RWBY: Am I your Teacher or Mother?
Ch 7: You don't Get it!
"Remand without bail." The judge said coldly.
Yang and her friends hearts began to rumble like thunder as the judge banged his gavel, solidifying their continued imprisonment. Nora's team shuddered in their seats, eyes wide open in terror at the ruling.
"J-Just hang in their g-guys." Jaune whimpered, but the girls couldn't hear his words, too deep in their own shock to process anything until they heard the heavy footsteps of their court officer/prison guard approach them. Elm gave off a smirk as she gripped Yang's arm to cuff it, taking especial joy not seeing her fight back with that hopeless look on her face.
"Your own bad luck you tykes got paired against him." She snickered. Blake's cat ears went flat as she heard this, steeling a glance to the other side of the courthouse. Sitting in his seat, rubbing his overly huge black mustache was Arthur Watts, a notoriously ruthless and efficient prosecutor.
"I heard he once convinced a jury a man with hydrophobia stole a boat." Nora whispered, before being shoved into the hallway by Elm.
Blake bit her lip in frustration, for she knew both women's words were true. Arthur Watts made quick work of the defense attorney Weiss hired, the poor man actually sobbing into his arms at this very moment.
Despite this pathetic display, Blake couldn't help but sympathize with their failure of a lawyer, she was close to breaking down as well at the thought of returning to that dark damp prison, filled with monsters more horrific than team CRDL. The white fang goons they locked up over the school year had some female members too, and it took a ton of skill without their weapons or semblances to fight them off in the courtyard and showers. One wrong move and a shiv here, and they were goners.
Yet, despite that, Blake couldn't find it in her to cry. Not when she eyed her partner's despondent state, knowing she was having it worse than her, not being able to see Ruby and all.
"Hey." She called out to her friend, only getting a brief side glance and sigh as she did so.
"We're in this together Yang. We'll find a way." Blake reassured her, despite not having full confidence truthfully. She just knew Ruby would be doing this exact thing right now, god bless her soul. Unfortunately, Yang could read Blake's reason easily, sobbing as she finally started to feel the weight of everything happening all at once.
"I-It…*hiccup* doesn't matter!" Yang sobbed as they were forced back into the prison transport.
"Yang-" Nora whimpered, but Yang shook her head in denial of the support.
"No! Win or lose I'm still stuck through this crap *sniffle* while Ruby…*sniffle* Ruby is….*gasp*" Yang cried, before Blake rested her head on her partners shoulders.
"Will be okay Yang. Just as we'll get through this somehow, Ruby will too. She's got Weiss by her side, and I know she'll have us someday too." Blake said with a sad smile.
Her words and that smile finally had an effect on Yang, the sobbing mess taking a huge inhale as she rested her head onto Blake's.
"Y-You promise?" Yang whined.
"Have I ever lied?" Blake chuckled.
"Cat ears." Yang snickered as she sniffled, making Blake roll her eyes annoyed.
"Secret, not a lie." Blake retorted.
"Same crap Kitty now come here!" Nora cried as she tackled the two, not able to hug them like she wanted because of the cuffs tied behind her back.
"Gah! Now I get how Ruby always felt." Yang groaned as the wind got knocked out of her. Still she smiled as the memory of their hugs, the eldest suffocating the little red head easing her rumbling heart.
"She'll be okay…I know it." Yang thought, desperate for that wish to be true.
Vale Memorial Hospital
Goodwitch sat dejected as Weiss paced around the door to Ruby's hospital room frantically, biting her nails till they were almost raw.
"Miss Schnee….Weiss please. Try to-" Goodwitch said softly before the heiress cut her off.
"I can't! I'm worried okay!" Weiss cried.
"I am too, but driving yourself crazy, and me with your pacing, won't fix this problem." Goodwitch reprimanded.
"T-Then what am I supposed to do to fix it?" Weiss whimpered, her arms slumped in defeat as Goodwitch paused, forming an unsure look herself.
That was a million lien question if the vice headmistress said so herself. Ruby spent the ambulance ride to the hospital mostly catatonic. What little time she wasn't ripped her ears with deafening screams terror, begging everyone nearby not to touch her. She knew this was inevitable, that her trauma would surface and crack the barrier they set up to protect her mind with illusions. She just didn't expect it to happen so soon.
Weiss grinded her teeth in frustration at her teachers uncertainty, but before she could continue her shouting match at her, the door to Ruby's room suddenly opened, revealing the reaper herself walked out by the doctor, a rabbit eared woman named Dr. Velvet Scarlatina smiling softly as she held the girls hand.
"RUBY!" Weiss and Goodwitch cried out, shocked to see her awake and seemingly fine.
"Okay Miss…ugh Rose. We managed use smelling salts to awake your daughter. She's got no injuries and her fever broke. I just recommend she get some rest and stay away from school for a…bit." Velvet said nervously as she glared at the headmistress warily. Goodwitch looked confused at this sight, before her eyes widened as Ruby answered any questions she was about to ask with a cheerful cry.
"YAY NO SCHOOL! I GET TO BAKE COOKIES WITH MAMMA!" Ruby jumped for joy as she cried out a childlike cry.
"Oh! Y-Yeah Rubes! L-Lets get to the car. We'll listen to some songs you like on the radio while mom checks out." Weiss nervously said as she warily grabbed Ruby's hand, unsure if she'd flip out again over being touched.
Though Ruby shivered for a moment, a confused look dawning on her face as their hands connected, she shook her head and formed the biggest grin hearing that declaration.
"Thanks Yang!" She yelled, hopping onto her "sisters" back for a piggyback ride out, only to flatten the girl to the ground to her confusion.
"Hey!" Weiss yelled.
"You okay sis? You don't feel as big and strong as usually do?" Ruby asked confused.
As annoyed Weiss was at this childish behavior, she knew Yang would comply without thought so she had to do the same. It just killed her back though to life the girl the exact same weight as her….well-
"Maybe she's had too many cookies yeah?" Weiss thought as she huffed, using her aura to lift the girl steadily, swearing she'd gained a few as she gripped those soft cushion-like thighs.
"F-Fine. But your walking with me tomorrow Rubes." She retorted, leading Ruby to pat her back and point to the exit.
"Deal. Go! Go! Go! Go! Horsey!" She cheered.
The hospital staff and other patients watched totally exasperated as Weiss began to waddle out the hospital with a teenage girl on her back steadily, giving huffs and short burst of speed at the childish demand.
Goodwitch and Velvet eyed the two solemnly thought, knowing this wasn't a good sign.
"Doctor…how is she really?" Goodwitch hesitantly asked, getting a sad sigh from the doctor, her bunny ears hanging low off her face.
"Not good, though even an amateur nurse could tell at this point. Miss Rose's mind is very fragile right now." She said sadly.
"Oh really? Hadn't noticed." Glynda said sarcastically, not sure the obvious was worth the hospital bill.
"When we used the smelling salts she was flashing between her teenage mind and her child mind. I read her report beforehand, honestly…I hesitated to revive her from her trance." Velvet sadly said, the deadpanned look Ruby gave off in bed still haunting the doctor.
"What should we do then Doc? I don't know what triggered her attack, and even if she doesn't have another one-" Glynda said
"Which I doubt." Velvet retorted with an interruption.
"She can't live her life as a toddler again. But what else is there for her then?" Glynda asked, tears stinging her eyes.
"*Sigh* When the damn finally breaks…all you can do is pick up the pieces and try to rebuild. She'll never be 100% again but, if you and Miss Schnee do your best to be patient and comfort her, maybe try to get her to try some anti-depressants then and get counseling, perhaps she'll make do." Velvet sadly stated.
For the next couple of weeks, things were rocky to say the least. Though Glynda didn't feel comfortable doing so, Velvet convinced her to buy some prescribed anti-depressants, telling her to slip one into Ruby's breakfast every once in a while if she looked like she was slipping back into her nightmares. It was easy enough, pancakes were easy places to disguise the medicine.
Even so, despite the guilt of secretly drugging her step daughter, Glynda found herself smiling a bit at the warm sight before her.
"YEAH! Pancake morning!" Ruby cheered before shoveling a couple pancakes into her mouth at once, practically drinking the syrup bottle Weiss gave her as the heiress laughed uncontrollably when Ruby made a funny face as a result.
This was a morning she hadn't seen in years, one of very few she had with her parents she still felt pleasant about. Back then they were a family, she felt truly blessed.
"MAMMA'S PANCAKES-" Glynda thought.
"ARE THE BEST!" Ruby cried out, snapping Glynda out of her trance as Ruby licked her chocolate and syrup soaked lips after biting another one of her adoptive mothers pancakes.
Glynda found herself choking despite not eating, tears stinging her eyes as she gasped for air at the declaration, filled with joy she hadn't experienced in so long. Ruby and Weiss though, frowned as they didn't understand this, Ruby herself worried she did something wrong.
"Mamma?" Ruby whimpered, scared for a response.
Goodwitch couldn't resist anymore and wrapped her arms around Ruby's head, ignoring every teacher protocol she felt screaming at her as she smothered the girl to her chest.
"Thanks sweetie. Mamma..*Sniffle* needed that." Goodwitch cried softly. Ruby at first shuddered as she felt a sting surge through her body at the unsolicited hug, seeing a boy's smirk in her mind that turned her pale, before her adoptive mothers warmth enveloped her, returning her to her normal skin pigment as she smiled softly, drifting off into a food coma induced slumber into her arms.
"Love…too…ma-*SNORE*" Ruby snored loudly to both Weiss and Goodwitch's amusement.
"Didn't know you had in you…mamma." Weiss teased.
"Neither did I. Lets just hope for what I need to do next it's as enjoyable as this." Goodwitch sighed.
"Which is?" Weiss asked with an eyebrow raised curiously.
"Grocery Store visit, we're out of food." Goodwitch said with a shake and shiver.
Weiss winced as she heard that declaration. Hyperactive child + public area + dozens of isles of sugar-filled goods = a complete mother fucking disaster!
True to form, Weiss and Goodwitch's decision proved true. Ruby was darting around, racing throughout the whole store in an instant with her speed. Goodwitch wanted to catch her with her semblance, but Weiss pointed out that would give the ruse up. Goodwitch had to bite her lip as she put up with the hyperactive teenager, grabbing everything in sight.
"And I want this! And this one! OH! And two of these Mamma!" Ruby yelled out as she stuffed the cart constantly with sugary cereals, cookies, and snack cakes Goodwitch struggled to put back in the correct spots as she gave Weiss a devilish smirk, ordering her the painful task of distracting Ruby as she did so to avoid a temper tantrum in public, dreading the scenario and stares from it more than Weiss's annoyed glare.
"Got to get some healthy foods. I can't survive chasing a sugar rushed child after all…and then there's-" Goodwitch thought with a grimace as she took out the prescription for Ruby's medication. She hated to have to fill it, but it was the best way to keep things relatively stable for Ruby, who was soon bouncing off some glass case near the bakery at the store.
"COOKIES!" She cried out, eyeing the chocolate chip and sprinkle coated sugar cookies in a case that were labeled one free per person.
"Lets get one then." Weiss said with a sigh, but a soft smile. She herself could use one to reward herself for keeping up with Ruby…barely.
As the bakery clerk walked up, fixing them a confused glance after Ruby's public squeal and run, Weiss shivered as she knew this was going to get awkward.
"Okay…Ruby what do you say?" Weiss asked her like an older sibling or parent would.
"Chocolate cookie!" Ruby squealed as she jumped.
"Wrooooong!" Weiss warned, making the girl put her hands behind her back and look nervously.
"P-Please?" Ruby asked.
"That's right." Weiss said with a smile, one that descended when the clerk shook his head.
"No." He refused.
"Why?" Ruby whined. Weiss herself fixed him a confused stare.
"Read the sign." He said annoyed as he pointed to the cases logo.
"What it say? I can't read." Ruby asked.
"It says "kids only" but Ruby's a kid at least." Weiss retorted.
"Pff! You think I'm an idiot. We're not wasting cookies we slave over making all morning to a bunch of entitled teens who don't work for a living." The clerk said annoyed.
"Teens? I'm only 5." Ruby asked with her head tilted confused. Weiss's eyes narrowed dangerously as she heard that, knowing that this was getting serious. She thought what Yang would do and, despite herself, found it irresistible when it came to Ruby's health. She quickly reached out yanked the boy over the counter.
"WHOA!" He cried as Weiss got near his ears to whisper, careful Ruby wouldn't hear.
"Listen asshole. If she doesn't get a cookie to make her bad day better, and MINE for having to help a mentally challenged girl because of you, forget having my company, the SDC ruin you, I'll pummel you into the ground if you test me again. Got it!?" She whispered menacingly with a cold but furious tone that made the clerk sweat nervously.
"Y-Yes ma'am. HERE KID! ALL YOU CAN EAT!" He cried out fearfully as he passed out the tray of cookies to Ruby, who gave a giddy yell as she barely contained herself.
"YAY! THANKS YANGY!" Ruby cried as she pecked her "sister" on the cheek, the heiress shuddering as her face flushed at this display of affection, rubbing her cheek tenderly with a smile. She never got this affection, even from Winter, growing up, and it made her heart skip a beat.
"T-Thanks Rubes." Weiss whispered as they walked out the store, both getting a nice treat today.
Authors Notes
Figured a nicer chapter was in order. Ruby won't be denied sweets, the injustice of it all! As a Publix employee in the Bakery, I admit I'm annoyed when stopping every 5 minutes to give kids cookies, let alone entitled teenagers demanding them when we work so hard to make them. Still, better that than a public tantrum like Weiss managed to avoid thank god! While Blake, Nora, and Yang's situation isn't looking too good though, nor is Ruby's mind, but some good news in that Goodwitch and Weiss are starting to get the feel of what it feels like to be a "normal" loving family. Only time will tell if Ruby's real family can come back too one day and make things brighter as we focus on Yang's trial and Goodwitch working while being a parent. Next time on ch 8: Trials and Burdens
