Feedback is always appreciated! Thank you for reading ;)

Ruby sat in the first quiet corner she'd been able to find at the base. There was still a soldier nearby, it had been ordered by Winter that at least one would follow her throughout the day. Still, she'd managed to find enough space to sit down, hood up over her head, and settle down.

So much had happened in the last few days. She'd gone from being almost completely alone and free to being stalked by guards and surrounded by people. Yes, they were people she loved and missed dearly, but it was all happening so fast.

She wished she had her music—it was always good at slowing her down. Instead all she could do was tap her foot against the hard floor and try to use the rhythm to keep herself grounded.

After drawing out the plan, and having to tell Yang it was okay at least thirty times, Weiss finally convinced Yang to go see the doctors that she'd had flown to this location. Blake went with Yang, which Ruby expected but what had been hard was Ruby having to simply tell her dad she needed to be alone. She could feel how disappointed he was—they hadn't seen each other in so long, but she needed a few minutes. That was when the guards offered to take him to the room he'd be staying in.

They were all officially on lockdown, which was fast becoming Ruby's least favorite word.

"There you are," Yang's sighed as Ruby looked up to see her sister practically jogging towards her. The closer Yang drew the more hesitant she looked. "You okay?"

Ruby put on her best smile and nodded. "Yeah, just needed some quiet."

"Oh," Yang seemed ready to sit next to her before Ruby said that, now she was frozen in her spot. "I can go if—"

"Nope," Ruby shook her head and patted the spot next to her. "I didn't think you'd be done with all of Weiss' fancy doctors so fast."

Yang groaned as she slid down the wall next to Ruby and pulled her knees up. Ruby realized it had been forever since she'd seen her sister, so much so that the sight of her missing arm was still new and unfamiliar. Still, it didn't change who Yang was or how welcoming her presence was.

"It's a pretty cut and dry situation—no pun intended."

"For once," Ruby smirked

"For once," Yang winked at her. "They want to do a clean up procedure, make the stump a little more even so their fancy robot tech fits on it better. Weiss made it pretty clear that she'd be paying for it, which is insane because I can't imagine how expensive it is."

Ruby smiled at the image of Weiss so flippantly talking about the payment of a surgery that would put most families on the streets. "She means well; money just has no meaning for her. It's always been endless."

"Yeah well, I tried to tell her not to do it for me and she stuck her damn finger in my face and threatened me. Glad to see she's changed."

Her smile grew even wider—Weiss had changed, but it was change she made during their time at Beacon—change Ruby was glad hadn't been lost. Ruby wished she was with Weiss right now. Then again, she wished she was with Weiss pretty much all the time.

"I'm sorry, Ruby." Yang whispered and drew Ruby out of her slight trance. She looked over and saw that Yang was staring at the floor with guilt in her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't help you."

"Yang, you were in no condition then to come with me. I should have known that. I never should have asked." Ruby took a deep breath and laid her head against the wall behind her. "I probably shouldn't have left at all."

"Don't say that," Yang finally looked at her. "This is who you are. You're a hero—a fighter. I knew when you…when you left the room that day that you were going to go. I knew that you wouldn't be able to leave it alone. Although if I knew then that it'd be five years until I saw you again I never would have let you walk out of that room at all." Ruby didn't want Yang to feel this way. It was her choice to live this life, to continue this fight. Yeah, she would have loved to have her sister with her, but Yang had been so broken at the time that it was selfish of Ruby to burden her. She didn't know any better back then. Yang was always just…there—always by her side.

If Yang had been there thought, Ruby was fairly certain she wouldn't have made nearly as many mistakes. "You're here now…that's all that matters." It was a simple enough line to try and ease the tension between them. Those conversations they'd had over their scrolls and the distance Ruby worked to create was still hovering over them.

"Have you been okay? Really?"

Face to face, it was impossible for Ruby to keep anything from her sister. "It's been really hard. At first we were all so invested in it, me and Jaune, Ren and Nora. It was our mission—Nora even started calling us team RNJR." Yang seemed to frown slightly at that and Ruby understood. She didn't like it much either—she was a part of team RWBY. "When we got to Haven the leads all dried up. School…life was still going on there, you know? You heard about the fall of Beacon but because it was isolated there. The rest of Remnant kept moving. I kept waiting for Uncle Qrow to give me more advice but he must have had his own missions. Honestly, I was…maybe a day from packing up and coming home when it happened."

"When what happened?"

Ruby closed her eyes, the image flashing in her face like it was yesterday. "I saw Cinder."

"You did?" Yang growled and Ruby nodded. Knowing full well she needed to continue her story and prevent Yang from rampaging.

"She was coming out of a bookstore and I was alone at the time because the others were trying to get food. She saw me and she started running, which only confirmed what I already knew."

"You didn't catch her? How did you not catch her?"

Ruby shrugged. "I was faster but I didn't know the layout of the city. She ducked into every alleyway and the deeper we went into Haven, the more lost I was. Eventually I lost track of her and spent the next hour trying to get back to the others."

Yang had shifted next to her, giving Ruby her full attention. "So you lost her? What'd you do?"

"Went to the book store she'd come out of and asked the guy working there what she wanted. She was asking about a book about fairy tales, which seems silly but according to Qrow makes sense because of the whole thing with the Four Maidens."

"The Four Maidens? That kids story I used to read to you? What about it?"

Shaking her head, Ruby sighed. "Have him explain it to you, he's better at it than I am but it's everything to do with Cinder and why she attacked Beacon and just…yeah, talk to him if you want details, just know it's important and if she's after some book about it, it can't be good."

"So what'd you do? How did you go after her?"

"I didn't really go after her, I went after the book—she just happened to be on that same trail. It didn't make sense though, Cinder was…so powerful," Ruby thought back to that day she saw her. She was wearing a hooded jacket and dark pants. Her hair was in a ponytail and nothing about her was as showy as the last time Ruby had seen her. No dress that burned like fire, no strut—nothing. If not for those eyes being burned into Ruby's mind she wouldn't have recognized her at all. "When I saw her…she was hiding and she ran from me. I'm not one to doubt my own abilities but she…" like every time the name entered her mind, Ruby's chest tightened. "She beat Pyrrha all by herself and we all remember how capable Pyrrha was in combat. One on one, I wouldn't stand a chance against her."

When she looked at her sister again, Yang seemed to be processing. She was nodding and chewing on her bottom lip as she stared off into the distance. "You're right, I mean she took over Beacon almost arrogantly. A school filled with fighters, and a military presence and she didn't even flinch. So why is she suddenly hiding and running?"

Ruby could only shrug, she'd asked herself that same question a thousand times.

More silence fell between them, but Ruby had relaxed more than she was when Yang first showed up. The quiet was welcome and she enjoyed the presence of her big sister nearby again.

"You sure about this plan?" Yang asked and Ruby could only smile.

She was certain this was Yang's main reason for approaching her. "It's the only plan we have, and I trust Winter."

Yang scoffed. "You do? Because I don't see her hesitating to throw you to the beowolves to get what she wants."

"She won't, Yang. Weiss has told me good things about her sister. She's just a little…rough…around the edges."

"You mean deadly sharp around the edges, like she'll stab you if you get too close."

"Or irritate her on purpose." Ruby countered with a smirk directed at Yang.

"Hey she makes it easy, just like Weiss when we first met her. They get so uptight and rigid. It's fun." Yang grinned at her own annoyances and Ruby couldn't help but do the same. She was glad to see Yang smiling, to see Yang being…Yang.

A sudden urge of need for comfort came over Ruby and she scooted right next to Yang on the floor. Gently, she leaned her head on Yang's shoulder and wrapped her arms around her.

She felt Yang's left arm circle around her waist and a kiss was planted on top of her head.

"I love you, Ruby. I'm sorry I didn't say it last time."

Ruby shook her head quickly—forcing herself not to cry as a smile broke free. "I love you too."

"What are you doing, Ruby?" She asked herself as she leaned back against the wall and took another deep breath. This was probably the silliest problem she'd ever had, but the idea of sitting down with her team and her dad for dinner made her incredibly anxious.

She didn't want to deal with anymore questions and dancing around the scary parts was a lot harder with them than it was with the guards who'd questioned her earlier.

Ruby could smell the food in the air, she was starving. Soldiers and even Weiss complained about the food quite often but for Ruby, it was amazing. So much better than the garbage she'd eaten at times just to make it through another night and have enough energy to run the next day.

The sound of footsteps drew her attention and Ruby watched as her uncle rounded the corner, flask in hand, and froze when he saw her.

"You're late." She teased and he put his flask away.

"Are you the dinner police?"

Ruby shrugged. "I might be."

Qrow chuckled before sliding up next to her and leaning as she was. "Or maybe, you're looking forward to this as much as I am."

"I don't understand," she sighed and peeked in through the small window on the door. Weiss was talking, rather animatedly, to Yang and her father about something while they all listened intently. Even Blake seemed more comfortable around them all. "I'm so glad to see them, I'm glad they're here and everything but—"

"You're afraid they're going to treat you like a kid again. Try and protect you from the darkness and all that other crap."

They don't know darkness. Ruby thought, almost arrogantly and chided herself for it. She had suffered, but that didn't mean she'd suffered more than the rest of them.

"I don't want talking to them to be this hard." She admitted and Qrow turned to study her. "They're my family—my extended family." She corrected, realizing she had actual family standing right next to her.

However, Qrow simply chuckled. "I get it. Your team becomes your family if you're lucky enough to get a decent one." He then nudged her with his elbow. "Also helps when you start making out with one of them."

Ruby's cheeks turned as red as her cloak and she buried her face in her hands. "How do you know about that?" She mumbled, her voice muffled.

"I'm incredibly skilled at many things, including reading people's body language. I could tell." He boasted and Ruby peeked up at him with a glare. "Alright, Winter heard you two talking and told me about it."

"Winter knows!" Ruby no longer feared death from the beast. Nope, it was Winter Schnee that was going to kill her. "Oh no, she's going to smother me in my sleep, isn't she?"

Qrow laughed once more. "Nah, that's not her style. She'd want to send more of a message."

"This is not funny!"

He draped an arm over her shoulder. "It's a little funny. You're falling for a Schnee, Kid. You better be ready for some backlash."

Ruby sagged against him but shook her head. "Weiss is different."

"She may be, but there's still Schnee in her and she still has a father you can't begin to imagine out there who probably won't take too well to the news."

"I can take him." Ruby scoffed and Qrow patted her head.

"Ironwood's army couldn't stop that man, Ruby. Just…be careful, okay? That Schnee business is all bullsh—" he cut himself off and Ruby peeked up at him.

"Bullpoop?" She said with a grin and he rolled his eyes before tousling her hair. "I'll be careful, but I care about Weiss a lot."

Qrow exhaled with defeat. "I figured, and the way she tried to fight me when we used the dart on you I think she might actually have fit you into her cold, Schnee heart." He then pushed off the wall and dragged her with him. "Now come on, you've got family to comfort and I'm starving."

Ruby hesitantly followed.

For the third night in a row, Ruby found herself under a roof and on a bed. It amazed her how fast everything had changed. Suddenly her entire team was here, her father was across the hall and had hugged her goodnight. Yang was here and was preparing to be fit for a new arm. Blake had shown up with her, looking far more upbeat than Ruby could have possibly imagined and she was sitting on the foot of her bed waiting for Weiss to come and find her.

It felt surreal to her, as if she was going to wake up at some point lying on the forest ground with campfire embers flickering in her face.

There was a voice in the back of her mind that was constantly telling her to run. That she shouldn't be around these people she cared for so much. It was coming, she knew it was because it always was. The beast would show up at this location, kill anyone who stepped in it's path and it would come for her.

As much as Ruby spoke of dying to protect people, she was terrified of death. The idea of it had always been one she fought not to think about. Her entire life had, in a way, been shaped by the death of her mother. Ruby woke every morning wondering if her mom was still around—still watching her. She talked to a gravestone in the hopes that this woman she cared for so much might be listening and yet Ruby couldn't shake the idea that death was so final you just stopped existing entirely.

That's what scared her the most—the nothingness of death. There was so much she wanted to experience and so many people she wanted to spend every day with. She'd wasted five years away from them and to have them back now only scared her more.

Unhooking her cloak, Ruby placed it next to Crescent Rose on the floor by the bed and laid down. She was exhausted and this was the first day in forever that she hadn't spent running for her life. Talking was harder, she'd rather be running in most cases. Between the debriefing that pushed her way too hard, to reuniting with her team and seeing her dad again, she wanted to sleep and hope for more energy to do it all over again tomorrow.

"Are you decent?" A voice called from beyond the bedroom door and Ruby smiled.

"Never," she teased and heard Weiss sigh before opening the door.

Turning her head, Ruby watched Weiss step into the room wearing a white button down shirt and dark blue pants. She surprised herself at how much the simple change in attire affected her. Weiss looked…different—just as beautiful, but even more attractive somehow.

All day long Ruby had found herself admiring Weiss in ways she never had before. Ever since they kissed and shared those few peaceful moments together, all Ruby could think about was doing it again.

"It took some effort, but Winter's team has located Jaune."

Relief flooded Ruby's body as she exhaled. "Good, is he coming?"

Weiss sat down on a chair across from the bed and nodded. "He was quite difficult to convince, I had to speak with him personally and reassure him that you were, in fact, here and doing well." Her tone was annoyed as she crossed her leg and continued to explain. "Winter has sent a few guards to his location—he should be here in a couple of days."

Ruby couldn't help but grin at the irritation in Weiss' voice. "You're not excited?"

"Why would I be? Jaune is your friend, not mine. I'm doing this for you, not because I wish to spend time with the boy."

"He's not so bad," Ruby said as she sat up and locked eyes with her…

What was Weiss to her now?

"He's a walking pity party." Weiss said and Ruby swore there was something else in the way she spoke about Jaune. It wasn't just annoyance; it was almost as if the idea of Jaune coming worried her.

Ruby decided to test a theory. "He's not that bad anymore. We got along really well—especially since it was just the two of us for a while."

Weiss' jaw tightened ever-so-slightly before she nodded curtly. "I'm glad his incompetence didn't get you killed."

"Are you jealous?" Ruby asked and leaned back when Weiss immediately glared at her.

"Of what? His horrendous fighting skills, his terrible singing voice or his ridiculous haircut?" She was, in fact, jealous—and Ruby decided that jealous Weiss was absolutely adorable. Standing up from the bed, she walked over to where Weiss was sitting across from her and plopped down right on her lap. "Excuse me, I am seated here at the moment."

"I know," Ruby gave her a lazy smile. "I didn't take your seat, I just found my own."

"And my lap is where you wish to sit?" Ruby nodded. "Might I ask why? You're not nearly as light as you used to be."

Ruby shrugged. "You haven't kicked me off yet." They stared at each other for a moment, Weiss' eyes burned holes in Ruby. Deciding to take control, Ruby stood up and quickly scooped Weiss into her arms. She squealed in surprise but a moment later Ruby sat down in the same chair, this time with Weiss in her lap.

"What in the—you dunce, what was that?!"

"I'm not as light as I used to be, but you are." Ruby wrapped her arms around Weiss' waist. "Is this okay?" She asked with genuine curiosity. She knew Weiss had a bit of an aversion to physical contact. Even though it hadn't seemed to be an issue between them lately, Ruby wanted to be sure. "I don't know the proper, you know, etiquette for these kinds of things. Did I use that word right?"

Weiss nodded, her cheeks tinging red. "You did and this is acceptable. I—I was merely caught off guard."

As much as Weiss seemed distracted by the contact, Ruby reveled in it. It amazed her how much she needed it and how it affected her. She ran her hand up and down Weiss' back and rested her head on Weiss' shoulder. She felt like a puppy seeking attention.

"I promise I didn't ever have anything with Jaune."

Weiss stiffened. "I didn't ask."

"You didn't have to," Ruby countered and Weiss scoffed. "I've never looked at Jaune that way before. He's just a friend."

She let her words hang for a moment and waited for Weiss to respond. When she didn't for a while, Ruby leaned forward and nudged Weiss' cheek with her nose.

Weiss rolled her eyes but then settled against Ruby. "So if he's just a friend…what am I?"

"Trouble," Ruby winked but felt Weiss pull away from her.

"Ruby…"

"Okay," she pulled Weiss back down. "I'm just not sure what to say. I don't want to go overboard and say something that makes you uncomfortable or isn't right. We've been back together for what? Three days—and yet I keep…thinking about you like, literally all the time." She was never good at saying what she felt. She wanted Weiss to know how much she liked her, but Ruby couldn't find the words to make it sound the way it did in her head. "You're my partner, you'll always be my partner. But also like…my best friend, but I want to kiss you and stuff. I mean who knew kissing could be so much fun?"

"It's not always," Weiss chimed in and Ruby nodded.

"True, like the idea of kissing Jaune doesn't excite me nearly as much as the idea of kissing you."

Weiss looked at her with a smirk. "Now there's a proper answer." Ruby giggled and saw felt Weiss' eyes settle on her once again. "Might I suggest the term; girlfriends?"

"Hmm," the term bounced around in her mind and it felt surprisingly perfect. Weiss Schnee was her…girlfriend.

"Girlfriend," she said it aloud and it felt even better. "Hey dad, meet my girlfriend Weiss."

"Easy now," Weiss raised a finger. "We're girlfriends, I'm not your girlfriend. Weiss Schnee belongs to no one."

Ruby huffed and pulled Weiss in tightly. "Nope, mine."

With a groan, Weiss half-heartedly tried to push herself away. "Ruby," she whined and looked up. Their faces were barely an inch apart.

"Mine?" Ruby whispered and Weiss pursed her lips. "If you can be jealous about Jaune then I can be jealous about the rest of the world."

"The rest of the world?"

"Yes. Everyone wants to get their hands on a Schnee."

Weiss held her gaze for an exhausting ten seconds before finally closing the distance and giving Ruby a kiss. It was quick but relaxing and Ruby greedily took another before Weiss drew back and continued to study her.

"Ruby, as glad as I am to be spending time with you, I must say I am surprised."

She felt herself frown. "Why?"

Weiss pulled away but stayed in Ruby's lap. "Because you haven't seen your sister or your father in five years and yet you are hiding in this room with me and not spending time with them."

Though she was sure Weiss didn't mean it to sound that way, Ruby felt an immense amount of guilt spread through her. She'd talked with Yang and that was great, but when it came time to rest up for the night and prepare for everything tomorrow, Ruby didn't want to be in the same room as them.

She didn't trust herself around them and she knew how they would look at her and talk to her. It was in her father's eyes—to him, she was still fifteen years old and Yang only saw her as someone who needed protection. They were not happy with Winter's plan but Ruby knew it was the right decision. It was the only decision.

"I'm sure they're tired from their trip." Ruby finally said as her hand slipped from Weiss' back. "I'll see them tomorrow." Weiss gave her a look, the same look she'd give her when Ruby would say she'd done her homework even though she hadn't opened a single textbook. "What?"

"You're avoiding them—why?"

Closing her eyes, Ruby looked away and searched for the strength to tell the truth. "I don't want to let them down." Weiss was still watching her, but didn't say anything. Somehow, Weiss always knew how to draw Ruby out and let her speak. It was why Ruby trusted her so much with these things. Weiss would always understand, or try to understand. "I missed them more than I could ever imagine but I don't…want to get close to them and hurt them."

Weiss tilted her head to the side, clearly confused. "Why would you hurt them?"

"I know you have faith in your sister, Weiss but…this thing is dangerous. When it comes for me, I might not survive it."

The moment the words left her mouth, Weiss groaned and removed herself from Ruby's lap. "What is wrong with you?" Weiss nearly shouted as she threw her hands in the air.

Ruby didn't understand the sudden outburst. "What? You saw it, Weiss. You know how dangerous it is!"

"Yes, Ruby. It is dangerous, but I don't understand why you have to be the one who throws yourself at it! Why you constantly expect it to kill you!"

"That's what it wants…or what I hope it wants! I don't want it to—" she stopped as the words to express herself drifted away. It was a fear she'd had for a while now. When fighting that thing and seeing how it struck Jaune with killing blows and merely tried to incapacitate her. She was skilled enough in combat to realize that it didn't want to kill her. It wanted to take her.

Suddenly, Weiss was right in her face—angry tears in her eyes. "You need to stop. You are not a martyr, Ruby Rose. Your death will help no one!"

"It will save lives! Better me than any of you! I can keep you all safe!"

"You're being foolish! What good has dying done anyone—Pyrrha died and for what? What's better about our world now? She's gone and the threats still remain! It was foolish!"

Ruby shook her head, not sure why Weiss was being so aggressive with her. She didn't like it, she wanted to go back to cuddling and kissing and holding her. "Weiss, I don't want to die—but I will if it means keeping the people I love safe."

As calm as Ruby tried to be, Weiss was not ready to relax. "You may not want to die, but you sound like you're expecting to." Ruby had no counter for that—she'd considered the idea for almost a year now since that thing had been chasing her.

"I can't be afraid." Ruby's voice broke slightly and that seemed to settle Weiss down.

She sighed and stepped closer to Ruby, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Dying doesn't make you a hero, Ruby. You are not your mother."

It felt like she was hit with a truck. She closed her eyes and swallowed the thick lump in her throat. This was too much, it was too hard and she didn't want to think about it.

"I'm going for a walk." She said before pushing past Weiss and heading for the door.

Weiss called for her, but Ruby never stopped.