Ruby and Weiss found seating that wasn't too far away from Yang and Phoenix in the kitchen. The two groups could see each other, even if they couldn't quite hear each other.

"Thank you, Klein." Weiss nodded to her oldest and most respected butler.

"Of course, Ms. Schnee." He nodded, leaving her and Ruby a pot and two cups of coffee.

"Are you sure coffee is the greatest idea for me?" Ruby asked.

"Blake is the tea drinker, remember?" Weiss reminded her. "Besides, I've heard stories. If Phoenix is even half as energetic as you were at that age, even you would get tired."

"Ah, he's fine." Ruby smiles. "Though I do occasionally take a morning cup. Didn't have it today, so it works out."

"I see." Weiss smiled.

"So, about those questions?" Ruby asked.

"Right into it, huh?" Weiss dropped her gaze. "Ruby, don't get me wrong. I'm not questioning you keeping him, as it's obviously worked out. You seem a great mother, and Phoenix seems a good kid."

"He's a brat." Ruby chuckled. "But a lovable brat."

"So, a dolt?" Weiss smiled at the old joke.

Ruby smiled at it as well. "A dolt."

Weiss took another sip from her coffee, thinking deeply. "Like I said, I'm not saying you shouldn't have kept him. But his origins are obvious. Keeping him couldn't have been your plan from the start. So, what happened?"

"I was going to get rid of him." Ruby confessed. "But the laws in Vale would have required a signature from a family member. Proof that possible mothers had discussed the decision with their loved ones."

"And you didn't want us to know. You would have taken that to your grave." Weiss deduced.

"So I figured 'I have two months left. I'll go somewhere I can do this on my own.' And ended up going to Mistral." Ruby continued.

"That's where you've been living these ten years?" Weiss asked.

Ruby nodded. "Has Yang ever told you about Flora?" Weiss nodded. "I happened to get to Mistral right when the laws were in the air. I couldn't abort there either, and Flora convinced me to carry him, give him up. 'Maybe someone could raise him to not be Adam', I figured."

"And that someone turned out to be you." Weiss smiled.

"Yup. It was his eyes. When I first saw him in that bundle of blankets, all I saw was 'Adam's son'." Ruby recalled. She smiled. "But then he opened his eyes. Only a few hours after birth, he opened his eyes. It was miracle, and just what I needed to see. That's when I saw him as my son. And I fell in love."

"He's lucky." Weiss nodded. "It could have gone a completely different way for him."

"So, what's been happening on this end for the past few years?" Ruby asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Nothing you'd be very interested in." Weiss smiled mischievously. "Except that Blake's single again."

Ruby spat out her coffee and nearly dropped her mug. "What!? What happened?"

"She won't say." Weiss shook her head. "But I just thought you would like to know."

"You and Yang both have the worst timing…" Ruby remembered another time the blonde asked her about Blake, back in that coffee shop years ago. "I can't be with Blake if she can't stand Phoenix."

"I don't think that will last." Weiss theorized.

Ruby didn't know, but she didn't feel like voicing her concerns out loud. "What about everyone else? Where's dad and Qrow?"

While the pair continued to catch up, Yang and Phoenix were enjoying themselves in the kitchen. Yang handed Phoenix a gourmet cookie to test.

"That's delicious!" Phoenix shouted. "Momma's is still better, though."

"Yeah, well, it's always different homemade. It's about heart." Yang smiled. "'The more the love, the better the taste.' That's something Summer, your momma's mom, used to say."

"She sounds cool! When can I meet her?" Phoenix asked innocently.

"Oh… She's gone, Phoenix. A very long time ago, now." Yang lamented.

"Oh…" The kid's face fell.

"She was cool." Yang nodded, smiling. "Ruby's a lot like her. Especially now that she's a mom, too. Summer was a huntress, and when she was gone, Ruby wanted to be one. Pick up where she left off."

"Imma be a Huntsmen, too!" Phoenix declared. "Strong! Strong as Momma even!"

Yang smiled. "I'm sure you will. It's not gunna be easy, though. Especially if you want to be strong like your mom. Speaking of… do you know anything about that gold lining on her weapon?"

"She won't let me touch Crescent Rose. 'When I'm older' she says." Phoenix pouted. "I am older!"

"When did she say this?" Yang asked.

"Um… Yesterday." Phoenix admitted. "But I am older! One day older!"

Yang had to stop laughing before responding. They carried on, but Yang eventually noticed that part of Phoenix's mind was on something else. "Hey, is everything okay?"

Phoenix looked up. "Well… That girl from earlier was Blake, right?"

Yang frowned. "Yeah."

"Momma 'like-like's her, doesn't she?" Phoenix asked.

The blonde sighed. "Yeah… they 'like-like'ed each other a long time ago."

"Does she hate me?" Phoenix reached his main concern.

Yang thought hard. "I don't think she hates you. She just doesn't know you. Did your momma tell you about Adam?"

Phoenix nodded. "He's my daddy, but not my daddy. Not in here." He tapped his chest, over his heart.

"Blake has a bad history with him." Yang told her nephew. "It's harder for her to see past… well…"

Phoenix touched his horns. "I have these because he had these, huh? He had to be a faunus, or I wouldn't be one… that much I know."

Yang reached across the table and tapped them as well. "These are nothing to be ashamed of. These are yours, not his. They are a part of who you are, be proud of them."

The young faunus smiled. "Momma says the same thing. Don't worry, I am." His smile faltered. "It doesn't change where they came from."

They stayed quiet for a second longer before Phoenix spoke up again. "Maybe if Blake talked to me. Then her and Momma could be together again, and momma would be happy."

Yang smiled. He just wants his Momma to be happy. That's what this is about. Her smile failed. But... "I don't think that's a good idea. Like I said, she's having a hard time coming to terms with you. She could say something we will all regret."

Phoenix nodded, still thinking. "Then what about Momma? Maybe she can talk to Blake about me?"

The cogs of Yang's mind started turning a mile a minute. Her smile returned, larger than ever. "I think I have an idea, little guy…"


Blake wasn't sure what she was going to do. She spent the last seven years since the day Ruby vanished, the day her and Sun split, dreaming of being with the redhead again. The she finally shows up, quite out of the blue to Blake, and tells everyone she had been raising Adam's child. The faunus woman didn't know what she was going to do about that…

"I mean, Ruby is raising him, right?" Blake thought out loud, "How bad can the kid be if Ruby is his mother… I bet she's a lot like Summer… that's who she would try and emulate…" But no matter how many times she told herself this, the horns always got in the way. Me, judging someone I don't know by the way they look… The sudden thought surprised and depressed her. Cruel irony.

"I can do it." Blake resolved. "I can get over it… but not right away. There's something I have to do first."

"Okay… Here's the truth…"

Blake leaned forward. His voice still sounded so sincere, full of emotions she hadn't seen in the bull man for a very long time.

"I did something terrible to her…" Adam continued. "And I'm not surprised she didn't tell you. I… experimented on her." The words seemed difficult for him to say. "I tried to brainwash her. I wanted to see if I could turn her against her own kind. It wasn't exactly a painless technique."

Adam lied, though. Once again, he lied to her, playing the apologetic villain. And she fell for it all over again. She knew it was within her power to accept Phoenix. But she needed to confront Adam again first.

A knock at the door brought her out of her reverie. Blake opened the door to see Yang standing on the other side. "Hiya, Blake! There you are!"

"Oh, hey Yang. What's up?" Blake asked.

"I just wanted to show you something, come on!" The blonde didn't wait for a yes or no, grabbing Blake's wrist and leading her through the halls. The speed and certainty in which Yang moved impressed the cat faunus. It must have taken her years to learn this labyrinth. Eventually they came to a door that, instead of Yang charging through, she pushed Blake through first.

"Yang, what's going on?" Blake turned to ask, and found only a closed door. She tried the handle. It was locked. Fuming, she turned around and saw another door out of this particular room. She started heading towards it, but her faunus ears heard something that made her freeze.

"Are we close yet, Nix?"

"Real close, Momma!"

"What's going on? What do you want to show me?"

"Something really cool Aunt Yang told me about! In here!"

"Oh yeah?" Ruby walked through the door, and saw Blake. The door slammed and audibly locked behind her. The redhead looked dead on at her surprise companion. "Yang?"

"Yang." Blake nodded.

"Phoenix!" Ruby turned around. "Unlock the door! Phoenix! Grr!" She turned back to Blake.

The faunus looked uneasy. Ruby realized she must have seen her current scolding as her not wanting to be in here with her. Quick, think of something… be funny! "He only spends five minutes with Yang, and he's already learned mischief." Ruby fumed, hiding her smile. "I mean, he certainly didn't get it from me."

"Adam used to be quite the mischief maker at his age as well." Blake responded, not thinking about it. Then she thought about what she said, her eyes widening. "I'm sorry, Ruby, I didn't mean-"

"Save it." Ruby voice was different. Harder, and sadder. She sat against the wall, sliding down it.

Blake didn't know what to say, and stayed silent.

"Blake," Ruby eventually broke the silence, "do you understand why I hid him for so long? What I was afraid of?" Blake's eyes met Ruby's. "For years, I've had this perfect fantasy." The redhead continued. "One where I had a full, loving family. Me, and you… And Phoenix. But I didn't act on it, because I was also afraid that you wouldn't be able to accept him."

"Ruby…"

"I was amazed that Yang and Weiss accepted him so quickly." Ruby told her. "Maybe they just didn't want me to go again… but whatever reason, at least they're trying."

Blake hung her head, shame filling her.

"Look," Ruby's voice changed again. She didn't want to shame Blake. "I understand if you can't see past it. But Phoenix is the single, most important thing in my life. He's my son. And if you can't accept his existence… then we can't be together…"

Blake looked up at the woman she had loved despite herself for the past ten years. "I… understand, Ruby. I promise I can accept him… just… maybe not right away…"

Ruby felt her heart escalate. "Well… don't take too long, okay…?"

Blake's own heart jumped at the statement. Both girls smiled.

"Now, I gotta be a parent." Ruby stood up and looked to the locked door. Her fists rested on her hips and she inhaled deeply. "PHOENIX! YANG! OPEN THIS DOOR!" No response. "NOW!"

Slowly the door clicked and started to open. Ruby had to use her semblance to catch Phoenix, and Yang hung back with Blake. "Everything okay?" The blonde asked.

"It will be." Blake replied with confidence.


Ruby lead Phoenix back into the main hall by his ear. "What did we learn?" The mother scolded.

"Never try to outrun you." Phoenix responded.

"Exactly." Ruby smiled. "Also, don't ever lock people in rooms against their will. Aunt Yang isn't known for thinking things through, don't do everything she says."

"Yes, Momma." Phoenix rubbed his ear when she let go.

"Hey! I object to that!" Yang shouted from nearby.

"I don't." Weiss barely looked up from her book.

"Aren't you supposed to be on my side?" Yang pouted.

"Please, if I didn't keep your ego in check, it would rival your hair in size." Weiss shot back.

"I thought these rings meant something…" Yang continued pouted.

"They mean I can put you in the doghouse if I feel it's appropriate." Weiss smiled, to Yang's dismay.

"Doghouse?" Phoenix asked. "Why would you do that? It seems cruel…"

The group fell into horrified silence. Yang and Weiss had completely forgot a nine-year-old was in the room, and Ruby glared at them with that look only mothers and teachers perfect.

"I'm not actually going to shove her in a doghouse," Weiss told Phoenix, "it's a phrase."

"Meaning what?" the innocent child asked.

"Umm…" Weiss looked uneasy.

"Well…" Yang rubbed the back of her head.

Ruby sighed. "When you're older." She saved them, taking little Phoenix's youth wrath on herself.

"When will I be older!?" He pouted loudly to no one in particular.

Ruby smirked. "When…"

Phoenix looked up at his mother. "No…"

"You're…"

"Uuughh."

"older…" Ruby smiled.

"Oh!" Yang jumped, remembering her conversation with Phoenix earlier. "Hey, Ruby, what's with that gold lining on your scythe? It cut right through that Deathstalker like nothing!"

"Oh, that?" Ruby waved. "Just an experiment, really. It's only the single hardest materiel known to Huntsmen! I may be the first one to actually work it."

"What, like a rare metal? Dust infused? You know I don't know these things." Yang crossed her arms.

"But you know the material." Ruby smirked. "Every Huntsmen and Huntress knows it. It's very stubborn and annoying."

Yang thought hard. A strong material all Huntsmen and Huntresses knew? Not an alloy if Ruby might be the first to work it… golden color… "Wait…"

"Mmhmm." Ruby nodded.

"No… No way!" Yang stood up.

"Yes way."

"How!?" Yang shouted. "I don't think I've ever seen a fire that made a Deathstalker Stinger even glow! How the hell did you work it into a blade?"

"This next part… you may not like…" Ruby rubbed the back of her head.

"Of course you would do something extremely dangerous for the sake of your weapon fetish." Weiss rolled her eyes.

"It's not a fetish…" Ruby pouted. Phoenix didn't even bother asking.

"What did you do?" The CEO continued. "Quench it in an active volcano?"

"Well…" Ruby's eyes went everywhere but anybody else's.

"Oh my god." Weiss wore a face of incredulity. "You forged it in a volcano."

"I wanted to see if it would work." Ruby shrugged. "I just happened to be fighting grimm at Mount Chrysalis's eruption a few years ago. After finishing the grimm in my sector, I managed to get a few melted into thin blades before the magma began to cool. Then I attached them to new blades to put on Crescent Rose."

"You're insane." Weiss shook her head.

"I was safe!" Ruby defended. "I wasn't going to let myself die."

"As safe as you could be in an active volcano." Weiss rebutted.

"Which is surprisingly safe." Ruby nodded. "Weiss, I'm not going to do anything stupid. A little crazy, maybe, but not stupid." She squeezed Phoenix's shoulder to prove her point.

Weiss softened and nodded.

"So, speaking of family…" Yang dared tread the dreaded subject. "Are you staying?"

"I'm going back to Mistral." Ruby told them. "Phoenix has school and friends, I have friends. I have a life there, Yang."

"Oh…" Her sister's face fell. The blonde looked to the ground, where a slip of paper entered her vision. She followed the paper to the person holding it.

"The difference is, this time you'll know where I live." Ruby shook the paper. "My address. And Phoenix has a school break in a little while. Maybe we could come out then, if you'll have us for a few weeks?"

Yang brightened up. "Of course! Thank you!" Yang hugged Ruby tight.

"I'm not falling out of your life again, Yang." Ruby returned the hug. "I promise."