Ch 17: Doggie Do, Doggie Don't

"Weisssss! Blaske doesn't want to let Jin come over here anymore! Do somethinggggg," Ruby whined, wrapping around Weiss from her spot on the floor near the couch as Weiss sat on the piece of furniture, her brow raising and mouth turning down in a frown.

Holding her coffee up and out of the way before Ruby could knock it over, she stared with narrowed eyes at the woman wrapped around her waist giving her the most pathetic pleading face, "What do you expect me to do about it!? I can't tell her what to do with her daughter!"

Ruby pouted, giving her best puppy eyes to her wife, "But Weissss. Sterling wants to see his cousin!"

The longer she gave those eyes to Weiss, the weaker the woman's resistance. When Sterling climbed up on the couch and also begged out Jin's name, tugging at her shirt, Weiss caved with a loud heavy sigh, "Fine! I'll see what I can do. Just both of you stop it now! You are both so unfair!"

Ruby smiled and poked Sterling's belly proudly and he giggled. Weiss rubbed her face in defeat, a weary groan escaping her, "Can I please drink my coffee now?"

When she finally pulled her hand away from her own face, Ruby was standing there holding Sterling and leaning over to place a peak on Weiss's cheek before taking Sterling to go play. A blush crossed Weiss's cheeks, a bit caught by surprise at that simple kiss, taking a sip from her coffee as she pulled her scroll out, mumbling after, "That woman, honestly! How dare she use those powers of her adorable face over me."

After a long trade of messages with Blake, Weiss had convinced her to let Jin come over one more time even if Dove was there so long as they kept the kids away from the woods. Weiss found Ruby and Sterling in his room on the floor, the woman laid out on her stomach as Sterling leaned against her with his bear from Qrow, watching the pages as Ruby was reading to him.

Weiss sipped down the last of her coffee watching them before she cleared her throat, both pair of silver eyes looking up at her, "It took a lot of pleading and a promise that if Jin ate any of our walls or furniture we aren't allowed to be upset, but she will be coming spend time with us tomorrow."

Ruby looked at Sterling who looked at her before they both cheered and moved to Weiss, hugging her, Ruby's arms around her shoulders as Sterling copied his mother and hugged around Weiss's leg, "You're the best Princess!"

Weiss rolled her eyes and huffed, "Of course I am. Did you doubt me?"

A kiss to her cheek gave the answer, Sterling copying and kissing her knee with a giggle. Weiss sighed but smiled lightly, "what am I ever going to do with you two?"

Ruby gave a playful smile and leaned to her ear whispering, "I can think of a few things you could do with me."

The younger woman giggled when Weiss's face grew pink. Ruby usually could only make the woman fluster if she surprised her so she greatly enjoyed those moments where she could find the courage in herself to do so, even if it was just harmless teasing with no intent behind it. Weiss cleared her throat again, "Yes well… maybe later. Right now it's time for dinner. I'll go grab Dove, she's been napping long enough."

Ruby watched Weiss escape to a spare room before chuckling, turning to Sterling, "Mommy sure is cute isn't she?"

He nodded before reaching up to Ruby to be picked up, to which she obliged and lifted him to her arms, heading down stairs as Weiss was coming out the room followed by Dove yawning and rubbing her eyes.

—-

The next day while Dove was on the back porch with Sterling rolling a ball back and forth with him, Blake showed up with Jin. Ruby greeted them but seemed confused, glancing around, "Where's Yang?"

As Blake entered she answered, Jin gnawing crazily at a toy in her teeth as she squirmed rapidly to be put down when she recognized where she was, "She took a mission with Coco over in Vacuo. Coco just got back to the field after Velvet had their baby a little while ago. Little bunny faunus just like Velvet but she has an orange tuft of hair and Coco's eyes. Yang has been sending me pictures that Coco has been showing her. Want to see?"

Ruby squealed with excitement and practically ran Blake over, coming close, "OOOOOO show me show me!"

On Blake's scroll were pictures almost like selfies taken by Coco with Velvet and a small bundle looking at the two of them, little bunny ears swooped back, "She's sooo cute!"

Jin ran past Weiss as the woman came inside from the back porch, holding the door open for the little faunus when she saw her struggle to reach for the knob before turning to everyone, "We put a gate on the back porch after last time and it's got a lock on the latch so they should be completely fine outside. If anything happens it'll be because something gets in not because they got out. But we have never had any Grimm come onto the property. And this house has had plenty of negative energy in it before."

Blake seemed to consider it first before she relaxed, "That's fine. Would it be alright if I came back in a bit after I take care of some things and spend time with the two of you while they play?"

Ruby chuckled, but Weiss just smiled, "You don't have to ask Blake. You're family. You are always welcome here whenever you want."

The faunus gave a soft smile before thanking them and heading out. Ruby and Weiss got settled snuggled up in the living room where they could keep an eye out as needed through the window, confident in the secure play area they had set up.

Outside, Dove frowned at Jin when she saw her come out. She didn't want to play with her. She hugged Mr. Feathers and in one arm before smiling meanly at Jin as she watched her gnawing like an animal on the toy, "Look Sterling, Jin has a doggie toy in her mouth!"

Sterling glanced over but Jin's eyes saddened and she slowly took it from her mouth, "I-it's not a dog toy…Mommy says it's for owwie teeth…"

Dove laughed, pointing at it, "It is too for doggies! Are you a doggie Jin? Hey I know! We should play pets and Jin can be the puppy."

Jin's lips puffed in a pout as she stared at the toy, whimpering lightly. Sterling seemed confused. He had never even understood Jin was a faunus to begin with and he remembered when he was teething so he didn't understand. Sure jin's teething toy looked a bit like a toy tire and was a really hard rubber but since he had never had a pet or met a dog in person he didn't understand what Dove meant.

What he did know was that his cousin looked sad and that Dove was the one making her sad. Dove was now making fun of Jin's whimper as if it was only proving her point. From inside a quick glance just looked like the kids were in some sort of task. Sterling got up and walked to Jin, hugging her arm, "You being mean Dove! Say sorry!"

The older child grunted and put her hands on her hips, face scrunched up with anger, "No! She's a doggie! I'm not mean it's true!"

Jin stared at the toy sadly and tried not to cry. Yang had bought it for her and both her parents had gifted it to her with a few others, Blake making her understand it was a toy to make her pain go away. She loved that her parents always tried to help her and always appreciated anything they gave her. She mumbled so low only Sterling heard her, "Mama says I'm a dragon… not a doggie… Mama not a liar…"

Dove still got them to agree to play pets even though they didn't seem to like it. She took the toy from Jin, who protested but held it out of her reach being taller, "I'm going to play with you doggie! Now sit and be good!"

Jin whined but when Dove insisted she sat down like a dog, staring at her toy. Her teeth were already starting to ache miserably again, causing her to whimper. Dove grinned, "Don't cry puppy! If you be good I'll give you a treat!"

Sterling didn't want to play this game seeing Jin unhappy, returning to his ball to play by himself as he watched them. Dove ordered Jin to lay down, roll over, and play dead, all tasks Jin did even though it made her feel really bad. She didn't understand at her age that she felt a feeling of degradation and humiliation, but she knew it wasn't a good feeling. Finally when Dove praised her "pet" Jin whined, trying to grab her toy, "Now give me Dove! It's mine! I need it!"

Dove reached and patted her head like an animal, ignoring her. That was too far though and Jin growled, biting Dove's hand, the girl gave a short yelp and yanked her hand away, luckily not getting any of the sharp teeth, "Don't pet me! I not a doggie!"

Dove had teary eyes, taking the toy and throwing it at the railings of the porch, "Bad doggie! Now you don't get a treat!"

Jin chased after it but was too slow and it rolled over the edge and off into the yard under a set of bushes off to the side. Jin immediately started to cry, her teeth gnashing at a railing on the gate. Sterling was already at the door trying to get to the knob and slapping a hand on the glass.

All the commotion caught the adults' attention and Weiss and Ruby glanced up. As they took in Sterling yelling for them at the door, Jin chewing on the gate, and Dove crying holding her hand, it wasn't hard to tell something had happened. Ruby went to get up but Weiss stopped her, "Better let me. That way Blake can't get mad at you again."

"Good idea…" Ruby agreed but watched from where she was as Weiss went to the door. When she opened it and picked Sterling up, Sterling was trying to tell her what happened but he was a bit all over the place and words rushed. The order of events were mixed making Weiss confused, "Wait, slow down. What happened?"

With Jin busy focusing on trying to get her toy, Dove took the chance to answer, "I was playing with Jin and she bit me!"

Weiss frowned. While Jin had never bit any of the other kids before, mostly just Yang, Blake had told her she was biting on anything and everything right now. Sterling frowned, "You took her toy!"

"We were playing with it!" Dove demanded.

Sterling was frustrated at his lack of ability to convey what he wanted to say and just pouted, his vocabulary limited and his poor conversation skills his enemy here. Weiss set him down and he ran inside, "Mama! Dove's a meanie!"

Dove tried to chase after him, screaming, "No I'm not! Jin's the meanie!"

Weiss stopped her, "Dove. Where is Jin's toy? What did you do with it?"

As she waited for an answer, she glanced at the gate but it didn't seem to be hurting it from what she could tell. Rather than have her bite another kid again, she figured it was fine for now until she could get the toy again. Dove pouted, folding her arms, "I don't know. I gave it back."

Jin growled, charging at Dove, "She did not! She made it go away!"

Weiss picked her up just in time as Dove squealed, "Hey! None of that! We don't fight!"

Weiss looked around but didn't see it anywhere. She figured Dove hid it. Ruby sounded like she was getting Sterling to calm down at least but Dove was still nursing her wounded hand. Weiss felt a bit torn. She sighed, "Jin I am going to put you down if you promise not to bite Dove, ok?"

Jin whimpered but nodded, "Yes Aunt Weiss."

Jin didn't want to actually hurt anyone. She knew biting people was bad. But Dove had been mean to her and done something that made her feel inferior by patting her head. She didn't know the words for her feelings, what they even were or how to express them so she felt she could only accept she was the bad one. Weiss set her down, moving to check on Dove's hand, "Let me see."

Dove reached it out when Weiss knelt down and her aunt took it. There was blood coming from a few fingers, Jin having bit her with full, uncontrolled force and having snagged her with a few of the new sharp teeth. 'Great… Winter is going to be so mad. Way to go Weiss,' she thought as she sighed.

Jin was shrinking into herself, feeling like she was the wrong one, whispering sorry. Weiss wasn't sure with all the different stories from the kids that Dove was completely innocent here but Jin still bit her. Deciding to just let that go and not make anyone feel like they were in trouble, Weiss stood, "Ok. Everything's fine. Dove, let's get you cleaned up then I want you to come back out here and help Jin find her toy that you threw."

When Dove tried to say anything, Weiss stopped her, standing at the door waiting for Dove to come in, "Uhp, I don't want to hear it. I don't know what really happened here and quite frankly, it doesn't matter. Now, let's go young lady."

Once Dove walked inside, Weiss turned to Jin, "Do you want to come in until Dove is done or do you want to look for it while you wait?"

Jin just looked around, voice meek, "I will stay."

Weiss nodded softly and went inside to care for Dove. While they were inside, Jin went back to gnawing the gate and hit a weak spot in the wood and it snapped, breaking enough that she could squeeze her small body through. She glanced back at the door before pushing herself out the gate, going to hunt down her toy.

—-

Inside, Weiss was cleaning up Dove's hand after sitting her on the counter, getting a better look, "Well, you don't need stitches. We will bandage you up and you should be just fine ok?"

Dove nodded, watching Weiss and wincing anytime the wounds were touched, "Do I have to go help?"

The woman frowned at her, giving her a stern look, "Yes. You threw it, you will help find it. It doesn't matter why you threw it, you still did. She needs that toy for her teeth. She is growing in her big girl teeth and it hurts. That toy helps make it better."

Dove frowned, "But it's a doggie toy."

"Stop that. It's not nice to say things like that to or about faunus, you understand me?" Weiss corrected, attempting to put an end to that kind of thinking here and now.

She knew Winter wasn't teaching Dove anything racist or anything of course but children have their own way of understanding things and often draw their conclusions from what they have learned so far. Dove was four and a half, she didn't have much to draw from and the toy did look like toys dogs have even if it wasn't.

"Aunt Weiss, what is a faunus?" Dove asked honestly.

She looked into Dove's two colored eyes and sighed, "A faunus is a person like Blake with an animal part, like ears or a tail or in Jin's case, teeth. There, all done."

She had put the last bandage on, watching Dove's gears turning as she set her down from the counter, "But… if they are animals, why is it bad to call them one?"

'Oh boy,' Weiss thought as she sighed, "They are not animals though, ok? They have an animal part but that doesn't make them not people. It's no different than how some people have two different eyes like you. It makes you different, sure but you are still just a person."

Dove stood there in thought before nodding, "Ok!"

Weiss ushered her to go help look, Blake arriving and coming in right as Dove was heading out the room, Weiss instructing her to go on ahead. Blake watched the girl go with ears flattened like an angry cat, eyes narrowed. Dove let out a squeak and ran off to the back door, going outside to "help" quickly.

Weiss poked Blake in the cheek, breaking the faunus from her stare in surprise, "Stop that Blake. Kids have to be taught to behave. You can't just frighten them into it."

Blake felt like she could argue differently but let it go. Weiss was right in a way she guessed. Ok she knew but still, Jin was her only child and Dove was a problem. Blake had entered the living room and saw Ruby and Sterling with a children's book. It wasn't lost on the mother that her child wasn't in the room but she could see the closed gate and since there were no sounds of distress she let herself relax for now.

The faunus walked over with a smile and poked her nephew's nose, making him giggle, "You know, books are a great way to enjoy something in your own little world where no one can bother you and you can just enjoy your imagination and you time."

He seemed to be in awe at what she had said, staring back at the book as she ruffled his locks, playing with the silvery white hair, "It's getting long. He looks so much like you, Weiss."

Weiss was getting back into a comfortable spot in the room, smiling, "He really does but his eyes totally give away who his Mama is, no denying that."

Her wife was beaming with pride at that though internally she hoped he'd never need to learn what silver eyes do, even if no one knew yet that his were going to be different. Blake and Weiss started up their own conversation while Ruby was teaching Sterling words in the book.

—-

Outside, Dove could see Jin approaching the bush where her toy was, staying on the porch herself and considering what Weiss had said. She didn't think there was anything wrong with being a faunus but Jin seemed to not like it, which only made her hyper aware of something she could use against Jin when the girl made her irritable. Several times now she has had to see the man she figured out was her dad giving this girl attention while he didn't seem to care that she even existed. It really made her burn up and hurt inside and she hated Jin so much for it, not able to rationalize why she was so important to him and not herself.

The bush Jin was approaching twitched suddenly and the girl took a step back at first before frowning and stepping closer, crouching down and seeing the toy under the bush. However before she could grab it, something small picked it up between its teeth. Jin gasped at first but then growled, "Hey! That's mine!"

Dove watched as Jin reached in and yanked out a baby beowulf that had her toy clamped in its jaws. The right thing would be to go get a parent, but Dove didn't care about that. Instead she glanced back to see if any of the adults were even looking and when she confirmed they weren't she watched Jin again, smiling at the exchange.

Jin had the Grimm by the tail and was yanking, "Give that back! Right now you bad doggie!"

It growled back and reached up, swiping its large claws at her and scratched her arm. This hurt of course but made Jin angry. She'd had enough of things taking her toy from her. Frustrated, she tackled it, little fists punching at its boney face, "I said let go!"

When the Grimm finally dropped the toy, Jin's knuckles were bruised and bloody along with her scratched arm. She snatched up the toy, so excited to have it back she didn't notice the Grimm turn and latched its teeth onto her leg. She also didn't notice two more Grimm pups coming out the bush but when she felt the bite, she whined, the Grimm tugging her towards the woods and the other two snapping and scratching at her.

Dove had been enjoying the "dog fight" until Jin started that ear splitting yelp that she hated, gripping her ears, shouting, "Whiny baby!"

Inside, Blake was instantly set off mid conversation as the sound drifted through the window glass. Her eyes constricted and her fangs and claws appeared as she instantly rushed for the door, flying through it and looking around. When her eyes caught sight of Dove, she was a bit surprised not to see Jin near her but still angry once she did see Jin since Dove hadn't bothered to come tell anyone anything.

Blake jumped over the gate and ran over to the mess of little Grimm swarming around Jin who was shouting between yelps, "Mommy! Help!"

Clawed fingers gripped so hard into the neck of two of the pups that they instantly burst into dust, leaving the one with Jin's leg in its teeth remaining. She hissed so aggressively it dropped Jin's leg and tried to back away but Blake had swung her hand down onto it so hard its boney head split in a loud crack and its head was crushed into the earth, destroying it.

Blake then swiftly pulled Jin into her arms and nuzzled her, settling her crying as she walked quickly inside to care for her. Dove was watching, Weiss and Ruby having come out by this point to see what was going on. Ruby managed to come out in time to see the last one crushed and gulped, rubbing the back of her head thinking how that could've been her last time.

Blake couldn't prove Dove had done anything directly to cause this this time so she just fumed internally and stormed past her with the whimpering toddler, getting her to the kitchen to clean her up. Luckily, Jin's squirming must have helped keep them from being able to really dig anything into her and most of it seemed like rough scratches and bite marks but nothing to go to a doctor about.

However, Jin was shaking and gripping at her chest, Blake checking her pulse and feeling that eerie irregular fluctuation that usually came before some portion in her body stopped working. Blake took Jin and not even bothering to say anything as she left quickly to get Jin to the ER quickly before an organ or her heart decided to give up at any moment.

Ruby was already walking back inside so she managed to see Blake leave, but not before she caught a glimpse of Jin's state, able to figure out where Blake was headed and deciding it best not to try to slow her down in any way to say goodbye.

Weiss was staring at Dove outside, frowning deeply, "Dove! Why didn't you come tell us Jin was outside the gate!?"

Dove pouted, "You wanted us to get her toy and it was outside the gate."

The pure irritation that left Weiss's lips in a frustrated groan was palpable, "Then you should have come and told us! I told you this morning no one was to be outside the gate! The whole reason we have the gate is so no one gets hurt! Why didn't you at least come tell us there were Grimm with Jin? You know that is dangerous!"

At this point, Dove was frowning with angry tears at once again being in trouble over Jin, hating how her aunt was fussing at her. She rubbed her face. She didn't understand why everyone else was so ok with Jin and how they didn't see why she didn't like her. She ran inside past Weiss, "you're a big meanie! I want to go home!"

Before Weiss could stop her, she had darted inside and to the guest room she was staying in, slamming the door closed, or doing her best to do so anyway. Weiss came inside pinching the bridge of her nose with a very displeased annoyed expression as she let out a very labored heavy sigh, "I did not sign up for this."

Ruby was holding Sterling, the boy having rushed over to her when Dove came through scared by her tantrum. She looked at Weiss and thought for a moment before a frown settled on her as well, "I wonder…"

Weiss moved her hand and glanced over to Ruby, "Well? Go on what is it?"

Ruby shrugged, "It's just a guess but… Do you think Dove has figured out Qrow is her dad?"

Weiss raised a brow, "She's four, how in the world would she just figure that out?"

Ruby shrugged, "Yea I guess maybe not but I dunno I think she's acting out for some reason. Maybe she has noticed her cousins have two parents with at least one making time for them and she only has Winter who can't be in two places at once?"

Weiss stared off after the closed door and wondered about it. Winter couldn't be two people but who were they to force her into talking to Qrow? Especially not with what they knew and definitely he couldn't be some sort of dad without getting his act together first anyway. Either way it meant little Dove wouldn't get any extra attention from her parents any faster. She knew Winter wasn't going to be too busy forever. It was mostly just a lot right now with the school getting back on its feet and once Dove was a little older Winter intended to bring Dove with her to work everyday. It was all quite a messy situation indeed. She sat with Ruby and Sterling as he pulled the book back over to get Ruby to keep teaching him, "Well… at the moment it can't really be solved instantly. I suppose we could give her some extra attention to help so long as we don't develop a reward response to her bad behavior. I'll talk to Winter. For now, we'll let her be. She'll tire herself out."

—-

Blake had been right of course, used to the tale tell signs by now. She managed to get Jin somewhere in time though and they got her checked in just as her liver and kidneys stopped functioning, or at least they would have had she not acted so quickly. Luckily the staff were able to prevent it just in time but Jin was definitely still worse for wear and they checked her in. Blake tried to call Yang but the blonde either had no signal or it was dead so instead she sent her wife a message with the details.

As Jin weakly nibbled on a popsicle a nurse had given her, Blake brushed her hair from her face, "What processed you to battle with a bundle of Grimm anyway Jin?"

She turned and pulled on the teething toy next to her that Blake had set there, holding it up, the popsicle plopping out her mouth, "The bad puppy took it away. But Mommy and Mama gave this to me it special. He couldn't have it!"

Blake was a bit stunned at first but then smiled softly, "Jin… next time just come get Mommy ok? I'll get it back for you safely."

Jin pouted, hands moving it exaggerated motions in her story, "But mommy I wasn't scared! I beat him up until he gave it back! But than the other bad puppies came and the other bad puppy bited me and knocked me down…"

Blake shook her head a bit, "You are your mother's daughter alright. But please just come get me next time, promise?"

"But… Mommy I…" Jin tried to start saying something but Blake cut her off.

"Promise?" Blake insisted.

The toddler huffed and pouted, folding tiny arms as if mad, "I promise Mommy."

Blake tucked the long loose blonde hair behind a tiny ear and grasped her chin sweetly before letting go, leaning down to kiss her daughter's head as the girl continued to messily eat the popsicle, "Thank you little dragon. That makes Mommy really happy."