Jaune woke up when he heard Cinder breathing heavy. looking at her he saw her eyes and saw fear in them. Reaching his arms around her he gently pulled her close to his chest. she returned the embrace leaning into Jaune's chest while she was fighting to overcome the panic from her own nightmare.
"what was it?' Jaune asked, all too familiar with her pain.
"I... are you sure you want to know?" she asked.
Jaune knew what she was going to say, there was only one thing from her past that she would still hide from him. "Not until you're ready to say it," he answered, running one of his hands through her hair and using the other to rub that back of her shoulders.
"I've killed so many people," Cinder said, "she is the only one that haunts me like this."
"I understand." Jaune said. he had killed people who didn't deserve it before. Killing anyone wounded your soul in an indescribable way.
"No you don't, '' Cinder answered. "It's always different. Some nights she is mad at me, others she tries to comfort me. I don't know which one is worse." Jaune was trying to figure out what he should say when Cinder continued. "I saw her last night too, she was..." Cinder needed a moment to compose herself. "she said she was happy to see you again,"
Jaune did his best not to seem too shocked by the way Cinder was talking about Pyrrha. "Cinder are you saying that she talks to you?" he asked, trying not to sound like he didn't believe her.
"It's because of the maiden power transfer, a part of her soul was carried into me," CInder said looking up at Jaune with tear filled eyes. "I've been carrying her in my mind for the last fifteen years."
Jaune was speechless. He thought he would never see Pyrrha again and now he was talking to someone who carried a literal part of her within them. "What did she say this time?" he asked.
"she told me that I was a monster and that I didn't deserve..." again Cinder paused while she thought of what to say. She knew what Pyrrha had said but she wasn't sure she was ready to say it. "she said that I didn't deserve the way you loved me."
It was a bold statement for sure. She had never even said to herself that Jaune loved her but the voice in her mind seemed to think so. The way that Jaune was looking at her was making her nervous.
he reached out and set his hand on her shoulder. "You aren't the woman you used to be, I could never have turned my back to you before. I've seen the child you have been raising, and raising alone. you have turned from your past and you are worth all the love I have for you."
as he spoke he leaned in and gently kissed her before looking at the clock. It was almost seven am so he chose to get up. Cinder did likewise and once they were all dressed Jaune went to climb out the window.
"you don't need to do that," Cinder said, offering him the choice to go down the stairs with her.
Jaune honestly liked that idea, he didn't like keeping secrets from Ferro, now more than ever. This led him to going down stairs to find the two children somehow still asleep. "terry must have worked them hard yesterday." Cinder quietly joked.
enjoying the silence they set about making breakfast. "What do you do for a living?" Cinder asked, realizing that she still didn't know that about Jaune.
Jaune chuckled lightly before answering. "I was smart with the money I made as a hunter and because of several well placed investments I am never going to need to work again, Ferro and his kids might not too."
Cinder would have been shocked by this but she learned a few days ago that Jaune was full of surprises so she nodded and rolled with it. "would you like to come back to the Studio today, I could always use some more help and while I can't pay you much in cash I think we can find other means of... payment" as she spoke the last part she turned around and gave Jaune the most overtly and over the top suggestive look she could.
Jaune stifled a laugh and played along taking her into his arms he replied. "that would be a felony and once I am no longer dead I will in fact be recognized as a warrant officer in this country."
leaning up, Cinder whispered. "guess you'd better arrest me then,"
Jaune didn't say anything back, he was too busy kissing her to do so. They stayed like that until they heard a loud gasp and both of them snapped to see Emerald and Ferro looking at them slack jawed and wide eyed.
"I told you." Emerald said gently, nudging Ferro's arm.
Ferro either didn't hear her or he didn't care he was still just staring at them both in stunned silence. Jaune wasn't sure what to say himself since it was a situation he never expected to find himself in.
"enough gawking at your father go sit at the table," Cinder said making the boy snap out of his stunned faze and quickly run over to the table. he made his way to the seat he sat in yesterday and this time instead of pancakes Cinder brought over a large pan filled with scrambled eggs.
today there was no silence during breakfast as Emerald asked. "So is there something you wanted to tell us?"
Cinder and Jaune looked at each other silently wondering what they should say. The cat was out of the bag but it just seemed wrong to say that they were dating, and it was way too soon to say that they were engaged.
"nothing just yet." Cinder answered, trying to both be honest while not really answering the question.
"But you two were just kissing?" Ferro asked not being able to understand that the topic was an awkward one. "If you love each other, why not just get married."
Cinder almost spit out her coffee at the sudden and casual use of the word "Married"
Emerald harshly dug her elbow into Ferro's side "Ferro you can't just say that you'll ruin everything." she chastised hoping that her whispering was unheard.
"What is everything?" Jaune asked mildly amused.
"the plan to get you two to marry each other." Ferro answered casually.
At this point both Emerald and Cinder were beet red and tried to hide it behind their hands. "When did you come up with this plan?" Jaune asked again, highly amused by the goings on.
"yesterday after Emerald told me she saw you and her mom sleeping together," Ferro answered, still blissfully unaware of the way that he was bothering Cinder and Emerald.
"Is that why you called Cinder mommy last night?" Jaune asked this time leaning in slightly.
Ferro nodded his head while he took another bite of his eggs. When Jaune looked back at Cinder he had to fight the urge to say how cute she looked "well then," he said, reaching over and gently taking one of her hands. "I guess we'll just have to talk about that later won't we? '' before he picked up the dishes from breakfast and set them in the sink.
Cinder had by now managed to overcome her shock and embarrassment and was getting ready to leave. Jaune looked down at his two day old and well worn clothes before saying. "Ferro and I are going to go get changed and we will meet you at the studio.'' On his way out he made a fact of lightly kissing Cinder on the cheek as he and Ferro left.
when they were at their home Jaune quickly changed before asking Ferro who had also changed "do you really think I should marry Emerald's mom?" he made sure that Ferro knew he was being serious with his tone and his face.
"Yeah, I can tell that you two like each other, and besides Emerald and I both wanted a brother and sister." Ferro answered just as seriously as his father had asked.
tussling his son's hair Jaune said. "alright then let's get going."
The walk was a silent one until Ferro asked. "Hey dad, yesterday while me and M were with Sensei Terry we heard a lot of yelling next door. It sounded kinda like you. Did you go to the adult room?" Ferro asked
"for a little while." Jaune answered not wanting to lie and not wanting to tell his son that he had won a fight against a dozen people. the last thing he needed was to have Ferro start treating him like some kind of superhero because of his gift for violence.
They were at the studio and once they were inside Jaune let go of Ferro's hand and the boy ran off to the young adult room. Jaune was heading back to the office when Terrance intercepted him. handing Jaune a package he explained "after I heard what you did yesterday I made sure to buy one of these." before he went to teach his class.
Jaune made it to the office and saw Cinder waiting for him. "I see that Terry gave you the uniform." she said with a smirk. opening the package Jaune found a white martial arts gi inside.
"I never said I was going to teach anything," Jaune pointed out.
"You and I both know you can't bring yourself to do nothing, besides I called back all the men you beat yesterday. They are waiting for you downstairs." Cinder explained with a cocky smirk as she headed for the door.
giving her a playful slap on the ass on her way past Jaune said. "I can't believe I'm doing this." before he set about changing. Once he had tied the belt like Yang had taught him to, he headed down the stairs and found all the men from before waiting for him.
walking to the clear head of the class Jaune began to speak. "My name is Jaune Arc. you may not know it but I am an accomplished..."
the man who had been leading them yesterday spoke up. "you're the dagger of Atlas and Beacon's Seventh Angel, as well as the only reason I am still alive." holding out his hand the man said. "You don't remember me but you saved my life sixteen years ago in Vale."
Jaune grasped the man's hand and in a tired way shook it before saying. "Well it seems that I need no introduction. I will however ask that none of you tell anyone that I am here. I do not want my past staining my future, or my son's"
Everyone nodded in agreement and Jaune looked around and after finding the person he beat with the most ease he called them forward. "you, yesterday you came at me and tried to hit me with a naked overhand right, that was an awful idea, next time try to set up the over hand with either a jab, or preferable a two punch combo like a jab, lead hook, or straight, lead hook, give it a shot."
the young man stepped towards the punching bag in the corner before Jaune called him over. "Not on the back on me, don't worry about hurting me." he said.
The boy seemed uncertain of the idea but when Jaune took a fighting stance the boy did likewise and with a bit of prompting he attacked. trying the first combo he snapped out a flicking jab and followed it up with a reaching hook both of which Jaune blocked directly. the young man then threw his overhand right as hard as he could. Jaune let it land and even rolled with the punch to avoid hurting the boy who now had a much better idea of how to throw that strike and how it should feel to land it.
Jaune was about to move on before he heard Cinder shouting from the main room. Jaune ran up the stairs just behind Ferro and Emerald. "well if Mr. Browne didn't collect from here before then maybe that needs to change!" a man roared at Cinder.
Just as the three of them came out of the office he turned and was surprised by their sudden presence. reflexively he raised his gun and fired.
Jaune watched in horror as a bullet ripped a whole in Ferro's chest sending the dying boy to the tile floor with his best friend catching his body. a rage that Jaune long thought was buried rose up in him.
planting his right foot on the floor he blasted off, pushing so hard that he cracked the floor where he had been standing. He let out a deafening roar as he rushed the man too stunned by Jaune speed and aggression to fight back.
Jaune hit the man with a lunging knee and sent him flying out of the open door. Near the end of his career as a huntsman Weiss had measured everybody's physical attributes. as they expected Yang hit the hardest but when Jaune hit the sensor with the same knee he had just used. Weiss needed to check the numbers to make sure they were right. According to her, that knee hit with all the kinetic energy of a car crash.
Jaune could see it in the eyes of the remaining men as they looked at him. He had just opened the box and the monster was out. It was time to let him run wild.