Blurs and colors gradually formed into distinct shapes and objects as Neo returned to the waking world after enjoying the first truly peaceful slumber that she'd had in weeks. It had been so long that she had almost forgotten how wondrous it was to sleep in an actual bed with a roof over her head and with clean nightclothes to wear. Ruby had lent her some of hers for the night; consisting of a brown tee shirt with the words "SIGNAL HIGH" spelled out across the front in gold lettering, and a pair of black pajama pants with a red polka dot pattern decorating the flannel fabric.

Speaking of the thankfully similar-in-size girl, Neo's still sleepy and currently brown eyes wandered across to where Ruby was still sound asleep in her own bed; a very light snoring emanating from her as she lay beneath the covers. Yang had absolutely insisted that Neo take her bed for the night and that she would sleep on the couch downstairs in the living room, and despite her initial protests the mute houseguest quickly became aware that her adamant blonde rescuer would not be taking no for an answer.

Being as quiet as she could – something which came rather naturally to her – Neo slipped out from underneath the covers of Yang's comfy bed and placed the soles of her bare feet onto the carpet. She raised her arms up above her head and got up onto the balls of her feet to stretch all the way out, a couple little pops in her back indicating the effectiveness of her stretching before she finished with a satisfied sigh. Now that that was done, she noticed that she was feeling a bit parched, and so she made her way over to the bedroom door and pulled it open with care so as not to disturb Ruby, doing the same to pull it back shut once she was out in the upstairs hallway.

She only made it a couple of steps before her sense of smell was assaulted by an absolutely wonderful aroma coming from the floor down below. It was something that she had no chance of being able to resist, almost as if she was being drawn towards the source but with a smile on her face as she began to descend the stairs. Every step further down only increased the potency of what was wafting continuously into her nostrils, and she very nearly jogged the last few that finally led her right to the dining room and adjacent kitchen.

Neo was not disappointed either by what she found when she finally arrived. Standing there at the stove was Yang, who was currently presiding over a pan of sizzling bacon which undoubtedly served as the intoxicating odor which had lured the much smaller girl down here. Yang's wild mane of blonde hair that was still slightly frazzled from her sleep perked up along with the rest of her head once she heard gentle footsteps approaching, and she lit up with an exuberant smile once she saw that it was Neo who had joined her.

"Good morning Neo! Hope you like pancakes and bacon, 'cause that's what's on the menu!" She announced for an enthusiastic greeting, motioning to the serving plate on the counter to her side where Neo spotted a large stack of golden-brown pancakes just waiting to be devoured. Truthfully, it had been so long since Neo had eaten a home-cooked meal that just about anything would have done the trick, but to her this was practically a feast fit for royalty!

Of course, Yang had made sure to get up earlier than usual this morning specifically so that she could prepare a hearty breakfast for their new houseguest whom she figured was just barely fending off malnourishment by this point. She was going to fix something up for Neo to enjoy last night after she'd finished her shower, but the poor girl was so exhausted that she could barely keep her eyes open; leading Yang to postpone the meal until tomorrow and instead simply send the girl to a warm and cozy bed.

Neo's eyes were now a brilliant shade of shining pink as she excitedly nodded to convey that this was a more than delightful choice for the first meal of the day.

Orange juice flowed out as Yang poured it from the carton, filling up Neo's glass. The silent girl was sitting at the dining table now with no small amount of eagerness, mouth practically watering thanks to the plate set in front of her consisting of two crispy strips of bacon and one large pancake smothered in maple syrup. Appropriately, her stomach let out a rumbling growl now that it was so helpfully reminded just how famished it was for true sustenance, rather than the scraps and leftovers that she'd surviving during her time as a runaway.

"There you go! Anything else I can getcha?" Yang inquired with her seemingly ever-present luminescent smile still in place, the chef of this particular meal being elated by just how much Neo herself appeared to be elated at what had more or less been prepared specially for her. Yang had made sure to cook up enough for everyone, but this would be Neo's to enjoy more than anything else.

The twintails that Neo had tied her multicolored hair into with a couple of simple hair bands – lent to her by Yang – swayed from side to side as she shook her head to express that she was more than content with everything that the more statuesque and shapely woman had already provided for her. Truthfully she couldn't think of anything that was missing, but even if she could there'd be no way she could possibly let it be known at the risk of seeming ungrateful when Yang had gone to such lengths for her; not just with breakfast but for allowing her to take refuge in her home when she knew nothing about her or her situation. Then again, if Yang did know more about how she had ended up in that alley, Neo highly doubted that she'd have shown her the same kindness.

A distraction from these thoughts came in the form of yet another feminine figure entering into view while descending the stairs. Neo almost immediately tensed up at the sight of this new person; her irises momentarily flickering to white before returning to a chocolatey brown shade as she reminded herself that this was one of Yang's friends and that she shouldn't have anything to fear. Even the white-haired girl she had met last night had apologized to her about the shower incident and explained it as a total misunderstanding.

"Blake! You're just in time for the complimentary continental breakfast! Grab a seat!" Yang greeted her energetically, which seemed to amuse the raven-haired girl judging from the small smirk that took form on her soft lips as she took stock of the dining room.

"I can see that. What I'm more curious about is since when did you decide to start playing housewife?" The new girl, evidently named Blake, responded in a fashion which led Neo to infer that this behavior was out of the ordinary for Yang, which in turn caused her to blush just a bit at the idea of the fair-haired girl putting in so much effort just to make her feel welcomed and at home here.

"Hey, I can make myself useful around here every once in a while!" Came Yang's still somewhat tongue-in-cheek retort, knowing that trying to claim anything more than "once in a while" would make for an argument that even she couldn't defend.

"Oh I'm aware of that. It's just that it's a Saturday and I'm not usually used to seeing you awake before noon, let alone presiding over a pretty good looking breakfast if I do say so myself." Blake remarked as she made it to the bottom of the steps and inhaled deeply to revel in the ever-pleasant scent of pancakes and bacon that still filled the air. Meanwhile Neo could have sworn that she saw the tidy black bow perched atop Blake's head move slightly, but she tossed those thoughts aside and chalked it up to her still being a little on the sleepy side; enough for her eyes to be playing tricks on her.

"Well since you at least realize that I'm a pretty damn good cook, I guess I'll let you off the hook this time." Yang grumbled as she crossed her arms over her well-endowed chest, but with enough of a smirk on her lips to give away that she was hardly offended by the comments of her compadre. "Go ahead and sit; I'll put a plate together for you too!"

And with that, Yang departed back into the kitchen, leaving Neo alone with this new girl whom she was still trying to get a feel for. One thing that was striking about her just from a moment's observation was the graceful beauty that she carried with her. It was obvious from her well-sculpted figure which seemed to balance curvature and muscle tone in a perfect picture of femininity, but it was in the smaller things as well. It was the sparkle of her amber eyes, and the pitch dark of her long and flowing locks that were still slightly damp from the shower that Neo surmised she had just exited from before venturing down here.

"So, you must be Neo." The words caught the girl being addressed off guard and she blushed again at the realization that she had probably been staring at Blake without even being aware of it. Averting her gaze she nodded while Blake pulled out a chair at the simple rectangular, wooden table and sat down at one of the sides adjacent to Neo's. "Weiss caught me up to speed on things last night after your introduction in the bathroom. My name is Blake; it's nice to meet you." She said to acquaint herself with – at least for the time being – her new housemate. Neo looked back up to find an affable and honest smile on Blake's lips; one which put her more at ease and even got her to give a small grin back as she nodded twice more to express that the feeling was mutual.

Neo found herself feeling much better when Yang reentered the room carrying another plate of hot and fresh breakfast food on her open palm like a waitress would. Even though the two of them had only known each other for barely even twelve hours by now, Neo could sense that Yang truly cared about her and wanted her to be taken care of, which was something that Neo hadn't had in her life for some time now. The other ladies who lived here had all been friendly and kind, but if it wasn't for Yang's compassion then she would still be freezing away in a dingy alley sleeping inside of a cardboard box.

All of this…it all just felt so right. The lovingly prepared meal that was in front of her, the genuine atmosphere of family that existed between Yang and her friends…it was enough to make Neo internally fill up with joy. For the first time in years she wasn't living in fear. She didn't just feel like an object to be owned by someone else to do with as they please. She felt like she belonged somewhere. She felt like she was safe.

She felt like she was home.

"He's right behind that corner! Don't go in there! He's probably just—no!"

Ruby flopped backwards with exasperation onto the floor where she was sitting cross-legged. She was wearing a headset with a microphone, and clutched in one of her hands was a wireless controller for the latest gaming console to hit the market. The screen on the television in front of her tinted gray as it informed her that her team had been defeated and that the game was now over.

"S-Sorry Ruby, I thought that I could take him…" Meekly came the apology through the speaker in her headset, the voice belonging to one of her fellow freshman and best friends at Beacon University.

"It's okay Jaune." She replied with a sigh as she picked herself back up into a seated and ready position, rolling her head from one side to the other and reveling in the audible cracks which came from her neck from her doing so. "Just make up for it by claiming vengeance in the next round!" She cried full of determination and bloodlust, the smirk on her face practically saying it all for her as she queued her and Jaune up for a new match in their favorite first-person shooter.

"Right…uhh, anyway, what were you saying about this girl that's living with you now?" He asked with curiosity as Ruby had been telling him about the situation prior to his untimely demise in the previous round.

"Oh yeah! So her name is Neo and she doesn't really talk…like at all. It's cool though because she's really good at telling you stuff without speaking." Ruby resumed now that her focus had been brought back to the discussion that they were having beforehand.

"You mean like, sign language?"

"Umm…not really. At least I'm pretty sure it isn't." Ruby paused and wondered if Neo even knew any sign language, considering that they knew she wasn't deaf. "But like…I don't know, I guess it's hard to explain. You should come over and meet her! Then you'd totally get it."

"Can't today, I've got work later and I don't get off 'til ten."

"What about tomorrow? Actually, what if we—" Ruby started to respond only to stop short upon hearing a light rapping upon the door of her bedroom. It had basically been made a house rule that Ruby had to keep the door shut whenever she was playing video games due to just how excitable it could make her. "Hang on Jaune, I'll be right back!"

Ignoring her friend's inquiries as to where she was going, Ruby discarded her headset and placed her controller on the floor so that she could hop up and answer the door. Her suspicions as to who it could be were confirmed when she pulled it open and found Neo standing there wearing a small smile but still looking a little bashful for interrupting. She was also still wearing the clothing that Ruby had lent her as pajamas, which flipped a switch in the silver-eyed girl's head and reminded her of something she probably should have made mention of sooner.

"Oh! Neo! Perfect, you're just the person that I wanted to see!" She exclaimed, taking the mute girl by a fair bit of surprise since she was the one who came up here in the first place, but cocking her head to the side curiously as her way of telling Ruby to go on. "Weiss sent me a text a little earlier. She wanted me to tell you that since you're going to be living here for now, we needed to get you your own things. That's why she's taking you shopping for clothes once she gets back from work!" Ruby clarified with a beaming grin while Neo was left not knowing what to say.

Well, even more so than usual.

Weiss wanted to take her out and help her shop for new clothes? The same white-haired girl from last night with such a prickly demeanor? Sure, she had apologized for her behavior after Neo had finished her shower, but the silent new resident of the house certainly wasn't expecting this level of kindness or generosity from her. Then again, she knew from personal experience that first impressions aren't all that they're cracked up to be, so perhaps she had misjudged the icy vixen after all.

Either way, Neo gave a firm nod to express that she found this plan to be very agreeable, and the flash of her pearly white teeth from the smile that she gave made it clear just how excited she was for the impending shopping excursion. This in turn made Ruby squeal with delight as she was so happy to see Neo adjusting to things here so well.

"Great! I'll text Weiss back and let her know that you can't wait!" The younger girl proclaimed before rushing back into the bedroom to grab her cell phone and begin typing out her missive, until pausing a couple words in as she remembered that Neo was the one who had come to see her and not the other way around. "Oh, uhh, sorry, did you need something Neo?" Ruby asked, feeling a bit embarrassed at getting so caught up in her own zeal.

In response, Neo took a couple steps into the room herself and sheepishly reached down to grab onto the hem of the old shirt from Ruby's high school that she'd been given to sleep in, stretching it out and looking towards the garment's original owner for some assistance with what she was hoping for. It took a second or two of gears turning in her head, but Ruby did figure out what it was that Neo was asking her for.

"Oh! Of course! Especially if you're going to be going out later. Can't really expect you to go to the mall in pajamas, can we?" Ruby giggled as she finished sending her text to Weiss before hopping over and throwing open the folding doors to the closet; a space which she shared with her older sister, which was evident from the drastic difference in style between the clothing on the left side and the clothing on the right. Even in the short time she had known the girls who lived here, Neo felt confident enough to guess that the scant piece of yellow fabric masquerading as a tube top was not something that belonged to Ruby.

"Haven't you ever heard about patience being a virtue?"

Emerald pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers trying to keep her cool as she sat on a park bench with her scroll held up to her ear in her other hand. She had only been in Vale for a few hours, but already she had received another call from him demanding an update on her progress. Honestly, she was good, but she wasn't a damn magician.

"I've already been 'patient' for the past two weeks! I'm paying you good lien for you to take care of this problem for me, so excuse me if I'm not in much of a mood to hear your excuses at the moment!" Came the rebuttal from the man she was speaking to; the client who had hired her for this particular job to make use of her particular set of skills.

"I promised that you would get what you wanted. I never promised you a timetable for it." She wasn't about to let herself be walked all over, even if she could admit that she wanted this job to be over with just as much as her irate patron did. "Besides, it's not like you have any other choices. You know there's nobody more suited to tracking her down than I am, and firing me now would just make it even more difficult for you to ever find her."

She felt a sense of satisfaction at the brief silence that followed on the other end of the line; the knowledge of her statement being unassailable fact evident to both parties involved here.

"Just bring her back to me, Sustrai. And don't rough her up too much either. There'll plenty of that waiting for her once she gets back home." A small chuckle followed which made Emerald feel uneasy, but not as much as she was made to feel thankful when her scroll chimed and let her know that the call had been disconnected. She pulled it away from her head and took a glance at the screen. Ugh. Just seeing the words "Roman Torchwick" was enough to make her grimace.

The mint-haired girl shut the device and slipped it back into her pocket as she rose from her seat on the wooden bench and started moving; feet crunching through the thin layer of snow spread upon the cobblestone pathway. It wasn't her obligation to care about what happened to the people she tracked down after she brought them back, but more often than not she surmised that they likely would just end up dead. After all, she knew the type of clientele that she tended to attract. This time however, it seemed pretty clear that the girl she was chasing – the girl named Neo – was far too precious to Roman to ever be gotten rid of like that; but Emerald could imagine that the fate which awaited her would carry its own unique amount of unpleasantness.

There may have been a part of her that felt bad for her assigned target, but then again Roman had told Emerald enough about her that she knew Neo was far from someone that should be described as innocent. She might look the part given her miniature-sized frame, but everyone knows that appearances can be deceiving, and that criminals can come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. Emerald supposed that it probably even worked in her favor on the night that she crossed that line forever. Tiny, pretty, mute; ordinarily this would sound like the description for a perfect victim. Roman had made sure that Emerald knew better though; he had made sure that she was aware of the truth.

Neo was not merely a little lamb who needed to be returned to her concerned shepherd, but rather she was a wolf in sheep's clothing whom one needed to be cautious around at all times. Emerald specifically recalled him using the analogy about the lamb and the wolf and how it made her roll her eyes from just how dramatic it was, but the point of it had stuck with her and she now knew just what kind of person she was dealing with in Neo. She was dealing with someone dangerous, someone who would not hesitate to take Emerald's life if need be.

For what would one more life be when little Neo had already brought an end to two others before?

A/N: A bit of a shorter chapter this time than the last, but hopefully still good enough that you all won't mind! Thanks again to everyone who has read and left reviews; knowing that you're out there and you enjoy what I'm writing is what keeps me motivated! So don't forget to follow and/or favorite if you haven't already! Until next time!

- A.F.