Hello everyone, it's been a while. If you're coming from Plot Hole, the reason I haven't updated that in forever was that I wrote the first chapter for a new fic (I plan to finish it, then release on a schedule after one of my current fics end), then wrote most of the next Hollow Fragments chapter before losing it all and having to start again. After that I put a little work into the next Plot Hole chapter, but then switched over to this.

Speaking of which, happy two year anniversary to this account! Yay! Last year in celebration, I put out a one-shot. I planned to do the same this year, but it kept getting longer and longer and longer, until I decided to break it up into parts so that I could get the first chapter out on time, while still being able to do everything I wanted to. Part two is done as well, and I'm getting started on part three: expect them to come out a couple days apart from one another.

So this is actually based on a personal experience of mine. After distributing food at a food pantry one day, my father and I had a conversation about the people going there. They all had cars, phones, and money. They weren't homeless and their clothes weren't dirty or tattered, but they still relied on the food pantry. It's not that they can't afford food, it's that they'd have to give something else up for it that they may need. Not having to pay for food means they can more easily pay rent, repair their car, add to their savings, etc. It's the little bit of help that can make everything else possible.

So of course, here's a nightmare scenario for two people who in no way deserve it brought to you by my cruel mind. Hope to see some reviews from you all with guesses as to how shit's going to hit the fan, and if/how things will be resolved!

'Alright, let's see… keys, wallet, phone… everything's here.' Closing her purse, Yang looked over her shoulder at the living room. Seated on the sofa was her younger sister, Ruby, who was currently wrapped up watching some TV show she was probably too old for. "Ruby, you did all your homework already?"

"Yep," the red-haired girl replied, her eyes not once leaving the screen.

Yang narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Even your math?"

"Yep."

Opening a drawer on the table next to her, Yang's suspicions were confirmed. "And you did it all without your calculator? Very good, Ruby," she said sarcastically. That got the younger sister's attention. Taking the calculator out of the drawer, Yang strolled across the room and knelt beside the last family she had. "Ruby, I know you've been skipping assignments, your teachers called me. I get that it's not fun, but Rubes you've really got to do well!"

"I know…." She replied, "It's just so… boring! It's all just busy-work anyways, you know I do great on tests anyways. It's not like I don't know the stuff!"

Sighing tiredly, Yang gently took hold of Ruby's hands and looked her in the eye. "I know that, Rubes, but those little grades add up, and it makes you look like just an average student. You know there's no way we can pay for your college on our own- you've really got to show them just how smart you are. We'll get some financial aid because we don't have much money, but you'll still need scholarships if you want to actually be able to afford it!"

Seeing how bad her sister felt, Yang wrapped her in a warm embrace. "Look, I've got to get moving if I want to get us food for next week, but I really need you to get your work done." she said softly, "So try to get it done before I get home, and we can watch some TV together, okay?"

Ruby sniffed and nodded her head. "Okay," she echoed quietly.

Standing up, Yang looked over her shoulder one more time before stepping out of their apartment. Closing and locking the door behind her, she passed the long-broken elevator and started descending the stairs. Having worked a later shift that usual, she hadn't been home long enough to change out of her work clothes- black pants and a black t-shirt with the logo of the restaurant she waitressed at on the front.

Stepping into the early autumn air, Yang walked to her car, her dad's old sedan, and climbed inside. Starting the engine, the blonde carefully pulled out of her parking space and began to follow the route she'd become very familiar with.

Pulling up to the church, Yang eased into a parking space and got out of her car. She never really was a big believer in religion, but she was eternally grateful for those who were. Various members of this church had come together to turn the basement into a foodbank, and one of the wealthier members of the congregation had pledged to pay for all the food when donations weren't enough.

Lately her help had been needed more and more.

As Yang walked down the concrete walkway toward the entrance, she spotted a familiar face- one of the churchgoers who helped distribute the food. "Hiya, Blake!"

The black-haired woman, who had been deep in thought, jumped in surprise at the loud noise. "Oh… hi, Yang." She replied sullenly. Yang hesitated at the sound of Blake's voice. Normally she'd greet people with a smile, and the two of them always spoke with one another after Yang collected her food, so the drastic change troubled the blonde deeply.

"Blake," she started slowly, "is something wrong?"

The woman nodded sadly. "Miss Rosewood was in a car accident yesterday evening. They're not sure if she's going to make it, and without her donations we may not be able to keep the pantry stocked." Yang was shocked. Ellen Rosewood had single-handedly guaranteed the foodbank would never run out of supplies, and if she died….

"Did she at least put the foodbank in her will? Do you know?"

Blake just shook her head. "I don't know. She may not have thought to do it, or she might just want her kids to get the inheritance. I just don't know." Taking a deep breath, and wiping her watery eyes, Blake tried to recompose herself. "Look, there's nothing to be done right now. Go on in and get your food, you know the drill. We'll give you all updates on the situation as soon as we can, alright?"

Yang hesitated a moment longer, trying to think of something to say, but nothing came to her. Instead, she gave the woman a light hug, and stepped inside.

Yang tried to reach the keys in her pocket unsuccessfully several times. Annoyed, she carefully placed the bags of food that had been wrapped in her arms on the floor, and reached for the keys with her now-free hand. When she stepped inside, she saw Ruby had fallen asleep on the couch with the TV on. As she approached the dozing girl, she noticed the completed sheet of math problems that Ruby had left on the table.

Sighing, the older sister searched for a blanket to place over Ruby. Once she had, she gently ran her fingers through the red-head's soft hair. "Sorry, Rubes, we'll watch something tomorrow night, I promise." She placed a kiss on the girl's forehead, and went to unpack the food and change into her sleepwear.

As she reached for the door to her and Ruby's shared bedroom, Yang hesitated. 'If we might not have the food bank, maybe I should look at our spending to see where we need to cut back. Just in case.' Although the temptation of sleep was powerful, common sense won out. With an exhausted groan, Yang returned to the kitchen table. By the light of a small table lamp, she got down to business.

'Tips make up most of the money I bring home, but they vary so much. I guess I'll have to figure out how much I make on average.' Quietly borrowing Ruby's calculator, she started adding up all the money she'd made each week for the past few months. After a few minutes, she had her answer. 'Alright, now, let's see here. How much of that do we use?' An answer not many people would be certain of, but Yang had been doing this for a couple years now, and she had become well-acquainted with exactly how much was spent. She'd needed to.

'And now… now food.' Yang hadn't been to the grocery store in a long time. She had long ago decided that their food was what the kindness of others could provide. Of course, she could have afforded to get special treats occasionally, but in the end Yang believed that saving the money would be more important. 'And I get the sinking feeling I was right.' Looking at the store's prices on her outdated phone, Yang swallowed nervously. She wasn't the best at math, and Ruby was certainly a much better student than she had been, but even she could see it was too much. 'Too expensive… it's just too expensive.'

Trying to come up with a vague semblance of a meal plan, she tried to figure out how much she needed. 'Ruby's school pays for lunches, so I only need something for those on weekends… and she usually wakes up for breakfast a bit too late once a week, right? She likes sleeping in, so maybe I'll let her get away with it on weekends. That saves a bit too.' In the back of her mind, Yang knew that she was coming up with justifications for cutting out meals, not because they were clearly unnecessary, but because she wanted the number she'd come out with to be as low as possible.

She wasn't cutting out those breakfasts because Ruby wouldn't eat them. She was cutting them out because Ruby wouldn't eat them enough times. She knew there would be days when her sister wanted breakfast, and she knew that she would have to say no then. She laid her head on her hands, thinking of a solution, and shut her eyes to try to keep tears from welling up in them.

She didn't even realize she was drifting off to sleep as her weariness overcame the anxiety that gripped her, and soon Yang was fast asleep.

"Yang! Yang! I'm going to be late, wake up!" Ruby's cries shocked the blonde-haired woman awake. Her eyes darted to the clock, growing wide as she saw the time.

"Everything's such a mess when you first bring it back!" Ruby complained. "Where's the breakfast stuff?"

"Not now, Ruby, we need to get moving. No time for breakfast!" Grabbing her sister by the hand, she almost dragged the girl with her to the door. Still in her pajamas, Yang slipped on a pair of shoes, grabbed her wallet and keys, and rushed down to the car.

Ruby, however, didn't like the idea of going hungry. "What are you talking about, Yang! I know you can't cook anything, but I can definitely have something quick!" Yang quickly thought up an excuse.

"Er- well, yesterday I had a bit of trouble starting the car, it didn't turn on the first time. If that happens again, we'll need more time to get you in on time. Just eat a really big lunch, okay? I'll make sure to wake up on time from now on." Truthfully, the car was fine. A bit old- 'well, really old'- and she hadn't fixed it up in a while because of their budget. The 'check engine' light was on, but it had been like that since before Yang even inherited it, so she could only hope for the best.

In reality, Yang just wanted to save the food for later. The previous night had greatly unnerved her. The idea that the two of them lived on the edge had always been in the back of her mind, but until she sat down and looked at their financial situation it had been something she could ignore. 'If I'm not going to be buying breakfast for every morning, the least I can do is save her some for later.'

The ride was mostly quiet. Ruby sat in the passenger seat checking through her bag to make sure she had everything. Or that was the case, until, "Hey! My calculator! I must have missed it when I got my math homework! I guess I didn't see it, and just assumed I packed it already."

'Oh, right.' Yang thought glumly 'She has math every other day, and I borrowed it last night.' Speaking up, the older sister quickly explained it to her. "Sorry, Rubes, I had to use it last night. It's too late to turn back now… uh, would your teacher let you use my phone if you told her it was my fault?"

"Maybe, I know you had her too. She probably remembers how much of a screw-up you are." Ruby joked. Yang dramatically gasped at the 'insult', and threw a hand over her heart. "But won't you need it?"

"All the hard work I do for my dear sister, and this is the thanks I get?" Yang pulled up to the front of the school, and ushered her sister out. "I should be fine without it, today. Just turn on airplane mode so it doesn't go off in class, and if you mess with anything on there you don't get the desert they gave out this week. Now off with you, I've got some stuff to take care of before work."

Just before stepping out, however, Ruby turned to look back at Yang. "Hey, that reminds me, what did you need my calculator for last night, anyways? I wondered why you slept at the table last night, but I kinda forgot to ask in the rush."

She hesitated in her response, trying to think of the best way to answer the question without worrying Ruby. "I was just looking over our finances. Wanted to see if there was anything we didn't need to be spending so much on, you know?"

The younger girl accepted the answer easily, and stepped out into the brisk morning air, looking back only to wave goodbye to Yang as she disappeared into the crown of students headed inside.

Well, I'm sure everything's going to be just fine. Miss Rosewood is a strong woman, she'll make it through this. Nothing to worry about.

Thanks for reading and putting up with my shit for 2 years,

Minesniper