Moved cross-country and didn't have a computer for weeks, hence no update for like a month.

Monsterking- Thank you

Kootranova1- Um you're welcome? Some of your earlier comments made me rethink how Ozpin & Roman's relationship with each other would develop. So thank you!

Seriouslazy- I cut out the scene where Roman taught her [I couldn't do it well] he was distracting her from drinking coffee.

guest reviewers that I delete because yall are threatening. You call me a pedophile yet you are commenting on chapters in the 20's check yourselves.

Walking through the eerily silent Academy, Neo wore Ruby's hood pulled up and it clashed with the girl's illusioned ginger hair.

Nora giggled, "I shouldn't be surprised that Torchwick is good with his-"

Ren covered Neo's ears and admonished, "Nora!" The small girl looked up at Ren in gratitude.

Nora whined, "All I'm saying is that he looks pretty impressive the waist-"

Jaune clapped his hand over Nora's mouth, "Have some respect! Nuh-uh I have sisters so licking my hand won't work on me!"

Ruby crossed her arms, "Nora, maybe you should just go back to the house. I don't even want to hear your comments."

Nora sagged in defeat before Jaune let her go, "No I'll be good. Thought it'd be nice to talk about boys."

Ruby grinned and hooked her arm in Nora's "Ren is rather pretty."

Ninja blushed, "I will throw another shampoo bottle at you."

Neo flashed her scroll to Jaune.

Jaune scratched his head as he looked around, "Yeah this is weird, it isn't a holiday, but we haven't run into anyone here."

Ruby tilted her head, "Here's the office." She knocked on the large door and heard glass breaking. Ruby frowned, it would be just her luck if there was an attack on the headmaster right now. Her hand on her weapon as she opened the door to see an older man with thick grey hair and beard pick up a broken teapot.

He shook his head, "You startled me half to death."

Jaune, "Well I guess you weren't expecting any visitors."

The headmaster looked them over and his eyes fell on the red hood, "Miss Rose?"

Ruby stepped forward, "Professor Lionheart?"

The headmaster looked back at Ruby then at the girl in the hood he frowned and then shook his head. His gaze settled on Ruby, "I assume you come to me knowing I'm friends with your Uncle. As you can see classes are not in session and most of the staff is away."

Ruby stepped forward, arms spread in surprise, "What? Who's guarding the relic?"

Leo looked nervously at the group, "You know?"

Nora leaned close to Neo, "Is this not going the way anyone thought it would?"

Neo pointed her parasol at the headmaster, she [silently] demanded an explanation.

He rubbed his temples, "How reckless of Qrow to fill you in."

Ruby balled her fists, "No recklessness is leaving something as powerful as the relic unguarded." her nails bit sharply into her palms.

Leonardo narrowed his gaze sharply, "When Vale fell, Mistral watched that girl be torn apart and as the White Fang rampaged through the city." He gripped his tail and a pained expression flew through his features. "The dread in the air surged in hatred towards the Faunus. As you can imagine Grimm flocked. I witnessed many of my fellow huntsmen and teachers fight their last fight that night." He bowed his head and Ruby could sense his shame.

She misunderstood his feelings, "You protected as many as you could." She placed a hand on his shoulder, "It's what we hunters do."

He rubbed the back of his head, " I closed the school because I could not keep my students safe."

Jaune frowned, "The White Fang are coming and we need to be able to protect the city."

Leo raised his brows, yet he did not seem surprised, "How do you know this?"

Ruby smoothly, "We befriended a member."

Leo, "Your friend is?" the headmaster scratched idly at the corner of his desk.

Ruby looked the headmaster in the eyes something wasn't right, "Perry."

Leo's lip quirked, he knew the kids were lying.

Neo signed and Ruby translated, "Then how do we protect the Relic? Or this city?"

Groaning in frustration, "The council is still at odds, without them, we cannot organize hunters."

Ruby, "We don't have the spring maiden, so Salem cannot get the relic. We only need to worry about protecting the city." She hoped Salem or Cinder didn't already know who Spring was. She frowned and suspected they knew. Even still she wasn't going to trust this headmaster yet.

Jaune looked at Ruby and caught onto her reticence. The blonde crossed his arms, "We can go to the bounty office and meet hunters." He looked at the headmaster, "If you give us student access to take hunts we can also help stabilize the area."

Leo's chest stiffened and he couldn't hide the guilt rising in his face, "Usually those are only given to 2nd years, but you'll need to make some money. So team leaders hand me your scrolls."

XXX

Ruby paced in their rental house, "He gave us access to level B hunts."

Ozpin in control, "Most of you can handle that."

Ren, "He doesn't know that. 2nd years only get access to level D."

Jaune, "Ruby, why did you lie about how we got the information about the White Fang?"

Ruby flopped onto the couch next to Ozpin, "The Headmaster in a completely empty school, that wasn't right. He knew who Perry was and that there was no way that Perry would tell us about the White Fang."

Roman internally grinned, That's the woman I love, testing others before trusting them.

Ozpin feeling the pride easily glow through him gently tucked a strand of hair behind Red's ear. He then pinched the bridge of his nose, "It goes against my direct orders, no Academy is ever supposed to be undefended." Red patted his thigh lightly in comfort. The look she gave him, he knew it was for Torchwick, it still warmed him.

Jaune, "We also stopped by the bounty office on our way back." he seemed resistant to continue.

Nora piped up, "She was so excited to see us, no hunters had been coming by for weeks."

Ozpin in disbelief, "None?"

Ren, "We were the first she'd seen in two weeks."

Leaning against Ozpin, Ruby looked up at him, "She was really disappointed we couldn't take class A missions."

Roman, Do we need a fucking a doctor? =

As he looked down into silver eyes, Ozpin's heart hammered, "How are we going to get anyone to protect this city?"

Roman, Brothers I didn't even react to her like this.

Nora, "Mistral still has a military."

Ren, "They can't mobilize as fast as an individual huntsman."

Ruby bit her lip. She really could use a raven right now.

xxx

Roman jolted awake to the sound of the window opening and a cold fall air rushed in. Ruby made a sleepy whine and nestled in closer. Throwing off the covers and vaulting towards the window he punched the intruder.

The man held up both hands "Raven sent me!"

Ruby, awake, held a sheet in one hand and Lunar Rose in the other. "Nandi." with a flick of her arm she folded up her weapon. "Wait in the hallway. We'll come out when we're...decent." grateful for the moonlit room that obscured her red face.

The man looked to Torchwick; he frowned at the level of undress. Muttering "Pedophile."

The naked man flinched and his fingers snapped around Nandi's throat.

Ruby hissed, "Roman, he's one of my tribesmen. Let him go." When Roman stepped away, her voice cold, "Nandi, speak to Torchwick with respect. Now, wait in the hall."

"Yes Miss." he bowed his head and left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Ruby sighed and began to put on her combat gear. "I'm glad you brought your white jacket."

Buttoning up his dark green collared shirt, he couldn't bring himself to pull on his coat. His jaws were clenched.

She cupped his cheeks, her voice so very quiet, "Hey I know it's hard."

"I didn't care if people in Vale knew my age. I didn't go out of my way to hide it."

He really didn't, he announced it loudly a few times and yet the assumption persisted.

Making sure her voice was low enough to not be overheard, "The underworld in Mistral fear what you might have up your sleeve is the only reason no one is trying to take you out for the bragging rights."

He rubbed his face, "People think I've groomed you."

She gave him a pained expression, "Knowing what Neo told me about your mother. It must be upsetting for you." She ran a thumb over his cheek, "We and our friends know there are only two years between our ages, that's what matters."

Leaning his face into her hand a fiendish smirk played on his lips, "Well we both know you're the pervert. I mean the things you think of."

She flustered and her previous attempts to keep her voice quiet failed. Louder than necessary. "I was curious! You-You liked it!" she puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

There was coughing in the hallway. Ruby clapped her hands over her mouth.

Roman chuckled and strode out, he lazily gestured at Nandi to follow him into the kitchen. He made coffee, he could see the sun rising and it wasn't like he'd be able to tempt Red back into bed after that jest. He mentally shook Ozpin into awareness.

Ozpin, Oh everyone is dressed...and we have a guest?

Nandi snapped, "So you are truly a couple."

Roman experienced another set of eye knives from the man. Pouring everyone a cup and sliding the sugar to Ruby. "Do you two know each other?"

Ruby cocked her head and Nandi cut in, "My mom taught you how to pickpocket."

Her eyes lit up, "Oh you were the boy who always was trying to pet stray cats."

He looked a bit embarrassed then he looked over at Torchwick, "If you need to be incognito grow a beard."

Ozpin, I have been here for months. I have seen you pull out that straight edge maybe 3 times.

Recalling how that orange 'beard' grew, Ruby choked off a giggle, "Nandi, why were you sent?"

Nandi straightened and delivered professionally, "Of course. Cinder Fall, Arthur Watts, and a few associates are a couple of days away from the city. Raven and Vernal are in tow, for some reason Vernal is considered more important. There are also a large number of airships and boats full of Faunus headed this way." He slid her a card. "Raven had told me to give this to you."

Roman looked at the card, it appeared sealed.

Ruby, "Raven? Not Vernal?"

He looked slightly confused by the question but nodded.

Raven's handwriting was rushed:

Rose,

Salem knows about Vernal, reveal this to your team. You need an army to counter the White Fang. I'm being watched so I cannot check on Qrow. I hope I can get this letter to a subordinate under the cover of darkness. If you choose to use what is mine, you will declare yourself as my successor and return to me to claim your place.

Whoever I entrusted this letter to, has my trust to do right by you. Ask them for help or advice.

I am proud of you, you did well in Kuchinashi.

Auntie.

Ruby handed the letter to Torchwick. She whispered, "Old man you listening?"

Roman paused and nodded.

"Raven is Spring."

Nandi pursed his mouth, that was code. He stood, "I'm sure you have a lot to think about. Miss Rose, please walk me out."

Roman glared at nothing, internally freaking out over the news. Ruby stood and stepped outside with Nandi.

"Miss Rose, I will stand behind you and this...political arrangement. Do not forget he is a snake and cannot be trusted." He looked skyward in unease, "Even if you are curious about his company."

Raven said she could trust the man, and perhaps she could with Raven's business and connections. She wasn't willing to risk it, "Truly I appreciate your advice and your willingness to speak freely. I know how much confidence I can put in him."

She trusted Roman with everything

Fears...Hope

and shame

That shame which wound about her like tar

She trusted her wizard to hold up a torch to guide her way through the stickiness

Nandi bowed his head, "Well then I leave him in your capable hands." He handed her a scroll, "It's a burner, call me from it when you need. I'll be in town for a couple of weeks...Raven's orders."

When Ruby was back inside she saw that Oz was in control of Roman, well this was going to be a horrible conversation.

Ozpin, "Miss Rose, how can I trust you if you withhold such important information?"

Roman, Oh fuck you Ozpin.

Ruby snapped as though she'd been struck, "I have seen how trusting you has torn my family apart."

Ozpin, "Your family chose this."

Ruby, "Or did they choose to fight because you painted them a select image of this war." What was she thinking? Ozpin wasn't Roman. She couldn't dare to confuse the two.

Ozpin, "This war is a difficult one and a long one. Mortals run away and betray my trust, like Raven."

Ruby, "Dad was torn up with guilt by sending promising talent to you. Uncle Qrow ran himself ragged for your missions. My mom died for you. Auntie was broken by misery for years, she got out to save her sanity." She poked her finger hard into Roman's chest.

Ozpin, "How would you even know all this?"

Ruby shoved him, "I have eyes! The only detail I was missing was Salem and your body snatching nature."

The illusionist pushed herself between the pair, breaking Ruby out of her rage.

Neo signed in a panic, -No no no please don't tell me you're breaking up again.-

Ruby gasped and hugged the girl, "Oh Neo, I was having a fight with only Ozpin."

Roman seized control and hugged both ladies, "Hey no need to worry about us, sis. Red and I are forever."

Both girls stumbled back and gasped. Ruby's hands on her heated cheeks.

Roman suddenly unsure, maybe she thought her 'claiming' him was only a matter of politics not...permanent, "I mean we are...right?"

Neo excitedly shook her brother while Ruby wrung her hands. Red bit her lip, "I mean according to my people. We are already considered married or engaged." she smiled sweetly at him.

He raised a brow, "I'd have preferred more pomp...you know a party and fancy outfits."

She nodded, "Someday you dramatic man."

Ozpin, How are you two so comfortable committing to each other like this? You are both fucking teenagers!

Roman, Language!

Ozpin, Don't police my thoughts!