"Hey, dear. Rise and shine. Time to wake up, sleepyhead."

"…Mom?" Ruby slowly opened her eyes to find herself in her bed, still enjoying the softness of her pillow that she held tight in her arms, and the warmth of the morning sun greeted her from her window. She had a good sleep, but she couldn't quite recall how she got to her room to begin with, and she realized that she still wore the same clothes from last night. Yawning, Ruby tried to remember what happened.

"Good morning, sweetheart." Her mother Summer Rose was on Ruby's bed sitting beside her, with a soft smile on her face. "Cale just arrived."

"…what?"

"You were sleeping when he carried you here, and I don't think you even noticed that I was the one who took off your boots. But I clearly heard you say yes when I asked if you could join Cale in touring Patch in the morning, so no backing out from this one. Do you remember now?"

Wait, what? It was right then that the memories of what really happened came rushing back. They were at her father's swing, where Cale confided to her, and where they made a promise… Yes, she vaguely remembered being carried here. And as for being asked? It would be like her mother to request that she accompany Cale around town, and she must have said yes to it. She also recalled Cale's warmth, the emotions she felt, and she smiled at the memory of putting her head on his chest. "Yes, Mom. I remember."

"I don't think you're breaking your promise though, seeing that look of yours." Her mother then paused for a moment, as if trying to gather her thoughts. "Cale's a good boy, and I think he really enjoyed his stay here with us. Might as well let him see his new home in full, right? I figured it would do the both of you some good if you accompanied him around. While there's not much to show him here in Patch, it's a great morning to go outside anyways, don't you think?"

"Please tell him to give me thirty minutes, ok?" Ruby was wide awake now, and she hurried out of her bed. "Thanks for waking me up, Mom. I'll just take a bath, and have breakfast with him outside. We'll just be out for a little while. I'll be back home before lunch."

"I already told him to wait for you, Ruby. But as for me..." Summer paused again, her silence catching Ruby's attention this time; she then stood up to embrace Ruby. "I wanted to wait for you two to come back and spend lunch together, I really did. But Beacon told me this morning that I have to return immediately, and I already finished packing. My ride back to work just arrived, right after Cale did. I have to leave now, sweetheart. I'm sorry."

"…oh." The news stopped Ruby in her tracks. Her mother was supposed to leave later in the evening for her special type of work – a mission about investigating the Grimm strongholds that kept her parents indefinitely within Beacon, prohibiting any form of visit and outside communication – but Ruby should have known better than to expect anything regarding her parents to go smoothly. It was as if life couldn't wait to have her be alone in Patch again. It was a cynical thought, but it sounded just about right. Ruby forced herself to smile. "At least you'll have more work done today, right Mom?"

Summer shook her head. "I'm sorry about us not being there for you for so long, Ruby. We really tried to make time, and after two years it hurts that only I was able to get a day to spend time with you. But things will be different once we're done with our mission. You may not believe me now, but I want you to know that both me and your dad will be back next year, I promise."

Ruby slowly nodded. As much as she longed to be with her family again, Ruby knew that there were issues bigger than herself that needed to be prioritized. She reminded herself that this was also hard on her parents. "It's ok, Mom. I can take care of myself. I know that your jobs are important to protect Vale from the Grimm, and you guys have your reasons for not being here for Yuletide." She recalled how she acted yesterday to her mother, before Cale arrived. "I'm sorry that I didn't handle the news very well. I have to be strong if I want to be a Hunter like you and Dad. I can't get mad just because I don't get what I want, right?"

"Don't be sorry. No one could have handled it better than you." Summer kissed Ruby's forehead, and combed her messy morning hair. "Thank you for understanding our line of work, Ruby. We love you so much. We'll make it up to you someday. As our only child, you deserve so much better than this."

"Thank you." It was all she could really say after everything her mother said. She had heard so many broken promises from her parents. Could they really come back home by next year? When exactly next year? But she couldn't help but hope again. They were her family at the end of the day, and nothing would ever change that. "I love you too, Mom. Please tell Dad the same."

"I will." Summer gave Ruby one more squeeze before letting go. "I'm glad that you got along great with Cale last night, and it's good to see that you've gained a new friend that you can relate to. I think we can both agree that his heart is in the right place, so hang out with him more, and listen to what he has to say about things. I'm sure you'll learn a lot from him, and maybe you can help him heal." Having said that, Summer smiled again. "Go down as soon as you can, alright? Cale and I will be waiting outside."

Ruby watched her mother leave, closing her bedroom door on her way out. Her mother was right about Cale, though Ruby wondered why she chose to keep his past a secret from her nonetheless. Was it because she didn't want her to pity him right from the onset? Ruby's heart ached at the thought of him losing his parents. As lonely as she was, Cale was even more so, and she couldn't turn a blind eye to that. She felt indebted to help him through his pain however she could.

It was time to get ready. Ruby bathed quickly, and soon enough she was clean with a fresh set of clothes, all set for a day on the town. She went out the front door and found Cale standing outside their wooden gate, while her mother was right beside him with her luggage. They seemed to be discussing something before they stopped upon seeing her. A black car, which Ruby knew was her mother's ride back to Beacon, was parked right at the edge of their property, though in contrast Cale had a blue pickup truck right behind him.

"Good morning, Ruby!"

"Good morning, Cale." Ruby smiled as she joined them, and made a quick glance at the truck. It was an old model, but it had its charm, and it looked right at home here in Patch. "Didn't think you'd have one of those kinds of trucks. This looks like it's been places."

"Can't afford to be picky when cash is tight," Cale said. "That truck has seen better days, but it still works, and I can repair whatever falls apart. It was also pretty cheap to get too, so I had to take it. Everything else had to go to my house. Starting a new life costs a lot, but I've always had a knack for tinkering around with things. Hopefully Patch still has room for an aspiring handyman, or at least a farmworker."

"You're teaching yourself how to fix things? That's pretty cool." Ruby recalled her own attempt to fix her leaking sink one time – with disastrous results, of course – and it was a relief that she could count on Cale now to help. It was also good to know how he was handling himself, here in his new life. While Ruby was lucky to receive allowances from her parents every month so she could focus on training, she still appreciated a person's efforts to make ends meet, through their own hard work. "Pretty convenient to have a repairman so close to home. I'll keep that in mind the next time something in the house breaks."

"Great. Feel free to knock on my door anytime."

"I will, don't worry." Ruby realized that it really was a good day to be outside, now that she felt the morning sun. "Thanks for helping me get to my room, by the way. I hope I wasn't too heavy."

"The only thing heavy about you is your sleeping," Cale replied. "It got really cold yesterday, so after a few attempts at waking you up I decided to just carry you to your bed." Suddenly Cale appeared to realize something, and he cleared his throat. "Your mom was watching me the whole time, I swear!"

Ruby giggled. "Hey, it's ok. I've been a sleepyhead ever since I could remember, so I totally understand. You did what you had to do, and I know you have good intentions."

"You've always had," Summer added. "I'm glad that we met you, Cale. I'm really happy to see that you and Ruby are getting along fine like this."

Cale nodded, and from the corner of her eye Ruby spotted the black car slowly come closer to them. It was an effort to stay calm, but she had to do so nonetheless; she had to be strong and look the part. She looked at her mother. "I guess this is goodbye for now, Mom."

"Ruby, I…" Summer herself seemed torn, and her voice was trailing off.

This time Ruby went to embrace her mother, kissing her on the cheek, and showed a confident smile. "Tell Dad I miss him a lot. I'll be waiting for you guys to come back, ok? Tell me when the two of you are free as soon as you can. Don't forget that I'll be a Hunter by then, and I don't want to be the one that can't join because of some mission."

"Oh, Ruby…" Summer sighed, and kissed Ruby's forehead in return. "You take care, alright? Remember everything I told you earlier. Your father and I always be in your heart, and we'll be together again, I promise." With a few light taps on her back, Summer then let go of their hug, and made one last look at Cale. "I'll be leaving now. Please look after of my daughter."

"I will," he said. "I promise."

"You're very kind, Cale. Thank you so much."

The black car stopped upon arriving right next to them, and Summer picked up her luggage to put them into the car's trunk. She looked again at Ruby, one final time. "Goodbye, Ruby. I'll be seeing you. Remember that we'll have your back as well, whether you become a Hunter or not, and we're confident that you'll always do the right thing. You'll do well in life, sweetheart."

"Goodbye, Mom." Ruby said as she and Cale waved farewell. She watched her mother enter the car, and the vehicle soon went on its way back to Beacon Academy. It was as simple as that. Ruby then found herself wondering if she had said the right goodbyes. It had been so long since she last saw her mother that Ruby began doubting whether or not she even made the most of it.

"You ok, Ruby?" Cale finally asked, breaking the silence.

The car had long passed the horizon by now, but Ruby couldn't stop staring blankly at it. "…I just found out when she woke me up."

"I thought she was staying here until the evening too, but I couldn't help but overhear her talk to the driver, and that's when I knew she was being fetched back to Beacon. I'm sorry. I know you would have wanted Summer to stay, but sometimes…"

"…things just don't go the way we want them. So we have to make the best of it, right? But it makes me wonder if I really did…"

"It's alright," Cale said. "I'm sure you did, and your mom too. She wouldn't promise you those things if they didn't have weight to them. I think she knows better than that."

"… I've heard so many broken promises."

"They love you, Ruby. They'll never break that."

Ruby nodded; Cale was right. Her mother's words rang clear in her mind, and it was becoming increasingly hard to just stand there by herself. But Cale was right with her, and now that they were alone… She couldn't take it anymore. With a deep breath, she went to hug Cale, and to her happiness, he hugged her back.

Ruby thought she was going to cry, but strangely enough she didn't. They just remained silent, the two of them in each other's arms. A soft morning breeze passed by, and Ruby felt the same warmth she received from him last night.

"You sure you're ok? I know this is a hard time for you, and I don't want to make it any harder if I can help it. We can go out some other time if you're not in the mood."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I just wanted to be hugged by you, that's all." Ruby's cheeks reddened, surprised by her straightforwardness. But there was no denying it at this point, as memories of what happened yesterday came to mind. Her mother even told Cale to take care of her… She then felt an urge to repay his kindness, and she found herself wondering if now was a good time to tell him what she felt. "…I know this sounds really weird, given how I was the one trying to comfort you. But it looks like I'm the one who needs it more after all."

Cale embraced Ruby tighter in his arms, and the girl fell silent.

"You feel better now?"

Ruby said nothing at first, content at just holding him, but eventually she had to admit it. She nodded in agreement. "Yes, Cale. When you hold me like this, it's like I can almost–"

"Sleep on me?" he said with a chuckle, before finally letting go of their embrace. There was no doubt that he saw her blushing, but he gazed at her eyes instead. "You really like warm things, don't you? Never really thought of myself like that. But if it helps you, then I'm all for it."

"Thank you." Ruby felt as if a huge weight was lifted from her heart. Cale helped her cope with her mother leaving, just as her mother must have intended, and he was likely not even aware of how great his impact was to her. To think that he was the one who lost his parents, and she was the one being comforted… She quickly made up her mind; she should tell him. But first… "I really appreciate you looking out for me like this, Cale. Still, I did promise to be with you while travelling Patch, didn't I? Even if it was my mom's idea, I still want to do it. Besides, I made you promise not to shut yourself off. We can use this time to… You know, just hang out."

Cale then took out his car keys, and spun them around with his finger. He seemed to be thinking of something. "Well, if you still want to continue with this…"

"I'd be happy to show you around. We have all day."

"All day, huh? Sure, why not? Lead the way, Ruby. You know a good place to eat for breakfast?"

"I know a place." Ruby pointed to the straight path that was left of her house, opposite the road her mother took. "We'll be passing by the grocery, but after that comes the pharmacy, then after that are a bunch of small restaurants. There's one there that I think you'll really like."

"Sounds good. But don't tell me what it is until we're there, ok? I want to see it for myself."

Cale opened the passenger seat for Ruby before going to the driver's seat. Having locked everything in their house, she gave him a nod as he started the truck. "Let's go."

He nodded back, and off they went, driving straight through town. Cale's vehicle handled just as old as it looked, but Ruby wasn't the least bit inconvenienced by it. If anything, she was enjoying the ride as they passed by the countryside fields, with the southern wall visible at the horizon. She made a few glances at Cale as he drove, her bangs fluttering in the wind from the open window of his truck.

"Something on your mind?"

Ruby smiled softly. "…it's nothing."

They travelled a fair distance before Ruby pointed to where Cale could park, and showed him the restaurant where they'd be eating breakfast. Cale raised his eyebrows at the sight; he was pleasantly surprised, just as Ruby had hoped. "Thy Burgatory?" he said as they approached. It was a burger joint, complete with cute little devils and the flames of hell. "We don't have one of these at Pharos."

"It's a small business in the grand scheme of things, but it's the biggest one you'll find here in Patch. You seem the type to like burgers though, am I right?"

"Anything to do with meat is fine with me. Yeah, I'm definitely good with this."

"That's nice to hear. Delicious meats that aren't good at all for you? I'm with you on that."

"Wait, you too? No way."

"There's a reason why my mom cooked all that fatty food for both of us last night," Ruby said. "I know I don't look the part, but I promise I'm not pulling your leg here."

They took their seats, being the store's first customers for the day, with Ruby at Cale's right side as they ordered. He ordered their biggest – a pound of beef with bacon, egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mushrooms for breakfast – while Ruby ordered a simpler half pound for herself, and they topped it off with two milkshakes and multiple side orders for the both of them, all to be served at the same time. Cale was naturally surprised at her choice. "You weren't kidding, Ruby. How do you keep your small build like that?"

"I've been like this for as long as I can remember," Ruby said. "It could have something to do with my powers for all I know. Remember when I showed you my Semblance? Can you think of any reason why it gives off rose petals? No other speed boost has that, at least none that I know of. Maybe it needs a lot of calories, I don't know."

"I'm not sure about your Semblance, but I just thought that you'd be the type to indulge in sweets instead… You give off that kind of vibe."

"I don't really crave for sweets." Having a sweet tooth was another thing that people often assumed about her, but she simply didn't have one at all, much to people's disbelief. "A cheesecake's great, of course, and a milkshake is fine too, but other than that…" Ruby's stomach grumbled at the smell of beef being cooked. "Sweets just don't fill me up, I guess."

"You should be after a half pounder. But did you really have to order large gravy fries on top of our own sides as well?"

"I got it for the two of us. But I can finish it all if you don't want any."

Cale chuckled. "That's not really what I meant, Ruby. But it's ok, I get it." Cale raised his hands as if admitting defeat. "Many things about Semblances are still unknown even after the centuries. Maybe it really could be that." He then looked at Ruby, and smiled. "Regardless… You're pretty cute, you know?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, I'm not. Don't change the subject… I'm just a girl, ok?"

"That one's pretty obvious."

"Ugh, you know what I mean." Cale was complimenting her looks now? It sounded so silly, and yet she could feel herself blush. "Let's be real. I don't have long hair, and I'm not sexy or anything like that. You don't have to butter me up like this. I'm just a normal girl, nothing more or less."

"Now that, Ruby… There's a whole lot to talk about," Cale said. "For starters, you have a great body shape, or else I wouldn't be wondering about your eating habits. And what's wrong with your hair? You look good with it, it's the right length for you, and I like the red highlights."

Ruby instinctively touched her neck length hair. Whether to lengthen it or not was often in her mind; all the other girls she knew had longer ones, and she was the one who never got asked out on a date her whole life. Her later desire to become a Hunter dulled her issues about her appearance for the longest time, but now that Cale brought it up… "No guy would say I'm pretty, Cale. And for good reason. I wasn't popular when I was a kid, and I've heard people say that I'm a prude."

"People said that you were… A what now?"

"A prude." Not only was her hair short, but her sensibilities and fashion sense made it uneasy for her to bare her skin too – she was a complete prude in boots, she once heard someone tell her that – and her own awkwardness during her high school days prevented her from boosting her image. Neither standing out in grades or in sports, it seemed that only her color palette saved her from total obscurity. She said as much to Cale, adding, "It's either that, or I'm too plain and boring… A blank canvass with no character whatsoever."

"Is that what you think about yourself?"

Ruby slowly shook her head. Of course she thought herself as being better than that. She was just being realistic; she didn't want Cale to think that she was needy for praise, or that she was an airhead. She just wanted him to think of her in other ways, that she was practical and dependable, like how she wanted her parents to think of her, and she imagined that it would make her desirable in his eyes… Ruby had to stop herself; she felt her cheeks start to redden even more. "…I'm being silly, aren't I?"

"Well… You are a girl after all, and it's a girl thing to do, that's for sure."

Ruby chuckled. "Hey, I'm being serious here. I mean, you're the first boy ever to even say this to me, and I don't know–"

"You're beautiful, Ruby."

Ruby felt Cale put his arm around her, and she couldn't help but smile sheepishly. Only his touch could make her stop her rambling, she realized. Ruby once again recalled their time together yesterday. He was also the first one to be so close to her like this. She wouldn't have it any other way. "…you sure about that?"

Cale looked at Ruby, his copper eyes meeting her silver ones, and they both fell silent.

"Ahem…"

Both Ruby and Cale were startled to find their waitress waiting for them, and the woman laughed as she served them their food. "Sorry to interrupt you two, but your order's complete."

The two quickly separated, and Ruby bowed her head. "Sorry about that, we didn't notice."

"It's alright, kid. It's been a while since you've been here, hasn't it? But who would have thought I'd see the day that you'd come back with a friend?" She had a look that thought of Cale to be more than just that, in which case she would be right. "Anyways, I'll leave you guys be. Welcome back."

The waitress took her leave, and Cale raised his eyebrows. "Sounds like you're a regular here."

"Yeah, that's one way of putting it. My parents used to bring me here to celebrate my birthdays when I was young, and back in my high school days I used to drop by here to eat. I did all that right until my Semblance manifested, and this is the first time I've been here since then. But I still kept their super saver card for kids, if you can believe that. Take a look at this."

"RlyRlyKoolKid?" Cale looked closely at the card Ruby showed him, and he laughed. "Really edgy name there with the K's, Ruby. For a cute girl like you I figured you'd have a cute name too, like berrymix or something."

Ruby rolled her eyes; that name sounded even worse. "I was just a little kid back then, Cale. I didn't think too much about these things."

"Here's my card."

Ruby looked at what Cale took out from his wallet. It was a card just like hers, from another burger store called 'Burgunnery' in Pharos. "Burger McGun, assassin for hire?" It even had ascii art of a face with sunglasses and twin pistols. Ruby imagined just how silly Cale must have been as a child, and she did her best to keep a straight face in between giggles. "You thought yourself a hitman at age 9, and you're telling me that I'm the edgy one?"

Cale had finger guns pointed at Ruby, and fired. "Pew pew."

The spontaneity of it surprised her, and it made her want to play along. So she pretended to be shot, laughing as she did. "Ow! Why are you shooting me?"

"You take that back. I wasn't an edgy little punk when I was a kid, alright? I was cool and mysterious and awesome and everything." But Cale had no better luck than Ruby in keeping a straight face, and soon enough he was laughing along with her. "Ok, I actually wasn't. But does a wild imagination count?"

"At this point, sure. Why not?" She sighed as both of them calmed down from laughing. "You must have been a cute wisecracking little bugger, weren't you?"

"I think we were both little buggers, Ruby. Have you seen your own picture? You were cute then, and look at how beautiful you are now."

"…you're just saying that." Ruby decided on a whim to play with her hair, and that earned her a cute smile from Cale. Now he was just being silly on purpose. She felt herself blushing again though, so she turned to look at their food. They really should be eating right now. But she didn't want to say so just yet, and funnily enough she didn't want him to say it either. She simply went quiet.

"Well, if you're not going to believe me… Then at least believe me when I say this. Thank you again, Ruby, for what you did for me last night." Cale's words were slow and deliberate this time, and Ruby felt his right hand touch her left. It seemed that she wasn't the only one with something to say. She held his hand fast. "It really meant a lot to me. For being here with me and more, thank you so much."

Ruby didn't expect this from Cale either. But this surely had to be the sign she was waiting for. She took a deep breath as she prepared herself. With a gut feeling that now was the right time, she went for it. "Cale, I need to tell you something. When you and I… When we–"

"What about us?"

Ruby looked back at Cale, who was now close enough to hug her, though he seemed to have something else in mind. It was enough to send her heart racing. They once again looked at each other's eyes, and she slowly put her right hand to his chest, feeling his heart pounding just as hard as hers. She then realized was about to happen next, and there was no turning back.

"…come here," Ruby whispered.

Cale then made his move, and slowly their lips found each other for a kiss.

That was the end of rational thought for Ruby, and everything else dulled as her senses focused only on this one special moment. It was only a light, soft kiss, but more than enough to inflame something deep in her, a strong passion that she had only begun to understand. It was such a wonderful feeling to experience, and she enjoyed every moment.

Cale finally broke off their kiss, and tenderly touched her warm cheek upon seeing her yearn for more. "I guess I also had something to say."

Ruby smiled, fully appreciating his caress. She remained quiet, suddenly afraid of jinxing all of this, but she still held his right hand, and expressed her feelings through that instead.

Cale squeezed her hand in return. "I think we'll have better lines to say to each other once we've eaten our fill," he continued. "It's about time to eat anyways. It would be a waste to let our food go cold." He then passed Ruby a fork and spoon, and smiled. "Happy breakfast."

"Happy breakfast," Ruby replied, her voice warm and inviting, also with a smile to match.

An hour later and they had consumed everything they ordered. They also had a good conversation going about their past experiences – Cale's life in Pharos, his brief Hunter life, and Ruby's own life in Patch – among other things.

"You really are something, aren't you Cale?" Ruby said. "A silly little kid like you grew up to be the smartest in school, and you went to become one of the best students Beacon ever had. Your parents must have been very proud of you. They–" She then stopped herself. "I'm sorry, that just slipped out of me."

"It's ok, Ruby. You're right. They were proud." Cale held her hand again, as if to allay her concerns. "But don't make it sound like I'm the only amazing person here. Didn't I tell you not sell yourself short?"

"I'm just some country girl in the backwater of the kingdom, Cale." Realizing that she sounded too much of a downer, Ruby smiled softly. "I've always wanted to be someone like you… Someone that people could depend on. But my school life didn't turn out the way I wanted it, and I guess that's part of what made me agree to living by myself, when my parents had to leave for their mission. I wanted them to know that they could rely on me understanding their position, and with my Semblance having manifested, I thought all I had to do was focus on training, so I could become a Hunter that people could turn to. But I didn't think the loneliness would hurt so bad…"

But Cale had a look to him, Ruby noticed, as if he thought differently; he smiled back. "I thought I could live alone too, Ruby. I thought I was ready for it, having run away from everything that reminded me of my past life. But then I met your mother, and then I met you…" He then put his right arm over her, and held her shoulder with his hand. "And after what you did for me last night, I don't want to go back to living only for myself. Not anymore."

"Cale…" Ruby rested her head on Cale's shoulder. She was happy that Cale reciprocated – she had only met him yesterday, but her feelings for him were real – and it was a comfort that she didn't err in following her emotions, in choosing to express it. This actually gave a whole new meaning to what her mother Summer last said to him. There was no way she could have known this would happen, but Ruby couldn't discount it nonetheless. "It was easy for me to bond with you at first, when you told me you were a Hunter. But it became much more than that when I learned more about you. I began realizing just how alike we are in so many ways, and how I can't help but feel so warm and happy with you around. And when my mother left, the way you comforted me, I promise to be with you, Cale. I'll be there for you whenever you need me. Just don't close yourself off, ok? No one should have to suffer being alone in this world, especially you."

"I'll also be here for you," Cale said, then went on to kiss Ruby's forehead. "I promise."

Ruby was sure her cheeks became as red as they could possibly, but she wouldn't be surprised if she was wrong about even that. She snuggled closer to him as much as she could. "…I thought you might find it weird that I'm saying all this after just meeting you, so I figured I had to explain myself. I just want you to understand where I'm coming from, and why I feel this way."

"You don't need a complicated reason to love someone," Cale said. "It doesn't have to be complicated at all. Saying one's reasons is fine, but as long as the intimacy, passion, and commitment are there, then there's nothing to worry about… One's feelings should take care of the rest. Those are the things that matter in the end. That's what I think."

"I see," Ruby understood the general idea of Cale's words, and she appreciated his take on the matter, feeling more assured that he cared. "That's a nice way of saying it."

"Thanks. I try my best to get into the heart of things, as much as I can. But hey, since we're already talking about these things, I was wondering if you'd want to go out on a… You know, an actual–"

"Aren't we in one already?" It was rhetorical, of course, and Ruby saw Cale's reaction over missing such an obvious thing. She couldn't resist a chuckle. "I'd love to, Cale. And this goes for any future ones as well. Just make sure we don't do any dancing, ok? I'm not much of a fancy pants dancing girl."

"Not even a slow dance?"

Ruby gave it some thought. That actually didn't sound too bad, now that Cale mentioned it. "If it's just hugging and swaying, then I'm ok with it. But that's the only exception."

"I'll remember it," Cale said, and he idly played around with his cutlery. "Dancing aside, this burger place is really good, by the way. We need to go back here sometime."

"I had a feeling you'd say that." It was great to see that this simple burger joint from her youth made Cale happy, and Ruby wanted to see Cale happy. "I'm all good with going back here. Just as long as I'm with you."

"Of course," Cale replied, and the two spent a few more moments together in silence, just enjoying each other's company. Ruby noticed that it was slowly becoming a habit of theirs, much to her delight. It also helped that sentimental music began playing to help with the mood; no doubt something one of the restaurant's staff thought up for her. "Now with that said, anything else you think I should see here in Patch?"

"Do you have something else you want to do or see here? I mean, there's really nothing here but lots of farms... But I'll tell you if Patch has what you want. We have the entire day, so there's no rush."

"I have something better in mind," Cale said. "I've been thinking since last night about joining you in your training. I have to brush up on my skills too, so it benefits both of us. It's been a while since I last had any practice anyways. Don't worry, I'll make sure it's worth your time."

"Really? That's great, I'd be more than happy to train along with you." Ruby took great care not to ask him about any of this ever since he told her about his parents – it didn't feel right to have it come from her – but she had always wanted to learn from as many sources as she could find, and it was good to hear that he finally made the offer. Ruby was sure she would pick up a thing or two from him, and she was also curious to see just how formidable he was in combat. He managed to reveal the arms of his Semblance yesterday; what more if he wielded his weapon? Her curiosity aside, all this meant more time with him anyways, so it was an easy decision to make. "When do you want to start?"

"Alright then," Cale said, and signaled for the bill. "Let's go home first, then we'll start later in the afternoon. I'll teach you all I know about Semblances and Beacon's Hunter tests to help you pass, and we'll do some sparring as well."

"Sounds good." Ruby held Cale's right arm fast. It didn't actually matter to her what time he had in mind; the thought of them being together was good enough.

Some time passed as they talked about other things. Ruby then remembered something. "By the way, I was just wondering…"

"What is it?"

"If the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you do today?"

"That's pretty easy." Cale shrugged, and took on an air of confidence. "Doesn't matter if it's the Grimm or whoever it may be. Knowing what my powers can do, I'll do my best to stop whatever's ending the world or die trying, simple as that."

"What about spending it with someone you love?"

Cale was clearly surprised. "…I mean, that comes along with it too, of course."

Ruby smiled. "My mom once asked me that, right when my Semblance manifested. I said something close to what you said, and that's when she said that she'd rather spend time with me and my dad."

Cale softly tapped Ruby's back, followed by another brief, quiet moment between them. "…she said that to you, huh?"

"I didn't think too much about it at first. But then it got me thinking if it was a trick question or something. She told me that either answer is fine, but still… I don't think we answered wrong, did we?"

"No we didn't, but I can see where your mother's coming from. Family is all you can rely on when things really fall apart." As if to reassure her, Cale went to hug her once more, and Ruby held him as tight as she could. "And now you're the only person in my life."

"You're now part of my life too, Cale."

Cale looked at her in the eyes. "When the end arrives, then I'd want to spend my last moments with you, Ruby."

Ruby never thought of her mother's answer that way, at least not to the same extent that Cale did. She had always thought that there was always a way out of certain doom, even with a Semblance as average as hers, and it was ironic that he would be the one humble enough to think otherwise. Ruby imagined the end arrive while in his arms, but felt calm nonetheless; she quickly realized why. "I think I understand now. Thank you. I would also want to be there with you, when the end arrives."

"I love you, Ruby."

Ruby's heart fluttered upon hearing his words. There was a weight to them that she couldn't deny, and coupled with his warmth… She was assured beyond doubt, right then and there, that Cale really would take care of her no matter what, and she responded the best way she knew how. The right way. "I love you too, Cale."

Ruby slowly opened her eyes, waking up groggily from her dream, and the memories of better times went back into the deep recesses of her mind.

"I've already asked Blake. She doesn't have any contacts that know how to expedite citizenships."

"Sorry, me neither. Didn't think you'd go for something like this though. I figured you'll come back to your home kingdom, like the rest of us on student visa here in Beacon… You're a Schnee, after all. Don't you have a mining company to go back to?"

"Blake pretty much had the same reaction. But things change, and my family's ok with it. It's for the best. I'm just carving my own path."

"Well, if you say so. I plan to go back to Mistral once my time here's done, but only because I have unfinished business there. If you don't have anything like that, then I wish you all the best."

Wait, what? Looking at her left, she saw Weiss and Yang talking about something – Weiss was at her immediate left, Yang at Weiss's left, while Blake was in another class – and Ruby rubbed her eyes. Then she realized she wasn't supposed to be sleeping in the middle of Grimm 101 class to begin with. Looking around, she saw the students observing a team of four fight against skogtrolls in the arena, but Ruby nevertheless sat up straight, no longer sleepy in the slightest.

As if noticing the sudden movement, Weiss turned towards Ruby. "Hey, look who's awake."

"Wakey, wakey." Yang looked at her while making a small wave of her hand. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"…how long was I asleep?"

"Since you came back here after your fight," Yang answered. "There were four other groups that fought after you, with this team fighting in the arena right now being the last one. Hopefully you had a good dream to go along with your sleep."

"Aw, don't rub it in…" Ruby said sheepishly. Well, she did have a good dream, but still. "I was only trying to rest… I'm going to get in trouble, aren't I?"

Yang shook her head. "You would have been in trouble already if Professor Port really wanted it."

"And you made a good impression when you volunteered to fight alongside those students," Weiss said. "Yes, you slept like a rock right after, but I guess I can't blame you after blitzing so much. You also showed great support instincts by leading those guys to battle like that, and you should have heard what the other students said about your performance while you slept."

Ruby recalled what happened. She readied herself for this since yesterday, gathering enough courage to participate in one of Professor Port's exercises for extra credit. But she didn't expect him to change the rules so soon. First came a surprise written test – which she unfortunately failed – but then came an opportunity for her to make up for it, which was to join three other volunteers to be put in a team to fight Grimm. Ruby quickly volunteered, not wanting to be too afraid to act this time; here in one of Beacon's underground training rooms, facing twenty moroi – flying, bloodsucking Class One Grimm – seemed only fair for an actual Hunter team to encounter on the battlefield.

But her teammates were quickly caught off guard, so Ruby was forced to blitz around the arena to save them and make orders on the fly to fix the situation, shouting often just to get her point across. She didn't take their performance against them – she didn't have the right to criticize them for that – and their team managed to win anyway, but it appeared that her efforts were good enough to earn her praise from everyone in class. All well and good, though Ruby took care not to get too flattered.

"Professor Port was happy with how you did too," Weiss continued, "so I guess that's why he let you get away with sleeping in class. Just don't do it again, alright? Because you might sleep in Professor Goodwitch's class, and I don't think a good word from any of us will save you from her wrath."

"Tell me about it." Ruby had yet to actually attend a class headed by Glynda Goodwitch, but based on their first meeting at Forever Fall, she knew not to get on her bad side. "Sorry about that. It won't happen again. I'll get better."

"I know you will. I mean, you don't bump into people anymore, so there's already some improvement." Weiss chuckled. "But you were great with your fight, to be completely honest. Good job, Ruby. This is how practical tests go in Laran too, and you passed your first one. You'll do well at this rate, so keep it up."

Yang nodded at that. "She's right. Don't worry about what happened with the written test. There's always a chance to improve next time, and I'm sure you'll do better in the coming days."

"It's all in your head," Weiss added. "Remember what I told you last night?"

Ruby smiled, recalling the pep talk her roommates gave her last night, with Weiss giving her the longest one by far. Looking back, it helped her a lot more than she realized. "Thanks for doing that."

There was a shout from the team in the arena, and Ruby realized that they were victorious, having defeated all the skogtrolls they faced, so she and the rest of the students applauded their success.

"Well done, everyone! Well done!" Peter's voice boomed, commanding everyone's attention. "That concludes our class for today, and I'm happy to say that all five teams made it on their own without outside assistance. Not every class here in Beacon gets to see this kind of success, mind you… There's often a team or three that falls short. So please give a few thanks to Ruby Rose over there, who by the way has now woken up." Peter looked at her, and Ruby could only wave back awkwardly to the rest of the students as they cheered. "Students with speed boosts have a habit of turning meek on the battlefield, perhaps because they feel that their powers aren't as strong compared to the others. But keep in mind that Ruby performed as well as she did despite not having any special offensive moves of her own, all while not knowing what the enemy Grimm would be and without a prior plan to work with. If she can take the reins and lead even when things go wrong, then all of you can."

"See what I mean about everyone being impressed?" Weiss said. "It's not every day a professor goes out of his way to say this."

"I just did what needed to be done." Professor Port then began to recap the lesson of the day, but she could still see some looks directed at her, so Ruby did what she could to recognize them and not just not shrink in her seat. "Besides, I couldn't shy away. With how frozen in fear my teammates were, someone had to pick them up."

"You're right. Someone had to step up, and I'm glad you did. In the end, that's what mattered… It's always been in your head." Weiss then made a good look at Ruby. "But you're still thinking about that written test, aren't you?"

"I can't help it. I pass one thing, only to flunk another…"

"Still can't get over it, I see. But I get your point." Weiss paused as she typed on her laptop. "…tell you what, I'll tutor you on the academic stuff. First thing later tonight. If exams are the only things stopping you from passing, then I'll help you take them on."

"Wait, you will?" Ruby was surprised at what she heard, but she kept a straight face. "But what if you have other things to do? I don't want to take up your time any more than I already have–"

"I've done this with other people before in Laran. If I need time, then I'll just make time for you, simple as that. Just think of this as my way of paying you back."

"Pay me back for what?"

"You know the answer to that," Weiss replied. "And I insist, by the way. I won't take no for an answer."

Ruby bowed slightly. She didn't think Weiss should go out of her way to tutor her, but she really wanted to pass, and if Weiss insisted, it was only right to accept it. "…thank you."

"Just tell me if you need help in fighting too," Yang said. "Not that I think you'll have a problem with combat anyways, but some martial art techniques go a long way if you get disarmed, even against Grimm. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you, and I promise I won't shout." She then made a cheeky glance at Weiss. "We definitely don't want that."

"Very funny, Yang." Weiss rolled her eyes, but she had a small smile on her face nonetheless. "Just make sure you don't get into a bad mood while you're teaching, we don't want that either."

"Takes one to know one, right Weiss?"

"You should see me fight in a duel sometime. I'm not hotheaded as you are, that's for sure."

"Oh, a duel?" Yang grinned. "Please, tell me more."

Ruby meanwhile jotted down notes on her phone about Professor Port's recap, ignoring the back and forth of her roommates. Well, at least they aren't fighting. Their conversation sounded more like friendly banter in fact, with some hints of a duel down the line; compared to how they were almost at each other's throats yesterday, Ruby was all too willing to let them go at it.

"I notice that some of us have forgotten our exam earlier," Peter said as he looked at the students, his last question apparently going unanswered. He then looked at Ruby's direction again. "Ruby! Can you please name us the five Semblance types and their characteristics for the class?"

Ruby immediately stood up. "There's psychic, elemental, somatic, aura, and arcane. Psychic includes telekinesis and illusion, elemental has fire, ice, earth, etc., while somatic are things that boost the physical self like speed boosts and super strength. Aura is the biggest family, which includes healing, shielding, beam attacks, warding… And arcane is basically everything else that isn't as well known, and doesn't fit in the other four."

"Indeed. And what can you say about evolved Semblances?"

"Evolved or mutated Semblances? Well… They're as rare as a blue moon, with only a few documented cases, so we only have limited info about it. But when they do happen, they're categorized under arcane, as the new Semblance created don't really work under the same parameters as the original one. And all the documented cases surpass their previous forms, as far as I know."

"Hm, fair enough description. While you're at it, tell us about the history of aurastone weapons as well for the class. That wasn't answered well enough either."

"Aurastone weapons were the main weapons used by Hunters before dustmetal was invented. They're crafted using the aurastone crystal, which was discovered when people unearthed them while building underground bunkers to hide from the Grimm. Close contact with these crystals somehow awakened the Semblance in some individuals, and they realized the connection between having these crystals and harnessing their powers, hence the creation of aurastone weapons. But as to how all this happened, no one really knows… Lots of information from the Remnant Era is missing. But what we do know is that ever since then children are born with a small chance of having a Semblance, which always manifested on their 16th year, and that humanity survived long enough for the Dust Revolution to happen."

"Good answer," Peter slowly nodded back, so Ruby took it as her signal to sit down. The professor then looked at the whole class. "To add to what she said, not every aurastone weapon is the same. The difficulty of creating them, as well as how much aurastone crystal is put into these weapons, all play a role in the final product. To say that it's difficult to create one would be an understatement. For some food for thought, no aurastone weapon that's created purely out of aurastone crystal has ever been found to exist, and the most crystal you'll see in a weapon wouldn't go beyond 20%, assuming it survives its first few uses." He then looked at another student. "Moving on, what about you there? Can you tell us about the history of Vale during the Dust Revolution?"

"That was good," Weiss said, looking at Ruby. "You kept calm even though Professor Port put on the spot."

Ruby shook her head as Yang gave her a thumbs up. "That was just basic stuff in the test."

"For someone scared of failing, you're actually doing better than you think." Weiss gave Ruby a confident nod. "Once we work on your written exams, you'll be halfway to making it."

Ruby returned the nod, then recalled something else. "By the way, I heard you talk to Yang earlier when I woke up, and I–"

Weiss's phone suddenly shook, its vibration palpable even through the thick wooden table they used. Picking it up, she said terse words with the other person on the line before putting the call on hold. "Sorry, but I need to take this." Weiss looked calm enough, but there was something in her tone that sounded off, and the slight frown on her face didn't help either. She looked at Yang, then at Ruby. "Don't wait for me."

"Alright," Ruby said. "Where do we meet up?"

But Weiss left without saying another word, to the point that she didn't even bring her laptop and other belongings on the table, and the sight of her leaving in such an abrupt manner unsettled Ruby. What just happened here? Ruby couldn't help but stare at Weiss hurry out the door, and even Yang looked surprised by her sudden exit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Weiss left the classroom and walked through the hallway, ignoring the looks of the students that she passed by. It was her father Jacques that called, and it made her wonder why she hadn't changed phone numbers yet. She considered just hanging up, but she ultimately decided to stay on the line; she chose to talk to her mother after all, so she should treat her father the same way. But doing so was hard. Her father was almost never home, but the last few times he was home were due to what happened to Winter, and they weren't very fond memories, especially the night when she told him she wished to leave Atlas for good. Not that she could blame her father for that. She could never bring herself to hate him, despite all the harsh words he said.

She looked for somewhere private she could stay in, and eventually found a study room next to the stairs. Looking through the glass panel on the door, she saw a table with four chairs and not a single person inside; this one would do. Weiss went inside, closed the door, took her seat, and returned to the call. "…I'm back, I just left my class."

"As I was saying, Willow's been drinking heavily again since yesterday. She couldn't give me an answer why, other than that she called you when you left for Vale. So why did you call her back, Weiss? What were you even thinking when you did that? What was your point?"

Weiss's heart ached as she heard him basically repeat what he told her during class. Drinking had always her mother's vice. Rehabilitation was taken many years ago, and the results were good enough that Weiss thought that her mother had recovered. But apparently that was no longer the case. "She called me when I arrived at Beacon. At first I thought she was trying to make me come back, and so I hung up on her. But I didn't think that was right looking back at it, so I decided to call her again."

"Now you become sentimental after everything you said to us?"

"She never asked me to return to Atlas, if that's what you're thinking. All she wanted was to be a part of my life, at least some of the time. I haven't called Mother since, and neither has she. I don't think she'll ever call me back." Weiss felt her heart ache again for saying that. "I didn't think she would relapse–"

"But she did," Jacques snapped, cutting her off. "For all your talk about casting your family aside, you then go ahead and talk to your mother as if nothing happened. You shouldn't have called her back. Did you forget how upset she was a few nights ago? You should have known better. Now look at what you've done." Jacques muttered something under his breath. "Did Klein convince you to do this?"

"No, it was my idea." Weiss for sure didn't want Klein to be dragged into this. "I thought that by calling Willow back, I'd convince her that I'll be fine on my own here in Vale…"

"I hope you understand now why I wanted you to remain here in Atlas Had you stayed, then your mother wouldn't be in this state, now would she? But here we are, talking about you breaking your own promise of no contact. I'm surprised it was this easy to reach you. I expected that you had changed your number by now."

"I hadn't thought about it yet…" Weiss admitted. "And I never thought that Willow would turn out like this. I'm sorry for not realizing that. Please take care of her–"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that." Jacques's cold tone was biting; he muttered something again under his breath. "I'll take care of your mother. Just like what I'm doing now with Winter."

"Don't bring up Winter, please don't…" Being reminded of the past was the last thing she wanted. Weiss then felt something hot run down her cheek; she quickly wiped it away. "I know you're blaming me for this, just like you're blaming me for what happened to Winter, and you'd be right on both of them…"

"Stop it, Weiss. No more of this. We've both said our piece anyways, and what's done is done." Jacques's voice seemed to weaken for a few moments, but his cold tone quickly came back. "With that said, I didn't think you'd be out of the mansion and into Beacon so soon. You did tell the headmaster there the official story, correct?"

It was an effort for Weiss to keep herself together. It wasn't like she lied to Ozpin, not really. But there were things that she couldn't tell even him, as she recalled memories of what Winter did, and what she failed to do about it. "…yes, I did. He could have checked by calling the hospital Winter was in, and I'm sure he did exactly that. The military kept Winter's info public, so the story will add up."

"Good. Because what happened to her was a horrible accident, nothing more, and it'll stay that way." There was a long pause, then her father continued. "We did everything we could to keep this a secret from our family and the general Atlas populace, so the last thing we want is to give foreigners any reason to snoop around. There's a reason why only we know the truth. You understand?"

"I know…" Weiss slowly nodded. "…I understand."

"Alright then. This should be the last time I call you. As much as I disagreed with your decision, you still went ahead with it, so it's only fair that you honor the promises you made in return, isn't it? But if you can't even keep your own word, then at least think of your mother. Do you plan to hurt her again like this in the future? Because I can understand if this is you getting back at me, but leave your mother out of it."

"No, it's not like that at all…"

"Then never make contact with us again, and make sure you never come back to Atlas. Do you hear me? Do. Not. Come. Back." Weiss heard her father slam his hand on a table every time he said those last four words. "You made your bed, now lie in it. Are we clear on that?"

"…I won't, I promise. This won't happen again–"

"Very well. Goodbye, Weiss. I wish you the best of luck in your new life."

Jacques hung up before Weiss could finish her train of thought.

Weiss put down her phone, and did everything she could to stop herself from breaking down; a few tears and sniffles were more than enough. Because even after their conversation just now, she still couldn't bring herself to hate her father for anything. In fact, all she could really think of right now was what she failed to do back then, and a hundred what ifs that could have turned things around.

Hello, Weiss.

…Winter! What's going on? Father sent me here, and–

I'm sorry about this. But please step aside.

Wait, what are you doing?!

I know why you're here, and no, I'm not surrendering. Not only that, but you being here means that they've made their move, and it's a particularly low one at that. I should have known… I wish you weren't here, Weiss. I wish I made my move sooner. So that's what I'm going to do right now. I'll make my way out of here, and I won't hold back once I've started.

Winter, please. Don't do this… I can't let you do this. There's too many soldiers outside… Just tell me what's going on, let me help you…

I thought you're not letting me? Didn't you just say that? Then why are you backing down?

Please tell me what's going on…

I said step aside, Weiss.

Damnit, tell me what the hell's going on! Father told me everything. Is all of it true?!

If you're talking about what I'm doing here in this building… Then yes, I'm guilty as charged.

But why? Why are you doing this?!

I'm sorry, but I can't. Not right now. It's me they're after, and they're just using you as bait. I'll tell you everything someday, but you have to let me go. You have to trust me on this.

Wait, who are 'they'? What are you talking about?!

You'll never believe me even if I told you. Too many enemies… Too many innocents. I can hardly believe it myself.

Then make me believe! Once you surrender, I'll spend all my time hearing you out!

Do you really believe they'll let you?

It doesn't have to end this way! Don't make this any harder than it already is!

I'm not even going to ask what they told you. I already know you're not going to budge. You're just protecting me after all, and I can't blame you for that. The thing is, I can't budge either.

I don't want to fight you! And you don't have to fight me either! We're sisters, we're supposed to help each other! And don't give me that look, you have a choice here, damnit! I swear I'll protect you once this is over, just like how you've always protected me. So please, just this once, listen to me!

Sounds like you've made your choice.

…what?

It's ok, Weiss. I understand. We make our own choices…

Weiss remembered raising Myrtenaster against her sister at that point, doing so in response to Winter unsheathing her own dustmetal weapons against her. But as provocative as that was, Winter had a sad smile nonetheless; one of many painful memories.

Why did you do it, Winter? You still haven't told me anything, nothing at all… She was basically left out in the cold; the irony of that made Weiss chuckle bitterly. Are you even going to tell me someday? You know how hard this is for me… I can't bear to wait for you, now that you're–

There was a knock on the door, jarring Weiss out of her thoughts. It was a coincidence that her back was facing the glass panel on the door, and anyone seeing her should know that it was bad manners to disturb a busy student. She hoped she looked like one anyway. But she then realized that she didn't lock the door, and it opened before she could do anything about it.

"Whew, there you are. I've been looking everywhere for you. I should have known you'd stay at a place like this."

Weiss looked behind her to find Ruby at the door, carrying her laptop and other belongings. She quickly avoided eye contact. She didn't want Ruby to see her like this, but at the same time… She was happy to see the girl regardless. "…I had to take a phone call, that's all."

"You left in a hurry. Good thing it's lunchtime, or we would have been late."

"…did I miss anything in class?"

"Not really, the class was about to finish when you left. I figured you had something important to handle for you to forget your stuff…" But Ruby's words trailed off, realizing that something was amiss. She locked the door this time, and took a seat beside Weiss, placing the latter's items on the table. "…is there a problem? What's going on?"

Weiss realized her voice still sounded weak, and tried her hardest to steady it. "…it's nothing. Just some family matters."

"Are you ok? You haven't even looked at me."

Sighing, Weiss looked at Ruby. "…I'm fine, see?"

Ruby's face fell upon seeing Weiss like this, and it seemed she really wanted to know more, but she clearly held herself back. "…I hope it's not anything serious."

"I got testy with my siblings." Weiss used her phone to see how she looked; there was still some red in her eyes. "…we exchanged a few words."

"Sorry to hear that," Ruby said. She then paused, as if thinking over what next to say. "I'm an only child, so I'm not sure if I can give advice on this, but whatever it is that you and your family are arguing about, it's not worth building a grudge over. Siblings are still family, and family should forgive each other at the end of the day, right?"

"You really think so, huh?" Weiss then felt an urge to share more, so she did. "…I'm the middle child of three. I have an older sister named Winter, and a younger brother named Whitley. The two of them are both staying at our home in Atlas right now. Us siblings got along a lot easier back when we were kids, me and my sister especially."

"Ah, so that's what's going on. But it's good that you at least have that kind of relationship with your siblings when you were young. Can't be too late to repair it, right?"

Do you really mean that? Weiss forced a smile. "It sounds like nothing's ever too late for you."

"I'm not saying that… It's just that your situation with your family can still be fixed, and I'd take any opportunity to make that happen, believe me."

Weiss slowly nodded. This is just like you, Ruby. Still trying your best, even against the circumstances. "…I see."

"Sorry if I came at a bad time. Do you need to be alone? I can go pick up lunch for you if you want–"

But Weiss grabbed hold of Ruby's left hand before she could even attempt to stand up. After that conversation with her father, Weiss could no longer bear it. "Can you stay here for a while?" she asked. "It's bad enough that you're seeing me like this…" A few tears fell down her cheeks again, but she managed to chuckle. "Sorry, this wasn't supposed to happen."

"Weiss…"

Weiss shook her head. "I didn't mean to lie to you, but things aren't going so great in my life."

"Alright." Ruby smiled softly. "It's ok, I'll stay here with you."

"…thank you." The two went silent, and Weiss squeezed Ruby's hand before letting go; wiping away her tears, she used the time to make herself as presentable as she could. "I guess you can see now why I shouted at you when we first met."

"I figured there had to be a deeper reason for someone to blow up like that," Ruby said. "It's ok, I understand. I'll be here to listen if you're ok with talking about it. I'm not that smart, but maybe I can help you with your problem in some way."

Weiss frowned. "What's up with the 'not that smart' part?"

"Not smart compared to you, I mean. I wasn't trying to snoop around, but you left your laptop open, and I saw your perfect test score from your Applied Sciences class. Your space essay even got some remarks from Professor Oobleck… And here I am, barely passing mine."

"Oh, you mean that? Geez, I thought you failed another test while I was gone or something." Weiss's face lightened, but she couldn't suppress a scolding tone. "It's ok, you didn't mean anything wrong. But just because I got a perfect score doesn't mean you're stupid, ok? Don't ever let me catch you thinking of yourself like that again."

"Sorry if it came out the wrong way… Being mediocre at a lot of things has been normal for me for the longest time. But I want to make up for that by treasuring those I care about. I appreciated the talk we had last night, and even Blake and Yang were surprised by how patient you were. Being here for you is the least I can do to return the favor."

The softness of Ruby's voice hit a chord; Weiss took a deep breath. "…but you would done this even if I didn't give you that talk, wouldn't you?"

"It's the right thing to do anyways." Ruby paused, and had a longing look on her face. "I don't want my friends to cry alone if I can help it. I can't bear leaving anyone behind."

And you always want to do the right thing. Weiss wasn't sure where Ruby's kindness came from – she hadn't met someone like her before – but what she was sure about was that she truly appreciated Ruby for being here, so much so that she almost forgot what she had been crying about to begin with. It felt only right that she repaid Ruby's gesture, and Weiss knew just how to do it. "…you were asking me why I wanted to stay here in Vale permanently, right?"

"I overheard you talk about it with Yang when I woke up."

"Once we pass the Hunter trials, we'll be invited to Beacon's graduation ball. That's a month away, but if you can wait for me…"

Ruby shook her head. "You don't have to force this."

You make me want to do the right thing too. That also meant doing the hard thing, but if Ruby could do it, then so could she. "I want this," Weiss said. "Trust me on that, just like I trust you. And being able to tell people of one's problems is for the best, so I insist."

"…you're right." There was a pause and a longing look from Ruby again, but it vanished soon enough. "Alright, if you're comfortable with it, then I'll be there when the time comes. Thanks for trusting me. Now I just have to pass the Hunter trials, because I don't want to waste your promise."

"Right, and I'll make sure you graduate. I managed to get you to stop bumping into people after all, so this should be–" Then Weiss's stomach growled loudly, cutting her off.

"Looks like someone's hungry…" Ruby's voice had a playful tone, along with a look on her face to match, though that was soon followed by a grumbling of her own belly.

"You were saying?" Weiss countered.

"Ok fine, you and me both."

Weiss chuckled. "I guess that's our signal to go out and have lunch."

Ruby nodded. "We still have time to eat at the cafeteria. And you look better now by the way, so don't worry, you're good to go outside."

Weiss breathed a sigh of relief as she checked with her phone again to make sure. "Finally. I was wondering if I still looked like I bawled my eyes out. Can't have Blake or Yang see me like that, you get what I mean?"

"I'm sure they would have understood." The two then heard a series of knocks. "Speaking of which, look who it is."

Weiss saw Blake and Yang peering through the glass panel of the door; Blake had narrow amber eyes as always, while Yang waved at the two girls to come along. Weiss signaled to give them a moment. "Looks like it's the four of us for lunch then, huh?"

"The more the merrier. Besides, those two aren't as bad as you think. It wouldn't hurt to be friends with them too, beyond being just roommates." Ruby smiled. "But I know what you're thinking. Don't worry, I'm not telling them about what we talked about. That'll remain between the two of us, for as long as you want."

Weiss smiled back; more proof that trusting Ruby was the right thing, which she already realized from the start. "Thanks."