Weiss was sitting up in her hospital bed with her knees up against her chest, sobbing, when a bright, bubbly voice came from the door. "Hey, dry those eyes, princess. I brought coffee and muffins." The blonde woman from Beacon Coffee was standing there, a drink carrier in her hand and a brown paper bag tucked under the stump of her other arm. "Your name's Weiss, right? Are you okay, do I need to call somebody, maybe?"

She dragged the back of her hand across her eyes, not caring how undignified it looked right now. "No, I am fi—I'll be okay. One of the dubious benefits of... my current condition is mood swings, often triggered by memories. I was remembering the night my, my, I don't want to talk about it."

"Yeah, Blake called me last night after your mom stopped by. She said you've got apsychia, but now you've got an aura? Something like that?" Yang set down the coffee and the bag by Weiss's bed, scooting the visitor's chair closer before sitting down. "Man, talk about the best-worst day ever, all that crap hitting you at once."

"Last night I spent twenty minutes laughing uncontrollably over a joke someone told me when I was nine," Weiss said, choking back a laugh. "And now here I am, a mess over something that happened a decade ago."

"Well, you really didn't deal with it, I guess, until now. So, what's next? What happens? Anything I can do to help?" Yang reached out and tried to take Weiss's hand, only to have the white-haired girl jerk back. "Sorry, I forgot apsychics don't like to be touched. I did some reading last night after Blake told me about your mom's visit."

"It-it's okay," Weiss sniffled. "I, um, I think I'd really like to try a hug right now." Yang nodded and half-stood, wrapping her arm around Weiss.

Strange. Like Yang said, apsychics didn't usually like being touched, so Weiss had never had a hug that wasn't awkward and uncomfortable. She'd usually endured the ones she hadn't been able to avoid with as much good grace as she could muster, arms down by her side, fighting to keep her hands limp instead of letting them curl into claws or ball up into fists. Now though, now she hesitantly reached out and wrapped her own arms around Yang in return, inhaling deeply and drinking in the blonde woman's presence without thinking about it. The gesture was oddly calming and somehow exactly what she needed right now. They sat there for a few moments, neither of them saying a word until Yang cleared her throat. "Uh, Weiss, I know this is probably your first real hug and all, but there comes a point at which it's time to let go. And we've kinda passed it."

"S-Sorry," Weiss said, an unfamiliar warmth rising in her cheeks. Not wanting to let Yang see her face for some reason she couldn't have said, she turned her head to look at the view outside her window which was suddenly utterly fascinating.

"Don't be. You're dealing with a whole ton of crap, right?"

"Right," Weiss answered, smiling. She was starting to get used to smiling, and finding that she liked it.

"Well, it looks like you've made a friend, Weiss." Weiss's mother glided to a stop by the bed. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt, I was just stopping by to see how Weiss was doing this morning on my way to the office. I don't believe we've met, miss...?"

"Yang, Yang Xiao Long," Yang said, shaking Willow's hand.

"She works at the coffee shop I passed out in," Weiss added by way of introduction.

Yang snorted. "Work there? I'm one of the owners, me and Blake. Okay, my sister loaned us money to get started, but we're gonna pay her back! So swears Yang Xiao Long!" she added, pumping her fist in the air dramatically.

Willow laughed, bowing her head at Yang. "A small business owner then? I applaud your entrepreneurship; the world needs more people like you."

"It's Blake who did all the work getting it set up, really. I'm good with people, but the more business-y end of things, the paperwork and all, that's Blake's area of expertise." Yang shook her head. "She stresses a lot; I'm pretty sure she went through two packs of cigarettes after Weiss passed out yesterday, as much as Ruby keeps trying to get her to quit."

"Now, on to other matters..." Yang and Weiss both focused their attention on Willow, Yang's face taking on a serious look. "Miss Long-"

"Its Xiao Long, actually. Two words."

"Miss Xiao Long, then." Willow's voice took on a softer tone. "Last night your partner seemed worried about the repercussions of Weiss passing out yesterday. Please, let her know that I'm not planning on suing or any other nonsense. In fact, if anyone tries to sue you or shut you down because of what happened, let me know and I'll see you get sound legal representation. Yesterday was a cause for celebration, and I don't want to see you suffer for it." Yang sagged in relief; yesterday Blake had been kinda, well Blake didn't really do hysterical, but she'd been closer than Yang had ever seen her.

"Weiss, I spoke with one of the doctors on the way in. They want you to stay here for a few days to monitor you, see if they can get an idea of what's going on. Your aura levels are currently in the normal range and still rising, although the rate of increase has slowed."

"Awesome! You go, Weiss!" Yang cheered, jabbing Weiss in the shoulder.

Weiss rubbed at where Yang had hit her, a scowl on her face. "I'm… annoyed I think is the word I want that no-one saw fit to inform me of any of this."

Willow frowned. "I'll have a word with the hospital director before I leave. I will not have you kept in the dark about your condition; I didn't tolerate it before, well, this, and I'm certainly not going to tolerate it now."

"Yeah, that's some industrial-grade bullshit there. I mean, why wouldn't they keep Weiss up to date on her own treatment?" Yang was scratching the back of her head, looking back and forth between Weiss and her mother.

"Because, legally speaking, an apsychic is and is not a person." Weiss's voice was barely a whisper. "Due to the 'demonstrated diminished mental capacity' apsychics usually display, we're not considered to legally be in our right minds."

Yang froze. "Dang, that's cold."

"'There are reasons. One case I remember clearly involved a house fire. An apsychic was a witness to the entire fire, and he didn't act. Didn't call the fire department, didn't rush in to help, didn't do anything but watch it burn. Afterward, he said he didn't realize he should do anything." Weiss stopped to wipe her eyes before reaching for her wallet on the table next to her bed. "So I have to carry this little card everywhere I go, for as long as I live," she finished, handing a little card to Yang.

Yang couldn't suppress a shiver as she read the card. It stated that the bearer, one Weiss Schnee, was a category two apsychic, and allowed to move about unsupervised, but if her behavior became a danger to herself or others, reasonable measures were allowed to detain her. It also gave her mother's name, address, and phone number in case of emergencies. "'Reasonable measures,' huh? Not like that could be abused or anything."

"Last year an apsychic man in Vale was kicked to death for staring at a teenage girl long enough her older brother decided it was 'creepy,'" Willow said. "No charges were brought against the brother. Many crimes against apsychics are justified this way. So it's a risk, letting Weiss leave the house, but I refuse to keep her locked away. She's not a monster, not like-" Willow bit her lip, rather than continue. No need to reopen old wounds.

Yang snapped her fingers. Time to shift the gears on this conversation. "So, a couple more days and you're out of here, huh? A piece of cake. Bet your friends are missing you something bad."

"Apsychics don't really have 'friends,'" Weiss said softly, her hands balling into fists as she could feel tears welling in her eyes again. "We just… we have people who annoy us less, usually family or other apsychics that are about as 'normal' as we are." Weiss's mind turned to Cinder. For some reason, she found the idea of seeing Cinder again… uncomfortable.

"Well, now you've got me. So plus one friend, win, right? And I'm pretty sure Blake and Ruby will like you too, once you meet them."

Weiss had to admit Yang's smile was infectious. "Alright, plus one friend."

Weiss looked at herself in the mirror, smoothing out the skirt of her dress. "Is everything all right, Weiss?" her mother's voice came from outside the door.

"Everything is fi-no, everything is not fine." One thing Weiss was fighting hard to overcome was the reflex to always say things were 'fine' even when they weren't. She needed to be more honest and open with the doctors and other people around her. She stepped out of the bathroom, eyes fixed firmly on the floor. "I… I don't think I like this dress, not anymore."

Willow leaned back, her arms crossed. "That is, or was, one of your favorite dresses, Weiss."

Doctor Goodwitch shrugged. "I expect we'll see a lot of changes like this for a while. Your personality is, well, rebuilding itself on a regular basis to handle your changed mental state."

"So I get, what's the phrase I want, an identity crisis every day? Wonderful," Weiss said with a sigh."

"It's not that simple, Weiss." Goodwitch tapped her teeth with her pen. "Everyone's shaped by their experiences, even apsychics. Now your subconscious is re-evaluating, well, everything. You wore similar clothes every day because it was less annoying than choosing something new to wear every day, ate the same thing for breakfast every day. Your life was built on routine because that was easier to handle. Remember yesterday, when they brought you pancakes for breakfast? That was something of an experience, wasn't it?"

Weiss nodded as she turned her head to one side, trying to hide her embarrassment. Yesterday morning her breakfast had included pancakes, something she hadn't eaten before. Weiss had practically wallowed in the fluffy treats, wolfing them down and ending up with syrup and bits of pancake down the front of her hospital gown. Her mother had laughed at the sight, Yang reaching out to gently wipe Weiss's cheek with a napkin while she tried not to laugh at Weiss's embarrassment. "I suppose, although I would rather not embarrass myself quite that badly again."

Now Goodwitch laid a hand on Weiss's shoulder, the white-haired girl still flinching a little at the contact. "Weiss, listen to me: You will be fine. The human psyche is an adaptable, resilient thing, yours included. Yes, there will be highs and lows, and changes in, well, almost every aspect of your life. This is to be expected. Whatever happened to you has given you a new lease on life, and every piece of advice I can think of to give you can be summed up in a single word: Live. Go forth and be Weiss Schnee, whoever that turns out to be."

"The lady said it, Weiss. Now let's get out of here. We promised Blake you'd stop by the shop on your way home so she could see you're doing okay." Yang laughed. "She's still waiting for your mom to sue us out of existence. Might even get to meet my sister, if she's not too busy today."

Weiss smiled for a moment. Yang's daily visits (sometimes more than once a day) had been the highlights of her day for the past week. Test upon test, interviews with psychologists and psychiatrists, it had all been so much. But Yang had a way of taking that stress and helping Weiss process things, break them down into more manageable pieces. "Let's get going, then."

As they rode the elevator down to the lobby, Weiss was glad all three of them were with her. Doctor Goodwitch had helped her fend off the worst of the psychiatrists, who had come up with some… rather personal and disturbing questions to ask. Her mother had obviously been a huge source of support in all respects. Willow Schnee hated raising her voice, firmly believing that if she'd done so, she had somehow failed. In the past week, Weiss's mother had done more shouting and outright screaming than Weiss could ever remember her doing, firmly insisting that Weiss be kept firmly in the loop regarding her own treatment.

And Yang… In the space of a week, Yang had gone from being a friendly stranger to being a true friend, the first of many, Weiss hoped. She stole a glance at the blonde woman, who was busily tapping away one-handed at her phone. Yang had gone through a life-changing event similar to Weiss', only in her case something had been taken instead of given. Maybe Yang was her best guide in how to handle something like this.

The elevator doors slid open, and the four of them headed for the hospital entrance. One of the orderlies noticed Weiss and started clapping. Soon all the staff in the lobby were applauding, and some of the patients as well, as the staff filled them in. Word had quickly leaked out about the apsychic girl who suddenly had an aura, and only the hospital's ironclad commitment to patient privacy had kept Weiss from being besieged by the press. Weiss and her mother had agreed to a press release admitting that an apsychic woman had suddenly developed an aura, and the hospital was trying to determine how it had happened. A press conference had also been agreed to, but Willow had been firm about giving Weiss a few days at home first.

A security guard stepped in Weiss' way. "Ma'am, I've been ordered not to let you leave."

"And why not?" Willow snapped. "I am her legal guardian, and I am taking her home."

"Yeah, peaches. I don't need both arms to lay you out," Yang growled, her hand forming into a fist.

"I don't know, ma'am. The order came from Doctor Keats, and we're supposed to wait for him."

"This is ridiculous. I have had enough of this hospital, and I am going home!" Weiss tried to dodge around him, only to find the woman's partner flanking her.

"Either one of you lays a finger on her it's gonna be a good thing we're already at the hospital," Yang said quietly, stepping up to Weiss's left.

"There's no need for threats, young lady." Doctor Keats hurried up, straightening his tie. "I just got a phone call from the court. The hospital has now been named Weiss' legal guardian, and as such, we'd rather she remain here, at the hospital, where we can care for her properly."

"This is nonsense! How can you be named her legal guardian without her current guardian being informed? We'll see how long this lasts in front of a judge. And I refuse to believe the hospital director agreed to this, either!" Willow shouted, slamming her arms down on her armrests.

"Yeah, I'm waving the bullshit flag on this too. Weiss is a person, not a lab rat, and she wants to go home," Yang added, her hand on her hip.

"Well, this does seem highly irregular," the judge said, frowning as he read the papers before him. "Firstly, no-one informed Miss Schnee's current guardian about the hospital choosing to contest the guardianship. Second, I find Doctor Keats' assertion that her condition requires round-the-clock monitoring and care flimsy at best. From what I see here, and what I hear from Doctor Goodwitch, who has been Weiss's psychiatrist for over a decade, as well as the testimony of other doctors on your own hospital staff, Weiss's condition is currently stable. She has also agreed to wear an aura monitor, and to regular checkups as well as a reasonable number of tests. Then there's the fact that you sought guardianship of Miss Schnee without informing the hospital director, although you gave the hospital's legal staff the impression that you had done so." The judge leaned back in his chair. "Frankly, Doctor Keats, this all smells worse than my newest granddaughter's diapers. If I was you, I'd be worried about my job."

Weiss fought to keep a smile off her face as she heard a snort from behind her. No shit, as Yang would put it, a rather short and pungent phrase the blonde had introduced her to.

Keats frowned. "Your honor, what we have here is a priceless opportunity. If we can figure out what happened to Miss Schnee to make her suddenly manifest an aura, we can-"

"-possibly devise a cure for the other thousands of people across Remnant who suffer from apsychia, I heard you the first twelve times." The judge sighed. "In all this legal wrangling, there's one person whose voice hasn't been heard enough, I think. Miss Schnee, Weiss, what do you want? If your apsychia has indeed been 'cured' somehow, the issue of your legal rights is going to have to be addressed eventually, and I intend to set precedent on that matter now."

Weiss stood, drawing on a meditation technique Yang had taught her to calm herself. "Your honor, I would like to go home. I don't mind being studied, to a point. I, I like the idea of whatever happened to me being studied to help others. But I don't want to be a prisoner or a laboratory animal. And I don't I want Doctor Keats having anything to do with my treatment anymore."

Behind her, the hospital director spoke up. "I don't think that last point is going to be an issue, your honor. I've already placed Doctor Keats on suspension, and I'll be meeting with our governing board to discuss other actions that may be taken. On behalf of the hospital, I'd like to offer my apologies to Miss Schnee and her family for any suffering Doctor Keats may have caused. He most definitely did not discuss this with me before taking steps to secure guardianship of Miss Schnee, and I do not support his actions."