For The Better (ch2)

EARLY RELEASE FOR HIGHER-PLEDGING PATRONS! THANK YOU ALL!

Here we go! Part 2 for this AU, which people seem to be enjoying so far! Happy belated birthday to alexander-the-amazing! I hope you all enjoy part 2 of Anger Management AU!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														Part 2.

The next time Saturday rolled around, Yang was awake even before her alarm could pester her.

At first, she almost thought she felt... a little excited. After all, why else would she be up so early on a morning she could've been sleeping in on?

/Excited? No way. Just anxious, if anything.../

Either way, there was no doubt about it that she was in a fairly good mood today.

In fact, she might've been all week, since she'd last gone to her anger management sessions. She'd had a bit of a connection with Weiss in particular, and somehow, that interaction had served to make her feel better about life in general.

She'd woken up every day this week telling herself it was one day closer to Saturday.

But there was no way she was actually excited to wake up at the crack of dawn just to walk to town and sit in a circle.

Even if she did plan on sitting next to Weiss this morning.

Remembering that tidbit in particular was what motivated her to get out of bed and get dressed. It was another warm day, so she selected black shorts and a yellow and orange tie-dyed shirt. She pulled a brush through her hair once, then brushed her teeth before hurrying downstairs.

Her father and step-mom were there as usual and greeted her.

"Morning, kiddo," Taiyang said as always with a grin. For once, Yang's response wasn't a mumble.

"Mornin'."

His eyes actually widened a little in surprise to hear her voice sounding so normal and unbothered. He took a sip of coffee and looked his daughter over as she sat down across from him. He wanted to say something, but didn't want to risk making a big deal out of this good mood she was in, lest she lose it. So he simply continued reading his newspaper as Summer approached the table.

"Good morning, Yang. Any requests today?"

Yang hesitated. Usually, whenever her step-mother offered her a choice of food, Yang would merely shrug and accept whatever plate she was given.

But today already had a different kind of feeling to it. Yang felt more talkative than usual.

"Do we have any muffins left?" she wondered.

Summer's eyes widened a bit; clearly, she hadn't been expecting a response, either. But as soon as she realized Yang had spoken to her, her smile brightened twice as much.

"Yes, we do! I'll heat one up for you!"

"And a side of eggs?"

"Of course!" Summer hurried to get started on her new task with a bounce in her step. She even started humming a content little tune.

It took Yang a moment to realize that this wasn't just Summer being chipper as usual – she was happy because Yang had spoken to her.

All this time, since Summer had married Taiyang over a decade ago, Yang had always acted rather rueful towards her. She'd always think about how Summer wasn't her real mother, how she was just some woman who'd shown up to replace Raven.

Yang had found she could never hate Summer, though, not when she knew she'd given birth to her little sister. And it was pretty much impossible for anyone – even a moody girl like Yang – to despise a woman who was always so cheerful and ready to help however she could.

Recently, Yang had realized that Summer had never once stopped trying all of these years to get on Yang's good side, to impress her, to prove to her that she could be a good parental figure in her life, even if she'd never be Yang's real mother.

So for Yang to have finally spoken up to Summer this morning, instead of being despondent and uncaring...

It must've made Summer's day.

Yang had to wonder how long the woman had been waiting for a day like this to arrive.

/And why did it take me so long to understand all this...?/ she wondered. /Why didn't I see it all before? I guess I just didn't care... Hell, if I'd been in her position, I would've given up after the first year of not getting my step-kid to talk. But she never stopped trying even after all this time.../

While she wanted to feel guilty about never realizing Summer's feelings before, Yang couldn't help but feel a little relieved instead. She was honestly just glad she'd noticed any of this at all, and had successfully taken a step in the right direction this morning.

Maybe those classes are helping a bit after all...

By then, Summer had finished preparing her breakfast and placed it in front of her. Yang thanked her softly.

The eggs were cooked to perfection as always, but what impressed her more than anything else was how perfectly her muffin had been prepared. Summer had remembered her favorite kind was blueberry, and she'd also remembered how Yang liked it, just slightly toasted and with a bit of butter coating the top.

The three of them ate their meal in comfortable silence that morning.

None of them could recall the last time something like this had happened. There were no sparks of tension between them, no hesitance to speak. It was rather uplifting for all of them.

And Yang realized it was all her own doing. All it took was a little bit of understanding, and a bit of effort on her part to at least try to make a change.

She could thank her sessions with Glynda for this new mindset.

Once she'd finished eating, Yang brought her dishes to the sink and checked the clock.

"I'm gonna go now."

The adults were quick to respond.

"See ya, kiddo."

"Have a good time!"

Yang gave a small nod, and lifted her left hand in an even smaller wave. The joy she saw in Summer's eyes caused a prickle of warmth to run through her chest. Swiftly, she turned away and headed out the door.

Outside, the air was a bit humid, and the sky was partially covered in clouds. But overall, the sun was bright and inviting, and bushes and flowers had blossomed all around in the last few days.

Yang headed off on her usual path towards town, her hands buried in her shorts pockets. She still felt incredibly self-conscious about her right arm. That hadn't changed in two years, and it probably never would change.

But even despite her slight embarrassment that was constantly present due to her prosthetic, she was feeling rather good today. She just kept thinking about how happy she'd made both Summer and her father this morning, simply by smiling and talking to them a little.

She hurried to her building, and upon entering the lobby, greeted the secretary and glanced at the clock. It was still a few minutes before nine.

Yang signed herself in, and this time she actually looked at the other names on the attendance sheet. Not surprisingly, the very first slot was occupied by the fancy cursive name of Weiss Schnee.

Yang's already-existing excitement was fueled a little more when she saw that Weiss was here again today.

/Of course she is. She's Weiss. Maybe she'll be late, but she'd never miss a class even if she were sick./

And the fact that she was already here before nine meant there was no risk of last week's events repeating themselves.

After scribbling her name down, Yang shoved her right hand back into her pocket, then pushed through the doors to the gym.

She was surprised to see several pieces of equipment had been set up, as well as a small folding table. Various items had been placed on top of that, such as a stack of notebooks, and a covered plastic container.

Yang was puzzled, but figured she'd find out what everything was for later on.

For now, she headed to the circle of seats where several people had already gathered. Glynda stood up to greet her.

"Good morning, Yang. Don't worry, we'll explain what all of that is later."

"Good, 'cuz I'm dying to know."

In the previous weeks, Yang had made sure to sit as far away from Weiss as possible.

And now, she was walking straight towards her.

Weiss was wearing another sundress, a pink one this time, her arms crossed over her chest. She peered up at Yang as she approached.

"Good morning," Weiss began, almost unexpectedly. "What brings you to this side of the circle?" She didn't say it in a mean way, as Yang might've expected her to a few weeks ago. But rather, Weiss sounded genuinely curious now.

Yang shrugged a bit and glanced away.

"Is this seat taken? The lights are kinda bright if you sit over there. I can't stand it."

She flashed her gaze back to Weiss, and was relieved to see a tiny upward curl on her lips.

"Well then, you'd better sit down."

The joke was so lame and so unexpected - especially coming from the refined Weiss - that Yang burst out laughing right there for everyone to see. While Weiss was a little taken aback by her reaction, Yang wiped her forearm over her eyes and sat down beside her.

"Oh god," she chuckled. "I haven't laughed like that in years."

Weiss was almost feeling a little smug now at the accomplishment.

"Oh, come now. It wasn't that good."

"No, it wasn't."

Weiss scowled at her, and Yang laughed again.

It was true, though. Since Ruby had up and left to attend her faraway college one town over, there'd been no one at home to make Yang laugh. She had no one to laugh with, at, or around, because she'd still been so distant with Summer, who was always with her father.

So this was truly the first time in years she could remember actually laughing more than just a bitter chuckle.

It felt good.

As the other students meandered in, Glynda eventually declared class would begin.

"Today," she said. "We will be looking at some ways to channel your anger physically. Which is why we've set all of these strange things up here. Everyone please stand up and follow me."

Yang was a little disappointed that the one day she'd decided to sit beside Weiss was the day they weren't really going to be sitting at all.

But as the group followed Glynda over to the various items that had been set up, Yang noticed Weiss was trailing right beside her.

First, Glynda explained the usage of the dummies and punching bags that had been set up.

"This equipment is property of our clinic. They are designed to be hit and are a great way to release some stress in a physical manner. Should you ever feel the need to channel your anger, you may stop by this building any time to use them. We are open 24/7 to anyone who attends these sessions.

"So for our first exercise today, I'd like you all to use these as much as you'd need to. Think of all the things that have made you angry or upset within the last week or month or year. Take it all out on our dummies. They won't mind."

There were only enough dummies and punching bags for half the class, so two people went to each one. Yang was glad to find Weiss at her side in front of one of the punching bags. Weiss was giving it a peculiar look.

"How in the world are you supposed to move this thing?"

Yang rolled her neck until it cracked, then pulled both hands out of her pockets.

"You don't really have to make it move. It's just about hitting it."

She pulled back her right arm, her eagerness to strike the bag more prominent than her embarrassment about her prosthetic. With a short, enthused shout, she threw a powerful punch.

A dull thud echoed around the gym as her fist connected and the bag swung forward from the blow.

Weiss' eyes went wide at the sheer brute force Yang possessed. She hardly noticed that the heavy bag was swinging back into place and coming right at her.

Yang quickly reached out to wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her back a pace to avoid getting hit.

"Whoa! You okay?"

Weiss shook herself off, but wasn't too quick to shake Yang off.

"I'm fine. Would you mind showing me how to hit this thing? I've got a few punches I'd like to throw, myself."

Yang gladly helped her with her punches, teaching her how to make a fist and how to extend her arm without hurting herself.

Weiss was a little awkward, which was understandable, considering how she'd told Yang she'd always been better with words than with actions.

Yang grabbed the bag to steady it and held it in place for Weiss.

"All right, now hit it! Just hit it with everything you've got!"

Weiss growled, clenching her left hand tightly. She let out a short little "Hya!" and threw her punch. The bag gave a small sway, and barely moved.

Yang swallowed her amused laugh.

"Good one! Now lemme show ya how it's really done."

She guided Weiss back a bit until she was out of range, then took up her stance again. Yang smirked, gritting her teeth just a bit as she imagined the rage she'd felt after the accident, finding out she'd lost her arm forever-

"Haaaaa!"

She charged forward and slammed her left fist into the bag. It shuddered and spun a few times, an indent left behind by her knuckles.

Yang had to admit it really did feel good to release some of her festering negative energy this way. She'd always felt the need to physically hit something before, and had resorted to the wall in her room, and then random trees, lamp posts, and hydrants outside.

But at the very least, the cushioned punching back didn't hurt her as much as those other things had.

Yang stepped aside to let Weiss take her next turn. She could see now that the white-haired girl's eyes were glazed over a bit, her mind likely bringing her back to some past experience she'd like to forget.

Both of her hands were balled into fists now, her knuckles bone white. Weiss must've been pulled back into that moment she was imagining, reliving it now, because she cried out at no one in particular:

"Shut up!"

She threw another punch, and this one was much more powerful than the first.

Yang was surprised the bag went flying back so far, she needed to dodge quickly to avoid being hit. Briefly, she had to wonder what situation had happened in the past that had made Weiss this desperate and angry. She'd probably been wanting to shout those two words the entire time, but had bottled them up and kept her mouth shut.

But she didn't have much time to think about it, because the punching bag was swinging back into place again. Clearly, Weiss hadn't expected that she'd hit it so hard either, because she didn't move to avoid it.

"Hey, watch out!"

Yang tried to reach for her again to pull her out of its path, but she was too late. The punching bag knocked into Weiss' petite form, bowling her to the ground as a tiny "oof-!" flew from her lungs.

The other students and Glynda all paused in their exercise to peer over at Weiss with concern. Yang dropped to her knees beside the sputtering girl and helped her sit up.

"Weiss! Are you okay?"

Part of her expected to be swatted away and to hear, "I'm fine, I'm fine! Get off me, you big oaf!" And she wasn't quite sure what the other part of her had been expecting-

-but it sure as hell wasn't what she got.

Weiss started to laugh.

Yang had never heard this sound before – clearly, no one here had. Maybe no one in the entire world had ever heard this sound before.

Yang was baffled for a moment. She had no idea how to react to this.

But then, she remembered how good it had felt when she herself had laughed earlier. Weiss probably needed that feeling just as badly as Yang had.

So Yang let her have it for as long as she needed it.

She stayed put at her side, crouched there on the floor with her arm around Weiss to support her. Glynda flashed her a curious glance, but Yang smiled to reassure her they were fine.

After a moment, Weiss' laughter faded away, though Yang felt she might've liked to keep listening for a while longer.

"Hey," she said softly, patting Weiss' back. "You okay? You didn't hit your head or anything, did'ja?"

Weiss was panting slightly now, likely a combination from being winded by the blow and from all the consequent laughter. But she was still smiling.

She shook her head and opened her eyes to meet Yang's.

"No... I'm fine..."

Yang let out a little sigh of relief.

"All right, that's good. Catch your breath, 'kay?"

After another minute or so, Yang helped her to her feet. Weiss thanked her and smoothed out her dress.

"I really needed that," she commented. "It felt good."

Yang wasn't sure if she'd been talking about hitting the bag, or laughing. Possibly both.

Either way, she could agree.

Just then, Glynda called for the class to leave the equipment behind for now.

"You're all welcome to use it again at the end of class," she offered. "We'll be keeping it set up from now on so any one of you can come into the building at any time to use them, so long as you sign in. But for now, I'd like you to join me here at this table."

The students willingly followed their instructor without question, most of them grinning now after getting to use the equipment and getting rid of some bad energy.

Yang had noticed this change as well.

In the first few classes, everyone had been so tense and unwilling to open up to one another or their instructor. Now, they were all smiling and chatting, and they all obviously respected Glynda's authority.

They gathered around the fold-up table as Glynda began her next lesson.

"Now, I understand that most of you don't have punching bags in your homes, and you might not always be able to make it here to use ours. So I want to show you all a few other physical but non-destructive ways to channel your anger. These methods are harmless, painless, and inexpensive."

She opened one of the covered containers to reveal several dozen empty egg shells.

"Now, before you ask, let me explain," Glynda said. "Soft or hard-boiled egg shells are one of the best ways to channel your anger, if you ask me. After you've eaten them, you can take the shells and just break them.

"It always feels good to break something else to make ourselves feel better and more powerful, right? Well, this is one thing you can break easily and legally, and can obtain with little effort. It won't cause anyone pain, either."

She let them each take an egg shell, then asked them to think of the most recent wrongdoing done unto them. At the peak of their anger, they crushed the empty shells.

Yang used her flesh hand so she could feel the shell splitting apart. It really did feel good to destroy something when she was angry, but this was a much better alternative to hitting a person or wall. There was no guilt in this method, either.

Her mind took her back to the first session when she'd grabbed Weiss and frightened her. When she remembered that incident, Yang grit her teeth and squeezed her egg again, cracking the broken pieces into even smaller ones.

This method was much more likable for Weiss than the punching bags were, though she did mutter about getting her hands a little dirty.

Once they'd all thrown their broken egg shells away, Glynda demonstrated a similar tactic of channeling their anger onto another inanimate object that was easy to obtain and destroy.

"Notebooks," she said, indicating the pile on the table. "Firstly, it can feel very good to simply write down whatever negative things you're feeling. Don't keep them inside. Get them out by putting them onto paper. Write anything, no matter how awful you might think it is. And then..."

She opened one of the notebooks and then tore out the first page.

"You rip out that page. Just doing that feels pretty good. Like with the egg, you get to destroy something in an acceptable and painless way. But this makes a much more satisfying sound, if you ask me."

Everyone chuckled a bit, and listened as she went on.

"Now, once you've ripped out that page, just shred it. With your own two hands, rip it to pieces. It's a great way, again, to break something. But this also works nicely because you're destroying all those negative words and feelings you wrote down. You're getting rid of those feelings by writing them down, then shredding them. It's win-win."

She started handing out the notebooks and some pens, then encouraged them all to write a page. Some people sat in their chairs while others sat on the floor and began writing.

Yang laid on her stomach on the floor and wrote about the car accident, losing her arm, losing her mom, losing Blake and Ruby. She wrote curse words and all kinds of things, sometimes scribbling vigorously in no particular pattern.

Weiss sat nearby with her legs curled beneath her, leaning the notebook on her lap to write. Yang was tempted to peek and what she'd written, but stopped herself from invading the girl's privacy.

Once they were finished, they tore the pages out, listening to the satisfying sound of ripping paper.

Then, they started shredding them, crumpling and tearing the pages, destroying their negative thoughts along with them. Some people used their teeth.

Once Yang had finished tearing her first page apart, she caught Weiss' eye.

"C'mere for a sec."

Curiously, Weiss slid over to sit beside her.

Yang started a new page, and wrote down all the awful things she'd ever thought about Weiss.

Weiss watched her, feeling a little irked when she saw the words like "prissy" and "bitch". But she stayed quite, wondering what the blonde had in store.

Yang took up half the page with her comments, then passed the notebook to Weiss.

She understood.

Weiss began writing down all the bad things she'd ever thought about Yang, which included "impulsive brute" and "clumsy oaf." Yang wasn't all that surprised by those.

But the one that hurt most was when Weiss wrote three particular words:

"She scared me."

Yang's heart sank, and her shoulders slouched a bit. Weiss noticed and nudged her softly.

"Hey. That's in past tense."

Weiss gave her a smile then, something soft and private, just between the two of them, her blue eyes kind. Yang wiped her own eyes and smiled back.

Once they'd both finished writing things down, Yang tore out the page and held onto one side. Weiss took the other side.

Together, they pulled it apart, shredding all of the negative thoughts they'd ever harbored towards one another.

That was the best either of them had felt in months.

After a few more minutes, Glynda asked them all to stand up. Yang pushed herself to her feet, then offered her hand to help Weiss, who nodded appreciatively and accepted her hand.

"You're welcome to take those notebooks home with you. And our janitors will clean up the mess on the floor here. But you'll have to do that yourselves at home."

Another chuckle swept through the teens.

"Now, believe it or not, our session for today is already over. I hope you can all take something away from this, and remember we are open 24/7 should you feel the need to use our equipment. Before you leave, please see me to take one last item."

As everyone filed into a line, Yang tucked her notebook under her arm, watching Weiss do the same.

"I feel great," the blonde admitted. "I kinda wish I'd thought of this stuff earlier. I'm gonna have to try it out more when I get home."

"I think I will, as well," Weiss agreed.

She then fell a little quiet, as if she were thinking something over. While Yang was debating whether or not she should ask, Weiss came to a decision.

"I'll be right back!"

With that said, she hurried off back to the circle of chairs they hadn't used today. Weiss picked up a small handbag that she'd draped over hers and brought it back with her as she took her place on line next to Yang again. The girl unzipped her bag, and pulled out a cell phone. Weiss cast her a quick, almost shy glance.

"Do you... have one?"

"...Huh?"

"A cell phone, I mean. If you'd like, could we... exchange numbers? I-I feel maybe sometimes it might be nice if we could talk to someone else, if we feel upset. What do you think?"

Yang was flabbergasted. Had Weiss really just asked for her number?

While she knew it was for reasons very different from why other teenagers and young adults typically asked each other their numbers for, Yang was just as dumbfounded.

"Uhh, yeah. Sure. I don't have it on me right now, but I can tell you my number."

Weiss tapped on her screen a few times, then nodded.

"Then... please do."

So Yang told her, watching as Weiss typed it in, then asked her to confirm.

"Yup," she nodded. "That's it."

"Thank you, Yang. This... means a lot to me. I'll try not to call you if I don't have to. I know you've got your own problems to deal with."

Yang softened her voice a bit.

"No, hey, it's okay. Call me whenever you need to, okay? I don't know if I can do much to help, but I can at least listen."

Weiss couldn't hold her gaze for long. She was a little overwhelmed right now.

"Thank you. And... you can call me too, should you ever need to."

"All right. Thanks, Weiss."

A comfortable silence fell between them now.

Weiss couldn't believe she'd successfully asked Yang for this, and that the taller girl hadn't refused or laughed in her face. And Yang couldn't believe Weiss trusted her enough to ask something like this of her.

The blonde shuffled up a step as the line in front of them moved. She cleared her throat, and kept her voice low for Weiss alone.

"So... you don't think I'm scary anymore?"

Weiss didn't hesitate to shake her head.

"Of course not."

They were still four people away from Glynda when Weiss checked her phone again. Yang heard her gasp softly. When she glanced at the clock on the far wall, Yang realized it was already ten minutes past the end of class. Weiss was starting to breathe quickly.

"Hey, hey..." Yang wrapped her right arm around her shoulders gently. "Easy. You've got time. I promise. Here, cut in front of me, 'kay?" She coaxed Weiss to slip ahead of her in line. Weiss nodded, but couldn't voice her thanks. Yang reassured her softly. "It's okay. Just take a deep breath. It's almost your turn."

Only a minute later, Weiss stood before Glynda, who had been handing out rubber stress balls. She explained how they could help in any situation and encouraged her students to use them whenever necessary.

Weiss had to thank her instructor quickly before running to the doors.

Yang felt bad in knowing Weiss was probably already squeezing the life out of the little blue ball.

Yang accepted her own purple ball from Glynda, thanked her for the session, and the hurried to the doors.

But by the time she'd passed through the lobby and made it outside, Weiss was already gone.

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Throughout the next week, Yang utilized all three of the new techniques Glynda had given them.

She spoke to Summer the next morning, asking her to save the egg shells she used to make breakfast. Yang explained how she could use them in a helpful manner to channel her anger.

Summer was enthralled that Yang had opted to speak to her and make this request, and even more enthusiastic that Yang was now talking to her much more often. Summer instantly agreed, and even put out a little bowl on the counter.

"From now on," she told her. "Whenever I use eggs, I'll leave the shells in here. If you ever need to use them, they'll always be there."

It was a constant supply for Yang. She could walk through the kitchen when she felt a little irked and simply pick up one of the egg shells and crush it. If she was feeling particularly pissed, she'd take two or three at a time.

She made it a habit to write in her notebook throughout the day, marking down whatever had made her angry. Then, every night, she'd tear out the page and shred it.

She brought that notebook and her stress ball to class with her on the few days a week she went to her college.

Taiyang drove her, since it was too far for her to walk, and he noticed his daughter was becoming a bit more talkative. She'd tell him about her day, then ask about his, whereas normally, she'd just sit in silence.

Both he and Summer happily accepted the change in Yang's behavior.

On Thursday that week, Ruby called, and Yang answered for once. They chatted for a while about all different kinds of things, and Yang kept her cool. Even when Ruby handed the phone to Blake, she didn't let her past insecurities get to her.

Though Yang felt there was still a bit of tension between her old best friend and herself when they talked, she didn't dwell on the negative feelings. She ended the call that night feeling pretty good about her attitude.

Every day, Yang would check her phone periodically, in case Weiss called her as well. She didn't, but Yang felt that was a good thing, because she assumed Weiss would only call her if something was wrong.

Yang decided she'd do the same.

But this week had been fairly good to her, so she didn't call Weiss.

She did, however, get into the habit of sending her little text messages here and there, especially if she was feeling anxious about something.

Weiss would always respond right away and try to talk her down.

It was a mutually beneficial relationship.

In this manner, the week passed by, until Saturday had arrived yet again.

Yang jumped out of bed and got dressed quickly, then picked up a small handbag she now carried her notebook and stress ball around in. The trash bin in her room was filled with tiny shredded fragments of her anger, and her mind felt clearer and clearer by the day.

She headed down for breakfast, smiling to both Summer and her father as she ate. She'd told them about Weiss before briefly, so they knew how excited she was to go see her again today.

"You know," Summer said kindly. "If you're friends with her, you don't have to wait until Saturday to see her. Maybe try to meet up with her some other time, too."

Yang hadn't even pondered that option until now. For whatever reason, she'd only ever thought of seeing Weiss at the clinic on Saturdays at 9AM.

But her step-mother was right; so long as they were both free, they could see each other on any day of the week.

Yang was intent ask Weiss the next chance she got.

She finished eating, and didn't even need to take an egg from the bowl today. But before she could strut out the door, her father called after her.

"Take an umbrella. It's supposed to rain later."

"Oh, thanks, Dad."

Yang grabbed a hooded sweatshirt and tied it around her waist, then took her handbag and an umbrella with her.

The morning was a little grey, but it didn't depress her for once.

. . .

The class went smoothly.

Glynda had them all report on any changes they'd made thus far, now that they were a month into the sessions.

As Yang listened to the others talk of their successes, she couldn't help but notice how Weiss' posture had changed. Instead of crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive manner, the white-haired girl now sat with her back straight and her hands folded neatly in her lap.

Weiss' confidence was contagious, and it made Yang straighten up to.

When it was her turn to speak, Yang told everyone how she'd write in her notebook every day, and about the bowl of eggs shells Summer left for her.

"I've had a great week," she concluded. "I'd like to thank Instructor Goodwitch for that."

The others all agreed and gave the woman a round of applause.

"Please," she said politely. "You all are deserving of the credit here. You've made leaps and bounds in only one month. I hope to see your improvements continue. Now then, Miss Schnee? Is there anything you'd like to share?"

"There is," she said. "I've also been writing frequently in my notebook. But I feel the thing that helps me the most is communicating with my friends. It's nothing more than a few messages a day, but it's truly helping me get by."

It took Yang a moment and an direct, appreciative glance from Weiss to make her realize she was talking about her.

Yang felt her cheeks get warm, and her heart started to soar. She reflected Weiss' smile and slung her right arm around her playfully. Weiss happily slid her chair a little closer.

Their session soon finished for the day, and Glynda bid them all a good week.

Weiss quietly beckoned Yang to stay behind for a minute while the others exited the gym.

"What's up?" the blonde girl asked. "Everything okay?"

Weiss shrugged.

"As okay as it always is. I'd just... wanted to say thank you again, Yang. And I wanted to tell you rather than just text it to you."

"Don't mention it. I don't really do much..."

"But you do! More than you realize."

To Yang's surprise, Weiss' voice wavered a little. When she next blinked, a tear fell down her cheek.

Dismay twisted in Yang's gut.

"Hey, hey! What's the matter?" Yang didn't think, her body just reacted automatically. She reached out and pulled Weiss into a soft embrace. "Hey... Weiss, what's wrong? If something happened this week you... you should've called me..."

Weiss whimpered, her small hands clutching Yang's shirt.

"No... it's okay..." she mumbled. "I'm just... so glad I could... have someone be there for me for once... My sister's always busy with work, so I... just knowing I always had the option of talking to you made me feel better. Thank you, Yang..."

Her voice tapered off, and she wept softly into Yang's chest.

Yang almost felt guilty again. It was evident that Weiss had had a rough week, while Yang had had one of her best. It didn't seem fair.

Yang tightened her hold on Weiss a little bit, tucking her beneath her chin as if to shield her from the bad thoughts.

"Weiss... you should've called me. That's why you asked for my number in the first place, right? So use it. I don't mind. Honest."

It pained her to see Weiss like this. Which was a little shocking to Yang, considering how a month ago, they'd all but hated each other.

But they'd been through a lot together already, and had overcome many hardships, most of them personal.

Now, Yang just wanted to help her feel better, help her heal.

She felt Weiss' shaking grip tighten.

"I... I will... I will, Yang... thank you..."

"All right." Yang pet through her hair gently, instinctively doing whatever she could to calm Weiss down. "Easy. Just breathe." She was always cautious with touching her, because she wasn't sure if there was a level of physical contact Weiss wasn't comfortable with.

But Weiss never seemed to mind when it was Yang.

Yang wished she could've stayed there with her until Weiss felt better.

But time wasn't on their side. If Weiss was late getting home, she'd get in trouble.

Keeping one arm around the girl, Yang gathered their bags and her umbrella, then guided Weiss to the doors.

And of course, it was pouring outside.

"Shit..."

No way was she letting Weiss walk home alone in this weather when all she had to wear was a sundress. And she definitely wasn't going to have her catch a cab when she was in this rather vulnerable condition.

Conviction coursed through Yang as she came to the only logical decision.

She untied the sweatshirt from around her waist and draped it over Weiss' bare, shivering shoulders. She opened the umbrella and held it over the girl's head with her right hand, while keeping her left around Weiss' shoulders.

"Come on."

Slowly, Yang led her down the steps of the building and to the sidewalk. Weiss was still crying softly against her shirt, but she now realized what was happening.

"Yang...? What are you-"

"What's it look like? I'm walking you home. Just lead me in the right direction, okay?"

Weiss nodded, and said nothing more.

They walked together in silence, with only the hissing of the rain falling all around them.

Occasionally, a passing car would roll by. Yang made sure to keep Weiss on the building side so she wouldn't get splashed by any puddles.

Somewhere along the lines, Weiss stopped crying, but she never stopped holding onto Yang.

At last, they arrived at a large mansion that was undoubtedly their destination. Yang paused outside the lavish open gates.

"You've still got a few minutes to spare," she assured her.

Weiss hugged her a little tighter.

"Thank you..."

Yang hugged her close with her left arm, still holding the umbrella to shield them both.

"Hey, anytime, Weiss. Gimme a call sometime, okay? Not only if something happens and you wanna talk it out, but... maybe also if you wanna... like, walk around town or go to the park or something. I wouldn't mind."

Weiss looked up at her wide-eyed.

"Really? You'd... you'd want to... with me?"

"Sure! But only if you'd want to."

"I... I would..." Weiss stammered. "Then... I'll call you sometime this week."

"Sounds great," Yang smiled.

Weiss finally stepped away from her and began unzipping the sweatshirt Yang had given her. But Yang put her hand over Weiss' to stop her.

"Keep it," she said. "I've got a million of 'em. Maybe it'll help you feel better if you need it."

Weiss felt her heart beat a little faster.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Yang gave her a grin as she reached out and pulled the hood up for Weiss. "Now get inside before you catch a cold, yeah? I'll wait for your call."

Weiss hesitated. Even though time was of the essence and was always working against her, she hesitated.

Yang knew that was a big deal for her.

She was about to prompt her again when Weiss stepped near to her once more. She leaned up, getting closer than ever before, and she-

-she kissed her, cheek.

It was so soft, so timid.

Yang didn't know what to make of it at first.

She thought it was a dream, a hallucination. She even felt a little lightheaded.

It didn't feel real for a moment.

Until she heard Weiss' terrified gasp.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't-!" Flustered with her actions, she took a step back.

But Yang didn't let her get any more upset than that. She pulled Weiss back in and returned the kiss to her cheek warmly.

That quieted Weiss and quelled her fears.

Weiss sighed in the utmost relief and hugged her again.

Yang had always thought she wouldn't be one for romance.

But she wasn't going to deny herself – and Weiss – that happiness when it was quite literally staring them in the face.

The rain continued pattering around them, puddles splashing.

Yang wanted to keep holding her close.

But it was time for Weiss to go.

They parted, their gazes now shimmering with something they'd never felt before. Weiss dipped her head, then hurried off to the front doors, still bundled in Yang's sweatshirt.

Yang watched her go, until the door had closed behind her.

She ran home, fueled by adrenaline and excitement and a million other things she couldn't even think to name. She ran as quickly as she could through the rain, closing her umbrella and folding it to carry at her side so she could run all the faster.

Weiss had kissed her, and she'd kissed Weiss back.

She didn't feel like it was actually happening.

But it was.

They'd only known each other for a month, but they were both sure they felt the same way.

And Yang had gotten an idea.

She ran and ran through the rain, feeling liberated and joyful, a combination she'd never felt before in all her life.

When she saw her house, she hurried in through the front door and closed it behind her. Summer and Taiyang were in the living room, and both of them were startled by her sudden entry.

But before Summer could run off to fetch her a towel, Yang spoke up with a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes.

"Dad!" she gasped. "Help me practice driving again!"

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A/N: Surprise! I'd thought this would only be 2 parts tops, but as fate would have it, I got more ideas so now it's going to be 3 parts and an epilogue! So stay tuned for more!

Also, I'd just like to point out that I've never been to an anger management/therapy session before. I don't know what they're like or what they involve. The things I'm writing here (like the egg shells and notebooks) are all totally made up from my own mind. So please don't be mad if it's not accurate, ahah.