CH 9

A/N: So this is a long one but I'm going to address some reviews and kind of rationalize what I did so it can help make sense. This is mainly comedy focused as most drunk marriage fics are but there will be actual serious/suspenseful/action fight scene moments as well.

So yes, Winston 'broke the ice' so to speak about the marriage but there will be serious talks between Jaune and Weiss because that's not something that can just blow over. Jaune does make his own choices in the story but just like in real life some choices get made for you, such as a dog sneaking into your luggage. Also I had the dog do it because does anyone really think Weiss would believe Jaune if he just said straight up "I'm your step dad now." I couldn't see it happening, not with this Weiss anyway.

Keep in mind we're still approaching mid volume 2 in the canon story. Specifically speaking we're at episode 20. Team Rwby just defeated Roman and the Paladin and the Beacon dance is upcoming. So for reference Jaune probably would've gotten drunk right after the Forever Fall incident in which he stopped Cardin's bullying of him. The week or so passes Team RWBY is well Team RWBY and does their thing then Jaune comes back after they've defeated Roman's stolen Paladin robot.

And I just wanted to state that Yes, in the show Saphron confirms ,when talking to Jaune's friends, that the two of them are the only ones who had left home. Saying "I guess he just wanted to be like his big sis." To which Jaune doesn't deny and then Saphron says "Aw, you didn't deny it." Volume 6, Episode 7 "The Grimm Reaper." I was originally planning for all of them to have left home but thought I'd stick to cannon so I could bring them in later.

Thank you to the person that wrote about the hijinks of Jaune and Winston, that was the inspiration behind that. Whitley and Ruby is a pairing I've considered so we'll see if Jaune plays matchmaker. As far as the sword naming scheme goes I tried to keep it similar to canon even though Jaune does have the Arthur thing going, because Excalibur felt a little too much/ too on the nose. Keep in mind he isn't some legendary hero yet, he's still a huntsman in training.

As far as Willow sharing eh, maybe Pyrrha can plead her case, probably not but we'll see. There truly wasn't a lot to go off of for Willow when this was first made so I kind of made her in the sense of the Willow from 'The Dance of Tigers' fic by Cyanide Sins as well as a few other stories. (If you haven't read it I've enjoyed reading it and recommend it. There's a lot more chapters in that story as well as some wonderful character development.) Tangent aside, I did change her a bit though to fit a little more into my view of this story but she still has a similar playfulness that she's getting to express now that Jacques is gone. Yes the scene about the restoration is similar and inspired by that but it will hold substantial value to the plot in the future. Back to Pyrrha though I do hate how that ship sank in canon but I see the importance of it for the growth of Jaune as well so we'll see.

As far as how everyone will react, yeah not too much concern I'd say from everyone except Weiss. Keep in mind the dance hasn't happened yet so she still pretty much thinks he was after her for her money and fame so marrying her recently widowed mother, is not the best look as far as her mental image of him. So she's going to be really harsh because once again she still hasn't realized he's a good dude who wasn't after fame/fortune so just be prepared. That being said it just means there is room for character development on both parts. Weiss will come around and Jaune will mature more in a fatherly sense.

If anyone has any ideas, wants to offer to beta read, or just talk, send me a message. I'm usually free and the tab for is usually open. This chapter is a little on the smaller side as I wanted to focus on dialogue between Jaune and RWBY/NPR. Now on with the show!

"Come here boy." Jaune said to the corgi as he squatted down and Winston walked over to him before jumping in his arms with a happy bark.

"Can you guys carry Weiss back to her room?" Jaune asked R(W)BY.

"Yeah we got this Vomit Boy. We'll also try to cool her off too before she comes and tries to kill you." Yang said.

"Thanks Yang. I'd like to have a serious conversation with her about this but I don't want it to be just her screaming at me, which it probably still will be." Jaune said with a sigh.

"Don't worry Jaune, it'll be okay." Pyrrha said as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks Pyr." Jaune said with a smile, before turning to Nora. "Hey Nora, you think you can carry my two bags back to our room? Or one of them anyway?"

"Don't worry, fearless leader, leave it to me." Nora said with a salute before picking up both bags and heading off to JNPR's room with Ren, Jaune, and Pyrrha following behind.

"Well come on girls. Let's get Weiss back to our room as well. No point in leaving her out here. You grab her legs Blake and I'll grab her arms." Yang said as the duo got into position and began carrying their unconscious teammate towards their room, where Ruby opened the door and they laid Weiss in her bed.

"Alright, let's go see Jaune. I wanna hear this story, and we can regale him with a tale of our own adventure we had." Yang said as she began moving to the door.

Blake looked at Ruby before shrugging and making her way to the door as well before Ruby took one last glance at Weiss and made her way to the door as well.

Over on the other side of the hall Jaune had set Winston down and began unloading his bags. He started with the bag Klien had given him and began unloading the textbooks one at a time and placing them on the bookshelf by his bed.

While he was doing this, the door to their room opened up and in walked team RWBY minus Weiss. Well Vomit boy, it's story time. "Spill, how did you end up hitched to the Ice queen's mom?"

"Well, it's a funny story. Me and Ren went out drinking when Pyrrha and Nora had their girls night, because the recent law passed that lowered the drinking age here in Vale."

Jaune began as R(W)BY and NPR settled down on the other beds and began listening as Jaune kept on telling the story.

"Oh yeah," Yang said, "I love that new bill."

"Anyway," Jaune said "to make a long story short, Ren and I were drinking and I gave him a pep talk and off he went to ask out Nora. Seeing this I asked for a stronger drink and that's when a woman sat down and we struck up a conversation. When I turned to her, well, I saw her eyes and it looked like she had been crying. I'm sure team RUBY knows why, but to sum it up for my team. She traveled to Beacon to inform Weiss of her father's passing and Weiss yelled at her before she got the chance to speak. Anyway we kept drinking together, got drunk, and somehow got married in our drunken state."

"Doesn't that mean the marriage isn't valid, you know because you were drunk." Pyrrha asked, sounding very hopeful.

"That's what I thought too Pyr, but there was one small problem with that. I'm sure you guys can figure out what I'm talking about, Willow certainly did since she already knew about it."

As Jane looked around at his friends' faces and saw Ruby was the first to figure it out.

"An Arc never goes back on their word." Ruby said with a gasp before Blake continued the thought.

"And a marriage is where two people give their word." The bow wearing girl said.

"Yup. That's the reason." Jaune said as he sat down on his bed.

"So what did you mean when you said Willow already knew about the Arc motto?" Pyrrha questioned.

"Apparently Willow met my parents at a charity event they both attended."

"So does that mean you two are only together because of that promise?"

"It was a contributing factor, but ultimately Willow was the one who wanted us to stay together."

"Oh? Does Vomit Boy have game?" Yang teased.

"Wouldn't you like to find out Goldilocks." Jaune said, throwing the teasing right back at her.

Yang recoiled in slight shock, not expecting Jaune to throw the teasing back at her.

"Woah ho, Vomit Boy got some fight in him. Yang likes this new Jaune."

"Can Yang not refer to herself in third person please." Ruby said as she held her face in her hands.

"Anyway to sum up what Willow and I talked about and the reason as to why I am still married, well she mentioned that I would prevent potential suitors from harassing her. On top of that I was someone who was capable of showing compassion towards her, something she didn't even get from her own family." Jaune said to his friends with a sad look on his face.

Unbeknownst to the group Weiss had awoken from her state of unconsciousness and had begun making her towards JNPR's room and caught the tail end of what Jaune said.

"What does that idiot know?" Weiss thought to herself before focusing on the matter at hand, specifically berating Jaune as steeled herself before throwing open the door with a yell of "ARC!"

Causing the man in question to fall back on his bed with a "Oh Oum she's still pissed." Before Ruby intervened and much like she did before when they found Blake and tried to calm Weiss down.

"You, me, roof now." Weiss all but commanded, ignoring Ruby's pleas.

Letting out an audible sigh, Jaune sat up and said, "Well time to face the music. I'll be back in a little bit, guys." Before he followed Weiss out the door, shutting it behind him.

"So," The ginger of the group said as she turned to look at the remaining teens in the room, "We're going to go follow them right?"

"Nora, let Jaune and Weiss have their private conversation. It's not our place to interfere." Ren said.

"But what if she tries to attack him or something? Our fearless leader's safety could be in jeopardy." Nora pointed out.

"Nora, I doubt Weiss would do anything like that." Ren said as he tried to calm down his friend.

"No no, she's got a point."Pyrrha said as she placed a hand on Nora's shoulder.

"Alright, fine." Ren said as he stood up before turning to the remaining members of team RWBY. "Are you guys going to tag along as well? You three have been unusually quiet, well two of you anyway."

The blonde brawler of the three stood up with a shrug and a "I've got nothing better to do," and made her way to follow (J)NPR. Seeing this, Ruby stood as well saying, "It's only to make sure they're both safe." As if trying to convince herself as much as the others. Everyone then turned to the cat faunus of the group, seeing this she let out a sigh before standing up as well.

"I'm only coming to keep you two in line."

"Why us?"Ruby said with a frown.

"Because I trust Ren to handle Nora, and Pyrrha to control herself." Blake replied.

"Yeah that makes sense. Come along Kitty cat." Yang said as she followed the others out the door.

Meanwhile not on the roof

"Um Weiss, why are we in Goodwitch's classroom? I thought we were going to the roof?" Jaune asked.

"Because I don't want those dolts of ours spying on us. I said the roof so that's where they go."

"Oh, yeah that makes sense." Jaune said as he sat down in one of the nearby chairs.

"Now, it's time for the matter at hand,"Weiss said as she approached the knight. "What the hell happened? HOW DID YOU END UP MARRIED TO MY MOTHER?"

"Now Weiss calm down, take a seat, and I will answer any question you ask." Jaune said as he raised his hands to shield his face.

"Fine. But you better have a damn good explanation or you'll no longer be Vomit Boy, You'll have been Vomit Boy."

"I really wouldn't try that if I were you. You might've been leaps and bounds ahead of me but thanks to some training by an Atleasian specialist and some new huntsman gear I've gotten a lot better, probably enough to at least hold you off till help would arrive. Also there's a camera in the corner recording everything so…"

"Damn cameras." Weiss grumbled.

"Anyway, I think you know what happened anyways, so I really shouldn't have to explain."

"What? That you took advantage of a depressed widow and slithered your way into her family fortune?" Weiss replied with a scowl.

"You really think so little of me, huh? Well, if you Really want me to explain, let me go ahead and do so. I was at a bar with Ren and we were drinking. I gave him a pep talk about asking Nora out and off he ran to do that. It was at that moment when a woman sat down in his recently vacated seat. She asked if I had been through a rough day as well. Notice she said as well, because when I turned to her the second thing I noticed about her was she looked as if she had been crying."

"Then what was the first thing?"

"The defeated look on her face, like someone who tried so hard only to be cast aside because people assumed the worst."

Weiss didn't respond to that so Jaune kept talking, "It was after that we started talking more and she explained her day that she started crying more so I did what I did with all my sisters when a situation like that would crop up at home. I hugged her and tried to comfort her. It was after she stopped crying that we continued our conversation and we kept drinking."

"We bonded as we kept drinking and drinking before ultimately winding up so drunk that we awoke in her hotel room with a wedding certificate nearby. Then when it was brought up in a meeting with the headmaster and General Ironwood, she said and I quote here because it left such an impact I remember it exactly. "I went around town and enjoyed the company of someone who was also enjoying my company and showing me compassion. That's something not even my own daughters do!" So spare me Weiss, instead of accusing others of horrible things, look inside for once."

"Why you." Weiss said as she rose from her seat.

"See this just proves my point. Do you know your mother was heartbroken when you just decided she wasn't worth it anymore? Do you even know the things she had to endure so you, and Whitley didn't have too after Winter left? I spent over a week with her in Atlas and I'm pretty sure that's more than you've done in the past year."

Taking a few breaths Jaune calmed himself as he stared at a shocked expression Weiss. "Now look, I'm not gonna sit here and try to put myself or Willow on a pedestal, we're both humans and we both make mistakes, but you have to realize that too. Maybe once you do, you'll find you're able to be happier." Jaune said before letting out under his breath "I know I was."

Weiss heard him though and just watched in shock as he got up and walked to the door not even caring to cover his back.

Outside he stepped outside the room, Jaune was greeted by his silver eyed friend as she stared back at him.

"Ruby? How'd you find us?"

"Well when we went to the roof you all weren't there so we split up. Pyrrha and Blake went to check the library, Nora, Ren, and Yang went to check the training arenas, and I came to check over here because of my speed being this is the furthest from the dorms."

"Oh, I see."

"Hey, Jaune? Don't you think you were a bit harsh on Weiss in there?"

"So you heard that huh?"

"Yeah, I heard pretty much all of it."

"Well maybe I was but it's something she needed to hear. You always think of a problem from your own perspective but you never really understand till you see it from the other side. Weiss' mom, Willow, spent years taking the physical and verbal abuse of her husband. So she found a crutch in alcohol and soon that crutch became a wheelchair, which only got worse when Winter, Weiss' older sister, left to join the Atlas Military. Alcoholism is never pretty and when it compounds like that it can be very bad. Thankfully she got some help for it where she was no longer addicted and dependent on it. But by that point everyone in her own family had come to see her as a useless alcoholic bum. So she did what she could, paying more attention to the SDC's interworkings and trying to reconnect with her children. Only one of those ever worked and I'll give you one guess as to which it was."

"So all of them?"

"Yes Ruby, both Winter and Weiss as well as their younger brother all rejected their mother's attempts to reconnect."

"Oh no."

"Yeah, unfortunately life isn't all black and white and I just wanted Weiss to realize that and at least try to give Willow a second chance. I know it was the environment Weiss grew up in that really affected her. It was one where people wanted her for her money and fame and that made her see the worst in people but I didn't even know about the SDC before coming here because I only used an old weapon that didn't use dust. I just thought she was beautiful and I saw the way she carried herself in that confident way. That was what made her stand out to me. Yet she still assumed I wanted her money and fame anyway, which again is a product of her environment she was raised in, but I digress."

"So what was that about then?"

"It was just," Jaune said with a sigh before plopping down and leaning his back against the wall. "In the short while I spent with Willow, I came to know her more and just seeing how much she changed from the short amount of time and how that mansion went from cold and depressing to happy and vibrant, well I don't want Weiss to miss out on that."

"And sometimes people need tough love. Yeah my Uncle used to say that when dealing with my dad from time to time after my mother's death." Ruby said as she recalled her uncle's actions.

"I've just, I've seen the broken state some people have been just left in by others and well seeing it again hit a little close to home, in both senses. Both that night at the bar and the few after as well as before coming here one of my sisters had something similar happen to her. I just don't want people close to me that I care for to wonder what could've been."

"I guess there's a reason Headmaster Ozpin made you a team leader huh?" Ruby said with a smile, before standing.

"Go on Jaune, go back to your team, I'm going to go talk with my partner. I want to hear what she has to say about this. She never really talked about her family to us much, so maybe we can do some partner bonding as I help her." Ruby said as she began walking past Jaune and to the door.

"Hey Ruby," Jaune called out as Ruby turned back around. "There's a reason Ozpin made you a leader as well. Don't you forget that either." Jaune said with a smile, before he turned and began walking away.

Once he got a little further away Ruby opened one of the double doors to find Weiss sitting against the other door with her back to it.

"You heard all of that didn't you?" Ruby asked her partner.

"Yeah all of it. I wanted to follow him and give him a piece of my mind for saying all of that like he knew me, like he knew what I went through growing up."

"But?"

"But, he sounds like he was told at least what my mother experienced so at least he knows something. I know it's not all mother's fault but growing up there it was so hard. What do I do Ruby?"

Closing the door and taking a seat with her back to it as well, Ruby just sighed. "Weiss, family is important. I don't know your story and you don't have to tell me but let me ask you this. If your mother would've died when the White Fang attacked her, how would you have felt?"

"I, I don't know. Since I can remember my whole goal was to escape the manor and eventually take over and re-establish the SDC as a more honorable company like it was before Jacques took over. Part of me wants to say I wouldn't have been affected, but another part of me says I still care for her even after everything."

"Why don't you just try talking to her? Just tell her how you feel, no insults, no name calling, just honest truth. Like Jaune said you viewed it from your side and she probably did too. If you just sit down and talk with her you can probably at least kind of work it out. I'm not saying you have to forgive her but you don't want something to happen and wonder what could've been."

"Thank you Ruby." Weiss said as she leaned over and hugged the reaper.

"Come on Weiss," Ruby said after Weiss let go of her. "Let's go back to our dorm."

As this conversation was finishing, Jaune had made it back to his team's dorm room and had just walked in.

"Fearless Leader, you're alright! Where'd you two go anyway? We couldn't find you?" Nora questioned as soon as he entered.

"Weiss dragged me to Goodwitch's classroom. She did it to throw you all off so she could actually yell at me without everyone spying on us." Jaune said with a sigh as he fell onto his bed.

"Was it really that bad, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked as she looked over at her partner with a worried look on her face.

"It actually was probably worse. She kept yelling things and I just well I kind of lost it in return. I yelled back at her and well I should probably apologize."

"You didn't say anything you're gonna regret, did you?" Pyrrha asked.

"It's not necessarily what I said but the fact that I yelled at her. I told her it was infuriating how little she thought of me, that I'd marry for money. Told her to try to reconnect with her mom and well no one is perfect and people will make mistakes."

"Sounds like normal stuff. I can see how you would get angry at her for some of that though. Well the part about you, I don't know anything about their, well your family situation." Ren said, adding his two cents to the conversation.

"Yeah, I just wished I had a cooler head about it. I'm a team leader for Oum sake, I got to keep a level head in stressful situations. That includes when someone is yelling at me. I'll apologize to her tomorrow but right now, sleep sounds very good." Jaune said, mumbling the last part as he drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile in Atlas…

"Interesting, most interesting." Willow said as she looked through the expansion documents, specifically about the ones pertaining to a Vale headquarters. She'd keep the main headquarters in Atlas but having a branch office in Vale to serve as the Valean headquarters for that market seemed like a relatively smart move.

It would take some stress off of them in Atlas and make managing stuff much easier as managing stuff from hundreds of miles away always proved tricky.

"You know, with just a few calls I could probably get the city council to waive a few taxes because of the jobs the office would bring to the city." Willow thought to herself but was then pulled from her thoughts as the door to the study opened.

"Yes Whitley?"

"Uh, mother. I um, I have something I want to ask."

"Well, what is it?"

"Have you seen Winston anywhere?"

"Oh for the love of." Willow said as she placed her head in hands. "Whitley, how do you lose a dog? You've had him for less than a week."

"Well, it's a big house so I just thought maybe?"

"No, he's not here. Did you try checking the tracking app for the chip in him?"

"Uh."

"You didn't, did you? Well come here let's see where he's at. Maybe we can narrow down the region of the house he's in or see if he's outside or something." Willow said as she pulled out her scroll and opened the tracking app, before going into a deadpan look at Whitley.

"Whitley, when did you last see Winston?"

"This morning around 11 or so, right before Jaune left, why?"

"Because he's at Beacon, that's why."

"Wait, so Jaune took him?"

"No, I'm sure Jaune wouldn't take the dog. He probably left his bag open and Winston thought his clothes looked comfy so he laid down on them and went to sleep. Jaune probably didn't think a dog would slip into his bag and off he went." Willow said with a sigh as she rubbed her temples. A little aggravated that she'd have to go to Vale, but happy she would see Jaune again and be able to sort out the possibility of a Vale SDC office being opened.

"If I'm going to be happy to see him again after he just left I might need to turn down the clinginess. Oh well, he can handle it." Willow thought to herself.

"Well I guess I'll go pack my bag and get ready for the trip." Whitley said quickly as he ducked out of the room.

"That damn child. I would say he planned all this but that is almost impossible. Well, I might as well go pack too. Maybe I shouldn't tell Jaune though and instead make it a surprise. Well he'll know we're coming because we have to get Winston back but still." Willow said to herself as she stood and placed the documents back into a manilla folder before grabbing the folder and exiting the study to pack as well.

As she passed Klein in the hall she told him not to tell Jaune of their expedition instead opting to tell him herself.

"Yes ma'am." Klein said as he went off to go arrange their flight to Vale.

After Willow finished packing her clothes she made her way back to the study to ensure all the proper documents had been gathered.

"That should do it." Willow said to herself as she looked at the remaining papers she had placed into the folder. "Now, to give Jaune a call." Willow said as she pulled out her scroll and dialed Jaune.

"Hello?" A feminine voice answered from the other scroll.

"Well that doesn't sound like Jaune." Willow thought before answering.

"Hi yes, is Jaune there?"

"Sorry, he is asleep right now. I can take a message though, may I ask who's calling?" The voice said.

"This is his wife Willow," she said as little gasp came through the other line in response, "I was just calling to let him know that someone is going to be coming to pick up Winston tomorrow. The little rascal must've snuck into Jaune's bag when we weren't looking."

"Oh ok. I'll let him know when he wakes up tomorrow."

"Thank you, and who might you be, little miss secretary?" Willow asked, already having an idea of who the person was.

"My name is Pyrrha, I'm Jaune's partner here at Beacon." Pyrrha answered.

"I figured as much. Jaune talked about you a bit when I asked him about Beacon you know."

Another gasp came through and this time a little too happy voice tone came through the line, "He did?

"Yes dear he did. Keep in mind though he is my husband. Although I might be willing to share if you meet my standards." Willow said in a very teasing tone.

"I, I have no idea what you mean but I'll let Jaune know in the morning about the dog bye!" A red faced Pyrrha said very quickly as she hung up the scroll call before throwing a pillow at a laughing Nora who sat on her own bed beside her.

Managing to duck to the left without stopping laughing, Nora managed to get out in between laughs, "At least she'll share." Before taking a pillow to the face.

Back in Atlas, Willow looked at her scroll as she mentally replayed her conversation with Jaune's partner. "Well well, looks like I was right in my suspicions all along. Guess I'll have to deal with that at some point. This trip to Vale just got more interesting." Willow thought as she sat her scroll on it's charger by the night stand before getting into bed and drifting off to sleep.

Short chapter I know but I didn't want to get too into what's to come yet, as the Beacon trip, Vale office and all that is likely to be very lengthy and I just wanted a chapter more on the now very complicated dialogue between Weiss and Jaune. Anyway I updated a few chapters like I said, making a few minor changes, some spelling, punctuation, and minor plot details. Release schedule for the next chapters is murky but shouldn't be too absurdly long.

See ya next chapter