"Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life. What is it you would let go of today?"
― Mary Manin Morrissey
Chapter 10-
'This is what a family is like, and I don't want it to end.' Ruby thought to herself later that night, enjoying the time away with everyone. With her family.
One year later.
"Can I see it?" Winter asked upon Ruby entering the club.
"No, you need to wait." Ruby replied, smirking at her. She was wearing jeans and a black shirt, "You remember the plan?" Ruby asked.
"Of course. We'll all be in one of the booths waiting for you two to go inside." Winter replied, already knowing how nervous Ruby was.
"You'll be fine, and don't worry. We're all sure that she'll say yes." Blake reassured, and Mia who was next to her hugged Ruby.
Ruby smiled at the three girls, happy that they were all there. "Thank you everyone. Now, why don't you go and hide? Neo will be here in a minute and Velvet will direct her to our booth." Ruby replied.
Moving to the booths, the four girls all moved. Ruby going on her own into the booth that Ruby and Neo had claimed as their own since the first time they met each other.
While Winter, Blake and Mia all went to another booth with the curtain slightly ajar so they would be able to see into the club.
Neo wasn't sure what was happening, it was a habit that at least once a week she would go to the club with Ruby. Normally on her bike, which Neo just loved once she found out. Getting Ruby to take her out on it whenever she could.
So it was odd when Ruby asked to meet her at the club instead, but it didn't matter too much as she still went to the club. Though the next oddity was when Ruby wasn't waiting for her.
"Hey Neo, Red's in your usual booth." Velvet called out from behind the bar, getting a drink for a red head sitting there.
That was the next sign something was up. So nodding towards Velvet, Neo walked through the curtain to the booth. Not noticing the sudden movement behind her as she entered and saw Ruby sitting down.
Sitting down next to Ruby as she normally did, she noticed that they didn't have any drinks and was about to get up to get some before Ruby spoke.
"Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" Ruby said out of the blue.
"Of course, you say it all the time. And I love you just as much." Neo replied, facing Ruby.
"I'm glad." Ruby said, "Really glad that you came to this club, that I met you. You mean so much to me, I really love you." Ruby said honestly, but not giving a chance for Ruby to talk she carried on.
"You've become a big part of my life, and well I want to keep it that way. Mia loves you, she's already calling you Neo-mama." Ruby replied, knowing that Mia hadn't said that directly to Neo yet.
"What are you asking Ruby?" Neo asked softly, not entirely sure where Ruby was going with all of this.
"Well, to put it bluntly." Ruby said, getting down onto one knee. "I love you Neopolitan Gelato Torchwick, and I want to share everything with you. Even our names, so I'm asking. Will you marry me?" Ruby said, her voice full of love and affection as she opened the ring box she had in her pocket.
Neo stared down at the ring, it was a simple gold band with a number of small little diamonds around it, each of them being a different colour. Though the four biggest diamonds were grouped together, coloured pink, brown, white and red.
"I…I…I" Neo kept saying, shocked into silence as she took it all in. Then finally she noticed Ruby's face falling a little at her silence. "Yes, yes I will marry you." Neo said, having recovered from her shock.
Ruby smiled widely, jumping up to hug Neo, kissing her hard as she walked out of the booth with her, to a resounding cheer around the club.
Ruby slipped the ring onto Neo's finger before she turned around to see their friends all standing around them. Winter and Blake were smiling warmly at the pair.
Roman, Neo's father stood behind them looking proud at his daughter. Next was Velvet and Coco, Velvet's girlfriend and Emerald alongside Cinder. Next was a blonde man and red headed girl with a baby, who Neo knew as Jaune and Pyrrha alongside their child. And lastly were Nora and Ren, two people Ruby had served alongside as well and were also in a relationship together.
"You all knew?" Neo asked, looking around at everyone.
"Well, Red came and asked me for permission. So of course I knew. She told me her plan and well, I was happy to be here." Roman replied, the man getting along well with Ruby after first meeting him and never referred to Ruby by her real name, instead using red after the colour the woman always seemed to wear.
"We knew she was going to ask, and we all wanted to be here when it happened." Cinder answered, smiling towards Neo.
"Neo-mama!" Mia said excitedly, rushing to the pair and hugging them both. "We're going to be a family together now!" Mia said, happy with the pair.
Neo picked Mia up, happy that the young girl was so accepting of the pair being together. She wasn't even shocked when Mia referred to her as her other mother.
A series of congratulations were given to the happy couple, and the party seemed to start in earnest. Drinks being passed around, and talks of plans for the wedding. Mia excitingly suggesting ideas.
It was at some point during the night that Yatsuhashi came down, everyone knew the club was closed for a private party, but he was still alert in case someone came to the door.
So when he came down to the happy couple, a serious look on his face. Ruby knew that something just had to ruin the night. She hadn't heard from Yang or her family for a year, not since the event at the club with Yang but it seemed like she had spoken too soon.
"Ruby, someone's at the door upstairs. Demanding entry." Yatsuhashi stated.
"It's a private party, did you explain that to them?" Ruby asked, hoping that it would have driven them away.
"She's demanding entry or else she'll kick the door down, says she's a cop." Yatsuhashi explained.
"Great, I have a bad feeling. What does she look like?" Ruby asked, Neo coming over as she saw Ruby looking tired and angry.
"She has long pure red hair, silver eyes and well. She looks like an older version of you." Yatsuhashi answered.
Closing her eyes for a few seconds, Ruby threw her head back a little. "Right, let her in and take her through to my office. I'll be there in a minute." Ruby said, opening her eyes again and looking at the large man.
"Is that?" Neo asked, having a hunch on who it might be. By this point Winter and Blake had come over, practically sensing something wrong with Ruby.
"It is. Seems Summer has finally decided to come here and see me, only took her a year." Ruby stated, sounding rather cold about the whole thing.
"Ruby, we'll deal with her if you want. You know she has nothing; we'll get rid of her." Winter offered upon hearing this.
"No, I've got this. I need to at least hear her out first. Give her a chance perhaps. But could you keep Mia down here? Regardless of why she's here, I'd rather keep her away from her." Ruby asked, looking at the pair.
"Of course. And Neo, thank you." Blake replied, confusing the two women but they had already walked away leaving the two newly engaged couple together.
"Do you want me to be in there with you?" Neo asked, seeing how conflicted Ruby was. But seemed that she took her advice from all that time ago.
"Do you mind?" Ruby asked, unsure whether Neo would want to be or not.
"Of course not. Plus, you met my father, I should at least see the woman who gave birth to you." Neo said, keeping her reference to Summer being Ruby's mother vague.
"You can call her my mother; I might not recognise her as such. But she raised me for sixteen years, no matter how hard I try to. She'll always be my mother." Ruby replied, smiling softly at Neo. Who just leaned forward and gave her a chaste kiss.
"Right, well then. Let's go meet her." Neo said, taking Ruby's hand walking up towards the office.
Entering the office, the pair saw the woman standing in front of the desk. Looking at a series of pictures on the wall.
They were a mixture of pictures, of Ruby in the military with her unit. Alongside a picture with Ruby and her then boyfriend. After that it changed to pictures of Ruby with a young Mia alongside Winter and Blake.
It moved up towards Ruby and Neo together and Mia in some of the pictures. And they found Summer Rose looking over all the pictures along the wall.
Summer Rose was a beautiful woman, and while Ruby's hair was dark hers was a pure red and she seemed to be wearing a suit with a badge dangling from her neck. Displaying that she was a detective in the police department.
"Hello Summer, what a surprise to see you here." Ruby said rather coldly, moving behind the desk with Neo at her side.
"Ruby." Summer said softly, looking towards the chair and once she was given permission from Ruby she sat down.
"So, what do you want? I'm guessing you're not here in any official capacity." Ruby asked.
"You're right. I'm not, I'm here in part because of what happened with Yang." Summer answered.
"That was a year ago, why now?" Neo asked, speaking up.
"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Summer asked, looking directly at Neo.
"Neo. She's my fiancée, and she stays. So answer the question, why now?" Ruby asked.
"I…" Summer tried to say, but was hesitating a little. Clearly unsure what to say. "I was scared." Summer said softly.
"Scared of what?" Ruby asked, her tone losing its cold edge.
"Of facing you, after so long. I…I made a mistake all those years ago. I knew it after it happened, but I was too scared to come and face you. And then it was too late, you were off to training and then immediately deployed after that…I kept checking up on you through Yang, and then all of a sudden you didn't talk much. To the point that you two never even saw each other." Summer explained, looking down at the floor, too afraid to face her.
"Until Yang turned up unconscious at your door last year. But the question remains, why did you wait a year to come to me?" Ruby asked.
"It's been a difficult year for me, a lot has changed. Your father and I have split. It's been brewing for years, a difference of views and direction with our lives…After that, I was settling into my new life. I still work on the force, but I moved in with Raven. Yang's mother and my partner. I've been sorting myself out, and with everything with Tai. It was Raven that actually pushed me to speak to you." Summer answered.
Ruby was shocked at the news, and that much was evident on her face as she looked at Summer. And sensing this, Neo put her hand on Ruby's shoulder, letting her know she was there.
"When did it happen?" Ruby asked softly, not even hiding her surprise.
"Officially it happened about eight months ago, but it's been brewing for a few years now…But when Yang was dropped off by Blake and Winter, they explained what had happened and well, we had a difference of opinions about the situation and well, it was the last straw for me." Summer replied.
"What was the opinion? Does he side with Yang?" Ruby asked.
"He does. He believes she's right, but I think Yang's gotten the idea not to approach you again. Especially after last time, but…I want to be a part of your life again…apart of your daughter's life as well. That is, if you want me to." Summer said, her voice full of worry and sadness.
Ruby looked up to meet Neo's eyes, unsure what to do. Years of pain from being all but disowned from her family, and then shunned by them. After that being shunned by her sister and then living without them for so long. She wasn't sure exactly how to respond to that.
Summer didn't notice the silent conversation taking place between the two, only the silence in the room that felt like it was choking her.
Neo nodded softly towards Ruby, giving her a soft smile in response and squeezing her shoulder for support.
"I…There's a lot of pain still, from everything that has happened. I, I don't forgive you for any of it, the sleepless nights. The pain, the issues I've had because of what happened. I can't forgive you for it…not yet at least…but…" Ruby said, unsure how to continue as she looked at Neo again as she finished. "But I want to try. I want you in my life again." Ruby answered.
"Really?" Summer asked, surprised and shocked at the response she got.
"Well, I could just say no if you really want. I mean, you came to me. So which do you want?" Ruby replied, smiling at her mother as she spoke in a playful tone.
This got the reaction she was looking for as Summer held back a laugh, "I'm sorry, I well I just didn't expect it to be this simple." Summer answered.
"It's not, you do have a lot to make up for. But, there's no better place to start then right now." Ruby answered.
"I plan to. Whatever it takes, but I must ask. How long have you been engaged?" Summer asked.
"What's the time?" Neo asked.
"It's around half seven." Ruby replied.
"Right, so around an hour and a half." Neo stated, smiling towards the woman. "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Rose." Neo said, holding her hand out to Summer.
"Please, just Summer. It's a pleasure to meet you Neo." Summer said, accepting the offered hand.
"So…mother, would you like to meet your granddaughter?" Ruby asked, standing up and smiling towards Summer.
"I would like that very much." Summer said, smiling warmly towards her daughter as she referred to her as her mother again.
As Summer left the room with Ruby and Neo behind her, Ruby turned to Neo and kissed her softly, "I love you. Thank you, for so much." Ruby said sincerely.
"I love you too. But what are you thanking me for?" Neo asked.
"For being you, you changed my life so much in a year. Made me fall in love again, reconnect with my family. And just being you, I love you. Until the end of our days." Ruby stated, kissing Neo once more.
"Um, not to interrupt but are we going to meet her?" Summer said, interrupting the pair causing Neo to blush. Feeling a little weird at being caught like that.
"Yes, yes we are." Ruby said, hugging Neo with one arm as she walked back into the club with Neo at her side alongside her mother who was walking to their side.
One year later.
"You look beautiful." Mia said, staring up at her mother in her beautiful outfit, as they were different. They decided to forgo the traditional wedding dress, at least Ruby was allowed to.
She had a black skirt on with tights that reached up to her upper thighs alongside black raised boots. Next came a long sleeved cotton blouse which had an almost window like part which revealed some of her cleavage.
A black corset was placed over the top and a short red cloak was wrapped around her shoulders while she had leather bands wrapped loosely around her upper arms and going underneath her armpits to cross on her back over her blouse.
Lastly, she had Mia pin a small silver rose on her cloak which was wrapped around her neck partly.
"Thank you, sweetie, you look just as beautiful." Ruby answered, bending down and kissing Mia's head.
"Are you nervous?" Mia asked, her outfit mirrored that of her mother's.
"A little, but I love Neo with all my heart and there's nothing I want more." Ruby responded truthfully and the love in her voice was easy to hear.
"I can't wait for her to be officially my other mommy. She looks beautiful in her dress." Mia said in reply.
"You've seen her? What does it look like? Do you have a picture?" Ruby asked in quick succession of each other, acting almost childlike in her excitement.
"Calm down Ruby, you'll see her soon enough. I take it you are ready?" Blake asked as she entered the room.
Ruby just pouted towards Blake as she entered the room but soon perked up as she realised that it must be starting soon.
"Yes Ruby. You're right. Everything's ready and you're the first one out. Ready?" Blake asked again, the teasing tone in her voice as she pulled her large white trench coat against her body a little more.
Like Ruby, Blake didn't like tradition too much and at the same time didn't like dresses. So she mirrored Ruby in the sense of wearing something different. Which included a rather large trench coat, and large thigh high black boots.
This also worked well because she was Ruby's maid of honour, or best man/woman as some people like to joke with.
"Well, I am ready. That is, if my lovely daughter is ready to give me away that is?" Ruby asked playfully, looking down at her daughter.
"Yep!" Mia said excitedly, grabbing her mother's hand while Blake handed a bouquet of roses of all different colours over to Ruby.
As the three of them all left the room where they were getting ready in, they entered the hall that was being used for the ceremony.
There wasn't a lot of people in there. Friends of both parties and family. Summer and Raven were there alongside Coco and Velvet, Pyrrha and Jaune with their one-year-old son Jacob and Yatsuhashi were all there for Ruby.
While for Neo there was her father, Roman who would be walking her down the aisle alongside Winter who was in a beautiful light blue dress and small jacket and a purple ribbon tied around her waist. Winter was Neo's maid of honour alongside Cinder as they shared the responsibility.
After that, came Emerald who was Cinder's date, and a man named Mercury that was good friends with Neo as well were there for Neo.
Unsure exactly how to do it, they spent a long time discussing how exactly they would enter the hall and it was actually Neo's father, Roman suggested they go up together.
So the chairs were set around the small stage where the couple would be at alongside someone to officiate for them.
So as Ruby and her party arrived at the door leading into the hall. Ruby was faced with Neo. Wearing a long white dress, going more traditional in her dress.
"You look beautiful." Ruby said huskily, her eyes devouring Neo as she went over her body and met her face, lightly applied make up and her hair was hanging loosely like Ruby's.
"Now, now dear Ruby. You need to be patient just a little bit more. I haven't given her away quite yet." Roman said, smirking at Ruby as he recognised the look. The pair got along well, something Neo was forever thankful for.
"Of course dear Roman." Ruby said, smirking back at her father in law.
"You look beautiful as well." Neo replied, smiling towards Ruby as the music slowly started and the pair turned towards the doors and slowly together they walked in. Roman and Mia standing next to each other acting as a buffer between Ruby and Neo who were next to them.
Behind them were their bride's maids, Blake, Winter and Cinder. All of them walked down the aisle together, smiling as they reached the minister and as Roman and Mia gave away their daughter/mother to each other. They took a step back and the ceremony begun.
It was a short ceremony. Not one for big events, so it was simple and as the minister was finishing up he said. "Ruby Rose, do you take Neopolitan Torchwick to be your lawfully wedded wife?" He asked.
"I do." Ruby said instantly, staring into Neo's eyes.
"And do you, Neopolitan Torchwick, take Ruby Rose to be your lawfully wedded wife?" He asked next.
"I do." Neo said, returning Ruby's gaze as she was wearing heels to match heights.
"I now pronounce you, Ruby Rose-Torchwick and Neopolitan Rose-Torchwick. You may now kiss the bride." He said, announcing it to everyone and it seemed Winter couldn't help herself as she said, "Which one?" She asked playfully.
But Ruby and Neo didn't hear this, already kissing each other as they no longer noticed those clapping around her or anything else.
After the ceremony had finished, and the bouquet had been thrown. Which was caught by Blake, much to a blushing Winter's surprise, which only caused the others to laugh.
They went to the club for the after party and dinner. Having hired a team of chefs to deal with the food. Which was lovely and a relaxed atmosphere for everything and then a hired DJ managed to get everyone out onto the dance floor.
Ruby and Neo had their first dance, and after it had finished, they quickly pulled Mia up with them to dance together as they couldn't help but laugh at as Mia was rather excited.
Eventually, the night drew to a close. With everyone wishing their best for the new couple and Ruby even managed to speak to Summer and Raven for a bit, both of whom were wishing their best and even plans to meet up for dinner once the new married couple returned from their honeymoon.
Now, the only ones left were Ruby, Neo, Mia, Blake and Winter as Cinder and Emerald had already left beforehand. Hugs were shared between them all as Neo said.
"Thank you all for making this day brilliant. And just so special. Thank you all." Neo said, falling slightly into Ruby's side, as Ruby wrapped her arm around Neo.
"Thank you. And maybe the next wedding will be yours." Ruby carried on, and teasing the two older women, who both blushed at the comment.
"It was a great day. And I hope your honeymoon is just as special." Blake said, recovering quickly.
"Thank you. And Mia, you'll be good won't you?" Ruby said.
"Of course. I'll miss you both." Mia said, hugging her two mothers tightly. "Enjoy your holiday." She said, breaking away from the pair as she was kissed on both cheeks by the two women before she went back to Winter and Blake.
"We'll call you every night sweetie, don't worry. And we'll be back before we know it." Neo said, and with one final set of hugs and kisses goodbye. The couple left the club.
"I love you." Ruby said, capturing Neo's lips with her own.
"Are you ready to start our life together?" Neo asked as they broke apart.
"More than ready." Ruby said, kissing Neo once more before climbing into the car and heading to the beach house.
A/N
So, this is the end. I was going to include another scene, but got a little lazy and was reading a load so sorry about that.
As I've said, this was just a random story idea I had and well, was just a nice and different piece of writing I wanted to try so I'm glad people have been liking it.
I want to thank everyone for their support throughout this story and on my other ones, I wouldn't post anything I write if it wasn't for people like all of you reading it. So thank you.
Now, there isn't much more to say. I'm working on finishing Legend of the Rose next, which is sort of almost finished. Yeah, makes sense right? Anyway, I've got one more story I can post up and hopefully once that's finished I'll have Legends all written up. After that, I'll either work on the sequel for Immortal Maiden or I'll work on the pregnancy story. I know what I said, but I want to clear the backlog of stories I have/need written because again I once more have an idea for a slight AU of an AU for RWBY. (One where Roman finds a homeless and hurt Neo on the street.) I've that idea rattling around in my head at some point as well. But if I can finish my backlog then I'll be all free to write whatever the fuck I want.
And I'll post drabbles up in case I don't have anything more to add each week so keep an eye for that.
Once more, thank you all for the support from everyone and until next time.
RavenRose8
18/07/2016