A/N

Ok, so, I know I was supposed to be working on the sequel to FFGF, and I still am, to an extent. Honestly, the first chapter of said sequel is all but done, but I'm not publishing it yet. Why? Well, you're looking at why. Late in the production of the sequel, this Idea came to my mind, and I was immediately taken by it. My Beta, Alisa, and I were both immediately in love with it. Once I'm done with this story, I will be continuing with my Alliteration AU. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

*IMPORTANT* This is NOT related to my previous stories (Fate, Frayed Rope, and (Gay) Feelings; Relieving Some Stress; and my Unreleased Sequel). This is totally standalone. It is also an AU. The only real difference between this and canon is that Weiss never went to Beacon or any kind of Combat School, and Salem's Plan never took effect. Ruby, Blake, and Yang were still a team. More on that will be explained later.

Weiss Schnee ran her hand across her face in brief relief as she tapped the key that would finalize the document she had been working on for the past hour. After a few seconds, a small popup appeared on the screen confirming the submission. If anything happened to it between now and her next board meeting, it was no longer her fault. She took a moment to relax, feeling a small amount of pride that she had finished the document. Weiss leaned back in her chair, letting her head loll backwards for a moment. She glanced at the clock sitting on the corner of her computer screen; the small numbers read 8:42 pm.

Another one down...only five more to go...

Deciding that her mini-break was over, Weiss sat up again with a sigh, resolving herself to yet another long night. This would keep her occupied for at least another four hours or so. Not that she had any reason to even return home. There wasn't exactly anyone waiting for her...

She shook her head angrily, trying to cure that cold spike of loneliness buried in her heart. She hated herself for it. It had no place haunting her like this. She had responsibilities, things that she had to do for the many people affected by her decisions. It was a fact. Even so, no matter what she tried, there was always the loneliness, no matter what she did. There was only one thing that ever seemed to help. So now she resorted to the remedy she learned long ago. She buried herself in her work.

And, lucky for her, a CEO's work was never done.

Knock Knock.

Knock Knock

Knock Knock Knock

Weiss jolted up with a gasp, heart pounding. She glanced around for a few seconds, slowly beginning to recognize her surroundings. She had been laying her head down on her desk, her computer long since fallen asleep along with her. Weiss quickly jiggled the mouse connected to the computer, the holographic screen coming to life a moment later, revealing a mostly-completed document and, more importantly, the time. It was 2 in the morning. The CEO groaned as she rolled her neck, the awkward position had given her a crick.

I must've dozed off while I was working. Well, it's not the first time. Now why am I awake again?

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Ah, yes, that. Who could be knocking at this hour?

Confused and more than a little worried, Weiss got up from her chair and began to make her way towards the door. The second she twisted the handle, the door flew open, pushed from the other side. Her shoulders, which Weiss hadn't realised were tensed up, relaxed at the sight of her sister, Winter Schnee. "Oh, em, hello Win-"

"Save it, Weiss," Winter cut her off. Weiss internally winced at the poorly hidden bite of the words. The solder swiftly brushed past Weiss and into the office space. Winter stood in the center of the room for a moment before turning to look at Weiss. "You are a twenty-six year old woman," she stated simply.

Once Weiss realized that her sister was not going to elaborate further, she replied cautiously, "That I am..."

"You," Winter began, pointing an accusing finger at the shorter woman, "are by far the youngest person in our family's history to inherit the lofty position you have here. I know you, sister, and I am more than aware that you are quite possibly one of the most brilliant people on Remnant!" Winter continued her stream of compliments that greatly contrasted the angry tone she was using.

Weiss squinted her eyes suspiciously. "As much as I thank you for the praise, what exactly are you getting at, Winter? I have work to do, you know."

That was obviously not what the specialist was looking for. Winter let out a deep, annoyed sigh before saying, "Weiss, I know you are a genius in more ways than one. I know this for a fact, so that begs the question: Why on Remnant are you in your office, doing paperwork, at two in the damn morning?! Again?!"

Weiss barely hid the surprised expression. Luckily, she had gotten more than enough practice hiding her emotions throughout her life. Even though it was not immediately visible, Weiss knew she was in deep here. She could count on one hand the time Winter sounded this cross with her. Her surprise quickly turned to anger, however, and she spat, "Winter, I am not some child you can chastise anymore. I am a grown women and, more than that, I am the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company. I am more than capable of making my own-"

"Weiss, drop the act," Winter cut her off, an exasperation clear in her voice. The younger woman was more than a little miffed at being interrupted yet again, but allowed Winter to continue. "I am not one of your employees who is accusing you of doing a bad job, I am your sister who is concerned for your health," her voice softened, and gaine tone of concern, "So, as your sister, why are you doing this?"

Weiss didn't let the concern sway her, though. She stood firm, as she always had. "Winter, there is much important work that still needs to be done," she motioned to her desk, "and I do not have the luxury to slack on it. As much as I enjoy your company, as rare as it is, I have work to do, and I have to be here to do it."

Winter sighed once more at the predictable response. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to alleviate the headache she felt coming on. This was her fault and she knew it. She never should have left Weiss with their Father all those years ago. She should've encouraged her to pursue a combat school, should've pulled her away from her father and made Weiss to follow after her into the Atlesian military. Maybe she even could've gotten Weiss to attend a foreign school, like Haven or Beacon, far from their father and his toxic teachings. If only she had been more brave.

Weiss was always a cold Seclusion was incredibly unhealthy for the mind, and it took Winter years to pull herself from that painful rut. Weiss, though, was forced through that for years more than even Winter, and it showed. Even as an adult, and as the CEO of one of the most profitable companies in the world, Weiss was just as alone and hurt as she was when she was a child. She constantly pushed people away, to the point that the only tangible relationship she had was with Winter, and even that was fairly strained. Their father had changed Weiss. He had broken her in a way that Winter feared was irreparable. Winter was totally unable to help her sister.

Even so, at the very least, Winter would make sure that Weiss didn't tear herself apart in the process. "It is not a luxury, Weiss. Rest is a necessity."

Weiss frowned, the crick in her neck still throbbing painfully. Even as she felt fatigue seep into her bones, Weiss defiantly said, "I know that, but what would you have me do? I have a massive workload, and I cannot simply neglect it. The things I have to do are vital to the company and all the people who rely on it," idly, she ran her hand through her ponytail, which sat just off-kilter on the back of her head, trying to straighten it after it had been mussied by her nap.

Winter crossed her arms and leaned back against Weiss's desk, before saying, "If your workload is so massive that it is unavoidably detrimental to your health, then, Weiss, hire some help! You know as well as I do that it is perfectly normal of people of your standing to have personal assistants."

The younger woman scoffed at that. She shook her head, "As if I could trust someone else with work like this. Even if I could, I'm not going to pay someone just to do my work for me as if I'm some lazy highschooler."

Winter sighed, she moved from Weiss's desk and closed the distance between them. She rested a hand on Weiss's shoulder, noting how Weiss almost jerked away from the contact, and said in a softer tone of voice, "Weiss, I've been to your home, and I talk to your staff, what little of them are left. I know just how disorganized your life is," quick to dissuade any kind of misinterpretation of her words, she continued, "You keep everything meticulous so you can hold up appearances, but Weiss,"-she held up a closed fist, and raised a single finger-"You skip meals,"-a second-"Leave the manor incredibly early in the morning, without breakfast typically,"-and a third-"and do things like this Weiss! It is incredibly unhealthy, and you cannot sustain this type of behavior with no ill effects. I'm not asking you to hire a glorified secretary, Weiss, I'm asking you to hire a life assistant."

"What?" Weiss said, a venom in her voice that Winter didn't predict, "No, Winter, that is absolutely out of the question! I do not need to be doted on like a baby!" She moved her arm to brush Winter's hand from her shoulder.

Winter let her hand fall to her side, a little dejected by her sister's reaction. "Weiss, I know you are a grown woman, and you do not need to be doted on. That isn't what I'm saying." She took a brief moment to consider how exactly to say what she wanted, before saying, "What I am saying is that you are my sister, and I worry. You do good work here, and I understand that, but I also see that you get...swept up in it sometimes."

"I do not get 'swept up' in my work! I simply decided to stay late tonight so I could have less work tomorrow," Weiss said, defending her pride.

Winter frowned, "Weiss, you sent the security team home for the night. That was the first thing I checked on when I arrived at the building." Winter changed her posture to a more frontal stance. Manipulating her own body language was a tactic she had learned years ago from the military.

Weiss tilted her head slightly, confused at the sudden change of topic. "Well, yes, I did. I wasn't going to make them stay after hours simply because my workload was large today."

Winter let out a low hum that caused Weiss's gut to twist. One of the few things they ever did together consistently through their childhood was play chess. Whenever they had time, they would both get together and play a game, whether in-person, or by some digital means. It was one of the few good memories Weiss had from her home, and she treasured it deeply, which was probably why Weiss recognized that specific hum immediately...

That hum meant Weiss was about to be put into Checkmate.

Winter's eyes pierced into Weiss as she said, "I know, just as well as you do, the White Fang are more active now than they've ever been. You are their primary target, and here you are sitting, alone, in the dead of night, doing paperwork, with no security whatsoever?"

Fumbling for some form of intelligent response, Weiss said, "Well...their job is to guard the building, not me, Winter. Also, I doubt they would have the audacity to attack this-"

"Weiss, don't you dare finish that sentence," Winter stated coldly," If there is one thing I've learned through my career, it's that underestimating your enemy gets you killed." Weiss struggled to come up with a defence for her actions, but never got the chance, as Winter continued, "I walked straight up here with no problem whatsoever. What would you have done if instead of me knocking at your door, it was a group of those armed maniacs?" The Specialist closed the distance between them and jabbed a finger into Weiss's shoulder to accentuate her point, "What if they would've gunned you down in your doorway? Hmm? What if they killed you, tonight? What would you do then? Weiss," Winter felt herself begin to slip, so she allowed the emotion to show as her voice took on a softer, somber tone, "what would I do? You are my sister, and if you died...all I would have of my family is our father and our brother, and they are no family."

It touched Weiss. As much as she was loathe to admit it sometimes, she cared about her sister greatly, as she was all that the Weiss had, and she did have a point. Weiss let out a deep sigh and said dejectedly, "What would you have me do, Winter? I'll...at least consider it."

Seeing that that was all she would get from her younger sister, Winter brought up her second point, "Weiss, you need some form of assistant. You simply cannot sustain such unhealthy behavior. Also, you have a point. Your security team's job is not to protect you, but you do need something to help ensure your safety."

The younger woman narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she asked, "Just what are you getting at here, sister?"

"My point is," Winter began, "Not only do you need a full-time assistant, you need a full-time bodyguard as well." The older sister watched as Weiss visibly deflated.

"Two people, Winter? You want me to hire two people for the sole purpose of being with me at all times? You know I am...less than comfortable around people like that," a sigh," You do have a point, though. Do you absolutely, truly, believe this is necessary?" Her voice was soft now, the fire of her previous arguments all but gone. She loved Winter, and she was perhaps the only person Weiss felt such an emotion for. She had never considered her actions could possibly harm her, but more than that, Weiss trusted her judgement.

A nod, followed by a simple, resolute, "I do," sealed the deal.

Weiss ran a hand across her face, and leaned her weight against her desk. After a few moments of silence, she said, "Alright...alright, I'll look into it. No guarantees, but...I will try."

Satisfied, Winter said, "That's all I ask. Now, come on, Weiss. I'll drive you home."

Weiss reluctantly agreed, seeing all argument was useless. She couldn't believe what she had agreed to, and she was sure she would come to regret it in time, but at the moment she was just too tired to fight. She took a moment to gather her things while Winter stood, waiting, by the doorway. With her bag on her shoulder, and her scroll secure in her dress pants, Weiss walked from her office with her older sister by her side.

Checkmate.

The drive to Weiss's home wasn't too long, maybe thirty minutes or so. Once they had climbed into Winter's vehicle, a sleek silver sportscar, and begun to exit the parking complex, Winter turned to glance at her sister. They were only just exiting the final ramp that would lead out onto the street they would take, but already Weiss was asleep.

Winter couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her. She could see how much of a mess Weiss was, but now, as all the tension was leaked from her shoulders, and every drop of stress passed from her face, she looked peaceful. Content, even. She appeared how she should rightly be: a young woman who enjoyed her life. Winter dared to hope that one day, somehow, Weiss could go back to the way she was before her father had broken her so.

Winter loved her little sister, more than anything else in the world, not that there was much competition.

She would be better someday, Winter believed that. She had to. Until then, it would be a struggle Weiss would have to fight through.

Twenty-six years of solitude and pain were not so easily repaired, after all.

Though, Winter supposed, it wouldn't get better until Weiss's solitude was ended. Maybe she did have ulterior motives in suggesting Weiss hire both an assistant and a bodyguard, but it was all for the best. Until then though, Weiss would continue having to suffer through a pain so familiar she could no longer feel its presence. It hurt Winter to think about, but, at least for now, as soft snores drifted from her younger sibling, there was peace.

She reached over, took Weiss's hand in her own, and gave it a soft squeeze.

She hoped and prayed that her plan would work out, and that maybe the frozen fortress of ice that strangled Weiss's heart would one day melt, if only partially. Hopefully, this assistant would find a way to soften her sister once again...

...oh, she had no idea.

A/N

Order: So, that's the first chapter done. Anything you wanna say to the readers, Nig?

Alisa: This is probably one of my favorites of your ideas.

Order: Same. Hopefully I can do it justice. Also, typing is hard when you can't see the keyboard.

Alisa: I can imagine.

Order: Well, hopefully, I can keep this on track. This story will be longer than any of my other ones, so hopefully I can get semi-regular updates out, with the help of all my cultists over on iFunny (shameless plug: sub to RWBY_Order_of_the_OTP on iFunny) and my cousin over here nagging me to write.

Alisa: I'm so excited for you to write this. You cannot abandon this idea. I will be extremely upset with you if you do.

Order: Like, yell upset, or like Spanky-that-one-time-I-stole-his-pancake upset?

Alisa: I'm talking pancake upset.

Order: Shit, if I randomly stop posting, know that Alisa has decided to shank a bitch.

Alisa: You know it.

Order: Anywho, I think I'm gonna come up with a fucking title and go ahead and post this. Hopefully the next chapter will be relatively soon. I know this was shorter than normal for me, but understand that this is only the beginning. We haven't even met our (Weiss's) plus one yet! Don't forget to review!

Update (6/20/2018): Fixed some grammar stuff, acknowledged Whitley's existence.