Weiss didn't realise her birthday had passed until she checked her Scroll for updates from Adam. Ruby's story about Lionheart's betrayal, Jaune's decision to help Haven's students fight for their school, and Sienna's joint attack with Cinder's gang were barely keeping her attention.
It was strange to see so many familiar faces again after months of being apart.
While everyone looked the same, there were slight changes that left them mere shadows of the people they were before the fall of Beacon. It was in the way Ruby was less childish and energetic, or how Jaune always held a sad, distant look in his eyes whenever he thought no one was looking. Even Ren and Nora appeared to be much closer than the last time she saw them. They were all so familiar yet so foreign.
Did they feel the same way about her?
"Why do you keep looking at your Scroll?" Yang asked when Weiss snuck a peek at her Scroll for what felt like the hundredth time.
"I was seeing if Winter replied to my message yet," she half-lied. Winter still hadn't gotten back to her and she was debating on using a different number to try and reach her.
"How did you get here anyway? You didn't walk from Atlas, did you?" Jaune questioned.
Weiss rolled her at his response." Obviously not. I had a bit of an…accident coming here."
She summarised her disastrous flight to Anima. Weiss gave them a watered-down version of her journey, condensing it to a quick hike through the wilderness and a few sketchy towns. She made a conscious effort to leave out any mentions of Adam. The less they knew, the better.
"Wow, you're the last person I expect to survive in the middle of nowhere," Yang teased. "Are you sure you didn't bring one of your fancy servants to take care of you?"
"I can take care of myself," Weiss said. She was capable of hunting, foraging, and starting a campfire without relying on Dust. She owed it all to Adam.
"Wait, didn't you arrive with a friend? What happened to him?" Jaune asked.
It took everything for Weiss to not groan in disappointment. In the excitement of reuniting with everyone again, she was hoping he'd forgotten about Adam.
"Is that the childhood friend you told me about?" Ruby unknowingly deepened the hole Weiss dug herself into. "I knew you guys would make up!"
Blake stared daggers at her. Weiss angled her head away so she could no longer see her.
"He had to leave," she told them. "He's got somewhere to be."
Ruby visibly deflated at the answer. "Is he coming back? I really want to meet him."
"Probably not. He's got a lot on his plate right now."
"I hope he's alright. That White Fang lady seemed pretty pissed off to see him too," Jaune said. "What the heck did you two do to irritate her so badly?"
"We got in the way of her plans here and there." She shrugged. Weiss was beginning to regret not coming up with a better cover story.
"Was he the guy I saw beside you?" Blake inquired. The tone of her voice gave away her suspicions right away.
Weiss couldn't bring herself to look Blake in the eyes. The conversation she had with Adam about her crimes was still fresh in her head, and the rage she felt that night burned hotter than ever.
"Yeah," she answered shortly.
"What's his name?"
"Ash," she blurted the first male name she could think of.
"He looks an awful lot like Adam," Blake noted. "Even down to the sword."
"Adam isn't the only one who uses a red sword," Weiss shot back. That only made Blake narrow her eyes suspiciously.
"I know what I saw, Weiss. I've been around him long enough to pick him out from a crowd."
"It's been a while. Maybe your memory isn't as good as you think."
It was funny that Blake remembered what Adam looked like but conveniently forgot that she murdered Weiss' aunt in cold blood.
"Or maybe Ash just happens to look like Adam!" Ruby chimed in forcefully.
"I think it's odd that a guy resembling Adam happens to leave when Sun and I arrived." Blake folded her arms. "I don't believe in freak coincidences."
"I-I don't even know Adam. What makes you think we would be fighting together?" Weiss tried to argue from a different angle.
"You sounded familiar with him when you two fought in Beacon."
She bit back a curse, forgetting how close Blake was during their first clash.
Weiss' scroll buzzed with a new notification. Her friends' eyes looked down at her hand curiously. The others had the decency to look away when they caught what they were doing. Blake didn't spare her the same courtesy. She stared at Weiss' Scroll as if expecting her to hand it over for inspection.
"Is that from him?" Blake challenged her tightly.
"I don't need to tell you who I keep in contact with." She hid the Scroll behind her back.
"You do if it's a danger to the rest of us."
"Blake has a point, you know." Yang came to her defence. Weiss didn't miss how Blake's cheeks flooded red at her response. "We shouldn't keep secrets from each other. It's not a good way to build trust."
That was ironic when Blake still hadn't come clean about the crimes she committed. Did she even feel bad that Yang was defending her like this? Or was she content with keeping Yang in the dark? Weiss bit her lip and turned her head away.
"Just tell us a bit about Ash and we'll back off," Yang continued as if she'd already won the argument. "We're only doing what's best for you and the team."
Weiss wondered if Yang would be this adamant in digging out the truth if the others questioned Blake like this.
"I wouldn't hide something that would jeopardise our safety. I know you're trying to be cautious, but I deserve some privacy too." Weiss tried to reason.
"Sometimes you need to make compromises," Blake argued. "It's only fair."
"How is it fair? I bet you have friends we don't know about; why aren't you telling us their biography?"
"I'm not asking you to tell us his life story. I want to know who this Ash guy is and if he's dangerous. We deserve to know the truth after what we've been through."
And she deserved to know who killed her aunt.
"Just show us your Scroll and we'll back off." Yang continued to fan the flames. "If you have nothing to hide then it should be easy."
"I don't know who Ash is, but I don't think we should be grilling Weiss like this," Jaune spoke up before Weiss could. "Ash protected me and helped defeat that White Fang lady. I don't think he's bad."
"If it's Adam, he'll have an ulterior motive," Blake disagreed.
"If he's Adam." Ruby stepped in once again. "I get why you're worried, but we should at least trust Weiss. She's our friend. She wouldn't want to do anything that could hurt us."
"If she's done nothing wrong, then why is she acting so defensive?" Yang shot back.
"I'd be pretty upset too if you guys demanded to see my contact list," Jaune reasoned. "I get where you're coming from, but don't you think this is going a bit too far? By your logic, we should all share our Scrolls to make sure none of us is keeping secrets from each other."
Yang mulled over his comment for a moment before reluctantly nodding. Blake; however, didn't share her sentiment. She eyed Weiss suspiciously one last time before addressing Ruby," I trust Weiss, but that doesn't mean I have to trust all the decisions she makes."
It took every ounce of willpower not to point out how ironic her obsession with trust and honesty was.
"Ash helped us defend Haven," Jaune reminded her much more gently than Weiss would've. "It's only fair to give him a chance."
"Yeah!" Ruby nodded. "I've heard stories about him from Weiss. He seems like a good guy."
Blake frowned, but having two people challenge her kept her from pressing any further.
"Don't tell me I didn't warn you." She glared at Weiss one more time before looking away. "I still have a bad feeling about this."
"If you've finally finished interrogating me, I'm going out for some fresh air." Weiss left the group before anyone could make a move to stop her.
The courtyard outside was still a mess. Medical staff and surviving students used the space to tend to their dead and injured while their teachers patrolled the grounds. Weiss didn't stay long after the fall of Beacon, but she imagined their campus resembled Haven's after the chaos settled.
Blake's parents and their team of Faunus worked at one end of campus, dealing with the captured White Fang members. They were discussing something about a rehab program for White Fang convicts, but she didn't stick around too long to get the details.
Weiss weaved through the crowd until she found a burnt building to hide behind. Though the fire had long sizzled out, the air still stunk of burnt wood and paint. After ensuring no one had followed her, she checked her Scroll.
Adam: I'm on my way back. Stay alert.
Weiss scanned the parameters once again, half-expecting to meet the murderous gaze of Sienna again. She hastily typed her response:
Weiss: Please be careful. There are a lot of Huntsmen and Huntresses patrolling the courtyard.
Adam: I'll be fine. Worry about yourself.
Weiss: Okay. See you soon.
Adam: I hope not. I'm not that bad at hiding.
Adam: ALSO did you sneak money into my jacket?
She laughed out loud at his response. She didn't think it'd take him this long to find it.
Weiss: It's a little something to help you on the road! Think of it as a thank-you gift for everything you've done for me :)
Adam: I can't believe you consider this "little". But thank you, I appreciate it.
Though he wasn't by her side anymore, it comforted her to know he'd be looking out for her in the shadows like he always did.
Awkward was the only term Weiss could use to describe the tension between herself and Blake. They did everything to avoid eye contact and only spoke to each other when others prompted them to.
It grew worse whenever she pulled out her Scroll to check mundane things like the weather. Blake would undoubtedly be staring at her like she caught her red-handed. She never tried to confront her about it again, but the unspoken accusation was deafening. Weiss decided to only text Adam late at night in the privacy of a locked bathroom.
Adam: You don't have to do this. I don't want to trouble you like this.
He'd sent her that message when she told him about her precarious texting arrangements.
Weiss: I don't mind! I want to make sure you're still doing okay.
Adam: You're too soft for your own good. Seriously, don't waste your time on me. I don't want to cause useless drama with your friends.
Weiss: You're my friend too. They'll have to deal with it.
The only good thing that came from Blake's return was the complete renewal of the White Fang. Not only did they finally separate themselves from Cinder, but they had a chance to redefine themselves. Before leaving Haven, Blake's parents promised to overturn all the policies Sienna put in place. They couldn't dissolve every single branch of the White Fang, there would always be people who supported Sienna's approach, but they would try to restructure as much of it as they could.
The tension could be cut with a knife when they boarded the Argus Express. Ruby had signed their entire team up for a shared sleeping car. Yang eyed Blake and Weiss cautiously while Ruby listed all the catching up they needed to do. If it weren't for Ruby's excitement, Weiss would've crashed with Jaune's team instead.
While Ruby and Yang were content with settling into their bunk beds, Weiss felt the sleeping car was far too stuffy for her liking – especially with Blake sitting across from her. No matter how many times she pretended to check over her refilled Dust stock, there was no escaping the suffocating weight between them.
She excused herself once the train left the station. Weiss kept a close eye on all the passengers she passed by, turning her head at anyone who had the smallest resemblance to Adam.
If it weren't for the message confirming he was on board, she would've thought he was left behind in Mistral City.
She'd just pulled out her Scroll to send him a request to meet up when she caught Jaune approaching. Weiss lowered her Scroll and greeted him with a polite smile.
"Were you about to text him?" Jaune asked her right away.
"Is it that obvious?" she asked with a laugh. It was nice to talk to someone about Adam without keeping her defences up.
"I don't think I've ever seen you play with your Scroll that much," he said. "Is everything alright with you and Blake now?"
"We tolerate each other."
"I'm sure she'll come around. She's just a bit skittish after everything."
She should stop being skittish and tell her the truth already.
"Hey, I'm about to explore the train a bit more with Ren and Nora. Do you want to tag along?" he offered.
"In a bit. I want to uh…" She glanced down at her Scroll.
"Oh, right!" Jaune smiled sheepishly. "I'll leave you to it! Can you tell Ash I appreciate what he did for me back in Haven?"
"Of course." Weiss beamed. She was sure he'd appreciate it too, especially when it was likely the first time he saved a Human other than her. After Jaune left, she sent Adam a quick message.
Weiss: Do you want to meet up? Also, my friend Jaune (the guy with blond hair) says thank you for saving him! I think he'd love to meet you in person!
Adam responded almost immediately.
Adam: Too risky with so many of your friends around. And I think this Jaune guy would have second thoughts once he sees me.
Weiss: :(
Weiss: And I think you'd get along great with Jaune.
Adam: We'll have to agree to disagree.
Weiss jumped in surprise when Ruby suddenly called out her name. She feigned interest in Ruby's suggestion of exploring the train together. Yang and Blake were off doing their own thing elsewhere. While Weiss wanted nothing more than to cuddle up in her bed now that Blake was gone, she gave in to Ruby's request. It had been a long time since she hung out with Ruby, and she could always sleep once Ruby exhausted her curiosity.
Her wish to rest in a soft bed never came true as she and the rest of her team tumbled into the blizzard only a couple of hours later.
"I saw him," Blake spoke up after what felt like an eternity of pushing through knee-deep snow.
No one said much after that cursed Lamp had all but crushed their morale, so when Blake broke the silence, everyone turned their heads to her.
"Saw who?" It was Yang who answered.
"Adam." Blake's ears curled downwards. Yang moved to hold Blake's hand, but for whatever reason, she changed her mind last minute.
Between the constant barrage of snowflakes pelting her face and the freezing temperature, Weiss couldn't find the energy to respond to her. She buried her face in her scarf and let the comment slide.
"Maybe you were seeing things?" Oscar suggested.
"I-I don't know. He looked so real."
Weiss pretended not to notice her Scroll buzzing for the third time since they fell into the middle of nowhere. She ignored Blake's accusatory glare and continued walking as if nothing had happened.
"Where did you see him?" Yang asked, seemingly the only person who wanted to entertain Blake's claim.
"Right when I derailed our cart." Blake finally tore her eyes off Weiss. "It could've been someone else, but I can't say for sure. I-I'm scared he's following us."
"Don't worry, I—we won't let him hurt you if he comes for you," Yang reached over Bumblebee to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. That managed to earn a genuine smile from Blake.
Weiss tore her eyes away from them, feeling as though she was intruding on something private.
"It's not me I'm worried about," Blake added so quietly that Weiss almost missed it over the roaring wind.
Weiss had done and seen many things since leaving Atlas, but taking shelter in an abandoned house with mummified bodies was one of the most disturbing things she'd ever experienced.
Weiss was used to sleeping on the floor, so she didn't complain when Oscar and Maria claimed the couches. At least she had a cushion for her head, a warm blanket to curl into, and a toasty fireplace to ward off the chill.
Blake and Yang made their bedding on her left, which helped the house feel a bit warmer. Ruby had her bedding laid out to Weiss' right, but she left to check on Qrow after he discovered the wine cellar. She hasn't been back since.
Under normal circumstances, Weiss would've kept Ruby company. She was familiar with the helplessness of watching a loved one lose themselves in alcohol, but tonight she couldn't even lift her head without feeling completely drained. Not even her long journey to Mistral City left her half as exhausted. All she wanted to do now was to close her eyes and sleep until the end of her days.
Her Scroll buzzed, barely rousing her from her cloud of exhaustion. She should worry about Blake hearing the notification, but her fatigue dampened her usual sense of caution. She pulled her Scroll out and found three panicked text messages from Adam.
Sent at 12:01 pm
I saw what happened. Where the fuck are you?
Sent at 2:57 pm
Is everything okay? Send me something back so I know you're still alive.
Sent at 9:02 pm
Weiss, if you don't answer me by the end of today I'm coming to find you!
Texting her response proved even more difficult than she expected. Her fingers were sluggish, making stupid spelling mistakes as she went. She couldn't muster up the energy to fix her mistakes.
Weiss: Alibve. Feell off train amd Okay now
It took mere seconds for him to answer back.
Adam: Where are you?!
Weiss: dont knpow, some bodies upstairs
Adam: Bodies?
Adam: Are you sure you're okay? You're making no sense.
Weiss: tired very sleepyeveyone sleepy.
Adam: This doesn't sound like normal fatigue. Did you guys eat anything strange? Were you served food by a stranger?
Weiss: no just berytired
She was about to tell him what the Lamp had said but froze when Blake adjusted her pillow before going still again. Though friends surrounded her, she felt alone in the storm.
She erased her unsent message and wrote a new one.
Weiss: I wish you werehere beemn a bad day.
Adam: Do you want to talk about it?
Weiss: no TooComplicated aklso too tiredto talk
Adam: Get some rest. Have you guys got a safe place to sleep?
Weiss: Yess! we re sleeping inside ahouse with nicefireplacr and pillows. Trying to ignorethe bodiesupstairs
Adam: Good. Update me tomorrow ASAP! I hope you sleep well.
Weiss: nnight adam
She didn't bother pocketing her Scroll before closing her eyes, snuggling closer to it as if that would bring her closer to him. At some point, she swore Scroll slipped out from beneath her fingers, but she couldn't bring herself to care as she fell into a dreamless sleep.
Weiss shivered despite the fireplace crackling in the hearth. Though it'd been hours since they left that abandoned house, the Apathy Grimm still left her stirring with paranoia.
"Next time we stay in a creepy house, we're checking everything." Ruby trembled beside her. "That was way too close."
They were insanely lucky to stumble into Argus so soon after their harrowing escape. Everyone was apprehensive to waltz into the town at first, but after reuniting with Jaune's team, it assured them that nothing malicious was hiding beneath the surface. It didn't stop them from doing a complete sweep of Jaune's sister's place before settling down, though.
Ren, Nora, and Maria left to grab some takeout while Qrow slumped upstairs to sleep off his hangover.
Weiss felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise and turned her head to the right, catching Blake's eye once again. Blake looked away and pretended to fix something on her sleeve.
Weiss had caught Blake staring at her all day. At first, she assumed Blake was acting out of worry, but the longer the day went on, the more restless she was under Blake's constant watch. No matter how often she voiced her relief of feeling better after leaving the house, she still couldn't shake off Blake's gaze.
"Okay, spill." Weiss confronted her directly, unable to stand another couple of hours under Blake's gaze. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Blake answered quickly.
"Don't pretend to play dumb. If you have something to say, just say it."
Blake flinched away from the accusation, earning Weiss a sharp glare from Yang.
"Hey, don't talk to her like that," Yang snapped. "That was rude and uncalled for."
"It's also rude to stare at someone all day," Weiss shot back. "I don't see why she has to keep looking at me like that."
Yang scowled at Weiss before whispering something to Blake. While Weiss couldn't make out what she said, her tone indicated she was worried about Blake.
"Okay, fine!" Blake looked back at Weiss. "Why are you talking to Adam?"
"This again?" Even Ruby sounded a bit exasperated. "I thought you guys agreed to drop this."
"Yeah, we did," Weiss confirmed.
"Then why are you texting him?"
"What are you–"
"I saw it last night," Blake cut her off. "Unless 'Ash' likes to go by 'Adam'. That sounds like one hell of a coincidence."
The entire room was looking at Weiss now. She should've been more horrified about everyone learning her secret, but at that moment, she only saw red.
"You looked through my Scroll?!"
"So you're not denying it," Blake pressed on. "That man was Adam."
"I-I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding," Ruby cut in.
"He uses the same sword as him! I know what I saw that night!" Blake snapped. "What I don't understand is why you'd work with a guy like that!"
"Plenty of guys use flashy red swords," Jaune tried to reason. "R-right, Weiss?"
She glared at Blake. Weiss couldn't believe Blake had the audacity to snoop through her personal life when she had a graveyard's worth of skeletons in her closet.
Her pent-up frustration was bursting like an inferno. No matter how much she tried to think of an alternative way to deal with the problem, all she could think about was Blake's lies. All she could picture was Blake scrolling through her private conversations with Adam.
Weiss dug her nails into her palms so hard she was certain she'd drawn blood.
"So what if it's Adam?" Weiss challenged her coldly. The house went so quiet they could hear Qrow snoring from upstairs.
"You traitor!" Yang jumped to her feet, hair blazing and eyes crimson. Weiss stood up, wanting to be ready when Yang's semblance was bursting at the seams. "You're talking to the enemy behind our backs!"
"He's not our enemy—"
"He cut my fucking arm off!"
"And I'll never forgive him for that! I never said he's an angel, but I promise he's not a threat to us anymore! If you'd just listen–"
"How can you expect us to believe you when you've been lying to us?!"
"W-wait, this is the same guy that amputated Yang?" Jaune asked meekly.
"Oh yeah. He's the bastard that helped destroy Beacon! I bet he's still working with Cinder!" Yang fumed.
Jaune slumped back in his seat, his complexion quickly resembling the snow outside. "I-I don't understand. W-why would you lie for someone like that, Weiss?"
"He also jumped in to protect you!" she reminded him sharply. "I wasn't the one who told him to do that. He wasn't even supposed to be at Haven, but he still came to help us!"
"That guy targeted Beacon for no reason! He's the reason Pyrrha…" Tears welled in his eyes.
"It was Cinder who killed her. Not him."
"And that makes what he did okay?!"
"Don't put words into my mouth, Jaune! I never said what he did was okay, but it also wasn't like he had a choice. Cinder would've killed the Faunus working under him if he didn't work with her!" She directed her last point at Yang.
"Yeah right. How could you believe something so obviously made up?!" Jaune snapped.
"And what would you do if Cinder threatened to kill your friends and family? He's not a monster! He has to look after his friends like the rest of us."
Jaune visibly struggled to come up with an answer. When he couldn't think of a response, he chose to cross his arms and stare at his lap.
"I thought you were smarter than this, Weiss." Blake was up on her feet next, standing by Yang's side. "I can't believe you'd be this easy to manipulate!"
"He didn't trick me into trusting him!" Weiss argued. "You don't know what I've seen. He's saved my life dozens of times. I trust him because he's earned my trust."
"I've known him for years! I don't know what he's said to make you defend him like this, but you can't trust monsters like him!"
Says the murderer.
Weiss bit back her heated remark. With every second that ticked by, it grew harder and harder to keep her rage from bursting like a bomb.
"He's trying to turn a new leaf, and I'm willing to give him a second chance," she explained as calmly as she could manage. "I know about his past, but I also see he's willing to change his ways now."
"Bullshit! How do we know you're not working for him?!" Yang took a threatening step toward Weiss.
Weiss rested her hand on her sword, readying to draw it at a moment's notice. Ruby jumped between them.
"Stop it! We're supposed to be a team! I'm sure we can talk it out—"
"Talk it out?! She's fraternalizing with a terrorist! He's probably feeding Cinder information about us because of her!" Yang pushed Ruby aside and walked right up to Weiss, fists trembling. "Give me one fucking reason why I shouldn't kick you out right now."
"Because you'll be the biggest hypocrite in this room." Weiss tilted her head up and met Yang's eyes.
"What did you call me?!" Yang's hair burned with even more vigour it was almost blinding. Still, Weiss held her ground.
"You didn't hear me the first time? Then let me make myself clear, Yang." She stepped toward her until their noses were nearly touching. "You would be a hypocrite."
"Stop it!" Ruby wedged between them.
"You need to read a dictionary, Weiss, because you clearly don't know what that word means!"
"Oh really?!" Weiss directed her glare at Blake. Almost immediately, Blake's scowl dissolved into fear.
She knows.
The rage clawing against her chest broke free. Its fury burned every rational thought in Weiss' head and incinerated her final ounce of patience.
"You should do a background check on your girlfriend, Yang, because she's not as innocent as she looks!" Weiss didn't bother holding back anymore.
If Blake wanted to grill her for keeping secrets, fine. Two can play that game.
"Don't you dare compare her to that heartless monster!" Yang almost threw Ruby on the floor.
Jaune and Oscar jumped up at that point, warily eyeing them both.
The front door swung open as Nora, Ren, and Maria returned to the house with dinner. It was almost comedic to see their cheerful mood dissolve as they noticed the tension in the house.
"Ummm…is this a bad time?" Nora asked nervously.
"Weiss has been working with a terrorist behind our backs," Yang explained curtly.
"And Blake is trying to pretend she didn't commit any acts of terrorism." Weiss countered.
"Stop making up more lies!"
"Then why don't we hear it from Blake then? Go on!" She gestured to Blake. "You seem quiet all of a sudden! Weren't you just accusing me of being manipulated?!"
"You don't have to say a thing to her!" Yang jumped to her defense.
"I-I…" Blake eyed the front door. Had Nora and the others not been crowding her only escape, Weiss had no doubt she would've bolted by now.
Weiss pushed past Yang and stood in front of Blake. She bowed her head and backed away from Weiss.
"Tell them you're innocent!" Weiss challenged her. "We're waiting!"
"Leave her alone!" Yang grabbed onto Weiss' shoulder.
"Get off me!" Weiss shook off Yang's iron grip by raising her sword at her. "If she's innocent, she should have no problems defending herself! Maybe you should shut up for once and let her speak for herself!"
Yang reeled her fist back, but Ruby grabbed onto it before she could fully commit to the punch. Jaune jumped in and helped pull Yang back when she tried to hit Weiss with her other hand.
"Stop it! Stop trying to fight each other!" Ruby pleaded, struggling against her sister's strength. Oscar tried to help her hold Yang back, but it did little to relieve the strain Ruby was under.
"We can settle this once and for all if you'd tell us the truth." Weiss turned her attention back to Blake, who flinched away as if she'd been punched.
"I-I didn't—" Blake began weakly.
"Look me in the eyes and say it!" Weiss marched right into her personal space. "Look me in the fucking eyes and tell me you had no role in murdering my aunt!"
That got her attention. She sheepishly met Weiss' gaze, guilt reflected off her face like a neon sign.
"Say. It." Weiss continued to push her. "Prove me wrong! Tell me you're innocent!"
"I'm sorry!" Blake's apology made the house go dead silent.
The room was cold, like the Dust Mines back in Atlas. Weiss stepped back, throat tightening as Blake's confession festered the house like an infection. She already knew what to expect, but hearing it straight from Blake made it feel so much more real.
"Blake…" Ruby looked between Blake and Weiss. "Is this…true?"
"She's right." Blake hugged herself, looking down at her feet. "I did some unforgivable things before I defected. I'm sorry I never came clean with it."
"Blake…" Yang breathed. Her fists uncurled as the fight drained from her body.
"They were my family," Weiss said quietly. "I don't care what happened to my uncle, but my aunt and cousin were innocent. They took no part in the business…"
If anything, Lavender was also a victim of Uncle's wrath.
"We knew that—"
"Why didn't you tell me?! Why did I have to learn this from him?!"
"I didn't want you to hate me!" she cried. Blake's reasoning only made Weiss' rage burn even hotter.
"And you thought keeping this a secret would help? You murdered my aunt, Blake! I have every right to know!"
"I'm sorry! I really am!" Blake shyly met her gaze and held it. "I promised myself I would never hurt innocent Humans again. I haven't since I left, I swear!"
She almost hated how honest Blake was being. It would've been easy, justified even, to stay mad at her if she still embraced what Sienna's version of the White Fang stood for. Now, it felt like kicking a dead horse.
"I wish you told me sooner." Weiss' anger lost its fuel, leaving her heart heavy with guilt at what she recklessly revealed to the others. "Were you ever going to tell me?"
"I-" Blake paused for a second and shook her head. "No. I was hoping you'd never find out."
Weiss leaned against the nearest wall for support. Her legs felt like they were made of jelly.
"What I did was stupid. I'm sorry. I wish I could undo everything. I-I don't know how else I can prove that I regret it."
"I know. I can see that you're sorry," Weiss told her honestly. "But that gives you and everyone else here no right to tell me who I can and can't forgive. Not while we accept you as our friend."
Her Scroll buzzed with a new message. The others shifted uncomfortably at the innocent noise.
"I'm sorry I never told you guys the truth about Adam. I didn't think you would understand, but I should've known better than anyone how much secrets can hurt." She pushed herself off the wall, swaying a bit before finding balance again. "He's trying to change, Blake. I know that because I see a lot of you in him right now."
Weiss looked at the front door, frowning as she saw Nora's group still blocking the exit. She stumbled upstairs without another word, locking herself in the bathroom before finally breaking down into tears.
Sent at 12:48 pm
You promised to update me today. Is everything okay?
The tears burning her eyes blurred the message on her Scroll. She'd been resting on the cold bathroom tiles for what felt like hours, and her back ached from being hunched over for so long.
Weiss typed out a reply, but she changed her mind halfway and started a call instead.
How long did she have before someone came upstairs to kick her out?
Weiss expected Jaune to kick her out of his sister's house, but no one had come up to check on her. The silent treatment felt worse than anything they could've said to her.
"Weiss?" Adam finally answered her call. She smiled at the sound of his voice. It filled the hole deep in her heart.
"Hi," she whispered.
Weiss closed her eyes and tried to picture him right by her side again. She imagined his arms wrapped protectively around her, surrounding her with the comforting warmth of his touch.
"You don't sound too good. Are you still feeling tired? It could be another cold; do you remember what herbs to cook again?"
"I'm not sick." She sniffled. His concern, while warming her heart, also made her eyes sting. It made her long for his company even more.
"Then what's wrong? You sound upset."
"Promise you won't get mad?"
"If you jumped off another train, I swear to gods."
That got her to laugh, easing some of the tension from earlier. "I wish it were that simple, Adam."
Weiss told him everything that happened after they escaped that horrible house.
"Sorry I got you into so much trouble," he said once she'd finished.
"It's not you. I shouldn't have been so cryptic about us," she said. "They probably hate me."
"I doubt that. You said only two people were pissed off."
"You weren't there. You didn't see how awful it was. I've never seen them that upset before." She shivered, recalling how close Yang had been to punching her. "Yang almost knocked me out."
"Are you safe right now?" he asked in a heartbeat.
"I'm fine." She sighed, resting her head against her knees. "It was partly my fault too, I provoked her unnecessarily. I'll be lucky if they let me stay another night."
"Well...you mentioned you're in Argus now, right? If your team is stupid enough to abandon you, you can stay with me. We'll plan our next steps together."
Together. Just the two of them against the world again.
It was a simple promise, but it was enough to numb the crushing pain left by her argument with the others.
"Y-yeah." She wiped her eyes dry.
Whatever happens, she wasn't alone anymore. She had Adam in her life again.
"If there's someone on your team that's a threat to you, let me know. You might not have the heart to fight back, but I don't take kindly to people who threaten my friends."
"I'm fine," she assured him. "Yang's a bit...impulsive, but she's not a threat. Can we stop talking about this? I've had enough depressing conversations for one day."
"As long as you feel safe, I suppose." He didn't sound too happy to drop the topic, but she appreciated that he didn't push it further.
"Are you staying somewhere warm in Argus?" She changed the subject.
"Yeah, there's no way in hell I'm camping in the snow. I also haven't been able to pick up on any signs of Sienna since arriving."
"That's good."
"No, it isn't. She could try to make her move now that I lost her."
"The only thing we've seen is snow and a bunch of creepy Grimm. I don't think we need to worry about Sienna. You should lay low for a bit. You could use a break."
"Considering you're the one who got yelled at, I think you deserve the break more than me."
"You're right. It could be a belated birthday gift to myself."
Silence.
"When was your birthday?"
"Oh it passed a few weeks ago, but it's no big deal. We had bigger problems to deal with at the time and–"
She nearly dropped her Scroll when someone knocked on the bathroom door.
"Weiss?" She heard Ruby's muffled voice on the other side. "Do you have time to uh...chat?"
"Erm...i-in a minute," she answered back.
"Who was that?" he asked worriedly.
"Ruby, she wants to talk," Weiss whispered. "I have a feeling she's here to kick me out…"
"Whatever happens you'll still have me," he reassured her calmly. "Relax. I'm only one call away if something goes wrong. You're not alone, Weiss."
She still wished he was here. Weiss didn't want to face her expulsion by herself.
"I should go." She played with the ends of her red scarf. "I'll talk to you soon."
"Stay safe and good luck."
She sat in silence for a moment before finally convincing herself to open the door. Ruby was leaning against the wall opposite of her, anxiously eyeing the guest room where Qrow had passed out since they arrived.
"You wanted to talk?" Weiss asked, making Ruby jump in surprise.
"Y-yeah." She smiled awkwardly and glanced at the guest room set aside for their team. "Want to talk somewhere more private?"
They made their way to the tiny bedroom without saying another word. Weiss slumped down on her designated bed while Ruby locked the door behind them. Weiss didn't look up as Ruby sat down beside her.
"So..." Ruby played with the end of her cloak. "Adam's that friend you told me about?"
"Yeah." Weiss hugged herself.
"The very same one who risked everything to save you from the White Fang?"
Weiss nodded.
"Man, this is weird." Ruby fell back onto the bed with a dramatic sigh "I didn't think relationships could get this complicated."
"You're telling me." Weiss sighed. "If you're here to tell me I'm wrong for trusting him, you're wasting your breath."
"I'm not. I want to understand something." Ruby paused for a moment before sitting back up again. "Are you sure he's trying to change? I-I don't want to accuse you of lying or anything, but Blake also has good reasons to suspect he's not being honest."
"I know what I've seen, Ruby. I trust him like I'd trust you guys."
"Can you tell me why?"
"You...want to know more? About him?" She expected Ruby to hate her for trusting the guy who hurt Yang.
Then again, Ruby had always been the most optimistic one of them all. If Adam considered Weiss hopelessly optimistic, then Ruby was living in a perfect fairy tale.
"You want us to believe he's changed, right? You should at least tell me why you think that way," Ruby said. Her neutral expression hid her true feelings about the subject. It was so unlike her to be this serious, but at least she was willing to listen.
Weiss nodded and detailed his recent encounters with Humans as best she could. She also delved a little into the heart-to-heart they had to give Ruby more context about the promise that transpired between them.
"He's still a bit awkward around Humans and I can't blame him," she finished. "He's a bit like Blake when she first met us: a bit edgy, likes to keep to himself—"
"And totally awkward around strangers," Ruby said with a laugh.
"Yeah," Weiss agreed. "His circumstances are more…severe than Blake's so I'm not expecting him to be open and friendly towards Humans any time soon."
"But he's still trying?"
"He is."
For a long moment, they sat in complete silence. It was the most Weiss had seen Ruby so quiet and sombre. She wasn't sure if this was a good sign or a bad one.
"I think I'm starting to understand." Ruby rested a hand on Weiss' shoulder. "I don't know if I can trust him yet, but I trust your judgement."
Weiss did a double-take. Even with Ruby smiling warmly at her, Weiss still found it difficult to believe what she was hearing.
"And you're right. If we're willing to give Blake a second chance, then we have no right judging you for doing the same thing with your friend."
"Even if he...hurt Yang?"
"Honestly, I don't know how I feel about that right now." She smiled apologetically. "But I also know he means a lot to you and I'm open to working with him.
"Besides, he risked his neck to save you, right? As your friend, I at least owe him the benefit of the doubt."
"Thank you!" Weiss embraced her. "I'm sorry I kept this to myself."
"Don't worry, I understand." She firmly hugged her back. "The others might be a bit uh…sensitive about this whole thing, but I know they'll come around eventually. Just give them some time. I'm sure everything will work out in the end!"
I discovered the morse code translator I used in the previous AN messed up lol. I'm gonna keep it that way because the misspelt version of the song sounds completely unhinged and I love it!
Thank you to Iwr1918, RokenDarkly, CMDR Quillon, LiteralWhiteTrash, Gleaming Onyx, two Guest readers, 70ofSpades, MajorBrony95, and Kaze for the reviews!
I'm excited for next week's chapters for reasons~! See you guys then :)