"Mom...?" Vanessa asked. Reverie turned her head and met Vanessa's flushed face. "Ah! Never mind, I still can't call you that..." She knew that Reverie didn't mind the fact Vanessa cared for her on that level, but it still felt a little awkward. Yeah, it was pretty obvious Reverie and Dad were struggling with some unresolved sexual tension, but that didn't necessarily mean the two officially something. Still, it wasn't presumptuous of her to call Reverie that, right?

"Yes?" Reverie offered that far kinder smile compared to Dad. She didn't come to a halt though. The two of them were leading the way towards her home as the monkey tailed them. Vanessa was too embarrassed to ask for his name again. Sure, he was Mom's - Blake's fiancee, but he was practically a stranger. She was pretty sure Dad mentioned him a few times in his stories about Beacon, but he never really talked about his past unless she pried for it. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to ask something she knew her Dad didn't like talking about.

"How much do you know about Blake? I know her and Dad were something once upon a time, but that's about all I really know." She fixated her gaze on a pebble she kept kicking forward, a bit too nervous to meet Reverie's eyes. "I've always wanted to ask Dad how it was like in Beacon and the circumstances revolving his relationship with Blake, but I knew he didn't like talking about it and only shared what he did because I asked. I just... don't want to force him to tell me this stuff."

"Don't you think it'd be better to ask him instead of me?" she asked. She placed her hand on her shoulder, offering a relaxed look to ease her nerves. "He gave up his career in Beacon for you. Don't you think his love for you matters more than anything in the world to him?"

Vanessa felt her cheeks flush. Sure, she enjoyed poking fun at people, but she never got comfortable with expressing her deeper emotions. She loved her dad and Reverie. They both were well aware of her feelings, but she always struggled to say those three simple words. It was odd, and she always punched herself mentally for not crushing that... conflict within her.

"Which is why I'm worried..." She turned to face the older man behind them. "You knew those two from Beacon, right? How did the two of them get together in the first place?"

The older man glanced at Reverie, who maintained a neutral expression. The man sighed and crossed his arms, contemplating, digging through his memory banks. Or was he debating something with himself?

"When I first met the two, they were polar opposites. Both were a bit quiet, reserved even. I don't think they interacted much before I came to Beacon for the Vytal Festival. I'm afraid I don't know much about how they got together. It happened after I left." He noticed her crestfallen look. "I don't know they exact details, but I believe the two of them got separated from their teams when they were on a mission together. Something regarding surveillance on Grimm. Point it, the two of them got to know one another. I believe Jaune, your father, was able to come out of his shell a bit. Despite how he is now, he was quite shy back then." The man chuckled fondly at the memory.

"And thus, boy properly met girl..." Vanessa whispered. "So they opened up to one another? Just like any person in the world, all it took was a few words. The foundation for my eventual birth." Reverie drew in a sharp breath. She must have realized at this point. Vanessa shut her eyes and clenched her fist, holding it against her chest. "The two were happy, I presume. Which got me wondering about what happened. What caused the two of them to break up. It was me, right?"

"Vanessa..."

"I wasn't planned. What other reason could there possibly be? Two students striving to become Huntsmen. If I were in Beacon right now, having a child would be one of the last things on my mind. That's why Dad raised me without Blake, right? Best case scenario, the two of them just drifted apart, right? I'm the reason..."

The man had an awkward look on his face.

"Look, Blake-"

"Your mother was a coward."

Vanessa and the man snapped their heads towards Reverie. Vanessa hasn't seen Reverie look so serious in ages.

"M-Miss Reverie-"

"Quiet." She pointed at him. "I refuse to let Vanessa poison herself like this." She turned towards her and maintained a firm gaze. "There's no getting around the fact that your father and Blake weren't expecting you. But that doesn't change the fact your father willingly decided to raise you on his own. And look where that brought him; he has you, a strong, healthy young girl with aspirations far above the sky. A stable career and me of course." She winked.

"But-"

"I've told you my own story, right? Our stories are different, but there's similarities. There's no point in dwelling on something that was beyond your control. It's not your fault, Vanessa, never forget that."

"Why call Blake a coward?"

Reverie blinked. "Ah, perhaps I let my emotions get the best of me there." Reverie appeared to be lost in thought. "It's not my place to disclose those details. I've done enough. More than enough on my part. I'd say I even overstepped my bounds a bit. When we get back, why don't we have a chat with everyone?"

Vanessa nodded.

"Never forget what's important, Vanessa. Don't be like me."


Blake had enough on her plate. With Vanessa, now Yang, and even the baby. Even the baby...

She shrunk into the couch and sighed. She could sort of make out Yang's voice in the other room, expressing her issues with her presence. Blake couldn't blame her. She ran away from everything. She stood by nothing until it was far too late. Years too late. That didn't change she should at least try to make things right. Her mother responded to her first message to her in nearly half a decade almost immediately. She wanted to call, but felt that her heart wasn't ready quite yet. Before anything goes completely haywire, her parents should have the chance to meet their granddaughter for the first time.

Blake sat up straight when Yang stormed out of Jaune's office. She completely ignored her, and went to the fridge, opened it, and began chugging a beer. She fiddled with it, swirling its contents as she glared daggers at her. Blake couldn't help but look away, completely caught in the glares she sent. Jaune stepped out himself, looking a bit nervous.

"So... nice weather we're having?"

"Shut up, you idiot..." Yang spat. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She leaned on the counter, crossing her arms to cuff her breasts. Even in her mid-thirties she had this elegance about her. Not like Weiss, not refined, but radiant in a way nevertheless. "Look, Blake? Blake Wukong, now? I understand we should let you and Vanessa talk this out, but I like to believe Jaune, Reverie, Vanessa and I have a say in how this goes. You gave up your right to have a say in this manner years ago."

She stood up, leaving the bottle behind, and sauntered her way towards her. Every step made her heart race a bit faster. If Yang were to punch her, she wouldn't retaliate. If she were to start wailing on her, she wouldn't find the will in herself to fight back. Yang sat beside her and forced her to look at her. Blake let out a weak gasp as Yang cupped Blake's chin.

"It's taking every fiber of my being to refrain from kicking you out. I may only be an honorary aunt to Vanessa, but even I have done far more than you ever have. I was there when Vanessa was small enough to sit on my lap as I told her stories. I tucked her into bed and gave her a goodnight kiss every time I visited. I babysat for her, cooked for her, grieved with her... Fuck, I wanted to be her actual mother." Blake caught how Jaune shuffled awkwardly. Something she was unaware of? "So of course, I want what's best for her. Some closure would suffice as a reason for you to be here. But I assure you, if I find out you run away again or hurt Vanessa, I will hunt you down and make you atone for everything you've done."

"Yang, that's enough."

"Damn it, Jaune!" Her eyes flared. "We need to establish some basis here. I can't even look at her without-"

"Then step outside!" he demanded. Blake flinched but Yang was unfazed. Blake was a bit startled by Jaune's sudden presence. He really has changed over the years... "I was willing to let you take the lead, but come on now... Threats?" he spat.

Yang tensed and appeared to brace herself for something. Nothing came though. Instead, she smashed her head against his chest and clenched her fists, gripping his shirt. Jaune didn't take his gaze Blake, causing her to feel a chill. Nor did he embrace Yang.

"Go for a walk, Yang. You need to take a breather."

"Y-Yeah, sorry..." She sent Blake a look before stepping out. She really cared for Vanessa. No one was wrong about her being a far better mother figure. Even a complete stranger would be. Blake purged the thought when she realized the implications.

"I'd apologize for her if what she said weren't true," Jaune said. "But Yang was there for me when I struggled over the years. It wasn't easy, Blake. Had I not had Yang there, had I not met Reverie, I wouldn't be standing here with you." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "This is a mess... Yang, you and your big heart. Heh, you never change..."

"Should I just leave?" she asked. "Once Vanessa and I chat, would it be best for me to leave?"

"I think that depends on what you to two talk about, and what she wants in the aftermath. However the conversation goes, if Vanessa wants you to stay, I won't stop you. Of course, you have other obligations like your wedding, your kid, and where you'll be staying and all..."

"Sun and I intend on staying in Vale if Vanessa is alright with it. At least until the wedding. I know it'll be difficult for me to stick around with how you, Reverie, and Yang feel. And that reminds me about how I'm expecting. Look, Jaune? I'm not sure how you'll take this and I'm not even sure if its right for me to tell you, but-"

Suddenly, the front door swung open. Blake's heart felt lighter when Vanessa stepped in, but took a fatal blow when she noticed how distraught Vanessa looked.

"I've been thinking a lot about this," Vanessa blurted. "It's obvious, and I've already confirmed I wasn't planned. So tell me, please..." Vanessa was on the verge of tears. "Dad... Mom... Did you two consider aborting me?"


So I've finally arrived at my first duty station. There's been some ups and downs including how I didn't upload new chapters... Fudge. Well, I have no real excuse other than how I poorly planned my past few weeks.

So... slightly longer chapter and expect the same for next chapter. Now we're getting into the climax of this little arc. I intend on exploring more with this tale after the Blake arc, but we'll see how well I can pull this one off. Swear to god, if I butcher the execution...

Eh, we'll see.

For those of you wondering why I made Reverie for this story, I wanted someone to have the right insight for Vanessa's situation. While I planned on having Yang have a larger role, I felt Reverie would be better suited for what I want.

And for my curiosity, I set up a poll on my profile. I've already decided on a pairing, but I'm curious... who would you prefer for Jaune to be with? (Update: I fixed it so that you can see it now.)

Until next time.

Also! I intend on switching to another website in the near future for writing. I believe this change can offer more opportunities for me, so check me out on Dreame sometime! I'll be sure to inform you all of when I post my first story there. For now, I intend to finish this story, Reflection of One's Soul, and one last story on this site determined by a poll. More updates on that in the future.

-Colure

Next chapter: August 15th