Author's Note: Warning This chapter contains sexual content.



Chapter 14

As Winter pulled up to the university, Weiss scanned the area. She had received a text from Neon saying she would meet up with Weiss when she arrived. Weiss was more than a little relieved that Neon was nowhere to be seen, lest Winter meet her and become attached. The group disembarked, pulling their bags out of the trunk. Winter walked up to Ruby and gave her a hug. "It was truly wonderful getting to know you Ruby." Winter said.

"Thanks Winter." Ruby smiled. "I hope we can do it again sometime.

"I promise we will." Winter declared. "I love you girls."

Winter hugged Blake. "Love you too Winter." Blake said. "Weiss?"

"Hmm?" Weiss asked, distracted. She quickly snapped out of her absentmindedness and rushed over to hug Winter. "Oh! Love you too Winter. Drive safe."

"No promises!" Winter laughed.

Winter got back in the SUV, waving as she drove away. "Weiss, what's on your mind?" Blake asked.

"Neon said she'd meet us here, but she didn't." Weiss replied.

"Maybe she slept in?" Ruby suggested.

"No, she messaged me earlier." Weiss noted. "She wanted to see me as soon as we got back."

"Maybe she got hun…" Blake started, cut off by a shout.

"Let go you fuck!" Neon screamed from just around the corner of a nearby building.

Weiss dropped her bags and ran towards Neon's shout. She turned the corner to see Cardin holding Neon's tail as she struggled to pull free. "I put your kind in their place, nothing more." Cardin hissed. "You don't seem to understand that. Perhaps it's your bestial intellect. I'll put it in terms you can understand. The strong devour the weak, and your kind are the lesser, ruled by your instincts…" Weiss walked up to Cardin and tapped him on the shoulder. "Wha…"

As Cardin spun around Weiss delivered a devastating kick to his groin, shouting with exertion as she did so. Cardin released Neon's tail, talking a wild swing at Weiss. She easily dodged the punch and he stumbled off balance. Weiss grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head down to nail him in the face with a leaping knee to his nose. Cardin reeled backward, tripping and slamming down on his back. He groaned in pain, squinting with tears in his eyes, the byproduct of a broken nose. His vision cleared just in time to see Blake looming over him with a cold glare on her face. That view was suddenly obscured as Blake's boot slammed down on his head, knocking him out cold.

Blake clenched her fists and glared at the downed bully, planning her next attack. She flinched as an arm wrapped around her midsection. Blake almost threw a spinning elbow at the perpetrator before remembering herself. Instead she took a deep breath, laid a hand on Ruby's, and tried to calm herself. She looked up to see Weiss holding Neon, who sat on the ground sniffling, her tail twitching in pain. Weiss pulled back, reaching toward the appendage. Neon helpfully laid it in Weiss' hand, allowing her to gently caress it. Neon winced, and Weiss bent down to plant a kiss on the fur of her tail, eliciting a smile.

"I'm going to escort Neon back." Weiss turned to Blake. "Do you mind taking my bags?"

"We've got 'em." Ruby nodded. Blake managed a weak smile and nodded. Neon smiled apologetically as Weiss linked their arms and they walked away. "Blake, look at me." Blake turned in Ruby's embrace, looking down at her. Ruby smiled gently. "No sense beating him while he's down."

"I promised I'd castrate him!" Blake growled.

"You're not so cruel." Ruby asserted.

"Lucky for him." Blake grumbled. She turned, glaring at the unconscious Cardin.

"Blake, look at me!" Ruby demanded. Blake snapped her gaze to Ruby, who was smiling warmly. "I love you."

Blake let out a sigh, feeling ashamed of her anger. She bent down and planted a kiss on Ruby's forehead. "I love you too."

Weiss shut the door and turned to see Neon sitting on the bed, looking dejected. Weiss walked over and knelt before her, running her hands along Neon's thighs, gently massaging. Neon took hold of them. "He was out for a jog, a-and Velvs told me what he did, and I wanted to know why." Neon explained. "How, in this day and age, could someone act the way he does? How could someone hurt Velvet like that? I chased him down and I...I got angry. When I waved my tail near him he snatched it, and God I can still feel it, and I was so sacred. I can normally take care of myself - I took classes! - but it hurt so bad and he could have really hurt me."

Weiss pushed up to hug around Neon's midsection, letting Neon sob into her shoulder as Weiss rubbed her back. "I could have him expelled." Weiss suggested.

"What?" Neon asked.

Weiss pulled back to look her in the eyes. "Cardin, it wouldn't be hard to build a case." Weiss continued. "He has discriminated, tormented both you and Velvet. It would be trivial to have him removed. I can do it for you. You need only ask."

"I know, but then he would go somewhere else and fuck with people there." Neon sighed. "At least here he knows not to mess with us anymore, not unless he wants his face to looked like mashed potatoes."

"I suppose you have a point." Weiss allowed. "I just don't want him hurting my friends."

Neon cupped Weiss' face, drawing her into a gentle kiss. After breaking Weiss smiled, but her lower lip began to tremble and she looked back down. "Hey now, don't go there again." Neon said.

"I know, I'm sorry I…" Weiss started.

"I know Weiss, I know." Neon soothed. "It's okay."

"You're an angel Neon." Weiss sighed. "I don't deserve you."

"You're right, no one deserves the suffering I inflict on my victims!" Neon exclaimed. She grabbed Weiss, tossing her onto the bed before aggressively tickling her.

"Ah Neon!" Weiss gasped. She struggled to cover her ribs, writhing and squealing as Neon tickled away. Weiss eventually managed to grab Neon's hands and succeeded in turning the tables, tossing her onto her back. Weiss ended up straddling Neon, pinning her hands above her head. They panted heavily, gazing at one another.

"Live in the moment, hope for the future." Neon smiled.

Weiss grinned and leaned down to kiss Neon, this time without faltering. "Thank you."

Blake had walked Ruby to her room, then spent some time there with her. Afterwards she headed for her own. Assuming Velvet would still be asleep, she quietly unlocked the door and slipped inside, spinning to close it slowly. She turned around and froze, raising an eyebrow at the sight before her. Velvet was nude, reclining on her bed, wide-eyed and staring at Blake. An equally nude Coco lie atop her asleep, her head nestled between Velvet's breasts, a cowboy hat hanging on her back, and the strap-on Velvet wore sticking up between her legs.

"Good morning." Blake smirked, suppressing the urge to laugh.

"Uh...h-hey." Velvet stammered.

"Is that my hat?" Blake asked.

"Sorry, we got a little...sorry." Velvet sighed.

"It's fine." Blake chuckled. "Looks like you two had fun."

"Yeah, yeah, we really did." Velvet smiled. "How was your weekend?"

"Wonderful." Blake replied. "Winter loved Ruby, and she loved our home."

"Great!" Velvet exclaimed. "Hey, could you take some pictures. I can't reach my camera and I don't want to wake Coco."

"From what angle?" Blake asked.

"Every angle." Velvet replied with a hungry grin.

Blake grabbed Velvet's camera from the nearby desk and turned it on. "She won't mind?" She asked.

"We have an album." Velvet giggled.

Blake started snapping pictures, changing position and angle with each one. "You'll have to show me sometime." She laughed.

"You're really good at this." Velvet praised.

"Anyone can take pictures." Blake shrugged. "Not everyone can take good pictures."

"You know, the album isn't just for us." Velvet smirked. "We take external submissions."

"I'll bring it up later." Blake promised.

"Awesome." Velvet cheered.

Blake crouched at the foot of the bed, aiming the camera between the couple's intertwined legs. She grinned. "Nice to see the natural look is still in vogue."

Yang emerged from her room in the late afternoon and walked into the living room. Pyrrha was putting Summer through her daily exercise regimen. "Hey Yang, want to help me with your mother?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah Yang, want to help torture your mother?" Summer huffed as she forced herself to do another sit-up.

"Oh, you love it." Pyrrha laughed. "You're almost done."

"Uh...Pyrrha...you have the day off, right?" Yang asked.

"Yep, I'm free today." Pyrrha confirmed. "Why, do you want to do something?" She noticed that Yang was dressed to go out and hoped to encourage just that.

"Actually, would you mind taking me for a scooter ride?" Yang requested. "I miss riding, and I know your little put-put scooter isn't the same as my superbike, but I just...I need the feeling."

"Of course I'll take you out." Pyrrha agreed. "On one condition."

"What?" Yang asked.

"You have to go shopping with me." Pyrrha replied.

"Fine." Yang agreed. "There's a shop I need to visit anyway."

"Well, if you're planning to spend the day shopping, you should head out now." Summer suggested. "You'll want to beat the crowd."

"We will." Pyrrha said. "Just as soon as you finish your sit-ups."

"Damnit." Summer groaned.

"Complain all you want, but if you want abs like these you need to keep at it." Yang asserted, lifting her shirt to reveal her chiseled muscles.

"Yeah, yeah." Summer grumbled. She struggled through several more sit-ups, finishing her set and falling flat on her back. "Maybe I should just be fat and happy."

Pyrrha quite enjoyed the ride into town. Having Yang pressed up against her back, an arm wrapped around her waist, felt good, even if the fact that it was only one arm around her was a constant reminder of Yang's situation. Yang seemed to have some fun, even if she was not really satisfied. Pyrrha opened the throttle and went as fast as her little scooter would go, but that was still short of even normal highway speeds. Yet Yang did not complain. Her mood even seemed to have improved a bit.

Pyrrha pulled her scooter to a halt in a parking spot near the shopping district. The pair pulled their helmets off and Pyrrha used a cable to affix them to the scooter. "You should probably chain the scooter to a post or something." Yang suggested. "Someone might come by and carry the little thing off."

"Ha ha." Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "So, what stores did you want to visit?"

"First I need to get myself a new helmet." Yang replied. "You know, to replace the one that got caved in. Ruby's fits alright but flowers aren't my style."

"Alright, what else?" Pyrrha asked.

"Well, I'd like to visit Ye Olde Sex Shoppe." Yang smirked. Pyrrha shuddered. "Can't seem to get off left-handed, so I figured I'd get myself a new toy or two."

"I guess that's healthier than...the alternative." Pyrrha groaned, her discomfort with the topic clear in her voice.

"True, but if you know anyone who'd be willing to help me out, I'm all ears." Yang grinned. "Hmm...you have soft hands…" Pyrrha stood there in shock, her mouth agape, entirely unable to form a response to Yang's indecent proposal. Suddenly Yang burst into laughter. "I'm just messin' with ya' Pyr. You should see the look on your face."

"Come on Yang, you know I'm not comfortable with this stuff." Pyrrha sighed.

"Which is why I tease you with it." Yang explained. "I'm sure to get an entertaining reaction."

"Let's just get going." Pyrrha groaned.

"Fair enough." Yang agreed. "Where to first?"

"Why don't you get your toys?" Pyrrha suggested. "Get it out of your system."

Yang and Pyrrha did indeed go to the adult store first. Though Yang protested, Pyrrha insisted on waiting outside, knowing more torment awaited her if she went in. Yang emerged after a few minutes with an unmarked black bag. After that it was onto the bike shop for a helmet. Pyrrha tried to guide Yang toward one of the simpler designs but Yang was not having any of it. She chose a bright yellow helmet emblazoned with flames, much like the one that had been destroyed. She considered purchasing a new set of leathers to replace those that had been shredded in her accident, but since she would not be riding a motorcycle anymore, she decided there was no point.

Pyrrha took charge after that. The pair visited a few clothing stores, with more planned to visit. They chatted as they walked down the sidewalk, though Pyrrha noticed she was doing most of the talking. Yang might have been a little more upbeat than usual, but she was still not her old, bubbly self. "Ren says Nora's out of control." Pyrrha continued. "Well, more out of control than usual. Apparently the hormones are giving her mood swings and…"

"Hey...is that who I think it is?" Yang asked, craning her neck to get a better look. Pyrrha was not seeing what she was. "Hey May!"

A girl a little further down the road, wearing a sweatsuit and a beanie that partially obscured her face, turned to look. "Yang?" She gasped. The pair started walking toward one another, but May stopped in her tracks when she got a good look at Yang. "Oh my God…"

"Yeah, I'm down a limb." Yang forced a laugh. "Taking on the world single-handed and all that."

"I'm...I'm sorry, I was just shocked." May struggled. "Are you...are you alright?"

"I've been better." Yang shrugged. "Haven't seen you in a long time. How are things?"

"I can't complain." May replied. "I got a job with the local SDC distributor."

"Sounds boring." Yang observed.

"It is, but the pay is incredible." May said. "And the benefits package is unbeatable."

"That's great." Yang smiled. "Hey, how about we go for a walk, catch up a little?"

"I wouldn't want to impose." May hesitated, gesturing toward Pyrrha.

"It's fine." Pyrrha shook her head. "I'll just finish up my shopping while you two chat."

"Are you sure?" May asked.

"I'm sure." Pyrrha nodded. "Yang, just give me a call when you're ready to go."

"Sure." Yang agreed. Pyrrha walked off down the street, heading for the next store. Yang and May stood there awkwardly for a few moments. "So, the park is usually beautiful this time of year. Want to go there?"

"Sounds good." May agreed. She laughed uneasily. "Better than just standing here."

"...so yeah, things haven't been perfect for me either." May finished up summarizing her life since she and Yang had last talked. The pair were sitting on a park bench, surrounded by the picturesque colors of changing leaves.

"I miss us you know." Yang declared. "What we had was pretty great."

"It was certainly a lot of fun." May nodded. "Shame it had to end."

"We could always try again." Yang suggested, meeting May's gaze.

"We split up because we didn't really love each other." May reminded her. "I don't think that's changed. It certainly hasn't for me."

"Doesn't mean we can't give it a trial run, see how it feels." Yang pressed, putting her arm around May.

"Yang, stop." May ordered, brushing Yang's hand off her shoulder. "You're a great person, you're a lot of fun, and you're incredible in the sack, but I'm not interested. We broke up for a reason, and I don't want to go through it all over again."

"But...but...May, please." Yang beseeched. "I need…"

"You don't need me." May said, her tone less confrontational. "I know what you're doing. You lost your arm. You feel like your life is fucked. You want a relationship, someone to help you recover. But I'm not that person."

"But you know what I'm going through." Yang protested.

"No, I don't." May countered. "No one does. Only you know exactly what's going on in your head. True, I know what it's like to lose a part of myself, but that's not the whole story."

"You understand me." Yang persisted.

"Maybe so, but I'm not alone." May said. "I'm sure other people understand you just as well, probably better. We haven't talked in years. The people you see every day, your friends and family, they understand you better than I possibly could."

"May, please, give us a chance." Yang begged, tears welling in her eyes. "I need...I need someone."

"Maybe you do." May sighed. "But I'm not interested."

"Is it because of the arm?" Yang asked. "Does it...repulse you?"

"Not at all." May shook her head. She grabbed Yang's hand and squeezed it, then looked her in the eyes. May took off her beanie, revealing her clouded, blind eye and the scars that surrounded it. "You're as beautiful as you ever were."

"You are too." Yang declared.

"Yang, I'm sorry I can't be the help you need." May frowned. "I can't lie to myself, or to you. You need to find someone who really loves you, someone you really love."

"I...you're right." Yang sighed. "I'm...I'm sorry for trying to…"

"You don't have to apologize." May shook her head. "It was good talking to you."

"Yeah…" Yang said.

"I should get going." May said. "See you 'round."

"See ya'." Yang mumbled. May gave her hand one last squeeze before getting up and walking off.

Yang sat there alone for a few minutes before getting out her scroll and texting Pyrrha. She felt a tingle in her missing arm. She did not need that too. Yang reached into her jacket and pulled out a small case. She opened it and dumped two pills into her mouth, swallowing them dry. When Pyrrha arrived she found Yang sitting on a bench, staring at the ground. "Yang, are you alright?" Pyrrha asked.

"Not really." Yang admitted, forcing a smile. "If you don't mind I'd like to go home."

"Of course." Pyrrha nodded. She offered a hand to Yang to help her up, but Yang stood on her own. They walked back to the scooter in silence, donned their helmets, and headed home. Once there Yang went into her room and stayed there for the remainder of the day. Whatever enthusiasm and energy she had had earlier was gone.