So, first time writing in this fandom. Maybe the only, maybe a few plot bunnies will scurry into another short story or a drabble. Hello readers. I hope this is an acceptable fic.

The unfeeling and soulless halls of Schnee manor echoed with the tic-tac of heels on the polished floors. Weiss scowled at the sound her steps created. In the corridors and hallways of Beacon her footsteps were drowned in the sound of hundreds of feet rushing their way and living their lives. Drowned out by the chatter and babble of a hyperactive...Ruby.

The white haired girl smiled despite herself. Thoughts of her rambunctious leader were bitter-sweet, but the only sweetness in her life of late. It had been months since she had seen her partner.

Weiss tightened her hold on Myrtenaster, she had last seen Ruby limp in the arms of Qrow as the man carried the girl gently from the ruins of Beacon. Right before Schnee guards had 'secured' the heiress and taken her to her father. With communications down, Weiss did not know what had become of her team.

The last bit of news had been of the death of Phyrra and the loss of the school.

Since then Weiss had been at the manor. Following Winter to the Atlas school had been out of the question. Weiss would have none of it, despite General Ironwood's being impressed with her valour in battle and her excellent school records. She was not Winter's shadow, she was not going to be part of the military fist of Atlas. So at the manor Weiss remained.

She had not been idle though. Far from it. For Weiss had trained and practised and trained again. Myrtenaster was in perfect condition and she too was fit and battle ready. The arena lined with the severed Giant Armour helmets were testament to that. It was a quite a point of pride that it was a shade of their brethren she had summoned that dealt the killing blow.

What battle she was ready for though was a good question. By all rights, as a Huntress and a Schnee, she should be gathering an army and all the dust in Remnant to take back her home. But it had been Ruby with the plan, it had always been Ruby with the plan.

Her introspection had swept her through the building to her destination, Weiss realised. Ahead of her stood the door to 'her' room. Though her true room, her true home, was in Beacon.

Weiss scowled again. Tied by a red ribbon, a white rose hung from her door handle. The staff's doing by her father's instruction. She couldn't fault the old man, he sought to cheer her up, he had noticed the depression she had sunk into since returning to the manor.

Not to its true extent, but enough to make some effort to improving her mood.

Weiss had always liked white roses in the past. Now though, now they were not what would make her smile. Red roses, Ruby Rose, was what would cheer her up.

Sighing, she removed the flower and moved to enter the room. However her senses, honed by training and spending company with a certain speedster, told her to halt.

Then her vision was flooded with red rose petals and two thin arms were grasped around her.

"Weiss!" A familiar voice bawled, wetness soaked into the bodice of her outfit.

"Ruby?"

"This is it. The Schnee Manor." Ruby halted the group at the impressive gates. "Let's go and get the princess."

"It looks like no one would let us in." Juane observed. The robotic gate guards were stood in position, a shining plate at the gatepost requested guests to identify themselves.

"That's why were not asking." Ruby said, setting Crescent Rose on her hip and loading it with a round. "Nora, could you help Ren and Juane? Try not to crater the pavement when you follow."

Seemingly quick on the uptake, the chipper girl saluted. "Aye aye captain!"

"What are you doing?"

"You aren't going to do what I think you are going to do..." Ren and Juane said in unison, the leader of team JNPR not quite understanding exactly what Ruby planned.

"See you on the other side!" Ruby called, firing her weapon at the ground and flying into the air. The round had been a blank, the lack of explosion a relief to the two boys.

"Need a boost?" Nora grinned, Magnhild extended into hammer form. Juane blinked and backed away. Ren, ever calm, simply shook his head and jumped. With ease and grace he caught the top of the wall and flipped himself over the top.

"Uh, I think I might take you up on that boost Nora." Juane said then, eyeing the tall wall up and down.

"Sure!" Nora grinned and swung her hammer up, providing a secondary point for her leader to jump from.

With a little effort and an assist Juane sat on the top of the wall. Ruby and Ren were down below, urging him to hurry. A bang behind him, the cry of "Noraaa!" and a rustle of leaves followed. Nora was beside Ren and waving up.

"Come on, before we get spotted or that racket gets the guards on us!" Ruby hissed. Juane gulped.

A whisper of breeze brushed the hair around his ear. "I know you can do this." A voice in his memory, warm and loving, assured him. Juane dropped, landing neatly on the earth below. Ruby nodded approval.

"Okay, we have to get to the house before anything big and gunny decides to take a look." Ruby pointed at the building not too far in the distance. "I'm counting on them wanting to keep the house out of the firing line of robots. Human guards are more likely to ask questions than shoot us , I hope, once we get there."

"There is not much cover between here and there though." Juane noted. As well though, there was little sign of defence. Not the most reassuring of thoughts when anyone considered the weapons and robots of Atlas.

"Can I trust you to move fast?" Ruby asked. "You can stay here if you like. Once I get to the house I can ask Weiss to let you guys in."

"We're with you." Juane said immediately.

"Getting team RWBY back together." Nora said, a slight burr of sadness in her otherwise cheerful tone. Team JNPR could never be whole, but at least her friends could be together again.

"I may be able to keep up." Ren replied.

"Alright." Ruby smiled to her friends. They weren't her team but they were the next best thing.

"Nearly there!" Ruby half screamed as the four of them advanced on the house, legs pumping to cover the distance. It felt disloyal to use her semblance and leave them. A giant armour and a dozen Atlasian Knights were on their tail.

Even if two hulking armours and thirty robots lay scattered in their wake.

A line of ornamental looking stones was just ahead, a few hundred yards from the house itself. Ruby was banking on them being some kind of perimeter to halt the non-human guards. With a surge of effort the four hunters and huntresses in training leapt over the line.

It was a relief when the robotic assault stopped. The armours and knights stopped and began to spread along the line. 'To stop us on the way out.' Ruby mused. She expected human guards to crowd them swiftly, but none arrived in the beat it took her to consider it.

"Get to the house." Ruby muttered. The door was in sight. She was almost there.

Almost to Weiss.

It had been too long since she had seen her partner. Their last moments at Beacon hardly a fair farewell. Though Weiss had assisted her to the top of the tower, with confidence that Ruby would complete their mission.

The confidence Weiss had placed in her still carried her through. Even if Ruby had failed. Weiss had believed and Ruby needed that more than ever.

"Are you going to knock or should I?" Nora asked, snapping Ruby from her thoughts. They were at the door already.

"I will now." Ruby gathered her nerve and knocked.

As they waited, a million thoughts raced through Ruby's mind. Would Weiss want to see them? Would she turn them away, happy here now after months of being abandoned by her team? Ruby at least had Yang, well, the shadow that her sister had become, but still someone. Ruby had a loving father to share time with.

Weiss had neither.

"Just who are you?" A voice demanded at the door. A fusty looking butler had opened it and was glaring down his nose at the four colourful people on the doorstep.

"We're here to see Weiss." Juane offered, Ruby had been struck silent.

"We're her friends!" Nora added joyfully.

"Miss Schnee is not expecting visitors." The butler said, "Good day." He moved to shut the door but a rather large hammer was in the way.

"Realllly? She won't even see us to say go away you dreadful people?" Nora said with exaggerated pomp. Juane nudged Ruby, miming running with his fingers, just out of view of the man at the door.

Ruby nodded and in a rush of rose petals was gone, the door flung ajar by her actions.

"What!" The butler howled. He began to clamour to the staff to track down the intruder.

"Ruby. How?" Weiss was beyond surprised, but the tight hug from the sobbing girl was more her focus. Muffled words were sobbed into her dress. "Oh, Ruby..." Weiss draped her arms around the younger girl, her own tears dripping onto the choppy red hair of her partner.

"Miss Schnee. I do apologise, I have no idea how this intruder passed the grounds security. Let alone entered the house." A staff member was jogging towards them, seemingly heedless of the situation. Weiss closed her eyes a moment and breathed deeply. "Three other vagabonds are at the doorstep also, demanding to see you." He added, now taking in what was going on and standing down what looked like a potential attempt to extract Ruby.

It took a moment for Weiss to compose herself, even as Ruby still clutched at the fabric of her dress and sobbed freely. "Do escort them to a sitting room." Weiss said, with a tone that brooked no argument. The man sputtered, but the word of a Schnee was law.

"Of course Miss Schnee." The man bowed.

"Oh, and offer them some refreshments. I have a lot of catching up to do with Ruby and don't wish them to be offended." With that, Weiss dismissed the man with a wave of her hand. When she was sure he was out of sight and earshot, she let the tears fall once more.

"Come on Ruby. Let's get out of the hall." She opened the door to her room, leading Ruby through as the girl still clung to her and closed off the world.

They parted a little when they reached the bed. Weiss wanted to sit and it looked like Ruby needed to also, her legs were shaking and she still sniffed and shed tears.

"Sorry." Ruby sputtered out, her silver eyes running with tears.

"What for?" Weiss brushed her own tears away and moved to do the same for Ruby.

"For failing... we lost Phyrra and Blake ran away and our home is overrun and Ozpin is missing and you were taken away and I'm sorry!" Ruby sobbed again and leaned into Weiss.

"Oh Ruby." Weiss closed her eyes and simply held onto her partner. The warmth of the head nestled into her neck had been sorely missed. The hugs had been missed. "You shoulder responsibilities no one should hold alone."

Not really wanting to do it, but having to look Ruby in the eye, Weiss put her hands on the two tiny shoulders and pushed Ruby up so they were eye to eye. "I do not fault you, you dolt." Her voice wobbled on the last word but her leader accepted them. She lowered her arms, pushing her left through Ruby's right.

Ruby sniffed and settled on the bed beside Weiss. Their arms still intertwined, their eyes still linked in a gaze. "I've had to b-be so strong for too l-long." The escaping emotions were still too much for her speech and now those blue eyes were focused on her, Ruby was getting overwhelmed. "Strong for Yang and Dad and, and then strong for Juane, Nora and Ren too..." Ruby wiped at her eyes. "Seeing you, I just... It all pushed out. I don't have to be strong for you. We're strong together."

"We are, aren't we." Weiss agreed, her thoughts from earlier coming to mind. Ruby supplied the plan, they accomplished it together. The younger girl's hand was on the bed between them, her arm wrapped around Weiss'. She threaded her fingers through the younger girl's, feeling their warmth.

"You said we'd go together, back at Beacon. I wish you could have come with us to Patch." Ruby said softly. "Dad was there when I woke up, but I was more scared for you..."

"I wish I could have been there with you." Weiss said, conviction behind her words. It had been a wrench to leave Beacon and travel so far from her friends. From Ruby. With no way of knowing what was happening in Vale. "Now you are here. Now we're together again, we have a lot to catch up on."

"Yeah we do." Ruby gripped the fingers in hers and smiled a watery smile.

Juane was relaxed, not fully, but enough to enjoy their current situation. Fancy cakes, hot tea and all the comfort of a luxuriantly furnished sitting room was at their disposal.

A very surprised trio had been ushered in from the doorstep by the staff. They were led to the grandest sitting room any of them had seen and served the sweet treats. A staff member in pressed uniform informed them that Miss Schnee would join them once she had caught up with her other guest.

So now, some time later, Ren was sipping tea in a meditative pose, Nora was gleefully eating sweets and he was sitting in pretty much the softest seat he had ever sat in.

Juane didn't begrudge Ruby and Weiss the time they were taking. If he had a chance at what they were getting... 'Stupid...No point remember that.' He smiled on, even if it hurt. It was a hurt he would carry a long time, but a hunter bore many scars without complaint. Especially a team leader.

A noise at the door drew the three teenager's attention. Nora squealed with joy, a sound somewhat muffled by her mouthful of cake. Ren grinned, even Juane managed to smile.

"Hello everyone. Sorry to have kept you waiting." Weiss was in the doorway, Ruby close beside her. "Ruby was just filling me in." Their eyes were red rimmed, but Weiss looked happier than she had even at Beacon and Juane could see Ruby was almost thrumming with energy.

Seeing her now, with Weiss, confirmed to Juane that Ruby had been holding so much in. She really was a true leader, holding burdens so others did not need to.

"I told her the plan." Ruby added. Her hand was holding Weiss' tightly, like she was never letting go.

"Just so you know." Weiss said, looking to the three and moving with a flourish to show Myrtenaster at her hip. "I'm in."

The bullhead that flew from Atlas did not heed any hails, but the military left it well alone. Orders from the General himself had stood them down. "Next stop Haven." Ruby said, a real and honest smile on her face.

"And some answers." Weiss added, sat beside her.

They had left the mansion quickly, Weiss had a bag of essentials at the ready since returning. The bundle of very large denomination lien at the bottom a good insurance policy that had hired this nondescript bullhead and a discreet pilot. With credit to spare.

A quick call to Winter had assured their escape. Her sister even wished them luck.

Now, on a ship headed to the unknown with her three friends and Ruby beside her, Weiss was finally feeling at home.

*Looks at backlog of unfinished fics, glaring back with a mixture of contempt and despair* -Tugs at collar-

So, writers block lifts but my fickle muse has fired me off at another fandom altogether. I am so unfaithful, or my muse is a capricious so-and-so. Probably both.

I watched the ending of chapter three last night. So of course I had to have ideas to throw out there. So I had to tear off another fic right after.

Write time was two hours. Word count is 2763. Editing happened by my own hand. My other stories might finish yet!

Review and comment if you wish. Read my other stuff if you want. Just please don't hate me for the trail of incomplete works I leave in my wake...

EDITS: Fixed some typos and format errors.