November 28th
Patch
6:51 PM

"Where's Zwei?" Ruby half demanded though she glared as she looked at her sister who was holding their dog with a smirk before she stuck out her tongue at her little 'sister'.

"Sorry Rubes," Yang said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "What'd you say?"

"You're so mean!" Ruby screamed as Yang put the dog down and laughed while her sister came over to her and pulled her still slightly oversized red cape down over her eyes. "Yaaannng!"

Bending down to be eye to eye with her sister who sat on the window seat, Yang smirked and ruffled her hair. "I'm just playing and there's no reason for you to freak out."

"Sometimes you're mean," Ruby said, giving her wide eyes that Yang couldn't say no to. "Can I have a cookie? Or three?"

Yang laughed. "That's not fair because you know I never can or will say no to you when you give me those eyes. They're too cute."

"Really?" Ruby asked though she knew it was true. "Well, I don't think it's unfair."

"It is unfair that dad is more lenient with you than he is with me," Yang muttered, crossing her arms as she recalled their last argument. "I can't go out to shady clubs or hang around Atlas or anything. I mean, Allen Ironwood-Goodwitch is pretty cute but Ivy…"

"Ick," Ruby squeaked as her sister complained "I don't want to hear about boys."

"Do you even like boys?" Yang asked, sticking out her tongue. "Because I can get you a girlfriend if that's what you really want…"

"I think you're both too young to be thinking about dating," Qrow said, coming into the room and getting a grateful look from Ruby. "Sorry firecracker."

Yang placed her hands on her hips before collapsing on the ground dramatically. "But I'm almost fourteen uncle Qrow!"

"You don't turn fourteen until March 17th," Qrow reminded her. "But I don't know...maybe I'll tell you an inappropriate story or two before then."

Ruby squeaked and hid herself under her cape. "No, no no…."

"You're so awkward sometimes Rubes," Yang said, moving over to her sister and climbing on to her back with her arms wrapped around the younger girl's neck. "Hey, so are you excited about going to Atlas soon? We get to see Cas, and -"

"I thought I told the two of you never to trust a Schnee," Qrow said with a smirk. "I mean, Emmett isn't that bad but he's still a Schnee in the end…"

"A Schnee that dad says you're drinking buddies with," Yang commented slyly, remembering the conversation she had heard her dad having with someone over the line. "Funny, uncle Qrow, really funny."

Qrow glared and took a long swig of the questionable liquid in his flask. "Like I said, inappropriate stories that you're just a little young for."

"What are you talking about?" Tai said, coming into the room with his arm wrapped around a woman that looked distinctly Atlesian and had black hair that she had up in a high ponytail. She had faint freckles, pale skin, and her nails were painted a deep crimson. She was wearing a rose pink blouse with a dark grey blazer and dress pants that she paired with gold coloured heels. "Oh, right, girls. This is my...girlfriend. Elizabeth Morell."

Ruby looked up in surprise but smiled and waved at Elizabeth who smiled warmly back. In contrast, Yang looked at her in confusion but Qrow was angry. With a harsh look to both girls who went outside off of his look, Qrow let out a groan of irritation as he leaned against the counter. In her heels, she was 5'11'' and therefore not much shorter than Tai who was 6'1''. With his arm still wrapped around her, Tai drew Elizabeth closer and kissed her gently. Temporarily both of them forgot that Qrow was watching. It wasn't until he roughly set down his flask on the counter and grunted that the two of them turned to look at him. Noticing Tai squeeze her ass, Qrow narrowed his eyes before he crossed his arms and pushed his bangs back.

"I don't have anything against Atlesians...for the most part…" Qrow began which caused Elizabeth to tense. "But I think you're trying to take advantage of Tai."

Elizabeth snorted. "Nothing against you or anything Qrow but, honestly, if I wanted to take advantage of someone I would do so for fame or fortune which I don't think either of you have. Except for maybe your minor infamy in the kingdom of Atlas for your...bar hopping and one night stands…"

"Lizzie," Tai said, squeezing her hand. "I know you aren't trying to take advantage of me. It would be pretty obvious by now - especially since I know we were both hesitant about starting our relationship because -"

"Because my trial had only just concluded…" Elizabeth murmured. "I swear I actually love you Tai...even if our relationship started in a…"

"In a bar because both of us were lonely," Tai responded with a smirk. "But I found out you aren't just some snobby politician from Atlas and you -"

"Found out that you aren't just some country hick from Vale," Elizabeth shook his hair with her fingers before kissing his cheek. "Although I'll admit that I was embarrassed when you and I woke up in my apartment -"

"In bed," Tai reminded her, kissing her forehead. "And your head was resting on my chest -"

"I was also in my bra and panties -" Elizabeth muttered.

"So what?" Tai said, shrugging. "I was in my boxers -"

"I was so embarrassed that I had had sex with you -" She said quickly, a blush rising in her pale cheeks.

"But then I convinced you not to be -" Tai said, his thumb affectionately caressing her cheek.

"And now we're still evading the media -" She said with a heavy sigh.

"Well," Tai said, cupping her face in his hands. "I don't want to be the reason that your bid for president against Gregory is ruined in a year or two."

"Wait, what?" Qrow demanded and Elizabeth's face turned to fear as she shrunk back. "You are running for president of Atlas?"

Shaking slightly, Elizabeth nodded and forced herself to meet his gaze. "Yes…but the next election is a year and a half away -"

"Fuck," Qrow said, picking up his flask. "Fuck...fuck...fuck...fuck...fuck."

December 3rd
City Of Mantle
United Kingdom Of Atlas
Uptown
6:40 PM

"Rose are you serious?" Heels clicking, Glynda tried to not raise her voice enough to draw the attention of the twins. "I get that you're annoyed, which I understand and agree with, but I honestly don't understand what you want me to do about it. You know just as well as I do that I don't have the ability to have Ozpin -"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," Rose said, her ruby red shoes glinting as she moved towards her. "You're Beacon's deputy headmistress and, knowing Ozpin, that probably means that you are the one actually behind the functionality of Beacon."

"Exactly," Glynda said, giving her a sharp look. "I'm the deputy headmistress and that means that I -"

"Look," Rose said, pulling herself up on to the counter. " The Vytal festival is going to be held at Beacon when your girls are nineteen and second years. They just turned fifteen, so that's four years from now, just about, and Allen, Cas...Weiss I think is her name - she's Emmett's other niece, right? Oh, and then Yang...and…" Rolling her eyes, Rose acknowledged the other. "Cardin will be first years and will all either be seventeen or eighteen."

Glynda gave her a slightly puzzled look before shaking her head. "Rose how do you know all of that? You don't even -"

"I'm around here often enough to have picked up on your family and the people most frequently around it." Rose laughed bitterly. "As for knowing about Cardin, well I'm sure Emmeline or James would tell you just how obnoxious his grandfather has been about him over the years."

Inverting her cape and flipping part of it over her shoulder, Glynda played with the ends of her long purple scarf as she thought. "Rose, I know that you're nervous about the Vytal festival being held in Vacuo this year, all things considered, but I don't know what you expect me to be able to do. I can't have the festival rezoned to Atlas, or Vale, much less Mistral, and I can't imagine convincing Ozpin to not have Beacon attend the festival. And with all that's happened in your kingdom lately it would be a good thing for there to be some diplomacy between the academies that's out in the open - don't you think?"

"James is staying in the kingdom of Atlas," Rose stubbornly pointed out. "You're staying at Beacon -"

"The girls and Allen will stay here -" Glynda said tiredly.

"Glynda, if you're going to be in Vale anyways," Rose started. "Can't you -"

"I can't do anything Rose and, honestly, I think you're being paranoid." Glynda sighed and crossed her arms to restrain herself from reaching for her crop. "I get it, you have been given every reason to be, but for fuck's sake we're talking about the Vytal festival, not some major deal between the kingdoms of Vacuo and Atlas."

"I don't know what else to do then!" Rose said, curling into herself. "Because Emmeline and James are going to have a decent amount of the Atlas military in Vacuo, but it still doesn't feel like enough security! I feel like I'm starting to lose my grip -"

"You're not -" Glynda said gently.

"Then why -" Rose countered.

"Because you're the Prime Minister of Vacuo and your kingdom just went through a terrible ordeal at the hands of two psychotic bitches from another!" Glynda snapped, causing Rose to look up in surprise. "And do you think that you're the only world leader who is stressed because of that situation? Here in Atlas, Gregory has been reacting just as well as you have been and has tightened our security for essentially everything in response. Twelve Atlesians, Rebecca Neale, and Cinder Fall are responsible for what happened but it's people like you and Alexander Gregory who find themselves taking the fall for it. Your reaction is perfectly normal, but you need to be rational about this. It's just the Vytal festival, it's going to be fine. Honestly, if I were you, I'd be more worried about the one in Vale four years from now because things will probably have calmed down by then. Cinder said she took the time of peace to strike - who's to say she won't try to do so again?"

Rose was silent for several moments before sighing. "It seems like every day that things are getting worse out there. It almost seems like someone is about to make a play and I'm not quite sure who to trust right now. Especially with Ozpin keeping secrets."

"I won't deny that it has me worried," Glynda agreed, leaning against the wall. "And I definitely want to know why he gave Emmeline that look. It almost seems like he thinks she's going to die regardless."

"That's how Emmett interpreted it anyways," Rose muttered darkly. "I mean, he's overprotective as it is but the second he saw the look Ozpin was giving her after she mentioned the fact that Cinder's locked up…" Rose shook her head. "I feel bad for him, honestly. The man has to deal with having psychic abilities, the fact that one of his sisters is an alcoholic while the other is a psychopathic bitch who tried to kill his wife, and that doesn't even begin to cover it. No wonder he's so afraid. He loves her so much and they have children - of course he wants nothing more or less for them to be safe. I shouldn't be so hard on them...they've been through so much and I suppose that I…"

"Rose, it's fine," Glynda told her. "Whatever is going on, they'll handle it and I'm sure that if Ozpin is keeping secrets that it's something that he's not sure if he can tell us. Or it might even be something he hasn't been able to tell us because of all of the fights."

"You're right," Rose breathed a heavy sigh. "And honestly, I don't even really know what to expect anymore."

"I doubt any of us do," Glynda said as James came in and gave her a look of surprise. For several moments, they shared a look before she shook her head. "James, with the Vytal festival coming up, are you at all worried about something happening?"

"I'm not sure," James admitted, causing Rose to curse under her breath. "I'm not overseeing the event's security and I'm not sure if anyone thinks that it will go smoothly."

"That fucking sucks," Rose said, clicking her heels. "Because if even people in Atlas aren't sure then what is the whole world going to think?"

December 9th
City Of Atlas
United Kingdom Of Atlas
Downtown
11:42 AM

"How are you feeling?" Emmett asked his wife as he brushed her bangs from her eyes. "Emmy?"

"I'm fine," Emmeline said, pushing herself up. "I'm just tired."

Emmett kissed her gently. "Happy fifty third."

"Oh, don't remind me," The dark haired General said with a smile while his fingers slowly made their way through her tangles. "I'm not supposed to have extra stress, remember?"

"Am I extra stress?" Emmett asked her with a peck on her forehead which caused her to laugh. "I thought I was the opposite."

"Well sometimes you are, sometimes you aren't." Emmeline told him, smirking as she drew him into a kiss. "Right now I would say you're helping me relax."

"Emmy…" Emmett brought her into his arms and held her close for several minutes before setting her down on the ground with his arms still wrapped around her. "I love you."

"I love you too," Emmeline said, throwing her arms around his neck. "I -"

"Mommy!" Cas screamed from downstairs, causing Emmett to take her hand as the two of them ran out of their room and downstairs to where their daughter was on her knees.

Curling into herself, Cas was on the floor with a hair tie clutched in her hand as she tried to not shake though this was to no avail. She only curled into herself more tightly as she shook, and the hair tie fell out of her hand and on to the floor. Her long, wavy dark hair was splayed everywhere while her face wasn't visible through her position on the ground. She was whimpering, and this continued for some time until she forced herself to look up when she felt her mother place a hand on her shoulder. Leaning into her mother with tears still streaming down her face, Cas tried remind herself that nothing bad had happened but the lingering feeling she was getting from what she had seen scared her. Cinder's hair tie had given her a flash when she touched it and it was a flash of anger, sadness, and a little bit of remorse.

"Shh...shh…Cas…" Emmeline said gently as she brushed her fingers through her daughter's long dark waves. "Are you alright?"

Picking up the hair tie, Emmett frowned. "This is my sister's - which means…"

Shock crossed Emmeline's face. "The last time she was anywhere near one of us was -"

"Awhile ago, Emmy, awhile a go." Emmett set the hair tie down before sitting down next to his wife who was cradling their fourteen year old daughter in her arms. "Cas, did -"

"She braided my hair and answered my questions," Cas said quietly. "If that's hers, then -"

"Cas, what did you see?" Emmeline asked her, brushing the girl's hair away from her eyes. "Was it -"

"I feel like she's...angry but also sad and regretful…" Cas admitted while her parents shared a look of concern.

Shaking his head, Emmett placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Emmy -"

"Cas, don't trust that vision," Emmeline told her and the girl nodded. "I mean it. Your father and I have told you a lot about Cinder and we weren't exaggerating. I just…"

Look at his daughter with eyes slightly wide, Emmett and Cas shared a look before he shook his head. "My sister has a way of making people feel what she wants them to, and it's worked on me before too."

Cas bit her lip. "Oh -"

A sharp knock was heard on the front door of the townhouse and Emmeline gently pried her daughter off of her as she made her way downstairs, pulling her grey shawl closer around her. She was only wearing a short sleeved, pale pink shirt with long black yoga pants that were bootcut. Her hair was slightly tangled and her brown eyes tired, but they widened in surprise when she saw the woman at the door. Her black hair pulled into a messy high bun and her faint freckles showing on her pale skin and standing at 5'9'', Elizabeth Morell looked terrified. Though she had once been snippy and self righteous with everyone except, typically, Emmeline, all she felt in this moment was anxiety and fear. Emmeline Ciel was looking at her with an eyebrow raised and her arms crossed. It wasn't the first time she had seen that, but this time it was nerve inciting. Sighing heavily as she forced herself to meet the General's gaze, Elizabeth tried to steady herself and collect her thoughts.

"Emmeline," She said, chewing at the inside of her cheek. "I know that you're probably angry with me -"

"I'm not angry," Ciel told her, wishing that wasn't how the woman had started. "So if that is why you are here, then I don't need to hear it. I know full well what Cinder Fall is capable of and I never have thought you would be one to openly support her. Besides, you have made it very clear what Cinder did to you over the years and its all been confirmed. That emotional, mental, and physical abuse couldn't have been easy to bear."

"You heard about that?" Elizabeth asked rubbing her arm nervously. "I...I'm so sorry -"

"Why?" Emmeline looked at her curiously. "It's not your fault what that bitch did to you."

"But I still let her manipulate me! I still bent to her will!" Elizabeth wiped back a rogue tear before groaning in self anger. "I did what she told me to because I cared more about surviving than anything else and -"

"For Oum's sake, almost anyone would have done exactly what you did in that situation." Ciel snapped. "And you seem to be forgetting that you came clean. You were the who confessed directly to the Department Of Justice through Kiara Davis when you realized that they could help you. You spent seven years or so in utter fear of her because she is a dangerous, evil, psychopath. There is no reason for you to be acting like this. You had a fair trial and you were acquitted." Sighing heavily and twisting her hair, Emmeline Ciel sent the older woman a sympathetic look. "What she did to you was horrible, but you survived. There's no reason for you to feel like this."

Morell was incredulous. "I almost killed you and that doesn't bother you?"

"Correction," Ciel told her. "You were involved with the woman who had plans to kill me and you were a victim as well but one on the wrong side. I cannot say the same about Rebecca Neale, however."

"Good," Elizabeth responded. "At least I don't have to fight with her too. Fuck that bitch."

A smirk faintly traced the corners of Ciel's lips. "Seems like someone is sounding like her old self again."

Elizabeth sighed. "I'm not exactly sure if you can say that.

"Look, I know you and I have for years. Things aren't going to be the same for you, but, tell me, do you think that makes you a bad person?" Emmeline asked, and Elizabeth shook her head. "That explains a lot. It shows that you're still sane and can recover. And everyone can see that you're slowly moving forward. I know Cinder forced you to stop working with your causes, but you've gotten to start with them again which seems to be making you happier. You're a bitch, don't get me wrong, but you actually understand politics and you'd rather find a way out like you did than let someone innocent get hurt."

"So you aren't angry with me?" Elizabeth asked for clarification as Emmett came downstairs and wrapped an arm tightly around his wife while sending Morell a dark look. "I mean, Emmeline not you Emmett -"

"Why would we be angry with you?" Emmett asked her, leaning Emmeline's head onto his shoulder gently. "You saved her life."

Elizabeth Morell nodded, looking at the couple. "Okay…I'm so sorry about everything...I'm such a, I'm a terrible person but I'm trying. I'm trying to be a good person."

Emmeline sighed as Emmett pulled her closer. "We know, and you should know that I think you are."

December 20th
Maximum Security Ward
City Of Atlas
United Kingdom Of Atlas
2:59 PM

"Willow?" Cinder asked as her twin sister came in, her voice cracking a little against her will. "So… you finally decided to show up and talk to your twin. How's mommy dearest?"

Willow recoiled slightly and considered leaving before she remembered the production it had been for her to convince Jacques to let her leave the house in the first place. "Ash…"

"It's Cinder now," She told her, crossing her legs at her knees and leaning forward just a little with her amber eyes flaring slightly. "But I suppose I can make an exception for you just this once. Let me guess: Emmett is angry with me because of what I said to his daughter?"

"You scared them," Willow pointed out. "And I just want to talk."

"Well so do I," Cinder informed her, motioning her to sit down next to her. "And I know that you've got questions - even if you won't ask them. So, I'll start with Elizabeth Morell. That bitch double crossed me to save herself and Ciel, though I suppose I'm not surprised. She was never particularly invested in my cause and she only sort of worked with me to save herself because I backed her into a corner both figuratively and literally. I threatened her because I knew that she would be useful to the cause, as an intelligent politician, but I guess her years of work in women's rights, faunus rights, and general philanthropic behaviour came through. The court even cleared her name. As for Rebecca Neale, well she served her purpose and then she was no longer useful. And I believe that brings us to Roman Torchwick, though he's better known to most as Dean Carson. He's useful for me in Vale but he serves no purpose here."

Willow shook as she thought about what her twin was saying. "But...but then why would you try to kill Emmeline? What has she ever done?"

Cinder laughed before twisting her hair with her hands. "She's just not useful. Although, at least, since she's pregnant I might have spared her a little longer. You know, and then killed her shortly after the baby was born. Gives more of an impact, even if she didn't die on the same day as her father."

"That's perfectly horrible!" Willow exclaimed. "Why would you do any of this? They've never hurt you and Emmett deserves to be happy after all of these years!"

"Oh, and I don't deserve happiness?" Cinder challenged. "Everyone talks about the reasons that Emmett deserves to be happy, but they never talk about how I lost everything. Or how your marriage is convoluted and has hurt you in more than one way -"

"I...I...my marriage is...is complicated!" Willow exclaimed. "But I wouldn't say that it's outright...well…"

"You can't even get your thoughts together properly," Cinder observed. "Which seems to me to imply that you know the truth that I've been pushing for years. Do you even love Jacques?"

Willow tensed visibly and lost her meager self control and spoke almost inaudibly. "Yes...I love our children but he doesn't love me…"

Against her will, Cinder's eyes went wide as she remembered what she had accused her sister of on their twenty fifth birthday. "I...I… didn't know...I...I...I… I'm so sorry…"

Willow wiped the tears away from her eyes as she shook her head. "I was never going to get happiness anyways. You pointing it out -"

"It wasn't fair at all -" Cinder countered.

"Whether or not it was fair isn't the point," Willow told her. "It was true either way."

"I'm a terrible sister," Cinder said, crying into her hands in spite of herself. "I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be," Willow said, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. "At the end of the day, we're sisters whether we like it or not. I just wish that our family wasn't so complicated. Emmett hates you, he and I have a rocky relationship and he cares more about his wife and daughter than anything else."

"Daughters," Cinder corrected bitterly. "Isn't Emmeline due towards the end of January with a second child?"

Willow nodded. "I'm a little jealous of them, to be honest."

"We all are," Cinder assured her. "I can still kill them if you want. I already have to kill Emmeline, so why not throw Emmett into the mix too?"

"No!" Willow exclaimed. "I may not always get along with them, but I don't want them dead! Why do you have such a thirst for blood?"

"I don't have a thirst for blood!" Cinder screamed. "I have a thirst for power and if that means some blood must be shed across the way then so be it! I'll kill anyone who stands in my way and, unfortunately, that has to include you if you try to stand in my way! So, are you on my side?"

"What?" Willow asked her with tears in her eyes. "You can't be serious?"

"Excuse me?" Cinder responded with a dark look in her eyes. "Are you on my side, or aren't you?"

Willow shook her head. "Ash, what are you talking about? This isn't you at all! Why do you have to do any of this?"

"Because I have no choice!" Cinder shrieked. "Because it was my life or someone else's and if I have to take someone else's life to save mine or to gain power then I don't care! I don't care! But if you need to know for real, I have no choice! Absolutely no choice but I've grown to like this!"

"No," Willow said, getting up and standing in the doorway with tears in her eyes. "I love you because you're family and I don't want you to get hurt but you can't hurt other
people. You were better than this but I guess...I guess Emmett, Emmeline, and James were right...I guess Elizabeth was right...you're a monster."

"Oh Willow, I'm not a monster." Cinder swore. "I just do what I have to but, despite the fact that I couldn't care less about most people, I'll keep you safe as much as I can. You're my twin...whether or not I like that or want it to be true so I...I love you too."

December 31st
Beacon CCTS Tower
Beacon Academy
City Of Vale
Vale
6:31 PM

"James!" Glynda scolded lightly as he wrapped his arms around her. "Didn't you think that we were going to be late?"

"We won't be," James told her, lifting her up into his arms with her legs wrapped around his waist while they entered the elevator. "We'll probably be just on time."

Unable to restrain herself, Glynda twirled his hair around her fingers while pulling his face down on hers into a passionate kiss. Splitting apart just seconds before the door opened at the top of Beacon Tower, Glynda tightened her scarf around her neck and rolled her ankle before adjusting her glasses while James straightened his shirt and dark brown leather jacket. Looking at the two of them over his glasses with a slightly raised eyebrow, Ozpin smiled as Glynda turned a little pink. Leaning against the wall, Qrow had a long drink from his flask before laughing like a maniac while Rose rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue at the sight. Emmett had his arms wrapped tightly around his wife and kissed her forehead as Qrow continued to lose it while Glynda tightened her grip on her riding crop with her arms crossed.

"Qrow!" Ozpin finally snapped as Qrow looked to Glynda with a smirk.

"I guess that elevator ride must have been pretty fun…" Qrow commented while a blush continued to rise in Glynda's cheeks. "Getting frisky, huh?"

"You are so improper it's not even funny," Rose told him, pulling her sleeves down to cover most of her fingers. "Did your mother drop you on your ass a time too many as a child or are you just so drunk that it's a miracle you're able to function at all?"

"That was unnecessary, Rose," Ozpin told her with a sharp look. "I thought that you had said that you're working on holding your tongue?"

"I hold my tongue if it suits me," Rose informed him snottily with her ringed fingers beating against the man's desk in a harsh rhythm. "Okay, and if I feel like speaking my mind then I will. So please fuck off about it."

"Roz," Ozpin shook his head while he rested his head in his hands. "Please do be less of a -"

"Less of a what?" Rose demanded. "Less of an excellent leader? Less of a -"

"At least she's not Elizabeth Morell," Qrow said bitterly, "Did you know that Elizabeth Morell is involved with Tai?"

Emmeline looked shocked. "Wait, Morell is in a relationship with Tai?"

"That's what I just said," Qrow told her with his arms folded lightly across his chest. "And yeah, she's been around the house and the island so much recently that I'm shocked Tai hasn't asked her to marry him." Shuddering at the thought, Qrow added. "Gods, that would be horrible."

Emmett shook his head. "Qrow, you're joking. The last person that Elizabeth Morell would want to be with is Tai. She'll, if she has her wits about her, go after wealth, political power, and fame which, frankly, Tai doesn't exactly exemplify."

"Did you just call us poor?" Qrow demanded and Emmett sighed. "Well did you?"

"That's not how I meant it," Emmett insisted. "Really, that's -"

"I'm pretty sure that exactly how you meant that," Qrow told him while Emmeline glared. "Seriously, you've got yourself, your beautiful wife, you're a father…" Shaking his head and fighting back tears as he thought of Summer and Ruby, Qrow sighed. "I never got any of that even if I…"

Emmett narrowed his eyes at the younger man. "Qrow, honestly, I know you help raise your nieces but you aren't the father of either of them."

Shaking slightly as he moved towards Emmett in anger, Qrow found himself thinking about Ruby just before Emmett let himself go from around his wife. Though he was shorter, Emmett stood in front of Qrow and met his gaze without even reaching for his sword. Almost as soon as Emmett stopped moving, Qrow felt his fists clench and, looking into the younger man's pale blue eyes, an angry punch hit Emmett in the centre of his face. His glasses flew off his face and onto the ground, shattering on impact. Through his blurred vision, Emmett saw the tears at the corners of Qrow's eyes and he reached down to try and take his broken glasses in hand though he had forgotten how much his vision had faded in the last few years. Qrow glared as he regained his composure and ignored the look he knew he had to be getting from Ozpin. Watching Emmeline place a hand on Emmett's shoulder, Qrow felt a surge of jealousy that spurred him on again.

"You don't know anything about my life, Schnee." Qrow promised him. "And I hope it stays that way. You're a selfish son of a bitch, aren't you?"

"I...I...I -" Emmett stopped as he realized that was partially true. "Qrow, you may know what the media makes my life out to be but, even if your sister is a cynical bitch, at least your sister isn't a killer. That's what Ashlynn is now that she's Cinder Fall. A psychopathic killer."

"How do you my sister isn't a killer?" Qrow demanded. "What do you even know about the Branwen tribe?"

"That it rules part of Mistral, practically -" Emmett snapped.

Qrow scoffed though he knew it was true. "You have all the money in the world, you have a perfect family -"

"Things aren't perfect for us in the slightest," Emmeline hissed. "Or did you not know that?"

"Oh, I know," Qrow said, putting his hands up. "But that doesn't mean your lives aren't a damn sight better than mine. You two have the world's greatest luck and the same can be said for Glynda and James."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Glynda said, swinging her crop. "Have you lost your damn mind?"

"Maybe," Qrow shrugged and pulled out his flask. "Maybe."

"Put the drink away," Glynda told him with a glare.

Qrow laughed. "Why should I?"

"You don't need to be any more drunk than you already are -" She snapped.

"I have my reasons," Qrow said darkly. "Believe me, I have my reasons for all of this even if I don't share them with you."