November 28th

Patch

7:34 PM

"Oh, come on," Summer Rose followed her only female teammate around the small home the four of them shared in Patch. "You're going to be such a great mother!"

"Summer," Raven said, sending her a pointed look. "Tai and I only told you that a few hours ago and you have not shut up since then."

She pouted. "But you kept it from me for over a month."

"Are you trying to be a pain in the ass?" Raven shook her head. "You are proving exactly why it was a good idea to keep this from you."

Summer set her hands to her hips. "Well," She huffed. "That was uncalled for!"

"Oh, no, it was called for," Raven muttered, reaching for the kettle. "Especially, if I might add, because you told Qrow."

"He's your brother," Summer protested. "And our teammate! He had a right to know!"

"I disagree," She replied, irritably warming her tea.

"How come?" Summer crossed her arms. "He's your brother."

"Summer, don't go poking at her," Tai rolled his eyes and stepped into the room with a casual swagger to his step. "This team's got enough problems without us going out of our way to get into fights."

She sighed. "I wasn't trying to do that."

"I'm just being cautious," Tai replied. "Oh, is that tea?"

Raven sent him a look that seemed to imply he was stupid.

"May I have some?" He amended, and she nodded shortly. "Thank you, dear."

Raven said nothing and merely held her cup in her hands, seemingly to warm them.

"So, how was Vale?" Summer pulled herself up onto the counter and eyed Tai intently. "Nothing blew up, did it? Or did Qrow get in an argument with James Ironwood again?"

Tai shrugged. "If he did, I heard nothing about it. 'Course, I was pretty busy. Qrow was too, actually."

"I'm sure he was," Raven said dryly. "Getting busy, no doubt."

Summer gasped. "Raven!"

"Oh, grow up," She sent her a disdainful look. "Sex is a natural part of life, Summer."

"You still didn't have to…" She groaned, tilting her head back and staring at the cabinet a few inches above her. "You could have been more discreet! Euphemisms exist for a reason!"

Raven scowled. "Ironically, they're also the reason that presidents are able to win the favor of the people in Atlas. They never say a damn thing straight, do they?"

"Cut them some slack," Summer sighed dramatically and inclined her head towards her. "All politicians do that, you know. Besides, it's not as if Atlas hasn't dealt with some horrible things recently, or, at least, recently enough."

"True," Raven agreed, finally taking a sip on her tea. "But I am of the opinion that Atlas will never get over this. There will be another tragedy in the coming years, I guarantee you, and Atlas will continue to engage in this…vengeance, if you will against the terrorists who, I can also guarantee you, are only pawns in a much larger game."

"That's lovely," Summer said, shaking her head. "Raven, your pessimism really isn't giving anyone credit for strength, for –"

"I am not going to give credit to anyone," Raven paused and nonchalantly continued to sip her tea. "See, Summer, if you don't question everything around you, if you trust –"

"What you're about to say lays the very foundation for the end of humanity," Summer replied, her hair looking almost as if it were on fire. "Which I happen to know because you have said it before."

"Oh dear Lord…" Tai muttered, running a hand through his unusually greasy hair.

"It does not," Raven pursed her lips and harshly set down her tea. "According to you, whatever our misdeeds, whatever lies we might tell others, we can trust each other because of the knowledge we know. That's a lie."

"No, it isn't!" Summer hopped off the counter and stormed towards her. "We just happen to know more than other people! It's the same as the morality of killing the enemy but not our allies! We just happen to know more than –"

"Summer, you are suggesting that anything can be justified by taking the view of others as the enemy," Raven looked at her disdainfully. "I may have my own enemies, but, at the very least, I base my judgement on their actions rather than some asinine –"

"How about we don't?" Tai stepped in between his partner and Summer, gently pushing them away from each other. "Does anyone want to hear the pleasant story I have from Vale?"

"Nice feel, Tai," Summer said with a grin, brushing off her breasts from where he had moved her.

Raven smacked him upside the head.

"Summer, that was not what I was trying to do," Tai sent her a pointed look. "I was trying to stop you from getting a fight with Raven and potentially hurting her and –"

"Yeah, yeah," Summer said, blushing awkwardly.

"Anyways," Tai said, rubbing his head. "I ran into Oz the other day, after the Vale Police Department and I dealt with a recent slew of robberies. It's complicated, but we can talk about that later."

"Get to the point," Raven told him.

Truthfully, she wasn't angry with him and was more annoyed with Ozpin. Even the mere mention of him could set her off, some days.

"He was with his daughter, you know, the baby," Tai went on. "Don't tell me you forgot?"

Raven only scowled but Summer perked up.

"Ooo…" She said, clasping her hands together happily. "Is this a story about a cute kid?"

Tai nodded. "Anyways, he brought her into the coffee shop and I decided to join him since he was alone. Cristal's apparently sick and working on a case from home."

"Cristal," Raven muttered. "I both admire and can't stand her."

Tai glanced to her but continued as if she had said nothing.

"Their baby is adorable," Tai said with a smile. "Basically, the happiest baby I've ever seen. I think her name's Carleigh, but, regardless, she was giggly and bubbly the whole time they were there. I mean, Oz had to pull a bottle out of his bag at one point, but she calmed down pretty quickly once she started eating. What I thought was hilarious about the whole thing was one of the stories Oz told me."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Which was about…"

"So, apparently Emmett and James were babysitting her the other day and Emmett wasn't sure what to feed her," Tai started laughing as he went on. "James had to tell him that a tiny baby can't have straight carrots, and he pulled a bottle out of the fridge but thought it smelled funny. So he and James had an argument about it and, when Cristal came in, Emmett told James that he was worried about nothing. Then, and here's where it gets bad, Emmett declared that he would taste it before his niece did which ended in Cristal screaming at him not to drink her milk unless he wants to get his ass kicked."

"Yikes," Summer said.

"Hmmph," Raven said dryly. "That sounds about right."

"What sounds about right?" Qrow said gruffly, shrugging off his bag and scythe.

"You don't want to know," Summer warned him, then blowing him a kiss. "How you doing, Qrow?"

"Better now that I've seen you," He replied with a grin. "I think you know why."

Her smirk said it all and both Tai and Raven grimaced at the thought.

December 1st

Government Offices of the Atlesian Council

Department of Justice

City Of Atlas

United Kingdom Of Atlas

Downtown

8:53 AM

"Miss Morell," Blake Adel, the young head of the Department of Justice, said, staring at her in shock. "What's going on? I didn't expect that –"

"I need to give a deposition to the Council," Elizabeth said, looking terribly nervous. "Regarding a matter of serious national security."

He shut the door and quickly motioned for her to sit down.

"My God," He said as she pulled out several hefty files and a flash drive before forfeiting her scroll. "You were not kidding, were you?"

She sighed heavily. "I can prove to you that Rebecca Neale is conspiring against the kingdom of Atlas and was at least partially responsible for Edward Ciel's death alongside Cinder Fall, the latter of whom is more commonly known as Ashlynn Schnee."

Blake stared at her in horror. "Are you serious?"

Elizabeth's hands shook but she nodded. "Rebecca Neale has been trying to involve me in it too. She made a threat to my life."

Blake swallowed hard and began to look through the files. "This is damning, Miss Morell."

"I had to report it," She said, her voice breaking. "Things are bad enough, and I can't keep this quiet. She tried to involve me a few months ago, and, aside from my personal safety being at stake, it would be a crime to keep this silent."

He paused on one page and took in a sharp breath.

"This began at the end of March?" He looked up incredulously. "Did you reveal anything to these people?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, but I've paid the price for it."

He leaned back against his chair, raising an eyebrow, and chewing on the tip of his pen.

"I'm almost afraid to ask," He finally said. "Regardless, I'm obliged to. What did they do to you?"

Elizabeth hesitated. "I submitted photographs in that file."

"Which the rest of the Council and the senate and commons will review later alongside this testimony," Blake tapped his pen against the camcorder on his desk. "I always have this going in my office for a reason, Miss Morell."

Elizabeth swallowed hard. "By Neale, I was beaten and scarred."

She nervously shrugged off her blazer, her entire body quivering. On her inner arms were a few deep scars and Blake Adel let out a low sigh of abject horror.

"I have others on my legs and back," She said softly. "I also have a permanent bruise near my spine from Cinder."

"How did that happen?" Blake asked, struggling to maintain his professional composure.

She bit her lip. "She beat me with a rod that I'm almost certain had fire dust within it."

He grimaced. "My God."

"There's more," She said weakly, forcing herself to meet his gaze unflinchingly. "Cinder also violently raped me on more than one occasion."

He did not shut off the camcorder but the silence that fell between them was as cold as death itself. It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room.

"I'll submit all of this to the senate and commons," Blake told her. "And this matter will face the gravity it deserves. Thank you, Miss Morell, for being brave enough to come forward."

She shook her head. "If I'm so brave, then why do I feel like such a sinner instead of a saint?"

December 13th

Location: Unknown

12:46 AM

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Cinder broke the closest thing to her and, thankfully, it wasn't particularly valuable. She had just received word that Rebecca Neale had been indicted by the Atlas council was fully aware of their meager involvement in the attacks that killed Edward Ciel and thousands of people. As it happened, Elizabeth Morell had cracked and handed over more than enough evidence to the council to prove conspiracy. It seemed Neale was no longer going to be useful to her, and, with the kingdom on high alert, she could not punish Morell for what she did. That woman was, now, going to be a thorn in her side as long as she lived, wasn't she? Allowing her anger to take her over, Cinder picked up a raw crystal of fire Dust and hurled it against the wall before she bent it to her will. Every time that she felt angry, or hopeless, or upset, it made her feel better to remind herself of her power and of her control. She was powerful, not powerless! To hell with whatever emotions she felt sometimes!

It pissed her off that there was a little bit of the young girl that she had once been still in her. She hated that Ashlynn Schnee still fought and kicked against Cinder, who she truly was. It upset her, sometimes, and it drove her mad. Even if Salem was fooled into believing that Ashlynn was entirely dead, she knew differently. Cinder knew better. The care for people and the family that Ashlynn had was gone, but her values were still able to kick up dust. Memories came and went too, which also pissed her off. Collapsing to her knees as a fresh wave washed over her, Cinder closed her eyes and buried her face in her hands as something came clawing back. It was even though she was so beyond fractured, and that made it hurt more.

"You're so selfish!" Willow shouted at her sister while Jacques stood in the corner in irritation at his sister in law more so than at his wife. "Winter is five years old and you applied for custody rights over her? That's complete and utter –"

"Did you or did you not understand the part of that where I didn't get custody rights?" Ashlynn demanded, blowing on a stray hair in annoyance upon noticing a chipped nail. "I tried because I want my niece to grow up in a house that isn't run by an abusive piece of –"

"Jacques isn't –" Willow protested.

"You're deluding yourself!" Ashlynn shrieked, and her voice was incredibly shrill. "Even Emmett –"

"Emmett is fifteen years old!" Willow snapped. "He doesn't –"

"You know that I can speak for myself, right?" Emmett said, shaking out his long, wavy white locks. "I don't need someone to translate or pass information along for me as if I don't speak the language."

Cristal glanced to him, almost proud.

"Mind your tongue," Jacques told the youngest of the Schnee's in the room. Winter was asleep and the party for Willow's birthday was currently paused in awe of the argument.

"Do I have to?" Emmett asked and Cristal laughed a bit behind her hand.

"Nice jab back, kid," Ashlynn said, handing her brother a beer despite Willow's glare. "Now anyways, Willow, you should take some advice from our baby sister and –"

"Shut up!" She shrieked. "You don't understand anything, neither of you do and –"

"You're right," Ashlynn said with a smirk. "I don't know what it's like for Jacques's dick to come all the way up my tight little –"

A scream of anger left Willow as she tackled her twin sister in a moment of heated rage - a fit of passion - before she punched the artificially white-haired woman in the face. Though Ashlynn was significantly taller than Willow - 5'11'' in heels - the smaller woman had no trouble pinning her down because, despite her height, of her superior strength. Ashlynn let out a screech of surprise and it betrayed the desire within her not to be afraid. Willow punched her sister, causing her nose to begin to bleed but then stopped when she saw the look on her twin's face. The realization of what she had done, the realization that hit her harder than anything else because she realized that she was slowly acting towards her sister in the way their mother had, brought her down from her rage and she stepped away hesitantly with dozens of reporters looking at her. Her eyes were wide, but nowhere near as wide as Ashlynn's. Tears threatened to spill over as she ripped herself up off the ground in the Schnee's ballroom and brushed the dirt off of her gold satin dress.

"You bitch," Ashlynn spat at her sister who stepped back in regret and fear. "Being with Jacques really has taught you a thing or two. I guess you are becoming just like her...just like our mother. Do you have any idea what that bitch did to me?" Ashlynn demanded, tears streaming out of her eyes. "Well, do you?"

"Ash –" Willow started.

A rogue tear escaped her closed eyes and Cinder wiped it away, angered at her emotions that were leaking through her in spite of herself. To regain her composure, she resorted once again to violence and manipulation, two of the things she did best. Being off of the ground, she felt better though her knees were a little dirty and her short dress was a tad dusty. The fact that that coincided with Ashlynn's memory made her emotions swell up again she shattered the mirror across from her in the room which, unintentionally, drew the attention of Salem as a result of the noise. The deathly pale pallor of the queen of Remnant was as menacing as ever and the second that the mirror was back in place, the Queen was staring at her with slight malice.

"What were you doing?" Salem demanded.

"Thinking about how I need to feel powerful!" Cinder snapped and to her relief the Queen nodded.

"Very good. Now, here's the thing…" Salem tapped her foot against the ground impatiently. "I need you to go to Vale, and the city of Vale at that, to check in on Torchwick again. He's so fickle, and I do not trust him quite yet. Can you do so?"

"Yes," Cinder said, moving to begin to pack her bags.

"And Cinder," Salem said, using her magic to put everything in the young woman's bags. "I feel that you ought to be aware of the fact that I need you to be more careful, especially considering the way our… friends... in Atlas have been recently."

"Of course," Cinder agreed almost too quickly, getting a raised eyebrow from Salem in return.

January 10th

City Of Atlas

United Kingdom Of Atlas

Downtown

10:13 AM

"Are you alright, Emmy?" Emmett asked through the bathroom door. For the last several minutes, she had been in there without saying anything. She had woken up puking and it seemed like it was still going on though he couldn't hear anything. "Emmy?"

"Ugh...you have absolutely no idea how shitty I feel, and you aren't making it any better." Emmeline snapped, though her voice was quiet. "Sorry, I'm just not...not, well I…"

"Emmy –" Emmett said gently, leaning against the door.

"Give me a few more minutes." She said, her usual authority seeping through and it raised his concern even more. "Please, Emmett."

"Alright," He agreed, still leaning against the door as he pushed up his glasses. "But if you aren't okay, then please tell me."

Several more minutes passed in silence before she hesitantly opened the door, her hair disheveled and her face tired.

"There's something you need to see." She said softly.

"What is it?" Serious concern fell over him and he pulled her in tightly. "Emmy…"

"Look at this," She said, pushing the small stick across the counter. "Do you know what this is?"

"Is that a pregnancy test?" Emmett asked, confusion taking over his thoughts as he tried to read it, his eyes growing wide when he realized it was positive. "Oh, Emmy –"

"I'm scared," She said softly. "There's my job, of course, but…what if we're terrible parents?"

"It'll be okay," He murmured, cupping her cheek. "I promise. And, after the baby is born, I can stay here with it and you can still perform your military duties. We can make this work if we're trying. Besides, we've both wanted kids."

Emmeline smiled softly as he kissed her forehead. "You're really not angry about this?"

"How could I possibly be angry about this?" Emmett asked her, taking her hand tightly in his. " Emmy, we're married, and you know I've always wanted us to have a family. I love you so damn much, and I love our baby already."

"I know you do..." She whispered, sighing as her scroll went off. "I'm not even going to bother. I'm cancelling my meetings today and when I declare to the council that I'm pregnant...well, it will make sense to them then."

"Are you sure you want to do this so soon?" Emmett looked at her in concern. "I don't want you to be worried."

She sighed. "Whether I want to or not isn't the question even though, no, I don't want to. I'm legally required to, and so I'm going to. There's no point in trying to hide."

He nodded as he kissed her cheek. "Alright."

She stared at him as she shakily sat down on the edge of their bed. "I'm nervous about this, Emmett. I..I…you know I'm still...I'm still scared, no matter what you say."

"I am too," He admitted, pulling her in tightly. "But I promise I'll do everything in my power to help you, to make sure everything works out."

"I just..." Emmeline sighed. "I can't believe that I'm going to be a mother."

Emmett smiled and gave her a gentle squeeze. "I can't believe I'm going to be a father."

"Do you really think that things are going to be alright?" She asked him, her eyes wide.

Emmett hesitated but nodded. "I think so. We have each other, don't we?"

"Of course we do," She said, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "I'm just nervous."

"We'll get through this together," Emmett promised, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "And I'm sure our baby is going to be fine."

Emmeline curled into him as she continued to ignore her buzzing scroll. "I love you..."

"I love you too," He promised, kissing her again. "Now, how about we decide how we're going to get ready for our little one."

"Okay," She said tiredly. "I just...I don't want to go through this alone."

"I'm not going to let that happen," Emmett swore, pressing a gentle hand to her still flat abdomen. "This is my baby too, and I want it and you to be happy and healthy. I love you so much, Emmy, and I'm not going to let anything hurt you."

"Okay," She said, kissing his cheek. "Good."