Jerimiah was walking next to Qrow and sharing tales of the last few years. "So this guy is about to take the shot but I blow Yourabas head off. I couldn't see that guy but he must have been so fucking confused."

Qrow and Crane found it funny but the children that were only half listening and seemed a lot more confused than amused.

Weiss was about to ask what he meant before she could speak however she was smacked in the face with a rebounding branch. looking at the source she saw Willow and Mitch walking and talking together completely unaware of the presence of the rest of the group.

"aren't they cute?" Nora asked from her new found place hanging off of Ren's arm.

Weiss hated to admit it but Nora was onto something. there was just something about the way they acted around each other that seemed like it was how they were meant to be. this annoyed Jerimaih though he never told anyone why.

"hey Arc." he hollered up the chain to her. when Willow turned around he motioned for her to come closer. she did and when Mitch came with her Jerimaih added. "Just Willow pretty boy."

there was a moment of hesitation. They enjoyed each other's company but Jerimaih seemed like he had something important to discuss. With a sigh Willow moved to Jeremiah's side and Mitch went back to what he was supposed to be doing. that being making sure that the road ahead was clear.

"what do you want?" she asked clearly wanting to get this over with but knowing better than to antagonize Jeremiah.

"How much do you know about me? how much did John tell you?" he asked.

"you killed your own father and my dad disowned you for it. what more is there?" she answered. she was shaken more than she would like when he replied first with a laugh.

"that sounds like big John to me," he said his voice somewhere between a growl and a laugh. "would you believe me if I told you that there was more to that story?" when she didn't reply he continued. "I was married when I was sixteen years old, my wife was fifteen and Obidiah, Your grandfather didn't want to recognize the marriage."

"so you killed him?" Willow interrupted.

"whose the one that was there?" he snapped, making her shut her mouth so he could finish. "if he simply refused to recognize us that would have been one thing but much like John Obidah refused to allow the bloodline to diverge from the name. When he found out that My wife was pregnant he lost his temper and swore to kill me, her, and baby." Jerimaih's face broke slightly showing the near unfathomable rage he felt on that day. The day he earned his burns

"what happened to your wife?" Willow asked. She was invested in this story now. even though she wasn't sure how true it was.

"killing Obidaih nearly killed me and while John was willing to let my children live because of the number of times he owed me his life. but he disowned me and told me to never return to my homeland. My wife and I agreed that our firstborn child would have to be raised by someone else. so we sent them to the one person that we could trust to do that." he paused whether for dramatic enough or not was unknown.

"back to my brother John."

Willow was both skeptical and confused. Johnathan Arc only had two children and she was one of them. but then again she was the younger twin. "are you saying that me and Jaune aren't twins."

"you and Jaune aren't twins," he answered.

Willow was processing this fact when she realized that he hadn't answered her question. "what about your wife?" she repeated.

at this Jerimaih grumbled. "she went back to live with her parents. We decided that because of the threat our families posed to each other we were better off separating. I haven't seen her in nearly seventeen years." he explained.

no longer wishing to talk about the matter Jerimiah adjusted his modest traveling pack and moved ahead to get away from the conversation. she was going to go after him but Crane called her back. "leave him be this isn't a topic he likes bringing up. but I can tell you a little more if you like."

this got Willow's attention who in spite of everything she had just learned now had even more questions than before. when Crane knew that she was listening she explained. "I can't tell you the name of their first born and I can't tell you a few other things but I can tell you who his wife is."

Willow did her best to make a face to convey her curiosity.

Crane looked to Weiss and with a subtle but knowing smirk said. "He's married to Winter Schnee,"

Weiss who had only been half listening to the story up until now suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and spun to face them. "Did you just say that Winter is married?" she asked, trying not to sound too unladylike with her shock making that hard. "she can't be she's only twenty six, if she had a child that was seventeen now then she would need to be at least thirty-one by now"

Crane nodded in confirmation. "Winter is older than she looks, I can promise that she and Jerimiah Arc are in their own eyes if nobody else's' man and wife."

Weiss and Willow were about to ask another question when Crane cut them off. "that's all I can say. the rest is for them to tell."

turning to each other Wiess asked WIllow. "so if my sister is married to your uncle then are we related, and if so how?"

with the grin of a person who knows that they are about to enjoy bothering someone else Willow threw her arm around Weiss' shoulders and answered. "we're just gonna say that we're kin now and let it be" enjoying the way Weiss cringed at the use of the word kin.

…

Adam and Olivia laid in pleasant silence on their now very heavily used bed. they were both sweaty and out of breath but that didn't stop Olivia was saying in a stunned voice. "that was..." it was clear she was trying to find the right words for what had just happened.

"probably a bad idea" Adam added. He didn't see the way that Olivia's smile started to fall and he didn't see the way that it came back in force when he added. "I am not someone who gets attached easily but after that I don't think I am going to be able to let you go now. I guess James will just have to get used to it." he said reaching his arm around Olivia and pulling her closer.

If she was being honest with herself Olivia would never have thought that she would find herself welcoming the post coital embraces of Adam Taurus but then again her entire world view had been turned on its head at least three times in the last four days so maybe this was as crazy as it sounded.

"how did James end up with a daughter anyway. we never really talked about our private lives but I don't recall him ever being married." Adam asked

Olivia returned Adam's embrace and answered. " My hometown was destroyed by the grimm when he was sergeant. He and his men cleared it out and they found me in the ruins of a small house. my mother and father were found covering my body from the rubble. he took me in and after a month of putting off bringing me to CPS he decided that he was going to adopt me."

Adam chuckled lightly. "that sounds like James, and frankly I'm glad that he did." as he spoke he nuzzled deeper into the side of Olivia's neck making her laugh at the mildly ticklish feeling of his stubble.

Olivia went to speak but found herself yawning instead. "get some sleep when can talk more tomorrow." Adam said setting his head down on the pillow nearest to him. Olivia wanted to protest the matter but a second yawn convinced her that Adam had a point.

snuggling into Adam she made a note of how warm he was. before letting the exhaustion of the days events wash over her.

...

Shiro and Zhan returned from their fourth job this week. Shiro had been sent to clear out a group of grimm and Zhan had stayed with the client both as a means of final defense and as a way to make sure that they didn't get any idea about not paying.

These ones fully intended to pay up but they also lied about the job. Shiro completed it all the same and told them that the price had gone up as a result.

He charged them fifteen percent interest and ten of that was going to the clan. Which in this case meant Raven. He was keeping three percent of the remaining five, Zhan got one percent and nobody knew what Shiro did with the last percent.

When they were inside the walls Shiro gave Zhan his cut as well as an extra tip for the birthday of one of his kids.

Going their separate ways Shiro brought the money to Raven and found her tent empty. Leaving it all on her table he headed back for his tent only to find Raven leaving it just as he arrived.

She didn't say anything then again she didn't need to, she ran that clan and if she needed to either get something from his tent to meet someone in it then she was allowed to. He waited a couple of seconds to allow anyone else who was leaving to do so and then pushed aside the flap and entered in.

As he did he saw Autumnal tending to the makeshift stove in the center of the tent. Shiro pretended not to notice the view he got up her skirt as she bent over the pot to work on whatever she was making.

Going over to his bed roll Shiro took off his Branwen overcoat and sat down on one of the throw pillows that surrounded the eating mat. Leaning back he rubbed his eyes and groaned. "I think Raven's trying to kill me with all these jobs. I had to kill a fucking deathstalker today,"

"She wants you to stay here." Autumnal replied, taking a seat on the other side of the mat.

Her shirt was unbuttoned a little more than normal. That was what finally convinced Shiro he was right. "I know what you're doing." he said blandly.

Autumnal did her best not to show her concern but she didn't need to show any for Shiro to know she was feeling it. "What do you mean?" she asked hoping that she was wrong.

Shiro sighed a tired sigh. "Raven wants you to convince me to stay." he would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted. He came here to learn and that he has. A month ago the thought of him killing a deathstalker was unthinkable and now it was just a part of an annoying day.

He had no reason to stay any longer. So why hadn't he left yet, well in truth Shiro had taken to this life like a fish to water. He was enjoying this and he was unsure that he wanted to go back.

After all his only reasons to go back would be for his family which he could still see, and to kill Naomi. The romantic in him wanted to go after Blake but the odds of him even seeing her again were too long already.

That part of him refused to let go however. The way she smelled, that way it felt to hold her close, the taste of her lips on his. They haunted him in large part because he was certain that he was utterly in love with her.

That was what the last percent was going towards. A fruitless project. Or at least that's what the pragmatist in him said. He was saving up for a wedding ring. He knew that he was hopelessly fallen for her and if he ever got the chance he could never imagine spending his life without her.

"And if she asked you to?" Autumnal said bring him back to the moment.

"I would say no, this isn't what I plan to spend my life doing." Shiro answered, holding his arms out to the rest of the tent.

Autumnal looked down at her crossed legs and weakly asked. "And what if I asked you to stay."

At this point Shiro was getting flashbacks to the time that Willow asked him to sleep with her. Her double meaning was obvious and his answer was out before he could think about it. "I would need to be lying to say that I haven't thought about that. But right now I have too many loose ends that need tying up." his feelings for Blake being the most pressing of them. He still wanted Naomi's head but he knew that what he really wanted was revenge and revenge only took and it never gave.

"Is that a no?" she asked, trying not to show her disappointment.

"That's an I don't know yet." he answered thinking about what he was going to do if his heart ever gave up on Blake. Could he settle down here. Maybe he would check in on Willow. Maybe he and Autumnal could go off on their own.

He gave a light chuckle when he realized that even now he mind was acting like a clan leader weighing all possible outcomes to find the best one. But was that how he wanted to live. That was the life his father fought to stay out of. The life he was now fighting to be in.

Shiro had to choose and he had to choose now. He would either go after his team or he would stay here. He was thinking it over when he heard a knock at the post outside his tent.

"Enter." he said, his jaw still in his hands as he thought about what to do. .

It was Charlie. The resident ear to the ground. "You asked me about a woman named Naomi, and your old team, well I have been able to find your partner and one of your teammates but by all accounts Naomi doesn't exist."

He handed a paper report to Shiro who read it over. Willow was last seen traveling with his father and two other unknown adults as well as people who matched his description of Ruby, Weiss, Ren and Nora. There was one more person but Shiro had no idea who that could have been. They were male but that didn't really narrow it down too much.

"There's only one thing that they could be heading west with my father for. That's Haven academy." he thought about what they would be after then it clicked. "They want payback, I don't think that's a good idea but...I can't let them do that without me if one of them got hurt," he stopped talking, not wanting to even finish that sentence.

"Go, your team needs you." Autumnal said. He could see that she didn't like but he could also see that she accepted it for what it was. Shiro was a leader and his team would need him.