It was nearly midnight by the time Ruby explained everything satisfactorily. Phoenix was quiet for some time, taking in all the new information. Ruby was worried. Most of it was bad, but she hoped the overall theme remained intact. No matter what, she loved him.

"So…" Phoenix finally spoke up, "I don't have a daddy… because my daddy was a bad guy…?"

"That's right…" Ruby nodded. "But that doesn't change who you are. You are not him, Phoenix. I promise."

"But what if I am?" Phoenix asked. "He is my daddy…"

"No." Ruby told him. "He may have 'fathered' you, but you are not his son. Do you understand?"

Phoenix thought on that statement for a good minute. "It's like… feeling? Like you and Flora. You're like sisters, but you're not sisters… same as that, but different too… Because he is my daddy… but he's not my daddy, in here." Phoenix tapped his heart. "I think I get it."

"You are a kind soul, Phoenix. That's already leagues away from being Adam." Ruby assured her child.

Phoenix smiled. "And… even though he forced me on you… somehow…" Phoenix scrunched his brow. He was too young for Ruby to properly explain the concept of sex and birth. "You still love me. Because I am your son."

"More than anything." Ruby nodded, smiling herself. She was beyond glad Phoenix understood.

Phoenix smiled wider. "I love you too, momma."

Ruby drew her child into her arms and laid back on the couch, relaxing… sleep was ready to take them both.

But Phoenix wasn't ready for it. "So what about aunt Yang? She's who was at the deathsta- uh… death… grimm… right?"

"Right…" Ruby opened her eyes back up. "The… argument we had was about seven years ago, now. And then, the other day, I run into her on a hunt. It wasn't accident though… she was looking for me."

"How come you never went back… I know you couldn't call, but how come you never visited?" Phoenix asked.

"Well… I... I don't even know… I guess my mind was just… elsewhere. Whenever I went out, my biggest concern was finishing quickly so I could get back to you. After a while, it just became routine." Ruby answered sadly. She wasn't happy with her own life choices in that department.

"Well… she was looking for you, what did you talk about?" Phoenix pressed on. "After fighting off the monsters, of course!"

"Of course." Ruby smiled. "Well, we talked about me visiting again. During the next Reunion. Except, if I go… I know I have to bring you this time… but I'm still afraid."

"Afraid they won't like me… that they won't understand how my daddy isn't my daddy." Phoenix deduced.

"If it goes bad, I could lose what little I have left… I might never speak to Yang again…" Ruby lamented.

Phoenix just gave his mother a smart little smile. "Well… how much are you talking to her now?"

Ruby looked at her son incredulously. "How… in the world…" She smiled and ruffled his hair, "did I manage to raise a son smarter than I am?"

"Hehe!" Phoenix wore a smile that stretched his whole face.

"Alright, Phoenix. Since I obviously can't be trusted to make this decision, I ask you." The mother looked her son dead in the eyes. "Are you ready to meet your family?"

Phoenix nodded fervently. "Yeah-huh, yeah-huh, yeah-huuuhhh!"

"Alright… it's still another month or so away, so we can get you time off of school. Speaking of, we both need sleep." Ruby picked Phoenix up and started carrying him to his room.

"But Moooooooommm!" The child argued.

"It's midnight, kiddo. You're already wayyy past your bed time." The mother held fast.

"I'm old enough to make my own bedtime!" Phoenix pouted.

"Right, so I'll just let you make your own lunch? Get yourself to school? Hm?" Ruby shot back, smile on her face.

Phoenix grumbled. "Fine…"

She laid him down in his bed and tucked his blanket around him. "Goodnight Phoenix. I love you."

"Beo!" he cried.

"Oh, right!" Ruby lightly palmed her forehead. "How could I have forgotten?" She picked up the shabby old doll from the top of Phoenix's dresser. The limbs were fraying and an eye was missing, resewn, and now missing again. But it remained his favorite bedtime accessory. "Here you go."

"Beo…" He snuggled the doll happily, nearly passing out then and there. "I love you, mommaaa…" He managed before starting to snore.

"I love you too, Nix." She ruffled his sleeping head one last time before making for her own bed.


"Momma, will I really need this?" Phoenix held up the thick jacket Ruby bought him for the trip. "How cold can it be?"

Ruby laughed. "You have no idea… Yes, Phoenix, you need it. Trust me."

"But what if I don't?" He asked. "Then why pack it?"

"But what if you do?" Ruby countered. "So pack it."

"I'll be fine…" Phoenix pouted.

"Nix, honey, just pack the jacket." Ruby sighed. "If you don't need it, you don't need to wear it. Y'know, for as smart as you are, you can be unbelievably stubborn."

"It's an ugly jacket…" The child pouted.

"It's a warm jacket. I bet you'll be asking for it by the time we get to the Manor." Ruby teased him. She knew he wouldn't resist the challenge. She also knew she was right, and sometimes this was the best way to teach her literally and figuratively bull-headed son.

"Fine!" He said, tossing it aside. "I accept!"

"You'll still need it if I'm right." She reminded him.

He grumbled and reluctantly packed the jacket. The mother smiled, triumphant. "Banzai."

"Well, are you two ready yet?" Flora asked. She was going to drive them to the airport. Ruby would call a taxi in Atlas.

"We would be, if Phoenix wasn't too busy arguing about his winterwear." Ruby answered.

"It's not even winter!" Phoenix argued,

"It's Atlas, honey. Trust me." Ruby smiled. "I think we're about ready."

"Well, let's hurry! You'll miss your flight!" Flora urged them out the door.

The drive was short, but long enough for a short conversation. One that Flora was itching to have. "Ruby, are you sure you've thought this through?"

"Why are you asking that?" Ruby asked. "Weren't you always the one to try and get me to a place I was ready to face them?"

"And are you ready?" Flora asked.

Ruby opened her mouth, closed it, and then sighed deeply. "I don't know… but I can't do this again. Not to Yang, not to myself. And not to Phoenix. No matter what happens… at least the truth will be out."

Flora squeezed her friends shoulder reassuringly. "You'll be fine, Ruby."

"I hope so."


"I think I need the jacket…" Phoenix admitted slowly, shivering in the back of the cab.

"Told you." Ruby smiled. He was struggling since they got off the plane to maintain his façade of not needing the jacket. "Alright, honey. I'll get it out of the trunk when we stop. For now…" She shrugged off her own and wrapped it around Phoenix.

"What about you?" Phoenix asked, concerned.

"My aura will help me until we stop." Ruby assured him.

"If I had aura, I would be fine." Phoenix pointed out.

"Still need another year or two before then, sorry." Ruby told him. She started combat training at 11 years old with Qrow and a lot of persistence. She would start her son at 12, if he still wanted to be a Huntsmen by then. He does seem intent, though… I think we can start soon. If I give him a head start, he can go to a combat school with an advantage under his belt. After all, he keeps 'ambushing' me.

"Woah!" Ruby's child was immediately distracted by the nearing of Atlas Manor. Once officially called Schnee Manor, Weiss changed the name a few years ago. Schnees no longer lived there. Just Xiao Longs. "That place is bigger than the school! How do people live in a place like that!? I wouldn't know what to do with so much space!"

"I think you would figure it out." Ruby teased. "You ready for this?"

Phoenix nodded.

"Alright," Ruby told him, "When we get to the door, wait outside for a second… I'll soften them up, and then get you, okay?"

Phoenix nodded again. "It'll be okay mom." He assured her. "If she invited you back, that means she missed you too, right? She'll give me a chance if she doesn't want to lose you again."

"Where the heck does a nine-year-old get so much wisdom?" Ruby seriously asked.

"I read a lot when you're out hunting." Phoenix shrugged. "A Huntsmen needs a strong mind as well, right?"

"You're really serious about that, huh?" Ruby smiled.

"Of course I am! I'm gunna be strong, like you!" He flexed non-existent muscles.

"Hehehe… alright, kiddo. We're here." Ruby opened the door and looked up the steps to the main door of Atlas Manor. "For better or worse… we're here."


Blake was mingling with Velvet inside, enjoying the Reunion. All day, she noticed Yang kept looking to the door, especially whenever it opened. After her face fell seeing Jaune and Phyrra come in, Blake knew there was something else. She approached her old partner. "Hey Yang."

"Oh! Hey Blake!" Yang smiled. Then her smile broke, replaced with embarrassment and slight panic. "Oh god, I didn't even think about you."

"What do you mean?" Blake asked, slightly offended.

"I mean, of course I… umm… look, you're missing context." Yang tried to recover.

"Clearly." The faunus replied.

"It's just… well…" Yang tried to find a way to ease this out. "Alright, blunt it is," She decided after nearly a minute of pure thinking, "Ruby might come today."

Blake's eyes opened wide. "What!? Are you sure?"

"I'm not…" Yang shook her head. "I managed to figure out her pattern, intercepted her on her contract. She said she would think about it."

Blake looked to the door. She had also been looking for Ruby for the past seven years, but she had other things she was doing as well… she didn't have Yang's free time, or resources, to decode her old girlfriend's aberrant hunting patterns. It threw her heart into turmoil.

But not as much as the next knock on the door.

Blake stayed in the background while Yang ran to get it and opened it slowly. On the other side was none other than Ruby Rose. The room went silent, marveling the surprise appearance of the redhead. "Hey guys… I'm back…"

The room stayed quiet. No one knew what to say. Eventually Ruby stepped inside and looked around. "Hey Weiss… Hey Yang."

She was immediately pulled into a patented Yang-Hug, nearly bursting her lung. "aahh… breath…"

"Ruby! I'm so glad you came! I was starting to think you decided not to!" Yang shouted, tears of joy coming down her face. "I missed you so much…"

"I… miss… air…" Ruby told her again, and Yang caught on and let her down. The redhead caught her breath. "Oh boy…. I missed you too, Yang, but gahhhhhd…"

"I believe I once told you to come home 'soon'." Weiss approached. "I think I need to get you dictionary."

"Hello to you too, princess." Ruby grumbled. Both girls grew a smile, this little banter reminiscent of their friendly word interaction of the past. "It's good to see you too, Weiss. It's good to see all of you."

"So, how are you?" Yang asked. "And no 'I'm fine' and leave it at that. I need to know."

"I know you do." Ruby nodded. "And you deserve to. I… have something to show you guys. Hopefully, it goes a long way to explaining things…" She backed up to the door and opened it. "Nix! Come on, honey."

"Nix?"

"A guy?"

"She's not into guys."

"Did she leave like that because of a girl?"

"With Blake around? No way." Velvet disputed the last comment.

The small figure entered view. Every single eye in the room was dramatically drawn to one of two places. His bright silver eyes, or his dark black horns. "Everybody," Ruby announced, "This is Phoenix Rose. This is my son."

"Hiya!" He shouted, waving at all of them, too overwhelmed by the size of the room to notice the mood of the air.

No one knew what to say. The truth Ruby had kept hidden for ten years lay plain as day on her child's head. Weiss looked between Phoenix's eyes, Phoenix's mother, and Phoenix's horns. "So… That week you were taken by Adam…"

"Yes." Ruby nodded. "It messed with my head… by the time I was ready to tell anyone, I was already hiding another secret." She squeezed her son's shoulders.

Yang kneeled down, looking over Phoenix closely. She knew Ruby must have kept Phoenix for a reason, and she found that reason deep in those silver irises. She could see the same glow and innocence Ruby once found in these very same eyes. The blonde smiled wide. "You mean to tell me, all this time, I've had an adorable nephew and didn't even know it!?" She picked him up and spun him around, giving him as tame a 'Yang-Hug' as she could.

By the time she set Phoenix back down, his mother had to kneel down and help stabilize him. He managed to catch his breath and his balance before responding. "You must be Aunt Yang."

The blonde squeaked. "Weiss, did you hear that!? I'm an Aunt! I've always wanted to be an Aunt! I'll be the best Aunt ever!"

"I'm sure you will." Weiss smiled, turning to Phoenix herself. "Hello, Phoenix. I'm Weiss. Your mother's old partner, and Yang's wife."

"You're Weiss?" He asked. "You're not as crabby as I thought…"

"What does that mean?" Weiss reeled, glaring at Ruby.

"Hehehe…" Ruby chuckled nervously.

"How…?" A voice spoke up, filled with subtle hints of anger and fear.

Everybody in the room turned their attention to the owner of the question. "Blake…" Yang warned.

"No… I know we're all thinking it." Blake argued. "How can you all ignore it?"

"We're not ignoring anything." Weiss countered.

"How can you keep him?" Blake turned her interrogation on Ruby. "How can you stand to look at him?"

Ruby stood, her hands still on Phoenix's shoulders, and guided the boy closer to Blake. "Look at his eyes, Blake. Look into his eyes."

To Blake's credit, she did try. She didn't want this to end badly. But she couldn't lie to herself to make it happen… She looked at Phoenix, and saw Adam…

Monster

"He's not Adam." Ruby pressed.

"He's Adam's son." Blake countered.

"He's my son." Ruby stood her ground.

"I… I…" Blake sighed. "I can't… I'm sorry…" She turned around and walked deeper into the Manor, needing distance from this scenario.

"Looks like I was right…" Ruby lamented.

Yang walked up next to them, intent on bringing the mood back up. "Come on, Rubes. We got a lot to catch up on." She looked down at Phoenix and smiled. "And you and I have some lost time to make up. What's your favorite snack?"

The child looked as though he was genuinely confused. "The… kind you eat?"

Yang slowly looked back to her sister with a wide smirk, and found Ruby couldn't meet her eye. "What? I don't know where he gets it from…"

"Sure." Yang nodded. "So, if your momma don't mind, I think we're due in the kitchens. Is that okay, Rubes?"

Ruby smiled. She was glad someone wanted to get along with her son. "Of course."

"I'll get us some coffee." Weiss told Ruby. "I do want to ask a few questions, if you don't mind."

"I'll do my best." Ruby nodded.

While she waited for the coffee, Ruby's thoughts lingered on her dear faunus friend. She was hoping that Blake, of all people, could warm up to Phoenix. But her fantasy seemed just that, a fantasy. She thought she would be sad, but after everybody else was willing to give Phoenix a chance, the turn of events frustrated her more than anything. Why can't she see? Why can't she see past Adam? Why can't she see my son?