Family (ch4)

2-DAY EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS!!

Just a very quick little fix-it fic for the banquet episode. There were a certain few points I think definitely could've been done better... So now here's my version with maximum fluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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													Chapter 4. Resolve

The evening before Jacques Schnee's banquet, Weiss has barely spoken a word.

Ruby supposes she can't really blame her though. She can't even begin to imagine how stressed her partner must be about all of this. There must be so many emotions she's concealing right now in front of her teammates and friends - guilt and shame for her father's actions, nervousness and anxiety about his possible involvement with Salem, and a blanketing uncertainty about Atlas in general.

Weiss never alludes to harboring any of these feelings, but as her partner, Ruby knows her. She can see it in Weiss' closed-off body language and in the way her eyes won't make contact with anyone else's.

Ruby wants to talk to her - alone - but she has to wait until Oscar and the others aren't around.

So she waits until Team RWBY is left alone in their room, changed and ready for bed. Blake climbs up to Yang's bunk with her as they call out their goodnights. Weiss is the only one who doesn't reply. Yang and Blake must assume she'd already fallen asleep, but Ruby knows better. There's no way Weiss will be able to sleep peacefully tonight with all that's on her mind right now.

With the lights in the room now off, Ruby fidgets in her bed, waiting until she can hear Yang snoring, and Blake's contented sleepy purr tapering off.

Ruby sits up and peers over the edge of her bunk. Weiss is lying on her side facing away from her, hiding her face. Ruby feels a pang of worry and bites her lip before calling out softly.

"Hey, Weiss…? You're still awake, right?"

She sees Weiss flinch a little, as though upset she'd been figured out and unwilling to talk right now. But then the heiress must relax a little and remember exactly who she's dealing with. She must think better of feigning sleep and closing herself off, because after a moment she rolls onto her back and looks up at Ruby.

"Yes. Unfortunately."

Ruby gives her a lopsided smile.

"Mind if I join you?"

Weiss says nothing, but she moves over enough to make space. Ruby hops down from her bed, shivering a little at the momentary lack of covers, before crawling in with Weiss and getting instantly warm again. She gets as close to her partner as she feels is right, curling her hands up to her chest nervously.

"Look, Weiss… a-about what I said earlier…"

Weiss raises an eyebrow, clearly not knowing what is perturbing her leader.

"What are you talking about?"

Ruby's a little relieved that what she'd been worried about hadn't been concerning Weiss, at the very least. But she probably had a million other things weighing down on her mind, so Ruby is going to try and take away at least one of them.

"Before when we were all talking, and I kinda told you it'd be best for you to snoop around the mansion on your own… I dunno, I just don't like how I said it. I think I was in Leader Mode and was just saying what I thought was the best way to fix the problem. I didn't really even think to ask if you'd be okay with something like that… I mean, I know it's your house and everything, but it probably doesn't hold the best memories for you, and I just asked you to waltz on in like it'd be nothing…"

As Weiss hears her out, she feels a soft little warmth blossoming in her chest, touched by Ruby's concern for her comfort. Weiss had honestly assumed she'd spend all night tossing and turning and fretting about tomorrow's banquet. The last thing she expected was to actually be blessed with a sense of tranquility and happiness - even if just for a moment.

Ruby is peeking worriedly up at her now from behind the blanket. Weiss can't help but smile, which is something she never thought she'd do when her mind was so occupied by distasteful thoughts of her father.

"Don't worry about that," she murmurs. "Like you said, you were thinking about the most effective way to solve this, and being I grew up in that house, of course I'd know my way around better."

"Well, yeah…" Ruby mumbles. "But I didn't even think about how you might feel about it."

"You're thinking about it now," Weiss says softly. "And that's more than enough for me, Ruby. You don't have to worry so much. I knew I'd probably have to do something to expose my father eventually."

"And that must be so hard for you to think about," Ruby sighs. Beneath the blankets, she reaches out one hand to find one of Weiss' covering it with a light, supportive pressure. "I'm sorry, Weiss. If you change your mind and this is all too much for you, we can think of something else. I mean it."

But Weiss shakes her head, unfurling her fingers to entwine them with her partner's.

"It's all right. I've made up my mind that I'll be the one to do this. One of you sneaking around the mansion would raise suspicion, but if it was just me, no one would spare a second glance."

Ruby deliberates for a long moment. Even though Weiss seems and sounds much calmer now, Ruby still doesn't like this. It's making her shoulders tense up and the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

"Then let me come with you," she decides. "I promised we wouldn't leave your side for a second, Weiss. And then I go and tell you to go off on your own… I wasn't thinking. I'll go with you and-"

"Ruby." Weiss cuts her off gently with a squeeze to her hand. Ruby whimpers as the heiress shakes her head. "It's all right," she says. "Guests can't see Ironwood's people tiptoeing around my father's mansion. But there would be no problem if it was me." She looks at her in earnest now, entirely resolved. "I can do this on my own, Ruby. It would be safer for all of you that way."

Ruby squirms as if she's trying to dislodge something sticky from her skin.

"But that's just it!" she wails softly. "It might be safer for all of us, but it'll just be more dangerous for you! What if something happens and you're separated from us? What if your father catches you? I can't let you be alone in that place again, Weiss. I just can't!"

Weiss stiffens just a little as a pang travels through her heart. Ruby's words really do hit home. Though it had always been a full house of five, plus servants, Weiss had almost always felt alone there, especially after Winter had left. She shakes her head again, drawing in a steadying breath as she gives Ruby's hand another squeeze.

"I'll be fine on my own tomorrow, Ruby. You won't be breaking your promise. I'll still have you on our radio and you'll be in the same building, after all." A thought comes to her, and she speaks it outright. "Actually, with all of you there tomorrow, it'll be the first time I'll have an actual family in that house."

Ruby feels like she's going to cry. So before she can, she throws both of her arms around Weiss and hugs her tight.

"Are you sure you'll be okay…?"

Weiss exhales slowly and folds her arms across Ruby's back.

"I'll be fine."

"Promise…?"

"I'll do my best."

Ruby isn't sure if she likes that answer. No, she definitely doesn't.

But some part of her knows now that Weiss is resolved to do this, that - in retrospect - she's not only the only person who can, but also the only one who deserves to. After all of the horrible things her father had done in general, and to Weiss specifically, she's the one who should get to bring him down in whatever way she can.

So as scared as Ruby is for her, and as much as she doesn't like sending Weiss off alone, she has to consider how Weiss feels. Even if the mansion will bring up bad memories for her, letting her do this will present Weiss with the opportunity to make things right, to finally put an end to her father's harmful ways.

"Okay…" Ruby mutters out loud, resolving herself. She nestles her face into her partner's shoulder, pressing close to her.

Weiss cards through Ruby's hair for a moment, running fingers down her back.

"Ruby…?"

Ruby swallows, then lets out a long breath.

"Since I'm gonna have to let you go tomorrow… can I just stay like this for tonight…?"

Weiss responds with a breath that's somewhere in between a chuckle and a sob, locking her arms more tightly around her partner.

"Of course you can."

Having Ruby covering her like this puts a comfortable pressure on Weiss' chest, making it so that her heart won't feel like it's going to burst out. And she's so warm…

Ruby cuddles into her neck, relaxing her full weight on top of the heiress, breathing with her until she feels Weiss is as at-ease as she's going to get at this point. She wills herself to pour as much of her warmth and support and love into Weiss as possible, enough so that she'll still be able to feel it tomorrow night when she's on her mission.

And Weiss accepts all of it from Ruby, telling herself it's all right to be greedy with this. She holds her close all throughout the night, until a tiny miracle occurs and she actually sleeps.

Ruby stays awake until she can feel Weiss' heartbeat slow down and her breathing deepen. Only then does Ruby let herself sleep, too.

Weiss had told her she'd be fine. All Ruby has to do now is believe her.

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A/N: Can you tell I was bitter about this week's episode and Ruby more or less entirely forgetting her promise of not leaving Weiss alone in Atlas? Meh.