Ruby groaned as she opened her eyes, quickly closing them as a bright light assaulted her. "Ngh… W-Where…?" She questioned as she slowly opened her eyes and sat up. "Weiss…? Moonlight…?"

"To think that's the first thing you call when you wake up." A voice stated.

"W-Who?!" Ruby reached into her pocket for her weapon, only to feel that it wasn't there.

"Easy, Ruby!" Summer pushed her daughter back down onto the bed with a frown.

"M-Mum…?" Ruby blinked then looked at herself, seeing that she almost ripped off some wires connected to her from getting up so quickly. "W-What happened…?"

"Drink some water first." Summer held a cup of water for Ruby, carefully holding it over her body and helping her sit up without ripping anything off.

Ruby slowly sipped the water, realizing just now how parched her throat was, and sighed gratefully. "We're… in the hospital?" The brunette looked at her surroundings. She started to panic when she didn't see her wolf anywhere. "Weiss. Where's Weiss?"

"Unfortunately, she's in a different room." Summer sighed. "It was hard to convince the paramedics to bring Weiss here. It was even harder to separate you two." She chuckled weakly. "You both refused to let go of one another."

"I need to go to her." Ruby winced as she moved to get off the bed and was pushed back onto the bed. "Mum!"

"She'll be fine. She's…" Summer frowned as she thought of her next words. "She's not awake yet."

"Not awake? What do you mean? How long were we out?" Ruby frowned, wanting to find where her wolf was. "Mum, what happened…?"

"What do you remember?" Summer placed a hand onto her daughter's hand, knowing that she would be annoyed by this roundabout way of answering her question. "If you tell me that, then I'll know how much you know already. There's no need to tell you what you already know, right?"

Ruby groaned as she rubbed her head. "I guess you're right." She sighed as she thought of the last thing she remembered. "I… went to Weiss' home… and talked to her grandfather, Nicholas. He… was part of the SDC. We found clues that the SDC might've been working with the White Fang."

Summer was quiet as she took Ruby's hand, rubbing the back of it with her thumb.

"Uhm… He was telling me how it was only Jacques that had a connection with the White Fang. Then…" Ruby clenched the bed sheets. "The White Fang attacked while I was talking to Nicholas." Her eyes widened as she looked at her mother. "Are they ok? Nicholas and Klein? They're fine? Right?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Summer got up and left the room for a moment. Once she came back, Nicholas limped in on a crutch with Klein in tow, whose head was wrapped in bandages, helping him.

"It's good to see you again, Ruby." Nicholas smiled then frowned. "I apologize for getting you involved…"

"What? No! I got you and Klein involved." Ruby shook her head. "They needed a way to find you, and I was stupid enough to lead them to you. I'm sorry that I got you, Klein, and Weiss hurt." She gripped the bed sheets tight, trying to stop her tears from falling.

Nicholas looked at Summer and moved close towards Ruby's bed, patting her head with his free hand. "Ruby, it's fine. We'll be fine. Weiss needs time to recover. She did bleed out a lot, after all. Actually… I need to talk to you about that."

"Weiss was bleeding a lot?" Ruby whimpered, remembering how much blood there was. Nicholas and Summer kept saying that she was fine, but she couldn't help but worry about her wolf. Wait, what did Nicholas mean? Was something wrong? "Sorry... What did you need to talk about?"

"Apparently, while they were doing surgery on you, we found out that some of her blood had actually mixed with yours, likely through your wounds." Klein explained. "How are you feeling?"

Ruby looked at herself. "Besides a bit sore, I feel fine, actually."

"Fine enough that you tried to knife me." Summer added with a chuckle and placed a hand onto Ruby's to reassure her that it's alright. "But nothing else?"

"I'm just really sore." Ruby shrugged. "Am I supposed to feel anything?"

"No, I'm just determining if you've turned or not." Nicholas shook his head. "Luckily, it seems that you have not." He looked between Summer and Ruby before continuing. "Turned as in turning into a Werewolf, I mean. I know that you can't turn from simply bathing in a Werewolf's blood, but I wanted to be absolutely sure. Especially if it might have entered her bloodstream. Though you didn't turn, you may have…. enhanced abilities. Such as endurance, strength, sight, etcetera."

"Oh, so… I'm just physically stronger than normal? That doesn't seem too bad." Ruby sighed, but her eyes quickly widened, her face in a clearly panicked state. "Can I still eat chocolate?!"

"I, err… I-I don't… know?" Nicholas honestly didn't know. "You haven't been turned, so chocolate shouldn't affect you as it does for us. It also depends on the Werewolf, I suppose."

"Nicholas has never particularly cared for chocolate, and the same could be said about Weiss." Klein thought about the Werewolves' eating habits.

"Mum! Chocolate! Please! We're in the hospital anyways, I need to test this!" Ruby begged.

"I thought you were worried about Weiss?" Summer raised a brow and saw the crestfallen look on her daughter's face. "If the doctors say that you can walk around, we'll bring you to Weiss."

Ruby perked up at that, then remembered that she was in the middle of her explanation. "Oh right, I was explaining what happened after, wasn't I?" She looked at Nicholas and Klein, glad that they were alright

"I'll go back and check if Weiss is awake or not." Klein helped Nicholas into a chair, bowed to everyone, then left the room.

"So after you four were attacked…" Summer looked at Nicholas then back at Ruby. "You were taken by the White Fang?"

"Yeah…" Ruby nodded. "One Werefox attacked me from behind. He said something about me being Weiss' weakness or something like that. Then Weiss slashed at him and he fell. We thought that she killed him, and she was making sure that I was alright until another person came from behind and used a taser or something. I don't know what they used, but I remember Weiss falling forward, I caught her and there was this electric shock."

Summer frowned when she heard that, as Nicholas gave an apologetic look. "It seems that they were mostly after Weiss. They knocked me out next to Klein. As soon as I woke up, Summer here was asking for answers."

"Demanded, actually." Summer coughed as she admitted that. "We came to a negotiation. He helped us find you and the White Fang, and we put an end to them. Though by the time we found you, you took out most of the White Fang's more prominent members. Yang and Blake are cornering Adam as we speak."

Ruby sighed in relief, then looked at her mother, who gave her a look of wanting to know what happened. "There was… four of them. Cinder, Roman, Neo, and…. Jaune."

"Jaune as in… that co-worker that you were complaining about that never left you alone?" Summer raised a brow, then frowned when Ruby nodded.

"That same one. It surprised me too, seeing a co-worker working with the White Fang." Ruby shuddered as she remembered what he did. "They… tied me up. Wanted me to watch them beat up Weiss, and wanted to use me to control her. Or something like that. I was too angry that they were hurting her. I used what you taught me to get out of the zip-ties they tied me with." She looked at her bandaged wrists.

"That wasn't the worst of the wounds…" Summer frowned.

Ruby nodded and continued her story. "I went to fight Jaune 'cause Weiss bit off Roman's leg. Neo was busy taking care of him while Cinder went to fight Weiss. Jaune… threw this vial at me, it made me slower and weaker than usual. Weiss then came and saved me." She decided to leave out a lot of that part, and was thankful that she had Weiss to take care of her. "He drank something before that, and he… went crazy. He tried to shoot Weiss, I got in the way." The brunette placed a hand onto her shoulder where she was shot then continued. "He kept blaming Weiss, and I asked her to try to make him shoot the Dust barrels. Next thing I knew, everything was on fire and Weiss was covering me. I tried to cover her with my cape and… now I'm here."

"Well that's consistent from what we know." Summer nodded. "While you and Weiss were getting treated..." She looked at Nicholas. "He explained everything that he knew. We also used your scroll to listen to what you recorded with him. All that's left is Weiss' testimony, then you both can relax."

"Right…" Ruby squirmed. "So… can I go see her?"

"In a moment, but there's something that I'd like to talk to you about, Ruby." Summer stated and saw the fear in Ruby's eyes that reminded her of a child about to be scolded by her mother. "What happened with the White Fang, I'm happy that you're safe and alive. Yes, what you did was reckless, going off on your own and then getting kidnapped, but Ruby..."

She took her daughter's hand lovingly to reassure her that she wasn't scolding her. The older woman wanted to let Ruby know that she was proud of her. "It was your way of doing things. Don't compare what you've done with what I would've done. We're both different people. I know that the world expects you to be like me, but I don't. Live your own life, Ruby. Don't follow in my footsteps. Do what you want. I'll love you no matter what you decide."

Ruby shook and pulled Summer close to hug her, crying onto her shoulder. She was so glad that her mother loved her for being her, even if the world didn't. "Thanks, Mum." She didn't realize how much she needed to hear this.

"Any time." Summer rubbed her back. "I'm sorry for not saying it enough, but you know that I'm proud of you… right?"

"I know. I just… after something like this, I think I really needed to hear it." Ruby sighed as she wiped her tears. "So uhm… c-can I see Weiss now?"

Summer chuckled as she got up. "Stay here and be a good girl. I'll check with the doctors and get a wheelchair."

Ruby nodded and looked at Nicholas, squirming a bit. "I'm sorry again… I didn't think the White Fang wanted to use me to find you."

"It's fine, Ruby. You didn't know." Nicholas shook his head. "I don't blame you at all, so please. Don't blame yourself. Your mother just said so as well."

"I know, but I'm still sorry." Ruby sighed.

"Ruby…" Nicholas hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Ruby. "Do you like Weiss?"

"Of course I like her. She's been there for me for a long time." Ruby blinked, unsure of what he was asking. "Why do you ask that?"

Nicholas gave a small chuckle. Remembering how Weiss looked at Ruby. It reminded him of how he was when he met his mate. "I mean, would you like to be her mate?"

Ruby blushed. "W-Wha?!" She thought about it. Did she like Weiss in that way? How does being mates even work between Werewolves and humans?! "Y-You think that… I can be her mate…? C-Can I even be her mate?"

"If you love her, then I have no objections." Nicholas chuckled. "I know that she loves you. In fact… I think that you saved her, actually."

"What?" Ruby questioned, tilting her head. She was always being saved by her wolf, what did he mean that she saved her? "How… did I save her?"

"You saved her from herself. She saw herself as nothing but a monster for the longest time. Then she met you." Nicholas started to explain with a frown. "I know that this is selfish of me, and I have no right to tell you this after asking you if you would like to be her mate, but would you still love her after everything that happened?"

"What… do you mean? You mean after her father tried to kill her and Winter?" Ruby raised a brow. Why was he telling her this now?

"What I mean is, would you still love Weiss, even if…" Nicholas sighed as he looked into Ruby's eyes. "She's the one that murdered her family?"

Ruby blinked. "What…?" Weiss did that? Really? "N-No way… she couldn't… but how…? I mean… what?" There were so many questions. "Wait, so that report of Jacques murdering her and Winter… was fake? I mean, I know that it is, because Weiss is still here and alive. What about Winter? What… really happened?"

"Unfortunately, Weiss was the one that killed them." Nicholas apologized. "And it was my fault."

"H-How was that your fault?" Ruby sat up, wanting to know more. The reports were a lie, she knew that, and now that she thought about it, Nicholas was in the middle of explaining that part to her before the White Fang attacked, wasn't he? "Did… you have something to do with all of this?"

"Because of my neglect, Jacques destroyed the SDC name and abused my granddaughters. I wasn't there enough for them when they needed me. I'm a failure of a grandfather." Nicholas sighed.

"Nicholas, what happened?" Ruby wanted to know everything.

"That night, when I came back, Weiss was on the verge of death on the floor. She…" Nicholas covered his face with his hands. "She was beaten by that man again, covered in Dust. Weiss... she was apologizing to me, in a weak voice. 'I'm… sorry… for being…. born… and causing… so much… trouble…'" The old man sighed deeply. "Sometimes I wonder if turning her instead of letting her die was the right thing."

"T-Turning her…?" Ruby questioned. "So she… never was a Were before?"

Nicholas gave a weak chuckle. "You would think that, with how much time she spends in her wolf form, but no. She was born a human. Both her parents were human. She's not related to me by blood."

Ruby stared at Nicholas, absorbing all of this new information. "So… Willow… isn't your real daughter?"

"I adopted her… because she reminded me of my pup between myself and my mate. Unfortunately, they both passed away several years before. I took care of Willow as if she were my real daughter. She didn't know that I was a Werewolf." Nicholas smiled at the memory of his daughter, but frowned and looked away. "Unfortunately, Willow was a weak woman. She gave birth to Winter just fine, but when Weiss came… things were complicated."

Ruby bit her lip. "Complicated, as in…?" She urged, wanting to know more.

"Willow grew extremely ill. Ill enough that when she was pregnant, she was too weak to eat." Nicholas sighed as he moved towards the couch and sat down. "When she was about to give birth to their third child… she died. The child did not make it either."

Ruby covered her mouth in shock. She was empathetic with Jacques. If something happened to her lover and child, she'd break too. But still… "Even if Willow and the child died… what Jacques did was wrong."

"Yes. It was." Nicholas gritted his teeth. "How that man easily threw her away, his family? Using his daughter as if she were an experiment." The old man growled as he thought about it, but calmed down when he felt Ruby's hand on his shoulder. "I… apologize."

"Please. Don't be sorry." Ruby shook her head. "I would be mad as well if my father or someone I knew would do something like that." She clenched her fist. "Thank you, for saving her."

"I merely prolonged her life. You were the one that saved her, Ruby. Thank you again." Nicholas bowed his head, then turned when the door opened.

"I'm sorry that took so long. The doctors were busy, and I need their ok before I can take you to see Weiss." Summer apologized as she walked in.

Ruby groaned as she fell back onto the bed. "When is he coming in to check? If Weiss wakes up and I'm not there, she might freak out."

"You're right about that. You two have spent so much time together. Especially after what happened, she might try to break free from her room to try to track Ruby down, wounded or not." Nicholas thought about it, then realized what he just said upon seeing Ruby's horrified look. "S-She should be fine."

"Ms. Rose?" The doctor knocked as he walked in with a wheelchair. "My name is Dr. Azure. Your mother has informed me that you were awake, and have insisted that we bring you to see the wolf." He wheeled the wheelchair next to the bed, then moved to check her vitals. "I know that this is against protocol, but seeing that you are indeed doing alright, I believe that it should be ok for me to ask you questions on the way to see the wolf."

"Really?" Ruby was thankful for that and got into the wheelchair with the doctor and her mother's help. "Thank you!"

"Of course." The doctor noted. "Now, I'm pretty sure that your mother and Nicholas have asked you this already, but how are you feeling?" He asked as they wheeled Ruby out of the room and down the hall into the elevator.

"Really sore and worried for Weiss." Ruby squirmed in her seat, resisting the urge to just get up and run. However, she couldn't do that in the elevator.

"Understandable." Dr. Azure chuckled. "What is the last thing you remember?"

"Uhm… I was with my wolf, taking down the White Fang. We exploded the place and, well… she's ok, right?" Ruby looked up at the doctor, wanting to hurry up and meet her wolf. Wait, what form was Weiss in now? Considering how they kept saying wolf, she's probably been in her wolf form, not her Werewolf form.

Dr. Azure hesitated for a while before answering. "When she first came in, she was burnt and had lost a lot of blood. We did as much as we could to help." He then looked at Nicholas. "Then Nicholas here recommended that we bring in a doctor from Atlas. Weiss seems to be doing better now."

"Seems…?" Ruby didn't like the sound of it. Once the elevator opened, they wheeled her down the hall again, and she saw that there were many Werecreatures recovering in beds as well. "This place…"

"This place is where we take care of Werecreatures. Werewolves, Werecats, Werebunnies. You name it." Dr. Azure added. "Though we rarely get any Werepatients, and only a few doctors even know about this place."

"Dr. Polendina was my doctor when I was in Atlas. I haven't been in contact with him again until now." Nicholas admitted. "But he's the best, and a doctor that I can trust. Weiss is in good hands if he's taking care of her."

"I hope you're right, and thank you." Ruby sighed and was wheeled up to a window where she could see a wolf laying on her left side, covered in bandages, a few wires hooked up to her, and a mask on her face to help her breathe. "Oh god… Weiss…?"

The wolf's ear and paw twitched. The doctor inside, who Ruby assumed was Dr. Polendina, was surprised for a moment, then looked at the window. He smiled and wheeled towards the door. "Are you Ruby Rose?"

"Y-Yes. I am. Weiss. She's…?" Ruby looked at the wolf, her beautiful eyes finally opening. "Weiss…"

Dr. Polendina allowed her to be wheeled in. He watched how happy Ruby was seeing Weiss, as she gently ran her hands through the wolf's fur. "She's fine now that she's woken up. She should be able to walk tomorrow. I'd recommend that she spends the rest of the day resting." Weiss huffed into the mask. "Maybe tonight, she can walk. But I still recommend that she spends the day resting."

"Weiss, rest. Please." Ruby begged as she continued to run her hand through her fur. "I'm ok now. If I can, I won't leave either."

"I believe that can be arranged, actually." Dr. Polendina looked at Dr. Azure for approval.

"Considering that this is a special case, I'll allow it." Dr. Azure nodded. "Ms. Rose doesn't have any significant injuries aside from her shoulder, and should hopefully be fine with a good night's rest. If you need any assistance, call me."

"Of course. Thank you." Dr. Polendina nodded, then looked at Nicholas and Summer. "These two should still get some rest. It's very good to see you again, O'Nick. The last time we saw each other was when I was stabilizing Weiss after you turned her."

"I'm sorry for hiding all this time, Pietro. After what happened, I thought that it would be best to leave Atlas." Nicholas apologized.

"No, it's understandable." Pietro chuckled. "Though you're lucky that I was in Vale already." He then frowned. "I managed to get all the wolfsbane out of her system. The silver surprisingly missed her vitals, and her back's been burnt. This would've been easier to treat if she was in her Were or human form."

Weiss huffed at Pietro, relaxing when Ruby scratched her head. "Weiss. Please." Ruby shook her head. "Relax and rest. As you can see, I'm fine and here. Think about yourself for once. Please." The wolf looked at Ruby and huffed again, closing her eyes. "There you go. Good girl." Ruby smiled, then blushed at seeing how everyone was looking at her.

"I'll see if we can get you an extra bed so you don't aggravate each other's wounds." Pietro chuckled as he wheeled out of the room.

"I'll go help him." Nicholas smiled as he left.

"Seeing as those two are practically crippled, I should be the one moving the bed in here. Or at least getting a doctor to help." Summer chuckled. "I would like you to formally introduce me when you're both better."

"Mum!" Ruby blushed. "I-I will… next time."

"Good. Now we'll be back soon." Summer waved them off, leaving the duo alone.

Ruby sighed, then watched Weiss as she slept. "Weiss…. Nicholas said that I saved you, but you're always saving me. When you're awake… I would like to ask something." She rested her head onto the bed, idly rubbing Weiss' fur. 'Would you like to be my mate?'

A/N: Well hoped that y'all enjoyed the chap. Have a bit of family history and set up for fluff for the next chap. See y'all next time~