The Unexpected Loss (a RWBY fanfiction)

Missed Opportunity

Weiss frowned as she watched the barista work, thinking about how happy they were before. She saw her short dark brown hair, the red fading from it as she let it grow out.

"I'm being kinda weird..." The woman decided, moving away from the window and walking further down the road to avoid the temptation. "I'm not stalking, I just got distracted."

"Keep telling yourself that, lady!" A little girl shouted, making her way in the opposite direction.

Weiss whipped around to look at them as they left, eyes narrowed in a glare. "Yeah well, at least I can vote!" She snapped back, realizing how stupid it was for her to be arguing with a child.

"Ok, maybe I was stalking." Weiss decided, frowning towards the ground. "But it wasn't on purpose!"

Within twenty minutes she was calling Neptune and demanding that they meet up. He wasn't exactly pleased about using his day off for her.

"What do you want?" He asked, sitting down across from her in the restaurant she chose to meet up at.

Weiss looked off to the side, head tilted up and out of the way as she twirled a strand of hair around her fingers. "Well, I was kinda wondering if you'd talked with Yang recently. I know you two are pretty close and all, so I figured I'd~"

"You can just ask about her." Neptune told the woman. "You know that, right?"

Weiss looked down in shame, wishing she wasn't so easy to read. "I'm sorry..."

"Sorry be, sweetie." The bluenette hummed, gently putting his hand over Weiss'. "I know you miss her."

"I need her, Nep..." The woman whimpered, fighting her instincts telling her to call Ruby. "She's the most generous and beautiful person I've ever met... The only one that matters..."

"You could talk to her." He prompted.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

Weiss fought with herself, just wanting Ruby back and wanting everything to be perfect again. "Because my father will take everything from her if I do..."

Neptune's eyes shot open in both shock and realization. "You're dad made you leave her..."

It was a statement, not a question. The woman nodded slowly, tears falling from her face as she put her all into keeping herself together.

"He blackmailed you into coming back..."

Weiss started quietly sobbed, Neptune standing up and hugging his boss firmly.

"We'll fix this." He promised solemnly. "We're gonna fix this."

The woman nodded, hugging him back and crying into his shoulder. The pair stood together, comforting each other until Weiss' phone started ringing, the soft piano playing from its speakers.

"Yes?" Weiss answered without looking at who was calling.

"You should always begin a phone call with your name, daughter." A firm voice started. "I want you to come over to my office. We have some work to discuss."

"Y-yes sir..." The woman stuttered, just before hearing a click on the other end of the line. She turned slowly back to Neptune, looking both miserable and afraid.

"He just called?" The man asked cautiously.

She nodded, hugging Neptune one more time before she left the restaurant and started walking down towards Schnee Tower.

The walk was slow, silent and painful as she tried to force her mind off of the one woman in the world she never wanted to hurt. The silver and glass pillar came into view faster than she wanted, the sun reflecting off and showing in dazzling light.

"Stop thinking about her..." Weiss whispered to herself as she entered and went up the elevator.

She made her way down the hall and towards her father's office, rarely used until recently. She knocked twice before slowly opening the door to see Mr Schnee and a large man with short brown hair sitting across from him.

"Come in, Weiss. Take a seat." He said, gesturing over at the chair next to the man. "You've met Mr Winchester, yes?"

"Yes sir... During the mayoral campaign." She replied, watching carefully.

"Well we've been friends for a long time, since before he was out of law school." He explained. "The poor boy has come on some hard times and I thought we'd help him out."

Weiss cautiously sat down next to Cardin, keeping far enough away to have some semblance of comfort. "What kind of help?"

"He feels he needs a rebranding of sorts, and you're the perfect woman for that." Mr Schnee told her. "You'll be marrying him next month."

"WHAT?!?" Weiss shot up, her chair falling back behind her. "W-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?"

"Don't raise your voice at me." Her father firmly growled. "You will listen to me and follow orders."

"Father, I-I can't marry him, I don't even know him! Besides I'm..." The woman tensed up, knowing her father didn't like her talking about that particular topic.

"I am aware that the two of you may not have the most personal relationship, but it's the public that matters." He explained, brushing his mustache slightly in thought. "We've already discussed the details and you may do whatever you like with whomever in your own time. But in public, you will be a loving wife."

Weiss stood in shock, shaking slightly at the hit to the chest this gave her. Then a thought came to her mind.

"I can... I can spend time with anyone I want..?" She asked. "On my own time I'm free..?"

"No, you may not go back to that pathetic little girl you were so fond of, daughter. If you're going to act like a slut, at least do it with those of a higher caliber."

Weiss looked down before setting her seat back in place. "Y-yes sir..."

"We're crafting a contract right now and I thought it would be better if you were involved in putting it together."

"So this is more than just legally binding in marriage..."

"Think of it as a job if you must." Mr Schnee told her. "At least then you might do a good job."