A/N: Aaaand we're back! Welcome back, folks, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter in all its cheesy goodness. Sadly, the chapters will return to the slightly shorter length of the rest of the fic; that last one was an exception to the rule. I'd like to make brief mention of AStereotypicalGamer's "The Sun and The Night", a Yang x Jaune/Jaune x Raven fic they've been working on this past month; don't worry, that ship isn't nearly as convoluted or weird as you might otherwise expect.
Well, thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter sixteen!
Pyrrha had decided being part of a conspiracy could actually be quite nice, if it had an innocuous nature. Her circle of friends kept the secret of Jaune's forged transcripts: they understood his attendance at Beacon depended on it. That same circle worked to hide the knowledge of both Blake's Faunus nature, a minor secret, and her past in the White Fang, the major. Were the latter revealed, Blake could have faced serious consequences, even imprisonment. Beyond the protective ring of RWBY and JNPR, Pyrrha had also found herself privy to the knowledge of the Maidens, and Ozpin's cabal, whose secrecy was a fulcrum of the safety of the world.
That she and Jaune had been dating for two days was the prize of their conspiracy of two, and all they risked was inopportune reactions from friends and family. Rather than the anxious worry of her small confidences, or the gnawing terror of the greater cabal, this little secret made her feel giddy.
When the two of them "snuck off", it took all her years of PR training and experience to not start giggling like a madwoman. At the moment, the two of them were "out on a run", catching their breath in Orleans Park.
To her and his disappointment, Pyrrha pulled back from Jaune to actually catch her breath. With the state they were in, no one back home was going to question their alibi of a long run, that was for certain.
"Jaune, have you thought of how we're going to tell them?" His eloquent response was to try and recapture her lips, but a hand on his chest let him know they were, regrettably, done for now. Jaune's pout was adorable, though he would object to it being called a pout, but there was a reason for this meeting beyond alone time.
"I've got an idea. Not the best idea, but it's something…" A wicked grin spread across his face, and she mimicked it.
"Would you mind telling me, Jaune?"
"Trust me, Pyr; it'll be more fun this way."
…
The Arc sisters were all in school, while Claire had gone out to meet with friends, leaving JNPR the sole occupants of the Arc house. Pyrrha was lounging on the couch, yet again returned to her comics, Ren and Nora watched the television from the opposing chairs, while Jaune was fetching the team some lunch.
"Alright, here we go!" Her partner announced, bustling in with a small platter of snacks and leftovers. He planted the dish on the table nearest Nora, who gleefully moved to snatch up some lunch. Jaune, meanwhile, moved to inspect Pyrrha's comic.
"Whatcha got?"
"Last issue of Maedre, now shush." She scooted down the couch a bit, in case Jaune wanted to take a seat. Maedre had just managed to defeat the Ashen Blade, and was about to enter the Poet King's throne room! She continued on, entranced, for several more pages, until her partner spoke up from above her.
"Hey, Nora?"
"What's up, Jaune?"
Jaune bent over and kissed her on the cheek. Pyrrha rapidly evaluated the correct response, but Jaune's furtive wink and sly smile made up her mind.
"Jaune, let me finish the book first." She put as much exasperation into her voice as possible, as if Jaune interrupting her activities with kisses was a regular thing.
Come to think of it, it was starting to be just that.
She also determined the best physical response was to keep reading, or at least make the attempt. She made it two more pages before the dam burst.
"Well, it's about time." Ren's voice was stifled, and Pyrrha looked over her book to inspect her team. Ren was biting his knuckle, trying to restrain himself. But Nora? Nora was staring at them, slack-jawed and bug-eyed, arms hanging uselessly at her sides. Pyr forced down her own laughter, and instead sighed wearily.
"I suppose I can finish it later." She carefully marked her progress, then slid back up the couch to lay her head on Jaune's lap. "Jaune, kiss me." The command was given in the same tone she might ask someone to do the laundry.
"Yes, dear." Jaune replied in a well-worn voice. As he leaned back over though, they received their desired effect.
"WHAT ON REMNANT IS HAPPENING?!" Nora howled, gripping her head with both hands. Pyrrha looked back to her adoptive sister with a look of bewilderment.
"I'm kissing my boyfriend?" She then did so.
"Yeah, what's not to get, Nora?" How Jaune managed to muster that much confused innocence, she had no idea.
"WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!" Their ginger teammate spluttered.
"Just now?" She kissed Jaune again. "And now." Nora launched herself towards the couch, latching onto Pyrrha's shoulder and waist before hauling her to her feet.
"PYRRHA NIKOS, YOU ARE GOING TO EXPLAIN THIS INSTANT!"
Her composure finally broke, and Pyrrha erupted into laughter as Nora dragged her to the kitchen, shaking her about like a doll in her hands.
"Just another day in the life of Team JNPR." Jaune thought fondly, watching Nora carry off his girlfriend for a private discussion. It felt good just to think the word "Girlfriend", and Jaune's smile grew yet wider.
"It's good to see this has finally been resolved," Ren threw in with exceptional cheer. "May I ask how long?"
"Four days, during my birthday."
"Before or after Blanche had us sample Nora's gift? My opinion of both of you may never recover if it took alcohol to get you together." Jaune shuddered at the memory of Blanche sneaking the team off when Noire wasn't looking and putting their livers to use. Had his 18th been at Beacon, Yang probably would have done the same, but something felt weird about his oldest sister doing it.
"Before, thank God. Pyr and I talked a little, one thing led to another, you know."
His brother nodded is approval and satisfaction. "I'm just glad you've both finally brought this out into the open; I worried Nora was going to take drastic actions to make you notice." Like colluding with his sisters, he suspected.
"I guess we've reduced the romantic tension in JNPR by about half, then…" Jaune was certain Pyr would make comments about glass houses, but he was riding the high of his relationship. Ren scowled briefly, then looked away.
"I'm not living in ignorance, Jaune, merely indecision."
"Ren, come on. You two have known each other for, what, twelve years? You do everything together, you live together, you can have whole conversations without talking - or you could, if Nora were to stop talking. Nora cares about you, and you care about her; why not try?"
"It's complicated." Jaune threw his hands up in frustration.
"My girlfriend has other people's memories in her head, 'it's complicated' doesn't begin to approach what she's got going on there."
"Jaune, please, leave it be." The pleading in Ren's voice stopped him dead.
"Leave it. I… I can't… do that to Nora, I can't be that for her. Not yet, at least. One day, I will, and I think Nora understands that. Or would, if she knows, but it's not the right time. When it is, she'll be the first to know." He closed his eyes, his face went blank, and his breaths slowed. "Jaune. I understand, and I love you for the effort, but… let Nora and I work this out on our own. We did the same for you."
"Okay, Ren. I'm sorry." Well, he'd put his foot in a bear trap, and it snapped. No real surprise, huh?
"It's alright, I'm sorry too.
"Well, wha-" Ren was cut off by the door to the kitchen slamming open, a red-faced Nora in the gap.
"A song, Jaune?! You played a song for her? On your guitar? Didn't you learn?!" She sounded either incredibly frustrated or incredibly impressed, and Jaune wasn't sure which.
"She asked me to? A-and it worked!" "The perfect counter, Jaune; can't argue with success, right?" A black glow suffused the door, slamming it shut on Nora.
"So-"
The door opened again, the platter of food sailed across the room, and the door shut once more.
"Alright, Pyrrha is just showing off now." Ren, who had been reaching for some crackers at the moment of the plate's umbral flight, was clearly displeased. Jaune could only shrug, scratching the back of his head.
"She's been getting really good lately, and it's going to her head." Ren gave him a flat look. "For Pyrrha." He corrected.
"But we think it'll be time to go back soon. Pyrrha's recall of Amber's memories are clearer now, plus she gets stronger every day. Blanche makes it sound like Vale is basically safe too, so it's probably time to see Goodwitch again."
Ren began to say something, then paused. "Was Pyrrha allowed to tell us all of this?" Jaune shrugged. "Rules aren't really something we're good at following, are we?" Jaune shrugged again.
"I don't want to go straight back, though. We need to do one more thing."
"Jaune, cut the dramatics, please."
"We need to go see Team RWBY."
They both turned at the sound of the front door opening, several sets of feet stampeding unseen towards the kitchen.
"It happened!?" Jaune heard Marron shout.
"It happened!" Nora eagerly responded. There was a chorus of inarticulate squeals.
The door to the kitchen erupted for the third time, though this was for mundane means, and Jaune was swarmed by his sisters, and Nora.
"Took you long enough!"
"What was the hold-up?"
"It was the lunch at Muse, wasn't it!?"
"Pyrrha, save me!"
Mrs. Arc, and Pyrrha was quite sure she was back to 'Mrs. Arc' with Claire, sat in judgement over JNPR in her small study, with Jaune holding the position of the prime condemned. This meeting had been called just after Claire had returned to the Arc household in the evening, but sadly not before Rose had told her mother Jaune finally had a girlfriend.
Pyrrha imagined she would find a new, carbon fiber deadbolt on their bedrooms tonight, locked from the outside. Security cameras. Could Mrs. Arc train Grimm to be guard dogs?
"Are you sure you have to go?" She was trying to sound calm, but Pyrrha could hear the edge of worry in her voice. "Can't you just stay until they call you back? I distinctly remember you saying you told them to do that."
"We have to go back, Mom." Jaune's own voice was attempting calm, but she knew he was unnerved by the meeting. "Well, we really want to go see our friends in Patch, and we might as well stop by Vale while we're at it."
"If you were just visiting, I wouldn't mind, but that's not it, is it? You'll go to Vale, and you won't come back." She was absolutely certain. More than they were, frankly.
"I don't know what will happen in Vale," Pyrrha began cautiously, "but JNPR will be together for whatever comes. We'll watch out for each other. And, we'll make sure to come back to Bar when we can. I promise you that, Mrs. Arc." The older woman frowned a tad at her, but then faced Jaune.
"Will you promise me the same, son? You'll come home soon?"
"Of course! Of course, mom!" He frantically assured her. "Promise, on my honor!" Ren and Nora made similar assurances on either side of them.
"Well, I guess all that's left will be for you to tell the girls." Jaune's skin paled visibly, while everyone else tried their hardest to not laugh at his terror. "Do you know when you'll be leaving?" They shook their heads in the negative.
"Some time in the next few weeks, probably?" Jaune offered, while she picked up from there.
"We need to reach out to RWBY, find a flight and accommodations, and then reach out to the teachers in Vale. We could be ready by the end of tomorrow, it's hard to know until we reach them." The elder woman nodded along.
"Well, alright then. It's good to see you won't be making this trip at the eleventh hour."
"I'll make sure he packs everything this time, Claire." Ren added, seeming to all the world a helpful friend, not a snarky teammate.
"Traitors, all of you." Jaune muttered as he made his way out of the interrogation. Pyrrha tried to follow him out, but Mrs. Arc had other ideas.
"Oh, Pyrrha, dear? Can you stay for a moment?" Jaune and she exchanged concerned looks, and his mother snorted at their hesitance. "Such faith from my son. I just want to talk, I promise." Jaune seemed to want to stay for the meeting, but she pushed him along, trusting Ren and Nora to keep Jaune from doing something stupid.
The door closed not at all ominously, and Pyrrha settled back into her chair, taking up Jaune's mantle of the condemned.
"So," her boyfriend's mother began simply, "I gather from Rose that congratulations are in order?" Ah, in all the commotion of her relationship, she'd almost forgotten she could blush horrendously.
"Well, it's just- Jaune and I- it was all very-" She held up hand, silencing Pyrrha's explanations and excuses with ease.
"Pyrrha, you're not in trouble."
"Oh, thank God!" Her mind proclaimed.
"My son spent the better part of the last year not telling me anything about his personal life; I'd like to be a little more informed this time around. You've been a delightful guest, Pyrrha, and even before this, it was obvious that you and Jaune have been close. I think I told you once before, you were in my good books?"
She nodded along, still trying to ease her nerves. Mrs. Arc took a hold of her hands, then, drawing Pyrrha from her stupor.
"Dear, relax. All of my children adore you, and if you've managed to put up with my son this long, who am I to complain? Not that I would - that boy of mine needs a level head at hand." They both giggled a bit at that, and Pyrrha felt the weight shifting off with ease. Why had she ever worried about this talk?
"Thank you, Claire. Your whole family has been so kind to us, it's been wonderful."
The woman beamed. "No one can ever doubt Arc hospitality, Pyrrha. Remember that.
"I still won't have any funny business under this roof though." And back to blushing!
The Bar Airfield was as hectic as he remembered, and even in the calmer civilian zones, the Arc party crowded the space. On Jaune's last departure from home, his father had whisked him to his airship under the cover of morning, his mother keeping his sisters distracted until well after he was out of reach. Now, he was getting crushing hugs and teary goodbyes.
"You're going to call!" Rouge accused for the millionth time.
"I'll call, Rouge, I'll call!" Marron looked as if she were ready to make the same demands, but settled with nodding firmly behind her sister.
Rose and Ren quietly talked, a small distance from the others, while Nora made overly dramatic goodbyes to Verte. His sister had also drawn a small sketchpad, displaying its mysterious contents to an approving Nora, who shared conspiratorial smiles with her.
That certainly wasn't going to come back and bite him in the butt, he was sure.
Noire and Vi, meanwhile, had surrounded Pyrrha. Jaune's heart was simultaneously warmed by the sight of his elder sisters having fully taken Pyrrha under their protective wings, and cooled by the knowledge they were telling her the hundred and one ways to keep a handle on him. They meant well, but he was his own man, darn it! It was bad enough having four mothers growing up, he didn't need them recruiting his girlfriend too.
He paused a moment to consider.
"Yup, still fun to think 'girlfriend'."
"And make sure you check in on Blanche and Dad when you get to Vale! And don't embarrass us! And make sure you call!" Apparently, mothering him wasn't restricted to older sisters now.
Loaded up and waiting for takeoff, Jaune and the Arcs made one final wave of goodbyes, and he settled down among his team. "I'll miss them, but it feels good to leave on a high note." Pyrrha gently squeezed his hand, while Nora made various cooing noises at the familial scenes.
The bullhead lurched as it climbed into the air, and Jaune felt his stomach lurch with it.
"You gotta be kidding me…"
Post: I suppose this chapter can be thought of as the end of the Bar Arc, though that isn't to say I'm done entirely with either the location or the Arc family! Next chapter will feature something of an interlude chapter; a brief stop to take a look at another character before we return to Team JNPR. Thanks for stopping by, y'all!