Flashing Lights - Mikotyzini - RWBY [Archive of Our Own] (2024)

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

‘Come home now.’

Her father hadn’t bothered to include a ‘please’ or even an explanation, yet Weiss jumped into her car like a sheep called home from pasture. A very annoyed, very agitated sheep, but a sheep nonetheless. Now, she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel while waiting for metal gates strong enough to stop a battering ram to open. As if anyone might forget who owned the mammoth property beyond, the Schnee family crest had been emblazoned in the middle of the gate for all to see.

As soon as the opening was wide enough, and well before the guard stationed at the entrance waved her through, she dropped her foot onto the accelerator and listened to the engine hum as it ferried her home.

A well-illuminated mansion, which might as well be a castle considering its size, sprawled across the horizon at the end of a long, long private drive. Several other buildings were sprinkled around the immaculately landscaped property - guest houses, pool houses, garages, and a converted barn, each with its own separate drive splitting off of the main road. They had their own streetlamps, for crying out loud, and an unused trail laid along the cliff’s edge with a beautiful view of the ocean. All of it, however, paled in comparison to the arches and columns dotting the magnificent building up ahead.

Weiss paid the extravagance little mind while soaring home at a speed that her mom would scold her for. Her foot only touched the brake, coupled with a frown tugging at her lips, when she noticed a fleet of black SUVs parked at the end of the drive.

Parked all over the drive would be more accurate. Normally, Weiss could swing around the loop at the front of the house and make her way to the attached garage. Instead, she parked at the back of the logjam and hopped out with a huff.

“Who the f*ck is this?” she asked one of the men standing guard nearby, gesturing roughly to the vehicles.

“The Marigolds.”

“The Marigolds?” she repeated before scoffing and striding up the path. Several men and women loitered near the SUVs, looking bored with their pitiful task of ‘keeping watch.’

“Nice parking, assholes,” she snapped at them while entering the courtyard. She still had to pass the long, rectangular pond, featuring several fountains that made way too much noise, before reaching the set of arches above the front doors. She spared only a glance for the burly man standing outside - for some dumb reason, he wore sunglasses even though the sun had nearly set - before letting herself into the massive foyer beyond.

Far from warm and cozy, the entryway rivaled prestigious hotels in size and beat them in opulence. The ceiling, etched with silver, towered several stories overhead. Four of the SUVs could have parked side by side across the marble floor, which would have been a less irritating place for them, honestly, and one could have driven up the ornate staircase leading to the second-story balcony.

The staircase also led to peace and quiet for the night, but Weiss couldn't indulge in such blessings quite yet. She headed further into the foyer instead. Past the lavish living room on her left and study on her right. Past her father’s office, hidden behind heavy wooden doors. Past the dining room and kitchen. Past all of the silver sconces, silver accents, and priceless works of art adorning the walls.

Her heels clicking on the hard floor was the only sound she heard until she reached the more ‘functional’ wing of the massive home. Voices reached her ears then, and she arrived at a doorway occupied by two large men shortly thereafter. They nodded and moved out of her way, so she eyed the guns holstered at their hips and brushed past without a word. Several more armed men lingered around on the less extravagant sofas and chairs, whispering amongst themselves but otherwise useless for the time being. She passed them without a glance or incident, following the voices into one of the mansion’s many meeting rooms.

Her father, with his short, meticulously combed white hair and mustache, stood in the center of the room speaking to a tall young man who had his back turned to Weiss. The conversation looked genial - that became especially apparent when her father beckoned her over.

“Weiss,” he said while setting a hand on the young man’s shoulder and turning him around. He had light-blue eyes and dull-blue hair shaved on one side of his head, then swept to the left so it hung in front of his face. He looked like a boy band reject suffering an identity crisis, caught somewhere between an emo and pop phase, but his unabashedly leering gaze chafed her most.

Turning her nose up at the boy, she focused on her father.

“You wanted to see me?”

“I wanted to introduce you to Henry Marigold. I’m sure you’ve heard of his father.” Weiss glanced at the boy and, again, found nothing she liked. Her father, unfortunately, extended a hand toward her and said, “Henry, this is my daughter, Weiss.”

“Nice to meet you.” Henry reached for her hand and, had her father not been standing there, she would have slapped him rather than let him kiss the back of it. He straightened up and smiled, oblivious to the way she jerked her hand away, and turned to her father. “She’s even more beautiful than I expected.”

Weiss held back a snarl, but the ass-kissing worked - her father stood taller and his mustache twitched with pride.

“Henry’s brought us an interesting proposition,” he explained. “While we’re working on the details, you two should get to know each other.”

Henry’s smile became so aggravatingly smug and his posture so self-righteous that Weiss scowled. She knew what ‘getting to know each other’ implied, but she could nearly choke on the ego oozing from his pores. However, since literally stepping on his balls was out of the question, she did the next best thing.

“Pass.” Henry’s eyes widened - his arrogance taking a direct hit - but she smiled sweetly at her father and said, “If that’s all you needed, I’m going to find Mom now.”

Her father nearly smiled, finding some sort of wicked pleasure in her dismissive response, but ultimately pursed his lips. He didn’t force the issue though - not now, at least. He nodded instead, and Weiss left the room with her head held high but her jaw clenched. As soon as she was out of sight, she stormed away from the goons and guns and backdoor dealings that evidently had to involve her.

Her feet led her to the terrace at the back of the house, visible through doorway after doorway of floor-to-ceiling sliding glass. The marble floor extended onto the terrace as if the space was actually a continuation of the home’s interior - plush area rugs and expensive furniture suggested the same.

The two women seated outside looked so similar with their stark white hair, which they kept short unlike Weiss’ long braid, and the light blue eyes that ran in their family, but the similarities stopped there. One had a wine glass tucked between her thumb and forefinger while casually lounging in one of the armchairs. The other sat forward, fingers pressed together as if they would grant her patience, and watched another glass of red disappear.

Neither of them was enjoying the spectacular view beyond the terrace’s short, stone railing. The ocean lay to the left, expanding as far as the eye could see. To the right, lush, impeccably landscaped grounds offered a park-like setting. Two guest houses rested in the distance, but their tile roofs hardly detracted from the rolling hills and purchased serenity.

“What’s Dad doing with those co*keheads?” Weiss asked, dropping into the unoccupied chair between her mother and sister.

“Language, Weiss,” her mother chided, swirling the remaining wine in her glass before draining it in one gulp. “Your father’s looking into expansion opportunities.”

“Lovely.” Weiss rolled her eyes and picked up the glass of sparkling water a butler set on the table beside her. “Now he wants me to ‘get to know’ the idiot son,” she said while stirring the drink with the plastic straw. “Isn’t his dad a vicious asshole?”

“Language,” her mom chastised her with another sigh. “And Charles Marigold is…not the nicest man in the world. Spending time with his son might not be a bad idea though. Many families strengthen business ties that way.”

“Have Winter do it then.” Weiss flippantly gestured to Winter, who somehow leaned back while still maintaining her ramrod-straight posture.

“I’m already seeing someone.”

“Sure, but do you really want to date a museum curator when you could date a piece of sh*t drug dealer?”

“Language,” her mom tried for the third time. Weiss rolled her eyes at the slurred word but backtracked when Winter frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Sorry, Winter. I think Robyn’s great. She just doesn’t, you know, fit.”

“Maybe that’s why I like her.”

Weiss might not understand her sister’s choice of romantic partner, but she sipped her water and let it go with a shrug.

“Winter won’t have time to deal with the Marigolds anyway,” their mother added before beaming. “Your father just gave her an important task.”

“The Flint deal,” Winter elaborated when Weiss turned to her.

“He gave it to you. As in -”

“Wants me to plan it from beginning to end.”

Weiss’ brow rose at Winter’s definitive nod, but she opened her mouth and found no words to voice her many thoughts.

“And she’s going to do a wonderful job,” their mom voiced in blind confidence before tilting her glass to her lips. Discovering it empty, she pushed herself to her feet and swayed before catching her balance. “I’m due for a refill,” she explained, brandishing the glass for them before stumbling off in search of the nearest server or housekeeper. As soon as she disappeared into the house, Weiss leaned closer to Winter and lowered her voice.

“Are you really ok planning that deal?”

Winter’s gaze flitted to the doorway before a sigh slipped through her lips.

“It doesn’t matter what I want. Dad told me to do it.”

“Yeah, but -”

“‘But’ nothing, Weiss.” Weiss shut her mouth, so Winter offered a soft, vaguely reassuring smile. “We all have to do things we don’t want to sometimes. That’s part of life.”

“But you hate guns,” Weiss pointed out anyway.

“I’ll survive.”

Weiss clenched her jaw but didn’t unleash the many choice words she had on the matter. It was just another reminder that Winter - poised, stoic, capable Winter - had as little control over her life as Weiss.

“Want to trade?” Weiss joked. “I’ll handle the Flints and you go out with the guy who thinks he’s god’s gift to women.”

“I told you - Robyn…”

“I know, I know.” Weiss waved off the comment and dropped the teasing. “How’s she doing, anyway?”

“She’s fine. Work’s been busy.”

“How busy can an art curator possibly be? Doesn’t she just look at paintings all day?”

“You’d be surprised.” Weiss scoffed and subtly rolled her eyes, but Winter peered at her before adding, “And I don’t want you involved in the Flint deal anyway. Or any deal. You and Whitley both.”

“I knew it. You want the empire for yourself.”

Weiss chuckled at the idea, and Winter soon joined in with a smile, shaking her head. “I only want the best for you two. You know that, right?”

With Winter’s gaze silently beseeching honesty, Weiss fought the urge to respond with sarcasm. “I know,” she said instead. After resituating in her chair, she added, “What’re you getting Whitley for his birthday?”

“No idea…” Winter sighed. “I’ll probably just ask him what he wants.”

“I’ll handle his gift if you get me out of Mom’s book club next week.”

“Deal.”

Weiss smiled and had another response all cued up, but it died on the tip of her tongue when her father walked out of the house. Winter’s gaze followed Weiss’ and, if possible, her posture became even more rigid.

“Weiss.”

That was all he said, combined with tilting his head toward the doorway, before walking away. Weiss held in a sigh but shared a commiserating look with Winter before pushing herself to her feet and following. He hadn’t bothered to wait for her but, thankfully, she knew where he went.

A burly guard stood on either side of his office door, but she paid them no mind while entering the room with high ceilings and dark wood paneling that made her feel as if the walls were closing in. Her father sat behind an impressive mahogany desk, flipping through reports that could be from any number of businesses. A massive portrait of him hung on the wall behind him, reminding her of who owned the house and all who lived there.

“Sit.”

She did as instructed, taking the rightmost chair in front of the desk, which was too large and stiff to be comfortable. Her nose tingled from the faint smell of cigar smoke and expensive cologne, but she curled her fingers into her lap to prevent herself from rubbing the sneeze away. Her father didn’t acknowledge her for several minutes, so she sat there quietly and watched him flip a page, frown, and continue. Annoyance crept through her veins, but she knew better than to let a drop of it show. She glanced at the shelves lining the walls instead, each filled with leather-bound books that looked like they hadn’t been touched in years. Eventually, he set the document aside and blessed her with his attention.

“All of this will be yours one day.” He raised his arms toward the walls of the room but meant far beyond. Weiss, on the other hand, frowned.

“What about Winter and Whitley?”

“They’ll play their roles, but you - you have what it takes to carry on in my place.” The look in his eyes sent a shudder down her spine, but he continued unaware. “It’s my job to make sure you have everything you need to continue what I started. Sometimes, that means doing things we don’t want to do.”

“Like having sex with Henry Marigold?”

Her father, like any father with a thin thread of connection to his daughter, recoiled from the blunt suggestion.

“No. But I want you to consider your actions in the context of this family. You’ve reached the age where you can play a direct role in our success - you need to start behaving as such. Do you understand?”

Saying ‘no’ was never an option, so she tilted her chin down, and he nodded.

“Good. Now, Henry will be around more often while we work on an…arrangement…that could be lucrative for everyone. Spend some time with him before deciding whether or not you ‘pass.’”

Weiss’ fingers curled into her skirt at the thinly masked order, but she still smiled and said, “Of course.” He then motioned that she could leave, but she hardly stood up before another thought sprang into her mind. “Dad?” she asked, drawing his piercing blue gaze. “I was thinking…maybe I could set up the Flint deal instead of Winter.”

She had his complete attention now. He even set down his pen in order to peer at her.

“I’m already more familiar with the products,” she reasoned. “And I could learn everything else easily enough. We both know Winter’s no weapons expert.”

He pursed his lips at the offer but, ultimately, shook his head.

“I’m happy to see you taking an interest, but I have bigger plans for you.”

“But -” she began only to fall silent when he arched a brow.

“One day, you’ll make the rules. Until then, you’ll follow mine.”

Weiss closed her mouth, nodded, and left rather than risk a scolding. She didn’t know which would be worse: him admitting that he was just whoring her out to the highest bidder or him saying that he actually had big plans for her. His plans wouldn't match her plans, of course. Not that she even had plans for herself. What was the point in making plans when someone else could erase them on a whim?

Her jaw clenched at the thought, and she stormed back to the entryway with a scowl firmly set in place. Unfortunately, she reached the foyer at the same time her brother walked through the doors.

“Hey Weiss!” he greeted her with a big smile.

“Not now, Whitley,” she grumbled, his upbeat energy already deflating her sour mood. “I’m heading out.”

“But you said you’d practice with me…”

Hearing the pout making its way onto his lips, she sighed and turned toward him. Despite being her ‘little’ brother, he towered over her and Winter now. He looked so much like their dad, minus the mustache, but he couldn't be more different from the cold, calculating man running the enterprise they called family.

“Later, ok?” she promised. “I just need to blow off some steam.”

“And what better way than by popping off some rounds at a guy who looks like a big blob?”

While Whitley mimed holding a gun and firing several times, Weiss gestured to the front door and said, “A way outside of the house.”

Fortunately, Whitley understood the underlying tension. His blue eyes even flitted toward their dad’s office before returning to her.

“What’d he do this time?”

“Nothing. He just wants me to date the Marigold’s sh*thead son.”

“Henry?” When Weiss nodded, Whitley wrinkled his nose. “I can’t stand that guy. He always calls me ‘Champ.’”

“Well, lucky for us, he’s going to be around all the time since they’re working on a deal.” Whitley scrunched up his whole face this time, so Weiss added, “Yeah, best news I’ve gotten in a while,” before lowering her voice and adding, “Bet he’s got a tiny dick to go with that miniscule brain.”

As soon as Whitley giggled, Weiss smiled and patted his shoulder.

“I’ll be back in a bit, ok? Then we’ll watch one of your dumb movies.”

“You mean amazing movies,” Whitley replied before adding, “But deal.”

Satisfied with the compromise, Weiss finally escaped the colossal mansion and took a deep breath of clean air. The fountain still bothered her while she walked by, but the obnoxiously loud spouts of water were nothing compared to the annoyance-filled sigh that escaped her lips when she reached the driveway.

All of the horribly parked vehicles had cleared out except one. A massive black SUV with windows so darkly tinted that they were almost blacker than the paint idled at the entrance to the courtyard. Two men in tight, black, muscle tees loitered around the vehicle, but Henry straightened up and grinned when he saw her.

“Oh, good. You’re still here,” she drawled as he put out his cigarette on the ground. “And you smoke. Lovely.”

“Only sometimes! And we didn’t get a proper introduction -”

“We don’t need one because I already know who you are.” Weiss brushed past him on the way to her car, but he grabbed her elbow to stop her.

“But you don’t know me at all.”

She glared at his hand, so he wisely withdrew it and stuck his hands in his pockets. All she wanted to do was put some space between her and her father’s suffocating presence, but apparently Henry wanted to force a conversation. So she would give him a conversation.

“Don’t I?” She turned towards him and crossed her arms over her chest. “I know Vale U. kicked you out for running a drug ring on campus.” When he grinned at the piece of trivia, she scowled. “That’s nothing to be proud of, moron. You got caught. By campus security. Now, you think you’re going to run with the big boys and - what - build an empire?”

He puffed up at that word, but she scoffed and added, “Empire’s already been built, dumbass.”

She jerked a thumb to the mansion behind him - her family’s mansion - and walked away when he turned around to look. In a shocking display of idiocy, he pursued her.

“Vale U. was years ago. I know what I did wrong -”

“Then why haven’t you gone back and done it right?”

The comment briefly froze him in his tracks. When she reached her car and pulled the handle, however, he lunged forward and shoved the door closed.

“Let me take you out for a drink. Your dad’s obviously interested in working together - you should be, too.”

He probably thought that he had a charming smile - he didn’t. The only reason Weiss paused was because her father just told her to make decisions based on what was best for their family. Not their family though - for the family business.

“I’d rather drink poison. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” She pointedly nodded to his hand, and his smile fell into a frown. He removed his hand though, so she yanked open the door and got into the car. The engine roared to life instants later, and she tore away at an unadvisable but statement-worthy speed.

She glanced in the rearview mirror once before shaking her head and pushing the young man with his stupid haircut out of her thoughts. The slowly opening metal gate delayed her freedom, but the streets beyond offered a respite from all of the aggravating news clumped into one short evening.

She pushed the accelerator closer to the floor as soon as she reached the freeway. Even with no destination, she intended on getting there fast, and the powerful engine was plenty capable of accomplishing that. Streetlights and headlights flashed by in a quick, rhythmic sequence that gradually took the edge off of what felt like death by a thousand cuts.

Her dad told her how to live. He told her where to go to school, what major to study, what she was and wasn’t allowed to do, and now who she was supposed to do. And she hated it. She hated feeling like her life belonged to someone else. She hated feeling out of control. She hated being nothing more than a dumb cog whose only purpose was being part of a bigger machine - the family.

Her dad would make her give Henry a chance unless the deal fell through or she proved that he was a worthless piece of sh*t. Unfortunately, her definition of a piece of sh*t didn’t match her father’s.

Soaring past a minivan that might as well be stuck in mud, she coaxed the car faster and blew a long, slow breath through her lips. Driving offered a semblance of control - just her, the steering wheel, the accelerator, and streets ripe for the taking.

Of course, some twisted form of cosmic justice decided to throw red and blue flashing lights in her rearview mirror. She lifted her foot off the accelerator and moved over one lane, then sighed when the lights followed. As thrilling as a car chase sounded, she took the next freeway exit and pulled over near a gas station and fast food restaurant. The police cruiser stopped behind her, lights still flashing and headlights shining directly into her mirrors, making her swear under her breath while searching for her license.

This was not at all how she wanted the night to go. As she watched the officer get out of their vehicle and walk up to her door, however, she realized this might be just what the doctor ordered. She might not be in control of her life, but she had a fair share of sway over others, and she was about to flex that power.

Vaguely excited, she rolled down the window and was pleasantly surprised to find an attractive young woman with short brunette hair and stunning silver eyes. Glancing at the name badge pinned to the right breast pocket, she flashed a warm smile.

“Good evening, Officer Rose. What can I help you with?”

“Can I have your license and registration, please?”

“Absolutely.”

Weiss obediently handed over her documents and watched the young officer read them.

“Do you know how fast you were going?”

“Fast enough to get your attention,” Weiss quipped, her gaze traveling over an enviable physique trapped in a tight, blue uniform.

“Are you late for something?”

“No. I just don’t care what the speed limit is.”

Weiss flashed another winning smile, but the officer lowered Weiss’ license and frowned.

“Most people at least make up an excuse.”

“You mean they lie,” Weiss corrected before motioning with one hand. “In that case, I knew you were there and wanted to meet you.”

She batted her eyes and smiled when Officer Rose blinked, then frowned again.

“You aren’t taking this seriously.”

“Why would I?” Weiss asked, finding it hard not to chuckle while gesturing to the young woman. “You look like you dressed up as a cop for some sexy costume contest.”

“Yet I can very literally arrest you.”

“Sure you can.”

Weiss rolled her eyes, but Officer Rose worked her jaw back and forth before glancing at her police car.

“Would you rather take this down to the station?”

“You’re kidding, right?” Weiss’ disbelief morphed into bemusem*nt when the officer pulled out a set of handcuffs and dangled them in front of the window. “Hold on. Before I assume you’re a complete imbecile, you know who I am, right?”

“Sure. Weiss Schnee.” Officer Rose held up Weiss’ license and pointed to her name before returning it through the window. “You’re Jacques Schnee’s daughter. But being rich and pretty doesn’t mean you get to break the law.”

The flattery smoothly slipped from Officer Rose’s lips, and surprise flickered through Weiss’ chest. “Are you flirting with me, Officer?” she asked, unable to hold a pleased smile at bay.

“No, I’m just stating the facts. Now, will you behave or do we need to go for a ride?”

Officer Rose was making it too easy. Weiss nearly felt sorry for her. Nearly. But not nearly enough to stop playing this game.

“I think you’ll have to take me to the station, Officer, because I don’t see myself behaving anytime soon…unless you’re talking about a different type of ride.”

Weiss slowly, and pointedly, let her gaze roam over the officer, but the forward remark didn’t even earn a flinch.

“You think you’re funny?” Officer Rose replied without a shred of amusem*nt. “Alright. Out of the car.”

Weiss scoffed again but, when the officer tapped the door and motioned her out, begrudgingly complied. Honestly, she couldn't believe this girl was even going through the effort. It was pointless, self-defeating, and so, so funny.

“Turn around and put your hands on the hood.”

Holding back a smile, Weiss set her palms on the hood of the car but turned around to look at the young woman.

“What’re you going to do - frisk me?”

“I’m going to pat you down for weapons. It’s procedure.”

“Oh, sure. ‘Procedure.’”

Weiss smirked and turned forward, but her breath caught in her throat when the officer’s hands landed on her sides. Unfortunately, the interaction passed quickly, efficiently, and without any lingering heat left anywhere but in Weiss’ veins.

“Sure you checked everywhere?” she teased.

“I’m sure.”

“You’re no fun, you know that?”

“This isn’t supposed to be fun, Miss Schnee.”

“Oh, for f*ck’s sake. ‘Miss Schnee’ is my sister. Call me Weiss or I’ll make your life a living hell.”

“Are you threatening an officer?”

“Just making pleasant conversation,” Weiss countered. She then watched, in no small amount of amusem*nt, as metal handcuffs looped around her wrists and locked in place. “In front?” she asked once that was done. “You do like me, Officer.”

The officer shook her head and glanced into Weiss’ car.

“Need anything? Your purse?”

“Sure. It’s right there.” Weiss pointed both hands to her purse before frowning. “Wait a second. What about my car?”

“The tow company will pick it up.”

“You’re going to tow my car?” Her voice rose, and she vigorously shook her head. “Hell no. Give me my phone so I can have someone come get it.”

“That’s not procedure -”

“So you want to be liable when the tow company f*cks up a two hundred thousand dollar vehicle?” she shot back. When the officer’s brow rose, and those pretty silver eyes flashed to the car, Weiss motioned for her purse. “Get my phone.”

It probably shouldn’t be so satisfying to watch the officer break from procedure so quickly, but Weiss was beaming by the time her phone reached her hands. She didn’t bother with a ‘thank you’ - she just dialed a number she knew by heart and held the phone to her ear.

“Need something?” a low, gravelly voice said as soon as the call connected.

“I need you to come pick up my car. Just off the Bralen exit, near the gas station. Some rookie cop thinks she’s going to arrest me.” Weiss threw a cheeky smile at Officer Rose and waited for his, “Will do,” before hanging up and dropping her phone back into her purse. “You’re carrying that for me, I guess,” she said and walked to the police cruiser without waiting for a response, leaving Officer Rose to catch up.

Weiss waited for the door to be opened then ducked into the back of the vehicle. Her nose instantly wrinkled at what she could only imagine was years of sweat, piss, and soil clinging to the seats. Metal bars separated her from the front seats, where Officer Rose dutifully fastened her seatbelt before driving them away from Weiss’ car. A stream of radio chatter filled the silence, but Weiss couldn't make out any details over the sound of the engine and the tires on the pavement.

“You didn’t correct me,” she prodded before long. “So you are a rookie.”

“Depends on your definition of ‘rookie.’”

“Newbie. Amateur. Idiot.”

“Then no. I’m not.”

Weiss chuckled and leaned against the backseat only to quickly lean forward again.

“I have an idea. Why don’t you take me out to dinner instead?”

“Why would I do that?”

“So we can get to know each other. Share a meal. Swap cop stories.”

“What kind of cop stories do you have?”

“Plenty. Believe me.” Weiss met the officer’s pretty silver eyes in the rearview mirror and smiled, but the young woman shook her head and didn’t reply. “At least give me your first name,” Weiss pressed. “‘Officer’ feels so bad in my mouth.”

“That’s unfortunate since you’ll have to keep using it.”

The sardonic response first caught Weiss off guard, then made her laugh.

“You have a sense of humor, don’t you? Buried somewhere under all that…blue.”

“These are our uniforms. I didn’t pick the color.”

“If you could, what would you choose?”

“Whatever gets you to stop talking.”

Weiss huffed and sat back, staring out the window to keep her mind off of the disgusting backseat. She wanted to point out that nothing could make her stop talking if she didn’t want to, but a tall, gloomy building made of chipped, weathered stone bricks captured her attention first. Moments later, they turned into a parking lot filled with identical police cruisers.

“You realize your boss is going to kill you, right?” she goaded her temporary chaperone. “Well, maybe not kill you, unless the department has actually grown a set of balls.”

“Are you always so crass?”

“You have a vocabulary, too?” Weiss gasped, touching a hand to her chest before chuckling. “f*ck, that’s hot for a badge.”

She grinned when the curse word earned a head shake and little else.

“If you like it, just say so,” she teased. “I can be even dirtier, I assure you.”

“Why don’t I doubt that…” Officer Rose muttered under her breath before slamming the car into park more vigorously than she probably intended. The reaction confirmed that Weiss was getting under her skin - a feat Weiss reveled in as the officer shoved the door open and got out. The passenger door opened moments later, and Weiss was pleasantly surprised that, despite obvious agitation, Officer Rose gently helped her out. The patience and consideration almost made Weiss feel bad about what was about to happen.

Almost.

She held her head high and kept her sh*t-eating grin tempered to a smug smile while walking into the police station. They bypassed the reception area courtesy of the officer’s badge and passed through a sturdy glass partition to enter the main office. Cluttered desks, tacky lamps, and depressing chairs filled the space, along with two holding cells helping some young adults sober up. It was the typical police department scene, but she was far more interested in the officers currently ‘hard at work.’

The first ones who saw her - and recognized her - did a doubletake. Then their eyes widened, the whispers started, and the general aura of ‘oh sh*t something’s about to happen’ filled the air.

“Feel that?” Weiss whispered to Officer Rose, who at least had the decency to frown. “That’s the feeling of impending doom. Your impending doom, to be exact.”

Officer Rose proved difficult to rattle, but she glanced around before leading Weiss to a desk that was actually somewhat organized. “Sit,” she said, motioning to a pathetic plastic chair adjacent to the desk, but Weiss remained standing and looked around.

“So, where’s your boss?”

“Officer Rose.”

“Ah. There she is.”

Weiss smirked at Officer Rose before putting on her best innocent expression for the woman striding over. In her mid-forties, with neatly styled sandy-blonde hair that accentuated her features, and a crisp blue uniform covered in metal bars and stars, she looked more like a politician stuffed into a police uniform than an actual officer.

“Chief Fowler,” Weiss greeted the woman. “It’s so nice to see you again.”

“You too, Miss Schnee.” Weiss’ skin crawled at the title, but she clamped her mouth shut as Chief Fowler noticed the handcuffs and widened her eyes. “Ruby, what do you think you’re doing??”

“‘Ruby?’” Weiss repeated, arching a brow at the officer. Officer Rose - Ruby Rose - hardly glanced at her.

“Pulled her over for speeding,” Ruby explained. “Then she wouldn't shut up and said she wanted to come down to the station, so here we are.”

Chief Fowler struggled for words, caught somewhere between dismay and anxiety, before shaking her head and saying, “Do you have any idea who this is?”

Weiss beamed at Ruby, whose brow furrowed.

“Sure I do -”

“Then take those off at once.” Chief Fowler motioned to the handcuffs, making Ruby scoff, before turning to Weiss with an expression steeped in apology. “I’m so sorry, Miss Schnee. This is a misunderstanding -”

“She was going a hundred in a sixty-five. How’s that a ‘misunderstanding?’”

Sensing the poor officer struggling to accept the abrupt power shift, Weiss decided to help out…by tilting the scales even more in her favor.

“I might’ve been going a little fast,” she told Chief Fowler, her smile returning when Ruby scoffed. “But I’m so glad that Vale’s officers are doing such a great job keeping the streets safe. That’s exactly what my father hoped for when he donated to your campaign. He’ll be happy to hear that you’re fulfilling your promises.”

“Of course.” Chief Fowler beamed at the praise. “Protecting Vale has always been my calling, and your family’s support has made it an even more achievable goal.” With the campaign speech out of the way, she jerked her head for Ruby to undo the cuffs. Ruby hesitated but, when Weiss grinned and held out her hands, grabbed the key from her pocket and undid the locks.

“Thank you,” Weiss replied, earning a grumbled response as Ruby shoved the handcuffs back into her belt.

“Don’t worry, Miss Schnee. Officer Rose and I will have a little talk, and this won’t happen again.”

“I appreciate that.” Weiss briefly considered leaving the interaction at that, but then an idea popped into her head, and she snuck a sly smile Ruby’s way. “I’d also like her to drive me home, seeing as how I’m not near my car anymore…”

“Absolutely. Officer.”

Chief Fowler jerked her head for Ruby to do as Weiss instructed, and Weiss couldn't possibly hide her triumphant smirk. Ruby ground her jaw back and forth before swiping her keys off of the desk and brushing past Weiss with a brusque, “Follow me.” Weiss saved one last smile for the Chief of Police before leaving the department with one of its officers wrapped tightly around her finger.

Ruby reached the police cruiser first and frowned when Weiss made no motion to get into the passenger seat.

“What’re you doing?”

“Waiting for you to learn some manners.”

Weiss nodded to the door. Ruby crossed her arms over her chest, revealing the muscles in her upper arms as the fabric strained to hold them in.

“Can’t open a door for yourself?” Ruby shot back.

“Oh, I’m perfectly capable. I just don’t want to.”

Weiss waited, grinning all the while, as Ruby glowered at her. Then Ruby glanced at the station, dropped her arms to her side, and strode around the front of the car. She brushed against Weiss while yanking the door open, then returned to the driver’s side and got into the vehicle without another word.

Pleased by the response, Weiss slipped into the passenger seat and acclimated herself with the much more spacious and comfortable interior. Various buttons and switches, along with a navigation system, filled the dashboard. The center console held several radios, a couple bottles of water, and a stray granola bar wrapper. It even smelled better - a vaguely floral aroma that probably belonged to the surly officer sitting beside her.

Weiss hardly closed the door before Ruby started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. Ruby didn’t ask for directions, so Weiss didn’t bother providing them. She turned away from the window so that she could fully experience Officer Rose stewing at the turn of events. Her knuckles were white from her death grip on the wheel, and her jaw remained clenched as she chewed over words that she ultimately never spit out.

“Can’t say I didn’t warn you,” Weiss teased, but Ruby gripped the steering wheel harder and said nothing.

The urge to poke harder - to make Ruby snap - swelled in Weiss’ thoughts, but that felt a little cruel to do to someone who wasn’t entirely awful. She sat back and savored her victory instead. Because it was a victory - the stony silence said as much.

Unfortunately, that sense of levity faded the moment a tall metal fence came into view. Memories of why she’d left returned to the forefront of her mind despite her efforts to cling to the present. With real life intruding on her fun, she frowned at the mansion as Ruby stopped at the front gate, where two guards left their station and approached the driver’s side window.

“Name and ID,” one of them ordered.

“Nope,” Ruby replied before jerking a thumb towards Weiss. “Just delivering the princess back to her castle.”

The man ducked down and, once he saw Weiss, nodded. “Welcome home,” he told her before motioning for the other guard to open the gate. One push of a button later, the Schnee crest split down the middle and the metal doors slid apart.

As they crossed the threshold from public to private property, Weiss’ mood darkened as if storm clouds had just parked above her head. Ruby might be sulking at the thought of returning Weiss to freedom but, in reality, she was returning Weiss to a big, beautiful prison. Her dad was probably still at home, planning his next big ‘operation.’ Her mom was probably passed out on one of the sofas by now. Winter would be planning the Flint deal that she wanted no part of. And Whitley…well, he would be hiding in his room waiting for Weiss to come home.

Officer Rose cared about none of that. She drove to the top of the drive, put the car in park, and waited for Weiss to get out of the car, her hair, and her life.

“I still want that dinner,” Weiss found herself saying before she even considered reaching for the door handle.

“Sure,” Ruby scoffed. “How about ‘no.’”

“Oh, come on. I was only having a bit of fun. It’s not like you got fired.”

“Right. Just humiliated in front of my coworkers and told off by my boss. No big deal.”

“Exactly. Who cares what they think anyway?”

Ruby stared at Weiss before shaking her head, but Weiss didn’t budge.

“Dinner,” she insisted.

“You’re kidding.”

“Sometimes, yes. Right now, no. You have a price - tell me what it is.”

Ruby laughed - a dry, dismayed laugh conveying no joy - and rolled her eyes. “Ok,” she said, still chuckling. “How about - I’m not getting dinner with you, but I might if you can prove that you actually have a soul.”

“How do I do that?”

“I don’t know. Do something a nice person would do?”

“Like donate to charity or some sh*t like that?” When Ruby huffed out a breath but shrugged, Weiss fished her checkbook and a pen from her purse. “What charity? Do you have one in mind or will any do?”

“You’re not writing a check right now.”

“I am.” Weiss guessed an appropriately large dollar amount, filled out the check, and held it out to Ruby. “Why don’t you just fill in the name.”

When Ruby stared at it rather than take it, Weiss folded it in half, tucked it into Ruby’s front pocket, and then patted it.

“I’ll see you at Cava’s tomorrow at seven. They have a dress code, so wear something nice.”

Before Ruby found a rebuttal, Weiss got out and left the stunned cop behind. A smirk snuck onto her lips as she crossed the courtyard and let herself into the foyer, which was cold and empty yet not as unbearable as before.

Her father might control anyone who walked through the doors, but she had her own version of power. Officer Rose - Ruby Rose - let her wield that power tonight, and the results were oh-so-satisfying. As an added bonus, she just bought herself another little jailbreak if she wanted it. She could always no-show if she found something better to do, but the option was there, and that was what mattered.

Smiling to herself, she headed to Whitley’s room to fulfill her promise to her younger brother. Now that she was in a remarkably better mood, she would willingly watch whatever god-awful movie he wanted. And start mentally preparing an outfit for tomorrow… if she decided to go.

Chapter 2

Chapter Text

Weiss hummed to herself - the stupid theme song from the movie Whitley forced her to watch last night that played so many times it tattooed itself onto her brain - while making her way through the business wing of the mansion. Sometimes, her mind caved and thought of it as the ‘bad’ wing of the house even though there wasn’t much inherently ‘bad’ about it. Expensive paintings adorned the walls. The rooms featured plush furniture, decorated bookshelves, and a billiards table or two. The people hanging around though…

Only the well-dressed, important ones were allowed inside, but they were still strangers with shadowy purposes. The bigger, bulkier men and women seemed to play obvious roles. The scrawnier ones, and the heavyset ones, served more opaque purposes. They all respected Weiss’ presence though, usually with downward tilts of their chins or by simply getting the hell out of her way. They rarely spoke to her though. Only the ones she knew by name, who had been assigned to more menial support for her and her family, offered a rare, “Hello,” or “Need something?”

She typically avoided them and the entire area when possible, but this was the fastest path to her destination. Of course, she regretted taking the shortcut when a commotion and some shouting reached her ears. The shouts were the type that accompanied a struggle, making her heart race as her feet hurried her to the source.

It came from one of the many living rooms, complete with high ceilings, open doorways, chandeliers, and multiple seating areas. This one even had a piano, though it probably hadn’t been tuned or played in years. This one also had her father, standing off to the side while several men towered over another man curled up on the floor with his hands covering his stomach.

“Dad?” Everyone stopped and turned toward her as she took one hesitant step into the room. “Everything ok?”

“Of course. We’re just finishing up.”

The man on the floor looked up at Weiss, one of his eyes swollen shut and the other begging for help. Her father appeared disinterested in the scene, however, and Weiss knew better than to ask questions.

“Ok.” She glanced at the man one last time before backing away. “Sorry to interrupt.”

She bowed slightly and left the room as if she had more important places to be. She didn’t, but she certainly didn’t want to linger. Besides, what did that man expect her to do - save him? Obviously, he crossed her father, meaning he also crossed the family. Or he just seriously screwed up. In either case, she had no more power to help him than he did to help himself.

He should protect his head though. Broken ribs healed; brain damage could be permanent.

While Weiss imagined what she would do in his situation - lie there and take it or try to fight back - Winter turned the next corner, spotted her, and hurried over.

“Weiss.” Winter glanced toward the living room before setting a hand on Weiss’ shoulder and steering her away. “You shouldn’t be down here.”

“If you’re trying to protect my innocence, that ship sailed years ago.”

“It might’ve left the harbor, but it hasn’t sailed away yet.” Weiss’ brow rose at the analogy, but Winter shook her head and kept walking. “What’re you doing over here anyway?”

“I’m heading out to the range.”

Winter sighed but altered her path that way, muttering, “You and Whitley with those guns…” under her breath.

“It’s fun. Besides, it could come in handy. You know -” As they walked outside, Weiss motioned to the house and whatever was happening there. “Just in case.”

“There’s nothing I want more than for you and Whitley to never have to use a gun for anything.”

Winter’s pinched brow and frown matched the conviction in her tone, so Weiss didn’t point out how hopeless that goal might be. She noted her sister’s pristine posture instead - head held high, shoulders straight, hands clasped behind her back - and tried to emulate it as they took the paved pathway leading to a large building set a safe distance away from their home.

“How’s planning going?” she asked before the silence became permanent.

“There are a lot of moving parts.” If Weiss thought Winter might provide details, Winter shook her head and paused outside of the building. Her blue eyes glanced through the glass double doors, but she made no motion to enter. “Be careful,” she beseeched instead.

“Aren’t I always?”

Weiss flashed a confident smile, but Winter frowned and let her head move to one side as if she might shake it ‘no.’ Winter stopped short of saying it aloud though. She just glanced at the doors one more time and said, “We’ll catch up later.”

Weiss watched Winter walk back up the path, poised and confident as ever. She wished that she could read her sister’s thoughts if only to figure out how Winter truly felt about the roles they played. Absent that ability, Winter remained something of an enigma. All Weiss knew, as deeply and truthfully as she knew her name, was that Winter always had her and Whitley’s best interests at heart.

With a soft, appreciative warmth lingering in her chest, Weiss entered the state-of-the-art building. Inside, she took a deep breath of clean, well-ventilated air and smiled at the cavernous, predominantly empty space. When her father announced that he would be constructing a shooting range behind their house, she had, privately, rolled her eyes. Once it was completed, however, she fell in love with it.

To her right, a collection of high-end firearms sat behind thick metal bars that very few had the code to access. She started there first, choosing one of her favorite pistols that was also popular amongst her father’s men. The weapon and a box of ammunition accompanied her to the firing lanes, beyond which electronic targeting systems stood at varying distances away from the bench.

She set the targets first - about fifty feet away from her - then loaded a magazine and slid it into the pistol. And, since she was careful, she donned a pair of safety glasses and earmuffs before setting her stance, holding the weapon in front of her, and pulling the trigger.

The gun kicked in her hands, but she’d grown accustomed to the force of it by now. She held it steady and continued firing, her gaze never wavering until all of the rounds were spent. Only then did she glance at the scoreboard and huff at the shot distribution, all centered around or very close to the bullseye set in some vague man’s chest.

She cleared the target and started again, making little adjustments to her posture or cadence to see what felt better and achieved a higher score. Coming out here for target practice was one of the few things her father approved of, though she tried not to think very hard about the reasons why. Guns were dangerous, sure, and Winter detested them for good reason, but wielding one offered a sense of authority and strength.

Plus, Weiss felt some measure of accomplishment at excelling at something so…unexpected. Her perfect grades had been expected, therefore uncelebrated. Her perfect appearance was also expected, and sometimes demanded, therefore uncelebrated. She was born and raised to be intelligent, poised, and unflappable, and anything less was admonished. She was not, however, expected to learn how to handle any type of weapon, so mastering them had become a point of pride. And, as an additional bonus, it had become one of her and Whitley’s brother-sister bonding activities.

When the doors slid open sometime later, Weiss thought that Whitley had shown up. After setting the safety and glancing behind her, however, she scowled and yanked the earmuffs from her ears.

“What’re you doing here?” she demanded while Henry sauntered over.

“Just seeing what you’re up to. What’s a pretty thing like you doing somewhere like this?” If Weiss rolled her eyes any harder, they would fall right out of her head. Of course, Henry remained painfully oblivious. “If it were up to me,” he added with that stupid grin. “You’d never have to lift a finger again.”

“Good thing it’s not up to you.”

“Not yet, anyway.”

Either too stupid to hear how that sounded or too misogynistic to care, he leaned against the counter and smiled in the face of her growing scowl.

“I think we got off to a bad start. Why don’t we grab dinner? Someplace you can get all dolled up for.”

“I’d rather shoot myself in the foot.”

Emphasizing that point, she co*cked the gun and glared at him.

“Come on, Weiss. You have to give me a chance.”

His petulant whine returned, which Weiss hated nearly as much as she hated that the statement held some truth. She’d rather break his nose than make this easy for him though, so she glanced at the targets and put on a brilliant smile when an idea popped into her head.

“Alright, you can take me on a date. If you can score higher than me.”

She gestured to the targets and, as expected, he puffed out his chest and accepted the pistol when she offered it. He eyed the earmuffs and safety glasses hanging nearby, probably considering how ‘cool’ he would look to forego them, before grabbing them, putting them on, and aiming down the range. Weiss put on her own safety gear and watched him set his stance before unloading the magazine.

He was a decent shot, but he had no reason to smirk the way he did after seeing the results.

“So what’re you in the mood for?” he asked, pushing one of the earcups off of one ear while she reloaded the weapon. “Sushi? Pasta? You don’t seem like a pizza girl. Oh! I know this new place with the best chicken wings -”

She aimed and fired in quick succession, making him scramble to get his earmuffs back into place while also drowning out his idiocy. She emptied the magazine in half the time he took, glanced at her results, then savored his reaction: wide eyes, brow raised, and mouth parted in disbelief.

“I already have dinner plans. Better luck next time.”

After blessing him with a fake, sweet smile, she returned the pistol to the locked cabinet - she would properly put it away later - and left. Returning to the house, she glowered at having another one of her few enjoyments tainted by a self-centered asshole.

She hadn’t been lying when she said that she had dinner plans, and Henry had reminded her of why she should be ecstatic to leave the dreadful house for the evening. First, she returned to her bedroom and showered to remove any lingering smell of gunpowder. Then she changed into the outfit that she mentally selected last night: a tight skirt and moderately revealing blouse with a diamond necklace meant to draw attention to her cleavage.

Officer Rose - Weiss would just call her Ruby - was probably still pissed about what happened yesterday. That knowledge was, somehow, invigorating, and Weiss hoped to get an even bigger rise out of the girl through her outfit. She wanted anger, indignation, interest - all of the above and then some. Ruby could just consider it a…personal Schnee welcome to the police force.

Weiss smirked at the thought while heading to the front door, dressed and ready to put one of Vale’s ‘finest’ through another test. She considered driving herself - what fun it would be to show up in her should-have-been-impounded car after breaking another few speed limits - but had one of the drivers take her instead. She used the ride to prepare herself for the battle of wills to come.

Not once did she think that Ruby wouldn't show. And, as the restaurant came into view, she smirked at the slender, solitary figure waiting outside the front door.

Of course Ruby showed up. She had no obligation besides a moral one, but that was probably as compelling as a blood pact to her psyche.

Excitement tingled through Weiss’ veins, especially when Ruby noticed the black car stopping in front of the restaurant, but Weiss made herself wait for the driver to open her door. Once he did, she stepped out of the vehicle and locked eyes with Ruby for one glorious, electrifying second.

Ruby quickly looked away and shuffled her feet, but Weiss strode over as if drawn by an invisible force.

“Oh, Officer…” she began, circling Ruby and biting her bottom lip at what she found.

Dark jeans showed off Ruby’s ass in a way that begged to be squeezed, and a red polo clung to her chest in an even more inviting way. Her short, disheveled brown hair looked how Weiss would envision it after a thrilling romp in bed. Weiss could almost imagine running her fingers through it…tugging and pulling and drawing more than a few breathy complaints.

“You clean up nicely,” she concluded.

“Yeah, well, you said there was a dress code, so.” Ruby ran a hand through her hair and shrugged while Weiss watched the soft brown strands fall perfectly back into place. “Are we doing this or what?” Ruby eventually asked, prompting Weiss’ grin.

“Oh, we’re definitely doing this,” she repeated, motioning to the front door. Her grin widened when Ruby rolled her eyes and stalked over to it. The polished handles gleamed under the streetlights, but Ruby seemed uninterested in the posh exterior. She was so uninterested, in fact, that she unwittingly held the door so that Weiss could enter the restaurant first.

Weiss savored the pleasant hum of conversation and elegant decor inside. But, more than that, she relished the host catching sight of her and scurrying over to greet her.

“Good evening, Miss Schnee.” He bowed before straightening up and extending an arm toward the dining room. “If you’ll follow me, your table is ready.”

“Thank you.” Weiss made sure to catch Ruby’s reaction - a raised brow and wide eyes - before following the man past the other guests waiting. Delicious aromas wafted throughout the busy dining room, where waitstaff maneuvered through the tables carrying trays of food and drinks and diners perused menus, sipped co*cktails, or conversed with companions.

The host led them to the corner of the restaurant, where an ample-sized booth with a window looking out to the street awaited them. He left a menu on top of each place setting and waited for them to choose their seats before clasping his hands, saying, “Enjoy your dinner, Miss Schnee,” and returning to the front of the restaurant.

“So he can call you ‘Miss Schnee’ without getting his head bit off?” Ruby commented, picking up the menu only to set it aside.

“He can spit in my food.”

“Hate to break it to you, but you’ve probably eaten your fair share of spit by now.”

Weiss’ nose wrinkled at the thought, and at Ruby’s slight smirk, but Weiss quickly brushed past it.

“This means you took the check.” Weiss unfolded the silk napkin and smoothed it over her lap before sending Ruby a smug smile. “Did you keep it?”

“Of course not.”

Weiss hummed at the expected response and motioned for the waiter to bring over glasses of water.

“Do you even care where it went?” Ruby asked, her eyes darting to the smartly dressed waiter before returning to Weiss.

“I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”

Weiss hid a smile behind the glass as she lifted it to her lips. That smile grew when Ruby’s brow creased.

“I - you - donated it to the community kitchen downtown.”

“How generous of me.”

“Yeah, it actually was. Or really stupid. Who spends ten thousand dollars just to make me have dinner with them?”

“What can I say? You made such an impression. What with trying to arrest me and all.” Weiss waved a hand as if wiping away that memory, but Ruby frowned.

“So you just want to make fun of me.”

“Why would I do that?” Weiss asked, but Ruby shrugged.

“I don’t know. So far you’ve done nothing a rational human being would do.”

“There’s no such thing as a rational human being,” Weiss replied. “Surely, you know that.”

“Then why am I here?”

“Why are you here?” Weiss repeated. When she winked, and Ruby scoffed, she changed tactics. “Look - why don’t you just order some food? At least get a free meal out of it. But I will judge you on what you order.”

Weiss smirked, only half serious about the judgment thing, but Ruby picked up the menu and focused on reading rather than responding. Weiss took that opportunity to study the off-duty officer more closely.

With the rush of excitement from Ruby putting her in handcuffs and making her ride in the police car’s disgusting backseat, Weiss hadn’t found time to truly appreciate Ruby’s finer features. Like the way her brow creased in concentration while those remarkable silver eyes flitted across the page, or the cute little point of her nose and her long, lithe fingers gently clutching the menu. Then there was the little fact that she had the gall to try to arrest Weiss, got reprimanded for it, yet was still holding her ground. As far as police officers went, Ruby was a bit of an anomaly. Still a cop. Still squarely under Weiss’ thumb. But also an anomaly. A very pretty anomaly.

Before Weiss could ask when the next swimsuit calendar came out, a waiter appeared beside the table.

“Good evening, Miss Schnee,” he greeted her directly. “Are you ready to order or do you need a few minutes?”

“I’m ready,” Weiss replied before looking at Ruby, who nodded. “I’ll have the truffle risotto.”

“Excellent choice.” He jotted the order on his pad of paper before turning to Ruby. Weiss grinned when Ruby’s gaze flitted to her, then down to the menu.

“I’ll have what she’s having,” Ruby said while handing over her menu. And Weiss laughed like she couldn't remember laughing in a long time.

“A badge with a brain,” she added, sipping her water as their waiter hurried away. “You, dear officer, are an oxymoron.”

“You don’t have a good impression of the police.”

“Why would I? You’re mindless idiots with guns.”

“And I’m sure you know plenty of other mindless idiots with guns.”

The pointed response earned a short pause, but then Weiss smiled and said, “I know plenty of people in general. Kind of comes with the territory.”

Ruby rolled her eyes but let silence settle over them rather than continue the conversation. Instead, she sipped her water, softly drummed her fingers on the table, and stared out the window as if the dark street was more compelling than Weiss.

“Don’t you have anything to ask me?” Weiss eventually snapped, dragging Ruby’s gaze back to her.

“Like what?”

“Whatever you want. Most people would kill for the opportunity to take me to dinner, you know. You shouldn’t waste it.”

Weiss scowled when Henry popped into her thoughts, but Ruby responded with a firm silver gaze.

“Sorry, I don’t have much to say to the daughter of the man running Vale’s largest crime syndicate.”

“Those allegations were proven false. You know that.”

“I know that money can buy a lot of things these days, including innocence.”

Ruby’s silver eyes bored into Weiss with the accusation, but Weiss smiled.

“Alright, if you don’t have any questions, then I do. Why’d you join the department?”

“To put people like your dad in prison.”

“He’ll be flattered to have had such an impact on you,” Weiss teased. “But fine,” she added, hardly glancing over as their waiter delivered their meals in record time - and he knew better than to interrupt her. “You don’t have to tell me. I’ll just assume you’re one of those ‘hero complex’ types who just has to help others.”

Ruby’s eyes narrowed at the label, which probably hit close to the bullseye, but Weiss started eating and ignored Ruby. The expanding silence, broken only by the soft clinking of silverware, worked to Weiss’ advantage this time, and she hid a smile the instant Ruby heaved a big sigh.

“My parents were cops. Uncle’s a cop. Sister’s a cop. So…guess it just runs in the family.” Weiss stilled at the response, but Ruby shot her a firm look. “Which means if you’re trying to buy me, it won’t work. I’m only here because you made that donation.”

“You could’ve dropped off the check and not shown up.” Weiss searched Ruby’s eyes and confirmed that Ruby had considered that option. Weiss nodded at the unspoken admission and carried on. “Did you feel like you had to become a cop because of them?”

“I never considered anything else. This is what I was born to do, so I do it.”

“Have you ever thought that it’s the same for other people - they’re born to do it, so they do? Or they aren’t even given another option?”

Ruby’s brow furrowed, and her silver eyes studied Weiss with an intensity that Weiss turned away from. The conversation felt too personal now, so she cleared her throat and gestured her fork to Ruby’s plate.

“How is it?”

“Decent.”

The lie would be more convincing if Ruby wasn’t making her way through the dish at an impressive pace, but Weiss hummed and let it slide. She could make Ruby admit that it was the best meal she’d probably ever eaten, but that was almost too simple to be worth the effort.

“What happened to your eye?”

Weiss’ attention snapped back to Ruby, and Ruby motioned to her eye, symbolizing the thin scar that ran across Weiss’.

“Childhood injury.”

“Looks like it was a knife.”

“We played rough.”

“Was it your brother or sister then?” When Weiss frowned, Ruby motioned with her hands and said, “I’m a cop, remember?”

“You did your homework.”

“No cop walks into a situation unprepared if they can help it.”

Weiss hummed and took another bite, but she squinted at Ruby while a strange warmth crept along her skin. “What else did you learn?”

“Plenty. Your family is very visible. Blatantly so.”

Ruby squinted with the unspoken allegation, but Weiss found renewed interest in her dinner. If only Ruby knew what it was like to have her privacy ripped away. To have every little accomplishment broadcast for the masses. Look at us. Look at how good and normal we are. Look at how much we care about Vale and about being upstanding, law-abiding citizens.

“It comes with the territory,” she repeated, though this time with a little less gusto. Feeling her control over the conversation fading, she cleared her throat and added, “You said your parents ‘were’ cops. What do they do now?” When Ruby’s eyes narrowed, Weiss sighed. “You can tell me or I can find out later on my own.”

Ruby chewed on that for a moment before frowning.

“My mom died, so my dad retired and moved to the country. Lives a nice, quiet life on a farm now.”

Ruby delivered the blow as if talking about someone else’s life, detached and distant, yet still put Weiss back on the defensive.

“Oh. I’m…sorry to hear that.”

“Sure you are,” Ruby huffed, rolling her eyes.

It probably sounded disingenuous, but Weiss did feel sympathy, as odd and unexpected as it was. Her parents might not be the most loving or nurturing in the world, but she would miss them if they were gone. Prison would be fine though - she could visit or write them in prison. She would actually prefer if her dad was in prison rather than free to roam around keeping everyone in his ironclad grasp.

Weiss nearly asked how Ruby’s mom died but shut her mouth. That would be insensitive. She usually had no problem with being insensitive, but she didn’t want to sever the thin thread keeping Ruby at the table. Instead, she laid her silverware across her half-finished plate and set her napkin beside it while Ruby polished off the entire meal. She considered brushing the topic aside and moving on, but that also felt insensitive.

“I really am,” she insisted. “That must’ve been hard.”

Ruby studied Weiss in a way that made Weiss want to squirm, but she kept her butt firmly planted to the seat and refused to turn away.

“Yeah,” Ruby eventually replied. “It was.”

Ruby set down her own silverware, mirroring Weiss either unintentionally or through shrewd observation. The bubble of tension had popped though, leaving the air much clearer. Unfortunately, that unexpected respite coincided with the end of their meal if Ruby returning her napkin to the table was any indication.

Weiss had never considered this until now, but a downside of her status was that fast, excellent service shortened the dinner, and therefore shortened their time together. That became readily apparent when their waiter reappeared.

“Anything else?” he asked, glancing at Ruby before focusing on Weiss.

“Want dessert?” Weiss offered, but Ruby shook her head.

“No, thanks. I’m sure you’d judge me for that, too.”

Weiss frowned but shook her head at their waiter so that he would disappear. “You’ve been judging me, too,” she pointed out once he left, earning another one of Ruby’s astute gazes.

“You’re right. I have been.”

The admission stung a bit, but Weiss hardly clenched her jaw before their waiter returned with a receipt. “Thank you again, Miss Schnee. We hope to see you again soon.” He flitted away without waiting for a response, probably grateful to have escaped his duties.

“Did you even pay?” Ruby asked, already sliding out of the booth while Weiss slipped the receipt into her purse.

“My family has a tab.”

“Ah. Should’ve known.”

Ruby chuckled to herself and headed to the front of the restaurant, leaving Weiss to either follow or be left behind. The sudden flip in circ*mstances had Weiss striding to catch up and, when Ruby again held the door, flashing a smug smile while walking outside. It had gotten considerably darker in the short time they were inside, but the warm streetlights and passing headlights provided an ample sense of life.

“So, bye, I guess,” Ruby said, adding a flippant wave that made Weiss put her hands on her hips.

“What do you mean ‘bye?’ You’re driving me home.”

Weiss knew that remark would earn a scoff, and it did.

“Don’t you have chauffeurs for that?” Ruby asked, motioning her hands as if one might appear out of thin air.

“Of course. But do you see a chauffeur around here?”

Ruby actually looked around as if she might spot a limousine or SUV in hiding, then gave up and waved her hands in front of her. “Why don’t you just call one?”

“Because who knows how long that’ll take, and you’re already here.”

Weiss innocently smiled and watched Ruby’s jaw clench in a way very reminiscent of last night. Weiss couldn't force Ruby to take her home. She couldn't even use Chief Fowler’s presence to coerce acceptance. She could, however, play on Ruby’s innate sense of chivalry and unwillingness to abandon someone on the sidewalk late at night.

“Fine,” Ruby muttered through clenched teeth. “Let’s go.”

Ruby headed to the nearby parking lot without another word, her long strides forcing Weiss into a near jog - in heels, no less - to keep up. But Weiss was plenty capable of running in heels if she needed to, and there was far too much pep in her step to be annoyed by the pace. While passing a variety of darkened vehicles awaiting their owners’ return, Ruby fished a set of keys from her pocket and clicked a button. The taillights on a small red sedan flashed in return.

“What happened to the police-mobile?” Weiss asked, curiously looking over the mellow vehicle.

“I’m off duty.”

“No wonder the police are always clamoring for raises…”

Ruby sighed at the comment but, without prompting, opened the passenger door before getting into the driver’s seat. Even though Ruby probably just wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible, Weiss beamed as she slipped into the passenger seat. The cabin smelled faintly floral and was relatively tidy but felt like being stuck in a half-sized soda can.

“Is it really fast or something?” Weiss asked while Ruby started the engine and navigated out of the parking lot.

“Nope. Just a boring, old, slow car.”

“You should’ve used the ten grand on an upgrade.”

Ruby glanced at Weiss out of the corner of her eye but turned on the radio rather than respond. The latest pop track started to play, adding a strange sense of gusto to what was otherwise tense silence. Ruby tapped the steering wheel to the beat though - a notable difference from her white-knuckled grip the last time they shared a vehicle.

“Do you like this kind of music?” Weiss eventually asked.

“Nope. I just like to annoy myself while driving.” Ruby flashed a cheeky grin and then added, “But I guess I don’t need the music since you’re here.”

An unexcused laugh slipped through Weiss’ lips, and she immediately launched a counteroffensive.

“Is this how you treat all of your dates?”

“This isn’t a date.”

“Then why do you keep looking down my shirt?”

Even in the low cabin light, Weiss would swear that the tips of Ruby’s ears turned red. At the next traffic stop, however, Ruby didn’t shy away from meeting Weiss’ gaze.

“I already told you you’re pretty,” she said with such simplicity that Weiss’ heart skipped. “Want me to sign a confession?”

“I want you to elaborate, Officer. Which of my many stunning features are you most drawn to?”

“Definitely not your humility…” Ruby muttered under her breath as the light turned green.

“I’ve never claimed to be humble.”

“Yeah, good. That’d be the world’s biggest lie.”

Weiss scoffed and looked out the window for several seconds, watching the streets grow wider and more familiar with each passing second. “You didn’t answer though,” she added before their time ran out. “Why do you think I’m pretty?”

“I don’t know. You just are.”

Ruby motioned her hands with the word, which was extremely undescriptive yet somehow good enough to make Weiss’ heart do a silly little cartwheel. She would tease Ruby about this all day if she could - preferably in the daytime so that she could confirm if Ruby’s ears were actually red. Unfortunately, a metal gate and a gaudy crest took up their view through the front windshield shortly afterward.

The guards again stopped them and approached the vehicle. Ruby again rolled down the window to greet them. Before they asked for Ruby’s name, however, Weiss leaned across the center console, and fully across Ruby’s lap, so that they could see her through the window. She waved a hand to them, so they quickly nodded and hurried to open the gate. Ruby, meanwhile, glanced down, so Weiss lingered in her space.

“Enjoying the view?” Weiss asked, smirking as Ruby’s eyes snapped to hers. Satisfied with that little dalliance, she took a deep inhale and sighed while leaning away. “You smell nice. Like…roses.”

Ruby glanced at Weiss out of the corner of her eye but drove through the gate rather than respond. The massive house at the end of the long driveway grew larger by the second, and Weiss’ jovial mood dwindled in turn. At least Henry wouldn't be there anymore - or he better not be. And her mom should already be out at some party or well on her way to another self-induced early bedtime.

“Here we are,” Ruby said, stopping in front of the entryway. “Back at your humble abode.”

“Is this when you kiss me goodnight?”

Weiss batted her eyes, and Ruby’s mouth actually fell open before she shook her head.

“Of course not.”

“Awe…don’t be like that…” Weiss slid closer and hooked one finger underneath Ruby’s seatbelt. “Wouldn’t that be a nice way to end our night?”

Weiss’ skin tingled when Ruby’s gaze slipped to her lips for a fraction of a second. Then Ruby leaned back so far that she practically pressed against the door.

“This isn’t even close to a date.”

Weiss briefly pouted at the curt response before smirking and slipping away. “Your loss,” she hummed while getting out and shutting the door behind her. She made sure to give Ruby the flirtiest wave of her fingers before heading home.

She didn’t turn back, but she didn’t hear the car leave either. Ruby was watching her, so she put some extra sway in her hips and smirked when an engine finally pulled around the drive and faded away. Not even the obnoxiously loud fountain spoiled her mood, and her smirk remained firmly in place as she made her way to her room.

She had expected the evening to be entertaining - and it was - but there was something so satisfying about Ruby’s presence. Exhilarating, even, like breaking in a wild horse or taming a tiger. Ruby was far from weak-willed or spineless, yet Weiss could get her to do things that she didn’t want to do, and have fun while doing it.

Ruby probably thought, or hoped, that tonight was the last time they would see each other, but Weiss knew it wasn’t. It was only a matter of deciding when and where she wanted to see Ruby next…

Chapter 3

Chapter Text

Weiss sighed and turned another page, her eyes racing across the words and her mind only half-processing them. She had picked the book out of passing interest only to discover that she had zero interest in the events transpiring throughout the chapters. The author had tried their hardest to weave a compelling story, but some of the most important moments played out too easily - for the police, at least. Of course, to the victor went the spoils, and with the main character currently rotting in prison, the police had emerged victorious.

Another sigh slipped through her lips as another page joined the growing stack of finished words. The story lost her interest entirely when footsteps reached her ears, her finger lightly marking her place as she watched the doorway for their owner. She dropped her gaze to the book the instant her father appeared, and he almost strode past without a word. He spotted her at the last possible second, however, and stopped.

“What’re you doing?”

He probably didn’t intend to sound so condescending, but she sat up and showed him the book’s cover. “Catching up on historical events,” she explained as he walked over. After squinting at the title, he scoffed and straightened the sleeves of his crisply ironed jacket.

“He got careless. Arrogant. His schemes grew grander and grander until they were more than he could handle.” He let Weiss ruminate over that for a moment before adding, “This is why you start small, like a papercut. Just enough to let the infection in. Let it spread on its own, with some gentle prodding, and it’ll find its way into every nook and cranny. That’s when you have control.”

When Weiss nodded, brow furrowed as she imagined the scenario taking place in a battleground of platelets and cells, he set a heavy hand on her shoulder.

“Keep learning what you can,” he told her, tapping the book in her hands, “And I’ll show you how to succeed where they failed.”

“When?” she couldn't help but ask, looking up at him as he stepped away.

“When you’re ready.”

He never gave specifics, not even when she asked. She had no age to look forward to with either excitement or apprehension. She had no metric to reach or miss. Not even a task that she could accomplish or fail.

“Think they’ll write a book about you someday?” she asked instead.

“Of course. And then they’ll write a book about you.”

A shiver raced down her spine when he looked down at her with cold calculation in his eyes.

“And Winter and Whitley?” she added, but his mustache curled up.

“We’ll see.” Weiss frowned at the vote of non-confidence, but he squared his shoulders and added, “Have you gone out with Henry yet?”

“Not yet. I’ve been…busy.”

“Remember -”

“I know, I know.” She waved off another reminder about the family and smiled when a thought popped into her head. “Don’t worry, Dad. Playing hard to get is how things go these days. Besides, he’s a Marigold. He should have to work for it.”

Her father’s mustache twitched again, pleased by the thought of people working for him, and a small weight lifted from her shoulders.

“I trust you to do what’s best.” He left off ‘for the family’ this time, but the phrase still hung in the air like an ax ready to fall. “I’m heading out for the evening,” he added. “Please check on your sister. I’m worried that the…content…of the Flint deal is causing her issues.”

“I will.”

Satisfied, he tilted his chin down and left her with a solemn, vaguely foreboding, “Have a good night.” Silence returned to the library soon after, but her heart pounded in her chest as if she just sprinted several miles. Rather than dwell on the conversation, however, she set her book aside and went to do as instructed.

She passed several housekeepers on the way to Winter’s study, which was still located in the ‘good’ part of the house, nestled between an unused family room and an office that Whitley used for studying. Weiss expected to find her sister hard at work at the mahogany desk styled after their father’s. Instead, Winter was hurrying out of the room.

“You’re leaving?” Weiss asked while Winter shrugged a jacket over her shoulders and dropped her keys into one of the pockets.

“I was supposed to meet Robyn an hour ago. Then I got stuck on the phone -” Winter motioned behind her and headed toward the front door, drawing Weiss with her. “I promised I wouldn't be late,” she added before a disappointed sigh.

“I’m sure she’ll understand.” Weiss let several steps pass before adding, “Dad asked me to check on you. The Flint deal. He’s…concerned.” When Winter sighed again, this time a heavy, burdened sigh, Weiss turned her shoulders so that she could look at her sister and talk at the same time. “Just let me help you.”

“Do you have any idea what this deal is about, Weiss?”

“Sure. We have weapons and the Flints want to buy them.”

“Military-grade weapons,” Winter corrected. “Which we’re selling to a criminal organization with very little care for others.”

“We’re selling some f*cking guns to some other f*ckers.” Weiss waved a hand when Winter rolled her eyes. “I couldn't care less, but it bothers you, so let me do it.”

“It should bother you, Weiss.” When Weiss frowned, Winter stopped in the entryway and glanced around the massive, empty space before lowering her voice. “Look, thank you for offering, but I have it under control. I’ll see you later, ok?”

Winter waited for Weiss’ halting nod before finally nodding herself. She then squeezed Weiss’ shoulder before racing outside, leaving Weiss alone in the foyer with plenty of thoughts and too few answers.

“They’re just guns,” she said to no one before shaking her head and staring at the marble floor beneath her feet. If the Flints didn’t buy them, someone else would, and that someone else would be just as bad or worse. So what did it really matter? It wasn’t as if they had much choice. And, as much as her father made it sound like she would eventually be in charge, she didn’t want to do everything alone. Winter needed to succeed so that their father didn’t label her a lost cause.

“Hey, Weiss!”

Weiss looked up as Whitley jogged down the staircase, already sporting a big smile.

“Just who I was looking for,” she said. “Want to go out to the range and practice?”

“Sorry, can’t. I have class.”

“I thought you graduated already,” she teased while he grabbed a pair of lime-green sneakers from the hall closet and shoved his feet into them. “That reminds me…what do you want for your birthday?”

“Your car.”

“f*ck you,” she said, laughing at his gall. “What about another pair of those stupidly expensive sneakers?” She nodded to his feet, so he glanced down and grinned.

“They’re coming out with limited editions soon - blue ones.”

“Consider them yours.”

“You’re the best.” He hugged her before leaving with a big grin and a wave. The door shut behind him with a heavy thud, but she smiled at his sweet, endless enthusiasm…for anything except ‘the family.’

With Winter out with Robyn and Whitley heading to class, the gargantuan property felt that much emptier. Weiss wished that she still had school to break up the monotony of her day and give her an ironclad excuse to escape the house. She could always go back for an advanced degree, but then she would have to deal with moronic classmates and even more moronic professors. Plus, her father might not even agree with that decision. He seemed to want her close by, where he might or might not loop her into his plans.

“Ah, Weiss. There you are.”

Weiss’ mother swept down the staircase in a stunning silver gown and held up two pairs of diamond earrings. Weiss squinted at the options, which probably cost more than regular people made in multiple years, before pointing to the pair in her mom’s left hand. “Those ones.” Her mom gave them a glance before handing Weiss the unselected pair and fixing the dangling diamonds to her ears.

“I’m having dinner at Mayor Baldwin’s,” she explained, checking her reflection in the hall mirror. “I’m sure they’re angling for another campaign donation already. Only god knows how they blow through it so fast - they certainly don’t spend it on these dinners. Last time, they served shrimp co*cktail. You know how I feel about shrimp appetizers.”

“The poor man’s tuna,” Weiss quipped.

“Exactly.” After checking her purse, she snapped it closed and smiled. “Don’t worry. You won’t have to deal with Mrs. Baldwin and her ‘purebred’ cats or outdated decor. Your father has bigger plans for you.”

“Everyone keeps saying that…” Weiss grumbled. “But no one will say what those ‘plans’ are.”

“You’ll learn in time. He just wants you to make connections first. Gain experience.”

“I doubt I’ll gain much experience by f*cking Henry Marigold. Unless Dad wants me to know what being unsatisfied feels like.”

Weiss glowered at the thought, but her mom clicked her tongue.

“I understand your brother thinks it’s funny, but must you be so vulgar?” When Weiss shrugged, her mother sighed and patted her hair. “I’ll be home later. Be good.”

She always said ‘be good’ as if she didn’t know how effective her husband’s means of persuasion were. Weiss and her siblings learned quickly, and early, that disobeying one of their father’s orders would involve consequences, and those consequences would cause either extreme discomfort, shame, humiliation, or a combination of all three.

Weiss preferred to avoid those outcomes, so she was ‘good’ despite her mother’s passing attempt at parenting. She even waited for the front door to close, and the sound of her mother’s heels to fade away, before rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

Unfortunately, no one was around to witness the reaction. No one was around at all.

With the entire house to herself, she could do anything she wanted without interruption. She could go swimming. She could use the gym. She could watch a movie in the theater. She could swelter in the sauna. She could go for a walk along any of the lighted paths. She could even venture into the ‘bad’ wing and see what sort of ‘trouble’ she could find. She could go for a drive in the car that Whitley coveted so much. The only thing she couldn't do, apparently, was have someone to talk to. Unless…

As soon as the idea popped into her head, she pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed the three numbers everyone knew by heart.

“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”

“Hi. This is Weiss Schnee and, um,I think there’s an intruder in my house.”

Weiss rolled her eyes at the lame story, but the dispatcher quickly asked, “Are you in immediate danger?”

“I don’t think so, but can you send an officer to make sure it’s safe?”

“Of course, Miss Schnee -”

“And I want Officer Rose if she’s on duty.”

A brief silence followed the unorthodox request, but the dispatcher eventually said, “Of course, Miss Schnee. She’ll be right there. Please stay somewhere safe until she arrives.”

Before the dispatcher offered to remain on the phone, Weiss ended the call and hurried to her bedroom. Her outfit looked fine, but she didn’t want to look ‘fine’ with Ruby on the way. She wanted to look jaw-dropping, drool-worthy fine. So she changed into the shortest white skirt she owned - it would show her panties if she bent over too far - and a skimpy blue top that clung to her chest. She finished the look with white stilettos and the diamond earrings that her mother had just handed her.

Satisfied with her updated look, she hurried back downstairs and out into the courtyard. The chilly evening air hardly bothered her as she made her way to the top of the drive, and she forgot about the weather entirely when she spotted a pair of headlights at the front gates.

Her night might have started slowly, but her anticipation grew as the headlights neared. Soon, she could make out the vehicle’s black-and-white paint job, the sturdy metal grill, and the lights fixed to the roof. A smirk slipped onto her lips when the patrol car stopped in front of her, but her heart fluttered when Ruby hopped out and jogged over.

As much as Weiss had visually and mentally enjoyed Ruby’s outfit at the restaurant, the police uniform suited her exceptionally well. Tightly fit, utilitarian, authoritative…

“I literally just passed a set of guards to get here,” were the first words out of Ruby’s mouth. “How can you possibly be in danger?”

“Well, hello to you too, Officer. Nice to see you again - at my home, of all places.” Weiss flashed a winning smile, but Ruby sighed and set her hands on her hips.

“Where’d you see them?”

“Hm?” Weiss asked before remembering the flimsy excuse she made up to get Ruby here. “Oh. Inside. Follow me.”

She motioned Ruby after her and headed back to the door, glancing to the side to watch Ruby’s reaction to the impressive courtyard with its columns, arches, and supremely annoying fountain. Ruby’s gaze snapped in every direction though, scanning for nonexistent threats and not at all enjoying the view.

When Weiss reached for the front door, Ruby’s hand shot in front of hers. “Me first,” Ruby ordered before stepping in front of Weiss. She set one hand on the handle, took a deep breath, then opened it and moved through in one fluid motion.

The action presented the perfect opportunity for Weiss to ogle Ruby’s ass in those tight pants, which she took full advantage of, biting her bottom lip and following Ruby into the foyer. Ruby had paused on the other side of the door, looking around the massive room with wide eyes and a slightly dropped jaw.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Weiss asked, smirking as she rejoined Ruby.

“That’s one way to put it.”

“What’s another way? Extraordinary? Awe-inspiring?”

“Gaudy.”

Weiss mouthed the word to herself before exhaling.

“f*ck. You have to stop using words like that. You’ll get me all worked up.” Weiss ran her tongue across her lips but dropped the humor entirely when Ruby unclipped the strap on her holster. “Nuh uh,” Weiss said, shaking her head. “You walk around here with a gun drawn and you’ll get shot.”

Ruby froze, one hand already on her weapon, and gave Weiss a pointed look.

“If someone’s here who would shoot me, shouldn’t I be prepared to shoot them first?”

“You would think.” Ruby’s brow furrowed, so Weiss waved both hands in front of her. “Just…keep it holstered, ok?” Ruby slowly lowered her hand, so Weiss nodded and said, “Good girl.”

Ruby’s brow rose at the term, which slipped out but Weiss didn’t regret it in the slightest. Now that Ruby was here, the possible entertainment seemed never-ending. Of course, Weiss couldn't resist starting with the most provocative option.

“Follow me,” she said, leading Ruby upstairs. A smile snuck onto her lips at the way Ruby jogged to catch up and position herself slightly in front. Even though Ruby had no idea where she was going, she obviously wanted to lead in some misguided attempt to keep Weiss safe. It was sweet, in a way, but Weiss had other plans.

After leading Ruby down the upstairs hallway, Weiss pointed at a set of ornate double doors.

“That’s where I saw them,” she lied. “And now you can draw your weapon.”

Ruby’s pistol practically flew into her hand as she held out her other arm for Weiss to stay put. Of course, Weiss didn’t stay put - she suppressed a smile as she matched Ruby’s cautious, measured pace to the door. She only stopped when Ruby gave her a pointed look convincing her to raise her hands and wait. She watched with avid interest as Ruby set a hand on the handle and took another deep breath. The next second, Ruby opened the door and flew through with her gun in front of her.

“Are you kidding me…” she muttered on the other side, her weapon already lowered by the time Weiss strolled into the room sporting a triumphant grin.

“Well, well, well. Fancy finding you in my bedroom, Officer.”

Ruby’s eyes swept from the well-appointed seating area to the dark mahogany dressing table to the luxurious four-poster bed before landing on Weiss.

“I’m going to ask once - did you call 9-1-1 and pretend you saw an intruder?”

“Of course not,” Weiss replied, scoffing for good measure. “I thought I saw someone, but it must’ve been my imagination. My mom always said I had an overactive one.”

Weiss smiled innocently, but Ruby holstered her weapon, put her head in her hands, and groaned. Then she ran her hands up through her hair, leaving several tufts sticking straight up in a way that shouldn’t look as cute as it did.

“You realize that the police department isn’t your personal security force?”

“But they’re public servants. Am I not a member of the public?”

Weiss batted her eyes, but Ruby held back whatever she wanted to say. Her gaze flitted around the room again, and Weiss beamed.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting ideas, Officer,” she teased, moving aside so that Ruby couldn't miss the bed with its plush mattress, high-quality linens, and decorative throw pillows.

“I’m on the clock,” Ruby replied through gritted teeth.

“And whose clock is that? Can I buy it from them?”

Weiss smiled at the joke, but Ruby’s silver eyes bored through her without an ounce of humor.

“What do you think I’m going to do…throw you on your bed and have my way with you?”

Weiss hadn’t been thinking exactly that, but damn if the image didn’t send a spike of heat straight between her legs. “I mean -” was all she got out before Ruby shook her head and stormed out of the room.

“Ruby, wait,” she called out, hurrying after her.

Fortunately, Ruby stopped in the hall. Weiss wanted to press harder on the previous topic if only to see where Ruby’s boundaries actually were, but she also worried that Ruby might leave. And Ruby just got there - she couldn't leave yet.

“Can I show you something?” Weiss asked instead. “I think you’ll like it.”

Ruby worked her jaw back and forth but eventually motioned, with no small amount of irritation, for Weiss to lead the way. Weiss tried not to smile as she headed back downstairs, her thoughts lingering in her bedroom on the hypothetical scenario that she hadn’t realized she wanted quite so badly.

She already knew that she held a certain degree of power over Ruby, but now she wondered if it extended to things like that. She saw no reason why it wouldn't. She could convince Ruby to kiss her if she tried to. Should she try was the larger question.

Her gaze slipped to Ruby as they returned to the foyer. Ruby’s uniform, laden as it was with so many items, added a ruckus to otherwise quiet halls. Ordinarily, the incessant jingles and jangles would annoy her to no end, but the sound was oddly comforting as Ruby blindly followed her to the back of the mansion.

They would have to go the long way to the range, but Weiss used the detour as a brief tour, of sorts. Based on the way Ruby’s gaze swept from left to right and back again, Ruby capitalized on the opportunity. The family room, living rooms, studies, and closed doors leading to offices all earned her discerning gaze. Then they entered the kitchen, with its polished white marble gleaming under crystal chandeliers, and her eyes widened.

Weiss savored Ruby’s stunned reaction to one of the most impressive rooms in the house. Even though the kitchen was well-used - everyone had to eat, after all - it sparkled as if just cleaned minutes ago. State-of-the-art appliances gleamed. At the far side, an ornate fireplace and elegant dining table waited for the next family gathering. A marble island large enough to seat ten served as the kitchen’s focal point. It came complete with a second sink, its own chandelier, plush blue barstools, and an untouched silver tray overflowing with fresh baked goods.

“Wow,” Ruby said so softly that Weiss almost didn’t hear. Noticing Weiss’ glance, however, Ruby cleared her throat and added, “This is impressive.”

“We’re finally seeing eye to eye,” Weiss teased, catching Ruby’s gaze slip to the tray of baked goods a second time. “Want something?” she asked, but Ruby shook her head and backed away.

“No, thanks.”

“You should take something,” Weiss pressed, inching closer to the island. “Only Whitley eats them, but even he can’t eat all this.”

“Then why are they here?”

“Beats me.” Weiss shrugged and held back a smile when Ruby crept closer. “Someone brings them every morning.”

“But…if you don’t want them, why don’t you figure out who’s bringing them and tell them to stop?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because then you won't waste them?” Ruby motioned with her hands as if trying to convey a complicated thought, but Weiss plucked a piece of lint from her shirt.

“I’m sure one of the housekeepers takes the leftovers. Besides, deciding what we eat isn’t up to me.” Ruby squinted at the remark, but Weiss grabbed the edge of the tray and pushed it toward her. “Come on, just take one. They aren’t poisoned, promise.”

Ruby glanced at the pile of cookies, muffins, and scones and nearly shook her head. But she stopped herself and, after so much hesitation that Weiss nearly said something, reached for the platter.

“Except that one,” Weiss added when Ruby was just about to touch one, then laughed when Ruby jerked away. “I’m sorry, I’m kidding. Take it.”

“You have the worst sense of humor…” Ruby grumbled while grabbing a chocolate chip cookie.

“I thought it was pretty funny.”

“Of course you did.” Ruby shook her head before taking a bite and, in a single moment that instantly burned itself into Weiss’ memory, moaned. “God…” she added while Weiss’ entire body suddenly felt covered in flames. “This is the best cookie I’ve ever had. It’s like…a cake and brownie and cookie rolled into one.” Ruby took another bite and hummed in delight. “I wish you knew where they came from.”

Weiss wished that she knew a lot of things right now, like if that moan at all approximated the sound Ruby would make in bed, but she gently cleared her throat and said, “You’ll just have to come back for more.” When Ruby snorted and rolled her eyes, Weiss added, “But I’ll try to find out for you.”

Whether or not Ruby believed that, she still hummed and polished off the rest of the cookie in an impressive three bites, then brushed the crumbs off her hands. “‘K,” she said once done. “Was that what you wanted to show me?”

“Of course not,” Weiss huffed. “You were just drooling over them like a hungry dog. Should’ve figured a cop would be distracted by a tray of sweets.”

“You have such a bad view of the police, yet you call us out here to check on you.”

“I called you here to check on me,” Weiss corrected before stepping closer to Ruby. “So, how do I look?”

The fire renewed when Ruby’s gaze slipped down Weiss’ outfit, taking in her revealing top, skimpy skirt, and high heels before returning to her eyes.

“Unharmed.”

Weiss blew a heavy breath through her lips before pouting. “You’re no fun, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told. Only by you though.”

“That must make me special,” Weiss concluded before sending a pointed glance to the tray. “Want another one?”

Ruby considered it so seriously that Weiss nearly laughed. Clearly, Ruby wanted another one of the ‘best’ cookies she had ever had, and Weiss wanted to hear that moan again.

“Oh, just take one, will you.” Tired of waiting, Weiss plucked another chocolate chip cookie from the tray and pressed it into Ruby’s hand. Their fingers brushed in the process, soft skin on soft skin, before Weiss pulled away and smirked. “Now, come on. I’ll show you what I actually wanted to show you.”

Weiss flipped her hair over her shoulder and left the kitchen, though she glanced back and smiled when she discovered Ruby already eating the second cookie. A cop eating a cookie was somehow cuter than a cop eating a donut. Or maybe it was just cute that Ruby thought she could decline when they both knew she wanted it.

Either way, Weiss earned another measure of triumph when the second cookie disappeared before they even made it out of the house. That left Ruby’s hands free to swing idly by her sides as they followed a lighted pathway away from the house. The night air nipped at Weiss’ nose and plentiful exposed skin, but she ignored it while leading them to the spacious building ahead of them.

“Do you need a jacket or something?”

The question, or maybe the concern behind it, caught Weiss by surprise. She quickly shook her head and said, “I’m fine,” though, and gestured to the nearby building.

She should have grabbed a jacket, but she was too excited about showing Ruby the shooting range. Taking Ruby to her bedroom had been great, but this was where she could prove that she wasn’t just some prissy rich girl wearing expensive clothing. She had graduated at the top of her class - and her grades were real, not coerced. She could have gone on to do anything she wanted were it not for her father and the family. Just because she was trapped here like a pretty doll in a cage didn’t mean she offered nothing. She excelled at anything she put her mind to, including things that people would never expect.

Ruby admitted to judging her, and Weiss wanted to prove that she was much more than met the eye or was discussed on TV. So she walked through the sliding glass doors and immediately turned around to see Ruby’s reaction.

First, Ruby’s brow rose. Then her silver eyes swept across the lanes and targets waiting at various distances before landing on the collection of guns locked up on the right side of the room.

“You have a shooting range,” she stated before huffing. “Don’t you see how excessive and suspicious that is?”

“My family likes guns,” Weiss replied with a shrug. “Well, except my sister. And my mom doesn’t care for much besides alcohol.”

Ruby looked taken aback by the offhand remark, but Weiss took a short breath and smiled. “But it’s interesting, right?” she pressed, leading Ruby over to the weapon rack. “We have basically every weapon you can get a permit for.”

The expansive collection had been Weiss and Whitley’s doing, but Ruby kept looking around the building rather than appreciating the arsenal on display.

“You just…leave the lights on all day?” she asked, so Weiss frowned and glanced around.

“I guess so.”

“Seems pretty wasteful…”

“Or a great way to employ utility workers.”

“Ah. You’re a ‘glass half when it benefits me’ person.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Weiss asked, setting her hands on her hips, but Ruby shook her head.

“Nothing,” Ruby said before motioning around. “Don’t your neighbors complain?”

“One, the nearest neighbor is over a mile away and knows better than to complain. And two, the walls are soundproof - best that money can buy. You could stand outside and probably won’t hear a thing.”

“So…what? Your dad sends his henchmen here for target practice?”

“Alleged henchmen.” Ruby rolled her eyes, so Weiss added, “And no. I come out here for target practice.”

If Ruby’s brow rose any higher, it would jump right off her head.

“You? As in - with those?”

Finally, Ruby pointed at the guns, so Weiss unlocked the cage and swung it open.

“Yes.” Smirking, she picked up her favorite pistol and turned back to Ruby. “How do you feel about a little wager? I win and you take me on another date.”

“‘Another’ date? I’ve never taken you on any date.”

“We dressed up, went to a restaurant, got to know each other - you even drove me home,” Weiss listed out. “You wimped out on the kiss, but I suppose not everyone kisses on the first date.” Weiss waved her free hand nonchalantly but, when Ruby just stared, sighed. “Fine. If I win, you take me on a date. What do you say?”

Weiss motioned to the targets and put on her most inviting smile, but Ruby narrowed her eyes.

“Why do I feel like you’re hustling me?” Weiss shrugged, but her smile widened so far that it almost hurt when Ruby sighed and said, “Sure. Fine. Ladies first.”

Weiss never went first, but she was too excited to protest. After grabbing a box of ammunition, she led them over to her favorite lane and set everything up as quickly and perfectly as possible. Ruby watched every move, from Weiss setting the target at the proper distance, to loading the magazine, to putting on the appropriate safety gear, and finally squaring up for her shots.

After taking a deep breath, she squeezed the trigger. The first bullet left the chamber with enough force to kick the gun back in her hands, but she held steady and kept her eyes on the target. She emptied the magazine at a methodical pace, glancing to the side between each round to confirm it hit near the target’s center. Once finished, she set the gun down, removed her safety glasses and ear protection, and confirmed that she just set a damn good score.

“Are you free tomorrow night?” she asked while Ruby studied the shot distribution on the screen.

“I’ll be working,” Ruby mused before turning back to Weiss. “The fact that you did that in heels is impressive.”

Weiss absolutely preened at the genuine, no-nonsense praise. Ruby wasn’t even seeking favors - the compliment came free of strings or expectations. Ruby didn’t even wait for Weiss’ reaction to it. She refilled the magazine, loaded it into the handgun, and looked over the weapon.

“We call these cop killers,” she commented, denting Weiss’ smile as they redonned their safety gear.

Ruby set her posture, lined up her shot, and emptied the magazine so fast that Weiss’ gaze flew between Ruby and the red dots lighting up the screen. The entire round lasted mere seconds, and Weiss could hardly believe her eyes when she saw the results. The shots were grouped so close together that it looked like one big circle rather than a collection of separate bullets.

“You thought I was hustling you?” Weiss asked, but Ruby shrugged and set the weapon down.

“I’m training to become a marksman. Rifles, mostly, but any weapon really.”

Ruby’s response held no ego. Her lips didn’t curl with a smirk. She wasn’t even boasting, for crying out loud. Just subtle confidence, honesty, and vague amusem*nt at Weiss’ disbelief. It was so damn attractive that Weiss found herself scrambling for responses.

“Best of three?” she ventured, only for her heart to flutter when something magical happened: Ruby smiled.

Not a dismayed smile. Not an incredulous smile. A real, sincere expression of joy tinged with delight. Her entire expression brightened. Her eyes sparkled. Her nose wrinkled in the most adorable way Weiss had ever seen.

Then it disappeared, leaving Weiss with a sudden hole in her chest, and Ruby softly chuckled while shaking her head.

“I’m sure you’d love that, but I should get going.”

“Why? Have a hot date?”

“Something like that.”

The response burned through Weiss’ veins and, “I’m sure I’m hotter,” slipped out without a second thought. Ruby’s brow briefly rose, but then she chuckled again - this time with a slight roll of her eyes.

“I won’t tell her you said that. She’s pretty competitive about her looks.”

While Ruby returned the handgun to the weapon cage, Weiss swiftly followed.

“It is then. A date.”

“I don’t see how that’s something you need to know, Miss Schnee.”

Weiss bit back a string of salty responses and clutched her fingers into fists.

“Please stop calling me that. I really don’t like it.”

Shock registered in Ruby’s expression first, followed quickly by guilt. Then she nodded, muttered a soft “sorry,” and moved out aside so that Weiss could lock the weapons away.

“So you do go on dates,” Weiss pressed, unwilling to drop the subject while trailing Ruby back into the cold.

“Of course I do.”

“With who? People at work? Other cops?”

“Why do you care so much?”

“Because.”

Ruby shook her head but kept walking up the path to the house. Weiss scrunched up her face at the lack of an answer but took a deep breath rather than spit out any of the angry words flitting through her head.

“Maybe I know them,” she offered when they reached the house.

“I highly doubt you run in the same circles.”

“You say that like you know me.”

The sour response earned Ruby’s sideways glance, but Weiss scowled at the continued silence. Obviously, Ruby was more interested in leaving than having a conversation, but Weiss wasn’t done with her yet.

“She can’t have anything I don’t,” Weiss eventually said. “So why waste your time?”

Finally, Ruby stopped. Then she turned around and leaned down to stare into Weiss’ eyes. Weiss wanted to look away - it felt like Ruby could read her innermost thoughts when looking at her like that - but forced herself to stare back with an impassive expression.

“You’re right,” Ruby eventually said. “I don’t know you.”

Weiss blinked at the unsatisfying response, but Ruby straightened up and set her hand on the door handle.

“Now, stop calling 9-1-1 for no reason. That’s for people who actually need help, whose lives might depend on us.”

“Right. Sure.” Weiss waved away the reprimand and glanced at Ruby’s hand on the handle, poised to leave. “Perhaps you should check my room again before you leave,” she spit out. “Who knows if someone slipped in while we were away.”

“Pretty sure you can take care of yourself.”

Ruby gestured in the direction of the gun range before opening the door and stepping outside. Weiss considered following, but the cold and Ruby’s pointed look kept her feet nailed to the entryway floor. The door closed between them instead, and she listened to the jingle of Ruby’s gear as the officer returned to the patrol car at the top of the drive. Weiss, meanwhile, chewed on her bottom lip and shuffled between annoyance, frustration, and incredulity.

She should have suspected that a police officer would be a better marksman than her. Then again, most officers seemed to have received only the most basic training and some probably couldn't even pass a fitness test. Ruby could certainly pass a fitness test - something Weiss was becoming more and more eager to personally assess - but to be an expert marksman, too?

Weiss hated losing, but she was more turned on than angry about losing to someone who didn’t brag about it. Losing hadn’t bothered her - the ‘date’ and her general lack of knowledge about Ruby’s personal life did.

The front door burst open then and, for a split second, Weiss thought that Ruby had come back. Whitley flew inside instead, his eyes quickly landing on her.

“Did you know there was a cop here??” he asked, dropping his backpack near the closet and kicking off his shoes.

“Of course I did.” Weiss didn’t intend to offer more than that, but she sighed when he motioned with both hands. “Don’t worry about it.”

“‘Don’t worry about it?’” When Weiss rolled her eyes and headed upstairs, he doggedly followed. “We’re supposed to worry about stuff like that.”

“And I just told you not to.”

“Why were they here then?”

“Because I invited her.”

Whitley froze for a second before jogging the last few steps behind her.

“Dad’s going to freak.”

“Dad won’t do anything because he won’t be finding out.” Weiss glanced over and, upon seeing Whitley’s scrunched-up expression, turned toward him. “I was just having a little fun. If you think that’s something he needs to know about, maybe he should also know that one of his favorite watches is still lost somewhere between here and Menagerie.”

When Whitley’s eyes widened, Weiss gently shoved him toward his room. “Now don’t you have homework to do?”

“Not really.” Grinning now, he opened his door and hung partially out in the hallway as she passed. “Want to watch a movie or something?”

After heaving a big sigh that she hardly felt, she ‘relented’ and gestured to her room. “Just let me change first.” Once he beamed, she returned to her bedroom, shut the door behind her, and smiled.

Ruby had served as ample entertainment tonight, as expected. Even though they separated on a vaguely unpleasant note, Weiss couldn't even look near her bed without her skin tingling. And that smile…

Weiss would spend the rest of the night replaying that moment, figuring out exactly what she did to make it happen and exactly what she needed to do to make it happen again. Because there would be an ‘again.’ She was more certain of that than she was of Whitley picking a horrendously cheesy movie for them to watch together.

Chapter 4

Chapter Text

Weiss shoved her bowl away, finished with her menial breakfast of yogurt and fresh fruit, while scrolling through the news on her phone, reading anything interesting but mostly just glancing at headlines. She didn’t look up when one of the housekeepers swept the bowl away, returning the island to its immaculate condition before disappearing as if never truly being there. Maybe they hadn’t been…though Weiss certainly hadn’t done it herself. She couldn't even remember the last time she cleaned a dish or discarded a piece of trash on her own.

Too late, she remembered that she needed to find out where the baked goods came from, and she could only do that if she actually acknowledged the housekeepers. Another tray sat on the island in front of her, just as it had for the past…well, for as long as she could remember. Months, at least.

The pile of chocolate chip cookies drew her eye, and a smile wormed its way onto her lips. Several days had passed since she ‘invited’ Ruby over, but the memory had yet to fade. On the contrary, it grew stronger and more compelling with time. She wanted to see Ruby again, and she had an idea for how to make that happen.

Just as she wrapped two of the cookies in a napkin and slipped them into her purse, footsteps entered the kitchen. They were too heavy and slow to belong to any of the housekeeping staff, so she glanced over her shoulder and instantly wished that she hadn’t.

“Fancy finding you here,” Henry drawled, leaning his arm on the counter beside her. “What’re you up to?”

“Well, I was reading. Now I’m being annoyed by Vale’s most clueless bachelor.”

Proving just how clueless he was, he had started grinning as soon as he heard ‘Vale’s most’ but frowned when he heard the rest.

“Hey, plenty of girls are dying to go out with me, you know.”

“Perfect. Why don’t you bother one of them and leave me alone?”

Weiss grabbed her purse and tried to leave, but he stepped in front of her.

“Because you’re the one I’m supposed to go out with. So just…stop being a bitch for five seconds and let me take you out to lunch.”

“How sweet.” Weiss lightly touched her fingers to her heart before scowling. “But please go f*ck yourself - because I won’t be.”

She gave him a patronizing smile before brushing past, but he grabbed her arm and spun her back around.

“Where are you going?”

“None of your business,” she snapped, yanking her arm away. “And if you want to keep both hands to jerk off with, you won’t touch me like that again.”

His eyes widened, but she flipped her hair over her shoulder and marched out of the room. Blood now boiling and thoughts an angry mess, she stormed out of the house and impatiently motioned to the first driver she found loitering near the garage.

“I’m going downtown,” she told him while he hurriedly opened the passenger door for her. “The police station.”

“The…police station?”

“I’m meeting someone there.”

That was all the explanation he needed or deserved, so she settled into the backseat and clutched her purse in her lap. Several deep, slow breaths helped temper her fury, and passing through the estate’s gates into Vale helped even more. Her mind gradually shut out Henry and his aggravating advancements and returned to more pleasurable subjects, such as how she planned on acquiring Ruby’s company and imagining Ruby’s reaction to seeing her again.

Those thoughts were so distracting that the police department appeared in the blink of an eye. The old, gloomy building brought back surprisingly fond memories, and she looked forward to making some more today.

“No need to wait,” she instructed the driver once he’d opened the door for her. “I’ll get my own ride home.”

He probably nodded, but she walked through the sliding glass doors without waiting for his response. The worn-down lobby, complete with flickering fluorescent lights and an atrocious black-and-white faux tile floor, greeted her like the beginning of a horror movie. Her gaze immediately swept across the officers’ area but found no trace of a certain brunette. That, in and of itself, was mildly disappointing, but persistence never died at the front door. Instead, she strode over to the receptionist - a middle-aged woman with frizzy, light brown hair who was currently typing on the computer.

“Excuse me,” Weiss interrupted. “I’d like to speak to Chief Fowler.”

“Sorry, honey. The Chief’s available by appointment only.”

“I should rephrase that. My name is Weiss Schnee, and I think you should ask Chief Fowler before telling me to make an appointment.”

Realization slowly dawned in the woman’s eyes, and she grabbed the phone before Weiss even mustered her most patronizing smile.

“Hey Chief, Weiss Schnee is here to see you. Yes, in the lobby. Ok, I’ll let her know.”

Weiss was smirking by the time the woman returned the phone to its cradle and clasped her hands in front of her.

“She’ll be right up to get you.”

“Thank you.”

Weiss moved closer to the gated entry leading into the main office area for what turned out to be a short wait. Chief Fowler appeared from one of the offices almost immediately and hurried to the lobby.

“Miss Schnee,” she greeted Weiss as soon as she stepped through the thick glass doors. “To what do I owe this honor?”

Her stiff posture and strained smile suggested this was more of a stressful situation than an honor, but Weiss took the words at face value.

“I have a request for you. Can we speak in your office?”

Weiss extended a hand toward the room the woman just came from as if she was issuing the invitation. Chief Fowler haltingly nodded but moved in that direction regardless, already pulling out her badge to let them through the security doors. “Of course, of course,” she half mumbled as she did so. Only on the other side did she retake the lead and guide Weiss to her office.

The cramped, cluttered room would scare away the claustrophobic, but it was the crumbling armchairs that nearly did Weiss in. The leather looked so old that it must be decaying in front of her eyes, and the wood had been reduced to near-splinters. Despite wrinkling her nose, however, Weiss perched on the edge of one of the seats and watched the Chief of Police sit across from her.

Chief Fowler had to push several haphazard stacks of files out of the way just so that they could have a clear view of each other. Then she set her hands down, steepled her fingers, and tried her best to seem authoritative and in control. They both knew who was really in control though, and it wasn’t the one wearing the badge.

“My father sends his regards,” Weiss began. “He was particularly impressed with that large drug bust last week.”

Chief Fowler’s eyes searched Weiss’ for any hint of whether her father was actually impressed or secretly annoyed by the successful raid. Finding nothing, she shifted in her seat.

“Yes, that was…that investigation was in the works for quite some time. I never expected it to be so successful, but we’re always happy to clean up the streets.”

“Well, you and your officers did fine work.” Again, Chief Fowler searched for help guiding the conversation, and Weiss decided to throw her a lifeline. “But that’s not what I’m here for.”

Like air from a balloon, the stress released from the woman’s shoulders. “Oh,” she even said, a relieved smile sneaking onto her lips. “Then what can I help you with?”

“I have to run several important errands today, and I’d like an officer to accompany me.”

“Oh. Well, you see -”

“I would take one of my father’s…associates…” Weiss carried on. “But these particular errands require a…softer touch, if you understand.”

Chief Fowler’s brow furrowed, but she still nodded.

“I realize that the department serves an indispensable role in Vale,” Weiss continued. “But I’m hoping you can spare one officer for the day. It would mean a great deal to me and my family.”

The family didn’t care about Weiss’ trivial desires, but Chief Fowler didn’t know that. All the woman knew was that Weiss Schnee sat in front of her with a ‘request’ that she had the power to fulfill. The wheels turned in her head - wheels greased with dollar signs - before she smiled and nodded.

“Absolutely, Miss Schnee. I’m more than happy to accommodate such a reasonable request.”

“Perfect.” Weiss smiled to reinforce the correct decision. “And I’d like it to be Officer Rose. She has proven most…skillful…in handling my protection.”

“Of course. Let me figure out where she’s at.”

Anticipation bubbled through Weiss’ veins as Chief Fowler picked up the phone and called someone. “Rachel, can you find Ruby and send her to my office immediately?” The chief paused for a second before adding, “Thank you,” and dropping the phone back onto its cradle. “She’ll be right here,” she told Weiss, who sat even further forward on her seat. “What kind of errands do you need to run?”

“Oh, just, personal matters.” Weiss waved away the invasive question and followed it with, “When’s your re-election campaign starting again?”

“Ah. Not for another two years.”

“It must be nice. Not to have to worry about that for a little while.”

The woman swallowed once before hesitantly nodding and saying, “Yes. Yes, it is.” Fortunately for her unraveling nerves, the door opened and Weiss’ focus swept to the person who stepped through.

The moment Ruby spotted Weiss, she scoffed and said, “You’re sh*tting me.”

“Officer,” Chief Fowler scolded her. “Watch your language.”

Ruby clenched her jaw but nodded at the reprimand. Weiss beamed at Ruby and slowly crossed her legs, making her skirt ride up and capturing Ruby’s brief attention. Before Ruby got a glimpse of anything racy, however, she straightened her posture and pointedly stared at Chief Fowler.

“You asked for me?”

“Yes, Miss Schnee needs a police escort today, and she’s requested you.”

Ruby’s gaze flitted to Weiss, so Weiss rested her chin on the palm of one hand and smirked.

“What does she need an escort for?”

“That’s for her to inform you.”

“Shouldn’t she explain what she needs before we help? Or are we just giving her whatever she wants?”

“I’ve already made that determination, Officer.”

Weiss’ jaw clenched harder the longer they spoke about her as if she wasn’t there, but the finality in Chief Fowler’s tone ended any argument.

“Fine. Of course.” Ruby returned to the door, pushed it open with one hand, and motioned Weiss through with the other. “After you, Miss.”

After shooting Ruby an annoyed look, which received Ruby’s fake smile, Weiss stood and nodded to Chief Fowler. “Thank you so much for your help,” she added, much to the woman’s delight, before leaving the office with Ruby in tow.

“I can’t believe you,” Ruby muttered as they returned to the crowded room with too many desks.

“I didn’t call 9-1-1,” Weiss pointed out. “I requested your protection, and she said yes. Apparently, there are more than enough officers to help the rest of the people.”

Weiss dismissively waved a hand through the air, but her triumphant smile faded when Ruby stopped at her desk and yanked the drawer open so hard that it slammed against its hinges.

“I have an actual job, you know,” Ruby said while grabbing a set of keys. “And it’s not ferrying around princesses all day.” Ruby shoved the drawer closed with just as much force before adding, “Wait here. I need to make sure someone covers my shift since I’m needed elsewhere.”

Weiss frowned when Ruby brushed past her and marched to the other side of the large room. There, Ruby flagged down a tall blonde holding a mug in a prosthetic hand. The blonde greeted Ruby with a big, bright smile that instantly renewed Weiss’ jealousy from the other day.

That jealousy became a tempest when Ruby began explaining the situation and the blonde’s smile fell. She moved closer, set a hand on Ruby’s shoulder, and listened with such unwavering focus that Weiss knew that she was the date that Ruby mentioned. And Ruby was right - the blonde was something of a looker, who obviously took pride in her appearance. Her hair, in particular, looked radiant as the sun as it cascaded in waves down her back, and she clearly spent more than her fair share of time in the gym.

Simmering in envy, Weiss watched as they blatantly talked about her. Ruby didn’t look over, but her frequent hand gestures sent the blonde’s gaze flitting to Weiss. She frowned, so Weiss scowled back. The conversation ended with a few more words, a reassuring shoulder squeeze, and another opportunity to frown at each other while Ruby made her way across the room.

“Alright, let’s go,” Ruby said, walking past Weiss without even waiting. Weiss shot the blonde one last glare before following Ruby out of the police department.

“I’d think that interdepartmental dating would be frowned upon,” she quipped while Ruby led her to one of the police cruisers parked outside.

“Inter-department - what?”

“The busty blonde.”

Ruby yanked the passenger door open before frowning at Weiss, who crossed her arms over her chest and waited for an explanation. Ruby glanced at the building and scoffed.

“That’s my sister.”

The disclosure took a needle to the balloon of jealousy in Weiss’ chest, and an exhale escaped her lips as Ruby got into the driver’s seat.

“You look nothing alike,” Weiss commented while slipping into the passenger seat and pulling the door closed.

“Thanks. Really appreciate that.”

“Why don’t you look alike?” Weiss demanded.

“Gee, I don’t know. Genetics?” Weiss scowled at the sarcastic remark, but Ruby rested her hands on the steering wheel, looked at Weiss, and said, “Where to, Your Highness?”

“For the last time, I’d prefer that you use my name.”

“And I’d prefer getting to do my job.”

Faced with Ruby’s stubbornness, Weiss huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Are you hungry?”

“No.”

“Then Crescent Avenue.”

Ruby shook her head but put the car in drive and navigated out of the parking lot without a word. Stiff silence attempted to smother them, broken up only by sporadic chatter from the police radio. Weiss had just noticed the string of voices when Ruby reached out and turned it up.

“Do you always listen to this?” Weiss asked.

“Again. It’s my job.”

“Just like it’s your job to help old ladies cross the street and listen to neighbors bicker about hedges?”

When Ruby huffed but didn’t respond, Weiss frowned and stared out the passenger window. This hadn’t started out how she had hoped, but she still got what she wanted: Ruby’s company and a wide-open slate of opportunities ahead. If Ruby was going to be all bent out of shape about it, well…Weiss could make her even more miserable.

But she didn’t want to make Ruby’s life hell. The strained atmosphere was the opposite of what she wanted, actually, but she would have to dedicate effort into changing it.

The opportunity presented itself when Ruby parked along the most popular section of Crescent Avenue. The entire street was renowned for its shopping, but this particular section catered to a much wealthier clientele. Small clothing boutiques, art galleries, and home furnishing stores clustered together with some of Vale’s best restaurants and one exceptional spa.

“You do know me,” Weiss teased, earning an eyeroll as Ruby got out and walked around the front of the car to open Weiss’ door.

“What now?” Ruby asked once Weiss stepped out of the vehicle.

“What do you think? We go shopping.”

Ruby’s sigh probably released every ounce of oxygen from her lungs, but she still followed Weiss to the spotless, decorative sidewalk running the length of the street. Every store had a unique awning and color scheme, and a steady stream of pedestrians roamed in and out of the open businesses. Ruby’s uniform drew plenty of curious glances, but the added scrutiny was easy enough to ignore.

No particular need or want drove Weiss here, but she told Ruby that they were going shopping, so she ducked into the first boutique that caught her fancy. Most of her attention remained on the surly officer though, who was lightyears away from blessing her with another one of the smiles she coveted.

“You’re frustrated today,” she came right out and said while thumbing through some blouses.

“Surprised you noticed,” Ruby remarked, trailing Weiss to the next rack. “You see, some stuck-up rich girl has decided that I work for her so keeps making me drop everything to do what she wants. Which, shockingly, isn’t why I became a cop and doesn’t help me reach any of my goals.”

“I could live without the sarcasm, Officer.” Weiss reached the end of another rack of clothing and glanced at Ruby, who still wore a scowl. Something Ruby said had caught Weiss’ interest though, but Weiss would never get a response if she didn’t ask delicately. And she couldn't ask delicately without first squeezing every shred of sarcasm or biting wit from her tone.

“What goals are you working towards?”

The question sounded so genuine that Weiss nearly added a curse word just because. But she held her tongue and, remarkably, it worked. Ruby didn’t scoff; she sighed and answered.

“I’m trying to make the SWAT team, but I need a certain number of patrol hours before I can join and these don’t count as patrol hours.”

“Oh.”

It took several seconds for Weiss to identify the sour feeling in her stomach as guilt. If what Ruby said was true, then she was rightfully irritated. Weiss hated being told what to do, so she shouldn’t be surprised that Ruby hated it too. That was especially true if Weiss was preventing Ruby from accomplishing something that she actually wanted to do.

“I’m sorry I took you away from that. I’ll request someone else next time. Perhaps a competitor you’d like to see fall behind?”

When Weiss stopped searching through the clothing and waited for Ruby’s response, Ruby glanced over out of the corner of her eye and then huffed.

“You should stop requesting police escorts for anything. I doubt you need protection”

“I do need protection,” Weiss argued. “My family is well-known and wealthy, as you’re aware.”

“I know you have personal security if you’re actually worried.” Ruby finally met Weiss’ gaze, challenging her to argue, before nodding. “And if you just want company, I don’t work all damn day.”

Weiss’ gaze flew to Ruby, but Ruby moved to the next clothing rack and forced Weiss to pursue her.

“Why would I want company?”

“Because you’re lonely.”

“I’m not lonely.”

Ruby touched a pair of pants and arched her brow.

“Oh, yeah? I’d be pretty lonely if I was trapped in that huge house by myself.”

“I’m not -” Weiss clenched her jaw and shook her head. “My family lives there, too.”

“And which one of them would be shopping with you if I wasn’t here?”

“My mom if she was sober, or my brother if I bribed him -” Weiss stopped talking and scowled. “I have plenty of people to go shopping with if I choose to.”

Done with that conversation, she spun on her heel and stomped out of the store. She set off down the sidewalk without waiting for Ruby, though footsteps and that incessant jingle soon caught up to her.

“There’s nothing wrong with being lonely.”

Sighing out loud, Weiss reached into her purse and shoved the chocolate chip cookies against Ruby’s stomach. “Eat these and shut up,” she grumbled, ignoring Ruby’s reaction and anything other than striding down the street.

Thankfully, Ruby did as instructed, and her soft, delighted hum lightened the storm clouds above Weiss’ head. It was a f*cking cookie, for chrissakes, yet it might as well be a diamond necklace based on how much Ruby enjoyed it. The ensuing silence, which was much less stilted than how they began their time together, presented the perfect opportunity for Weiss to remember why she sought out Ruby to begin with. The oddly comforting presence. The strangely unending tolerance. The stubborn yet eventual obedience. And an appearance that was definitely easy on the eyes.

Weiss snuck a glance at Ruby and, upon finding the cookies long gone, motioned into the next clothing gallery. Ruby ducked inside without a word, seemingly too appeased by the baked goods to comment on the gaudy exterior.

“This is one of my favorite stores,” Weiss explained before rolling her eyes at herself. Ruby, however, looked around with more interest.

The spacious, well-lit store had carefully curated displays of the latest fashions and neatly arranged clothing racks. Legitimate works of art adorned the walls, and Weiss’ heels tapped nicely against the polished wood floor. Soft music played in the background while designer dresses, skirts, and blouses drew attention in a pressing yet inviting way. A middle-aged woman wearing a smartly coordinated blouse and skirt approached them before they made it far from the front door.

“Welcome.” The woman’s gaze lingered on Ruby before reaching Weiss, and her smile quickly brightened. “Miss Schnee! It’s lovely to see you again. Our newest pieces just arrived - you’ll find them along this wall.”

The woman extended her arm toward the left of the store, so Weiss headed that way with nothing more than a, “Thank you.”

“Let me know if you need any help,” the saleswoman called after them, but Weiss had already reached the first rack and started perusing with passing disinterest. Ruby stood close enough that Weiss could quickly turn and walk right into her, which Weiss considered doing for several brief moments before an even more tantalizing idea sparked into her mind.

Her fingers trailed down the sheer white blouse that she just stumbled across, admiring the fabric but also the plunging neckline. The top should be worn as part of an ensemble - a middle layer that a jacket would cover and a thin shirt would go under - but, for the confident or salacious, it could very well be worn on its own.

Finding her size, she pulled out the hanger and spun into Ruby. Blessed with the element of surprise, she clinched one brief, intimate moment in Ruby’s personal space, with the smell of roses so close, and those silver eyes - slightly widened in surprise - mere inches away.

Ruby quickly moved away, so Weiss held up the hanger with the shirt dangling from it.

“Maybe you’ll help me?” she asked, smiling sweetly, but Ruby frowned.

“You want me to undress you?”

“I want you to help me change,” Weiss reiterated, though a pleased smile slipped onto her lips. “If you’re suggesting something else…”

Ruby didn’t wait for the end of that sentence before striding to the back of the store, where three dressing rooms stood open. Smirking at the response, Weiss followed at a pace that masked her rapid pulse. She expected Ruby to put up more of a fight, honestly, but Ruby picked the dressing room on the far left and motioned Weiss inside.

The room could have comfortably accommodated four or even five people. A small sofa sat along one wall. A floor-length mirror took up the wall across from it. Several empty hooks waited for hangers and outfits to be hung upon them. There was even a plush area rug that Weiss’ heels sank into. While Weiss wished the room was smaller, Ruby took the hanger from her hands and slipped the blouse off of it.

“What’re you doing?”

“What’s it look like?” Ruby held up the shirt but lowered it when Weiss arched a brow and looked down at the shirt she currently wore. “You can undo buttons on your own,” Ruby added, but Weiss held up her hands and wiggled her manicured nails.

“These are only a day old. I’m not chipping them already.”

Truthfully, she couldn't care less about her nails - she could have them redone tomorrow if necessary - but she wouldn't let a situation like this go to waste. She would use any excuse or coercion at her disposal, and she prepared to do that when Ruby scoffed again. But then Ruby shook her head, tossed the shirt over the arm of the sofa, and said, “Fine.”

The solitary word shot through Weiss’ poise like a cannon, and desire burned so hotly through her that her skin warmed when Ruby’s hands reached for the top button of her blouse. She had never considered herself an exhibitionist, but she suddenly wanted Ruby to look at her. She wanted that silver gaze on her skin. She wanted to feel something. She wanted a reaction.

Ruby was annoyed. Frustrated, even. She could have roughly undid the buttons, tugging and pulling at the fabric, but she worked softly. She treated Weiss…tenderly…even though Weiss had forced her to do it. Even though a blush crept up her cheeks with every button undone and inch of skin exposed. That blush deepened when the last button came apart, fully revealing Weiss’ stomach and her lacy white bra, yet Ruby didn’t flinch.

“You must be so gentle in bed.”

The comment slipped out, and Ruby instantly withdrew. Even the tips of her ears were red now, but Weiss smiled and shrugged out of her shirt. She then leaned forward, pressing her chest into Ruby, and grabbed the new shirt from the sofa. For a second, she considered making Ruby button this one up for her. But, considering the level of Ruby’s blush, she pulled it on and buttoned it up herself.

“What do you think?”

Weiss was sold the instant Ruby’s eyes lingered on her cleavage. “My eyes are up here, Officer,” she teased, smirking when Ruby’s gaze shot away.

“It looks fine,” Ruby mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck and looking anywhere but at Weiss. She only turned back when Weiss stepped back into her space, craving another intimate moment. This time, Ruby didn’t back away. Not even when Weiss reached up and ran the collar of Ruby’s starchy uniform between her fingertips. Ruby’s eyes locked onto Weiss’ instead, the closeness sending another thrill down Weiss’ spine.

“I think I’ll wear it home,” she concluded. She then grabbed her original shirt and left the dressing room - and Ruby - behind. A satisfied smile found its way onto her lips when Ruby hurried after her, but she went to the register without acknowledging the flustered officer.

“I’ll take this one,” she said, extending the sleeve with the tag to the woman behind the counter.

“It looks lovely on you,” the woman gushed before carefully removing the tags and pulling out a bag to put them in. “Would you like me to put that in here, too?” she asked, motioning to Weiss’ discarded top.

“Yes, please.”

Once the bag had been packed, the woman ran Weiss’ credit card and added the receipt on top. “Please come again soon,” she said while handing it across the counter. “We get new items in all the time.”

Weiss flashed a smile before grabbing the bag and leaving the store with Ruby in tow. Her steps felt light and carefree now, and not even the crowded sidewalk dampened her spirits. Ruby could have said no, and perhaps Weiss would have allowed it. Ruby could have said no and simply walked away, forcing Weiss to switch tactics or give up the idea entirely. Refusal would have been met with dogged persistence, but Ruby had already proven to have a stronger spine than most. If she didn’t want to help Weiss change, she wouldn't have.

Now, Weiss wanted more of that. Whatever that was.

“Do you need me to carry that?”

Ruby pointed at the shopping bag, but Weiss pulled it closer to herself.

“No, thank you. I’ll carry it.”

Ruby’s brow furrowed, and Weiss also wondered why she hadn’t just shoved the bag onto Ruby, but a bustling coffee shop captured her imagination.

“Thirsty?”

“I’m good, but feel free.”

So Ruby wouldn't fully play along, but Weiss hummed and led them into the coffee shop. The noise greeted them first - coffee grinders and multiple conversations taking place at once - but the heavy aroma of caffeine and thick syrups followed close behind. Weiss joined the line with Ruby at her side and again noticed how much attention Ruby drew in her uniform.

Or did Ruby draw attention because she was fundamentally and unequivocally attractive? That would explain the young woman struggling to tear her gaze away, sending possessiveness swirling through Weiss’ veins. She made sure to catch the girl’s attention before setting a hand on Ruby’s arm. Ruby looked down, brow furrowed, but Weiss slid her fingers across the coarse fabric of Ruby’s uniform and then squeezed Ruby’s firm bicep.

“You must not be getting your daily dose of donuts.”

“It’s mostly cookies these days.”

Ruby didn’t smile, but there was a sparkle in her eyes that made Weiss want to smile.

“What can I get you?” the barista interrupted, and Weiss clicked her tongue while turning away.

“I’ll have a skinny, half-caf soy double shot vanilla latte.” Hearing Ruby scoff, Weiss smiled at her. “Sure you don’t want anything, Officer?”

“I’m good. That’ll take long enough as it is.”

“Are you suggesting I’m high maintenance?” Weiss asked while paying for the order and moving away from the line.

“Yes.”

Weiss scoffed at the blunt response but, ultimately, tilted her chin up and said, “Well, I am.” She expected a scoff or eyeroll in return, but Ruby smiled. Ruby smiled at her, and her heart nearly found its way out of her chest from the sheer, unexpected radiance of it. Even after Ruby turned away, surveying the other patrons, Weiss remained stuck in that moment, replaying it so diligently that she missed the barista calling out her order. She only caught on when Ruby’s attention slipped to the counter.

“I think that’s yours.”

Ruby pointed at the solitary cup, so Weiss finally turned away and grabbed it. Ruby’s attention lingered on her, but she took a sip and clawed her heart back into its place.

“Want to sit outside? It’s nice out.”

Ruby’s gaze flitted to the patio, where umbrella-shaded tables waited for customers, before returning to Weiss.

“That’s up to you, isn’t it?”

“Then why did I ask?” Weiss shot back with a little more haughtiness than intended. Fortunately, Ruby didn’t retreat at the tone; she glanced outside and shrugged.

“Sure. I’m just going to use the restroom real quick.”

Ruby gestured to the restrooms and waited for Weiss’ nod before heading that way. Someone almost immediately stopped her to talk, much to Weiss’ annoyance, but the conversation appeared friendly. So, drink in hand and shopping bag dangling from one elbow, Weiss flipped her hair over her shoulder and went outside.

She sat down at the table furthest from any other customers. Her feet thanked her for the reprieve, but her mind sent waves of adoration as she poured more energy into her system. This little adventure had already blown away her expectations, which only raised her expectations for what might come next.

Smiling at the thought, she sipped her coffee and glanced inside. When Ruby returned, Weiss wanted another smile. If that required poking fun of herself or stripping down to her underwear, she would do it - the latter option being most enticing.

Those scandalous thoughts had nearly consumed her when someone suddenly pulled out the seat across from her and sat down.

“Quiet,” the man warned when she opened her mouth to tell him to leave. He set a gun on the table, hidden beneath his mammoth hand but clearly pointed at her. “You’re getting up and walking out of here with us.”

She glanced up at the second man standing over her shoulder before glowering at the gun-wielding idiot.

“You should really walk away while you still can.”

“Not happening. Stand up, slowly, and no one gets hurt.”

Pulse racing now, Weiss glanced at the coffeeshop before slowly pushing herself to her feet. The man behind her moved the chair out of the way and handed her her purse while the other slipped his weapon into his coat pocket and grabbed her elbow.

“Follow me,” he said, though he mostly dragged her to the sidewalk and then to the next corner. A white van with opaque windows and no license plates waited at the edge of the street.

“Not at all suspicious,” she quipped.

“Shut up and move.” The man behind her nudged her forward, so she kept walking.

“How much are they paying you? Because my family will triple it.”

“Stop talking,” he warned her with another shove that made her grate her teeth.

“Weiss?”

Weiss’ heart skipped at the sound of her name, and she silently cursed the men with an eternity in hell for being here the first time Ruby called her by her name. Now, instead of gushing over how much she liked the way her name sounded sliding through Ruby’s lips, she had to turn around with a gun barrel digging into her back.

“What the f*ck’s a cop doing here?” one of the men whispered while Ruby slowed to a stop several feet away. Her silver eyes flitted between the two men before locking onto Weiss.

“Where’re you going?”

The man behind Weiss shoved the barrel deeper into her back, which annoyed her to no end. So she did what any honest citizen would do - she cleared her throat, tilted her chin up, and said, “It’s Miss Schnee to you.”

For a split second, time stood still. Then Ruby blinked once and her weapon practically flew into her hand.

“Hands in the air!” she shouted, gun already aimed at one of the men while he roughly grabbed Weiss and pointed his gun at her head.

“sh*t, man,” he mumbled under his breath.

“Put your weapon down and let her go,” Ruby ordered, her tone calm and authoritative while her posture remained tense. The man holding Weiss pulled her a step backwards instead, which Ruby matched in one measured movement. “I’m going to count to three,” she warned. “One…two…”

Weiss didn’t wait for ‘three.’ While the man behind her was distracted, she slammed an elbow into his stomach and then stomped on his foot with her stiletto. He howled and reached for his foot, giving Ruby the chance to charge forward, lower her shoulder into his chest, and send him crashing to the pavement. The gun clattered across the ground while his partner grabbed Ruby around the waist and yanked her backward.

Ruby yelped as her knee slammed into the ground to stabilize herself, but the man was already rushing her for another attack. With the first man scrambling to regain his feet, Weiss skirted around him and grabbed the gun before he reached it. The weight of it calmed her, in a way, as she aimed at the man lunging at Ruby and squeezed the trigger.

The sound was near deafening without earmuffs, but she hardly confirmed that it hit him in the shoulder before spinning to the idiot who thought he could touch her. When she pointed the weapon at him, he raised his hands in the air. She lowered her aim and squeezed the trigger again. The bullet blew right through his kneecap, prompting a pained howl as he dropped to the ground and clutched the wound with both hands. Unmoved by his theatrics, she rushed over to Ruby.

“Are you ok?” she asked, checking Ruby for any injuries.

“You shot them,” Ruby gasped while rolling onto her side, breathing heavily. “I haven’t even shot anyone.”

“Would you like to? It’s remarkably cathartic.”

When Weiss offered Ruby the gun, Ruby stared at it with wide eyes. “What is wrong with you?” she got out before pushing herself to her feet and grabbing the weapon. Weiss froze at the question, which reverberated through her mind like a semi-truck striking a gong. She didn’t have a comeback, so she just stood there and watched Ruby check both men for weapons before returning to her.

“Are you ok? Did they hurt you?”

The concern in Ruby’s tone and expression only rubbed salt in the wound. “I’m fine,” Weiss said but offered nothing more. Ruby looked her over to confirm that she was unharmed before unclipping a radio from her belt.

“This is Officer Rose. I need immediate backup at the corner of Crescent and Pine Avenue for an attempted kidnapping. Two perpetrators, both need medical assistance. The victim is here with me.”

The next few minutes passed in slow motion. Ruby applied pressure to the shoulder of one of the men. The other clutched blood-stained hands around his knee and held back tears. And Weiss just…existed, unsure of what to do other than wait for help to arrive.

Fortunately, backup arrived quickly. The sirens could be heard first, then the first police car turned onto the street and stopped beside them. Two officers leapt out and rushed to help Ruby while another police car, followed shortly by an ambulance, arrived. Soon, the entire block swarmed with officers and medical personnel, along with a crowd of bystanders hoping to get a good look at the commotion.

As soon as the phones came out to snap photos, Weiss held up a hand hoping to block her face and mask her identity. The last thing she needed was to be caught in some idiot’s cell phone video, but she hardly started grinding her teeth about it before Ruby ushered her over to one of the police cars.

“Here.” Ruby opened the passenger door and helped Weiss inside. “I’ll get you home in a bit, ok?”

Weiss nodded, and Ruby looked like she might say something else, but she just shut the door instead. Blessed with silence and privacy, Weiss watched the chaotic scene wind down. Two ambulances left with the men and several police officers as company. More officers arrived to take pictures and collect evidence from the sidewalk. A third ambulance arrived - the paramedic who jumped out of the back fretted over Ruby as if they knew each other, but Ruby brushed off the concern and only accepted a towel to wipe the blood from her hands. Ruby then shared a few words with one of the officers and hurried back to the car.

“I told them you’re declining medical attention,” she said after getting into the driver’s seat. “Is that true?”

“Yes.”

Ruby nodded, started the car, and carefully drove around the ambulance parked on the side of the street. “They’ll need your statement, but I told them to wait. I’ll just give them mine today.”

“Ok.”

Ruby glanced over, but Weiss stared out the window, watching the streets widen. The incident had killed Weiss’ desire to talk and Ruby, fortunately or not, didn’t press - she glanced over every few seconds instead, as if she expected Weiss to disappear if she turned away for too long.

But Weiss had nowhere to go but home, and the tall gates opened for them before long. The drive leading up to the mansion passed in the blink of an eye and, before she knew it, she was staring at the courtyard leading to her home.

“Do you want me to wait with you until your family’s home?”

“No, thank you,” Weiss said while opening the door and stepping outside.

“Weiss -” Ruby started to say, but Weiss shut the door and walked away. The courtyard, the obnoxious fountains, the heavy front door, the cavernous foyer - the familiarity provided some sense of comfort. As did Whitley’s eyesore shoes sitting by the door, and the faint voices drifting from the back of the house.

Her hands trembled from adrenaline, so she clasped them together and made her way to the kitchen. When she entered the room, she found her father sitting at the dining table, ‘participating’ in family time while actually just reading emails on his phone. Her mother sat two seats away holding an opaque cup, masking the contents despite everyone knowing what it held. Winter rested her head on her hands, looking stressed beyond belief as she poured over a stack of papers. Whitley sat at the island by himself, playing a game on his phone.

It was a typical gathering. She wished that she didn’t have to ruin it with her news.

“Hey, Dad?” Despite directing the question to her father, everyone looked up at her. “Sorry,” she impulsively added. “I just - I was out shopping and, well, I think some guys just tried to kidnap me.”

She could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed, then everyone started talking at once.

“Some guys what?” her mom screeched.

“Are you serious?” Whitley asked.

“What do you mean, ‘you think?’ What’d they do?”

“Quiet!” her father ordered, and everyone instantly fell silent. “Tell me what happened.”

Before Weiss said anything, Winter came to her side, gently took her by the elbow, and guided her to sit down at the table.

“Uh, well, I went shopping on Crescent Avenue, like usual. I got this shirt.” She held up the sleeve while Whitley pulled out the chair beside her and sat down. “Then I stopped for coffee, and while I was sitting outside, some guy sat down and told me to come with him and this other guy. He had a gun, so I did.”

“Oh my god,” her mom said, looking faint and pale after hearing just that much. “Jacques, I told you. I told you to be careful.”

“We don’t even know what happened, Willow,” he reprimanded her before turning his cold gaze back to Weiss. “What happened next?”

Winter set a hand on Weiss’ shoulder, offering silent yet steady support, yet Weiss still needed a deep breath before finishing the story.

“There was a cop - she must’ve sensed something was wrong because all of a sudden she’s telling them to drop their weapons and -” Weiss paused and exhaled. “There was a struggle. I shot both of them and then they were arrested.”

Another pin-drop-worthy silence followed.

“You shot them??” her mom shrieked.

“It was self-defense,” Winter replied far more calmly.

“It’s fine,” her father said, his booming voice overruling them all. “But we need to get in touch with Lisa right away and make sure the press runs the right story. We’re the victims here.”

“Weiss literally is -” Whitley began only to be cut off by a stern look.

“And we need to call Bill and make sure nothing goes on your record. You acted in self-defense - the police better not even write your name in their system. Then we find out who did this and what they hoped to accomplish.”

“Well that’s obvious, isn’t it?” Weiss’ mother said, her bottom lip quivering and eyes filling with tears. “They wanted to kidnap her and use her for ransom.”

An ‘I’m sure that’s not true’ might have been reassuring, but Weiss’ father studied her with a cold, calculating gaze. He was probably wondering how much she was actually worth in dollars. How big of a check would he write to keep her alive?

“We shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but until we have answers, no one leaves this house without an escort.” He looked around the table, daring anyone to challenge him, before nodding. “Not even to see Robyn,” he told Winter. “And you’re taking someone to class,” he told Whitley, whose knee bounced so fast that Weiss set her hand on it to make him stop.

Several red droplets on her skirt caught her attention, and she touched the clean fabric around them before scowling.

“Maybe we should let Weiss get some rest while we reach out to everyone?” Winter suggested.

“Of course.”

Weiss’ father waved her away, but it was Winter who prodded her to her feet and ushered her out of the room. Whitley banged his knees into the bottom of the table as he scrambled after them.

“Did you really shoot them??” he asked while Winter led them upstairs. “What was it like? Was there blood everywhere??”

“Whitley.” Winter’s stern tone shut Whitley up, and she looked down at Weiss with far more care. “Are you ok?”

That question was going to grate on her for the foreseeable future, but Weiss tolerated it this time.

“I’m fine. I just want to shower and change. Maybe lay down for a bit.”

Winter and Whitley exchanged glances, but Weiss kept her gaze trained forward and her head held high. Anything else, and they would worry about her more than they already were. Even so, when they reached her room, Winter wrung her hands before nodding to Whitley, who plopped down on the sofa in Weiss’ room before she left.

Telling Whitley to leave would be pointless, so Weiss didn’t bother. She grabbed clean clothes and headed into the bathroom, leaving him to play games on his phone. Once the door closed, she turned the water to scaldingly hot and stared at her reflection until steam started fogging up the mirror.

Maybe she should feel like crying, but she felt nothing. A little stunned and annoyed by all the fretting going on, but her eyes were dryer than the desert. The moment replayed in her mind over and over again - the gun, the sound of a bullet cracking through bone, the howl of pain and the blood that followed. Then Ruby’s words, hitting like a hammer, before starting over from the beginning.

She had been so excited about the day…of course the family had to barge in and ruin everything. Now…well, she didn’t know what happened now. Her father would give her instructions that she would follow. And Ruby…

Ruby was fine, and Weiss was fine. They were both just…fine.

Chapter 5

Chapter Text

What’s wrong with you?

The steady thump of Weiss’ feet and whir of the treadmill occupied the background while the question haunted Weiss’ thoughts.

Ruby hadn’t said it quite like that though. Ruby said, What’s wrong with you?

Weiss edged the treadmill’s speed higher. Her breathing grew more labored as her legs strained to move faster. The glass wall in front of her overlooked the ocean, offering a breathtaking view that made her feel like she was running over the waves towards a destination lost at sea.

Nothing was wrong with her. She was rich, well-educated, beautiful, and knew how to get what she wanted. And, sure, maybe that meant she had forced every interaction that she and Ruby shared, but she was just having some fun at the police department’s expense.

Except it had also been at Ruby’s expense.

Manipulating a stranger was easy, but Ruby had crossed the line between stranger and acquaintance. Treating her like an object or toy at this point was something that Weiss’ father would do.

Weiss was like her father. She knew she was. That’s why she was his favorite. Why he had such big plans for her. Why she got the sports car for her birthday when her brother and sister got peanuts in comparison.

She used her name and influence to control Ruby just like he would have done. Ruby didn’t like it and Weiss knew that yet did it anyway. Somehow, Ruby tolerated all of that, yet when Weiss shoots a couple of assholes who were literally trying to kidnap her, then something was wrong with her? What was she supposed to do - let them kidnap her? Stand by and cry while they went after Ruby?

She would do everything the same way in a heartbeat, but apparently her lack of ‘damsel in distress’ energy meant something was wrong with her.

“f*ck that,” she muttered before noticing someone motioning for her attention. Finding Winter walking over, she stopped the treadmill so they could have a conversation.

“Who pissed you off?” Winter asked.

“It’s nothing.” Weiss sucked in several deep breaths before reaching for her water. “Need something?”

“Bill’s here to see you and Dad again.”

“f*cking hell,” she groaned before hopping off the treadmill. “Who knew the attorneys would be the worst part about being almost kidnapped…”

Winter made a soft sound of agreement while Weiss took several more large gulps of water, but she lingered rather than hurry off for her next task. “How are you doing?” she eventually asked, meeting Weiss’ gaze with a worried one of her own. “With…everything?”

“You mean a pair of assholes trying to kidnap me and me blasting their f*cking kneecaps off?”

Winter grimaced at the succinct description.

“Yes. With that.”

“I’m fine.” Weiss wouldn't be fine if people kept asking, but she smiled and added, “I consider it my ‘welcome to the family’ moment.”

“That shouldn’t be anyone’s ‘welcome to the family’ moment.”

“Yeah, well.” Weiss shrugged rather than point out that they hadn’t exactly been dealt a sterling hand. “You should’ve seen all the blood though. I didn’t know kneecaps could bleed that much. Isn’t it just bone over cartilage?”

Winter scrunched up her nose but subtly shook her head rather than answer the question or scold Weiss for being callous. “If you need anything,” she said instead. “You know I’m here.”

Weiss did know that, so she nodded, and Winter turned to leave. Weiss let her sister get nearly to the door before spinning around.

“Winter?” she called out, pausing Winter’s exit only to chew on her words. “Is there something wrong with me?” she eventually asked.

“Not that I’m aware of. Why?”

“What happened…I did what I had to do, but was that not…normal?”

A simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ would have sufficed, but Winter returned to Weiss, set a hand on her shoulder, and looked her squarely in the eyes.

“Not many people could have done what you did, and maybe that’s not normal. But you’re safe, and that’s the most important thing to me.”

Winter waited for Weiss’ acceptance and, once Weiss gave it, squeezed her shoulder before exiting the gym. Weiss stewed over the response for several moments before capping her water bottle and hurrying to her room. Winter would hopefully inform everyone that Weiss needed a few minutes because she wasn’t showing up anywhere before a shower and change of clothes.

Once clean and appropriately dressed, she headed downstairs feeling more like herself. She returned even more to form when she entered the living room that had doubled as a meeting room for the past few days and found several suited assholes, plus her father, already seated at the large, oval table.

“Ah. There she is.”

Her father motioned for her to sit beside him, which she obediently did. The two of them faced the attorneys on the other side who, despite having strength in numbers, looked ready to bolt at the next loud noise. Weiss had half a mind to clap her hands to see which one would jump up the fastest, but her father took over before she followed through.

“Bill has an update,” he explained before gesturing for Bill to speak.

Bill had a rat-like face and nasally voice that grated Weiss’ nerves like sandpaper. He only needed to open his mouth for her to clench her jaw and scowl.

“We’ve been in communication with the department and prosecutor’s office all day,” he explained. “Her statement matches the responding officer’s, so they won’t need anything more from us. Everyone agrees it was self-defense.”

“Good. The last thing we need is a mark on her record for something like this.” When her father glanced over, Weiss spared a thin smile. “Did the police figure out who they were working for?”

“No affiliations have been found. Both men said they were working by themselves. They figured out where she went shopping and cooked up the idea to make some quick money. They would stop by at the same time every day and wait for her to show up.”

“What a f*cking waste of time,” Weiss huffed, drawing both men’s gazes before they turned back to each other.

“Have charges been filed?” her father asked, and Bill nodded.

“Attempted kidnapping, false imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy, assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, obstructing justice -”

“Bail?”

“No bail,” Bill replied. “The Chief of Police personally protested. They’ll be in custody for a while.”

“Good.” Weiss’ father nodded once before placing his palms on the table and pushing himself to his feet. The rest of them followed suit - the junior attorneys, Weiss noted, jumped up like rabbits. “Will you need anything else from us?”

“Most likely not. The rest of the case should play out through the legal system.”

“And we know how well the legal system works.” Weiss’ father chuckled to himself before motioning to the door. “In that case, we’ll leave it in your hands.”

“Yes, Mr. Schnee. Don’t worry about a thing.”

If Weiss was in Bill’s shoes, she would be incredibly worried about everything. But Bill bowed before rushing out of the house with his juniors in tow. Weiss watched them go before turning to her father, whose furrowed brow and pursed lips suggested something else was on his mind.

“Tell your mother I won’t be at dinner,” he eventually said. “I’m going to make a few calls and make sure the police did their jobs.”

Weiss nodded and headed to the kitchen, grateful to be done with those dreadful meetings for now. Hopefully, they wouldn't need to speak to her again. Not that they were even speaking to her so much as speaking around her.

Shaking her head at what was one of her biggest pet peeves, she reached the kitchen and discovered that they had company. Winter must have invited Robyn over, and now the tall, tan woman stood next to Winter at the island, one hand resting on the small of Winter’s back. Robyn usually wore her snow-white hair tied up in a short ponytail, like it was tonight, and had a strange penchant for wearing gloves.

Besides those riveting details, all Weiss knew was that Robyn worked as an art curator, seemed overly cautious around Weiss in particular, and made Winter happy. The last part mattered most, so Weiss walked over to the pair and flashed a small smile.

“Winter didn’t say you’d be here,” she told Robyn. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“You too, Weiss.” Robyn’s violet eyes dashed to Winter before returning to Weiss. “Winter told me what happened…are you doing ok?”

Weiss’ jaw clenched, but she forced a smile and said, “Never been better.” Robyn’s brow rose, but then Weiss’ mom swept into the room with Whitley in tow.

“Let’s eat, everyone.” After motioning Whitley to the dining table, she gestured for one of the housekeepers to refill her glass of wine while the other started serving dinner. “Dad’s busy,” Weiss told her, but she waved a hand as if that was expected news and guided Weiss to the table. Weiss sat beside Whitley, who was already playing some game on his phone that he hadn’t put down in days.

“No games at the table,” Winter reminded him while she and Robyn sat on the other side of the table. When Whitley heaved a big sigh, she shrugged and added, “Dad’s rules.”

“Dad’s not even here,” he pointed out, but he put his phone away regardless. A plate of food appeared in front of him then, so he turned to Weiss. “Hey, Weiss -” was all he got out before Weiss rolled her eyes and traded his lobster for her steak. “You’re the best,” he said before digging into his dinner.

The table quickly settled into silence broken by the sound of silverware clinking on plates, but a strain lingered in the air. That strain always appeared when Robyn was around, and Weiss couldn't understand how Winter tolerated it. They couldn't be themselves in Robyn’s presence - they had to be the picture-perfect family that Robyn and the rest of Vale expected them to be.

Fortunately, Robyn didn’t visit often.

“Did your father get everything sorted out with Bill?” Weiss’ mother asked, her blue eyes only temporarily holding Weiss’ before returning to her wine.

“Sounds like everything’s taken care of.”

“Good. Just what we need is something like that lingering out there.”

“Bill’s the family attorney,” Winter explained to Robyn. “He’s dealing with…what happened to Weiss.”

“Ah.” Robyn nodded while Weiss silently stewed over how that sounded. Unfortunately, Robyn didn’t let her stew for long. “Was it scary?” she asked.

The direct question caught Weiss by surprise considering how guarded Robyn typically was, but she shook her head and said, “Not really. There wasn’t time to be scared.”

“And Weiss isn’t scared of anything,” Whitley piped in, grinning at Weiss while she patted his arm. “She took them out all on her own. Shot ‘em with their own gun.”

While he mimed holding a gun and popping off two shots, Weiss glanced at Robyn and said, “We don’t need to go into details…” When Whitley’s brow furrowed, she sent a pointed nod Robyn’s way. His eyes briefly widened, then he stuffed an enormous piece of steak into his mouth and shut up.

“I’m glad it’s over,” she told Robyn. “And the people involved were arrested, so there’s nothing to worry about. We can all just move on.”

What she really wanted to say was that everyone could stop treating her like a porcelain doll, but she tried to be on her best behavior in Robyn’s presence. Winter really liked Robyn, so the last thing Weiss wanted to do was cause an issue by pointing out that all of them had seen or heard far worse than someone getting shot in the kneecap during a botched kidnapping.

Thankfully, the conversation moved to lighter, simpler subjects. Robyn’s work at the museum. Whitley’s classes. Their mother’s complaints about the burdens of being invited to all of Vale’s most important gatherings.

By the time the housekeepers cleared away the dishes, Weiss had learned nothing new about Robyn, Whitley, or her mother. The shallow, unsatisfying pleasantries rubbed the wrong way, but Winter seemed happy with how dinner went despite Whitley teasing her about everything from her hair to the way she sat.

Weiss might have joined in on a couple of those jokes, but she couldn't let Whitley die alone on the hill of, ‘You look like you’re sitting on a tiny cactus.’ If she taught him anything in the next few years, it would be how to reduce someone to tears through words alone. Not Winter, of course, but any of the other idiots occupying the world with them. She was beginning to fear that he was too sweet to ever develop that killer instinct…in which case she would just have to castigate everyone on his behalf.

As soon as dinner ended, their mother disappeared to the balcony for a nightcap and Winter provided no explanation or destination as she set off with Robyn, hand in hand. They hardly left the kitchen before Whitley leaned over and whispered, “Robyn’s weird, right? All…boring and museum-y.”

He giggled when Weiss shushed him, but he made a valid point.

“Maybe Winter just wants something…simple,” she offered.

“But that’s weird, right? How’s she going to hide things for the rest of her life?”

Weiss pursued her lips at a conundrum that she ultimately had no answer for. She shook her head and said, “She’ll just have to figure that out,” instead. Whitley shrugged and patted his pocket for his keys, then his eyes widened.

“Shoot. Forgot to lock the garage door.”

“Again?” Weiss asked while he jumped up. “Mom’s going to have a stroke one of these days.”

“She’ll be fine!” he protested, leaving the kitchen at a quick jog.

With Whitley rushing off to correct his mistake, Winter occupied with her sweet-yet-boring girlfriend, and their mom approaching incomprehensible by now, Weiss sighed and decided to return to her room. She could read another book or watch some mindless television until she got tired enough to sleep, or Whitley might bother her to watch him play his game.

The humdrum evening suited her just fine. Unfortunately, the foyer held an unwelcome surprise for her in the form of Henry Marigold. Surrounded by two of his ever-present bodyguards, he loitered around like he owned the place. As if that didn’t annoy Weiss enough, he caught sight of her and immediately blocked her path to the staircase.

“What do you want?” she snapped.

“I heard what happened, so I came to check on you. See how you’re doing.”

“How sweet. Now you’ve seen me, so f*ck off.”

She brushed past him, but he turned and walked beside her.

“You must’ve been scared out of your mind.”

“The only thing that scares me is how little brain activity happens between your ears.” When he grabbed her elbow to try to stop her, she jerked away and glared at him. “What did I say about touching me?”

“Come on. I brought you a little something.”

He dug a plastic bag out of his pocket and held it in front of her. As soon as she saw the white powder in it, and the idiotic smile plastered on his lips, she slapped his hand away and said, “Get that sh*t out of my face.”

“Don’t be such a narc. This is the good stuff. It’ll take the edge off. Maybe you’ll even relax for once.”

He chuckled at the idea, but she glared daggers at him.

“I’d rather peel my skin off than touch that sh*t. And if you ever bring it into this house again, I’ll call the cops on you myself. Got it?” When he frowned, looking thoroughly confused, she crossed her arms over her chest. “No drugs or anything illegal here, dipsh*t. You’re lucky my dad didn’t see that.”

Eyes finally widening, he shoved the bag back into his pocket and asked, “How about a drink then? I know a great little bar -”

“Hard pass.”

A brief frown flashed across his lips, but he brightened when Whitley appeared in the entryway. “Hey Champ!” he called out, raising his hand for Whitley’s reluctant high-five. “Can’t you convince your sister to give me a shot?”

“Uh…” Whitley glanced at Weiss, who scowled, and shook his head. “She doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to.”

“And that’s currently you,” Weiss pointedly added. Henry’s frown cut deeper this time, but she frowned right back until Whitley tapped her arm.

“Someone’s here for you.”

“Who?”

“Dunno. Some girl. She’s waiting out by the driveway.”

Weiss’ attention perked up at the meager description, and her lips nearly betrayed her with a smile. She cleared her throat and tilted her chin up to level Henry with one last glare.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere better to be.”

With that, she grabbed a jacket from the coat closet and marched outside. The chilly air nipped at her cheeks and nose, but she hardly thought anything of it as she hurried to the driveway as fast as her heels would carry her. Hope stirred in her chest, which she silently reprimanded herself for, but then she reached the end of the courtyard and felt her heart try to come undone.

There, standing near a parked car that was clearly out of place near such an extravagant home, was Ruby. Weiss hadn’t forced her to come, or even asked her to come, yet there she was…wearing a lightweight black jacket, jeans, and sneakers. Her hands were shoved into her pockets, her posture relaxed as she leaned against the hood of the car, and her short brown hair that perfect combination of ruffled yet sexy.

For the briefest moment, Weiss imagined flying into Ruby’s arms for a hug. She imagined strong arms wrapping around her while a warm hand wove through her hair and soft assurances were whispered into her ear. She imagined being enveloped in the smell of cinnamon and roses.

She shoved those musings aside and stomped over to Ruby instead.

“What’re you doing here?” she demanded, yet Ruby didn’t flinch at the terse tone. She didn’t even look surprised by it - she left her hands in her pockets and shrugged a shoulder towards one of the walkways splitting off of the driveway.

“Can we go for a walk or something?”

“You think you can just show up unannounced and ‘go for a walk?’” Weiss shot back.

“I do, yeah.”

Weiss scoffed, but the sound had no real annoyance behind it. She already knew that she would agree, and Ruby seemed to know it, too. Regardless, she had an image to uphold, so she ground her jaw back and forth before impatiently motioning for Ruby to lead the way. Making Ruby lead when she had no idea where to go wasn’t the nicest of tactics, but she didn’t hesitate in picking a path for them.

If that path led somewhere Weiss didn’t want to go, she would have corrected Ruby. But it took them away from the house and prying eyes, so she said nothing and followed. She wanted to say many things but crossed her arms over her chest and kept her mouth shut. Ruby would have to work for a conversation this time.

Ruby said nothing as they reached a lighted trail branching out toward the ocean. Maybe she thought that Weiss would speak first. Or maybe she also wanted the privacy offered by the lush, manicured landscape and the soft sound of waves. Were it not for the uneasy silence, Weiss could pretend that they were here simply to enjoy the beautiful scenery and each other’s company. Then Ruby gently cleared her throat, announcing an end to the silence.

“I’m sure you’re ready to stab the next person who asks how you’re doing, so I won’t. But, you know, I hope you’re doing ok with…everything.”

Part of Weiss hated that Ruby knew how much the question annoyed her, but another part warmed pleasantly.

“It’ll take more than that to rattle me,” she quipped, so Ruby blew a breath through her lips.

“Right. It’s just…most people would be a little rattled.”

Weiss clenched her jaw at another insinuation that she wasn’t ‘most people.’ Ordinarily, she was fine with that. It was true. But she enjoyed it much less today.

“I was,” Ruby continued regardless. “Scared, too. And so full of adrenaline that I couldn't sleep. Just stared at the ceiling all night.” When Weiss still didn’t respond, this time dismayed that Ruby openly admitted such weaknesses, Ruby sighed. “If you ever want to talk to someone about it, I guess…”

Ruby paired the offer with a little shrug, and Weiss was struck by how genuine it sounded. Like Ruby would actually take the time to listen while Weiss spilled her heart out, as if that was something Weiss could ever do. While Weiss studied Ruby though, searching for some ulterior motive or just pure stupidity in the overture, she finally noticed the hobble in Ruby’s gait.

“Are you ok?”

When Ruby looked over, expression confused, Weiss motioned to her leg.

“Oh. Yeah, it’s fine. Just bruised and swollen, kind of like I slammed my knee into concrete.” Ruby chuckled, but Weiss bit back some unsavory words about the asshole who caused the injury. “I’m surprised they let me through so easily,” Ruby added, motioning to the gates that looked miles away by now. “Thought they’d give me a hard time, but I just showed them my badge and they waved me in.”

“Of course they did. We have nothing to hide from Vale’s dedicated men and women in uniform.”

Ruby huffed and glanced over, her silver eyes sparkling in the light from the elegant lanterns lining the path.

“It sounds like you’re reading off a script when you say stuff like that. Especially without any curse words.”

“Then of course they let you in. We have nothing to f*cking hide,” Weiss restated before looking up at Ruby. “Better?”

“Much.”

When Ruby chuckled, Weiss’ heart fluttered. Weiss immediately scolded her heart, trying to force it back into submission, but it rebelled even more. Walking with someone seemed like the most mundane activity in the world, yet every step along the smooth concrete path accompanied a growing bubble of words in her chest. She wanted to talk about everything - anything - yet surrendered to the tension in the air.

It wasn’t until they reached one of the most beautiful spots on the property, where the trail swooped out to a cliff jutting out over the water, that Ruby stopped and stared. The moon had begun to rise, casting a white glow on the ocean while waves crashed on the shore hundreds of feet below. Under different circ*mstances, Weiss would joke about how romantic it was for the two of them to be out here, far from prying eyes, with nothing but the moon and ocean as company. Ruby, however, seemed to have other matters on her mind, as she took a deep breath and released it in one long exhale.

“I wanted to say I’m sorry,” she abruptly said, turning to Weiss with an apologetic expression. “I didn’t take my job, or you, seriously enough. I was supposed to protect you. Instead, I -” Ruby briefly squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “I could never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

“That almost sounds like you care, Officer.”

“I do.” The straightforward response briefly halted Weiss’ breathing, and Ruby doubled down on it with a nod. “I care about what happens to you. And…I don’t think anything’s wrong with you. It’s just…I’ve spent years training for situations like that, yet you’re just…” Ruby made a motion with her hands before sighing. “You handled it like you were born for it, and I didn’t expect that. I should have, considering -” Ruby motioned to Weiss again. “But I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, and I’m really sorry.”

“You really think you could hurt my feelings that easily?” Weiss scoffed at the thought but softened her response under Ruby’s knowing gaze. “Well, I’ll accept your apology if you say my name again.”

“What?”

“Say my name.”

“Weiss?”

Weiss closed her eyes and hummed.

“That sounds so good coming out of your mouth.”

“It feels pretty good, too.”

“Oh?” Weiss arched a brow and, in a test of boundaries, reached up and touched Ruby’s bottom lip with her thumb. Ruby didn’t pull away - she smiled, and her eyes sparkled. She must have already known that Weiss would respond that way, so Weiss held back the dirty thought lingering on her tongue. The show of restraint accomplished the extraordinary - Ruby laughed, and Weiss was soon smiling instead.

By the time Ruby’s laughter trailed off, the air between them felt clearer than the sky on a cloudless day. A small, comfortable silence lasted only until Ruby’s gaze flitted to the ocean before making its way back to Weiss.

“And, uh…I kind of miss you bothering me. The last few days have been pretty boring.”

Weiss’ feelings finally broke free, and she couldn’t have held back a smile if someone paid her.

“You like me,” she teased, though her heart damn near stopped when Ruby shyly rubbed the back of her neck.

“I mean, it’s just - things are a lot more…interesting…when you’re around.”

“I make your days better,” Weiss rephrased. Another smile slipped onto her lips when Ruby playfully rolled her eyes. “I figured that I did,” she continued, chasing that thread as long as it amused Ruby. “I mean, who wouldn't want to spend the day almost getting kidnapped with me?”

“They definitely weren’t after me.”

“Their loss.” Ruby’s brow rose when the comment registered, so Weiss swiftly changed course. “To be fair, that’s never happened before. My family’s freaking out about it.”

“How are you so calm then?”

“I’m fine, aren’t I?”

“Physically, yeah -”

“I knew you found me attractive,” Weiss interrupted, but Ruby rolled her eyes.

“For the tenth time, yes. You’re pretty. I don’t know why you make such a big deal about it.”

“Maybe I like hearing you say it.”

“Then I think you’re really pretty. Beautiful. Gorgeous, even.”

Weiss had been called all of those before but, this time, averted her gaze as her cheeks warmed to an uncomfortable degree. Ruby’s dumb, candid honesty could be incredibly disarming sometimes - like this one, forcing Weiss to blow a small, shallow breath through her lips before clearing her throat and replying with a delayed, “I’m aware.”

Ruby’s smile said that the reaction had been noted, but no comment was made. Before Weiss worried about what Ruby might do with that knowledge, Ruby buried her hands deeper in her pockets and shuffled her feet.

“I wanted to ask something.” When Weiss patiently waited, Ruby blew out a quick breath before saying, “If you’re free this weekend, there’s somewhere I want to take you.”

“Like…a date?”

Weiss could hardly conceal a bright smile while Ruby shrugged and said, “Sure. Like a date. I mean, you’ll call it that anyway.”

“I would,” Weiss agreed, though her heart started jumping all around her chest when Ruby used the word. “Where?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“I don’t like surprises.”

“Well, I do. So…I guess one of us will be unhappy.”

Faced with that conundrum, Weiss pursed her lips for a moment before solemnly nodding. “I’ll be the unhappy one,” she resolved, but her brow unfurrowed when Ruby grinned at her. “What?”

“Pretty sure that’s the most selfless thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

“I can be selfless,” Weiss huffed, only to melt under Ruby’s smile. “When and where should I meet you?”

“How about Saturday at eleven? And I’ll pick you up.” Ruby paused and glanced at Weiss’ feet. “You might not want to wear heels.”

“I always wear heels.”

“But we’ll be on our feet for a while.”

“That’s fine. I haven’t felt my feet in years.” Weiss waved off the worry, but Ruby’s eyes widened like saucers. “I’m kidding,” Weiss added as yet another smile slipped onto her lips. That smile brightened when Ruby laughed.

“Ok, wear whatever you want. I won’t be wearing heels though.”

Weiss’ gaze slid to Ruby’s feet, suddenly imagining Ruby standing several inches taller, forcing Weiss to tilt her chin up even more than she already had to. The pleasant image had Weiss wetting her lips, only to shiver when a cold ocean breeze swept across them. Despite Weiss’ attempt to downplay the reaction, Ruby noticed.

“We should probably head back now. It’s getting pretty cold.”

It could have been snowing and Weiss would have stayed out there for hours more, but Ruby headed back towards the house without waiting for Weiss’ blessing.

“Maybe you should check my room for intruders again,” Weiss commented. “You know, for safety.”

Ruby glanced at the windows of the mansion before shaking her head.

“Is your dad home?”

“Maybe…”

“Then pretty sure I’d be the intruder.”

“Forget my room then - we could use one of the guest houses. That way no one would…interrupt us.”

Weiss gave Ruby’s outfit another thorough inspection, mentally planning exactly where she would tug and pull to remove each article of clothing, but her heart came alive when Ruby laughed. Something about that simple, joyful sound made Weiss feel like she could levitate right off the ground.

“Maybe next time.”

Weiss literally stumbled at the response, but Ruby grabbed her arm to steady her. Much to Weiss’ disappointment, however, Ruby let go as soon as she regained her balance.

“When are you coming over next then?” she pressed.

“Saturday. To pick you up.”

Ruby grinned at the tease, and Weiss opened her mouth only to shut it on the host of responses lined up on the tip of her tongue. She usually didn’t enjoy being teased, but in this instance…she didn’t exactly mind it.

“This is gorgeous, by the way,” Ruby commented, waving to the cliffside and the ocean. “It’s like…somewhere someone would get married.”

“Is that a proposal? Because I’d much rather be propositioned first.”

“Believe me, I know.” While Weiss smiled, Ruby chuckled and added, “I’m just saying - it’s nice out here. You almost forget who owns it.”

The comment lessened Weiss’ smile, and she lightly clenched her fists as they continued their walk.

“This property belonged to my grandfather,” she explained. “He built the house and put in all these trails. He loved walking with my grandmother or just by himself to think. He had big plans. Good plans.”

“What happened to those plans?”

“My father happened.” Weiss frowned for a second before adding, “He’s the only one who hasn’t asked how I’m doing. He knows I’m fine.”

“Knows you’re fine or assumes you’re fine?”

“Those are the same thing to him.”

That response opened the door to more questions, but Ruby nodded and kept walking. Her hand brushed against Weiss’ on the next step, seizing Weiss’ heart for a moment, before continuing as if nothing happened. If the walk had been longer, maybe she would have held Weiss’ hand. Weiss would have been more than amenable to that, especially since she couldn't stop wondering if Ruby’s hands were soft or toughened from years of police training. Instead of learning the answer, she found herself moderately annoyed when they reached the house sooner than she wanted.

“Here we are.” Ruby stopped near her car, so Weiss did too. “Thanks for walking with me. And not having your security guys escort me out of here.”

“We’d never do that to one of Vale’s f*cking finest.”

As soon as Ruby laughed, Weiss smiled so hard that her mouth might permanently remain that way. That growing concern flitted from her thoughts when Ruby pulled out her car keys but, rather than leave, fiddled with them in her hand. The hesitation sent Weiss’ hopes rocketing to an all-time high. Just when she considered making the first move, however, Ruby hugged her.

It wasn’t a kiss, but Weiss melted into the embrace like she was soft butter and Ruby was the sun on a hot day. She couldn't remember the last time she hugged someone besides Winter or Whitley, but she would need more of it. Ruby was gentle, warm, and smelled vaguely like cinnamon and roses, but her arms were strong. They held Weiss closely and securely, as if daring anyone to try to get between them.

“I’m glad you’re ok…” Ruby whispered before burrowing her nose into Weiss’ hair and taking a deep breath, and damn if that wasn’t one of the most needlessly erotic things that Weiss had ever experienced.

By the time Ruby pulled away - with the sweetest, most tender smile Weiss had ever received - Weiss was grasping for words, caught between ordering Ruby to stay and needing space to sort through overwhelming emotions. She wanted Ruby to say, but she couldn't tell Ruby what to do - well, she could, but she didn’t want to. She wanted to see what Ruby would do on her own volition, and Ruby smiled while stepping away.

“I’ll see you Saturday,” she said before getting into her car. The engine started, the headlights turned on, and she waved through the passenger window before starting down the drive.

Weiss watched the car leave, the lights dimming and the silence returning with each passing second. Only when the car disappeared onto city streets did she realize how silly she must look standing out there by herself. Yet she didn’t budge.

She would have to go back inside eventually, returning to her ‘real’ life, but she wanted to delay the inevitable for a moment longer. She wanted to savor something so magical and unexpected that she couldn't have dreamed it up in her imagination.

Ruby, under her own free will, came to see Weiss. She didn’t have to - she probably shouldn’t have after everything Weiss did - yet she had.

Maybe Weiss should be wondering what was wrong with Ruby. Instead, with her heart still racing and a smile refusing to leave her lips, she replayed that hug over and over again while looking forward to Saturday.

Chapter 6

Chapter Text

Ten different outfits came and went before Weiss settled on the one: a flowy, light-blue blouse paired with a snug white skirt and heels that would still leave her an inch short of Ruby’s height. Dangling diamond earrings, silver bracelets, and a matching necklace rounded out the ensemble, which she deemed stylish yet casual enough for most locations.

She had no idea whether it would be appropriate for wherever Ruby planned on taking her, but she grabbed one of her favorite purses and swept downstairs with wings on her feet. She couldn't remember ever being this excited for a date. She didn’t even know if Ruby meant it as a date date or was just playing along with her propensity to call everything a date, but she would assume that this was a real date.

A date with a cop…there was something wrong with her. That became even more apparent when her first stop was to the kitchen, where she grabbed the sole-remaining chocolate chip cookie from the island, wrapped it in a napkin, and stowed it away. Cookie crumbs might get all over the inside of her ten thousand dollar bag, but that was an acceptable risk when the potential reward was one of those delicious moans - she would fill her bag with melted chocolate to hear that sound again.

A smile crept onto her lips, imagining that scenario as she headed to the foyer to await Ruby’s arrival. Would Ruby be early? Right on time? Weiss usually didn’t tolerate tardiness, but she couldn't say for certain that she would cancel their plans if Ruby showed up late. While deliberating on why Ruby got such preferential treatment, she reached the foyer and immediately sighed.

“Do you live here now?” she snapped at Henry, who grinned as soon as he saw her.

“That’d be crazy, right?”

“You mean appalling,” she corrected. “And I don’t have time for whatever moronic things you have to say. I have plans.”

“‘Plans?’” he repeated, following her to the door. “As in, plans outside of the house?”

“No, I’m attending a tea party with Whitley’s action figures. Of course outside the house, dipsh*t.”

He stepped in front of her, blocking her path and forcing her scowl.

“Should you really be leaving after what happened?”

“Some assholes tried to kidnap me and are now sitting in prison with holes in their knees and shoulders. I don’t see the problem.”

“What if they weren’t working alone? You could be in danger.” She rolled her eyes, but he puffed out his chest and added, “I’ll come with you.”

“I’ll bury myself in the backyard first. Now, get out of the way.”

Henry might be taller than her, but she had every reason to believe that she could reduce him to tears before he could cry ‘uncle.’ He deserved it for being a persistent gnat, and she was deciding between going for his face or groin when her father chose to join them.

“Good. Mr. Schnee.” Henry motioned Weiss’ father over, so she aborted her plan. “I’d like to drive Weiss to her plans this afternoon, but she insists that she doesn’t need security.”

When a steely blue gaze landed on her, Weiss smiled sweetly at Henry.

“Thank you, Henry, for getting that utterly incorrect. I don’t need your company, or anyone’s company, because I’ll be accompanied by a literal cop.” Henry’s eyes widened at the disclosure, so she smirked at him before turning to her father. “Chief Fowler assigned me an undercover officer for the day,” she lied. “They’ll be with me the entire time. I don’t need more protection than that.”

“It’s still not a good idea,” Henry protested.

“You wouldn't know a good idea if it bit your goddamn nose off,” she shot at him before smiling at her dad. “I’d prefer to be accompanied by the police this time. Bringing bodyguards everywhere only sends the message that we’re worried, and I’m not worried. Are you worried?”

Worried fell too close to ‘scared,’ and her father would never admit that he was scared of anything. Still, he studied her for several moments before his mustache twitched with a smile.

“Of course not.” He squared his shoulders, clasped his hands behind his back, and nodded. “That’s a fine plan, but I expect you home before dark.”

“Absolutely.”

Weiss nodded to her dad then scowled at Henry and jerked her head to the side. He reluctantly moved out of her way, and she was crossing the courtyard in no time. In poor time, actually, since now she was running late.

By the time she made it to the top of the drive, Ruby was already there, leaning against the hood of her car in an entirely too sexy way. Jeans and sneakers looked effortlessly casual yet put-together when clinging to her lean frame. Her red, collared t-shirt, however, revealed plenty of muscle to leer over.

Ruby straightened up when she saw Weiss, their eyes locked, and then a smile crept onto Ruby’s lips.

“Hey.”

“Hey yourself,” Weiss replied, her gaze roaming over Ruby before she inevitably smiled. “How’s your knee?”

“Oh. It’s good. Thanks for -” Ruby glanced down at her leg and then tilted her head. “I’m surprised you remembered?”

“Of course I remembered,” Weiss scoffed but moved on before Ruby asked why she remembered. “I brought you something.”

When Weiss handed over the chocolate chip cookie, Ruby’s expression brightened as if the singular baked good was made of solid gold. It seemed like a silly and outlandish response, but then Ruby took a big bite and groaned in a way that sent a tingle down Weiss’ spine. The sound was less sensual than the last time, but damn if it didn’t affect her the same way.

“God, these are so good…” Ruby added, another bite disappearing in the blink of an eye. “Please find out where I can get them.”

“Begging already? Our date hasn’t even started yet.”

“I like to be early. Unlike someone.”

Weiss’ brow rose at Ruby’s pointed look, and she opened her mouth to argue only to scoff instead. She wanted to smile, but why did she want to smile when Ruby just needled her for being late? She should be needling right back, only using a sword instead of a needle. Instead, she said nothing and watched Ruby polish off the cookie in seconds.

“Ready?” Ruby asked, brushing off her hands and grinning once Weiss nodded. Ruby headed to the driver’s seat though, leaving Weiss to cross her arms over her chest.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Weiss nodded to the passenger door, but Ruby grinned at her over the hood and said, “Nope!” Weiss scoffed, but Ruby started the car, rolled down the passenger window, and said, “You coming or what?”

“Unbelievable,” Weiss grumbled, yanking the door open for herself and sitting down with a huff. She buckled her seatbelt and recrossed her arms, chewing over responses ranging from irate to…well, just irate.

“So you can open doors,” Ruby teased, grinning at Weiss before driving to the front gates. “Your manicure must be a few days old.”

“Four,” Weiss shot back. “And I have another appointment next week.”

“I’d say that’s excessive, but your hands are pretty so…”

The sentence dangled until Ruby concluded it with a shrug that diffused the bomb of annoyance in Weiss’ chest. Something pleasant and warm crept through her veins instead, helping her relax into the unfamiliar seat.

“You think my hands are pretty?”

Ruby hummed, too busy watching traffic to glance over. “Your nails are a bit long though,” she added at the next light, throwing in a wink that sent Weiss’ thoughts careening in a different direction. A response failed to materialize. Weiss stared at her fingernails, with their pearlescent white-pink hue, and eventually cleared her throat.

“That can be fixed.”

This time, Ruby laughed, and Weiss’ heart fluttered in that frustratingly common way it did in Ruby’s presence. The air cleared though, and the next few moments passed in comfortable silence disturbed only by the soft music from the radio and sounds of the city. The longer Weiss watched the flow of traffic, however, the more amused she grew.

“You drive like a grandma,” she quipped before side-eyeing Ruby. “A hot grandma, but still - a minivan just passed us.”

Weiss gestured to the offending vehicle, which looked one speed bump away from the junkyard, while Ruby chuckled and shook her head.

“Not everyone drives like a demon straight out of hell.”

“The world would be a better place if they did,” Weiss huffed. “Don’t cops get immunity from tickets?”

“Nope. We have to follow the rules like everyone else. Well, everyone but you, apparently.”

“So the pay is sh*t, the hours are sh*t, the cars smell like sh*t, and you don’t get to break any laws?”

“Yup. People seem to like the uniforms though.”

Weiss’ gaze slid over Ruby as she remembered the tight, dark-blue uniform wrapped around Ruby’s toned figure, then she bit her bottom lip imagining what she would look like wrapped around Ruby’s toned figure.

“You’re right,” she concluded. “Those are worth it.”

When Ruby laughed, the comment was worth it, too. Teasing someone without any bite or anger felt…weird…but not as weird as being teased back in a way that didn’t make her want to issue threats of extraordinary bodily harm. Dare she say that riding in the car with Ruby was almost comfortable?

The thought hardly crossed her mind before Ruby found a parking spot and turned off the engine.

“Know where we are?”

Weiss peered outside, where drab buildings somehow remained standing and iron bars covered windows so dirty that they might as well be opaque.

“A third-world country?” she guessed before following Ruby outside, inhaling, and wrinkling her nose.

“Close.” Ruby joined Weiss on the sidewalk and motioned her down the street. “You don’t come downtown much, I’m guessing.”

“Why would I when it looks like this?” Weiss frowned at a bus stop covered in graffiti before glancing at Ruby. “You’re armed, right?”

“Of course.” If Weiss had even started to worry, Ruby’s confident smile would have washed it all away. “I have backup, too.”

Ruby gestured to a police cruiser parked nearby, which Weiss took one look at before sighing.

“Really? A chaperone? What are we - sixteen?”

“You’ve obviously forgotten that someone tried to kidnap you -”

“And they’re in prison.”

“They are, and they said they were working alone, but -”

“Are you saying I should be worried?” Weiss interrupted.

“No, I -” Ruby sighed and stepped closer, her eyes pleading for a shred of patience. “I’m saying…it’s not a bad idea to be cautious for a little while. Let things blow over, make sure you’re safe.” When Weiss didn’t immediately tear apart the idea, a small smile eased onto Ruby’s lips. “Besides, I don’t want Jaune crashing our date. He’ll wait outside, just in case.”

‘Our date,’ Ruby said, and Weiss caved like a house of cards in a hurricane. Still, she found it somewhere in her to sigh before saying, “Fine. As long as he doesn’t bother us.”

“He won’t.” Ruby waved to the officer and led Weiss further along the sidewalk before gesturing to a sign hanging above a set of relatively clean glass doors. “Know where we are now?”

Weiss read the sign, then the peeling letters stuck to the glass doors, and felt something she hadn’t in a long time: horror.

“No…”

“Yes.”

“Please tell me you’re joking.”

“Serious as a heart attack.”

Ruby opened the door and motioned Weiss through, beaming all the while. Weiss, on the other hand, stared at the faded letters before sighing and entering the mundanely named Vale Community Kitchen.

Stepping through the doorway was like stepping into another world. In this world, buzzing fluorescent lights made everything look faintly off-color while cheap round tables were crowded by plastic chairs with ugly brown cushions. The large, open space looked like a high school cafeteria, complete with a kitchen and hair-netted employees on the far side of the room. The…‘customers’ might be too generous of a term…were a collection of clearly underprivileged souls who could fill out a zoo on an alien planet, especially now that Weiss had arrived to occupy the ‘wealthy, well-dressed, and showered that morning’ exhibit.

Well, Ruby had also showered that morning. Weiss could smell the faint scent of roses in her hair when she waved to a mousy woman with even mousier brown hair. The woman smiled and hurried over to greet them while Ruby put an arm behind Weiss’ back - not on Weiss’ back, but close enough to prevent Weiss from fleeing.

“Ruby!” The woman hugged Ruby like an old friend before clasping her hands on Ruby’s arms and beaming up at her. “Back already?”

“You know you can’t keep me away for long.” Beaming now, Ruby turned to Weiss and motioned to the mousy woman. “This is Rebecca. She’s the program director, which basically means she’s in charge of everything.”

Rebecca chuckled at the introduction but didn’t correct any exaggerations.

“And this -” Ruby added, prodding Weiss a step forward. “Is Weiss Schnee. Call her Weiss though - she doesn’t like being called ‘Miss.’”

Rebecca’s eyes briefly widened, but she quickly smiled and extended her hand.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” she said while shaking Weiss’ hand. “You have no idea how grateful we are for your donation. It was a godsend, really. We’ve had more mouths to feed than usual, what with the cold nights we’ve been having.”

The sincere, overwhelming gratitude stuck to Weiss’ pores like oil, but she mustered a cordial smile. “The thanks should go to you for your hard work,” she added, but Rebecca waved off the platitude.

“Do you two want to help out for a bit?”

“Absolutely,” Ruby answered right as Weiss began shaking her head.

“Excellent.” Rebecca clasped her hands together, both she and Ruby either ignoring or not noticing Weiss’ reluctance. “Let me get you some gloves and nets and you’ll be set.”

While she dashed off to procure those items, Weiss gave Ruby an incredulous look.

“You consider this a date?”

“Uh, yeah?”

Weiss pursed her lips and blessed the community kitchen with a second look. The clientele, upon closer inspection, were miserable and dirty. Their clothing came from secondhand stores or had been worn for a decade too long. One man, sitting at a table alone and eating with his hands, wore a pair of matted, wool socks with open-toed sandals. An older woman near him wore a necklace made of safety pins.

There was nothing sexy or flirtatious or exciting to be found. Honestly, Ruby couldn't have chosen a worse location. Weiss was about to point that out when Rebecca returned.

“Here we go.” Rebecca passed several items to Ruby before handing Weiss a pair of latex gloves and a bundle of mesh. “You’ll show Weiss the ropes?” she asked Ruby, who beamed and nodded. “Perfect. Let me know if you have questions.”

Rebecca smiled one last time before heading into the dining area, where she fearlessly engaged in conversation with the safety pin lady. Weiss, meanwhile, wrinkled her nose when she realized that the bundle of mesh was actually a hair net.

“You’ve lost your mind if you think I’m wearing this.”

“Guess I’m crazy then,” Ruby replied with an effortless grin that caught Weiss off guard. That grin was unlike anything Ruby had shown so far, being part teasing, part challenge, and part humor.

That was when Weiss realized, as Ruby displayed the patience of a saint, that this was a test. Ruby knew that Weiss didn’t belong here. She knew that Weiss wouldn't enjoy it - maybe she even suspected that Weiss would detest it - and she expected Weiss to put up a fight.

“I’d prefer if you wore just the hairnet,” Weiss quipped, pulling the mesh over her hair and shooting Ruby a triumphant look.

“There she is,” Ruby replied with a delighted laugh that set Weiss’ heart aflutter. There was something so genuine and carefree about it, as if something as stupid as Weiss wearing a hairnet made Ruby truly happy. It was dumb, but it was different, and Weiss’ reticence faded as she followed Ruby to the cafeteria-style buffet.

“What’re we supposed to do?”

“Whatever these fine ladies ask us to do.”

Ruby extended an arm toward the three ladies in the kitchen, all of them wearing their own hair nets as they tended to a variety of pots and pans on the stove.

“Why don’t you two take over scooping so Marlene can help us catch up?” one of them suggested.

“You got it!”

While the woman who must be Marlene vacated the buffet, carrying with her several large metal trays, Ruby motioned Weiss over to take her place. “It’s easy,” Ruby explained while Weiss looked over the selection of food - everything from green beans to macaroni to slices of chicken. “When someone comes in, we get them what they want. Usually just a scoop unless they’re extra hungry.”

“You want me to…serve…these people?”

“I like to think of it as ‘helping,’ but yeah!” While Weiss was too taken aback to form words, Ruby nudged her elbow and nodded to a little old man shuffling towards them. His slouched posture made him look even shorter than he already was while his overly large green jacket swallowed him like a whale might swallow a minnow.

“Hey, Bob!” Ruby greeted him in a loud voice. “How’re you?”

“Busy, busy, busy,” he mumbled under his breath, his eyes flitting across the trays of food like a man just rescued from being marooned. “Beans again?”

“Beans again.”

“The f*cking beans in this place…” he muttered so vehemently that Weiss stifled a surprised laugh.

“No beans for you then, Bob,” Ruby said, pointing to the macaroni so that Weiss would put a scoop onto a paper plate. Ruby did everything else, filling the plate with food and smiling as she set it on his red plastic tray. “Here you go, Bob!”

“Thank you, Ruby,” he muttered while taking his tray to an empty table and sitting down to eat. Weiss watched him with something close to amusem*nt before turning to Ruby.

“He doesn’t like beans, I take it?”

“Hates ‘em. Almost as much as you hate most things.”

“A kindred spirit,” Weiss hummed. When Ruby laughed again, Weiss had half a mind to ask her to stop. The joyful sound had an outsized effect on her heartbeat that would probably cause some type of long-term damage if not kept in check.

She didn’t ask Ruby to stop, just like she didn’t quit the demeaning task of serving food to people who should be serving her instead. But it was simple work, and Ruby praised her every time she finished an order. She should probably be insulted by such low-tier recognition, but it was actually kind of nice. And, once they settled into a rhythm, with each of them taking charge of the trays in front of them, she began noticing a peculiar theme.

No one made eye contact with her. They looked at the food, which they would point at before offering quiet ‘thank you’s and leaving, but they never looked at her.

“Am I dressed wrong or something?” she mused after it happened again. When Ruby glanced over, Weiss motioned to the food. “They hardly look at me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with how you’re dressed…”

“Then what is it?”

Ruby opened her mouth and, when Weiss waited for an answer, offered a sad smile.

“When everyone looks down on you, you might start looking down, too.”

Weiss hadn’t even processed the answer before Ruby found a megawatt grin for the young woman approaching them. “Good morning!” Ruby greeted her before smiling even more brightly for the little boy clutching his mother’s pant leg. “And hello, little sir! Are you hungry? We’ve got some delicious green beans that’ll help you grow big and strong! Do those sound good?”

His nose wrinkled, but he looked up at his mom before whispering, “Thank you, please.”

Smiling at the response, Ruby started a plate for him - with only a few green beans rather than a full spoonful - and passed it to Weiss. “Bet you love mac ‘n cheese though, don’t you?” Ruby said, chuckling when his eyes lit up. He then briefly looked at Weiss, the keeper of the macaroni and cheese, and she faltered. He obviously liked macaroni and cheese, but he hadn’t asked for extra. Of course, he probably didn’t know that he could ask for extra, just like he hadn’t learned to stare at his shoes rather than look up at her.

She piled two full scoops onto his plate and felt a strange sense of accomplishment when he stared at it with childlike wonder. It was just some sh*tty macaroni that probably cost pennies, yet he beamed at her as if she had worked some type of miracle. And he kept grinning, even as his mom accepted her plate without ever meeting Weiss’ gaze, and even as she ushered him to a table near the doors.

“He probably thinks you’re an angel,” Ruby commented, smiling at his starstruck response.

“It’s just noodles and gross cheese sauce.”

“No, it’s a beautiful lady giving you extra noodles and gross cheese sauce even though you didn’t ask for it. Because she knew that’s what you wanted, and she made you feel special by paying that much attention to you.”

“That’s stupid,” Weiss muttered, though her cheeks warmed from Ruby calling her beautiful, and a smile forced its way onto her lips when she glanced at the little boy shoveling macaroni and cheese into his mouth like he hadn’t eaten all day. Which…perhaps he hadn’t.

After that, Weiss paid a little more attention to each person who joined the line. They still hardly acknowledged her existence outside of a glance or two, but their lingering gazes gave away more than met the eye. Some wanted more than a few slices of chicken. Some didn’t care if all of their food was smashed together in one large pile; others wanted every separate item in a separate space. The one universal truth was that the green beans were everyone’s least favorite, but most still reluctantly accepted them.

The other universal truth? Everyone knew Ruby, and everyone loved her. She greeted them by name and smiled as if they were her best friends. If she didn’t know someone, she asked for their name and provided hers - and Weiss’, much to Weiss’ chagrin. They responded to Ruby’s energy and overt kindness. They at least looked her in the eyes and sometimes smiled after taking their plates.

Ruby’s connection to the diners became even clearer when a tall, skinny man in a blue puffy jacket and pants that stopped at his ankles approached. He paused a good distance away and narrowed his eyes at Weiss, then looked at Ruby, then looked at Weiss again.

“Hey, Randy!” Ruby called out with a wave. She motioned him over, and he reluctantly slunk to the front of the buffet, though his eyes again flashed to Weiss.

“Where’s Yang?”

“She’s working today. But this is Weiss!” Ruby wrapped an arm around Weiss’ shoulders, warming Weiss’ cheeks to an uncommon degree. “She can help just like Yang. Probably better than Yang since she won’t talk your ear off.”

Even with that reassurance, the man regarded Weiss as if she might attack him with a ladle at any second.

“Would you like some macaroni and cheese?” Weiss asked. He glanced at the aluminum tray filled with cheesy noodles before nodding once. Weiss grabbed a plate, just like she’d done too many times by now, and set it in front of her so that she could pile on the macaroni.

“Not too much,” he told - more like warned - her as she dug the oversized spoon into the tray. She felt Ruby watching her, and she saw the man watching her, which added a strange amount of pressure to what should be a simple task.

The back of her neck prickled as she put an exact spoonful onto the plate, and he judged her work like he had been hired by the mayor to do so. This strange man, with no fashion sense and rude manners, judged her, and she was proud when he nodded once.

“Beans, too,” he ordered, because of course this f*cker liked the beans. Weiss followed the same process - an exact spoonful - and earned another pleased nod before gratefully passing the plate to Ruby.

“What’d I tell you, Randy?” Ruby said while carefully aligning several slices of chicken on the plate. “She’s an all-star, right?”

“She’s better than Yang,” he concluded before picking up his tray and finding a table to eat at. Ruby laughed at the no-nonsense response.

“Sucks for Yang.” Ruby chuckled for another moment before drawing Weiss into her happy glow. “Yang’s my sister, by the way.”

“Ah. The busty blonde. How could I forget.” With no one remaining in line, Weiss looked out over the room. It had filled since they arrived, yet seemed to be emptying now as people finished their meals and carried on with their days. “Maybe I’ll meet her someday,” she commented absentmindedly.

“Maybe you will!” For a split second, Ruby looked excited by the prospect. Then her smile fell. “She won’t like you.”

“People generally don’t.”

“That’s sad,” Ruby said, but Weiss shrugged.

“I can waste my time being sad about it or I can live my life.”

“Or you could…you know…try to change?”

Weiss almost instinctively pointed out that changing implied someone possessed faults worth remedying, but she held her tongue. If today had taught her anything, it was that she might lack a certain level of self-reflection. She had no issue with people hating her - she typically preferred it - but maybe she didn’t have to make people hate her.

“Are you hungry?” Ruby asked when Weiss didn’t respond.

“You’re taking me out for lunch?”

“Kind of? I mean, we’re already here.”

When Ruby pulled off her gloves and motioned to the buffet trays, Weiss scoffed.

“You think I’m eating this?”

“Why not? If it’s good enough for them, shouldn’t it be good enough for us?” Weiss made a face at the idea, but Ruby leaned close and nudged her elbow. “At least give it a shot. If you hate it, I’ll take you somewhere else.”

Faced with the compromise, Weiss sighed.

“If it’s bad, you can take me back to your place and make it up to me.”

Ruby briefly froze in the midst of removing her hair net. Then she laughed, and her eyes regained the sparkle that forced butterflies into Weiss’ chest.

“You hardly miss a beat, do you?”

“I never miss a beat.”

“I don’t know…you’ve missed one or two.”

“Unless you have examples, you’re lying.”

Tossing the gloves and hair net aside, Weiss folded her arms over her chest and waited for those examples. Ruby, however, just smiled and grabbed two paper plates. “I’m guessing you know how this works,” she said while piling macaroni and chicken onto one of them.

“It would be pretty pathetic if I didn’t.”

“You’re right. It kind of would be.”

Ruby glanced over, and her soft smile convinced Weiss to let the prior topic go. She grabbed the empty plate and chose her own food for a change, so she picked a little of everything to determine what was edible and what was swill. Ruby then led them to an empty table in the far corner of the room and waited for Weiss to sit before sitting beside her.

“I know it’s no four-course meal…” Ruby said while Weiss reluctantly cut the chicken into smaller pieces. “But sometimes it’s the only hot meal these people will get in a day. The ladies in the kitchen try to make it as tasty as they can.”

The chicken seemed like the safest choice, so Weiss tried that first. Shockingly, it wasn’t horrible. A little dry. A little bland. But, overall, better than expected. With Ruby watching her every move, however, she lowered her fork before having a second piece.

“I know I’m pretty, but are you going to eat?”

She motioned to Ruby’s untouched plate, but Ruby grinned at her before grabbing a fork and digging in. With Ruby’s attention elsewhere, Weiss sampled each item one at a time. Most of it was decent - edible, at least - with the macaroni definitely better than the rest. She saved the green beans for last hoping that they would surprise her, but as soon as she bit down on one she resisted the urge to spit it out.

“Ugh,” she said after forcing herself to swallow it. “Bob’s right. The beans are sh*t.”

“Could you do better?”

Weiss scoffed and set down her fork, but Ruby started giggling, and the adorable sound erased the arrogance in Weiss’ comeback like rain washing away loose soil. “I’ll have you know,” she attempted regardless. “I don’t cook. At all. But if I decided to cook, I’m sure I could do better than this.” Weiss bit into another green bean and wrinkled her nose. “Why are they squeaking?”

“I know, right? It’s like eating a mouse.”

Ruby speared entirely too many green beans and shoved them into her mouth, where they squeaked loud enough that even Weiss could hear. It was so stupid and funny that a laugh slipped through Weiss’ lips, and Ruby beamed.

“It’s not bad though, right?” Ruby asked, motioning to Weiss’ plate.

“It’s…edible.”

“Guess I won’t be taking you back to my apartment after all.”

When Ruby stuck another forkful of green beans into her mouth and winked, Weiss froze. “Was that really an option?” she asked, but Ruby shrugged.

“Guess we’ll never know.”

Ruby’s eyes sparkled whenever she was teasing, and Weiss hated that part of her loved it. Things weren’t supposed to work this way. She was supposed to be in charge. She made the rules, issued the orders, and had her wishes granted. But there was something so enjoyable about Ruby asserting herself, her personality, and her sense of humor into the conversation.

“If you’re done, I’ll clean this up.”

Ruby hopped to her feet and motioned to Weiss’ plate, and picked it up when Weiss nodded and leaned back in the uncomfortable chair. Ruby smiled though - why was she always smiling - and took the plates to the trash can near the kitchen. One of the ladies in the kitchen quickly drew Ruby into conversation, which Weiss watched with a mixture of interest and disbelief before her phone started ringing.

An unknown number might be sent straight to voicemail by most people, but she answered it.

“Who is this?”

“Hey, Weiss! It’s ‘enryyyyyy.”

“Congratulations on finding the stupidest way to say your own name,” she snapped. “How’d you get my number?”

“I guessed it. That’s how destined we are.”

“Try again.”

“Fine,” he huffed. “I asked your dad. Told him I was going to woo you over the phone.”

Weiss’ jaw and fist clenched at the fact that Henry had crossed that line but also that she couldn't chew out her dad for providing the information.

“Don’t call me again,” she said and hung up. Massively annoyed now, she jabbed the screen far too hard as she saved the number for future avoidance.

“Everything alright?”

Weiss shook her head but, when she looked up and met Ruby’s earnest gaze, let her scowl fade away.

“It’s fine. Just a wrong number.”

Ruby glanced at Weiss’ phone but, ultimately, nodded and asked, “Ready to go?”

“Are we going to your apartment now?”

Chuckling to herself, Ruby pushed in Weiss’ chair and led them to the exit. “I actually have to work tonight,” she added while waving to the kitchen staff. “So I was going to take you home.”

“If you insist…” Weiss sighed as she followed Ruby outside. The police cruiser still waited nearby, but the engine turned on once Ruby waved to the officer sitting inside. They reached Ruby’s car moments later and, true to form, Ruby left Weiss to open her own door.

“It’s not very courteous, you know,” Weiss pointed out after begrudgingly slipping into the passenger seat.

“I know.”

Ruby beamed at Weiss before starting the car, leaving Weiss to dwell on the comment on the way home. The drive felt more relaxed now, leaving space for Weiss to notice little things that she hadn’t before, like the way Ruby tapped the steering wheel to the beat of the radio, and the way Ruby scoffed when someone ran a red light or blew by them on the left.

Ironically, Weiss wished that Ruby would drive even slower. Unfortunately, those sturdy gates bearing the Schnee crest were opening before long, and her home loomed on the horizon like a giant cage waiting for her return.

“This view is always impressive,” Ruby commented on the way to the front of the house, but Weiss hummed and didn’t point out that ‘impressive’ and ‘imposing’ were two sides of the same coin. She waited for Ruby to park before springing her trap.

“You’re walking me to the door,” Weiss said while getting out, leaving Ruby no choice but to sputter and scramble after her.

“Uh, pretty sure there’s an anti-police barrier around this place,” Ruby said after catching up, her eyes darting to the left and right as they entered the courtyard.

“No one knows you’re a cop dressed like that.” Weiss motioned to Ruby’s attire and slowed her pace, smirking when Ruby slowed down to match. “Besides, the police are always welcome here.”

Ruby grunted at the claim while her gaze swept around the courtyard. “Wow,” she eventually said, her eyes lingering on the fountain. “That’s…really loud.”

Weiss could have kissed Ruby for the observation. Instead, she beamed and led Ruby right up to the front door. She would have taken Ruby inside if she thought that Ruby would agree, but this would have to do for now. At least the alcove offered some privacy from the rooms towering over each side of the courtyard.

Standing beside the front doors, Weiss finally turned around and prepared to say goodbye. Unsurprisingly, she had a version that she wanted to happen, but she put those plans on hold when Ruby shyly rubbed the back of her neck.

“Thanks for coming with me. I know that’s not really your…style.”

“I suppose it wasn’t a horrible experience,” Weiss said, sighing dramatically for effect - and for Ruby’s smile. “I would’ve left if you weren’t there,” she admitted.

“I know. I’m glad you stayed though.” Ruby met Weiss’ gaze for an impactful second before glancing away and shuffling her feet. “And I was thinking…maybe if you gave me your number, I could text you sometime? Then you won’t have to use 9-1-1 to reach me.”

Weiss’ heart soared at the bashful request, but she couldn't just hand over her phone number. “Can’t you just pull my number from the police database?” she asked, but Ruby shook her head.

“That’s not how it works. Even if it did, that’d be a violation of your rights.”

“What if I want you to violate my rights?”

That sounded filthier than intended, but a fire flared in her stomach when Ruby’s eyes flashed with something she had never seen before but needed to see again.

“If you insist…” Ruby mused before stepping closer, forcing Weiss’ back against the wall. Weiss stopped breathing and her skin burned when Ruby’s hand landed on her side, and her eyes fluttered shut when Ruby leaned in. Then the strap of her purse disappeared from her shoulder.

“What -?” she hardly got out before her phone was in Ruby’s hands and Ruby was dialing a number. Ruby’s phone rang seconds later, then Ruby dropped Weiss’ phone back into the purse and returned it.

“You should really turn off proximity unlock,” Ruby remarked while Weiss stared, jaw dropped, unsure if she was more disappointed, impressed, or severely turned on.

“Please tell me you know what I actually meant.”

“Not sure. Can you spell it out for me?”

When Ruby grinned, Weiss lightly stomped her foot.

“Goddammit Ruby, I just spent all f*cking afternoon being selfless and sh*t. I want you to -”

Ruby cut her off with a kiss. And her mind went so blank - completely shut down for an instant - that by the time she realized that Ruby’s lips were on hers, and everything smelled like roses and felt soft and warm, Ruby was already pulling away. Ruby lingered though, staring into Weiss’ eyes and gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind Weiss’ ear.

“Thanks for being ‘selfless and sh*t’ with me,” she said softly. “It was nice seeing this side of you for more than half a second.”

“I might give you a full second for another kiss,” Weiss replied - more like whispered based on how breathless she sounded - and Ruby smiled.

“You drive a hard bargain, Miss Schnee.”

“I swear to god, Ruby -”

Ruby cut her off with another kiss, and she would be livid at the interruption if it wasn’t so incredible. Her mind kicked into high gear this time, revving up like her suddenly racing heart as she savored Ruby’s lips on hers, gently exploring at a slow, languid pace. She set her hand on Ruby’s cheek, her fingertips tracing soft skin, while Ruby’s hands grasped her hips and subtly pressed her against the wall. That kiss also ended far too soon, leaving her breathless and desperate for more despite Ruby’s beguiling smile.

“Do you want to come in for a bit?” Weiss asked. “We can go for a swim before you have to work.”

“You have a pool?”

“Three. And the lake if you’re feeling adventurous. Or the ocean if you want to climb down a million steps.”

Rather than comment on how excessive that was, Ruby chuckled and said, “I don’t have my swimsuit.”

“You definitely won’t need one.”

Weiss let her gaze roam over Ruby, imagining the two of them skinny dipping in the lake, but Ruby shook her head and said, “Maybe next time.”

“You admit there will be a next time,” Weiss quickly pointed out.

“I know you’ll find a way to make it happen.”

That comment, combined with the sparkle in Ruby’s eyes, struck the most delightful note in Weiss’ mind. She could make Ruby stay, but she didn’t want to. Even if she wanted more, this was a perfect way to leave things for now. So she nodded - she even smiled - and pointed to Ruby’s front pocket.

“Don’t wait too long to text me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Ruby winked before heading back to her car, and Weiss watched her go before practically levitating inside. Her heart might literally overflow, yet her mind refused to forget the way Ruby’s lips felt against hers. Anything was worth Ruby’s kiss. She would climb into a dumpster or trade all of her stilettos for those wretched rubber sandals for another one.

Still floating with those feelings, she spotted her brother and sister in the family room and joined them.

“Hey, you two,” she greeted them with a big smile before dropping onto the sofa beside Whitley, who immediately frowned.

“What’s wrong with you?”

So much was wrong with her that she didn’t know where to start, but she scoffed and said, “Nothing’s wrong with me.”

“Then why do you look all…happy?”

“Because I had a good day. Is that a crime around here?”

“Basically,” Whitley said, chuckling when Weiss sighed and Winter subtly rolled her eyes but kept reading. Just when Weiss thought her brother would return to playing his game, however, his brow rose. “Wait. You saw her again, didn’t you.”

Winter lowered her book this time, and Weiss glanced at her before scoffing again.

“I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

“The cop.”

“What cop?”

“That one you invited over the other night.”

Whitley couldn't have phrased that any worse. Now, Winter’s book fully closed and settled into her lap.

“You invited a cop over for the night?”

“No.” Weiss shook her head but stopped when Whitley arched his brow. “I mean, yes. Kind of. God, f*ck you, Whitley. That’s not what happened.”

While Whitley laughed at the flustered response, Winter looked between them.

“Are you dating a cop?”

“We aren’t -” Weiss shook her head but couldn't decide if one date counted as ‘dating.’ “It’s nothing,” she insisted instead. “I’m just having a little fun, and she’s hot.”

“And she’s…a cop,” Winter reiterated.

“She wears a uniform and has a badge. You can say the same thing about mall security.” Weiss waved off the comparison, but Winter didn’t bite. Fortunately, Winter didn’t grill Weiss about it either. She just pursed her lips before shaking her head and re-opening her book.

“Just be careful.”

“I’ll be fine,” Weiss scoffed, once again drawing Winter’s gaze.

“I know you’ll be fine, but what about her?”

Weiss frowned at the question, which she honestly hadn’t put much thought toward, before shaking her head.

“It’s fine. Dad will never find out.”

When Winter hummed, ever the doubter, Weiss rolled her eyes and lightly slapped Whitley’s leg so that he took his feet off the sofa. He waggled his brow at her, clearly holding back questions that he would badger her with later, and unpaused his game. The reprieve lasted hardly a second before Weiss’ phone buzzed with an incoming message.

As soon as Weiss fished it out of her bag and saw that it was from Ruby - Ruby literally started it with, ‘This is Ruby’ - she suppressed a smile. Then she snuck a glance at Winter and Whitley to make sure they were preoccupied before typing out a dry, sardonic, ‘Who else would it be?’ She then smiled at her phone like a goddamn idiot waiting for Ruby’s response.

On paper, Ruby just took her on the worst date imaginable. Yet, somehow, Weiss enjoyed herself more than she had in a long time. She met new people, experienced new things - it was enlightening, and Ruby’s company made all the difference in the world.

That kiss though…

If they didn’t make plans to see each other again soon, she was reverting to bad habits and calling 9-1-1. Her emergency? A hot cop with lips of gold had kidnapped her fantasies and left her starving for more.