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"You mean I have to go today too?"

"Yes Nebel. You have school every day until the weekend."

"Well when's the weekend?" He'd never needed to keep track of such things before.

"Not for four more days," Weiss answered. "Now go fetch your things and get ready to leave."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes you have to go to school. Everyone does," Weiss kept up.

"Why me? Why now?" Nebel wondered.

"Because you're old enough," I affirmed. "Now run and collect all your things so you're not late."

"Ugh."

"No complaints. Your huntsman training will be worse than school and if you ever want to be a huntsman you have to go to school," I slammed him.

"Fine," he sauntered off.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Weiss said to me after our son left.

"About what?" I asked.

"About Nebel becoming a hunter. Sure you might be willing to train him. Now. But when you're gone you're just counting on Ruby and I to pick up the slack."

"Well, yes," I confessed. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Look I hear you trying to foster his dreams but I don't know if I can send my son off to fight and die in that same war which will take you away from us."

"It's his dream."

"I hear that. I do. Can you really leave us behind to consign him to that same struggle."

"It's his dream," I repeated. "No. I don't want this for him. I'd rather he became anything else than what I am. But he doesn't want to. He wants to be a hunter. Like his mothers too."

Weiss chewed on the side of her thumb.

"How can you just leave us like that?" She demanded.

"Don't. You knew I had to leave when you begged me to stay. That's not fair. Not from you. I doubt from myself but I don't need you to add to that."

"Why don't I get to?"

"Because I need you in my corner," I mumbled. "Or I'm not coming back for sure."

"Oh this thing is obviously beautifully done. Look at your cute family. You'll break all of our hearts."

"I need you to be in my corner and I need you to be waving me off when the time comes. I know I'm asking for a lot. But it's what you agreed to when you married me."

"I can't do it. I can't give you my blessing to leave."

"You have to," I whispered. "You have to anyways. You promised to let me go anyways. Despite whatever we might grow and build."

"I don't have to give you my blessing. To die? I don't," she affirmed. "I won't," she denied.

"Weiss I must face her. And when I do I can't be dragging you behind me. You have to cut me loose with your blessing or I will die for sure. Don't you understand that? You bound me in these chains but there was always that quiet promise that you'd give me your blessing when I left. I need you to be that strong. For me. And for the children. You knew that when you asked me to marry you."

"Begged," she corrected.

"What?" I asked.

"I begged you to marry me."

"That's why you have to let me go. I agreed to it with the silent promise that when the time was right which isn't now or any time close to now. Still another four years or so. Unless something pressing happens. If you want me to slow down just tell me to slow down."

She walked up to me and took me by the tunic in both balled hands. "I want you to stop." She wouldn't look at me. "You'll kill us inside."

"I can't. Time marches forward. And so do I."

Weiss choked on a sob.

"Mom?" Nebel was back. Weiss quickly wiped her eyes and turned to look at him. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing," Weiss denied.

"I don't know… I don't know if I've ever seen you cry. What's wrong mom?"

"It's really nothing. You have all your stuff?" She asked. Her face was bright red. She couldn't hide that she was crying.

Nebel slowly nodded.

"You're just growing up so fast," Weiss choked. "You all are. And soon… soon… soon it will be time for your father to fight."

"Fight what?" Nebel asked.

"The bad guys. Because he's a hero. It's what he does," Weiss answered.

"What about you? Will you go fight the bad guys?" Nebel asked.

"No. Not me. My time fighting is all in the past. Looking forward I can't see myself doing it anymore," Weiss rubbed her eyes. "Come on. Kennel up. Get in the car. I'll drive you to school."

"Okay. If you're sure. You don't need a moment alone with dad?"

"I'm sure. Thank you sweetie," Weiss rubbed his hair and kissed his forehead.

Nebel legt for the car in the garage. Weiss sighed and gathered herself. She nodded once fiercely and walked to the car. I watched them both go.

It broke my heart. I took a step towards Weiss.

"I'll be fine on my own," she informed me. "I have to be." She said with a backwards glance when she heard my heavy footfall in my hunting boots. "I don't need you inside my head. All my love will be wrapped in shades of red."

I opened and closed my mouth. She put words in my mouth trying to get free. I shook my head. I needed a hobby. I stood there alone in the lobby.

"See you at work?" I asked. I knew the answer.

"See you," she agreed.

I watched her leave the rest of the way. It was all I could do. Just stare and watch. I rolled my ankle and rubbed the side of my neck. I tried to gather myself and get it together but all I felt was terror and grief. You could call me a coward and you'd be correct. You could call me a liar and that would be true. Though I do disagree. Why bother speaking my mind. I don't challenge them. I am docile and lazy. I show no respect. Distant but rational, the bringer of my rage.

"Something the matter?" Ruby paced up behind me with a mug of warm coffee in her hand. She wrapped around me and kissed my cheek. She was able to pick up my emotions immediately.

"It's… it has to do with Weiss. She can't let me go."

"I can't exactly let you go either…" Ruby trailed.

"But you understand. At least you understand that I must go and that I need your blessing to do it."

"Yes," she agreed. "I do understand that. But so does Weiss. She knows. She just doesn't want to give you up. And neither do I."

"But you must give me up. You have to."

"I can hold out hope for you," Ruby disagreed in part. "But I do have to let you go. I have to wave you off with a handkerchief."

"Exactly," I breathed. "Exactly."

"But that doesn't mean I'm giving you up. I still hold on to my mother. A piece of her lives with me. And a piece of you lives with me too. Same same but different. And I have your babies to help carry a portion of you forward into the next generation. That matters to me. It matters to me a lot. I look at Nebel and I see so much of you in him. His burning desire to be the hero is just a part of that. He's brave and wise beyond his years. He's gentle and kind. He knows when he needs to focus. So do you. You don't need my blessing or Weiss's now. Give her time. She'll give it to you. When you need it she'll give it to you. You don't need to worry about this."

"I can't exactly not. Not worry about this, I mean. I'm that sort of overthinker."

"I know you are. I know. You worry. You worry because you care. Same way you were worried about Nebel and his first day at school. I know that was hard for you."

She reached up and played with my hair. I sighed and leaned into her touch. If only I could stay like this forever with her soft tiny hands playing in my hair. But I would miss Weiss and her cold fierce aura. If only it could be late at night. When everything turned out right. Late at night, things always worked out just right. They always delivered. In the times that I needed them. Late at night…

I used to be afraid of sleep but I looked forward to cuddling my wives at night. Things were so different now. I felt like a totally different person. I felt more real and substantial. My terror melted under Ruby's touch as she relaxed my aura away. I needed her to know… I needed her to know what she meant to me. She meant everything to me. She warmed my soul and eased my aching heart. Weiss would come around. She'd never let me down in her entire life.

I needed to leave for work though.

I felt the tug and pull. Like the moons on the seas.

I wanted to stay… to call in sick… to just rest now like I belonged here. But I promised Weiss I'd see her at work. I stepped away from Ruby. I looked away from her for a moment. I turned and bent and kissed her on the lips once ever so gently. I had to let her know what she meant to me.

I pulled her close to me. I kissed her forehead more fiercely. Then I released her. She sipped on her drink with a little proud smile.

"You make me wish I was a better man," I told her.

"Oh Cloud. There are no men like you."

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Glynda glanced between Weiss and I in the lounge. She seemed to be picking up something between us and was debating bringing it up. I could feel her trepidation. I was particularly in tune today with the emotions of those around me. I could feel Weiss's angst.

"Trouble in paradise?" Glynda asked. Weiss shot her a glance and Glynda gave a friendly smile. She was asking as a friend. Not an employer.

"Some," Weiss granted.

"Need a friendly ear?" Glynda wondered.

Weiss sighed. She shot me a glance where I filled up my coffee mug. I ignored her eyes on my back.

"Just something I'm working through..."

"Oh?" Glynda pressed.

"It's… it's about Cloud leaving us to face his mom. I know he has to do it. I know that. But I can't wave him off to his death with a smile."

"Is he planning on leaving soon?" Glynda wondered.

"No. Not for some time," I cut in.

"I still have time. But I can't cut him loose the way he wants me to. He says he needs my blessing."

"And he might," Glynda agreed. "There's a power to such things."

"Even still…" Weiss trailed. "I don't know. Maybe I'm being selfish."

"Not really," Glynda disagreed. "There's nothing more natural."

"You think so?"

"Weiss, you're allowed to be human," Glynda stretched out a hand and took Weiss's fingers. "It's a lesson I have to remind myself of all the time. I'm allowed to have my flaws and weaknesses. Just so long as I rise to the occasion when the situation demands it. I took a great risk hiring your husband. I had to be ready to face those consequences but not every second of every day. Just when necessary."

"I don't know…"

"Don't ask too much of yourself. Allow yourself some time of weakness."

"I just feel like I'll never be ready for him to leave."

"But you might be ready to wave him off with your blessing."

"Does he really need it?" Weiss asked.

"I think so…" I murmured.

"It sounds like he does," Glynda agreed. "But you will be ready. When the time is right. But for now allow yourself some weakness."

"It's hard…" Weiss trailed.

"So hard," Glynda agreed. "But it's allowed."

"Thank you, Glynda," I hummed.

"No problem. Just some friendly advice. I've been there before too. When Beacon fell there were days I couldn't get out of bed. I was allowed to be weak."

"But am I? Am I really allowed to be so weak? I just can't let him go. I need him."

"You know we talked about him having a crush on you. He confessed it to me," Glynda admitted. "Some things you never realize as a teacher."

"So?" Weiss asked.

"So I would never have guessed that about him. That he loved you from such a young age."

"Would you have cared?" Weiss wondered.

"I think so," Glynda returned. "We still care about our students. And their emotional state even if we are helpless to intervene."

Weiss sighed. "I hear you. I have to let him go. To let you go. You." She addressed me.

"You know I don't want to go. I just have to. Who else will face her if not I?"

"You know that's not right. Even if there was another superman you'd still want to confront her," Weiss pointed out.

"Irrelevant since I'm the only superman," I disagreed.

"What about our son who may very well share your power?" Weiss hammered.

"Well I especially can't let him face her. Even if he is a superman."

"But there are other options. What about Oscar?"

"Oscar can't defeat her. He gave up too much magic creating the maidens. Only I remain."

Weiss breathed in a shuddering sigh.

"He always has an answer. For everything I can come up with on how he should leave Salem to the world. He always has an answer," Weiss sighed.

"But that's how things have to be. Don't they. He has to face her," Glynda said.

"I do. I have to face her," I agreed.

Weiss stretched and groaned. "But I don't want him to. Maybe that's childish and selfish of me."

"You're allowed to be a little childish and selfish. This is your husband," Glynda agreed.

"But I still have to go," I disagreed.

"You hear that? He still has to go. Has to," Weiss shrugged.

"What should I do? Should I leave it to my son?" I demanded.

"You don't know what she can do to you," Weiss glowered at me. "I saw the aftermath of her taking you in Atlas. I saw her take you through one of Emerald's images. You have no idea what horrors await you."

"So I should leave it to Nebel. Raise him as a weapon?" Couldn't she see how crazy she sounded. "No. It falls on me. I'm not bitch made. I'll face her and those horrors."

"Damn your courage," Weiss breathed. "Can't you be afraid for once in your life?"

"I'm sure Cloud is suitably scared," Glynda defended.

"I'm terrified of her. But I have to face her anyway."

"You always have an answer. Don't you. Damn you," Weiss murmured.

"Just for you," I responded.

"How dare you?" She pointed an angry finger at me.

"Weiss I have to face her and I need you to be in my corner when I go. I need you."

"Damn. Fuck," Weiss breathed. She rubbed her face hard.

"Weiss you know he has to leave and face her," Glynda cut in. "You don't need to be ready for him to leave right now. Just when the time is right."

"Fuck. Why does he always have a good answer or some explanation which makes not facing her sound worse. Like letting my sweet boy face her."

"That's the alternative," I shrugged. "I face her or my children have to. She won't leave them alone given the opportunity. She'll do something. My presence scares her off but without that my children will be targets. I can't really afford to fail and I can't really nudge her off course. I have to take her down or let her take my children."

Weiss slumped tiredly. She looked so… she looked so defeated. It wasn't a look I'd ever seen on her before.

"Fine," she whispered. "I'll be ready when the time comes."

"Thank you, Weiss."

"You're not giving me any choice in the matter."

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-WG