Author's Notes: Just a fun little story, set after Volume 1. It's in the IWNS universe.

Holiday

Weiss stepped primly from the airship, a single carry-on bag dangling from her hand. The crowds of other passengers clustered together as they disembarked, practically shoulder to shoulder as they rushed for the platform. Waiting family members called out names as they spotted their loved ones; Weiss didn't bother searching for anyone she knew, a habit born of years of traveling on her own.

Patch looked…quaint. The sky ferry that connected from Vale to Patch ran once a day, leaving in the morning and arriving by the afternoon. The island rose out of the water like a bowl, lichen covered cliffs cradling a temperate woodland with its own hills and valleys.

What she could see of the actual town was fairly low tech compared to the glistening Kingdom across the waters. As Weiss glanced at her scroll, she noted with dim surprise that she actually had signal. She sighed, wondering how she was going to get to the house where she would be spending her vacation.

There was an information booth nearby, manned by a bored looking middle aged man reading a local paper. Weiss strode up to him, head up as she tried to not look too lost. The attendant glanced up slowly from his paper, a bushy brow raising in surprise.

"Hello," Weiss said coolly. "I was wondering where the taxis were located?"

The attendant blinked, humming to himself.

"Well we don't got any dear," he said, setting the paper down. "You, ah, visiting family?"

Weiss nearly told him it wasn't his business, but held her tongue. She was trying to be kinder to people in service jobs, after Yang and Ruby had harassed her about the tone she used with restaurant servers.

"I'm…not exactly. I'm on break from Beacon, my partner's family lives here," Weiss said. "If you don't have taxis, then precisely how do people get around?"

"Mmm. Well. The island has laws about big cars, see; Patch wasn't built with them in mind, the streets are too cramped. Most folks ride bikes, or mopeds. Horses. That sort of thing."

Weiss could feel her temple beginning to throb; she was not riding a bloody bicycle out into the sticks.

"I see," she said, feeling extremely out of place.

"Bit cold for that right now," he continued, looking up at the sky. "Gonna snow for sure."

This fine individual was certainly useless; perhaps his job as an information assistant was to merely point out the obvious?

The roar of a familiar engine caught her attention; Weiss glanced up, spotting a black and yellow motorcycle as it cornered a cramped, cobblestone street and squealed towards her. Weiss shook her head, ponytail whipping over her shoulder as she turned from the attendant.

Yang Xiao Long's golden mane trailed her like a comet, the sunny bruiser braking a few feet away and yanking her helmet off; Yang's violet eyes met hers as she grinned widely, catching the attention of several hapless souls walking by. Weiss held her hands up impetuously.

"Well! I'm here!" said Weiss.

Yang laughed, leaping from the bike and immediately scooping her up into a bear hug; Yang had absolutely no compunctions about personal space, freely showering friends and family with open affection. It was a trait that Weiss was still struggling to get used to.

"Hahaha! I didn't actually think you'd come!" Yang cheered. "Ruby's going to be so stoked!"

Weiss almost hadn't. However, it was either spend her break with her teammates or stalk about an empty Beacon for two weeks; going home wasn't exactly an option, nor one that she had even considered.

"Put me down you oaf, honestly," Weiss said automatically, though a small smile was pulling at her lips. "I thought I was going to have to rent a bicycle and ride out to your house."

"I wish you had, now," Yang chuckled, handing Weiss her extra helmet. "That would have been great to see."

Weiss stared at the offending article as Yang waited expectantly; it had a red Mohawk on it, and was covered in rose stenciling, clearly belonging to Ruby. As gracefully as she could, Weiss snugged the helmet down over her head, glaring daggers at a snickering Yang.

"You are an honest buffoon sometimes, I hope you know that," Weiss sniffed.

"Whaaaa? No way, I'm the coolest," Yang smiled. "You look awesome, by the way. You should always wear that from now on."

Weiss rolled her eyes, shouldering her carry-on; at least no one she knew would see her like this. She felt like an extra in one of those apocalypse movies Ruby loved so much, decked out like barbarians and screeching around on dilapidated bikes. Yang glanced around curiously, scratching her head.

"Huh. You really DID bring only one bag. Wow."

"You said to only bring one, so I did. And if you're done making fun of me," Weiss huffed. "I would like to possibly get a move on, sometime before break ends."

Yang gave her a shit eating grin, before straddling her bike and revving the engine.

"Well then hop on! Oh, make sure you hang on tight, kay? I uh, can go a little fast. But since you're in such a hurry," Yang shrugged mischievously. "I'm sure you won't mind."

Weiss did her best to climb up and not completely embarrass herself, wearing her bag like a back-pack and wrapping her arms around Yang; the cold had never bothered Weiss, or perhaps she was simply accustomed to it. However, Yang was like a heater, even through her clothes; the stark difference in temperature actually made her notice how chilly the air was to begin with.

"Is Blake here too?" asked Weiss as the bike began to roll forward.

"She's gonna be here tomorrow, actually!" shouted Yang as the bike shot off down the street. Weiss tightened her grip, eyes widening as they banked suddenly. "Same with dad! It's just us and Uncle Qrow today!"

Weiss's reply went unheard as they screeched down a small street, weaving around obstacles and pedestrians alike. Weiss had never ridden a motorcycle in her life, and for good reason. However, as they finally reached the open dirt road leading from the town, she could grudgingly appreciate that it was kind of fun. A lot of fun, actually.

Ruby and Yang's house was apparently a fifteen minute ride from Patch, off the main road at the end of its own little gravel driveway that was extremely bumpy; Weiss clung to her teammate as they swerved recklessly around potholes, skirting past wooden fencing and several other homes. A woman on horseback waved at them as they passed her, the horse nickering curiously at the yellow and black blur.

Finally, they reached the Xiao Long residence, rumbling up to the shed where Yang kept her precious ride. Yang cut the engine, smiling exuberantly as she pulled her helmet off and shook her hair free.

"Whoo! Cold rides are the best! The air is just so, ahhh, refreshing," she sighed happily, turning to look back at her. "You good, Weiss?"

"I'm…peachy," Weiss said, clambering off the bike.

She was glad she had chosen to wear a sweater, though pants wouldn't have been a bad idea either. The wind had certainly been crisp, but at least there weren't any bugs about; she wouldn't have taken well to having insects stuck all over her.

"Let's go inside and get warmed up, eh?" chuckled Yang, hopping off. "I'm kinda surprised Ruby hasn't already-"

"Weeeeiiiiisssss!"

Weiss's eyes widened a fraction before a red, rose scented blur slammed into her, wrapping her in a fervent hug. Weiss coughed in surprise.

"GAh-Ruby!" she protested, cheeks flushing.

"Ahhh I'm so happy to see you!" Ruby laughed, spinning her. Weiss met Yang's eyes, which were alive with humor.

"Ruby, it's been literally two days!"

"I know! That's a long time!"

The other girl finally set her down, rose petals drifting to the ground in her excitement; Ruby was beaming at her so sincerely that Weiss let any retort she could have given fall away. Her partner reached up, playing with the Mohawk on her helmet.

"Man, I love this thing – but hey! You're gonna stay with us the whole time right?!" she asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Weiss pulled away from Ruby's death grip, dusting herself habitually before fixing her partner with a hesitant smile.

"Well, if it isn't an imposition, then I suppose-"

"It's not! It's not an impo-whatsit! Hey, c'mon inside, Uncle Qrow is cooking!" Ruby grabbed her hand eagerly, nearly dragging her into the house.

"Qrow's cooking, or Qrow's cooking?" Yang asked, making a drinking motion.

Ruby giggled, her hand warm in Weiss's as the trio trotted up the steps to the back-porch.

"He's drunk cooking, yea. But, it's perfect, because we made a blanket fort out of the living room-"

"Without me?!" protested Yang, bursting through the screen door. "Oh nice!"

Pausing slightly at the screen door, Weiss followed her jubilant teammates into their home. The Schnee manor had never truly felt like anyone lived in it; it was cold and still as a museum, with its inhabitants living in their own quarters, practically separate from one another. There had been weeks when Weiss hadn't even seen a member of her own family, besides Clyne and the other servants; even when they'd all been home.

This, however, is what she had always imagined as a child that a home would look like. The back porch led into the kitchen, which was alive with some genre of country or folk music and a somewhat scruffy looking man was belting along with the lyrics. The smell of sausage, hashbrowns and pancakes hung in the air, as the man expertly flipped pancakes. There were drawings on the refrigerator, which she suspected were Ruby's handiwork. The living room had been transformed into some sort of blanket, pillow castle.

"Uncle Qrow! This is my partner!" declared Ruby, dragging her along. Weiss suddenly felt very nervous, for reasons she couldn't really define; her back straightened automatically.

Qrow glanced back at her, grinning. His eyes were a dusty red.

"Welcome," he said, flipping another pancake. "Our house is your house, and all that jazz. Gotta spare bed made up for you upstairs."

"Oh! Um, thank you," Weiss said.

She wasn't sure what to say or do, feeling disconcerted. In Atlas, she would have curtsied to some pompous nobleman or woman, as their servants led her and her 'friend' away. However, curtsying was definitely a bit much for such a casual looking person. Perhaps she should shake his hand?

Yet Ruby had different plans.

"Oh yea, let me show you your room!" Ruby gasped, speeding away in a puff of petals.

She came back just as quickly, realizing that Weiss couldn't actually keep up with her. Yang had taken up in the living room, kicking her boots off carelessly in a corner as she searched for the remote under the blanket tent. Weiss trailed after Ruby, navigating the blanket fort and heading up the stairs.

"Mmm, I dunno Yang? Maybe I should make some bacon too-"

Ruby braked spinning rapidly to stick her head over the bannister, pointing dramatically at her smirking uncle.

"Don't you dare, mister!"

Yang's warm laughter filtered out from under the blanket contraption; she was beginning to see why the idea of the rope bunkbeds had come so naturally to these two.

"Well I dunno, Rubes, I know I would like some-"

"I will fight you! Bub! Ok, not really, but you know that's not ok!"

"Psh. Bring it half pint, you hit like a dandelion," Qrow laughed, clattering around in the kitchen.

Yang laughed again, the sound of the tv clicking on revealing she had found the remote. Weiss gave her partner an odd look as she stomped her foot childishly; Ruby met her eyes, grinning awkwardly.

"You must really not like bacon," Weiss observed as they continued up the stairs.

"It's ah…well, I do," Ruby whispered. "But, I can't eat it or I feel super duper guilty. And I try to make sure they don't eat it in the house."

Weiss blinked as they reached the top of the stairs; the wooden floors were bare, but well cared for. The hallway had a window overlooking the backyard and forest behind them; Weiss wondered at their seeming lack of anti-Grimm security. Were Grimm really that rare on Patch? Atlas was bristling with everything from anti-air turrets to random patrols; nearly every corner had some form of emergency weaponry available, even more common than the coffee shops.

"Why does bacon make you feel guilty?" Weiss scoffed a little. Bacon was terrible for you, yes, but it was delicious.

Ruby spun around, beaming at her. Weiss was growing concerned.

"Well you see! Um, how do you feel about pets?"

"Pets?"

"Ya know! Dogs, kitties, orangutans-"

"You're not getting an orangutan!" shouted Yang from below.

"I will if I want to!" Ruby replied, still smiling. "Someday. But yea, do you like animals?"

Weiss frowned thoughtfully.

"We didn't really have any pets when we were children, but, I always wanted a dog."

She had pined for a pup of her own, actually; but it wasn't meant to be.

"Oh! Well we have a dog! His names Zwei, but he's with dad right now; they'll be back tomorrow," Ruby rocked on her heels. "But I have Bo!"

Weiss smiled, her hands clasped behind her back.

"And…Bo is?"

"A tiny piggy!"

Weiss hesitated; Ruby was clearly studying her reaction, eyes hopeful.

"A pig?"

"Yep! He's really cute, and super smart! He's house trained, he loves baths," Ruby was bouncing again, counting off Bo's good qualities.

Weiss had never seen a real pig in person. Her image was of a farm animal covered in mud, not exactly her idea of a cute pet. However, Ruby's face was lighting up as she talked about him; she didn't want to be a rude houseguest and disappoint her.

"Well he sounds interesting," Weiss said carefully.

"Yea! Wanna see him?!"

"I…suppose. Sure, why not?"

Ruby beamed.

…..

Bo blinked up at them from his playpen, which was really just a reclaimed closet with a child-safety gate in front of it. Ruby was leaning over the gate, talking excitedly to her and to Bo, sometimes in the same sentence. Previously, such nonstop chatter would have irritated her immensely. However, after their first semester together, Weiss had come to find the trait tolerable; and sometimes, even a little bit endearing.

"So we got him three years ago!" Ruby continued, climbing over the gate. Bo squealed, a friendly noise compared the sounds a Boarbatusk made, and butted against her. He wasn't actually very tiny at all, clearly weighing at least a hundred pounds and covered in wiry black hair.

"This guy told dad he was a 'teacup pig', and dad thought I'd be able to smuggle him into Signal to keep me company," Ruby sat down on the floor. Bo immediately took that as an invitation to roll over to try to get her to scratch his tummy. "But that was apparently a scam. Bobo's a good ole pot belly pig, so naturally, he got bigger."

Ruby scratched the pig's belly, who made happy noises at the treatment.

"Normally he has free reign of the house, but ah, I wasn't sure how you'd feel about that and wanted you to be comfy," Ruby continued easily, reaching out to grab a squeaky toy.

Weiss felt a flash of warmth at the casual consideration; her partner always did little things like that, for her and her teammates, and never asked for anything in return.

"Oh, you don't have to keep him locked up," Weiss said, crouching to get a better look. "I'm sure he's a perfect gentleman."

She wasn't sure of that at all, actually, but the words had fallen out before she could stop them. Bo chased after the squeaky toy that Ruby had tossed, bringing it back to her before grunting and tossing his nose. Ruby smiled at her warmly.

"Wanna pet him?"

"Ah," Weiss paused.

It would certainly be something she'd never have done before, and if Winter could see her now, she would have an absolute conniption at the idea; however, Weiss could see that this pig did not meet her ideas of a filthy yard beast.

"…Ok, yes."

Carefully, Weiss climbed over the child-gate before kneeling primly next to Ruby. Her partner smiled encouragingly at her. Bo was holding the squeaky toy, which was shaped like a silly looking octopus. It was certainly a strange sight.

"Hello, Bo," Weiss said carefully. "Can I pet you?"

Ruby giggled at her, and Weiss shot her a look; she figured one should ask. Bo grunted happily. Cautiously, Weiss reached out and touched the top of his head, scratching gently. Bo squeaked his toy in response, closing his eyes calmly. After a moment, he flopped over between them, offering his tummy for pats; Weiss smiled as Ruby laughed happily.

"Well aren't you a cutie," Weiss said, raising the pitch of her voice. Bo snorted in agreement.

"Aww he likes youuuu," Ruby said, scratching his head. "I love animals, they're the best people."

Weiss couldn't necessarily disagree with that statement.

"When I was younger, Winter and I would go riding," Weiss said after a moment. "My father signed us up for lessons, wanting us to compete in dressage and the like. But I honestly just wanted to be around the horses."

Ruby turned to her, giving Weiss her full attention; it was strange, that someone so hyper could be so capable of listening deeply to others. It was a trait she'd come to truly appreciate in her partner.

"There was this one stallion named Shadow," she continued, petting the happy pig. "He was gorgeous, and extremely sweet for a stallion. You could walk up to him the field and he'd just let you hug him."

Weiss smiled sincerely at the memory. She had loved that animal.

"He was so smart too, he knew what you wanted before you even directed him to do something. And when we rode he flew, like riding the wind."

Ruby grinned, leaning back on her hands.

"That's so cool. I've never ridden a horse."

"It's wonderful."

They sat like that for a time, until Yang's voice startled them out of their reverie.

"Gotta say, I never expected to see you petting Bo," laughed Yang, looking down at them from the hallway.

Weiss huffed, tossing her hair.

"I can be adventurous. You aren't the only one."

Yang laughed as Ruby stuck her tongue out at her.

"Foods ready, if you guys are hungry," Yang said, jerking her thumb. "Uncle Qrow picked out some good movies to watch."

"Ooh! I wanted to pick something!" exclaimed Ruby, climbing to her feet. She helped Weiss to her feet, before taking the gate down. "Be free, piggy!"

Bo snorted, shaking his head and following them calmly out the door. Ruby showed Weiss where she would be staying, a cozy little room with quilt blankets and a window of its own. Weiss laid her overnight bag on the bed, hesitating, before heading downstairs to join her teammates.