Doubt In My Mind: Chapter Three

Weiss opened the front doors to the school, walking out into the courtyard, the wind blowing into her face.

Maybe it would have been smarter to wear warmer clothing, she thought. But she shook her head. Another thing that wasn't worth worrying over until she found her partner.

But she wasn't too hard to find.

Weiss had thought Ruby would have found a super-secret place to hide, but the girl was just sitting at one of the fountains, her toes dipped into the water, shoes set aside next to her lap.

Ruby turned around, notified by the rather heavy sounds of the doors.

"Weiss, why'd you go after me?" Ruby looked up at her partner, wiping the rest of her tears away with her cape.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." Weiss sat down next to her, taking off her own shoes and placing her feet in the water next to her partner's.

"Yeah, I think I'm fine." Ruby nodded, looking back to the middle of the fountain.

Weiss placed one of her hands over one of her Ruby's, but it was quickly pushed off as the girl flinched, and held her hand up to her chest, her hand a bright red.

"Ruby, that doesn't seem like you're doing fine. What were you doing back at the dorm? Why were you crying?"

Ruby sighed. There was no way to get out of this. She took a long breath in, and began to explain.

"I can't believe that happened to Yang, she wouldn't hurt someone like that!"

Weiss nodded. She didn't know Yang as well as Ruby did, but she did know she would trust her sister if she was put in this position.

"And now that Yang's gone... I don't have anyone left... I don't have anything. Penny's gone, Yang is gone, even Blake didn't believe Yang!" Ruby began to cry again.

Weiss placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder and pulled the younger girl towards her.

"What about your parents? You have them, don't you? Your dad seems really nice." Weiss began. "You haven't lost everything."

Ruby shook her head. "No, you don't understand!" She gripped her cape harder in her hands.

Weiss slowly rubbed the younger girl's shoulder. "Please, help me understand, then."

Ruby's crying only picked up. "My... My mom's gone..."

Weiss pulled her team's leader into a hug, patting her back. "I'm... I'm really sorry for your loss... and Yang's too."

Ruby shook her head. "N-No, things are different with Yang..."

If Weiss wasn't shocked before, she sure was now. "Wait, what do you mean?"

Ruby sniffled. "Our dad takes care of us, but... but our mothers are gone. But Yang's is still alive..."

Weiss didn't know what to say. "Ruby, I-"

Ruby cut her off. "It's okay, I know you can't relate." Her crying seemed to have gotten better, at least.

Weiss shook her head. "No, it's not that. I understand that. Ruby, my mom is gone too."

Ruby looked up at her teammate. "But you're... you're perfect! You're Weiss Schnee! You're beautiful, and you're rich, and you're... you're so cool you just turn down Jaune without a second thought!" Never once did she consider the Ice Queen to ever have gone through anything like this.

Weiss couldn't help but giggle at the last part. But there was something more important. "Ruby, there's more to it than that. Everyone has secrets no one knows about. I thought Blake was the only one until now."

Ruby sniffled once again, and laid her head on her partner's shoulder. "Weiss... I'm sorry I thought you wouldn't understand..."

Weiss shook her head. "It's okay. I never told anyone, too. That's what I thought, that no one would understand. And I'm sure that's what Blake thought as well. I forgive you."

The two looked at each other and smiled, before Ruby somewhat awkwardly pulled her arms around her partner's neck and attempted to pull her into a hug. Weiss bit her tongue to avoid laughing at the awkwardness of the situation and wrapped her arms around the younger girl.

And there the two were, out in the cold courtyard, feet dipped in the fountain, in their sleepwear. Surely at least one of them would end up sick.

After a while, Weiss pulled them apart. "C'mon, let's get back to the dorm before Blake comes back. You can sleep in my bed if you want."

Ruby nodded, smiling, and the two got up, put their shoes back on, and walked back to their dorm, their hands held, fingers interlocked, and smiles on their faces.

And Ruby Rose couldn't have been happier.