Ch 15: Birds Eat Reptiles

Ruby was hanging out with Sterling in the living room while he played with a few toys, sitting with him on the floor and playing with him anytime he handed her a toy. Weiss was in the kitchen getting some lunch ready while Dove sat at the counter with paper and crayons. She would be staying with them for a while as Winter got things ready for Beacon to open.

While Ruby took a toy soldier that Sterling handed over, her mind was abuzz with one real thought. She marched the soldier with Sterling's and made fun voices for the toy that made him giggle. Her mind just watched him. She wanted to talk to Weiss about maybe considering another baby. She already knew Weiss wasn't going to have one. The woman had gotten her uterus removed while Sterling was still an infant, having no desire to go through any of that ordeal again. Plus, their doctor advised her not to as her body just couldn't handle it.

But maybe Ruby could have the next one? Sterling pouted and nudged her, "Mama… why you stop?"

Ruby shook her head and smiled, laughing at herself a bit, "Sorry buddy."

After a while it was in her thoughts again. Was this maybe just weird baby fever? She was getting close to her mid twenties. Was that when this usually happened? Before Sterling could fuss at her again, Weiss called them over. The woman set the toy down and got up, hualing Sterling under her arm while he giggled to the kitchen. She set him down at his sandwich and scooted next to Weiss while she handed Dove a sandwich, giving Weiss a look.

Her wife knew that look. It was the look ruby gave when she was up to something. The older woman sighed unamused and set a plate next to Ruby before grabbing her own, "What?"

Ruby huffed, "I didn't say anything!"

"No, but I can tell you are thinking something. Out with it," Weiss accused, lifting her sandwich to her lips.

Ruby didn't say anything for a moment, feeling embarrassed about it. She didn't know why. Back when they were discussing whether or not to have Sterling Weiss had suggested wanting at least two and that if they wanted they could each birth one. But that was when things all seemed different and nothing bad had happened yet.

She figured that might be why she was nervous. She didn't think it would all happen again but she wasn't sure Weiss still felt that way after everything. In all fairness, they were lucky their son was still even alive so she could understand if the idea was too much anymore.

Weiss was getting impatient. She didn't like to have to pry the thoughts out of Ruby. Her face scrunched in annoyance slightly as she focused on the rest of her lunch. If Ruby didn't want to tell her then fine, it must not be important.

However when Ruby did finally talk it through her so off guard she choked, "I want another baby."

Weiss coughed on the bite she had swallowed without chewing, stunned by the statement. She was definitely not expecting that. Ruby was patting her back apologizing until she was fine again, holding up her hand to get Ruby to stop, "S-say that again? I don't think I heard you right. It sounded like you said you want another baby but I must be hearing things because…"

Ruby cut her off, "N-no that's what I said! But… I understand if that's not something you want anymore…"

Weiss stared at her with a raised brow, "Ruby it's not that I don't want another kid it's just… Sterling is still sick all the time and it's already a handful plus we have signed ourselves up to watch Dove during the weekdays for Winter until she's old enough to go with Winter to work and be able to be left in the office alone for periods of time. Don't you think our hands are pretty full right now?"

Ruby fiddled with her sandwich, picking at a corner of it as she shrugged, "I guess…"

Weiss didn't know what to say really. She just knew right now she wasn't exactly up for adding another human being to the mix while she was already juggling a chronically ill kid and a very strong willed little girl plus Ruby wanted to go back to work she was so restless, "Ruby I… I just don't know… maybe we can talk about this later? I mean any minute now your sister is going to be dropping Jin off so they can go have a date night. I just think this is maybe not the right time to talk about this?"

Ruby shrugged and lifted her abused sandwich, "Don't worry about it Weiss. It's fine. You're right. We have a lot going on. It was a silly thought."

The older woman felt bad at how Ruby deflected her, knowing she was disappointed, but this really was a conversation they should have at a better time than when sitting at lunch with two little kids. Her hand reached out to try to touch Ruby but before it made contact and she could say anything, their door opened with Yang stumbling through with her toddler tugging on her metal arm, biting on it, "Hey! No Biting! Ugh! Blake! Can you do something!"

The faunus walked over hiding a chuckle as she grabbed the toddler using Yang's arm as a teething toy and gripped the back of her neck in that weird scruff-like way and Jin released, jaw going slack like the rest of her. Ruby took their appearance to move away from Weiss, walking over to greet them as Blake set Jin down and her body regained movement. Sterling saw Jin and wiggled from where he was sitting, a hand clenching a part of his sandwich as she rushed over to Jin, tearing it and handing her some before they took off into the living room against Weiss's protests, "No food in the…oh forget it. Hi Blake, Yang."

Yang smirked, giving a wave, "Sorry about that Weiss. didn't mean to cause your lunch to crumble."

No one was amused, Blake lightly punching Yang's arm to get her to stop. Weiss rubbed her face, "Ugh. Well you can just set her stuff down on the counter. Did you remember to pack something to put her in, should you two need the night to yourselves?"

Blake frowned and Yang just forced a laugh that trailed off into a groan, "Yea…. that isn't gonna happen sadly. She is insistent Jin is not staying the night anywhere."

Ruby snickered, poking Yang, "Careful, your tension is showing."

She squirmed when Yang headlocked her and messed up her hair, "Shut your mouth Rubes!"

A flailing hand smacked at Yang's arm over and over as Ruby tried to tap out until Yang finally released her. The younger woman rubbed her neck and gave Yang a glare before Blake nudged Yang, "If we don't go now we will be late."

Yang had gotten them reservations in Vale and tickets to a show. Being a long drive from here, they needed to head out or they weren't going to make the reservations. They told the others goodbye and left. Weiss watched the door close before looking at Dove, "Why don't you go play with the others so I can talk to Aunt Ruby ok?"

Dove made a face at first but then forced a smile and nodded, "Yes Aunt Weiss."

She climbed down off the stool and dragged her paper and a handful of colors with her to the living room. When the two were alone in the kitchen, Ruby avoided looking at Weiss, "I said it was fine Weiss. We don't have to talk about it."

Weiss set her scroll on the counter suddenly, open to a series of messages that Ruby couldn't see from there as her slender finger scrolled down the words lazily reading them to herself before she spoke, "You know Yang has been asking Blake about the same thing lately? Blake and I have been talking about it for days now. In fact, they are going on their date tonight because Yang feels Blake is too stressed out about everything. Blake has been telling me about her fears and about the fight she and Yang had a few nights ago about this very topic. She damn near ripped into Yang she was so annoyed."

Ruby wasn't really surprised. She knew Yang wanted a big family. But she wasn't sure what this had to do with them. Weiss finally looked up from her scroll at Ruby, "I don't want this to turn into a fight later from bottling things up Ruby. So yes, we do need to talk about it. It doesn't have to be right this second but, it clearly needs to be discussed soon, for you anyway."

The younger woman sighed, her voice sounding defeated, "Fine… can we discuss it once Dove goes home in a few days?"

Her wife nodded, "That's fine. Ruby… come here please?"

Ruby was reluctant at first but then shuffled closer, avoiding making eye contact as she stepped next to Weiss. Soft fingers touched her face and Ruby noticed her cheek was wet as Weiss rubbed it off her cheek, "Ruby, please, try not to get too worked up about it before we even have a chance to discuss things ok? Just promise me when we talk you will be honest with me about your feelings and thoughts ok? Don't do that thing you do where you pretend like everything's fine and you're fine with whatever I want."

She could only nod. That didn't exactly make her feel reassured that she was going to get what she wanted but Weiss was being very kind about it all which was already better than she thought she might be so the least Ruby could do was be upfront when they did talk about it.

—-

In the living room, Dove sat with the two younger children watching them play with the little toy soldiers in their own little world and frowned. She looked behind her out a window to the yard and got an idea, running back into the kitchen, "Aunt Weiss! Can we go play in the yard?"

Weiss looked at Ruby before she leaned down and nodded, "Alright but don't go too far from the porch. One of us will come out soon so until then can you watch the little ones with you?"

Dove nodded, smiling. Ruby watched the girl run back and could hear her convincing the others to follow her outside, calling after her, "Dove, do not play any crazy games with your cousins!"

Weiss gave Ruby a look of curiosity and the woman folded her arms, "I don't want him doing anything too active that will make him sick again."

"Ruby that's not…" Weiss had started to try to say something to Ruby about that when the woman walked out the room, "Nope! I'm going to go grab my scroll then I'll keep an eye out for the kids."

She could feel Weiss's glare but ignored it. She didn't want to talk about all that. She had already made up her mind. Now if she could just figure out where she had set her scroll down when she was playing with Sterling.

Outside, Dove walked up to the tree line near the other side of the yard with the two little kids on her heels. Sterling seemed unsure but he followed Jin closely. He knew not to go out to the trees because Ruby had told him no before but Dove said they were playing explorers and Jin seemed to want to go so he had followed.

Dove was looking around for anything she could find that she could make Jin struggle with when they came across a nest of baby nevermore. They were far enough into the trees to have disappeared from sight. Dove knew what Grimm were fairly well. Winter had made sure to teach her as soon as she could. The other two could tell it was bad but they were younger and didn't know yet what the little birds were.

Dove grinned, handing a stick to Jin, "Go poke one! Go on!"

Jin made an unsure face for a moment but this older kid seemed so sure. Sterling was tugging her shirt, yelling at Dove, "I wanna go home!"

Dove folded her arms, "Don't be such a baby Jin! Go poke it!"

Jin frowned, "Not a baby!"

She stomped over to the Grimm and poked the nest. When the small Grimm got annoyed and flew up angrily, Jin dropped the stick and whimpered. They dove for her and she covered her head and screamed as they swarmed and started pecking at her. Dove was laughing, "They don't like you!"

Sterling got scared, "Dove that's mean!"

She just frowned at him, "No! It's true!"

In the house Ruby scratched her head, "Where did I put that thing… Oh well I guess…"

She stepped outside and looked up, "Ok kids what are we pla… kids?!"

She looked around the yard frantically but didn't see them, leaning her head in the door, yelling, "W…Weiss! I don't see the kids!"

She darted back outside before she could get a response, running into the yard to see if maybe they were hiding somewhere when Weiss broke out into the yard, her weapon in her hand as she handed Ruby's to her, "You were supposed to be watching them Ruby! What if they went into the woods!?"

Ruby already felt bad she didn't need Weiss to tell her she had fucked up. She was about to say so when her eyes noticed movement in the trees and a few small nevermore flying off as if startled by something. Her hand shook Weiss's shoulder, getting a frustrated set of words in response before she graded Weiss's chin and pointed her attention at the trees. The two took off for the woods, "Ruby Blake is going to kill you!"

"I wasn't even looking away but for a few minutes how was I supposed to know they would get off to something that fast!?" Ruby protested as they broke through the tree line.

From underneath, it was hard to tell where the nevermore had come from. Ruby was about to say something when Weiss put a finger to her lips, "Shh! Listen."

It took Ruby longer than it had taken Weiss to hear that very unpleasant siren of yelping that told them Jin was trying to get help. Ruby pointed, eyes noticing some movement in some leaves, "There!"

Jin was sitting crouched with her arms still covering her as a few of the nevermore were still flapping around her, clawing at her and pecking her skin. She was releasing the ear splitting yelps and shaking, Dove no longer laughing while she covered her ears, Sterling crying as he gripped his own ears. He grabbed a stick and tried to make the Grimm go away but one swooped on him and he panicked, falling over and coughing.

Suddenly a flash erupted and the Grimm dissolved, Weiss grabbing Jin when the flash from Ruby's eyes wore off. Ruby grabbed Sterling and gripped Dove's arm in her other hand as they got them all out the woods.

When they were clear of the trees and back in their yard, Weiss went straight to the house with the yelping faunus, "I'm going to see if there might be anything in her stuff that will help before I call Blake."

Ruby nodded and knelt down, frowning at Dove, "You were told to stay close! Why would you take them in there!?"

Dove whimpered, acting sorry, "I… I just wanted to be an explorer… I… didn't mean to get anyone hurt…"

Ruby just let out a sigh and stood, "Well you did and you need to apologize right now. You scared Sterling and Jin is really hurt!They are really little, you can't do that again. Now get back in the house. You aren't allowed to play out here without me or Aunt Weiss anymore."

Dove whimpered and did as she was told, mad that she was going to have to say a sorry she did not mean and even more upset that she was in trouble over that annoying girl again. When they got inside, they all grabbed their ears as Jin was yelping though she sounded like she was getting a bit hoarse. Or at least that's what Ruby thought until Jin slumped over against Weiss a few times. Weiss dug around in the bag and her hands found a blanket. She pulled it up. That didn't make sense. Blake didn't want her to stay the night anywhere so why? Than it dawned on Weiss as she wrapped Jin in the blanket, noticing the small faunus grip and sniff it, calming down and the yelping reducing to a mummer.

It didn't stop of course, only Blake could make it stop, but it was very quiet now, more like a whimper as her body jerked with each one. Weiss pulled a corner of the blanket to her nose and even without a faunus nose she could faintly smell Blake's body wash scent on the blanket. Ruby poked her head in, soothing her coughing son, "How the heck did you make that happen?"

Weiss just turned to show the blanket, "It smells like Blake. They must have sent it in cause she needed a nap or something but I think Blake's scent on it helped somehow?"

The woman moved to set Jin on the counter, reaching for a first aid kit as Ruby reached back into the living room and pulled Dove into the kitchen, "Go on and say your sorry. Do it right now."

Dove got cranky and stomped her foot, "I don't wanna! I didn't do anything!"

When even Weiss gave her a frown though Dove pouted and caved, "Fine… I'm sorry!"

Then she ran for the other room, upset. Ruby just let her go, still a bit frustrated with her as she brought Sterling over as well. Weiss was in the process of cleaning Jin up at the time but stopped and reached for something before handing Ruby some of Sterling's medicine before going back to taking care of Jin's cuts and wounds. The seamless manor at which Weiss shifted gears back and forth amazed Ruby and she stared for a bit before snapping out of it and getting Sterling the medicine and holding him until it calmed his coughing. Her wife truly was pretty incredible.

Didn't get Ruby out of any trouble though unfortunately as Weiss frowned, not even looking away from her task as she spoke in her sharp tone, "Don't think this gets you off the hook Ruby. You were supposed to go watch them. Your scroll isn't as important as these children."

Well that was true. It made Ruby feel a bit stupid really now that it was said out loud. Jin's yelping got a tad louder while Weiss cleaned the wounds, "I know, I know it hurts but I have to sweetie. I'm almost done and we can call your Mommy ok?"

That was not something Ruby looked forward to. Not just because she was going to be minced meat when Blake got a hold of her but also because she knew now from Weiss how badly they needed to be able to step away and relax for a while. There was little chance Blake was going to willingly go back out after this regardless of anything Yang could say. 'Way to go Ruby. Yang might just kill you too at this rate,' she scolded herself.

"Weiss, do we have to call Blake? Can't we just tell her when she gets back? I mean why ruin their date when Jin is going to be ok?" Ruby tried to convince Weiss.

But she knew the moment she finished and Weiss's angry cold gaze fell on her that she had suggested something stupid. As Weiss pulled out brightly colored bandages to let Jin pick some in hopes it would help her feel a bit better, Weiss directed her cruel tone at Ruby, her wife shrinking under her assault, "Ruby Rose are you serious!? Absolutely not, that is so irresponsible! How would you feel if Sterling got hurt and no one told you until you picked him up!? It's wrong and you know it! We have to call Blake. Besides it can't be good for Jin to be stuck yelping until god knows when and I'm not interested in possibly being the cause of messing with that safety bond between them either when her mother doesn't come to her calls."

Weiss was right and Ruby knew that, thinking about the roles reversed she would be furious if someone did that with her kid, "Well when you put it that way…"

A scroll was shoved into her chest harshly and she glanced up, meeting Weiss's intense glare, "Call her, now."

"M-me? Oh no. Nope, that sounds like a terrible idea!" Ruby protested.

When Weiss didn't relent, Ruby mumbled under her breath as she dialed Blake, "For someone who loves me you sure are signing my life away to a painful death…"

Jin was bandaged up and Weiss scooped her in her arms to go to sit with her, taking Sterling from Ruby on her other hip as well. Ruby watched Weiss sit in a chair with both toddlers, Sterling cuddled into her side and Jin into the blanket that Weiss tucked her into on her other side while Weiss sighed, Blake's voice snapping Ruby out of her daze, "Ruby? Is everything ok?"

The younger woman rubbed the back of her neck, watching Blake's ears twitch as if she could hear Jin but not make it out, "Hey Blake! Hope the date is going well. So… funny story. See the kids wanted to play outside and I was supposed to be with them but I couldn't find my scroll, which in hindsight sounds silly I know but at the time it…"

Blake's stern voice cut her off, "What happened?"

Ruby fidgetted nervously, Blake only seeming to get more irritated the longer it took to get an answer, "I…sorta wasn't… I wasn't watching them and they all ended up in the woods with some nevermores…BUT but they are fine now!"

"Ruby I swear to god I will wring your neck!" the angry faunus said as Ruby watched her quickly get to her feet, "I am on my way. If there is even a scratch on my baby..."

"Well… there's not one scratch so… "

Yang snatched the scroll as Blake went into an angry frenzy, cursing at Ruby with some very colorful threats, "Ruby you should probably hide before we get there."

The call ended and Ruby whimpered, "She is going to murder me…"

Blake's voice had caused those yelps to rise in volume though thankfully not painful. Still it was an annoying, mind numbing couple of hours listening to it without any stopping it until the front door flung open and nearly glowing amber eyes stared holes into Ruby who took off as Blake tore after her, "Get the hell over here Ruby!"

"No! Blake please I didn't mean it! Mercy! Yang help me!" Ruby cried as Blake cornered her at the couch, one on each side of it as Blake cut off any attempt Ruby had to dart on one side or the other.

"I'm not helping you! You try stopping that!" Yang said, pointing at Blake's crazed looking cat eyes. Ruby faked out to one side then used her semblance to dash the other way and behind Weiss's chair, "Look see she's fine!"

Blake hissed and seethed but Weiss grabbed her arm when she tried to snag Ruby and slid the yelping toddler into her arms to distract her, "Blake here. I think she needs you before all that yelping hurts her throat."

Blake curled Jin in her arms to her chest and the toddler clung to her, instantly going quiet. Ruby whispered thanks to her wife but Weiss frowned, "I didn't do it for you! I did it for Jin. You deserve whatever you get! Our own son was in danger because you were busy looking for a stupid scroll."

Ruby chuckled nervously and fiddled with her fingers, "Yea… look I'm sorry. I honestly thought Dove was going to listen when you told her to stay close with the kids and I was only distracted for like… five minutes."

Blake instantly reacted to that, turning to the little girl who panicked and took off to hide. Before Blake could chase down the child, Yang grabbed hold of her and pulled her off her feet even as she scratched and bit at Yang's arms, "Nope! We aren't doing that Blake! She's a little girl!"

Blake didn't give up and Yang squinted as she looked at the others, "Ok I'm gonna get her..ow! out of here before she chews through AH! fuck Blake that hurts! my arms."