Blood of The Rose

Chapter 34: What Goes Around

En Route to Downtown LA

Ruby let out a grunt as she furiously toweled her hair off. "Why didn't I think to bring an extra change of clothes?" she complained lightly.

"Why did you think it a good idea to take a dive off the edge of a cargo ship?" Weiss retorted humorously, leaning away from the wet brunette.

Yang barked out a laugh, draping her arm across Weiss' shoulders and against the back seat of the cab. "Rubbles has always been the kinda person to improvise first, plan later."

"Hmm, yes, I've noticed that." Weiss sent a mild glare up at the blonde. "Is that really necessary?"

"What?"

"The arm."

"Just keepin' you warm, Ice Queen."

"It's not required, truly."

The blonde snorted with a grin, pulling her arm up and stretching it across the headrest towards Ruby. "Fine, fine… Hey, whose phone is that?"

The familiar, though muffled, chorus of Hey, Hey sang out from the bag at Ruby's feet. "Crapbaskets!" she squawked, dropping the towel that E had been nice enough to lend her. She fumbled for the phone, finally snatching it up and swiping the screen. "Hello? Ruby here!"

A wide grin split her face as she turned to the others. "Oh, hiya, Blake! You got the phone from Mercurio, huh? Nope, don't even worry about it, my treat. Well, Mercurio's, actually, since he owed me a favor, but anyway, now we can talk!" She nodded, picking up the towel again and cleaning behind the ear not currently pressed up against the cellphone.

"Sure did, you're awesome, by the way! Oh, really? Huh, well, that's too bad… As annoying as Knox was, that's a sucky way to go… Nope, haven't stopped back by Mercurio's yet, so… Oh, hey, I've got a better idea! So, yeah, I found out some stuff about the whole 'eerie presence' thing Beckett was talking about, and I think it has to do with the Ankaran Sarcophagus! ...Right, like a coffin, I guess, just… bigger and more stone. Anyways, can you meet us at my Haven there in Santa Monica? We can talk more, and you can meet my sister! ...Yep, she's here, finally found her, and she's one of us! What were the chances, huh?"

Ruby's gaze flickered forward as the cab made a turn onto the street where La Croix's building sat. "Whelp, I gotta go, we're here in Downtown… Mmhmm, yeah, gotta go meet the boss… You sure? Okay, cool beans then, we shouldn't be too long, it's those apartments above the pawn shop- Yep, those crappy ones, heh heh… Awesome! Lemme know if anything changes, 'k? See ya, Blake!"

She put her phone away just as the cab pulled to a stop, grabbing hold of wet towel, bag, and document case before tumbling out of the door. Ruby's feet hit the pavement with a soft squelch of noise, causing her to sigh morosely.

"I'm not running a great track record of impressing the Prince," she mumbled.

Yang chuckled as she stepped up next to the brunette, stretching her arms above her head. "Eh, you know my opinion, but all the same I figure I'll just stay down here, yeah?"

"I can't imagine any meeting between you and Prince La Croix would go amicably," Weiss deadpanned once the driver was paid and on his way. "But, yes, I think that might be for the best. Hopefully, we won't be too long."

"Yeah, I got some folk to meet up with, but I figure I'd just… um… Hey, Rubes, do you know this chick?"

Ruby looked over to where her sister had gestured, and her unbeating heart immediately flew up into her throat.

Tall, leggy, dressed in jeans and an orange tank top that had light blue trim and left her midriff bare, the bespectacled redheaded girl was gazing towards the fledgling with an intense, almost longing gaze.

"Ohhhh…. Uh…" Ruby swallowed, frozen in place. "Yeahhhh I think so? Maybe? I mean…" She began to chuckle weakly as the girl started forward, zeroing in on the brunette like a homing missile. "Fuck me sideways with a stake…" she mumbled helplessly.

"Hey!" the girl greeted her enthusiastically before visibly reigning in her excitement. "Um… I- I know this might seem creepy and all, but please don't blow me off, okay? Someone told me I could find you here. I mean, I've been looking all over for you since that night, because I just wanted to…" The redhead glanced warily between the amused blonde and the very interested platinum-haired woman before settling back on Ruby once more. "I'm in your debt," she finished quietly.

"Oh, um, yeah," Ruby smiled wanly, feeling Weiss' gaze bore into her. "It's not really all that… yeah…"

"No, no, really…" The girl hesitantly returned Ruby's smile, her eyes bright and almost feverish. "I want to… help you. I owe you my life and… I feel like I need to repay you. Oh, I almost forgot - I'm Heather. Heather Poe. I'm not… weirding you out or anything, am I?"

"Nah," the brunette returned weakly. "That's hard to do these nights… Um, you look much better, now. I'm glad."

The redhead nodded eagerly. "Only because of you... what you did for me."

"Heather, was it?" Weiss interjected firmly. "This is Yang. Yang, please entertain Heather while I have a word with Ruby."

"O- Oh, is that her name? Ruby?" the brunette overheard as she was unceremoniously dragged off by the ear.

"Ow ow ow okay, Weiss, stop!"

The platinum-haired Ventrue released her grip once they were standing on the other side of the wide entryway to the La Croix building.

"Start. Talking."

"Yeah, okay…" Ruby let out a sigh, her gaze downcast. "Sooo… I was at the clinic lookin' for meds for Mercurio, right? When you went ahead to the beach? Anyways, I saw her, Heather, there bleeding to death, like from a car accident, and I just…" The brunette wrung her hands as she looked up despondently. "I didn't know!" she wailed quietly. "I thought that… from what Mercurio said, it would help if I gave her some of my… my blood… But I didn't know about ghouls or anything at the time, I swear!"

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes closed as she began to mutter something in another language, likely German from the sound of it. "Very well," she finally stated resignedly. "We must deal with what is before us. Fortunately, there are no rules regarding the accumulation of ghouls, save for seeking approval from one's Sire, which, obviously, you do not need to worry about… But, still… Ruby, this is a rather difficult situation you've landed yourself in."

"I know," she whimpered. "I'm really sorry."

With a soft sigh, Weiss rested both of her hands on Ruby's thin shoulders. "There's no need for apologies," the other fledgling stated quietly. "I shall help you deal with this, but you must understand that since she is now your ghoul, she is your responsibility, unless you turn her away."

"I… could do that?"

"You could, yes. But it would be painful for her, and with the way she was looking at you… I do not believe she would be willing to leave you alone. One way or another, you will need to deal with this."

"Right." Ruby nodded firmly, giving her partner a small smile. "Gotta take responsibility for my actions, yeah?"

"Precisely."

"Thanks, bestie."

Weiss rolled her eyes with a snort as they turned to rejoin the other pair of women. "Don't go being a dolt, again."

"Yep, you betcha!"

With a shake of her head, the platinum-haired Kindred came to a halt where Heather was engaging in a rather animated discussion concerning some sort of anime show, which had a chibi version that she thought to be spectacularly hilarious, with a highly amused Yang.

"Oh, you're back!" Heather exclaimed, breaking off her description of the adorable corgi puppy from the show. "H- Here, I, um, got you this… Ruby… I thought you might be able to use it."

Ruby's hand closed around the silver ring she'd been handed, her brow furrowed in confusion. How, exactly, is this helpful to me?

"I can be useful to you…" the redhead continued earnestly. "I'd do anything, just… just tell me you'll let me help you… let me stay with you… make me…" She licked her lips, glancing away shyly. "Make me feel this way…"

Ruby couldn't face those intense green orbs any longer. She knew what she had to do, but the guilt was eating away at her, the knowledge that she'd managed to bind this mortal to her without realizing what she was doing, without her consent… "Heather… um… I only did that to save your life, really…"

"What do you mean?" she exclaimed worriedly. "You're like, you're like… The effect you had on me made me want to live - it's all because of you! You saved my life! Please, let me be of use to you… I'll do… I'll do whatever, I don't care…"

The brunette heaved out a sigh, glancing at Yang who was now smiling at her sympathetically. Twatwaffles, this sucks… but I gotta take responsibility, like I said before… Woman up, Ruby.

"Okay, Heather. Um, that's fine, you can… You can come with me soon as I'm done talking to a guy upstairs here, alright?"

"Really?!" Heather's green eyes lit up with joy. "I promise you won't regret it! Promise! I'll get you money, I'll get you things… everything! I want to be… important to you."

"Right. Fine." Ruby closed her eyes, feeling a migraine coming on. That's so unfair, even as a vampire I can get headaches? Ugh, that blows… "Um… Yang, would you mind… waiting with Heather again? We'll be right back, hopefully…"

"Yeah, sure thing, Rubes," the blonde murmured. She gave her a reassuring pat on the back. "I'll watch out for her, and then we can head back to your place. Gonna get crowded, though."

The brunette nodded wearily. "We'll… work something out… C'mon, Weiss, let's go."

The pair of fledglings entered the building, Ruby leaving a trail of wet footprints behind that matched her dampened mood.

Weiss made to give her a pat on the back much as Yang had done, but after her hand came into contact with the sodden black tank top, she simply smiled hesitantly with her hand hovering awkwardly above her.

"Er… Yes. We'll work it out, Ruby."

"I know, Weiss. Thanks again."

Several steps more led them to the reception desk where the redoubtable and stout Officer Chunk waited patiently for them to approach.

"Evenin', missys. You back to see Mr. La Croix again?"

"Yep," Ruby replied with muted enthusiasm. "You got it."

"Yeah, he told me to send you up soon as you came in," he replied easily. "Lotsa people here to see Mr. La Croix. Nice guy. He seems a little… different though. I wonder if he's… ah, that's his business."

"Yes, yes, thank you," Weiss interrupted firmly. "We'll be on our way up, then."

"He sure does like to talk," Ruby whispered humorously as they headed for the elevators.

Her partner just shook her head irritably. Before them, the elevator car loomed open to receive them, and they were soon on their way to the penthouse level.

Once again, as the pair of fledglings entered, the Prince was in deep conversation with his advisor, Cinder Fall. This time, though, it was hushed. Both elder Kindred looked up sharply as they entered, the Prince giving Cinder a brief nod before she immediately stalked unhurriedly out of the room. She didn't bother sparing either fledgling a glance.

La Croix gestured the two young vampires forward imperiously and with an irritated sigh. His lip curled ever so slightly as he took in Ruby's bedraggled condition but he refrained from commenting on it.

"I don't have time for a monologue. Give me the… bullet points of what you saw."

Ruby cleared her throat, withdrawing the papers and stepping forward to place them upon his desk as she began to speak.

"Well… everyone on board had been massacred. There weren't any survivors."

The Prince nodded, making no move to pick up the papers. "And the Ankaran Sarcophagus - what did you see?"

Ruby cleared her throat, trying not to wince as she had a pretty good idea her next report wasn't going to go over all that well. "There was blood all over the floor, and… um… From what I could see, there were handprints that indicated it was opened from inside."

"Opened?" he repeated somewhat incredulously. He seemed about to make an outburst but quickly got himself under control. "Let's… not jump to conclusions. I'll take a look at the manifest and notes, here, and sort this mess out in my own time. For now, fledgling, I want to show my appreciation for your dedicated service to me." From his pocket, he withdrew a key with the number four on the tag, setting it down on the table before Ruby. "I have secured you a Haven nearby, here in Downtown LA. It is in the Skyeline Apartments building. I hope it is to your liking."

The broad grin that split the brunette's face was likely the biggest she'd worn since becoming Embraced. "Oh, that's awesome! I mean, er… Thank you, sir. I really, really appreciate it."

"Of course. Now, if you'll excuse me…" He sat down in his chair in a clear gesture of dismissal. "I shall call upon you again soon. Please be ready."

"Yessir!"

She turned about sharply, wet shoes squeaking on the hardwood flooring, and headed out of the room, Weiss in step with her. As they entered the elevator, the doors closing behind them, Ruby finally let out the squeal that she'd been valiantly restraining.

"Eeeee Weiss, we got a better Haven! I'm so excited!"

Naturally, her exuberance included glomping soddenly onto her partner. Though she was obviously retaining some of her concern with the whole matter concerning the ghoul, Weiss still gave the brunette a gentle pat on the back with a slight smile. The wince thereafter was likely attributed to the spreading dampness across her torso.

"Congratulations, Ruby. This does certainly mean you're moving up within the Camarilla organization."

Ruby restrained herself to merely bouncing excitedly on her toes for the rest of the elevator ride down, but once the doors opened, she tore across the lobby towards the building's exit.

Unfortunately, the combination of her wet shoes and the marbled flooring caused her to slam into the wall just next to the doors. Which, she supposed, was better than hurtling through the glass.

In any case, she was outside again soon enough, excitedly relating her latest good fortune to her sister while Weiss followed at a more sedate pace, rolling her eyes yet still smiling slightly at her partner's exhilaration.

"...And hopefully, it's bigger than what I got now, with more room for everyone!" Ruby burbled, hopping up and down while creating an ever-growing puddle at her feet. "Isn't that awesome?"

"Heh, yeah," Yang chuckled somewhat mutedly. "I'm proud of ya, Rubes, really."

The brunette stopped in her bouncing to eye her sister in confusion. "You don't… sound really happy about it…"

"Nah, it's just that…" Yang let out a huff as she glanced over at Weiss with a slight grimace. "I'm just worried you're gettin' too tied down with… y'know… the Cammies."

Ruby nodded solemnly, laying a hand on the blonde's forearm. "Like it or not, Yang, I'm Camarilla now. Just the way it worked out. But that doesn't mean I hafta… Well…" She scuffed her wet shoe against the concrete. "Maybe this could be something good?" the brunette murmured. "I mean, you're Anarch, I'm Camarilla, maybe we can do something to make folk less… angry at each other? Talk about stuff, work things out…"

"It's a nice thought," Yang smiled indulgently. "But the day Damsel gets over her hatred of Cammies is the day we can walk in the sunlight again."

"It's perhaps not such a ridiculous idea," Weiss stated softly. "They seemed to eventually accept both Ruby and myself, if a bit begrudgingly…"

"Heh, yeah, well…" Yang rubbed the back of her neck. "Enough with the politics, what's the plan for tonight, huh?"

"Hmm." Ruby tapped her chin with a finger, glancing over at the meekly-awaiting Heather who was standing near enough to make sure she wasn't forgotten. "How about this… Would you mind taking Heather over to the new place for me, Yang? Weiss and I can swing by the old place, grab our stuff, and see Blake. Oooh, maybe she'll come back with us and you can still meet her!"

The blonde Brujah chuckled as she accepted the key to the new apartment. "Well, if she's a Gangrel, might take some convincing… Oh, hey, I know a locksmith around here still open, you want more copies made?"

"Yeah, that'd be awesome, thanks!" Ruby grinned excitedly, grabbing Weiss and wrapping herself around the other fledgling's left arm. "One for Weiss, one for you… um… I guess one for Heather so she can come and go… and a couple of extras? Just in case Blake maybe is able to make it, give her somewhere to stay Downtown?"

Weiss let out a semi-irritable huff at the clingy brunette's actions but didn't immediately push her off. "You have become quite trusting of this Kindred. I realize she's done a considerable favor for you… for us… but she is neither Anarch nor Camarilla."

"Eh, that doesn't matter to me," Ruby shrugged. "She's a friend."

"Very well," Weiss murmured, finally slipping out of the brunette's grasp. "Shall we, then?"

"You betcha! See you guys later, okay?" Ruby gave the others a wave, wincing slightly at the enthusiastic way Heather returned it.

As the pair of fledglings slipped into the cab, her excitement over receiving a Haven upgrade began to wane a bit in the face of what she'd need to deal with once they returned Downtown.

So, now I got myself a ghoul… by accident… and neither of us had a choice in it. Well, I mean, I coulda let her die and all, but… I guess I'm stuck with her, now?

Ruby let out a rather morose sigh as she looked out the window at the passing lights.

Guess it's true what they say… no good deed goes unpunished...

A/N: Yep, and there we go, Ruby's little ghoul of a mistake came back to bite her in the butt. The lovely new 'twatwaffles' is courtesy of AYangThang. I adore that one for some reason.

Props to my awesome cowriter, SilvanaCrowe, and bountiful thanks to my faithful readers and reviewers! Nicodemus Cain, Sharkdude5, Blacsparrow, AntonSlavik020, Haley Earthstone, Crescent Sunrise, JimmyHall24, Gwynevere Whisper, randomlolguy, shandromand, kinigget, DeamonHunter, zerosabers, cheers to you all!

Stay shiny!