A/N: This chapter would've been up yesterday, but the site decided to refuse to let me upload things. Oh well, it's clearly fixed now. Also, I've realized - there's over 150 of you following this fic! Holy moly! It would be amazing if more of you could leave comments, friends- it motivates me to keep writing, especially in this busy season. I hope to hear from more of you!

Laws of Attraction

For the first few weeks of classes, Pyrrha had to bite down the anxiety which threatened to resurface. Every single time a professor asked for a demonstration in front of the class, she was the first to instinctively hide herself away. She avoided all eye contact in class, even though she was invested in the topics- and although she wanted to participate, more than anything, the fear in her was too strong to bear.

What would she do if she faced another breakdown?

Despite knowing that avoidance behaviours weren't the healthy way to cope, Pyrrha couldn't help but run from the possibility of triggering another attack. She had a mission now. She had sworn to never react that way again, to never let herself fall. She was stronger than that, and she never wanted to feel that loss of her power- not ever again. While she was sorting out how to cope with her new anxieties, it was too dangerous to get into another potentially triggering situation. Not to mention that if the faculty found out about her meltdown, what would they say? Would they even support her career as a Huntress? Would they allow someone who had shown a weakness, one that could endanger everything they fought to protect, to join their ranks? That future was the one thing she refused to jeopardize.

So, for the time being, she lived her life quietly. Thankfully, her professors were content to let her learn at her own pace. Once in a while, they would speak to her before class about her old mentors at Sanctum, or about the previous Mistral Regionals in which she had competed- however, nothing ever transpired in front of the entire lecture hall. Even Professor Goodwitch hadn't called upon her to battle again, giving other students the chance to duel against various upperclassmen as a brief introduction to their training. She was never forced to be in the spotlight, allowing her fears to slowly fade until the attack was nothing more than an unsettling memory.

Jaune, Nora and Ren knew that something was wrong- and in each class, Pyrrha couldn't help but praise every deity that might be listening for blessing her with Team JNPR. They never asked why she had run away from dinner that Sunday night, only reporting that it was delicious and that she had to go there with them all the next weekend. It helped that after they had returned, her mask had been affixed and she had appeared to be back to normal- and yet, they knew. Still, they left her in peace, and she was more grateful than she could ever express.

Even if you asked for help, would they even believe you? her mind would occasionally whisper. You're Pyrrha Nikos. You don't have fears.

She could never find the right way to respond to that thought.

Once in a while, the same nausea-inducing anxiety began to bubble into her stomach. It always came without warning. One moment, she would be fine, laughing with her team- and in the next, her head would start to swim and the trembling would begin. With her heartbeat racing and her breaths speeding up and her focus falling apart, she'd grit her teeth and force herself to bear it because dammit, why is the wind so loud in my head every time. No matter what, though, she choked it down. Every time, she would pause, close her eyes, and still herself. Stand up straight. Raise her chin, bring the light back into her eyes, defiantly holding onto her sense of self. Just as she had in the past, she would breathe- in, out- 1, 2-

But now, the actions were almost sacred, religious. They were imbued with her oath, her promise, her wish. She would not fall. And eventually, she was participating again, raising her hand and being the model student the world expected her to be.

By the time the seasons changed officially to autumn, life at Beacon Academy had settled into a fairly comfortable rhythm- they would have lectures all day, except for the second half of the week when they would spend their afternoons in combat training. As the leaves began to shimmer red and gold outside of the classroom windows, the first years dedicated themselves to laying the groundwork of their knowledge.

Pyrrha was more than ready to dive headfirst into the history of Remnant. She enjoyed the distraction- in academics, there was nothing that could hurt her, nothing that could bring her fear. She was safe amongst books. Also, it was an intriguing topic for her as a truly passionate future Huntress- there was no way to understand the present and better the future without learning about the past, after all.

None of the work was too challenging for her. It was comforting, knowing that despite the turmoil she had experienced during her first few weeks at Beacon, she was still as capable as always. Having maintained excellent grades at Sanctum as well, Pyrrha was able to set up a study routine that was more than enough to guide her to success. As Ren shared similar habits, the two of them were more than happy to drag Jaune and Nora to the library whenever they wanted to study.

"At least Nora might learn through diffusion," Ren always commented dryly whenever Nora settled down for a nap, head laying comfortably upon her opened textbooks.

Pyrrha always just rolled her eyes, watching Jaune try and hide his comic books. "Well, it's better than our leader," she teased. Each and every time, Jaune would pout as she replaced the comic with a set of notes and a pencil in his hand.

This is what I've always wanted, Pyrrha thought to herself each time, looking at her three teammates fondly. They're by my side. I'm not alone anymore. With each of their unique, interesting, yet loving personalities by her side, she knew that she had truly found the friends she had always wanted. Every time they were together (which, in Beacon, was practically always) her heart would sing in their presence. Life at the academy was turning out to be what she had always dreamed about.

At least, that's what would be the case- except that it wasn't. Not with Jaune.

Jaune, her first friend, her first ally at Beacon. Every step of the way, he was by her side, always ready to throw in a funny quip or to cheer her on. The pancake dinners the group shared after study sessions wouldn't be the same without Jaune helping her to wash the dishes, throwing soap bubbles at her while she tried to wake Nora from her food-induced comas. The hangouts with Team RWBY were made all the more lively due to Jaune and Ruby's friendship, slowly bridging the gap between the two teams. The study sessions they had wouldn't be nearly as useful for Pyrrha if he wasn't there, always asking for extra explanations. It gave her the chance to rehearse and test her own knowledge, so that she was always ready to go for class.

But that itself was the problem. No matter how much he tried to hide it, Pyrrha could tell- Jaune was floundering amidst the other freshman. He wasn't as prepared in combat, wasn't as well-versed in history, wasn't as accustomed to reciting the Huntsman Code of Conduct and other peace charters. He just didn't know how to be at a combat school, and Pyrrha just couldn't understand why. She had heard of how good his transcript had been- why weren't those skills transferring to his performance here?

However, when she tried to offer her notes or help him out in any way at all, the answer was always the same. "I'm fine, Pyrrha," Jaune would scoff, brushing off her concern and changing the subject before she could say anything.

And every time, she shut down a little, not knowing how to respond. But you do need help, she wanted to scream, can't you see that? I just want to make it easier for you. For Pyrrha had never struggled the way Jaune did, even when she had first begun her combat training. She desperately wanted to make it better for him, the way that his welcoming support had saved her over and over again during her rough transition into Beacon.

These thoughts haunted her as October rolled in, even as she sat in a familiar class. Professor Oobleck's jittery voice echoed throughout the lecture hall, pitching unevenly as he sipped his coffee. She sighed, tuning him out to listen to what was going on with her team.

All four of them were seated in a circle, much like the first weapons class. This was supposed to be a strategy session, where each team could discuss how to work as a team- the professor had spent the last few lectures drilling the importance of team tactics into their heads.

Unfortunately, Nora and Ren looked just about as engaged as Pyrrha felt. Nora was idly playing with the hem of her skirt, giggling as she ran her fingertips over the pleats. Ren, on the other hand, was simply reading his notes, not even pretending like he was paying attention. The only one who seemed invested in the lesson was Jaune, the blond excitedly babbling about different team attacks they could perform. . He loved talking tactics- strategy tabletops were his forte. Of course he would be excited about this lesson.

Pyrrha sighed heavily as Jaune switched to the fourth team attack they could potentially perform- something about flowers? Her attention was constantly being torn between Jaune's tirade and Ruby's hyper voice a few rows down, the girl yelling aggressively about bumblebees and different rose colours. She wasn't exactly sure what either of them were saying, but she was too tired to care.

The blond suddenly paused, looking expectantly at the team. Before he could realize no one was really paying attention, the redhead sighed again, slipped on her mask, and interjected, "That… sounds great, Jaune. Could you explain it more?"

His blue eyes widened, and the excitement practically rolled off his body as he launched into a more detailed explanation. Pyrrha would normally entertain his longwinded rants- he always was so endearing to watch, so she always viewed his bursts of inspiration as a treat, especially considering how they had lessened as of late while Jaune struggled academically. This time, however, Pyrrha promptly stopped paying any attention. Her mind quickly tuned him out as her eyes flipped through her written agenda, internally taking note of all of their upcoming deadlines.

If he showed this much excitement for the rest of our classes, she thought concernedly, then maybe he'd have a fighting chance at our midterms. But as he is now… Her eyes leapt back up to him, still talking Ren's ear off as the black-haired boy ignored him pointedly. I don't know if he can make it.

After what felt like an eternity, Professor Oobleck finally called out, "Pack up your things, students! It's time for your Combat Rituals demonstration from Professor Goodwitch! You'll finally be ready to store your equipment and learn to gain use of them at a moment's notice! Oh, what a remarkable day! Off with you, now! Hurry!" At his words, the entire class stood up, a dull roar filling the room. Tired chatter and the clinking of combat gear resonated throughout the lecture hall. It was almost the last class of the day, and they were almost free. The students were antsy, more than ready to finish up for the week.

Pyrrha followed the crowd, packing up her books neatly and walking to the door. Ren hurriedly chased after Nora while carrying both of their bags, as she was skipping out of the room without a care in the world- and without any of her books. Behind them, Jaune was still excitedly chattering away about potential strategies to no one in particular. His eyes were smiling with such unbridled honesty that she couldn't help but smile back, despite the worry that hung over her head. It had been a while since she had seen him be this happy.

Unfortunately, that joy was promptly crushed. Moving in the opposite direction to enter the lecture hall was Cardin. The taller boy's rude behaviour towards the rest of the students had only worsened throughout the month they had spent in Beacon thus far. Thankfully, he had steered fairly clear of the rest of JNPR, but Jaune was one of his favourite targets to mess with. At the start, it had just been a few comments here and there- talking about his confusion, his lack of knowledge about Auras and basic combat tools. After a few weeks, however, it had started becoming more and more aggressive- nothing physical, but still more bold.

With his gaze locked deviously on Jaune's unsuspecting face, Pyrrha had the sinking feeling that that all was going to change very quickly.

Just as she feared, as Cardin passed by Jaune the larger boy reached down, pushing the trigger of Crocea Mors stealthily. The blond yelped as the shield extending in the blink of an eye, the metal too wide to fit through the doorframe. With a thud, Jaune crashed into the shield, wedging it firmly in the doorway and preventing the rest of the students from getting through. "Come on…!" he grunted, tugging it in vain.

"Oh, good ol' Jaune," Cardin sniggered, walking past the students to retrieve his belongings. "Always good for a laugh. Well, good for nothing but a laugh." He chortled with his team, drawing the attention of everyone left in the lecture hall.

Pyrrha rolled her eyes and quickly stepped forward, pulling the disgruntled blond's hands off of his shield. Jaune's face was completely red, and his gaze was fixed firmly onto the floor outside the classroom, shoulders hunched in embarrassment. In just that one second, all of his joy was gone.

With deft fingers, Pyrrha felt around the grip of the shield until she found the trigger. Collapsing it, she steered Jaune through the doorway, hands upon his shoulders as she guided him out. "Ignore him," she murmured. "He's just being rude."

"Pyrrha, let go of me," Jaune whispered.

She didn't quite catch his words. "What was that?" she asked, leaning closer.

To her surprise, Jaune shrugged off her hands the moment they were clear of the doorway. "Stop it, Pyrrha."

"Stop what?" she asked, taking a step back. "What's wrong?"

Still red-faced, Jaune hurriedly tucked Crocea Mors back at his side. "You don't need to save me like that, okay? I don't want it."

She frowned. "I didn't mean to "save" you, Jaune, just help you out. I know you don't like being put on the spot-"

"And what do you think you're doing right now then, huh?" Jaune cried, spinning around to look at her with frantic eyes.

Shocked, Pyrrha took another step back. Suddenly, she was very aware of the gaggle of students walking past them towards the locker rooms where they were meeting Professor Goodwitch. The students had all slowed down, giggling and pointing fingers at the two of them, their attention likely piqued by Jaune's mishap by the door.

And now, with Pyrrha babying him, it was clear that the looks in their eyes were almost mocking. "Isn't he the leader of JNPR? Why isn't Pyrrha-" one girl asked loudly before being elbowed and lead away by her teammate.

Her breath caught in her throat, heartbeat suddenly racing, pounding in her temples. No. Not again! She immediately tore her eyes away from the crowd and back onto Jaune, steadying her breathing. Closing her eyes, she breathed slow- in, out- and the mask was back in place.

Over the last few weeks, she had perfected the art of shoving her anxieties into a little black box in her heart. In just a few seconds, she had poised herself once more. Unfortunately, those few seconds were all it took for Jaune to turn on his heel and scurry away from her, hanging his head in humiliation and leaving Pyrrha behind. She reached out a hand to stop him, but it was far too late, and she was alone.

"Y'know, Pyrrha," Ruby murmured by her right side. Pyrrha nearly jumped out of her skin at the tiny brunette's sudden presence. "You shouldn't do that to him."

"Ruby, you startled me," Pyrrha chuckled weakly, but her expression quickly turned somber, eyes turning back to Jaune's back, awkwardly loping down the hallways. "What do you mean by that?"

Ruby didn't reply, simply taking a few steps in front of the redhead. Suddenly, she twirled on her heel, clasping her hands behind her back. "Yang offered to do the same thing for me, y'know."

"What thing?" Pyrrha insisted, shifting her weight to her other leg. "I don't understand what you're saying." But as the words left her mouth, Pyrrha knew that it wasn't true- she knew exactly what Ruby was saying.

Ruby smiled gently, her large eyes so full of openness and warmth that it made Pyrrha's knees tremble, just a little. "People picked on me in week one, too. Sis tried to save me. I didn't want it. And I know-" she added, holding up her hand to stop Pyrrha from cutting in, "-that it was with good intentions, but that doesn't mean it's always okay." She paused, waving brightly at Professor Oobleck as the jittery man bolted out of the classroom towards his next lecture. "Sometimes, you just gotta battle it alone. Right now, Jaune's trying to fight his fight." She turned to watch their blond friend as he turned the corner, the dejection palpable even at this distance.

It was then that Pyrrha noticed how slouched Ruby's stance was as she watched Jaune leave. She's hurting, too, she realized at last, watching the younger in surprise. I… I never noticed. She had been so caught up in her own internal struggle and Jaune's academic difficulties that she hadn't paid much attention to Ruby's life, even though they ate all their meals together in the dining hall. Could I have done something to help her?

Bringing her attention back to Pyrrha, Ruby sighed heavily, releasing all her frustration. After a moment, she breathed in deep, and the large smile was back on her face. "But that's okay!" she chirped. "After all, Jaune knows that all of you guys- all of us, his friends- will be there if he needs us! He's just not super used to this 'leader' thing. Or this 'school' thing in general, haha. Give him time!"

And with that, Ruby skipped off down the hall, gleefully jumping onto Yang's back as the blonde yelped and squealed in shock. Pyrrha didn't follow her, however- she remained planted where she stood, brows furrowed, lost in thought.

But… what if he's not strong enough to fight it alone? Pyrrha couldn't help but stumble over that question, over and over again in her mind. He's not ready to take on this kind of burden. Why can't he see that I could help him? If I can't help my friends, then what am I good for?

Unfortunately, there was no time to ponder the thought any further. She only had a few more minutes to get to the locker room- Professor Goodwitch was waiting for them. No one could afford to be late, not on Glynda Goodwitch's watch. Releasing a heavy sigh, Pyrrha began jogging over, trying to ignore the frustration creeping up inside her.