Of all the things that Weiss regretted doing in her life, using the intercom outside the door of the Schnee Mansion was the one she felt strongest about immediately afterward. It was too late to turn and run- her borrowed driver had already left the front lot, and an attendant was already on the way. Even if she was to leave, there would be a call. Even if she said she was simply checking in and then left, someone would follow up later.

It was entirely possible that security would follow her, given Jacques' feelings toward his daughter.

As the door opened, though, and a bald, smartly dressed man with a bushy mustache opened the door, Weiss' trepidation evaporated as quickly as it had manifested. Her anxious expression turned into a genuine smile, and she rushed forward to throw herself into a hug.

"Klein!" Weiss exclaimed, squeezing the man tightly and taking a deep breath in of the man's cologne.

It was a scent she had grown used to in her years living in the mansion before Beacon, and one that had always brought her comfort. There was a myriad of other scents all about the premises that filled Weiss with nothing but dread, and she knew that at least those of dust and alcohol would be prevalent in her near future. Savoring the moment was practically the only thing that kept he emboldened and on track, though she did have one last trick in mind if she needed it.

"Weiss," Klein replied as he returned the intimate gesture. "Welcome home, heiress."

"Heiress?" Weiss asked as she pulled back from the embrace. "But…"

"But nothing, my dear," Klein replied as he clasped his hands behind his back. "With your father missing and… no one else here fit to run the company, I see no reason why you wouldn't be taking over at least temporarily. Everyone still here is more than willing to rally behind you. I've had some… interesting discussions with the rest of the staff, these past few months."

"About that," Weiss said as she raised a brow. "Did F-… did he ever find out that you helped me to escape…?"

"He has his suspicions, but they hardly matter now," Klein replied, his mischievous smirk barely visible beneath his mustache. "I've been taking care of myself and the young master while you were away. I hear you've been meeting him where and when you can. It's much appreciated, and I am thrilled that you never gave up on him."

"It was tempting," Weiss admitted. "But… Whitley has potential. He's coming around, and now, the three of us are all on the same page and working together for the good of everyone. One more question, Klein- how are you so calm? You do know of everything going on, with Salem, Ironwood…"

"I do, yes," the man confirmed with a short nod. "But I also know that you've always had an uncanny knack for solving problems and resolving situations that seemed impossible to navigate, and seeing you here now puts my mind at ease. If I can trust anyone to figure out a way to get us all through this storm, it would be you and Winter."

Weiss couldn't help but blush at the vote of confidence, and a burgeoning sense of pride filled her with warmth. She could tell that her former caretaker and mentor meant what he said. Hearing it come from him almost made her begin to believe it herself.

"I'll… certainly do my best," Weiss offered. "But I make no promises."

"I'm sure you'll succeed, all the same," Klein reassured. "That being said, while it's lovely to see you again… what brings you by? Given your surprise at the title of 'heiress', I somewhat doubt that you came to take the reins of the company today. From what I've heard, you've been quite busy at Atlas Academy…"

"Actually… I did come to take over," Weiss said sheepishly as she eyed the stonework in front of the door for a moment. Slowly, she traced her eyes back to meet Klein's. "Which means confronting… her."

Quite suddenly, Klein's eyes shifted to a deep, somber blue. The inflection of his voice changed entirely, making his words sound almost heavy as they left his mouth.

"…I see," he said slowly. "Would you happen to have a plan for this impromptu meeting? She is currently temporarily in control, in a technical sense… though she may not even be aware of you sweeping the company out from under her, all things considered…"

"There is no plan," Weiss admitted as she shifted uncomfortably in place. "I'm just going to go out into the garden and speak my mind. Whether or not she listens… I'm coming out on top."

"She hasn't been in the garden, the past few days," Klein warned, his eyes shifting back to their usual brown. "The occasional protestor or group of them has started showing up outside the manor, and I fear that such a thing will only become more common in the coming days. Being alone outside on the grounds may not be safe for much longer."

"Then where is she?" Weiss asked, already growing annoyed.

"The office," Klein said with a wary look. "His office."

"…right," Weiss said, deflating a bit at the thought of the oncoming confrontation taking place in her least favorite room in the mansion. "That… makes sense."

"Don't let her intimidate you," Klein advised as he walked into the lobby proper, beckoning Weiss to follow him. "She may have the home field advantage here in some ways, but you have the advantage of knowing and being willing to do what's right. She doesn't want to be in charge any more than you do… but only one of you would step up to actually do what needs to be done. Prove to her that you will, and it should be easy enough to wrest control away until Jacques returns."

"Right," Weiss agreed, rubbing her arm as she closed the door behind herself. "Thank you, Klein. Your advice has always been invaluable."

"And it will always be here when you desire it," the man returned as he opened his arms once again.

"One day, I'll make it up to you," Weiss promised as she walked into a second hug. One last whiff of the man's cologne did a poor job of settling the butterflies in her stomach, but it was something, at least. "Just let me know what I can do."

"This," Klein replied. "Succeed at this, and we'll all be in a much better place."

"You're not wrong," Weiss agreed as she broke contact. "Though… I might head to the garden for a moment, before seeing her. There's something I need to do."

"By all means," Klein said with an outstretched hand. "Do visit before you leave for the night."

"I will," Weiss assured as she began to walk down one of the many familiar halls of the establishment. "See you soon."

"And lift up?"

Raven did as instructed, rolling her shoulder slightly as the stump of her arm rose. She watched as Marrow leaned in, taking a few notes on a tablet as he inspected the wound. The skin had mostly healed over and closed upon the point of severance, and Raven could no longer feel the pain on account of the cocktail of drugs she had been placed on. Even so… she could almost feel her arm still there, and even the simple act of raising the rest of it left her unbalanced.

"How's it looking?"

"Well, it's a missing limb, so… not great," Marrow admitted as he gently touched underneath the stump with a hand. "But all things considered… better than it could be. How's it feeling?"

"About the same," the Maiden admitted with a sigh. "I just don't want to be out of commission for too long. Being relegated to a glorified doorway isn't exactly what I want, either, but I'll do what's necessary to keep us all alive."

"And we're going to need you," Marrow admitted as he set the tablet down on a nearby table. "All of us have a part to play, and a lot of us have been cast in roles we don't exactly love…"

"Speaking of, how's Weiss doing?" Raven asked as she lowered her arm, bracing the other into the thin mattress of the hospital bed below her. "I heard she's on the Atlas Council now."

"Yeah, she's…" Marrow hesitated, trying to find the words. "…pushing through. Forcing herself to keep going and leaning on me between all of the madness. I'm more than happy to prop her up and try to take care of all of you as best I can, including my family. They're up here now, too, and keeping them calm is… a challenge."

"You do it all well," Raven praised. "And I don't mean that as hollow praise. We haven't talked much, sure, but this is one of the least terrible hospital visits I've had, thanks to you. I'm not a fan, typically."

"Entirely understandable. I'm not even a fan of hospitals," Marrow reassured. Slowly, his expression changed to something less comforting and more uncomfortable, as though he wasn't confident in what he was about to say… or perhaps as though he wasn't sure he should say it at all. "And… listen, I've heard some things about you, and I th-"

"It's fine," Raven interrupted, raising her other hand. "You don't need to try to make me feel better about how I got here. I regret some of it. I'll defend some of it. But overall… there was a better way. There were a lot of better ways, and some of the things I've done have caused damage that can't be repaired. I've hurt the people I care about in order to protect myself, and I didn't see that that wasn't what I ended up doing. If you want to make me feel better, then learn from my mistakes."

Marrow gave the woman his full attention, putting down the medical tool he had picked up from the nearby countertop.

"…I want to make you feel welcome," Marrow explained. "Like you belong with us, and like we're willing to trust you, so that you'll trust us. Nothing has ever been more serious than the situation we're in right now, and we're going to need to be as close as kin to survive."

"Then listen to what I said," Raven doubled down. "There is nothing more important than family… and you get to choose who gets that label. Be there for them. Listen to them. Let them in, just like they let you in. It sounds to me like yours is pretty large, so… prioritize the ones that need you most in the moment. The people who are standing on their own two feet can and will wait for you to come back around. I shut mine out and made a lot of mistakes with them. I'd give anything to have STRQ back as it was."

"STRQ was your family?" Marrow asked. "You were all… that close?"

Raven looked off to the side, staring at a chart showing the separated and labeled anatomy of a knee. She absorbed none of the information, barely even registering what she was looking at.

"…once. The Aces are part of yours, aren't they?"

"I'd say so, yes," Marrow agreed, folding his arms across his chest defensively. "I've… tried to take care of them as best as I can and get them to feel the same way, but… I haven't always been successful."

"But you've tried," Raven encouraged. "That's more than I can say for some people. If you really want us to be 'close as kin', then run through your 'family' in your mind and think about who needs you most right now. I'll be alright for today, at the very least. Don't worry about me. Go and do what you need to do."

It didn't take long for Marrow to realize who needed him most in the moment. Others wouldn't understand his choice, and might potentially judge him for it… but he had the distinct feeling that Raven would get it. He gave her a nod of appreciation.

"…alright… but call me if you need me."

"Will do," Raven agreed as she slipped off the bed. "See you soon."

Marrow turned, taking out his scroll as he left the room. It was a call he was looking forward to making… and one he needed for himself, as well.

Author's Note:

Next week- a direct continuation.

-RD