Winter looked down at her silverware and sighed before putting them down. "Winter...?"

  He blurred in her vision as she tried to wipe the tears away. "I'm sorry, sir… I just…. I didn't want to turn this into a sobbing pity party…" Holy Father, she was better than this. She was Maior Schnee, a proud Special Operative, not some weeping fragile flower…but it was so hard… He was going away… She shouldn't be acting like this. Stupid petulant, clingy child.

  He just leaned across the table and offered a faint smile. "It's only a few months, Winter. It'll be okay." His soft tone soothed her a bit and she nodded.

  "Right… Yes, it'd be okay. She still had to attend these damnable events, but it wouldn't be so bad. He'd made the best choice for her. He would never purposely leave her in harm's way. It'd all be okay…

  "Thank you for dinner, Winter; I wish I could stay longer, but I need to make final preparations before leaving tomorrow." she nodded and followed him to the door, hugging him tightly. "I'll see you in a few months. And I'll have something sent in your birthday."

  The faint smile flashed again and she returned it as best she could.

  "Thank you, sir; I'll see you when you return." She inclined her head t-wand the soft kiss and then the door closed. Her tiny smile faded in to nothingness as the cold silence of her apartment wrapped around her.

  He was gone.

  He was really gone.

  And so soon before the Vytal Festival to.... Assistant Headmaster Kneller would certainly have his hands full…

  With a sigh. she turned on her heel. Why bother crying over spilled milk? She was Winter Schnee, not some weepy, vapid doll. She had work yet to do for the night. Missing him already was no excuse to slack off. Three and a half weeks ahead was far too behind for her liking....

  Ω

  "Qrow, you missed a call." Summer's voice cut through the black and he blinked. groaning a bit. Didn't the damn AI I know when to shut up? Atlas was…

  "It's from Winter, you idiot; she left a voice mail and... it isn't good."

  "All right, all right; play it." he grunted. Damn it, he wasn't a baby sitter... Why was this his problem…? She was an adult..

  Click.

  A pause.

  Mister Branwen... I... There's a matter I need to discuss with you… When you get a chance to sober us, could you come to my apartment…? I apologise for being cryptic but… this…is best discussed face to face...

  Another long pause.

  Click.

  Qrow raised an eyebrow at the message. The girl had definitely been on edge when they'd first met, but this was definitely something else. What had gotten her so rattled? She was clearly upset and if it had anything to do with the event schedule…

  He let out a heavy sigh and rolled out of bed "Send a text that I'll be there in ninety or less."

  What a pain in the ass.

  Ω

  Qrow ran his hand through his hair as he hit the buzzer outside of the building. A long moment passed before the click came, followed by a timid, "Hello?" It barely carried over the intercom and he sighed. Just how long had she been wound up like this...?

  But he softened. "Hey Winter; I'm here now." Soft, warm, and gentle. No need to freak her out more. Just like the first time they'd met. And she'd be fully alone, too, unless that hacker of hers was listening in. Seriously, what was even the point?

  No response came aside from the clicking of the door mechanism. This… Seriously, what had her so spooked?

  But he wasted no time in making his way up to the apartment and knocked. His brows furrowed. Two,.. Three... Four... How many locks did she have? By the kamuy…

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  Finally, the door cracked and one blue eye shone through before opening. He just smiled softly and held up his hands. "It's okay, Winter; just me." He still had a few daggers, of course, but he wasn't about to disclose that to the terrified seventeen-year-old.

  She gave a small nod and his heart dropped as he looked around.

  Barren was the only word to use. A few vases with some fake flowers sat in a couple of corners with a few picture frames... but that was it. And, even then, the pictures appeared to be newspaper clippings.

  He glanced at Winter and shifted his weight a bit. Her own weight remained forward, eyes glued to his hands. He just held them as with an awkward smile. "Lead the way and tell me what to do.'' There was no point in freaking her out more. He could feel her aura turning over and tripping and roiling from being alone with him. She was trapped if he decided he wanted to do something to her.

  Damn it.

  He'd invaded her space but there wasn't much he could do about it…putting her at ease was going to be impossible…

  Talk about fighting a losing battle.

  He just followed her over to the small living area, taking a seat on the couch while she sat in a chair. Her hands shook as she took an envelope out of her pocket and offered it to him.

  His brows furrowed at the broken SDC wax seal on the back. What the hell was Gelé trying to slay at here? She was disinherited. Why would he do this...?

  His heart clenched in his chest.

  You are cordially invited to the annual eight-night investor's event as a special guest. Please arrive at least an hour early. Make sure to RSVP if you have an escort.

  He glanced up at her and she simply trembled. "What the hell is he playing at…?" This was Gelé. It wasn't just some lovely event…

  Winter just sighed, wrapping her arms around her knees."…He's declaring 'open season' on me, so to speak. With General Ironwood gone and my birthday coming up…it's the perfect chance to get me out of the way…" Her voice cracked, aura swirling in tandem. Protect...? Soul-crushing fear? Despair? Guilt?

  Just what the hell had conspired behind Schnee manor's closed doors?

  None of this boded well at all. He took in a breath before letting it out and nodding. "Well, I'm your escort, but there's some other things to consider." Her head snaked up, vivid blue eyes wide. He held up his hand. Yeah, her being afraid was understandable now, but it was clouding her ability to think. Granted, strategy wasn't exactly his thing, but…

  “Knowing Gelé and his type… This ain't gonna be isolated to parties. If it's open season…" Winter's aura churned as her eyes widened further. Her hand covered her mouth, tears rolling down her cheeks.

  "…I won't be safe anywhere… Not even work… or here…" Her voice was tiny and her shaking only increased. He winced a little. This was awful, but at least they were a step ahead right now.

  But with his Semblance; something would do wrong.

  It always did.

  He nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, unfortunately. And I'm only one person. I might have high security clearance but that doesn't mean I'll have the ability to just loiter around your office."

  Winter got up and started pacing, her aura turning our and over. Did she always do this when stressed...? The carpet was slightly discolored in a ring.

  The silence lapsed into minutes until she sighed heavily. head dropping. "I suppose I'll have to call in a favor from the Ace Ops.:" Oh hell, those sellouts? As if the Special Operatives weren't bad enough, now Ironwood's lapdogs..? Fucking hell, his Semblance really was fucking everything up.

  But it was probably the only option they had.

  Winter pulled her scroll out with trembling hands before dialling a number. She took a deep breath and he could see her steel herself. "Good evening, Warrant Office Ebi; it's Major Schnee. Please forgive the sudden interruption."

  A pause and her grip. n her scroll tightened. 'I... There's a matter I need to speak with you—all of you—as soon as possible."

  Another pause and she went rigid. "I-I would rather my quarters if possible. Mister Branwen will be here as well." A short pause. "Yes, Wednesday evening at six sounds fine. Thank you; have a good rest of your night." She hung up and slumped in her chair, eyes shut. Damn, this was hard to watch; she was falling apart at the seams…but there wasn't much he could do about it. Seriously, this fucking sucked…

  "…Hey, could I ask you something?" Winter's head snapped up, eyes wide but he held his palms to her. Damn, she was on edge, but he couldn't blame her.

  “I was just wondering about that hack- "

  “Yo.”

  Qrow's head snapped over to the TV where the kid from before sat. She pushed her glasses up and grinned. "Coco's' the name, and hacking is my game." Winter just sighed. "But yeah, Wint asked me to check in on you, but your security was way too strong."

  A soft giggle came from his pocket. b. th girls staring at him. He iast pulled at his scroll, sighing as the AI I made herself at home in it. "You were sneaky, but there's no getting past me." The avatar covered its mouth and giggled. Damn it, Summer.

  Coco pushed her glasses upon her forehead. "Holy shit. An adaptive AI…? This is insane."

  The AI I put its hand on its hip, body language sassy. Typical Summer... "Yeah, well, you won't get through me again. Nobody can since earn so quickly."

  "Summer, do you mind…?" he sighed. Seriously, she always poked her nose in where she wasn't needed. Even in death, she was impossible…

  It just blew a kiss before vanishing. He shook his head before looking at Winter. " "Anyway, Wednesday at six?"

  She gave a small nod. "If you could be here earlier, I would appreciate it...'' He just cocked an eyebrow. What would scare her so badly she wanted him there?

  He sighed but nodded. "All right, ki— Winter. I'll be here. Was that it?"

  The girl needed and lowered her head, expression hidden behind her hair. "Yes, thank you, Mister Branwen. I apologise for this."

  "No prob. I'm here to help while…James is gone. Will you be all right tonight and tomorrow?"

  "Yes, I should be."

  "All right. See ya Wednesday then..." He stood us and left the apartment. heading back to the hotel.

  He Hoped on the bed and sighed. Atlas was fucked up but to this level...? How could anybody treat their daughter like this...? Then again, he knew better…

  He rolled over and closed his eyes. Tomorrow was going to be a very long day...