Chapter III

Weiss went to chew on her lip as she turned the engine off, reclining back in the plush leather seats of her BMW. Glancing out the windshield at the sign posted before her, her stomach rolled with anxiety.

Spot designated for Schnee family members ONLY

It was a Tuesday afternoon, and she found herself back in front of Schnee Home. Roland wouldn't be coming in for therapy today, it wasn't a day her father expected her to clock in some hours, and none of the staff would be expecting her.

Of course, she wasn't here for any of the above, she reminded herself while continuing to gnaw on her bottom lip. A picture of silver eyes, a shy smile, and a red hoodie flashed through her mind, and Weiss sighed. Thoughts of the mystery girl had tormented her all weekend, never ceasing to invade Weiss's thoughts even in sleep. By Monday morning she was going crazy, and the only reason she hadn't shown up yesterday was because she had fencing practice after school.

Still, sitting out here in the lot now, only several feet from the building in which the mystery girl resided, Weiss began to second-guess herself.

Did she just walk in and ask to see this girl? She didn't even know her name! What was she supposed to do, ask Glynda if she could see the girl in a red hoodie with silver eyes like it was a totally normal question? Sure, she may get somewhere by using her last name; and hell, everyone who worked at the Home knew she was a Schnee just by looking at her, but Weiss didn't want to resort to that; she never did. Even though Glynda was like a second mother to Weiss, never treating her like she did her parents and always caring for Weiss as her own person, Weiss still found she couldn't ask this of Glynda.

She knew all about patient confidentiality firsthand. There were things she couldn't ask about Roland, or any other patient who resided there. If the patient wished to break that contract, they could, but never under coercion by anyone and only of their own volition. There were laws that kept any random stranger from walking into the Home and speaking to any patient on a whim, and for good reason.

Still, part of herself kept urging her there was no harm in trying. Maybe the girl would even be hanging around the lounge like she had the first time and there would be no need for Glynda to even get involved. Weiss could just walk in and act like she was grabbing something from her father's office and sneak a peek on her way by. The Schnees were never required to sign in when they visited, but Weiss always did to keep up appearances that she was like any other visitor. She hated special treatment.

Yet now it would come in handy.

Maybe.

Weiss huffed and smacked the steering wheel before acting in favor of her gut and getting out of the car. Better to at least actlike she knew what she was doing before anyone started asking questions.

Still, butterflies quickly swarmed her stomach as soon as she walked inside the building, nearly turning tail and running when she saw Glynda glance up out of habit and meet her eye.

"Oh, Weiss!" she spoke, surprise of course evident in her voice. "What brings you by today?"

"Father asked me to drop by and pick something up from his office," Weiss replied, somehow managing to keep her voice level. "I'll just be in and out."

Glynda nodded. "Very well."

Flashing a smile, Weiss walked away from the front desk with haste. Only when she was further down the hall where she knew she'd be out of Glynda's line of sight did she slow ever so carefully. Peering to her left, Weiss roved her eyes around the common room, the French doors luckily wide open, making it all the more easier to observe. After several lookovers, Weiss's stomach dropped.

There was no distinguishable flash of red. No small form cuddled up in one of the chairs. No intriguing silver eyes peering curiously at her.

Shoulders slumping, Weiss continued down the hall to her father's office. She needed to at least make it seem like she had actually needed something. Unlocking the door, she stepped inside before shutting it and leaning against the cool wood.

Now what? she thought. If I'm so set in apologizing, it seems like my only option is to speak to Glynda. That, or just wait until I run into her again, most likely with Roland in the vicinity. Not so sure I want another repeat of the first time…

Weiss continued to go over her options while she grabbed a manila folder from her father's desk before paper-clipping some papers together to put inside. That looked official enough, right?

Why am I so worried about this? I don't need to justify coming in here, I basically own the damn place. I sure as hell am around a lot more than mother and father ever are, that's for sure.

Walking back to the front desk, her grip on the folder tightened as she approached Glynda once more.

Screw it; she was asking.

"Get what you needed?" Glynda questioned once she stood in front of her.

Weiss sighed. "Kind of. I was…hoping I'd run into one of the residents here, and I didn't. I'm not…overstepping my bounds by asking to speak to her, am I?"

Glynda simply smiled, knowing how big of deal it was to Weiss to not use her power to get what she wanted.

"Of course not, Weiss," she told her. "Who are you looking for?"

Weiss glanced nervously down at the guest book. "That's the thing," she mumbled. "I…don't exactly know her name. She came over to me the first time two weeks ago, but before she could say anything, Roland came over and I think his exuberance might have scared her off. Then, last Friday I spotted her listening to me play the piano, but she took off on her own this time before I could say anything. I just…want to apologize for Roland chasing her away, and…introduce myself."

"Hmm." Glynda pushed her glasses up her nose before asking, "Well, what did she look like? If she frequents the lounge quite often, I may know her name."

"Well, she looks really young; younger than me, even," Weiss began recalling from her memory. "She had short dark hair that maybe looked like it had red highlights? She was wearing a big red hoodie both times I saw her, but the most striking feature of hers I recall were her eyes. They were silver. I've never seen that color before."

Weiss wasn't sure whether she liked the smile Glynda was giving her or not.

"Turns out, I do know who you are referring to," she said. "Her name is Ruby Rose."

"Ruby?" Weiss tested the name on her tongue before a small smile broke across her face. She giggled. "It suits her, from what I've seen."

Glynda laughed along as well. "Yes, red certainly does seem to be her favorite color. We actually had to buy her another hoodie because she refuses to wear anything else, and that can pose a problem when we have to wash it."

"I bet." Pausing, Weiss then asked meekly, "May I see her?"

A somber look flashed in Glynda's eyes then, and Weiss felt her heartbeat speed up. What did that look mean?

"I…suppose. Just, please bare in mind that Miss Rose is incredibly shy," the woman informed. "Don't take any of her actions to heart."

"O-Okay."

Quirking another smile, Glynda picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Pyrrha? Yes, it's Glynda. Could you please bring Miss Rose down to the lounge when you get a chance? She has a visitor. …Thank you."

Weiss waited with baited breath as Glynda hung up.

"She'll be down in a minute."

Smiling, Weiss nodded. "Thank you."

Glynda kept her eyes on Weiss as the heiress walked into the lounge. The elder woman hoped her gut feeling wouldn't fail her.

Sitting down at a table that faced the door patients were always led from upstairs through, Weiss anxiously awaited Ruby's arrival. Yet she wouldn't deny she was a bit nervous. She was actually doing this. She was actually here to see a complete stranger.

In hopes to calm her nerves, Weiss grabbed a spare pencil that was laying nearby and opened the folder she still carried, beginning a random doodle to pass the time.

Not long after, she heard the door open and froze.

"Come on, Ruby," she heard Pyrrha coax. "Go say hi to your visitor."

Leveling her breathing, Weiss forced herself to look up. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears as she watched a small figure clad in red shuffle through the door. Her head was down, attention fixed on the floor as she passed Pyrrha.

"Oh," the nurse exclaimed as she finally noticed Weiss sitting there, obviously waiting, "not only do you have a visitor, you have a special visitor!"

Weiss flashed Pyrrha a smile as the older girl led Ruby forward, stopping only once they reached the opposite side of the table.

"Pyrrha," Weiss greeted cheerfully. "Thanks for this."

"My pleasure, Weiss. It's good to see you," Pyrrha replied with her welcoming smile all the patients seemed to adore.

"Ruby?" the red-haired girl then spoke to the other girl in the vicinity. "Aren't you going to say hello?"

Silver eyes darted up only for a second before focusing again on the table. A shaky hand was then raised in a hesitant greeting. Weiss smiled.

"Hello, Ruby," she said. "It's nice to officially meet you."

Weiss paid close attention to how Ruby seemed to clutch at the sleeves of her hoodie then, no doubt catching the implication of Weiss's words.

"I'll leave you two to talk then," Pyrrha cut in before stepping away. "Just let Glynda know when you want me to come take her back."

Nodding, Weiss watched her retreat from her peripherals, her gaze never wavering from the girl before her.

"I suppose you're wondering why I of all people asked to see you?" Weiss asked, hoping to get Ruby to look back up at her.

A few seconds passed before Ruby nodded, yet still refused to meet her gaze or say anything. Weiss's smile faltered somewhat at the lack of response. She had hoped this wouldn't be awkward…

"Well, I just wanted to apologize for a few weeks ago," she continued. Ruby inclined her head upwards just a fraction then, but her bangs still covered most of her face. At least she seemed to be listening. "No doubt you picked up on the fact that Roland's an excitable little boy. He always gets so excited to see me, sometimes his manners get pushed to the back of his mind. He didn't mean to frighten you."

Ruby nodded again, her head raising a bit more.

"Do you like music?" Weiss asked next. Chuckling, she added, "I didn't know I had an audience when I was playing on Friday. Besides Roland, of course."

Damn it, Weiss cursed as Ruby tucked her chin to her chest then, as if she was scared Weiss was mad she had been intruding. Her arms came to encircle her stomach, her shoulders scrunched up beside her ears. Leaning down slightly, Weiss gulped when she saw Ruby's eyes squeeze shut.

That was the wrong thing to say, obviously.

"I'm not upset!" she quickly tried to rectify, starting to reach a hand out before realizing that may not be the wisest idea either. "Honestly! You should have come in. Listening from the next room over couldn't have been that satisfying, right?"

Ruby shrugged, her arms slowly lowering back to her sides as she relaxed. Weiss breathed a sigh of relief.

"Do you play an instrument?" she tried a different approach this time. "Or do you just like to listen?"

A moment passed without any reaction from Ruby. Weiss was about to repeat her question when her heart jumped to her throat.

Ruby had finally looked up at her. Silver met baby blue, both pairs of eyes absorbing every detail of the person before them. Weiss flashed a smile in hopes to ease the girl's mind even more, trying not to let herself care so much when she saw Ruby's gaze focus on the scar across her left eye. Weiss could see the question wavering just beneath the surface, yet Ruby stayed quiet. Silver flickered back to the table only momentarily before looking back up.

She shook her head, and it took Weiss a second to realize that must have been an answer to part of her previous question.

"You don't play anything?"

Ruby shook her head again. Weiss kept her smile present, sensing it seemed to make the girl more comfortable.

"Well, that's okay. Music can bring just as much joy from listening to it, can't it?"

A nod.

"What's your favorite genre?"

Ruby looked away from Weiss again momentarily, her eyes flitting around the room before latching back on to intrigued, inviting blue. Weiss felt herself leaning forward ever so slightly as Ruby opened her mouth to say something.

No sound came out, and Ruby quickly shut her mouth, trying and failing once more before a look of defeat claimed her and her arms came back to wrap around her.

A shrug ended up being her only answer.

Weiss passed the peculiar behavior off, remembering what Glynda had said about Ruby being extremely shy. She hadn't been joking.

"Well," Weiss paused. She wasn't quite sure what to say now. She had done what she had come to do. Was it rude to leave now? Should she try and entertain Ruby for a bit longer? Chickening out last minute, detest roared within her as she mumbled, "I should be getting home then. I just wanted to apologize to you."

Seeing the look of devastation that passed over Ruby's face then, Weiss hated herself even more.

"But…I'll see you again, okay?" she added, bringing another smile back out.

Meeting her eyes once again, Weiss's heart fluttered at the shy smile and blush that quickly overcame Ruby's face. She nodded excitedly, smile widening. Weiss felt hers do the same.

"I'll go fetch Pyrrha then."

She spared Ruby another glance over her shoulder as she left the lounge, only to see Ruby staring after her, smile still lighting up her face. She almost seemed to be bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet. Weiss felt her heart soar that she seemed to have caused the girl that much joy.

Glynda was still sitting behind her desk, watching Weiss approach with a subtle smile of her own, though there was also a look in her eyes Weiss couldn't decipher.

"Did you remedy things with Miss Rose?" she asked.

"Yes," Weiss answered with a nod, her smile lingering. "She's a sweet girl, despite being incredibly shy. I told her I'd see her again and that seemed to make her happy. With the way things have been lately, I have no doubt that will be quite soon."

"Indeed," Glynda agreed with a chuckle.

"Well, have a nice afternoon, Glynda. I'll see you on Friday."

Weiss left then, still carrying her pointless folder of blank papers. She arrived home a little over fifteen minutes later.

The house was empty still. Of course.

Shaking her head, Weiss headed up to her room. Her parents rarely seemed to ever be home lately, and even when they were, they were always busy with work. Yet, that's how it had been all of Weiss's life. She had more memories of her father in his study than anywhere else in the house, her mother spending more time at the Home with patients than her own daughter. Up until Winter left for the army, Weiss hadn't really minded. She and Winter had always been able to find things to do; had always kept each company and filled the gaps their parents left.

They had maids and butlers, of course, being from a wealthy family and all, but everyone tended to keep to themselves and act only in a strictly professional manner. Weiss couldn't blame them. With the image her father imposed, she figured they were terrified to get too close to any of them and overstep their bounds. There was one younger boy close to Weiss's age who worked for them, but he had been given a week off, so he wasn't around at the moment.

Still, Weiss didn't let the emptiness get to her—or at least she told herself that. Situating herself at her desk, she started on her homework before calling Blake and asking if she wanted to come over to spend the night. They had school in the morning, but that never bothered them. It wasn't like they went to different schools on opposite sides of town. Blake was busy, however, so Weiss headed downstairs to make herself dinner, all the while trying to not let the silence suffocate her.

In the middle of making some pasta for herself, however, her scroll rang. Weiss scrambled to the kitchen island where the device shrilled, grateful for the noise and chance at conversation.

"Hello?"

"Weiss, it's Glynda."

Her heart rate quickened. Glynda never called her.

"I-Is something the matter?" she immediately began fretting.

"No, everything is quite fine, trust me," Glynda replied, Weiss picking up on the amusement in the woman's voice. "I'm calling about Miss Rose."

Now Weiss was confused. "Ruby? W-What about her? She's okay, right?"

Weiss could hear the laugh behind Glynda's answer. "She's fine. Everyone's okay. More than okay, in Miss Rose's case, actually."

"What does that mean?"

"Since you didn't even know her name before today, I'll assume you don't know the story about how she came to be with us?" Glynda asked.

Weiss shook her head, despite knowing Glynda couldn't tell. "No," she answered truthfully. "Neither father nor mother have mentioned her either, if I recall."

Glynda paused again, and Weiss imagined her pulling up Ruby's file or something of the like.

"Miss Rose has been in our care for the past ten years," she began, shocking Weiss right off the bat. "She was five when she was admitted. A nurse who retired years ago found her walking the side of the road a few miles out of the city. She was dirty, but uninjured for the most part. The nurse was on her way to work, so she ended up just bringing Ruby with her, having no other idea what to do with her. The doctors here immediately whisked her off to be examined for injury, her predicament, of course, causing concern.

Nothing physical was found to be wrong, but despite the doctors' greatest efforts, they couldn't get any information out of her. Not her name, where her parents were, why she was wandering down the street alone, nothing." Glynda fell silent once more and Weiss held her breath.

"Weiss, since Miss Rose has been with us, she hasn't uttered one word."

Weiss felt as if the world around her stopped moving. Time seemed to slow, and Weiss wasn't even sure why, nor was that even the most pressing matter at the moment.

"W-What?" she uttered. "Ruby hasn't spoken for at least ten years?!"

"That's right," Glynda confirmed, much to Weiss's increased horror. "Nor has she made much effort to be social. In fact, aside from you, she has only made eye contact with one other person."

"B-But…" Weiss fumbled for words. What could she say? "No one knows why? Not even Ozpin? He's the head doctor there!"

"Believe me, Ozpin's examined her many times over the years," Glynda explained. "Even he hasn't been able to draw the smallest answers out of her."

"How did you learn her name then?"

"Finger print analysis. She's in the system, but all that's in her file is her name and birthdate. No record of any parents; no record of her even being born, aside from the date."

"So…why call me?" Weiss asked. "Just because she made eye contact with me?"

"It may not sound like much, Weiss, but that is monumental for Miss Rose," Glynda informed her, her voice nothing but serious. "For whatever reason, Ruby has taken an interest in you, and that's not something the doctors here are willing to overlook easily." The woman on the other line sighed. "Weiss, all of us here would like to ask something of you."

"Okay?"

She had a feeling she knew just what that request would be.

"We'd like for you to keep seeing Miss Rose on a regular basis. We think you may just be the key to get her to speak…"