Author's Note: I should just stop trying to predict what's going to happen with my chapters. I say that this chapter will probably be the shortest in the fic…turns out it has become the longest at 8,600+ words. Ah well, the longer it is the better it is right? I could've actually gotten this completed and posted last night but for the finishing touches, I thought that I should probably make sure I have a more awake and alert mind to catch any mistakes or, if I wanted to (and I ended up wanting to), add a bit more to the chapter here and there along with the finishing touches.

Besides, I was enjoying the constant alerts and notices as the Favs and Follows for this fic continued to increase in number. Suffice to say, it seems that you people are enjoying this thing. I'm honored and It's certainly a nice thing to see with my latest foray back into the fanfictioning world.

Unfortunately there's one part about this chapter that I was right about: that being it's the last chapter. So read and enjoy the final moments of the maid Ruby!

She couldn't have been out long; a few seconds, a minute at most. Nonetheless, in that short amount of time, Weiss found that her position had changed substantially.

She was lying on her back and for a fleeting moment she thought that she was still in her bed, especially with what she assumed was her pillow supporting her head. The theory was proven wrong as soon as she thought it when her pillow moved. The movement also allowed her to recognize that it was not the comfortable, yielding support of her mattress beneath the rest of her body. Rather, it was a cold, hard floor.

Then there was an odd, beeping noise coming from right above her head. That and how the noise annoyed a renewed headache finally got Weiss to open her eyes.

Her vision was blurred, forcing her to close her eyes before opening them again in an attempt to refocus her vision. She did it enough to the point that she could make out a transparent, rectangular screen being held no more than a foot directly above her. Even with her position, after a couple more blinks Weiss could see small images – icons – on the screen that were made to look like folders, envelopes, a magnifying glass, and other such things. Right in the middle of the screen blazed two words and Weiss had to maneuver her head enough to tilt them at an angle to read it as Nurse's Office.

Due to the transparency of the screen, Weiss was able to see one pale index finger that was tapping against it, hitting icons with each press emitting another beep from the screen. As soon as Weiss had moved her head, however, the finger suddenly froze just as it was about to hit another, smaller word: Call.

"Weiss!"

The dull, painful pounding coming from within her skull became increasingly harder with her efforts but Weiss focused her gaze beyond the screen and hovering finger. At the end, she could see a familiar pair of silver eyes that, while partially blocked by the icons and words on the screen, were clearly focusing on her.

Ruby fixed that by closing the electronic scroll, shrinking it back to a more compact form which she set aside.

Oh yeah… If it wasn't for the fact that her head was hurting, Weiss was ready to believe that she had passed away and gone on to a higher plane of existence for clearly that was the only way to explain the apron-wearing angel and her frilly, white halo. "Too cute."

Weiss was barely aware that she spoke the words in such a soft voice but the reaction was worth it. Her head having leaned down to get a better – although upside down - look at the now awake Weiss, Ruby had just managed to catch the words. When she did, the younger girl immediately jerked her head back, face now flushed.

The heiress didn't seem to realize what she had done and didn't seem to care, instead looking to take in her surroundings while her red-faced partner sat in silence. She was indeed lying on the floor of the dorm, leading her to assume that, upon blacking out, she had fallen from her bed. A knocked over chair told her that Ruby had acted accordingly, her team leader having pushed her seat aside so that she could catch her.

And here she was. Now Weiss could see that it definitely wasn't a pillow that her head was resting on. No, that would be Ruby's lap. The revelation did nothing to unnerve her. In fact, Weiss found herself reflexively nuzzling her head against her team leader's lap as if it was her pillow.

Ruby, on the other hand, found herself becoming increasingly flustered by her partner's actions. Actually, ever since she returned from dropping off the soup-soaked blanket she had been nothing but thrown off by Weiss and her actions. "Uh, Weiss?"

"Mmmm?" Weiss mumbled. Bereft of her blanket, Weiss idly touched and tugged on the skirt of Ruby's long dress and the apron that was tied over it as if she was trying to pull them around her.

This caused Ruby to constantly to fidget. "Um…are you okay? I mean I was pretty sure I caught you when you fell but…uh…I'm starting to think you may have…mmm…hit your head?"

With Ruby's fidgeting, Weiss had to constantly move her head in reply to maintain a comfortable spot on her lap. Becoming increasingly annoyed, the heiress actually moved her hands to grip the folds of Ruby's outfit at her legs in an attempt to keep them pinned. That caused Ruby to become very still which Weiss declared was an accomplishment.

"Mmmm…" Weiss mumbled again, pressing her cheek against the frills of the apron as she attempted to bury her face into them. Her thoughts were starting to become hazy but one thing was abundantly clear to her: Ruby's legs were comfortable. "It's alright…temporary insanity..."

"O…kay." Already concerned with her partner's behavior, Ruby started to take note of an unusually large amount of color that was presenting itself on her usually near-white face. Slipping a hand beneath her bangs, Ruby pressed her palm against Weiss's forehead. A startling amount of heat was there to greet it. "Weiss, your fever's acting up!"

The heiress seemed to barely be paying attention. With another incoherent mumble, Weiss welcomed the cool palm that touched her hot forehead. When Ruby pulled her hand away, a small whine emitted from her throat.

"Hold on Weiss, I have something. Let me just…" Ruby attempted to get up but immediately ran into a problem with Weiss clutching her legs in response to keep them in place. "Uh, Weiss could you let go for a moment?"

Another mumble, this time clearly made to sound negative as Weiss kept her head pressed against her lap. Ruby attempted to slip them out from beneath her but quickly realized that that was going to be harder than she planned: Weiss practically had a death grip on her skirt and legs.

"Uh, Weiss? I need to get up. Come on, Weiss. Weiss? Um…please let me up? I just need to go right over there and-"

She again tried to free her legs and found that Weiss had not loosened her grip one bit.

"I have something to help," Ruby continued despite how obvious it was that Weiss was ignoring her pleas. "I just need to move just…a little…bit… Oh. come on, Weiss!" A sigh. "Alright, guess I have no choice."

There came a crescendo of whirring gizmos and the cocking of a weapon that, even in her feverish state, Weiss could recognize as one thing. Turning her head just enough so that one eye wasn't obstructed by frills, the older girl could see that Ruby had unveiled her precious Crescent Rose. Where she had managed to hide it this whole time Weiss didn't know – the pounding of her head told her not to worry about it – but Ruby was using it to reach for something, stretching her body and arms as far as she could go so that her giant scythe could grab…whatever it was she was trying to grab.

Although Weiss continued to keep a tight grip so that Ruby wouldn't slip away, the heiress found her one eye drifting towards Ruby's face. With how her partner was turned, Weiss got a clear view of the side of her face; specifically the right side of her face.

It was something she had always noticed but for some reason it only now fascinated her. Possibly due to her dulled mental state, Weiss found herself tracking a long bundle of hair that fell from Ruby's face.

"Come oooon," Ruby groaned, too intent on her task at hand to take note that she was being stared at. Straining her arms, the girl leaned as far as she could. "Just one…more…inch… Ah! No! Don't bump it!"

Her actions were causing her hair to swish back and forth, further hypnotizing Weiss. The hair at the right side of her face was longer than her left. At her left, the longest strands only went down to her cheek. To her right, the length of black and red stretched past her chin. During their time together, Weiss had secretly made comparisons of Ruby's hairstyle to her own as she tended to affix her ponytail to her right side to keep it off-centered. For Weiss, she had adopted her hairstyle as a small act of rebellion. She wondered if Ruby had any meaning behind her hair as she did with her cloak.

Overcome by a sudden urge, Weiss removed a hand from Ruby's skirt and reached up.

"Aha! Got it!" Smiling in victory, Ruby pulled back her scythe with her prize carefully balanced on the flat blade. After carefully placing it on the floor within easy reach, it was only then that Ruby allowed Crescent Rose to return to its compact form; the blade and shaft folding and shrinking into a blocky, harmless appearance. Similarly placing it off to the side, Ruby focused on her original target and dragged it towards her.

That was when she felt Weiss grab onto her hair. With her index and middle finger, Weiss curled the red and black strands between and around her two fingers to effectively capture them.

Ruby froze as, really, that was the only thing she could do to react to the touch. With no resistance, Weiss just held the lock of hair between her fingers while her thumb rubbed along it. Well, that was until Ruby finally turned to look down at her.

She found a very delirious-looking Weiss Schnee. Her ice blue eyes were half-closed and unfocused, her face burning up with fever and yet there was a small smile on her face as she continued to play with Ruby's hair. The state of her teammate got Ruby to act.

She quickly pulled the bowl she managed to obtain towards her and dipped her hands in it. Unlike the soup bowl, this one just held pure, crystal clear water with a small towel soaking in it. Ruby pulled the towel out and held it over the bowl as she twisted it, wringing out any excess water before folding it. After brushing Weiss's bangs off to the side, Ruby placed the towel on her forehead.

The heiress had dropped her hand from Ruby's hair at that point, her arm limply falling back to her side. By the time the towel touched her forehead, her eyes had fully closed with the only sign that proved that she was still alive to the world was her breathing which morphed into a contented sigh as the cool towel rested on her forehead. Turning her head to rest her cheek against Ruby's thigh, Weiss laid still.

And she says I'm insufferable, Ruby thought with a humored grin. When she had decided that she would take care of Weiss until she got better, she certainly hadn't been expecting this.

Although it would probably be best to get Weiss into her bed, how peaceful the heiress looked while she slept convinced Ruby otherwise. So she just reached up and pulled the blanket from Weiss's bed to tuck it snuggly around her. Her partner didn't even stir.

This was where Ruby found herself for the next hour. Unwilling to move in case she disturbed Weiss from her much-needed sleep, Ruby was forced to remain on her knees, the head of the heiress resting comfortably on her lap while she slept. The only thing that Ruby did dare to perform was to remove the towel from Weiss in order to soak it in the bowl of cool water and place it back on her head.

That, however, left Ruby with very little else to do. She planned for contingencies if Weiss was to fall asleep in her care such as homework but all her books and notes were at the far corner of the dorm and she didn't dare use Crescent Rose to try and retrieve them. Other than that she probably couldn't reach, she doubted that her school supplies would be able to handle even being touched by the super sharp blade of her scythe.

Anything else she had planned she couldn't do due to her situation so she remained where she was. While she would usually find this predicament to be more frustrating – and she could only wonder how stiff her legs were going to be at the end of this -, upon peering down at Weiss, Ruby felt herself calmed.

Who thought the Ice Princess could be so clingy. As if to prove her thought, Weiss nuzzled her cheek against her lap, one hand grasping Ruby's apron. A smile formed on the younger girl's face at the sight while she made sure the towel didn't slip off her partner's head. Cute.

They had come a long way from their first meeting and Ruby had treasured their growing friendship. Not just with Weiss either but Blake and even the members of Team JNPR.

I guess this would make this…what? Ruby asked herself as she did some mental math. Plus six friends? A six hundred percent increase! And so far I've made no enemies! Though as Yang had joked during that night, Weiss could certainly be labeled as an enemy and Ruby had reluctantly agreed to the assessment.

That had been a rough beginning for the young leader. As much of a dream as it was for Ruby to attend Beacon, doing so two years early without her friends had sent her reeling. She had been momentarily comforted that Yang would be with her but the funny thing about that was that her older sister had come to Beacon with her friends, causing her to pretty much ditch Ruby as soon as they landed so that she could hang out with them. At that point, Ruby had truly been afraid: afraid that Yang wouldn't be there for her, that she would be alone, and that she would be forced to work with strangers who would treat her differently because she had been bumped ahead two years.

She felt a little better after that first day with her meeting with Jaune and a slow, tentative relationship being formed between her and Blake. Weiss. on the other hand…

I would just jump in fright whenever she came around, Ruby remembered. I would have definitely not seen this coming.

Examining the sleeping girl's face, Ruby was relieved to see that the red coloring was finally giving way to the normal paleness that Weiss was known for. When she had collapsed from her bed with Ruby barely reacting in time to cushion her fall, the younger girl had thought to call the nurse for Weiss to get her better treatment, thinking she had been over her head with doing this herself. Fortunately, Weiss had awakened a minute later just as she was about to contact the office, putting her at ease.

"Hm…" It was probably boredom and a growing desire to do something that caused Ruby's hands to come unbidden to the face of the heiress. First removing the towel from her forehead, Ruby placed her palm to check her fever. Weiss had definitely cooled down which relieved her.

Instead of removing her hand, Ruby allowed her fingers to explore. First brushing and curling the white bangs around her fingers similar to what Weiss had done to her own, Ruby found her thumb rubbing along the pale, smooth skin of Weiss's cheek. This path inevitably led her to that scar.

It was the only thing that marred the noble, perfect features of the heiress. Ruby never considered it to be ugly though, nor had she possessed any negative thoughts about it. If anything, the scar gave Weiss a certain fierceness; a hint to the fighting spirit that dwelled within her otherwise prim appearance. It let people know that standing before them was not a spoiled rich girl who had been born with everything she desired. If one doubted the resolve of Weiss Schnee, they only had to become the victim of one of her signature scarred glares to see that there was the burning spirit of a Huntress ready to be unleashed upon Remnant.

Her thumb trailing along the scar tissue that ran down that left eye, Ruby wondered how Weiss received it. A training accident? A battle that had not been willing to leave her unscathed? Or maybe something that wasn't so noble or exciting such as a simple household accident?

Ruby had never asked. One day she may do so or maybe Weiss would beat her to the punch and just let it slip during a day of girl talk. Until then, Ruby was willing to let that secret remain as such. After all, Weiss wasn't the only one who still held mysteries about her past.

Ruby spent the passing minutes continuing to let her fingers stroke along her partner's hair and face. To her delight, the unconscious Weiss would utter another pleased mumble or sigh which was usually accompanied by efforts to further cuddle up against Ruby's lap. Unsurprisingly, the touches eventually woke her up, the heiress opening her eyes to gaze up at Ruby.

Neither of them said a word as the seconds ticked by, both of them content to just look upon one another. Ruby ended up breaking the silence, her lips forming a smile before she gently greeted, "Hey, Weiss."

"Hey, Ruby." Not only did Weiss sound groggy, but her slow movements appeared that way as she fought against the remnants of sleep. Her eyes moved away from her partner and worked on trying to give her an update on her surroundings. "How long was I out?"

"Not long." With Weiss having reawakened, Ruby finally reined in her wandering hands so as not to make this uncomfortable for the both of them.

It only seemed to work for her though. As for Weiss, the heiress soon took note of her own position: her head resting comfortably against Ruby's lap with her hands loose yet still gripping the skirt and apron of the maid outfit. Ruby couldn't see her face for a reaction but how Weiss had frozen and purposely kept her face looking away from her team leader told her enough.

Apparently she was looking in the direction of the clock because Weiss spoke, with a bit of disbelief, "I've been sleeping for nearly two hours!" An understanding of the situation soon clicked and although Weiss started to turn she stopped her head at the last fraction. She didn't halt her voice. "And you've been…here."

Ruby grinned because of the observation and how she spotted the pink that tinged the heiress's cheeks. She entertained the thought of making a comment about how her legs certainly felt like she's been here for that long but she instead went with, "Want me to help you back to your bed?"

The heiress was silent for quite some time, seeming to be thinking about the offer. Then, hesitantly, she finally replied, "…No." She slowly dropped her cheek back onto Ruby's lap. "Just…five more minutes. I don't think I'm fully awake yet."

Temporary insanity, Ruby translated. Right.

Or maybe something else. Maybe, instead of insanity, Weiss was seeing this as a dream that she had yet to wake from. The weight of her head on top of her legs and her words made Ruby think that the heiress wouldn't mind indulging in this dream for a little while longer.

Well, she was willing to do the same. Ruby had one hand creep down her thigh, towards the snow-white mane that it had been inches away from but now closed the distance so that her fingers could once again stroke along those locks. Weiss didn't move or offer any kind of word of protest, leaving them to stay like that for the designated five minutes and, perhaps, a couple more added onto that. Neither was keeping count nor did they seem to care.

Eventually, Ruby felt the shifting of her partner, forcing her to look down just in time to see an upside-down Weiss staring up at her. Any blush that had been previously on her face was no more. There was, however, a friendly smile.

"You know," Weiss began, "I suppose I can admit that you're turning out to be a good leader."

A wide smile sprouted on Ruby's face in reply. "From my best teammate, I suppose I can take that as a compliment."

The two giggled at that with Weiss, ever the proper one, placing a hand over her mouth in an attempt to hide her mirth. When she dropped her hand though, the smile was gone, her lips having been forced into a hard line. Tilting her head up to look indignant – which was a lost cause when being viewed upside down – Weiss spoke, "But you still have some work to do. Let's see if you can truly prove that you have what it takes to possess the honor of having a Schnee following you. You may help me to my bed now."

Ah, that was the Weiss she knew. The dream now over, Ruby replied cheekily with, "Good because my legs are absolutely killing me." She paused. "Um, I don't actually have to call you master do I?"

That instantly broke that icy exterior that Weiss had been attempting. "Oh, uh…no…no you don't have to do that." She didn't add that she probably wouldn't be able to survive if Ruby called her master for the rest of the day.

Walking through the hall that would lead to the dorm rooms, Yang raised her arms high above her head in a stretch, causing the white shirt to slide up just enough to expose a hint of her toned midriff. The breeze she felt at the action had Yang looking down, reminding her of her odd attire.

Never thought Blake would have something like this in her wardrobe, Yang wondered curiously. Just as she had done when she had first put on the outfit, she tugged on the sleeves and hem of the shirt, testing the material. But this couldn't be hers. I'm definitely taller than her. Besides…

She flexed her shoulders and jutted out her chest - much more developed then Blake's - in an effort to test how far she could stretch it. Although there was no way she could possibly expect a change from when she slipped it on, Yang was nonetheless surprised at the results: it was a perfect fit.

To be fair, the blonde wouldn't be so astonished if it was just the shirt that fitted perfectly but the addition of the bloomers that hugged her thighs had made her suspicious.

And I really don't think Blake would want to be seen in something like this. She just pulled it out of her bag though as soon as I mentioned needing some clothes for a run. Yang again tugged on one sleeve thoughtfully. Seems like some kind of gym uniform. Could this have been from a school she previously attended?

Always one for the eccentrics, Yang had been long-used to the kind of stares that she had received from passing students – and professors – during her run. Legs exposed to the maximum, sweat causing the already close-fitting shirt to cling to her curvaceous form - it forced Yang to amend her earlier statement: Blake wouldn't be caught dead in something like this.

The only thing that Yang could think of was that the clothing had been specifically picked for her. She looked down at her outfit again. Could she…naaah.

Although there was a lot about her partner that she didn't know. Even with their team-up, there were very few things that Yang could say that she knew about Blake. She knew that she liked books, liked the color black, really liked wearing that bow and…

Yang scratched her head sheepishly as nothing else came to her. The lack of knowledge about her own teammate did make her feel a little bad. However, that same category which she lacked in gave plenty of room for the chance of a surprise hobby or other interest that may be uncovered.

And you know what they say: always the quiet ones. She bopped herself on the head. Eh, why am I even wasting time thinking about it? I should just go ahead and ask her. A mischievous grin suddenly appeared. I certainly don't mind surprises after all.

Yang took the appearance of the door to Team JNPR's dorm as a sign that supported her course of action. That settled it then: if Blake happened to still be in the dorm, reading one of her books, Yang would just walk over, rip the book from her hands, and just press and press and press until she got a suitable answer. It would be fun. It would also give her a chance to kill more time which depended solely on how long Blake's patience could hold out against her persistence.

Psyching herself up for such a match, Yang almost missed the noises that were coming from the dorm right across the hall. It was only when her hand touched the door did her head jerk and then swivel to locate the noise until her lilac eyes focused on the entrance to her team's dorm.

What the…? Considering they had been leaving Weiss alone, there had been virtually no noise coming from their dorm ever since she got sick. Her hand dropping from JNPR's door, Yang now reached for Team RWBY's. Just as she was about to touch the knob, her hand stopped an inch away from it.

Weiss couldn't have gotten better yet. During the morning the nurse had stopped by and informed the two teams that she was still sick and there was no possible way that the heiress had gotten better in the few hours that passed since then. The thought immediately bred a small ball of fear at the pit of Yang's belly.

Yang didn't like getting sick. She was no germaphobe but the idea of getting sick was one of the few things that she could admit unnerved her. That whole ritual of lying around in bed and being miserable while your body betrayed you was not something that Yang Xiao Long did. She had a bad stomach virus one time when she had been young and the experience had been traumatizing.

Yang was all about action. Since she was born she was nothing but a bundle of boundless energy that couldn't be tamed. When her parents would ground her, she would just sneak out and do better to not get caught. When she obtained her motorcycle she had loved joyriding at speeds that went far beyond the limits that had been posted on the various signs around her neighborhood. And she loved fighting. That beautiful art of deadly speed and power that was further enhanced by her soul's energy – her Aura – to allow her to fully indulge herself in the most basic form of combat: hand-to-hand. Nothing got that raging inferno that dwelled deep within her heart burning more than testing her mettle against an opponent that could match her in a powerful display of motion of well-executed punches and kicks.

But sickness was something she couldn't beat with her fists. She couldn't sneak out of the hold of a cold or some other virus. Even more distressing, to get sick was to be limited. To be constrained to bed, weakness and pain wracking your body as you cough and sneeze and vomit.

Clammy skin, bloodshot eyes…frazzled hair. Yang hugged herself as a shudder coursed through her body. No, she didn't like getting sick at all. She prized her body's beauty as much as its strength and being unable to combat a danger that could rob her of both was unnerving. If someone plucked a string of her hair, she plucked off their head. The same could not be done to a formless flu.

But even with that fear, her curiosity had potential to match it. When Yang held an ear cautiously to the door, she thought she heard her baby sister's voice coming from behind it. That was enough.

Taking a deep breath, Yang straightened, slapping her hands against her face before forcing her shoulders to be held high. In and out. Be quick and don't go anywhere near Weiss. Don't stay any longer than you have to.

Bolstered by this challenge to settle her curiosity, Yang's hand shot forward, grasping the door knob, turning it, and violently throwing the door open to behold…

...What?

"Ruby!" Weiss called from her bed, one hand holding up a teacup. She shook it to show that it was empty.

As if manifested purely by the heiress's call, Ruby was at her bedside with a teapot held in her hands a moment later. Bowing her head in a clear sign of servitude, the leader of Team RWBY tipped the teapot to refill the cup, stopping only when Weiss signaled her to.

"It's time to take your medicine," Ruby informed, placing the teapot on a small table to the side and catching a look at the clock. She produced a small bottle from a pocket in her apron.

Weiss sighed. "I guess it can't be helped. I'll just take it with my tea then." Holding out her empty hand, the heiress waited until Ruby had shaken out a couple pills that landed in her palm. "Thank you. Now, how about my laundry?"

"Should be done soon! I'll just go and check while you take your pills and-oh."

Having turned to leave and check the status of her partner's clothing, it was only then that Ruby noticed Yang standing at the doorway, arms held limply at her sides while she stared, wide-eyed, with her jaw trying very hard to reach down to touch the floor.

…What? Yang asked herself again as her eyes trailed up and down her younger sister. No, she wasn't seeing things: Ruby was wearing a maid outfit.

Ruby, having frozen in mid-step with her left foot hanging in the air, slowly placed her foot back down but otherwise made no move. Weiss just remained sitting in her bed, taking a sip of her tea before looking to the intruder with an annoyed quirk of her eyebrow.

Lilac eyes quickly moved from one girl to the other while a weakened jaw attempted to form words but, in the end, remained hanging. Yang's mind similarly had trouble, suddenly finding itself attempting to explain why two plus one equaled five while other numbers could now be divided by zero.

In the end though, there was only one thing she could possibly do to suitably react to such a situation.

Unfortunately, Weiss was faster. The snow-haired girl glanced towards her maid. "Ruby."

Snap!

Yang blinked as she found herself staring at the camera lens that was embedded in the scroll that Ruby held in her direction.

That helped her get over her shock. Cursing, Yang immediately dropped a hand to her pocket where she usually kept her scroll - and cursed again when she realized that those black bloomers didn't have pockets. As if detecting her distress, Ruby giggled and even Weiss allowed a smirk to appear.

"Dammit!" Yang looked across the hall, back to JNPR's dorm. "Blake!" She slammed the door shut.

"Ruby, lock the door please. The laundry can wait. If we're lucky, JNPR's room is locked and there's no one to let her in."

"Yes, ma'am."

In a display that wasn't fit for a proper Schnee at all, Weiss let her head drop to the cafeteria table with an audible thunk. "I'm the worst teammate ever."

Blake, sitting across from her, didn't respond right away. She waited to finish the page she was currently on before glancing down at the fallen heiress. "Yes, who knew that Ruby would get sick?"

It was Monday and, with it, the start of a brand new school week. Sadly, Team RWBY managed to hit a little snag when it came to their leader: such as the part where they were woken up by her in the midst of a coughing fit.

Yes, Ruby was sick. With the flu.

Ruby had been true to her word. In order to ease the suffering of a teammate, she had taken it upon herself as the leader of Team RWBY to care for her stricken partner not only for Saturday but Sunday as well when the flu continued to maintain its hold on Weiss for one more day. As one can figure out, it had cost her her health.

The knowledge that she was the cause was not sitting very well with Weiss.

"She said she would be fine!" Weiss insisted. Raising her head from the table, she directed her gaze to Blake, imploring her to give her some form of mercy to ease her guilt. "She said that as long as she kept her Aura levels up she would be fine!"

No mercy was to be found with Blake Belladonna. Turning to the next page of her novel, those pitiless amber orbs met blue. "She may have, though one does have to wonder how well they can maintain their Aura levels when they're being ordered around to make tea, dinner, do laundry, staying up late to help with homework, giving a sponge bath-"

She was interrupted by two palms slamming against the table.

"That last one didn't happen!" Weiss fiercely denied, now on her feet and glaring down at her raven-haired teammate.

Blake met her stare evenly, silently waiting for the heiress to notice what she already knew: a crowded cafeteria and the sudden, unusual silence that had just taken hold. It hit Weiss eventually, the girl looking to see the multitude of stunned faces that were now directed at her. Her face growing hot, she returned to her seat.

With Weiss properly subdued, Blake returned to her novel. She only got through a page and a half when the white-haired girl gathered her wits in an attempt to form another weak defense.

"I didn't push her that hard, did I?" Weiss questioned, once again beseeching Blake. "I let her go to bed at reasonable hours. She should've at least gotten her required eight hours!"

Blake did not even hesitate to shoot her down. "If she hadn't been busy doing her own homework at night. She did have her own classes to worry about that she hadn't been sharing with you you know."

"But there couldn't have possibly been that much-"

"The coffee pot was empty this morning," Blake interrupted. "It wasn't when I went to bed last night."

A groan. Thunk. Weiss returned her head to the table.

Blake eyed the defeated heiress before she brought her book back up to her face to better hide how the corners of her lips twitched very briefly into a smile as a thought crossed her mind. Not long now.

"I need to take notes for her," Weiss said aloud, using her hands to better pick herself up from the table. "I need to make sure to grab her homework assignments. She has classes that none of us have with her so I'll have to stop by them."

"It'll probably build up on her," Blake countered after another calm turn of the page. "You were lucky to get sick just as the weekend was coming. Tuesday, Wednesday, potentially Thursday if she doesn't recover as fast as you. Maybe even Friday."

"I'll help her with it! I'll even do some of it for her! At least for the classes we share!"

"I'm sure the professors will give her an extension considering the circumstances." Blake gave Weiss a moment to bask in that ray of hope. Then she took it away from her. "She'll need it after all. She's going to be utterly swamped with work by the time the weekend comes around. Not just homework but she'll have to study the notes, prepare for tests she may miss-"

Blake's listing was interrupted by a wail of despair as Weiss slumped in her seat, her hands pressing against the sides of her head which shook as if to deny the situation that she had inadvertently placed on her team leader.

Despite her merciless actions, seeing the heiress in her misery caused a pang to be felt within Blake's heart. Even though Weiss was the valued daughter of the Schnee family – the same family which she had struck out against -, Blake admitted to having developed a liking for the girl. She even counted Weiss as not only a teammate but one of her treasured friends who she cared deeply about and would defend with her life.

Just because the Schnee family's company delved in questionable business practices, Blake was not going to automatically damn their child for something that she could not control. If anything, she did believe that there was a connection between her and Weiss to make them kindred spirits in regard to how the world had dealt with them; both of them having become bound to an authority that had been placed on their lives and relinquishing control of their freedom to choose how they lived. Luckily for the both of them, they found a ray of hope within the halls of Beacon. A way to rebel against the established system and exert a margin of control over their lives while meeting such great friends.

Who knows, the experiences that they would share in Beacon could offer them a potential future that could benefit all of Remnant. In the case of Weiss, if she was to inherit the Schnee Dust Company, the heiress could possibly make the world a better place by going by her lessons of life and friendship that she learned here and using the vast influence of her company to assist the downtrodden rather than exploit them.

Until such a time though, the real world was just as cruel as Blake remembered it and she was playing by its rules which included kicking someone while they were down in order to get what you wanted.

"How am I possibly going to make this up to her?" Weiss asked, this time the question not directed at anyone in particular. "After all I did and made her do, what can I possibly do to make this right?"

"I have an idea."

Weiss looked to her tormentor, wary but hopeful, only to find that Blake had disappeared from her seat with her novel having been left on the table. "Blake-?"

Something wrapped around her chest.

"Bust," came Blake's voice, directly behind her.

"What the-?" Weiss shot up to her feet, looking over her shoulder to try and spot Blake.

That had been a mistake. As soon as she stood up, the thing – a certain, familiar black ribbon – took advantage of her standing form to unwind from her chest only to then come around her middle.

"Waist," Blake ticked off.

Weiss spotted Blake, her back bent so that she could peer down at the black ribbon of Gambol Shroud that was wound around her. She didn't understand what was going on or why Blake was doing it but knew that the logical response was to bring her elbow forward and then drive it back to slam it into her teammate.

She was too slow. For a moment it looked like she did hit Blake but as her elbow seemed to connect, Weiss found herself coming off balance as it only continued to move back. Instead of striking Blake, what she hit instead was an afterimage of her that dispersed as soon as her elbow went through it.

Fast, Weiss couldn't help but marvel despite the situation. Speed was one of the many things that Weiss could say that she excelled at and was proud of. Unfortunately, between Ruby and Blake, it seemed that Team RWBY had a couple speedsters that could potentially match if not exceed her in that department.

It was with that speed that Blake delivered her last blow. When her strike hit the afterimage, Weiss realized that the real Blake had crouched down. In this position, she struck with Gambol Shroud, the ribbon going in for the kill.

"Hips."

Anger rising, Weiss fully turned to bring Blake into view once she felt Gambol Shroud release its hold on her. Her mouth open to demand an explanation, Weiss looked down at Blake-

Just in time to see another afterimage vanish. Weiss whirled back around.

And there was Blake, having effectively returned to her seat to pick up her novel as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all.

The sight only worked to anger her further. Coupled with this sense of clearly violated privacy, Weiss dropped a hand to her hip, intending to have the grip of Myrtenaster fill her palm so that she may draw it and use it to extract answers from her sneaky teammate. Except it wasn't there. With a curse, Weiss found herself in a similar position to Yang upon realizing that Myrtenaster was still in her locker.

Why does Blake have Gambol Shroud? Had she been expecting this? The possibility of Blake having planned this all along was enough to make her shake with rage.

"Your measurements aren't that much different from Ruby's," Blake added, seemingly ignoring the volatile emotions that were about to explode in her direction. She hid her face behind her novel. "A few differences here and there but mostly minor."

Hands curled into fists and knuckles completely white, Weiss leaned forward enough so that the hard cover of the novel was only inches from her face. As tempted as she was to see if she could burn a hole through the tome and scorch its reader with sheer will, Weiss slowly raised her hands to tear the book in half and expose her treacherous teammate to the punishment that she deserved.

Blake held up a finger above her paper shield. "Before you do that, I would like to bring your attention back to my idea to help you make up with Ruby."

The only reason that Weiss listened was because she assured herself that she could just administer justice upon Blake once she had revealed her idea. There had been no way for her to realize just how put off she would become at the idea itself. Soon her anger was forgotten, the heiress reeling back away from Blake, her face red. Except this time the redness was due to embarrassment, not anger.

And despite how utterly scandalous the idea was – especially for a Schnee -, Weiss found herself back in her seat, her head bowed and the pros and cons of going with this idea battling fiercely within her mind. At the end, when she finally looked up to Blake, she only had one question.

"Do you think we'll even find one in my size?"

She thought she saw a smile almost appear on Blake's face.

"I'm sure the staff have one stored somewhere."

I, Ruby Rose, sincerely apologize for ever thinking that whistle was a good idea. When this is all over, I will personally slay that vile, silver abomination myself with Crescent Rose as if it was the lowliest Beowolf.

Being in the same situation that her partner had been in, Ruby could now understand that she had gotten off lightly with the pillow that Weiss had used to strike her. That had been too kind. If she had been aware of how much pain she had been in beforehand, she would've willingly handed over her scythe so that Weiss could properly give her the beating that she had deserved.

Another bout of coughing not only had Ruby shaking beneath the covers but caused her head to pound away. With her nose clogged and leaking, the fifteen-year-old was truly and utterly pitiful. Blindly searching for the box of tissues, Ruby almost cried with relief when she felt the soft paper at her fingers. Hurriedly tugging three sheets out of the box, Ruby held them up to her nose and blew hard in a vain attempt to clear her nostrils. What wasn't now covered in snot the girl used to wipe at the tears falling from her bloodshot eyes before depositing the used tissues into a small trash can – already half full – she had placed next to her on her bed. Her nose was red and stinging from the repeated blows and wiping.

Wrapping herself in her blanket, Ruby huddled against her mattress and prayed that she would lose consciousness soon. Sleep was proving elusive as the ailments that plagued her body constantly poked and prodded her with the latest discomforts that she had to deal with such as her nose. Though dressed in her usual sleepwear, Ruby had actually tossed aside her sleep mask. Having been such a faithful companion to her with its light-blocking capabilities, the Beowolf mask had absorbed so much sweat and tears that it had only become a hindrance that needed to be removed.

Oddly enough, not once since she became ill did Ruby blame Weiss for her predicament. Although it was difficult to do anything in her current situation, she had brief moments of clarity which allowed her to remember her past weekend. Of serving Weiss as if she were her maid, meeting her demands whatever they may be, and helping her catch up on school work. As degrading as it may seem to one who would stumble onto the scene, Ruby had to admit that it had been fun.

A weird word to use to describe the events but Ruby could find no other that was suitable. Even as she was acting as her servant, she had been spending time with Weiss which was something they hardly did. Usually the heiress preferred to keep social interactions between them at a minimum but during the last two days it had been all about them. Even with her large number of demands, Weiss seemed to have fun with it especially when it came to their study sessions. Ever the brilliant student, there were times when Weiss ended up being the one assisting Ruby with their work instead of the other way around but it had been, well, fun. It wasn't something they normally did all the time so it had been a pleasant change of pace.

It also brought them a little bit closer.

Another loud cough made Ruby think that maybe the experience had brought them a little too close. Her throat growing increasingly parched, the young leader once again had to break away from her mission to head off into dreamland to get some water. Instead of the table that had been set up for Weiss, Ruby actually had a short, standing tray placed onto her bed and over her body with the water and tissues resting on top. She snatched up her glass that she thought still had water in it…only to find out it didn't. With a frustrated growl, Ruby used her other hand to grab the pitcher for a refill…and found it empty as well.

She stared disbelievingly at the two, her heart sinking as she couldn't understand how the world could be so cruel. Her silver eyes welled up and Ruby felt an overwhelming urge to cry. Stubbornly holding back her tears, she slipped a hand under her pillow to search for her scroll that she could use to contact the nurse's office. It was her only chance as her teammates weren't here to help her now that the school week had started back up.

Whether it was because of her weakness debilitating her or, God forbid, it had actually fallen from her bed, Ruby didn't feel her lifeline. Two wet trails starting to form down her reddened cheeks, Ruby let out a quiet sob as she continued to search desperately for the scroll.

"Ruby, here."

The voice nearly caused her to jump from her bed. Her shock swiftly transformed into sheer delight as she felt a heavy, cool weight of a full glass of water being placed in her free hand. The identity of her mysterious savior a secondary concern, Ruby focused on her primary: gulping down that entire glass to soothe her throat. It was only when she accomplished in draining it did she look to see who she should give her thanks.

For her visit, Weiss had apparently brought a ladder which she had propped up against Ruby's bed in order to reach her leader without pulling herself up. It made it easy for her to hold onto a full pitcher of water which the fencer leaned over and replaced the empty one with before snatching up a sheet of tissue paper to collect her team leader's tears.

"How are you feeling?" the heiress asked, voice full of concern as she dried Ruby's cheeks. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

The tissue paper blocked her sight but just before it had done so, Ruby had gotten a brief look at her partner. Although she was sure that classes were still in session, Weiss was not wearing her school uniform. Rather, she seemed to be wearing her usual white combat clothes. Probably because she just came back from her combat classes. Or so Ruby thought.

It was the cap. What her blurry vision had thought was Weiss's hair pulled back and bundled up in its usual ponytail, she could clearly see that it was a white cap. To make room for it, her partner had untied her hair and allowed it to flow gracefully down her back.

Ruby thought Weiss was wearing her bolero jacket except buttoned instead of open. This was also wrong. What Weiss was wearing instead was a similarly white dress uniform buttoned up at the front. The sleeves reached out to her elbows while the skirt dropped down to her knees. It covered up just a bit more than her usual, thigh-length dress but Ruby's searching eyes forced Weiss to grip the bottom of her skirt as if to make sure it was pulled down all the way, clearly embarrassed. Ruby couldn't see her legs but she had to assume that Weiss – considering her reaction - had her legs bare with either a pair of sneakers or something that wasn't her mid-calf boots worn at her feet.

Because that was exactly what the nursing staff at Beacon wore with their uniforms.

…Weiss was wearing a nurse uniform. All that Ruby could do was stare, all her pain and misery momentarily forgotten.

"U-u-uh…" Weiss stuttered, her cheeks burning at the blank look that was directed at her. Forcing her hands to let go of her skirt, Weiss laced her fingers together and folded her hands over her thighs. Struggling to bring out the script that she mentally prepared, Weiss audibly swallowed. Then, with a quick, jerky bow of her head, she shakily spoke, "F-f-for the next few d-days, p-p-please allow y-your b-best teammate to assist you in your r-r-recovery." Another swallow. "Whenever you n-need me, I will be here to s-s-serve you to the best of m-my abilities between and a-after classes."

With a horrendously stiff back, Weiss straightened to reveal her red and sweating face. The corners of her mouth, which she had forced into an over exaggerated smile, were constantly twitching as they sought to express an emotion that was far, far from happy. "I-is there anything I-I can do for y-you?"

Weiss wouldn't know it, not until later, but what she managed to do for Ruby was something that her team leader had constantly desired since the onset of her flu.

Dropping heavily onto her bed, Ruby passed out.

Author's Note: Honestly I kind of struggled about putting Weiss in a nurse outfit or not. Although it's clear that at this point that I didn't mind too much about OOCness, I thought a nurse outfit would be a little too degrading for the heiress. But the nurse uniform won out and, at the very least, I kept it modest. Despite what you have all read, I do not have a cosplaying fetish. I've just seen enough anime to know how the game goes. That and Ruby would look extraordinarily cute in a maid outfit.

My main goal with this fic, however, was character development. RWBY is a fun, interesting show but – as many have complained – the episodes can get rather too short for their own good. The main messages, plots, development, etc. still manage to get conveyed but there's the little details and other things that I'm sure viewers such as myself would like to see. Especially when it comes to increasing the bonds that are shared between our favorite characters. If anything, this is where fanfiction can come into a more suitable role as writers type out their ideas for misadventures and bonding moments that occur between the episodes that we don't see. Obviously some may be able to go with established canon but most of them will not.

But that's not the main goal. As long as the characters are written as many believe they are to be written and people find enjoyment over it, it gives just a bit more substance and connection to the characters that has the potential to be carried over into the actual series itself as you watch them go about their official adventure. Well, that's if you can get over what fantasies and dreams you hold in your hearts get crushed by the actual canon of the show. But hey, its fanfiction and we got our own headcanons for that. Hopefully, despite the sheer madness of incorporating various forms of cosplay, you as readers have also appreciated my attempts to express the characters with their own sections when it comes to their lives and what brings them together.

Of course, that's what reviews are for. With over thirty Favs and over forty Follows, I hope a good portion of you will leave behind comments and opinions of what you read. What you liked, what you didn't like, if you enjoyed it, etc. I may post a couple more works. I at least have a short, Yang/Blake oneshot in mind and I'm currently mulling over a longer, more serious Ruby/Weiss piece. We'll see if they go anywhere although a portion of it does depend on my work schedule. Well, whether you see me again or not, I hope this was enjoyable for all of you.