Chapter 4

"A commission gone wrong!?"

Weiss' loud voice erupted all of a sudden in the middle of a diner.

The diner was very much the stereotypical diner you would see in movies or shows on the television. With red cushioned seats, red cushioned steel stools behind a steel bar, square of black and white colors on the floor. It was actually so stereotypical that it was funny and you would think that it was probably intentional.

Coco turned her gaze from the cup of coffee she was absentmindedly stirring with a stirring spoon up to Weiss' bothered expression. Her gaze shifted into a glare as the snow white haired woman realized just how loud her voice was.

They were in a booth that was quite private as it was in the corner of the diner but that doesn't mean that they can talk without controlling the volume of their voices.

This is much very important specially since they were talking about Ruby's past.

Or to be more precise what happened to the woman after Coco's team helped her escape.

Coco took a little sip from the coffee she has ordered and her face turned into a light grimace.

'Ruby's coffee is a lot better than this.' Coco thought.

Now that Coco has thought about it, perhaps choosing a public diner was a bad decision on her part. She was going to be talking about Ruby after all. She could've just borrowed a room in Ruby's home for a bit so she and Weiss could talk. But her emotions were running wild earlier in the morning. Seeing the white haired woman playing with the daughter of the woman she betrayed in the past was completely maddening.

How dare this woman.

Did she seriously just walked up into Ruby's life and wanted to be a part of it once again?

The audacity.

"Coco?"

Coco's train of thought was interrupted by the voice of Weiss calling out her name.

"What do you mean a commission gone wrong?" Weiss asked with a concerned expression on her face.

"Yes." With a deep sigh Coco continued to recall her past with Ruby. "I told you that we gave Ruby missions or commissions every now and then. Since she didn't really graduate as a huntress-in-training in Beacon, she couldn't really accept any hunter missions legally. Plus with her on-the-run she also couldn't get any normal civilian job."

Hearing about Ruby's troubled life made Weiss' chest ache with guilt.

They did this to her.

She did this.

"Tch." Seeing the guilty expression on Weiss made Coco clicked her tongue in anger. "What's with that face? Shouldn't you be proud that you and your team's action ruined someone's life? Someone INNOCENT?"

Hearing the pure disdain and sarcasm in Coco's tone made Weiss flinch.

"She was basically homeless by the time Velvet and I found her." Coco frowned as she remembered the state Ruby was in when she finally found her after she went on-the-run. "She was barely scrapping by by doing odd-jobs for nothing more than some chump change!"

Coco looked down.

She just couldn't help but remember just how lost and defeated Ruby looked back then. It was as if she was closely tipping off the edge. A woman so near to giving up.

Coco and Velvet offered to help Ruby settle and fix her life, but Ruby promptly rejected their offer stating that them believing in her innocence and helping her escape was more than enough. She said that she was just genuinely happy that someone believed in her.

It took a multiple visits and a lot of convincing for Ruby to accept their help. Once she had accepted, Coco and Velvet was so happy. They took Ruby in their home, reintroduced her to Fox and Yatsuhashi. Ruby at first apologized profusely to all of them for the trouble she had brought them, but all of them assured her that what they were doing was what they genuinely want and it was the right thing to do.

"She didn't want to be pitied and didn't accept any donation of money and food, Ruby wanted to work for it, wanted to earn it by herself, to stand by her own legs." Coco smiled a bit remembering it. The light in Ruby's eyes returned. It was a small spark, but it was there. And team CFVY couldn't be more proud of her. "So we gave her jobs and some stuff to do. When we got some missions or request as hunters, if we were busy we gave Ruby some of them, especially the easier ones."

Weiss could see Coco's expression turned into one of pure regret and guilt, her eyes travelled down and saw that Coco's hands were tightly gripping the cup of coffee she was having.

"It was supposed to be an easy job. Just a small group of bandits harassing travellers on the off-road." Coco clenched her teeth tighly in pure anger. "What we all didn't expect was that small group was actually just a cover or a front, the entire group was a lot larger and more skilled."

"..." Slowly Weiss was putting the pieces together to see the picture. To see what exactly happened. And the picture she was getting was scaring her. "...W-w-wwhat happened t-to Ruby?"

"..."

"...She was captured."

It took Weiss almost an hour before she could fully feel her legs again.

Hearing the full picture on what happened to Ruby was heartbreaking. To know that her and her team's action was ultimately what led to it was breaking her heart and spirit.
Learning that such a despicable thing had happened to Ruby whom was really innocent was nothing less than a tragedy.

Fuck.

Fuck everything.

Fuck her and all the actions she had done in the past.

"I told you this earlier but just a warning I'll say it again."

Coco's words broke Weiss out of her thoughts.

Both women were finally in front of the door to Ruby's house, she didn't even notice just when they got her as she was so lost in her spiraling thoughts. She looked at Coco and saw the woman looking back at her with narrow eyes.

"Don't you ever tell Ruby that I told you everything. To be honest, I don't know what compelled me to tell you. Maybe I just want you to know the consequences of what you did in the past. Especially since I can see that you plan on staying near Ruby. To make it up to her perhaps? If it was up to me I would've just kicked you out. Ruby is too soft on you." Coco then turned back, knocked on the door, and opened it. "Don't make me regret it, Schnee. Or I swear on Remnant that I will make you regret it."

Weiss didn't enter immediately.

She put her hands on her chest and took several deep breaths to calm herself down.

She needs to look normal for Ruby.

After that, she entered the house finally before stopping in her tracks in complete bewilderment at what she had seen.

Inside the living room of Ruby's house was a man she could recognize.

The man was very tall and had a well-built body which was obvious due to the form fitting white shirt he was wearing which was paired with army-green cargo pants. He had a familiar burnt-orange hair which was combed back and he had a light beard covering his chin.

Isn't this Cardin?

Cardin Winchester?

And he's currently playing with Vermillion Rose!?

The said little girl was happily grinning while piggybacking on Cardin's back as he carefully ran around the room hopping lightly every now and then.

Finally noticing the sudden visitor, both the man and the little girl stopped playing to look at her. While Vermillion was smiling towards her, the same couldn't be said to Cardin.

His gaze was narrowed with her mouth formed into a thin line.

"What the?" Cardin said in a confused tone. "The fuck Schnee's doing here!?"

Weiss froze hearing the hostility in Cardin's voice.

Both her and Cardin was standing there in uncomfortable silence before they were pulled out of it by a small gasp.

"Bad!" Vermillion pulled on Cardin's ear with her hand. "Uncle Cardin, bad word!"

"Ack!" Cardin's head was promptly smacked by Coco.

"You idiot!" Coco yelled at him in anger. "Did you seriously juct cursed while Verm is here!?"

"Ack!" Cardin was smacked again. "Sorry!"

"Come here." Coco's tone became a lot softer as she approached Vermillion and took the girl into her arms. "Don't ever say those words okay? They are bad words."

"Yes aunty Coco!" Vermillion nodded motivated. "Mommy will be really sad if I say those words right?"

"That's my girl." Coco smiled as she poked the girl's nose which made her giggle. "Only idiots will say such things!"

"I said I was sorry!" Cardin apologized again as he saw Coco glare at him again. "I mean would you blame me? I didn't really expect this Schnee to walk here as if she belongs here you know?"

Weiss frowned at the words but didn't say anything in response.

"So does Uncle Cardin know big sister Weiss?" Vermillion asked.

"...Well, you could say that you little twerp." Cardin replied in a light manner.

"I'm not a little twerp!" Vermillion complained. "I'm a big girl now!"

"Yeah right." Cardin laughed as he approached Vermillion which was in Coco's arms. "You're still a tiny little twerp."

"No!" Vermillion said as she swatted Cardin's hands which were continuously poking her on her cheeks. "I'm a big girl now right aunty Coco?"

Coco laughed lightly as she saw Vermillion look at her with puppy eyes with her lips in a pout.

"Yes, yes you are." Coco ruffled Vermillion's hair affectionately. "You're a big girl now."

"See!?" Vermillion grinned and looked back at Cardin with a smug smile. "Aunty Coco says I'm a big girl!"

Cardin smirked and tapped Vermillion's forehead in a joking manner.

"Tiny."

"Big dum-dum!"

Both Coco and Cardin laughed at the girl's agitation.

It was adorable.

While the light-hearted scene was unfolding in front of her, Weiss was completely dumbfounded.

Wasn't Cardin hated by Coco and her team?

Why do they look like friends now?

What's he doing here?

Why is he playing with Ruby's daughter?

Why is Ruby's daughter close to him like that?

"W-what's going on?" Before she could even think of what she was saying, the words were already out of her mouth.

Both Coco and Cardin looked back at her hearing what she had said while Vermillion just tilted her head cutely at Weiss.

"This guy." Coco pointed at Cardin with her thumb.

"Stop."

"It's quite unbelievable to think of considering what a jerk he was back in Beacon."

"Stop."

"But this guy here, you see."

"Stop it!"

"Is engaged with Velvet's cousin." Coco ended with a smug grin.

Weiss' eyes went completely wide hearing such an impossible scenario.

"...What in the world?"

To be Continued.

Afterword

Sorry about the very late update. I don't have any excuse nor any reasons to give. It's just hard to gather any motivation with life just constantly kicking you down again and again.

Thanks for all the support and reviews for the story. Reading all the reviews and the support makes my day quite easier.

Please leave a review. Tell me what you think about the story. If you have any tips or recommendations, please feel free to tell me all about them in a review.

If you spot any mistakes in the story, please feel free to tell me them and I will fix them as soon as I can.

Thanks~!