Greetings, friends! It's finally happening: I'm open for commissions again! *glorious fanfare music* This first commission is for miner249er, who wanted a chapter story taking place in the House Hunting AU, where Ruby stays with Team JNPR after feeling isolated due to Team RWBY drifting apart. Juniper Berries is established. If you want more context for this AU, check out "House Hunting" and "Move-In Day." Enjoy!

Ruby sat alone on the couch, staring at the walls. Her silver eyes held a frustrated, yet incredibly tired look, and she was glad that there was no one there to keep count of how many pathetic sighs she had probably heaved over the past hour.

Her teammates weren't around. They were hardly ever around anymore. She knew where they probably were, though. Weiss was at some important dinner or meeting. Blake was at another protest. Yang was at one of the many clubs in town, living it up and probably getting into a few fights.

Thinking back to the last hunt Team RWBY had gone on, Ruby smiled wistfully. Hunts were the only times when her team truly felt like a team anymore. Whatever else happened, they could still fight together. Still, for Ruby, that wasn't enough.

How many nights had she sat alone, staring at the wall? When was the last time she had truly had any fun or felt like part of a group?

Immediately, her thoughts went to Team JNPR. Thinking of how well they got along, and how deeply they loved each other (romantic relationship notwithstanding), Ruby wondered where her team had gone wrong. In the beginning, Teams RWBY and JNPR were both as closely-knit as any team could be. The members believed in their leader and all trusted each other.

After graduation, Team JNPR had started living together in a house a distance away from the city. Team RWBY had helped them move in, and Ruby still remembered the warm, loving atmosphere that had filled the house. When Jaune would kiss Pyrrha, when Nora would leap into Jaune's arms, when Pyrrha would rub Ren's shoulders, when Ren would smile softly at Nora's goofy antics, Ruby always felt a pang of longing. She knew that Team RWBY could never be like that.

We don't have to be, though, Ruby thought. We just need to start actually acting like a team again.

When they weren't on hunts, the members of Team RWBY went their separate ways. Weiss had taken over as the head of the Schnee Dust Company, and was hard at work improving Faunus working conditions and the company's overall business reputation. Blake had thrown herself into Faunus Civil Rights, and was using her influence as a Huntress at rallies against discrimination and against the White Fang. Yang, loving every perk her fame brought her, had taken to seeking even greater thrills in her spare time, getting into brawls, doing amateur motorcycle shows, and living each day like it was her last.

Ruby understood the need to have lives independent of each other, she really did! And, in the case of Weiss and Blake, she knew that they were doing a lot of good in their respective fields. Still, at this point, she wondered if her teammates even truly considered her to be a real part of their lives anymore.

If I just left, would they even notice? she wondered.

Then, her eyes widened. That actually didn't sound like a bad idea. It would be about two weeks until their next scheduled hunt, unless there was an emergency. In that case, she had her Scroll and could easily return home.

She thought again of Team JNPR. Jaune had always said that she and the others were free to visit anytime. She hesitated only for a moment before taking out her Scroll and dialing her friend's number.

After two rings, a familiar voice said "Hey, Ruby. What's new?"

Ruby smiled at her friend's usual, cheery tone. "Hey, Jaune. I was wondering: Is it okay if I come over for a few days?"

"Sure." Jaune's voice took on a concerned edge. "Is everything okay?"

"Not really," Ruby sighed. "It's nothing urgent, but I need to get away for a bit. I can tell you more when I get there."

"Okay. Want one of us to wait at the airship station?"

"No, I'll be…" Ruby trailed off, thinking of the long airship ride between the center of town and the area where Team JNPR's house was. "Well, if it's not too much trouble…"

"Say no more," Jaune said. "Be at the station at noon tomorrow."

Ruby wiped her eyes. During the past few months, she had gotten used to taking care of herself. Being reminded of how ready some of her friends were to just drop everything for her sake was definitely heartening. "Thanks, Jaune."

…

The next day, when Ruby arrived at the airship station with a stuffed duffel bag, she was surprised to see all four members of Team JNPR waiting for her.

Nora jumped up. "Dibs on first hug!" Zipping over, she threw her arms around Ruby, hugging her tightly. "Hiya, Ruby!"

"Hrk! Hi, Nora," Ruby replied, wheezing as Nora squeezed her ribcage.

Jaune approached and placed a hand on Nora's shoulder. "Nora, we're here to help Ruby, not suffocate her."

Nora pouted. "Oh, she gets hugged by Yang on a regular basis. She's used to it."

"Where is Yang?" Pyrrha wondered, her brows furrowed as she looked at Ruby. "Jaune said you sounded sad when you called. We're all here for you, of course, but wouldn't it have been easier to go to Yang or the others for help?"

Ruby sighed, staring at the ground. "I'm not sure where they are right now. Even if I knew, they probably wouldn't have time to talk."

The members of Team JNPR exchanged concerned glances. Jaune gave Ruby's shoulder a light shake. "Well, the next ship to our house doesn't leave for an hour. Why don't we walk around town a bit? We can get some coffee, and you can tell us what's been happening."

Ruby nodded, allowing a full smile to come to her face. "Okay."

As they walked through town, Ruby tried to stay close to buildings, or between two of the JNPR members. Jaune was about to ask about it, when a loud voice behind them called: "Omigosh, it's Ruby Rose!"

Ruby visibly winced, then turned around, pasting a grin onto her face. "Hi, there!"

The source of the excited cry, one of a group of three teen girls, ran over. "I can't believe it's you! I heard all about that fight against that flock of Nevermores last week. Legendary!"

"Heh, thank you." Ruby rubbed bashfully at the back of her neck.

The girl pulled a notebook out of her bag. "I know you probably get this a lot, but can I have your autograph?"

"Sure." With a practiced hand, Ruby took the notebook and started writing in it. "What's your name?"

"Melody!" The girl squealed as Ruby wrote out a message. "This is so cool! Thanks!"

"No problem." Ruby handed the notebook back and smiled at the other girls. "Well, I'm kinda hanging out with some friends from out of town, so…"

"Oh, I get it!" Melody quickly replied. "No problem! Thanks again! You're awesome!" She walked off, giggling loudly with her friends.

Once she was out of sight, Ruby's shoulders slumped and she let out a long breath. "Well, that wasn't as bad as it could've been." She eyed her cloak. "Maybe I should've ditched this."

Pyrrha made a sympathetic noise in her throat. "I think I'm starting to see why you need to get away for a bit." She thought back to her early days of fame and shook her head. "It can get a bit overwhelming."

"That's definitely part of it," Ruby muttered. "You guys know me: I don't like being around lots of people unless they're my friends. Getting stopped on the street all the time…sometimes I just don't leave the apartment, because I don't want to risk it!" She laughed a little. "I'm surprised she didn't notice you, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha glanced to the side, coughing guiltily. "Well, I might have hidden behind Jaune when she came running up. I've learned a lot about avoiding excited fans over the years."

Ruby grinned wryly. "Maybe you can give me some pointers."

"Well, back to getting that coffee," Jaune said. "You can walk between us if you want."

They were thankfully able to reach the coffeehouse without any further incident. They ordered drinks and pastries and sat down at one of the corner tables, where Ruby went into greater detail about the slow breaking of her team.

"I mean, I only ever see them when we're called on hunts. I'm starting to wonder if there's any point to being on a team. Maybe I should go solo like Uncle Qrow." She shook her head. "I always wondered why Qrow and Dad aren't better friends, since they were on a team together. Now, I'm starting to get it. Stuff happened and they just grew apart. I didn't think that would ever happen to Team RWBY, but it is, and I don't know how to stop it."

"Have you talked to your teammates about this?" Ren asked, speaking for the first time. He sipped thoughtfully at a cup of green tea. "It doesn't seem like they're ignoring you on purpose, and I know they care about you."

"No." Ruby stared at her hot cocoa. "I…I'm worried that I might bother them if I start saying stuff like this." She shook her head. "Ugh. I never used to worry about that before, not even with Weiss…"

"It definitely sounds like you need a break," Jaune murmured, looking at his old friend's sad expression and thoughtful eyes. "So, when we get on the airship, I want you to stop worrying. You're going to eat Ren's awesome cooking, hang out with us, and relax for a few days."

"Just promise that you'll talk to your teammates about what's troubling you," Pyrrha added. "It would be better for all of you if you did."

Ruby nodded, taking a resolute swig of her drink. "Okay. It's a deal."

A few hours later, the airship landed on the outskirts of the land that held Team JNPR's semi-isolated house. The five walked toward it, and Ruby took a moment to appreciate how much more like a home it looked now than when they had first unpacked. The exterior was a pale pink color that Nora had chosen. The green shutters and flower boxes made the place look especially cheerful. Exercise and training equipment was scattered in the front yard. Some of it was well-polished and organized, probably belonging to Pyrrha. Other pieces were worn, toppled over, or left in various locations, leading Ruby to guess that they belonged to Nora.

The scent of cinnamon potpourri greeted them when Jaune unlocked the door and led them inside. The living room, which had been empty except for a sofa, two armchairs, a coffee table, and a lot of boxes the last time Ruby visited, was now a well-worn living space. The couch and armchairs had an assortment of plush pillows and the coffee table sat with a half-finished chess game on top. A few other pillows and board games were scattered throughout the room, and there were several posters on the walls. The kitchen, of course, was as immaculate as before. Ren wouldn't allow for anything less, after all.

"We're using the sofa as our guest bed," Jaune said. "As you can see, there are more than enough pillows. There's a bathroom just over there, plus the one in our room."

"We're still building the hot tub out back," Nora said. "If you come back in a month, you'll be able to use it."

"This place is amazing." Ruby looked around, already feeling at home. "And you haven't had any problems with Grimm?"

"We sometimes get a stray Boarbatusk or Beowolf." Pyrrha shrugged. "It's nothing we can't handle. The windows are reinforced with earth Dust, just in case there's an attack while we're gone."

Ren cleared his throat. "Now that we're back, I should start dinner. Any requests?" he asked, glancing at Ruby.

"Well, that spaghetti you made when we were moving you in here was pretty good."

Ren smiled. "I'll get started on the sauce now." He ducked into the kitchen.

"I'll help him out," Jaune said. "You girls can help Ruby unpack."

"Thanks again!" Ruby called as Jaune followed Ren.

Jaune smiled, though his expression faded once he was in the kitchen. Ren was looking at him with a similar frown. "So, what do you think?" Jaune muttered in a low voice.

"I think Team RWBY needs to sit down and have a serious talk," Ren replied as he took some tomatoes and basil from the fridge. "Could you get the cheese grater?"

Jaune took the grater from one of the drawers. "I mean, they've had fights before, but this is almost worse. Do you think Ruby was right, and that they'll all end up going solo?"

Ren shrugged. "It's not uncommon. If it does happen, however, it should be with the full consent and understanding of all four of them, not because they drifted apart the way they're doing. This current scenario will lead to awkwardness and friendships that have tapered into nothing. That's not good for any of them, especially after all they've gone through together."

Jaune sighed, taking some parmesan cheese from the freezer and starting to grate it into a bowl. "Why can't all teams be like us? I mean, we fight sometimes, but it's never anything huge. And we can always talk to each other."

At this, Ren smiled. "Well, the fact that we're all in love with each other gives us a bit of an advantage."

Jaune laughed. "True." He paused long enough to kiss Ren's cheek. "I'm glad you were all okay with letting Ruby stay."

"She's our friend," Ren said calmly. "She's always welcome." He chopped up the tomatoes and placed them in a large pot. "Could you get the black pepper?"

Meanwhile, Ruby was sitting with Nora and Pyrrha on the couch. Since she had only brought her clothes, Crescent Rose, and a few books, there wasn't much unpacking that needed to be done. Instead, she curled up next to Pyrrha while listening to Nora ramble about her latest idea: pancakes with the syrup on the inside.

"You see, you'd have to use hardened syrup, so that it wouldn't go all over the place. Put it on top of the batter once the first layer is cooked, then add more batter and flip it over." She grinned triumphantly. "It's perfect!"

"But, wouldn't part of the pancake be undercooked?" Pyrrha asked.

Nora frowned. "Oh, yeah… What if it was cooked longer?"

"Part of it would burn."

"Hm…" Nora became silent as she pondered this new hitch in her brilliant idea.

Pyrrha chuckled. "Keep working on it." She kissed Nora gently before looking at Ruby. "Are you feeling better?"

"Much." Ruby pondered whether or not it would be okay to snuggle against Pyrrha's side like Nora was doing. She hadn't had much in the way of physical contact lately.

Pyrrha, reading Ruby's expression, pulled her close in a friendly hug. "I'm glad. Just remember, this is only a passing thing. Your team has gone through too much to truly break apart. In times like this, people come back together and their friendship is stronger than it was before."

Ruby nodded, leaning into Pyrrha's comforting warmth. "I hope you're right." She closed her eyes, savoring the closeness of her friends and the scent of homemade tomato sauce that was beginning to drift in from the kitchen. "I really hope you're right."

I have three open commission slots, folks. Just PM me with details concerning what you want and what the word count should be. I charge $10 per 1000 words, and don't do OCs, crossovers, or Lemons. Otherwise, I'm willing to hear whatever you got.

Until the next update, praise Monty and peace out!