The Intersection(s) at Vale

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. I'm just playing around with Rooster Teeth's property.

A/N: I made a small, but very significant change in the first and third chapters. I advise you all to read them again, since the information I added will be very important down the line. Although I wonder if anyone would be able to spot it easily, haha. Best of luck. A small hint, though. It has something to do with Jaune's family.

in·ter·sec·tion

in(t)ərˈsekSH(ə)n

noun

a point or line common to lines or surfaces that intersect.

"the intersection of a plane and a cone"

a point at which two or more things intersect, especially roads.

"red and green lights at the nearby intersection"

an action of intersecting.

"his course is on a direct intersection with ours"

Yang Past, Part 1

Sitting on her bed, Blake hopelessly tried to ignore the drilling stares of her teammates. They were still wearing their uniform, as they had only got out of class. Herself, on the other hand… she was wearing Jaune's track pants, which she had to roll up a few times due to his height, and not to mention she was also wearing his sisters' shirt and hoodie. Her own clothes were stuffed into a plastic bag she had put in the corner of the room. She would wash them later, after escaping the clutches of her teammates.

Jaune said that she should just keep the clothes for now. He said that his sisters won't be missing their clothes, and he barely used his track pants anyway.

She had foolishly forgotten that she was teammates and partner with Yang Xiao Long. "So… Blake," the blonde brawler started.

"Yes?" Blake said innocently. It didn't sound much different than a bored tone, however.

"Mind telling us where you were last night?" Yang asked. "Out of nowhere, you just texted us saying that you'll be staying the night in Vale. And not only do you come back to Beacon pretty late in midday, but you're using someone else's clothes."

Weiss scoffed from the side, "Really, Yang? I admit I'm curious, but I don't need details like that."

"Details?" Ruby asked. "What details?"

"Hush, Rubes," Yang said, planting a hand on Ruby's face to silence her. "The adults are talking here."

"I'm a grown up! I drink milk!"

Yes… This was her team at Beacon. Team RWBY. She held back a sigh, wanting nothing more than to delve back into her book. She really wanted to know what Taro was going to do to Haneko with a toothbrush. She was almost fidgeting in anticipation.

Almost.

"It's really not my place to tell," Blake said, gaining the attention of the three of them.

"Oh, woe is me!" Yang exclaimed with flair. "My own partner keeping things from me!"

"Although," she started. "I do have something else to tell you all…"

"What is it, Blake?" Ruby asked.

This was it, her moment of truth. They were her teammates. If anyone deserves the chance, it was them. She hated leap of faiths. There was so much uncertainty while you leave everything to fate. But this was one she needed to take. Jaune said that trust is a two way street. They weren't going to start trusting her if she didn't start herself.

And so, she reached up to the bow above her head, and pulled it off.

Fridays… Jaune loved Fridays… It was, after all, the last day of the week before weekend. And although he had work on Saturday afternoon, he liked spending time in the shop, regardless of the fact that it was work.

Walking his bike on the sidewalk, Jaune looked to his side at Whitley, who was typing something on his scroll. It wasn't an unfamiliar sight. Whitley always seemed to have something on his hand, whether it was studying, his part time job, or helping him. At least, that's what people on the outside see. Whitley would only let himself go in front of close friends. And those friends are… well, just him, really.

Whitley Schnee, as he was named. The fifteen year old stood tall at 5'8", effectively making him pretty tall for his age, which left him just short a couple of inches from Jaune's height. Not that it mattered much, since Whitley attended classes with people two years older than him. With his height and broad shoulders, many would mistake him for a seventeen year old.

His white hair framed his sharp and pale face with a few cowlicks on its ends. Stray bangs covered a portion of left face, which sometimes covered his left eye. But Whitley would always brush it aside with a motion of his hand. Most noticeable, however, was the stray cowlick on the top of his head, which had existed since Jaune had first known him. Jaune didn't know if it was just him, but he always felt like that stray cowlick had a life of its own, considering the way it moves.

He was a far cry from the tall, but lanky boy Jaune had met during first year of high school. Not only in appearance, but also personality. Gone was the immaculately tidy and rigid boy. And gone was the cold personality and arrogant huff in each of his strides. Two years in Vale had changed Whitley. Humbled him.

Where Whitley used to wear blue colored formal vests and neatly tucked white shirts, he now wore clothes that were less rigid, but still tidy, albeit, in a more casual way. His favorite being dark colored blazers with light colored undershirts. Sometimes he went with dark jeans or dark trousers. One thing didn't change, however. His dress shoes.

The dress shoes stay, as Whitley would say.

"You seem to have something troubling your mind, My Master…" Whitley said with a small smile, putting away his scroll.

Jaune groaned, "Whitley… Stop calling me that."

The Schnee heir laughed, "Is that not how we are connected, though? Cinder should call you that as well, right?"

"I really don't want to be anyone's master," Jaune sighed. What Whitley said, however, was true. During an incident not long after Jaune's fiasco with Cinder, a chain of events occurred that forced Jaune to turn Whitley into a vampire in order to save his life. Thankfully, Whitley does not need regular portions of blood in order to survive like Cinder. Qrow said something about Whitley having been a human longer than he was a vampire.

And so, through a quite roundabout solution, Whitley's vampire powers have been mostly locked away like Jaune himself. Mostly. It resulted in Whitley's growth spurt and more muscular figure, since a vampire's regeneration factor always keeps the body in top condition. Even this, he had taken in stride. Stella's death being the only time Jaune had ever seen the boy break down.

Jaune wondered what the world would say if story about their misadventures got out. What would the news say?

News Flash! Schnee Heir Turned Vampire!

Yeah… Not so great…

"I'm serious, though," Whitley said. "You seem to have something on your mind. Care to share?"

Jaune looked to the side, contemplating his words. "I've told you about the ghost problem I had a few days ago, right?"

"The huntress in training?"

"Yeah," Jaune nodded.

"What of her?" Whitley asked.

"Well," Jaune scratched the back of his head. "She left some books that she bought earlier before. It's still in my apartment."

Rolling his eyes, Whitley replied, "Only you could think seriously about something so mundane."

"Hey, help me out here!"

"You have her number, right?" Whitley crossed his arms. "Just call her."

"But what if she wants me to deliver the books!?" Jaune asked. "I'll have to go to Beacon!"

Whitley was silent for a moment, before his shoulders shook and he let out a laugh. "Oh, I get it. You're afraid of going to Beacon."

"And what of it?" Jaune huffed.

"Jaune…" Whitley looked unimpressed, which was a look Jaune had been all too familiar with. "You've survived fighting full-fledged huntsmen, fought an ancient vampire, barely bats an eye at the mention of ghosts, and lived through them all to tell the tale."

Now that Jaune thought about it, he had quite the resume under his belt…

"And you tell me you're afraid of going to a school?" Whitley asked.

"A school for huntsmen!"

"A school nonetheless," Whitley shrugged. "It's going to be filled with boys and girls who have too much hormones than they know what to do with. Sounds familiar?"

"To what?"

"Our own school," Whitley deadpanned. "Besides, you could just give her the books when she visits Tukson's again. I bet you just want to do it this way so you'd get to visit Beacon. And despite it being your wish, you're getting cold feet."

"Even if I say it's not what I wish for, would you believe me?"

"No."

Jaune figured as much. Even before his change of demeanor, Whitley had always been a sharp individual. Although the bluntness was something new, admittedly. Back then, he was more reserved and… calculating. Now, though. It was as if Whitley had simply grown tired of doing so.

"I really want to see what Beacon looks like," Jaune sighed.

"Then just go there. It's not like the school forbids visitors."

"You make it sound so easy," Jaune said.

"I've been to the CCT tower a few times to talk with my older sister. It's not rocket science, Jaune," Whitley answered. Jaune didn't need any clarification as to which sister he was talking about. Whitley had always been rather tight-lipped about his family and his childhood at Atlas, but he would still disclose some things when asked. Within reason, of course.

Jaune knew that Whitley was talking about the eldest; the Atlesian Specialist Winter Schnee. While the male Schnee didn't gush over his oldest sister or worship the very ground she walked on, there was always a tone of respect whenever he spoke of her.

The same couldn't be said about the middle sibling. Jaune didn't know what it was that made Whitley narrow his eyes at every mention of Weiss Schnee, and he didn't dare pry, knowing that it was ultimately none of his business. Besides, whatever was between the two siblings never seemed to affect Whitley's well-being or his daily life. If it does reach that point, however, then Jaune won't hesitate to help.

"Then how about you accompany me to Beacon tomorrow?" Jaune suggested.

Whitley's gaze darkened for a split second. Jaune would've missed it if he hadn't been facing Whitley at that very moment. "I think I'll pass," Whitley said coldly. However, his tone reverted back to his usual calm and suave demeanor. "I wouldn't want to intrude on you two."

"Whitley!" Jaune huffed. "I barely know her. She's just a friend."

Despite the teasing, Jaune was relieved at the sight of the small smile Whitley had on his face. Jaune didn't know what Whitley's problem with Beacon was, but now was not the time. He had somewhere to be. And Whitley's always near should Jaune need his help, or vice versa.

"Speaking of friends," Whitley spoke up, looking at the front basket of Jaune's bicycle. "I take it you visited your little vampire for some light feeding this morning?"

"What gave it away?" Jaune asked.

"Well, the cream puffs, for one," Whitley pointed at the box of cream puffs sitting innocently in the bicycle's basket.

Whitley then continued, "You usually have a few boxes bought beforehand, usually by a day, in your fridge. But you only just bought them after school with me. This meant that you didn't bring her any during her latest feeding session. You must've been in a hurry, which meant that you fed her this morning before school, as Tukson doesn't really care if you're a little late to work."

Honestly, Jaune was having a little trouble following Whitley's words, but none of the younger boy's words, at least the ones he did not miss, were mistaken. Still, Whitley continued on his analysis. "You also chose not to wear anything under that hoodie of yours today, and you would only ever avoid wearing clothes after a feeding session. The girls at school were staring, you know. And not at the bunny on it."

Well, it wasn't his fault that the act of having your blood sucked was an unpleasant experience. It always felt like his skin was burning off, especially with clothes on. Come feeding time, he would always go topless. It was a small comfort that lessened the pain by a small margin.

"You know it's not something I actually enjoy…"

"Really? Boys usually like it when girls stare at them…"

Jaune huffed, "Not what I meant."

"Still, it's a shame," Whitley tilted his head. "I mean, I've only had my blood drank twice or so, but it's always a pleasant tingling sensation for me."

And what was worse, was that he was the only one feeling that. For Whitley, and probably Cinder, it was always a mere tingling sensation, if not, a sense of lightheadedness when their blood was sucked. The only one in pain was him.

Admittedly, it annoyed him. Qrow assured him that he wasn't in any danger though, despite the pain. However, he would've been assured if the stinging sensation didn't stay for hours after feeding time, which prompted him to go to school with just a hoodie covering his torso. He was glad that his school didn't have a set uniform to wear. Multiple layers of clothing would've been a torture for him.

Unfortunately, the process was necessary for her to survive. Having been a vampire for most of her immortal life, Cinder's body had evolved to the point where she could no longer take nutrition from human foods.

The only thing that would sate her body was blood and raw human flesh.

When he thought about it, regularly offering his own blood was a small price to pay to stop her from going on a manhunt, even with the added stinging pain. Well, not that she would be able to. At her current state, even a first year in a combat school would be able to take her down. The more blood she consumed from him, the more she regained her original strength, and the longer she sucked blood from him, the more strength he regains as a vampire. Something Qrow said about their aura being connected. If she regains her vampirism, then so would he.

This was why he always limits her intake of blood. He didn't want her to regain her full powers, and he also didn't want to return to being a full vampire. Being burnt alive under the sun once was enough for him.

So why not let her die? Starve her to death. Powerless as she was, she could not go on a manhunt. The cream puffs he brings her were no more than for her pleasure, as she took no nutrition from them. So why?

Because Jaune Arc was ultimately a selfish person, that was why.

Even if she begged for death, he would not give it to her. He would not allow her to die. And as the one holding her reins, he was effectively her master. If she were to die, then he would return to a human, as the aura bond between them would sever. But he wanted to save everyone.

A foolish endeavor. Stupidly naïve, as Qrow had called it. It was stupid. Jaune knew that. You can't save everyone. Things like that only happen in stories. Actually, no. Jaune was even worse than that.

He even wanted to save the villain. It was no wonder Cinder wasn't in talking terms with him.

Letting out a sigh, Jaune pulled out his scroll. It was close to four in the afternoon. It wasn't that late. He might be able to get some eggs that were on sale in the grocery store after dropping the box of cream puffs at Qrow's place. Today was the last day of the sale, after all.

The two boys separated when they arrived at an intersection. The way back to their respective homes was actually on the same direction, but Jaune wasn't going home just yet.

Jaune was surprised to find Qrow's apartment door locked. His expectations of the huntsman must be at an all-time low if he didn't even trust the grizzled man to lock his door. Pulling out a spare key Qrow had given him from his pocket, Jaune unlocked the door and peeked inside.

Surprisingly, the place looked clean. Well, as clean as it could be. It was as if Qrow had tidied up the place. The smell of alcohol still lingered, but there were no empty bottles in sight. A major improvement, if he'd say so himself. The lack of Qrow's presence in the apartment unsettled him, though.

Putting the box of cream puffs on the coffee table, Jaune walked up to Cinder's door. He knocked on it a few times before he was greeted by familiar raven hair and amber eyes peeking through the door.

"Hey, Cinder," he greeted. "Do you know where Qrow is?"

Cinder looked inside for a brief second before pulling a small envelope from within her small hoodie. A letter? Qrow could've just sent him a scroll message. Kneeling down on her level, Jaune took the envelope from her small hands. He inspected the piece of paper for a moment before tearing it open and reading the content inside.

Hey, kid. In case you hadn't noticed, my vacation is over for now. I've been helping you since we met during spring break, but I think it's pretty obvious that lounging around helping a high school student with his supernatural problems doesn't exactly fall within my list of responsibilities. I'm a huntsman, after all.

My "superior", if you can call him that, asked my involvement for a mission. I don't know how long it'll take, and I don't even know if we'll see each other again. But if that's the case, then I bid you farewell. At the end of this letter I wrote my bank account number, just in case you cashed up the necessary one million Lien. I'm a man of my words, after all.

Take care of your little slave. I think she has been itching to see me leave. She thinks I didn't notice the happy little dance she did when I said I'd be leaving her. Fat chance. You're not exactly the best decision maker, but I trust her in your hands.

I almost forgot. There's a book under the coffee table, which might help you should aberrations appear. Remember what I said. Vampires attract those kinds of stuffs. And you have one as a servant, with you yourself being part vampire.

Seeing nothing more than the account number Qrow had indeed written at the bottom of the paper, Jaune pocketed the message. It took him a moment before he realized that while he was reading, Cinder had walked past him and was now sitting on the couch by the coffee table, munching and nibbling on a cream puff.

Their eyes locked for a moment before Cinder pried hers away to stare out the window. Sighing tiredly, Jaune followed Qrow's instructions and checked under the coffee table. Sure enough, he found a small book. Opening its pages, he noticed that it was worn, and the paper felt old in his hands. Its content didn't surprise him, however.

Various kinds of supernatural aberrations were listed here, from the lowest ghosts to the mighty vampire. The handwritings and notes scrawled on the side were different every few pages, indicating that it had changed ownership more than a few times. There was also an odd-looking bookmark nestled between the pages. His eyes lingered for a moment on a few certain pages, as it listed a few aberrations that were listed under the same tier as vampires. He quickly closed it, deciding to read it on another day.

Pocketing the small book in his hoodie, Jaune sat next to Cinder. None of them said anything for a while. She took another cream puff from the box and began eating it. Jaune eyed the box for a moment before shrugging and taking a piece for himself. Just as he was about to take a bite, a hand grabbed his wrist, holding it in place.

Cinder was holding tightly to his wrist, her face twisting into something of a mixture between a pout and a glare. Honestly, Jaune could've just yanked his arm off Cinder's. Although he wouldn't put it past Cinder to claw at his face in retaliation.

"Oh, so now you acknowledge me?" Jaune huffed.

She did not speak, merely glaring at him. Taking in her form, Jaune noted that her shoulder length black hair had been shortened to the length of her neck. He wondered what triggered her to shapeshift herself, even if it was only a minor change.

The ancient vampire in eight year old form did not let go of his arm even as he stood up to his full height, cream puff still held in his hand. She even pulled herself up and latched her legs around his bicep. Talk about persistence…

Hanging from his arm like some wayward sloth, she still continued to glare at him. Jaune had half the mind to swing his arm in reckless abandon just to see if Cinder would still hang on to it. The more rational part of his mind convinced him to simply talk to her.

"So I guess we're living together from now on…"

She didn't deny it, and her glare softened as she looked to the side. She was still hanging onto his arm, though. And admittedly, Jaune was not as strong as he used to be. "If we're going to live together, then we need to clear up things between us. I'm supposed to be your master, aren't I?"

He didn't really like pulling the master-servant card on her, but he guessed she won't be listening to anything else for a while now. Letting go of his arm, she stood on her feet and nodded meekly at his question. Jaune crouched down to her level and looked into her eyes. "So that means we're going to have to share. You get that? S-H-A-R-I-N-G."

He probably should've expected the two finger assault on his eyeballs. Clutching his eyes and making sure they didn't bleed, he sent a small glare to Cinder, which she answered with one of her own. Her gaze said it all.

Do not treat me like a child

Then stop acting like one, Jaune thought. Sitting back on the couch, Jaune took a bite from the cream puff he had been holding. He glanced at Cinder to gauge her reaction, to which she responded with an icy stare, but no other outward reaction.

Well, this was probably as far as they could get for now. "Still, we'll have to think of your living arrangements," Jaune said. "My apartment is pretty small, and so is my bed. But I think we'll be able to get to a compromise if we move some things around."

Still staring at him, Cinder said nothing. Wordlessly, she walked up to him. Jaune raised an eyebrow as she stopped at his side. They held their gaze for a few seconds before Cinder started to sink into the ground. Looking down in surprise, Jaune had only just realized that she was standing within his shadow, and that she had chosen his shadow as her abode. As her full form sank down into it, Jaune let out a sigh, not knowing whether he should be honored that she chose his shadow as her new home, or galled by the fact that she would rather live in his shadow than his actual apartment.

"Or you could do that…"

Alone in the dusty apartment, Jaune contemplated on his next step. Vampires attract supernatural aberrations, which meant he should take his next step carefully. He wouldn't want any dangerous ones lurking around at school.

He peered into the box of cream puffs and saw that there were still a couple of pieces left. Closing the box and lifting it up, he took one last look at the apartment. A mere footnote in his life story, and one that he would probably never visit again. Qrow already made it clear early on that this was a temporary abode. Where was his real home? Jaune did not know, and he never thought to ask.

Speaking of life stories, his mind went back to Blake and how she poured out parts of her past to the world like that back in Emerald Forest. It took guts, which was something he ashamedly admitted to not have in spades. He did tell her to be open to her teammates. Would he be able to stop being a hypocrite and tell her his story?

One day, he thought. He was avoiding it still.

It wasn't his place to tell

Excuses. Mere excuses. A part of him knew that Cinder wouldn't care if anyone else heard their story. Another part of him was jealous of Blake; jealous of how strong she was. Not just for being strong enough to attend Beacon through natural talent and training, but also to confront her past like that. Rubbing his pocket for his scroll, he was reminded of how he hadn't talked to his parents for two years, and how he always relayed any message through his sisters.

One day, he reminded himself. Today, however, was not that day. He had a sale to catch at the grocery store.

Yet another excuse in his long list of excuses.

He was standing in front of Beacon Academy now – or least the dorm area of Beacon. After preparing his heart and calling the faculty the day before, he was granted access to the student's dorm. Usually civilians were only allowed access to the CCT Tower, as it was a public place. Students of Beacon were allowed free access, however, unlike civilians, who had to pay for entry.

Plastic bag in hand, Blake's books felt heavy in it. He patted his hoodie's left pocket, finding comfort in the small book Qrow had given him. He had read the book in parts, not really caring of reading it in order. He had all the time in the world, after all.

Well, not today, actually. Today was a Saturday, which meant that the student body was enjoying a well-deserved break from school activities. It also meant he had part-time work in the afternoon. He had entertained the thought of asking Whitley to deliver the books, but considering his attitude towards Beacon the day before and his part-time job on Saturdays as well, Jaune doubt Whitley would accept his request, even with how close they were as friends.

Oh, well. He had already accepted the nametag a staff had given him on the Bullhead landing pad, which served to differentiate him from the rest of the student body. Now, if only his foot wasn't frozen on the doorstep of Beacon's dorm. Several students stared at him, clearly not recognizing the nervous blond in front of them.

"Come on, Jaune!" he muttered to himself. "You can do this! You're not alone! Cinder's at your side!"

Of course, the child vampire did not grace him with any sort of response. His shadow was still, not a ripple in sight. He also doubted that she'd support him in any sort of way on this matter. Still, the idea that someone was by his side calmed him down a bit. Just a bit.

Oh, who was he kidding…

Before he could take a step further, however, the door to the dorm opened with loud bang, and four girls of distinct colors stepped out into the sun's light.

However, Jaune's eyes were plastered on the girl with the red hoodie, or more specifically, her eyes. Having read the book Qrow had given him, he had read some entries regarding supernatural aberrations, and he had started from the top tier. Only three supernatural aberrant were listed under the highest tier.

Vampires.

The Four Maidens.

And Silver Eyed Warriors.

And the girl in front of him had silver eyes…

Not to mention she was so damn cute… Being as cute as she was should be a crime. Was he in love? No. Absolutely not. This wasn't even his hormones talking to him. This was his heart! And matters of the heart should always be a top priority! He wasn't looking at her like a piece of meat, or even a potential lover, but more like a cute dog or cat that deserves to be petted and spoiled. Oh, how he wanted to pet that soft red hair of hers… Would she squirm, or would she purr?

Jaune, however, was smart enough to realize that he was in a public place. And so, with great effort, he tore his attention away from her.

RESTRAINT!

RESTRAINT!

HAVE RESTRAINT, JAUNE "MOTHERLOVING" ARC!

"Jaune?"

He turned his head up to see Blake looking at him alongside three other girls, including the silver eyed girl. So this was Blake's teammates? They certainly seemed… colorful, as he took in their clashing color palette. However, the blonde one seemed to be narrowing his eyes at him, no doubt having noticed him staring at the red head. Who was she? Family? Lover? Either way, both options did not look good for him.

"What are you doing here?" Blake asked.

Oh, she was asking him a question? All right! First impressions, Jaune! Impress those three girls. All he needed was confidence, right? Just say something smart and suave. Channeling his inner Whitley, Jaune answered Blake's question in a manner that was totally not nervous at all.

"Fweh."

"..."

I really love making Jaune's "Fweh" into a running joke…

Anyway, this chapter merely serves as the introduction to Yang's story arc. I know what you're thinking. Why is it titled "Yang Past" when Yang is barely featured in it? Well, let me tell you, Cinder being at Jaune's side 24/7 now is a crucial plot point, as she will be quite important during this story arc involving Yang.

The chapter's a little short, but I don't think I could add anything more and not break the flow of the chapter. That being said, as it was with the last three chapters, the next chapters, which will be the meat of the story, and later the climax, will be longer than this one.

Also, I've written some drafts on a few future story arcs. And I've decided that I will be including three special flashback story arcs later in the fic titled Jaune Vamp, Whitley Drachen, and Cinder Fiasco. They won't necessarily be written in that order.

Will we see Qrow again? Yes. Yes, we will.

Anyway, tell me what you think of the new chapter. What do you think of my portrayal of Cinder and Whitley? Are they not what you expected, or is it as you expected them to be? Might as well tell me what you think of the edits I made in chapter 1 and 3 while you're at it. They're not that hard to find. Just subtle. I love reading theories.

TEASER FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER: Yang Past, Part 2

"Look, I have a weakness for cute girls. I'm not even sexually attracted. It's like looking at a cute puppy and wanting to cuddle with them!"

"Say no more, Jaune. I see that you too, are a man of culture."

"But Yang... You're a girl."

"Bah! Semantics!"