Jaune cradled the crying infant in his arms. The rush of fatherhood took over, making him bawl more than his own child. The weight, the warmth in his arms... It was all foreign to him. He couldn't help but hold his daughter closer to his chest. His fingers grew numb and his arms felt weak. Was this how his parents felt when Saph was born?

"May I... hold her?"

He gently handed his baby girl over to her mother. An odd surge of emotion erupted. Joy? Sadness? Anger? All of the above? The sight was beautiful nevertheless. A part of him... No - every part of him wanted to experience a sight like this everyday. Even though his lingering feelings were still mixed. Jaune watched as the mother stroked their daughter with her delicate hands. The little miracle had finally stopped crying when the mother starting humming a little soothing tune. He wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that.

The mother started crying with a grim smile. "She's beautiful, Jaune..." She reached her free hand out towards him. He held it, rubbing his thumb against her own. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I..."

"It's not selfish of you," Jaune said. He gazed fiercely into her widened eyes. "This... This right here is nothing short of life-changing. It's rather obvious you're as overwhelmed as I am. I just... We've talked about this. There's no need to feel guilty. Like I said before, you can continue your career and I can start fresh with my new one. Come visit whenever you like. You're free to visit her whenever you wish."

"Thank you... I'll visit as much as I can."

Liar.

Vanessa Arc kept her head down as her father glared daggers at her. She tried to gauge what level his temper was at. Arms crossed, foot was tapping... Shit, he was pissed. And not just pissed, but a whole new secret level of pissed. She gathered the willpower to look up at him and he was smiling. Not the friendly, I brought home pizza smile, but that smile that showed he was close to laughing. The foreboding laughter of doom...

She must have gotten that from him.

"Vanessa..." he chuckled. "I must say, I was quite impressed when I first heard you'd managed to fool the entire faculty of your school into thinking aliens existed. It's horrible for your father to admit what you did was actually quite funny, but I'm afraid even I have limits in that regard." He had that saccharine tone too... and acknowledged the last time she'd seen him like this. She was screwed. Utterly screwed, wasn't she? "Now, would you mind explaining to me how you've managed to get expelled from your school for gathering over hundreds of signatures for a petition to have your principal perform... dare I say it?"

To be fair, the idea sounded ingenious when she first came up with it. Miss White was pretty foxy, after all...

"Are you laughing right now!?"

"Do you want the honest answer or the funny one?"

Jaune collapsed into his chair and reached for his mug of coffee. He relaxed a bit and sighed. "Baby girl, this is getting out of hand..."

"What can I say? It seems that a typical civilian school can't handle what I have to offer."

"And I presume that's what your suggestion of joining Beacon Academy is founded on?" She smiled and gave a thumbs-up. Her dad didn't look amused. "Must I explain why I'm against that lifestyle again?"

"Because with my sense of humor, you'd rather send me to clown college?"

"Don't tempt me..."

She sighed, averting her gaze. Her dad pinched the bridge of his nose, and slowly lowered his coffee, disinterested in it. He was probably more stressed than usually if he was willing to push away his favorite drink. Now that she thought about it, it's been a while since he came home this late. She tried not to think about, focusing her attention on the family heirloom resting behind her father, quietly collecting dust again. She forgot the last time he polished it.

"Dad, I'm-"

"I know you're going to be seventeen soon. Despite my protests, you've found a way to beg your aunt for lessons and even kept up with your training, much to my surprise and dismay." She clenched her fists. "I don't approve of your decisions, dear. And as your father, I only want what's best for you."

"Grandpa mentioned he said the exact same thing to you when you were my age." She crossed her arms, worried she wouldn't get another chance like this. Applications for Beacon were due next week. "And in defiance, you made your way into Beacon anyway, despite initially struggling."

"Vanessa..."

"And then you met Mom, fell in love, had me..." She shook her head. "I know you're worried, and you have every right to be. You're my dad, I love you, that's not going to change. I know you have the responsibility of looking out for me, but you also need to let me leave the nest someday. I want to know what it's like to be a huntress, be a hero, start a family of my own..."

"Vanessa-"

"I want to experience what you went through too! Mom-"

"Vanessa!" He slammed his fist down on his desk, erecting himself and sending his chair back behind him. It collided with the wall and made Crocea Mors shake a little. It tumbled off its resting place and made a loud clang with the floor. He didn't even check on its condition. He looked down, eyes shut as he tried to retain what composure he had left. Vanessa felt a little frightened.

"Dad...?" She finally whispered. He didn't utter a single word. He remained motionless. "Please don't give me the silent treatment..."

He erected himself again and looked down at her. She despised how he would look at her like that at times. He exhaled and reached for Crocea Mors. He then reached for his chair and sat back down, allowing her to look at his eyes without having to raise her chin. He placed the sword and sheath on his desk. Even though he polished it every now and then, he would never sharpen the blade to maintain its integrity.

With a click, the sheath expanded into a shield. The family crest was bright. It was the last thing hundreds of Grimm slain by the Arc family had seen. He traced his fingers along the golden edges of the shield, along with a sad look in his eyes.

"I don't know how you've grown to be so cheeky. So... mischievous." He groaned. He massaged his temples and pondered to himself. She couldn't tell what he was thinking about, but hoped he was trying to put together an offer of some sort. Maybe he'd remember what auntie said about Mom...?

"Dad..."

He raised his hand to silence her. He looked frustrated now.

"You already know why I'm against this. I've told you time and time again. And yet, you're still adamant on pursuing a career as a huntress." He leaned back in his chair, coffee in hand. "I'm all ears. Tell me why you wish for this path, and why I should support it."

Yes! This was it. Just... don't say anything awkward, stupid, or weird in general.

"There are people in need everywhere. You always told me about how liberating it was to save those that couldn't fend for themselves. During your time at Beacon, you've realized your mistakes and conquered any obstacles in your way. You learned valuable lessons, formed irreplaceable bonds, and did good for this world. I know there's plenty of perilous things out there, but that's why someone like me needs to get out there. I-"

"Someone like you..." he said. "You seem to be implying Beacon already has enough-"

"Let me finish." she demanded.

An eyebrow rose. He huffed and signaled for her to continue as he took another sip of his beverage.

"Mom was strong. I am too. You went to Beacon as a twig, Dad." He didn't look amused at that remark. "Despite your efforts to keep me away from that lifestyle, I kept at it. I wanted this for a long time, and decided to keep going anyway. Despite going to civilian schools, I've scored higher on exams Auntie provided me than the top percentile of kids my age aiming to be huntsmen. I already have a plan beyond Beacon. I..."

She cut herself off. She knew what her dad had on his mind.

"You can accomplish just as much as an officer like I have. Not to mention you don't even have a semblance." He stood up, made his way over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "And in order to have a better chance at discovering it, you need aura. I know there are plenty of people that managed to become successful huntsmen without ever discovering their semblances. You've mentioned it plenty of times and I've seen it myself. If anything, becoming that capable without a special power is more admirable."

"And I can-"

"I know you can be strong, but you need aura."

She was about ready to cry. Her dad hasn't changed. His words didn't matter, she knew he'd never let her-

"For it is in our passing we achieve immortality." She gasped as her eyes widened. "By our example we rise above the odds and imprint our legacy. Bound by our humanity, and restless with ghosts, I release your soul. And by my hand... place this burden upon thee."

For those of you that recognize the chapter, it's because I pretty much reused another story I had planned called Nia Arc. Originally, it was going to center around Jaune's daughter exploring Beacon herself, but I'm afraid it gave people the impression it'd be an OC thing with self fulfillment or whatever nonsense. It established what kind of relationship I wanted Jaune and Vanessa to have though, so I stuck with it. Note how this'll still focus on Jaune as a father.

Next chapter will be an experiment of sorts to test how the flow will go.