A Mother's Instinct

2-DAY EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS! THANK YOU!

It's been a while, but it's time for another wonderful story idea/commission from Tom! I loved this idea of his right away because it means I got to write a different character from the usual girls! I had a lot of fun writing Kali, so I hope you enjoy reading this one! Takes place right at the end of vol5!

There will also be artwork to go along with this fic when it releases to the public!

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Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														A Mother's Instinct

It isn't long after the fighting has subsided when the air ships and police vehicles begin to arrive on-scene at Haven Academy.

With the huntsmen and huntresses, the Faunus, the medical personnel, and the authorities, the place is bustling with hundreds of people at the late hour.

Kali's convinced the only reason she hasn't lost track of her husband is because he's so big.

But rather than Ghira, she sticks close to her daughter's side, guiding Blake through the crowds that have temporarily separated her from her friends. And even though she's looked her over a dozen times already, as a mother, Kali just can't help but ask.

"Are you all right, honey?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

"Are you sure?"

"I am." Blake smiles, but Kali can see the hidden anxiety in her eyes. She doesn't like being apart from her teammates – not again. Even if it's only for a moment in the crowds. Kali makes a silent vow to get her to them within the next minute.

"All right. Let's go find your friends."

Keeping a firm hold on Blake's hand, she leads her through the lively bustle, eyes set on the air ships that are used to transport the injured and innocent.

It isn't long before she spots the bright blonde hair of both Sun and Blake's new partner, then the peculiar white ponytail of Schnee's daughter. Kali can feel Blake tense up in anticipation, and it makes her want to hold on more tightly.

More than anything right now, Kali wants to hold onto her.

But that's exactly the reason why she lets go.

Without hesitation, Blake hurries forward toward her friends. Kali stands a ways back and watches, a bud of warmth blossoming in her chest. She really can't recall the last time she'd seen her daughter this anxious with joy and relief.

From there, so much happens all at once that Kali doesn't pay attention to most of it. One moment she's standing in the crowds with everyone else, then she's on a ship with Blake and her acquaintances, and finally they end up at some rather spacious safe house.

The man who seems to be in charge of things – Qrow – gives both offers and orders for food and sleeping arrangements. Along with Kali and Ghira who had tagged along for safety and parental reasons, there are a dozen children spending the night as well.

As everyone wearily settles in here or there, Kali takes a comfortable spot against the wall to observe. Qrow and her husband seem to be acquainted somehow already. Not surprising, because she gets the feeling Qrow is one of those people who knows everybody somehow.

As for the children, they all convene to decide on who is sleeping where.

Naturally, Kali can't keep her eyes off of her daughter for longer than a second. Blake is standing stiff with nervousness amongst her teammates, emitting an aura of both happiness and anxiety. Her ears keep flicking in confusion of her contrasting emotions, but overall she is clearly very happy to be reunited with them at long last.

Kali can tell that she doesn't want to sleep without them tonight.

Luckily for Blake, everyone else seems to be able to assess the situation and pick up on the same mutual feeling from Team RWBY. In the end, Sun, Ilia, the boy who looks far too old for his age, and the team lead by the other blonde boy decide to spread out amongst themselves in the sleeping quarters downstairs, whilst Blake and her team are offered the upstairs bedrooms.

Kali would've liked to see them all chat together about normal teenager things like homework and mock battles, or play card games, or go out to eat together. But instead she only gets to see them wearily sighing and commending one another after such a grueling fight.

As the group disperses, most of them stagger or limp off, having to lean on one another for support. Kali notices Blake lending her arm to the Schnee heiress as they follow the sisters to the staircase.

Kali doesn't move just yet. She glances back into the main room to find her husband still grunting away with Qrow about anything and everything. She knows for a fact that Ghira can be a little dense at times and decides to intervene.

The conversation had strayed from more serious matters a while ago, and now seems to just be Ghira blabbering while Qrow tries to humor him. Kali decides to lend Qrow a hand.

"Darling, please," she interjects, putting a hand on her husband's arm as she passes. "Let the poor man get some sleep."

"Hm? Ah yes, I suppose you're right, dear. My apologies, Qrow."

"It's no sweat." He shrugs and says as much, but throws Kali an appreciative look.

Kali smiles and continues across the room into the kitchen. They'd been provided with plenty of rations on the air ship, and what hadn't already been eaten had made its way to the table, along with several piles of clean clothes. Having seen the girls eat at least a little something on the flight here, Kali picks up the clothing and a small first aid kit before heading back to the stairs.

The lighting is soft and dim in the staircase and the hallway beyond. She can't hear much more than soft murmurs and footsteps. In spite of the touching reunion she'd witnessed between the girls earlier, the fighting seems to have caught up with them now.

As she ascends the final step she can see them branching off into pairs. The sisters – Ruby and Yang – head to one door together while Blake leads the heiress – Weiss – to another. But they don't part without exchanging gentle hugs and brief words with one another. She can tell it's killing them all to have to be apart from the other two.

With their backs to Kali, none of them notice her arrival just yet.

Once the goodnight wishes are given, the sisters disappear into their room together. After a moment, Blake and Weiss do the same.

Kali waits a moment after the doors close before advancing. She doesn't mean to eavesdrop either; her keen ears simply pick up on a few things.

"Take it easy," Blake is murmuring. "The bleeding might have stopped, but you're still hurt."'

"I'll be fine. But I do think I'd like to shower."

"Be careful. Call for me if you need anything."

"I will."

Kali can't help but smile, proud of how tenderly her daughter is treating her injured teammate. She'd never thought she would live to see the day where a member of her own family became so close to a Schnee. The younger generation truly was amazing.

After a few more minutes, she hears another door – presumably the bathroom – open and close. When she's sure Weiss has left and Blake has no one else to talk to, Kali gives a knock around the clothes in her arms.

"Yes?" Blake answers.

"Blake, honey? It's me."

"Mom?" A flurry of footsteps, and then she opens the door inward. "Is everything all right?"

Kali smiles. "Everything's fine, sweetie. I just brought some changes of clothes for you and your friends." She offers half the pile to Blake and leaves the rest outside, intending to give it to the girls across the hall once she's finished her business here. Blake smiles back.

"Thanks, Mom." She turns away to place the clothes onto the bed. Kali remains in the doorway.

"Blake? May I come in for a moment?"

"Huh? Of course you can."

"Thank you." Kali steps in and lets the door close quietly.

Blake takes a seat on the edge of the bed. When Kali flicks an ear, Blake nods in invitation. Kali joins her. Unable to resist the urge, she begins by wrapping Blake in another hug.

"I'm so glad everything's worked out this way. It's all over. At least for tonight, you can rest easily. More so than you've done these past six months, I'm sure."

Blake hugs her back, leaning her head on Kali's shoulder.

"You're probably right."

"Probably?" Kali nuzzles her daughter's forehead. "Why only 'probably'? Did you get hurt somewhere and didn't tell me about it?"

"No, that's not it, Mom. I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine, dear." Kali eases back, having Blake look her in the eye. "What's the matter, Blake? You know you can tell me anything."

This has always been the hardest part. Wanting to let Blake know she's there for her, but not wanting to seem like she's prying or imposing.

The pre-teen years had been very difficult for Kali to get through. She'd treaded on eggshells with Blake, especially regarding her involvement with Adam and the White Fang.

Blake had kept almost everything to herself in those years in spite of Kali's efforts to listen, to simply be there. Perhaps it was Beacon and these wonderful friends of hers that had changed her.

Now, Blake blurts out her feelings with almost no hesitation.

"I just... I don't know if I should be here right now... With them..."

Her voice cracks almost instantly, and Kali can feel her heart doing the same.

"What do you mean? Of course you should be here, honey. You know how long your friends have been waiting to see you. They've waited just as long as you have." She reaches up to run the backs of her nails through Blake's hair. Her daughter's Faunus ears are drooping. Kali rests her hand over Blake's in her lap. "Blake, you don't have to think like this."

For a moment, Blake seems to take it all in, pulling in a deep breath that trembles.

"I mean... of course I'm happy to be back here with them. I think I'm happier than I've ever been before in my entire life. But... I'm also scared..."

Kali shifts closer, easing Blake into a side-hug.

"Scared of what, dear?"

Blake sniffles.

"Scared of... of them not really wanting me here. What if they were better off without me?" She turns distraught golden eyes up at her mother. Kali can see the tears forming and brimming.

"Blake, sweetie-"

"I mean-! Yang's arm was all my fault! In a way, Adam being where he is and doing what he's done now is my fault, too! And Weiss even got hurt-"

"Hush, dear." Kali turns Blake fully toward her now and pulls her into an embrace, wrapping both arms firmly around her shaking back.

She's known Blake her whole life. Even when her daughter would try to hide things, Kali almost always knew what was going on. She knows Blake is the type of person to blame herself for everything, even other people's actions.

"You're always blaming yourself, Blake. You're always taking the whole burden upon yourself, even when you had nothing to do with the situation." She strokes her hands through Blake's hair, nuzzling the side of her face. "You can't keep doing this to yourself. You can't honestly think your friends care about any of those things more than they care about you being back with them."

Blake's hands find tight purchase on her mother's clothes.

"B-But-"

"No, 'buts!' Were you the one who hurt your partner that badly? Were you the one who hurt your friend that badly? Were you the one who instigated a rebellion of the White Fang and killed Sierra?"

"But-"

"No, you weren't. And you must know that."

For a moment, all is quiet as Blake absorbs the words and cries softly. The hiss of the shower water continues, serving as an auditory reminder for Blake that she really is back with her team now. And she wants to believe they're glad to have her back.

"But... What if Yang doesn't really want me here?" She shakes her head, easing back a little as more tears drip down. She looks up at her mother helplessly, perfectly resembling the confused little girl she once was. "What if... if it was all an act? What if she still hates me? What if-"

"All right. Just take a deep breath, dear." Kali reaches out to wipe her tears, trailing her hand back through Blake's bangs. "Do you want to know what I think, and what I don't think? I don't think Yang is the kind of person to put on an act, especially not in a situation as significant as this to the both of you. I do think she's the type to speak her mind, no matter what she's feeling, without shame. And if she accepted you with open arms back at Haven, then I think that's what she truly wants."

Blake's tears continue falling, and her ears are still flat.

"But what if she just... what if she doesn't-"

"She does." Kali says it with conviction. "You spoke so highly of her, Blake. Of all your teammates. If the relationships you had with them were as important to them as they are to you, then I can promise you they don't blame you for anything you're blaming yourself for right now. The only things they feel toward you now are happiness and relief to finally be back with you. Just the same as you feel. Wouldn't you think so?"

Blake is quiet for another moment. The water continues to hiss.

"I just... I'm so scared, Mom. What if it's all an act? I abandoned them when they needed me to stay more than anything."

"You made a decision that felt like it was the best option for you at the time," Kali corrects. "None of this abandonment talk, dear. You don't deserve the option to degrade yourself and your friends like that." She runs her hand up at down Blake's arms in slow, calming motions. "I know those six months apart were some of the worst of your life, and theirs. Don't you think so?"

Blake sniffles again, then dips her head. Kali coaxes her to look up into her eyes.

"Now, if you didn't love and cherish each other as much as you do, do you think those six months apart would have felt like such torture? Do you think it would have been so painful if you didn't love each other as much as you do?"

She waits a moment. Blake's ears flick for the first time in a while. She shakes her head. Kali smiles.

"I think you've forgotten how to trust your friends, Blake. You don't trust they're showing you their true feelings right now. You still think they're hiding things from you. You need to rebuild your faith in them, and you won't be able to do that unless you recognize the faith they have in you."

Blake nearly chokes. Kali can tell she is still going to persist on the topic, but she'll be ready. Surely enough, Blake's next words are still of insecurity and fear.

"What... what kind of faith could they have ever had in me...?"

Kali kisses her forehead.

"That you'd come back. And even though it took six months, you did come back, didn't you?"

Blake bows her head. The sobs have quieted but they're still there.

"But... If I'd just... If I'd just pulled myself together sooner... If I'd gotten back to them sooner, even just by a day, or by five minutes... maybe I could've prevented some of this. Or all of it..."

"There you go again, blaming yourself for something no one else would've ever thought to blame you for. I can promise you your friends don't blame you for any of this. I'd bargain they're blaming themselves, just like you are. Do you want them to do that?"

"No! Of course not-"

"Then do you think they want you to?"

At last, Kali feels she's finally let her point sink in. Blake wipes her own eyes this time and her ears lift up a little, swiveling toward the sounds of the shower water. Her gaze flashes to the bathroom door.

"Still... if nothing else, maybe I could've been there to cover Weiss' blind side..."

And now, Kali feels a slight tingle in her chest. Her smile only grows.

"Oh, Blake. Of all the people who don't blame you for things, do you honestly think that girl blames your not being there for what happened to her?"

"I guess not..." Blake sighs. "But I just... what if there was something I could've done? I'll never know because I wasn't there..."

"Then there's no point in dwelling over it, is there? She's all right now, isn't she? I can promise you Blake, that Weiss girl is happier than any of the others now that she can finally be back together with her girlfriend."

Blake's ears shoot up taller than ever before.

"M-Mom!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you not using that word yet?"

Blake's jaw drops, her cheeks flushing bright red as the tears come to a stop. Kali can't help but chuckle.

"Oh come now, Blake. I'm your mother. Did you really think I couldn't tell? The few seconds you ever had to yourself when you were staying back at home with us, you spent writing letters. And the way you're doing whatever you can to take care of her, and the way you're blaming yourself for what happened to her-"

"M-Mom, stop it!"

"Sorry! I don't mean to tease. Honest." She has to bite back another chuckle at the sight of her daughter now, blushing like a school girl with her ears and hair frazzled. Kali hugs her again. "Don't worry. I won't be saying a word to anyone, not even your father."

"Please..."

"Don't worry!"

Somewhere within the past few minutes the shower water had shut off. Now, when the bathroom door opens and Weiss appears in a fresh nightgown and warm pants, Blake stiffens and squirms away from her mother. Kali bites her lip to stop from grinning so much. For the moment she stays quiet and simply observes.

Blake smoothes herself out as best she can and straightens up as she makes eye contact with Weiss.

"H-How was your shower?"

"Heavenly," Schnee's daughter replies. "I can't tell you how long it's been since- Blake? Why is your face all red? Are you all right?" Weiss pauses in drying her hair to rush over to the bed to inspect the Faunus girl. Only then does she seem to notice Kali. "Oh! Good evening, Mrs. Belladonna..."

But before her mother can say a word, Blake quickly answers Weiss' question.

"I'm fine. I'll go take my shower now." She stands in a hurry, all but darts across the room to grab a change of clothes, and with one last look of pleading, embarrassment, and gratitude at her mother, she disappears into the bathroom.

Kali watches her go, ears flicking in amusement.

But now that Blake is absent and someone else has taken her place, there's a very different feeling in the room.

As Kali turns back to look at Schnee's daughter – Weiss – she can tell instantly that the girl is at a loss. She's still standing beside the bed, and rather stiffly at that. One hand is grasping her opposite wrist and her gaze can't seem to come off the floor; a stance of unease that says more than words. But when she does speak, her voice is clearly nervous as well.

"Mrs. Belladonna, is there something I can help you with...?"

Kali has been preparing herself for this encounter. She's nervous too, but she doesn't want to let it show. She puts on the sweetest smile she can muster.

"First of all, you can help me by making me not feel so old! Please, call me Kali."

Weiss shuffles her feet and dips her head, still avoiding eye contact.

"Then... I'm sure you already know who I am."

"Yes. Weiss. You're one of Blake's teammates and one of her best friends."

The comment has the girl raising her head a little, enough so to meet Kali's eyes properly for the first time. With no mention of her tarnished last name, it's eased the innate tension between them, just a little.

Kali can read her, but only a little, only enough to see the anxiety and the hints of fear in her blue eyes. Weiss' grip on her wrist tightens and her arms press closer over her stomach defensively.

"I... I'm sorry-"

"Hold on, dear." Kali lifts up her hand. "I didn't come here to make you feel like you had to start apologizing for things. You're just like my daughter." She shifts over and makes plenty of space on the mattress. "Please, sit down if you'd like."

She watches the girl draw in a steadying breath before advancing. The way she lowers herself is stiff and rigid, not typically the way an exhausted girl would welcome the relief of a soft bed.

Kali can tell right away it isn't all tension from being with her. She hasn't forgotten how the medical personnel had been called over to treat this girl immediately upon their arrival. Kali hadn't seen the incident for herself, but she'd heard the murmurs from others and from Blake about the severity of the heiress' wound.

Now as she sits, her right hand is clutching her side, wrinkling the nightgown rather tightly. Kali reaches out her hand but doesn't make contact, just a gesture to let the girl know she's offering.

"May I take a look? I'm no expert, but when your husband and daughter are at the front-lines of the White Fang for so many years, you learn a thing or two about wrapping injuries."

Weiss' expression has become tight from the pain, but Kali doesn't believe the discomfort is the sole reason the heiress nods her permission.

Kali smiles again before standing, making her way toward the pile of clothes she'd brought up. She'd placed the first-aid kit amongst the fabrics to keep it from slipping out. After retrieving it she returns to the bed and sits beside Weiss.

The girl has started to breathe a little heavily, though Kali can tell she's doing her damnedest to conceal it. The poised posture of Schnee's daughter begins to slouch into a position that seeks to handle the pain. Kali reaches her hand out again, only this time she finally makes contact, resting her palm gently on Weiss' shoulder.

"Just take a few deep breaths. Are you sure you're all right with this?" She doesn't realize the lapse in judgment until she's already spoken the words.

She knows Weiss is very different from her father; Blake and the news stations had told her as much. But in asking if she was all right with a Faunus treating her likely set things back, made it sound as though Kali is still wary of her – as a Schnee.

Surely enough the girl flinches slightly and immediately reverts to a nervously reserved tone.

"Yes. It's absolutely fine. I..."

Kali can sense the apology coming and quickly shakes her head.

"No dear, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

A moment passes, and Weiss' eyes meet hers. Kali can tell there's so much in those eyes, so much she wants to say – to her. She's almost drowning in it.

Kali closes her eyes in a slow, calm blink, and reopens them with another smile.

"We can talk in a few minutes. Let me get you treated first. Is that all right?"

Weiss clutches herself more tightly.

"If it's no trouble."

Kali softens her tone as if speaking to a frightened animal.

"No trouble at all."

She withdraws her hand and waits for Weiss to roll up her nightgown, above the waistband of the soft pants, revealing a stomach far too skinny to be that of someone whose family can afford so many meals. Her ribs are visible through bandages that wrap all the way around her torso and back, slightly damp and wrinkled from the recent shower.

Once again the girl seems unable to make eye contact, so Kali simply proceeds.

"Let me know if it hurts."

She unties the knot in the bandage wrap and beings to unravel it bit by bit. As she removes each layer, she can see faint red stains in the material. When the last of it comes off, Kali is taken aback by the wounds themselves.

The entry wound had pierced through the right side of her back and come all the way out to exit beneath her ribcage in the front. Both wounds were mostly stitched up through a combination of aura and medical treatment by now, but Kali can only envision what it had looked like when she'd been hit.

She'd heard it had been a spear.

She can't even begin to imagine how much pain she must have been in. Kali herself hadn't witnessed it, but images of what it could have looked like flash through her mind, and they're all terrifying.

It makes her angry. Livid. That these children are fighting on the front-lines of the kingdoms of Remnant because most of the adults are too busy with politics and religion. Girls like Schnee's daughter - like Kali's own daughter - are shedding their blood for the sake of reform. It's inexcusable.

After she cleans the girl's wound with a medicine-wet cotton ball and disinfectant, Kali takes a fresh roll of bandage wrap and begins to wrap around Weiss' torso. But she must not realize that the anger in her mind from imagining all of this has begun to waft into the air.

Weiss senses the fury, the boiling rage, and she can't take it. She quickly pulls the nightgown back down, cutting Kali off from wrapping.

"Please-" Weiss chokes. "It's all right. You don't have to do this for someone like me."

Kali is stunned for a moment. Had she been any years younger and more foolish, she might have taken it as a rejection.

But her wisdom now lets her understand. It's her own fault.

She sighs, upset with herself, and no one else.

"I'm sorry, dear. It's not what you're thinking. I can promise you that. I'm not angry because I have to patch up Schnee's daughter for the sake of looking good in front of mine."

The tears brimming in Weiss' eyes confirm those had been her thoughts. Kali goes on.

"This has nothing to do with you. I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at the ones who did this to you. At the ones who let things get this bad, to the point where people would fight this savagely against students. Against children." She shudders again at the image of the girl's gruesome injury.

Once again, Kali can't seem to find Weiss' eyes. The girl's posture slouches somewhat as her voice becomes low.

"Even so... I feel I'm responsible. At least for some of this..."

"You sound just like my daughter," Kali sighs. "Always so quick to take the weight of the world upon your own shoulders. You can let other people take some of the blame, especially when they deserve it."

Weiss folds her hands together in her lap, shaking her head softly.

"Blake shouldn't be blaming herself."

Part of Kali wants to request that Weiss say that to her daughter's face. But she can already sense that the Schnee heiress has more she wants to say. Surely enough, she doesn't stop there.

"Rather than Blake, I'm definitely to blame." With this, she finally lifts her face to reveal fresh tears and guilty eyes. "I... my family has done terrible things to your people. Perhaps even to your family directly. After my grandfather passed, so did everything Schnee Dust stood for. My father... destroyed our family and the lives of the Faunus for money. And I didn't do a damn thing to stop him..." The girl bows her head in shame, in defeat.

It breaks Kali's heart. This poor girl, gathering up the weight and burden of everything her father had done – everything Weiss herself could never have been responsible for – and piling it up onto her own shoulders.

It comes as a bit of a surprise to Kali. All she'd ever heard about this girl – about the heiress of Schnee Dust – was that she'd shared the same views as her father.

And perhaps for a time those rumors had been true. But that certainly isn't the case anymore.

Kali is an expert at deciphering whether or not someone is telling the truth. She'd gotten very skilled at it, what with her husband and daughter being involved in the Fang for so many years. And right now she can tell that Weiss is grieving for her mistakes with all her heart, that she's entirely ashamed and feels completely responsible for things she never could have had control of.

Kali can remember hearing about the Schnee family beyond just the sickening news of their treatment of the Faunus in the mines. She'd heard about how horrible the father was on a near-daily basis. Official news and White Fang rumor alike painted Schnee and his family as cold-hearted capitalists with no regard for Faunus rights. The mother was known to be an alcoholic and a shrew.

And Kali couldn't speak much for the older sister and younger brother, but she'd heard plenty about the selfish brat of an heiress and her holier-than-thou attitude, her sharp stinging tongue, and her nasty disposition. The image society and the White Fang had painted of Weiss Schnee had been set in Kali's mind for a long, long time.

And yet...

Now here she is, sitting with this remorseful girl who's sobbing her heart out for crimes she never committed.

A girl who had surely risked her life multiple times as a huntress in order to extinguish Grimm and their hatred, rather than sit comfortably back at home in Atlas with a desk job.

A girl whom she'd heard about from Blake.

A girl who had ruined a family banquet when someone had spoken ill about her school. A girl who had run away from her father's clutches despite the high risk of failure and recapture.

A girl who had changed herself and was now actively seeking to change others. A girl who had nearly died there today at Haven, fighting for what she believed in.

Kali's heart swells for so many reasons. But the anger from before has faded for the most part, and what's left is all gentle and kind, and it's all for this girl.

She'd been unsure about touching her earlier, not because she didn't want to, but because she wasn't sure if Weiss would feel comfortable rather than guilty if she did. But in knowing what she does, about Weiss' lack of a mother, about all of the sacrifices she'd made, not only for herself, but for the Faunus...

Kali reaches out to gather the Schnee heiress into her arms. She hears the gasp, feels the tension in the shoulders, but Kali doesn't stop. She tucks Weiss' head beneath her chin and holds her gently, in an embrace any mother could easily give, but Weiss' mother had never bothered to.

"You have nothing to apologize for, dear. Nothing at all."

Her Faunus ears flick at the sounds of more whimpers and sobs.

"But... I... For so long... my family name has been... synonymous with hatred toward the Faunus. And for a long time... I let it. I believed everything my father said. I let the hatred and discrimination continue. I ever condoned it... participated... Blake knows..."

"You're talking about the past, dear." Kali cradles the girl's head and shoulders, petting through the soft white tresses of Schnee's daughter as if Weiss were her own. "You've done one of the most difficult things anyone could ever do. You've changed. In spite of the consequences, the ridicule, the pain, you've changed. If you hadn't, you wouldn't be here with me right now, would you?"

Weiss sobs again, and this time she pulls herself away.

"But what if that change came too late?" she wails. "What if lives were lost... because I waited this long? What if I could have saved others...? All because of my last name... Because I'm a Schnee... I wish I weren't... I'm sorry I am..."

All this time Kali has been building up her courage, and seeing the girl like this finally gives her the final push she needs to use it. With both hands on the heiress' shoulders, she addresses her directly.

"Weiss." Once she has her attention, Kali smiles. "I can tell you right now, from the bottom of my heart, that I couldn't be happier with who you are. If you hadn't been born Schnee's heiress, there'd be no one to stand up to him, no one to fight for reform like you have – like you still are.

"You've changed, and now you're trying to help others do the same. I can promise you there is nothing you need to apologize for. Especially not your name. Because that was your grandfather's name too, wasn't it?"

Kali hopes she hasn't gone too far with everything. The poor girl can't even muster up a response this time. She just buries her face in her palms and weeps.

Kali rests her hand on the girl's back and sits with her. She has to wonder just how long Weiss has been keeping this bottled up inside. To be able to confess her guilt and her feelings to the wife of one of the White Fang's major figures must have been both terrifying and liberating.

Kali had once heard rumors that a Schnee would never shed a tear for the sake of the Faunus. And yet it seems to her that Weiss is shedding as many tears as most of her own people ever had. She'd even shed her own blood for them.

Kali will be sure to make mention of Weiss Schnee's courage if nothing else at the next White Fang meeting.

But the thought of blood has reminded her of the bandages still hanging limply from beneath Weiss' night shirt, the unfinished treatment. Kali gives the girl another moment to cry before reaching out to her once again, though not nearly as tentatively as before.

"Weiss, dear? Let me finish wrapping your wound. May I?"

Weiss slowly brings her hands away from her face, wiping the last of the tears as she does so. All she can manage is a shy little nod. Kali smiles.

"All right. Can you hold this for me?"

Once again she has Weiss roll up her shirt to reveal the bandages and the scars underneath. Gently, perhaps even a bit more so than before, she begins to fix the bandages.

"Tell me if it's too tight."

Weiss draws in a deep breath.

"All right. Thank you, Mrs. Belladonna."

"I told you, please call me Kali!"

She takes care in what she's doing with the girl's injury, ensuring the bandage wrap is secure, but not too tight to hinder her movement or breathing. There is just one last thing she wants to address, but she treads very lightly.

"So, did all of Blake's letters make it to you all right?"

Weiss nearly chokes.

"You... knew about that?"

Kali purrs. "Deary, I know about everything. My daughter is an open book when it comes to things like this." She can feel Weiss has tensed up significantly, maybe even a little too much. Kali's smile fades. "Is everything all right?" She pauses in tying the bandages, fearing it was painful for her.

But Weiss had stopped thinking about her injury by this point. She suddenly can't look Kali in the eyes again.

"I... Shouldn't I be asking you that...?"

"Asking me what, dear?"

The heiress draws in another uncertain breath.

"If it's all right... for me to have those kind of feelings toward Blake..."

Kali pauses in what she's doing when she notices the grip Weiss has on her shirt. Her hands have balled into fists, her knuckles have run bone-white, and her breath has become shaky once again. Kali can feel the guilt wafting off of her as if it were scent from a flower. She makes her voice as gentle as possible without it becoming a lullaby whisper.

"It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about it. Only you and Blake. Wouldn't you say?" She finishes tying and securing Weiss' bandages. "But for the record, I don't mind it one bit. In fact it makes me very, very happy. All finished."

Weiss slowly turns her face back toward her, but still misses her eyes. She lowers her night gown again and sniffles once.

"Are you sure? We... We weren't going to say anything... We wanted to keep it a secret-"

"And don't you worry about that," Kali stays. "My lips are sealed. On my honor." She raises her right hand to her chest and dips her head respectfully. "I'm sorry for putting you on the spot about it. I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."

"No..." Though Weiss does let out a long sigh of relief. "I just... I was scared. I never thought you or your husband would approve."

"My husband!" Kali blurts out. "Dear, whenever you two feel ready enough to bring this up to Ghira, I can promise you he'll be thrilled."

"Really? Even though I'm-"

"A Schnee?" Kali finishes. "Dear, I think we all know by now there's much more to a person than their name. Ghira understands that, too. So long as what you and Blake have is real, everything will be just fine on our end."

"It is," Weiss declares without missing a beat. "It's real. I swear it is."

Kali smiles.

"I can't tell you how happy it makes me to hear that." She takes both of Weiss' hands in hers and give a squeeze. And for the first time this evening to her knowledge, Weiss Schnee smiles.

"Mrs. Belladonna? If I may ask... how did you-?"

"Oh, you mean besides a mother's intuition? Well when she came home for those few months, Blake talked an awful lot about her teammates and friends of course. But for every time she mentioned someone else, she mentioned you twice. Then there were the letters-"

"Sh-She talked about me?"

Kali watches the blush creep onto the girl's cheeks and has to bite back a giggle.

"What... did she say...?"

"Oh, you know. She would go on about how the two of you had used to be at odds just like the rest of our families. But then you'd started to change your views and opinions bit by bit. And eventually she just started talking about anything and everything regarding you. How well you fought, your singing..."

"She... She did...?"

"She did. It was all very sweet. She probably thought she was being subtle, and maybe someone as dense as her father didn't notice. But to someone like me it was obvious."

With this, Weiss is at a loss for words. Kali still has ahold of her hands.

"If you don't mind my asking, how exactly did you fall for my daughter?"

The shower water has stopped. Kali knows she only has a limited amount of time left now. Weiss' face only becomes redder.

"I... I mean I don't think there was a specific moment... It was gradual. Before either of us knew it, we just..."

She clearly can't bring herself to say anymore. Kali doesn't want to force her. So she pulls the girl in for one more hug.

"Thank you for taking care of her. I know you'll continue to do so."

And this time, Weiss relaxes in her embrace.

"I promise... I'll do everything within my power."

And then the bathroom door opens, and Blake steps out in a clean change of pajama shirt and shorts with a towel around her shoulders. As Kali eases back from Weiss, she watches her daughter's ears straighten up.

"Mom? You're still here?"

"Guilty as charged."

"W-Weiss, are you okay? Your face is all red." Blake hurries over in the same manner Weiss had done for her earlier. Kali bites back a giggle.

"I'm fine," Weiss says quickly. Kali notices that in her haste Blake had placed both of her hands over Weiss'.

"Are you sure? You don't feel sick?"

"Not at all. Your mother and I-"

"Kali."

"Were just having... a talk..."

The way she trails off flicks the switch on in Blake's mind. She turns to her mother slowly, ears flicking.

"So then... I'm guessing you talked to Weiss about what you talked to me about...?"

"Don't worry, dear. My lips are sealed."

"Mom-"

Kali stands up from the bed, sensing it's time to take her leave.

"Well, it was very nice getting to chat with the two of you. But you must both be exhausted. Plus you need to catch up, don't you-"

"Mom-"

"Blake, dear, make sure you take care of Miss Schnee."

Blake sighs.

"Of course I will."

Kali then turns to Weiss.

"And please be sure to take care of my reckless daughter as well."

Weiss dips her head. "I'll do my best, Kali."

That sends an extra-happy little trill through Kali's chest. She can't resist wrapping an arm around them each one more time and leaning down for a hug.

"Get some rest, you two. There'll be a lot to do in the morning."

"We will," Blake sighs. "Thanks, Mom."

"Yes, thank you very much."

Kali eases back and releases the girls.

"Believe me, it was my pleasure."

There's just enough of a teasing hint in her tone to make the girls flush again.

Kali turns and heads across the bedroom, then silently slips out the door. A good part of her very much wants to stay and listen to whatever else the two of them might say to one another, but she somehow finds the strength to resist the eavesdropping urge.

Now she debates going back downstairs to figure out what will be done tomorrow and discuss things with her husband and Qrow. But the pile of extra clothes she'd dropped outside here in the hallway remind her; the two sisters had looked like they'd had a thing or two on their minds as well.

Kali knows that she shouldn't nose her way into other people's business. Her own daughter's and her girlfriend's was one thing, but she didn't have much of a relationship – or any, for that matter – with Qrow's nieces.

But something is compelling her, drawing her toward that door across the hallway. At the very least she should drop off their change of clothes.

So Kali picks up the bundle and makes her way to the door opposite Blake's and Weiss'. Her keen ears can pick up on the muffled sounds of two quiet voices on the other side. They sound tired of course, but also relaxed, perhaps a bit melancholy. Kali waits for a pause in their speech before choosing to knock. The older girl's voice answers.

"Come in."

Kali pushes through, finding a room more or less identical to the one across the hall. The two sisters are sitting on a bed next to each other, with the youngest one brushing the eldest' hair. The former – Ruby, if she recalls correctly – blinks up at her in surprise.

"Oh! H-Hi there, Miss Blake's Mom!"

"Hello," her older sister says more collectedly.

Kali notices right away that her prosthetic hasn't been reattached yet. It's sitting in her lap as though that were the next order of business. Kali closes the door behind herself and steps in.

"Good evening, girls. I've brought you a few clean clothes."

"Oh!" Ruby sighs. "Thank goodness! We were just gonna go take showers but we didn't know where to get more clothes! Thanks for the delivery!"

"Don't mention it."

"Okay then," Ruby says to her sister. "Do you wanna go first?"

Yang gives her a kind, tired smile.

"That's all right. You go on ahead, Ruby."

"You sure? Okay, I'll be quick!" And with that she grabs a change of fresh clothes and scurries away into the bathroom.

Kali didn't think anything would be more awkward than being alone with Schnee's daughter, but she's already beginning to think that Qrow's blonde niece might give her a run for her money.

She's hardly glanced up at Kali once since she'd entered. Even now, as the girl clears her throat and seems to talk out of obligation more than anything else, she doesn't look at Kali directly.

"So, uh, how are you doing?"

It's obvious she's trying to sound cheery, but her eyes are crowded with many painful emotions. Kali can see the same uncertainty she'd seen in her daughter's eyes. She puts on a small smile, nothing too overbearing.

"I'm doing just fine now that I know everyone I care about is safe. What about you, dear? How are you feeling? Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No. I'm fine, thanks."

Shut down right away. This one is going to be tricky.

Kali decides not to beat around the bush and just get straight to the heart of things. She takes a step closer, ensuring Yang can see her approach even if she doesn't look up at her.

"May I join you for a moment? Perhaps I could help." Her eyes go to the prosthetic in Yang's lap. Yang lets out a small sigh, not intending to be rude, but simply because she's tired.

"If you wouldn't mind."

"Not at all."

Kali takes a seat on Yang's right side, asking permission with her eyes to touch the prosthetic. Yang inclines her head to accept.

Kali rolls up the sleeve of Yang's shirt and unties the bandana at the crook of her elbow before picking up the prosthetic. Yang helps her hold it in place, then gives a slight push to get it set. The connection makes the girl flinch, and Kali gasps in surprise.

"Oh my-"

"Don't worry about it," Yang mutters. "This is why I didn't want Ruby helping me with it. She'd freak if she knew it caused me any pain. It's not a lot though. I'm just still getting used to it is all."

Kali can see now that the girl's lavender eyes don't appear to be quite so clogged with warring emotions as they were before. She's determined to keep taking steps in the right direction.

"Happy to help, dear." Kali releases the girl's arm and folds her hands into her lap politely. "Is there anything else I can help you with? Perhaps I can just lend an ear. I've got plenty."

To her absolute delight, the comment makes Yang flash a smile, if only for a second. Kali accepts the boost and continues, albeit more carefully.

"Blake mentioned to me briefly what happened today at the Academy, down in the vault. With your mother."

Evidently she'd gotten too confident too quickly. The little smile she'd managed to coax from Yang's lips vanishes instantly, and instead her lavender eyes flash red.

"She's not-"

The words are nearly spat out in their venom before Yang realizes where she is and who she's with. She sucks in a deep breath and tries to calm herself.

"She's not my mother anymore, as far as I'm concerned. She's just a coward and a murderer. She abandoned my family when we needed her the most. When I needed her the most. I hardly ever even knew her...

"All this time she's been hiding away, doing whatever she wants for her own sake. Killing people for her own sake. All this time... she's only ever thought about herself. And that hasn't changed."

At the end her voice begins to crumble, and the redness fades from her eyes. Kali can't refrain from offering comfort at a time like this, especially not to a girl who reminds her so much of her own daughter. She reaches her hand out slowly to rest it on Yang's shoulder, choosing her words carefully.

"It sounds to me like that woman made a lot of difficult decisions, but it only made your life more difficult. She was so scared of pain that all she did was cause it for others."

"Can't argue with that," Yang scoffs. "Just when I'd finally found her again... just when I'd thought that maybe... maybe things could change... that maybe she could..." She shakes her head and buries it in her hands. Kali finishes the thought.

"Just when you'd thought maybe she could come back to you."

Yang sniffles sharply, angrily. "Just when I'd thought that... I find out she kidnapped Weiss. I find out she murdered the previous Maiden and stole her powers. I find out she's a coward and a liar and she runs away again... How could I ever have thought... wanted her back as my mother? I'm such an idiot..." Her hands ball into fists, one grabbing her shorts and the other grabbing her hair.

Kali gently places both of her hands over Yang's to stop her from squeezing too tightly.

"This world has changed a lot over the years. It's turned all of us into people we never thought we would be. And it's turned us into people others never thought we would be.

"Perhaps it isn't my place to say, but I don't think your mother ever wanted to be a murderer or a coward. No one chooses that. I don't mean to justify her, but sometimes... people feel there's no other way. They think it's still 'kill or be killed,' and maybe it is..."

Her words quiet Yang for a moment, and Kali's grip causes her to loosen her hold on her hair and clothes.

Yang had really never thought about it that way before. She won't be forgiving her mother anytime soon, but she'd never considered Raven had never wanted to turn out this way. Maybe at some point she'd stopped caring about anything other than self-preservation. But at the time she'd left Yang as a child at least, that hadn't been her intention.

And somehow, thinking about it that way actually helps to ease a fraction of the pain and anger. And considering just how much Yang still had of each, removing any bit is an actual weight off her chest.

She exhales and slowly straightens up again.

Kali's memory reminds her that Blake once mentioned Yang didn't like her hair being touched, so she makes sure to only make contact with her shoulder to help her sit up.

"Raven," she continues. "Is just as scared as anyone else on Remnant today. It's just that she's found the manpower and the willpower to fight against that fear, which is a luxury very few people have. And in her case... she made more mistakes than others, mistakes she felt she couldn't come back from. Don't you think so?"

"But that doesn't excuse-"

"Of course it doesn't," Kali affirms. "Nothing excuses what she did if she did it for such selfish reasons. But I just want you to consider all of the things that must have gone wrong in her life to lead her to such a drastic point. Not because Raven deserves forgiveness, but because you deserve a bit of peace on the matter. Don't you think so?"

Yang is silent after that for several long moments. Her gaze is down in her lap once again, and her eyes are swimming with emotion, though not a tear falls. Her fists clench and un-clench, her breathing is quiet and hot.

But eventually she seems to cool off as she mulls over Kali's words. When Yang does find her voice again, it's much softer than before, though the hints of anger and betrayal still remain.

"She knew that once I found Ruby we'd go to Haven Academy. She must've known the Relic was there, too. She used us as a distraction for Salem, so she could get a head start in running further away. She's a coward through and through."

"And yet, look at you," Kali says. A warmth makes its way into her smile, and Yang looks up at her properly for the first time. Kali opens her arms and eases the girl into a soft hug. "You're nothing like your mother, Yang. Nothing at all. Even when you were scared and in pain, you didn't run away like she did."

"...Maybe not," Yang grunts. "But instead I just sat around in my room and moped and didn't do a damn thing when Ruby left. I could've been out there looking for her-"

"Better late than never, isn't that right?" Kali softly interjects. "You found her in the end, didn't you? She's here with you tonight, isn't she? The fact that you were able to get up and move forward at all after what you went through is incredible. Astounding. Do you think your mother ever would have found the courage to do any of that? I don't."

The fact that Yang is quiet this time suggests to Kali that perhaps she's seeing the truth in her words. Kali continues.

"Think about it like this. If you hadn't taken a bit of recovery time for yourself... If you hadn't waited a bit and left when you had... do you think you would've left at the perfect time that put you at Raven's base camp when Weiss was being held hostage? If you had left one day sooner or later, you would have missed her, and she might not be here with you tonight."

The scenario she suggests makes Yang flinch a little, but it's proof she understands Kali's point. Kali hugs her a little closer.

"You are a thousand times stronger than your mother, Yang. A thousand times more courageous and righteous. You experienced the same amount of fear and pain and loss as she did, but look at where you both are now. Raven is off running - alone - farther and farther away from her fears. But you? You're here. With your friends and family. Facing your fears. And I'd consider that the very definition of strength."

And for the first time since they'd started this little conversation, Yang lets out a sob.

Kali doesn't doubt that her younger sister and her friends haven't said many of the same things to her. But perhaps hearing it from someone like Kali – from a mother – has its own impact.

She holds the girl close, feeling the warmth that radiates off of her naturally. Blake had spoken of this warmth, the warmth that had helped her and her teammates through so many cold nights, in every sense.

Kali can tell Yang had made her own role for herself in her team. Being the only elder sister, she had taken on the role of of the listener, the problem-solver, the one to listen to and absorb everyone else's problems.

But it wasn't every day she was able to unburden herself and share her own. And Kali is more than happy to let her do so now. It's a relief for her as well as for Yang.

Kali is content with what she's managed here, and is willing to maintain the embrace without speaking further. But to her surprise, Yang has more to say. And it isn't quite what Kali is expecting.

"Blake..."

She isn't sure if it's a momentary lapse, that her presence so greatly resembles that of her daughter's that it's confused Yang into thinking Blake was the one with her now. Or if Blake had just been on Yang's mind for so long now that she was something Yang longed to discuss, more so than her mother. Kali takes care in easing back a little, ears turning forward so they can listen better.

"Would you like me to fetch her for you?"

It seems Yang hadn't meant to say the name out loud, because she stiffens a little, then shakes her head.

"No... I doubt she'd want to see me..."

Kali sighs. "You sound just like her, you know. She said the same thing about you."

"...She did?"

"Yes. And now here you are saying the very same. I can tell you for certain that she does, in fact, want to see you, just as badly as you want to see her."

Yang gives her an unconvinced look. Kali places her hand over the cool metal of the prosthetic fingers and gives a squeeze.

"I swear I'm not just saying it because she's my daughter. She's told me so much about your whole team, and you in particular. You're her partner. And in spite of all that's happened, she loves you very much. And I can tell you feel the same."

The girl lifts her flesh arm to wipe her face, sniffling again softly.

"Thanks... Mrs. Belladonna."

"Please. You can call me Kali."

Kali can sense a great weight has been removed from the atmosphere in the room. Yang seems to be able to sit up more easily, and her eyes are clearer now. She runs a hand back through her hair with a contemplating expression.

But before Kali can inquire what she's thinking about, the bathroom door opens and the younger sister Ruby walks back in.

"Bathroom's free," she calls to her sister. She pauses outside the door though, as if unsure of where to go or sit with Blake's mother still there. Yang flashes Kali an appreciative look, one the older woman receives with a dip of her head.

"Coming."

Yang pushes herself up from the bed and crosses the room to her little sister. She places her hand on Ruby's head and the towel dangling over her hair and gives a big ruffle. Ruby whines and swats at her playfully.

It's a small moment, and perhaps Kali shouldn't have been watching. But it warms her heart.

"Don't bore our guest," Yang says to her sister.

"Huh? I uh... I'll try."

Yang retrieves the last few clean articles of clothing that Kali had brought up for them and heads into the bathroom to finally wash up. She leaves Ruby standing there in her sweater and pajama pants looking utterly dumbfounded and awkward.

When Ruby meets Kali's eyes from across the room, her voice sounds like she just took a big gulp.

"Uh... s-so you look a lot like Blake! The first time I saw you I thought, 'wow, Blake never told us she had an older sister!'"

Kali can't contain a short burst of laughter.

"Oh my, you flatter me!"

"I'm serious! I had no idea!"

"Well thank you for that." Kali notes the girl still hasn't advanced a step in her direction. "Oh, where are my manners? This is your bed." She starts to get up, but Ruby quickly stops her.

"N-No, it's okay! You can sit." With this she finally begins to make her way over as well.

As she draws nearer, Kali can sense a change in the air. The aura around Ruby is very weighted and yet also thin, like a layer of ice just about to give. It tells her the light-hearted energy she's been trying to give off might have just been an act.

Ruby pauses right next to the bed, but doesn't sit nor look up.

"So um... I don't wanna sound rude or anything, but why are you here?"

Kali takes on a softer tone.

"I'm just making my rounds. I wanted to make sure everyone was all right. Your friend in the other room needed to have her bandages changed." As she mentions Ruby's partner, the younger girl flinches slightly. That is the reason Kali's here. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about, dear?"

Ruby is silent for a dragging moment. Then-

"No."

The girl is a terrible liar. But it was a very firm, concise answer, one Kali might have expected from Yang. She can already tell this is going to be a difficult conversation, if she can get it started.

Kali shifts over on the bed, patting the space next to her. Ruby looks up briefly at the invitation, but it takes her another moment just to decide to sit down. When she does she puts a fair distance between Kali and herself, and her shoulders are slouched.

Kali waits, but when Ruby still refuses to look up, she prompts her with a grunt. Only when she can see the girl's silver eyes and look directly into them does Kali ask again.

"Are you sure?"

It's the most compelling she's had to be in months.

She realizes she'd greatly misjudged this girl. She'd thought Ruby would be her easiest case. But considering the information she's gathered already, Kali can tell she might be even more difficult than the other three combined.

Kali has to admit she's using a technique that's a little unfair. She'd recalled that Blake had once said her leader was a bit socially awkward, and so staring her directly in the eye while addressing the fact that Kali knows she's lying is a tactful way to break through her shell.

Sure enough, Ruby falters, hands curling into fists over her knees, teeth biting into her lip. It takes another moment, but eventually she sighs.

"Well..."

Kali relaxes just a little bit, but she won't count her victory yet.

Ruby falls silent again soon afterward and drifts into a state of melancholy. And yet Kali can still sense agitation wafting off of her, as though she has so much she wants to say, and also nothing at all; or as if she doesn't even know herself.

After another few moments pass in silence, Kali feels she's lost her. But she's willing to try again; anything to alleviate the burden on the girl's shoulders.

Strangely enough, her technique to take weight off of Ruby's shoulders comes in the form of placing her hand on one of them, very lightly, just enough to remind. Her touch earns a reaction.

Ruby stiffens for a brief second, and by the time Kali realizes why it's too late to retract.

She'd heard about it somewhere, from Blake or from another acquaintance, she can't quite recall, but Kali now remembers hearing about the death of this girl's mother. And for Kali, as a mother, to be doing and saying the same things Ruby's own mother would have if she'd been here today...

She almost recoils – for Ruby's sake. But just before she does, the girl finds her voice.

"It was hard..."

And unlike her elder sister, who had fought and fought to keep the tears back, Ruby just doesn't have the strength. She's already crying at the first word.

"It was... so hard... these past six months... without them..."

Kali had felt as though her heart had broken three separate times tonight with three separate girls.

But this one... this one really shatters her.

She can't – just can't – stop herself from gathering Ruby into her arms right away.

Ruby clings to her and sobs.

"I m-missed them all so much... a-and Pyrrha and Penny are... g-gone... I watched them both..." She can't seem to finish the thought, and Kali doesn't make her.

She'd been watching a broadcast of the Vytal Tournament. She'd seen the very moment when things had gone horribly wrong, when the prodigy girl Pyrrha Nikos had destroyed her opponent, revealed Ironwood's secret of an android daughter, and unknowingly initiated the first step to the fall of Beacon.

Everyone at that school had been Ruby's friend. And now she's lost so many of them, Beacon itself, and even her headmaster, in a way. Her team is just about all she has left.

Kali can't even begin to imagine her pain.

"I'm so sorry, dear."

She just holds her close for a while and lets her cry. She feels it's all she can do. This is the most powerless Kali's felt since she'd watched her daughter run off with Adam so many years ago. To have lost so many loved ones at so young an age...

It devastates Kali to even consider something so awful. When a fifteen-year-old girl can make a grown woman feel thankful for the lack of loss in her own life in contrast to the astounding loss in the former's, something is terribly wrong with the world.

What's worse is the next word Ruby whimpers.

"Mom..."

Kali freezes. To stay as she is and let Ruby hide in her arms could immensely help or hurt her. She isn't Ruby's mother, but she wishes she could be. Even if just for a moment.

And perhaps just for a moment, she can be.

Kali chooses to not let go. She can feel the tears running down her own face now as clearly as she can feel the tears from Ruby's seeping into her shoulder. The girl sobs again, sniffling so deeply she chokes a little.

"My mom..." she mumbles. "Was a huntress... I wanted to... to be just like her... I wuh-wanted to help people... But... the school I went to... to follow in her footsteps is gone now..."

The poor girl can't seem to stop herself now. The words just keep tumbling out.

"A-And my friends... Blake left a-and we didn't know where she went and I was so worried! And I didn't hear anything from Weiss either! And Yang, she... she couldn't even talk to me that much... She was so hurt inside... And I left her. I left her when she probably needed me to stay most of all...

"I just feel so useless. As a leader, a-as a sister, and as a friend... I set out here to... to try and make things right, but... I don't know if I can... if I can solve everything by myself... I don't know if I can make it right..." Her voice breaks off into a soft wail as she clings to Kali.

It's all Kali can do to hold her as any mother should. She's grateful to have provided a place where the girl could voice her hefty feelings, but Kali has heard enough. Anymore and Ruby will only cause more damage to herself.

"Hush, dear..." Kali whispers. "It isn't your responsibility to make things right when you didn't play a hand in wronging them in the first place. You aren't useless; just the opposite... You've worked so hard, and you've done so much for the sake of the people you love. You're an incredible girl, Ruby. And you're strong. So, so strong."

Even Kali is finding it difficult to express what she wants to say. All of the emotion has swelled up to consume her like it's done to Ruby. She just prays her meaning can get across with those words alone, and the comfort of her embrace.

Ruby doesn't give her a surefire response. But she cries a little harder, a little louder, so Kali knows she's heard every word. Kali cries too, quietly, knowing that this young girl has shouldered more responsibility, more weight, more unnecessary guilt than half of Remnant combined.

"You're so strong, little Ruby," she murmurs. "For what it's worth from a stranger like myself, I'm so proud of you. And so is your mother. But you know that already, don't you?"

Ruby's sobs soften a little bit. She sighs a few times to reel in her emotions, to regain control.

"Yeah," she mumbles, sniffles. "I know that. But thank you anyway, Mrs. Belladonna."

"It's no trouble at all, dear. It's my pleasure." Slowly, she coaxes the girl back a bit so Kali may gently run the backs of her hands over her face to dry her tears. Those silver eyes are certainly dazzling. "And remember, you aren't alone with any of this anymore. You still have your friends with you, and now you have your teammates back as well. They won't leave you again. You can rely on them to have your back, not only in battle, but for these sort of things too. Don't be afraid to talk to them, to let them know how you're feeling. They'll love to be there for you and to listen."

Ruby sniffles again, using the inhale to help straighten her back a little.

"Yeah... You're right. And if I don't express myself to them, then how can I expect them to do the same? I'm the leader, so I've gotta be a good one. The best one. For them, and for myself."

Kali finally breaks a smile.

"You're absolutely right, dear."

At last Ruby is able to muster a little grin of her own. The tears have stopped. When she next throws her arms around Kali, it's with jubilance and gusto, though her voice is soft in contrast.

"Thank you, Mrs. Belladonna, er... Mrs. Kali. You talked to Blake and Weiss and Yang too, didn't you?"

Kali blinks in surprise.

"You're very perceptive. I can see that Ozpin chose a keen leader for this team."

Ruby giggles and blushes a little as she eases back. Yang's shower has just finished, which is Kali's cue to stand.

"If there's anything I can get for you tonight or help you with, just say the word."

Ruby nods, but then begins to shuffle her feet a little sheepishly.

"Uh, actually? Maybe there is something..."

"Anything, dear. Just say the word."

Ruby bites her lip.

"Well... talking about Blake and Weiss just makes me miss them more... I almost feel like today didn't even happen and they're still separated from me... I... I wanna see them again. I wanna be with them tonight with Yang. So I know it's all real..."

Kali's ears perk up. She can recall the bed in the other room was quite sizable...

Just then the bathroom door opens and Yang steps out, using a flash of heat to dry her hair in and instant. Kali takes a step back to let the youngest speak.

"Why don't you see what your sister thinks?"

Yang looks up, surprised to see Kali still present in their room, but before she can ask questions Ruby is making her way over.

Kali stays back a respectful distance as they talk quietly together. She watches Ruby mumble something, twiddling her fingers nervously as she proposes the idea. Yang's stern eyes soften in seconds, and her taut posture relaxes. She reaches out to ruffle her little sister's hair affectionately, then pulls her into a hug.

"Yeah," Kali hears her whisper. "Let's stay with them tonight. Like old times."

And last, Kali knows her work here is done. She smiles and turns toward the door. But when she opens it, her eyes go wide in surprise.

"Oh!"

Standing on the other side are Blake and Weiss, hand-in-hand, just about to knock on the sister's door. Both girls take a step back in shock until everything registers.

"Mom?" Blake says. "You're still up here?"

"I'm just leaving now," she assures. "Is there something you two need?"

Blake and Weiss share a glance. The heiress replies.

"Two things, actually."

They both look past Kali to the other occupants of the room. Ruby and Yang move apart and turn their faces to their partners. Small, tired smiles spread across every face.

Ruby breaks free from her sister, dashing past Kali to throw her arms around Blake and Weiss simultaneously. They hug her back, squeezing her as much as they can.

Yang approaches more slowly, with a bit more uncertainty. Blake looks up, and Kali doesn't miss the slight wince in her daughter's face. But as Yang slowly opens her arms, asking permission to join, Blake reaches out to grab her wrist and pulls her in with the rest of them. Yang doesn't hold back.

Their hug from earlier back at Haven Academy had been so loose and fragile. Now it's tight and warm, as hard as they dare.

For all the days they'd spent apart.

For all the nights they'd spent alone, afraid.

For all the times they'd felt like they couldn't go on.

Somehow they'd gotten through it all. And here they are.

Kali can't stop herself from crying. She covers her mouth and wipes her eyes, heart soaring at the sight of these girls finally reunited. She knows they're going to stay together from now on. No matter what.

Not wanting to intrude on their moments anymore than she already may have, she's about to take her leave when the girls ease apart.

"Mom?" Blake calls for her softly, and Kali pauses.

"Yes, dear?"

Blake parts from her teammates only for a moment to go to her mother, wrapping her arms around Kali in an embrace she hasn't practiced since she was a child.

"Thank you."

Kali's unable to speak at this point. She simply nods and holds Blake close, kissing the top of her head with the tenderness only a mother can provide.

By the time Blake eases herself back, Kali finds the other three girls have come closer to offer their murmurs of gratitude as well. Kali kisses each of their foreheads in turn, a silent promise that she will gladly be their adoptive mother if they ever need her. They all end up in another group hug, this time with Kali at warm happy the center.

At last, she feels her work is done. These girls need to rest and be together more than anything now.

"Sleep well, girls," Kali says, clearing away the last of her tears. "If you need anything just call."

"Thanks, Mom." Blake smiles, a warm emotional smile Kali can't recall seeing her present very often. It makes her want to cry all over again.

Kali takes a step back and watches as the four girls turn away together and head for the bedroom, murmuring softly amongst themselves. She waits until the door closes and she can no longer hear their voices.

At last, Kali turns away and heads back downstairs. She makes sure to clean away her tears before heading into the kitchen where her husband and Qrow's voices are still coming from. Evidently they hadn't stopped gossiping after she'd left.

From what she can determine, the other children must be asleep elsewhere. As she enters the kitchen, the men look up from where they've been sitting across the table talking.

"There she is!" Ghira says, putting down his cup of tea. "I was beginning to worry, dear."

"No need." Kali leans over his shoulder from behind and kisses his cheek.

"Where the hell were ya?" Qrow grunts from the rim of his flask.

"Just taking care of a few things." Kali heads to the teapot on the counter to pour herself a cup. "Those girls had a lot to get off their chests."

"I'll bet," Qrow mutters.

"Is everything all right?" Ghira asks.

"Yes, dear. Everything's fine." Kali takes her cup and heads for the living area to have some peace and quiet without the smell of Qrow's liquor up her nose. As she passes by the table, she lets out a dreamy little sigh. "I always wanted a litter."

Her husband gags on his tea. Qrow makes a face, then shrugs.

Giggling softly to herself, Kali heads into the living area and takes a seat on the couch to start on her tea.

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A/N: What a nice change of pace to write from an older character's perspective! Leave it to Tom to ask for such a feel-good story with tons of comfort hugs and a little Monochrome Romance on the side. Writing Kali was fun c: