Here's chapter 123, everyone.
"Hey, Jaune!" Ruby called over the blonde team leader as she was running over to him. "How's the others doing after, uh, well, the other day?"
Jaune was in the middle of just getting out of class, so he almost fell on his ass, but luckily Ruby caught him by the arm before he fell. "R-Ruby, you seriously gotta do that…"
Ruby giggled a few times as she let go of the boy's arm. "Sorry, just wanted to catch you before our next class. Still, the others are okay, right?"
"Huh? Oh, well, yeah, it's not like we got hurt too bad." Jaune tried not speaking too loud as they walked down the hall, both in their school uniforms of course. "Besides that, Ren and Nora are doing a lot better about their hometown."
"Good," Ruby smiled, happy that her choice to go with them to Kuroyuri ended up helping them. "I know it sounds a bit selfish, but I was hoping I caught you in time." She noticed the boy gave her a questioning look. "So, the other day I was thinking about asking my Mom for some help, but… I still can't decide if I really should or not."
"Wait, what kind of help?" Jaune asked.
Ruby sighed, pulling him to the side. She then made sure no one was listening in, so she whispered to the boy. "It's about Weiss' Mom, her birth Mom."
Jaune's eyes widened, taking a step back. "Whoa, Ruby, I thought we wouldn't bring that stuff up around other people."
"I know… But it's okay. No one's around." Ruby said, looking back and forth one more time to make sure. "And I needed to find a time when Weiss isn't around to talk about this."
"Hold up, why wouldn't Weiss of all people want to hear about this? Ruby, you're not making sense." Jaune remarked, and the rose girl groaned.
"Just let me explain," Ruby took a deep breath. "Weiss doesn't want us to get involved in finding out if her birth Mom still around, so if I told her what I want to do, she'd never let me even try."
Jaune was being careful too, moving over to a corner and looking down the hall, seeing several students talking by their lockers, but they were far enough away to not listen in. Once he checked, he moved back to Ruby. "Okay, and what are you trying to do exactly?"
"Weiss doesn't want us skipping out on classes to look for her Mom, so if not us, then I was thinking of asking my Mom if she could." Ruby explained, which confused Jaune more, since he didn't understand why Weiss would be against that. "Thing is, I don't know if I wanna just tell my Mom to look for her behind Weiss' back… But if I tell Weiss, then she'll just start getting hopeful about it," Her expression became much more somber. "I don't want her to end up being heartbroken if my Mom doesn't end up finding her."
"Oh," Jaune understood, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess that is a tough call, but why come to me about it? I'm not sure I can help out."
"I just… I wanted an opinion, and I really trust your opinion a lot, Jaune." Ruby said with a friendly smile. "I mean, we are both the leaders of our time after all. We kinda know about looking out for our team, so we won't fail them."
Jaune was taken aback, not expecting that for even a second. "Ruby, I… I still don't even know how I became leader of my team… Are you sure you really want my opinion? I mean, Pyrrha is-."
"If I wanted Pyrrha's opinion, I would've went to her. It's your opinion I want for this, Jaune." Ruby said, her tone taken a serious route.
The blonde leader realized Ruby wasn't messing with him, so he took a few moments to think about the situation at hand. "If you really want my opinion… I think you should be completely honest with Weiss. Not only is she your partner, but you're both dating." He had a softer expression, showing he was completely supportive of their relationship. "Trust between partners is important… So even if she does end up getting her hopes up, you can be there for her if things don't end up working out, and you'll be happier knowing that you were honest with her from the start."
Ruby felt her worrying heart calm down, and even with the possibility of Weiss ending up being sad if her birth Mother isn't found, Jaune was right. She'd be there for her if and when that happens. "Trust," Ruby repeated the word, as she smiled and hugged the boy. "Thank you, Jaune. I really appreciate this."
Jaune was surprised by the hug, patting her back a few times before pulling away with a nervous laugh. "Right, uh, well, I'd rather not have Weiss or Pyrrha catch me hugging you. Might put off the wrong idea, yknow?"
"Huh? Wait, why wouldn't you want Pyrrha to… Ohhhhhh." Ruby noticed the boy's face turning red, as she snickered a few times.
"D-Don't laugh! And… Look, I gotta get to class!" Jaune zipped off, as Ruby was giggling to herself, watching the boy running off before he could say anything else that would embarrass him.
As he ended up rounding a corner, Ruby's laughter died down and she sighed happily. "Thanks, Jaune."
"Willow," Jacques greeted as he was waiting for his wife to return from wherever she would go off to for the day. "I believe you left-." He couldn't finish his sentence, as his wife walked past him, making him sigh, so he turned on his feet, calling out to her. "You know this silence is unbecoming of a woman. Acting out will not just-."
Just as before, Willow ended up interrupting him by spinning around on her boots. "I have nothing to say to you, Jacques, so if you have something to spout about, go ahead so I can get on with the rest of my day."
"E-Excuse me, but if you truly are going to act in such a way, how do you expect to speak with any human being?" Jacques angrily questioned, as his wife crossed her arms.
"I am not 'acting out', as you claim. I've simply decided to not deal with your attitude any longer. You've lived a life of just using me, and I'm tired of it, so excuse me if I'd rather not speak to the man who claimed to have loved me, just to end up being a lie!" Willow yelled, but did her best to keep her composure.
Jacques almost yelled back, but the image of her kissing him, and how she said she felt nothing kept him from doing so. "You have no idea what lengths I have gone through, the obstacles I had come across, just to give this family a wealthy life. Paperwork, sleepless nights, meetings with the worst people-."
"You're one of them." Willow said without hesitation, and that hit Jacques hard.
"Instead of speaking out, you should be thankful to me. I've given our children a home with everything they'd ever need, and even they wish to just go and waste their lives." Jacques spat out.
Willow rolled her eyes. "The fact that you don't even think before speaking says a lot on why I shouldn't even bother, but fine, let me say what your mistake there was." Jacques chose to wait on her to continue. "You may have given us a large home and all the money in the world, but that means nothing when you try to rip their freedom away, their choices in life. Do you even care to know what Winter and Weiss are doing?"
Jacques almost spoke, but then realized he didn't know how to respond. Ever since Winter had went to join the Atlas Military, he cared not for what she did, and with Weiss, he never even considered her a daughter.
"Nothing to say, huh?" Willow let out a single laugh, turning away as she began to walk.
Not moments later, Jacques quickly caught up to her and grabbed her arm, though not forcefully. "I was not done speaking to you."
Willow yanked her arm away and glared at her husband. "Don't you dare try to lay a finger on me again, or I swear I won't hold back with self defense, Jacques. Don't test me."
"Ugh, that barbaric thing you call a semblance? You truly have forgotten the good I've done. Fine, yes, I do not exactly show interest in what those two do, but it is only because there is no need for it all."He spread his arms out, trying to show off what his wealth gained him. "This is all they need. The best protection in all of Remnant, and no one to look down upon them. They could live like royalty."
"I can't believe you still won't listen... " Willow softly muttered, shaking her head in disappointment. "That is YOUR ideal life for them, not their own life. Until you realize that, you cannot call yourself a Father."
Lowering his arms, Jacques angrily clenched his fists. "Why are you being so difficult?! I have tried my hardest to-."
"Stop. Stop before you up and repeat yourself, because I will say this once more." Willow calmly spoke after. "My children, me, none of us want to be told how to live. So if you really want us to be happy, you will stop treating yourself as a king, and try acting like a husband and a Father should."
"And who are you to dictate how a husband and Father should act? You are one person who can't seem to know what happiness is!" Jacques yelled out. "Don't think I forgot the day you brought HER here. Such nonsense, and yet I allowed you to keep her. Did I not?"
Willow sighed. "Yes, you did let me keep my little Weiss, but only because back then… You had a bit of a heart, now… Now it's just emptiness, all because you truly believe you are some kind of king."
"Enough. Just… Enough." Jacques took a breath. "I thought I could talk some sense into you. To show you that your outbursts have been for nothing, but if you won't be grateful and remember the good I've done for you-."
"Oh don't you play that card with me. I completely appreciate the man who allowed me to take in the child I brought home. I even appreciate the man who gave my children a roof above their head, but I do not appreciate the oppressor standing in front of me." Willow remarked, and both stood still, silent while waiting on the other to make a move.
Jacques fixed up his tie a bit. "I see. Well, then I suppose this so called oppressor should continue to give their son a life to look forward to. Good day to you, Willow."
As he walked past her, Willow felt time slow down, and she could picture the man she fell in love with so long ago disappearing with the Jacques she knew now. "I will not allow you to poison our son with your sense of life."
Hearing that, Jacques stopped and rolled his eyes. "You do not have a say in what I will help my son-." With a single chime heard, Jacques felt his body was restrained by what looked to be a rune.
"Our son, and I damn well do have a say." Willow said holding her hand out to the man, who was struggling to get out.
"What is the meaning of this?! Release me right this instant!" Jacques demanded while still trying to get out of the grip of the rune, which was around his waist and constricting his arms. "Willow!"
Willow kept the binding. "I felt the you I loved… The man who stole my heart die. DO YOU KNOW HOW THAT FEELS?!"
Jacques was taken aback by the volume her voice was raised to, as he stopped struggling to stare at her, as she had a look of anger, but it was followed on with tears.
"You don't understand me, our children, or anybody! Have you no heart, Jacques Gele?!" Willow screamed, which caught the attention of several of those who worked in the manor.
The only ones who responded to those yells though, were the guards. "Ma'am, what's going-." He stopped himself when he saw the scene in front of him.
Jacques and Willow were silent, with Willow waiting to see how Jacques would handle the situation they were in. "Leave us. Now." Jacques ordered the confused guard, who didn't move at first. "I said leave us be! This is a matter between my wife and I. And if I find you speaking of this, I will have you fired and blacklisted all over Remnant."
The guard felt his heart rate quicken, so he backed off and left the room. Willow herself decided to release the man from her grasp. "A matter between us."
"Repeat yourself." Jacques requested, and his voice was showing that he truly wasn't demanding her to.
"The man I loved. I felt him die, Jacques. I felt him die, and I don't think I'll ever see that man again." Willow somberly remarked, feeling the pain in her heart growing, but she stayed strong. "Or, was that man a facade the whole time?"
"Do you even remember those days? Do they matter that much to you?" Jacques questioned.
Willow brought her hand up to her chest. "They do, because even with all the horrible things you've done, to your own family, to the Faunus, to anyone who works for you… You were apart of my life and once upon a time made me happy. You even started a family with me… And I will never regret having them with you…"
"Those were times long gone, Willow. You shouldn't be so ignorant to reality." Jacques coldly replied.
"You asked me if they mattered, and I gave you my answer. Saying those times are now long gone is how you feel, but back then… Do you even remember the way you felt? Or did you discard that too along with your heart?" Willow's voice was filled with pain, but she thought of Raven, and she was able to help keep her strong throughout their conversation.
"There was a day, where you were out with me looking for a dress you really wanted… No store in Atlas had it, yet you kept trying. Almost like it was a one of a kind gem." Willow stayed quiet. "I still remember how hurt you were, when you finally gave up on searching."
Willow thought about the dress, how minuscule it was at this point in her life, but back then it was something she truly wanted. She blamed her younger views on materialistic things like that on why she wanted it so bad.
"You found out it was because it was in fact a one of a kind dress. And yet, you not once thought of using your family's money to simply just buy it off." Jacques continued recounting. "I decided that instead of buying it, I'd have a version made just for you… Something you can call your one of a kind… Do you remember how happy you were because I did that for you?"
She couldn't deny how happy she was that Jacques would do such a thing for her. Willow remembered how grateful she was, and it wasn't because he got her something she wanted. It was because he went out of his way to make it special for her.
"I do… I do remember that." Willow answered.
"That was the day that I knew, I was able to make you happy, because I decided to use a resource instead of just sitting around." Jacques stated.
"No." Willow didn't hesitate. "It wasn't the dress that made me happy… It was you. You taking an extra step, just to see me smile… That was the happiest you could ever make me. Not flaunt your money and buy me a castle…"
Jacques bit his lip. "What more could you want than being at the top of Atlas, as a Queen?"
"I didn't want to be a Queen. I wanted to be your wife…" Willow refused to say more, slowly walking past her husband, both not saying anything else, as that was the time that Jacques did not make another move, and stayed still, standing silent, and truly alone.
I want to just bring this up now for this chapter specifically. Clearly this far in, characters are different from the show. Why? Because I find it boring to straight up just have them be exactly one hundred percent the same in an AU story. Does that mean you should feel bad for Jacques here? That I leave up to you.
To JJ- The teasing in that chapter was fun to have in, since the more recent chapters have dealt with some serious moments. Need some lighthearted stuff to balance it out. Thank you for understanding why I don't want to make false promises too.
I hoped you all enjoyed chapter 123. Remember, reviews are welcomed, but not required. See you all in chapter 124.