Chapter 13: Really Bloody Good Reason

Ruby Rose

"Anything else you need?" Ruby asked, handing Yang a rather sizable glass of milk. The older sister had made herself comfortable this Sunday morning, kicking her legs up on the basement couch, tossing in a few rounds of Destiny, the newest lazy addition to their collection of expensive distractions. Ruby didn't mind it though, letting Yang hang down in their personal cave. After the accident that Friday night, she couldn't think of doing anything but dote on her all weekend. So rarely was the big sis in trouble, it was time to smother her with affection until she was back and swinging. Certainly bothered her though.

"You need to just not, please Rubes. I don't want a man-servant, and if I did it would be someone hot in a speedo, not you. Calm down." Yang chuckled, weakly. The accident left her mostly intact, no broken bones, but more than a few bandaged cuts and enough bruises to confuse her with a blonde grape. Still, today wasn't as bad as yesterday, she was so sore Ruby couldn't focus on anything but her. Even if she shouldn't have been. "Aren't you late for your romantic evening of heart ripping?"

"No, it's in like an hour," Ruby admitted, collapsing on the seat by Yang, watching the screen light up in a blast of blue as the avatar did this earth shattering strike. Somehow in the mess of Saturday, the blonde sister picked up that the avidly texting red one never seemed to send out a single response even when her phone promptly blew up with competing messages from both Penny and Weiss. And of course, Ruby told her everything. "Can I hide here instead?"

"Nope, you dug your comfy," Yang replied with a cold attitude. Ruby knew she didn't mean it, a quick pat on the back from her solidified that opinion. "As the grand champion of not dealing with shit, tell her."

"I'm gonna," Ruby groaned. Though which her she was referring was a pretty scary question. "I never want to drink again."

"Everyone says that after the first time," Yang answered, hands going right back to the controller, not even stopping to brush the messy strands of her unwashed blonde hair from her face. "Rubes, you're going to be fine. Penny is cool, just be nice and she'll understand, both of you were pretty drunk when you talked about it, so my web of spies tell me."

"You have a spy network watching me now?" Ruby asked with a smile. She flipped out her phone, several texts from Penny, she was so excited. It was time to crush her enthusiasm. 'Penny, I'm still meeting up with you today, as promised, but we need to talk, okay?' Normally her typed etiquette was filled with errors and mistakes, but not this time. This was real talk time.

"Of course, they have to protect my little baby sister," Yang joked, but it made Ruby feel a little better, though judging from the few texts Ruby had received from Blake, Yang hadn't been talking to anyone. That spy network was either very, very hidden or just her now.

"Thanks, but are you sure everything's alright?" Ruby had to ask, she knew the answer, but it needed to be done. The blonde one of course flashed her bright, perfect smile, stretched her legs and nodded.

"Yep, I'm golden," Yang lied with a big old grin. There was no point in pushing any harder, prying into the skull of hers and shifting around for what was really going on. All Ruby could do was reach over and give her a weakly reassuring hug. "Oh get off, I need to kill aliens! No touchy!" she shouted trying to pull herself out. "Go, go get ready for your blood sacrifice! Go!"

"Fine!" Ruby let up, releasing the girl from her vice grip, "After I get back though, we are playing something co-op. I don't care what so long as it's us kicking ass together!" Just some sisterly duty to Yang.

"Fine, just don't come home with your harem of women," she joked and Ruby blushed.

In little over an hour Ruby gathered her look for today, switching a hoodie for a slightly different plaid red and black jacket over a simple black blouse, nothing too fancy, but not too shabby. The ripped jeans made her bottom and the last accent to her look was an old, red rose crested beanie that just shouted West Oregon to the heavens, thankfully in a language probably no one but her would understand. She wanted to look nice, but not, she didn't really know... datable? This wasn't going to be a date, she needed to make that clear from the get go. This was part of it.

"You look nice, Ruby," Envida's soft voice came from behind as Ruby lost herself staring at her phone, waiting for dad to drive her into town and Penny to say anything back. Eyes looking back up, Yang's mom looked young again, dressed in a leather jacket and black gloved sleeves. Where had she gone?

"Thanks, so do you. I kind of have a," not a date, "thing with Penny in town, waiting on dad. What are you out for on a Sunday? Church?" Ruby had never seen anyone in the Long family go to any sort of communion, despite the sound of the church bells calling people in could be heard on every street corner, they stayed. The question made her chuckle, the violet of her eyes soft like Yang's. She really did look like an older carbon copy.

"No, no, I have not been in church since, eyyy, conformation? Yes, not since then. No, I was getting Yang's bike fixed, and mine." She comfortably answered, pulling out a bag from the store, its contents including black hair dye and medical kit. Odd.

"I didn't know you had a bike," Ruby commented, looking herself over once more, comfortably placed between good looking and a mess. She had no friggin' clue what she was doing anymore.

"Yeah, I'll show you it sometime. You ever drive?" Envida asked. She was getting more and more comfortable with Ruby, which made the redhead happy. She never wanted to be a driving spike between the family, and Envida was a kick butt woman, someone Ruby thought she could respect given the chance. This was a good chance.

"No, I always rode the metro in Portland, the bikes kind of scare me," Ruby admitted embarrassed. Nothing called a crotch rocket would ever comfortably sit between her thighs.

"I should teach you some—"

The door swinging open caught both of their attention. Taiyang, Yang and Ruby's mutual father, stepped inside the home from a Sunday business meeting between the Chinese contracted partners and the firm he worked for locally. Apparently there was going to be some reopening of an old development operation in north Nigeria or something. Either way, he came in cheery in his usual suit and tie ready to take Ruby off to meet her maker.

"Good afternoon, ladies, you are both looking beautiful today, any occasion?" His eyes glanced over Ruby and focused more on his wife, which honestly made a lot of sense. He seemed genuinely curious, though saying she was going on a sort of break up date was really not a great start of the day.

"Hey dad, did you get my text?" Ruby asked, hoping he would remember on his own, but historically he seemed a bit scatterbrained. Made sense with all the stories Yang and mom told of him, and the phone conversations they had every so often. The raise of his eyebrow suggested she was right on the money.

"Oh wait, yeah! I have to bring you into town, right? Envida, I will be home in just a bit. Rubes, lets go!" The best thing about dad was his usually boundless energy, with a twirl right after work he was practically dancing his way to the car to drive immediately back from whence he came. Of all the possible fathers to have suddenly entered her life in a big way, he was certainly not a bad choice and with few words Ruby was off.

The ride into town was comparably uneventful considering all that had happened in the last few days and the festival that had only ended Friday. The drive was mostly soundless, dad singing to himself in a barely audible mumble and Ruby closed off to her own thoughts. Penny had returned her text with a simple, 'Okay.', which wasn't the best sign. She had no idea what this was going to be, but it wasn't a date. Penny was a great girl, funny, sweet, impossible to hate, but not the thing her heart desired. It felt like she was betraying Weiss despite being totally and completely single. How could she really give Penny a happy relationship when she couldn't even spend a day without thinking about a different girl? How was this even a thing? Aside from being with a problematic senior in highschool, Ruby was hardly the heart throb.

"Where am I dropping you off?" Taiyang finally asked, snapping Ruby back to reality. They were already in the outskirts of the city, a shell of what it was during the festival, many of the decorations still being taken down. It felt oddly sleepy. Sunday was a sleepy day after all.

"Plaza del Vale, near the school. I'm meeting Penny," Ruby responded, feeling the nervousness build in her sharp as a spear point. Her father twitched it seemed, eyes drifting from the road to his daughter to the road again. He was about to say something stupid.

"Is this a, uhh, thing?" he asked.

"No, it's not anything," Ruby replied immediately, "Penny is just a friend." And she was going to make dang sure it stayed that way, for both of them.

Without much else said, the Sedan navigated the city streets well, up until Plaza del Vale, the main square where everything should be happening, if anything was happening at all. Festival was over, most people were still recovering or with family, for once this spot was clear of most of the traffic that packed it. It would be almost creepy if it wasn't for the still open cafes and their scattered s as well as the lazy Sunday sun.

"Drop me off here please." Ruby requested as the car turned gently into the the divide between the road and the plaza. Stepping outside, Ruby felt the cool autumn air combat the bright sunshine on her face. The air smelt clean, the gunpowder taint finally vanished from the city streets alone with the heavy smoky scent of burnt paper. It was a good day to rip someone's heart out.

"Call me when you need a pick up, don't know if Yang's bike can handle two people at the moment," dad joked with a smile. Ruby nearly missed it and returned just a nod before shutting the car door. Penny was there somewhere, a Yorkshire girl hiding between the statues and waterfalls that dotted the plaza by Beacon. Ruby walked alone towards the center piece, the knight and wolf statue, part of the story of Vale that no one had bothered to tell her. One city made of the remnants of four towns, sounding like the setting of a great novel back when the statues of knights and wolves were first being made.

"Hi Ruby." Penny. She had been soundless walking up to Ruby from behind. It would have frightened anyone if she didn't have the friendliest voice in the world, sounded like helpfulness if helpfulness was a real sound. Still scared the shit out of Ruby, but that was more because it was Penny, dressed in a green and white long dress to combat the autumn air slightly, a nice matching green bow in her hair and, for the first time that Ruby could ever remember, with makeup on. Just a hint, and judging from the richness of the red on her lips or color on her cheeks, this was Nora's work. She really tried hard for you.

"Hi Penny," being so shabbily dressed in a black red color scheme complete with a stupid beanie suddenly made her feel self conscious, "You look really nice." Her voice was shaking, awkwardly. Even if it wasn't the right girl, seeing someone dress up for her was weird, nice, but weird. Being out of the dating game since Cinder really wasn't helping her charm. This is going to be brutal.

"Thank you, Ruby!" Penny replied with a twirl, showing off the good work she had done, "Nora helped me out with everything I will admit, she's incredible. Never expected it from a tomboy like her. Still the dress is a little thin, I wanted a jacket, but Nora doesn't get cold." Penny looked so happy, proud even. That was not making this easier. "You look good, too, the beanie is, uh, it really suits you, it's uh, really cute." Her voice hitched at the end, her smile turning bright.

She must have noticed Ruby frown, because that smile didn't last.

"Penny, I need to talk to you first. I wanted to do it in person, and I really wanted to still make sure I showed up, because Penny I really respect you and," the ginger with her green eyes darted down to the floor and without a complaint she gripped the frays in her dress. Shit. "And I think you are an amazing person, really the best friend I could ever have, and I am such and idiot, I really drank too much, not saying someone needs to be drunk to say yes to you, I just, I didn't—"

"Yeah, I get it," Penny cut her off in a painfully quiet hush, "I sort of figured with the text. That's why my masquerade is, well, it's not on, I already figured it out and cleaned myself up, Ruby. I just figured, uh, I should give it a shot first, but yeah, I get it. You don't have to say it." Penny spoke clearly despite looking like she wanted to cry. She had a strong level of composure, but she couldn't hide a sniffle here or there, each one made Ruby feel like the worst criminal.

"I'm so sorry, Penny," Ruby tried to get across.

"Don't be, I picked a shitty time to ask," Penny laughed, wiping a fresh tear from her face, "I just needed a drink before I could tell you. Nora, she's a good matie, she kept pushing me and I just thought... I don't know, I wasn't thinking clearly. I shouldn't have said anything." Ruby almost wished Penny didn't take it so well, somehow it made her feel more like a villian. Least if she made a scene Ruby could feel embarrassed, not evil.

"No, I don't believe any of that kind of stuff should be left unsaid. Penny, I really like that you like me that much," and she did. In another world she would have given it the shot it deserved. Who wouldn't be lucky to have Penny? Hell, Ruby was fairly certain she would regret turning away an amazing girl for a crush who wouldn't even text her back all today. "Penny, I just—"

"You like Weiss. I figured. I wasn't even going to try, but I knew I would regret it," Penny took a sharp breath, admitting it for Ruby. Thankfully for both of them, today was a lazy day, they had no eyes on them. "Can I just have today? Please?" Penny looked up at Ruby for the first time since this whole discussion really started, the green ring of her iris complimented its red tint from the hand full of tears that were rubbed away before they fell.

"It would be a waste with you dressed up so nice," Ruby excused them, feeling guilty enough as is, "Penny you are and will always be my first friend here, and my best friend, I would be honored to spend today with such a cool girl." Ruby tried her best to find an in between, a middle ground. It wouldn't be what the ginger would have hoped, but maybe it might not be a nightmare for her.

"Alright," Penny answered with a sniffle, grasping Ruby's hands. They matched in size, but the girl in green's palms felt cold as they trembled, "let's go find somewhere to eat and talk about practically anything else, please."

Their not-date date went well from there, as well as it could go. They ate at a fairly cheap little corner restaurant bar, mostly overstuffing themselves on appetizers like croquettes and assorted tapas as they had several times before. They stayed way past their welcome, irritating the waiting staff with inappropriate application of straws to generate Rubeh the Walrus, and several food based messes Penny described as "building a time machine", which really turned out to be accurate given how childish it made both of them look. In no time they became aware of why they were friends to begin with and much of the unpleasantness took the form of a rather quiet elephant in the room, exactly where they wanted it.

From there they departed on the longest walk through town either of them could remember. El Vale had nothing like an arcade you might find in Portland, but it had plenty of street shops that turned downtown into one big mall. They traipsed through different fashion stores, looking at stuff neither of them could afford, including a punk store that Ruby would absolutely need to come back to whenever she managed to blackmail her family into giving her a small fortune.

A few places were cheaper, more touristy shops selling Spanish trinkets not even from the region. Gold and black steel plates that were actually from Toledo, fans from Sevilla, dresses from Barcelona, stuff that would have fooled her a few months ago, but now made them both laugh with their superior cultural knowledge.

Except for the hand fans. They bought a matching pair, both with the same ripple wave design, one red and black the other green and white. They looked cool, and ignoring the autumn weather they were perfectly serviceable fans.

Eventually, as the sun lowered, pre-dusk, twilight, they were walking on the other side of the river, past Plaza del Vacuo. They had no idea exactly where it was, but the houses were growing more separate, the roads grew thinner, and here at the river bank they walked hand in hand, platonically, towards the next bridge. Green on one side of the bank, white and tan houses to the other.

"And so my da, he turns to my other father, James, he says, 'you hid our daughter, didn't you?' Now I'm still hiding in the cupboard, laying there thinking, 'I am about to cause my parents to divorce.' At that point I was sure as hell not moving, but you know what my da says stone faced? Flips it all onto father about him not trusting him, about never checking my room. The bloody bastard sells it perfect. Father goes off to search in the garage and my da, he takes me out of the cupboard, rushes me, a ten year old, I was not tiny mind you, I stopped growing at twelve, and tosses me into my bed and shouts, 'James you daft idiot, she was in her bed, are you blind?!' I get off free from breaking the dishes and me and da have never told him since. It's been years now and da is still givin' father hell for it for no other reason than to watch me just crack."

The story ended in a good bit of laughter for both of them, the usual question game leading to family stories lead to them getting to know each other more. Little facts like that Penny was adopted by two of the sweetest and most hellraising men of north England and Ruby had been to both South America and Africa following her mom's work when she was little. There was so much to learn about a person. It was a game that never lost its fun.

"Well, when I asked for your favorite childhood memory, I didn't think it would be so vivid," Ruby commented, enjoying it despite being unexpected. Penny sure loved her family from the way she talked about them.

"My childhood wasn't super eventful, but when it was, I'm sure to remember," Penny joked, slowing her steps as they entered a mini-park by the riverbed, a little lookout with benches and river access. "My turn?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"Of course," Ruby replied, slowing her pace to match Penny's.

"Well, let's sit, I think," Penny suggested. Pulling her hand from Ruby's and finding a seat by the farthest bench. Comfy little spot, a lucky break for them to find it so empty. "You're not going to like it though, please don't be mad." So they were addressing the elephant in the room again. Day was slowly coming to an end, of course it had to be now.

"Yeah." Ruby prepared to face whatever came, choosing to sit next to Penny, her butt placed comfortably on the wooden seat.

"Why Weiss instead of me?" Penny asked, her voice clear and gentle despite the harshness of the question, "I know it's not like you chose, but Ruby I believe I could make you happy. She's mean to you and so demanding and pushy…I like you just as you are, I don't want to change you. I want to be with you and I think I could make you happier if you just gave me a chance." There was a silence, one Penny didn't feel the need to fill while Ruby mulled over the answer, sticking a bit of truth she never considered.

"That's the thing. I don't like me as I am." It was easier to see than she thought, maybe because of exactly how true it was, but everything from her fear, her indecision, how much missing mom haunted her despite her burying it over so much bullshit she pretended like it wasn't there. Ruby mostly hated the person she was right now. "I want to be the Ruby she pushes me to be." Weiss believed in a different Ruby, the one she wanted to be, a writer, confident, over mom, over her doubts. Penny, she didn't demand anything of Ruby, a beautiful trait in a person, but not the trait she needed right now. "Penny, you're amazing… I'm so sorry."

"Stop it, you'll make me cry again," Penny called out, holding her face in dismay, "We're still friends right?" she asked meekly.

"Best friends, always," Ruby answered with a hug. Like a branch snapping, both of them started to cry into one another. "Even when we're old and crusty, and, and you're dating a supermodel and I'm a, I'm a crazy cat lady regretting how I didn't go after you that autumn when I...I tricked you into thinking I'm good enough...even then I'll be signing my letters from the old folks home with 'Your Best Friend...and her twenty cats.'" Both of them chuckled between their sobs, Ruby's word vomit worth something for once.

"Shut it, you're alway good enough," Penny let out into Ruby's shoulder.

"You shut up, you deserve only the best."

Nothing was said for a while, they just held each other till the sniffles died down, the composure was reset and both of them cried it all out. Penny her feelings of loss, Ruby's of quilt. Everything was clean again, everything was going to be okay. They pulled apart, and Penny's ginger face with its cute freckles was clear and beautiful as ever.

"Well best friend," she finally said with a cheery Penny smile, "you need to go now, Weiss was extremely angry at me this morning. We both know why. You're going to go ask her out right now."

"Penny, I can't—"

"Ruby," Penny went flat, serious, her emerald eyes demanding Ruby's attention, "I need you to leave me alone so I can get over you, gutted as I am, and you need, I repeat need, to make something of turning me down."

"What if she sa—" Penny shut Ruby down with a lurch forward. Their lips met, only for a brief second. It was nice, unexpected, short, not who she wanted, but not terrible. Certainly shocked her. "That is the only kiss we'll ever have, make sure there is a really bloody good reason for that. Now get a taxi and get to Beacon."

Spending the last bit of Vytal festival cash on a taxi ride from one side of the river to the other was not exactly Ruby's initial day plan. Even more so considering the struggle with the elderly man, who, understandably so, spoke not a drop of English. Several pantomiming games later, that would have been drastically shortened if anyone mentioned Beacon used to be called something different, he brought her to the massive structure that was their school. The elderly driver didn't charge her for the time she wasted being Spanish deficient, but Ruby snuck him a few more Euros on top, thankful for his patience.

And that was all on top of a sense of impending doom.

Ruby had not intended to tell Weiss today, certainly not dressed literally as "okay" as she could have managed. Not right after dealing with the Penny crisis, not right after Yang got herself beat up. She wasn't ready. Telling Penny she liked Weiss' pushing her certainly backfired. She wasn't ready. Weiss wasn't even texting her back all weekend. She wasn't ready. When would she be? She wasn't ready when mom died, but it happened anyway. Things sometimes had to just happen. Ruby had to let herself happen.

Don't run away, Ruby delivered as a mantra to herself walking the busy campus, dorm students all running about, don't run away. Her usual path seemed to take longer now, the stairwell up had twice as many steps, the hallway twice the distance, her heartbeat twice the pace. The only way this was happening is if she did it now, didn't look back or think about it, just charged in and figured it out later. Literally she needed to channel Yang like a ghost into her body. Friggin' hell, how much she would pay her to do this for her.

"Ruby," Blake's voice caught the redhead at the foreign student program entrance. It sounded quiet and weak, but felt like someone just lassoed her by the neck and dragged her back.

"Blake, I gotta find Weiss. Have you seen her? It's important," Ruby counted back, trying to get past her and slide over to the single king's room Weiss stayed in. The dorm was full of life, Pyrrha talking to Jaune in their own couch corner, Velvet studying by herself, Nora, of course Nora, bouncing up and down seeing the redhead come into the dorm.

"Yeah, she's in her room, her and Penny had a fight this morning. Not sure what about, but Penny seemed a little shocked," Blake explained, following Ruby towards the door, "Have you spoken to Yang? Did she make it home safe? No one's heard from her." That was odd. Ruby expected Yang would be telling everyone the story of how she ate shit on the mountain road. Still, it was a distraction, Ruby needed to focus before being completely paralyzed by self doubt and—

"Ruby, how did it go?! Tell me all the deets, I need to know!" Nora, Ruby did not need Nora right now, that excited look on her face. One heart crushed was enough for today. A follow up was not welcome.

"Nora, I need you to call Penny, ASAP, she needs you 'kay?" Ruby answered with some orders. It was honest, Penny could use the other member of their redheaded trio.

"Oh," Nora replied, twisting her expression into a pained one, "I see. Welp, Nora is on the case captain!" She snapped to a salute, her excitement barely dampened. How did anyone keep that up? Ruby was really freaking impressed if anything.

"Ruby, please just tell me Yang's alright. I'll leave you be after that," Blake butt in worried, but driving Ruby mad. Why is it right when she's trying to confess everyone needed her? She was never this popular, god dang.

"Yeah, she's a little beat up, but fine. She was playing video games when I lef—"

Weiss' dorm door slammed open, straight bouncing against the back wall when the silver girl flung it ajar. Her eyes were red as Ruby ever saw, make up non-existent and hair loose, pretty despite being uncombed and disheveled. She looked cute in a horrible this-person-has-clearly-been-crying-or-sleeping-or-both kind of way.

"I think it's great that the three of you are being buddy-buddy today. Make friends, have a nice chat, that's really awesome, but could you kindly, take it the fuck. Off. My. Doorstep!" This was a terrible time to do this, and Ruby was going to do it anyways.

"Weiss, we need to talk, can I come in?" She was prepared to do this. Well, not so much prepared as resigned to her fate. Still didn't mean Ruby didn't want as few people as possible watching.

"Hell no," Weiss shot back, slamming her door shut. Alright, Ruby thought to herself, time for a new plan.

"Bitch," Blake mumbled.

"No, just sensitive," Ruby countered, feeling defensive. After all, who knew exactly how much she may have screwed up already. "Weiss. Please let me in, I just wanna talk to you about something important. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Penny. I didn't have anything to tell. I wasn't thinking about her when I said yes."

"I'm not touching this," Blake commented, likely misconstruing the drama. Ruby really didn't care at this point. The lock behind the door snapped back, the gate to Weiss' room opened ever so slightly, the Weiss inside an angry one, eyes like sapphire muzzles aimed and ready to fire.

"Do not make me regret this, Ruby," she threatened and stepped to the side to allow the young American into her domain. The room was a mess actually, much of the usual clean stacks of papers thrown aside, the private box on her bed, but still sealed shut. Music was playing too, something German, but Ruby thought it sounded certainly moody as the female singer called out painfully with a dissonant guitar playing just as harsh. Weiss was really into everything music.

"Weiss, I want to say sorry," Ruby began immediately once the door shut, "I wasn't keeping anything with Penny a secret behind your back. I was drunk and I was thinking about something else when she asked me. I didn't even know. Weiss, I really wasn't trying to keep anything secret from you, I promise." Weiss looked at the girl who crushed on her so hard she couldn't even get it with such incredulous eyes, like road signs flashing 'Ruby, you are an idiot' in a beautiful blue light.

"Ruby, that's not why I'm mad, everyone has their secrets." Not from you, Ruby thought, but did not interrupt. "You can't possibly not get it, your grades are too good for you to be this dumb. I'm certain a freshly hit deer could catch on." Oh god, Ruby thought, staring at her opposite, a marble cast girl who was saying all the things that meant Penny was right. This was exciting and terrifying mixed in a cocktail of potential victory and disaster. "And knowing you are not about as dull as an unusually animate piece of cauliflower, what you did hurts like a bitch."

Oh god, Ruby's mind kept going on, this is it, this is the moment. Her tongue was dry, felt like it was covered in fuzz and sand, she couldn't breath. Her heart was pounding like left over water glasses on a Jurassic Park set. She could feel her stomach drop below the Earth's crust, swimming right past the mantel into the 'oh shit' zone where gravity couldn't explain its trajectory anymore. Do it, she could hear Penny shout in her mind, don't you rip my heart out for nothing.

"Weiss will you be my girlfriend?"

"What? No!"

Ruby almost threw up right there, felt light she had turned around and swallowed a fist full of sand then let the Punch Out version of Mike Tyson do rabbit strikes to her abs. The fuck happened? "Ruby, you literally had a date with another girl, what? Half an hour ago?" Weiss stared at her possible partner, crossed her arms in defense, and with words shot Ruby to death.

"No, no, no! It was you who I was thinking of when I got asked out, I was so plastered I thought it was you! Today wasn't a date, first thing I told her was, 'I am not going on a date with you. We can hang out as friends, but I like Weiss Schnee. She's the person I have a crush on.' You!" Weiss remained steady, arms crossed and angry, but that had her blushing. Ruby wasn't any different of course, she was near in tears wanting to cry from embarrassment, but this deep in the hole all one could do was friggin shovel like crazy.

"Not enough to ask me on a date, clearly!" Weiss shot back, turning her cheek away, that unpeckable chin pointed up in distaste, scar staring back at Ruby, even more red with the blush. She was so gorgeous.

"No, that's not true! Tomorrow, it's Vytal weekend, we have no class, will you go out on a date with me!?" Ruby begged, angrily at this point, frustrated with herself, frustrated with the confusion, frustrated for being so embarrassed. Just frustration incarnate.

"Fine!" Weiss shouted back with matching indignation.

"Wait, really?" Ruby's heart was going to give out, these games were killing her.

"Yeah," Weiss replied, softened eyes looking at everything but Ruby, yet she kept her stance and composure, "I like you, too. You clearly haven't noticed, but I've tried asking you out like, three times now. You keep. Inviting. Penny." Oh god, I've died and gone to an alternate dimension. I'm going to turn around and Nixon's going to be the current president of the People's Republic of America.

"To be fair, she invites herself," Ruby spoke in a daze, her mind had not fully caught up to the events. Things were beginning to slow down. That pounding heartbeat died down to an irregular, but gentler, one.

"And if she does it again, we are done." Weiss shook her head, the silver little lines of hair covering an exhausted face. She worked so hard, such a beautiful person. How was this even a thing? "You are so dumb."

"You're not wrong," Ruby joked with a laugh, she could feel a bubbling happy feeling deep in her. If she started to laugh, she was afraid she would never stop again. This was the greatest day she could remember. Holy shit, Ruby realized as her mind finally caught up, this is real.

"Well, don't be, you're better than that. Tomorrow at five, be here and do not be fashionably late," Weiss declared with a real honest to goodness smile. It was picture perfect, could light ice aflame, certainly melted Ruby right here in the moment even as she stepped towards the door. "Now get out of my room."

Ruby damn near skipped over to the door, she sure as hell was going to be dancing down the halls. The look on Yang's face when she told her this was what ended up happening. The look on anyone's face. That didn't even really matter, not with that look on Weiss' adorable little face. "No problem. So, uh," Ruby could feel her face scorch off as she began to ask the big question, "are we girlfriends or?"

"Ruby," Weiss began with a shake of her head and a very tired smile, "We will see how you do tomorrow." Propping the door open, the others outside snapped back, she knew they would be. Didn't matter. Anyone who knew Ruby would have guessed with that goofy look plastered on her face. "Oh and the beanie, cliché, but cute. Now get out."

Raven Branwen

The dye was finished, dried, thick. Transforming the body always had a transforming effect on the person, Raven noticed. A little bit of dye, a pair of silly contacts, a touch of makeup, the right clothes, all of it created the person. Replaced Envida with Raven Branwen, a mythic Celtic story. Few knew that her people the Galicians of Spain were Celts as well. She always loved the stories. Loved them more than the name Envida. Envy, suppose to be the envy of the world, now it was just a stigma tied to a woman whose husband had made poor decisions. Didn't matter, nothing defined her and her set of characteristics better than the individual. Even if it was a game for now. It empowered her, let her build her own persona, one she wanted to bring back for now. It was the right time, right place. Now looking in the mirror, she saw that new self, a little older than the last time she saw it, but there, dressed in black leather and thick jeans.

"Love, you don't need to do this, at least not alone. I can talk to Ruby, we can go as a family. I'll get off time from work." Taiyang wasn't a bad man. Quite the opposite. He was kind, he cared, he loved. All things more valuable than the good paycheck he provided. After all, Raven could provide for herself, it was the quality of person that had any real value to him.

"Taiyang," she answered him, turning around to look into his sad eyes. He meant well. "Ruby is just barely getting herself settled, she needs the opposite of what Yang needs right now, and she needs her dad to support her." Ruby was Taiyang's biggest regret. It sounded horrible, and Raven would never tell her that, but it was a guilt he cared for so long, longer than it ever mattered to Raven. She forgave him after he confessed in the first place, confessed without Raven ever even suspecting it. Confessing because he owed her honesty, not because he was going to be outed. Still he carried around a sense of failure as a husband. "You love your daughter, both of yours, and I respect that so much, but you need to be there for Ruby, because you are all she has." Ruby wasn't the mistake, and Taiyang was so filled with love for her, as he should, regardless of his guilt. "Just like I need to be there for Yang. Both of them need us, that's why there are two of us, huh?" she joked, kissing him lightly. He embraced her. Warm man he was. Good man.

"You sure about this?"

"I am. Yang's like me, she needs this even if she doesn't know it." He was already missing her.

"What about work?"

"I work from home mostly anyway. I'm bringing the laptop." He didn't care about work, he just wanted his family whole. They would be soon, but only after things mended.

"You look really hot, you know that?" He joked while he cried slightly in her shoulder. A sweet man.

"Damn right I do."

Final goodbyes were easier, after all they weren't really final. This run away seemed like a forever thing, but retreats like this were only temporary. They would be back soon, maybe a week, maybe a month. As long as it took.

By the time Raven made it to the foyer, Yang was already waiting there for her. She wore her beige and brown jacket with the little yellow accents, perfect for the road. Most people thought the leather look was about being tough, honestly it was more to protect their skin if they ever took a fall off the bike. Function and fashion were the best ways to go.

"Wow, mama," Yang mumbled, eyes wide, looking over Raven with a detailed stare, "when did you start doing the super hot dark sorceress thing? Damn, now I know why dad married you. How could he not?" Yang was oblivious of the fact that she was the shining beauty of the two of them, a golden sun made into a woman. She looked like her when she was young, except improved in every way. Stronger too, more independent than she was at her age. Smarter too in her own way, different than the girls who got better grades, but just as directionless as Raven. That was something everyone had to find themselves, but this, this would help

"Thanks. Felt like reinventing me, if that makes sense?"

"Yeah," Yang answered awkwardly, showing a bit of her own insecurity, "I'm not so good at being anyone but me."

"Aren't all versions of a person all that person still?" Raven chuckled at herself, knowing how similar her and her daughter were, "We're going to have a lot of these talks. I hope you're packed."

"Yeah," Yang answered with her duffle bag, "Dad helped me. Said goodbye, you sure we can't wait for Rubes?" That was the hold up Raven was afraid of. It was good how important her sister was to her, but this needed to be about her. Things needed to change.

"No, I'm sorry. You can text her when we reach Lugo," Raven answered, stepping into the garage. Bumblebee awaited them, repaired, though the paint was still cut up. She was a good bike. Yang was smart to ask for advice when they picked it out. That girl was going to last them a while, "I know it seems unfair, but I know you. If you see Ruby, leaving will be twice as hard." Then there was her prize, back and fixed up from storage. White black and red bike with a high quality traditional asian painted style decals on the side.

"She needs me mama," Yang begged, holding her arm tight to her body. Part of the deal for not telling Taiyang about the drunk driving was being more honest with her, something uncomfortable for someone so independent.

"She does, but you need to be there for you first. If not, you won't be able to help Ruby in the long term. We will be back," Raven answered, opening the garage and sliding the last of her stuff on her trusty metal steed.

"When will that be?" Yang ask, hopping on Bumblebee with her helmet of course. The scratch marks were still on it, but it was a proven necessity. Of course there was also Raven's helmet. The one Yang had loved to play with since she was a little girl, its white design overly complex and red paint lines may have seemed silly, but it was part of this persona. Putting it on, the look fully complete, she was taken back to when she ran away, directionless. With a roar their journey would begin.

"As long as it takes," Raven called out over her engine. They could take all the time in the world, running away all over Europe. Give Yang some time, some distance, some adventure. She could figure her life out and come back again. It was a retreat, not giving up. This time she would have a mother to guide her along the way for as long as it took.

***Welp I always hated love triangles that get into trouble because of miscommunication because no one just explains what happened,figured my revenge was to make everyone resolve said miscommunication, by you know, communicating.

The time machine thing is actually a real joke one of my friends does when she plans on giving a big tip, she pours as much shit as she can grab on the table onto her plate at once and starts mixing it up as much as possible waiting for someone to ask "What are you doing?" to which she stares them right in the eye and shouts "I'm building a time machine!"

Hope you all enjoy the chapter, let me know what you think, and thank you so much Lazykatze for your beautiful edits. You are the best friend anyone could have!