Chapter 17

Barging open a random stall door, Ruby fell to her knees and braced herself. Her head throbbed, her throat clenched, and her leg ached from the sudden impact. She choked, tearing up as her panicked breathing refused to calm, even as her light breakfast threatened to reappear. A hand made contact with her back, and she jumped.

"Hey Ren." Coco spoke. Ruby felt a sudden warmth as her friend knelt beside her. "You did great."

Ruby huffed a laugh, slumping over the toilet bowl. "Nngh, I hope so."

"Did you bring your water?" Coco asked.

"Uh…" Ruby felt around blindly, searching for the bottle, failing to locate it. "I think I lost it."

Coco shifted, looking beneath the dividers to see the bottle had rolled into a neighboring stall. "One sec." She whispered before getting up and crossing to said stall to retrieve the escaped beverage. Thankfully it was the employee bathroom, in a low traffic area no less. The floor was likely as spotless as Weiss' office. "You know, this reminds me of this one time Velvet had too many-" Coco was cut off by a ringtone echoing off the tile walls, folk strings playing a mournful tone.

"Nnngh." Ruby groaned, fumbling with her pocket to pull the scroll free. She answered the call, setting it to speaker. "Hey mom."

"Hey sweetie!?" Summer whispered as Coco leaned against the stall door. "Is now a bad time?"

"No...not really...I'm just in the bathroom." Ruby explained, head still hung over the toilet.

Coco reached down, plucking the scroll from Ruby's hand and replacing it with the water bottle. "Hey Missus Rose, Ruby's just coming down from a bit of stage fright."

"Oh, hello miss?" Summer queried.

"Adel, but call me Coco." She introduced herself. "Miss Adel's a bitch." She snarked. "Your daughter's a trooper Missus Rose."

"Well, she was raised by a Xiao-Long." Summer laughed. "Ruby, sweetie, I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks mom." Ruby managed, slumping against the stall and talking a gulp from the bottle. "Did dad see?"

"He hasn't texted me yet, but I'm sure he'll blow up my scroll when he does." Summer replied. "Then yours, then Yang's."

"Is Yang still asleep?" Ruby asked.

"I think so." Summer answered. "She hasn't been sleeping too well lately, so I'm trying to let her rest."

"Awkay." Ruby sighed.

"Is...Ms. Schnee handling this well?" Summer inquired.

"About as well as she can." Coco replied. "How does she look?"

"Composed, but a woman in her position would be good at that." Summer suggested.

"Yeah, you got that right." Coco confirmed.

"She just finished." Summer noted.

"Did she go off script?" Coco asked.

"For a moment I think." Summer responded. "Was she supposed to address the White Fang directly?"

"Oh boy…" Coco groaned.

"Won't that make things worse?" Summer asked.

"Probably...but she needed to vent somehow." Coco answered.

"That poor girl." Summer sighed.

"She isn't alone Missus Rose." Coco encouraged. "Your daughter has been doing wonders for her mood. I'm actually thinking of getting her a cheerleader uniform. That'll take everyone's minds off things."

"Coco!" Ruby whined as Coco grinned. "That's my mom!" She pouted as her mother's chuckling mixed with Coco's.

"Our dear Ruby has always had an excess of cheer." Summer declared. "I hope it helps you as much as it helped us."

"I try my best." Ruby sighed.

Just then the bathroom door opened and two pairs of heeled feet clacked inside. "Ruby, are you okay?" Followed Weiss' concerned voice. She halted in front of the stall, glancing from her sitting secretary to a grinning Coco.

"A little green around the gills, but otherwise alive and well." Coco explained. "Oh yeah, Missus Rose, Weiss Schnee, Weiss, Missus Rose." She held up the scroll to show the contact picture. Summer looked like an elder Ruby, with hardly more than some laugh lines to separate mother and daughter. Weiss blinked in momentary surprise.

"Hello Ms. Schnee." Summer greeted. "I'm sorry if I'm taking up your time."

"It's no trouble Mrs. Rose." Weiss responded. "I apologize for causing alarm. Today has been quite taxing for all of us."

"Life inflicts trials upon us all Ms. Schnee." Summer spoke with reverence. "Keep faith, hold fast, and press forward. Maidens guide you."

Weiss stared frozen at the scroll for a moment before swallowing. "Thank you Mrs. Rose, Maidens' blessing upon you."

"I'll let you go now, but do take care Weiss." Summer said. "I pray for your sister's safe return."

"As do I." Weiss agreed. "Thank you again Mrs. Rose."

"It was a pleasure to speak with you Coco, and you too Ruby." Summer spoke. "Take care, I love you!"

"I love you too mom, have a good day!" Ruby bade farewell.

"I try!" Summer laughed before signing off.

"Is everyone in your family a cinnamon roll?" Coco joked.

"We're four for four so far." Ruby smiled weakly.

"I was not aware you were religious." Weiss inquired.

"I'm not...really." Ruby shrugged. "Mom taught us and we had scripture in school, but I was never really devout like mom...sorry if that was weird."

"No, no not at all, Pyrrha and Ren are...similar...just…" Weiss took a deep breath, rubbing her eyes. "Ren is picking up Pyrrha from the airport. We're having a small meeting in my office when they arrive. Then it's business as usual. The gala needs to be airtight. Now, more than ever, it represents everything the Schnee family strives for. I need to make sure…" Weiss paused, swallowing the lump in her throat and turning away, directly into the bracing arms of Velvet, who steadied the CEO as she composed herself.

Coco exchanged a look with Ruby, passing back her scroll and joining Velvet, wrapping her arms around Weiss' midsection. "Breathe Weiss. You're here, you're safe. Winter will be safe too. You can do this. You always have and you always will." She whispered into Weiss' ear.

Weiss nodded, huffing as she clenched Velvet's hands in her own. "Ruby, are you well enough to continue?"

"Yep, just need to catch my breath." Ruby reassured, pushing herself to her feet.

"Good, and thank you." Weiss added. "I realize I asked a lot from you very suddenly."

"I'm sure you'll ask a lot more of me before my job comes up." Ruby joked.

Weiss chuckled. "If past secretaries are anything to go by...I don't doubt it."

The office was silent in spite of the crowd occupying it. What was normally such a spacious room felt so much smaller with six people standing in wait. Ruby felt uncomfortable, out of place. Here she was, in a room with Weiss and Weiss' closest friends, the outsider. Her stomach had calmed enough that she had been able to manage a light lunch, silent and awkward though it was. Now her gut began to churn once more.

Weiss finally looked up from her computer. She had just been about to speak with the others when an important email had come in. Now it had been dealt with. "Ruby…" Weiss started. Ruby found it odd that she would be the first one to draw the CEO's focus. "...the place you're living, is it safe?"

"Uh…" Ruby hesitated.

"I'm increasing security for everyone close to me." Weiss explained. "I could assign someone to watch the building, or escort you to and from work."

"No, no it's safe." Ruby shook her head. "Blake's kinda' paranoid and...well I'll be fine."

"And the rest of you?" Weiss asked. She already had a good idea of the answers.

"Our apartment buildings have armed guards already." Coco gestured to Velvet.

"Same for us." Pyrrha added.

"Good, good." Weiss nodded. "I'll be adding more guards here, including one to specifically guard my office. There will be increased security at the gala as well. Speaking of which, I'm expanding the gala's scope. Coco, can you have some prototype formalwear made beforehand?"

"Sure." Coco agreed.

"We'll be launching your new line there...at least announcing it." Weiss continued. "That should draw the fashion crowd, raise more money and add visibility to SFO. I'd like us all to wear examples if you don't mind." There were no objections. "What else...no more trips out of the country for SFO, at least until there have been security evaluations. Too risky."

"I suppose I can teleconference if I must." Pyrrha allowed. "And if the gala's being expanded, I'll need to divert some time to planning that."

"Ruby, are you sure your place is safe?" Weiss pressed. "It's no trouble to send someone over there."

"I'll be fine, I promise." Ruby insisted. "Blake's apartment is probably the most secure place in Atlas."

"Very well." Weiss sighed and stood at her desk. "You all know what needs to be done."

"Velv and I will get started on those outfits ASAP." Coco nodded. "Just send us your measurements or stop by." With that the two headed for the door.

Weiss looked to Pyrrha and Ren. It was clear they wanted to speak to her in private. "Ruby...could you give us a moment?"

"Sure." Ruby slipped out of the room.

As the door clicked shut, Weiss exhaled. "I'm fi-"

"Weiss." Ren interrupted firmly. "Don't lie to us." He circled the desk, approaching his friend along with Pyrrha.

"Please." Pyrrha pled, reaching for Weiss. "You're exhausted." She wrapped her arm around Weiss', prying the CEO's fingers off the desk to link with her own.

"I'm always exhausted Pyrrha." Weiss chuckled mirthlessly. "It's part of my job."

"And it's part of ours to ensure you get what you need." Ren smiled, mirroring Pyrrha's actions. "You need rest Weiss." They began pulling her away from the desk, but she dug in her heels.

"No, no not now." Weiss whined. "I can rest when I get home. I can't just stop because I'm tired."

"Weiss, Penny told me you didn't sleep last night." Pyrrha noted.

"Penny!" Weiss groaned.

"Your wellbeing is my priority Ms. Schnee." Penny spoke up.

"Ugh...I'm fine." Weiss persisted. "I took a stim and I have Ruby's coffee. I can last the day."

"You took a stim…" Ren sighed.

"Weiss, you're smarter than this." Pyrrha admonished.

"It's not about being smart, it's about being effective." Weiss defended. "Now even if I wanted to sleep I still have to wait for it to wear off, which should hopefully, if the millions we sink into pharmaceutical research count for anything, last for the end of the day."

"Weiss…" Pyrrha murmured. "This isn't just about sleep."

"I know." Weiss admitted.

"You don't have to deal with this alone." Ren assured, shifting to meet Weiss' tense gaze with a soft smile.

"I know." Weiss whispered.

"We're here for you." Pyrrha promised, pressing herself closer.

Pyrrha's warmth clashed with the pain in Weiss' heart. "I know." Her voice cracked.

"You don't need to be strong with us." Ren soothed. "Don't hold back."

"They...they took her...just like that...just…" Weiss huffed. "All the might of the Atlesian military, years of dedicated service, and the Fang plucked her from the sky and stole her from the face of Remnant." Weiss laughed once more. "I need to make sure mother is safe. I need to make sure Whitley is safe. I need to be sure you are safe, and Coco and Velvet and Ruby and everyone in this company and the gala." She took a sharp breath. "The Fang could be anywhere, doing anything. I need to protect my people."

"And you will, you will." Pyrrha moved to wrap her arms around Weiss' waist. "But right now you need to focus on yourself. You can't help others if you can't help yourself."

"I will, I will, just not right now." Weiss resisted. "That's what the weekend is for, that's how it works. That's how it's always worked. I've been through hell and high water before and this is no different."

"Weiss." Ren mirrored Pyrrha's actions once more. Weiss found herself gazing up into his gentle pink eyes. Her lip quivered. "It's only us. You don't have to say a word."

With a shuddering exhale, Weiss let herself fall in defeat. Supported by her dear companions, she clutched Ren weakly, silently venting her grief into his chest, gently shaking in Pyrrha's arms.

By the end of the day, Ruby was done. She forced a pep in her step until out of Weiss' sight, but once the elevator doors closed, all the fight left her body. So she remained all the way home. Vulpe was considerate, letting her rest past her usual greetings, and gently prodding her awake upon arrival. Ruby mumbled thanks, staggering out of the car and eventually making her way to the apartment door. How she got there Ruby would never know. All that mattered was the shower within, and the bed following.

By some miracle, the first key Ruby tried was the right one. In movements practiced from years of ambling home after college, she kicked off her shoes mid waddle and tossed her purse through the open door to her room. She collided with the bathroom door as she turned the handle, opening it to...find Blake...naked Blake...frozen, one hand holding the toothbrush in her mouth, the other with claws extended in threat...and…

A penis...between her legs...there was a penis between her legs. Blake had a penis. Ruby closed her eyes, pulling the door shut and hurrying away into her room. She was far too exhausted to deal with this revelation. She should just go to sleep. Maybe it would just go away and she would not have to handle it. The subject, not Blake's penis. The subject of Blake's penis. Blake had a penis, her suspicion was correct, and it seemed Faunus had really big members.

Ruby groaned, falling face first onto her bed and crawling up to the pillows. There she attempted to suffocate herself to sleep, now stuck in an annoying in between. Her mind raced, stumbling over itself due to a mix of excitement and fatigue, and not that kind of excitement. No, that was weird, and wrong. Blake was her Alpha, Sun's partner, family. Off limits. But this was new, and shocking, and probably had a really simple explanation.

Two firm knocks rung upon the door, and Ruby sighed. "Come in." She called, remaining in place. She was comfortable, physically at least.

The room brightened and dimmed as Blake entered, the bed dipping slowly as the Faunus lay beside her. "I'm sorry you saw that." Blake started. "Sun...made my bathroom unbearable."

Ruby huffed a chuckle. "It's not the first time."

"Same here…" Blake murmured.

"It's...an Alpha thing, isn't it?" Ruby finally asked.

"Yes Ruby." Blake confirmed. "It's an Alpha thing."

"Oh…" Ruby breathed. "Okay."

"Okay?" Blake repeated in question.

"Sorry...my mind's just really frazzled and...is it always and Alpha thing?" Ruby responded.

"It's very rare outside of Alphas, but all female Alphas are endowed." Blake explained. "So that we could...propagate...in the place of a male Alpha."

"I think I need to try and learn more about Faunus biology...from books, and the internet...not…" Ruby sighed. "Today sucked."

"Hmm...I saw you." Blake admitted. "You looked frightened."

"I've never been great on stage." Ruby agreed. She tensed as a hand made contact with her back. Warm and firm, it slid up to her neck, rubbing gently at the base of her skull. Once again Ruby was reminded of Yang, her hands ever diligent in soothing her pains. "Nngh...I nearly threw up after. I didn't think I was still that bad."

"It takes great courage to address a crowd Ruby, you did well." Blake praised, trailing her nails through the human's hair. Ruby shuddered as she crossed an itch, and Blake focused on it for a moment. "You stood tall and spoke clearly. You should take pride in that."

"Thnks Blake…" Ruby groaned, voice muffled by the pillow as she arched into Blake's contact. "I hope someone can do this for Weiss...she really deserves it...she's being so strong."

"Perhaps Velvet will offer, considering they are kin." Blake suggested. It was a half truth really. Velvet had marked Weiss, but not so much as Blake had Ruby. They were close but...lacking, in Blake's opinion. Not that she cared.

"Maybe...I don't know." Ruby mumbled. "I don't know what I'd do if Yang went missing...Winter...I hope she's okay."

Blake sighed. The day's events were weighing upon both of them it seemed, though for entirely different reasons. Old wounds stung in bitter ways. Her mind's mulling left her sleep even more fitful than usual. The night was going to be a chore...unless… "Would you like me to stay?" Blake asked. It was as good an excuse as any. She could sleep, make sure Ruby was taken care of, and her boss could not complain because family issues trumped all. It was a perfect plan.

"You don't have to, I'll be okay." Ruby yawned, turning her head to face Blake. Not quite perfect after all. "But thank you...I know you're trying to be good to me." She reached up to grasp Blake's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Blake was thankful for poor human nightvision. It obscured the conflicted grimace as she suppressed...something that threatened to burst forth, something she never wanted to do in front of anyone, least of all Ruby. A knock at the door caused her to flinch.

"Uh Ruby, is Blake in there?" Came Sun's muffled voice.

"Yeah, come in." Ruby called.

The door opened and sun peeked in, taking in the scene. "You two alright?"

"Blake was just checking on me, today was rough." Ruby explained, omitting certain details. Blake greatly appreciated that.

"Oh yeah, you got up on stage." Sun pushed into the room. "Sorry I didn't see. I'll watch a rerun." He took a seat beside Blake.

"There's not much to see." Ruby shrugged. "I just read a few lines and tried not to throw up after."

"You need anything?" Sun asked. "I can skip work tonight and stay in."

Ruby smiled and shook her head. "I'll be fine Sun, thanks. I'm just gonna' sleep and pretend I don't have work tomorrow."

"Then we will leave you to it." Blake stated, nudging Sun. "Come on, before we're late."

"Yeah, yeah, no need to get violent." Sun groused, receiving a slap on the behind for his trouble. "Oi!"

"Sleep well." Blake bid before leaving, the door closing firmly behind her.

Ruby smiled after the pair. Following a long day it was nice to feel cared for, it was nice to feel like she had a family by her side. But it also left her feeling homesick, for Yang in particular. She tried to push the thought from her mind, but she truly could not rid herself of the nagging worry that something could happen to Yang. She felt for Weiss. If she suddenly heard her sister had been taken captive by a terrorist organization hell bent on destroying her family and everything she stood for...she would never have been as composed as Weiss was.

Ruby scrambled for her purse, eventually finding it after blindly fumbling at the foot of her bed. She pulled her scroll free and sent a message.

[Ruby: Hey sis, I love you.]

[Yang: I love you too Rubes! What's up? U feelin ok?]

[Ruby: Nothin, about to sleep, just wanted to say, I don't think I say it enough]

[Yang: Aw, I know you love me, we're sisters, even if u hated me you'd still love me]

[Ruby: I know, its just todays got me all weird and worrying]

[Yang: Is ur boss ok?]

[Ruby: I dont know, I hope so]

[Yang: Did u give her hugs?]

[Ruby: I did! Coco did too, and Velvet probably, and I think Pyrrha and Ren did later but I think she needs more than some hugs]

[Yang: Oooh I see, aiming high are we ;)]

[Ruby: Yang! I'm being serious :(]

[Yang: So am I! Rubooty could be just what she needs, go for it!]

Ruby groaned, going limp and letting her scroll drop from her hands. She took it back, Yang was terrible. She would not miss her at all...okay, that was a lie.