair before handing it to Weiss. "Yang will wake up Weiss. And personally from what I've been told, you made the right choice. Being paralysed sucks. Partial movement or not. It causes a lot more problems." Ruby began as she tossed the bag onto Weiss' lap. "Enjoy the chargers. Dad said he wanted to make sure I was in before he started to bring in the coffees." Ruby said as she began to roll back around the bed to Yang's other side.

She had to admit that from the sight, Yang was going to be furious for a number of reasons. But the fact her arm was only mostly gone meaning she still had feeling in it. Which meant she would notice the significant weight loss.

"Thank you Ruby." Weiss muttered as Ruby looked towards her, a little curious as to what sparked that. But knew that with Weiss it would become clear. "Even if what you said doesn't really help... it still does make me happy to know you're here... why didn't you answer your phone earlier?"

"Smashed it against the front door and the motherboard is well and truly broken. And nothing anyone says will make you feel better Weiss. You already know Yang is going to wake up with fear and anger being the first two things she feels. And you know that is going to cut deep because nothing will be able to really console Yang. But if you need help with my sis, I'll tell you the same thing I did when you were terrified to ask her out... I'll help you."

"Thank you... again..."

Author's Note:

Some cracks, some more curiosity when it comes to what drives Ruby... and some Weiss Ruby interactions. Catch you all next time.