Another chapter of aftershock,Dragonslayer, with children. Mostly about the children, with some, other stuff.
"Are you going to accept the mission?"
Jaune and Yang both sat on the back porch, watching Huo and Junior playing in the backyard. The kids were running around, Junior chasing butterflies and other bugs, while Huo constantly built then destroyed a sand castle in the sand box. Yang sighed.
"The money is good, but...I don't want to be away from the kids for so long". Jaune grabbed her hand, squeezing it tight.
"I know. But I can take care of them. I know you miss being out there."
"It has been a while…" she said, holding up her scroll, one finger hovering above the accept button. "I just don't want to miss them growing up, Huo could develop her semblance and day now."
Jaune thought for a moment, looking at Huo, stomping through a sand village, destroying it while roaring like a giant monster, and Junior, chasing after a dragonfly, while also having a caterpillar on his shoulder, a bucket of other bugs in his hand. They did grow up so fast.
"How about this. While you are gone, if you go, I'll film everything"
Yang considered it. "Well...as long as you get everything…" she said.
"I'll get everything" he promised. She smiled, then hit the accept button. A few seconds later, she received full info about the mission,. She'd be leaving the next morning. Then Junior dumped his bucket of bugs on Huo, causing her to royally freak out.
"Why did we get him a bucket again?" Jaune sighed, as they once again stopped Huo from trying to bury Junior alive in the sandbox.
Huo woke up feeling slightly sick. Mommy had been gone for a few days now, daddy said she was helping protect people in Mistral. In those few days, her brother, the stupid head, had pushed her in a lake, thrown food at her, and tried to cut her hair, all to, "awaken her semblance" as he put it. Stupid head.
She sat u in her bed, feeling like her head was on fire, like when mommy got mad, but on the inside instead. She stumbled into mommy and daddys room, climbing onto their bed, trying to wake daddy.
"Hmm...huh? What? Wha you need sweetie?"normally she would giggle at him, but her head hurt so much.
"Daddy...my head hurts"
Jaune sat up, all his tiredness fading. His daughter was, in may ways, just like Yang, and in all her four years, Jaune had never seen her sick, not even when she played out in the snow without proper clothing.
He sat up, feeling her forehead. She was burning with a fever. He picked her up, carrying her down to the kitchen, trying to remember what to do for fever. Rest and fluids. That was what his mom had always told him. He sat her down on the table, going to get some apple juice for her.
When he got back, he was startled, her normally blue eyes were red, just like when...oh boy.
He had only a few seconds of warning before her entire body erupted into flames, burning through the chair and scorching the wall behind her.
Jaune rushed over to see if she was ok, noting that the fire had died down to just her hands.
"Daddy...what's happening?" as she looked up at him, her eyes returned to blue, the fire dying away. Jaune gently held her hands in his, making sure there were no burns, but her hands were fine, small and soft as ever.
He sighed, glad that she wasn't actually sick. Then it hit him. Had it been recorded? He had set up cameras all over the house, just in case he missed something. He went over to the counter, and picked up the camera there. It was a fancy kind, being motion activated, and motion tracking. He stopped the recording, then wen back through it, hoping it had gotten it.
A few seconds later, he sighed in relief. It had recorded it, which was good because Yang would've killed him if it hadn't. He turned the camera on again, deciding to personally film the rest of the day.
"Hey Huo, how do you feel now?" he asked, double checking the camera was still going.
The little blonde girl giggled, clapping her hands together, each clap making her hands flicker with flames. "Yay yay yay! I am like mommy!" Jaune couldn't help smiling. Sure, Huo could be a bit, well, destructive. She prefered to play with grimm figurines rather than normal dolls, and she had almost killed her brother a few times, but with time she would mellow out, he hoped.
Yang liked to compare her to a fire, hot flames, dying down to slow burning coals, ready to erupt back to full fire at any time. As opposed to Jaune Jr. their son was more, calm, though he did have his mischievous side.
Jaune picked Huo up, putting her on a different chair, before giving her her apple juice and going to dispose of the charred remains of the other chair. When he got back, he could her Junior downstairs as well. He hurried, knowing that he couldn't' leave them alone for long periods of time anymore.
It had been over two weeks since Yang had left. The mission had been simply an escort mission, but he supposed those could easily go overtime. It wasn't until past midnight that he heard the door open and close. Getting up, he went over, seeing Yang shrugging out of her coat.
"Hey Yang, how did the mission go?" he asked, handing her a cup of coffee.
"It was just an Escort mission." she replied nonchalantly. "Building company needed guarding. Apparently they're going to rebuild Shione." she took the coffee, drinking it eagerly. "How about you? The kids ok?"
Jaune chuckled a little. "For the most part. Junior kept pranking Huo. speaking of which, she discovered her semblance" he said, gesturing to a large burn mark on the wall. "I got most of it recorded, if you want to watch it."
Yang laughed a little "she really is my daughter isn't she?" giggling again, she leaned closer giving Jaune a kiss before heading upstairs to check on the kids herself. While she was upstairs, he went over the past week, including the...guest..
The kids had just been let out into the backyard. He was watching them, making sure they got along, when the doorbell rang. Sighing, he went to go answer it. Walking through the house, he opened the door, expecting to see one of his friends, Nora or Ren. he didn't expect to see Ozpin and Ruby.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Neither directly responded. "Mr Arc, may we come in?" asked Ozpin in his usual reserved tone.
"Yeah, yeah sure" he replied, looking curiously at Ruby, who kept her hood up, hiding her face in shadow. Something felt, off, about this. They both walked in, going to sit in the kitchen. Or rather, Ozpin sat while Ruby stood behind him. Jaune sa across from him, keeping an eye on the children through the window.
"You must be wondering why we're here" said Ozpin, resting his hands lightly on the table. Behind him, ruby shifted slightly, her cloak rustling.
"The thought did cross my mind, headmaster. It is unusual for you to leave Beacon these days. You normally just send the General." it was an inflammatory comment, mostly directed at Ruby. he was glad to see her nervously fidget again.
"Jaune, I know you don't approve, but we need you. Once I get too old, Beacon is going to need a strong headmaster. You are a natural leader."Jaune looked at Ozpin. He did seem very old, though it was hard to tell. He still felt that there was something wrong about this.
"I've said it before, and it still stands. I have a family to care for."
"And you will need money. Isn't that why Ms Xiao Long still takes missions?" Jaune was shocked. How did he know what they did? He smiled, very faintly. "As headmaster of Beacon, i have the information on every mission, and who takes it, as well as the complete roster of active huntsmen and huntresses."
Jaune clenched his hands under the table. His ears were filled with a ringing sound, and he was about to start shouting at the man, but at that moment, Junior and Huo came running in, giggling and pushing each other. They stopped at the scene in front of them.
"Daddy, who are you talking to?" asked Huo. Jaune stood up calmly, before moving to stand by them. "This is your...aunt, Ruby." he indicated the hooded girl. Slowly, she lowered her hood, mismatched eyes taking in the sight of her niece and nephew. "And ths is Ozpin" he said, but the children weren't listening.
"She's our aunt?" asked Junior, looking at her curiously.
"She's so coooool!" shouted Huo, running over and attaching herself to Ruby's leg, Junior right behind her. Ruby, still the same when it came to other people, awkwardly waddled outside, a child on each leg, which is what Jaune had hoped for, as he now didn't have to worry about the kids overhearing.
"Such amazing children, Mr Arc." Ozpin had stood up, resting both hands on top of his cane. "For now, I'll leave, and give you some time to think about the offer." he turned to leave, placing a sealed letter on the counter as well.
"Ozpin, why are you so insistent on it being me? Why not Glynda?"
He stopped, just a few feet from the front door. He didn't turn around, but jaune detected a tenseness in his shoulders. "Miss Goodwitch wasn't there, that night." and then he was gone. A few minutes later, the kids came back in, saying that "auntie" had left as well.
"She's soo cool!" said Junior. "She showed us her scythe!"
And her eyes are funny" added Huo, not realizing her hands were on fire.
"How come mommy never talks about her?" asked Junior. Jaune froze. He wasn't sure how to explain it, nor was he exactly sure himself. "You know what, why don't we go get some ice cream, ok?" immediately, they forgot all about questions as they started running around cheering for ice cream. He would have to remember to tell Yang about this, the visit, and the question.
In the kitchen, Jaune picked up the envelope from the angrily, he turned to throw it out, but before he could, he heard Yang speak from behind him.
"What is that?"Her voice was serious, and, turning around, he saw that her arms were folded, fac set in a deep frown. Sighing, he handed the envelope to her. Seeing the Crest of Vale on the front, her frown turned to a scowl.
"They're still after you? Even after all we've said?" she half shouted, not wanting to wake the kids.
Jaune sighed warily, gesturing for her to read it. "Not quite."
Opening it, Yang quickly read through it, becoming angrier with every sentence. When she finished, her eyes were red, hire flickering with flames."I do not care what they offer. I will not let that...bureaucracy take you away. Who would look after the kids? We don't need this."
Jaune sighed. "I know honey, I told them the answer is no." Yang calmed down a little, the flames dissipating, the room cooling by ten degrees, though her eyes were still red.
"Good. after...that day...I'm not letting another family member be sucked into the pit Ozpin has created." Jaune walked forward, hugging the fiery blonde, saying nothing just yet, just being there.
"I know." Jaune said after several minutes "we've both lost people to that man. I...I lost Pyrrha. You, in a way, lost Ruby. but I will not leave you. Just like you didn't leave me. Us being together. It is our destiny"
In case anyone is wondering why Ozpin is alive in this when he is dead, well, you don't have all the info yet do you. Next chapter will hopefully make it all make sense.
