I don't own RWBY or Overwatch, they belong to their respective owners. ENJOY!
Chapter Three: Reunions
The dorm room of Team JNPR was a far cry from what it used to be. Warm lighting and jovial sounds that came from all four teammates were replaced with a dimness and a silence that should have never been allowed in the first place. The only signs of life within the room were the sunlight that tried it's hardest to pierce through the drawn curtains and the shallow grunts of JNPR's leader.
"Thirty-five," Jaune grunted while he did another push-up. "Thirty-six. Thirty-seven. Thirty-eight." he grit his teeth as the pain from five days ago returned. The pain didn't stop him from going down for one more repetition, but it simmered at a consistent intensity that forced its presence within Jaune's core and right arm.
"Thirty-nine," Jaune grunted with a strained voice. With a few breaths as well as couple of seconds to rest, he went down one for one last rep.
"Forty!" Jaune shouted before he collapsed to the ground. Sweat continued to pour all over his body as he rolled onto his back and let out a few more ragged breaths. "That's five sets. Two more than yesterday." he said to himself in between breaths before he reached over to his scroll and noted how much he had exercised that morning.
"Alright," Jaune said while he rose from the damp carpet before he swung his arms out. The satisfaction that came with the popping of his joints as well as the loose sensation of his arms made the payoff of his work all the better. Once he shook off the tired nature that came with his morning workout, Jaune let out a relieved breath and hoisted himself up from the carpet. "Time to get ready." he said to himself while he picked up his scroll off the floor.
A pang of shame hit him square in the heart as he noticed there had been no notifications since they had left. 'How many weeks had it been since they left?' Jaune thought as he looked on at his blank scroll. 'No more than two?'
With a shallow sigh that contradicted his improved mood, he shut his scroll off and grabbed the toiletries he needed before he entered the bathroom to shower off all the excess sweat that came with his efforts. The cold stillness of the bathroom clashed with the intense heat of the shower as the vapor rose over the curtain and filled the small bathroom within mere minutes. The sudden heat of the water made Jaune jolt a bit with surprise; but once the initial shock wore off, the blonde knight had no problem immersing himself in the heat.
After a quick but thorough scrub, Jaune turned the water off and wasted no time drying himself with a quick pace. Another jolt ran through his bare body as he opened the door, only to be greeted with the unforgiving morning cold that came with the bleakness of his room. With only the chattering of his teeth to occupy his ears, Jaune raced to his closet and found little comfort in quickly dressing into his normal attire which consisted of a white T-shirt, jeans, and his Pumpkin Pete hoodie; his damp hair didn't help to alleviate any of the unforgiving cold.
"Okay." Jaune said as he patted the face of the mascot on his hoodie. He looked over to his scroll to see it was only nine AM. There was plenty of time in the day to do what he wanted and then some.
"Heh." he couldn't help but let out a short impulse of laughter as he realized that things were finally looking up. It was an odd feeling that refused to leave him as he left his dorm room with his wallet and scroll. It didn't bother nor nag at him. It was more of a realization that he had trouble realizing.
Jaune smiled at the notion as his padded footsteps occupied him throughout the Beacon halls. The sparse faces of the student body made his trek much more pleasant than the ones two weeks prior and he made note to relish the lax nature of the school before the majority of the student body returned from the summer break.
That was the last mental note Jaune was able to make for a while as his attention was piqued at the sight of a familiar white-haired student who was walking toward his direction. The secure feeling he had moments prior wavered a bit at her presence which was devoid of any positive emotion.
Weiss Schnee's footsteps were much quicker than Jaune's and her gaze was fixated to what was in front of her. There was no indication of emotion upon her face as she refused to lock eyes with Jaune. The blonde knight took a quick breath of confidence before he approached her.
"Hey, Weiss." Jaune said with all the confidence he could muster. Even he had to admit he sounded just a bit sheepish. He wouldn't know what Weiss thought as she completely ignored him. There was no roll of the eyes, no scoff of dissatisfaction, and no off handed remark at his incompetence. Weiss simply ignored him.
Jaune stopped in his footsteps at that realization and turned back, only to see Weiss continue in the direction of her dorm. He knew there was no point pursuing her. If what just happened was the outcome of his first impression, then he knew there was no salvaging anything for today.
"Okay then," Jaune said while he scratched the back of his head. "I guess Vale it is then." he did his best to shrug off the coldness he just faced and with the bit of time it took to finish his stroll from the dorm rooms to the docks, he could safely say his mood wasn't completely ruined.
Jaune couldn't help but frown at the fact that the bullhead wasn't present, but shrugged it off after a short curse at his misfortune. The moment of stillness left him to reflect on the last time he was at the docks, which made him form a smile on instinct.
Those tender moments of reminiscing about a certain mechanic sparked a thought that came with dread and embarrassment. Instead of fun conversations and laughter from both parties, a singular question remained in Jaune's mind.
"Did she ever mention where her shop was?" Jaune paled at his own question as a bullhead coincidently landed in front of him.
#
The intense heat of the furnace kept Brigitte warm as she tempered the flame with an ease she had acquired a long time ago. However, a frustrated huff escaped her as the mechanic looked on at the flames which were the constant reminder of her current task not being her project, but her fathers, who was busy with his breakfast.
"Honestly," Brigitte grumbled as the flames were her only outlet for conversation. "He could have finished this before he ate. He knows I have to finish up everything today." Brigitte sighed as she noticed that whatever her father was working on was about finished.
"How's it coming along?" Torbjörn's called out with a voice that broke through the roaring of the flames.
"Great timing on your part," Brigitte said as she turned away from the furnace. The difference in temperature was polarizing, but she didn't care. What mattered was getting back to her work. "Can you handle it from here?"
"Of course. Of course," Torbjörn said as he walked past his daughter with a stepladder in tow and used his prosthetic claw to grasp the molten metal. "Keep clear." he said with a chuckle before he got off the stepladder. No matter how much he trusted Brigitte, he would always tell her those words ever since she was old enough to work in his forge. He could tell Brigitte was already out of the way as he poured the boiling liquid into a familiar mold.
"It's been a while since you you've made a sword." Brigitte commented with a raised eyebrow.
"Client called in for one. Simple broadsword. Nothing more, nothing less." Torbjörn said as he continued with his work. "I need you to run some errands right now. Ingrid needs some things from the store."
"Wait, what?" Brigitte snapped back with disbelief in her voice. "You just told me that after you came back-!"
"I know what I said, Brigitte." Torbjörn interjected with a sternness that came with years of fatherhood. "A visitor is coming today and Ingrid wanted to make a pie for him. She's a bit busy at the moment so she wanted me to ask you to get the ingredients."
"Can't this wait?" Brigitte asked. Her father winced as he looked on at Brigitte who ran her soot covered hand over her forehead and bandanna she wore whenever she was in the forge. "I'm so close."
"Your passion project can wait a bit."
"It's not that, Papa!" Brigitte shouted with more embarrassment than protest." Torbjörn rose his left brow at the new bit of information as he looked on at his daughter who fidgeted with the new found stress. "It's my client's weapon. I promised him it would be ready today."
"And your work isn't going anywhere." Torbjörn said in a more calming manner. "This will only take what, a half-hour at most? Also…" he said before he pointed at Brigitte's hands.
Brigitte looked down at her hands for a few moments before her eyes widened with regret. The realization of what she ran through her hair only fueled her stress as she wanted to yell, but only found herself checking to see if she had her wallet before exiting the forge with a glare that could kill the most vicious Beowolf.
Torbjörn sighed as he pulled out his scroll and pressed on the contact he was looking for. The tone rang for a bit much to the engineer's irritation.
"Hello?"
"You can come in now." Torbjörn said before he hung up his scroll. It only took a few moments for the door of Torbjörn's workshop to open once again.
Instead of Brigitte, a man stood in the entrance. His pedestrian attire made up of jeans and a black T-shirt that clung tightly to his aged yet built figure threw Torbjörn off for a moment.
"Been a while since I've seen you in anything but a uniform," Torbjörn said while he hammered away at the heated sword. "But it's been quite some time, Jack."
"Indeed, it has, Torbjörn."
The engineer looked up from his sword and smiled at the man before him. He showed his age more than Torbjörn did, but it didn't stop him from carrying a natural confidence fit for a leader. His sapphire eyes met Torbjörn's with a sincerity and nostalgia for a few moments before the engineer let out a short chuckle and pointed to Jack's face.
"Added some new ones to the collection, I see." Torbjörn said while he gestured to Jack's two scars on his face.
"Yeah." Jack said with a bit of laughter as he traced his fingers across them and down to his chin. "Vaccuo has been interesting to say the least." he looked to Torbjörn, who continued to hammer away at his simple project. "How has everyone been?"
"My family? Or…" Torbjörn trailed off with a knowing glance, to which Jack shook his head with a chuckle.
"I mean your family, Torbjörn." Jack said as he leaned against one of the workbenches. "How old is Brigitte now?"
"Twenty," Torbjörn said with a smile before he struck down the hammer once more, causing sparks to ignite for a split second before extinguishing. "She and the rest of her siblings are doing well. Reinhardt helps with them whenever he's in town."
"How's he been?" Jack asked with raised eyebrows at the mention of their old friend.
"You can ask him yourself when he gets back from a mission he took."
"How long will that be?"
"Well," Torbjörn said as he rubbed his chin for a moment before giving Jack a sly glance. "Being a crossing guard for kindergarteners is a serious job." the engineer couldn't help but chuckle at his own joke before he shook his head. "I would say no more than a half hour. Brigitte is also getting ingredients for Ingrid's apple pie."
"Oooh," Jack uttered out with a nostalgic shudder before a smile appeared on his face. "I'm definitely staying for that." a short but sharp burst of laughter escaped Jack as bent over and gripped the bench. "Remember that time Reinhardt stole Angela's slice?"
"I still can't look at butter knives the same way." Torbjörn said as he winced at the sudden but horrifying memory. Needless to say, they all learned to never mess with Angela Ziegler when it came to Ingrid's homemade pie.
"Anyway," Torbjörn said before he shifted his focus back to his work, "Let me finish this up and then we can talk about that sword of yours."
"Is it around here?"
"Brigitte's keeps it on her workbench." Torbjörn said while he nodded his head in said direction. "She's been working on it non-stop since she came back from her time in the Emerald forest."
"Huh," Jack said as he walked over to the sword in question and grasped the scabbard with both hands. A smile crept onto his face as he grew accustom to the familiar weight it always had. "It's definitely Crocea Mors, that's for sure." Jack then unsheathed the sword and couldn't help but let out a low whistle at the shine it gave off. "I haven't seen it this pristine in a long time, Torbjörn."
"I said the same thing when I saw it earlier today." Torbjörn said before taking a pinch of ice dust and dropped it into a barrel of water. The water didn't freeze over, but the chill took effect as the engineer plunged the scalding hot blade into the water. Once his work was finished, he placed the sword on his workbench with his prosthetic claw and made his way over to Jack. "Apparently, the shield was malfunctioning something fierce and she decided she wanted to fix it. Couldn't help herself to fixing up the blade as well."
Jack instinctively pressed the trigger on the scabbard and couldn't help but revel in the nostalgia as it expanded into the shield he called his own for so many years. He let both sword and shield hang at his side for a second before he twirled the sword once.
"She did a stellar job," Jack said with a chuckle before he collapsed the shield and sheathed his old sword.
"Which begs the question," Torbjörn said as he folded his arm over his prosthetic. "Who had your sword in the first place?"
"I'm not quite sure. Can't be the family." Jack said before he carefully put the weapon back on Briggite's workbench. "Last I remember, it was hanging within the Arc's home as nothing but a family heirloom."
"I remember Maria throwing it in the attic before you left, but that's about it." Torbjörn said while he scratched his beard. "Well, Brigitte's client is coming in today to pick it up. If you have time, you can stay and wait for them."
"It would be nice to straighten this out," Jack said as he rubbed his chin. "Also, there's no way I'd pass up Ingrid's famous apple pie."
The two chuckled at his remark before they entered Torbjörn's home that was linked to the forge. All the while, Jack racked his brain in thinking just who could have gotten their hands on his old weapon.
#
"Gods above, why does this hurt so much?" Jaune asked between breaths as he kneeled over a public trashcan right outside the bullhead docks. Any and all positivity was swept away in those moments of guttural agony as another volley lurched up his throat.
"I…I think that was the rest of it." Jaune said after he wiped his mouth and stood up from the trashcan with wobbly legs. "Next time, lay off the fries at dinner." Jaune's stomach lurched at the mention of food and for a moment, the blonde thought he was going back for round three, but a few moments later proved he was alright.
'Okay,' Jaune thought to himself while he checked his hoodie for any splash damage, once he was in the clear, he looked up from his position and pulled out his scroll. 'Brigitte mentioned last night that she would need all morning to finish it up, so calling her is probably out of the question,' Jaune decided to try anyway and after a few dial tones and an automated tone later, his assumption was proven correct.
'Well, what about the maps on my scroll?' his quick and general searches for any weapon shops or blacksmiths came up all the same with different owners and stores he was already aware of.
"Dammit." Jaune said as he pocketed his scroll. The blonde knight's mind raced a mile a minute in order to solve his dilemma. He wasn't able to contact Brigitte, the shop he was looking for wasn't showing up on the dustnet, and he didn't want to go back to Beacon and wait until the afternoon. Should he ask around and see if anyone would know the place?
GRRRMBLLL
Any and all thoughts of his next course of action were halted dead in their tracks as Jaune looked down at his stomach and realized it was he who made such a demonic sound.
"Of course." Jaune said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Clearly hurling up so much of last night's meal would call for more food, only to be thrown up on the way back to Beacon. Jaune sighed at the futile situation he found himself in and decided to head towards the center of town. He remembered Nora mentioning there was a good Pancake joint around there.
Jaune's mind tried to take him to a dark place at the mention of his teammate, especially since he was close to the place where everything went wrong, but the blonde refused the thought and shook his head. This was a good day. He was healed, his weapon was fixed, and he was meeting up with Brigitte today.
Unlike with Nora, the thought of Brigitte took his mind off of the constant reminders of what happened in Vale about a month prior and onto what would happen today. If she asked for additional payment to cover the costs, he was ready with a bit of Lien he had saved up over the year. If she wanted him to test out his equipment, he would be short his armor, but his aura could take any hits if need be. If she decided that his weapon was a lost cause and she invited him to her shop just to say that to his face… well, it would definitely suck and he'd rather not think about it.
Jaune quickly shook his head for a brief moment in order to clear his mind. Brigitte could wait. Nora could also wait. What mattered to him in those moments, was nothing but food as his stomach let out another demonic grumble; much to the dismay of a shocked mother and the amusement of her son as they passed by.
Jaune groaned with embarrassment while he scratched the back of his head. He hoped to find that pancake place as soon as possible, or someone would definitely call Vale authorities for either a noise complaint, or a Beowolf sighting within kingdom walls.
"Wait, what?" Jaune asked as he was torn once more from his train of thought as he looked out in front of him with wide eyes at a familiar sight. Sure, her face was basically plastered to the window of a bakery that was a few stores from where he was, but he knew for sure that it was Brigitte. Her red overalls and dark grey tank top matched the ones she wore over her armor five days ago and her rich brunette hair were dead giveaways.
Jaune had to snap himself out of his daze with a shake of his head before he looked on at the stroke of luck he had right before him. He had to laugh at how things turned out. Finally, everything was looking up for him.
With his new found joy he strolled up to the mechanic in question with a genuine grin upon his face and once he approached her, he noticed Brigitte was perhaps too enthralled with the countless pastries just behind the window pane. Her inability to notice Jaune was only proof of that as he stood behind Brigitte without her noticing at all. Jaune wouldn't lie, the smell was intoxicating to the most extreme; especially due to the brisk morning air that only helped distinguish the warm sweet smells that emitted from the bakery.
"They look so good." Jaune could hear Brigitte whisper with a euphoric shudder. Jaune swore he could see her drooling through the reflection of the glass.
GRRRMMBLLE
"AAGH!" Brigitte yelped as she jumped out of her dazed state and pressed her back to the window with startled fear in her eyes. Her fear evaporated seconds later as she was face to face with Jaune arc, who was looking down at his stomach in shame.
"Jaune?!" Brigitte exclaimed with a mixture of surprise and joy at the blonde knight who seemed to have an embarrassed demeanor.
"Hey Brigitte," Jaune said with an awkward chuckle after he looked up and gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that."
"It's okay," Brigitte said with a hearty laugh and a wave of her hand, dismissing his loud and abrupt introduction. "It's great to see you."
"Couldn't agree with you more," Jaune said as he put his hands in his pockets. "How have you been?"
"Good!" she said with a new found enthusiasm. "Hard at work. Your weapon is just about finished. Just one or two more touch ups."
"That's great to hear." Jaune said with a smile that matched hers. "Taking a break at the moment?" confusion rose within him as he noticed Brigitte's smile quickly shift into a frown.
"Papa is making me run errands," Brigitte said before she folded her arms. "He knew today was the day I was supposed to have it done, yet he decides it's a good day to invite a friend over and have me get ingredients for a pie." Brigitte broke eye contact a few moments later with a sheepish look. "I may have gotten distracted by the smell though."
Jaune looked over her shoulder and let out a low whistle. "And the sight. I don't blame you." Jaune said. He really couldn't blame her as rows upon rows of pastries with mismatched colors of frosting decorated the front of the store like quilt of sugar baked goodness. "Want to get one? I haven't had anything to eat yet, so it'll be my treat."
Jaune was taken a bit aback by Brigitte's sudden wide eyes at his offer. So much so, that he wondered if he said something wrong.
"You sure?" Brigitte asked, which didn't quell the rising anxiety within Jaune's mind.
"I-I mean it's the least I could do, given everything you've done." Jaune shrugged with a nervous smile. Only to take a step back as the mechanic jumped up with triumph.
"WOO HOO!" Brigitte cheered. "Nothing is better than free pastries!"
"Wait, pastries?" Jaune asked upon hearing the plural nature of the treat in question, but was completely ignored as Brigitte grabbed his wrist and dragged him into the bakery with a strength that rivaled Nora's.
What happened next was a torrent of sweet smells and an unstoppable joy that came from Brigitte as she pointed to each and every treat she wanted so that the owner could get them. It wasn't much more than Jaune expected, but he made a mental note to treat Brigitte's love for baked goods like Nora's love for pancakes.
"And how about yourself?" Jaune snapped out of his train of thought as he noticed the tall woman behind the counter was referring to him. She gave him a polite smile and a chuckle as the blonde knight looked over to Brigitte's pile of sweets.
"Just one doughnut for me please." Jaune said while he made sure he didn't groan at the total amount he saw on the cash register. With a little reluctance, he handed the owner the right amount of lien and shrunk at the sudden dent his savings took.
"I'd say its worth it." The tall lady behind the counter said with a soft and genuine smile before she nudged her head in Brigitte's direction. Jaune looked to his friend and he had to admit, it had been a while since he had seen anyone as happy as Brigitte was in those moments. It still didn't stop him from narrowing his eyes at the lady.
"You're just saying that to justify taking my money."
"Guilty." the owner said with a shrug and an accomplished smile.
Jaune took his change with a grain of salt before he turned to Brigitte who had her treats safely in a medium size paper bag. "Shall we?" Jaune asked as he opened the door.
"We shall." Brigitte said with a cheerful demeanor in her step.
Jaune closed the door behind them and took in a deep breath of fresh air. It was refreshing after bathing his nostrils in nothing but sugar. Nevertheless, the two proceeded down the street that began to bustle with the mid-morning pedestrians. Jaune looked back at Brigitte who was in the process of munching on a maple bar and couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
"I'm guessing it's good?" Jaune asked as their pace remained consistent.
"So good," Brigitte said before she looked over to his small doughnut. "How about yours?"
"Pretty good." Jaune said. He looked down at Brigitte's bag and couldn't help but cringe at the cost of such tasty pastries. "Did you get some for your dad?"
"Nope." Brigitte said before a cheeky grin spread across her face. "It'll show him what happens when he gets in the way of my work." realization came over a moment later as she looked over at Jaune and eyed him with suspicion. "What are you saying, Jaune Arc?" She stopped in her tracks and put her hands on her hips with a gaze that kept consistent with her suspicion. "Can't a girl splurge every once and a while?"
"I-I mean… T-That's not what I…" Jaune began to blubber on with wide eyes while Brigitte looked on with an amusing glance. She wouldn't lie and say it was cute seeing him stumble over his words.
"Relax, Jaune." Brigitte said with a playful punch. "I know it's a lot, but I always work it off. See?" Brigitte pointed to the center of her tank top.
Jaune looked down to notice the design on her shirt entailed a weight with a bite taken from it with the words, 'I Like Exercise, Because I Love Eating.'
"Huh." Jaune said as he couldn't help but relate to a degree. Despite his discipline in regard to his calorie intake, he wouldn't lie and say he wouldn't pass up a good burger or the almighty dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets.
"In all seriousness," Brigitte said before she took another bite of her maple bar. There were a few moments of chewing before she looked at Jaune. "Thank you. Today hasn't gone off to the best start. This was a big help."
"Like I've said before, this was the least I could do." Jaune said with a reassuring smirk. "I can also help you with your shopping, if you'd like. You're still new to Vale, right?"
"Yeah," Brigitte looked away with dissatisfaction with that fact.
"I know a market that has good prices." Jaune tried his hardest to keep a positive demeanor as internally braced himself for what was to come. "My teammate and I would go there to get groceries once a week."
"How far is it?" Brigitte asked with a slightly apprehensive voice.
"Not far at all. Ten minutes in the opposite direction, tops." Jaune jerked his thumb backwards all with a reassuring smile. "Some of the stuff may be off brand, but it's good quality and most things are cheaper there too."
There was a pause before Brigitte's apprehension morphed into content as she gave the blonde knight a smile. "Lead the way, Fearless Leader."
Jaune wanted to freeze at the sudden name, but with every fiber of his being, he managed to keep a positive demeanor and even chuckled at the name.
"What's so funny?" Brigitte asked as they headed off toward their new destination.
"That's what my team calls me some times," Jaune said as he scratched the back of his neck. "I can't tell if they're joking more than half the time though."
"That's quite a coincidence," Brigitte said with a snicker at his last comment before her posture straightened and eyes widened. "Wait, you're a leader?" she asked with a bit of disbelief.
"For some reason, Professor Ozpin decided I would be the leader of Team JNPR." Jaune said with a shrug. "I still don't know why he chose me, but I try not to let any of them down." Jaune looked over to his friend and couldn't help but squirm under the gaze she was giving him.
"That's honestly amazing," Brigitte said as she kept with Jaune's pace. "Not only a huntsman in training, but a leader as well."
"It's definitely a lot of work," Jaune said with a small huff. "But so far, it's been worth it."
"That's what matters." Brigitte said before giving him a proud smile.
The two walked in silence for a few minutes before they arrived at the market Jaune had mentioned. Sure enough, Brigitte was surprised at the amount of goods they had in such a small shopping area of Vale. Nevertheless, she wasn't one to complain as the two got what they needed and decided to head back to her father's shop.
"Hey," Jaune said as he was carrying the paper bag of groceries they needed. "I'm sorry that this took more time out of your work."
"Please, Jaune." Brigitte replied with a dismissive way and relieved smile. "It's quite alright. I mean, free pastries and discounted groceries is a total win in my book. Just what I needed actually."
"Then I'm happy that I could help." Jaune said with a grin of his own.
The two of them shared the same happy demeanor they felt five days ago at the docks and couldn't help but revel in it. It had been hard for each of them to focus on their work, whether it be repairing damaged weapons or healing their damaged body. Nevertheless, the two of them couldn't help but feel that all of their work had paid off, yet neither knew they both felt the same way.
"Wait," Jaune said as a wave of anxiety overcame him, "Will your dad be mad that your later than usual?"
"Perhaps." Brigitte said with a shrug. "But it's only by a bit. Besides, he knew my plans for today."
"Whatever you say, Brigitte." Jaune said as he couldn't help but feel a bit worried.
#
"It shouldn't be taking her this long." Torbjörn groaned as he leaned a bit over his moderately sized dining room table. The rich mahogany complimented the bright and lively room to a close perfection as Torbjörn, Jack, and Ingrid Lindholm waited patiently for Brigitte to return.
"You're usually more patient than this, Torbjörn." Jack said as he finished his cup of coffee and set his mug on the coaster provided by Ingrid.
"That's when it comes to his work, Jack." Ingrid said with a short snicker. "This is my baking we're talking about." the tall and slender blonde got up from her seat and took Jack's empty mug. "Would you like more coffee?"
"Yes, please." Jack said before he looked over to his friend. "Give it a bit more time. I'm sure she's fine."
"She could be talking to a boy right now for all we know." Ingrid called out from the kitchen in a teasing tone.
Jack wasn't one to be surprised often, but the speed of which Torbjörn's head shot up slightly unnerved the older man. The engineers rigid posture remained consistent for about ten seconds before he slouched with a long exhale.
"Like that'll be the day." Torbjörn said with a huff as he looked down at his half empty coffee mug. "That's nothing to worry about anytime soon."
"Right." Jack said with an irked tone and a scratch behind his head. Thankfully, Ingrid came back just in time with more delicious coffee.
"I swear, Ozpin is rubbing off on me." Jack said before he took a sip. "I used to never touch the stuff. Then one meeting with the bastard later, I'm hooked."
"Perhaps those were his plans all along. Just getting the world hooked on coffee." Torbjorn said with an amused huff.
"Have you met with him anytime soon?" Ingrid asked as she sat down once more.
"Nothing yet," Jack replied. "But the minute he finds out that three of his former operatives are in the same kingdom, he'll definitely give us a call." Jack was about to continue, but a sudden knock at the front door caught all their attention. Especially Torbjörn who was excited for Brigitte's return.
"Hello again!" the sudden and booming voice echoed around the small household as a man who was much taller than Jack and Torbjörn opened the front door. His white tank top clung tightly to his toned torso while his khaki cargo pants were a few shades darker than his graying hair.
"Oh, it's just you." Torbjörn grumbled as he rested his bearded chin on his prosthetic claw. Jack turned back to the man in question as he only let out a hearty laugh.
"Come now, old friend." the hulking man said as he set a plastic bag on the nearby counter. "What's with the long fa-" any and all jovial attitude was swept away as the hulking man's eyes landed upon the third person in the dining room.
Jack knew this was inevitable, but with a small sigh, he put his coffee down and stood face to face with the man who was much taller than he was. His ocean blue eyes looked back at the taller man's good eye as well as the other that was heavily damaged that came with a sharp vertical scar.
"Is that you, Jack?" the man asked softly while his heavy accent remained rich.
"It's been a while, Reinhar-!" Jack wasn't even able to finish his sentence as he was engulfed in a sudden hug and picked up off the ground.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Reinhardt exclaimed as his embrace grew tighter. "JACK! IT HAS BEEN WAY TOO LONG!"
"Reinhardt!" Jack gasped out with inclinations of desperation in his voice. "Too tight! Can't breathe!" Jack squirmed for a few more seconds before Reinhardt put him down.
"Can you really blame me?!" Reinhardt practically shouted with his signature enthusiasm before he slapped Jack's back with a satisfying sound. "How long has it been?!"
"Too long." Jack said between breaths as he looked up at Reinhardt with a smirk. "Clearly, time hasn't affected your enthusiasm."
"Like it ever could! Ha!" Reinhardt said while he walked around the table and sat beside Torbjörn's right side. "So, what brings you to Vale?"
"We're clearing up a misunderstanding," Torbjörn mentioned as he looked over to Jack with an amused smirk. "Someone's been using his old weapon."
"OH HO!" Reinhardt quickly looked over to Jack with disbelief in his eyes. "I haven't seen that sword in quite some time!" realization came over the hulking man as he looked to Torbjörn. "Is that what Brigitte has been working on?"
Torbjörn nodded at the question. "We were trying to figure out who had it in the first place. Brigitte mentioned one time that she took the job from a huntsman in training."
"But other than that, we can't think of anyone we know." Jack said as he leaned forward as his mind raced a mile a minute.
"Do you think it could be…" Reinhardt looked to Jack with a knowing glance.
"Can't be. Maria would rather him join the Atlas Military than let him be a huntsman." Jack said while he shook his head and let out a breath.
"How long has it been?" Reinhardt followed up.
"Reinhardt," Ingrid interjected with a knowing gaze. "Not now."
"Thanks, Ingrid." Jack said with a reassuring smile. The four of them sat there with a familiar silence. All of them knew the answer to Reinhardt's question though; it was too long.
"AHA!" Reinhardt snapped his fingers as everyone looked at him with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. "The person in question could be that boy I saw her walking with not too long ago!"
Another wave of silence overcame all of them, but unlike before, it was much colder and radiated from a certain engineer, much to the amusement of Jack and Ingrid.
"What?" Torbjörn asked with a stern tone.
"I was coming back from some errands when I saw them across the street going the opposite way!" Reinhardt's smile grew as the memory came back to him. "I was going to say something, but they were busy with their conversation and I didn't want to interrupt. They also grabbed some doughnuts from that one bakery close by."
"You didn't even try to stop and ask her where she was going?" Torbjorn asked with a frustration only a parent could possess.
"She seemed busy," Reinhardt said with a shrug. "I didn't want to be rude."
"You did the right thing, Dear." Ingrid said with a reassuring smile toward Reinhardt.
"My own wife is against me." Torbjörn said as he grasped his head with his good hand and prosthetic before he let out a defeated sigh.
"As she should be." Ingrid teased.
"What did this guy look like, Reinhardt?" Jack asked with intrigue as leaned forward and rested his forearm on the table.
"Well," Reinhardt said as he closed his eyes and folded his arms. "He was a bit taller than her. Blonde for sure. I couldn't tell you if he was a huntsman or not. He looked about her age, but his hoodie made it hard to determine anything else."
"Well," Ingrid said. "We won't know until she comes back. Thank you, Reinhardt."
"Of course!" Reinhardt replied with a curt nod.
Jack just sat there with a puzzled look on his face as the rest of his friends began another conversation. Just who could this person be? There was no way he could call Maria for answers, but the more he thought about the possibilities, the more he believed calling her was the only way to get any answers. With a quick breath, he pulled out his scroll and went through his contacts. He couldn't help but let his index finger hover over the woman in question and with a reassuring breath, he went to press on her icon.
"I'm back!" a familiar voice called out throughout the Lindholm home. All four heads looked up from their previous endeavors at the sight of Brigitte who entered with a medium size paper bag. "Sorry it took so long!"
"It's quite alright." Ingrid said as she stood up to greet her daughter with a warm hug. Once the two parted, the elder woman rose an eyebrow. "Although, I was expecting a bigger bag. Considering the list your father gave you."
"I had help." Brigitte said with a reassuring smile as she turned to Reinhardt. "Hey, Reinhardt."
"Hello again!" Reinhardt said with a wave as he remained at the table, yet retained his jovial personality.
"Mrrow." everyone's attention turned toward the sudden noise. Brigitte's eyes brightened up at the familiar sound.
"Mitzi!" Brigitte exclaimed as she made her way over to pet the rather large, white, and grumpy looking cat that made her way from the living room. "How have you been?"
"Of course, the cat wakes up when she gets home." Torbjörn grumbled with a disgruntled attitude that matched Mitzi's much to everyone's amusement.
"I didn't even know you had a cat." Jack said with raised eyebrows before he took another sip of coffee.
Brigitte looked up from playing with Mitzi and dawned a confused look at Jack. "Is this the friend you were talking about, Papa?"
"Yup," Torbjörn said with a nod. "He, Reinhardt, and I are all old friends."
The man in question stood up from his seat and offered out his hand. "Jack Morrison." Jack let out a short chuckle much to Brigitte's confusion. "You may not remember, but you were a baby when I first met you."
"Oh!" Brigitte said with surprise apparent in her voice and returned Jack's gesture. "You really are all old friends. It's great to meet you… again."
Jack let gave her a warm smile. "Likewise. Torbjörn has said much about you." Brigitte matched his smile, but internally dreaded the embarrassing stories her father might have told him.
"Speaking of friends," Reinhardt spoke up, earning Brigitte's attention. "Where is that boy I saw you with a little while ago?"
"He better not have run off with the ingredients." Torbjörn said with the same disgruntled tone he had moments before.
"Relax, Papa." Brigitte said while she rolled her eyes. "He just had to take a quick call. He'll be here soon. Said it was from a teammate."
"Wait," Torbjörn said as he leaned forward. "Teammate? He's a huntsman?"
"In training. He goes to Beacon." Brigitte said as she continued to pet her cat. "Leader too."
"Wow." Ingrid said with a grin full of surprise. "Sounds like quite the gentlemen. I take it he's the client for the sword you've been working on?"
"Yup!" Brigitte replied. "I ran into him on the way to the grocery store." she let out a nervous laugh before she looked at her mother. "I kind of forgot to tell him where we are, so talk about luck for him finding me in Vale."
"Indeed." Jack said while he chuckled at the scenario.
"Sorry, Brigitte. That took longer than expected," a sudden voice emitted throughout the Lindholm household as all eyes focused on the front door to see a fairly tall blonde standing there with a grocery bag in his arms. "Where should I put these?" he asked.
"Let me help you with that." Brigitte said as she got up from the floor and took the bag from Jaune. "Everyone, this is Jaune. I met him a few days ago and wanted to help him out with his weapon."
Jaune turned his attention to the group of people who sat around the dining room table. "It's nice to meet all of you." Jaune gave them a wave and a nervous smile before confusion took hold of his being. Each and every one of the people who sat around the table were staring at him with wide eyes and in silence.
Jaune looked over to Brigitte who had finished setting down their groceries before she noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere around them. She locked eyes with Jaune as the two couldn't make heads or tails of what any of the others were thinking.
"Um…" Jaune trailed off as he looked back at the group and slightly shifted his weight side to side in order to get his mind off the awkward situation.
"What's your name again?" the shorter man with the massive blonde beard asked the blonde knight with an unnerved voice.
"Jaune. Jaune Arc." Jaune said despite his confusion. He honestly had no idea how this introduction could go as shock overcame everyone as soon as he answered the question given to him. The blonde woman beside the bearded man place her hand over her chest with disbelief while the much bigger man let out a breath of astonishment.
"Jaune?" another voice spoke up and Jaune noticed it belonged to the man at the edge of the dining table.
Jaune's confusion only escalated exponentially as the elder looking man stood up from his chair and made his way toward the blonde knight. Despite being about the same height, Jaune couldn't help but squirm a bit under his gaze. The man's eyes were filled with nothing but disbelief as they bore into the huntsman in training. Jaune on the other hand, couldn't help but feel intimidated. It didn't help that the man before him had two scars across his whole face. Yet there was a familiarity about him that Jaune couldn't put his finger on. If he was being honest, he looked like a older, scarred version of himself.
Jaune's eyes widened as a smell overtook him. That was all he needed to answer any questions that lingered in his head. It was the smell of pine. It was a rich pine that brought his memory to about a decade ago and took him back to a time he believed he forgot that was full of nothing but long summer days in the vast Vale forest. He remembered the familiar pops and sizzles of the countless campfires he made by himself, the tough but rewarding hikes he embarked on, and the vast and wonderous starry night sky that came at the end of a long but fulfilling day. What came with those memories was the one person who took him on those trips. It was a person Jaune hadn't seen in a long time, nor did he ever believe he'd see again.
With a shaky breath, Jaune opened his mouth with a gaze that matched the man's disbelief.
"Grandpa Jack?"
Well how about that? Reunions all around. This was a really fun chapter to write and I hope you all enjoy it. Shoutouts to Jauneforever and Noble4259 for helping me out with the chapter. Definitely a great help. Like always, favorite, follow, and feel free to leave a comment or review. Until next time, BE COMPASSIONATE AND BE FIERCE!
SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 SIGNING OFF!