Jaune was walking the streets of Argus when he found himself sitting in a park staring at a statue of Pyrrha. Jaune looked up at it and remembered his greatest failure. The woman of his dreams was looking him in they eye and he was to fucking stupid to see it.
"Did you know her?" A voice from beside Jaune asked him.
Jaune turned to face them and his heart almost stopped. Jaune only knew Pyrrha for a few months but if he was to guess what she would look like when she was older then this would be it.
"Yeah, we were close," Jaune answered slowly.
"It hurts to lose someone that close to you doesn't it" she said staring up at that statue.
Jaune didn't answer but he agreed with her. Jaune grew up with little. His armor and sword had been, and he was not proud of this, taken from his great grandfather's mausoleum. He and Saphron had been struggling ever since that damn crash.
They were homeless for a few years. There were plenty of places that would take Saphron in but Jaune was a different story. He was a mid to late teenage boy, about half of the shelters and programs that would have helped Saphron would have told him that if they needed help then he should have joined the military, and in truth Jaune thought about it.
The day that he was going to enlist Saphron met Terra. Jaune knew that she hated when he said it but both Saphron and he owed so much to her. That was also why Jaune felt so bad about bringing two whole teams of people, a drunk asswipe, a young boy with a troubled mind, and a little old lady into their house so fast.
Jaune also knew what Terra was going to say when she found out. Something like "well it gets rather quiet in this damn house so I think this is a good change for a while."
Terra didn't come from money herself, she came from a painfully average family but she happened to be one of the three smartest people in the country. And she used that well, Terra made what she called an "obscene" amount of money by working as the top Biochemist, Bioengineer, and microbiologist in the nation.
She actually pioneered the process that allowed them to create Adrian. She met Saphron and Jaune when Saprhon was trying to get a job working as a housecleaner. To call it love at first sight would be a lie, but it was close. So close in fact that when Saprhon told Jaune to hold off on joining the Atlesian Naval Ground Warfare Division. She did so the morning he was going to do just that.
The simple fact is that Terra was the one that gave them a home, she was the one who managed to figure out where Janderious Arc was buried, she was the one who made sure that Jaune was even able to get the armor and sword without breaking in and stealing them. And she did it all because of honest love for Saphron and him. To be honest if Saphron hadn't married her probably would have.
Then he met Pyrrha, Pyrrha had been in hindsight perfect. Jaune could never have asked for more in a woman, she was dangerous, far more so than him, she was a honest and generous soul (something that means alot to those who have made do with little.), she was humble, and she loved him, even if he was too fucking blind to see it.
Jaune felt a few tears pooling in his eyes and he looked away so he could wipe them out, he knew it was stupid but he didn't want Pyrrha to see him cry.
"You don't need to be ashamed of those," the woman said from outside Jaune's field of view. "You were loved, and loved dearly, losing that kind of love is going to hurt, but you need to let it or you will never become stronger for it."
Jaune looked to ask the woman how she could know so much about him but she was gone when he did so.
Instead he saw Yang walking towards him, and she was pissed.
Had he been in better spirits he might have tried to run but right now he didn't care enough.
Jaune felt the mild heat wave that Yang carried when she was mad move behind him and then felt it go cold all at once. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder and he half flinched. "I understand," she said. " you're pissed, so am I" Yang walked over and sat down on the bench next to him.
"Blake went north, Weiss went east, and Ren and Nora went south, it seems I got lucky going west."
"You should probably go back to the house Yang" Jaune said without looking at her.
"Not without you" she said, leaning back and wrapping an arm around Jaune. "Ruby would never forgive me if I did."
Jaune tried to shrug Yang's arm off but she held on tightly. "Just leave me be Yang" Jaune snapped.
"Not gonna happen," Yang replied frimly. " one of my friends is hurting from a painful loss, I know how it feels to have your friends leave you when you needed them most. I didn't like it"
Jaune again tried to move but Yang held him in place. He might have been able to struggle free but he honestly didn't have the energy to do that.
"Yang I just was to be alone" Jaune shot back at her.
Yang replied by all but hauling Jaune into her lap when she pulled him close. "No you don't, you want to stop hurting, there are only two ways to do that. One is you face your pain and beat it, and the other is found at the bottom of a bottle" Yang turned to face Jaune and made him turn to face her. "And I am not letting one of my friends end up like my uncle."
Jaune wanted to argue but he knew she was right.
"we can stay here for a minute" Yang said looking up at the statue, " stop pretending you don't want to hug me Jaune, I know you,"
Jaune wondered how Yang could have known that until he remembered who he was talking to. Yang was probably used to every boy her age wanting to "hug" her.
Jaune compromised leaning a little into Yang who warmly returned the embrace. "Well aren't you two just the sweetest" a voice from beside them said. They turned to see the little old lady Nora tried spilling the beans to looking at them. " It is always good to see young love" she chirped before leaving the two of them with Yang smirking ear to ear and Jaune trying to not look like he was resting his head on Yang's left boob.
"Come on lover boy" Yang said standing up. "Let's get out of here before the hobos start throwing rice at us."
Jaune stood up trying not to turn red as Yang dragged him towards Saprhon's house. They stopped outside of the house and Yang turned Jaune to face her with a serious expression. "You need to speak to Oscar, you hurt him pretty badly today."
Jaune wasn't sure what to say. He knew that Yang was right but the thought of apologizing to Ozpin made him sick. How could he let Oscar's innocence override Ozpin's guilt?
They were about to head up the stairs when they heard someone coming from their right. It was Blake who had decided to give up looking for Jaune at some point and returned to the house. She stopped for a moment to scowl at Jaune before heading inside.
Jaune and Yang followed her and when they were inside they saw Maria sitting in a chair reading. "You two took long enough, what did you do? find a dark alley to get busy in?" she half joked half chided.
Yang laughed and pulled Jaune close again knowing that he would get flustered when he found himself held against her rack. She was right and she let him squirm for a few seconds before she let go and headed to the guest room that Nora had shown them to earlier.
Jaune went over and sat down on the couch trying to make sense of everything in his mind. Ozpin had killed Pyrrha, even if he had been successful that night he would have thrown her head first into an endless war, a war that he started. Jaune felt a terrifying thought run through him when he asked himself if he was on the right side.
A year ago he would have answered with of course, but now. He wasn't so sure anymore. Maybe the people that fought alongside the grimm were evil but what if Ozpin was too. He was using children to fight his wars recruiting them in secret. Jaune's blood began to boil when he wondered what would have happened if things went the way Ozpin wanted. Would Pyrrha be removed from his team. Would she go missing during a mission and be declared dead so that another of these mysterious maidens could arrive somewhere else.
"You're stewing in your rage, young man," Maria said. "No matter your thoughts on the wizard, don't let your anger poison your soul or you will turn out no better."
Jaune didn't answer her but at about that moment Nora sprinted by with Ren chasing her with the capture bag. Jaune was thinking about helping Ren out when he heard Adrian start fussing again. Jaune got up and put his nephew before his fury, taking a deep breath and letting all of the anger go he headed for the baby.
Adrian was still in his crib and Jaune was pretty sure he needed to be fed or maybe changed . Jaune checked and concluded that Adrian needed to be changed. Jaune set about changing the diaper and chatting with Adrian softly. "You know, you are pretty much the only reason I am still willing to fight," he said to the mildly squirming infant as he tossed out the old diaper and began putting on the clean one. "I'm not sure if I'm one of the good guys or not right now I am on the side that will keep you and your mommys safe, that's enough for me I suppose" Jaune explained before picking up the baby and carrying him over to the window.
Looking out the window Jaune gently bounced Adrian in his arms and began to sing.
"Look up to the stars dear boy, see them burn with joy,"
"Fear not the dark little one, though you cannot see the sun."
"You need never fear this world filled with hate, because I am standing at the gate."
"Tonight and every night that you rest in my arms, I will shield you from harm."
"The day will come when I will fall, I pray that then you will stand tall."
"Take up my blade with righteous command, and shelter your mother's from evil's hand"
"Our burden is great and the enemy is even greater, our fight cannot be won, only dragged on from one life to another"
"And I am sorry to one day pass it on to you, for now your heart too pure and true."
"For now push that aside little one, that day is not yet to come due."
"You are the stars of my sky and the water to my sea, and though you may not know why, you are so, so, precious to me "
Jaune saw that the boy was asleep so he set him down in the crib and headed to bed.
As he left the room he didn't see Yang who was looking at him leave with a dumbfounded expression. "Oh I know that face," Saffron said, making Yang jump.
Yang spun around confused by who was talking to her when she recognized the two of them as the people from all the photos.
"Yeah I do too," Terra said with a laugh.
Yang was about to say something to try and get out of what she felt was about to be an awkward talk.
"Yeap, my brother just made your ovaries explode didn't he?" Saphron said smugly.
Yang opened her mouth to deny it but Terra just motioned for her to follow them into Adrian's room. Once inside they saw the baby sleeping in his crib and Saphron watched as Yang was enthralled by the young life. "Yeap, just like I thought, '' she said to Terra.
"Excuse me, I am right here," Yang said. "And I am certain that my ovaries are right where I left them." she protested.
"Right, you totally were watching him change a diaper and sing a baby to sleep for some other reason right" Terra said challengingly.
Yang huffed and went to leave but stopped and looked at Adrian for a moment. Then she realized what she was doing and huffed again before leaving.
…
Qrow went up onto the roof of the house and found "Hector" sitting at a small patio table with his pipe looking up at the moon. "What gives Reinhardt?" Qrow asked cutting the veil Hazel wore around most people.
"I should ask you that Brawnen, you told me that it was and I quote "on sight" so why did you see me and go back to staring at the wall?" Hazel asked before taking a long pull on his pipe.
"I have been thinking about things," Qrow said vaguely.
"What things?" Hazel asked wondering what Qrow could be thinking about that would override his commitment to Ozpin.
"Why are you here?" Qrow asked
"Can't a man check on his niece and nephew," Hazel countered.
Qrow nearly fell out of his seat in shock at the news. "You're his uncle?" he asked.
"Gretchen was their mother," Hazel explained.
Qrow sat there in silence before he continued. "I never knew that," he said.
"Ozpin hasn't told you a lot," Hazel stated somberly.
Qrow was quiet for a long time before he replied. "You're right, he hadn't, but I know a lot now" his tone got Hazel's attention. Qrow was level headed but he had one flaw, he was too devoted to Ozpin.
"What does that mean?" the larger man asked, trying not to show his intrigue.
"It means that I want this war to end. There is no winning like we are going and I am watching my nieces turn into their mothers. I don't, no I can't allow that to happen." Qrow said in a determined voice.
"I understand," Hazel said. "When I look at Jaune I see Josiah more and more, I don't want him dying like that"
"Josiah died in a car acciden…" Qrow almost finished before he realized that Ozpin had been the one to tell him that.
"It was an IED," Hazel started. "I think it was the wizard, Josiah and Gretchen never survived the first blast. It was a miracle that Saphron, Dia, and Jaune did, and Dia didn't make it in the end"
Qrow's heart dropped in his chest. He had known both Gretchen and Josiah though he never told Jaune that. He also had no idea why Ozpin would want them dead, but Hazel was not a liar, he never felt like he needed to.
"Why?" Qrow asked.
"Because Josiah figured out the truth, he asked questions where others would just go in for the kill." Hazel said remembering the man he called brother.
"Are you saying that Ozpin had Josiah and Gretchen…"
"Murdered" Hazel finished.
Qrow felt his heart fall through his stomach when he thought about it. Qrow had known Josiah Arc briefly. But he was a good man. And Hazel was no liar. "Are you sure?" Qrow asked
"I found the woman who placed it." Hazel answered. "The last thing she did was beg me not to send her back to Ozpin, she said if he knew she was compromised he would kill her entire family.
"Who?" Qrow asked, wanting this person's blood on his hands.
"Your sister," Hazel replied. "She didn't run because she was afraid of her kid. She ran because she was afraid for her kid"
Qrow's stomach now fell through the floor, he looked like he was about to be sick and Hazel saw that. And reached out to rest his hand on the man's shoulder. "I told Raven I hated her, I swore to kill her if I ever got the chance" Qrow lamented, he felt his eyes filling with tears from the pain of threatening his oldest friend.
Hazel felt the remorse from Qrow through his aura. Quietly he said, "she knows the truth, and she is proud of you for taking the stand you have, she doesn't say it but she is very grateful that you, Tai, and Summer did what you did."
"How many?" Qrow asked bitterly.
Hazel was about to try and talk Qrow out of it when the hurt man repeated himself. "How many people did Ozpin have me kill to keep them quiet?"
Hazel wanted to say that there weren't any, oh how he wanted to lie. "Four, Qrow, there is more"
Qrow looked at Hazel knowing what was about to be said. "Summer," was all Hazel needed to say to make the grown man sitting next to him break down and shake with his sobs.
"Now you understand" Hazel said, "now you know why I hate him"
He was talking about Ozpin, and whether he knew it or not Oscar as well. "Yeah, I do" Qrow growled thinking about the young man that was now sleeping, probably cuddled up to his niece.
Qrow would regret the next ten seconds of his life for the rest of his life. "What if I told you where he was?" Qrow asked, making Hazel's eyes harden. "Would you kill him for me?"
Hazel looked into the drunken man's pain filled eyes and thought about his answer. "I want him dead, I want him dead so badly." Hazel said "I won't kill him for you, but I might kill him for Gretchen. Where is he?"
Qrow looked up at Hazel seeing the rage he had hoped for. Taking a deep breath he steadied himself and said.