Smile

Chapter 26

"Penny, where are we going?" Weiss questions with both curiosity and slight annoyance to her tone, Penny's continued dismissal of her questioning exasperating her. As the beginning of Jacques Schnee's trial nears, the brace faced middle child of the family found herself fretting more and more about what would happen, how things would play out, even her missions to Mantle with Penny weren't able to draw her out of her distractedness more than a little. The one thing that kept nagging on her mind was if Jacques would somehow manage to weasel his way out of justice, end the trial cleared of all charges, and even with the mountain of evidence against him, she can't help but fear for the worst.

After a few minutes longer, Penny stops and turns to face Weiss, who glances around and makes note of the courtyard of the academy and how empty it looks to be. Weiss, again, opens her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Penny's lips meeting her own, the surprise kiss startling her for a few moments, but no more than a few. Weiss's thoughts settle on one thing and one thing only until the kiss breaks, that being her loving girlfriend and just what she has planned.

"Weiss, what's wrong? You've been distracted this past week!" Penny questions, having made note of just how out of it Weiss has been lately. Weiss frowns slightly before glancing away from her girlfriend, not wanting to look at her while responding.

"... It's... The trial. I know I shouldn't be so worried, but I am." She begins to say, Penny tilting her head to the side slightly with a curious expression before she continues. "Father is somewhere he can't hurt me, or anyone else, and with all the evidence he'll go away for a long time, yet... I'm afraid he'll somehow win the trial, get out scot free..." The spritely android nods as Weiss explains her worries, then pulls her into a hug before kissing her cheek.

"It's gonna be okay, Weiss. General Ironwood and Ms. Winter have requested that I be there as a witness, even though my footage can be shown without me, so you'll have me." Before Weiss gets a chance to say anything Penny scoops her up into her arms and kicks off the ground, taking off flying. Weiss leans into Penny's chest as she's whisked away, gaze slowly drifting around while she watches the academy fade into the distance.

"We still don't know where Arthur Watts is, or if he's working with anyone else, and... Knowing what Watts can do, I don't think I can handle if father is able to get out of jail..." Weiss's thoughts wander as she's flown around, her gaze drifting to and fro distractedly. This isn't going to end well, I just know it... He's going to get free, and he's going to make things a nightmare... He always does...

Weiss is drawn out of her distracted thoughts by Penny landing down in Mantle outside a familiar building she came to be acquainted with, Penny gently settling her onto her feet before walking up to the door and knocking. A voice calls out from within moments after the knock rings out, soon replaced by the opening of the door revealing Pietro's smiling face.

"Penny, Weiss, welcome! Come in, come in!" He greets the two before motioning them in, Penny happily marching along while Weiss trails close behind her. "Go ahead and take a seat in the living room, I'll bring tea out shortly." Entering the living room, both girls notice a particularly short figure seated on the couch, Maria looking them over for a few moments before turning her attention back to her scroll.

"Hi, Maria, you look... Well?" Weiss awkwardly says after a minute or so of silence, Maria glancing back over to her before scoffing.

"Don't act so cold, it's not like anyone's dying." Maria casually retorts before smiling towards Penny, the plucky android always a favorite of hers to see. While Penny continues to be all smiles, as tends to be her default setting, Weiss is certainly far from the mood required for one, and even with Maria's usual brand of snark amusing her slightly she can't find her spirits lifting any. Maria notes how down Weiss looks to be, but refrains from commenting on it just yet, gaze falling onto Pietro as he enters with a tray balanced on the arms of his chair.

"Weiss, my dear, what's got you so down?" As he hands out cups of tea, Pietro addresses Weiss with a concerned expression apparent, Maria looking between the two while sipping on her own cup once it's sweetened enough.

"It's... A lot of things, Mr. Polendina..." Weiss sighs out before focusing on her tea for a few moments, distracting herself with sweetening it before settling in on the couch against one arm, Penny seating herself in the center. "My father's trial is coming up very soon, and... I'm just worried, more than I should be." More than I'd like to be, really...

"That's perfectly understandable, Weiss, from what I gather you and your father have a rather bitter history, yes? Feeling uncertain and nervous about what is to come is only natural, but you can't let it consume you, else you wind up suffering more and more." Pietro sips at his tea after trailing off, a few rough coughs echoing out soon after, Weiss hardly able to hold back a sigh as she processes his words.

"From what Penny has told me and what I've learned through the news and from General Ironwood, this trial is sure to be a doozy, but it'll be over before you know it. I'm certain they'll find that Watts as well and bring him to justice for all he's done." Weiss nods slowly as Pietro speaks, then looks up towards him with a slowly softening frown.

"I know, sir, it's just... One of the hardest things I've had to do, dealing with all this." As she speaks, Weiss finds herself tugged into Penny's side gently, all too willing to lean against her partner before voicing a question that had just come to mind. "... Is there anything you can suggest that may help?" Hopefully something I can handle easily...

"Well of course there is my dear." Pietro says before pausing momentarily, gaze falling onto Penny. "Family. I'm sure your family is dealing with this as hard as you are, Weiss, seek them out for support, and lend them yours. Together, you can all get through this, but if you try to go at it alone you risk failing and ending up worse off." Weiss has to force herself to not groan as she realizes just how simple Pietro's solution is, another nod being given before she looks between the two members of the Polendina family for a few moments.

"That's... I can't believe I didn't think of that..." She murmurs before thinking, I wonder if... Maybe I should see if mom and Whitley would be interested in therapy... After sipping at her tea for a few moments, she clears her throat a little, then looks back at Pietro. "There's still a week before the first day of the trial, I... Suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask General Ironwood if I could take a few days and stay with my family, it would be nice to be with them again..."

"That's the spirit! You're always welcome to come pay me and Maria a visit whenever you'd like, just please have Penny confirm with me first, I don't want you both showing up down here only for me to be up in Atlas instead, that just wouldn't do." Weiss quirks an eyebrow momentarily, Penny speaking up in anticipation of the question she figures would be asked.

"Dad has a home here and in Atlas, Weiss! Whenever he has to work in Atlas he stays there, but he prefers staying down here whenever possible." She explains, Weiss nodding in understanding before finishing off her tea.

"That's certainly smart." Weiss quips before placing her cup down, gaze falling towards Maria who looks at her with a quizzical expression. "So... What have you been up to Maria? Anything interesting?" Maria just chuckles before shaking her head slowly, gaze drifting towards the floor.

"Oh, you know, just old lady things, nothing terribly interesting."