Okay, I grabbed a snack and now back to writing. As of me starting this, the chapter has only been up an hour or so. But let's see how fast I can type. I want to try and get a large portion of this done by the time I crash and fall asleep.

Guest: I respond to every review, short of the chapter being up and it is a guest who reviewed the final chapter. Secondly I have nothing against Ruby and Weiss interacting. They work nice as friends. But in saying that I can't speak for other Ladybug shippers. Finally, trust me masks aren't hard to keep up. I know from personal experience. But that was a long time ago.

Chapter 8: Day Five

Two days isolation. Four orderlies, and both Blake and Weiss needed to stop her from injuring Nora even further. Ruby already loathed being locked in the simple room. She wasn't sorry. She had asked Nora nicely to drop the picture. When she didn't... Ruby wasn't sure what came over her. All she knew was she had broken Nora's arm in three places.

Ruby sat up in the bed as best as she could. They had tied down one of her arms, fearing that she may break again. Ruby looked at the beam of sunshine piercing into her room.

'Blake should be in here soon. It is nearly medication time. And she will probably try and convince me to apologise. Plus I think the two days is nearly up.' Ruby thought as she could hear the tell tale sound of the heavy duty locks clicking open. Ruby could see Blake standing just outside as an orderly came walking in and released the leather bindings holding her left arm.

He quickly handed Ruby a paper cup filled with her pills. Ruby sat fully and began her ritual of taking each pill one at a time. She could see the man walking out and Blake walking in. Blake was debating how she was going to get Ruby to talk about what caused her to hit Nora with such force, and for so long.

As Ruby placed the final pill in her mouth Blake spoke up. "Come on Ruby, your two days are up. We are going to the art room so you, Nora, Weiss and Myself can get to the reason why you broke Nora's arm." Blake spoke in the way Ruby knew all to well. Blake wasn't giving Ruby any room to argue. Not that she would in the first place. Anywhere outside the room that was hers for two days was a nice thing.

Ruby nodded as Blake stepped outside the door as Ruby quickly followed. She loathed every extra second in the room. And if all she had to do was talk to them she was going to be just fine with it. If anything she was feeling like she was getting off easy.

As she stepped into the room she instantly knew why it seemed like she was getting off easily. Velvet stood in the room as well getting Ruby's normal colours ready for her. 'Velvet looks angry. And I have a feeling that she is going to make it my fault.' Ruby thought as Blake cleared her throat letting Velvet know that they have entered the room.

"Ruby, I need to go get Nora and Weiss. Velvet asked to speak with you quickly before we start. So that is why I got you first." Blake spoke as she was leaving the room, taking Ruby's safety away. She had seen Velvet's anger a few times, and it always terrified her.

"Ruby. Rose. I have a bone to pick with you."

Weiss knew it was going to be hard to get Nora to go and talk to Ruby. Or at least hoped so. It would have made sense. Instead there she stood, ready to go talk to Ruby. All they were waiting on was Blake.

Nora just seemed to grow more and more eager to talk with Ruby. If Weiss was to go off what she said she was up all night. Weiss was positive that if Blake didn't arrive soon they would need to drug Nora so she wouldn't hurt herself. She had already nearly broke her arm all over again, just hours after they had it set in place.

"Nora, you'll need to relax. Blake will be on her way here. I will have orderlies come in to drug you again." Weiss scolded, as the ginger haired girl looked down, slightly disheartened at the white haired woman's demand for her to relax.

'How can I relax. Ren and his convincing words managed to get me wanting to confess to Ruby I was like Yang's bff. But that picture also brought back so many happy memories I shared with Yang. But I'm still trying to figure out how to say it... you know and not get her to break my other arm. I never even knew she could move that fast... or hit that hard.' Nora thought as Blake opened the door and walked in to see Nora jumping out of the bed, barely having enough time to slip her slippers on.

She was nearly out the door before Blake caught her by the shoulder. "Nora. Give her a few minutes. She is talking with a friend right now. Give them a few minutes." Blake stated as Weiss glanced at her, begging to know the answer.

"She doesn't have that many friends. Who is it? Penny or Pyrrha?" Weiss asked hoping that it was either of those. Because her only other friend would be a dangerous if she was left alone with Ruby for this long. They may just enter the room and see a puddle of blood and the normally timid girl vanished. Even when Weiss called her she was debating if she should actually let her inside to see Ruby.

The only reason she wanted Velvet there was because, Velvet always could calm Ruby down. Velvet also could get Ruby to speak more. Velvet was their secret weapon. One that got results, but one that when she was angry, they would rather not use.

"No. Penny is in group, and Pyrrha is in the visitor room. It is her monthly visit from her parents. Velvet wanted to talk with her before we all sit down and talk. And we use Velvet like this an awful lot. The least we can do is let her talk with Ruby before us." Blake stated defending what she did. Not that Weiss was going to argue. Or Blake hoped, if they were to fight they would be there most of the day.

"We will talk about how dumb of a move that was later Blake. Right now, we need to leave. I'm sure whatever she wanted to say she got off her chest. And may have scared the living crap out of Ruby." Weiss scolded Blake, keeping her true anger hidden. She didn't want to startle Nora. But Blake could already sense the ensuing argument they would have.

"Yeah they should be done." Blake spoke, happy that that was probably the last they'll speak about it if Ruby was still alive. And while Velvet being angry was terrifying, she wasn't going to kill Ruby any time soon.

"No Vel. I was going to talk to her but she had my picture of Yang. And once I took it back she snatched it out of my hands. I'm not ever going to apologise for it!" Ruby yelled as Velvet glared at her. This was how the conversation had gone since Blake left. Ruby stating that she wasn't going to apologise, Velvet glaring and trying to convince her otherwise. It was a vicious cycle and they both were stubborn enough for it to continue until their time was up.

"Ruby, you know I am too stubborn to drop this. So where are we going to go? Because I don't mind waiting for Blake and Weiss to come back." Velvet stated as she stood up and walked back to what she was doing before Ruby came into the room. Setting it up so she can draw, that way she can talk to Weiss and Blake, and actually get pretty far.

"Yeah, well you know I'm not going to let up either. So we are just going to have to wait Vel. I'm not going to crack just because your angry I hurt someone. She had it coming." Ruby spoke as she put her foot down.

"Just start drawing Ruby. They should be back soon." Velvet sighed pinching the bridge of her nose. She knew Ruby knew that she is yet to give up. She just didn't want Ruby stopping mid sentence when the doctors walk in with Nora.

Ruby just began to grumble as she walked up to the large canvas and took the pencil Velvet had left there for her. She wasn't sure what she wanted to draw, but she knew it never mattered. The drawing was just to distract her mind, and according to Weiss and Blake it also gave them a view into her mind when her words would fail her.

She didn't even hear the door opening up behind her as she was just focused on what will be a painting once she has all her line work done. She could see out of her peripheral vision Velvet glancing over to towards the door. She figured it was the other three people that would be looking to her for answers. And if she was right, she hoped Velvet would side with her and agree sharing the same room as Nora is impossible.

"Good morning Ruby." Weiss spoke, happy she would get to watch Ruby draw and paint. Something that happened rarely, and yet it always mesmerised her. The simple strokes of her brush, to the confident lines left in the wake of the pencil. It always interested her, only because if it was a game of skill, or strategy, despite the fact Ruby was confident she would win, it always failed to give her the level of confidence that her drawing and painting would leave in her.

"Good morning Doctor Weiss" Ruby spoke, intentionally ignoring Nora. Not out of being rude. She just refused to extend the metaphorical olive branch. As far as Ruby cared she wasn't in the wrong in the slightest. It was Nora who went into her personal items. It was Nora who pulled the picture from her grasp. Ruby was just defending her mental well being.

"Okay, we might as well start things off. Ruby, why did you continuously hit Nora to the point of breaking her arm in three places?" Blake asked, not wanting to beat around the bush. She wanted to get the problem sorted out as soon as she possible could.

"Nora and Vel know why. And Vel knows I'm not going to apologise. Nora was in the wrong." Ruby spoke as she stood back to observe the faint line work. She already liked what it was going to become. It may have been another dystopian city scape, but this one seemed different. This one had some people in it. While some people were dead, which wasn't that odd for Ruby, the odd thing was some people were alive.

"That's good for them Ruby, but Weiss and I need to know. So we know if we need to change your medication, or any other course of action. Which we would rather not change your routine too much." Blake began as Velvet pulled out some chairs for them to sit down while Ruby does, what she does so she can talk freely with the staff.

"I don't want to tell the story again. Ask Vel." Ruby stated as she finally dropped the pencil, and began to pick up the first of the tubs of paint and squirted a small portion onto the palette. She began to pick up the second tub as Velvet rolled her eyes.

"It is because Nora found Ruby's hidden picture of her and Yang. The one that you guys didn't know about. One that Nora held, and even though Ruby took it from her she took it back." Velvet almost yelled as Ruby spun around to look at Velvet. The look of betrayal on her face. Ruby had told that to Velvet in confidence that she would never speak about it to the monochrome duo.

"You should have told them the story if you didn't want me to tell them about the picture Ruby, that is all on you." Ruby's glare not softening in the slightest. Did she feel betrayed, yes. This was the closest Velvet had ever gone to place the proverbial knife in her back.

"This is all rather illuminating, and that does explain why it happened, it just raises a lot more questions." Weiss muttered as Blake nodded almost sagely. As if they had the same questions.

Ruby turned back to her painting, knowing questions would be coming, she wanted to make sure that when they do, she was ready to answer them.

"I refuse to apologise for doing that. I asked for her to drop it. She took it back from me. And I hit her. A few times." Ruby's voice, wasn't filled with venom. Even though she wanted to. For some reason she had bit back the venom. She had no idea why.

"Ruby, I don't want you to apologise. I fully agree I was in the wrong. But I know that you know that isn't what Yang would want you to do." Nora pleaded. She truly didn't want an apology. She just wanted a reminder of Yang's smiling face once more.

Ruby threw the palette down and glared at Nora. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW YANG WOULD WANT!" Ruby yelled. She was enraged. No one except Blake and Weiss had brought up Yang, and even then it was just because Ruby did as well. And Velvet just referred to Yang as her sister.

Nora mumbled a simple, "I was one of her closest friends."

Ruby didn't know what to say. Instead she just ran out of the room. Not caring the fact she had a limited field of places to run to. She just needed to think. And that wasn't going to happen with them. She needed to be alone. Both Weiss and Blake didn't even stop her. Velvet tried but Weiss stopped her. Velvet had hoped that Weiss knew what she was doing. When she was Weiss patient she knew that Weiss made a few mistakes, but she always learned from them.

"She'll need time, that was a large bomb shell. And right now that could have ruined her entire perception of the world." Weiss spoke with a finality that none even questioned. They knew she was right deep down.

Author's Note:

One chapter left. And let's get that under way. I do hope you all enjoyed this chapter at least. That ticking time bomb that had been waiting to go off, just went off. And the final chapter will have the fallout. I wonder how fun that'll be.