Author's Note:

Turns out I didn't change anything in the last chapter. After much thought, I left it alone and instead made some small tweaks here that allowed everything to work out. Also, before people start complaining: this chapter was planned since almost the start of this story. It was always going to happen.

Weiss could finally pay attention to the proceedings. The sights, sounds, and smells all imprinting on her memory where they had failed to do so before. The guests were loudly talking with excited voices through the wall that separated the dressing room she sat in while Ruby waited somewhere else. Here and there she could make out pieces of conversation about Ruby, mostly people wondering who she was and where the Rose family had come from.

This was usually followed by a joke or jab about the drunk man that seemed to be providing entertainment for them while they waited for the second ceremony to begin. Weiss was still not quite used to Ruby's uncle, but she had to admit he had a way with people. Or more likely, he didn't give a damn and people just wanted to see what unfortunate accident he'd walk himself into. Regardless, she was still smiling at him tripping her father onto the ground more than forty minutes earlier.

Her father had been more angry today than she'd ever seen him, and she'd been there the morning when he had found out that a new dust factory had been leveled by the White Fang and his stocks had dropped thirty points that same night. To say the least, the house had been lucky to not explode that day. Though with the cleanup that followed, she suspected it wasn't for lack of trying. Weiss took a small peek under the jacket she now wore that covered her shoulders where she had two large hand prints tenderly drawn on her skin where his grip had bruised her. She hated the feeling that always came after she'd disappointed him, but right now it was overshadowed with nerves.

"Okay Weiss. Yang just messaged me. Everything is pretty much ready. We just need to know who'll be walking you down the isle this time and get everyone back in their seats." Blake spoke from her reclined position on one of the other chairs in her room. Weiss was fairly certain this had been Yang's idea to keep her company, just in case her father tried to get to her. It seemed she was going to owe the girl a large gift as thanks.

Weiss opened her mouth to reply and shut it quickly. She had never actually thought about the actual proceedings that took place after the duel. Meaning she had no idea who should walk her down the isle. Her father was the obvious choice, but she doubted he'd be okay with it considering he was completely against the wedding. Not to mention she'd never even think of giving him another chance unless he actively sought it out. Next in her line of choices was Winter and Blake who had admittedly both been the most crucial members of her plan next to Ruby. Then there was Qrow who she was pretty sure she thought of just because it would rub her father the wrong way, but he'd been quite helpful as well. Though she wasn't sure if it was just chance or if he actually intended to help as much as he did because of his unknown level of constant alcohol consumption.

"I think they're coming now." Blake spoke, breaking her from her thoughts. "I'll leave you alone to talk."

"Wait, who's coming?" Weiss asked as Blake opened the door. She didn't answer as it was now obvious, and closed the door after the two waiting in the hall entered.

"Hello Weiss." Her father spoke. His voice was level and void of emotion, creating a stiff atmosphere as he looked down at her from across the room.

"What are you doing here?" Weiss responded in shock. It wasn't that she wasn't expecting him, but she was expecting something… different. Not the usual poker face she had come to hate.

"He has something he'd like to say to you." Her sister said sharply as her own cold gaze sliced into the man.

Her father sighed with a gesture to one of the plush chairs. Weiss simply nodded as he quietly took a seat on the arm while he looked her over. His dark gray eyes cut through her as they always had done, except now they seemed to be searching, not burning as they always seemed before.

"Your mother…" He began and stopped abruptly. After a minute he continued in a slightly lowered tone of voice. "She'd have been proud to see you today."

Weiss nodded hesitantly. She was honestly shocked to hear him speak about the woman who'd ceased to exist in their household the moment she'd passed away, so many years ago. She started to finally see the emotion in her father's eyes. It looked… broken. As if everything was starting to fall apart behind the glassy exterior. A feeling she knew all too well thanks to the past few weeks. Regardless, she couldn't bring herself to feel any sorrow over the fact.

"And… though you know my opinion, I'll admit my… ideals… may be somewhat… outdated." He continued as he searched for the correct word. If it was anyone else, Weiss would guess that he was shaken by the events that had taken place and to some extent was repentant for his actions. But she found herself hesitant to believe that he was. Especially with the way he showed no emotion on his face as was usual. "But your professor was kind enough to remind me of how our family started. How the Schnee name became important due to the hard work of those before me."

"Get to the point, father." Winter reprimanded earning her an angry, steely glare. "The wedding is about to start, after all."

"Yes… I suppose it is." He stood and moved to his youngest who remained on her chair. He reached out to take her shoulders but she flinched away. He dropped his arms to his sides almost sadly as he looked down at his daughter. "Today, you've shown yourself to be worthy of the name Schnee, and I implore you to consider keeping it. You wear it well."

He turned to the door, her sister following as Weiss's brain absorbed the first compliment she'd ever heard the man utter since her mother had gone. She didn't know what made her do it, but her mouth acted on it's own.

"Stop!" She was shaking now. With anger, frustration, hate, longing, sorrow, and so much more she couldn't even begin to list all the emotion flooding through her heart. "You think you have the right to ask that of me? You dare even talk to me after all you've done?"

"Weiss-" Mr. Schnee's voice was stern as he spun back to his daughter.

"NO! Everything you've done up till now has put me and my girlfriend, fiance, whatever, through hell!" Weiss screamed as she jumped up from her chair and marched angrily over to her father, her eyes glowing radiantly as she screamed. "You organized this marriage in an unbreakable contract! You planned it while I was still at Beacon, which I know damn well you didn't want me to attend!"

She pushed her father back, surprised at her own strength when he stumbled into a chair, eyes widening only a sliver in surprise while the rest of his face remained blank. It was just more fuel for her fire. Even her Winter took a step back from her sister.

"You rudely call my preference in women a phase! In front of my girlfriend, no less! You pit me against some mutated grimm as a test before you sign off on my Beacon entrance papers! You work me to the bone on lessons that have absolutely no bearing on my life just so I don't get ideas of my own! You send assassins after my fiance and her family!" Weiss screamed in his face, her voice straining as tears started to ruin her makeup as they leaked from her eyes. "You try to kill your own daughter, my sister, when she takes my side! You manipulate people to get what you want and now you don't have anyone left to dance for you, so you're reduced to begging at my feet."

Weiss took a deep, shuddering breath as she backed up a step, realizing how much she'd just screamed at the one man who terrified her more than anyone else on remnant. They stared at each other for a few minutes until Winter coughed to break the tension. Weiss turned back to her quickly to see her tap her wrist in reference to the time. She turned back to see her father start to nod.

"You're right."

Those two words made Weiss take another step back and hesitate. Her father's voice seemed to have lost the strength it normally held, replaced with something she could only barely remember hearing in her earliest memories. It was the same type of voice that could make a joke and laugh, but also cry and understand. It was the voice underneath the ice that had been built on over the years. The ice that Weiss had learned to create to shield herself from the same fate.

"You're absolutely right." He repeated with a slight bow of his head. "I… I apologize for my… foolishness."

"You… what reason can you give me that even makes me want to consider accepting your apology?" Weiss snapped back, halting as a hand rested on her shoulder. She winced slightly due to her bruise but the hand was light and barely in contact.

"A Schnee never admits they're wrong." Winter replied for her father. "But he's not a Schnee right now, he's trying to be a father."

"A bit late for that." Weiss snorted as Winter took her hand off her, noticing the discomfort in her face. "He could have tried that, you know, when it would have mattered… like anytime before now."

Silence returned for a moment as Weiss turned back to her vanity in a huff, already moving to fix her makeup. While she did, her father took to his feet and approached behind her.

"A true Schnee always gets exactly what they want." He said one of the many family mantras again as he stood behind her. "Today, whether you like it or not, you've proven that you are a true Schnee. And whether I like it or not, I feel I no longer have the right to take that name in current company."

Weiss continued on with her makeup, not giving any indication she'd heard him. She wasn't ready to forgive him, but it seemed he was trying to move on. She moved on to add another coat of her lip gloss as he continued.

"I understand if you'd prefer not to, but I'd like to ask permission to walk you down the isle." He spoke seriously, almost nervously but his voice remained strong throughout the request.

"Why? So you have one last chance to kill her?" Weiss scoffed irritatedly. "I think not."

"No, I'd like to start fixing what I've broken." He spoke sincerely, something Weiss wasn't sure how to interpret. It was almost as if he actually did feel a little bad about everything he did. "I'd like to start by offering Ms. Rose an apology before she becomes… family.

Weiss placed the gloss back onto the vanity and turned to her father. He was standing there with his head held high, shoulders back, feet at attention and one arm slightly outstretched, offering his hand. She looked past him at her sister who shrugged unhelpfully in response to her unasked question. She considered her father for a moment longer before hesitantly reaching out and hovering her hand over his. Ruby really must have rubbed off on me to make me consider giving him a second chance.

"If you do one more thing to stop this wedding or harm Ruby in any way, I will stop at nothing to make your life a living hell. Understand?" Weiss spoke firmly while looking up at the eyes that were staring down into her own.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from my daughter." He nodded approvingly as he pulled Weiss to her feet.

"Fine then. But don't think that this means I forgive you for all you've done, because I don't." Mr. Schnee released his daughter's hand as she took the lead out of the room. Winter followed them both as she sent off a message on her scroll.