Chapter 16

First Impressions

Olivia Arc was busy waving to the rest of her family as she departed, Rose and Renard firmly reassured by Taiyang Xiao Long that he and Team RWBY would see the Signal Academy freshman safely back to her dorm. The girls chatted amongst themselves, while Tai simply enjoyed the reminder of better days. Team STRQ at their best being a tight cohesive unit much like Ruby seemed to be fostering after a single school year. He could only hope they would stick together better than his own team had in the end.

"Well, that was a thing," Yang said, voicing a collective assessment it seemed.

"But you walked in there gushing about 'my people'!" Ruby mocked, complete with air quotes.

"Yeahhh, but there's only so much blonde you can put in one room before it gets overwhelming."

"We know, Yang. We know," Weiss chimed in. "We spent an entire year with you, after all."

"You know you love me."

"And Jaune's mother? She was really nice!" Ruby added optimistically.

"And really, really, intrusive. She knew every little detail of my life, except, apparently, my calling to be a Huntress. Plus, I had to spend half of dinner being diplomatic with her when I had to tell her that I wasn't dating her son. Thanks for that, Yang."

"At least she talked to you, Weiss," Blake retorted. "All she did with me was give me the strangest look from across the table, like she was trying to figure out who let the Faunus into the room."

"Maybe you're overthinking it? None of the rest of the family batted an eyelash about your ears or anything," Yang countered.

"Maybe. I'm just glad we're out of there and into some fresh air," Blake replied.

"Yeah, it can be pretty crazy sometimes. I'm just thankful Dad's an only child, and Mom's brothers and sister aren't around," Olivia utterly failed to reassure Blake. "I've never even met 'em."

"That's actually kind of sad," Weiss of all people piped up.

"We get by," Olivia replied with some bluster that she almost managed to sell to the rest of them. "We're not perfect or anything, but we all love each other. Yeah, even Violette," she added with a smirk.

"Well, I, for one, am glad I finally got to meet your brother, Olivia," Tai said with a genuine smile. "I can't thank him enough for what he did. My girls are the most important thing in the world to me."

"Ugh, you sound like my dad," Liv grumbled.

"Most dads would agree with me, Liv," he deflected easily.

"Whatever," she grumbled, rankling under authority like the newly minted teenager she was.

"Hey, Dad? Remind everyone what you do for work?" Yang asked.

"I teach unarmed combat at Signal Academy," Taiyang responded, grinning as Olivia went white as a sheet.

"I...umm…"

"Ancient Animan proverb, young lady: Be careful of the toes you step on today, for they may be connected to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow," Yang intoned gravely, despite the mischievous grin she wore.

"That's not exactly how it goes, Yang," her father corrected her. "But, accurate."

"Sorry, sir," Olivia said quietly.

"Let's just chalk it up to youthful enthusiasm and call it a day, shall we?"

"Yes, sir."

"Besides, he only has the authority to PT you until you puke, right, Dad?" Yang added helpfully before she gasped excitedly. "You can be Vomit Girl!"

"Only if I look at your face," Olivia fired back, her mouth set in a gagging grimace before Yang shoved her playfully aside.

"Hey, Dad?" Ruby piped up. "Speaking of old proverbs, does Uncle Qrow have something against them?"

"Not that I know of. Why do you ask?"

"Well, Uncle Qrow and Jaune kinda had a fight over one," she clarified, still unsure of exactly what was going on between the two men.

"That sounds weird. Any idea what it was?"

"Yeah, umm, 'A fight worth having…"

"...is a fight worth winning'," Tai completed for her. A soft puff of breath escaped his nostrils as a melancholic smile bloomed to life on his lips. "There's one I haven't heard in years."

"What's it mean, Dad?"

"Well, that was something your mother drilled into our heads from day one at Beacon. Never start a fight that you aren't willing to and capable of finishing. She was from Mistral, born and raised, despite her heritage."

"You never told me about that, Dad," Yang chimed in.

"Never came up," he said with a shrug. "And I would have thought your uncle would have had a better handle on his temper with a student."

"I...probably didn't help matters," Yang replied with a guilty grimace.

Tai regarded his elder daughter with a flat gaze for a moment. "Why am I not surprised?"

"He started it," Yang mumbled, her gaze cutting away from her father's.

"We've been over this, Yang," he replied in exasperation.

"Liv?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah?"

"Don't they restrict freshmen to campus for the first weekend anymore?"

"Oh, yeah. I got special permission for the memorial service."

"What memorial service?" Ruby asked matter-of-factly, getting a dose of dead silence for her troubles.

"You have got to be joking!" Weiss interjected. "The annual Beacon Memorial ceremony? They sent out a scrollmail on that a month ago!"

"Ehh, I auto-delete any school crap during the summer," Yang scoffed.

"Of course you do," Weiss shot back darkly. "What's your excuse?" she demanded of her partner.

"I never got it?" she said with a shrug before she blinked, rounding on her sister. "You told me that was no big deal, Yang!"

"Oopsie?" she offered with an innocent shrug.

"I can't believe you," Weiss fumed.

"So why didn't you say anything?" Yang countered, desperately trying to shift the heat off of herself.

"I didn't think I was going to be here in time, so it slipped my mind," Weiss replied matter-of-factly.

"Same," Blake echoed with a shrug when Yang turned to her.

"Now, girls, let's be civil about this, all right?" Tai asked, trying to keep the peace. "No permanent damage, right?"

"Yeah, not like anyone destroyed a nightclub or anything," Ruby uttered sotto voce.

"One! Time!" Yang barked back at her.

"You let Jaune walk into his own funeral, Yang!"

"Oh, yeah, I guess I did. In that case, I wish I had been there; shoulda been good for a couple laughs."

"I can't believe you," Ruby grumbled.

"Guys?" Blake interjected, her voice small and hesitant. "Can we not fight about this? This was supposed to be a fun evening, right?"

"All right, all right," Yang relented. "I'm sorry I deleted the scrollmail."

"Fine. I'm just glad you and Jaune at least apologized to each other. I already have to sort out Uncle Qrow's problem with him."

"Yup. We're totally fine on that front," Yang concurred with a nervous smile, earning her a flat look from her sister.

"When I talked to Jaune in the kitchen, and apologized to him about last year, he didn't have a clue what I was talking about, Yang," Weiss retorted pointedly.

"Mostly fine?" she tried to bargain, wilting under her younger sister's glower. "Okay! I'll talk to him when school starts up. What!? He already said he's not coming back to Patch with us!"

"You welch on this and I'm hiding your conditioner, Yang," Ruby said through a glare.

Yang returned the glare with a cross look of her own, her stubborn streak rearing its beautifully feisty head.

"Yang?" Blake said calmly, gently placing a hand on her partner's shoulder. She wheeled on Blake, her irritated grimace melting when she saw the look of genuine concern on Blake'sface. "Come with me, okay?" she asked, shifting her gaze to Ruby for a moment. "We'll catch up,"

"Okay," Ruby said, clearly not happy about how things were going, but willing to give Blake a chance at dealing with her stubborn sister.

"Flight leaves in half an hour, right? We'll be on it, I promise."

"You'd better," Ruby said, fixing her sister in place with an adorably steely gaze.

"Come on," Blake said softly, gently nudging her towards a nearby bench. They both took a seat, Yang folding her arms as she watched the four others walk on.

"Yang, I…" she began.

"What!?" Yang snapped, Blake flinching back at the venom in her partner's voice as well as the red tinge in her eyes.

"What happened with Jaune?" she asked as calmly as she could manage.

"Remember last year? When I told you about my mother?"

"I remember you said it was something you'd had to learn to let go of, yes," Blake answered, breathing a sigh of relief when Yang's eyes shifted back to lilac again. "You said you didn't want to see me make the same mistake you did, right?"

"Yeah," she admitted quietly. "It's just...he had no business talking about her like that!"

"Probably not. Did he know about it, though? You said you don't talk about her that much."

"I...no," she admitted reluctantly.

Blake sighed, collecting her thoughts before she spoke again. "I want you to listen to me, just like you made me listen to you." She relaxed slightly when she saw Yang's shoulders slump in defeat. She'd known going in that attacking Yang head on wasn't going to work against her bullheadedness, and it wasn't Blake's strong suit to begin with.

"I wasn't exaggerating when I said that Jaune was a big part of the reason I reconciled with my parents. But even then, it was one of the hardest things I've done in my life. I had to go back to them and admit that I was wrong, and apologize for it. I'd spent the last six years telling myself that they were wrong, they were giving up on the cause of Faunus rights, that they were cowards," she said, the last word nearly choking her on the way out. "I was so stupid, and so, so wrong. I let myself get caught up in Adam Taurus' ideology because I thought he was going to make a difference in the world. In the end, I didn't want any part of the things he had planned, of what he'd become, and so I walked away from the White Fang. No, I ran away," she hastily corrected.

"Sorry for sounding selfish here, but what does this have to do with me?"

"I think I knew, deep down, that I was wrong. Almost from the beginning, really, but I couldn't admit it. I was so invested in proving my parents wrong that I missed out on having them in my life for five years. At the end of the day, once I finally mustered the courage to face them and apologize, you know what happened? They welcomed me with open arms, loving me just the same as if I'd never left." Blake let her words sink in for a moment before driving the lesson home. "You really think Jaune is going to think less of you if you apologize for whatever it was that you did? Nobody's perfect, you know."

"Yeah," she said quietly, her eyes downcast.

"You don't always have to be the tough one, Yang. Or the center of attention. I promise I won't think any less of you for being flawed," she added, placing her hand over Yang's and squeezing gently. Yang looked down at the contact, then up into her partner's golden eyes, her lips soon mirroring the soft smile Blake held for her.

"Yeah, I guess. Besides, I've got too much of a rack to be little miss perfect," she joked, her smile growing a bit as Blake chuckled softly.

"Thank God for that," Blake said, patting Yang's hand before letting go. "I don't think the world could handle another Weiss."

"Thanks, Blake. Really," Yang said after a moment, getting to her feet again and offering a hand up to her partner and friend, pulling her up and into a hug when she took it. Blake stiffened for a moment, but melted into the embrace and returned it. "I really missed you, kitty cat."

"I missed you too, Yang," Blake echoed, her voice going rough with emotion for a moment. "You ready?"

"Yeah. Let's get going," Yang said, releasing Blake.

"You think the Sands is still open? I kind of want another smoothie."

"Mmmmaybe?" Yang answered hopefully as they began to walk down the sidewalk again. "You really need to try the triple chocolate decadence!"

"Sounds like a plan," she said though a smile.

Arthur Watts was a patient man, not one given to outward displays of annoyance. But this…

This was vexing.

Getting into the tent had been relatively easy with the assets he had at his disposal, and now it was just a waiting game. He'd long since given up on keeping his socks clear of mud, let alone actually dry, the trudge through the surrounding swamps from where he'd landed the airship being unavoidable. His own preferences laid within technology for his communication needs, yet here he was, personal contact an unfortunate necessity for his current and future plans. A subtle gesture of his right hand conjured a tiny hardlight display in front of his eyes for the few moments he needed to ensure his safety net was still in place, a slight smile shifting his moustache the only outward sign of his confidence in himself and his technology.

The latest images he'd obtained of the White Fang encampment nearly a hundred miles south of the walls of Vale itself were easily matched with with realtime surveillance from an aerial drone, and thus he was here, waiting on his appointment for the evening. A redundant check of his person reassured Arthur that his ornate Dust revolver still rested on his hip under the long, tailed coat he wore even in the sweltering heat of the swamp. Hopefully Adam Taurus could be reasoned with without stooping to the barbaric measures his erstwhile compatriot had resorted to, but Arthur Watts was nothing if not thorough.

A soft chime sounded from his scroll, resting on the small map table in the center of the largest tent in the camp. Checking the display, Watts smirked a bit, glad to finally get the ball rolling, a simple gesture dimming the display and returning his position to near total darkness. The sounds of the night increased in volume as Adam pushed the tent flap open and stepped inside, the song of a multitude of crickets abating again as he let it fall closed behind him. The single hanging lamp bathed most of the corners of the tent in shadows, and thus he could observe the lean bull Faunus for a moment, seeing the set of his shoulders as he took a step further toward the table before stopping, tension tightening his frame as his right hand drifted towards the hilt of the sword on his left hip.

"Good to see you're not one to walk into an ambush, Mr. Taurus," he said, leaning forward in his chair enough for the lamp to bathe his face in a sinister light.

"Who are you? And who the hell let you in here? Answer, human, and I might let you keep breathing for another five minutes."

"No need to be melodramatic, Adam. In order, my name is Arthur Watts, and try not to hold your guards too accountable. They did their jobs adequately, but were unprepared for someone like me. Oh, don't worry, the shock dust rounds were designed to only stun the target."

"The better to grind Faunus under humanity's boot heel," he growled. "I know the type, Atlesian scum."

"Now, now, no need for name calling here. In spite of the nation of my birth, I'm actually quite sympathetic to your cause. As a matter of fact, I'm here to help."

"The White Fang doesn't need your help, and neither do I."

"Perhaps not, but what's the harm in listening?"

"The word of a human is worth less than nothing here."

"Yes, I would imagine so. Being cowed into doing someone else's bidding with threats of violence? Must have been quite humiliating," Watts said, setting the hook. Even with the small burst of adrenaline he felt, he couldn't help but smile when he saw Adam flinch, the thumb of his left hand advancing Wilt from the scabbard an inch with pressure on the tsuba.

"You're one of her little friends?" he snarled.

"Hardly. And in any case, Cinder Fall is quite definitely dead. I saw the coroner's report myself. Death by catastrophic exsanguination," he added with a sadistic smile.

"Much like yours is about to be. Get to the point."

"I'm here with a gift. Friends give each other gifts from time to time do they not?"

"There's nothing you could possibly have that I want," Adam spat back.

"Oh, I disagree. I heard about the failed attempt to break into the Central Bank of Vale two weeks ago. Quite a pity that your plans fell through. Seven captured and four dead; such a waste of Faunus in the prime of their youths."

"Five of our brothers died in that operation," Adam corrected angrily.

"You mean you haven't heard? I'd have thought Cormac Browne would have contacted you by now," Watts remarked innocently, his moustache shifting slightly as he saw his target freeze momentarily. "Rest assured, he's quite comfortable. The Valerian Carabinieri are taking excellent care of him during his debriefing in witness protection. They even retrieved his family to ensure their safety. Quite considerate, wouldn't you say?"

Adam Taurus stood stock still, processing the implications for several moments before he spoke. "Go on," he said, voice ice cold as his hand retreated from his weapon.

Arthur Watts slipped a hand into the breast of his coat, pulling a small thumb drive out of an interior pocket and presenting it with a flourish. "Address of the safe house, floor plan, guard schedule, and location and specifications of every security camera in the house and in a three block radius. Should be sufficient for an organization of your means to do what you deem necessary," he finished, his oily baritone voice slipping into truly sinister tones.

"What's the price? Nothing in this world is free."

"A tiny favor, really. I need a question answered."

"And what if I just kill you where you sit and take the information from you instead?" Adam asked, his lips curling into a sneer. Watts' eyes narrowed at the threat, but he didn't budge from his seat.

"First, it's encrypted. Second, I thought we could try being friends first. Having friends is a nice thing, wouldn't you agree?" he asked, a hand sliding back into his coat to retrieve a box the size of a small book. "Would you like to meet one of mine?" Arthur asked rhetorically, already opening the lid and dumping out a small object onto the table. The chirp of a single, loud cricket sounded in the tent's confines, and the object hopped a short distance into the air before landing on tiny mechanical legs. Beneath the mask, Adam's eyes narrowed, making out an intricately crafted mechanical grasshopper a little larger than his middle finger.

"So you're a toymaker," Adam scoffed.

"After a fashion," Watts conceded. "More of a curiosity really. Technology imitating life is hardly new. Mine, however, do have a little more bite than the damnable mosquitoes around here," he added, a short wave of his right hand activating the simulacrum. It chirped a second time, an amber glow emanating from the bug for a moment before he snapped his fingers and it detonated in a spray of sparks, blasting a fist-sized hole in the table.

"Such loyal little things, my creations. They'd be utterly inconsolable were I to come to harm. Might even commit suicide en masse if the sensors monitoring my heartbeat were to report my untimely death." A half-clenched fist heralded a series of small impacts on the tent, not unlike a fallen acorn, but repeated hundreds of times. Adam's stance wavered, unsure as to what was happening, but he wasn't about to let a human see him sweat. A second subtle wave of Watt's hand changed that, a single chirp soon echoed by a myriad of synthetic insects in close proximity. Hundreds of amber lights flared to life soon after, visible through the thin tent fabric. "But then again, I'm among friends, am I not? What harm could possibly befall me here?"

"We were led into near ruin by Cinder Fall, and you dare come here with the same threats?" he growled.

"Quite the opposite. If you don't wish to work with me, then don't. I'm simply here to put an offer on the table. If you're not interested, I walk away, and we both agree this conversation never took place. You can keep this as a gift, no strings attached," he added, lifting the thumb drive like the proverbial carrot it was. "Oh, and it also contains a list of every confirmed and suspected member of the White Fang known to Valerian law enforcement, as well as what information was shared with them from the militaries and intelligence agencies of Atlas, Mistral and Vacuo. That should prove useful when selecting operatives, should it not?"

"How did you get this?"

"I'm a man of many talents, I assure you. Suffice to say, the Carabinieri don't know I have it, so mum's the word."

Adam Taurus took a long moment to contemplate his options, knowing full well that killing the impudent human would likely result in his own demise, and possibly some of his brothers and sisters as well. His thought process was interrupted when a slim figure burst through the tent door, a slim bladed weapon drawn as she stopped short at seeing Watts sitting in the shadows.

"Adam!" she said sharply, eyeing the smoldering hole in the map table. "What's going on?"

"I'm seeing if we have a new ally, Sister Ilia," he said as evenly as possible. One didn't harbor aspirations to becoming High Leader of the White Fang by demonstrating weakness under pressure, after all.

"Oh, that is good news," Watts said with a smile, another gesture extinguishing the legion of tiny lights surrounding them, a rustling sound heard as they took wing. "I'd hate to think we were getting off on the wrong foot."

Ilia Amitola's eyes darted back and forth under her horned Grimm mask, assessing both men, and suspicious in the extreme. "I thought we were done with…"

"Enough," Adam commanded, the young woman's hatred of humanity well-founded, but easily provoked. "What's the question, Watts?"

"I would like to know if you have anyone acting as double agents to feed disinformation to the authorities in Vale. Specifically any of the people on this list," he said, producing a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket. It took every bit of self-control Adam had to take the paper from him without his hand trembling in rage.

"No. None of them." he finally said, his crumpling of the list in a fist the only outward sign of anger he permitted himself for the moment.

"Such a shame, having people you trust stray from the path. If you'll allow me the opportunity to demonstrate my usefulness, I'll take care of that security problem for you. You have a far more pressing matter, I believe?" he asked, lifting the thumb drive and proffering it to Adam, who plucked it from his fingers and slid it into a pocket on his coat.

"Yes. Yes we do."

"Adam?" Ilia asked, her body still whipcord taut.

"We'll discuss the details after Mister Watts has been escorted out of camp and we talk about the guard rotations, Ilia." he said gruffly.

"You might want to consider relocation as well, Mister Taurus. It took me a little over a day to find you, and I don't have the full resources of the Valerian government," he stated, the implications clear. "If you find my assistance useful, and wish to continue as friends, contact me at the burner comm address listed on the drive in two weeks' time. I do hope you will," he added with a smile.

"We shall see, human," he fired back, his mind already pondering the man's potential usefulness.

"Indeed we shall. Until next time, then," Watts said, standing and making his way to the front of the tent. "Oh, and I shouldn't need to remind you to not treat those seven names any differently for the time being. You don't want them warned, or to find potential allies to help them escape justice, after all."

"No, we don't. Ilia, see to it our new friend makes it out of camp, and that he stays out," Adam growled, the barest trembling of rage visible in his lean frame.

"As you command," she replied curtly. "This way, human," she said, opening the tent flap.

Their journey through camp raised quite a few eyebrows, with Ilia's paradoxically imposing presence the only thing keeping the whispered questions and baleful looks from the camp followers turning into an outright brawl. The small encampment soon gave way to the twilight of the forest, filled this time only with the natural sounds of the night. Ilia remained silent, warily eyeing her charge for several minutes before she stopped.

"That's far enough. Be on your way before I change my mind."

"Miss Amitola, isn't it?" he asked, recalling some of the other bits of information he'd gleaned from his plundering of Valerian networks. "If you don't mind me saying, your hospitality needs some work."

"If you betray us? While they might one day find your body, they'll never be able to identify you from what's left."

"Surely you missed your calling, young lady. I hear the Waldorf Hotel in Vale is looking for a new concierge."

"You truly don't fear death, do you?" she spat back, the barest hint of gallows humor in her voice.

"Such anger you have. Quite understandable, in your case. Rest assured, I'll help you find a better target for it."

"You know nothing of me."

"Ilia Amitola, chameleon Faunus, age twenty-two, Atlesian citizen by birth. Parents killed in an SDC mining accident. Expelled from Charter Combat School shortly thereafter for assaulting several students. You were taken in by the White Fang afterwards, and trained in infiltration and espionage. You've been slowly working your way up the ranks ever since." Watts stopped, allowing Ilia's shock to subside before he continued. "You've got a seething anger, both for yourself and others, but you demonstrate admirable control over it when you choose to. However, you've yet to truly find the justice you seek. I'm offering to help you. All of you, if you'll let me."

"What do you get out of it?" Ilia spat sullenly.

"Your goals align with mine for the time being. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm not here to join up, if that's what you're wondering. I help you, you help me, and we don't get in each other's way. I don't see a downside for either myself or the White Fang. I can only hope you begin to see things the same way. In any case, my ride's here," he added, a snap of his finger starting up the aircraft that had lay hidden in the shadow of a large cypress. "I look forward to our next meeting, truly," he offered with a curt bow. "The password for the thumb drive is 'peek-a-boo', by the way."

"What?"

"Would you have guessed it?" Watts added with a smugly mischievous smile.

Ilia watched him saunter back to his vehicle, a low thrum heard as the advanced power plant took him airborne, a scowl on her face. "This isn't going to end well," she muttered to herself.

Pyrrha Nikos gasped, bolting upright in her bed, emerald eyes wide in panic. Her breathing was ragged as she felt a bead of sweat slowly creep down her temple, sliding down her cheek to eventually be wicked into the shoulder of her silken pajamas. Her first instinct was to look to her left, finding her partner fast asleep under just a sheet, a warm summer breeze blowing in through the window he'd left open. Jaune had been insistent on that, still acclimating back to civilization from...wherever it was he'd been. The fact that he had been adamant on sticking to his word in that regard was frustrating to Pyrrha, but she wasn't about to have an argument about it. Jaune was back in her life, and she was damn well going to be grateful for that fact.

Gratitude didn't stop her from worrying.

He'd progressed far in his first year at Beacon, a good portion of that due to her own influence and training, but he was still far from where he should have been as a now second year student. She'd made a promise to Saphron to bring him back, and she fully intended to keep to her word now and forever, even if she had to put a leash on him to do it. Her face softened slightly into a genuine smile, not the plastic facade she usually displayed in public, and she slid out from under her covers to walk over to Jaune's bedside.

Pyrrha thought he looked so peaceful lying there, chest slowly rising and falling, his mop of golden hair partially obscuring his face. Her smile broadening slightly, she reached down to brush a few strands away from his face, only to have a surprisingly strong hand clamp down on her wrist before she could do so. The steely look in his eyes was intense for the brief moment it took him to recognize his partner, and he immediately released the pressure on her wrist.

"Hey. Sorry about that. Getting woken in the middle of the night by an angry Sensei keeps you on your toes. Or so I've been told," he amended with a dubious grin. "You okay?"

"Huh? Oh! Bad dream. Sorry that I woke you, Jaune," she added, unsure of just how she'd lost her poise. "It's just…"

"Don't sweat it, Pyrrha," he said, sitting up in bed. "C'mere," he added, patting an open spot next to him. She hesitated a moment before taking a seat, the barest hint of a flinch in her frame felt as he covered her hand with his. "You wanna talk about it?"

"It's...silly, Jaune."

"Not if you're awake at," he said, opening his scroll, "three in the morning."

"I...I had a bad dream."

"You said that already," Jaune replied with a smirk.

"I know. It's just...I thought I lost you again. Like the last time."

"Well, I'm here now, okay?"

"You don't understand, Jaune," she replied, tearing up again. "We...we gave up on you, and I feel so guilty about it."

"You stopped looking?"

"Yes. We'd looked in all the villages surrounding Shion, without a trace, and we decided to start checking the ruined towns that Ren knew about, and Sage too, once SSSN got there. There were a lot of dead ends, and Sage kept telling me we were avoiding one town in particular, so we put it to a vote. In the end, out of options, we ended up in Kuroyuri. There was a Grimm," she began, hesitantly now. "Bigger and tougher than anything we've ever faced, Jaune. We almost lost Ren, and then almost lost Sun when he stepped in to protect him. We killed it, but Sun was in really bad shape by the end. Ren and Nora too. Neptune had to make the decision to pull out, and I went along with it. I didn't want to lose anyone else, Jaune."

"I see," Jaune said simply, letting go of a deep breath. "I forgive you."

"Just like that? What if I don't forgive myself?"

"As a very good friend of mine would say, nope."

"But…"

"I order you to forgive yourself. Team leader's prerogative," he amended, cupping her cheek gently to wipe away a tear. "Okay?"

"Okay," she whispered, gamely offering Jaune a smile.

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Maybe not. I'm still sorry."

"Apology accepted, Pyrrha. I promise."

"Thank you, Jaune," she said softly, nuzzling into his hand for a moment before her eyes went wide at what she was doing and she flinched back.

"You okay?" he asked, the genuine concern in his voice nearly shattering her facade.

"It's nothing," she downplayed.

"You sure?"

"Yes," she said with a wider, reassuring smile now. "I just hope I can get back to sleep without...you know."

"Oh? I've got just the thing for that. Works with my sisters, might as well give it a try with you."

"I don't think a glass of warm milk or a bedtime storyeep!" she squeaked in surprise as Jaune leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her and falling back into bed. Pyrrha was thankful of the minimal lighting in their bedroom, though she would bet he could still feel her blush against his chest, the two being separated by only a sheet and his t-shirt.

"Mom said there was something about the sound of a beating heart that brings someone back to their childhood. Safe and secure in their mother's arms. I mean, not that I'm your mom or anything," he quickly added. "But maybe it'll help?"

"Perhaps it will," she said, hoping that her voice didn't betray the whirlwind of emotions running through her heart and mind. It didn't help that she'd ended up with an arm draped over his chest, her hand hooked almost possessively around his ribcage. She also registered that his own arms were still wrapped protectively around her, the fingers of his right hand gently stroking her back. After a moment, she finally relaxed, letting her head rest against the center of his chest, and she heard it. A soft, but distinct, rhythm; his big, generous heart drumming away softly beneath bone and muscle. Her lips curled into a smile before she burrowed a bit further into his embrace, taking hold of the moment lest it slip from her grasp.

"Better?" he asked softly, getting a contented hum in reply. "Good," he added, giving her a soft squeeze for good measure. "If I get too handsy, don't hesitate to wake me up, okay?"

"I'm pretty sure that won't be a problem, Jaune," she replied through a yawn.

"Okay. G'night Pyrrha," he added warmly, leaning down to plant a kiss on top of her head, much like he would his sister Ivy. He was taken aback at the near-purr that came from her chest, her fierce hug driving the breath from him momentarily. "Don't worry about me going anywhere, okay? I'm right here."

Pyrrha simply drifted off to sleep, a huge smile on her face.