Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.

Author's Notes: Thank you so much for 600 followers! I am absolutely floored by the amount of people who read this story, and would like to apologize to all of you for how long it has taken me to get this chapter finalized.

Big thanks to Unjax and Scottishmongol for helping me with the chapter!

Cinder sat quietly in the back of her large, bulky black SUV as Mercury drove down the interstate at a carefully controlled speed just above the legal limit, paying little attention to the multiple cars that were commuting alongside them as she reapplied her nail polish. Dozens of fellow travelers whizzed by, taking full advantage of Vale's well-maintained highway system, passing by her vehicle as it cruised unhurriedly down the road in the slow lane. Cinder often found it humorous that they were none the wiser to her presence – the most dangerous woman in Vale was so near, separated only by a few inches of air, glass, and metal – she wondered what someone's reaction would be if they somehow spotted her through the tinted windows.

As entertaining as such thoughts were, her nails required the majority of her concentration – the dark black lacquer had been chipped and scratched during her morning 'activity', and she couldn't accept looking so unkempt and unprepared for when she arrived at the florist to help Ruby clean her store. Cinder felt that her gradual courtship of the young girl was close to fruition, that soon Ruby would be truly hers, and wanted everything to be perfect for when she could finally claim her Rose. Her appearance, both physical and dispositional, needed to be meticulously preserved.

She carefully touched the wet brush to her thumbnail, stroking the bristles slowly from cuticle to tip, but a bump of her hand – a result of the SUV jerking forward suddenly – resulted in ink being spread all across her thumb. "Mercury," Cinder said as she replaced the brush into its bottle and screwed the cap tight, "I was doing my nails."

"Sorry, Boss," Her minion replied, raising his voice so he could be heard from the front of the car, "I couldn't help it. This idiot in front of me just cut me off!"

"I see." Cinder pulled a cloth from her bag and began wiping the ink from her fingers, "Get his license plate, we'll take care of him later." With her fingers clean, she returned to painting her nails.

"Will do, Boss."

"And try to be more careful, Mercury, at least until my nails are dry. I'm sure you don't want to get another reminder?"

"No, Boss." Her driver's last 'reminder' was permanently scrawled in thin black letters that followed the contour of the fifth rib on his right side, and read 'Knock First'.

The car pulled up in front of the tattoo shop less than half an hour later, and Cinder waited in her seat while Mercury got out to open her door for her. She stepped onto the street and pulled her shirt straight before following her underling to the entrance of her shop, shading her eyes against the intrusive brightness of the rising sun. The dark, air-conditioned atmosphere of the tattoo shop's reception area was a welcome relief from the growing heat of the morning as Cinder and Mercury walked through the door, accompanied by the familiar and pleasant sound of music drifting from small, hidden speakers. Emerald, as usual, sat behind the counter, her typical look of absolute boredom vanishing as she spotted the dark-haired woman slowly crossing the room.

"Good morning, Boss!"

"Yes, hello, Emerald," Cinder said with a dismissive wave as she walked past the counter, "I'll be in my office, come get me when Ruby arrives."

"I will! Oh, and Boss, Roman is here to see you. He's in your office right now."

"Ah, thank you, Emerald." Cinder was happy that the criminal was here – there were things they needed to discuss, namely her now very late revenge against a certain blonde detective.

When she reached the back room and pulled open the heavy steel door she found her office dressed in darkness, the only light provided by the naked bulb that hung above the reclining chair reserved for her clients, but Roman was still made visible by the glowing orange end of the cigar he held clenched between his lips. The tall thief was lounging in the chair by her desk, leaning backwards while resting his feet dangerously close to the vase of roses on the corner of the table, the barest wisps of smoke illuminated by the light as they drifted past the pulled-low brim of his bowler hat.

Cinder smiled and strode slowly towards her desk. "Roman," She seated herself on the corner of her desk, taking a moment to move the roses away from Roman's feet to a safer location in the center of the table.

Roman removed the cigar from his mouth and tapped the ash onto the floor before using a finger to lift his hat. Despite the dimness, he squinted when his eye was subjected to the light. "Mornin', Boss." The hat was lowered back down, and Roman linked his hands behind his head. "You're a little late today. 'S unlike you. Did I miss something?"

"Mercury and I were at Mountain Glenn this morning; we had some, trash, to dispose of."

"Oh dear, was it anyone I knew?"

"Did you know a Cardin Winchester?"

"No."

"Then it wasn't anyone you knew. Now, get out of my chair." Cinder waited while Roman clambered out of her chair, then settled herself into the comfortable leather. "Where's Neo?"

Roman exhaled a large cloud of smoke as he moved to lean against the large steel door. "Sleeping in. Since we had the night off, I thought I'd take her out for a nice dinner and... Well, she was up late. Speaking of, when-"

"Tonight. We've waited too long already."

"I agree," Roman, having smoked his cigar down to the nub, threw the roll onto the ground and squished it underneath his shoe. "I'm glad you're not as bad as the rumors said..."

Cinder's face darkened, the tiny gleeful smile she'd had shifting into a frown. "What rumors?"

"Hmm?"

"Roman."

While his hand slid into his coat to retrieve a new cigar, Roman shrugged. "Just some rumblings I've heard around town, nothing all that interesting..."

"Roman." Her recently painted nails scratched against the surface of her desk as her fingers curled into fists. "What ru-"

"I told you before, didn't I?" Roman's eyes glistened orange as he flicked his lighter, creating a tiny flame. He paused to ignite his fresh roll, and continuing when it finally took light, "People are saying you've gone soft. This business with the florist girl, and with our detective... Some seem to think you're not up to being in charge anymore,"

"Who, Roman?" Cinder snarled, "Give me a name, and I'll put the rumors to rest..." There were designs she wanted to print onto skin, and rebellious servants would make ideal canvases. Her instincts told her to suspect Junior's close associates – after the recent sting, the lack of backlash could have inspired such mutinous inclinations – but the longer Roman kept silent, she felt like he had already given her an answer, "Unless... I already know one," She stood, slowly, and moved a hand to the drawer that held her knife. "Do I, Roman?"

He peeked at her from beneath his hat, then took a long drag. "It's nothing personal, Boss, you just haven't been yourself of late. You've been... distracted. You're focusing too much on this girl, this 'Ruby'," Cinder pulled open the drawer as Roman said the name, and the tall thief turned his head at the noise. Roman held up his hands and stepped away from the door into the light. "I'm just saying, Boss, that you'd have never waited this long to make a hit before that girl was in the picture. You'd never have canceled a job because there might be a little collateral damage. I'm worried she's turned you soft."

The knife blade flashed as Cinder dragged it from the drawer and held it in the dim light. She moved around her desk towards him, using her free hand to brush her hair away from her face while she readjusted her grip on the knife with the other. She normally had a high tolerance for his joking and flippant attitude, but he had crossed a line; he needed to be reminded who was in command.

Roman's eyes flicked between her and the blade, and he groaned. "Boss, this isn't-"

"Maybe I need to give you a tattoo, so you won't forget..." She joined him in the harsh light below the naked bulb, glaring upwards. He looked down at her calmly – even with the tip of her knife inches from his abdomen, he still didn't fear her.

"I don't think that will be necessary, I feel like I've just remembered." Roman gave her a wry smile, and Cinder lowered the blade from his stomach. "And Neo would be so upset if I came home with a tattoo..."

"Have I settled your doubts, Roman?" Cinder growled, refusing to let Torchwick wriggle away from his insinuations so easily.

His teeth flashed. "Absolutely!"

"Good," Cinder turned back to her desk, "then we can get on with-"

"But only about you, not about your silver-eyed neighbor. She has too much power over you, Boss!"

Inhaling to try and restrain the rage that was gaining a second wind in her chest, Cinder turned slowly to face Roman. "As I have previously told you," Her voice dripped with cold anger, "she is mine."

"Ever wonder how much of you is hers?"

Cinder opened her mouth, but her scathingly sharp retort was prematurely interrupted by several fast knocks on the steel door, and she reluctantly called out, "Yes?"

"Boss," Emerald's muffled voice came through the door, "the girl just pulled up,"

Closing her eyes, Cinder sighed. She was not in the proper state of mind to meet with Ruby; Roman's unexpected insubordination had disrupted her formerly peaceful morning and ruined her good mood. "Thank you, Emerald, I'll be right out."

"Uh, there's a problem, Boss," Emerald sounded... worried.

"What is it?"

"She arrived in a white limousine."

Cinder's teeth clenched. A white limousine in Vale meant one thing: Schnees. This morning was not going as anticipated. Her mind raced as she tried to determine the connection between the Schnees and her neighbor. They owned the property, yes, but had seemed content with a laissez-faire style of management; why visit now? And it was exceptionally odd for them not to announce their imminent arrival to her – why would they risk a confrontation? She planned to find out, forcibly.

Made nervous by her employer's silence, Emerald asked, "Should I get Mercury and-"

"Do nothing," Cinder ordered, sliding her knife into the sheath hidden in her pocket, "I'll be out momentarily." She turned to Roman, who had taken a seat in the reclining chair and was puffing happily on his cigar. "If I ever hear you call me soft again I'll cut out your tongue and replace it with your cock. Do you understand?"

Roman tipped his hat, smirking foxily. "Got it, Boss."

"Good. Now get out, I have... business, to attend to."

"Certainly." He stood and made for the door, but paused after taking the first step. "Oh, Boss, when would you like me to visit our blonde friend?"

"I don't care anymore, just get it done. Do it now."

"Now?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

A wide grin split Roman's face. "Whacking an officer of the law in the middle of the day? Not a problem at all! Consider it done." He peeled open the door and stepped out, "Glad to have you back, Boss."

Alone, Cinder moved to her chest of drawers and searched through the stack until she found a hand mirror she used to use to show her clients their tattoos in hard-to-see places. She quickly inspected her hair and teeth, then put the mirror away and looked over her nails. Although her self-examination was mostly to appraise her appearance before she met with Ruby, it never hurt to look good when one met with Schnees – the family-run gang prided themselves on their image almost as much as their wealth. When she was satisfied that she would present an alluring, dominant figure, Cinder left her office for the front of the store.

Emerald practically flung herself at the dark-haired woman the moment she appeared from around the corner. "Boss! What should we do?"

Cinder ignored her underling, shoving the smaller woman away roughly as she walked across the tattoo shop's front until she had an unobstructed view of the street outside. A long white limousine was double parked on the opposite side of the street from her store, concealing the majority of the sidewalk, and she could spot moving shapes through the florist's windows but the glare from the late morning's sun hid any recognizable features. "How many?" she asked over her shoulder.

Mercury joined her by the door, holding his shotgun by his side. "I saw three, including the driver. Em said she saw four."

Cinder's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure?" Mercury was rarely wrong when it came to counting opponents – it was one of his many talents – but for a Schnee to bring so small an entourage was uncharacteristically suspicious.

"Mm. Two Schnees – could tell by the white hair – and your girl. Saw them go in and went for my gun, didn't see anything else."

"Emerald?"

The green-haired woman dipped her head apologetically. "Saw the girl and ran back to tell you. Thought I saw four. Sorry, Boss. Two Schnees for sure, though."

Minutes passed as Cinder watched the shapes drift around the florist, her grip on the handle of her knife tightening every time one of the shadows approached the window, and eventually decided she agreed with Mercury. There were only three people in the florist; one of them was Ruby, and the other two were Schnees. She had the advantage of numbers, not that she would need it – the Schnees would try to negotiate their way out of a dangerous situation, and if it came to blows Cinder could eliminate them both herself. The problem was Ruby – Cinder couldn't allow her young, innocent neighbor to witness such violence. The poor child had been scarred enough by the events of yesterday.

She'd just have to pretend to agree to some meaningless compromise, and then the Schnees would leave and she'd have the day to spend with Ruby. Simple.

Adjusting her shirt so it hid the hilt of her knife, Cinder moved to the shop's exit. "You two stay here, and don't come out unless I call for you. I'll take care of this,"

The two replies came simultaneously, "Yes, Boss."

The street between the two shops was eerily silent, as if the birds, wind, and insects were all aware of the tense rivalry between the white-haired visitors and the fiery-eyed queen of Vale. Cinder slowly strode across the road, keeping her hands in plain view and her eyes locked to the florist's windows – the second she had emerged from the tattoo shop, one of the indistinct shapes had been hovering by the door. She had no intention of starting a fight, at least not until she could be assured of Ruby's ignorance of her involvement.

Taking a wide berth around the limousine, Cinder peeked through the windshield as she passed in front of the vehicle to check for any previously unaccounted-for Schnees. The car was empty, but that only served to intensify Cinder's wariness – for Schnees to travel in only a pair was unheard of; something wasn't right. As she continued her journey to the flower shop's entrance, she felt eyes following her; the shadow that had stilled when she started toward the florist trailed in sync with her as she moved down the sidewalk. Cinder approached the door and pulled it open, hearing the familiar jingle of the bell in the corner of the door frame, and instantly prepared herself for a confrontation.

It took less than a breath for the first Schnee to materialize in front of her. The person who appeared was barely more than a girl – she stood lower than Cinder's shoulder, despite wearing rather tall heels, and the gentle roundness of youth was still visible around her cheeks. Her ancestral white hair was tied up into a lengthy off-center ponytail that swung back and forth as she came to a stop, and she wore the crisp blue uniform and silver badge that identified her as a member of Vale's police force. The face she made was a mask of wariness and fragile authority that couldn't hide the fear underneath – Cinder took particular notice of the dull red scar that crossed her challenger's left eye.

"M-Ma'am," The girl's voice was squeaky and shrill as she spoke, but still had an aristocratic air about it, "this area is c-currently off-limits. You need to-"

"I'm looking for a good friend of mine, do you know if she's around?" Cinder interrupted, grinning at the frightened expression that temporarily washed across the Schnee's face.

"I-I, um," The girl paused to regain the surviving shreds of her composure, meeting Cinder's impassive stare with bright, determined blue eyes, "You can't be here."

Cinder smiled, almost laughing at the pitiful attempt to stop her. "Do you know who I am?" she asked sweetly.

The Schnee girl grew pale. "Y-Yes, ma'am."

Lowering her voice, Cinder asked, "Do you know what I do to people who stand in my way?"

The officer gulped before replying quietly, "I-I've read the case reports,"

Cinder dropped her smile, taking a stop forward and leaning down so she could whisper into the Schnee girl's ear, "Move, before I turn you into a case report."

"I-"

From the back of the store came a very stern, "Weiss!", and Cinder looked over the policewoman's head to find the second Schnee standing in the doorway that lead to Ruby's storeroom. This Schnee was taller, obviously older, and carried herself with far more confidence as she walked towards the pair by the florist's entrance, every step accompanied by an echoing 'clack' when her heels struck the floor. Her pale blue eyes stayed locked to Cinder until she stood alongside the two women, when they switched to the girl. "Why don't you go wait in the car, sister?" It was not a request.

Weiss' mouth opened in protest, but a shake of her sister's head silenced her. With a grunt of frustration, Weiss stomped out of the florist, grumbling. When she was out of sight, the older Schnee turned to Cinder.

"I'm terribly sorry about my sister, Ms. Fall, I fear her police training is interfering with her learning of etiquette." She extended a hand, "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting? Winter Schnee."

Cinder accepted the handshake, making sure to grip just as tightly as Winter; she understood this was a challenge, a contest for supremacy, well-disguised as diplomacy. "Cinder Fall, and the pleasure is mine."

Winter smiled and clasped her hands behind her back. "I apologize for not making you aware of our visit – I understand that that was a condition of the agreement you made with my father – but Weiss made it sound so urgent. She and Ms. Rose are friends from school, you see, so she was concerned for her safety, and of course we have our interests in the property..."

Nodding along, Cinder fought the urge to ask Winter to get to the point; diplomacy and it's ilk bored her. Instead, she smiled and said, "Of course."

"I suppose we have you to thank for protecting our investments, and Ms. Rose. Quite valiant and noble of you, to come to your neighbor's rescue. It frightens me to think of what would have happened if you had not been there." Cinder remained silent, focusing on keeping her smile from becoming a snarl. This was tiresome; she was just waiting for the Schnee to start making demands. Winter, perhaps noticing Cinder's growing displeasure, clapped her hands together, "Well, on a lighter note, you'll certainly be pleased to hear that we are going to repair the store, completely free of charge."

Cinder's eyebrows rose. "My, that is very kind of you. Ruby must be ecstatic."

The small, polite smile on Winter's face transformed into a smirk. "I believe she is. Ruby?" She turned to the back room that she emerged from, "Your neighbor is here to see you,"

There was a distant clatter of pottery on concrete and a squeak of a box being pushed aside, and then the red-haired florist appeared in the doorway, dressed in her uniform and apron and wearing a bright smile. "Cinder! Hi!" Ruby half-ran towards the pair by the entrance, slowing to a stop in front of Cinder. "They said they were going to fix everything! Weiss said – did you get to meet Weiss? She was around here somewhere... Anyway, her family knows the landlord and they convinced him to fix the store and even pay for new flowers! I'm going to be able to stay in business!"

Cinder flashed her a smile, but kept her gaze on Winter as she said, "How kind of them."

Winter cleared her throat. "Yes, well, the Schnee family does pride itself on it's philanthropic works. The cleaning crew will be here in twenty minutes, and the flowers will be delivered tomorrow. Unfortunately, Ms. Fall, anyone not involved will need to vacate the premises," She gestured to the door. "Insurance and liability – I'm sure you understand."

Cinder let her smile drop. If they were in any other place, amongst any other company, Cinder would have slid her knife across that white porcelain neck and let blood coat the floor. This Schnee brat dared to tell her to leave? Dared to try and keep her from Ruby? She had a lot to learn if she thought that she could give an order and Cinder would simply tuck tail and obey like a trained dog. How far the apples had fallen from the tree – Cinder knew her father to be a shrewd businessman and respectable opponent, but his daughters seemed to have grown arrogant and overconfident off of his success. The only thing that restrained her from teaching the pompous woman a painful lesson was Ruby's presence – she was too close to her goal to lose the girl because she couldn't contain her temper.

As calmly as she could, Cinder said through gritted teeth, "I understand." She turned to Ruby. "Perhaps you would like come stay with me until they are finished, Ruby?" It was still possible to turn this into her victory by snatching Ruby out of the Schnees' grasp...

...but the scheme collapsed when her neighbor gave her a sad smile. "I'm really sorry, Cinder, but they said they needed me here to help direct where everything goes. I wish I could, really, but I can't."

"Oh, that is alright, Ruby," She forgave her, of course; Ruby was not aware of how the Schnees were using her as a hostage, a pawn. She couldn't recognize that the hands that offered help were actually talons meant to cage her. Turning back to Winter, Cinder only barely suppressed a growl, "If you ever want a tattoo, Ms. Schnee, I'll happily give you one for free. It's the least I could do after you've been so kind to Ruby," Winter's self-satisfied smirk vanished, indicating she understood the thinly veiled threat.

With her closing remark spitefully delivered, Cinder turned on her heel and stormed out of the shop towards her own. It had been a long time since she'd felt this defeated, this powerless. She was unaccustomed to not getting her way, but to force the Schnees out would have meant exposing her inner darkness to Ruby, and that was unacceptable unless done under the perfect conditions. Conditions she controlled. Cinder tried to focus on seeing this as only a temporary setback instead of a total loss, but her anger refused to die – something would need to be done.

Her subordinates were still waiting in the front – Mercury facing the door while cradling his shotgun and sitting on a chair he had pulled from a back room, and Emerald nervously chewing on her thumb behind the reception desk. The latter jumped to her feet when Cinder threw open the door, "Boss! What happened?"

"Are we going to fight them, or what?" Mercury asked.

Cinder put her hand to her head and closed her eyes. "Be quiet, you two." When there was silence, she sighed. "They are staying, for now. They're repairing their property, but if they stay even-"

"Boss!"

Cinder opened her eyes to rebuke Emerald for interrupting her, but when she saw her minion pointing behind her she turned to face the door. The younger Schnee, Weiss, had emerged from the limousine and was stomping towards the tattoo shop with her fists clenched by her side. The trio of criminals watched, frozen, as the girl shoved open the door and stood panting in front of them.

"You!" Weiss' shout was directed at Cinder, and she started to march forward, "You-"

Cinder held up her hand. "You are either very bold or very stupid," She prowled forward, towering over the short Schnee, "What makes you think I won't kill you?" Cinder examined her more closely than on their first meeting, stroking her fingers against Weiss' cheek, "Such beauty is wasted on one so foolish... You've walked into a den of wolves, little girl, and now there's no 'older sister' to protect you..."

Weiss jerked away from her touch. "I can protect myself!"

Cinder laughed. "Can you? Tell me, snow angel," She leaned down and whispered, "would you like a free tattoo?"

The girl's eyes widened, but defiance and determination still burned in the pale blue depths. "Stay away from her," she muttered, tightening her fists.

Cinder's grin dropped. "Excuse me?"

"Stay away from her!" Weiss shouted, "Stay away from Ruby, you monster!"

Cinder smacked the back of her hand against Weiss' face with an echoing 'slap', knocking the small woman to the floor. "You dare..." Cinder hissed, reaching for her knife.

The Schnee rubbed her reddening cheek with her hand, and was obviously resisting tears. "I got your message, where you said that Ruby was 'yours'. I won't let you hurt her! You are evil, and I will stop you!"

Cinder's face twitched – the flood of fury that had been briefly calmed by the surprise of Weiss' intrusion exploded into a tempestuous storm. "You will, will you, girl?" Her entire body shook with rage, left over from her conversation with Winter and now reignited by this impudent little insect. She wrapped her fingers around the base of Weiss' ponytail and hauled the girl to her feet, ignoring her whimpers of pain and flailing struggles. Gripping the girl's angular jawline, Cinder pressed the flat of her knife against the milky skin as she forced Weiss to look at her, bringing their faces so close together that she could smell the fearful sweat on Weiss' skin. "Look how weak you are, how scared you are," She whispered, staring into the terrified blue eyes, "You think you can stop me? You think you can keep me from Ruby? Dealing with you and your egotistic family would be a trifle, easier than brushing aside a cobweb!

"And when you are gone, when you all are gone, when she is all alone, it will be me who protects her! It will be me who comforts her! Me who takes her in! Me who gives her the love she needs! She will love me, and she will be mine! And I will kill anyone who gets in my way!" Cinder began walking towards the door, pushing Weiss in front of her; Mercury rose from his seat to hold the door open. When the pair of women emerged into the sunlight, Cinder released her grip on Weiss' head, letting the short Schnee fall to the ground. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Schnee," Cinder sneered from above her, "please give my regards to your father." She sheathed her knife and turned back into the store, finished with the white-haired girl crying on the concrete behind her.

The store was stock-still, both her subordinates staring at her with slack jaws.

"What?" Cinder asked the two sharply, glaring first at Mercury then Emerald; neither could keep her gaze.

"Do you really think that was smart, Boss?" Mercury asked after a momentary silence, "The Schnees still have a lot of influence in Vale..."

Cinder examined her nails, disappointed to see that there was a new scratch in her nail polish. "How else is she supposed to learn who has more power? Don't worry, Mercury, we have nothing to worry about from the Schnees..." Sighing, Cinder ran her hands through her hair, "Now, you two watch the store. If anyone comes tell them we're closed. I'll be in the back," She started walking towards her office, "don't disturb me."

Two voices replied, "Yes, Boss."

The calm, dim space of her office was a relaxing change from the tension that permeated the front of the store, the music floating down from the speakers and the familiar chemical scent of alcohol and ink causing Cinder's nearly unmanageable anger to slowly settle. She seated herself in the chair by her desk and spent a few minutes with her eyes closed, focusing on regaining control of her emotions. It had been an upsetting day. Out of habit, she reached forward and pulled a rose out of the glass vase on the corner of her desk, holding the drying petals to her nose. Even though the flower was wilted and brown, the smell was still so sweet. Cinder took another deep sniff, then returned the rose to the vase. She gathered a pen and some paper and started sketching roses, letting her mind lose itself in the complicated juxtaposition of shape and shading.

…

A knock on the big steel door to her office rang out above the quiet, rhythmic beat of the music, making her pause in the middle of finalizing her latest rose-themed design and pulling her from her artistic reverie. "Who is it?"

"Mercury, Boss."

"What do you want? I told you not to disturb me."

"There's someone to see you at the front, Boss."

Cinder groaned and lay her pen on the desk. Were her minions incapable of following orders? The tattoo shop was 'closed', and she wasn't in the mood to deal with more visitors today. "Well, send them away. We're not open."

"Uh... it's your girl."

Cinder sat up. "Ruby?"

"Yeah."

"Tell her I'll be there soon." Standing slowly, Cinder adjusted her shirt and hair and checked her hands for any unseemly ink stains before organizing the hundreds of pages of paper into a neat stack and dumping the crumpled-up rejects into the trash bin. It was a mystery to her as to why Ruby would visit the store, but she planned to take advantage of it – this was her opportunity to return to the path that had been so often interrupted. She left for the front.

Ruby was sitting shyly on the corner of one of the long leather benches that lined the sides of the store, still dressed in the uniform of her store, when Cinder emerged from around the corner. The bright silver eyes switched from looking up at all the pictures of designs that decorated the wall opposite her to Cinder, and Cinder licked her lips. It felt like it had been so long since the last time she'd been able to enjoy the sight of those eyes, the red hair, or the sweet pink lips without some irritating interference.

"Ruby? What are you doing here?" Cinder asked as she walked toward the young girl, who stood to meet her. "It's late."

"Hey, Cinder," A small, nervous smile pulled at Ruby's lips, and her hands fidgeted with the corners of her apron, "I was... kind of hoping you could do me a favor?"

Cinder tilted her head, laying a hand reassuringly on Ruby's shoulder. "Of course, my dear! You know you can ask me for anything,"

"Well, I was wondering if... you could give me a tattoo?" Cinder's eyes went wide, and the thunderous sound of her heart pounding excitedly in her chest nearly drowned out the rest of her neighbor's speech, "I've always kind of wanted one, as something to remember my mom by, you know? And I just thought, 'I know a great tattoo artist who's right across the street!', but if it's not okay I-"

"Yes."

Ruby's face jerked up at Cinder's interjection, alight with joy. "Really? Thank you!" She hugged Cinder quickly, then pulled away, "So should I come by sometime tomorrow, or-"

"We can do it tonight, if you would like?"

Ruby's expression of happy surprise forced a wide smile onto Cinder's face. "Can we? Would that be okay? I mean, I don't want to make you stay any later than you have to, I can wait until-"

"I would be delighted to, Ruby. Did you have a design in mind?"

The young girl blushed and turned away, shuffling her feet in embarrassment. "It's kind of cheesy, but... I want a rose."

Cinder's smile widened. "My specialty,"

"Wow, really? How lucky!"

"Yes. Now, Ruby," Cinder stepped forward and pointed the redhead towards the back of the store, "if you just go down that hallway to the room at the end, I'll meet you in a second."

"Okay!"

When Ruby was out of sight around the corner, Cinder turned to the pair of her underlings, watching silently from the counter. "You two," Mercury and Emerald stiffened at the growl in her voice, "lock up and go home. I want to be alone with her,"

"Yes Boss!"

Cinder left them to follow her directions and started towards her office, feeling her excitement rise with every step. Ruby was waiting in the reclining chair when she entered the room, her fingers tapping anxiously on the padded armrests. "Where would you like the tattoo?" Cinder asked as she wheeled her chair next to Ruby.

"On my back, between my shoulders." Ruby pat herself on the back, just below the neck and between her shoulder blades. "Right there."

"Then I'll need you to take off your shirt and apron. I'll help you." She helped Ruby out of the chair, then stood behind her and undid the apron's tassels to slide the red canvas over Ruby's head.

She placed the apron on her desk next to the vase of roses, then turned around to see Ruby pulling her shirt over her head. Pale, flawless skin, interrupted only by the lacy black stripe of Ruby's brassiere, flashed in the light from the naked incandescent bulb above the chair, the muscles underneath moving with smooth, exquisite elegance. The short red hair swung gently like a curtain over Ruby's slender neck, dancing as Ruby folded the shirt. She covered herself ever so modestly when she turned around to hand Cinder the shirt to place with the apron, glancing away from Cinder's stare and blushing.

Cinder licked her lips. "Good. Now, lie down, and try to relax." While Ruby followed her instructions, Cinder moved to her chest of drawers and put on a fresh pair of gloves, pulled out her tattoo gun and ink, and grabbed a disinfecting cloth, then wheeled herself back to her client.

"Ooh, that's cold..." Ruby said as Cinder wiped her back down with the cloth.

Readying her gun, Cinder licked her lips one more time before she set to work. "This will sting a little, Ruby," She touched the buzzing needles to skin.

Ruby squirmed as Cinder worked, her eyes closed tight against the pain, occasionally whimpering or grunting when the needle carved into a particularly sensitive spot on her back. Cinder ignored her client's displeasure, focusing the entirety of her attention on the tattoo and the feeling of working on Ruby's skin. Her body smelled sweet, like pollen and freshly watered flowers. Her skin was smooth and pliable under Cinder's fingers, moving without resistance as she spread it wide with her hand. She could feel the heat of Ruby's body through her gloves, and every swell of breath or tremble of pain made her chest thrum. Cinder was intoxicated; she wanted to taste that perfect skin...

The ordeal of resisting her desires came to an end over two hours later as Cinder completed the final line, evened the last section of shading, and was allowed to lean back in her chair and turn off her gun, her work and delirium concluded. The tattoo that now adorned her client, glossy and vivid in it's newness, was a custom-styled rose the size of a fist placed perfectly in the center of Ruby's upper back, the petals thinly outlined in black and colored a rich, deep red. Before she let Ruby out of the chair Cinder cleaned the tattoo and put on a thin, clear bandage, then tapped Ruby on the arm to tell her it was alright to move.

Ruby groaned as she sat up, stretching her back and neck and wincing as her skin pulled against the bandage. "I didn't think it would hurt so much..."

"No one does," Cinder said, rolling over to the drawers and putting down her equipment. She picked up the small hand mirror before moving back to her client. "You did very well for your first tattoo."

"Really?"

"Oh yes," Cinder held up the mirror. "Look."

Ruby watched her reflection in the mirror as she turned back and forth to get the best angle of the rose on her back. "Wow... That's amazing! It looks so good, Cinder, thank you!"

"I believe it is my best work," Cinder said proudly, sliding back to the drawers to pick up Ruby's clothes. She tossed them to the young girl, and watched rapturously as Ruby dressed. "Now, leave the bandage on for at least two hours, and no scratching."

When Ruby's head popped out of the shirt, she said, "I can do that! This is so – ow! – amazing, Cinder! I can't thank you enough. I think Mom would have loved it..." The same glimmer of sorrow from their lunch several days earlier appeared in Ruby's eyes, and Cinder couldn't keep herself from licking her lips again. She stood and walked forward the short distance to embrace Ruby. "Thank you again, Cinder." Ruby nuzzled into the hug. "How do I pay you back for this? For everything? You've been so nice and kind and generous..."

Cinder smiled. "There is only one thing I'll accept, Ruby..."

The silver eyes looked up, curious. "What is it?"

Cinder whispered softly, "This..." She closed her eyes, dipped her head, and gently, slowly, pressed her lips against Ruby's.

The taste was even more delicious than she'd imagined.

The kiss lasted only a moment before Ruby pulled back, and Cinder licked her lips to capture what was left of that ambrosial taste. She felt lightheaded, like she was drunk, her mind consumed by the flavor and feeling of Ruby's kiss.

She opened her eyes to find Ruby staring at her, mouth parted in surprise, a flush coloring her face pink. "I-I-" Ruby stammered, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to figure out how to respond, "I, umm, I-" She stepped backwards, towards the door, one hand rising to cover her lips, "I need to go..." Her gaze never left Cinder as she searched for the door handle with her free hand, and when she found it she quickly pulled it open and rushed through the exit. "I'm sorry, I need to go!"

Cinder stood in her office, smiling, listening to the receding padding of Ruby's shoes as the girl ran down the hallway. "Emerald puts the key by the cash register!" She called after her neighbor. There was a sound of a door opening and then closing, and Cinder knew that Ruby had gone, but it didn't concern her too greatly.

She strode languidly to her desk and pulled a rose from the vase, touching the petals to her mouth. The flower was bitter and bland in comparison to those sweet, sweet lips. The dull, dying blossom was no match for the blinding vivacity of her young, sweet, darling Ruby.

She had finally done it. She had thought she'd have to take her - she had been prepared to fight, to start a war with Schnees, police, and Fang, to burn the world to the ground - but now...

Now she had won.

Ruby was hers.

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