Weiss and I boarded the airship early in the morning and headed to Atlas. Weiss and I mostly talked the way there. At one point Weiss had fallen asleep so I just read one of the books Blake lent to me .

When we docked I shook Weiss awake.

At the landing pad there was a car waiting for us. The chauffeur put our bags in the back of the vehicle and Weiss slipped in the front seat and me in the back. It was about a 15 minute drive to the mansion and Weiss talked with the driver the entire way. I didn't mind though.

We pulled through a giant silvery gate and around a circular driveway. We stopped at the front doors and there was a butler standing outside with a luggage cart.

"Welcome back Miss Schnee." he greeted, "Your father is on a business trip and your sister won't be back till later this evening."

"Thank you Alfred," Weiss then gestured to me, "This is Alex, he will be staying with us."

"Very well Miss Schnee..." He started

"Weiss is fine." she corrected

"Weiss," Alfred said, "Wasn't the rest of your friends coming to the manor too."

Weiss nodded, "They will be arriving in two weeks. Now can you please show Alex to his room?"

"Yes mis-Weiss." then he lead me into the manor while the driver unloaded our bags.

The Mansion was huge. From what I could tell it was at least five stories. The floors had red velvet carpets laid in each corridor. The most interesting part was that each hallway was a different color but was close enough to the previous that it didn't look too out of place. I noticed many pictures and displays hanging on the walls. The way that the colors seemed to go together perfectly I could understand why Weiss colored my gear so well.

Down a ice blue hallway we came to a door with a plaque that had my name on it. The butler punched in a number on a pad beside the door.

"Alex," he said, "Hold your scroll up to the pad please."

When I did, I heard the door unlock, "So it just like at beacon?" I asked.

Alfred nodded, "Weiss would like you to meet her for lunch in a few minutes. The system put a map of the house on your scroll."

"Thank you." I said.

Alfred bowed and walked down the hallway.

I slipped in my room the look around. It was very impressive. The walls were painted ocean blue and the carpet was a deep grey. The room was obviously decorated for me because there was a bookshelf, a target, armor closet and a stand that fit my gun perfectly.

Right, I thought, Dinning hall.

I took out my scroll and turned to an app that the pad had put on my scroll. I was a little red dot on the screen and my room had a little house icon on it. I flicked my finger on the screen until their was a room labeled 'Dinning Room'. I walked through the halls, only looking up when I was approaching my turn. It didn't take me long. When I got there Weiss was already sitting at a massive table texting someone on her scroll.

"Wow this place is huge." I said as I sat across from her.

"Yes it is. Did you find your way ok?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah," I told her, "How do you find your way around."

"I spent most of my life here." she said simply.

Suddenly a huge set of swinging doors burst open and a chef came out with two plates.

"Lunch is served," he said.

"Thank you." Weiss said to the man then he walked back to the kitchen.

"Steak!" I cheered.

Weiss just stared at me quizzically.

"It's my favorite food. My dad use to make them really good." I told her, yet another memory seeping through.

"I thought pizza was your favorite food." she commented.

I shrugged then smiled, "Pizza is a close second."

Weiss smiled and rolled her eyes as I started to dig in.

"Honestly." She said, "You're worse than Ruby."

"Huh?"

"Your table manners." she pointed out.

I swallowed, "What do you mean?"

"For one, cut and chew your food." she told me, "And two, elbows off the table."

"Anything else ice queen?" I asked.

"Eat slower." then she yelled, "And don't call me ice queen!"

"Ok, Jez." I chuckled.

After we finished eating Weiss suggested we spare and you didn't see me complaining. I did however make Weiss promise not to skewer me. Weiss was still way more skilled than I was so she won almost every time now that she was actually aware of my semblance but I still got a few wins. Right in the middle of one of our spars someone yelled.

"Weiss!" we stopped and looked towards the door way.

Standing there was a tall woman who kind of reminded me of Weiss. She had white hair tied into a crooked bun on the left side, opposite to Weiss's pony tail, and the same color of blue eyes as Weiss. Her bangs were long and swept to the right side of her face, partially covering her right eye.

She was dressed in a long, but light white coat, the sleeves were made so it had an opening from her shoulders to her elbow. under it she wore a blueish grey vest over top of a white shirt that had those wavy frills like on the shirts of the girls uniforms at Beacon. She had a tall collar with a red gemstone kind of holding it together. The lady had white pants under tall grey armored boots. At her hip was a sword with a handle that covered the hand, it kind of reminded me of a cross between one of those swords for fencing practice and a pirate sword.

All in all she was very put together but looked a lot more cold then Weiss.

"Winter!" Weiss said excitedly and ran towards her, and I ran after her, "Permission for a hug?"

Winter smiled and pretended to think, "Granted."

Weiss gave her a small hug then went back to where she was standing.

Winter looked at me quizzically then back at Weiss, "And this is?"

"Oh right," Weiss said, "Winter, this is my friend Alex and Alex, this is my sister, Winter."

Judging by the way Weiss said Winter's name and the way she looked at her, Weiss really looks up to her sister. When I looked back at Winter, her cold exterior had melted away somewhat when she looked at Weiss, she probably really cares for her little sister.

"Pleased to meet you Alex." Winter said extending her arm for a handshake.

"Pleasure's mine." I shook her hand. See I do know how to be polite.

"Well mannered as well." Winter complemented...I think.

"Weiss, I see improvement in your form and fewer missed strikes." Winter said, "However there is always room for improvement."

Weiss smiled, "I know thanks."

"And you." Winter turned to me, "That was...awful."

"Uh." I looked to Weiss for help.

"Alex had just started to learn swordplay last month." Weiss told her, "Blake has been teaching him."

"May I see your weapon?" Winter asked me.

"Uh sure." I placed my gun in her outreached hand.

Winter switched it to the sword form, "Did you have help crafting this?"

"Yes mam."

"Who helped you?" she asked.

"Ruby."

"Ruby rose?"

I nodded.

"I thought as much, It reminds me of Qrow's." she said, "Very well crafted."

"Thanks."

"Now," said Winter, "Let's head to the lounge, I want to catch up."

She returned my weapon to me and we followed her out of the room.

Once we got to the lounge, Weiss and Winter sat on the couch on one side of a coffee table and I sat on the one on the other.

"So," Winter started, "There was a call from Beacon a couple weeks ago. Care to explain."

Weiss looked shocked and I just looked away with a grim look on my face. It wasn't a thing that any of us like to look back on. At the corner of my eye I saw Weiss drop her head. I felt like I was going to do something I'd regret but I was afraid to move.

"Well?" Winter was getting agitated.

I looked at Weiss who was now looking to me for help.

I choked down the knot in my throat, "There was an accident."

Winter's agitated gazed softened and looked towards Weiss.

"We were out grimm hunting and we took a break." I explained, "Five nevermore came out of nowhere and attacked us. Weiss and I were getting chased by one of them and it caught up a few times so, Weiss used her glyphs repeatedly to help us maintain distance. She ended up using all of her aura and passed out shortly after we got away and didn't wake up until over 24 hours later."

After I finished my story the room fell silent.

"That could have killed you." Winter told her trying to keep calm.

The memories came back, Weiss and I both knew. Yang had told Weiss what had happened, the whole story, but I didn't like the thought of it. I had left out the part where she'd almost died. After Yang told Weiss, so did she.

"I know." Weiss said softly then saw how angry I was getting.

Winter saw how sensitive the subject was, which reinforced her suspicions.

Winter's emotionless demeanor faded entirely and was replaced with sadness and regret.

Weiss looked at her sister in surprise. I don't think she has ever seen her sister cry before, or at least not for a long time. Winter covered her face but I could see the tears dripping through her fingers.

"Don't ever do anything thing like that again," she said between sobs, "I don't want the next call to be..." she couldn't finish it.

Weiss leaned over and hugged her sister who held Weiss as tight as she could without crushing her.

When Winter stopped crying, Weiss smiled, "I'm ok."

By that time my anger had faded and I smiled too.

Winter suggested Weiss and I go unpack so we all left the room.

A little while later there was a knock on my door.

When I opened it, it was Winter, "May I come in?"

I nodded and closed the door behind her. Winter stood perfectly straight in the middle of the room.

"Thank you." She said.

"Why are you thanking me?" I said confused.

"For saving my sister." she explained, "You may not have said it, but your face back in the lounge implied it."

"What?"

"I am a special operative for the Atlesian military." she said, "I know how to read people."

"Oh." I said.

"Dinner will be served in an hour." then she left the room.

I looked through my scroll and found Weiss's room. After that little scene I wanted to make sure she was ok. Her room wasn't actually that far, it was actually right down the hall.

I knocked on her door and when she opened it, she didn't look particularly happy.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." she said.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" I asked. "It will help you feel better."

"Not right now." she said.

"OK, I'll be in the library if you need me." I said, then followed my GPS to the library.

The library was huge! It had so many books, more than at Beacon. I easily found the fiction novels and picked out a random book.

By the time Dinner rolled around, I had gotten well over half way into the story when it was time to meet Weiss and Winter.

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