A/N: Two chapters in two days? Inconceivable. Read: I have a few days off from uni and work this week, so I finally get the chance to write.

On another note, wowie this story is well over 50k words! It's the longest piece I've written in years, and there's still so much left to go. It's exciting, and I'm so glad all of you are here to enjoy it with me :D

Let me know what you think! I love hearing from y'all!

Laws of Attraction

That night, Jaune was back to his chipper self, acting as if nothing traumatizing had happened at all. He calmly brushed off the others' concern, assuaging not only Team JNPR's concerns, but Ruby's as well, when the younger girl came to check on her fellow team leader.

Pyrrha doubted the sincerity of his smile, but she didn't comment. It was better than being ignored by him- she hated when he hid away from her, when he turned his back and shunned her. As one of the few people she really trusted in Beacon, the very thought of losing Jaune filled her with dread.

Unfortunately, his apparent return to his normal demeanor didn't assuage her inner concerns. As she lay in her bed that night, eyes closed and ready to fade into her regular dreamland, nothing happened. The dreams never came, the soothing embrace of sleep never tugging her off, far away. The little box she had become so masterful at hiding her worries inside began to rear its ugly head, snapping at her angrily.

The thought of losing Jaune. Losing JNPR. Losing the one community she had ever really known.

I cannot fail. She bit her tongue, forcing herself to breathe in, out- 1, 2-

For she did not want to think about her fears, of her loss. She had lost enough.

So, instead, she simply lay there, eyes closed but mind racing, questions and confusion and images replaying over and over in her mind. Images, questions like: Nora and Ren, watching her go. Why did they let her go find Jaune? Why did they not go with her?

Was I the only one who would've brought him back properly? That meant that they needed her.

Like: why was Jaune behaving so cryptically about his potential, about his growth as a Huntsman?

If he's descended from one of the great heroes… why does he know so little? Why does he believe in himself so little?

And if she continued to push him… would she push him too far? Thinking of his back, leaving her behind by the statue, her heart began to ache. Accompanying that ache, however, was a small glow- a little warmth that grew and grew as she thought of his broad shoulders, his tall figure, Crocea Mors at his belt and blond hair swaying in the wind.

Her mind's eye began transforming Jaune's figure slowly. She pictured him, standing valiantly upon the cliff depicted in the Great War memorial, Beowolves below him cowering in fear as he drew Crocea Mors against his enemies, just like his forebears.

It felt right- even by just imagining it, her heart swelled with pride, that warmth in her stomach so rich that it threatened to overtake her. That image was no longer of a little boy, bright-eyed, towel-cape ready for action. She felt a blush fight its way up to her cheeks, heat filling her body as she imagined the blond as older, battle-worn… a valiant Huntsman.

Why am I feeling like this?

She didn't know.

Suddenly, she sprung out of bed. What in the world am I thinking? she practically screamed, feeling the flush covering her cheeks. Without a second to spare, she lurched out of bed as silently as possible to not wake the others. Quickly pulling on a jacket and some sneakers, she crept out of the room and bolted off.

A few minutes of jogging frantically up some stairs to justify her flushed cheeks led her to the rooftop of the dormitories. A clear, dark blue sky twinkled with stars, lit by the light of the crumbling moon. The cool air hit her cheeks, instantly calming her down. In the distance, she could see other buildings of Beacon, the clocktower of the main CCTS tower on campus glowing on one side, the far-off lights of Vale glittering in the other.

It was breathtaking.

Soon, her heartbeat had calmed. She walked over to the edge of the roof, taking in the view peacefully. From there, she could faintly hear the sounds of chatter from the team bedrooms below her in the building- but, with autumn's colder nights finally taking effect now that October had rolled around, very few people left their windows open, meaning she couldn't hear anything in particular.

It was such a calming place. None of the students really came up here, since the stairwells leading up to this little area were tucked away, out of prying eyes. It had been by pure chance that she had found them, after all. "Maybe we can have Nora's camping trip up here," she murmured aloud, taking in the stars with dreamy eyes. It was indeed beautiful enough to feel like she had escaped all others- like she was truly alone in a peaceful world. Her team would like it.

Her eyes trailed from the sky and its serene darkness downwards, all the way to the pathway below. There was a strip of grass hugging the building, with a cobblestone walkway just a few metres away from the dormitory's side. With enough rooms to fit nearly fifty teams, the building stood tall, and the darkness made the flowers blooming at the bottom feel even farther away.

And then, her vision hollowed out, the little black box screaming at her. The flush drained completely away from her cheeks, her mind filling itself with one horrifying, unbidden, utterly intrusive message.

You wouldn't be a danger to anyone if you just jumped from here.

She gasped, taking a step back so quickly she lost her balance, falling onto her butt as clumsily as Jaune constantly did during combat training. Her limbs felt sluggish and heavy, all thoughts fading from her mind, her neck barely able to support the weight of that one crushing, crushing thought-

All it would take is one jump.

No! she screamed internally, forcing herself to her feet. Walking back to the raised edge of the roof, she stared down at the flower bed, the grass, the walkway below. And then, she pivoted on her heel and began sprinting away from the roof, back down the stairs. No. I'm not doing it. I will never do it. I promised myself- I promised I wouldn't-

And the next thing she knew, she was standing in front of her door, chest heaving and heart racing frantically. Clenching her fists, she leaned her forehead against the doorframe, not even bothering to reach up and open it. I can't keep running, she thought when the momentary fear had finally died down. I'll bring the others there. I won't keep running. It won't be as bad if they're there.

With that, she made a promise to herself to bring her friends there and finally retired for the night, drifting off into a long, dreamless sleep.

The next week passed in a sort of haze. Midterms were going to take place in the end of the month, leaving a large portion of the student population extremely concerned. Pyrrha didn't stress- her study habits had only really improved ever since joining Ren, so she knew she would be fine. Nora was somehow every teacher's darling, magically figuring out every answer in the nick of time, so she wasn't concerned. Even Ruby had a study method- if one could even call it that, considering that Weiss' authoritarian tutoring schedule had left the tiny brunette devoid of her soul. At least she would pass for sure under the pale girl's watchful eye.

It was only Jaune who concerned Pyrrha. And, as usual, he didn't want any help.

Thankfully, Cardin was gone for a few days. The locker incident had left him writing multiple reports, as well as cleaning up Professor Ooblecks' entire catalogue of newspaper clippings and maps as his punishment. It was a terrible-enough task that even Pyrrha pitied the tall boy.

By the next weekend, both Team JNPR and Team RWBY had been frazzled enough by midterm nerves that they were more than happy to escape to Vale for the weekend. Pyrrha joined them, as per usual- their weekend trips were one of the few things she really looked forward to every week, although she still never interacted with anyone on the other team aside from Ruby. The other girls accepted her presence at their favourite noodle hut, and for that, Pyrrha was grateful.

That Sunday evening after their escapade, unfortunately, the beeping of her Scroll was more than enough to break her mood. Tossing her jacket onto the back of her chair, Pyrrha opened up her inbox, wincing when she read the text.

Call tonight. It was from her mother.

Massaging her temples, Pyrrha readjusted her circlet upon her brow and tucked her Scroll back into her pocket. "I'm heading out for a bit," she called.

Jaune stuck his head out of his closet, where he was struggling to pull his hoodie off. With one arm still in a sleeve and the rest of the material bunched up around his shoulders, he looked like a frilled iguana. "Whatcha up to?" he asked, voice muffled by the cloth.

She snorted dryly at his state of being. "Have to call my mom!" she explained, quickly leaving the room before the others joined in on the questioning.

Her feet led her to the library, where she handed the usual librarian her Scroll once again to upload her mother's contact information. Despite her cheery smile when she spoke to the woman, however, her heart was filled with trepidation. She hadn't spoken to her mother since the first week of classes- how was she going to face her now?

Before initiating the visual call, she took a deep breath, steadying her heart. You can do this, Pyrrha. And with that, she clicked the button, and in a few moments a familiar face filled the holographic CCT monitor.

"Pyrrha, how are you?" her mother asked primly, thin brow arched, eyes examining her daughter's features.

The girl straightened her posture, responding cordially, "I've been doing well, mother. And yourself?"

"I've been doing just fine," she said, eyes still scrutinizing Pyrrha's expression carefully. "I received a letter from one of your old professors from Sanctum. He spoke with one of your professors – a Huntsman named Port, I believe?"

"Yes, Peter Port is one of the teachers here," she affirmed, concern growing in her chest. "What… did he say?"

The older woman's face melted into a proud, warm smile. "He said you're one of his best students, dear. Sung praise after praise for your hard work and contributions. I'm proud."

Pyrrha felt herself instantly relax. "I enjoy his classes," she murmured fondly. "He's a little odd, but he means well."

"Keep it up," her mother emphasized. "Stay in his sights. Prove that you are a force to be reckoned with, Pyrrha- I will not have another failure like the last time we spoke."

And that was all it took to sour any warmth Pyrrha felt towards her mother's proud devotion. "Yes, mother," she muttered without feeling. Not becoming team leader isn't the same as being a failure.

The other woman didn't notice her lack of enthusiasm, quickly shifting to a different topic. "So, I wanted to ask you if you have anything in your old belongings that you wanted to keep."

"Keep?" The question baffled Pyrrha. "What- are you throwing things away?" Pyrrha had never really spent a lot of time in her family's home, not since coming to Sanctum- there wasn't anything in particular in her old bedroom that would be remotely useful to the young woman now.

"Just doing a little spring cleaning, dear," the woman replied calmly, looking at her perfectly manicured nails. "I've been wanted to do it for years, so I thought that now that you're not living here, it's probably the easiest time to declutter the place."

"I haven't formally lived there for years, mother," she murmured. "I was at Sanctum most of the time. So why now?"

Her mother tutted. "Well, with you having secured a place in the public eye with your current weapons- as untasteful as they are- there's no point in keeping the old workshop downstairs."

Pyrrha's blood ran cold. Barely able to contain the tremors wracking her body from head to toe, she whispered, "You want to get rid of… of Dad's workshop?"

The workshop of her father had been Pyrrha's haven as a child. Sitting in that small room, filled with welding tools and a blacksmith's forge on one hand with an array of hammers and screws and intricate pieces to form moving parts upon the other wall, had given her so much comfort as a child. How could her mother take that safe place away from her, the moment she left?

"Of course I am," the woman said easily, voice turning hard, eyes cold enough to freeze any word of complaint upon Pyrrha's lips. "You're a woman now, Pyrrha. You have no need for those tools now that Beacon can give you your own."

"No!" she cried. With a start, she realized how loud the cry was, so she leaned in closer to the monitor, barely holding her neutral expression upon her face. "No," she repeated, "you can't get rid of it. It's not yours!"

"It's not yours, either."

"But Dad-"

"Your father was a failure," her mother hissed. "You have no need for his tools. You will get your own in Beacon. And I will be here," her voice grew more and more agitated, "and I will be able to finally sleep without feeling his presence in this house. He hasn't had any right to be here, not in my home."

Pyrrha's eyes filled with tears, the frustration making her tongue thick in her mouth. "But I loved that workshop," she whispered. "It's all I have left."

"And now you'll have nothing, and good riddance to that," her mother spat, visibly annoyed. "He was a failure, a betrayer-"

"He didn't do anything wrong!" she protested.

"He abandoned his post, he brought shame upon our name! And it is your job to clear that, Pyrrha. You may have his blood, but you also have mine. You will not fail me."

"But Dad's workshop-" She was desperate now.

"You have those weapons of yours, don't you? At least he did that one good thing for you. If I could have my way, I'd have gotten rid of those long ago, too." The woman sighed heavily, smoothing out her short locks by her ears. Pasting on a strained smile, she said, sickly sweet, "Well, dear, I just wanted to make sure that there weren't any books or anything you wanted me to keep in your bedroom."

"No," she murmured dazedly. "Get rid of it all, I guess."

"Hm. Alright, pout at me if you want," her mother huffed, somehow maintaining her composure. "I'll be remodelling that workshop into a storage room. Goodness knows we've needed one long enough. Your room is still yours, dear- I'm just trashing that old bookshelf. Dusting everything off."

"Okay." Pyrrha was numb. She had built that bookshelf when she was a child, with her father.

"Eat good food. Sleep. Do me proud."

"Okay." She didn't care anymore.

"Who are you?" The same question as always, expecting the same response.

"I… am Pyrrha Nikos."

"Exactly," the woman crooned. "And you're the best of them all. Goodnight, and do well." The monitor beeped and faded to black without waiting for a response, leaving an empty redhead slumped in the chair before it, completely detached.

Getting up, Pyrrha had to clutch onto the edge of the monitor for a few moments, waiting for the knocking of her knees to finally subside. Dad, I- I'm so sorry, she thought, biting her lips nervously. You're not a failure. You never were, not to me.

"Don't chew your lips," she immediately heard her mother's voice echoing in her brain, and instinctively she stopped. She had to keep her image perfect for the audience, after all.

Footsteps crept up behind her. Pyrrha straightened up, smoothed her features out, and stepped away from the terminal, a pleasant smile upon her face. Approaching her from the front desk was the librarian, the older woman holding a small stack of books to put away on a nearby shelf. "Thank you for letting me make my call," Pyrrha said politely.

The woman nodded back over the books she was carrying. "Of course, dear. Off to dinner with you, now." Her expression was just as stern as always, but her kind eyes demonstrated her warmth as she watched Pyrrha leave the CCT monitor section, Scroll in hand.

The redhead's heart hung heavy in her chest as she stalked back towards the exit. Why did she always have to endure these conversations? Why did her mother think it was necessary to make her go through this?

Why didn't her mother see that, despite the fame and honour and glory, Pyrrha wasn't happy?

Dad… I miss you. A sudden urge to hold Miló and Akoúo overwhelmed her. The metal was always so cold, so comforting in her hands. After all, all of their mechanisms and clasps, every inch of those shining red and gold weapons… she had forged them alongside her father. She let out a heavy sigh, hanging her head for a moment while she collected her thoughts. Thinking of him always made her feel like this- like she was empty.

She didn't really have any tears left to cry to his memory.

Banishing the weighty feeling from her mind, shoving the dark thoughts farther and farther into that little black box in her heart where she stored all of her anxieties, she turned her thoughts to what to do next. By the time she made it to the dining hall, the hot food would probably be put away, and she didn't feel like eating cold vegetables from the sides section. "I'll just head to the dorms," she murmured, running her fingers through her ponytail for comfort. "Maybe there'll be something in the kitchen."

"Hey Pyrrha, where're ya heading?" a voice called.

Pyrrha spun on her heel to the left, the voice registering before she had even seen the speaker. "What are you all doing here?" she breathed, eyes widening in alarm at the three nonchalant figures in front of her.

Jaune, Ren and Nora were all seated at their regular study table. It was placed in the center of the library, near a large window- from that spot, it was easy to see any of the traffic walking in and out, as well as the people using the CCT monitors in the side wing.

The blond shrugged innocently. "Waiting for you, Pyrrha," he said with a soft smile.

She paused, straightening herself back up and calming her breaths. It was time to put her mask back on. She wasn't ready to show them these particular scars, after all.

Plastering on a bright, photo-worthy smile on her face, she walked lightly over to the rest of her team. "But what about dinner, everyone?"

Ren crossed him arms, watching her curiously. "We told Team RWBY to grab us some food and leave it in the fridge."

"That includes some for you too, silly!" Nora chirped from where she sat, kneeling upon the chair instead of sitting in it properly. "It's roast beef night. I hope there's mashed potatoes, too."

"They'll save it for us, no worries," Ren assured quietly. "More importantly, what are you doing here?"

Her words caught in her throat, her mind focused on keeping the emotions she had shoved away locked tight in her heart. After a moment, she composed herself once more, grabbed a chair, and sat primly with the others. "I told you all- I had to call my mother! Things have been busy in Mistral for her, after all."

The others traded a look. "Hey, Pyrrha," Jaune murmured, standing up and walking around the table. When he was beside Pyrrha, he simply leaned back against the table, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If something's going on, you can tell us."

"No pressure," Ren added.

Nora stood on her chair, sat down upon the table, and swung her legs around to the other side. Hanging her feet off the ledge beside Pyrrha, the girl added, "Whatever it is, we can tackle it."

The redhead let out a soft chuckle. "What are you all talking about?" She brushed off their concern lightheartedly, keeping the smile affixed to her face. "I'm fine! I am Pyrrha Nikos, after all. What made you so concerned?"

Jaune squeezed her shoulder, but she didn't look up at him. She didn't want to know his answer.

Suddenly, Nora kneeled down in front of her and grabbed her hand. Holding one finger to her lips, she winked mischievously and held out a little object- a small square of chocolate. The redhead frowned, confused, but Nora simply whispered, "Shh. Don't tell Ren I have this. He thinks he found my only stash."

Pyrrha wordlessly accepted the little goodie from Nora, who had handed it to her under the table so Ren couldn't see. Nora's eyes were wide, hopeful, and held nothing but trust and joy and light in them. Looking up at the two boys at last, she realized that they were the same.

Then, she placed the chocolate upon her tongue with trembling fingers. It was so, so sweet. The flavour slowly flooded her senses as the candy melted, filling her with warmth and love and so much gratefulness that her heart felt almost about to burst.

And burst, it did- before she knew it, her eyebrows were drawn together, eyes squeezed shut tightly as the tears threatened to fall upon her cheeks. No! she screamed internally. I vowed I wouldn't cry like this again. The helplessness which arose from that thought began infringing upon the edges of her chocolate happiness, ripping away her security slowly but surely-

Until she felt a soft presence in front of her. Opening her eyes, she almost started back in shock as she saw bright, pale blue eyes looking at her tenderly. She held back her instinct, however, and closed her eyes once more, awaiting whatever Nora was about to do. Pyrrha froze, feeling Nora's forehead slowly press against hers, almost feeling the positivity coursing through the orange-haired girl through the contact.

"Boop," Nora murmured, holding the contact for a moment before stepping back. Reopening her eyes, Pyrrha saw the other girl smiling softly at her, alongside Ren, who was watching her with just as much, albeit more subdued, warmth.

"We're your team," Jaune stated firmly, smile simple and pure and so innocent that Pyrrha's heart soared at the sight.

She swallowed the last piece of chocolate, savouring the lingering flavour. The redhead looked at her hands, clammy and pale. They were her team. Even though they didn't know the half of it, the extent of her trauma, her loneliness… they were at her side in that moment.

And that was all she had ever really needed. "I know."