"Ruby, can I ask where we're going?" Blake murmured. The warm hand in hers almost fought off the chill of the wind, but not quite. Her ears twitched erratically under the black and red beanie that Ruby had let her use as they picked up the muffled sounds of life in the busy city.

The girl smiled back at her, leading her confidently down the crowded sidewalk. "We're going to spread holiday cheer!"

That didn't answer her question, but Blake figured that was the closest she would get.

As Ruby pulled her down street after street, sparkling lights lined the doors and gutters of shops with red and green. Some even had them in stars or deer. The one that appeared most often was a round man in red with a very impractical hat.

She pointed it out to Ruby, frowning. "What is the significance of the man with the hat?"

"That's Santa Claus!" After a moment, Ruby gasped and spun to face her, almost crashing into the tall stranger walking past them. "Wait! You don't know who Santa is?"

Blake raised an eyebrow.

"Oh my god, Blake! Santa is like, the king of Christmas! He goes to your house and leaves presents under the tree." She squealed.

"What if you don't live in a house with a tree in front of it?" After living most of her life in the desert, it was no wonder she had never heard of 'Santa Claus'. The nearest tree was a couple of miles from town.

Ruby giggled, looking up at Blake. "No, silly. The tree is inside your house. You get a Christmas tree and put a lot of shiny stuff on it, then he comes while you're sleeping to give you presents.. Or a lump of coal if you're naughty."

Blake cringed slightly, ears lying flat against her head, "Define naughty in this context."

"Like, bad or mean, I guess." Blake was thoroughly convinced that she'd been spending too much time in Yang's company.

"So, you put a tree in your house and it acts as a signal for Santa Claus to come?"

"Exactly!" Ruby exclaimed, a wide smile on her face as she turned back to continue pulling Blake down the sidewalk, chattering about a 'reindeer' with a red nose.

The hair on the back of Blake's neck stood on end. It was strange enough that they put a tree in their home, but the fact that it invited someone to break in was completely insane. He could steal their belongings or sabotage their home. Hell, he could slit their throats if he was so inclined.

She held back a growl, resolving herself to stay on the lookout for the lunatic. And possibly set traps around the apartment.

It took her a moment to realize that they had stopped, mind full of possible ways to catch the man in red. She looked around to find that they were in the middle of the park next to a snow-covered bench. The trees no longer had their blood red leaves, wearing frost instead. There was no babbling brook or rushing wind this time. Though, the lively chatter had grown even louder since her last visit.

Ruby was already plugging the amp into the outdoor outlet a couple inches from the bench, her tongue peeking out from between her lips in concentration.

Blake eyed it cautiously. If anything screamed 'electrocution; it was a snow covered outlet in the middle of a public park. "What are we going to do?"

"Haven't you ever played for change?" Her eyes flicked up to Blake for a moment before she opened the cases. One held a bright red electric guitar, while the other had a light brown acoustic.

"Played for change?" She asked, ears straining against the fabric of the beanie.

Ruby placed the electric in her hands, flashing a bright smile. "Well, you just kind of play whatever and if people think you're good, they'll throw some change in the case. It's great when you need a bit of quick money."

Blake nodded, quickly checking if the guitar was tuned properly before looking around. There were only a few people going up and down the sidewalk, and half of them looked to be in hurry to get somewhere. She wanted to suggest a more populated area, but crowds were a lot more uncomfortable when she wasn't on a stage.

"What do you wanna sing Blake?" She asked.

Blake shrugged. She didn't know the words, or music, to all of the jolly christmas songs.

"Well, what's a song you really like?"

Blake hummed for a moment before letting her fingers rest against the strings. She did have a song, though she didn't think it was very jolly. It couldn't hurt to try.

After making sure the amp wouldn't overpower Ruby's acoustic, she said, "E half measure, G full measure, D half, A full. Repeat until I'm done."

A smile lit Ruby's face as she began to strum. Blake took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. When she did, it was easy to imagine being alone in her room, singing softly to herself. She let her fingertips slide over the frets, a soft tune mixing with the woman beside her.

"And you can bring me to my knees again

All the times that I could beg you please in vain

All the times that I felt insecure for you

And I leave my burdens at the door."

She grit her teeth as she nudged the distortion up a notch.

"But I'm on the outside and I'm looking in.

I can see through you, see your true colors.

'cause inside you're ugly, ugly like me.

I can see through you, see to the real you."

She turned it back down settling back into the soft melody. The mixture of anger and sadness wove it's way through her heart, as it did every time.

"All the times that I felt like this won't end, it's from you.

And I taste what I can never have, it was from you.

All the times that I cried, my intentions were full of pride.

But I waste more time than anyone."

A flash of insecurity ran through her, but she shoved it down. It was nothing compared to the lightness of her bones or the strength in her voice as she sang the chorus. The curious weightless feeling made her sing a little louder. Play a little harder.

"All the times that I've cried!

All this wasted, It's all inside!

And I feel all this pain!

Stuffed it down, It's back again!

As I lie here in bed!

All Alone, I can't mend.

But I feel, tomorrow will be okay."

She let a small smile slip onto her lips. She wasn't alone. Tomorrow would be okay. For once, she didn't feel like she was lying when she said that.

"I'm on the outside, and I'm looking in.

I can see through you, see your true colors.

Inside you're ugly, ugly like me.

I can see through you, see to the real you."

She let out a heavy breath, letting her head tip back to look up at the sky. The weight would come back soon, but she could enjoy the freedom while it lasted. She didn't expect the weight to be physical.

Strong arms latched around her, bright silver eyes staring into hers. "You're not ugly, Blake! You're really beautiful!"

Blake ignored the familiar heat that flooded her cheeks, patting Ruby's back gently.

"It's a metaphor Ruby. It represents somebodies flaws, not their physical appearance." She said softly, giving the girl a slight smile.

"That's what I mean!" She exclaimed, letting go to grasp the faunus shoulders. "Even if you are super pretty on the outside, it's the same on the inside." She tapped Blake's chest gently for emphasis.

Her words made the heat in her cheeks even worse. She averted her eyes to the side but let her hands hold onto Ruby's waist, not wanting to pull away from the soft warmth just yet.

"Why did you choose that song?" She asked. Blake saw her head tilt out of the corner of her eye.

She thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "It's… special to me. I listened to it for a long time, but it only made sense when I came to beacon. Things are always more clear when you look at them from the outside. You can see the truth when you're not so involved."

"Like watching Weiss and Yang pine over each other while they were oblivious?" Ruby giggled.

Blake chuckled, "Exactly." She took a look at the guitar case, seeing that a couple people had left money while her eyes were closed. It wasn't much, but it made her hopeful. People were listening to what they had to say, even if they weren't on a stage. And, judging from the change they left, they liked what they heard.

"It's your turn." She said, letting her hands return to her guitar.

Ruby didn't let go for a moment, her face scrunched up in thought. Finally, she smiled and stepped back, turning towards the sidewalk. "I have one. Just follow my lead."

She quickly started plucking at the string of her guitar, leaving Blake to shake off her confusion and begin to play with her. The riff was fast and light, but repetitive enough for the faunus to catch on quickly. The tune was vaguely familiar, but not something she listened to regularly.

When Ruby had made sure that Blake knew the notes, she rapped her hands against the wood of her guitar slowly, using it as a makeshift drum before she started to sing.

"Come to decide that the things that I tried

Were in my life just to get high on.

When I sit alone, come get a little known

But I need more than myself this time.

Step from the road to the sea to the sky

And I do believe that we rely on

When I lay it on

Come get to play it on

All my life to sacrifice.

Hey, oh. Listen what I say, oh.

I got our hey, oh. Listen what I say, oh, oh."

As Blake got a grip on the fast, energetic beat, she let her eyes stray to Ruby. Her hair was already sticking up at odd angles from the rapid bobbing of her head and the way her body bounced with the melody of the music. Unlike Blake, she didn't close her eyes. They flickered from person to person as they ambled by, as if she were singing to every one of them personally. The soft words asked for attention, but not in the loud, forceful tone that she'd come to expect. It was a gentle plea, less about money and more about understanding.

"When will I know that I really can't go

To the well once more time to decide on.

When it's killing me

When will I really see

All that I need to look inside.

Come to believe that I better not leave

Before I get my chance to ride.

When it's killing me

What do I really need

All that I need to look inside.

Hey, oh. Listen what I say, oh.

Come back and

Hey, oh. Look at what I say, oh"

Blake couldn't help the lopsided grin on her face. The gentle rise and fall of Ruby's voice made the light feeling wrap her bones almost as much as singing herself did. Even as Ruby began to pound the guitar like a bass drum, her heart pounded along with it.

"The more, I see the less, I know

The more I like to let it go!

Hey, oh!

Deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder

Where it's so white as snow.

Privately divided by a world so undecided

And there's nowhere to go.

In between the cover of another perfect wonder

And it's so white as snow.

Running through the field where all my tracks will

Be concealed and there's nowhere to go oh!"

A couple of people that passed by leaned down to drop money in their case. One woman with a bright pink coat and fluffy earmuffs. A round man with three children following him like ducklings. A thin teenager with bags under his eyes.

"When to descend to amend for a friend

All the channels that have broken down.

Now you bring it up

I'm gonna ring it up

Just to hear you sing it out.

Step from the road to the sea to the sky

And I do believe what we rely on

When I lay it on

Come get to play it on

All my life to sacrifice.

Hey, oh. Listen what I say, oh.

I got your

Hey, oh. Listen what I say, oh."

A familiar head of red hair came into view, catching Blake's attention. Pyhrra strolled happily down the sidewalk wearing a pair of faded jeans and a black jacket, chatting with a very cold-looking Jaune. His arms stayed close to his body, hands crammed into the pockets of his light blue hoodie. Her green eyes widened when she saw them, but she smiled nonetheless.

Despite the singer making her way over, Ruby stayed engrossed in the music. She gave Pyhrra a quick smile as she continued to drum on her guitar, refusing to stop or slow down as she sang through the chorus. Blake followed her lead, focusing on the music that they weaved. It was a bit harder now, with green eyes making her feel a little self-conscious.

"The more I see, the less I know,

The more I like to let it go!

Hey, oh!

Deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder

Where it's so white as snow.

Privately divided by a world so undecided

And there's nowhere to go.

In between the cover of another perfect wonder

Where it's so white as snow.

Running through the field where all my tracks will Be concealed

And there's nowhere to go."

At Ruby's soft sigh, Blake stopped playing and stretched her aching fingers a bit. The cold made them more sensitive, and the way she pressed the metal strings left painful indents and small cuts. She'd have to disinfect those later.

"Pyrrha! Jaune!" Ruby squealed, now that her attention wasn't elsewhere. "What are you guys doing here?"

Pyrrha chuckled, looking down at their case as Jaune threw a few bills in. Blake figured that they had around twenty dollars. It wasn't nearly enough, but it was a start. "I should be asking you two that. Didn't you get paid yesterday too?"

"Yeah, but we can't really use it." She said, shrugging. "There was some blackmail and rude family members, so none of us can get to our money. Well, Blake can, but that's cause she's a sand nymph and we don't want to take her money because it's christmas Pyrrha! Well, not yet, but pretty close!"

Blake shared Pyrrha's confused look. A sand nymph?

"I see." Pyrrha lied, trying not to look confused. She pulled out her wallet, taking out a few bills. "I can help out, if you'd like."

Ruby's cheeks puffed out and she folded her arms, but Blake was a bit more focused on the neat '100' printed on the first one. Her ears perked under the snug beanie.

"We can't just take your money Pyrrha!" She huffed. "That's not in the Christmas spirit."

Blake narrowed her eyes. She didn't know much about 'the Christmas spirit', but she had assumed that giving was a big part of it.

Pyrrha chuckled quietly but Jaune spoke up, looking between the two. "How about you guys sing a few songs for her then?"

Ruby smiled widely, almost bouncing up and down as she looked to Pyrrha for an answer.

"That sounds wonderful." She giggled. Pyrrha hummed for a moment. "Well which one of you are better at singing?"

Blake looked at Ruby. She had the raw talent and the passion that showed whenever she sang. She could probably sing in a different language and people would still understand exactly what she meant.

"Ruby."

"Blake."

Blake pursed her lips for a moment as Ruby's eyebrows knit together. She would've argued, but the sudden smirk on Pyrrha's face made her come to a screeching stop, instantly suspicious. That smirk was a bit too much like Ozpin's for her to trust it.

"I have an idea." Pyrrha said, looking between the two of them. Blake's tail twitched nervously around her thigh. "How about you guys have a contest?"

"Contest?" Ruby asked, head cocked.

Pyrrha nodded. "We do it all the time in Mistral. You each sing part of a song. The first one to stop or fumble loses."

That… wasn't nearly as bad as Blake thought it might be.

"That sounds great! Does it have to be the first part of the song?" Ruby squealed. As Pyrrha shook her head, she squealed again. "What's our topic?"

"Love songs!" Jaune volunteered.

"Sex." Pyrrha declared, speaking over him.

They looked at each other, Jaune shocked and Pyrrha amused.

Blake took back her nice thoughts. It was as bad as she thought it would be.

"Why not both?" Blake's gaze snapped to the excitable woman, beyond doubtful that this was a good idea. Ruby stared back, cheerful smile fixed firmly on her face.. "Which one do you want?"

Blake frowned. She had very little experience with either of those. Love was something she had only experienced in a familial way, where lust was something that had only happened very recently. There was no shortage of songs about either of them, but Blake had always avoided love songs.

"Lust." She sighed.

Ruby's cheeks gained a bit more color despite her excited smile. "Alright, do you want me to go first?"

Blake nodded, fingers returning to her strings. Ruby strummed her acoustic idly for a moment until her eyes lit up.

She plucked slowly at the strings, playing a repetitive but sweet tune.

"You're my world, the shelter from the rain.

You're the pills, that take away my pain.

You're the light, that helps me find my way.

You're the words, when I have nothing to say."

Her voice was soft and gentle, a stark difference from the strong and rebellious one that she usually sang with. Blake's heart thumped a little harder in her chest.

"In this world where nothing else is true.

Here I am, still tangled up in you.

I'm still tangled up in you."

Blake shook off the odd feeling, using the chance to shoot Pyrrha a venomous look before she cut in,soft, slow and sensual. She wanted to win this embarrassing competition as quickly as possible.

"I wanna tease you.

I wanna please you.

I wanna show you baby, that I need you.

I want your body, to the very last drop.

I want you to holler when you want me to stop."

Blake smirked at the bright flush that tinted Ruby's cheeks and the look of outrage on her face.

"Who can love you like me?

Who can sex you like me?

Who can treat you like me, now?

Nobody, baby."

Ruby decided that her snow-covered shoelaces were very interesting. That wouldn't do. Blake stalked closer, fixing the girl with a stare. She may have been using a little more husk in her voice than she should, but Blake could admit that she was a bit more competitive than was healthy.

"Who can do it like me?

Who can give you what you need?

Who can do you all night long?

Nobody, baby-"

Ruby cut her off, fixing her with a glare before a small smile lit her face. Blake raised an eyebrow. What could possibly top that?

"I have so many questions, and places to go.

There are too many options, far too many unknowns.

This is why I need you.

Everyone talks now, but no one is right.

there are too many armies, with no one to fight.

This is why I need you."

Ruby took a step towards her, using Blake's own tactics against her. Her smile was little less competitive than the faunus' and held a lot more warmth that Blake simply wasn't prepared for. Her breath hitched in her throat.

"Cause you make the darkness, less dark.

You make the edges, less sharp.

You make the winter feel warmer!

You make my weakness, less weak.

You make the bottom, less deep.

You make the waiting feel shorter.

You make my crazy feel normal, every time.

You are the who. Love is the what. This is the why."

Blake chimed in before her heart could beat right out of her chest, spinning to face away from the gentle eyes and soft voice. She took the time during the opening notes to gain her composure and fight the blush flooding her cheeks.

"Dim the lights, no don't talk.

Brass mirrors on my wall.

Telling lies, making sin.

Ending up more than friends"

She finally managed to turn back around, face straight but for the (hopefully) sexy smirk on her lips. This wasn't the way she had planned on learning to be sexy, and it felt more than a little awkward. Ruby's wide eyes and the white of her teeth as it bit down on her lower lip made her feel a bit better about it.

"All while we dent the walls and bend the frames,

Always wet but hardly clean

Never sleep, you'd do the same

lock the doors and pull the shades-"

Ruby began to strum almost violently, making Blake's smirk a bit more genuine. She nearly skipped the opening notes, going directly for the lyrics.

"If you said goodbye to me tonight

There would still be music left to write.

What else could I do?

I'm so inspired by you!

That hasn't happened for the longest time!"

Even though her face was red, she still looked up at Blake with that adoring smile. The same one that made the faunus want to press their lips together and hold the soft warmth that was Ruby in her arms.

"Maybe this won't last very long.

But you feel so right

I could be wrong.

Now I know the woman that you are

You're wonderful so far

And it's more than I hoped for."

Blake started on a gritty baseline, taking a deep breath. If this didn't do it, she was going to forfeit. She may have avoided love songs like the plague, but when Ruby sang them… She shook her head quickly, letting her voice fall into a growl.

"You let me violate you.

You let me desecrate you.

You let me penetrate you.

You let me complicate you.

Help me!

I broke apart my insides!

Help me!

I've got no soul to sell!

Help me!

The only thing that works for me.

Help me get away from myself."

She moved until the were almost touching, her last move in their battle, and leaned down slightly to whisper in her ear.

"I wanna fuck you like an animal.

I wanna feel you from the inside.

I wanna fuck you like an animal.

My whole existence is flawed.

You bring me closer to god."

"I'm done. I'm fucking done." Ruby cried, backpedaling so fast she almost slipped in the snow. "She wins. I can't- nope."

Blake held back a relieved cheer, instead letting out a soft sigh and smiling.

"That's what I call a show."

Blake turned, blinking a few times when she remembered that Pyrrha and Jaune were watching. The world had narrowed down to Ruby when she was singing. Pyrrha had a smirk on her face, her arms folded as she raised an eyebrow. Jaune looked like he was on the verge of passing out. His face was red and his mouth gaping open.

Pyrrha let the bills fall into the guitar case, satisfied look never leaving her face. Blake felt dirty somehow. "I'd say that you guys definitely earned it."

"T-thanks Pyrrha." Ruby murmured, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Happy holidays, you two." She giggled, giving Ruby a pat on the back. Pyrrha hooked her arm around Jaune's, unfreezing him and prompting a stuttered goodbye as they started towards Beacon.

Ruby stayed in the same spot, silver eyes tracing the footprints in the snow. Blake felt a stab of worry pierce her heart. She may have gone a bit overboard. Blake really didn't want Ruby to feel uncomfortable.

She stepped a bit closer, reaching out to touch her arm. A shift in the wind's direction made her hand lurch back. Ruby's scent hit her like a hot punch in the stomach. Blake's face heated until it was almost unbearable, reaching all the way to the tips of her ears. The smell of arousal overpowered the scent of roses by a landslide. It was different than the smell lingering around the apartment that made Blake wonder if Ruby was a nymphomaniac. It was heavier. Sweeter.

It felt a bit different than usual too. It made her mind slow until the thoughts came at a trickle instead of a flood. A hot feeling started in her stomach. It was worrying, but not uncomfortable. If anything, it felt good. Blake couldn't detect exactly what had changed about it, but it was driving her mad.

"Ruby." She murmured, leaning forward to inhale curiously. "You smell… different."

"W-what?" Ruby stammered, head snapping up to look at Blake with wide eyes. Blake stepped forward until their bodies touched, her arms snaking around the other woman to hold her still as she ran her nose lightly over her neck. Against her will, a quiet purr rumbled in her chest as she pressed her lips against the sweet smelling skin. It tasted almost as good as it smelled.

"B-Blake!" Ruby squeaked, hands gripping the faunus' shoulders tightly as a groan caught in her throat. Blake decided that she liked that noise a lot. "W-we're in public! If you want to frick frack it'd be a l-lot more legal if we went home!"

Blake's head tilted to the side, confused for a moment before her eyes widened and she jolted back, mouth gaping in horror. The thought of becoming an exhibitionist like their friends made her shake her head to clear it. "I'm turning into Weiss." She muttered, pressing a hand to her face.

A soft giggle made her look up. It slowly grew into a loud laugh. Though Ruby's cheeks were a deeper red than both of her namesakes, the carefree noise spilled from her like blood from a stab wound. Blake found herself smiling, hands returning to her sides.

"If you were turning into Weiss, I think I'd be tied up by now!"

Blake snorted, turning off the amp and winding up the cords in an effort to distract her hands from the soft body that had recently been pressed against her. "You should let them know we're done. It's starting to get late."

Ruby nodded, pulling out her scroll as Blake counted the money that was in their case. Thanks to Pyrrha's generous (evil) donation, it came out to 323 dollars plus a bit of change. Blake didn't know what Ruby could possibly buy as a present with that much money, but she was just glad to be able to curl up in her blankets again.

Her relief was sharply cut off by a scream of rage. She whirled around, already fumbling for her knife, only to see Ruby glaring at her phone. She debated on whether she should ask or not.

Finally, she let out a soft sigh. "What is it Ruby?"

"I'm going to fucking murder Yang!"

"I am not going to be a stripper, Yang. I don't care how much we need the money." Weiss growled, looking up at the neon sign. It read 'The Crow Bar' in bright red letters.

The exterior was absolutely cringe-worthy. The glass doors were so dirty, all she could see through them was a bunch of blurry shapes. Graffiti had been sprayed all over the wall and, If she squinted hard enough, one set of green letters told her to fornicate with herself. Rude.

"We're not here to be strippers, Weiss." Yang got out of the car, walking around to meet Weiss at the other side.

Weiss huffed as she made sure her car was locked. This neighborhood was shadier than Blake on a bad day. She wanted to be absolutely certain that the man at the corner, whose pants were so low that she could see all of the little pink hearts on his boxers, didn't make off with her beautiful Ferrari.

"Then what are we here for?" She folded her arms as they started across the street. "This doesn't seem like the type of place that would hire us to manage their finances."

Yang didn't answer, instead waving at the bouncer. His spine straightened and he took the lit cigarette out of his mouth. A thick finger pushed up his shades to reveal bloodshot, brown eyes.

"I didn't think I'd see you around here anymore." His voice made Weiss skin crawl. It was as if he gargled sand and sharp rocks every morning.

Yang's posture changed. It was subtle, but she exuded confidence in waves as she drew up to her full height. Her smirk showed just a bit more teeth. "What was that?"

"W-Welcome back, sir." Weiss' snowy eyebrows nearly retreated into her hairline at the nervous look on his face.

"Good to be back." The blonde drawled, stepping past him and striding into the bar. Weiss pulled her coat tighter around herself before following after.

The smell hit her like a punch in the face, making her nose wrinkle at the odor of sweat and stale beer. The interior was just as promising as the outside. plain brown walls with worn down, wooden tables. The heat of all the bodies pressed together made her regret wearing two layers of clothes. If there was something good about the place, it was that it was well lit.

Yang led the way over to the bar, waving at a few people as she passed. She had a few words with the bartender as Weiss glared daggers at a large man, smelling of vodka and cherries, jostled her a bit too much for her liking.

To her relief, there were no metal poles anywhere in the building. There was, however, a raised platform with red ropes around it. If she didn't know any better, she would've said it was a fighting ring. She had seen them occasionally on the television in the servants breakroom back at the manor, but this looked a lot more run down. The yellow paint was chipped and worn away, and the floor of the ring was uneven with a more than a few dents and scratches.

When Yang's shoulder bumped against her, she had more than a few questions about what the fuck was going on here, but she settled with, "Why did the bouncer call you sir?"

The brute let out a soft chuckle, scratching the back of her head. "Well, I used to come here a lot. One day I kind of destroyed the place."

Weiss blinked a couple of times, wondering how that escalated so quickly. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite figure out why. "Do you eventually destroy every establishment you frequent?"

"Well, Ruby wanted to tag along one day. This guy kept hitting on her and wasn't taking the hint to back off. I may have gone a little overboard…" She trailed off, a hint of pink lighting up her cheeks.

Weiss didn't need anymore clarification. "Oh my god. This is the bar you blew up!" Yang winced as the exclamation turned a couple of heads in their direction. Weiss looked around. It certainly didn't look like it had been set on fire. "I see they made quite the comeback."

"After Junior was arrested, Qrow bought the property and built his own bar. The drinks are kind of low quality and the bartenders aren't too friendly, but that's not why people come here."

Weiss' eyes narrowed, "Why do people come he-"

"Well if it isn't 'Bang' Xiao-Long!"

The heiress had to hold back a frustrated screech. Were answers really too much to ask for? She whirled to face a man that was almost as tall as Yang. His deep red eyes were unfocused and his posture would've made her singing instructors cry. Salt and pepper hair was slicked messily away from his face and his dark grey vest hung haphazardly on his thin frame.

"And who's this little princess?" He asked slowly, waving a fruity looking drink in Weiss' general direction. The pale woman bristled.

"Qrow, this is Weiss. My girlfriend." She said, fixing him with a stern look.

The word made a familiar heat rise in Weiss' cheeks. She may have asked the blonde to be her significant other, but she had never thought she would be called anyone's girlfriend. It sounded like something a highschool girl would say. Not a grown, respectable, woman such as herself. Weiss couldn't bring herself to protest it.

He squinted for a second before a lopsided smile spread across his face and his hand stretched towards her. "Nice to meet you, ice princess."

"That's Ice Queen to you." She huffed, but shook his hand anyways. If this person was special to Yang, then she could make a small effort to get along. His grip was pleasantly firm, but unpleasantly sticky.

He let out a warm laugh when she grimaced and wiped her hand on her pants. "So what brings you guys my humble little dive bar?"

"I want to know if any fights are open." Yang spoke up.

His face screwed up in concentration for a moment before he nodded. "Yeah, I got a couple spots open, as long as you don't let Samson find out." His eyes fell on Weiss again. "Though, I wouldn't suggest letting short stu-"

"I was actually thinking that Weiss could be one of the card girls!" Yang cut in quickly. Not quickly enough.

Weiss laid a hand on her arm and the blonde stopped, wincing at the shorter woman. "It's rude to interrupt Yang, let him finish." She said, voice laced with cold fury.

His smile widened, gaining a mischievous glint. "I said: I wouldn't suggest letting short stuff here fight. We have a lot of good fighters tonight, and I'd hate to see her get hurt."

Weiss had to grit her teeth to keep from saying anything particularly rude. She was sick of being looked at like she was a weak little princess. She could take care of herself dammit! She wasn't some damsel, she wasn't defenseless, she wasn't weak!

"Sign me up." She hissed.

Yang's eyes widened and she sputtered something, but Qrow stepped in grinning down at her. "Are you sure you can handle it?"

"I guess we'll just have to see. Sign. Me. Up." Weiss' growled, folding her arms and glaring up at him.

"Consider it done." He chuckled. He nudged Yang, leaning close as if sharing a secret. Though, his slurred voice was probably loud enough for the whole bar to hear. "Be careful with this one. Looks like she's got a temper."

Weiss fists curled at her sides in an attempt to keep them from wrapping around his neck as he sauntered off to the back rooms. She took a deep, slow breath to calm herself. She couldn't let him rile her up.

"So… That was a thing…" Yang laughed nervously.

Weiss let out a puff of air that was absolutely not a snort and rolled her eyes. "It certainly was." She touched Yang's arm, interrupting the way her eyes flickered between Weiss and the door Qrow had disappeared through. "I believe you have a lot more experience than me here. I'd appreciate it if you let me know what I should expect."

Yang's muscles unwound and the easy smile returned to her face. Weiss felt better when that smile was there. The blonde sat down on one of the barstools, motioning to the seat next to her. Weiss stared at the old stool, that happened to have someone's initials carved into it, with disgust. Reasoning that she could burn her clothes when they got home, she sat down uncomfortably.

"Well, as far as rules go, there aren't many in fights like these. Don't kill anyone or put them in the hospital." She motioned to the bartender, murmuring her order before focusing on Weiss again. "You can't bring any weapons into the fight, but anything thrown into the ring is fair game."

"People throw weapons into the ring?" She asked, trying not to let her voice waver.

"Yup." Yang said, popping the P. "But you gotta throw them back when the round ends."

Two drinks were slid in front of her. One was pitch black with a couple of ice cubes clacking together inside. The other was in a martini glass with a little umbrella. It was bright orange, yellow, and red, complimented by a strawberry on the rim.

Weiss raised an eyebrow as the dark drink was slid towards her by a large hand. It was no secret that she liked to drink, probably a little more than was healthy, but she doubted they had any quality liquor here.

"What is it?" She asked, looking into it curiously and trying not to think of what number it would earn on the toxicity scale.

"Atlesian Coffee."

It didn't sound very promising, but she raised the glass to her lips, taking an experimental sip. She blinked a couple of times, letting out an undignified grunt at the strong taste. It was almost as bitter as the coffee she made herself, but held the harsh stinging undertone of vodka.

"I like it." She murmured.

Yang giggled and sipped at her drink for moment. The heiress took the time to observe the woman out of the corner of her eye. Something had been a bit different about her since they stepped inside. She practically vibrated with poorly hidden enthusiasm. Her smile was bigger, her eyes shining.

It made her own eyes drift over their surroundings. People were merry and happy as they sloshed their cheap liquor and talked in too-loud voices, but there wasn't anything special about it that Weiss could see.

"Don't let Qrow get to you, alright? You really don't have to do this if you don't want to." Yang spoke up after a moment, her voice just loud enough to hear over the dull roar of the crowd.

Weiss shook her head. She was not about to be proved wrong by a rude alcoholic with sticky hands. "I'll be fine Yang. You worry too much."

Weiss shifted uncomfortably, eyes picking out the spots of dirt on the floor. For Yang, of all people, to think that she was weak too made her lips thin into a tight line.

A warm hand rubbed gently across Weiss' shoulders, cutting off her thoughts and turning her attention back to the blonde. "I'll be cheering you on then."

Weiss' heart throbbed warmly and she scowled as her cheeks heated up. How did she put her on the edge of her seat, then pacify her so quickly? This entire trip was confusing. Weiss was beginning to look forward to beating somebody into the ground, if only to let off some steam.

Her wishes were answered much too soon as a crackle on the intercom made the noise die down.

"Place your bets now, because the fights are starting!" A voice boomed, the enthusiasm a bit too thick to be real. The patrons didn't seem to care, they cheered all the same. "Our first match will be between Shark Bite and The Ice Queen! Combatants, please make your way to the ring!"

Shark Bite? She looked at Yang questioningly, but the blonde simply shrugged. With a sigh and a growing sense of unease, Weiss hopped off the stool and started towards the ring. A hand grasping her arm stopped her short.

"Wait! You're gonna have to take off your clothes!" Yang said quickly.

Weiss flinched at the thought. "What do you mean!?" She hissed. Pride or no, she was not going to fight naked!

"Just the outer layer." Yang said, biting her lip to stifle her laughter. "If you don't, you're gonna end up with heat stroke."

Weiss scowled for a moment before letting out a groan. Before she could hesitate and lose her nerve, she pulled her shirt up over her head and unceremoniously dropped her pants. Her cheeks burned, but the heiress folded up her clothes and placed them in Yang's waiting arms. It was a lot easier to breathe without the hot layers, though she'd never admit that Yang was right.

"Is this fine?" Weiss asked, crossing her arms when it came out a bit more self conscious than she would've liked. In her defense, the outfit showed a lot more skin than she was used to. She usually preferred tailored suits and the occasional skirt.

If Yang noticed, she didn't comment. She simply wrapped Weiss in a quick hug before nudging her towards the ring. "It's perfect. Kick some ass Weiss Cream!"

Weiss nodded, head high as she walked towards the ring. 'Shark Bite' was already waiting as she clambered up, his back pressed against the ropes on the opposite side. He was only a bit taller than her and though he had quite a bit of muscle definition, it was nothing compared to Yang's bulk. He had short, light green hair and looked her up and down with hazel eyes.

She stepped into the center of the ring, watching him stride forward in his obscenely tight shorts. She would've made a comment about how much of his anatomy she really didn't need to see but, with her bikini and assless chaps, she didn't exactly have room to talk.

When he smiled, it was kind, but overshadowed by the fact that his teeth were filed down into sharp, gleaming points. Not that it lasted long. His eyebrows quickly knit together. "Are those high heels?" He asked, voice a bit higher than Weiss would've expected.

"Of course." She huffed, scowling. What did he have against high heels?

A woman wearing a bikini (without the assless chaps) held up a sign at the base of the ring before the intercom crackled on again. "Round one!" She squared her shoulders and tilted her chin up, bending her knees slightly. "Fight!"

The man lunged immediately, a fist pulled back to punch, but she sidestepped quickly to let his momentum carry him past. He began to circle her slowly, his smile a little less kind this time. Blue eyes narrowed at him, Weiss' heart beating rapidly in her chest.

Her mind played through her instructors bland voice, going over what she was taught. The number of times the words "Lethal", "Paralysis", and "Major brain damage" came up made her wince. She wasn't trained to fight for sport, she was trained to eliminate threats as quickly and brutally as possible. He stepped closer, but she mirrored with a step back. He growled.

It continued like that, matching every step with one of her own, every punch with an evasion, as she tried to figure out a way to defeat him without accidentally giving him a serious injury. When the bell finally signaled the end of round one, he was fuming. Weiss couldn't help but smirk as he stomped over to a corner where someone handed him up a water bottle.

"Weiss!"

Weiss turned to find Yang in the opposite corner, motioning with her hand. When she walked over, she found a water bottle being pressed into her hand too, "You're supposed to come over here at the end of the round."

Weiss looked glanced at her opponent, cocking her head. "How many rounds are there?"

"Three." Yang said, eyebrows slowly rising, "You've… never seen any fights?"

Weiss shook her head, sipping the water. The only fights she had seen were ones she had taken part in personally. Even then, they were quick and decisive, short flurries of violence reserved for dark parking lots and the blind spots of the Shnee manor cameras.

Yang exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. " You're doing pretty well so far. Just be careful of his tee-"

"At your positions!" The announcer shouted.

Weiss handed the bottle back quickly, sparing Yang a small smile in hopes of keeping the woman from tearing her hair out with concern.

Her shoulders squared again as she got to the center, more out of confidence than habit. He may have been muscular, but the first round had proved that he was lacking when it came to speed. Or, that's what she thought.

When the bell rang through the intercom again, he darted forward. Caught off guard, she barely turned to the side in time, face tingling where the punch nearly struck. Though, she regretted not taking the punch instead when a sharp pain sliced into her arm.

She swung a fist around, catching him in the jaw and making the pain intensify before he stumbled back.

"Did you just fucking bite me!?" She nearly screamed, gripping her bicep.

He let out a loud laugh and she caught a few smears of red on his teeth. "What? Are you gonna cry?"

Her temper flared and she let her hand fall to her side, clenching it into a fist. The next fist he launched in her direction was just as fast. She spun around it, using the momentum to slam her elbow into his face as hard as she could. Weiss tried to be humble about the satisfaction she felt as he held his face with wide eyes, but decided she didn't like it and let the vindictive smirk twist her lips. "What? Are you going to cry?"

His next move was a kick aimed at her side. Though her first reaction was to jump back, she grit her teeth and stepped forward, ceasing his momentum and using the opportunity to pull his leg up and send him crashing down on his back. Her leg lashed out to send a kick of her own, there was no way she was going to join him on the floor with her stature, but he rolled out of the way to avoid some very bruised ribs.

As he tried to get to his feet, she tried a punch of her own. It didn't do much damage. He didn't even flinch. In fact, it hurt her more than it hurt him. Her hand was still sore from punching Yang's stomach and her flinch gave him time to lock his teeth around her wrist, prompting another bout of cursing and batting him off frantically. That was unsanitary!

His chuckle was cut off by a dull thud behind him as a pool stick dropped and rolled a couple of inches. Her eyes caught his and they stared for a moment before both of them began to scramble towards it. No matter how much speed she had on him, he was closer. She pulled back short as he seized it and whipped it around in a circle, forcing the breath to catch in her throat as the wind it created ruffled her bangs.

He slashed at her with it like it was an overly long sword, forcing her to jump back or duck under it. Curses flowed freely from her mouth as it hit her thigh. The leather may have helped, but that was sure to be a dark bruise by morning. It hit again on her arm, then once more on the shoulder. He was at too much of an advantage with a weapon.

She tried to put more distance between them, but a backhanded swing at her ankles had her jumping in the air. Weiss realized, as she saw the grin on his face and the fist hurtling towards hers, that that wasn't the best idea.

It hurt. The bright spots that flickered across her vision and confusing jumble of motion before she found herself on the ground was just as bad. Her face felt uncomfortably wet, but she tried not to focus on it and lurched to her feet, trying not to fall over as the room spun around her.

Though her eyes were unfocused, Weiss stared him down, waiting for his next move. He growled and continued to stab and swing at her, the assault a little slower than before. This was getting nowhere, and, with her vision blurry and breathing ragged, it was only a matter of time before she slipped up again.

Her hand darted out as he swung once more, breath hissing through her teeth as the pool stick slammed against her palm. His expression morphed into shock, but a stark white high heel slammed into his chest as she wrenched the stick out of his grasp before he could process what happened.

She grinned, holding back a wince at the metallic taste that invaded her mouth, and pulled back to swing.

Only for the ringing of the bell to cut her off.

She didn't even try to hold back her enraged screech as she tossed the stick back to the crowd and stomped towards the yellow blur that was most likely her girlfriend.

"Weiss! Are you okay?" Yang asked frantically as Weiss sagged over the ropes. The warm hand that cupped her cheek felt almost as wonderful as the cool fabric that swiped under her nose and around the jagged, disgusting teeth marks in her arms.

Weiss tried to huff, though it came out as more of a wheeze. "I'm fine. You worry too much."

"I just watched you get punched across the ring. I think I'm not worrying enough." The water bottle was pressed to her lips and Weiss was suddenly very grateful that she hadn't drank that much after the first round.

As her vision began to clear and her breath slowed down, she sighed. "I'm alright. I've been through much worse." She tapped the ugly scar that marred her face, frowning. "If you think this rude, disgusting, savage will win, then you may want to reconsider."

Yang hesitated for a moment before letting out a sigh of her own, small smile playing on her lips. "You're right. You got this, babe."

Weiss wished the blood was still on her face. At least that would disguise the fact that she was practically glowing red. Babe!? that one was even worse than 'girlfriend'.

She cleared her throat, hoping her fluttering pulse wouldn't follow her into the ring. "I-I do. So if you'll stop working yourself up to a heart attack, it would be much appreciated." She murmured.

Yang chuckled, smile growing. As the announcer declared that the next round was about to start, Weiss grit her teeth and straightened out the best she could. Before she could turn, the large hands cupped her face and brought her into a soft, slow kiss.

Weiss felt herself relax a fraction. The gentle lips against her's was a stark contrast to the rough handling she endured, though a very welcome one. When the blonde pulled away, Weiss opened her eyes (when had they closed?) and stared at her curiously.

"Go teach that 'savage' exactly who he's dealing with."

Weiss nodded, smiling slightly and turning to face off with Shark Bite once again. This time, when the bell rang, she was ready.

She charged forward, not letting him have the first move this time. He was ready for her, his guard up to block a high kick aimed at his head. She threw a couple more, trying to determine where his guard was weakest. Before she could find one, his hand grasped her ankle. His teeth glistened as he opened his mouth wide, still tinged pink from the wounds on her arm. If he thought he was going to get away with using her as a chew toy again, he had another thing coming.

She knew she that she was light, but with the help of leverage and momentum, she could make use of what little weight she had. Her other leg came up to wrap around his neck, leaving her torso to fall with dizzying speed and turn the world upside down. With a grunt of exertion, she flexed her stomach so hard that her abs burned and pulled him off his feet, slamming him face first into the floor as she rolled away The sound of his face hitting the ground almost made the teeth marks worth it.

She dragged herself to her feet as quickly as she could, breath ragged, and whirled to face him as he got to his hands and knees. She realized, as he stumbled to his feet, that he was nearly as tired as she was. Weiss smirked.

This time, she decided to focus on throws. They posed the least threat of crushing his windpipe or severing his spinal cord. She circled him slowly, eyes narrowed in concentration. They stayed in limbo for a moment, neither willing to initiate, nor back down. Finally, as Weiss' patience began to run out, he stepped forward,bringing his knee up to slam into her rib cage. All air left her lungs. It was better than the scream she wanted to let out.

As a thick arm attempted to wrap around her shoulder, she tipped her head back and slammed it into his nose viciously, knocking him back a few steps. She wasn't quite sure who's blood was everywhere, but there was a lot of it.

Weiss reached over her shoulder before twisting her torso and bringing the back of her hand to his cheek with enough force to let a loud 'slap' be heard over the cheering of the crowd. It served to knock him back a few more steps and off balance.

Finally, she dashed forward and to ram her shoulder into his chest and knocking him on his back.

He groaned, and rolled, trying to get back on his feet. Weiss scowled, why couldn't he just stay down!? She needed more force!

"Use the chair!" A voice bellowed.

When she looked back, she saw a familiar blonde mane by the ring and a wooden chair flying into the ring towards her. She scrambled back slightly to keep it from hitting her, but it didn't stop the smile that spread across her face.

She wrapped her thin fingers around the legs, worried for a moment that she wouldn't be able to lift it. Weiss was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a lot lighter than it looked. Without wasting anymore time, she swung the chair over her head like an executioner's axe, and brought it down across Shark Bite's back.

The fragility of the chair must have been the reason for it's light weight, because it exploded in a shower of splinters, legs falling all around the man on the ground. And, to Weiss infinite satisfaction, he remained on the ground.

After a moment, the bell rang out with her being the only one standing.

"There you have it folks! Despite the odds, the Ice Queen has come out on top! Pay your debts, and make sure you leave the fighting for the ring!"

Weiss looked around at the screaming faces of the crowd, her surroundings slowly trickling back into her senses. She liked what she saw. Her breath rasped as she panted, waiting for the noise to die down. It didn't. And the warm flare of pride in her chest made a slight smile touch her face. They were cheering for her. Not her appearance or her name. Just her and her abilities. It was gratifying beyond belief.

Indulging in her flair for the dramatic, the heiress gave a slight curtsy (despite her lack of a skirt) before she made her way to the edge of the ring.

Her muscles screamed their complaints at her with every step she took, but she held her head high. She climbed tiredly over the ropes in an attempt to get down, but large hands closed around her hips and plucked her off the stage like a doll from the shelf of a toy store and she was settled into a pair of strong arms.

"Oh my god, you completely wrecked him, Weiss!" Yang laughed, smile wide.

Weiss huffed weakly, head lolling against Yang's shoulder. "You act like there was any other possibility."

Her eyes squeezed shut as Yang walked towards the door that Qrow had disappeared through earlier. The motion made her head feel like it was full of water, sloshing around every which way. When the noise around them dulled to a quiet rumble, Weiss opened her eyes to find that they were in a dim room. Screens lined the wall above a computer desk on one side. One the other side, a couple of old couches sat with a small fridge and a cardboard box between them. Her clothes sat on one of the couches. They were neatly folded, much to Weiss' delight.

"Where are we?" Weiss questioned, eyes scanning the room before settling on the couches that looked beyond comfortable to her battered body.

Yang seemed to catch the hint, large strides taking them to the couches quickly. She set Weiss down and turned to the fridge. "The back room. They bring fighters here to patch them up."

"I see." She muttered. The blonde continued to rummage through the fridge for a few moments as Weiss eyed a suspicious looking stain on the couch that was a bit too close for comfort. When Yang turned it was with an armful of supplies. Weiss spotted some bandages, disinfectant, an icepack, and a couple of tubes of something she didn't recognize.

As Yang sat them down, Weiss reached for the disinfectant only to have her hand slapped away. She scowled at the brute, but Yang just shook her head. "Just relax, alright? I may not be as good as Ruby, but I'll have you fixed up in no time."

Weiss glared for another moment, but sighed and leaned back against the couch. She watched as Yang began to unscrew the disinfectant, frowning.

"I am an adult. I don't know why you insist on taking care of me." She murmured, turning her glare to the floor. Hadn't she just proved she was strong? That she could handle herself? It may have been a completely barbaric method, but it stood for something, didn't it?

"Well, it's what you do to people you care about." Yang said, drawing the blue eyes back to her as she wet the rag. "You don't take care of them because they can't take care of themselves. You do it because you want them to be happy."

"You want me to be- Du Hurensohn!" She hissed through clenched teeth, noticing much too late that Yang had pressed the cloth to the circle of teeth marks on her wrist. When the stinging began to ebb, she swallowed hard, suddenly thankful for the interruption. Of course Yang wanted her to be happy. She was someone who made everyone happy.

Her tense muscles relaxed a fraction. Being taken care of did feel nice when it wasn't a bunch of servants you knew by face, but not by name. The calloused hands were deceptively gentle as they wrapped the bandages. The process repeated on the set of marks on her other arm, though Weiss managed to keep her vulgar words to herself this time. It slightly worried the heiress how much red stained the rag after Yang had dabbed it gently over her face. That could be why she felt so dizzy.

Soon enough, Yang had picked up one of the tubes. As it opened, Weiss' nose scrunched up at the strong smell of mint. Her eyebrows knit together as the blonde began to rub it over her bruises. It was absolutely freezing!

"What the hell is that?" She squawked, squirming away from Yang's hand.

The blonde giggled, pulling at the side of the leather and smearing it across the long bruise forming where the pool stick struck her thigh. "It's Icy Hot, Weiss. Trust me, you'll appreciate it in a second. Unfortunately, I can't put it on your face. So you have to make due with this." She pressed the ice pack into her hands.

With a sigh, Weiss put it to the side of her mouth. She could already feel the swelling, and was thankful that there were no mirrors around. If she looked how she felt, she wouldn't want to look at one for a few days. "Thank you, Yang."

"No problem Weiss Cream." She said, gathering the supplies and putting them in their place before collapsing against the couch. Weiss was pulled into her side, an arm wrapped around her narrow shoulders.

Weiss hummed quietly at the warmth, relaxing further. "Are you fighting too?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, we'll hear the intercom from in here."

Weiss nodded slowly, exhaustion keeping her from trying to talk. A beat up couch in the back of a bar was the last place she'd want to sleep, but the warm body next to hers and quiet atmosphere of the dim room was making a nap seem absolutely delightful.

Her foggy mind was snapped to attention by the rise and fall in noise that signaled the door opening.

"Woah there buddy!" Qrow said, Shark Bite's arm slung over his shoulder. They stumbled slowly over to the other couch before Qrow lowered him onto it. He shot Weiss a look over his shoulder, "Did you really have to hit him with a chair?"

Weiss shrugged, face carefully neutral. "It's better than accidentally severing his spine and leaving him paralyzed."

The man on the couch noticeably paled, though Qrow began to laugh.

The intercom screeched, causing all in the room to wince, before the voice of the announcer came through again. "It turns out we have a special surprise tonight!" He boomed, sounding a lot more excited than he was for her match. "For those of you who haven't seen her fight, you're in for a treat! Our champion has returned!"

Yang chuckled, standing and stretching. "That's my cue."

"Contested by our up and coming fighter "Neon Katt", give it up for 'Bang' Xiao-Long, our very own Golden Dragon!"

The sound of screaming and breaking glass filtered in from under the door. Qrow frowned, groaning, "Why do people always break shit when you're around?"

"Hey, at least you'll be making enough to pay for it." She said, smirking. Yang looked to Weiss, bending down to press a quick kiss to her cheek, avoiding the one with the bruise. "I'll see you out there." Her eyes strayed to Qrow for a moment. "Try not stab him, okay?"

Weiss rolled her eyes, "No promises. Good luck."

"No need for luck when you got guns like these!" She put her hands up, biceps flexing in a way that made Weiss suddenly forget how to speak.

She tore her eyes away, scowling at the heat gathering in her cheeks. "Just go kick her ass, you Oaf."

The boisterous laugh followed the blonde out the door.

Weiss kept her gaze on the door for a moment, doing her best not to look at the man she just fought and the man she wanted to fight. The bruises didn't ache so much, thanks to the numbing cold of the 'Icy Hot' and the ice pack. She briefly considered putting her clothes back on, but the ache in her muscles and bone deep exhaustion convinced her otherwise. Besides, it wasn't so bad once she got used to it. Weiss had worn more scandalous things in college anyways.

She took a deep breath, preparing to join the crowd, but a low beep from her scroll stopped her. Weiss ruffled through her pile of clothes until she found it. It was a text from Ruby.

[Ruby]: Where are you guys? We finished early!

[Weiss]: A place named 'The Crow Bar'.

[Ruby]: KJAFJKDN!?

Weiss' eyebrows knit together at the slew of gibberish, slightly annoyed. With a sigh and a shake of her head, she began to walk again. But, not halfway to the door, Qrow stepped in front of her. He was just working his way further and further under her skin. His walk was a bit more steady and eyes a bit more clear, though he still reeked of the cheap liquor that made Weiss want to wrinkle her nose.

Without preamble, he handed her a wad of bills secured by a rubber band. She didn't bother counting. She simply shoved it down the tight leather strapped to her thighs along with her scroll, a bit too eager to be rid of his presence to think of grace. As she turned, his voice made her teeth clench.

"That was a good fight." He said quietly, Glancing over to where Shark Bite was pressing his own ice pack to his head.

Weiss' eyes narrowed, her shoulders squaring despite the exhaustion of her muscles. "Thank you." She replied, sharp and short, like the crack of a whip.

The man sighed and folded his arms, staring hard at Weiss. "Yang is strong."

The heiress' hand clenched at her sides as she opened her mouth to tell him he was stating the obvious, but he shook his head.

"She is strong in a different way than you are." He looked back at the door, shoving his hands in his pockets. "She's wild. She burns so bright that it should blind the rest of us. But she's a candle burning at both ends, and one of these days, she's going to burn out."

Weiss' hands relaxed as she looked the man up and down. The words he said now sounded a lot older than when they met not too long ago. Why was he saying this?

"There are things in this world that even Yang needs to be protected from."

"What do you mean?" She asked slowly. Yang was always doing her best to protect others. Even if Weiss could protect her, she didn't think Yang would want that.

The sharp red eyes locked onto her's, the muscles in his jaw working for a moment before he spoke. "I know she's still looking. I don't want her to end up like her mom."

The small pieces snapped together in Weiss' mind. And, suddenly, she could see it. The cold feeling in your stomach that kept you up at night, wondering what would happen if you were smarter. If you were stronger. If you could change things. She saw the feeling she fought everyday, echoed in this man's eyes. The regret. The guilt.

"You know her." He said, his posture sagging further. "She won't stop until she finds him. I tried to talk her out of it. He won't-"

"I won't let anything happen to her." She said firmly. "I know she'll find him. I know she'll be in danger. But I'll be there to make sure she's okay. I won't let it happen to her too."

A sharp intake of breath hissed through his teeth and he squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them, his serious demeanor had faded slightly and a lazy, if not fake, smirk pulled at his lips.

"Good. With moves like those, I don't think I'll have to worry much." His open hand stretched out to her, though with more sincerity this time. "It was nice to meet you, Ice Queen."

She grasped it tightly, despite how sticky it was, and shook it. "You as well, Qrow."

He laughed quietly, scratching at the stubble on his chin. "Could you really have severed his spine?"

"At least three different times."

"Yikes. Remind me not to get on your murdery side." He snickered. Weiss smirked, rolling her eyes. "Anyways, I gotta finish taking care of Shark Bait over here. Go watch Firecracker pummel some sense into Neon, yeah? That girl runs her mouth, the fight's gonna be brutal."

Weiss nodded once, starting towards the door once more.

She held back the urge to cover her ears as the cacophony of noise in the bar brought her just a little closer to a headache. After getting punched across a ring, there wasn't that much farther to go.

A woman with bright orange hair, save for the two blue highlights over her eyes jumped into the ring. Her outfit was a bit more modest than Yang's, though much more eccentric. The light blue tank top seemed at odds with the black arm warmers she wore and the ragged hem stopped at the middle of her toned stomach. Her short pink skirt failed to hide the shorts underneath and a tail ringed with glow sticks flicked idly behind her.

She grabbed a bottle of water from the bartender before making her way through the crowd. It was a lot harder without Yang's broad shoulders and intimidating presence to make a path for her, but the patrons that saw the malicious glare she sported were quick to get out of her way.

The mood of the bar was different than it was with Weiss' fight. They were loud and cheerful rather than subdued and curious, people crowding around the ring and screaming. She saw more than a few wads of cash being passed around and wondered if she should bet too. It couldn't be worse than the stock market.

As she made her way to Yang's corner, she found that the mood of the fighters were different too. Where she was somber and critical, they threw insult after insult at each other. Neon, with a smirk. Yang, with a furrowed brows and folded arms.

"-I'm just saying. I didn't think that the champ was gonna be someone who looked like they could be hit by a parked car." Neon giggled, clasping her hands behind her.

Yang glared, hands curling into fists. "If I wanted your opinion, I'd beat it out of you." She growled.

"Yikes!" The faunus said, putting a hand over her mouth in mock horror, "Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the cage this morning."

"Talk all you want. You'll understand why I'm at the top after the fight." She huffed. Even Weiss could admit that was kind of lame. With all of her prowess in wordplay, Yang was shit at insulting people.

Neon let out another giggle, eyes narrowing. "I'm not scared of you. You'll be the one running when I'm done."

Yang took a step forward, sneering at the smaller woman. "I don't know what fear is."

"I bet you don't know the meaning of a lot of words."

"Alright Folks! Cast your bets now, because this fight is starting! Fighters, at your positions!" The announcer yelled cheerily. With great timing too. Yang looked like she might try to dismember the girl before the fight even started.

Weiss gripped the rope tightly as Yang lowered her body, posture more aggressive and her hands up and curled into fists. Neon simply stood her ground, cheshire grin never leaving her face.

"Fight!" Was punctuated by the annoying ring of the bell.

Neither moved. Weiss frowned, watching them stare at each other. When they moved, it was not a violent burst of motion. It was Neon turning and sprinting for the other side of the ring. Without a second thought, Yang gave chase, her teeth clenched and eyes narrowed.

As the woman got to the edge, she jumped forward quickly. Was she leaving the ring? If that was allowed, Weiss could've used that. To the pale woman's surprise, Neon did not jump out of the ring, but planted her feet against the rope to use it as an -admittedly clever- slingshot that launched her shoulder first into Yang's stomach. Weiss couldn't hear what she said as Yang fell over the screaming of the crowd, but the enraged scream that followed was enough to know it wasn't anything nice.

When she stood, they no longer stared at each other, choosing to circle slowly instead. Yang took a few swipes, but they were either avoided or countered. The smaller girl had a lot more speed and she knew it, using it to dart in and out of range.

The erratic energy of the crowd was making her heart pound quickly in her chest, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the rope and her blood burning in her veins.

Before she knew it, the bell rang and Yang was jogging lightly towards her. The bruise on her stomach was already starting to blossom to look like some had spilled purple paint on her. Weiss handed her the water bottle, eyes widening slightly as she down half the bottle in one gulp.

"That girl talks a lot of shit. It wouldn't worry me if she didn't have the skill to back it up." Yang growled.

Weiss stared at the girl for a moment before turning her attention back to Yang. "She's smaller than you-"

"You of all people should know that size doesn't matter, Weiss."

"Let me finish!" She hissed. Yang mimed zipping her mouth shut and Weiss began again, speaking quickly. "She's smaller than you, but she's quick. If you can grab her or hold her down, your strength will prove superior."

Yang blinked a couple of times before a toothy grin spread across her face. "You're really into this, aren't you?"

Weiss frowned, fighting off a blush. "Shut up and focus on defeating her… Babe." She added hesitantly. The word sounded foreign to her own ears.

Yang's grin doubled in size and Weiss' cheeks grew hotter. "Well, when you put it that way, I can't lose."

As the intercom announced the next round, Yang kissed her unblemished cheek again and walked to the center of the ring.

Neon was still talking in her corner. The man she handed the water bottle back to looked oddly familiar. He wore a bowler hat with a blue band around it. His dress shirt was neatly pressed with a black vest over it and the tie hanging untied around his neck matched the blue on his hat. Weiss narrowed her eyes slightly. It would be best for her somewhat salvageable reputation if nobody recognized her here. Hopefully, she was imagining things.

As the bell rang again and the cheers rose in volume, Yang burst forward in an effort to grab her opponent, but the girl simply jumped away laughing. Her laugh was cut off abruptly as Yang motioned to her hair, a devious smirk on her face as she said something Weiss couldn't quite hear.

Neon glared, shouting, "Well, at least my tits don't sag!"

The blonde stopped smirking. Even Weiss felt a little offended at that one. They were very perky for their size and that woman obviously had no idea what she was talking about.

"Aren't you Weiss Schnee?" Weiss tore her eyes away from Yang's generous endowments to whirl around. The man she saw on the other side was standing next to her, looking over the square sunglasses resting on his nose. She didn't know why he was wearing them inside, it seemed quite silly.

"To whom do I owe the pleasure?" She asked, straightening her posture in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

His eyes narrowed, mouth forming a tight line. "Flynt Coal."

"Nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. Coal." She said. Hopefully he wasn't one of her father's men.

"Yeah, sure." He barked, arms folded. "You're the heiress to the Schnee Steel Company, right?"

She fought back an icy retort, trying to be polite. He wasn't one of her father's men if he didn't know that already. "Yes."

"Huh. I was the heir to a steel company. Coal's Forge. You know, until your father put us out of business." His lip was raised enough to show off a hint of teeth.

Oh. That explained why he looked familiar. She pressed her fingers to her temple. She was getting tired of people coming to her with problems they have with the company. "I'm sorry to hear about that, but I am not my father. I don't see why you need to inform me of this."

"Of course, why would I think you cared? All you Schnees are the same, not giving a shit about the little guys you step all over with your greed." He growled.

There was that headache she had been waiting for all night, pounding away at her skull. "Listen," She barked, scowling up at the man. "You don't know me. I don't even make any decisions in the company. So don't walk up to me and tell me how wrong I am for something I didn't do."

"How could I not know you? You're always plastered all over the news and the web like you live on a fucking screen."

Her scowl turned downright murderous, but before she could find something to possibly stab the man with, a heavily muscled shoulder stretched the ropes she was holding onto and knocked her on her backside. She looked up in time to see her blonde counterpart bounce back, only for an arm to clothesline her around the neck.

More bruises had blossomed over the golden skin while she was preoccupied. Blood dripped lazily from her nose as she rolled to her feet. Weiss bit her lip as she watched. Her advice was useless if Yang couldn't catch her in the first place. She wished she could be of more use, like Yang was for her. She probably wouldn't have won if it wasn't for the blonde.

A small smile lit her face at the thought of her victory. A weapon! She needed a weapon. Weiss scrambled to her feet, darting into the crowd.

"Hey! I wasn't done talking to you!" Flynt yelled to be heard over the noise. She ignored him.

The bell rang with her at the back of the bar, dragging a chair towards the ring. If it worked for her, it'd definitely work for someone with the muscle to wield it properly. Lilac eyes found her as she neared the edge, swiftly filling with mirth and something else Weiss didn't recognize.

Before the heiress could puff out her chest in pride for thinking of such a wonderful plan, the man stepped into her path with a very disgruntled look on his face. "I said I wasn't done talking to you!"

Why couldn't he just leave her alone? "I'm kind of busy, in case you haven't noticed." She huffed, still pulling the chair in an attempt to walk around him.

He looked at the chair, then at where she was heading before his eyes widened slightly. "Oh no, that's not happening. Neon has been looking forward to a fight like this for ages! I'm not going to let you ruin that too!" Flynt quickly kicked at the chair's legs, jerking it out of Weiss' hands.

The announcer rang over the intercom to announce the next fight, but it only came to her in bits and pieces, the sound of blood rushing in her ears drowning out almost everything else.

Later, Weiss would blame the adrenaline of the fight and the screaming of the crowd, but at the moment all she could think of was how much she wanted to strangle him.

"I didn't ruin anything!" She snarled, hands turning to fists. "Why do you keep insisting that I'm a bad person!? Why do you keep acting like I'm the scum of the earth!? I haven't done anything!" She was nearly screaming by the end.

"Because you are!" He growled, stepping closer. "You took everything from me!"

She wanted to scream in frustration. She wasn't her father! She wasn't the face of the company! She was Weiss. Weiss was sick and tired of proving herself over and over again for people she didn't even know. She was sick of people assuming things about her because of her appearance or her family name.

She lunged forward, kicking his legs out from under him and darting toward the chair again, only to have a hand wrap around her ankle and yank her off balance. Luckily, she managed to stay on her feet.

"Weiss!" Yang shouted, wrapping her hands around the ropes as if to jump over.

Weiss kicked the hand off her ankle viciously, waving a hand towards the ring, "Keep fighting!"

The blonde looked doubtful, but the incoming faunus trying to get her in a choke hold tore her attention away.

As Weiss looked back at the man she was quickly growing to despise the existence of, she squared her shoulders for what felt like the thousandth time that day. Her battle stance, whether it was for actual battle, uncomfortable conversations, or daunting problems, had always served her well.

He got to his feet and she could see the same distaste mirrored in his eyes. Weiss was glad the feeling was mutual. There was no preamble, no announcers, no stinging comments or thrown insults. It was so much more comfortable than being up on that stage. So much more familiar.

He ran at her, feinting to the right, but the Pale woman didn't buy it. Her ice blue eyes were narrowed in concentration, even as she dodge out of the way like a matador. With her back to the ring, an idea popped into existence. It wasn't elegant, or dignified, and might not even work, but it made her mouth twitch up at the edges.

His glared deepened at her smile and he let out a wordless scream as he charged at her. She smiled wider.

"Yang! Catch!" She yelled, muscles tense in preparation.

In what felt like slow motion, his expression went from enraged, to confusion, to apprehension. He tried to stop, but the momentum carried him straight in to Weiss' waiting hands. She gripped his arm, placed a foot on his hip, and rolled backwards onto the filthy floor of the bar. She couldn't keep the disgust off of her face at the sticky feeling on her back, even as she planted her other foot on his stomach and pushed with all the all the strength in her small body.

It didn't take much, momentum and leverage doing most of the work for her, and it was enough to send him soaring through the air. Weiss went limp on the ground, watching him fly with a tired sense of satisfaction. The feeling intensified when Yang caught him by the ankle, eyes wide, and swung him in a large circle before slamming him into Neon like a screaming, terrified baseball bat.

They fell to the floor of the ring in a heap. Weiss saw them move, but they didn't look like they had it in them to untangle and keep fighting. And, for the first time since walking into the bar, the bell ringing was not annoying. It was one of the sweetest sounds she'd ever heard.

She slowly got up, feeling a bit too bruised to move quickly in any manner, and limped her way over to the stage.

"'Bang' Xiao-Long!" The crowd began to chant, people jumping and screaming in a frenzy as Yang flashed Weiss a million dollar smile. Weiss smile back, as lopsided as her bruises made it. Neither had come out unscathed, but they had won.

Weiss was honestly just glad it was over. She really needed a hot shower and, if she pushed her pride aside one more time tonight, she might have a pair warm arms to hold her while she slept.

"There you have it folks! The champion defended her title, even with the impromptu interruption from the crowd!" Interruption? Weiss scoffed as she leaned against the side of the ring. That was some damn fine team work. "And now that all the fights- Wait! What is this!?"

Weiss screeched angrily, glaring up at one of the speakers. Was it impossible to catch a break today? She didn't know if she could make it through another fight.

"It seems that with our champions return, her executioner has followed!" Yang paled visibly, her shade starting to match Weiss'. "The only one to knock the Golden Dragon off her throne! Ladies and gentlemen, make way for the Red Reaper!"

"YANG XIAO-LONG!" A familiar voice screamed, making the hair on the back of Weiss' neck rise and her skin break out in a sweat.

Yang's reaction was immediate. She scrambled back, making for the edge of the ring before a red blur lept into the ring and tackled her to the ground. Ruby rose over the shocked and horrified body of her sister, face twisted in complete, unadulterated rage.

"What in the ACTUAL FUCK are you doing here!?"

"W-Wait!" Yang squealed, making a pitiful attempt to crawl away, "I-I can explain!"

"It better be a damn good explanation." She growled, picking her sister up off the ground and proceeding to drag her towards the door with a strength Weiss wouldn't believe if she hadn't seen it before.

With a tired groan, Weiss followed after them. Hopefully no one would be dead when she got out there. But, with the way her luck was going lately, she expected the worst.

As she pushed through the doors, the cold air hit her with all the force of a train, making her abused body stiff and achy. The sisters argued to each other, their arms folded and postures rigid and the only warning she got to the dark faunus' presence was a puff of smoke that twisted lazily through the air. Blake leaned against the wall next to the door, carefully observing the scene in front of them. Throwing a look at the other two as they glared at each other, Weiss decided to join her.

"What happened to you?" Blake questioned, eyes following Weiss. Her eyebrows rose, "Wait, you kept that outfit?"

Weiss sighed. "Underground fighting ring. And yes, I did. I think it looks nice."

Blake stared at her for a moment, "You really are an exhibitionist, aren't you."

"Don't you judge me."

"I can't believe this! Why would you come back here!?" Reached the heiress' ears. She returned her attention to the sisters, unease curling in her stomach like a coiled snake.

Yang ran a frustrated hand through her hair, "I never agreed to stay away in the first place."

"You're such a dick, Yang! I should just call you Wang!" At Yang's gasp, Ruby's expression darkened further, "Wang Xiao-Dong."

"Don't you use puns against me!" The older sister huffed, arms folding.

"Then don't come to a place where you know you'll get hurt!" She reached up, wrapping her knuckles against the side of Yang's head. Weiss' eyes widened as a distinctly metallic noise echoed through the lot. "Are you forgetting about this? About what happened!?"

"We needed the money, Ruby." Yang muttered, taking a step back and out of the smaller girl's reach.

Weiss folded her arms tightly over her chest. She wanted to help, but she didn't know how. The pale woman had just come to accept her new patchwork family. The thought of them disbanding made a sliver of fear wedge it's way into her heart.

"I don't see how the money is more important than your life!" Ruby growled. Her teeth clenched and she pulled her phone out of her pocket, fingers flying across the screen. "I'm. Telling. Dad."

"Ruby Rose! Don't you dare tell dad about this!" She said, panic leaking into her voice as she made a grab for the phone.

Ruby jerked it away, giving Yang a hard look before replacing it back in her pocket. "Why? You know that he doesn't like it either."

"What if it's about what I like!?" Yang said, fists clenched and eyes blazing, "What if this is something I want, Ruby! What if this is something I need!"

"Why would you need to get beat up!? Why would you need to put your life in danger like that again!?" Ruby ran both hands through her hair, spiking the disheveled locks even more.

"This?" She motioned to the bar, "This is where I am famous, Ruby!"

Ruby opened her mouth, but stopped short. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked up at the blonde. Yang continued, voice wavering, "This is where I matter! This is where I'm not some useless drummer following around a bunch of real musicians!"

Yang seemed to deflate slightly, her posture sagging. "Those people, they cheered for me. They wanted me. I'm important here! Why do you want to take that away from me?"

"Because you're important to me, Yang!" Ruby said, her voice breaking. "We almost lost you last time! I wouldn't be where I am without you, and I don't know where I'll end up if you're gone. You're important to me! In fact, you're important to all of us!"

She pointed a finger at Blake, "You saved her from getting the shit kicked out of her by a bunch of assholes!" The finger turned to Weiss, "She would probably starve if you didn't cook for her. Or at least keep eating raw potatoes in the cupboard."

That drew a soft laugh from the blonde. Weiss didn't miss the way that she swiped at her eyes when Ruby glanced away. It made her heart twist in her chest.

"Yang, dad chose us when he adopted us! He had a choice, and out of all of the kids there, he chose us. He loves us! We tell you not to come here because we love you." She wrapped her arms around Yang tightly, burying her face in her shoulder. Slowly, the large arms came up to wrap around the girl in turn.

Weiss' heart ached. It was obvious how much they loved each other. She wondered if she would've been like them if her family was like that.

Movement next to her drew her eyes in time to see Blake stub her cigarette out and throw it into a nearby trashcan. Before she could protest, a hand was wrapped around hers and she was being pulled towards the sisters.

"Blake!" She yelped as quietly as she could, "They're having a moment."

The faunus glanced back at her. "You were sulking." She said, grip unrelenting. "We're a family now. From what I've seen, families take care of each other."

Weiss bit her lip. Even if they were a family, the sisters had been through so much together. The pale woman couldn't shake the feeling that she'd be intruding on something important.

Yang looked up from her place, buried in Ruby's messy hair, and smiled. Her arms opened up and, with almost no effort, Blake shoved her directly into another hug-orgy. Weiss grumbled, mostly for principle, but wrapped her arms around the sisters. The smell of blood, sweat, mint, and smoke shouldn't have been as comforting as it was.

"You should've told us, Oaf." Weiss muttered, "Just because you only play the drums doesn't make you less than us."

"Yeah! Where would we be without you?" Ruby squeaked.

"We'd have Nora as a drummer." Blake spoke up.

They shuddered collectively.

Weiss reached up slowly, pressing her fingers to the side of Yang's head. If she concentrated, she could feel a couple of bumps under the skin. She hesitated for a moment before asking, "What happened, if I may ask?"

Ruby ducked back into Yang's shoulder, muscles going slightly rigid. Yang sighed softly, rubbing her back. "Got in a bad fight. The chairs and tables are built for that kind of thing, fall apart like it's nothing. Metal pipes, not so much."

Ruby shuddered, and it was silently agreed upon that they should hug her harder.

After a moment, Yang continued. "They had to replace about a quarter of my skull with metal. Steel, actually. It has the SSC logo and everything." She chuckled. There wasn't much humor in the sound, but it was enough to keep anyone from crying.

They stayed huddled together in the cold. Weiss wasn't comfortable, she certainly wasn't dressed for the weather, but she wasn't ready to let go quite yet. Yang was still tense, and Ruby still shuddering. Weiss let her head rest on Ruby's shoulder.

This was messy. Yang felt happy here, but Ruby was unhappy about the danger. Nobody was right, but nobody was wrong. Weiss hated messy. She would like nothing more than to shove this problem under an overpriced rug and some of that Atlesian Coffee, but there were some problems that money and liquor couldn't fix.

"This place is pure evil." She whimpered.

"Ruby," Blake said, voice low and gentle. "There's no such thing as pure evil."

The woman opened her mouth to object, but closed it, eyebrows knitting together. After a moment, she nodded slowly. Ruby stepped back, breaking up the large hug. Weiss found herself beside Blake again. She was quiet, stable, giving off a calm energy that Weiss didn't know she needed.

Silver eyes found Yang again and the blonde stiffened slightly, swallowing hard. Ruby took a deep breath, surprising Weiss when her shoulders squared and her chin tipped up. She bit her lip, ignoring the pain from the existing injury.

"Yang, you know I don't like you coming here, and you know I worry about you." She took another deep breath, hands curling into the pocket on her hoodie. "But, I won't stop you. If it's what you need to be happy, I'll deal with it."

All at once, Yang's tight muscles and clenched jaw sagged with relief. "Ruby…" She murmured, lower lip trembling slightly.

"I want you to be safe though!" Ruby exclaimed, sporting a pout that could probably make legions of soldiers throw down their guns. "You may not feel like it, but we need you too!"

Yang smiled widely and swept her little sister into a hug that made Weiss' ribs ache just looking at it. Then she remembered that her ribs had been aching before that. Everything had. She felt dizzy, but whether it was from relief or blood loss, she couldn't tell.

The constant ups and downs had left her emotionally and physically exhausted. Though she didn't want to break up the sisters slightly violent cuddling, she was cold, tired, and hungry.

"I understand that this is all very touching and mushy, but can we go home now?"

Yang turned her beaming smile in Weiss' direction, making the pale woman scowl at the sudden throbbing of her heart. Maybe she needed to see a doctor about that. "Sure thing, Weiss Cream!"

Ruby released her and turned to Weiss, wide smile on her face suddenly morphing into shock and curiosity. "Holy fuck, Weiss! What happened to your face!?"

Weiss groaned.

Friedrich was a simple man. He had been working for the Schnees for over twenty years and he was comfortable with it. Stable employment, a place to stay, and the money he made were enough to ignore the frequent and underhanded comments made about the faunus. Him in particular. He had no dreams of adventure, or ambitions of success. He knew that he would most likely work for them until he was on his deathbed. Friedrich liked it that way.

The only thing standing in the way of the simple life he so often dreamed of, was his job. Bodyguard/caretaker was a straightforward job title. But his clients, the Schnee children, were some of the most complicated people he had ever known. Try as he might, they were both a force to be reckoned with when they wanted something.

He thought that Winter would be different from her older sister, and she was. Winter was not Weiss, though they shared many similarities that guaranteed his perpetual exhaustion. They had both loved animals, wanted to travel the world, and loved to drag him with them. The differences between them, were how they achieved what they wanted.

When Weiss said she wanted a pet, she was given the hairy, eight-legged abomination that she called 'Fluffy'. Friedrich was awed that she conquered her arachnophobia and loved that thing as if it were her child, just to spite her father.

Winter refused to ask for a pet after hearing about how Weiss came into possession of hers. Instead, she spent her free time studying birds to the point of obsession and hiding over fifty bird feeders in the gardens of the manor, much to the annoyance of the gardener.

When asking to travel, Winter had taken the order to stay in Atlas in stride, and explored every frosty inch of the country. Complete with an extremely accurate, hand drawn map and a compass.

Weiss didn't take it so well and disappeared for three days. She came back with a pilot's license and a small plane that she tried, and failed, to fit in the garage. Friedrich was not sure how she got the license (she was thirteen) or where she had gone, but decided against asking.

His adventures with them left him mentally and physically exhausted more often than not. In his younger days, it wouldn't have been a problem. But when wrinkles lined his face, bones creaked when he moved, and grey ran through his hair in streaks, he figured something a little more simple was well deserved.

That's why, when a small hand shook his shoulder at two in the morning, he did the only thing he could think of, and played dead.

"Friedrich!" Came the not-so-quiet whisper, "I know you're awake!"

He kept his breathing even and deep, not moving a muscle. If he stayed that way long enough, maybe she would go back to bed?

"I need your help! It's very important!"

He could hear a couple of groans and shifting blankets from the other workers in the sleeping quarters. Cursing silently, he opened his eyes and looked at the child. Her hair was sticking up at awkward angles and the wide grin on her face was almost manic. "How can I help you, Ms. Schnee?"

"I need an escort."

He blinked slowly, sleep addled mind trying to process what she just said. Where could she possibly be going? Winter had snuck out of the house many times, but she usually knew better than to go at night.

"...Excuse me?"

"An escort. I am on a super secret stealth mission, so we have to be quiet, okay?"

Friedrich held back a sigh, sitting up and rubbing his eyes a bit before glancing at the small girl. "Let me get dressed."

She squealed loudly, bouncing around until someone worked up the nerve to shush her. A couple minutes later, Friedrich found himself walking down the large halls of the Schnee manor. The heating was turned off at sunset everyday to 'keep expenses low' and his breath came out in lingering clouds.

Winter pressed herself to the walls and kept low as he strolled behind her, her blue eyes slit in concentration. Her attempt at being stealthy made them take an extra fifteen minutes to get to the main hall, but he didn't have the heart to stop her.

As they got to the front door, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "One moment. I must take care of something first."

Her eyebrows rose, but she nodded quickly. The smile never left her face, even as he started towards the door to the security room. His eyes stung immediately after entering, throat burning at the light smoke that hung in the room. The security room was one of the only authorized smoking areas, but the guard didn't quite understand the term 'moderation'.

A man with large, black horns curling out of his forehead swiveled in his chair to look at Friedrich. His yellow eyes were bloodshot from the smoke curling into his face and his lips were twisted in a smirk.

"What the hell is she up to this time?" He mumbled around his cigarette, jerking a thumb towards the monitors that displayed the security footage.

Friedrich shrugged, "I have no idea." Pulling a hundred dollar bill out of his suit pocket, he pressed it into the man's hand. "Though, I'm sure you know what to do, Zach."

Zach chuckled and slipped the money into his pocket. "Can do. Have fun."

He gave a smile and a nod, turning to walk out quickly. He couldn't stand the smoke, and walking back into the main hall was, quite literally, a breath of fresh air. Winter stood stock still, as if standing guard.

"Are you ready?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her mock salute. Her tiny hand grasped a couple of his fingers and she tugged him cheerfully out of the door.

"I'm a genius Fredrich!" She squealed when they were finally outside.

He opened his mouth to reply, but tensed as a crack overhead reached his sensitive ears. A slight tug on the smaller girl's hand brought her stumbling over a few steps, and safely out of the way as a wickedly sharp icicle smashed into the ground.

She glared at it for a moment, muttering "I knew those were trouble" under her breath before he decided to speak up.

"Why do you believe you are a genius, Ms. Schnee?"

Her head snapped up, smug smile on her face as she resumed tugging him down the driveway. Her chin was tilted up arrogantly as she spoke, reminding him of her older sister. "I have put together the best plan. Not only will father never know where I went, therefore not getting me into too much trouble, but I also get to help a struggling local business."

He raised his eyebrows at the vehicle waiting at the end of the gates. It was a beige, beat up car, with black tinted windows. He felt a bit of pride warm his heart. It felt like only yesterday that he had to arrange Winter's transportation when she snuck out.

"A local business?" He asked.

She nodded excitedly. As they drew near, the driver's door opened and a short, pudgy man stepped out. Winter swept a hand towards him, self satisfied look never leaving her face. "I trust you remember Falk."

Friedrich narrowed his eyes at the man, thinking for a moment. Where had he seen him? His blonde hair was balding in the center and grey at the edges. His beady blue eyes darted around nervously as his meaty hands clasped together in front of him. Friedrich's eyes widened slightly.

"You invested in a fruit stand in order to acquire transportation?" It wasn't even a good fruit stand. It usually stood at the edges of the plaza, half of the fruit rotting and the other half on it's way. How he made it rot in the freezing weather of an Atlesian winter, Friedrich didn't know.

Winter shook a finger in his direction, smiling wider as the man opened one of the back doors for her. Friedrich got into the other side, nose scrunching at the shoddy interior. The inside was just as beat up, with stains lining the seats and a large hole in the roof's vinyl.

"I didn't invest in the fruit stand." She said, folding her arms. Friedrich swiftly buckled her seat belt before his own. "I bought the fruit stand. For a large sum of money. And Falk is not just our transportation."

The car started and began to pull out of the driveway, the engine giving a couple of worrying coughs. Falk's had a white knuckle grip on the steering wheel, his eyes constantly glancing at the rear view mirror as he began to drive away from the manor.

"Then what have you hired him as, if I may ask."

"Our kidnapper, of course."

Friedrich blinked. He had spent most of his life making sure that neither of the Schnee children were kidnapped. In fact, he was making a new record until tonight. "I see…" He paused, eyeing the anxious man in the driver's seat. "And… why are we being kidnapped, Ms. Schnee?"

"Well, I'm being kidnapped actually. You, having noticed my sudden, tragic absence, are rescuing me." Friedrich raised an eyebrow. "At least, that's what we're telling Father. This way, I don't get in too much trouble and you'll probably get a raise for doing your job so well."

"Then, what is the real reason?" He asked, smiling slightly. It was a good plan, for having come up with it on her own. He'd have to tweak it a little, but he was proud nonetheless.

Winter looked up at him, eyes shining with excitement. Her hands fidgeted in her lap, but her smile didn't falter.

"We're gonna go see Weissicle!"

AN: I know this is extremely late, and that it is not the Christmas chapter. I've been kind of busy (not to mention exhausted) lately and haven't been able to work on the story as much as I'd like. That being said, this chapter is a monster, clocking in at 17k+ words. I would've cut it in half, but I couldn't find a proper place to do it without ruining momentum.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed reading this extremely long chapter. Thank you for all of the great reviews (Seriously. You guys are so awesome!) and I hope you can keep your internet torches and pitchforks down long enough for me to get the next chapter out. The actual christmas chapter. Who said you can't have christmas in February/March?

Until next time, friends!
-Vox