February 27th

City of Atlas

Atlas

Downtown

10:17 AM

Emmeline Cecilia Ciel was more relaxed than she had been in months. She had no Council meetings that day, although she knew full well it was because Ronnie and the rest of the conservative party had caused a government shutdown because they were unwilling to compromise with the progressives on how to handle Sassler's request for additional funds and a formal declaration of war from the Council against the groups associated with Sienna Kahn or those responsible for Edward's assassination just under four years before. It still pained her to remember what happened to her father, and she knew it was hard on her siblings too. Nevertheless, when she set aside the gruesome politics and their implications, she felt quite calm. The apartment was quiet, and Lysithea had only woken up once since the morning had broken. Her baby girl was now sound asleep in her and Samara's room, and her big sister was out in the city with Emmett.

Emmeline smiled and sipped her second cup of coffee, humming to herself. Emmett had been in a good mood the whole morning, and Emmeline knew it was because he still didn't have to go back to work for another three weeks. She was sure once Atlas Academy went back into session that he wouldn't be in such high spirits, but, for now, she was glad he was happy. He had hummed while cooking breakfast – pancakes and eggs – and in between being responsible and watching what he was doing, he had gotten Samara dressed in her snow clothes, cleaned off his glasses, done his hair (which had now grown well past his shoulders) in a low ponytail, and found the time to tease her after mass. She had chided him for his lack of responsibility, but she hadn't really been annoyed. In the last few years, it had been unusual for him to be so light-hearted, and it was a welcome change of pace for them all to be a bit more relaxed. Samara had been sweet and giggling, and Lily had been calm after she'd eaten. It was a less hectic morning than usual for them, to say the very least.

Emmett had all but bounced out of the apartment with Samara giggling in her stroller and snugly in her snow clothes. Emmeline doubted the little girl would have any desire to actually play in the snow – the last time they had tried to introduce her to snow, she had huddled against her mother and wouldn't even touch it once she realized it was cold although she had started giggling when she threw a bit of snow, in her tiny hands, at Emmett and it got in his hair. Today, it was far more likely that she was going to go to a coffee shop with Emmett and see her aunt and cousins while her father had a scone (or two). Emmett was notorious for his love of sweets, and he justified it by going out of his way to run two miles on the treadmill every day. Emmeline often teased him, but she knew he meant well and that he loved her and their kids. That was more than enough for her. Still, she was happy to have a few hours to herself where she could relax on a Sunday. She had even gotten the chance to change back into her pyjamas once they had gotten home from mass, and she was more calm, more relaxed, and far more comfortable than she had been in a long time.

"Of course…" Emmeline muttered upon hearing a window break down the hall in the master bedroom.

Her newborn daughter started to cry from her and Samara's room, and Emmeline ran down the hall to comfort her before she checked what was happening. It only took a few minutes of nursing to get her back down, but Emmeline remained nervous. She quietly closed the door to her daughter's room, and then started down the hall, a sinking feeling rising in her. When the door to the master bedroom creaked open, Emmeline found one of the windows was broken and she swore under her breath. She supposed it was possible that it had been a joke by one of the neighbor kids, but it felt wrong nonetheless. Yes, the neighbors that lived on their floor in the apartment complex separated only by eight feet of alleyway had some rambunctious teenagers that were known for being little shits and they had gotten into trouble for vandalism before but it had never been like this. That was exactly what set her on edge. After a moment, with the only noise being the low, constant hum of electricity and the light breeze outside, she kneeled down and picked up a shard of glass.

Her heart almost stopped when she caught a glimpse of a reflection with in it that was not her own, holding a blade of pure silver that was more than prepared to kill.

Emmeline felt herself drop the shard and she pushed out her hand, pulsing her aura. The blade made contact with the blast and let out a sharp snap. Emmeline straightened herself out and took the few seconds she had to tear open one of the drawers nearby and grab her shotgun. A moment then passed in silence and she saw her sister-in-law step out of the small closet with the blade set to her side. Cinder looked rather irritated, yet also smug, and Emmeline, for all her military training, felt her heart drop. Her hands tightened around the gun, which she pointed defensively towards her sister-in-law, who was sauntering towards her. The sorceress was dressed as seductively as always and, just by the embroidery, Emmeline knew the dress was infused with Dust. It was the type of outfit an assassin would wear.

Assassin. The word reverberated through her head and she found herself terrified that this was the beginning of what the woman had meant when she had declared she would pick off the rest of the Ciel family one by one.

"Hmmph," Cinder snorted, looking particularly sour. "I should have known you'd put a fight. Pity. I thought you'd be easier to handle…like your father."

Emmeline flinched despite herself and took a step back while the sorceress slowly stepped towards her.

"You had a hand in that, I imagine," Emmeline said dryly, her eyes narrow. "Based on what evidence has surfaced, at any rate. So, to what do I owe this displeasure?"

Cinder laughed. "Don't be like that, darling, this has never been personal."

Emmeline scowled. "For some reason," She said darkly, her gun still pointed at her quote un-quote dear sister-in-law. "I doubt that."

Cinder pursed her lips. "Little Samara home?"

"No," Emmeline snapped, silently praying that she wouldn't hurt Lily. "She's still out with Emmett."

"Good," Cinder replied, and Emmeline forced herself not to lower her gun in shock. "I'd rather deal with you alone…and I suppose the little brat down the hall won't remember any of this."

"You're treading a thin line," Emmeline told her, hands shaking despite herself. "And I'm surprised you're even taking the risk of being back in a kingdom where the Council wants your head."

Cinder rolled her eyes. "I might have to leave for a little from time to time, but I'll always come back. Some of the people I'm afraid I'll have to…handle are too much even for me right now. Headmasters, politicians...certain members of your family. But you? Oh, Emmeline, you're weaker than the rest of them, and you know why? It's because you are exactly like your father, who was damn useless beyond acting tough, beyond –"

"He had his faults, and I won't deny that I think he would have been spread thin in a time of war," Emmeline said, her voice low. "But at least he meant well and was trying to do right by the country."

Cinder smiled. "I know. That's why it was such a shame that he had to die."

Emmeline stared at her in silence, unsure of what to say or do.

"I hope you know I haven't got a choice here," Cinder said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "If I did, I'd probably only feel the need to handle Ronnie right now. He's a senator, after all, far more powerful than you who's only just a commander, and, of course, he's extremely well-liked and known. There would be more of an immediate impact, don't you know?"

Emmeline shook her head. "You and I both know I don't want to shoot you."

Cinder smirked. "Afraid, Commander?"

"I'm not as easy a target as you seem to believe," Emmeline snapped, pulsing her aura with one of her hands and knocking Cinder to the ground for just a moment. "And, no, I don't want to have to shoot you if I can get away with it."

Cinder let out an enraged shriek and pushed herself up before charging at Emmeline who fired a shot but missed by just an inch. The former Schnee almost had Emmeline but the commander dodged her attempt to stab her and the sword ended up lodged partially in the wall. Cinder swore while Emmeline ran into the living room down the hall with her gun in hand and, as soon as she ripped her weapon out of the wall, began to chase her in earnest. Emmeline knew her shotgun only had a few more shots left in it, and, while she was ready to fire again if necessary, she knew her best chance would be if she could grab her rifle from by the door. She had only a few seconds when she tumbled over the couch but found herself pinned to the ground by her sister-in-law before she could reach it or even get back on her feet.

"Emmeline…" Cinder sneered, shaking her head and pressing her heel harder against the commander's chest, causing her to let out a small cry of pain. "I can make this very quick or very painful and, as much as I'd enjoy the latter, I have enough respect for Emmett and your girls. Don't make me resort to –"

Emmeline managed to move her arm just enough to shoot Cinder in the ankle, giving her barely enough time to get to her feet and fire another shot. There were only two left in the shotgun. Cinder whipped around to look at the shot in distraction, and, in the small amount of time it bought her, Emmeline shoved her shotgun behind a small bookshelf and slung her rifle over her shoulder. It was then time seemed to stop and she heard her baby girl start to cry again. Emmeline wanted nothing more in that moment than to comfort her, but she knew she couldn't, not without risking her safety. Cinder began to run at her again, but, adrenaline pulsing through her, Emmeline all but ripped open the door and started running down the stairs to the alleyway. If she cut through and ran, she could make it to the DFAMA offices within fifteen minutes and her defenses would be better.

Cinder tore off angrily after her sister-in-law, pausing for a brief moment in the apartment to pick up a picture of Emmeline and Emmett from their wedding and slam it into the ground, shattering the glass of the frame. She didn't care that she was giving the commander a minute more to escape; she would find her, and it would be without difficulty. Cinder glanced out the window briefly and that was all she needed to pursue her. With her magic, she shattered the glass with a ring of fire and gracefully bounded out through the fire escape before dropping into the alleyway and firing a shot from her own gun at the commander. Emmeline jumped out of the way, but she found herself more terrified than ever and, her breathing heavy and her heart pounding, she started to run once more. She kept telling herself that she would be safe if she managed to get into the DFAMA but it suddenly occurred to her that she had no ID and that she was in her pyjamas. Her bare feet were starting to get sore and she was sure they were being cut open raw.

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Emmeline finally screamed when Cinder had fired the last shot and tossed her now-unloaded pistol aside. "Why can't you just leave us be? What the hell is this all for?"

"You don't understand!" Cinder shrieked, forming a small ball of fire in her hands and holding it up menacingly while Emmeline tried to shield herself with her aura. "Do you have any idea what I've had to endure? The pain that my damn mother put me through and now this? You think I don't deserve my due? If this is what I have to do to finally get what I deserve, then so fucking be it!"

Cinder threw the ball of fire towards her, but Emmeline pulsed her semblance just enough to stop it. She felt worse than ever, and she, feeling almost as if she would fall over, kept running with a hand on her rifle through the deep alleyway. Rows of building after building shielded it and made it dark even in the daytime and the snow did little to help. It was icy, and Emmeline almost slipped as she managed to turn a corner. Her pursuer started laughing behind her and, by the time they were within range again, she had readied her rifle to fire. Emmeline clenched her hands tightly around the trigger and began to fire, but the ex-Schnee pulverized them with a summoned ring of fire. Only one bullet made contact, and it left a deep bruise in the palm of her hand, causing her to shriek in outrage.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Cinder screamed. "Just let me –"

"Ashlynn, you're the one who's –" Emmeline started, firing another round that the sorceress only just barely managed to evade with her magic.

"You're supposed to be an example!" Cinder snarled. "I told you I could make this easy, why can't you just—"

She was cut off by a sudden bullet piercing her foot and her face immediately darkened while her amber eyes flared menacingly. She knew that she was coming up close on having expended all of her sorcery and aura, but she didn't give a damn. All she cared about, in this moment with nothing but pure hatred pumping through her cold veins, was doing what she knew she had to do. She began to slash at the commander, who parried them with the body of her rifle until she could get behind her and kick her in the back. Yet Cinder quickly retaliated and, while Emmeline's attack had skidded her about a foot down and a lighting dust bullet was now lodged in her foot, Cinder slammed the commander down with a violent pulse of aura to give herself enough time to regain her footing.

"You know who I report to," Cinder growled, using a small bit of her magic to rip the painful bullet out of her now-bleeding foot. Her aura was close to breaking, and even she knew it. "You know how well I've been trained."

Emmeline scowled, firing another shot to distract her. "I thought she only had other people bend to her will."

Cinder started laughing, vainly tossing her ashen hair back once more.

"Who do you think trains them?" She replied with another sick laugh. "In your humble opinion, of course, Commander Ciel?"

Emmeline was about to respond but had to quickly parry the sorceress' attack. She found herself kicking and thrashing – something she hadn't needed to resort to since she had been first enlisted at nineteen – and then she found herself lying on the sidewalk. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the DFAMA offices and the legislature's proud building as well as people walking around the city. It was a cold morning, but it wasn't a deterrent to them. Emmeline then realized that some people were stopping to see what was going on and she lowered her rifle, immediately regretting it when the sorceress shot at her and she got hit in the shoulder. Emmeline felt her heart pounding, her breath went shallow and quick, and she was more than terrified when the woman slowly began to saunter towards her, drawing her sword.

"Damn it…" Emmeline wasn't even sure if she had spoken and felt sick. "I have to…to act like Qrow."

She propped herself up with her elbows and forced herself back up and fired another shot at her that Cinder blocked with her sword. Emmeline ducked out of another ball of fire and tried to catch her breath, ready to do what she had to so she would be able to see her girls again. She tore at her and managed to get a decent punch to the sorceress' face but got kicked back to the ground and the amber-eyed woman looked more confident, more imposing than she ever had.

"If you…" Emmeline could barely get her words out and she wanted to slap the sorceress. "You little…Ash… ashbitch…"

"What?" Cinder sneered.

The sorceress shrieked upon being knocked back by the commander smacking her in the stomach with the back end of her rifle. She stumbled back and swore. It occurred to her that a small crowd was starting to form across the street, and it made her smirk. All she could think of was how much more power this would give her if she managed to finally kill her. A beat passed when she heard the yelling around them, the panic, and, for just a second, she felt a sharp, phantom pain in her arm, and it felt as if her mother had snapped on her again. It hardened her, and she pulled her second sword from her side and merged it with her other blade to form a bow and a final arrow. It missed by nearly nine feet, and it caused a massive explosion into a building nearby. Emmeline was knocked down again, panting heavily in exhaustion.

"Someone call the police!" People shrieked in the crowd.

"I have to say," Cinder sneered, snatching her sister-in-law by the collar of her pyjamas. "I've got to give you some credit, my dear sister-in-law, but you've made this much, much harder than it ever needed to –"

Emmeline managed to breathlessly (and possibly accidentally) fire one last shot that pried the sorceress off her, but it activated a small charge the woman had in her hands. The sorceress and the commander stumbled over just before the fuse went off. It did no physical damage to either woman or the city, but they both were knocked unconscious by the blast. The last thing that Emmeline consciously recalled was the world spinning around her, every sound getting further and further away with the smell of smoke, a sharp pain reverberating in her right shoulder, and screams that filled the air. It was dark for so long, she couldn't say if she tried, but it had only been ten minutes by the time she came to with paramedics around her and police tape blocking off the scene.

"Emmy!" Emmett yelled, rushing to his wife's side with their two daughters tightly in his arms, completely disregarding the tape and flashing his huntsman license as best he could. "Are you –"

"I…" She forced out weakly.

"Mommy!" Samara exclaimed, trying to climb on her mother once Emmett had kneeled down by his wife's side.

"Mister Schnee, please, there's a gunshot wound in her shoulder," One of the paramedics said in exasperation, struggling to pry the little girl off her mother, who they had gotten sitting up.

"She's fine," Emmeline coughed out.

"Commander Ciel, please don't strain yourself," Another paramedic said, taking her vitals.

"Mommy…" Samara whined, tugging on her mother's tangled hair.

"Don't hurt your mother," Emmett told her, patting Lysithea's back to keep her quiet. "Shh, Lily, it's okay…"

"Can I…" Emmeline tried to show her baby girl that she was okay but she was too weak and almost fell over again.

"Commander Ciel, please –" The paramedic tried to reason.

She cut herself off upon a government car pulling up nearby and it was then that Emmeline saw several cops restraining Cinder, who seemed to be sedated. An EMT was monitoring them as they put an aura cuff on her wrist which, by the sight of it, latched on immediately. Then, out of the government car and surrounded by bodyguards, Senator Ronnie Ciel, in a full suit, stepped out and walked quickly towards his sister and her family. The paramedics eyed him for a moment but, when he showed them his ID badge and the guards stood around them, they allowed him to pass.

"My God," Ronnie breathed, his stomach sinking. "Emmeline, Emmett, are you –"

"Ronnie?" Emmett stared at his brother-in-law incredulously.

"I'm…" Emmeline began coughing again and little Samara climbed down, looking at her mother worriedly. "I…I think I…"

"I…I was worried sick for you," Emmett whispered, suddenly clinging to his wife with their tiny daughter starting to cry in his arms. "My God, I'm just…I'm so glad you're okay."

"Mister Schnee!" A paramedic chastised. "She needs to be taken to the hospital in order to be checked for –"

"Sammie, honey, don't climb on mommy," Emmett said, taking her into his arms as well. "Mommy's going to be okay, but she needs some –"

"I want to know what's going to happen to her," Ronnie suddenly said, gesturing towards where Cinder was being shoved into the cop car. "She's a highly wanted criminal, and I can assure you that –"

"Senator Ciel, calm down," The lead paramedic said as she directed the others to lift Emmeline onto a stretcher. "Take her vitals again!" She ordered. "And be careful when you draw blood! She's –"

"I hope they restrain her," Emmett murmured to his wife. "I don't care if I share blood with her…after this…no, I'm just…God, if something had happened to you –"

"Emmett, I'm…" Emmeline sighed and fell back slightly against the stretcher, her head starting to hurt.

"They will restrain her," Ronnie said, awkwardly patting his brother-in-law's arm. "She will face the full extent of the law, as she should."

"And if she finds a dirty defense lawyer?" Emmeline coughed out, feeling worse than before. "She could convince a jury of feigned innocence, she would get away, she could –"

"No," Emmett said, holding his daughters tightly against himself and looking to her worriedly. "We'll get the best prosecutors, the system will move quickly because of how high the price on her head has been, and we'll win. She won't see the light of day again."

"Mister Schnee, not now!" A paramedic snapped upon Emmett kneeling slightly to kiss his wife's cheek.

"I'll meet you at the hospital with the girls," He told her. "I promise."

Ronnie took his older niece into his arms and helped carry her to Emmett's car. The little girl kept bubbling incoherently and seemed upset about being taken away from her mother but calmed down considerably once she was in her car seat and cuddling her toy bunny. Lily had started screaming when Emmett had started to secure her, but she did, however grudgingly, take her bottle. She fell back asleep shortly after. Just before he climbed into the driver's side and turned on the car, Emmett let out a small yelp upon his brother-in-law tightly embracing him. He half-heartedly returned it and Ronnie disappeared into his security shortly after. Emmett was terrified the entire time he drove to the hospital and he was unable to relax until he saw his wife and was able to, with the girls in the stroller, embrace her.

She seemed annoyed, though, when she realized that some people from the crowd had filmed part of what happened, and she was horrified when she found out that someone had video of her calling the former Schnee an "Ashbitch." Emmett had found it hilarious, particularly when he found a video of her saying something along the lines of acting like Qrow. It was at about that point she made him stop searching the internet for whatever videos people may have been posting, and he gave in with a smile and an affectionate kiss to her cheek. The only thing Emmeline had been okay with was, as she learned weeks later, that there had been a sudden spike in the number of female applicants to Atlas Academy, in part because of what had happened. That wasn't to say it didn't annoy the hell out of her when people congratulated her or seemed to diminish just how dangerous the situation had been for the sake of a joke, but she was glad that at least a faint bit of good came out of it beyond Cinder's arrest. They were going to be okay, for the time being, and it seemed the former Schnee was finally being dealt with.

Yet fate still seemed to hold a bitter edge in favor of the sorceress.

Author's note: One more chapter before a sixteen year time skip to Beacon! Also, HUGE shoutout to Emil (merendinoemiliano) for helping me out with this chapter! Much love!