January 5th

City Of Atlas

Atlas

Downtown

4:32 PM

Cristal looked disdainfully at her brother. "You burned the evidence? Is this your first day on the planet? That was stupid at best, and -"

"Chrissy -" He started defensively, leaning against the counter.

"I don't want to hear it," She snapped. "If this were an ongoing case and I or someone on my team did something like that, we'd be in jail."

Emmet snorted. "Yes, because I'm going to go to jail for being angry and upset about receiving a questionable message from our estranged sister."

"You said she expressed a disturbing interest in your daughter," Cristal reminded him. "That is of note, Emmett, especially since this is the first time we've ever had any hint at her being after more than just offing this entire family."

Emmett all but collapsed into the sofa beside Emmeline, who took his hand reassuringly.

"I made a mistake," He finally said. "But, honestly, can you blame me?"

Cristal and Ozpin exchange a knowing look.

"No," She admitted. "But it's still...it wasn't best practice, and I think you know it."

"What was I supposed to do?" He said, burying his face in his hands. "You can't honestly think you'd have done any different, can you?"

Cristal hesitated. "I want to say I wouldn't have acted as rashly."

"That's not an answer," Emmett mumbled.

She sent Emmeline a pleading look. "Can you talk some sense into him?"

She shook her head. "No, I think there's enough against her already and that it wouldn't have changed anything. Honestly, isn't this bad enough? Why would we waste more energy on something that can't be changed and is causing us all enough pain as it is?"

Cristal sighed. "I just wish there were a simpler solution."

"The simple solution is that she be given the chance to explain herself, and be brought to trial for the involvement she had in...for…" Emmeline bit her lip, and Emmett gently pulled her in close. "For the hand she claims to have had in my father's death."

"She won't show her face around here and risk getting caught," Cristal reminded her. "All things considered, she's not that stupid."

Ozpin nodded. "I agree."

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Emmeline said tiredly. "None of us quite know what she's capable of, let alone -"

"We should continue to try and discern where the other maidens are," Ozpin told her, taking Cristal's hand when he saw her flinch. "And hope that we'll manage to track Her down before she gets her hands on any Relics, provided she knows where they are."

Emmeline raised an eyebrow upon her little niece running into the room, pulsing something in her hands that she kept playing with.

"Mommy, daddy, look!" Carleigh started giggling and jumped on her mom, who picked her up with a nervous glance to her husband.

"Carleigh," Ozpin said slowly. "When did you learn to do that?"

"I made Ollie laugh," She said with a grin. "He likes bubbles."

She excitedly started pulsing bubbles, and Cristal suddenly looked rather nervous.

"Chrissy," Ozpin murmured. "She has magic."

Cristal pulled her daughter in close and let Ozpin wrap an arm tightly around her and their daughter.

"Magic?" Emmeline pressed, frowning. "Don't you think that was something we should have known about?"

"Emmeline, listen -" Ozpin started.

"You know everything about us," Emmett said, scowling. "And you didn't tell us that your kids had -"

"He told me," Cristal said softly. "I just hoped it wouldn't be true."

"And you never thought to -" Emmett stared at his sister in shock.

"I worry about my kids just as much as you do," She said, looking as if she were about to cry. "And this could put them in more danger than anything else."

"They'll be fine," Ozpin murmured, kissing her cheek. "Really, they will."

Cristal shakily adjusted her glasses. "I just hope we all will be."

January 12th

Patch

2:14 PM

"Tai, what are you doing?" Elizabeth asked as the two of them continued to walk with his hands in front of her eyes. "I swear, if you're taking me out into the woods to murder me -"

"I'm not," Tai promised her, removing his hands from in front of her eyes and bringing his lips down on hers in a passionate kiss. "I love you so much, remember?"

"Of course I remember!" Elizabeth said, pulling him closer to her as she kicked off her heels. "But really, dragging me out into the backyard while convincing me that we're not simply taking forever to go outside is a new low for you."

"Can we really call it a low if it's just the two of us?" Tai asked her, causing her to laugh.

"Okay, so you have a point there," She said with a faint smile. "It's not been that often that we've gotten to spend much time alone together recently - especially since Yang's a hyper little girl, I have work, and Qrow and Summer are having a baby. Not to mention that...well, you never really explained to me how you pulled this stunt off, have you?"

"Lizzie…" Tai murmured, rubbing her back. "I don't know if you know how much Yang adores you. Honestly, you'd be a great mother."

"Would I be?" Elizabeth asked him, doubtful that that was true. "I'm not exactly the best partner, Tai, how come you think that I'd be a good mother?"

"Because I've seen how you are with my little girl and I know that she loves having you around." Tai said with a smile. "I love you too and that might be part of what I think we need to talk about."

Elizabeth looked at him in concern before considering anything else. "Is something wrong, Tai?"

"What? No, Lizzie, everything's fine." Tai shook that off before pulling her into him tightly. "It's just I...I know this is a little bit...no very unexpected but I…will you marry me?"

Shock flashed over her before she sighed. "I don't know Tai...is this really the right time?"

"Probably not," Tai admitted. "But I also am emotionally driven and this is something that feels like it would be right to me. I love you deeply and I want to marry you."

"I...I…" Angry at herself for crying, Elizabeth tried to not dwell on that as he wiped the rogue tears away from her face. "I love you too Tai and I do want to marry you it's just that I'm...I'm afraid."

"Really?" He asked her gently and she nodded. "Oh Lizzie…"

She sighed. "It's stupid, and it's irrational but I -"

"No, it's not," Tai assured her with a light kiss to her lips. "Because you have been through so much and I know that leaves scars on a person that cannot be healed. I love you either way, though, whether you're my wife or not."

"I'm worried about you too," Elizabeth told him. "Because you'll be brutally looked at by the media because you'd be marrying me, the still-semi controversial chair of the Atlesian National Security Council. I hate that my job is a barrier in our relationship but you have to remember that -"

"I don't care," Tai said though he backtracked when he realised that that was a lie. "Okay, so maybe I don't want to be looked at by the media but I feel like if both of our emotions are telling us to do this then we should."

"I want to," Elizabeth promised him, biting her lip. "But I don't want there to be pain for you. You act like I've been through a lot but you've had worse than I've had. Your fiance left you with your daughter when she was a baby and I can't even begin to imagine what that stress is like for you."

"You've been brutally tortured," Tai countered. "You've survived being tortured at the hand of Cinder Fall who we both know is incredibly dangerous. It's scarred you, yes, but you're so strong because you survived. You could have died, but you didn't. You could have given in to her, but you didn't."

"Tai -" Elizabeth started tiredly.

"Lizzie, I don't want you to be afraid," Tai said, kissing her forehead. "If you're not ready then I -"

Cutting off his words with a kiss, Elizabeth leaned into him heavily. "And you're sure that you are going to be okay with dealing with the media?"

Tai nodded. "It's not going to be fun, but I'll deal with it for you."

"You're sure?" She pressed. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"I know it'll be difficult," Tai said with a sigh. "But I love you and I really want to marry you."

Looking at him seriously, Elizabeth nodded. "Alright."

Lifting her up into his arms, Tai kissed her and drew her close. "You'll really marry me?"

"Yes," Elizabeth smiled as he slipped a ring on to her finger. "I'll marry you."

"Hey," Qrow said coming outside and taking a sip of the drink in his flask. "What are you two doing out here?"

Setting her down and wrapping an arm around her, Tai and Elizabeth shared a look before looking to Qrow. "We're getting married."

Choking slightly on the questionable liquid from his flask, Qrow looked at them in surprise. "Are you joking, Tai?"

"No," Tai said, pulling Elizabeth a little bit closer to him. "We really are getting married."

Qrow looked at Elizabeth in shock before shaking his head. "So I guess you're going to be an actual member of the family, Madame Morell."

"Elizabeth," She corrected. "I've been telling you that there's nothing wrong with calling me by my given name for months now, Qrow, and -"

"Okay, Elizabeth, I guess you're family now," Qrow said with a smirk and turning back towards the house with a grin. "Hey, Sums! You are not going to believe what just happened out here!"

Elizabeth turned bright pink, but Tai only smiled.

January 30th

Atlesian Main Hospital

City Of Atlas

United Kingdom Of Atlas

7:51 AM

"Oh for God's sake, let them in," Emmeline told the nurse tiredly. "It's just my sister-in-law, husband, and daughter. They have every right to meet the new baby"

The nurse nodded weakly as she let them into the room. "Yes ma'am."

The woman stood in the doorway for a moment and then shook her head as she shut the door quietly behind herself.

"Oz is with Carleigh and Oliver," Cristal said, her heels clicking as she paced and Emmett guided his little girl towards her mother and newborn sister. "How is she?"

Emmeline smiled. "Just fine."

Emmett pressed an affectionate kiss to his wife's forehead and then lightly tapped his newborn daughter's nose. She was calmly curled up in her mother's arms, swaddled in a blanket, and sleeping peacefully for the time being.

"Hi, Lysithea," Emmett said with a smile. "I'm going to call you Lily too, okay?"

Emmeline laughed weakly. "Emmett, we've…"

"I know, I know," He said, lifting Samara up into his lap and letting her see her baby sister. "Sam, this is Lily. Your sister."

"Li!" Samara bubbled reaching towards her with her tiny hands.

"No, no," Emmett said, pulling her back. "Lily is really tiny so you have to be gentle with her. She's going to be super tiny for a while, you know."

Samara pouted but curled against her father and stared at her mother and sister.

"Emmeline," Cristal said after a moment. "Can I hold her?"

She nodded shortly. "Of course."

Cristal sat down across from her brother and gently took her niece into her arms, rocking her gently.

"I'm your aunt Cristal," She told the sleeping girl. "You'll be seeing a lot of me and your cousins."

Emmett sighed as his wife slowly fell asleep next to him. Ruffling her hair while she slept, Emmett let silence fall over them and it was a relief. For once, it seemed, things were genuinely peaceful.

"You love me?" Samara asked suddenly, looking at her father with wide eyes.

Emmett stared at her for a moment in shock.

"Sammie," He finally said. "I promise that your mother and I won't forget about you or anything. We love you just as much as we love Lily and things are going to be fine. You're going to be a good sister."

The little girl smiled, satisfied with his answer.

"I never thought there would be a time where my little brother would be a father," Cristal remarked, letting her half-awake, now, niece wrap a tiny hand around her finger. "But you've done well. Dad...dad would have been proud of you."

Emmett shook his head. "I wouldn't have wanted that. I remember what he did to you after you tried to leave the kingdom."

Cristal swallowed hard. "You remember that?"

"I remember hearing loud arguing down the hall and him losing his temper and hitting you to the point where you were on the floor in pain," Emmett hesitated, seeing that she looked about ready to cry. "I was thirteen, Chrissy. I remember."

"I had pushed the daddy's little girl card too far way too many times," Cristal said quietly. "I should never have tried to run away like that, but…"

"Dad never had any right to beat you," Emmett countered. "Just like mom, from what you and Willow said, never had any right to verbally abuse you and Willow when you made mistakes."

Cristal brushed the tears away from her eyes, not caring that her glasses became slightly askew.

"He always liked you best," She eventually said. "I think he wished I had been a boy…"

"Well, that's rich," Emmett scoffed. "And not particularly good parenting, either."

Cristal sighed. "You and I both know he became subsumed by work."

"That's not an excuse," Emmett gently countered. "If he had loved you at your best, then he should have loved you at your worst too."

Cristal felt herself starting to shake and pulled her niece closer to her steadily, not wanting to upset the newborn girl.

"Mmmmm...Emmett?" Emmeline woke up groggily and he took her hand in his as she pushed herself up, relaxing when he, Cristal, and the girls came into focus. "Is everything alright?"

"It's all fine," Emmett promised her, kissing her softly. "Chrissy was just starting to explain things to Lily...although I have a feeling that we're all going to have to do so again later."

"You're funny," Emmeline said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close before looking at her girls. "But I think they're going to be pretty close."

"Mommy!" Samara exclaimed happily, climbing onto her.

"Hi, honey," Emmeline said, trying to hold her squirming daughter still. "Are you having a good day?"

Samara nodded furiously. "Yeah!"

"I think they'll be close too," Emmett said with a chuckle. "Emmy, I seriously cannot love you enough. You're so perfect and you're the mother of my girls. I don't even know what to do."

Emmeline laughed and leaned into him. "I love you too, Emmett, you don't have to do anything, I promise."

"Honestly," Emmett said as she wrapped her fingers around his long white waves. "I don't know what I was so..."

He trailed off when Lily started to cry and he quickly took his newborn daughter from his sister, who helped distract Samara long enough for Emmeline to get her baby girl to latch and start to nurse.

"I'll see you guys later," Cristal said, setting her year-old niece down. "Okay?"

Emmett nodded as she picked up her purse and left the room.

"Daddy…" Samara whined. "Hungry…"

He pulled out a sippy cup with orange juice in it and opened a small jar of carrot puree for her. Messily, the little girl happily began to eat.

"It doesn't really matter what we were scared of, now," Emmett said, kissing his wife's forehead. "Because either way we got married and have two sweet girls."

Emmeline smiled. "Yes, we do."

And, in that moment, it seemed to all of them that things had a chance to be alright after all.