Jaune woke up rested and smiled. The rest of the first day of Patch's Spring Festival was fun, Yang and Pyrrha spent time with him, they ate, they drank, they had a great time all accounted for. Though he was sure that something dangerous was always watching him, the same sensation he got when Grimm was nearby.
But now he felt great and decided it was time to cook breakfast. But as he tried to get up, he felt something hold him down, and as he opened his eyes and looked, he saw his two gorgeous girlfriends sleeping on his chest. He smiled and shook them softly.
"Five more minutes…" They said at the same time as the girls snuggled more on him.
"I would love to let you two sleep, but…"
"SUNFLOWER! PUPPY! WAKE AND SHINE!"
"DAD?!" Yang jumped off the bed, forcing Pyrrha to wake up too. The last night they all were able to sleep in the airship, but they didn't expected Taiyang to come inside looking for them, and were even wondering who let the guy in. And of course, if he caught the three of them sleeping in the same room, Jaune was dead. So dead. "Jauney, the window!"
"But…"
"WINDOW NOW!" Yang opened the relatively small window of the aircraft and tossed Jaune off skillfully, and then his clothes. Pyrrha rushed to look at the window.
"Yang! This is like a second floor fall!" The redhead protested.
"His Aura will protect him from the fall! Nothing would protect him from my father!"
The two girls got out of their sleeping gear and into their usual clothes and opened the door of their room. Taiyang was there playing with Zwei and happily chatting with Ruby as the reaper devoured the fresh made cookies her dad brought her.
"Dad! What a surprise!" Yang started as she approached and hugged her father. Mostly to hide her guilty face.
"I couldn't wait to be with my daughters! Where is Arc?" He asked, barely able to hide a certain irritation on his voice.
"I am here…" A panting Jaune said as he reentered the aircraft from its back door.
"Why are you so tired? And why are you covered in leaves?" Ruby asked innocently.
"I was out for a morning jog." He lied and smiled. "So, I will make breakfast. Yeah, that."
"I will help you lad." Taiyang offered and the two got into the kitchen area. Yang pushed Ruby closer and whispered to her sister.
"Ruby, did you let dad in?"
"Yep. He brought fresh baked cookies!"
"You let dad in, while I was sharing the bed with Jauney and Pyrrha?"
"Yep… oh…" Ruby left a nervous giggle. "Sorry!"
"Thankfully it seems dad noticed nothing. But Ruby, I swear I will take all of your cookies if dad hurt my Jaune."
"And I will help her, Ruby." Pyrrha added to the threat, making Ruby hug her plate of cookies protectively.
…
Taiyang was patient.
He wouldn't go and rip the head off Jaune's shoulders in front of his girls. They clearly liked the boy, one way too much, and he could admit if it was not for the fact he dared to trick Yang into a relationship (according to him) the man also liked the knight. There was also the fact that Sarah and Michael would be slightly mad if they discovered what happened to their son.
That is why Taiyang had a plan.
"Hey kids, I know it is spring break and all, but there have being some Grimm sightings a little too close to the farms this morning, and I was wondering if you all would help patrolling the borders."
"Sure thing, daddy! We will kick Grimm butt!" Ruby said way too excited about it, her mouth still dirty of the chocolate syrup from her pancakes.
"Yeah! He will send them packing!" Nora supported. They were at heart Hunters, no matter if they were on spring break or not.
"It is the least we can do to pay for your hospitality." Jaune agreed, and Taiyang felt a bit of guilty. The guilty all left when he saw Yang putting a strawberry on his mouth and praise the boy.
He is so dead.
…
The knight was walking near the forest border. They decided they would go alone to cover more terrain, but to stay with their scrolls on hand. The blonde boy hoped nothing wrong would happen, and was more concerned with the weird behavior Taiyang was showing in the morning, like he was being excessively friendly. It was good because Jaune really wanted to tell him he loved Yang (and Pyrrha), but the girl was adamant that was a bad idea.
His thoughts were interrupted as a small girl wearing a blue dress and pigtails hugged him, crying.
"Hey, hey, what is wrong?" The boy asked the crying girl, petting her hair in an attempt to calm her down.
"Max ran inside the forest!" She said while rubbing her eyes.
"Who's Max?"
"My dog! He just ran inside the forest but there are big scary things there and I can't go find him!"
"OK, I will go look for him. Let me just… Where is my scroll?" He checked his pockets and couldn't find his scroll anywhere. He groaned and looked at the sobbing girl. "What is your name?"
"I am Lapis…"
"OK, Lapis, do me a favor, go back to the village and inform Taiyang, Yang or my partner Pyrrha, the beautiful girl with long red hair in a ponytail that I am in the forest searching for your dog. Can you do that?"
"Yeah… Please bring Max back!"
"Sure thing. Now go." As the girl ran back to the security of the village, Jaune drew his sword and entered the dark forest. He didn't see when the little girl met a big man on the way.
"Did he bit the bait?" Taiyang asked Lapis. The girl smiled and showed a scroll on her hand.
"He did. Now, about payment…"
"Yeah, yeah, you little devil. I will buy you that teddy bear you wanted."
"It was a pleasure to make business with you, Mr. Taiyang." With that the girl returned back to the village, while the big man walked towards to the forest, smiling as there was a surprise waiting for Jaune there.
…
The forest around Patch was denser and more difficulty to walk around than Jaune expected, probably more enclosed than it was Forever Fall or Emerald Forest near Beacon. The light of the sun was having difficulty to get through the trees, and the place had a gloomy atmosphere because of its constant shade.
This also put the knight on the edge, as he listened carefully for any sound coming from his surroundings. He avoided calling the dog as he feared that would attract Grimm, and just hoped his friends would get there soon. The place sounded awfully too quiet for his tastes and he just wanted to get out of there sooner than later.
As he got deeper in the forest, it seemed to become darker to the point it looked like night, making the knight stop. He couldn't simple keep walking around aimless, and was about to walk back when he listened some faint barking. He felt relieved and walked towards the sound, still with shield and sword ready.
Soon he found himself in a small clearance, yet covered by the shade of the trees, but no sign of a dog. The barking also stopped, and Jaune noticed the deafening silence around. Deciding that was a bad place to be he was about to turn around when a sound from above drew his attention.
He barely had time to block the attack, and his attempt to counter failed.
Jaune's eyes followed the shadow that just attacked him as it spun and quickly climbed a tree, resting in a branch. The figure was clad in black rags; the crouched figure looked like a crow as it kept observing the knight. The boy decided that staying there and confronting that mysterious enemy was foolish, but the moment he tried to move away the mysterious attacker struck like a lightning.
This time Jaune couldn't move the shield enough, but his Auras shield protect him as he saw with the corner of his eye that the attacker had some type of bladed weapon. The attacker wasn't a Grimm, apparently, but that didn't meant he was less dangerous. In fact, the knight would have preferred the Grimm.
The attacker once again jumped, the speed he attacked was mind-blowing, almost as fast as Ruby. Jaune was being forced to cover himself with his Aura shield, and couldn't attack fast enough before the attacker jumped back to a tree branch. The knight knew he couldn't stay just defending since his Aura was to eventually run out. So he decided to try a trick.
He pushed his Aura around Crocea Mors blade and extended it, making a very long blade made of white light. He attacked, forcing the black figure to jump off the way as the blade cut the branch it was sitting easily. Using that extended blade, Jaune kept attacking to no avail, the black figure to agile and fast as the blade cut through the trees.
Jaune was forced to stop attacking as he felt his Aura at its limit. He needed to use his second biggest skill now.
"Come on you coward, try to take me head on!" Jaune taunted, shield on front and sword over his head.
The black figure seemed hesitant, but then jumped on Jaune making a spin in the air, this time the knight saw clearly the dark, curved blade aimed at him. The boy had only on chance, and he focused his Aura on the tip of his blade. At first, nothing happened, but the concentrated energy reacted.
A flash illuminated the dark forest, blinding the attacker long enough for the knight to attack.
A thrust of his sword met with a loud thud.
When the light finished, Jaune noticed Crocea Mors hit a log covered into the black rags.
He heard applause and turned to the sound.
Standing a few meters away was a tall but thin man, the face showing signs of age, despite the pitch black hair and goatee. He was clad in grey and black, a very dated style for clothing, Jaune thought to himself. He wore a black hood not dissimilar to the one Ruby wore, and also similar to the young red reaper was the big scythe resting by his side.
"I see the Arc bloodline still can surprise you."
"Who are you?" Jaune asked still ready for battle, but knowing very well he stood no chance as his Aura was almost depleted after his last trick.
"Ah, pardon my manners. I am Qrow." Jaune almost lost his cool at the sound of the famous name.
"Ruby's teacher? Why you attacked me?" The knight kept his battle stance and Qrow laughed again.
"Really. One year and look at you, from complete amateur to be able to fight me as long as you have. You look like your mother, but have the determination and brains of your father. For my reason of attacking you, Ruby is not my only niece."
"Oh, of course… You know about Yang, Pyrrha and me. You are trying to intimidate me in leaving her. Not gonna work. I like her, she likes me. The three of us decided to try it, and we are happy together right now."
"Oh, you are saying Yang and Pyrrha know about each other?" Qrow sounded surprised and amused at the same time.
"Yes! I would never two time! They are important to me, important friends before being my girlfriends!" Jaune shouted, prompting Qrow to laugh at that.
"So much like your father, but I can see much of your mother on you too. I see, I see. Young people always surprising us old people. I can tell I won't scare you away from my niece, and it would be a shame losing someone like you. Very well, I am satisfied." Qrow said as he sat in a tree stump.
"So, can we stop this silly game and go back. I don't want to worry them. There is no dog lost, is there?"
"No, but you might discover a tiger to deal with."
"A tiger?"
Qrow couldn't answer as Jaune sudden had to block a punch and was thrown against a tree, his Aura just enough to avoid having his shield arm broke. He was barely conscious as he saw Taiyang standing there.
"Taiyang, I think we need to talk." Qrow said calmly, but the taller man growled at him.
"No talking, more stomping."
"I think we need to talk with your daughter first. Things aren't exactly as you thought."
"Don't let him fool you, Qrow. He is two timing my daughter with the Mistrali girl."
"No, he isn't dad. And who of you hurt MY boyfriend?"
Qrow and Taiyang turned around to find a very pissed red eyed flame haired Yang walking towards them, with Pyrrha by her side. Neither of the girls seemed happy, and Qrow just took some steps back.
"I don't know what the boy did to you, sunflower, but this ain't right." Taiyang challenged.
"I will tell you what he did to me, dad. He treated me well, with respect, was a great friend more concerned with my well being than his own. I love him and want to be with him." Yang gave a longing smile and stare towards the boy. "Pyrrha and I love him and there is nothing you can do to change that."
"There is one thing."
Taiyang motioned towards Jaune, and Yang attacked him, positioning herself between Jaune and her father, soon followed by Pyrrha. The man growled and stared at the two girls. He wasn't blind, of course, and knew there was love between the three teenagers. But he was old, experienced and was once a teenage boy too. He would not accept that.
"Open your eyes Yang, he is playing with you!"
"You don't know him as well as we do. It was us that told him first we were in love, and he didn't jump on the chance of 'scoring' with us. Jaune don't see me as just a pretty girl. I won't give up on him." Yang defended the knight, and her father growled.
"Mr. Xiao Long, you don't know Jaune as well as we do. He didn't even know of my status as a four times champion when we met, and no one treated me as fairly as he does. I would even say his… charm is not in smooth talking. It is in his honesty and dedication." Pyrrha defended her boyfriend, making Taiyang growl even louder.
"Qrow, help me here!"
"Sorry old man, but they look quite fond of the Arc lad, too much for it being them just dazzled by his striking charm… Which if Ruby told me the truth, he is quite lacking on that skill."
"Ach! I don't know what sorcery the boy has, but he will not take my daughter from me!"
"That is not for you to decide, Taiyang. Our daughter is no child anymore."
They turned to see a black haired woman with red eyes helping Jaune up. She was wearing a black and red battle attire, a sword sheathed by her side. She had an easy smile, but a powerful aura around her.
"Thanks, Miss Raven." The knight said as he got up, holding his head with a hand. "I thought I was done for."
"Mom?" Yang asked Raven with a disbelieved look in her eyes. Jaune stared at the brawler, at the older woman and back to Yang before finally saying something.
"Aren't you too young to be Yang's mother?" He said without weighting much on what he was saying. Raven laughed heartily while Qrow smirked and Taiyang growled again.
"I can see how you were able to win the hearts of not one but two girls. This naïve honesty is quite charming. But yes, I am Yang's mother." Raven spoke softly and smiled at the blonde boy, who looked really nervous right now.
"How you two know each other?" Pyrrha was the first to question as Jaune never mentioned Raven before.
"Oh, she helped me that time we were fighting Cinder. By the way, thanks for that pep talk that day. If not for you, I wouldn't have mustered the courage to help my friends." Jaune spoke quite shyly, receiving a gentle hand on his shoulder from Raven.
"The courage was all yours. Now, get your girlfriends and go back to Patch. I will have a talk with Taiyang and Qrow about dealing about their way of dealing about my daughter's love life." Jaune just nodded as both Yang and Pyrrha clang on his arms.
"Wait, why me?" Qrow asked surprised.
"Why you, yes. I am surprised you got on Taiyang's rather aggressive approach on parenthood, brother. Now, children, go back to Patch, and don't mind if you hear some… disturbing sounds.
The three teens rushed from the clearing as fast as they could, followed by almost every critter around.
…
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby zoomed in on his uncle as he came back one hour later after our lovely trio. The man looked a bit disheveled but fine, and gave his niece a tight hug.
"Look at you! You grow up so much!" He laughed and petted the small girl.
"Yep, lots of milk. Now I can beat you by trying to kill Jaune." She smiled at the older man but armed her Crescent Rose anyway.
"Come on, Rubes, I was just testing his abilities."
"Uncle Qrow… Run." And he did just that, with a murderous little red and black scythe wielder giving chase to the amusement of the villagers and Ruby's friends. Soon after Taiyang and Raven came, the big man showing some dark bruises like he was hit by a thin but hard object.
"Say it." Raven demanded and he growled a little before speaking with Jaune between gritted teeth.
"I am sorry I tried to murder you. I love my daughters and I can be a little overprotective of them. As long as you make my girl happy, I won't interfere in your relationship." He said a clearly memorized text to the boy.
"I can only promise to always respect her desires, and that I will do whatever I can to make sure she is happy." Taiyang was about to say something else but Raven didn't allow him to.
"Go get Ruby. I don't want her to actually murder my brother. I will talk with them now." Taiyang growled and gave one last menacing stare at Jaune before going away. Raven gave a stern look at the trio but smiled. "Now, I have only two questions for you girls. Do Jaune treat you fairly and are you happy with your arrangement?"
"Well, it has being just a few days, but yes, I am very happy with it, and he always treats me how I want to be treated by my boyfriend." Pyrrha spoke first.
"I love him, more than I expected to." Yang answered simple, making Raven gently caress her head.
"Very well, that is all I need to know. You two feel free to call me if you need advice, which is all I can give you." She smiled again and looked at Jaune. "Now, could you two and make a favor of checking Taiyang and Qrow? I am pretty sure that old big cat is probably picking fights to release his anger while Ruby is trying to cripple my brother."
The two girls hesitated but got up. Before moving away Yang gave a tight hug to Raven, surprising the black haired woman. Her relationship with her daughter still wasn't in the most firm grounds, and the act was unexpected. The older woman returned the hug and they stayed like that for a few moments before Yang finally decided to find Ruby. As the two teens moved away, Raven cast her eyes on Jaune, who nervously scratched the back of his head.
"Can we skip the death threats?" the boy asked, making Raven smile.
"We can. Do you love her?"
"Yes, I do. Probably should tell them that too." Jaune said truthfully.
"You should. I know sometimes things can't go… the usual way. Don't think bad of Taiyang, he is just overprotective and lack some sensibility to deal with his daughters. As long as you keep Yang happy, he will come to accept it."
"Thanks, I can only try my best."
"Now, let's find them before they destroy the village." Raven gave Jaune a smirk, and he could only laugh nervously. He knew they could just do that.
…
"Come on, lad, it is my way to apologize for having a completely reasonable reaction over discovering my princess is dating." Taiyang said as he lined the glass shots. They were filled in the bottom with a clear green mint liqueur and on top with a chocolate milk brown one. Jaune analyzed the beautiful drink for a second.
"That is a weird way to say you overreacted, dad." Yang playfully stated as they were inside the only tavern in the village.
"Past waters, sunflower. Know you this is the perfect way for me to bond with your… b-boyf-f…" Taiyang started stuttering, making the presents laugh.
"OK, you old tiger, what you are planning?" Raven questioned, curious about what made Taiyang change his mood so fast.
"Come on Raven, it is just a competition between men. Let's make a bet, Jaune. The loser will have to wear a dress for the rest of the week." Jaune laughed at it. He was used to wear a dress, thanks to seven sisters and all. So he agreed with it.
"Jaune, are you sure you can handle it? Taiyang looks like he can drink a lot and those liqueurs are quite strong." Pyrrha asked and Jaune just shrugged.
"It will be funny." Jaune answered as he drank his first shot, to a round of cheers of the audience.
Taiyang smiled and drank his own shot.
He had a plan.
If he could make Jaune drunk, he could make the right questions out of the boy and make his precious daughter see he was not worth of her, and all that without having to end his existence. It was the perfect, fool proof plan.
…
Except Jaune was pretty damn resilient against alcohol.
The combination of huge reserves of Aura, the fact he grew up in a vineyard, attended a sailor school and the Arc genes granting him a high tolerance made him being just groggy after twenty shots. Funny enough, it was Taiyang the one spilling many of his secrets to the knight.
"And that -hic- lad is how I didn't marry your mother…" The man finished telling the tale of how he and Jaune's father competed briefly for Sarah's attention. Jaune laughed at the end, together with everyone else. "I like -hic- you lad. I want to murder you but heavens I like you!"
"Come on daddy, you drank enough, let me take you home!" Ruby protested as her father clearly couldn't take it anymore.
"No, I have to beat him, puppy! For your sister!" Taiyang drunk his 21st shot. He stood up, eyes rolled back, and he fall straight on the floor with a loud, painful sounding thud. Jaune drank his and chuckled. The tavern cheered on his victory as he raised his arm in the air.
"Come on lover boy, better get you at the airship bed before you decide to be vomit boy again." Yang said as she put his arm around her. Jaune grabbed Pyrrha in the same ways and kissed both, causing another round of cheers. The girls were glad that Taiyang was unconscious.
"I love you two. Remember me to tell you that when I don't have too much alcohol in my head." He said happily, making the girls laugh and blush as they got him out of the tavern, followed by their friends. Even Ruby decided to leave her father sleeping in the cold floor of the bar.
"I hope we have a more peaceful time in Ren's village when we go there." Blake wondered as they walked back to the airship, Jaune happily singing some sailor song as he used his girlfriends as support.
"Blakey, Blakey, Blakey… Do you really have any hope we will have peace anywhere the eight of us go?" Nora was the one saying this, surprising Blake.
Of course, the Faunus girl could only accept that was going to be their reality.
…
A.N.: This is the last chapter in Patch, next is a shorter chapter just to make some dirty jokes before we go to Ren's village, where we will have a lot of Renora's moments. :3
