Yang was fidgeting in her seat, excited beyond belief. She wanted to see where Ruby had been living, and meet Ruby's friends. So, it was agreed that Yang would fly out to Mistral as Phoenix's school break started, to sate her curiosity and pick the pair up for three weeks in Atlas. The airship was nearly landed and the blonde's imagination was running wild with what kind of place Ruby lived in. Everything from a two story home to a shack in an alley assaulted her mind, and as the images got darker, she made herself stop.
She showed the taxi driver the address and was soon standing outside the apartment block. It wasn't the worst image she thought of, but she still found herself wondering she's lived here for ten years? Have I been in the Manor for too long? She walked up the steps and knocked on the door.
"Aunt Yang! Aunt Yang! Aunt Yang is here!" Yang heard Phoenix's excited voice from inside the doorway.
"Hold on, Phoenix." Ruby giggled. She opened the door slowly and smiled when she saw that it was indeed Aunt Yang. "Hey-a, sis!"
"Hey, Momma!" Yang teased, a habit she picked up quickly spending time with Phoenix at the Reunion.
"Aunt Yang, Aunt Yang!" Phoenix bounced and shouted. "Can I show Aunt Yang around?"
"Yes, you can." Ruby smiled.
"Alright, tour guide, where to first?" Yang asked Phoenix.
By the time Flora showed up, Yang had been in Phoenix's room where the tour ended for nearly twenty minutes, playing with the kid while Ruby watched and secretly recorded. "You have a lot of toys." Yang noted.
"I made some of 'em. Like my sword!" He pulled out the wooden 'blade', that had the appearance of a traditional a katana. "This used to be a branch on the tree outside!"
"Very good." Yang nodded, taking the toy weapon. It actually was surprisingly durable for something carved from a branch, even a thick one.
"And this one!" Phoenix shouted, grabbing his precious grimm doll. "This is Beo! He's my favorite!"
"He looks like he's been around the block." Yang pointed out, poking the missing eye.
"Beo's been his bedtime stuffed animal since he was a baby." Ruby told her sister. The group heard the lock click open on the front door.
"Ruby~! You still here?" Flora's voice sounded out.
"We're in Nix's room!" Ruby called out.
Flora entered a second later. "Ash couldn't come."
Ruby frowned. "Couldn't? Or wouldn't?"
Flora's gaze dropped to the floor.
"What happened? Who's Ash?" Yang asked.
"Ash is a… friend of Flora's. We tried dating once, but it didn't end well. I don't see her often anymore." Ruby explained.
"Why not?" Yang asked.
"She wasn't who I wanted to be with." Ruby answered absent-mindedly. "And it showed."
"Oh…" Yang rubbed the back of her head. "You must be Flora!" Yang smiled at the nurse. "I'm Aunt Yang!"
"Aunt Yang, is it?" Flora smiled.
"Hey, what the little man says, goes." Yang answered. "Aint that right, Momma?"
"Maybe with you, but I actually have to parent him occasionally." Ruby resisted.
"Laaame." Yang shook her head. "So, Flora… I guess I want to thank you for sistering my sister while I couldn't."
"It was the least I could do." Flora smiled. "Ruby is a good friend, and Phoenix is a good kid."
"And now, I'm kidnapping them!" Yang declared.
Flora giggled. "Well, then, I'll just have to watch the house until you release them."
"You got everything you need?" Ruby asked her friend.
"Yup. You have fun." Flora nodded.
"Alright." Ruby and Phoenix simultaneously held out their hands like they were cuffed. "Take us away, Aunt Yang!"
"Alright, you're comin' with me!" Yang pushed them out the door. The whole group wore huge smiles.
Adam was pushed through the hallways until he reached the visiting cells. All that separated him from his guest was a double-pane of shatter-proof glass. Even powerful physical semblances fell short against this transparent wall. On the other side sat Blake Belladonna, looking decidedly less than cheerful. She wore the same expression she wore the first time she visited. It made the bull-man uneasy.
"You haven't visited in a while." He tried to joke. "I was beginning to think you had given up on me."
"Maybe I have." Blake stated coldly.
Adam was taken aback. "Blake… What's wrong?"
Blake looked disgusted to see him. "I fell for it. All over again. I've wanted to see you do better for so long… And you keep using it. Using me. You lied to me, Adam. Right from the start. And I fell for it."
"I don't understand…" Adam kept his mask of hurt.
"Bullshit." Blake wasn't falling for it any more. She wasn't ever going to make the mistake of trusting Adam again. "You told me, you promised, that you confessed everything you did to Ruby. But you lied. I don't even know if you did what you said you did, and you certainly didn't tell me everything."
"Blake, what is-" The bull man stopped. His features changed, and his mask fell. Once again, he wore the cold expression of an emotionless person. "She came back, didn't she?"
The change didn't surprise Blake in the least. "Yes."
"I see." They just stood there for a long time.
"You almost had it, too." Blake finally spoke up, standing and turning to leave. "I was almost ready to try and get you out of here. But now I know the truth. And you won't see the light of day for a very long time."
"Tell me something, Blake. Because I'm curious." Adam told her, stopping her mid-step.
"Why should I grant you anything?" Blake asked pointedly.
"Consider it a last request. Because what you're giving me might as well be a death sentence." Adam proposed.
Blake's eyes narrowed, but she stood still.
"It still couldn't have been easy for her to talk about. So how did it happen? How did the truth come out? Did you force it?" Adam asked her, voice full of accusation. He was looking for anything he could use against Blake.
But what the cat girl had for him wasn't what he expected. She rounded on him, hoping what she had to deliver would hurt him. "She came back, Adam. And she brought someone with her. A son, Adam. A beautiful child you can never claim as your own. A son that you will never get to even see." She told him coldly.
It seemed to have the intended effect. Adam was visibly shaken by the revelation, unnerved. His gaze fell to the ground, head full of thoughts. Blake walked away, allowing herself one triumphant smirk as she stepped through the door.
Phoenix was enjoying himself at The Manor, his first real experience in being spoiled. And it was the full package, Weiss having asked Klein if he was okay being the child's personal butler for the duration of his stay. She trusted the man more than she ever did her own father, and she was secretly jealous. Why am I still Weiss? Why can't I be Aunt Weiss?
"Geez, Weiss. Catching right up on the 'spoiling aunt' aren't you?" Ruby accused her one day.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Weiss scolded, her face turning red.
"Yeah, yeah. Even Yang doesn't spoil him as much as you seem to be trying." Rub told her.
"Somebody has too." Weiss defended. "Isn't there always that one spoiler in the family?"
"I think my dad will be mad you took it from him." Ruby stated. "Y'know, you could just ask him if you're that bent up about it?"
"That wouldn't feel right." Weiss confessed. "I can't just ask him to call me something he doesn't see me as."
"Speaking of dad, isn't he gonna show up?" Ruby asked Weiss. "Yang said something about it."
"He should be here tomorrow." The CEO answered. "Yang told him about Phoenix already. She was too excited about being an Aunt to keep it in. He's coming with the express purpose of meeting his grandson." Weiss turned to face Ruby head on. "He also explicitly restricted any 'old man' jokes."
"Who, me?" Ruby asked.
"More Yang," Weiss admitted, "but you, too."
"Hi Momma!" Phoenix called out. "What'chu two talkin' about?"
Weiss opened her mouth, but Ruby interrupted. "Weiss here was just wondering why you don't call her Aunt."
"Ruby!?" The CEO was shocked.
Phoenix looked in deep though for a moment. "Well, you aren't related to me by blood… I guess I hadn't thought of you as family like that. But you are married to Aunt Yang, so I guess you are Aunt Weiss. I'm sorry."
Weiss blushed. "N-no need to apologize, Phoenix. It's okay, I understand."
Phoenix smiled. "So, Aunt Weiss, what were you two really talking about?"
"Your grandfather should be coming by tomorrow." Weiss answered. "Are you ready to meet him?"
"Mmmm-hmmm!" Phoenix nodded enthusiastically.
While this was happening at the Manor, Yang was a few blocks away catching up with Blake. It was a regular thing to meet at that same coffee shop. After the normal pleasantries and minor conversation, Yang was ready to broach the topic that had been burning in her head since before she even showed up at the café. "Imma go to the bathroom real quick." She told Blake. "Then I have something I want to ask you."
"Alright." Blake nodded, sipping her hot tea while she waited for the blonde to return. Her scroll started to buzz in her pocket, and she took it out to frown at the caller ID. Valen Penitentiary. Again. She answered reluctantly, and brought the scroll to her ear. "Adam, stop calling me. The answer is still no."
"I need to see him. One visit." Adam pleaded. Since the cat woman's last visit three weeks ago now, Adam would call her regularly, asking the same thing. He wanted to see his son.
Except Blake knew better. She didn't trust Adam in Phoenix's presence. And Phoenix was not Adam's son. "Forget the idea of it, Adam. And stop calling me." Blake hung up as Yang exited the bathroom. The blonde didn't see her on her scroll. "So, what did you want to ask?"
"Well…" Yang started, "you see… Ruby's going to be in town for a while. I was wondering if you wanted to come up to the Manor… See her, y'know?"
"You want to know if I'm ready for Phoenix." Blake told her, seeing it in an instant. "I think I am, Yang. I would like to see Ruby. But I don't want to surprise her. Tell her I'll show up tomorrow."
"Well, dad's actually coming to meet Phoenix tomorrow." Yang told her.
"The next day, then. I'll find something to do until then." Blake nodded. "No need to overwhelm her."
"She'll be happy to see you, I'm sure." Yang smiled. It had been too long since the two had last been together. The sister was more than happy to help bring them back.
That night, Blake got another call from the prison in Vale. This time, she let it go to voicemail.
Taiyang and Qrow were already in the main hall of the manor by the time Ruby woke up the next morning. She sleepily walked into the kitchens to grab a bowl of cereal and waved to her father and uncle on the way. The pair heard a crash from the kitchen as Ruby dashed back in to see them. "You're… here."
"Yup." Taiyang nodded. "We are."
"I thought you guys wouldn't be here until later…" Ruby approached the pair closely before pulling them into a tight group hug. "I missed you both…"
"Coulda come by." Qrow pointed out. "Or at least called."
"I'm sorry…" Ruby lamented as they all let go. "I lost all my old numbers along with my old scroll, and then I've just been… busy. Busy with Phoenix, with my life in Mistral."
"Believe it or not, I understand." Taiyang assured. "I've got kids of my own, y'know." He smiled. "I have missed you. Speaking of Phoenix, where is the little guy?"
"Still asleep. He can be hard to wake up some days." Ruby told him. "Surprised there's no Yang in him, sometimes."
"He's got me." Taiyang reminded his daughter.
"I can go fetch him, if you would like to catch up, Ms. Rose." Klein arrived from the kitchen, where he had just swept up Ruby's spilt cereal.
"I'd rather get him, if you don't mind." Ruby assured him. She didn't like the feeling of pawning off motherly duties on the well paid and willing butler, even if he was Phoenix's personal butler according to Weiss for the duration of their stay. The butler nodded, understanding.
Ruby made it back to the room they borrowed and opened the door to see Phoenix already waking up and rubbing his eyes. He yawned deeply and looked towards his mother. Seeing her made him smile. "Good morning, momma…"
"Good morning, sweetheart." Ruby patted his head affectionately. "How did you sleep?"
"Good." He stretched. "Imma miss these beds when we go back home…"
"I'm sure Aunt Weiss will let you keep a mattress, maybe even a pillow or two, if you ask nicely." Ruby told him. She was considering doing the same herself. Apparently, these were high class beds for an extremely active lifestyle, such as the lifestyle of a huntress. The CEO had bought them for Yang. Ruby could see why, they worked wonders on sore muscles. "You ready to meet your grandpa?"
Phoenix's eyes went wide. He was learning he had a lot of family he never knew about. She smiled wide. "Is he here!?"
"Yup!" Ruby told him, them both smiling wide.
"Let's go, let's goooo!" Phoenix grabbed his mothers hand and led her from the room.
The pair ran right into Weiss halfway through the halls, taking them all down to the ground. The CEO sat up and stared at Ruby and Phoenix, who were still dazed on the floor. "You are definitely your mother's child." Weiss noted, looking at Phoenix. "Have you seen Taiyang yet?"
"We were on our way." Ruby nodded. "Sorry about that."
"At least I'm not carrying any dust this time, crater face." Weiss teased.
"Whas that mean?" Phoenix asked.
"Later." Ruby brushed off.
Weiss smirked. "Your mother here made a wonderful first impression when we first met, tripping over my luggage and blowing up half my Dust."
"It was one bottle!" The young mother defended.
"Still made a nice crater." Weiss noted offhandedly.
"hmph." Ruby pouted as her son started giggling.
"Well? Your father's waiting." Weiss reminded her old partner.
Ruby nodded and took Phoenix down the halls at a more controlled pace.
Yang walked into the kitchen for her bowl of cereal to meet the inviting smell of fresh breakfast. "Mmm… I thought you didn't cook on the weekdays, Klein?" The blonde asked before actually seeing the room. She froze when she realized Klein wasn't even in the room. Taiyang, Qrow, and Phoenix were all playing a board game at the kitchen table while Ruby was dancing around the kitchen making omelets, coffee, waffles, and bacon all at once. "Woah…"
"Geez, Yang, I never thought you would settle into being rich quite that far." Ruby teased.
"You're cooking breakfast? And not burning any of it?" Yang asked incredulously.
"I'm a mother now, Yang." Ruby reminded her, perfectly cracking two eggs with one hand and the side of the pan, pouring out the contents without getting shell in the pan. "I've picked up a few new tricks. It's pretty fun, actually."
"I see." Yang nodded and walked over to the table. "Room for one more?" She asked the board game group.
"Sure!" Taiyang happily let Yang in the game, even gave her some extra play money to catch up.
"I guess you guys are getting along okay?" Yang asked the table
"As long as we don't mention the gray in Grandpa's hair, apparently." Phoenix told her, completely ignorant of his bluntness.
Taiyang glared while Yang and Qrow suppressed laughs. "What?" Phoenix seemed genuinely confused, and the others couldn't hold their laughter anymore.
The game was put on pause while Ruby served seven plates of breakfast. Taiyang, Qrow, Phoenix, Yang, Ruby herself, and Weiss dug in. The seventh plate was apparently for Klein, because Ruby wanted to pay him back for his kindness, even if he was a paid servant. It took a bit of convincing, but they could tell he was happy to be invited.
Yang was searching for an in to talk about Blake, but was cut off by Taiyang before she found one. "So, Rubes," Her father asked, "have you spoken to Blake at all?"
Ruby froze. "Why would you ask about that?"
"Ruby, I had seen you date a number of times. A small number, thankfully, but enough to see that Blake was the only one who didn't have to compete with Crescent Rose for your attention." Taiyang pointed out.
Ruby looked down at her plate. "I don't know… I'd like to, but-"
"Wait." Yang held up her hand. "Before you continue, you should know… I spoke to Blake yesterday. She wants to see you, Ruby. She'll be here tomorrow, in fact."
The redhead was in deep thought for sometime.
Klein intervened this time. "Perhaps it is best if Ms. Rose and Ms. Belladonna had some time to themselves to have a civil discussion. I could take young Phoenix out for, say, ice cream when Ms. Belladonna arrives?"
"I think that's actually a good idea." Weiss nodded. "You'd only have to worry about what you'll say to Blake."
"Better than no plan, anyway." Qrow gave his two cents.
Ruby looked up at the group. "Why does it matter to all of you anyway?"
"Because we want you to be happy." Yang answered. "And we know Blake makes you happy. Even after all this time."
Ruby sighed and smiled. "Alright. I'll trust you guys. And thank you."
Yang smiled. Everything was finally falling back together, even the most perfect match she'd ever seen, outside her own with Weiss of course. Life was finally returning to normal, to what it should be, for the first time since Beacon all those years ago.
