Over the course of the following months, Ruby and Neo grew closer. Ruby started reading Neo bedtime stories every night, and Neo's voice got better, though she only spoke to Ruby, and sometimes Rumpole. Speaking of Rumpole, she quickly fell in love with the little girl, and would come over almost every night to spend time with her. Ruby taught Neo all the everyday things that Neo just didn't know due to growing up on the streets, and Rumpole started teaching Neo basic curriculum, like history and math. It turned out that Neo, Really enjoyed math and science, but hated history, and would ignore Rumpole as she tried to teach her.

Eventually Xanthe just gave up, and would spend the time with Ruby instead. More Months passed, as Neo grew up, so did Ruby and Xanthe grow together. As time went on, the three became increasingly comfortable with their lives, falling into a steady rhythm.

One Year Eleven Months after Ruby Found Neo

Sitting down in her bed as Neo sat down next to her, Neo looked to Ruby as she tucked herself in and asked, "Ruby?" Ruby hummed, "When I grow up, can I be a Huntress like you and miss Rumpole?"

Ruby grinned, and then, with a full blown smile on her face said, "Sure you can sweetie, you can do whatever you want when you grow up."

Neo got exited, and asked, "And can I wear a cool cloak like you do?"

Ruby's smile softened, and she thought back to her own childhood, 'Mommy, that was so cool! Can I do that when I'm big like you?' 'Sure you can, you can do whatever you want little rose' 'Cool! And can I have an awesome cloak too like you and unky Qrow?' her mother chuckled 'yeah, and you can fight monsters and be a big hero, just like your mommy' 'Yaaaaay'

Snapping out of her trance Ruby gave a soft smile, "yeah, sure you can kiddo, like I said, you can do whatever you want when you grow up."

Neo let out a small cheer, and sat back in bed patiently waiting for her bedtime story, and so Ruby began, "Once upon a time-"

6 Months after Neo asked to be a Huntress

Ruby was going about her day, just sitting in her apartment, grading papers while Rumpole taught Neo, Rumpole was teaching Neo about social studies, like how governments work and how normal families are structured, then Neo said something, "So is Ruby like my Mother?" Ruby looked up from her desk and over to the pair, Rumpole looked up and met eyes with Ruby, and said,

"Well, in a traditional household Ruby would fit the role of mother, being someone's caretaker usually requires lots of love and caring. And if she cared enough about you to think of you as her daughter, well then, that's up to you. If you care enough about her, then she could be your mother."

Neo sat and thought about it for a moment, and asked, "What do kids usually call their mother?" Rumpole replied, "Well little kids call their parents Mama or Dada, or Mommy and Daddy, but bigger kids, like you, call them Mom and Dad."

"hmm, Mom, I like it. Ruby is my mom."

Ruby heard that, and dropped what she was doing to walk across the room and pick the still small girl up, twirling her around herself. While being carried Neo laughed and said "No Mom stop, I'm trying to learn with Miss Rumpole."

Ruby gave a watery laugh and pulled Neo into a hug and then set her down, "Okay kiddo, you learn with Xanthe."

"Alright Mom."

3 Years after Ruby Took Neo Home

When Ruby walked into the door of the apartment to find Neo sitting on her scroll playing games, she smiled and said, "Hey Neo, Can you guess what day it is?"

Neo looked up from where she was sat and replied, "Umm, I dunno mom, what day is today?"

Ruby gave a small laugh and said, "Today is exactly three years since I took you home, since you don't know your birthday, I'm calling this your birthday, and do you know what kids get on their birthdays?"

Neo thought about it, then gasped, "Presents!"

Ruby chuckled, "That's right my little ice cream cone, presents, now do you want to see what I got you?"

Neo got up off the couch and ran to the door, where Ruby pulled a box out from under her cloak, handing it to Neo she gave a warm smile, "I hope you like it, I had it made just for you."

Neo gingerly took the box and walked over to the couch, she sat down and looked at the box, she then slowly opened the lid to find it full of fabric. Sitting in the box was a square of pink fabric that faded to white, with brown mixed in, and on top of that was a medallion, it was a bit bigger than her palm, and made of cool stainless steel, the medallion was smooth on the back save for a small pin and lock, but had a design on the front, after further inspection she realized it was three scoops of ice cream, she tried to make out what the background was, before realizing it was a stone of some kind.

Looking up to her mother, she gave a questioning glance, Ruby smiled and said, "I didn't think you'd be able to figure that out, here-" She drew a piece of paper out and handed it to Neo, "This is what it looks like in color."

Neo took the piece of paper and inspected it, then she realized what it was. Lazuli, her last name. About a year ago Neo had asked her mother what her name meant. Her mother had replied that it was a frozen treat. After that she had asked to try some, and had found it delicious. She then asked what Ruby's name meant, and after a very long winded explanation, had discovered not to call Ruby by name in public, and instead to call her Aurum.

Then, about 7 months ago, her mom had told her about last names, and her true and fake one. And so Neo took on the full legal name, Neopolitan Rose Lazuli.

Neo took out the medallion, and then picked up the square of fabric, holding a piece of the fabric and letting the rest fall, she realized what it was. A cloak. Her mom had gotten her a custom tailored, fully breathable, full size cloak. The cloak was a bright pink at the top, and faded to a luminescent white at the bottom, then the underside was a deep chocolate brown.

Absolutely ecstatic about this, Neo immediately tried to put it on, only to find that it was a couple sizes big on her, Neo gave her mother a pouty face and said, "Its too big... Why did you get it so big?"

Ruby laughed, "Because it doesn't need to fit you now silly, it needs to fit you when you're 17, that's when you're gonna be using it right?" When Neo's pout increased, Ruby gave another big laugh and walked over to her, adjusting Neo's cloak so that it wrapped around her shoulders and didn't wrap all the way around her, just down her back. She then took the medallion out of the box and used it as a clasp, placing the medallion on Neo's right collar, she sent the pin on the back through the layers of fabric to hold the cloak in place, satisfied with her work, she pulled Neo's hood up over her head, and said, "There you are, now just loosen it whenever you get bigger, then you can wear it as much as you like."

Neo gave her a big smile and hugged her tight,

"Thanks mom."