Okay, so you all remember this is the final chapter of this. And I already have my whip and chair to hold you guys off. Because there was far too much fluff in the last section. So I'm going with the evil ending I have here. (*Grabs Anti-Angst-Hater riot shield and riot shotgun* A whip and chair is not enough. –A)

Chapter 9:

"YANG! STOP THINKING WITH YOUR PENIS!" Ruby yelled tossing a book at the blonde who dodged it. Yang was beginning to regret bringing up her own small predicament while they were working in the bookstore just after Weiss left so she could get back to her security detail on time.

"What? I don't have a penis and you know that!" Yang yelled back just narrowly avoiding another book. The main reason she was hating the choice of venue for her big reveal.

"COULD HAVE FOOLED ME!" Ruby attempted to toss the largest book that was nearby. Once she figured out she couldn't lift it with her only good hand, she began to whimper. "Yang... they are not fucking around." Ruby spoke. Barely holding back the tears. Yang walked up slowly behind her and wrapped her arms around Ruby pulling her into a tight hug.

Ruby turned around in Yang's embrace and let the dam break. She balled her hand up in Yang's top and cried. Something she hadn't done in a long time. Since her mom's funeral. The simple reaction startled Yang a little. Even when Ruby had nightmares, all she would do is crawl into Yang's bed and go back to sleep. She would never cry.

"They shattered most of the bones in my non-dominate hand Yang. Just because they knew I didn't scam a single person. These guys are dangerous and I'm scared. I don't want to die." Ruby sobbed out. She was truly terrified. The pain she felt when they shattered most of her hand not having subsided. The noose was tightened that day. And it hadn't loosened. In ten days if she didn't have the money, she would be screwed. All because Yang broke one of the cardinal rules of being a Confidence Artist.

She was letting her emotions take over. "Roman can't help us. The cops would be overjoyed to slap the cuffs on us, and that would only make me a sitting duck. I can't run away. And I can't ask you to give up on your feelings. I'm just plain and simply fucked." Ruby spoke softly fearing that if she spoke any louder she would start to cry again.

"Ruby. I promise. Come hell or high water, they will not get you. And you will have the money." Yang reassured as she rubbed Ruby's back. Yang wasn't sure how she was going to live up to that promise. She couldn't watch Ruby twenty four seven, she couldn't risk what she has with Weiss just to get the money. Even when they called Roman a week ago, he couldn't help. The kind of money they needed he couldn't get in the time frame even with their help.

"That is becoming more and more unlikely. But I'm trusting you Yang. But I doubt we'll be able to get there. I'm clocking off early. I need to get some affairs in order." Ruby spoke softly, not even giving Yang a second to respond. She just walked out. If she was going to die then she wasn't going to spend her last few days in the hell hole known as a job.

She wanted to be free for the last ten days of her life. She would be damned if she would see the sun through the dirty window and book shelves for the remainder. She left her coat there as well. The feeling of the chill in the air was nice. She needed it. A simple reminder that she still has time left.

Ruby fished her phone out of her pocket and smiled at the single text she had. She quickly opened the message debating if she should respond.

R~ Sure. I'll meet you. Where do you want to meet?

"I'm telling you Rubbles, I know they are close. I can sense it. The only people worth them going dark for nearly two months is the Schnee family. But even they aren't good enough to go after the main family. It has to be a branch." Blake continued her rant as Ruby just smiled.

Blake truly had no idea how close the people she had been hunting were and for how long in Yang's case. If she knew it would destroy her career at the very least. She would go into a small mental tail spin.

"Yeah, so you've been saying for the last hour. I haven't even said a word against it. All I said was don't you have a job to get back to?" Ruby joked, mixed with a mild amount of genuine concern. She enjoyed Blake. Blake was proof she was good at her real job.

"That's why I'm here. You and Yang know more about street life. And all we can figure out is they grew up on the streets and know it inside and out." Blake all but asked her question. "What would be the best way to get information and stay ahead of the police? If I can figure that out we may be able to catch them."

'Alternatively reach across the table and slap a pair of handcuffs on me.' Ruby thought as she took a sip of the coffee she didn't entirely want.

"The homeless. They are always over looked, but be warned in my experience if the duo are using them they will also be buying their silence. All you need to do is give them a better offer. A few decent meals, or even fifty bucks. That is all they really need for a while." Ruby spoke with certainty, because that is exactly what she and Yang did. Except the ones that stayed loyal were paid rather well. Granted only a few hundred, but enough for them to get by for a while.

"What? Why the homeless. That makes no sense." Blake asked. She was stumped.

"Because, no one ever suspects them. They get passed over, and due to the law if they want to file charges which cops most of the time throw away, they still have to listen to it. And that is when they can get whatever the duo want to know." Ruby spoke just as she could see the gears turn.

"Rubbles you fucking genus! I need to go! I'll see you back at the apartment!" She yelled as she quickly collected her scattered pages. She kissed Ruby on lips as she ran off towards her car.

As Ruby saw the onyx haired woman drive off she brought her hand up to her lips and pushed a finger to them. The ghosting of her lips. It was a feeling she had forgotten. 'If she felt the same thing it is going to hurt her more when I vanish. I just hope she'll find someone better, or who she hasn't been hunting with a passion.' Ruby thought as she dropped a single note onto the table, finished her coffee and walked off.

"Hey Yang. Does Rubbles... do you know if Rubbles likes me?" Blake asked, snapping Yang out of her thoughts. It was a startle somewhat. But she had been preoccupied with figuring how to get the money to save her baby sister.

"I don't know. Has she asked you about making pancakes?" Yang asked as Blake blushed a little at the comment. She was surprised that Yang knew about that. But she was also close with her. But she didn't realise she was that close. When Blake didn't answer Yang spoke up. "Well if that colour is anything to go off of, that is a yes. So she clearly has feelings. Or she was taking the piss, but knowing her it is the former."

"You want to talk about what is bothering you? You are doing that false cut thing that you do to help yourself think." Blake asked as she pulled her cardigan over her shoulders more. The chill coming through the open door was starting to surprise her. The chill from breeze was a shock, while the breeze happened a fair bit, and it did carry a chill but it was never that violent chill she felt.

"I know someone who owes a lot of money to some questionable people. And they only have a few days left to get that money and it isn't a sum I can't give, not that I don't want to." Yang said as she finished the false cut and instantly started to do another one. Blake wasn't wrong. It did help her think.

"It's your sister isn't it? Because that would explain why she showed up looking like she did and explain why her hand was busted that bad." Before Yang could respond Blake continued, "How much does she owe? We may be able pool our money together and pay it off."

"It isn't her, but that isn't going to happen unless we have multiple millions just lying around. She owes sixty million. And while I'm friends with a famous model and I'm dating Weiss Schnee, I can't just ask either of them." Yang stated as the cards in her hands nearly slipped. She was just barely able to catch them.

"Fuck. Just fuck. All I would suggest is for them to go to the cops. Try and turn the whole organization in. Because I doubt even the legendary scam trio could get that kind of money." Blake let a shocked gasp.

"You clearly don't know much about the streets. You can never sink someone like Cinder Fall." Yang's tone only being out done by Blake doing a spit take. Yang reached over and began to pat Yang on the back as she coughed.

"If it is Cinder she owes the money to tell her to fucking get her ass to the FBI and into witness protection. Because if she is alive, and even got given a time frame she is a lucky person, but if she can't pay, Cinder is going to harvest every viable thing she can from her and then sell it on the black market." Blake spoke slightly rushed.

Blake couldn't count the number of people who ran into that woman, but that was just because they always wound up missing a few organs. Those bodies never got justice, because while everyone knew it was Cinder, they just could never prove it. It was a shock that someone was alive.

"Blake... you really don't know the stretch of her reach. Even on the entire other side of the country Rubbles and I knew about her. And from my knowledge, she is a whole lot closer, and a whole lot more dangerous than what you know if you think harvesting is the only problem with her." Yang spoke softly. In reality she didn't have the foggiest as to who Cinder was. She was just trying to see if Ruby was blowing everything out of proportion like she had a tendency to do.

"I know that. But she never leaves people alive long enough for anyone to even become a witness." Blake continued as she sat back trying to figure out if she knew who Yang was talking about.

"Let's just drop it. I'd rather not talk about this topic anymore." Yang said softer than Blake had ever heard her. So silent she had to strain her hearing as to even hear it.

"Cinder?" Ruby asked. Having to pay the piper was something she wasn't overly fond of doing. But this way the fallout would be minimum. She would gladly pay it if it meant Yang and Weiss only had a small amount of suffering.

"Red. I'm sorry about having to send that message, but I don't appreciate it when someone doesn't take the gift I give them for granted. But why are you calling me? According to my calendar you still have five days left." Cinder's sickly sweet voice came out of the receiver. It was startling to Ruby how easily she was able to talk about her order to maim Ruby. It disgust her partially.

"You'll need to come to me for it." Ruby's monotone response. Five days past since she walked out of working. This was just the final thing she needed to do.

"I'm already in this lovely town. I had some business. Where do you want to meet?"

'FUCK! I thought I would have more time.' Ruby thought as she let her smile fall. "SAGA book store. Two hours." Ruby spoke as she smiled a little. Something good may come from this after all.

"Red, just be warned. If you're trying to fuck me, that cop you've been living with won't be able to protect you." Cinder's voice took an ever so slightly more aggressive tone.

"Cinder, if I was going to screw you over why would I wait for the last possible second. Plus the cops would love to bust me just as much. Hell people know more about me than you." Ruby yelled hearing the dial tone shortly after she was done.

She looked at her phone and smiled. 'One last call to make.' As the phone rang Ruby smiled, "Detective Belladonna here."

"I'm sorry that Win doesn't trust you Yang. She just doesn't want me to make the same mistakes as she did." Weiss said as she took a seat next Yang. She was glad Yang didn't mind her going behind the desk at the book store. This way she could actually enjoy her lunch break even more.

"That's okay Weiss. Rome wasn't built in a day after all. It just means I have to work harder. But I can understand why she is concerned. You are very pretty, but I have nothing but the best intentions." Yang spoke happily as she heard the tell-tale bell of the front door opening.

When the person came into view Weiss let a single scowl appear. It was only for a second but Yang saw it. She saw all of Weiss' mood shifts, and she only scowled when it was Ruby. "Sup Ruby. I thought you quit. Not that I mind the extra company." Yang asked. She really didn't mind. With Ruby one of her final shifts would be over faster.

"Yang. It is decision time. I don't give a flying fuck if Weiss knows who we are. Cinder is going to be here in half an hour, Blake in thirty two minutes. I need either the money or for you to use this" Ruby spoke tossing a gun into Yang's arms.

"What does she mean Yang?" Weiss asked stepping back from her. The chair she had occupied falling down.

"You were going to get scammed out of sixty million so I could live! Then Yang developed genuine feelings! You're the first outside source that could stump the sister confidence duo! But now my life is almost done and Yang has to choose." Ruby stated stepping closer. With each step she could see the panic in Yang's eyes.

"Do you try and mend this budding relationship Yang and put a bullet in me to save me from immense pain and suffering!? Or do you sacrifice all this for me!?" Ruby yelled as Weiss looked helpless. She wasn't sure what to feel.

"Ruby. I can't make that call." Yang softly spoke as Ruby punched Yang across the face with her small almost club like thing that originally was her hand.

"MAKE THE DAMN CALL YANG! IF YOU DON'T AND WEISS IS STILL HERE WHEN CINDER ARRIVES YOU'VE LOST US BOTH! FOREVER!" Ruby yelled. She was beginning to loathe the fact she couldn't stack the deck of fate like she could with any other deck she could touch.

"CHOOSE YANG!"

Author's Note:

Tehe. That's it. Now time to play some ME3 online and avoid a few glares. Bye bye. I do hope you all enjoyed the story.

(Eyyyyy, reference to my OC RWBY team with the book store title, nice.