By the time Blake woke up, the bed beside her was cold and empty. Knowing that the rest of the apartment would be equally lifeless, she sighed and stared at her bedroom ceiling rather than rush out of bed. She had known that Yang would leave without a word the moment they'd collapsed to the sheets, spent on energy as well as anything to say. Their labored breathing had been the only thing breaking a heavy silence that had never affected them in the past.

She knew better than to believe that something had miraculously changed. While last night had been passionate, it wasn't the type of passion shared by two hopeless lovers. It was passion driven by loneliness and a deeply rooted ache for something lost. It was comfort and temporary release within the confines of familiarity. It wasn't the start of something new; it was the end of something old. A quiet, bleak punctuation mark at the end of what could have been an incredible love story.

Chemistry had never been their problem - Blake's secrets were. Her lies. Her deceptions. Despite those being in her past, their relationship had fractured. For the last year, she'd only been able to imagine the depth of that fracture. After last night, she felt exactly how deep it ran. Yang might still, in some way, love her, but Yang didn't want to love her anymore. Meanwhile, she loved Yang more than ever.

Despite an aching heart, she rolled out of bed and showered. The hot water woke her up and, remarkably, prompted a smile. She missed Yang more than ever, yet she felt more alive than she had since fleeing Vale.

Yang might have left without a goodbye, but she left traces behind. The deep kisses on Blake's skin that the water couldn't wash away. The scent of her shampoo lingering on the bed sheets. A new memory. Confirmation that she was everything Blake wanted and worth every day of boredom or loneliness that Blake suffered.

Unfortunately, Blake had to deal with the repercussions of last night's actions - mainly, that Witness Security was probably sending Glynda to pick her up at this very moment. She would get a firm scolding while being taught a new identity and moved to another city. She would have to start over again.

She was so certain that Glynda would show up that she got dressed and ready for the day - a typical sunny, warm Vacuo weekend - but didn't leave the apartment. She cleaned from top to bottom instead, did her laundry, and considered what she would take with her and what she would leave behind.

Her pulse jumped every time she heard a voice or footsteps in the hall, yet the knock on her door never came. The next day was equally silent, and the third remarkably so. Her restless anxiety wore off, replaced by a strange sense of hope that Yang hadn't told Glynda what happened. Yang had good reasons not to tell anyone, especially anyone associated with the police department, but still…she knew where Blake was. She knew where Blake lived.

That fact alone made Blake feel more seen than the past few months combined. Footsteps in the hall continued to make her heart jump, but now out of a growing hope that Yang would come back. That they could actually talk this time and mend fences that had been broken.

The sliver of hope motivated her like nothing else could. No matter how tedious her job was. No matter how many questions Hailey and Jen peppered her with when she returned to work, or the gossip that followed once she gave them some generic details. No matter how much she hated lying about who she was, earning respect and kindness when she likely deserved none.

Two weeks later, that sliver of hope was torn from her grasp.

The knock was so unexpected that she nearly dropped her book. She had been so engrossed in the story - she returned to romances shortly after Yang's visit - that she never heard the footsteps. Her heart raced by the time she made it to the door but clenched when she peeked into the hall and saw a stern woman with a tight blonde bun and wire-framed spectacles standing there.

Swallowing around the sudden lump in her throat, she opened the door and feigned surprise.

"Glynda?" she asked as Glynda swept in.

"I need you to pack a bag and come with us." Blake's brow shot up when a man wearing a black suit and dark sunglasses followed Glynda inside. The gun holstered at his hip and the earpiece looped behind his ear caught her full attention before she gaped at Glynda.

"What's going on?"

"I can't explain right now, but you need to come with us. Immediately."

The emphasis on the word and Glynda's firm gaze convinced Blake to start moving. "Uh, ok," she muttered, her mind racing as she rushed into her bedroom and filled a small backpack as fast as she could. A change of clothes, a few toiletries - there wasn't much else she needed or particularly cared about in the apartment.

"Where are we going?" she asked once she returned to the living room, finding her two unexpected guests impatiently waiting.

"You'll see."

She hesitated at the lack of information, but Glynda motioned her into the hall. Part of her said not to go - leaving meant Yang might never find her again - but staying wasn't an option with Glynda marching her outside and the security detail trailing behind her. They shuttled her into a black SUV identical to the vehicle that had dropped her off so long ago and started driving without even giving her a destination.

"I understand this is unexpected," Glynda stated as they moved through the streets of Vacuo. "But I'm not at liberty to give you more information. Everything will be explained when we get to Vale."

"Vale?"

Glynda nodded but didn't elaborate, leaving Blake to gawk at her before recognizing where they were headed: the airport. Several security checkpoints later, she sat on an airplane destined for Vale, stunned yet still having no idea what was happening or why. If Witness Security knew about her and Yang, wouldn't they just give her a new identity and move her to a new city? Why would they fly her all the way back to Vale - to admonish her in person? To remove her from witness protection entirely?

Those questions and thousands of others swirled through her mind as the distance between her and Yang rapidly dwindled. Once the plane touched down, she was ushered into another black SUV and shuttled through achingly familiar streets. Glynda sat pensively beside her, as if this was just another day, while she grappled with her emotions.

It felt like a dream that became more vivid when she recognized their route. The more intersections that passed without the driver deviating, the more her anticipation and worry grew.

They were headed to the police station. To Yang's station.

An abrupt, awful thought occurred to her when the imposing building came into view. What if something happened to Yang? She hadn't checked the news today - what if Yang got hurt? But why would they bring Blake back for that? Unless Yang asked for her. Would Yang ask for her if something bad happened?

"Is Yang alright?" she blurted out as the vehicle pulled up to the station. Glynda sent her a curious look while opening the door.

"I haven't heard otherwise."

While relieving, the answer left Blake with too many unanswered concerns, so she hopped out of the SUV and followed Glynda through the doors without hesitation. Ignoring the heartache of memories that hit her square in the face just inside the door, she searched for Yang instead - and found her.

Yang was fine. She wasn't hurt. She stood in the main area of the station, in her officer's uniform, speaking to another officer. That conversation screeched to a halt the instant she caught sight of Blake, who practically stepped on Glynda's heels rushing over to her.

"Blake?" Yang's hands landed on Blake's arms when Blake dropped her bag on the floor and reached out. Yang glanced at Glynda before studying Blake. "What're you doing here?"

"I don't know. No one will tell me anything. Yang, what's going on?"

Yang glanced at Glynda again then swallowed and met Blake's gaze.

"The White Fang are back," she whispered quickly. "They hit a bank downtown late last night. Two bystanders were shot - one of them might not make it."

"What? But -"

"Officer."

The stern voice made Yang jerk away as if Blake just burned her. She stepped back even further as a woman with sandy-blonde hair and a crisp blue uniform joined them.

"Chief Fowler can explain everything," Yang concluded before spinning on her heel and hurrying away. She glanced over her shoulder once before turning the corner. The Chief of Police watched her leave before regarding Blake with the same triumphant, derisive gaze she'd worn the last time they met.

"Miss Belladonna. This way."

The name sounded unfamiliar, like talking about someone she used to know, but she felt a strange sense of relief in hearing it. Just as there was a vague sense of relief in the way some of the other officers did a double take as Chief Fowler led her from the officers' bullpen into the heart of the station.

She half-expected to be taken to the interrogation rooms, but Chief Fowler motioned her into a meeting room instead. A large oval table took up most of the space, and seated at that table were more ghosts from her past who had come back to haunt her.

"You can sit," Chief Fowler instructed, tapping an empty chair before sitting between the man and woman on the opposite side. Blake glanced at the young man seated beside her, whose slightly askew tie suggested he had rushed here just as she had, before sitting down.

"Assistant District Attorney Foster," Chief Fowler said, motioning to the discerning young woman on her left, who nodded. "And you remember Detective Proud." Chief Fowler gestured to the man on her right, who regarded Blake with an indecipherable gaze.

"Jon Keller," the man beside her added when it became clear that Chief Fowler had no plans on introducing him. "Public defender."

Blake nodded and clasped her trembling hands in her lap, unnerved but determined to hide it.

"I'm sure you're wondering why we asked you here on such short notice," Chief Fowler began. Blake nearly scoffed at the suggestion that her presence was anything other than mandatory, but the woman leaned forward and set her elbows on the table. "I'm sure Officer Xiao Long informed you that an incident occurred last night that we believe is connected to the White Fang. This is an extremely urgent matter. We need your assistance finding them, and quickly."

Everyone waited for Blake's response. First, she stared for several seconds, struggling to believe this was anything other than a nightmare, then shook her head and asked her first burning question.

"How do you know it was them?"

Chief Fowler turned to Detective Proud, who opened the folder in front of him, removed a photograph, and slid it across the table. Blake hardly picked it up before her ears started ringing and heat pricked at her skin. The grainy photo lost most distinguishing features, but she would recognize Adam and Cinder anywhere. Adam's tall, thin frame. Cinder's shorter stature and more voluptuous curves. There were two others in the photo - one looked like Mercury and the other possibly Yuma - but what mattered most were their white and red masks.

She passed the photo back to Detective Proud, who calmly returned it to the folder.

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Now that we have new information, we need you to work with Detective Proud to determine where the White Fang will strike next or where they are now. We need anything that leads to their immediate arrest."

Blake's mind reeled from the news on top of her life suddenly being turned upside down. A few hours ago, she was debating whether or not to go to the gym after finishing her book. Now, she sat in a police station in Vale, with Yang only a few rooms away, being told that her ex-partner had decided to reappear and she had to help catch him.

The detectives had already wrung her of information before putting her into witness protection, so she frowned when she considered what they were asking of her. Either they thought that she had forgotten - or intentionally omitted - something, or they wanted something that they hadn't even thought to ask for last time.

They wanted her to be useful but, after a year of atrophy, she wasn't sure that she could be. She was so far removed from the White Fang that she might as well be talking about a past life. She did understand, however, that her usefulness meant staying in Vale. Staying near Yang.

She glanced at Detective Proud, who seemed capable enough, though years behind the desk had led to softened muscles, and decided that he wasn't the man for the job. If she was tracking down Adam, there was only one person she could imagine doing it with.

"No offense," she told him. "But I'm not working with you. If you want my help, I want to work with Yang."

"This isn't a negotiation, Miss Belladonna," Chief Fowler replied. "You're facing charges of armed robbery, unlawful imprisonment, and use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony. The terms of your plea agreement require you to assist the department in any way we see fit."

"Then throw me in prison." The room briefly froze and, now that she had everyone's full attention, she clenched her fists and leaned forward. "The last time I saw Adam, he shot me. Twice. Dragging me back here puts my life at risk - you only did it because you need me. Because none of you know the White Fang like I do. I'm only helping if I can work with someone I trust, and I trust Yang."

Silence fell over the room as Chief Fowler scowled and Blake refused to back down from her demand. Eventually, Detective Proud sighed.

"Just give it to Xiao Long, Chief. You know she can do it."

In an instant, Detective Proud flipped Blake's opinion of him. Chief Fowler, on the other hand, worked her jaw back and forth before spitting out, "Fine. You'll work with Officer Xiao Long, and you'll provide any and every bit of information she needs."

Once Blake nodded, Chief Fowler glanced at the Assistant District Attorney. "Any objections?"

"The D.A.'s office is fine with that arrangement."

"Good." Chief Fowler looked at the young man beside Blake next. "Counsel?"

He straightened the papers in front of him before glancing at Blake.

"If Miss Belladonna has no objections, then we're still within the parameters of her agreement."

"That's settled then." Chief Fowler glanced around the room for final approval before pushing herself to her feet and motioning Blake after her. The rest of the participants hardly gathered their belongings before Blake was being escorted back to the front of the station, her pulse creeping up with each step.

When Chief Fowler marched her right over to Yang, who looked at them like a deer caught in headlights, she couldn't decide if she wanted to throw herself into Yang's arms or find a trash can in case her lunch made a reappearance. She clasped her hands in front of her instead, shying away from Yang's gaze until Yang gave the Chief of Police her full attention.

"She's all yours Xiao Long. I don't think I need to tell you what happens if you screw this up."

Chief Fowler shot Yang a pointed look before striding away, dragging Blake's scowl after her. As soon as Blake noticed the way Yang was staring at her, however, she forgot about the woman and mustered a fleeting smile.

"Looks like you'll get another crack at the White Fang after all…"

Yang's brow creased, but a soft whistle caught her attention and her gaze snapped to Detective Proud.

"Sit."

Yang pointed at the chair beside her desk before brushing past Blake to speak to him. Blake did as instructed and took a deep breath while watching the conversation. It seemed genial enough, but Yang's expression remained serious. Even when Detective Proud smiled and patted the manilla folder against her arm, prompting her to accept it, the stern gaze remained.

Once they separated and Yang returned to her desk, Blake straightened her posture and prepared for questions. Instead, Yang grabbed a stack of papers and turned to the blonde officer a few desks over.

"Hey Jaune, can you submit these arrest reports for me?" She held them out, but he glanced at Blake before taking them.

"You got it."

"Thank you. Is Pyrrha here?"

"Yup. In back."

"Thanks." Yang hardly glanced at Blake while motioning her to her feet and issuing a quick, "Come."

Blake made a face at the single-word command but followed Yang further into the station. They used to walk these halls hand-in-hand, locked in conversation or just contentedly moving from one space to another. Blake had always found Yang's job fascinating for more reasons than just needing to figure out what the police knew about the White Fang.

Today, Yang walked fast, said nothing, and didn't even look back to make sure Blake was behind her. Before long, they reached the area dedicated to the vice unit, where Yang checked several rooms before ducking into one. Blake immediately recognized the stunning redhead at the desk and, based on the stare, Pyrrha recognized her, too.

"Blake?" When Blake mustered a small wave, Pyrrha looked at Yang. "Please don't tell me…"

"Yup. She did."

Blake tilted her head when Pyrrha sighed, but Yang moved on. "I need someplace she can stay for a few days." Yang gestured in Blake's direction. "Preferably nearby. Does vice have anything?"

"I think so. Let me check." Pyrrha moved over to the computer and started typing. "I'm guessing you'll need a protective detail, too?"

"Just for the nights."

Pyrrha nodded and, after a bit more searching, smiled.

"How's 8th and Western?"

"Perfect."

A few minutes later, Pyrrha provided Yang with details for what sounded like a safehouse along with a set of keys.

"Can you fill Ruby in when she gets back?" Yang asked after pocketing the keys.

"Of course." Pyrrha's gaze flitted to Blake. "Do you want me to take her?"

"No, I'll handle it." Blake frowned, feeling more and more like a problem that needed to be passed off, but Yang offered Pyrrha a genuine smile and added, "Thanks, though."

With that, Yang motioned Blake after her, so Blake followed.

"Yang," she tried, but Yang said, "Not now," and led them back to the front of the station, where she collected her things before marching out into the parking lot.

Blake glanced over multiple times, trying to get a read of what was going through Yang's head. The lack of answers, or even acknowledgment, grated on her already frayed nerves. Those nerves snapped when Yang motioned to one of the squad cars and issued a curt, "Get in."

Rather than reach for the door, Blake clenched her jaw.

"Are you going to talk to me like a human being or are you going to keep ordering me around like a dog?"

Halfway to the other side of the car, Yang froze. Then she slowly turned around, looking so crestfallen that Blake instantly regretted the tone.

"I'm sorry…" Yang began, but Blake shook her head.

"It's fine -"

"No, you're right. I'm being an asshole, and it's not like this is your fault." When Blake scrunched up her face and made a so-so gesture with one hand, Yang added, "Ok, maybe a little, but it's not all your fault. I just -" Yang paused and then sighed. "I wasn't expecting to wake up this morning and find out that your ex-partner decided to ruin more people's lives, then have my boss drag you back here, then be put in charge of catching Adam and keeping you safe."

"I wasn't exactly expecting any of this either." Blake paused and glanced at Yang. "I thought…maybe you told Glynda."

"I didn't." Yang's lips set in a grim line, so Blake left that subject alone. When she merely bobbed her head and remained silent, however, Yang sighed and walked back to her. "Listen, all that stuff between us, we just have to forget about it and move on. This is bigger than you and me."

"Right. Of course."

Not by much, Blake thought, but she knew that the White Fang would haunt her forever if she didn't find a way to put an end to it. So, even as Yang's proximity set her skin on high alert, and she wanted nothing more than to bury her face in Yang's neck and let those strong arms wrap around her, silently promising to keep her safe, she resolutely nodded.

Yang accepted the response with a nod of her own then hesitated for another second before opening the passenger door. Blake smiled at the small gesture, but her heart resumed its frantic beating when Yang's fingers grazed the small of her back as she slipped into the car. She stared as Yang hurried around the front of the vehicle before taking the driver's seat, but Yang stuck the key in the ignition as if nothing happened.

Maybe it was nothing. Maybe Blake was searching for meaning where there was none. But, after the day she just had, nothing seemed as impossible as it would have that morning.

"This is just so crazy." Yang sounded like she was talking to herself, but then she reached out and turned the police radio down to a soft hum. "Proud said evidence hasn't even finished collection, but Chief's already acting like this is a Code-3."

"Why would she do that?"

"I'll tell you why." Yang glanced in her side mirror before continuing. "Because she's in the middle of her goddamn reelection campaign, that's why." When Blake frowned, Yang bobbed her head. "She says she's tough on crime, and this is the perfect opportunity to make some splashy news. Who cares who gets caught in the crossfire." Yang scowled at the road and gripped the steering wheel until the knuckles on her left hand turned white. "Bringing you back was reckless, self-centered, and just -" Failing to find the word, Yang gritted her teeth and shook her head.

"So…you wouldn't have? If you were in charge?"

"Of course not." When Blake bit her lip, Yang added, "Not until I knew what we were dealing with, at least. Maybe we could handle this without you. I wouldn't blow your cover and put you in harm's way for nothing."

"I want to help though."

Yang glanced at her out of the corner of her eye but then sighed.

"This is a job for the police, Blake. You're an informant, not an officer."

With her background, Blake wanted to believe that she was a little more helpful than a typical informant, but she held her tongue. Yang had enough going on without her arguing over her usefulness, which she wasn't even confident about at the moment. What Yang would or wouldn't have done mattered very little considering Blake was already in Vale, wrapped up in an investigation she'd assumed was already over.

"Did they really shoot someone?" she asked quietly. Deep down, she already knew the answer, yet her heart clenched when Yang slumped.

"Yeah. Yeah, they did. Two bartenders just got off their shift and noticed something was up. Went to check it out and shots were fired." Blake's hands curled into fists in her lap, but Yang shook her head. "We don't know why," she added, answering the unspoken question. "Maybe they thought it was the cops, or maybe they just have a loose cannon with an itchy trigger finger."

Yang shook her head and rubbed her left shoulder, just above her heart, where a circular scar lurked. Blake remembered the scar well, remembered the night it happened, and remembered who caused it. Would Yuma shoot two innocent bystanders? She wouldn't put it past him.

"Hopefully, they're both ok…" she mumbled as the all-too-familiar feeling of guilt swelled in her chest.

"Yeah, hopefully."

Yang glanced at Blake, but Blake rested her elbow on the armrest and stared out the window. It was one thing to be back in Vale, which had been her home for so long, but it was another to be back because of a mistake she made years ago that had morphed into a never-ending nightmare. That mistake led her to Yang, and that mistake led her to hurt Yang, tearing down both of their lives in the process.

While she brooded on how badly she'd messed up, Yang parked several blocks from Vale Union Station.

"We'll walk from here," Yang explained before getting out and waiting for Blake on the sidewalk. "Here, let me get that for you." When she reached for Blake's bag, Blake said, "Oh, thanks," and handed it over. Yang shifted the strap in her hand and then shrugged her shoulder in the direction they needed to go.

Unlike that night in Vacuo, Yang's hands remained free of her pockets, but she kept Blake's bag between them. Soon, they reached tall, weathered apartment buildings popular with the disadvantaged workers who Blake had always wanted to help. She had failed in that goal. Today, she entered one of those buildings as a humbled and disillusioned soul.

Yang led them to an apartment on the seventh floor, where she unlocked the door, stepped inside, and blew a puff of air through her lips.

"Feels like a motel…" she mumbled, setting Blake's bag near the door and then putting her hands on her hips as she surveyed the tiny, sparsely decorated apartment. There were no paintings or pictures on the drab, beige walls, nor decorations of any kind. A worn brown sofa sagged in the middle, facing a boxy television that was nearly too big for its small table. The kitchen looked only big enough to cover the basics, with a landline telephone sitting very prominently on one of the counters.

"Looks like my place in Vacuo," Blake commented, finding similarities in every corner. Noticing Yang's mixture of disbelief and anguish at the comparison, she offered a small smile and moved further into the room. The door to the right of the kitchen opened to a bedroom hardly big enough for a full-sized bed, a small closet, and an even smaller attached bathroom.

"It's fine," she assured Yang, whose frown lingered until a sigh eventually escaped.

"If you're sure…" Once Blake nodded, Yang went to the solitary window in the living room. There, she pulled back the curtain and gestured Blake over to her. Some seven floors down sat a tan car so unremarkable that it stood out like a beacon.

"They'll be outside all night," Yang explained. "But make sure to keep everything closed and lock the door. Don't open it for anyone but me."

Blake nodded and covered her mouth when a yawn slipped out. "Got it," she added when she noticed Yang watching her, but Yang's eyes held only sympathy.

"You must be tired. I'll let you get some sleep."

Blake shook her head, but Yang was already headed to the door. "I'm not that tired," Blake said while following, but she already knew that Yang would leave from the way her black and yellow fingers rested on the handle. Yang hesitated though and, after a thoughtful pause, turned back.

"This is a big case," she said, locking Blake in her serious gaze. "There will be a lot of pressure and scrutiny, especially with you involved. We have to do everything by the book, and obviously Fowler's just looking for a reason to fire me. So I need to know…can I trust you?"

That Yang even asked - and genuinely asked - hurt. But it hurt even more that Blake couldn't say, 'Of course.' Because it wasn't 'of course.' She'd already proven that she couldn't be trusted.

"I swear, Yang…you can trust me. I'll do everything you need me to do."

She pressed her hands together in front of her, silently imploring Yang to believe her, but Yang mulled over the response before eventually nodding. Then she pulled out her phone and flipped it over several times in her hand.

"You have a new phone, right? I can give you my number in case you need anything."

"Oh. I, uh, still have it."

Blake found her phone and opened the empty message that had been filled with words and erased hundreds of times over the past year. Instead of pouring her heart out as she had done so many times, she sent a simple smiling emoji and watched Yang's phone illuminate. Yang stared at it then eventually nodded and put her phone away. Her hand turned the door handle, it clicked open, and her gaze found Blake's one last time.

"And…thanks. For getting me the case."

"You're the best person for the job."

"Still. I appreciate it."

While the sincerity made it difficult for Blake to breathe, Yang headed out with a soft, "I'll be back in the morning." As soon as the door shut, a crushing exhale left Blake's lungs, and she fought every inch of her that wanted to chase Yang out of the building. To finally get that hug. To ask Yang to stay so that they could talk all night and maybe get their feelings sorted out.

Instead, she looked around the sparse, sterile apartment before sitting on the edge of the sofa and sighing. Just when her life had gained some consistency, it turned on its head again.

This time, she didn't mind. It brought her back to Yang. Back to Adam, too, but she was willing to take that risk if it meant proving to Yang that what they had was always real. That she could be trusted. Even though she had no idea what she was just dragged into, or if she could even be helpful, she would try her hardest to make this right.