November 28th
Patch
6:51 PM
"What are you talking about?" Tai asked, 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, Summer. I forgot you and Qrow usually manage to be out of the house when she's here."
Summer elbowed Qrow sharply before he said anything and smiled when Yang tottled into the room.
"Hey, Yang," Tai said, releasing Elizabeth and kneeling down to his daughter's height. "You remember Elizabeth, don't you?"
Yang nodded, looked up, smiled and waved at Elizabeth who smiled warmly back. In contrast, Summer glanced to the woman she still barely knew even after Tai had been dating her for so long but Qrow was suddenly angry. With a pointed look to Yang and the promise of a cookie if she went up to her room, Qrow let out a groan of irritation as he leaned against the counter once the little girl was gone. With his arm still wrapped around her once more, Tai drew Elizabeth closer and kissed her gently. Temporarily both of them forgot that Qrow and Summer were 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 them. 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 you...for the most part…" Qrow began which caused Elizabeth to tense and Summer to send him a look that suggested he play nice, for once. "But I still think you're trying to take advantage of Tai."
Elizabeth snorted. "Nothing against you or anything Qrow but, honestly, if I wanted to extort 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 -"
"I know," Elizabeth murmured weakly. "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 with a little kid," Elizabeth shook his hair with her fingers before kissing his cheek. "Although I'll admit that I was embarrassed a few weeks ago 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 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.
"Umm, please stop," Summer put in. "I don't want to think about your sex life."
Elizabeth turned bright red and kicked Tai in the shin. He only laughed apologetically.
"Sorry, sorry," He said. "I get carried away."
"Yeah you do," Summer remarked dryly. "And you don't have the excuse Qrow does of being drunk."
"Hey!" Qrow protested. "That any way to talk to the father of your child?"
Summer giggled. "Sorry, Qrow, sorry."
"You're pregnant?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "That's a surprise."
"Well...umm...," Summer said awkwardly. "Okay, yes, I am."
"And our kid is going to be fine," Qrow added, scowling at Elizabeth. "Better than any kid you and Tai might ever have, too."
Elizabeth was about to retort but Tai was faster.
"Shove it, Qrow," He told him irritably. "And didn't you promise Yang that cookie?"
He grudgingly relented but even he couldn't deny that spending time with his little niece made him feel better.
December 9th
City Of Atlas
United Kingdom Of Atlas
Downtown
12:01 AM
It was midnight and, although she tired, she couldn't bring herself to get into bed and fall asleep. The council meetings had gone just as well as expected, meaning terribly, but her military duties had been much better than she had thought they would be. For once, the team of specialists that she had the most trouble with hadn't fucked up. They were relatively new, and they were wild because of it. They were also local, but sometimes it almost seemed like they didn't have any of their shit together and could barely follow orders half the time. That thing with the train in Forever Fall was just one of the many things they had screwed up. They were supposed to be following some members of the White Fang's splinter faction but, somehow and for some reasons they wouldn't explain, they ended up blowing up a train that was transporting lightning Dust of all things. It was complete bullshit. As quietly as she could, she tried to not wake up Emmett while she showered and changed into her pyjamas.
Her thoughts slowly diverted away from work and to a limb that was just as, if not more, nerve wracking. She was inching closer and closer to her due date, and, while she wasn't about to deny that she was happy about it but at the same time her fears were omnipresent. Opting to pace rather and try to work out her thoughts, she tried very hard not to wake her husband or daughter up. Her steps were unusually light, and she was keeping all of her thoughts inside of her mind rather than trying to work through them out loud. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous. Most of the time, especially at work, she admitted that she could be accused of over confidence. Right now, she had none. Without even realizing it, her steps got heavier and did not stop until she heard Emmett roll over and pull himself up.
"You alright, Emmy?" He said, reaching for his glasses and his voice still foggy from the sleep.
"No," She admitted, coming over to him and letting him pull her in close. "At least not if I'm being honest."
"What happened?" Emmett asked her as gently as possible.
She sighed. "It's irrational -"
"Tell me about it," He insisted, trying to prove to her that it was okay to tell him. "Really."
She sighed again as she curled into him. "Is Sam okay?"
"Is that what you're worried about?" Emmett leaned her head onto his shoulder as carefully as he could and began running his fingers through her hair. "Emmy, she's fine. Today was one of her good days, and she was as content as she could be for most of it."
She sighed a third time. "How do you guess?"
Emmett gently pecked her forehead. "Tell me what's bothering you…" He murmured.
Emmeline bit her lip. "I just...Emmett, I'm sorry, I just feel awful right now, what with having worked extremely late and, with our second little girl due at the end of January, I'm scared."
"And there's nothing wrong with that," He assured her, massaging her arm. "Sam's fine, the baby's fine, and you're home now and okay. That's good enough for me."
A small laugh escaped in spite of herself. "You're a good father, you know that?"
"I hope so," He said with a smile. "I guess maybe it has something to do with -"
"The fact that you love kids in general?" Emmeline smiled knowing that she was right. "Of course. Look, Emmett, I love Sam, and I already love Lily, but things are complicated…and I'm scared because what if I completely fuck this up?"
"You won't." He said gently. "Emmy -"
"Emmett, we won't know that until it's too late if we do fuck up!" She bit back tears as she glanced at her hands. "How can I -"
"Emmy, sweetheart, listen to me," He said, his voice lowering and becoming softer. "I know we've both made mistakes already with Sam, but she's just fine. We can handle this, and we are. Just promise me that you'll try and get some sleep because I don't think either of us are going to be able to be even halfway decent parents in the morning if we're exhausted."
She nodded, tiredly running a hand through her hair. "Maybe I'm being irrational…"
"It's okay, Emmy," He murmured, kissing her forehead and then setting his glasses aside. "I love you."
Emmeline sighed and let him hold her close as they both slowly fell asleep. "I love you too." She softly replied.
December 20th
Schnee Family Manor
City Of Atlas
United Kingdom Of Atlas
2:59 PM
"Willow?" Cinder smirked, stepping into her sister's bedroom in the otherwise empty Schnee Manor. "It's been too long since we last spoke, sissy.. How's mommy dearest?"
Willow recoiled and swore upon realizing her scroll was down in the library "Ash…" She started nervously, backing up into her dressing table.
"It's Cinder now," She told her, casually leaning against the wall with her amber eyes flaring slightly. "But I suppose I can make an exception for you just this once. Let me guess: you're all angry with me because I'm finally taking what I want in life?"
"What the hell do you want?" Willow shakily asked her. "Haven't you done enough damage? I heard you have it out for the whole family now, isn't that right?"
"Well, maybe I do," Cinder coyly replied. "But I just want to talk. 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, though I suppose I'm not surprised. She was never particularly invested in my cause and 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 behavior 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 but reminded herself that there were cameras in every room in the house. She would not be in danger, and she would have evidence against Ashlynn and her evil.
"But...but then why would you try to kill all of us?" She bit off. "Why did you all murder Edward Ciel? Why are you after the rest of the Ciel family? Emmeline, for instance? What has she ever done?"
Cinder laughed before twisting her hair with her hands. "She's just not useful. Although, at least, since she might be pregnant I might spare 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 in abject horror. "And why would you do any of this? They've never hurt you and they deserve to be happy after all these years!"
"Oh, and I don't deserve happiness?" Cinder challenged. "Everyone talks about the reasons that other people like Emmett deserve 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 shouted. "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 screamed. "Yes!"
Cinder scoffed. "Well, I doubt he loves you," She rolled her eyes, looking bored. "I already have to kill Emmeline and the rest of them, so why not throw Emmett and Jacques into the mix too?"
"No!" Willow reached for the nearest thing to her, which happened to be the fire poker, and held it up defensively in case her sister tried to attack. "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 scowled, her hands tightening around the fire poker. "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. "Absolutely not," She snapped. "You're a monster."
"Oh Willow, I'm not a monster." Cinder swore under her breath and then began to saunter out. "I just do what I have to. If this is where the line is...then so be it. Enjoy dying...you've all chosen the wrong side."
She disappeared in a cloud of smoke but Willow didn't feel safe until she gathered the evidence and sent it to the Council, claiming she had recorded it all because her scroll had been on her but never admitting there were cameras. Willow didn't need them that night, though, because, as soon as he found out, Jacques went out of his way to comfort her and swore that he would do whatever it took to ensure their safety.
December 20th
City Of Atlas
United Kingdom Of Atlas
Downtown
6:46 PM
"Well, that's not wrong," Elizabeth muttered before looking back to Emmett. They had been talking for over an hour regarding what he needed to know for the upcoming Vytal Festival and it had become remarkably pessimistic. "But, fine, I won't say anything else about it. You and Spencer are only history professors anyway. You don't have to know that much. By the way," Elizabeth pulled a letter out of her pocket and shoved into his hands. "This is yours, it was -"
"Thanks," Emmett said as she walked out of the apartment tensely, turning back to look at him once before shaking her head and closing the door quietly behind her. As soon as she was gone, he tore open the letter and he tensed upon recognizing the familiar handwriting but the words written on it were what made him shake.
Emmett, I know that you don't want to hear from me but I...I feel that it's important to tell you the truth. All of it:
When I first disappeared, I only survived the bombing of the motorway in Mistral because she orchestrated it. I was removed, half conscious, from the rubble by Tyrian Callows who, by all accounts, is more than just a sycophantic serial killer as I'm sure everyone well knows...but I digress. She coerced me into working for her because -
Emmett ripped off that part, irked by her nerve but his eyes widened at the next part.
...fully, I admit. I wanted nothing more than to take control over the Schnee Dust Company. It would have been an easy route to power and, not only that, it would have prevented Jacques from getting it. I also -
Seeing Sam's name as he scanned further down, Emmett bit the inside of his cheek while he read it.
And I want Sam to be happy. I would willingly die for her and it's because I see her as my own daughter even though I've never met her. That is her name, isn't it? Sam? That's what I heard you call her. I saw you with her and your wife a few weeks ago in Vale. Is Emmeline pregnant, by chance? Either way, I'm not sorry for what I've done and the woman I've become, but I'm not totally gone. Keep that in mind before you attempt to murder me.
Ashlynn Cinder Schnee, your sister.
Emmett glared at the note that was in pieces and went into the bathroom across from the living room, pulling out a lighter that he occasionally used to singe off the ends of stray fabrics. Setting the note in its pieces down on the marble counter, Emmett glared before lighting it on fire and watching it burn. He felt tenser than ever, his thoughts swirling around his estranged sister's empty words and the terrible promises she seemed to make. The papers, torn into pieces, curled and small billows of smoke rose from them in an almost beautiful fashion. The fire and smoke were like a sick, controlled dance and, for some reason, it felt like the final severing of his ties to his estranged sister. They were not family, not anymore, and they were on other sides of the war. Perhaps they always had been.
"What the hell is that smell?"
Emmett jumped in surprise upon hearing his wife, who raised an eyebrow when she saw the ashes on the counter.
"Another threat?" Emmeline tiredly surmised.
"A false explanation," He replied.
Emmeline shook her head. "It's going to be alright. She's not stupid enough to try anything."
Emmett said nothing but tightly embraced her until he heard their daughter start to cry and ran off down the hall to make sure the little girl was okay.