Disclaimer: RWBY and all affiliated characters/titles belong to Rooster Teeth, those wonderful geniuses.

Penny spun back and forth, checking herself in the mirror. She was wearing the same clothes she usually wore, her overall dress and the fruffy blouse. She especially liked the way the sleeves bunched up at her wrists where the cuffs buttoned, they were so pooffy.

Finally she tied her pink bow into place. She let her fingers linger on the soft lace for a moment. This bow had been a gift from her father and she wore it every day, no matter what. Even on days when she had to dress up and be all fancy for something, Penny made sure she wore her bow. It was a little faded now, not the bright pink it was when she first got it, but that didn't change anything for her. It was still her bow.

With one last smile at the mirror Penny spun in a happy little circle and skipped out the door.

Yesterday had gone wonderfully.

She was very nervous about everything that was going on though. Being out in the gardens all day would make Ciel ask a lot of questions and whenever she did that it usually led to more rules that Uncle Ironwood made Penny follow. Luckily the garden was special and Penny would just say she had wanted to be out there. She knew that Uncle Ironwood kept the garden around for her and her mother's sake and she hoped that meant he would appreciate her spending a lot of time out there.

After thinking about it all night, Penny had decided to go for it and walk in the gardens until she found Ruby, the new gardener. The garden was so big and Penny was certain when she started out that it would take her quite a while to just stumble on her. That way she would have time to figure out what she was going to say and plan something. The problem was that Penny found Ruby right away. So quickly in fact that she had no plan ready when she did.

That's when she started to get nervous because Penny did not like doing things without a plan. Usually Uncle Ironwood or Ciel had very specific guidelines for when they did things. Her instructors always came over at the same times every weekday and that never changed. Dinner was always at seven in the evening, no matter what. So, not having a plan for dealing with Ruby had made Penny very nervous.

The longer she watched her and tried to come up with a plan the worse her nervousness got. Ruby was working and looked very focused and Penny did not want to disturb her. Then she realized that when Ruby was at work was like when Penny was in her lessons. It was part of her schedule and she probably didn't want to be disturbed. So Penny just started walking around the garden and kept checking back on Ruby. A few times it seemed like she was going to get up and Penny waited, eager to get her chance to talk to her. But, she never did.

Finally after working so hard all day, Ruby got up and started eating lunch. It seemed perfectly reasonable to try and talk to her while she ate so Penny went for it.

That had been very nice.

They didn't really get to talk a lot and Penny wasn't even sure what they should talk about, but it was nice anyways. Just sitting with Ruby was nice after wanting to talk to her all day. Finally Penny realized she should introduce herself and she did. Ruby seemed very worried about being dirty or offending Penny but that was okay. Lots of people acted like that and it was probably just because they weren't friends yet. Once she and Ruby became friends she hoped she would be able to relax a little more.

"Good morning Penny," Ciel greeted Penny as she entered the large dining room.

"Good morning Ciel," Penny replied, waving happily. "Isn't it a wonderful day?" Penny turned towards the high, arched windows and opened her arms. The sun was high enough already that its warm beams came pouring through the glass.

"The weather is quite nice, yes," Ciel pulled Penny's chair out for her which Penny happily took and then sat herself across the table from her. "How was the garden yesterday? I noticed you spent quite some time outside."

"Oh yes, it was wonderful," There was no breakfast quite yet so Penny let her hands rest in her lap.

"Did anything in particular catch your eye?" Ciel tilted her head just slightly and Penny knew that she was suspicious.

"No, no, there was noth- Oh, excuse me," Penny covered her mouth as she hiccupped, "No there was nothing in particular."

Being nervous always did this to her. Hiccupping was so embarrassing and it just added to how nervous she was about lying to Ciel. Somehow, Ciel always knew when she was telling a fib.

"Are you absolutely certain Penny? If there was something you liked we could tell the gardeners to plant more of them or to trim the bushes a certain way," Ciel smiled politely and Penny was certain she was still trying to find out about her secret.

"Well, maybe there was something…umm red that I liked," Penny was very careful to not tell a lie but not say too much either.

"Was it tulips? Or maybe some of the lilies are red? Wait I know, it was the roses right?" Ciel turned and nodded as the wait staff carried in a few trays of food.

It was nothing too fancy since it was just the two of them. A few bowls of diced fruits, hot porridge and oatmeal, scrambled eggs and bacon made from turkeys. Penny wasn't sure why they always pointed out that the bacon was made out of turkey. Was it ever made from anything else?.

"Yes. Yes, I did like the roses," Penny nodded happily. That was good because it wasn't a lie. Penny did like the roses in the garden. It was also true that Ruby's last name was Rose.

"That's great to know," Ciel smiled and spooned some oatmeal into her bowl.

Penny reached for the fruits and scooped a small pile onto her plate. She saw, mixed among the cantaloupe and apple wedges, a few pieces of strawberry. They were neatly sliced into small, bite size pieces and had their tops cleanly removed. She picked up one with her fingers and held it out to Ciel.

"Ciel, why do we cut these up?" Penny rotated the bit of fruit around as she examined it.

"What do you mean Penny? They are sliced that way so they are easier for us to eat. We also, use a fork or a spoon to eat them, not our hands."

"Oh, sorry," Penny dropped the strawberry back onto her plate. She hadn't even realized she'd done that in front of Ciel. She was always so strict about eating correctly and using the proper fork for certain foods. Penny would have to be more careful to not slip up like that around her. She was just so distracted.

"So, do you have any plans for today? There are still a few days until your uncle returns, but you don't have any lessons scheduled," Ciel waited a moment while Penny thought and took the opportunity to quietly begin eating her own breakfast.

"I don't think so," Penny definitely did have a plan for today but she wasn't sure if it would work. So it was okay to say that her plans were up in the air. If the idea didn't work then she really wouldn't have anything to do all day.

"We could always watch a movie downstairs or maybe go for a swim? Anything you want to do here at the house Penny. Just let me know so I can get things ready for you," Ciel smiled again.

"Okay. If I want to do any of those things I will let you know," This was getting dangerous. It was hard to talk about what she had done and what she planned on doing without telling Ciel any lies. She had gotten away with one, but that almost never happened and Penny didn't want to take any risks.

Perhaps if she kept eating Ciel would stop asking her so many questions.

"Thank you very much for breakfast," Penny thanked the last man to take her things away from the table.

"Have you decided on something you would like to do?" Ciel remained seated at the table, hands folded in her lap.

"Since it is such a wonderful day today I think I am going to go out in the gardens again," Penny looked out the windows again and smiled. It was almost her chance to go out and see Ruby again. She was getting very excited.

"Would you like me to come with you? It has to be very lonely out there," Ciel continued to remain seated.

"Oh no, that's alright. I'm not very lonely in the garden. Sometimes I run into my mother out there and we get a chance to talk. Other times I will say hello to the gardeners or just enjoy myself," Penny stood from the table. She was eager to get outside. Ciel stood with her.

"That does sound very nice. Do try not to disturb the workers too much though, they have their jobs to do after all," Ciel gave her a kind smile and Penny began to move away. "Perhaps you would like to read in the gardens?"

Penny stopped and turned to reply.

"I do not think so. If I do want to read I will come back inside and pick a book. Thank you though, Ciel," With her excuse holding firm Penny hurried for the door before Ciel could ask her another question.

When Penny had told Ciel that it looked like a beautiful day outside, she had not been lying. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The air was nice and warm but not too hot and a gentle breeze was ruffling the various plants, carrying the smell of flowers all through the garden.

She had spent all night coming up with a plan to spend time with Ruby. Now she was only disappointed that the plan meant going inside and they wouldn't be able to enjoy the wonderful weather together.

First, Penny had to find the Head Gardener. She was in charge of all the gardeners and landscapers and everyone who worked outside.

"Excuse me," Penny stopped by a man who was bent over a low hedge, clipping away with giant shears.

"Oh, Ms. Polendina. Good morning," He stood and wiped sweat from his brow. "How can I help you?"

"Good morning," Penny bowed her head just slightly in greeting, "I was wondering if you knew where the Head Gardener was?"

"Ms. Peach? No Ms. Polendina, I'm sorry, but I think she's out today. The groundsman in charge today is Mr. Azure. He should be in the workman's shed on the other side of the grounds. I could go and grab him if you'd like," He offered politely, moving to set his tool down.

"That's okay. Thank you though. I will walk over and speak with him. I don't want to take you away from your work," Penny smiled and looked down at the hedge he had been working on. It was a small bush and he was busy trimming it into the shape of a bird with its wings spread open. He was doing a wonderful job. "It's very nice. I like the bushes when they look like things," Penny smiled at him.

The man rubbed the back of his head abashedly and regarded his work.

"It's not nearly done. I'll make sure to tell Ms. Peach you like them so we can make some more."

"Oh thank you," Penny smiled again. "That would be wonderful. I'm going to go find Mr. Azure. Have a wonderful day," She waved to the man and moved off deeper into the garden.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like me to show you the way?" The man hesitated to return to his work but Penny turned back with a kind smile.

"That's really alright. Thank you," and she continued into the garden.

It amazed Penny that after finding Ruby so quickly the day before that she didn't see her a single time on her way to the workman's shed. Penny wasn't trying to find her, and if anything would like to avoid her until she had spoken with Mr. Azure. It still struck as odd that she could see her so suddenly one day and not at all the next. She began to worry that perhaps Ruby wasn't there today and that her plan would fail.

The only way to find out was to try.

Getting to the small building, tucked away in one corner of the garden didn't take awfully long. Penny knew the garden well and took the most direct path there. It was odd to her how much faster it was to stay on the outer edge and walk all the way around as opposed to cutting through the center. If she tried to get to the middle she would have to wind back and forth through the different green hallways and then back out the other side. The outer edge was almost a complete, uninterrupted circle.

There were a few workers outside when Penny arrived. She waved politely and they all stopped what they were doing to wave back.

"Good morning Ms. Polendina," they chimed almost in unison.

"Good morning everyone. Isn't it a wonderful day out today?" Penny spun as she continued forward, letting her dress flare out at the base.

"Yes it is. Are you enjoying the garden?" An older woman with greying hair stepped forward just slightly from the rest of the group.

"Oh yes. Very much," Penny stopped and dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Do you know, is Mr. Azure in right now?"

The woman leaned closer to Penny and a playful smile danced its way across her lips before she schooled it into a very serious look.

"Yes, I believe he is," she whispered back, "Is he in some kind of trouble?"

"Oh no," Penny exclaimed rather loudly and laughed.

She caught herself after just a moment and looked about to see if he had suddenly burst from the house and caught them. There was no one but the gardeners she had been speaking with so she continued.

"Actually, I had a favor to ask him and I was wondering if you had any advice. I know Ms. Peach very well but I do not think I have ever met Mr. Azure."

"He's a very nice man," the woman smiled, "I'm sure that if you smile just like you are now, and ask very nicely, that he'll be happy to help with whatever you need."

"Oh thank you," Penny let her voice rise back to it's normal, jovial level, "That helps a lot."

She breathed a sigh of relief and stood back up, rolling her shoulders and letting the tension fall away.

"He's inside now. I'm sure he has a moment to speak with you," She stepped to the side and gestured towards the small garden building.

Penny nodded her thanks and stepped forward.

"Oh Ms. Polendina. Good morning. You're up early today," A man stood from the small table and greeted Penny as she entered.

"Good morning," Penny folded her hands in front of her and bowed her head just slightly in greeting, "I didn't mean to interrupt. I was wondering if you had a moment to help me though."

"Of course, of course Ms. Polendina," He hurried out from behind the table and to her side, "How can I help you?"

Penny blushed slightly and glanced at the floor. It was kind of embarrassing having everyone call her Ms. Polendina. She was mostly used to it since all of the workers called her by that name but it was a little weird hearing it so many times. She took a deep breath and looked back up at him.

"You are Mr. Azure right? You're filling in for Ms. Peach while she's out today?" Penny asked hesitantly.

"Yes I am, Phineas Azure, at your service," He gave an exaggerated bow and flourished his arm off to the side.

Penny giggled and swatted her hand through the air.

"Please stop with that. It's just a little favor," she took another little breath to steady herself as the man stood.

"Anything you ask."

"Well. I have some plants inside. The kind in pots," Penny started slowly. She swept both hands through the air, trying to indicate the shape of a pot and hoping she made sense. He nodded for her to continue so she did. "I was wondering if I could have someone come look at them for me?"

"Of course," He nodded his head happily and moved to thumb through a small schedule pinned to the wall. "I have someone, his name is Pastel, he's very good with flowers and has a bit of spare time today. I'll let him know to step inside and-"

"No, no," Penny waved her hands back and forth in dismissal. She had not even considered that they would offer someone. Penny had assumed that they would just ask her who she wanted to come inside.

Mr. Azure stepped back from the schedule and regarded Penny with a note of skepticism. It quickly dissolved into an easy smile.

"I'm sorry Ms. Perhaps I moved too quickly. What did you have in mind?"

"I… Actually…" Penny hesitated. This was the only part that would be hard for her. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't really the truth either. "I saw someone working yesterday, a younger girl with red and brown hair. I liked the way that she worked and I would like it if she could come inside with me," Penny ran through her entire explanation quickly and nodded her head at the end. She clamped her mouth shut, hoping to hold in any nervous hiccups that squirmed their way to the top. Luckily, none did.

"Our little rosebud? I see. I would be happy to. Are you sure you wouldn't like someone more experienced though? She is rather new and indoor flowers can be very fragile."

"That's okay, I think she will do a great job," Penny smiled as wide as she could. That had been the advice right? Smile and be polite.

"If that's what you want then of course we can have that arranged. I will go grab her for you and send her up to the house. When would you like Ms. Rose to arrive?" Mr. Azure turned and grabbed a walkie talkie off the table and clipped it to his belt as he spoke.

"Actually, I can go and get her. I don't want to distract you from your work any longer," Penny held her breath to see how he would react.

It was true, he did look busy with everything he had to do. It must be especially hard since this wasn't his normal job and if he was covering for Ms. Peach then that went they must be short handed in the garden. Then again, he had said that Pastel had some spare time today so they must not be that busy. Maybe Ms. Peach planned for her day off and made sure they would be able to handle it.

"Are you entirely sure Ms. Polendina?" He asked, hand still at his belt.

"Oh yes, I am. Thank you Mr. Azure. Could you please just tell me where in the garden she is and I will be sure to get her on my way back to the house?" Penny kept her smile up.

In truth she wanted to get Ruby herself so that they could have more time together. If Mr. Azure came along or if he got her then she and Ruby would both have to maintain their professional attitudes. Hopefully if her boss wasn't around, then Ruby would be able to relax a little.

Mr. Azure tapped his chin in thought for a moment before coming to the information he was searching his mental rolodex for.

"Of course. You can find Ms. Rose on the North side of the garden, on the third row from the outside."

"Thank you very much Mr. Azure," Penny smiled and dashed for the door but stopped short, "Oh Mr. Azure?"

"Yes Penny?"

"I might have Ruby inside for a little while helping me. Could you please have someone check over her area for me? I don't want something to be left undone because I took her away from it."

"Of course Ms. Polendina, not a problem," He nodded and smiled and Penny had to keep herself from running out the door.

She couldn't believe her plan had worked. It had been a little tense when he tried to send Pastel to help her but he didn't really seem to mind that she wanted Ruby specifically. Once that was over Penny was sure the rest would go smoothly. Now she just had to grab Ruby and explain everything to her and take her inside and they could really talk and get to know each other and be friends.

Penny closed the door softly behind her and checked around. The gardeners from earlier had left to go do their work and no one else had come by. Penny took the chance and ran as fast as she could to go find Ruby.

The wind was still blowing, carrying the wonderful scent of flowers and freshly cut grass to Penny as she ran. Her short hair bobbed around her ears, bouncing with every excited step. She could feel the grass crush beneath her feet, even through her thick soled shoes.

Everything seemed so alive and wonderful. Penny was going to get to spend a day with her new friend and it was all thanks to her plan.

S he stopped running as she reached the end of the last row before she reached where Mr. Azure had told her Ruby would be working. She definitely didn't want to show up all out of breath from running. Then how would she explain everything to her?

She took a few deep breaths and tried to settle down. She was excited but she needed to control herself a little. She had just barely met Ruby yesterday and they weren't all that comfortable around each other yet. The last thing she wanted to do was make Ruby think she was weird. Once she had her breathing back to normal Penny stepped around the corner.

Ruby was there, just like Mr. Azure had said she would be. She was crouched close to the ground, trimming the edge of the bush away from the flower bed below. Penny took a moment to watch her carefully snip and cut at the branches. She was very focused and Penny wouldn't want her to slip and make a mistake or hurt herself with the shears.

Once she had made the cut and moved to clear the cut pieces away Penny stepped forward.

"Excuse me, Ruby?" Penny tried to speak loudly enough to be heard but not enough to startle her.

"Oh, hello Ms. Polendina," Ruby tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and looked up at Penny. She closed her eyes against the rising sun and smiled. Oh goodness, Penny had not realized she had dimples. "How can I help you?"

"Actually Ruby, I was wondering," Penny didn't know why she was so nervous now, "Would you, well, I asked Mr. Azure already and he said it was okay, but if you don't want to that's okay too. But, would you please come inside with me?"

"Of course Ms. Polendina," Ruby stood, "Just let me clear away my work here so it doesn't look so messy."

Ruby and Penny both glanced around at the various bags and trimmings Ruby had laid about her work area.

"That's alright. I asked Mr. Azure to have someone come handle this while you're inside and Ruby," Penny looked back and met Ruby's silver eyes just as she did the same, "Please call me Penny."

A/N - Penny is just so darn excitable and bad at dealing with normal social situations. Lucky for her she has some very doting staff that look right past her awkward little quirks.

Next up will be another chapter from Ruby's perspective as they move inside the house. I had originally planned (months and months ago) for this to be one chapter, Penny's Plan and them speaking inside the house. I wanted Ruby's perspective once they were inside though, since we already know how Penny feels about her own house. It's kind of fun, describing the two different locations from two very different characters. Especially in the setting of this AU.

I hope you're all enjoying the story still. We're nearly halfway now which really makes me realize how short this is since my other fic "A New Day" is just barely getting rolling and they started at the same time.

Finally, to respond to guest reviewer, 33. Thank you very much for thinking they are so adorable. I love Penny and Ruby so very much. The whole story is actually a spin off of a single chapter from one of my much longer works "Friends and Loved Ones". I wrote from Penny's perspective and just wanted to keep going so I wrote this story. I'm so glad you love it!

Thanks so much for reading everyone. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story. Please let me know what you think. I really do try to respond to everyone.

-Zach