Weiss walked into the kitchen, glanced at the clock hanging above the fireplace, and frowned.
"What're you still doing here?" she asked, startling the young woman so much that she nearly dropped the plate in her hands. "Shouldn't you be home already?" Weiss added while grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.
"Oh, yes, but I'm just cleaning up." Shelly motioned to the dishes from dinner that had yet to make it into the dishwasher.
"I'll do that." Shelly's eyes widened, but she backed up when Weiss shooed her away from the counter. "Get out of here before it gets late. I'm sure you wake up at an ungodly hour to start baking."
Ignoring Shelly's stunned expression, Weiss grabbed a plate and set it in the dishwasher. When she reached for a second one, she arched her brow at the young woman and said, "You're still here?"
Finally, Shelly smiled and backed away.
"Thanks, Weiss."
Weiss waved Shelly out of the kitchen and focused on loading the rest of the dishes into the dishwasher. She hadn't planned on cleaning up after dinner, but she also had nothing else to do so might as well help. Why were their employees staying so late anyway? Didn't most people want to be home at a decent hour to spend time with their families?
"What's up, Weiss?" Whitley strolled into the kitchen then stopped and laughed. "Are you doing the dishes?"
"I'm putting them in the dishwasher," she corrected.
"You know how to use a dishwasher?"
"I do, actually. Do you?" His mouth fell open, so she smirked and returned to the task at hand. "It's not rocket science," she continued. "Put the dishes in, add soap, press start." After searching for their soap, which she found under the sink, she did exactly that and smiled when the machine spurred to life. "See? Easy."
While Whitley stared at her like she had three heads, she grabbed her water and left the kitchen. Of course, that prompted him to chase after her.
"Who are you?" he teased. "And what're you even doing here? Shouldn't you be out boinking your girlfriend?"
"'Boinking?'"
"Trying something new." He shrugged and wrinkled his nose. "It doesn't sound as good."
"It really doesn't," Weiss agreed as they headed to the entryway. "Ruby's at work anyway. Apparently, the SWAT team's schedule is even worse than patrol's."
"But it's super badass that she's on the SWAT team."
"She is badass." Weiss paused near the stairs and smiled thinking about Ruby, but a frown soon followed. "Of course, I hate that she decided to put herself in the most dangerous situations possible. Why couldn't she just sit at a desk or something? I'd only have to worry about her getting papercuts."
"Then you'd think she's boring."
"I would not," Weiss argued before hesitating. "But I guess she'd have less of a badass vibe then…and maybe she wouldn't be in such incredible shape…or as…assertive…"
When Weiss trailed off, Whitley wrinkled his nose.
"Do I even want to know what you mean by that?"
"Probably not," she replied, so he laughed and nodded.
"I want to meet her though. This weekend? We can get dinner!"
"Why are you so determined to meet her?"
"Because I want to see what kind of person makes you all mushy." He grinned and poked her side, so she rolled her eyes. "You don't want me to meet her or something?"
"I do, but she works a lot. Whenever she's not, I'd rather be 'boinking' her than playing 'meet the family.'" As soon as he clasped his hands together and let his soft blue eyes do that stupid shimmering thing they did, she sighed and added, "Fine. I'll see what I can do."
While he celebrated, she rolled her eyes and grumbled about his puppy dog eyes under her breath. Between him and Ruby's insufferably cute pleading face, she had two giant weaknesses who she could never say no to.
One person that she had zero qualms turning down strode into the house then, but seeing Henry didn't fill her with as much rage as it once did. If anything, she frowned not because of him but because of the three men accompanying him, whose weapons remained holstered at their hips. She turned her nose up at them because she had to, but Henry responded with an oblivious grin.
"Hey, Champ!" He offered Whitley a high-five and Whitley, being a far better person than Weiss, reluctantly obliged. "We should hang out sometime. I know a cool place - you're old enough to drink, right?"
Whitley and Weiss rolled their eyes in unison.
"What're you doing here so late?" Weiss interrupted so that Whitley wasn't roped into that 'date.'
"Sorry, is it past your bedtime?" Now Weiss scowled, but Henry grinned. "And we've got an important meeting. Bet you wish you knew what it was."
"I honestly couldn't care less."
"Oh, I think you'll care. I think you'll care a lot."
When Henry laughed, infuriatingly smug about something, Weiss exchanged a confused glance with Whitley before frowning. Henry wanted her to ask what was going on so that he could hold the information over her and ultimately not tell her, so she didn't bother asking.
"I've been meaning to ask," Henry continued when she didn't bite. "How's your girlfriend?"
Her jaw snapped shut and she very nearly robbed him of the ability to have children. Instead, she smiled and said, "She's great, actually. She's already back at work, kicking ass. It could've been much worse - for you, especially."
Grin disappearing, Henry managed only a lackluster, "Oh."
"I have to thank you, too," Weiss continued, causing him straight-up confusion now. "If you hadn't been dumb enough to have one of these idiots take a shot at her, it might've taken longer for me to make things right with her. But she's fine and we're fine, so I guess I don't have to kill you after all."
"Yeah? Well…good! Hopefully, she'll still want you when the Schnees are no longer top dog around here." Weiss frowned and tilted her head at the remark, but Henry just huffed and motioned his guards after him. "Come on, guys. We have more important business to attend to."
Weiss rolled her eyes, but her frown returned when three more men entered the house. They were also armed, and they nodded to Henry before joining him on their trek to the corrupt side of the mansion.
"That's a lot of muscle, right?" Whitley whispered as the group left.
"It must actually be an important meeting." Her brow remained furrowed until she noticed her brother's unease, at which point she nudged his shoulder. "You know Dad though. He's probably got three times as many guns ready."
When Whitley finally relaxed and smiled, she motioned upstairs and added, "Don't you have homework or something?"
"Yeah, yeah…" he grumbled, but he only set one foot on the stairs before turning around and adding, "Tell Ruby I said 'hi' though. And I can't wait to meet her this weekend."
"Maybe this weekend!" she corrected as he grinned and jogged upstairs to his room. She shook her head, but her heart warmed at the thought of him and Ruby finally sharing the same space at the same time.
Now, the only problem was finding a good time that didn't infringe on her and Ruby's alone time. Maybe Ruby could take some days off of work…then Weiss wouldn't feel bad about sharing a few hours. Of course, if Ruby took time off of work, they could also go somewhere together. Somewhere outside of Vale. A beach, maybe.
Daydreaming about lounging on a beach in their bikinis - a private beach, hopefully - Weiss headed upstairs. She hardly made it to the landing before the front door opened and two more strangers followed the others, so she frowned and went to the upstairs balcony looking out over the courtyard.
Apparently, she should have asked Henry what was happening. Three SUVs were parked at the top of the drive and a fourth had just pulled up. Several people loitered around the vehicles, talking to each other or standing guard. Which family they worked for was impossible to tell from here - they all looked like standard goons with guns - but palpable tension rested in their shoulders and the glances they cast each other. The only explanation she could come up with was that a large amount of money or 'merchandise' was about to exchange hands. Hopefully safely, and hopefully without police involvement.
Dwelling on the meeting taking place nearby, she went to her room and relaxed in one of the oversized armchairs. Her phone jumped into her hand now that she was alone, and she thought nothing of sending a quick, 'How's work?' text to Ruby.
Ruby didn't respond right away, so Weiss browsed the news while waiting for Ruby to either check her phone or reach a lull at work. When Weiss' phone eventually buzzed, she immediately read the message.
'SLOW,' Ruby wrote in all caps, making Weiss smile just imagining how bored she must be. Ruby quickly followed up with two more messages though - a heartwarming 'Can't wait to see you,' before asking 'How're you doing?'
Clearly, Ruby had time to talk - or text, at least - so Weiss settled further into the seat and didn't bother masking the small smile ever-present on her lips. She typed 'Can't wait to see you either' before erasing it, then shaking her head, retyping it, and hitting send.
'Dad's having some big meeting with the Marigolds,' she added before Ruby commented on the mushy admission. Remembering the men and women eyeing each other outside, she added, 'I don't know what's up, but it's making me a little nervous. Everyone's really tense.'
She had just sent the message when Henry strolled into her room.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she snapped, shooting to her feet and pointing to the door. "Get the fuck out."
Ignoring her, he studied her bedroom before humming to himself and saying, "I always thought it'd be pink."
"You thought wrong. Now get the fuck out."
Alarm trickled into her veins when he motioned a burly man into the room after him. "Sorry, no can do," he explained as the heavy-set man crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Congratulations though! You've been invited to join the meeting."
"Fuck you," Weiss spit out, so he rolled his eyes.
"Ok, fine. You're coming with us anyway."
"Like hell I am."
When Weiss crossed her arms over her chest and glared at them, Henry's grin widened.
"Oh, please let us make you. I'm sure Vic can carry you like a feather. Right, Vic?"
He turned to the man, who dipped his chin and cracked his massive knuckles, before turning back to Weiss with an eager expression. Weiss eyed the gun holstered at Vic's hip, then his muscular arms, as her pulse crept higher. Barging into her room was one thing. Barging in here with someone who could force her to leave was a very different - and potentially very bad - thing.
But she wasn't going anywhere without first scowling at Henry.
"You really are a dickless bastard, aren't you."
"Yeah, but I'm a dickless bastard who - wait. I'm not a -" Tongue-tied, Henry stomped his foot and pointed to the door. "Just get downstairs."
Seeing no other option, Weiss squared her jaw and stormed past him, only for him to snatch her phone from her hand.
"Hey -!"
"You won't be needing this." He clicked the unlock button but, when the device asked for a passcode, tossed it onto the desk. "Now, come on."
When he lightly pushed her toward the door, she clenched her fists and restrained herself from decking him in the face. She headed calmly toward the stairs, but that trickle of alarm became a stream when another large man shoved Whitley out of his room.
"Whitley," she called out, drawing her brother's terrified eyes as she grabbed his hand.
"What's going on?"
"I don't know. Just do what they say for now."
After glaring at Henry, Weiss stuck close to Whitley's side as they went downstairs. Two men with rifles in hand stood on either side of the door. Their fierce gazes locked onto her and Whitley as they were led to the other side of the house. They passed several empty rooms before reaching another set of guards standing outside one of the larger, nicer living rooms.
"Here we are," Henry proclaimed, shoving the doors open with both hands and grandly ushering them inside. Weiss only needed one glance at the scene beyond for the stream of alarm to become a raging river.
Her father sat in one of the large armchairs as if presiding over this meeting, but the two armed men on either side of him, along with his deep scowl, suggested otherwise. His own guards - the ones he paid for loyalty - knelt along the wall behind him, hands zip-tied behind their backs. A well-dressed man who Weiss didn't recognize stood in the center of the room. He had an imposing presence, with a permanent scowl and piercing eyes that seemed to dismiss everyone with a single glance. Though unarmed, he commanded the room with his aura alone.
"Hey Dad!" Henry called out. Weiss' heart dropped when that sharp gaze locked onto them. "This one's Weiss," Henry explained, lightly shoving her in front of the large windows looking out over the backyard. "Told you she's only average looking."
The insult meant nothing compared to Henry's dad - Charles fucking Marigold himself - standing in her living room. She had always dismissed the stories of his vicious tendencies as nothing more than inflated, boisterous fantasies. Considering the current situation, she now feared that those bloody tales held more than a kernel of truth.
That worry doubled when her mom was escorted in a moment later. Her blue eyes were frantic and wide as she was led over to them by the windows, and she touched both of their cheeks while searching them for injuries.
"Are you ok?" she asked Weiss, turning to Whitley before hearing an answer. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?"
"We're fine, Mom," Whitley replied while Weiss glanced at the door.
"Is Winter with Robyn?" she whispered to Whitley.
"I don't know…I think so?"
A small ray of hope sparked in Weiss' chest, but it was extinguished when two more men escorted Winter into the room seconds later. Winter's gaze quickly found Weiss', and her blue eyes filled with disappointment matching the crushing heartbreak rushing through Weiss' bones.
They were all here. Every single one of them. And this was quickly shaping into an experience they wouldn't want to share.
"Weiss…" Whitley whispered, his voice trembling as Winter was forced to stand beside him.
"It'll be alright," Weiss assured him, squeezing his hand even though she couldn't feel her typical confidence. Logically, she knew that this situation was bad, possibly catastrophic.
Her father told her that sometimes they had to do things, even things they didn't want to do, for the good of the family. She had always twisted that for her own goals - doing what she could to free herself from his clutches while keeping Winter and Whitley safe. But now…had she killed them all by rejecting Henry and then humiliating him?
She glanced at Henry, who rocked back and forth on his feet while his father spoke with one of the other men. The guard beside Henry caught her glance, however, and leveled her with an angry glare that made her squint in recognition.
"Didn't I shoot you?" When his scowl deepened, she clicked her tongue and turned to Henry. "You really are a pathetic piece of shit, Henry. You sent your own guys after me so you could play hero?"
"That was -" Henry glanced at his dad before lowering his voice. "That was my dad's idea. I thought it was dumb."
"Then we actually agree on something."
"Henry," Charles Marigold said. Henry's back instantly went ramrod straight - Weiss was surprised he didn't salute before joining his father in the center of the room.
"Told you I could get them all here at once," Henry boasted, though his usually 'charming' smile looked far more afraid. "Girlfriend's at a work event," he explained, pointing at Winter before moving to Weiss, then Whitley, then their mother and adding, "Girlfriend's stuck at the department, doesn't have class, and canceled plans with her book club since they banned wine."
Henry beamed, but Weiss stared in dumbfounded disbelief that he knew their lives and schedules so well. Apparently, he spent all that time loitering around the house getting to know them. And they just…let him. Because what was he going to do with that information? He was just a stupid, harmless idiot.
His father, however, was not.
"Good," Charles remarked. The small praise lit Henry up like a spotlight, but his father had already turned away. "Let's get started then."
"What's this about, Charles?" Weiss' father asked, annoyance lacing his tone despite his position.
"They said it's over there," Henry cut in, pointing at the wall. "Behind that painting."
"You know exactly what this is about, Jacques." Charles motioned for two of his men to remove the painting. They lifted it from its hangers and set it aside, revealing a thin square etched into the wall behind it. "Why don't you open this for us?"
Weiss' father clenched his jaw, but his choice was taken away when a burly man holding a rifle motioned for him to get up. He tugged his suit jacket straight as soon as he was standing, maintaining an aura of poise as he went over to the wall. There, he pulled a small key from one of his inner pockets and fit it into a nearly indistinguishable hole. That unlocked a small panel where he entered a combination, then pressed his thumb to a scanner, then stepped aside as the panel turned green.
As the false wall swung open to reveal a safe built into the house, Weiss strained her neck to see what was inside. Charles Marigold began removing the contents but, rather than shove everything into a bag to be absconded with, he opened every box or file before tossing it onto the floor behind him. Jewelry boxes containing necklaces, earrings, and rings. Banded stacks of cash. Files filled with paper, which were leafed through before unceremoniously discarded. As every subsequent item was rejected with more frustration and anger, Weiss' worry grew.
"This isn't it," Charles concluded in a growl, the safe empty and the floor covered in valuables.
"But this is the only one the staff talk about!" Henry protested. His father, however, tsked and shook his head.
"Then you failed again, Henry." The condescending tone wasn't even directed at Weiss, yet her jaw locked together. "Not to worry though," Charles continued. "I knew this would happen. Now, I can show you the proper way to get this done."
Before anyone could wonder what that meant, he pulled a gun from the holster tucked under his jacket and pointed it at Weiss' father. Weiss' heart immediately stopped - the rest of her family's must have, too - but Charles Marigold was undaunted by resorting to violence.
"You have another one hidden somewhere," he stated calmly. "Tell me where it is."
"I don't have -" The entire room flinched when Charles fired a shot into the ceiling, the sound echoing in Weiss' ears as plaster and drywall sprinkled to the floor. Her father took a deep breath and tried again.
"This is the only one."
"Well, that can't be true," Charles replied, his voice dripping in sarcasm. "Maybe you just need help remembering." As soon as that heartless gaze flitted to Weiss and her family, unfiltered fear raced through her veins.
"How about this…" A sneer pulled at his lips as he turned back to Weiss' father. "For every minute you can't remember, we'll reduce the number of mouths you have to feed."
The room fell silent and Weiss' blood ran cold at the calm, no-nonsense threat. Whitley's hand grew clammier, or maybe that was her own hand now that the situation had worsened. Henry's eyes, however, widened.
"Wait. You mean, like, kill them?"
Charles Marigold reserved another patronizing smile for his son while handing over the gun.
"Of course, Henry. Why don't you do the honors? You can even pick who goes first."
Henry stared at the weapon and only took it after his father prompted him a second time. He swallowed thickly while turning around, looking like a lost puppy and holding the weapon as if it might blow up in his hands. His gaze flitted from Weiss to Whitley to Winter to their mom and back again, wild and confused and scared. As soon as his gaze landed on Whitley, however, Weiss stepped forward.
"Don't you dare point that at him," she snapped. "You know I'm the one you'd rather shoot, fuckface."
Henry blinked, but his father smirked.
"Quite the mouth on her," he commented before turning to her father. "Still can't remember anything?"
Weiss' father stared at her, and she could feel him calculating - calculating - whether or not he gave up whatever the hell Mr. Marigold wanted or hoped that she somehow survived. His daughter or his secrets. His daughter or the family.
"This is the only safe," he repeated. Charles clicked his tongue while Weiss clenched her jaw to keep down the bile rising up the back of her throat.
"That's too bad. Henry, shoot her."
"No!" Her mom wailed, lurching forward before one of the men grabbed her and dragged her back. "Jacques, you bastard!" she screamed at her husband. "Just tell him where it is!"
"Be quiet, Willow."
"Seems like your wife knows what I'm referring to," Charles gloated before turning to Weiss' now-weeping mom. "Do you know where it is?"
"No," she sniffled. "He installed it in secret while we were away…"
"Shame." Charles turned away and motioned to Henry. "Go ahead then, son."
"Dad, can't we just, like, keep looking?"
"They'll never take you seriously if you don't act seriously," Charles reprimanded him. "Now shoot her. Once she starts screaming, this will all change."
No way in hell would Weiss scream now. If she was going to die, she would give him the biggest fucking middle finger on the way out. That assumed Henry could even get off a clean shot, which seemed unlikely considering how much his hands shook as he aimed at her. When he swallowed and wiped the back of his hand across his brow, she actually felt sorry for him.
They had more in common than she ever thought. She understood better than most what it was like to have daddy issues - her own father was about to let her die to protect his wealth, after all.
"I didn't realize you wanted to run a bar," she said, the words ridiculous if they were the last she'd ever speak.
"Yeah, well, you were too busy being a stuck-up bitch to ask."
She nodded. Normally, she would fight fire with fire, but she deserved that one.
"You realize that waitress has a crush on you, right?" she asked. His eyes widened.
"Maggie?"
"Yeah, her. She's cute."
"Henry," Mr. Marigold interrupted, his voice stern. "Get on with it."
Henry glanced at his dad before turning back to Weiss. Weiss heard her mom sobbing and Whitley whimpering but didn't dare look away from the barrel aimed at her head. Henry sniffled, and his eyes started shimmering, and his hands shook so much that he might actually miss her and hit someone else.
Ordinarily, she would be livid - who was he to point a gun at her? - but she was just…sad. Sad that he would be the last person she saw. Sad that she might die and her family still wouldn't be safe. Sad that her dad just used her life like a chess piece. Sad that she only just found Ruby and now Ruby would have to deal with something like this. And Ruby would find some way to blame herself, which was both annoying and kind of sweet.
"What do you want to do, Henry?" she asked, her tone approaching genuine sympathy. "Because it looks like you can have your own shitty romcom - the waitress and the barkeep. You can make those stupid pizzaritos."
"Burrizzas," he corrected her. "But pizzaritos sounds better."
She rolled her eyes, and he actually smiled through his tears.
"Regardless, I'll never eat one," she replied. "But that's still an option. Or you can keep being your dad's pretty little whore."
Henry blinked at the phrase.
"Henry."
"Shut up!" he shouted, whirling around and pointing the gun at his father, who nearly stumbled after a hasty step backward. Some of the guards quickly aimed at Henry, but most of them glanced at each other before slowly following suit. "Can you stop rushing me for once?" Henry added. "I told you I didn't want to do this. I told you I didn't want to work with them. I told you I just wanted to work on my bar, but you wouldn't listen!"
"Henry, calm down."
"You calm down!" Henry jabbed the gun at his dad and the guards all flinched. "I'm tired of you telling me what to do. I don't care about your 'empire!' I just wanted a simple life, with a bar, where people can hang out. But no. You wouldn't even let me call it Henry's!"
"You can rename your worthless bar," his father seethed, ignoring the tears streaming down his son's cheeks. "I'm teaching you how to run an actual business -"
"Your business," Henry interrupted. "Your life. Your choices."
"Just put down the gun and we'll talk about it."
Charles' gaze flashed to the side as some of the guards inched around Henry, circling behind him. They would disarm him soon if nothing happened, leaving Weiss desperately searching for an opening or opportunity to get them out of this alive.
A metal canister clinking across the marble floor interrupted everything. Everyone stared as it tumbled inconspicuously to the center of the room, spinning end over end in an almost comically innocent way. As soon as Weiss recognized it, she pulled Whitley to the ground and closed her eyes. A deafening boom and blinding flash of light happened seconds later, the force so powerful that it instantly disoriented and confused her.
The window shattered behind her. All of the windows shattered. The double doors burst open. Black figures poured in from everywhere.
"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" they shouted while streaming across the room. "DROP YOUR WEAPONS! HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!"
Weiss could hardly see or hear, but she picked out Henry in front of her, just as dazed as she was. He dropped the gun and barely started raising his hands before two officers practically dove on top of him, knocking him to the ground and pinning his arms behind his back. More scuffles ensued. Yelps of surprise. Palpable confusion. But no gunfire.
"Clear!" someone eventually called out. Others echoed the word as the chaos ended mere seconds after it began.
With white spots still in her vision and her ears ringing loudly, Weiss hardly spotted the officer sliding to their knees in front of her before they pulled her into a hug. She didn't need to be able to see or hear to immediately recognize the familiar form and faint smell of roses.
"I've got you," Ruby said while Weiss clutched onto her. "You're safe. I've got you."
Ruby probably repeated those reassurances a hundred times before the ringing in Weiss' ears subsided and her breathing returned to normal. Her heart still pounded in her chest as if…well, as if she'd just escaped a near-death experience, but she eventually released her grasp of Ruby and leaned back to look at her.
"Are you ok?" Ruby pulled off her helmet and tossed it aside, leaving her hair a spiky mess, and set her hands on Weiss' cheeks. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?"
Weiss numbly shook her head, her mind still struggling to catch up. "I'm fine," she managed to say, hoping to ease the overwhelming worry in Ruby's silver eyes. "I'm fine," she repeated, feeling more like herself the longer Ruby held her.
Feeling safe in Ruby's arms, she finally looked around the room. SWAT officers swarmed everywhere, with regular officers showing up to add to the fray. Some of Marigold's men were already being led out in handcuffs while others were freed of their restraints. Her family huddled on one of the sofas - her mom and Whitley both openly crying while her dad and Winter looked various degrees of dazed.
"What the hell just happened…" Weiss sighed while slowly standing. Ruby followed her up, a steadying hand on her hip, and she meant to join her family but paused when one of the officers dragged a newly handcuffed Henry to his feet.
"Wait," she said before they led him away. He tensed when she walked over to him but, rather than slap him or nail him between the legs a second time, she hugged him. "I'm sorry I didn't take you seriously," she whispered before pulling away and lightly patting his cheek. "You're an idiot, but you might be a good idiot."
He lit up at the simple praise. With his tear-stained cheeks and genuine smile, he looked nothing like the arrogant trihard she loathed so much.
"Maybe you'll come by the bar sometime?" he asked. "And try the wings?"
"I'll never eat one of those. Maybe a pizzarito though."
When she smiled, he brightened. He then glanced at his dad, who was being led out by an entire team of officers, and his brow furrowed.
"That's the first time I've ever stood up to him," he admitted before looking at her. "It felt really good. You should try it sometime…pretty little whore."
"What'd you just call her," Ruby growled, but Weiss held up a hand and smiled.
"Maybe I will. Until then, I guess you'll be the only brave one."
He beamed as the officer tapped his shoulder and led him out of the room. Weiss watched him go, suddenly conflicted about how much she should hate him, before focusing on her family. Ruby stood a little ways back this time, letting Weiss check on them on her own.
She hugged her mom first - the woman was a sobbing mess with mascara streaming down her cheeks. She clung to Weiss for a long time, apologizing over and over before Weiss eventually extracted herself and hugged Winter next. Winter squeezed her tightly, adding a heartfelt, "I'm glad you're ok," before letting go. She merely nodded at her father, in no mood to talk to him, before kneeling on the floor in front of Whitley.
"Hey," she said gently, setting a hand on his knee while he buried his tears in his hands. "Don't cry on your dumb, expensive shoes. The color will bleed all over the floor."
When he peeked through his fingers and she offered a small smile, he threw himself into her arms with renewed tears. He might be bigger and taller than her now, but he still folded into her like he did when he was just a little boy scared of their father's bullying.
"It's ok," she consoled him, rubbing his back while he got all of the emotion out. "Everything's fine. We're all fine."
Her jaw tightened when she noticed the disdainful look her father sent Whitley's way, but she tramped down that anger and held Ruby's gaze instead. Ruby watched patiently yet attentively, seemingly content to remain anonymous, but Weiss waited for Whitley's tears to slow before saying, "I think I know something that'll cheer you up…want to meet my girlfriend?"
Whitley sniffled again before pulling away with wide eyes.
"She's here?"
"You bet your ass she is." Weiss helped him to his feet and pulled him over to Ruby. "Ruby," she said, reaching for Ruby's hand. "This is my brother, Whitley. He's been wanting to meet you."
"I've wanted to meet you, too," Ruby replied with a friendly smile. "Weiss talks about you all the time."
"She does?"
Weiss rolled her eyes when Whitley looked at her.
"Complaining, mostly."
"Complaining about how awesome you are," Ruby corrected. Whitley beamed at her as if she just touched down from heaven.
"Weiss talks about you all the time, too. Mostly about how hot you are. She'll probably have wet dreams about that for the next few weeks."
"Whitley!" Weiss scolded him while Ruby chuckled and shifted in her tactical gear. "He's not wrong though," she admitted, running her fingers down Ruby's vest. "This looks incredible on you. Kind of makes me want to tear it all off of you…"
Ruby's eyes darkened in that delicious way they had, but they flitted to Whitley before anything happened. Noticing his watchful gaze, she blushed and fidgeted with the rifle strapped at her side.
"Hey, I've used one of those." Whitley pointed at the weapon. "I can hit a bullseye at a hundred meters."
"Get out. That's awesome!" Ruby's enthusiasm was so infectious that Whitley willingly gave her a high-five. "How are you at three hundred meters though?" she asked. His eyes widened as he glanced at Weiss.
"Our range isn't that long…"
"Sounds like I need to get you to a real range and let you test your aim. What do you think?"
"For real?" Whitley asked and, when Ruby nodded, beamed. "That'd be fucking dope."
"You think you're going anywhere without me?" Weiss interrupted.
"I guess Weiss can come, too," Ruby teased before holding a hand in front of her mouth and loudly whispering, "We both know her aim's shit though."
"Fuck you," Weiss snapped while Whitley giggled like that was the funniest thing he had ever heard. The sound wormed its way into her heart as she grabbed the front of Ruby's vest and dragged her into a kiss.
In what universe would she, Weiss Schnee, be kissing a member of the SWAT team in her own living room - in front of her dad, no less? She didn't even care who was watching. She only cared about silently expressing just how much she appreciated Ruby treating her little brother so kindly.
"Ugh," that same annoying little brother interrupted. "If you're going to do that, I'm going to talk to Winter."
"Bye then," Weiss told him before wrapping her arms around Ruby's neck and pulling her closer. He grumbled something under his breath and slunk off, but his tears were nowhere to be found, and that was enough to make Weiss smile against Ruby's lips before dropping back to her heels and beaming up at her.
"What happens now?" she asked, glancing at her parents speaking to the officer who seemed to be in charge.
"They're offering to station officers here for the next few weeks, which I'm guessing your dad will…" Ruby trailed off and frowned when Weiss' dad nodded and kept nodding. "Huh."
"I told you - we have nothing to hide. At least, that's what I was led to believe..." Weiss frowned at that thought before gently turning Ruby's gaze back to hers. "And I meant what are you going to do now?"
"Oh. Well, I'm off the clock as soon as I write up my report, then I'm yours to do whatever you want with." A hint of dark desire returned to Ruby's eyes as she pressed her lips to Weiss' ear and whispered, "But I'm going to need to check your bedroom first. You know, for intruders."
"God yes."
Weiss had already captured Ruby's lips with hers, determined to experience a preview of their evening, when someone cleared their throat. Ruby immediately jumped away, and her cheeks reddened when she found Weiss' father standing beside them.
"Sorry about your windows, Mr. Schnee," she apologized while the tips of her ears flushed, but he waved off the apology.
"A trivial expense." His gaze slid to Weiss before returning to Ruby. "And please call me Jacques." While Ruby nodded, he clasped his hands behind his back and drew himself up to his full height. "Thank you for coming to our aid tonight, and for taking such great care of my daughter." He casually motioned to Weiss. "I'm sure I speak for both of us when I say that you're welcome here any time."
"Oh - well, thank you. I…appreciate that."
Ruby's brow creased as soon as his attention turned to Weiss, who forced a neutral expression as his cold eyes bore into her.
"You handled that situation perfectly. I knew I could count on you."
The best she could offer was a thin smile and slightly clipped, "Thanks, Dad," in return but, thankfully, he nodded and walked away. Her mom glared daggers at him when it looked like he might approach her, so he decided to look at the pile of jewelry and cash on the floor instead.
"Something happened there…" Ruby mused, reading Weiss' posture and expression better than anyone else ever would.
"Something did." Glancing around the room, Weiss added, "But I'll explain later."
Ruby nodded, ever patient and understanding, before standing a little taller as Winter approached them. Weiss nearly sighed - this was exactly the type of 'meet the family' interaction she had hoped to avoid - but couldn't exactly stop her sister from extending a hand to Ruby and saying, "Winter Schnee. You must be Ruby."
"That's me." Ruby shook Winter's hand and offered another welcoming smile. "It's nice to finally meet you. Although I wish it was under better circumstances…"
"Saving someone's life is about the best first impression you can make."
"Oh, well, that wasn't all me." Ruby chuckled and swept her fingers through her short hair before gesturing to the remaining SWAT officers. "That was the whole team, really. I just…did my part."
"I'm under the impression that no one called the police," Winter pointed out and, when Ruby froze, smiled. "I'll let you two get back to it," she added, slyly smiling at Weiss. "I hope we can talk more later."
"Yeah, me too!" Ruby hurriedly added while Winter walked away. Weiss smiled after her sister before turning to Ruby.
"She's right. How did you know?"
"Well, I mean…" As soon as Weiss' brow arched, Ruby blew a breath through her lips and gently picked up Weiss' hands. "I've never, ever heard you be concerned about anything," she admitted. "I mean, you were nearly kidnapped and hardly batted an eye. So if you say something's making you nervous, it has to be terrifying. And as soon as you stopped responding, I knew something was wrong. I told Chief you said there were armed intruders in the house. She authorized use of force right away."
"You…lied for me?"
"I stretched the truth," Ruby restated before squeezing Weiss' hands and staring deep into her eyes. "Because…I guess I realized I'd rather lose my badge than lose you."
Weiss' heart swelled and so many tears pricked at her eyes that she briefly turned away. "Fuck," she breathed out, shaking her head before seeking out Ruby's sincere gaze. "That was fucking romantic. Do you come up with this stuff in advance?"
Rather than tease Weiss for the show of emotion, Ruby brushed her nose against Weiss' cheek. "Nope," she murmured. "Just comes to me whenever I'm with you."
Faced with Ruby's adoring, earnest smile and swept into Ruby's safe, secure embrace, Weiss felt like she could conquer the entire world.
"I love you," she said, the words slipping out easily as she rolled onto the balls of her feet and captured Ruby's lips in a kiss.
Ruby didn't need to say it back in words - she said it in the way her arms wrapped around Weiss and drew their hips together. She said it in the way her fingers grasped the small of Weiss' back and the way she hummed when the kiss deepened. She said it in her kindness, her patience, and her acceptance of Weiss' many, many flaws.
Maybe they weren't meant to be together. Maybe they made no sense. Maybe people who knew them would think this was all an elaborate ploy. A sham. A trick. But Weiss loved Ruby with every fiber of her being, and she would do whatever it took to keep them together.
Fortunately, she was Weiss Schnee. If she put her mind to something, and if Ruby helped her, they could accomplish anything.