IT LIVES!

Full disclosure, I think it fell a bit short of what I wanted, but at the same time I can't add more that isn't pointless filter...

ALL CREDIT TO RESPECTIVE OWNERS!

-Y.A.R.N.

Jaune liked his shadow, it was his only constant companion that was always sure return in the end. No matter where he went and what he did, he knew he could look down to see his shadow standing with him. It may have been a morbid sort of self-depreciation, but Jaune had wondered if his shadow would be the only one to stay till he died. Not pleasant, but burying himself in the guts of a beowulf or boarbatusk while fighting tides of grimm only reminded him of the multiple times he could of died if he just let it happen. Realistically, he could stop the endless violence and just go home, but where was that? His old apartment was no-man's land. Ren and Nora's would take him in, but he was too ashamed to face them. It wasn't like he had a place to belong to anymore. He hadn't wanted to even return until Goodwitch grounded him.

But recently he gained another companion who would never leave.

Ruby.

He took a walk, she stuck to his side and made sure he never snuck off. He ate, she sat by him and ate as well. He did anything that might allow him to slip away was banned. He didn't mind, he may have been waiting for the most epic telling off of all time from his friends and his family who were all getting to Beacon as fast as they could, but he enjoyed being able to talk to Ruby after so long. Sometimes they sat in silence and Ruby would lean on him, probably because of her need to reassure her that he was with her through physical contact. Jaune wasn't ignorant of how much he missed basking in the friendship that he had abandoned without a thought to what it would do to those who he shared it with.

Ruby was probably the most forgiving of his friends and he was thankful she was who was called to see him first.

Of course they were only human and aura wasn't the universal panacea that could negate the need to sleep (semblance's not included), so they finally fell asleep and Jaune had plenty of time to leave as Ruby often slept more than he did. He didn't get much sleep as he was always catching cat naps between running from place to place in his missions so that he didn't let exhaustion while fighting. The silence was a welcome change to get some actual sleep as he had to be able to get up and get moving in a flash on a mission.

But he had promised to stop running, and he couldn't bring himself to even want to leave as he waited.

He had missed his friends.

He brought some food to his room and sat in silence as he dug in, finishing with a sigh of satisfaction as he polished off the simplistic soup and bread combo he got from the cafeteria. After surviving on field rations so he could spare the actual food for hunter-hopefuls, he had forgotten how flavorful those sort of meals could be. He chuckled as he thought of how much he's didn't like some of Beacon's food back when he barely knew the right end of his weapon to hold.

Ruby shifted and groaned as she sat up and stretched, her eyes immediately snapped to him and tension slipped out of her shoulders.

"Ruby." He whined, "Can you stop acting like I'll leave the second you take your eyes off of me? I promised to stay didn't I?"

She huffed, "I don't want to take that chance. Besides..."

Her expression became maliciously happy.

"You have a lot of people to say sorry to today."

Jaune blanched and briefly entertained the thought of knocking Ruby out and sprinting to the bullheads and picking the first flight to Atlas.

Ruby eyed him and he sighed in defeat.

It had taken Ruby's message to their 'Where is Jaune Chat' a few seconds to sink in to each and every member.

Nora had read the message while in bed and bodily grabbed Ren before dragging him out to his confused surprise before he realized only one thing that could make her this excited. He restrained her only long enough to grab essential items before racing out the door.

Weiss stared before calling her secretary and telling her that she had to find someone to handle things until she got back or call Winter or Whitley, and hung up on the sputtering woman.

Blake was sprawled out on her bed, eyes drooping as she struggled to stay awake. Her scroll pinged and when she read the message it was like lightning struck her and she scrambled to get going.

Yang sighed as the beowulf faded into black smoke and took careful stock of her surroundings before answering her scroll. Her eyes read the message and with an excited shout she sprinted to the village and bullhead.

"JJJAAAUUUNNNEEEYYY!" Came the excited scream as Nora smashed into him with all the force of nuclear warhead and plowed Jaune into the concrete as she snuggled into his chest.

Nora had practically erupted from the Bullhead and scanned around until she saw Ruby and Jaune standing nearby. She plowed straight through many startled people as she sprinted towards her one-time blond leader. Jaune coughed and wheezed as he struggled to breath from the emotional strangling he was getting. Ren followed quickly and knelt next to his one-time leader with a dark smile.

"You can get out of this one on your own." He said darkly, making no move to help as Jaune face was rapidly turning blue.

Jaune finally pried Nora off only for her to latch with her legs around his waist and hang onto his shirt like a monkey. Jaune gasped and picked himself off while trying to regulate his breathing from his near-asphyxiation.

"I'm here Nora." He finally managed, "You can let go, I won't run off."

"No!" She shouted, tears pooling in her eyes, "You are staying right here forever!"

Jaune heart clenched for making the usually upbeat hammer-wielder cry and stroked his pseudo-sister's head in a calming manner before turning to Ren unable to look up to meet his eyes, "Ren... I'm sorry."

Ren frowned, "That's nowhere near enough of an apology for how much you scared us, but I'll let it go for now. I fully intend to collect later."

Jaune chuckled, "Fair enough."

He held onto his former teammates before making Nora let go and stand to the side the 'WBY' of Team RWBY stormed over, and Jaune braced himself with just enough aura to keep his organs intact as Yang punched him in the gut and he collapsed while wheezing. He coughed and took a moment to cringe before getting to his feet. Blake and Weiss both had a bit more control but Blake slapped Jaune across the face before Weiss went on a tirade even longer than Ruby's and he feels like the words blister him and nearly deafens him. He has to stifle a smile as he imagines the people in the dock leaving the area to give the almost rabid Weiss Schnee a wide berth.

He doesn't blame them for a very smart move.

All of this is than he deserves, so he's thankful.

Unfortunately, he doesn't have a good explanation as to why he didn't reach out after he calmed down and his friends take that very very personally.

The next step is recovery though.

They can wait till he heal before they attack him.