Gone But Not Forgotten (ch1)

EARLY RELEASE FOR MY HIGHER-PLEDGING PATRONS!

This is a P-atreon reward for Bjorn Jeppsson! They asked for a very specific angsty Monochrome story, involving an OC they created for Weiss' childhood friend.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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													Gone But Not Forgotten

												   Chapter 1. Forgotten Past

It had been almost a year since Blake and Weiss had started dating.

They'd had their difficulties along the way to becoming teammates, and it certainly hadn't been easy with everything that had transpired involving the Schnees, the Faunus, and the White Fang. It hadn't been easy for them to understand these feelings, to struggle past the insecurities of all the mistakes they'd made, and in some cases, were still making.

But there was one thing they both eventually understood would never be a mistake.

It had been a very terrifying, very delicate process, to come clean to one another one quiet evening. As Ruby and Yang had slept the night away, Blake and Weiss had stayed up together and just talked. About their families, their histories, their mistakes...

Their feelings.

It hadn't been a conversation free of tears either. They'd both done a great deal of crying, for various reasons, but by the time dawn had broken they'd only been good tears.

Explaining things to Ruby and Yang had been a bit nerve-wracking, but naturally the sisters had been only excited and happy for them.

It had been nearly ten months since then, and Blake and Weiss have managed to keep things covert. Only some of their closest friends, including team JNPR knew about their relationship.

The tight-knit group of friends understood very well that the daughters of Belladonna and Schnee didn't want it to be known to all of Remnant that they were seeing one another romantically, not with tensions already so high as they were. They were content to celebrate Weiss and Blake quietly, privately. They could tell the rest of the world when they were ready.

But for now they were keeping to themselves, and enjoying every moment of it.

Of course they couldn't do much during classes or in front of other people.

But when they got sent out on missions for only team RWBY, there were always quick kisses shared between them amongst the forests. And when they retired in the evenings after classes and missions were over, they'd often choose one bed or the other to curl up in together.

Being together for nearly a year now had allowed them both to get to know each other very intimately. They could read each other even when there was nothing being said.

That's precisely how Blake began to notice a slight change in Weiss during recent weeks.

At first she didn't even fully recognize that there was anything amiss. But once it started becoming frequent, Blake took note long before Ruby or Yang did.

It wasn't anything particularly bad or upsetting.

It was just... little things.

Weiss was quieter a lot of the time recently, and when she did speak it was often drawled and distracted. Her studies never suffered of course, but Blake noticed that Weiss seemed to be absent mentally if not physically.

She was becoming quieter at nighttime as well. When they'd often whisper and giggle together while their partners slept, Weiss was now silent and seemed to be constantly tired.

Blake opted to pamper her with just a few minutes' worth of kisses before letting her sleep, but Weiss even seemed to be restless when she rested. Blake noticed how she'd constantly shift around and sigh, and in the mornings she'd be reclusive, as if she hadn't slept at all.

Blake was hoping it was something only temporary, but after it persisted for an entire week, she started to become concerned.

One morning while Weiss was in the shower, Blake quietly voiced her concerns to Ruby and Yang.

"Do you guys think she's been acting... a little strangely? Or am I just being paranoid?"

The sisters shared curious looks; clearly they'd been about to ask Blake the same question.

"You thought so too, huh?" Ruby mumbled. "Yeah, I mean... she's been sort of quiet lately."

"I'll say," Yang agreed. "When you spilled your cereal all over your bed the other day, all Weiss did was sigh. She didn't even scold you or yell at you to go wash your sheets. I think she's really out of it."

Blake bit her lip. "But why? Is there any reason you guys can think of that would make her act this way? Do you think she's getting sick?"

"Maybe something happened with her father?"

"Maybe she's been working too hard and she's exhausted?"

The three of them shared worried glances but all ultimately shrugged.

"I think there's only one way to find out, Blake," Yang said, placing a hand on her partner's shoulder. "You've just gotta ask her."

Blake nodded and started to think over how she might go about asking Weiss.

As they all got ready for bed, Blake decided she would invite Weiss to sleep with her tonight. The instant her girlfriend came out of the bathroom with her hair still ruffled and damp from the shower, Blake patted the space beside her on her bed.

"Why don't you sleep with me tonight? With your hair still wet you'll need to keep warm."

Weiss looked up rather tiredly but made no complaints at the notion. She walked over to Blake and sat down beside her as Blake got to moving the blankets so they could lie down.

They wished Ruby and Yang goodnight before turning off the lamp. Zwei jumped up onto Weiss' bed to have it all to himself.

Blake stretched herself out beneath the blankets and opened her arms to Weiss. It was reassuring that, even in spite of whatever was ailing the heiress, she smiled and willingly settled into Blake's embrace. Blake planted a kiss on her forehead, nuzzling her temple and bumping their noses together.

"Are you feeling all right? You seem tired recently."

Weiss kept her hands still, not reaching out for Blake or reciprocating the physical contact like she normally might.

"I'm fine. Tired, but fine."

Blake's ears perked.

"Are you sure?"

"Very."

With that Weiss turned away, giving Blake her back to spoon. Blake was a little conflicted about the position only because Weiss seemed to be deliberately concealing her face.

But nonetheless she slipped her arms around her girlfriend's waist and hugged herself to Weiss' back, pressing closely to share her body heat against the chill of Weiss' slightly-damp hair. She let out a slow rumbling purr that rolled across Weiss' back and eased her breathing. Blake kissed the girl's cheek as best she could and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight."

She felt Weiss let out a long, quiet sigh.

"Goodnight."

Blake kept her eyes open for a while. She wanted to make sure Weiss fell asleep and got a proper rest tonight. She circled her fingers in small, soothing motions across her girlfriend's stomach and along her sides.

In the end, she was glad she managed to stay awake for as long as she did. Because she noticed Weiss start to twitch in her sleep.

At first it was just a little bit, but then it became more frequent. When Blake was still, she could discern Weiss' breathing had changed from the slower, deeper breaths of slumber to shallower, disrupted breaths. She slipped her hand up to Weiss' collar and pressed her palm over her heart to find Weiss' pulse thick and frantic.

Blake was no stranger to nightmares, especially not Weiss'. She didn't waste any time in pushing herself up onto her elbows and leaning over the sleeping heiress, gently turning her over onto her back.

"Weiss?"

Blake dipped down to kiss her lips, then her brow which was creased with tightness.

Thankfully that was all it took to rouse her. Weiss' eyes opened quickly just as her chest began to heave with a gasp. Blake rested a hand on her collar for comfort.

"It's okay. You were having a nightmare. You're okay, Weiss."

As reality came back to the heiress and Blake's words registered in her mind, she closed her eyes again, taking in a few deep breaths to get her bearings. When she was ready she reopened her eyes and presented Blake with a weak smile.

"Thank you."

"No need. Are you okay? Do you want some water?"

"I'm fine."

Blake's ears twitched and drooped at the sight of Weiss, disheveled and exhausted but still trying to act fine. Blake bent down to kiss her scarred cheek.

"Come here..."

She collected Weiss into her arms and turned her back over to face her. This time, Weiss willingly wrapped her arms around the Faunus girl, securing her grip firmly as she buried her face into Blake's shoulder.

Blake conjured up another purr to soothe her, letting the vibrations dance through Weiss' chest and ease her discomfort. She pet up and down her back, through her hair that was dry now, silently letting Weiss know Blake was here for her, that Weiss was safe.

Blake watched over her for several moments, but before she could ask Weiss again if she was all right, she discovered the heiress had fallen back asleep.

Blake kissed her temple and rested her chin atop the girl's head, tucking Weiss into her and pulling up the blankets.

She wasn't sure what was causing this, but she hoped it wouldn't last.

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To Blake's dismay, Weiss didn't seem much better the following day either. She was still very distracted and even a little forgetful, which she never was. She lost her focus during classes and neglected her chores for a while before remembering they existed.

It was concerning enough to her teammates to collaborate.

They decided to throw a very small party of sorts tonight, being it was a Friday. Nothing extravagant, but just something to help Weiss relax and take her mind off of things.

They invited only team JNPR who were eager to attend, and after classes Ruby and Yang went to Vale to get some snacks and supplies. Blake told Weiss the party was for all of them, not wanting to single Weiss out and let her realize they'd all been fretting about her.

"Ruby Yang and I just thought it would be nice to hang out with those guys a bit. We can have a bit of fun tonight. Is that okay for you?"

Although the party idea was in good faith, Blake didn't want to push Weiss out of her comfort zone too much right now. Should the heiress want to call things off Blake would support her decision.

But Weiss nodded in affirmation and put on a smile.

"Yes, you're right. We should try to relax tonight. Take our minds off of things."

Blake didn't get the opportunity to inquire what she meant by that.

She and Weiss took turns freshening up before JNPR arrived, and once Ruby and Yang came back with the food and drinks they began setting everything up. They cleared off the desk and table and set out the snacks and cups, Yang turned on her stereo to some lively background music and Ruby turned on the TV.

Team JNPR arrived shortly after that, and the eight friends started to chat and play games. Yang and Nora got to arm-wrestling right off the bat with Jaune and Ren observing, while Pyrrha and Ruby were rolling a ball for Zwei back and forth.

Worried and over-protective as she was, Blake didn't leave Weiss' side for the first ten minutes or so. But she realized her behavior might make Weiss uncomfortable or suspect Blake knew something was wrong.

So she caught Pyrrha's eye, knowing she would be the most perceptive and understanding about the situation.

Sure enough, without even knowing anything at all, Pyrrha understood that Blake wanted her to chat with Weiss. The red-haired huntress excused herself from her game with Ruby and made her way toward the table for a cup of water. As she neared, Blake turned to Weiss.

"I'm gonna go cool down Yang and Nora before something or someone gets broken."

Weiss dipped her head.

"Yes, please do."

Just as Blake was slipping away, Pyrrha arrived and greeted Weiss cheerfully. Blake was relieved to know she wasn't leaving Weiss by herself. The heiress always been close to Pyrrha, so Blake hoped she'd feel relaxed with her too.

She did as she'd said and went to Yang in order to ease the competition with Nora before things could get too heated and potentially dangerous. But Blake kept one ear tuned into Pyrrha's conversation with Weiss.

"Hello, Weiss! How are you fairing this evening? Thank you for inviting us over!"

"It wasn't my idea, but I'm glad for it. It's nice to see all of you outside of missions or classes."

"Indeed. Everything has been a little hectic lately." She paused and turned her clear, caring emerald eyes onto Weiss. "Forgive me for saying, but you seem rather exhausted. Is everything all right?"

"Yes."

Pyrrha didn't seem convinced by Weiss' answer but she didn't press her. Instead she tried to steer the conversation toward light-hearted topics such as amusing things Nora had done this week.

Blake let Pyrrha work her magic while she herself stayed with the others, who now decided to have a dance-off. Or mainly, Yang and Nora decided to have a dance-off, and Ruby agreed to it, so the boys obliged as well.

Blake heard Pyrrha invite Weiss to give it a try, but the heiress politely declined. So when Yang took a time-out to get a drink, Pyrrha took her place dancing and Yang ended up next to the heiress.

"Phew! Nora might suck at arm-wrestling but she's a pretty good dancer, I'll give her that!"

"I can heeeear yoooou!" Nora's indignant shout actually made Weiss chuckle a tiny bit. Yang was glad to see it and Blake was glad to hear it.

As Yang poured herself a drink she offered one to Weiss, who looked up at her skeptically.

"What is it?"

"Oh, just a lil somethin' to help you loosen up~"

"Yang-"

"Calm down, princess. It's just fruit punch."

Weiss sighed.

"I'll pass."

"You sure? All right then."

Yang stayed beside her and watched JNPR's dancing for a few minutes. When Ruby took a break for herself, she went over to Blake, keeping her voice low.

"Weiss doesn't really seem to be having much fun. What should we do?"

"I'm not sure." Blake's ears flattened. "But we should try to keep spirits high."

"You got it!" With that Ruby darted back into the middle of the room to join her friends dancing, scooping up Zwei in the process. Yang eventually made her way back in as well.

Which left Blake sauntering back over to Weiss, who had barely moved the entire evening.

"Would you like to join them?" Blake offered her hand. "Of course we'd have a bit more class when dancing, I'm sure."

Weiss looked at her upturned palm, waiting, but she didn't lift either of her hands. Instead she bowed her head, and her bangs and ponytail fell to conceal her expression.

"Blake... I'm sorry... could we call it a night? I just..."

Immediately, Blake dropped the act and gently took Weiss' hands in hers, fearing the worst. The last thing she wanted was to push Weiss to the point of tears.

"Of course we can. Of course."

With the others all across the room unaware, Blake wrapped her arm around Weiss' shoulders and pulled her close, tucking the heiress beneath her chin. Her voice lowered into a private murmur as her grip on Weiss' hand tightened.

"Can you tell me what's wrong? I want to help you, Weiss. We all do."

"I know..." Her voice was small, barely audible past the music and laughter, even to Blake's keen ears. "I know that... And I really do appreciate it, but... I just don't think I can..."

"Okay." Blake could tell Weiss was about to break down, so she hushed her. She kissed Weiss' temple and rubbed her shoulders calmly.

Blake managed to catch Yang's eye, sending a silent plea. Yang understood.

As Blake guided Weiss to the bathroom, Yang tactfully told JNPR it was time to head back to their room. Blake could hear them all saying goodbye from the other side of the bathroom door.

She stood at the sink with Weiss as the heiress cupped water in her hands and washed her face, then hid her expression into a towel. Blake kept a hand on the small of her back for support. It was torturous to know Weiss was in pain but there was nothing Blake could do for her. She just wanted to help somehow...

"Weiss... is there anything I can do? Anything at all...?" She curled her arm around the girl's shoulders and placed another kiss on her temple.

Weiss' arms feebly made their way around Blake for a small hug.

"Nothing... can be done about it now," she murmured.

Blake didn't know what to do or say. So she just led Weiss back out into the room and guided her straight to her bed. Ruby and Yang cleared the way and let Blake do whatever was necessary for Weiss' wellbeing.

Blake helped the heiress lie down, then pulled the blankets up over her. She quietly peppered small kisses across Weiss' forehead, allowing her hands to roam soothing patterns over Weiss' shoulders and stomach.

And Weiss felt terrible.

She wanted to tell Blake and the others.

She wanted to.

But she just didn't think she could bear to voice her story, to make it audible, to make it real...

As her consciousness slipped away into darkness, Weiss found herself reliving it.

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A/N: Next chapter will explain more about Weiss' childhood friend.