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Cover Art: Mystery White Flame

Chapter 72

"So," Juniper leaned forward, "Are the two of you dating?"

Jaune blinked back at her. "No. What makes you think that?"

"Well, it might be the fact you're living together, eating together, sitting together, sleeping together, have a pet Nevermore together-" They glanced over to the side of the room where Nicholas was watching over a Nevermore with a steely gaze as it `played` with Amber and Lavender. He had a hand on his sword at all times. "-you know, just the little things that make it seem you and Neo are a little more than just friends."

"Most of those are consequences of her sneaking into Beacon," Jaune pointed out. "She never had a room of her own and by the time it became legitimate half the school had collapsed in the attack. I guess we never got around to finding a room for her."

"Hmm." Juniper hummed the hum of a mother not agreeing with you in the slightest but pretending they did. "And the fact she's sprawled out across your lap?"

Jaune glanced down. Neo's back was arched over his thighs, her head resting on a pillow on the other side and her legs propped up over the armrest of the two-seater. Her chest was pushed up toward him and he'd taken to resting his warm cup of coffee between her twin peaks without realising it. In fact his right hand, holding the mug, was literally resting on one of her boobs. He took it away nervously, unsure what to make of Neo's unhappy scowl.

"Uhh. Would you believe me if I said that was habit?"

"I don't know. Do you normally make a habit of using a young girl's bosom as a cushion?"

"No, but Neo makes a habit of using me as furniture so this isn't anything out the usual. If I'm not a chair I'm a pillow, teddy bear, rug or doormat. Looks like my job today is to provide a lap pillow."

Neo nodded happily, stretching her arms back and arching her back gracefully. One of her slim legs came up, kicking eagerly at the air before flopping down like a lazy Beowolf. Neo was Neo. He didn't quite know how to explain it in a way people would understand.

"Darling," Juniper said patiently. "I know you're a male Arc and therefore predisposed to being oblivious as sin, but if she's all over you, sleeping with you and quite literally marking her territory like a cat in heat then perhaps – just maybe – there's more on her mind than friendship." Mom cocked her head to the side, pulling a face as she held up her finger and thumb with an infinitesimal distance between them. "Just maybe. Crazy idea, call it women's tuition, but I would not sleep with someone I wasn't at least remotely interested in."

"Nahhh. Neo only sees me as a friend." A boot came up to strike the side of his head. He yelped and pushed it away, glaring half-heartedly down on Neo to see her pouting back. "Or a slave. Sorry, I guess I got it the wrong way."

His answer was an annoyed huff and a roll of mismatched eyes.

"You really are your father's son," Juniper said with a little sigh. "Poor Neo. I thought it might be reluctance so soon after Glynda, but it seems I overestimated you. Have you at least been using protection?"

"Mom. We're not-"

"Moooom!" Coral sang happily. "I found a packet of condoms in Jaune's room. Some of them are missing!"

"Why the hell are you in my room, Coral!?"

"Why would I not be? Ha. Medium size. Snrk."

"It's the average size for all men for a reason!"

"Sure thing, Mr Mediocre."

Jaune sighed and groaned at the same time. A Grigh. Or maybe a Soan. "Get out of my room you perverted skank."

"Why? Afraid I'll find something incriminating?"

As if you haven't already. Damn it. Coral always was like this. He glared back over the sofa as she sauntered out with a Yang-like grin on her face. Coral was never so happy as when she'd managed to stir some shit, and the shit was very stirred if Juniper's pleased smile was anything to go by.

"Can we not talk about this?" Jaune asked.

"Sure. I'm glad you're being responsible."

"I said not! Dad, can't you help a little?"

"Busy dealing with a Nevermore and half your sisters," Nicholas said bluntly. Jade and Hazel were busy taking selfies with the tame – was it tame or had Neo scared it into submission? – Grimm. "I'm sure you can handle this. I believe in you."

"Everyone in Vale believes in me," he complained. "That's my biggest problem."

"A problem of your own making." Juniper lowered her head and fixed her eyes on him, slightly reproving. "Lies have a tendency of spiralling out of control, though I don't think anyone expected yours to lead to this. Still, it is what it is and you have to make the best of it."

"I am making the best of it. I'm in and out of meetings constantly."

"Then stop doubting yourself. You're doing all you can and people far more experienced than you seem perfectly content with that. If they think it's enough then maybe you should as well. Stop borrowing misery. There'll be enough of it to go around soon enough."

"I guess…" It wasn't right to focus on his problems when they were leaving tomorrow. Pushing such thoughts away he grinned and asked, "So, how have things been back home? It's not fair I'm the only one getting embarrassed. There must be some funny stories."

Juniper smiled. "Well…"

His family left after two hours of catching up, joking and teasing. They took a few pictures together, ostensibly because he was a celebrity now and his sisters wanted proof they knew him. He had a feeling there was also fear of what might be lost in the attack, but he refrained from saying it and ruining the mood. With his stories of the crazy teachers of Beacon leaving them in stitches, he stopped to hug each of them one at a time before letting them go.

Neo was already in her pyjamas when he came back in, a pink satin pair of bottoms and a top that always looked a little too small for her and showed off her belly. She tossed him his cotton pair and made exactly no effort to look away as he got changed. Pouring out some water for her Nevermore – it didn't need to eat, sleep or drink but she seemed to like doing it – she dragged him to the bedroom, pushing him down onto the bed and snuggled up beside him.

"Hey," Jaune said quietly. "What are we really…? Was mom right? Do you want something… more from this, or am I your glorified peon?"

Her face pushed into his chest, breathing evening out as her eyes closed.

"I know you're pretending. You're the worst person ever for tossing and turning and taking forever to fall asleep. Are we just friends or what…?" Neo smacked her lips and hooked a leg over his. Her lips parted as she started to snore loudly. "Neo. You don't normally snore." He chuckled. "You can't just ignore every question that makes you uncomfortable."

"…"

It turned out she could.

/-/

Team RWBY returned with several demolition teams from Atlas, reporting a mission success and the tunnels between Mountain Glenna and Vale now thoroughly blocked. Ironwood had been right to recommend it because according to Ruby the tunnels hadn't been nearly as sealed as their crazy train journey through it the last time suggested. Since Cinder's plan had been to form a tunnel between the two cities and flood Vale with Grimm it made sense the initial payload hadn't been enough to collapse it. Now, it was sealed.

The news they had to offer Team RWBY was less promising.

"We're leaving now?" Ruby asked worriedly. "Like, right now…?"

"It doesn't have to be this very moment but tomorrow morning at the latest," Glynda said. "I'm sorry, but Salem is already on the move. It's going to take you time to skirt around her force and then you need to reach the Grimmlands. If we wait a few more days it might make the difference between us holding off the siege of falling."

"Y-Yeah. I get it…"

"Funny how we've known this'd be happening for a while and yet it feels so sudden," Yang complained. "I guess we can take time to say our goodbyes to everyone and catch some rest. Is that alright?"

"That would be more than acceptable. I shall take care of logistics. You four go see your families and spend some time with them. I'm sure Mr and Mrs Belladonna will want to talk with Blake, as will Willow, Winter and Whitley with Miss Schnee." That Taiyang and Qrow would want to catch up with Yang and Ruby went unsaid and the four girls hurried off. "Go on. Have the rest of the day to yourselves."

He knew Blake wouldn't have any issues with her parents nor would Yang and Ruby with Taiyang, but he was less sure about Weiss and gravitated over to her side. The others had all made a run for it but she hadn't, only stopping to play with her fingernails.

"Would you like to take a walk, Weiss?"

"Ah. Headmaster. I'm sorry I- Ahem." Closing her eyes, she tried again. "I'd like that."

Glynda and Ironwood seemed to have an inkling what was going on and left the two of them with a quick nod and a promise to handle the little things. Beacon wasn't exactly quiet nowadays, not with so many refugees waiting to be shipped to Atlas, but that worked to their advantage and they walked along the border of the Emerald Forest content in the knowledge that the noise and chatter would keep their own private.

"Are you worried about talking to Willow and Whitley?" he asked.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Not from you. More… well, I guess it would be obvious given your history." There wasn't an easy way to put that. "I know you always got on well with your sister, but you never spoke on your father and didn't seem comfortable with either him or your mother at the charity ball."

Weiss sighed and picked at her white hair, probing a few strands loose of her ponytail and winding them around her finger. She kept tugged on them and staring out into the forest. It seemed like she wanted to say something but was unsure if she should.

"I know I'm not the school counsellor anymore, but I can make an exception for you."

Her lips turned down. "Do I look like someone who needs it?"

"I don't think anyone needs counselling. It can help, though. You shouldn't feel embarrassed about it either. I had official sessions with Pyrrha, Ruby, Yang and even Blake." Less on the latter since he'd cut a deal with Blake to do his paperwork, but Weiss didn't need to know that.

"The problem," she whispered, "Is that I already know the answer."

"I think it helped them just to get it out. The only one I had an answer to was Pyrrha, and that was only to introduce her to Ruby. I'm not psychic, Weiss. I can listen, though. Confidentially. If that helps at all-"

"Can you come with me?"

Jaune paused, surprised. "What?"

"Come with me," she said again, eyes shut and frown in place like it physically hurt for her to ask him for help. "I don't… I already know what my problems with them are, and I also know they're foolish. I don't need help working my feelings out but…" A sigh. "But I would rather have someone there when I talk to them. I'd have asked Ruby, but I don't want to take away from her time with her father. That seems unfair."

"It would be. And sure, I'll come with." It was a small thing and yet she looked immensely relieved, breathing out suddenly and letting go of her hair. He wanted to be sure, however. "Do you want me to do anything?"

"No, er, sir-"

"You can call me Jaune while we're doing this."

"M-Mr Arc," she settled on. "I just want someone there to be there. If I'm on my own I just know I'll lose my temper, snap and end this on a bad note. Our relationship isn't perfect, but I don't want to leave with an argument hanging between me and my mother and having you there will force me to be polite. It's not the best reason, I accept, but I don't have the time to fix our issues. You don't have to stay when I talk to Winter," she said with a smaller smile. "I'd rather have that meeting after and privately."

"That's fine. Shall we, then?"

It didn't take long to locate Whitley and Willow. They were in their assigned quarters preparing for their own evacuation – or return, he supposed. They didn't look surprised to see Weiss knock on their door and enter either, though Willow did spare him a bemused smile. Their room was surprisingly small for such high-profile guests, little more than a team room with two of the beds removed. The bigger surprise in his opinion was how neither of them had once complained about it, despite being used to far grander lodgings.

They hadn't complained about much at all really. Whitley had made a friend in Oscar – the real Oscar that was, not Ozpin – and also liked to hang around Team RWBY, who for their part seemed to think he was rather cute in a platonic and friendly way. Beacon with all its weapons and combat must have been exciting to him, but it was still a surprise they settled in so easily.

"Hello Jaune." Willow came over to lay two hands over his shoulder and her chin atop them, smiling prettily into his eyes. "Did you come to visit? We're doing well, thank you, but maybe we could share a drink before our departure to Atlas."

Jaune swallowed and felt Weiss' nails dig into his leg.

It's not my fault!

"Mother. I didn't bring the headmaster here to drink! I… I am leaving…"

It was subtle but there was the smallest shift in Willow's eyes, a sharpening that he only caught because of how close her face was to his. "Already?" she demanded. "You said there was more time."

"We thought there was," Jaune said in defence of Weiss. "The enemy is moving sooner than we expected. It's our fault, not Weiss'."

"I see."

Stepping away from him, Willow looked about the room. It really wasn't the right place for an important meeting and yet at the same time it was. He knew they'd have rather discussed it around a table but that sounded so formal. Jaune placed a hand on Weiss' shoulder and pushed her down so that she had to sit on the side of one of the beds. He took the spot next to her, forcing Whitley and Willow to do the same on the bed opposite. It was more informal and relaxed than any of them might have liked.

I have a feeling that's a good thing. Family get-togethers shouldn't be like business meetings.

"Rather strange to have the headmaster here, isn't it?" Willow teased. "This is a family affair. Unless," she said, lips curling up, "You have something you want to tell me? I approve, Weiss. I truly do."

"Is that a joke?" Weiss spat. "I'm potentially leaving to my death!"

"It was a joke." Willow's smile disappeared, as fake as much of what she'd shown in the charity ball. It was replaced with a flatness that made Jaune feel uncomfortable. "I had hoped it would break the ice. Perhaps it was too thin to begin with."

Weiss flinched. "I… I'm sorry, that was rude of me."

"Your father isn't here anymore. You don't need to apologise for every little mistake."

"We shouldn't speak ill of him…"

"Why not?" Willow sighed dramatically. "He was a horrid man."

It was Jaune's turn to flinch. When he'd accepted to come here he'd really thought it would be a simple thing, that Weiss just needed a little camaraderie and he'd otherwise not have to worry about what went on. This was a hefty place to start, he couldn't help but feel.

"Even so," Weiss tried, "We should respect him."

"Respect is earned, not granted." Willow paused as Weiss' eyes narrowed. Though Weiss didn't say anything, she noticed the reaction. "I never did much to earn yours, did I? I can't say I blame you. The cowardly mother who hid behind drink and false smiles, never saying a word as Jacques buried you, Winter and Whitley under the weight of his expectations."

"Mother, that's…" Weiss' eyes flicked to him. "I didn't come to talk about that."

"Really? What did you come to talk about then?"

"I came to say my goodbyes!" she spat. "Isn't that obvious?"

"And are you doing that because you genuinely care to say goodbye to me? Or is it because there's a social obligation to do so?"

"Why do you have to make this so difficult?"

"Because, Weiss, this may well be the last time we see one another."

"And what, you want it to be as frustrating as every other?"

"No." Willow leaned back with a small sigh. "I wanted us to be honest with one another, at least one time in our lives." Pausing, she looked to Whitley, who looked much too nervous. "Darling, why don't you go find Winter and spend some time with her. I'm sure Weiss will be leaving to talk with her after and you can have your talk then."

Whitley looked desperate to do so, standing up but shooting a nervous look at his elder sister. "Is that okay, Weiss?"

Weiss only had eyes for her mother. "Yes. That's fine."

The young man couldn't have left fast enough. To be honest Jaune wished he could join him.

"Congratulations, mother. You've embarrassed both Whitley and me tonight. I'm regretting ever coming to talk to you at all. I should have just spoken to Winter and Whitley."

"I don't think anyone would have blamed you if you did and yet you came to me. I'm not going to throw away an opportunity to address our problems."

"I don't see why. You threw away enough when I lived in the manor."

"That was my fault, I admit it." Willow sat alone now facing them and looked older than she had moments earlier. Her hand came up to massage her temples and she looked so unlike Weiss in that moment. Much frailer and older, like vitality itself had been sapped from her. "I'm not a strong woman, Weiss. As much as I hate to admit it Jacques is to praise for your and Winter's strength of character."

Weiss sat stiffly beside him, refusing to look his way. Though she'd asked for him to be there he had the feeling she was regretting it now. All of this felt much too personal for him to be hearing. Jaune leaned over to whisper, "Do you want me to leave?"

"I… I don't know…"

"Stay." Willow commanded. "It's nothing he won't have already guessed."

"Family affairs should be kept out of the public eye," Weiss began.

"Yes, Jacques always did prefer it that way. Easier to hide how he is when no one can speak on it. That was a rule he decided on before Winter was born. I argued with him publicly at an event. Called him a ruthless man."

Weiss' jaw dropped. "Y…You did…? Why!?"

"He had orchestrated the firing of an advisor my father kept in the company – he wasn't the best of employees, but he'd been a childhood friend of my father and was my Godfather. Jacques wanted him out but didn't want to pay his redundancy, and so found means to dismiss and humiliate him, all to skip out on what would have been a drop in the ocean to the SDC's finances. I was furious and made sure he knew it."

"You… But you never spoke out against him," Weiss whispered. "I don't think I ever saw you disagree with him in all my entire life."

"Oh, Weiss. He'd beaten it out of my by the time you were born."

Jaune stiffened.

Weiss trembled. "Beaten…?"

"Literally, the first time. After I called him out he swore and ranted at me in his office about how I'd embarrassed him in public by second-guessing him. I fought back, naturally. I was still spirited then. Defiant. I told him I'd go public if he didn't rescind his decision. He responded by striking me across the face and knocking me to the floor."

Weiss' hands flew to her mouth.

"The servants had to help me back to my room and dab the blood away. They were gone two weeks later, replaced with more who were loyal to him and him only. Their job was to make sure I wasn't seen in public with any marks that might negatively impact his reputation. They answered to him, watched me at all times and kept me locked in my room. There were rumours I'd become sickly at the time. That I'd been taken down by illness or grief over my father and didn't want to be seen publicly. I was a prisoner in my own home."

"F…Father did that…?"

"Does it surprise you?" Willow asked. "The man loved being in control. It was a drug to him. By the time you were born I'd given up. He didn't have to hurt me after that, and I suppose that was his goal. Make me submissive and eager to stay out of his bad side. That didn't save me when Winter renounced her position, but it otherwise did."

"I remember that," Weiss said with a pale face. "B-But you said you tripped while drunk."

"And hit my face on the door." Willow's smile was filled with sarcasm. "Ironic, isn't it? The woman who spends all her time drunk suddenly forgetting how to walk. Jacques wasn't best pleased with Winter's defiance, but he knew Ironwood would draw and quarter him if he dared harm her. Your father hated Ironwood. One of the few men he couldn't control. He saw Ironwood taking Winter away as a child might another stealing their favourite toy."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"What would have happened if I had?" Willow asked. "If I told you then he might have done to you as he did to me. Or to Whitley. You could have been kept in Atlas. He could have manufactured a reason to take you out the public eye. I imagine it would be depression since your last single was so melancholy. He'd make excuses of how you're wanting to be away from public scrutiny, all the while you're trapped in the manor. I couldn't do that."

"Why not go public?" Jaune had to ask. "There had to be evidence you could find."

"Atlas is a Kingdom ruled by money, at least where the Schnee are concerned. Even assuming I had evidence, he would bury me in court cases, find a way to make it inadmissible and then have entire PR Agencies working nonstop to slander me. I can tell you now I'd have been found with wrists cut or a rope around my neck, having committed suicide in shame over the `horrid lies` I tried to tell of a well-respected and influential father of three."

Jaune and Weiss sat silently. Weiss' mouth was open, but the words weren't coming. Her fingers kept tugging at her skirt.

"I'm not telling you this to evoke sympathy or excuse my actions. I'm pleased the man is gone, but that doesn't change the fact I hid behind alcohol and did my best to ignore the terrible things happening to my own children. I'd normally have preferred to reveal this a lot more slowly as well," she admitted with a strained laugh. Even she wasn't entirely happy throwing all this out. "Alas, the circumstances don't allow for it and I'd rather this be known before you leave, Weiss."

"Why? Why hit me with all this…?"

"Because if I did not then I'm not sure you would believe me when I say I love you and want you to come back safe and sound." It was said with a sad little smile. Weiss trembled beside him. "You'd think I was saying it for obligation or because it's expected. I didn't want there to be any confusion."

The bed scraped along the floor as Weiss stood, pushing her skirt down. "I'm going to talk with Winter and Whitley," she said brusquely. "Please excuse me, mother."

"Of course. Thank you for coming to talk to me. Yourself as well, headmaster."

/-/

Jaune followed Weiss out, desperate to catch her before she could run. He was surprised to find her waiting outside instead, eyes shut and lips parted as she took deep breaths and waited for him to close the door. Once he had she started moving, slowly but purposefully. He followed her until they were a short distance away from the door, at which point Weiss stopped.

"Do you think she was telling the truth?"

"I… It didn't feel like she was lying. You'd know your father better than I, though."

"I wasn't talking about him. I can well imagine him beating her. He struck me once as well; I didn't think much on it because I'm a huntress and it barely hurt, but he backhanded me across the face. If I didn't have aura I might have been knocked down."

"Weiss, I'm so sorry…"

"It's not for you to apologise, sir. I meant what she said at the end, however. That she… That she lo…" Weiss sighed. "Do you think it was a lie?"

Jaune measured his words carefully. "I think she's a desperate woman throwing everything out at once because she can't think of any other way to fix things. I think she's genuinely upset with herself. As for what she said… I don't think she lied." He looked down on Weiss. "Do you think she did?"

"No." Weiss looked away, expression complicated and voice painfully small. "I think she meant it. Why? Why do things have to be so complicated now? I almost wish she'd been drunk and spent the whole time ignoring me. It would have made this so much easier."

"Do you really wish that?"

"No." Weiss deflated. "Of course I don't. This… This was painful to hear but possibly for the best. I… I would like to apologise for dragging you into it. I'd thought your presence would be for little more than to keep me in line. I didn't expect her to air all that in front of you."

"It's fine." He placed a hand on her shoulder and was grateful when she didn't pull away. "For what it's worth I think you handled that as best you could. Do you think you'll forgive her? Do you think you can fix things?"

"I'm honestly not sure. Forgiveness, yes, but to fix…? That implies things going back to how they were and I don't remember a time when she wasn't like this. Maybe this is a good sign," she said with a strained laugh. "Shocking me, speaking out and not caring about her reputation. That has to be better than the quiet and drunken wife she was before. I think I could get used to it. Given enough time."

"None of you miss Jacques, do you?"

"Not really. I cried when he died but… well, it felt more like I was crying for the loss of something I never had. Or that I was crying because an instinctual part of me felt I should." She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. What's done is done. Thank you for accompanying me, head- Jaune. It made this a little easier."

"I'm genuinely happy I could help."

"Hmm. And it looks like I'm not the only one tonight," she said mysteriously. "Good day, sir. I'll see you later when we all leave with Cinder." Weiss looked past him, nodded and then left, never once looking back. He had presence of mind enough to turn and see who she was referring to.

"Hey," Yang said nervously, kicking one foot onto the floor.

"Hey," Jaune replied, scratching his head. "Don't tell me you're having trouble with your dad and Qrow. Those two idolise you and Ruby."

"What? Nah, not them!" Yang laughed, breaking the awkward moment. "Dad's practically all over us, if he isn't crying about the danger then it's about how fast we've grown up and how proud of us Summer would be." She didn't look too upset about that. "I was just… well, this is gonna sound weird and stupid, but I kinda felt like I should say goodbye to you as well. Not goodbye – feels too final – but you know what I mean, right?"

He knew what she meant. More on the goodbye than coming to him. The corridor felt awfully hot all of a sudden and he tugged at his collar. "Ah. Well. I appreciate you wanting to. For a second I thought you were going to ask me to help you talk to your mom."

"My mom's dead. Oh, you mean Raven!? Hell no!"

"Thank the Brother Gods for that," he said, joining in with her laughter. "I thought I was going to have to explain just how bad an idea that would be."

"Yeah, no. I'm not ruining tonight going within a hundred square feet of her."

Grinning, she rocked on her heels, hands behind her back. Yang had always been beautiful but now… well, it was troubling. It might have been the fact she was heading off soon or just the oncoming battle, but everything felt so out of sorts. Even he could tell it was a night for confessions – though Yang had made hers to him what felt like a year ago.

"I believe you'll come out of this alive," he said. "I'm not just saying that either. We need that Relic brought back, so I'm willing to bet everything on Team RWBY succeeding."

"Heh. No pressure. Don't worry, we're not about to let you down." One of her hands came up to play with her hair. It wasn't the same as when Weiss did it, partly because she drew it in front of her face but mostly because she looked past it with bright purple eyes. "You know, it's customary to send the brave knight off on their quest with a kiss from the princess."

"Since when are you a knight?"

"Eh. I'm all for punching typical gender roles in the face."

"And yet you're telling the princess she should kiss you for good luck?"

"Oi." Yang blew her hair out from her face huffily. "I'm trying to be subtle here."

"You're not a very subtle person, Yang."

"You know what. You're right. In the interests of keeping this above board I'm gonna make out with you now. This is your warning to pull away if you want to let me down easy."

"Wha-mphhh!"

Yang's mouth was on his. Soft, warm and desperate. Frightened too. He wasn't sure how he could tell all that from a kiss when his eyes were bulging out and his head was going off like a firework, but he could. It might have been in the way she clung to him with all her strength, or how she threw her chest against his when he let his hands slide around her back. Her lips pushed so hard against his he was sure she'd leave bruises.

It was over all too soon. They both ran out of air and Yang drew back, breathing quickly as she rested her chin against his collarbone. He stood there confused, holding onto her but somehow feeling more ill than happy. She might have said it was for luck, but it felt too serious for that, like a final farewell.

"I kept that in a lot," she mumbled into his neck. "Didn't want to get between you and Miss G."

"That was kind of you."

"Kind? Nah, I'd not be able to forgive myself. Now that's over, though? Well, I wanted to give you more time – makes me feel a little skanky to come on this early, you know? Not got much time, though. Hope you can forgive it."

"I… I think I can."

Drawing a deep breath Yang pulled away. "I know this doesn't mean much now. I'm not meaning it to. This is just to tell you I'm serious, it's not a crush and that when I come back alive – when me and my team kick ass and when everyone here is safe – I want to be taken seriously. I'm not some stupid schoolgirl or tween with a crush, okay? I'm eighteen, I've been through hell and I'm about to literally go to hell to find some magical doomsday device. If you can trust me to do that you can trust me enough to go out to dinner with me."

Jaune laughed. He couldn't help it. "Okay."

"Okay?" she asked.

"Okay."

"Okay?" she clarified with an impish smile. "Like, okay-okay? Or just okay?"

"Dinner and a movie."

"Okay-okay," she confirmed excitedly. "Good. Gives me something to come back for, something to fight for. Other than my own life, that is. Not quite ready to go see mom yet – I've still got to calm Ruby down when she eventually wants to marry someone and inevitably has a panic attack at the altar. Then I've got to stop her naming her kids Sniper and Scythe or something equally stupid."

"That… sounds like something she might do…"

"Tell me about it." Yang giggled – and it was a little too giddy to just be thoughts of Ruby. She coughed a second later and tried to right herself, tried to look mature for him. He almost felt like pointing out she was older than he was. "Anyway, this is a promise, okay? I don't care if you and Neo somehow get it on when I'm gone. You agreed to go out with me while you were single and you're going out with me when I get back. We're doing this."

If it meant being able to forget about immortal witches, uncaring Gods, powerful magical artifacts and the end of the world then he was all for it.

Honestly, I feel like the last line represents my feelings for the plot of the show and this story. Early on when I first made Professor Arc I liked the direction of the show and was confident it would continue on that vein, sort of a slice of life monster-hunting show set out from a school. That was why I was content to introduce Cinder, the evil crew and Salem, etc.

Turns out that was a bit of a mistake because it meant the second side of this fic "Headmaster Arc" was dragged toward serious themes and away from comedy no matter how hard I tried. It's just hard to write the characters faffing around and having fun when the show is literally writing the apocalypse into things.

Looking back and if I had a time travel machine, I'd have liked to make this story more like Service with a Smile. Focus on their fun times at Beacon, keep it at Beacon and ignore the fact Salem, the Maidens and the Relics ever existed. It would have let the story stick to its comedy roots and not get bogged down in a war between two immortals with world-ending relics.

There's no way to really drag it back to that now, though. Something for me to keep in mind for future works. Something quite a few of them are happily doing - Rabbit Among Wolves, Beast of Beacon, Null and Arcanum are all ignoring the Salem, Relics and Maidens angles, and I feel much more confident about them as a result.

Next Chapter: 20th August

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur