Hello dear readers! This chapter again took me quite a while to write, but I am happy with the result. The next few chapters should come out a bit quicker.
Anyways, let's get into it!
Beta Reader: Jkdelta38
Weiss kept a fast pace as she walked out of the camp, Jaune following her in silence. Knee-high snow covered the plain, but tracks left by tanks or snowmobiles had created efficient pathways to other areas of the Fort. The duo thus made their way South using these serpentine paths of dirty snow and dead grass.
There had been a light rain the day before, and the unbroken crust of ice of the plain gleamed fiercely under the rays of the Midday sun, blinding Weiss each time she lifted her eyes from her boots. This and the sting of the wind forced the girl to keep her head down and her hood up as she walked on.
The rhythmic sounds of her boots meeting the ground and of her partner's own steps thus made for her only distractions from her screaming thoughts. The raging conflict of emotions that had occupied her mind recently had been rekindled by the anticipation of this talk with Jaune, and it made keeping a facade of calm nearly impossible.
Fear, remorse, a deep anger still burning fiercely... They had been her only companions in the last few days, and they were more agitated than ever.
After turning left on a diverging path in the snow and taking a few more strides, Weiss finally came to a halt and turned on her heels to face Jaune. The boy reached up to push back the hood of his coat and met Weiss' falsely calm expression with one of apparent nervousness. He had thus abandoned his leader persona at camp. Seeing this, Weiss decided to drop her own act and let her emotions show; hiding behind walls would do them no good here. Incertitude and fear made their way on her face first, showing themselves with a small frown and a twist in her lips.
The uncomfortable silence developed during their walk continued to hang between them as neither immediately started talking. Weiss was almost scared to open her mouth, not trusting her emotions enough to know what she might say. After a few seconds and a deep breath that Weiss clearly heard, Jaune was the one to break the silence.
He chuckled nervously, scratching at the back of his head as he looked away from Weiss for an instant. "It's almost funny, you know? I've spent the last few days trying to convince myself to go talk to you, to try and resolve whatever's gotten between us, and now that we're here I realize I have no idea what to say."
Weiss smiled lightly at that, even if just for a second. She had missed seeing her partner out of his self-imposed leader persona. "I can understand that. I've thought of little else than our last discussion since it happened, and yet I have no idea how to resolve the situation." Her voice was low and soft, calm and level.
"Well, since I prepared no speech I guess I'll have to keep it simple. I'll have to speak my thoughts without a filter." Jaune nodded and took another deep breath. He locked eyes with Weiss again. "I have to start by saying I'm deeply sorry."
Weiss was so surprised by these words that she almost recoiled in shock. Why would he need to be repentant? She had been the one to escalate their last conversation until it was an exchange of screams, she had been the one to aim her anger at the Valean platoon towards Jaune. He had been pulled into rage by her by no fault of his.
"Jaune, w-what are you talking about?" Weiss felt her confusion mumble her words. "I should be the one asking for forgiveness, not you!"
Jaune shook his head side to side in negation. "You are partly to blame here, but I am too, and I won't let you take it all on yourself."
He looked to the sky and bit his tongue softly as he visibly gathered his thoughts, Weiss awaiting his next words in confusion.
"In the last few weeks I saw many signs that you were not doing well, that the stress of combat and the fear of loss were causing you great duress, but I barely did anything to help you." Jaune's voice was heavily melancholic and remorseful. "As your friend, your partner, your Platoon leader and especially as your boyfriend, it was my responsibility to help you deal with your pain, but I did a lousy job at it. When you told me all was alright when I knew it was false, I should not have accepted it. When told me that there was no time to talk about your fears, I shouldn't have accepted it. I shouldn't have let my other responsibilities take more room than the one I had for you. If I had been there for you earlier we could have avoided our conflict, and I wouldn't have caused you so much pain. I am so sorry."
Jaune's voice was almost a sob at the end, and he had to dry his eyes on the sleeve of his coat before meeting Weiss' gaze again.
The heiress was herself on the verge of tears. She knew that Jaune was right in a way, he could have done more to help her, but she could not bring herself to resent him for it in any measure.
She knew very well how psychologically taxing Jaune's role as a leader was, and so she could not have expected him to take her own problems upon his back as well. She also knew that he was greatly underestimating her personal pride and stubbornness when thinking that he could have convinced her to speak of her fears earlier; she would most certainly have pushed him back. She had enough self-understanding to know that only a situation of crisis could possibly convince her to reveal her deeper fears, even to someone she trusted so very much.
But, despite thinking them unneeded, Weiss still felt a powerful surge of love from these apologies. They made obvious just how much Jaune cared for her, and just how much he wanted this conflict to be put behind them.
Seeing her partner so sorrowful made Weiss want to approach him and hug his tears away, but she controlled herself for now. She needed to make her own apologies first, otherwise she would not deserve the contact.
"Jaune, I accept your apologies wholeheartedly, and I dare hope that my own will be worth the same treatment." Weiss steadied her breathing as well as she could and purposefully kept her eyes fixed on Jaune's. "I am terribly sorry for how I acted. I let every dark emotion in my mind fuel my anger, and then I turned this anger against you. I was unreasonable when you tried to placate me, I refused to acknowledge your opinion on the actions of the Valean soldiers as anything legitimate, and I held them accountable of every woe that had befallen me on that day. I cannot find it in me to forgive their actions, but it did not mean they deserved everything I said of them, and it certainly didn't mean you deserved my anger for defending them. I am deeply sorry, and I can only hope that you will not think lesser of me for my actions."
Somehow, Weiss had managed to keep a straight voice for the duration of her apologies. Her watery eyes never left Jaune's, and the emotions she saw in them meant the world to her.
In his eyes were no anger, disgust, annoyance or reproach. Only understanding, a residue of sorrow, and what she could only assume was love.
"I accept your apologies, Weiss, and I can assure you that I haven't lost any respect for you." Jaune said that with a beautiful smile that melted away so many of Weiss' worries that she could almost feel a void in her soul where they had once been. She was surprised when Jaune continued talking.
"That's actually one of the only things that kept me stable in these last few days." All sorrow was gone from Jaune's voice. It was now filled with obvious joy and amusement. "I was angry at you for a few hours, and that was a pain. I was annoyed at the whole situation for a while longer, enough to keep me awake at night. Then I started feeling angry at myself for having been so damn oblivious to how I could have helped you from the beginning. But, one of the only things I never doubted and that kept me from having anxiety attacks is that I never even came close to hating you, I never stopped loving you with all my heart. Since I was pretty certain you felt the same, that meant I always knew we could get over this whole situation when needed."
That was when Weiss finally lost the rest of her composure. Without wasting time to talk, she walked the few steps that separated her from her boyfriend and demonstrated her thoughts physically.
Their lips met with passion, Weiss standing on the tip of her boots and Jaune slightly leaning forwards for the kiss to connect. Both of Jaune's hands went to the small of Weiss' back, stabilizing her posture as they kissed. Weiss wrapped her right arm around her lover's neck and moved her left hand through his wild hair moist with melting frost.
As they separated for an instant, Weiss licked her lips and tasted the salt of a tear she had previously shed. This only reinvigorated her as she went back to the sweet taste of Jaune. His lips tasted of shattered fears, his tongue of rekindled hopes.
The kiss continued for more than a minute, only ending when Jaune moved his head away and reached up to take Weiss' hands in his own. The girl brought her heels back to the ground and looked up at the boy, the mist from their ragged breaths meeting between the two.
Jaune was grinning down at Weiss. "It's been a while since I've seen you smile like that. I missed it."
Weiss, now aware of the smile spanning her lips, felt it grow as she giggled before being beaten back as other thoughts came over her. It was barely still visible when she answered.
"Smiles never came easily to me, but I had to fight an internal battle for each and every one of them recently." She felt Jaune's grip on her hands tighten at her words.
"You know I wasn't kidding earlier, right?" Jaune said, his voice gentle yet strong. "I won't let you keep your fears to yourself any longer, not when they're tearing you apart like that."
Weiss nodded softly. "I know. I expected the subject to come around when you decided to talk today, and I am prepared for it."
She was prepared for it by the many days her fears ate away at her sanity. It was clear to her that her unsuccessful internalization of her worries and anxieties had directly led to her lashing out at Jaune and nearly broke the relationship she held the dearest. Trying to continue with the same mindset now would be dangerous and unwise.
"Do you mind if we continue walking as we talk?" Weiss asked her boyfriend. "I need to warm my frozen legs."
The two partners continued their walk down the slithering paths in the snow, making their way North-Northeast and around the Mistralian camp. Jaune walked to Weiss' left and kept her hand in his, hoping the gesture would give her strength as she prepared to speak what she had kept silent for so long. Unbeknownst to her, he also started using his semblance to heat up the air around them slightly.
"The first thing weighing on my mind I think you already surmised." Weiss started speaking, her voice grim yet resolute. "The Grimm are winning this war. Olmar and the other border villages are more than five hundred kilometers north of us now, and the Grimm hold every bit of territory in-between. The front has been holding more recently, but even our victories are not without casualties. This is becoming a war of attrition that I cannot imagine Vale winning."
Jaune could only stay silent as Weiss listed the types of worries that kept even the bravest of soldiers awake at night. She painted a bleak portrait of Vale's war effort, and one that was not entirely wrong, but it lacked many important aspects. While wars were often analyzed only by their battles, Jaune had learned from experts that the events behind the front could be of a much greater significance.
"You've got to look at the broader picture, Weiss." Jaune started, talking with as much determination as he could. "The situation on the front might seem static, but the home-front is working its ass off to improve things. More and more industries are getting re-purposed for the war effort, Vale's allies are sending more soldiers and equipment, and new technologies are always getting researched. If you'd been there this morning to see Major Darjeeling's new tank prototype you would have no doubt that things are looking up."
"Things might be improving, but that means next to nothing when you look at just how much work has to be done!" Weiss' voice was filled with so much defeatism that it hurt just to hear it. "Do you really think that the borders will be kept safe simply by throwing more supplies at the Grimm? Do you really think that this Fort would not have suffered casualties two weeks ago if the garrison had been using shiny new guns and tanks? And what of the Valean Platoon that nearly doomed itself four days ago? Would you seriously pretend that all would have gone well for them if they had been better supplied? Bad management and incompetence are flaws that cannot be resolved materialistically!"
Here Weiss' usual biting tone came back into view, though substantially weaker than in most occasions. Jaune wasn't sure if this came from Weiss forcing herself to stay calm or if she was just too weakened by her emotions. He wasn't even sure which option he dreaded the most right now.
Whatever the case, he had to continue to push back against Weiss' worries.
"You're right that Vale has deeper issues than insufficient supplies right now," Jaune conceded, "but that's also going to improve over time. Vale hasn't fought an actual war in seventy years, so I'd argue that they've been doing a damned good job re-learning how to do it, but it would be crazy to expect anything to be perfect from the beginning. Three months ago, not one military officer on Remnant had more field experience than a few border skirmishes with Grimm, and yet we've managed to hold here. These officers are gaining experience from each victory and from each defeat, probably learning at ten times the rate they would have in military school, and they'll make up the backbone of the army as time goes on."
Weiss seemed almost disconcerted as she was listening to him, and she had her retort ready the instant he finished.
"So you still think we should put any confidence in Vale's officers? You still think we should trust a system where officers can exit military school and not know how to use a portable radio?" Her voice was almost patronizing.
"I do, and I have good reasons." Jaune's statement was met with a scoff, but he kept calm and continued after a small pause. "I've talked to the officer in question since. Lieutenant Brandon Stone. A good guy, very honest."
By the way her nails dug into his palm for a few seconds, Jaune could tell that Weiss was less than enthused by the positive mention of the Lieutenant. There was a small silence between the two.
"I hope that he at least apologized for nearly getting you and his platoon killed?" Weiss spoke in a tone that showed annoyance and barely controlled anger. The fact that it was in any way controlled was positive in Jaune's eyes.
"He apologized, yeah. He was very polite about it, too." Jaune nodded. "What really impressed me was how he didn't try to downplay his actions. He knew how badly he screwed up, and despite having legitimate excuses at an arm's reach he grabbed none of them."
"Legitimate excuses?" Weiss let out these words in a whispered scream, sounding absolutely outraged. She even stopped walking for a second, only continuing when Jaune pulled lightly on her hand. "You ought to be mightily convincing, now."
Jaune nodded slowly, trying to decide how to present his arguments.
"I'll start with a question. For how long do you think Lieutenant Stone has been on duty?"
Weiss peered at him with an annoyed expression for a few seconds before answering. "For the sake of your argument, I assume it has not been long. The start of the war, maybe."
Jaune shook his head. "Not even that. He's been out of his military academy for three weeks. He came to lead his platoon when the previous Lieutenant was injured and evacuated back to Vale. After that, his unit got some respite while they were tasked with garrisoning the Southern slope of the hill. That means that his first taste of combat was about one week ago."
Weiss stayed silent at that, seemingly waiting for Jaune to continue. He instead waited for her to react. It took a few more seconds, but then her eyes widened in realization and a look of mild pity came to her face.
"He first saw action on the day of the breakthrough." Weiss correctly stated, her voice suddenly void of any contempt.
"Yup. It was the first time he saw Grimm with his own eyes, and they killed thousands of men and women in less than an hour." Jaune felt a certain melancholy in his own voice, and he didn't fight it. "His platoon was positioned pretty high on the hill so he never came to be in danger himself, but it offered him a perfect view of the chaos down below. His memories of that morning were so vivid the other day that I have no doubt he can still see the scene when he closes his eyes."
Jaune had listened patiently and attentively as the Lieutenant had recounted the breaking of the Fort. It had been painful for both of them, but Jaune had realized that the older man had needed to speak of it to somebody out of his own group so he let it happen. The boy's own dreams had been that much more graphic that night, but the Lieutenant seemed to have appreciated it.
"Imagine yourself in Stone's position four days ago, now." Jaune continued. "Your biggest field experience was one where you saw thousands of entrenched soldiers slaughtered, and now you are tasked to defend a gully with twenty-nine raw recruits and two commanders. Then, you get attacked from the skies by a flock of demonic birds and are supposed to lead your troops. I'd argue that most people wouldn't manage to keep calm."
His words hung between them for a moment.
"This does not make him blameless for panicking and forgetting his duties as a platoon leader," Weiss broke the newest silence that had fallen on the duo, her voice soft and thoughtful, "but, I suppose I can understand why you would sympathize with him now."
Jaune smiled at her for that, glad to have won her over somewhat. This battle wasn't yet over, though.
"Does that mean that you would consider meeting him at some point after you've mulled it over?" Jaune did not hide the hope in his voice.
Weiss grimaced slightly and gazed into Jaune's eyes with a frown of annoyance. "You expect me to apologize to him, don't you?"
Jaune shrugged lightly, trying to normalize the situation. "Well, I'm sure it would help put to rest some of the talks around the camp. It would also stop any intra-division rifts from widening."
Weiss groaned. "It spread around that fast, really?" Jaune nodded in confirmation, causing Weiss' grimace to slowly change into an expression of grim acceptance. "Then I suppose I don't have a choice, as much as it pains me."
Jaune smiled apologetically, knowing how prideful his partner was and how difficult it could be for her to admit to anyone other than her teammates that she might have been in the wrong.
Now he had to spring the trap.
"You know, I'm going to meet up with Lieutenant Stone and Sergeant Saunders in the evening. You could accompany me, that would mean getting it over with quickly."
"I could..." Weiss sounded mightily unconvinced. A new frown then took over her features. "Wait a minute. Why would you meet up with them today? I thought our Platoon was supposed to prepare for our big operation in two days?"
"Yeah, but I can't imagine that most of the group will still be able to listen to me speaking about military manoeuvres in seven hours, and training will be over for the day due to lack of sunlight." Jaune took a small pause before his last sentence. "And, since we will be working closely with platoon sixteen and others during the operation, we decided to meet up for supper and discuss planning."
There was another silence while Weiss crushed Jaune's fingers in the hand she had been holding. She slowly released her pressure, and Jaune let out the smallest of whimpers as she sighed deeply.
"I never would have expected you to be so devious in your approach, Jaune." Weiss said slowly. "I don't know if I should feel impressed instead of annoyed. In any case, I will agree to accompany you this evening."
"For all it's worth, I promise I didn't actually plan it with them in advance." Jaune giggled softly. "And I mean it when I say that dealing with this quickly is best. I wouldn't want problems on the battlefield in forty hours because there's a cold between you and the sixteenth platoon."
Weiss sighed again. "You know what's best for the Platoon, I don't doubt it."
The duo had made it about halfway around the camp's Eastern side, and now finally a more comfortable silence had fallen over them. They still had plenty of time before meeting up with the others North of the camp, so Jaune took his time before starting the conversation again.
Indeed, while the matter of Weiss' thoughts on the war would have to be discussed later after she at least had one night to think on it, Jaune had to ask about the other worries she was keeping away from him. It would do no good to keep more secrets now.
"So, Weiss," he started slowly, "could we now finish up what we started earlier? I'm sure you didn't tell me everything weighing on your mind."
She smiled sadly, her gaze directly in front of her. "Indeed I didn't. I was almost hoping you wouldn't ask for more." She turned her head to look at Jaune. "But shouldn't we go over some of your worries as well? I wouldn't want to force my emotions onto you without taking on the same responsibility."
Jaune smiled softly, entirely aware of how Weiss was trying to redirect the conversation away from her. "My worries are simple, and you've been helping me with them for months now. Am I a good enough leader? What if my plans stop working? Will I end up making the Platoon crumble from my incompetence?" He giggled, sending a loving grin at his partner. "Your counsels and confidence already stopped me from going crazy a few times, I'd wager. Now it's my turn to give back."
Weiss nodded, her sad smile dissipating and being replaced by the grim look she was sporting earlier. After a few long breaths, she started talking again.
"Do you remember the first conversation we had after our mission to Olmar; when you woke up in Beacon's infirmary?" Weiss asked, already feeling her emotions rushing around in her head.
Jaune took a few seconds to think before answering, lightly scratching at his stubble with his left hand. "I think I do. That's when you told me I had unlocked my semblance, right? You were also angry at me because of how reckless I had been."
"I was angry, yes, and it was not the only time." Weiss confirmed. "You had nearly killed yourself by jumping into a mass of Grimm. Then a few weeks later you nearly broke your arms again by entering a rage during our skirmish with the White Fang. Then it only took a few days before you injured yourself fighting a Deathstalker. Then came the incident with the Valean platoon."
"I can see a pattern, yes." Jaune looked only slightly apologetic.
Weiss nodded, feeling her heart beating in her chest. "There is a pattern, yes, and that is precisely the point."
"I don't get it." Jaune frowned questioningly.
"The point is that due to your own actions you always end up putting yourself in more danger than anyone else." Weiss was now having trouble keeping calm. "The point is that I was never able to convince you to stop considering your life as something you should risk throwing away as the first course of action to anything. The point is..." Weiss had to stop to sniffle. "The point is that I have seen you die in battle dozens of times in my nightmares and that I can see the moment when dreams come true looming closer each and every day."
Weiss had stopped in her tracks, her eyes fixed on her boots as she felt new tears forming in her eyes. She did not fight them; she wanted Jaune to know exactly how serious her words were, her pride be damned.
She pulled her hand away from Jaune's grasp and brought it in front of herself. Jaune came to a halt beside her.
"...Weiss, I-I don't know what to say."
This merely confirmed Weiss' intuition of Jaune's thoughts. They exchanged apologies just twenty minutes before, so it would have been quite easy for him to do the same thing again. The fact that he was instead at a loss for words proved that he did not feel regret for his actions.
He still considered his near-suicidal bravery as something that came with his goals of heroism; nothing had changed since their first field mission.
Once, that realization had nearly thrown her into a fit of rage. Now, it crushed her heart.
"Have you ever given a thought to what would happen to those around you if your luck suddenly ran out?" Weiss asked softly, hating the resignation she heard in her own voice.
Jaune grimaced sadly. "I try not to think about it too much. I'm not sure I'd be able to continue like this if I did."
If only my brain gave me such an option…
"Then let me tell you what would happen." Weiss took a deep breath. "First, the Hunter Platoon would break down and become useless for anybody. Then we would be sent back to Blackcliff and I would have to tell the news of your death to your sister, probably shattering her."
Jaune tried to interrupt her with a few gentle words, but she sent him a teary yet strong gaze in response. He grimaced and listened to the rest of her words.
"Then we would get back to Beacon. If our team is somehow still standing at that point, I believe that the memories of happier days in Beacon would finish us." Weiss could feel her tears streaming down her cheeks, but she did not stop. "Ruby would find a way to blame herself, and even the soothing words of Pyrrha wouldn't be enough to help her this time. I doubt even Yang would be able to get through to her in the first weeks."
"Then there's you." Jaune looked immensely melancholic, and his voice was filled with sorrow.
"Then there's me." Weiss nodded, taking a small pause to steady her breathing. "If you… if you died I don't know if I would be able to take it. You have been the most important person in my life for months now, and you became even more when you accepted my confession. You were the first person to ever break through to me when I tried to put up walls, and I don't know how long it would take me to let anybody else do so if you were gone."
When she looked up, Weiss saw a nearly broken Jaune. His eyes were gleaming with tears and his face was contorted by a pain that went beyond the physical.
"I-I'm so sorry for causing you pain like that." Jaune barely managed to croak out these words. "But you know that I can't change my way of fighting. I would become less than useless if I did."
Weiss had known that he would not change his behavior, she had known it for months. That was one of the biggest reasons why she had not wanted to bring up the subject; she had not wanted to create a rift between them. This had failed miserably, of course, and now they were on the edge of the precipice once again.
She was confused by his last sentence, however.
"How would not risking your life repeatedly make you useless?" Weiss questioned her partner.
Jaune smiled painfully. "Because that's the only way I can get even close to the performance levels I should be at. Even with all the training I've done since coming to Beacon I'm still barely a novice. I'm clumsy, I have laughable reaction times, and I'm nowhere near as fast or strong as a Hunter should be at the age of seventeen. I would be a liability in combat if I didn't take more risks than the others, and there's no way I'd be able to keep the Platoon together if I played it safe."
He said all this calmly as if it was all matter of fact, and that hurt Weiss greatly. It was rare to see Jaune speak so harshly of himself. His last words once again puzzled her.
"What does the Platoon have to do with this?" She asked, confusion in her voice.
"It has everything to do with this." Jaune sighed. "The twenty-four of us have been training together for weeks now, so there's no doubt everybody knows that I'm the weakest of the group. With that knowledge, what would the other leaders think of me if I played the role of an armchair officer?"
Weiss was starting to understand Jaune's argument.
"They would think you were afraid of getting hurt and weak-willed." She stated.
"Yup, and that would spell the end of my leadership." Jaune nodded. "This isn't like back in Beacon where Ozpin named me as leader; I was elected as commander of the Hunter Platoon, and I could be replaced in an instant. The only way to keep the respect of Coco and Sun and the others is to show that I'm willing to fight even harder than them, to show that I can pull my weight and more."
The duo was silent for a moment after that, both mulling over what the other had said and wiping away their tears. Weiss' fears had not been ended, but she had to admit that speaking them out loud somewhat lessened their weight. Knowing that Jaune had some reasoning behind his way of fighting was reassuring since it meant that it wasn't purely reckless, but it was also disheartening since it confirmed that it was not about to change.
Without a word, Jaune enveloped her in a warm hug and let his chin rest on the top of her head. She buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around him in return.
This finally let her relax, and her mind began to simmer down. There was still some tension between her and Jaune from issues that would take time to resolve and ideological differences that might never truly be agreed upon, but it was not enough to stop their love from living on. Thinking of the future and of its many branching paths would still keep her awake for many nights to come, she knew, but she resolved to keep focused on the present when possible.
In the present, she had someone she loved to her side and many friends around her. In the present, she had things to fight for. In the present, she still had reasons to hope.
And she would do all in her power to keep this present alive.
"They're hugging! They're hugging!" Ruby cheered happily from Pyrrha's side before turning to her. "That's good, right? It means they're back together, right?"
Pyrrha chuckled lightly, made glad by the sight of her two friends hugging in the distance and amused by the cheeriness of her partner.
"They seem to have reconciled, yes." Pyrrha sent a wide smile to her partner. "I told you this would end well."
Ruby and Pyrrha were standing in the small area void of snow North of the camp that had served as the Hunter Platoon's training area for the last few days. This was where Jaune had asked the other trainees to assemble after getting themselves ready, and most were now idling around waiting for the preparations to start.
Ruby had not been the only trainee to cheer happily when the distant silhouettes of their Platoon leader and his partner had hugged. Nora had shouted her joy and pulled Ren into an Ursa-hug, Yang had laughed and whistled salaciously, Sun had screamed a jovial 'AHAH' and high-fived his partner energetically.
Pyrrha was glad to see that despite the general consensus to not address the subject of the relationship conflict too loudly, most were genuinely happy to have it resolved positively.
In the distance, the two silhouettes separated from their hug and continued to walk Northwards. They were holding hands, something that made Pyrrha's smile even wider. Indeed, despite the optimism that she had shown in the last few days for Ruby's sake, she had truly been worried that her favorite couple might have hit a wall in their relationship.
She had seen Weiss' anger flare up before, of course, but never on such a scale as during her diatribe against Jaune. It had been scary to watch, and it became terrifying when Jaune let his own rage overwhelm him. Pyrrha had felt powerless, something that happened rarely, and before she could think of a way to intervene it had ended with the storming off of both partners.
In the following days, she and Ruby had tried to approach Weiss and Jaune separately to offer their help, but neither had accepted. Weiss had looked broken and defeated and had refused even to speak of the subject. Jaune had seemed a bit more open to the offer but had ultimately asked that the issue be left to him to resolve.
The lack of interactions between the lovers over the days had deeply troubled Ruby and Pyrrha, but they had agreed that trying to intervene further would only cause more issues.
That had in no way diminished the two girls' worries about the conflict, however, so they had spent many hours discussing it in the privacy of their tent.
While Ruby had been entirely on Jaune's side at first and was visibly horrified by Weiss' insults towards the Valean soldiers, Pyrrha had been more mixed in her reasoning and had slowly managed to bring her friend to her side. She had even made the effort to spread her opinion to the other teams, and many had been convinced.
It was true that Weiss had gone much too far in her disrespect of the Valean platoon, but Pyrrha understood that this onslaught had been fuelled by much more than anger, and it made her outlook on the subject much more balanced.
Weiss had been living her worst nightmare for many hours while Jaune was thought to be dead, so how could one truly blame her for lashing out at those that caused her such pain? She had been much more emotionally invested than any other, and it had to be taken into consideration.
It was evident that Yang would have reacted in a similar way if Ruby had almost been killed, that Sun would have snapped if Neptune or Blake had been put into risk, that Yatsuhashi would have crushed anybody putting Velvet into peril.
Thus, they had no right to judge Weiss so harshly.
It took Weiss and Jaune a few more minutes to arrive at the training grounds, and it gave time to the last of the trainees to arrive as well. They let go of each other's hand and Weiss moved to stand near Ruby and Pyrrha. The three girls exchanged smiles as Jaune addressed the group, and Pyrrha couldn't help but notice the redness of Weiss' eyes; a telltale sign that the reconciliation had not been without tears.
"Hello again, everybody!" Jaune called out strongly, his voice still marked by exhaustion. "I'm glad to see that you're all ready for some last-minute preparations!"
"Didn't you say that we had about 40 hours before the mission?" Neptune asked, his voice still thick with fatigue. "Why can't we wait until tomorrow before training?"
"Because I want you all to be able to relax and sleep tomorrow, otherwise you won't be ready for a full day of action afterward." Jaune explained. "That means that most of the planning has to be done here and now."
Jaune moved his gaze across the group of trainees, probably searching for any other objection. Pyrrha sent him a confident smile as he looked at her briefly, and he returned it happily.
"Alright, then I'll have you all separate into units for the training and I'll send you to your tasks." Jaune continued.
"All members of the Ambusher Core, group up and wait for your instructions at the edge of the river."
"Nora, Ruby, and Weiss run to camp and bring back the Dust mine you've been working on. We'll need to make sure it's ready to be used. Oh, and if you could grab my equipment and my backpack I'd appreciate it."
"All others, move to the center of the training grounds and start sparing. I'll give out special instructions once I'm done with the others."
"That's all. Let's get a move on, everybody!"
Night had fallen quickly upon Northern Vale, and the trainees of the Hunter Platoon had moved back to camp for the last few instructions given by Jaune around a campfire. After that, most had taken a quick meal and groggily walked to their tents. The leader of the Platoon had been especially unrelenting during training today.
Weiss and Jaune were sitting on an empty crate that had once housed Mosin-Nagant rifles. A heavy woolen blanket was draped around their shoulders, and the warmth of the roaring campfire washed over them.
"How much longer?" Weiss asked softly, not even bothering to hide the exhaustion in her voice.
Jaune shifted a bit under the blanket to reach for his Scroll before answering.
"Fifteen minutes. We might as well get going now; they won't mind us arriving early."
"Maybe I should take a cup of coffee before going." Weiss said as her partner stood up and unsettled the bubble of warm air that she had kept under the blanket. "I might not make it through the supper otherwise." She yawned for effect.
Jaune chuckled. "Knowing our host, I'm sure we'll have teacups thrust upon us as soon as we get there. You'll have no lack of caffeine."
"Very well, then." Weiss stood up as well.
The duo folded their blanket and jammed it into a bag before starting their walk down the twisting alleys of the city of tents. The numerous spotlights and streetlamps scattered around the camp offered sufficient visibility, but she knew that without Jaune she would have been lost in minutes. The chaotic layout of the camp was a nightmare to navigate through.
Five minutes later and after seven turns into more and more crooked alleys, the duo arrived in front of a large tent with the crest of Vale embroidered over its entrance. Made from beige canvas, it was easily tall enough for somebody even as tall as Jaune to stand in. From its side protruded a chimney already spewing out smoke. Pushing away the fabric that formed the door of the tent, Jaune motioned Weiss to enter first.
Ducking slightly, Weiss walked through the small entrance and into the warm atmosphere of the tent. The air was filled with the enticing smell of boiled meat and spices.
The interior was modestly furnished but practical.
A small stove was sitting in a corner, a fire roaring inside. On the stove were a large tea kettle and a steaming pot. A pile of timber was assembled to the side of the stove.
In another corner was a small cupboard with glass doors filled with ceramic tableware.
A six-person rectangular table took up the middle of the tent, three of its chairs already occupied. Two of these occupants stood up as Weiss walked in, the look of mild surprise on their faces quickly melting away to be replaced by friendly smiles. They were all wearing Vale army uniforms, two women and one man.
Weiss took a step to the right to let Jaune walk in.
Starting with a quick military salute that was mirrored by the others in the tent, Jaune made the presentations.
"Everyone, this is Weiss Schnee, my partner and girlfriend." Weiss made a slight curtsy at the mention of her name. "Weiss, I present to you Sergeant Saunders, Lieutenant Stone, and Major Darjeeling."
Sergeant Saunders, a tall woman with long curly blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, and cheerful demeanor approached Weiss with hand extended and a large smile.
"It's a pleasure finally meeting you, Miss Schnee!" The Sergeant shook Weiss' hand jovially. "I see that Jaune didn't lie when he talked about how beautiful you were." She winked and chuckled after her last sentence.
Weiss turned her head and sent an unbelieving glare back at Jaune, who scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously.
"What? She asked me what you looked like the other day, so I told her the truth."
Feeling a slight blush come over her features, Weiss shook her head clear and let go of the Sergeant's hand after sending her an awkwardly quick smile. She turned to the Lieutenant.
The Lieutenant was tall, though certainly not as much as Jaune. He had short brown hair, brown eyes, and a bushy brown mustache, a slender nose and rounded chin. All in all, he was unremarkable looking; a man like many others.
"Miss Schnee," the officer nodded politely and extended his hand tentatively, "I am thankful for this opportunity to meet you before the next operation."
Weiss had prepared for this moment, so she forced herself to shake the man's hand before thinking too much about it. She was there to make peace.
"Lieutenant Stone," she mirrored his own presentation, "I am glad to be meeting you here and not on the chaos of a battlefield."
Simple, quick, not overly amiable. That was how she liked her greetings.
They exchanged a simple handshake and took a step back. There was some tension in the tent, but it was best ignored until everyone was seated.
Actually, Major Darjeeling was still seated at the far side of the table and made no move to stand up when Weiss approached her. The Major locked her blue eyes with Weiss' and sent her a cordial smile, but she did not put down her cup of tea.
"Well met, Miss Schnee." The Major nodded slowly, her blonde hair immobile as it was arranged in a tight knot behind her head. "I trust that you take milk with your tea?"
Weiss blinked at the oddity of the greeting, but recomposed herself quickly and nodded her affirmation.
"I do, and thank you." She sent a thankful smile to the officer.
This was how she had always taken her tea, the Valean way, and it was she who had taught Jaune the greatness of the beverage during their long evenings of studying back in Beacon.
"Very well." Darjeeling smiled. "Shall we begin, then?"
Jaune and Sergeant Saunders volunteered to serve the others, so Weiss sat down in diagonal from Darjeeling, closer to the seat that had been occupied by the Sergeant.
The supper was a thick beef stew filled with vegetables and an accompaniment of biscuits. The tea was warm and calming. Chocolate bars still in their wrapping were put at the center of the table for the desert.
Once everyone was sat down, Jaune started the conversation as Weiss had expected he would.
"So, how are your preparations coming along?" Jaune asked as the others started digging into their meal.
"Quite well." Darjeeling answered first. "My crews have met the soldiers they are meant to transport, and part of the afternoon was spent teaching them how to grip the tanks so they would not fall even when moving over rough terrain. Not all were listening, but after slipping and meeting the ground face first most did learn their lesson."
That made Jaune and Lieutenant Stone chuckle heartily, and Sergeant Saunders roar in laughter. Even Weiss smirked at the image of a soldier ignoring security tips and slipping off a tank as a result. The lesson would make sure they stay safe during the operation.
"It went well on our side as well." Lieutenant Stone came in. "The platoon was pretty excited to be fighting alongside Hunters again."
"One of our guys still at the infirmary was even angry because he would be missing the fight." Saunders added with a chuckle and a smile sent at Jaune. "I guess you really gave them hell of a good first impression."
Weiss was stunned by what she was hearing. She had imagined that the Valean soldiers would see this new assignment as a curse, maybe even a punishment. That they would be eager to get back into action was baffling.
To her side, Jaune seemed to sense her confusion. He thus asked a question for her.
"None of them were against the idea of getting back into action so quickly after what happened last time?" Jaune's voice was curious, far from the judging tone that Weiss would have used, but the question was much the same as the one she would have asked.
"A few were hesitant at first, but the enthusiasm of the others convinced them rather fast." Lieutenant Stone answered calmly. "Their injuries were healed and they got some time out to relax, so their eager impulses rapidly came back. The whole platoon was formed by early volunteers, after all, so fighting for Vale isn't something that needs to be forced upon them."
"And what of you?" Weiss' question came out of her mouth before she had time to process it. "Did your superiors have to force you to accept this affectation?" Her tone was mean-spirited, something she regretted immediately, but at least the question was out there now.
Jaune flinched, Saunders grimaced, Darjeeling lifted an eyebrow in interest, and Lieutenant Stone stayed impassive. It was evident that he had been expecting such an accusation. He took a calm sip of his tea and locked eyes with Weiss.
"I was the one to ask to be sent on this mission, actually." His tone was level, in no way defensive. "I asked for an opportunity to redeem myself, if only slightly. I don't want to be forgiven for the mess I caused. I just want to have another chance. I want my future actions to count as my apology."
As Weiss stared into the eyes of the Lieutenant and heard his words, she remembered an eerily similar situation from months ago. A man only asking for somebody to give him a chance, a man with iron determination and the willpower to make things right. Jaune had asked for the same thing when first coming to Beacon, had shown the same resolve.
I trusted Jaune then. Why should this be any different?
"Very well." Weiss took a long breath. "I apologize for what I said just now and for what I said of you on the day you first met Jaune. While I still have my reservations, I will trust you to do your duty well in this next operation."
Lieutenant Stone smiled softly. "I thank you for your trust. It means more to me than anything else."
Jaune sent her a sweet smile and squeezed her hand gently under the table. She squeezed back, glad that yet another issue between them was now done with.
The mood rapidly improved after that. The stew was better than anything else Weiss had eaten since leaving Beacon, and the chocolate as a dessert was a welcome treat after a difficult day.
The talk around the table was mostly of supplies and tactics, but the company was pleasant enough to make it entertaining. Sergeant Saunders had a cheerful attitude that made even the driest of topics seem much more interesting. Lieutenant Stone was more reserved and softer of speech, but he had a pragmatic side that Weiss could only respect. Darjeeling had an aura of elegance and wisdom that Weiss found truly remarkable, and even the few oddities she said here and there felt somewhat… poetic.
But most of all, Weiss appreciated the company of Jaune. It had been too long since she had last heard him laugh so much and seen his adorable quirks. It had been too long since she last spent time with him around a meal that did not come from a box.
She had feared to lose him so much in the last few days that she now felt her enjoyment of their time together grow tenfold. This only added to her determination to protect her love no matter what.
No matter how many Grimm they faced. No matter what the White Fang did from the shadows. No matter the odds, she would be there to protect Jaune, just as he would be there to protect her.
And voilà! This chapter was heavily packed, but I think it was necessary. The characters didn't have a lot of time to pour their hearts out, after all.
As always, I would greatly appreciate some feedback if you have some!
The big operation will be starting with the first sentence of the next chapter, and it should be pretty grandiose.
I'll see you there!