"Hey roomie," Ruby – holding a dress over her arm – was leaning against the door frame at the entrance of the seamstress (the only seamstress in the entirety of Patch) and was doing her best to make Weiss question the meaning of friendship.

Not that Ruby had to do much – she was wearing a t-shirt and jean combination that hugged her perfectly fit body and Weiss was suddenly victim to Ruby with her hair down. It framed her face so well, a few strands tucked away behind her ear and the rest cascading like a black and red waterfall.

She was so grown up now. Fully the woman she was meant to become and Weiss, well Weiss was a Schnee and was strong enough to endure it.

After all, she did spend two hours getting ready for this, so she could only hope that Ruby was suffering at least a little. "Don't start," Weiss threatened and stepped past Ruby into the shop. "Your sister and mine will be the death of me. I certainly hope you have better accommodations than your father does for guests."

"Uh, I have a couch?"

"Does it random lunch meats stuffed between the cushions?"

Weiss glanced back to see Ruby grimacing. "No?"

"Then you're one up on your father."

"Wow," Ruby seemed legitimately concerned and confused – and the accompanying face she made drew a laugh from Weiss. "I mean I knew he was a bit messy but…what kind of lunch meat?"

It was Weiss' turn to grimace. "I honestly do not know."

"Bleh," Ruby stuck her tongue out for a moment before drawing it in for a smile. "Well no worries about lunch meat in my couch! My home is very clean…mostly because I'm never really there."

They stood by the main desk, still waiting for anyone in this tiny shop to actually notice that someone had entered. Apparently the jingling bell over the door wasn't enough so Weiss began to tap her fingernails against the granite counter as loudly as she could.

There was someone here – she could see their shadow in the back room. Another minute and Weiss was prepared to start throwing her name around again.

"Did Yang bring over my things?" Weiss glanced back to see Ruby picking at a few dresses on the rack, running her fingers through the material. Ruby loved contact, she loved to experience the world through touch and smell and sound. It was part of her charm – the vigor she lived her life never changed, not once through all the battles.

"She did," Ruby answered without turning away. "You have more items in your bathroom bag than I have in my entire bathroom."

Weiss glared. "It's a lot of work to pull off being a proper Schnee." She said with a bit of self-deprecation. Her father would always prattle on about being a 'proper Schnee'. She hated it, even if it was the life and lie she lived almost every day now.

The lie she never had to live around Ruby. "That's nonsense, I've seen you covered in blood and dirt and you still looked great. I've heard you fart in your sleep—"

"I do not fart in my sleep!"

A throat cleared and Weiss was prepared to turn into a puddle of embarrassment and slide right into the floor. Ruby covered her mouth with her hand to hide a laugh as Weiss could only hope her death glare might actually murder because this was the single most embarrassing moment of her life.

Lifting her chin, Weiss steadied herself and turned back to see a very confused and slightly offended older woman with fading red hair and glasses so thick Weiss wondered how she stayed upright wearing them.

"We're here to make adjustments to the dress for the Belladonna, Xiao Long wedding."

"Oh!" The woman's expression changed in an instant. "You're Miss Schnee! I should have noticed with the hair and elegance, my dear."

Weiss could feel Ruby rolling her eyes. The word elegance meaning very little after screaming about releasing gas in her sleep. "I am – but the dress is not for me. It's for my…friend." She gestured for Ruby to step up and when she did, Weiss patted her on the shoulder. It was a friendly gesture – certainly not so she could see how firm those shoulders were. "The sleeves are too tight."

Too tight because Ruby suddenly had boulder shoulders.

"Well of course!" The lady boasted. "Look at those arms – you must be in the military!"

Ruby merely smiled. "Nah, just a huntress who carries a giant weapon."

"My goodness! A true huntress! I've bet you've got some stories to tell!"

Weiss was a bit surprised this woman didn't know who Ruby was. Though knowing Ruby, she was probably thankful for it. The celebrity of being a war hero was never something Ruby enjoyed.

Even if her bank account was most likely enhanced by it.

It was something that changed in Ruby with each year they spent fighting. This was a girl that grew up wanting to be a heroic huntress who saved lives and changed the world. She did that – all of it. Ruby Rose was a hero to be remembered and adored for generations. Yet, the more she did, the less and less she wanted that spotlight.

Weiss knew why, because Weiss felt it too. There was nothing glamorous or romantic about that war. The spent nights sleeping in ditches to avoid being seen by passing packs of Grimm. Going days without showers or proper hygiene.

They'd been cut, stabbed, bitten, shot, thrown off cliffs and burned by any assortment of things. It was awful.

Watching as Ruby went with this woman, Weiss couldn't help but wonder if Ruby had spent months with a therapist as Weiss had. As Weiss knew Yang had.

All of them carried scars from the war.

Feeling a pair of eyes on her, Weiss saw Ruby looking back with a bit of a 'help me' expression and Weiss remembered why Ruby asked her to come in the first place. This was not Ruby's forte, to say the least. So with a smirk and a roll of her eyes, Weiss quickly followed in pursuit of the determined older woman who was dragging Ruby to the back room.

It smelled of linen now, stronger than in the main room. There were shelves packed with materials of all different colors and cloth. Weiss quite enjoyed this room – well lit and cozy. There was a seat right in the middle and mirrors all around. Then a small sofa in the back corner near a closet that was slightly ajar where Weiss found purchase and had a good look at Ruby.

"So what's the huntress life like?" The woman asked and Weiss carefully watched Ruby's expression. "Probably a little more exciting than this, I'd imagine!"

Ruby took the question in stride. "It can be a bit chaotic – but it's all I know."

"Ruby is the finest scythe wielder in all of Remnant." Weiss said. Friends could brag about their friends.

Besides, seeing a friend blush the way Ruby was, was always nice. "Well…my Uncle—"

"Is no longer better than you," Weiss cut in with a proud smile. "She's exceptional." Weiss spoke this time to the seamstress and earned a nod.

"Well I don't know what a scythe is, per se, but I imagine it's something meant for hunting monsters."

Ruby smiled bashfully. "It's been through a lot with me."

As she worked on the dress – occasionally measuring Ruby's arms and shoulders before returning to her seat – the woman continued to ask questions about Ruby's job.

Thankfully, she was not very well versed in what it meant to hunt monsters, so none of her questions ever really reached beyond simpler things that were easy to talk about.

Weiss still listened intently though – enjoying hearing about some of Ruby's more casual adventures. She'd apparently spent a week living by (and bathing in) a river while she waited out a Nevermore that had taken to haunting a nearby village from time to time.

Just as she was about to get into another story about a recent hunt with her uncle, the seamstress came over and asked Ruby to lift her arm for a measurement under the arm. When she did, Ruby's shirt rode up her back and Weiss was prepared to either look away or greedily take in the sight of some bare skin. Instead, all she noticed was a deep and dark bruising that started on Ruby's lower back and disappeared underneath of her waistband.

Suddenly, all thought left Weiss and all she could see was that bruise and remember how Ruby had trouble sitting and how she shifted in her seat.

Ruby was hurt and Weiss had confronted her on it and been shut down.

It took everything she had to fight her initial reaction to race over there and check the injury.

Ruby was not fifteen anymore – Weiss couldn't play medic and check her for injuries. They were no longer lovers, let alone partners in the battlefield.

Tears burned in the back of her eyes and she was thankful Ruby couldn't see her. This girl she cared for was hurting and hiding it from all of them and Weiss knew if she asked, Ruby would only push away even further.

Biting her tongue, Weiss stood up in a flurry. "Excuse me, where is your bathroom?" Ruby looked back at her but Weiss kept her focus on the older woman – listening for a response.

"Back corner, around the rentals. Everything okay?"

Weiss nodded quickly. "Yeah, I think some dust flew into my eye – I'll be right back." With a quick smile at a curious Ruby, Weiss fled the small room for the safety of the bathroom.

She stepped inside and shut the door behind her, angry when she found no lock to latch it shut.

"Because of course there would be no lock." She muttered before sitting down on the toilet and pressing her toes against the door to hold it shut. "Get a hold of yourself, Weiss. You can deal with this."

How?

That was a question she didn't have any answers for. How could she deal with this? She knew that if she asked Ruby about it, it would result in Ruby pushing her away. The one thing Weiss had realized was that Ruby enjoyed her freedom – something she didn't have a lot of at Beacon or during the war. Ruby was a soldier, often times the youngest of the group and because of that, she was coddled by everyone.

Now, she was an adult with her own life who had isolated herself so she could be free to do what she wanted. So Weiss couldn't press – she couldn't force the issue and become someone else Ruby wanted to drive away.

She's a grown woman, she can take care of herself.

If that was true, Weiss couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't. The bruising was so bad and Ruby was clearly in pain. Yet Weiss had asked her if she was okay and Ruby had said she was fine.

Because Ruby was always fine.

Reaching into her pocket, Weiss pulled out her scroll and quickly found Blake's number. She tapped a quick message about meeting up to discuss food and sent it away. She would discuss food – Blake's wedding came first. But Weiss needed someone to talk to.

By the time Weiss reached Taiyang's home, it was quiet save for Blake sitting at the kitchen table delectably running her tongue over a chocolate covered spoon. Weiss couldn't help but notice two very unique things about her best friend right now. One – her hair was a mess and two – she wasn't wearing any pants.

Weiss hadn't knocked, it was the middle of the day and no one in their right mind would be involved in carnal activities at this hour. Yet, here Blake was looking as if she'd just spent the last hour rolling around in bed.

"Um," Weiss froze at the entrance and pondered if she should leave.

However, when Blake saw her, she grinned. "Hey –" she said and her tone was soft and without care. "You're a little early."

"And you're a little nude."

Blake chuckled. "I have underwear on – besides, it's too hot."

When the shower suddenly kicked on, Weiss didn't even have to ask. "She's not waiting for you, is she? Because I can come back another time."

"You're fine. We're…all caught up."

Weiss sat her bag down and rolled her eyes before pulling out a chair across from Blake to sit. "You two have no control."

"Listen, we canceled round two for you so don't push it."

"Oh Blake, can we please not talk about your sex life." She watched Blake crack her neck and shrug before eating the chocolate off her spoon. "I just wanted to ask you about Ruby."

"So you want to talk about your sex life?" Blake grinned.

"Blake…" Weiss hoped the seriousness conveyed in her tone. It must have, because Blake nodded for her to go on. "Is she…injured?"

"I mean…she's always got some bumps and bruises from her work. Nothing serious as far as I know. Why?"

Suddenly, Weiss wondered if it was her place to even bring this up. If Ruby hadn't told them, it was her right not to. "I…was just curious. Being a huntress is very dangerous." She was backpedalling and hoping it was enough to throw Blake off.

Weiss had only assumed that they would have information on this. Yang was Ruby's sister and despite the distance, it didn't seem logical that Ruby would keep anything like that from her.

"Weiss," Blake put her spoon down. "You didn't rush over here to ask me a simple question like that. What's going on?"

As curious as she was, Weiss knew it wasn't her place to prod into Ruby's life. Yes, she cared – but it felt wrong to bring Yang and Blake into this, knowing full well that Yang would freak out if Ruby was hurt. It might take away from the freedoms and distance that Ruby had created for herself. The same distance that Ruby seemed to enjoy.

She knew full well that Ruby was keeping this to herself because she was tired of everyone trying to protect her.

Still, she had to make some kind of a cover. "It's nothing serious, I promise. Ruby's just very quiet when it comes to talk about her hunts – I worried something might have happened." It wasn't really a lie. Ruby had been very tight lipped when talking about her job. The same job that Ruby would go on and on about for hours if it was ever even remotely brought up in conversation.

"That's because she knows her sister will try and convince her to give it up if she talks about it."

Weiss tilted her head to the side. "Why?" She had never known Yang to be anything but supportive of her little sister.

"There's been some…late night phone calls that haven't sat well with Yang. About two years ago Ruby called us up from a small town in Vacuo. She said she was out of money and needed someone to come pick her up. Yang took a week off, went to get her and when they came back Ruby was a mess. She'd come down with a horrible cold and hadn't been taking care of herself. She had run out of money and just…it was bad. Yang basically demanded that Ruby stop hunting and they had a huge fight." Blake seemed genuinely upset by even rehashing the story. Weiss felt even worse for not being around for any of this. She'd missed a pretty intense and important moment between her team and she hated it. "They apparently talked it out and Ruby was back hunting a month later. From then on they just…don't talk about Ruby's job anymore. I've asked Yang about it and she tells me 'it's not her business' and that's that."

With a sigh, Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. "Those two." She shook her head. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to help through that. Apparently I've been more out of the loop than I previously thought."

"Sometimes I think Ruby would be happy if we left her out of the loop."

As the shower cut off, Weiss knew it was time to leave before Yang came out. Who knew what these two had planned with the house all to themselves.

Wait…

"Where's Violet?"

Blake stood up and took her dishes to the sink. "She went with Sun to go pick up Neptune."

"With Sun?" Weiss cringed a bit at the thought of poor Violet being stuck with that…boy.

"She insisted, actually," Blake said with a gleam in her eyes and Weiss felt like she'd been hit with a truck.

"No…"

Blake shrugged. "I think she's into him."

"No." Weiss said matter-of-factly. "No, Violet is a graduate from Haven's finest university. There's no way."

"Weiss," Blake peeked over her shoulder. "I didn't say she wanted to marry him. Just a little fun on a vacation. I mean, her boss is shacking up with an ex – why can't she try something fun?"

Sighing in defeat, Weiss stood up from her chair and sauntered over to give her friend a hug. Blake laughed and reciprocated. "Fine, I won't pester her. Just…don't let your fiancé influence her too much, okay? I still need a competent assistant when this is all said and done."

It was true, as easy as it was for this place to strip away the rest of the world. Once Blake and Yang were married, Weiss would return home and go back to her old life.

Though not before making sure her friend was okay.

I hope Ruby's reasoning for keeping these things to herself make sense. In my head, they seem like legit reasons for her to hide things, even if it's not the proper course of action. Ruby strikes me as the kind of person who doesn't want to be a burden and also wants to be her own person.

Anyway, plenty more coming - this isn't going to be a marathon story, but there's still a bit to go.

Thoughts so far?