A knock resounded.
When Weiss and Yang heard it, they glimpsed at each other in confusion. School didn't end for another half hour and they weren't expecting other visitors. The hospital and recovery was boring, so anyone was welcome.
Weiss cleared her throat and raised her voice. "Come in."
To their shock, Willow walked inside. She sat on her daughter's bed next to her with a warm smile.
"Hi, mom," Weiss chirped, pleasantly surprised. "What brings you here?"
Before Willow could reply, Yang waved from across the room.
"Hi, Ms. Schnee! Are you here to sneak us out?"
Since Willow found that humorous, she almost let slip a chuckle. Instead, she watched them both and initiated small talk.
"How's your stay so far?
Yang blurted without missing a beat. "Booooooring."
Weiss only shrugged with indifference. "It could be worse. They said we can leave soon."
Deep down, Weiss wondered why her mother was here. She was happy to see her. Willow wanted to see if her daughter was recovering, but something told Weiss there was more to her presence.
"They always say that!" Yang whined in frustration. "They said that a few days ago!"
"Patience is a virtue," Willow replied to calm her. "They want to make sure you girls will be alright on your own. Don't be too hard on them. Anyway…"
After Willow slid off the bag on her back, she reached inside and pulled out warm, wrapped food. The smell burst out of the backpack and enveloped the room in a delicious aroma. The scent had them almost drool.
"You snuck us food?" Yang asked eagerly.
Quiet, Willow tossed the blonde a cheeseburger. Expertly, Yang caught it with one hand and unraveled the wrap.
"Ms. Schnee- are you tryin' to get on my good side? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"
"And for you," Willow handed her daughter a tuna sandwich. "Your friends told me Yang likes burgers and I know what you love."
"Thanks, mom," Weiss said genuinely and put the sandwich aside for now. "The hospital food here is… subpar."
Yang almost devoured the delectable treat. "Understatement of the century. It's all bland and tastes the same. Pathetic, really."
While Yang was happy in her own world of meat and cheese, Weiss stared at her mother. It was nice of her to bring them food, but that also couldn't be the main reason she was here.
"Mom," Weiss suddenly called. "Why'd you come here?"
Composed, Willow folded her hands into her lap and took a deep breath. Her daughter had seen right through her. Truthfully, she needed to say a lot of things. More than she could fathom.
"I wanted to apologize to you properly for my inaction in the past. There's no excuse for it. I should have been there for you and Winter and I wasn't. For that, I'm truly sorry. From now on, I promise things will be different."
Lightly, Weiss squeezed her hand. "I'd like that."
It was one thing to say, but another to show it. In the future, Weiss hoped her mom would honor that promise. For now, she had to take her word for it.
Willow addressed them both.
"I have important news to pass along."
From that, the couple staightened up. Her tone shifted ever-so-slightly. A hint of relief lingered, so it must be good news.
"Don't leave us hangin'," Yang insisted.
Willow's mouth slightly turned upward. "Your father's never leaving prison."
Weiss quirked an eyebrow in shock. "He got life without parole?"
"In a way…"
It looked like Willow had a lot more to say, but she was hesitant. The couple stared through her as silence enveloped the room. At last, Willow spoke.
"Jacques didn't exactly get along with anyone in prison. He made the wrong inmate mad and…"
Weiss' jaw dropped, almost speechless. "He's dead?"
A nod.
From the revelation, Weiss didn't know what to feel. She felt guilty that her first reaction was relief. Then a dozen thoughts danced around. She could look forward to the future. Without any potential problems her father might present. A tiny sliver of sadness was deep in her bones somewhere, but she had yet to find it.
"No way," Yang commented quietly. "I'll get the confetti."
Internally, Yang cheered. An airhorn echoed in her mind. She was exhilarated but had to keep herself in check. She didn't want to be insensitive since she wasn't certain exactly how they felt.
"I'll drop by the store later," Willow simply said, which earned smiles. She was sadder than her daughter, but she completely understood her. "You don't have to worry about him anymore, snowflake."
Weiss stared at the bland wall while her brain processed the new information a million miles a minute. The bigger things rammed into her brain. Her overall future, where she would go, how she could stay in Vale. The smaller things also flooded her mind. The potential court costs, the fear of wondering when he'd be released… it was gone now that he was dead.
Briefly, Weiss wondered if this was real life. "Everything I've always worried about… it's gone."
Across the room, Yang asked with a smile. "It feels good, doesn't it?"
"It does," Weiss admitted and squeezed her mom's hand. "I'm sorry, mom. I know a part of you still loved him."
Willow shook her head to disagree. "The Jacques I knew died years ago. I told you I want to make up for my wrongdoings, snowflake. His death left me with a sizable inheritance."
Weiss furrowed her brows. "Everything in his will was given to you?"
"He might've loved me somewhere, deep down," Willow said.
Weiss added her own perspective. "Or he didn't have time to change his will and give it all to Whitley."
"That, too," Willow reluctantly admitted, knowing that was plausible. "I still don't know where Whitley is."
"He'll come back," Weiss said sternly. "He doesn't have anywhere else to go."
It's not like they wanted Whitley to come back, but he was still family. If he insisted on continuing the Dusts activities, they wanted no part of it. Now that Jacques was dead, the gang more than likely dispersed. Whitley probably had nowhere to go.
"Due to the inheritance, I'm giving you a… healthy… fund," Willow informed and savored that smile on her daughter's face. "You can use the money however you like, but know I hope you use it for your continuing education here."
There it was. The action her mother spoke of previously. Weiss felt even more confident and relieved. Her mother was already showing her that she meant it. The promise to make up the past to her was being mended.
In the background, Yang muttered. "Free money…"
"Thank you, mom," Weiss said genuinely. "I'll use it to remain here."
"You can use it for much more than that," Willow replied, hinting at how much cash was in the account. "Take your girlfriend on a nice date. Or a few."
"Yeah, ice princess," Yang chirped to egg her on. "Spoil me some!"
"With how you fought father, you deserve to be pampered the rest of your life," Weiss agreed and grinned widely at her. "We could go to that restaurant- Henry's, was it?"
"The fanciest and most expensive place in town?" Yang asked gleefully. "I wouldn't fit in. I'm feeling Ronald's."
"We're not getting fast food for a date, Yang," Weiss chided and rolled her eyes.
"Do you see this?" Yang addressed Ms. Schnee jokingly. "She has no idea how lucky she is to be with someone who is a cheap date."
Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yang, why-"
"Oh, I know!" Yang suddenly blurted. "You can decorate your apartment now!"
That elicited a brow raise from Willow. Until now, she assumed they lived together. It was probably best that Weiss had her own space. At least for now.
"Ms. Schnee- you should see it," Yang added. "It's as barren as the desert. It's kinda sad."
Half a year later and the entire apartment was the same. Truthfully, Weiss didn't mind it. She spent most of her time with her friends, after all. When she did return, it had all the necessities. Decorations weren't exactly a top priority.
"It's not that bad," Weiss weakly defended. "You called it minimalist."
"I didn't want to hurt your feelings," Yang said. "We are so getting you some plants."
Willow had to agree with her daughter's girlfriend. "Use the money for that, too. Everyone needs a little something in their own space."
Since Weiss agreed, she said nothing. With that, Willow stood from the bed and walked to the door.
"I'll visit you once you're discharged. I must attend to some matters in Argus after."
After Weiss nodded, Willow closed the door to give them some privacy. The moment it shut, Yang practically leaped out of bed and sat next to her girlfriend.
"Are you okay?" Yang asked, her tone solemn. "That's a lot of info to take in."
Calmly, Weiss inhaled and steadily breathed out. A sense of peace washed over her. All the hardship until now landed them in the hospital. Now that they were here, it felt like it was all over and something new could begin. They can restart without worry.
"Ultimately… I'm elated," Weiss said. "Does that make me a terrible person?"
"No," came Yang's immediate reply. "It makes you human. I'm really proud of you."
From that, Weiss wrapped her good arm around her waist. "I love you."
Gently, Yang leaned into her touch and murmured. "I love you, too-"
The door suddenly flew open. This time, three people sauntered inside as the couple hastily separated with blushes. Like clockwork, Ruby frolicked into the room with Blake in tow.
"We're with the nurse this time!" Ruby exclaimed gleefully, not noticing their red faces.
Blake dragged two bags inside. "We bring good news."
A nurse lingered by the door and she peaked her head in. "You two are free to leave today."
After giving that information, she left. Probably a busy shift.
"No way!" Yang blurted and hopped off the bed and looked down at herself, cringing. "I can't leave in this stupid gown."
Easily, Blake tossed her a bag. Inside, her clothes begged to be worn. The other bag was handed to Weiss, who grinned gratefully.
"I'm thankful to have all of you," Weiss said honestly. "And… thank you again. For everything."
She wouldn't be here if it weren't for them. Their heroic rescue was one she'd never forget. How they stood strong against a gang and gang leader and didn't back down even though they were only schoolgirls. Without Jacques in the picture, endless possibilities arose.
Perturbed, Blake tilted her head. It was unlike her friend to suddenly get sentimental. Meanwhile, Ruby wasn't phased by her grateful words and sat next to her.
"We're family," Ruby easily declared. "Family's supposed to help each other out."
"Rubes!" Yang scolded, but not harshly. "Look what you did, you made her cry!"
Weiss didn't know what she was talking about until she felt the droplets trail down her cheeks. Hastily, she wiped them away.
"Ah-ah!" Ruby yelped. "Don't cry, was that the wrong thing to say?!"
"Shut up, dolt," Weiss said between sniffles. "I'm not crying."
To comfort her, Blake reeled her in for a hug.
"Wha- I want to join," Ruby said and slipped to the side.
"There, there," Yang whispered and wrapped her arms around all of them.
She knew these were tears of joy, so she smiled brightly.
"It's time to go home."
One chapter left! When this is done posting, you will get a lengthy one-shot. And then my next story called The Cave. It's Freezerburn!
Lyrics from Redo: "Maybe if we find a way to keep our courage, lighting the spark we've hidden inside our hearts- we can restart. Redo."
Stay dandy,
~Toto