A Long Awaited Reunion

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

Finally, after so many volumes and years of waiting, vol5 ep4 delivered. Of course I wanted to write something for Yang and Weiss and Tom wanted a commission about it so here it is!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														A Long-Awaited Reunion

														      Chapter 1.

Weiss maintains a firm stance behind the iron bars of her prison cell, channeling the fierceness of her fear and her determination into her posture.

But it's also to keep herself from dropping to her knees.

She's exhausted, injured, frightened, but more annoyed than anything – annoyed that this little detour has thrown her so far off-course. She's lost precious time, and she isn't about to lose any more.

But there's another reason she remains on her feet here. Sitting down or lowering herself in any way would be showing weakness, showing that fear to them, and that's something she refuses to do until she physically can't stand any longer.

She doesn't turn her back on her guards, but rather eyes them as piercingly as they're eyeing her. Behind her, her bound hands are aching at the wrists from the ropes cutting off circulation, but she can't afford to risk cutting them free – not yet.

She has to be patient. If she knows anything it's that a window of opportunity will always present itself – she just has to be ready and looking for it.

The sounds of the camp have become fairly consistent background noise in her head by now, the constant din of voices and the occasional louder snicker or shout of an order. She isn't sure how much time has passed exactly, but the daylight's already fading. She's already been here and entire night and an entire day, and she isn't sure how much longer they're going to wait on ransoming her back to her father.

One thing's for certain though; she's not going to let that happen. Not again.

She keeps her back straight and her chin high, refusing to show any signs of enervation or discomfort despite her situation. Her confidence is off-putting to her guards and they actually turn away to chat amongst themselves.

Weiss lets out a breath and peeks behind her shoulder, summoning a small white circle behind her back. It appears readily, and for now that's all she needs to know. She cancels it before they can turn back around and see it, then continues her defiant waiting game.

It must be a relentless hour later when something odd happens in the camp. The noise level differs and people start hurrying through the tents and into the center.

Weiss doesn't miss the abnormal commotion. To her astonishment, both of her guards abandon their post and hurry off as well. Weiss can't imagine what could possibly be happening that could draw the attention of the entire camp. But she can't hear any shouts or screams that might suggest Grimm or an enemy attack, and that's good enough for her.

She quickly turns around and focuses on her summoning, crouching low as the armor forms and raises its sword. With a quick cut it slice the ropes and Weiss gratefully massages the redness on her wrists away.

Now her mind's working quickly, already forming her next plan of how to escape. She isn't sure what's going on, but it's drawing everyone's attention entirely, which means she'll have ample opportunity to sneak herself out. She doesn't have a key or Myrtenaster, so she decides she'll just have to use the armor to cut small openings through the bars so she can squeeze out the back corner.

But before she can give it her orders, a sudden influx of noise rises up from the camp. Up until now, Weiss hasn't been able to decipher the voices or the words they'd been saying, but now there are shouts and curses and clear sounds of fighting.

She hurries to the front of the cage once more, gripping the bars tightly. More tents of the caravan block her view, but from the sound of it, there aren't many attackers. She can hear another blow landing, and some part of her hopes it's one of the camp's men being hit and not the intruder.

To her surprise, a second later someone comes flying into the tent just in front of her view, collapsing the tarps and clearing a path for Weiss to see into the heart of camp.

And she's expecting more bandits, strangers, monsters...

But...

But...

Had her hands not been holding so tightly to the bars she knows her knees would have buckled. Her pulse catches in her throat and her jaw drops breathlessly.

What catches her attention immediately amongst the crowds of blacks and browns and greys is a stunning golden color, the flowing yellow waves of cascading hair only one person in all of Remnant can boast to have.

Even from afar Weiss catches her eyes, which are burning red, but after they meet blue they start to fade back into lilac.

And she'd had a plan beginning to form in her mind. She'd had an idea of what to do and how to get out of here.

But now it all goes flying out the window.

She isn't sure if she's more overjoyed confused or scared, but it's a raging clash of all three, that's for sure. She feels like she needs to be splashed with water in order to believe her eyes.

But the unmistakable spark of fire that lights in her chest is more than enough.

Even so, her voice blurts out in utter disbelief.

"Yang?"

And halfway across the camp, Yang is just as dumbfounded. There's still heat pulsing through her veins as the adrenaline slows a bit.

She hadn't been expecting to see any of her teammates before Ruby.

Certainly not Weiss.

And certainly not like this.

But now at the sight of her, injured and dirty and caged like an animal, Yang's blood begins to boil all over again. In her own mother's camp, nonetheless. Her breath seethes anger and confusion.

"Weiss?"

For a long moment everyone seems to be getting their bearings, trying to figure out exactly what's happening. Weiss isn't foolish enough to waste that opportunity.

"All right, well, subtlety is out." She turns back to the armor, her heart jumping with excitement, fear, and more excitement. With a knowing smile she wills the armor to enlarge itself, expanding the striking silver creature until it rises up high enough to shatter the roof of the cage and send it flying. The bars rupture, creating enough space for her to run out with the armor on her heels.

Weiss doesn't hesitate in deciding her destination. It isn't even something that needs to be decided in the first place.

She races straight to Yang, who's already in her ready stance with her fists raised. Weiss skids to a halt on her blind side to cover it, crouching low and ready.

There's no time to be shocked or excited or confused right now. They just have to be ready to fight. She's aware of Yang stealing a quick glance at her and the armor towering above them.

"What is that?"

"Don't worry about it! What are you doing here?"

"Well... that's my mom, and she can take us to Ruby."

Weiss follows Yang's line of sight to the black-haired woman at the head of this group. Weiss feels like she's been hit in the side of the head.

"Your mom kidnapped me?!"

Yang's eyes widen at the accusation and she immediately rounds on Raven.

"You kidnapped her?!"

The emotions of everyone in this camp have now peaked – confusion, fear, suspicion, anger. People start to draw their weapons and move in on them.

Weiss and Yang brace themselves for battle, naturally already anticipating one another's first move so they can each cover their teammate and stay out of her way. As the bandits move in, the two of them start to charge-

"Enough!"

A small bolt of lightning and a fierce shout from Raven silence the camp in seconds. All heads turn to the woman in charge. Her voice lowers once she has everyone's attention.

"Thank you. If you people don't keep it together this place will be crawling with Grimm." She then turns to the woman who had performed Weiss' kidnapping. "Give the girl her weapon back."

The woman is dismayed and almost even pouts for a second at the prospect of having to give up her trophy. But with a sneer she tosses Myrtenaster back to its rightful owner. Weiss catches it with precision and grace as her fingers curl perfectly around the handle.

Raven looks them both over sternly.

"You two, in my tent. Now."

Yang advances a step almost threateningly and growls back at her mother with command to match hers.

"Why?"

And for the first time, Raven actually seems to recoil a bit and her voice lowers.

"If you're really going after your sister, then you need to know the truth."

She says nothing more, then turns away and disappears into her tent.

With their leader dismissed and the threat of battle fading, the members of the camp disperse as well, leaving Weiss and Yang without a second glance.

And it all finally settles. Not just the emotions that had been about to swell up and over, but the reality of it all.

Yang glances around the camp warily but realizes no one is going to bother them now that her mother has approved their entry into her tent.

Weiss, on the other hand, doesn't even look at anyone else.

Somehow she's avoided more fighting. After being stolen back to her father's mansion and locked away for six months, sneaking out, fighting Grimm midair on her own, crashing, getting kidnapped and told she'd be ransomed off right back to where she started...

And now...

Now it's finally over.

Because someone found her.

It all finally catches up with her. Her blood pounds with both burning fear and cooling relief, culminating in a swirling pool inside her chest. She lifts a hand to her terrified heart, which is now slowly calming itself. She lets out a breath as her entire body begins to tremble – from fear, from relief, from everything.

"Sorry about-"

Weiss barely even hears the beginning of Yang's apology, no doubt for nothing she actually needs to apologize for. Weiss doesn't care about any of that anymore.

She drops Myrtenaster, something she's never done willingly before, especially in the midst of bandits and kidnappers.

But it just goes to show she truly feels she doesn't need it anymore. Not now.

She doesn't waste another second.

Weiss turns to Yang and throws her arms out, locking them desperately around her teammate's shoulders, her body colliding softly with Yang's. Her shoes are off the ground, dangling, but she doesn't even care if the world falls away beneath her now.

Because she knows. She knows Yang will protect her.

Even if she has no weapon. Even if she has no answers.

With Yang, Weiss feels something she hasn't felt in over six long months.

Safe. Warm. Loved.

And every emotion, every beat of loneliness she'd felt all those dark nights in her room, every pulse of fear she'd felt in her escape and her kidnapping, every rush of relief she'd felt since the second she'd seen her comes pouring out in her voice, thick and trembling and so so relieved.

"I missed you so much..."

Her arms cling desperately to Yang, fingers clutching into her hair and clothes, all of her weight and balance relying on Yang to keep her up, keep her from collapsing.

And she does. Weiss knew she would.

It's tentative at first, because Yang hadn't been expecting the hug. Weiss had never been one for physical contact, and especially not one to initiate it.

But it just shows how much she's been through. Alone. In fear. For so long...

At least Yang's been with her loving father all this time. Weiss has been with an abusive one, and even after fleeing from him only terror and misfortune have followed her.

Yang's pain is nothing compared to Weiss', and she knows this full-well. So she keeps her voice soft, but lets out more emotion than she's been able to muster in weeks.

"I missed you, too..."

She wraps her flesh arm around the small of Weiss' back, spreading her fingers to support as much of her as possible. She's slimmer than Yang remembers, lighter. And Weiss has always been rather slim to begin with.

It's because of this that Yang hesitates to move her right arm – just for a second.

Because in spite of the relief and the joy, she's scared.

Scared that she still hasn't fully gotten her prosthetic arm under control.

Scared that if she applies just an ounce too much of pressure that she could hurt her.

Weiss is already hurt, clothes clouded with dirt, skin covered in bruises. If Yang touches her too hard or holds her too tightly, she fears she could make it worse.

But...

But as she feels Weiss against her now, clinging with all the might left in her body – which is barely enough to maintain her grip – Yang can feel her shaking. And then she feels the hiccups jolting through Weiss' chest, and the rapid beat of her frightened heart.

Weiss needs this.

She needs this so much.

She's needed this for so long.

Yang will never be able to forgive herself if she doesn't let Weiss have it.

And when she lets out another breath, Yang realizes she needs this as well. She's needed it for some time. The relief of knowing one of her dearest friends is still alive, and as all right as she's ever going to get at this point in time.

She's lived six months in uncertainty – they all have – and the only cure to suffering that separation is to enjoy the reunion just as fervently.

So she moves her right arm now, curling the cool metal at her elbow around Weiss' side, bracing her forearm across her shoulder blades, and cradling her fingers against the back of her head.

Gently. So gently. So she won't hurt her.

And she feels Weiss' hold on her only tighten more, feels her shaking harder.

So Yang stops doubting herself and decides to trust herself as much as Weiss does.

She pulls her closer, just a bit at first, and then more, gradually increasing the firmness of her embrace, holding Weiss as close to her as physically possible.

She won't hurt her. Weiss knows that she won't, and Yang trusts her.

She holds Weiss tightly, like the precious treasure that she is, supporting all of her weight with ease.

Yang doesn't let go, and neither does Weiss.

Not until their frantic hearts have slowed to a comfortable pace.

Not until the trembling has stopped.

Not until the warmth between them has spread gently across their bodies.

Only then, when she thinks Weiss can handle it, does Yang crouch down an inch or so, letting the heiress' shoes touch the ground once again. She doesn't relinquish her hold on her, ensuring Weiss is steady and balanced enough to stand on her own.

She waits a moment longer until Weiss' little sobs have dwindled. Yang relishes the embrace for that much longer before slowly easing herself back.

Weiss' cheeks are wet with tears but her lips are curved upward into a wobbling smile. Yang slips her right hand down the side of Weiss' neck and gently wipes the tears away.

"Hey... it's okay. It's okay now."

Weiss draws in another shuddering breath and nods.

"I know... thank you, Yang."

Yang closes her eyes for a moment as they both finally calm down after everything that's happened.

But it's then she feels a very soft contact on her cheek. She doesn't need to open her eyes to understand it was Weiss, and she doesn't want to embarrass her. But the kiss is what makes Yang finally smile as well. She returns it with a kiss to Weiss' temple and keeps her arms around her.

"Heh... and usually I'm the one dishin' out hugs and kisses."

"There's a time and a place for jokes, Yang."

"Right. Sorry."

She chuckles and gives the heiress another squeeze.

And at last they part, pulling back just enough to see each other's eyes once again. Weiss smiles up at her with shimmering blue eyes, ones devoid of fear now that they're together again. Yang pats her shoulder gently, then runs her fingers across Weiss' cheek, letting the heiress lean into her touch. Yang's voice is firmer now, surer.

"We're going to find them. Ruby, Blake, and everyone else." She leans down and presses another warm kiss to Weiss' forehead. "And I'm not gonna lose you again, either. I promise."

Weiss dips her head and reaches up her own hand to cover Yang's.

"I won't lose you, either. I swear it."

Their gazes remain locked for another moment before the girls come together in one more embrace.

Then, Weiss bends down to pick up Myrtenaster and sheathe it, while Yang keeps an arm at her back.

Together they face Raven's tent and advance side by side.

They're going to find the others.

They're going to get their answers.

But now they don't have to do it alone.

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A/N: There may be more chapters in the future as the rest of the team reunites, we'll see!