Snow...White snow fell softly around Ruby, icy flakes kissing against her hair and face. Seven months. It had been seven months since White Fang attacked and sent all of Renment into war. Everything fell part. Her life, her friends, her team...her family. She grasped her arm into her side and looked out into the country.

The cliff she was on gave a wide range of distance of land and sky. Looking as if it were a well painted illustration. Beautiful. If only it would've stayed that way, peaceful and beautiful. She fell out of her thoughts when she heard someone stomp their feet in the deep snow.

"Hey Ruby," Jaune walked up next her wrapping one of hims arms around her shoulders. He looked out with her toward the scenery and breathed in a quiet sigh.

Ruby gave him a half grin. She frowned noticing the dark circles around his eyes. He wasn't sleeping, well he never really slept, not since-...Ruby shook the thought of Pyrrah out of her head. She hoped her hoodie hid the sting of tears in her eyes. She knelt her head into him and Jaune acknowledged with a squeeze.

Nora and Ren were the same as always other than Nora growing out her hair but Jaune changed since then, mentally and physically. He was much stronger now and he aged in the last few months, even his fighting skills has improved drastically. Ruby knew Pyrrah was his strive to be a better fighter and leader. Jaune even had stubble on his face. Which made Ruby laugh inside.

Jaune finally had facial hair that he was very proud of. Jaune and her have even grown closer as friends. They both had something they lost which made Ruby connect with Jaune. He lost Pyrrah and Ruby lost her sister to fear and lack of hope. They both lost something important yet it still molded them into better human beings. Having a stronger since of humanity. Ruby excepted in that of moment of their journey that the future of RWBY was no longer to survive. This was her family now, her new team and she was happy to be apart of it.

"Any news on the White Fang?" Jaune asked and Ruby shook her head. She craved to find them but the past months of searching came up dry. All her leads lead no where but to camps that were long abandoned by the bloodthirsty group. Not While the Cross Continental Transmit System was down or more known as the C.C.T.S. They had the upper hand, the one step ahead and it made her boil. Blake was even harder to track than they were and she begged the universe for just a hint that her friend was alright.

"We'll find something," She nodded not saying anything and took her hood off her head. "Oh by the way." She felt his strong arms wrap around her shoulders tight. Grasping Ruby into his chest and tilting his mouth to her ear. "Happy Birthday." Ruby blushed and elbowed his stomach. He laughed raising his hands in defense. She rubbed at her ear annoyed.

"Don't do that! Your breath smells. God brush you teeth!" She lied. He was just so close and plus the warm breath against her neck made her jump in the cold weather. Before she knew it He kissed her cheek and winked at her. " Jaune!"

"There is no harm with a peck on the cheek for your birthday." He assured and flicked at her bangs. Even chuckled at her cherry cheeks blushing with embarrassment.

"That's right!" They turned to Nora who jumped toward Ruby. Taking Ruby by surprise and lifted her into a big bear hug. "C'mere girly!" Nora kissed her hard on the cheek and squished her cheeks to embarrasses Ruby even more. Ren came close behind stopping next to Jaune . "Look at this lil face! To bad we cant give you a sweet 17 party, I would make it the bomb!"

"Thanks Nora i'm pretty sure you broke my jaw." Ruby rubbed it tenderly as Nora jumped in excitement. "Plus we have to keep searching for-"

"You are only this age once, we have to celebrate some how."

"There's a inn in town, we could celebrate there." Ren suggested and Nora beamed.

"Excellent!"

"But-" Ruby tried to intervene but was hushed by Nora's demanding finger.

"We are going! And that's final! It's been months since we've done anything fun. We deserve a break. White Fang will still be our priority, one night wont change anything. Besides i'm sick of camping out here!" Nora finished and headed toward camp. Ruby looked toward Ren to help persuade his girlfriend but he just shrugged and followed Nora. Ruby frowned and gave Juan a pleading look of desperation for help. He just laughed at her.

" Jaune!" Jaune grabbed her shoulders and forced her to walk backwards toward the camp. " Jauneeeee." Ruby whined and let him drag her back.

"Here's a toast to one of the most amazing best friends, sister in arms I have ever had!" Nora shouted heartily as she stood on their table with a glass in her hand. Ruby shielded her face by all the faces staring at her in the bar. When she first joined Beacon things like this never bothered her, in fact she would embrace it but since she grew older and from the incidents that happened at the academy. Her confidence faded which she hated.

"Happy Birthday Girl!" With that she heard the jolly voices of people chime in with Nora in reply to her speech and everyone in sync took a big gulp of there beverage in honor of Ruby. She gave a giggle and Nora sat back down. Finally. She pulled on Ren's arm and they started their own conversation. Jaune leaned in, bumping Ruby's arm with his.

"Having fun?" Jaune asked and she shrugged taking a sip from her mug. Jaune about choked on his beer when she spit her's back into the cup. Sticking her tongue out with disgust.

"Yuck." She smacked her lips together trying to see if the taste would disappear if she did that. "What is this exactly?"

"Beer." Jaune answered with a chuckle.

"It's awful." She pushed the mug away and folded her arms on the table. "Thanks for this." Jaune took another sip and nodded toward her.

"I think this is good for us, we need this right now." Ruby and him shared glance but he soon broke it looking down into his cup. "Well I have to go." Ruby blinked at him confused.

"What why?" Nora asked annoyed. Jaune downed the last bit of his drink and sat it on the table. "I have a lead in town ill be back late tonight." He placed his cup on the table, smiling at Nora's whining face. Ruby stood up and grabbed her red cloak.

"I'll come too."

"Nooooo," Jaune blocked her way and sat her back down. "Your going to stay here and enjoy the rest of your birthday and you have to listen to me. I'm the fearless leader." She pouted at that demand and looked to the floor.

"You better make it up to...me." She tried to suck in the last part, she didn't mean the way it came out. And she knew that her friends thought it that by the way Nora and Ren rose their eyebrows. But then again Ruby didn't correct it right then either...Why? Jaune blinked surprised and gave a soft smile. Nora about screamed when he knelt his lips to Ruby's forehead softly.

"I intend too." He whispered and started toward the exit. Ruby waved her hands in his direction.

"Oh my go- Wait! No! You took that the wrong way!"

"Too late." Jaune said simply and walked out.

" Jaune!"

"Man your full of surprises aren't cha?" Nora questioned and Ruby sighed.

The night lingered on with happy conversations and drinks. Lots of drinks. Ren asked calmly to be excused and take Nora to bed. She drank more than she should and was passed out on Ren's lap. Ruby nodded and watched as Ren carried Nora up the stairs to the rooms the inn provided. Ruby decided to stay in the bar and relax alone since she was the only one other than bar tender in the room. She walked up to the high stools and sat down.

She reached to her hip and pulled out a small journal. She opened it to one of its pages and started reading. It was mostly information about different kinds of Grimm from her Dad's days as a young hunter in the academy and a few entries about Summer Rose, her Mother. She flipped through the pages in the back where she started her own entries about new kinds of Grimm, idea's for new weapons and pages on leads she gathered in the past months. She studied the words, thinking she would find some clues but there was nothing she hadn't read before and she slammed the small book shut. Ruby rubbed her forehead frustrated. Nothing...Still nothing to go on.

"Geez...What's your problem?" Ruby looked to her side and gasped silently by the random person sitting beside her at the bar. How did she not sense he was there. She ignored his question and watched as he waved toward the bartender for a drink. Moments later he received his beverage and sat there silently drinking his beer. Ruby reopened her book and studied him out of the corner of her eye.

You could tell he had a strong build. Hard, wide shoulders and a sword to his side. He was in jeans and cowboy boots. Something you don't usually see around beacon. But where they were at was the country so it made more sense. And on his head a baseball cap. Something completely foreign to her. And he wore sunglasses yet it was night.

"Could you stop staring at me?" She twisted her head back to her book and didn't dare stare up at him again. She rested her chin in her hand and followed the words with her fingers and pretended she was reading.

"Want anything?"

"Milk please." The bartender nodded and poured her a glass of milk. He slid it to her as she went to catch the cup but the stranger grabbed it instead and glared to it with his shaded eyes.

"Who the hell drinks milk at a bar?" Ruby grabbed the milk out of his grasp and took a big gulp. "Well excuse you." She set it down and stared at him.

"Excuse me? Excuse you! Your the one being unpleasant." He grinned slyly and pointed his finger to his mouth.

"You got a little," He stopped when Ruby grabbed a napkin and wiped the milk stash away from her upper lip. "Yeah." He let out a sound of amusement from his throat and took another drink. Ruby huffed out an act of anger and shifted her body in the opposite direction of him. She pressed her lips uneasy when he stood up and paid for the drink. He started walking out but turned back around. Ruby then felt cap cover her head. She turned toward him confused and he gave a smirk when she poked at the strange hat she wore. He softened the messy part of his red hair and walked to the exit.

"Happy Birthday." She rose a brow at the way he said it. Was he being sarcastic? "Shorty." She frowned at that and he walked out.

She watched him meet with a hooded figure through the window and in moments they both disappeared from sight. Once they were gone she quickly took off the cap and observed it curiously. She never had one before. Ruby went to an old mirror hanging on the wall and placed it on her head. She twisted it backwards and laughed at her reflection. She felt silly but she liked looking like an all star.

She yawned and looked at the time. One a clock in the morning. So late. She stretched her arm and went back to pick up her journal on the bar stand. She gasped. Where was it? Ruby looked under over and all around the room. Her journal was gone. She placed her hand to her mouth thinking. Then it hit her. It was Cowboy boots.

"Did you get it, Adam?" The hooded women asked. Adam rose the book in the air and through it to her. She stumbled to catch it and it fell to her feet. She grabbed it gently and wiped away the grime on it from wet ground. Adam shifted his shades up on his head and smiled.

"C'mon Blake, smile. It's just like the old days." Blake didn't say anything and started walking down the path with the book to her chest. Adam shook his head and glanced back inside the inn. He watched Ruby try on his cap. She was smiling? She actually liked that old thing. He felt something strange in his heart. He frowned annoyed at himself and walked away quickly. "Pathetic."